Characters with NWPs in Musical Instruments, Dance, Singing, Acting and other performance arts can earn money from their talents. How much depends on the dice.
Start by rolling an NWP check. If the roll is:
Only Bards are capable of Extraordinary performances, which yield 3d6 gp.
Bards employ similar rules with two important variations:
For both Bards and amateurs a roll of 20 means they are booed off the stage. In some venues they might also be pelted with rotten fruit and vegetables.
Any character with Alertness, Hunting, Survival, Tracking, Trailing, or Observation is assumed to have at least some scouting experience. Otherwise the character wouldn't have those proficiencies. Multiple NWPs from the above list reflect higher levels of expertise. Anyone playing the ranger class and those with the scout kit are automatically expert. Players lacking those qualifications, but who feel their history justifies scouting experience, are welcome/encouraged to rp the ability (die roll penalties may apply in practice).
Thief skills have been modified to reflect the varied backgrounds of rogue characters. Discretionary points may only be put into areas justified by the character history and have been reduced, 50 at character creation and 25 per level thereafter, starting at 2nd level. To compensate for the reduction, thieves will earn an additional NWP every three, not every four, levels. Appropriate bonus NWPs and/or WPs may also be given at character creation to enhance individuality and role play. Here are the adjusted baselines. Racial benefits and hindrances do not apply.
Skill | Base Score | Ability Adjustment | Kit Adjustment | Armour Adjustment | Discretionary Points | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pick Pockets | 5% | (Dexterity) | ||||
Open Locks | 5% | (Dexterity) | ||||
Find/Remove Traps | 5% | (Perception) | ||||
Move Silently | 10% | (Dexterity) | ||||
Hide in Shadows | 10% | (Dexterity) | ||||
Detect Noise | 15% | (Perception) | ||||
Climb Walls | 40% | |||||
Read Languages | 0% |
Discretionary points can not be put into Read Languages until the character has the Reading/Writing NWP.
Although thieves have specialized climbing abilities, all characters are able to climb to some degree or another. Climbing ability is divided into three categories: thief, mountaineer, and unskilled.
(Mountaineering: A character with this proficiency can make difficult and dangerous climbs up steep slopes and cliffs with the aid of spikes, ropes, etc. If a character with mountaineering proficiency leads a party, placing the pitons (spikes) and guiding the others, all in the party can gain the benefit of his knowledge. A mountaineer can guide a party up a cliff face it could not otherwise climb. A character with this proficiency gains a 10% bonus per proficiency slot spent to his chance to climb any surface. Note that mountaineering is not the same as the thief's climbing ability, since the latter does not require aids of any sort.
I interpret that to mean use of the prof requires the character to have climbing gear.)
Here is what the PHB says:
I use the following modifier: Unskilled remains at the 40% success rate, but while book value for mountaineering proficiency gives 10% above that, I'm more generous. I still allow a 10% increase per proficiency slot, but with one slot devoted to the proficiency I give 3% for every point above 12, with two slots I allow 6%, (and so forth) so that someone with one slot in mountaineering at a value of 15 has a 59% chance; the same character with two slots (boosting his value to 16) would have an 84% chance.
The Climbing Modifiers I use are based on, but are not limited to, the following:
Surface Conditions
While Wearing Armour
While Encumbered
Notice: Anyone carrying another character is Severely Encumbered
While Injured
All modifiers are cumulative. As an example, an unskilled climber (with a base climbing success rate of 40%) wearing chain mail (-15%) and moderately encumbered (-10%) trying to climb a damp, slightly crumbling (-25%) rise that slopes inward (+25%) would have a 15% chance of succeeding.
Climbing is different from walking or any other type of movement a character can do. The rate at which a character moves varies greatly with the different types of walls and surfaces that must be climbed. Refer to the table below. Cross-reference the type of surface to be climbed with the surface condition. Multiply the appropriate number from the table by the character's current movement rate. The result is the rate of climb for the character, in feet per round, in any direction (up, down, or sideways).
Type of Surface | Dry | Slightly Slippery | Slippery |
---|---|---|---|
Very smooth ** | 1/4(1/2) | (1/4) | --*** |
Smooth, cracked * | 1/2 (1) | 1/3 (2/3) | 1/4 (1/2) |
Rough * | 1/2 (1) | 1/3 (2/3) | 1/4 (1/2) |
Rough w/ledges | 1 (2) | 1/2 (1) | 1/3 (2/3) |
Ice wall | -- | -- | 1/4 (1/2) |
Tree | 4 (8) | 3 (6) | 2 (4) |
Sloping wall | 3 (6) | 2 (4) | 1 (2) |
Rope and wall | 2 (4) | 1 (2) | 1/2 (1) |
Thief climbing rates given in parentheses.
* Nonthief characters must be mountaineers (and have appropriate tools--pitons, rope, etc.) to climb these surfaces.
** Thieves need appropriate tools (pitons, rope, etc.) to climb these surfaces.
*** Even thieves cannot climb very smooth, slippery surfaces.
Skiing NWP is based on con + str + dex, averaged, with a initial 10 penalty (+10 added to roll, with the need to roll low) that drops by 1 each game month of use or after several successful proficiency rolls (greater use naturally results in more rapid skill acquisition) at the end of which time, the character is proficient. It is awarded independently of any other prof earned by levelling up.
Skiing proficiency is automatic if a character has mountaineering, arctic survival, or arctic tracking.
All crafts require tools to give the best chance of success. If improvised tools are used, the check is made with a -2 penalty.
To determine how much time and money it takes to make an item, follow these steps.
If you don't have a relevant NWP, then roll a d20. A roll below 12 means that you succeed in making a simple item, below 7 a typical item. Untrained characters cannot make high-quality or complex items. You can try as often as necessary, but each failed check means wasted time and/or resources (at GM discretion, depending on the item being made). If the check succeeds, roll a second d20 and multiply the result + the NWP value by the DC. If the result × the DC equals the price of the item in sp, then you have completed the item. (If the result × the DC equals double or triple the price of the item in silver pieces, then you've completed the task in one-half or one-third of the time. Other multiples of the DC reduce the time in the same manner.) If the result × the DC doesn't equal the price, then it represents the progress you've made this week (or day). Record the result and make a new Craft check for the next week (day). Each week (day), you make more progress until your total reaches the price of the item in silver (copper) pieces.
Generally, you can repair an item by making checks against the same DC that it took to make the item in the first place. For calculation purposes the cost of repairing an item is one-fifth of the item's price, but actual payment may not be required. Untrained characters can attempt to repair high-quality or complex items. They succeed on 15 or less for very simple items, 10 or less for typical items, 5 or less for high-quality items, and on a 1 for complex or superior items. However, a failure of greater than 10 means the item was irreparably broken in the attempt to repair it. A failure of less than 10 means a character with the relevant NWP can attempt to repair the item at a -5 penalty.
The PHB and PO:S&P have radically different rules for using Jumping NWP. This is the version we will use; it includes my own personal tweaks.
Jumping: The character can attempt exceptional leaps both vertically and horizontally. If the character has at least a 20-foot running start, he can leap (broad jump) 2d6+his level in feet. No character can broad jump more than six times his height, however. With the same start, he can leap vertically (high jump) 1d3 plus half his level in feet. No character can high jump more than 1-1/2 times his own height.
From a standing start, a character with this proficiency can broad jump 1d6 plus half his level in feet and high jump half his height.
Pole Vaulting: A character with both Jumping and Tumbling NWPs can attempt vaults using a pole. A vault requires at least a 30-foot running start. A vaulting pole must be at least as tall as the character using it, but no more than twice plus half his level in feet as tall. The character can vault over obstacles up to the height of the pole. If the obstacles are within 2 feet of the pole's length, however, the character must make a proficiency check. The vaulter can also jump across a space no more than 11/2 times the width of the pole's length. If the gap is greater than the length of the pole, a proficiency check is required; the character can attempt to land on his feet if the vault carries him over an obstacle no higher than 1/2 the height of his pole, by making a proficiency check at -2. Thus, using a 12-foot pole, the character could either vault through a window 12 feet off the ground (tumbling into the room beyond), land on his feet in an opening six feet off the ground, or vault across a moat 18 feet wide. In all cases, the pole is dropped at the end of the vault.