It's fairly obvious that there is a huge difference in the attack potential of an unskilled novice and a trained swordsman. The level of skill with which a character fights is divided into six general categories: nonproficiency, familiarity, proficiency, expertise, specialization, and mastery. Here's an explanation of each category and how many points they cost. In the case of multi-classed characters, use the most advantageous class unless otherwise noted.

Nonproficiency and Weapon Familiarity:

A character who is not proficient in a type of weapon suffers penalties on attack rolls when using that weapon. The penalties vary by character class-for example, fighters are much more likely to understand an unfamiliar weapon than wizards. The penalties are shown in the table below.

However, in some cases a character can be familiar enough with a weapon that he does not suffer all nonproficiency penalties. This is called Weapon Familiarity. While the character cannot fight as effectively as someone with a weapon proficiency, neither is he as inept as a nonproficient character.

A character is assumed to be familiar with weapons that are related to ones with which he is proficient. Weapons in the same tight group as a character's weapon of proficiency are familiar to that character. If a character has proficiency in an entire tight group of weapons, he is familiar with all weapons in a related broad group.

A character using a weapon with which he is not proficient cannot perform any special combat maneuvers, such as disarms or parries, with that weapon. He is limited to basic attacks, with the die roll penalties shown above. If he hits, however, he makes a normal roll for damage.

Proficiency:

This is the basic level of competence most characters achieve with their weapons training. Proficiency allows the character to use a weapon with no penalties and employ all attack options and special weapon properties to their fullest extent.

*Weapon Expertise costs 1 pt less if the weapon is already your Weapon of Choice.

Each class has its own pool of weapons to choice from, but is possible to purchase proficiency with a weapon normally outside of your scope. Priests and Rogues can use purchase Warrior weapons at cost of +1 or for 4 pts. Wizards can make use of Priest and Rogue weapons for +2 pts, or a cost of 5 pts. Wizards using an weapon exclusive to Warriors would pay 6 pts to wield it. If the use of weapon outside of your classes scope was purchased as part of your Class Traits, then this can be disregarded. Those characters pay their normal Proficiency costs for those weapons.

Weapon of Choice:

A character can designate a specific weapon as his favorite. He must be proficient with that weapon already, and even if the proficiency he possesses applies to an entire tight or broad group, the weapon of choice must be designated.

A player can declare a weapon of choice when he first creates a character, or at any point thereafter-as long as he has the character points. They should receive some training or extensive practice from a warrior who is proficient in the same weapon and has a higher experience level than the trainee. Alternately, any character can train someone if he possesses a higher level of weapon mastery (weapon expertise or better) with that weapon.

A character receives a +1 bonus on all attack rolls when using his weapon of choice.

Weapon Expertise:

Weapon expertise is a more limited version of Weapon Specialization. Unlike specialization, however, you do not have to purchase Weapon Specialization as part of your class abilties. Before gaining weapon expertise, the character must be proficient in the use of the selected weapon. It may or may not already be the character's weapon of choice (see above).

As with weapon of choice, a player can declare a weapon of expertise when he first creates a character, or at any point thereafter-as long as he has the character points. If the selection is made by an active character, he should receive extensive training from a warrior who is proficient in the same weapon and has a higher experience level than the trainee.

Weapon expertise allows a character to gain extra attacks as if a weapon specialist. At first level, an expert with a long sword can attack three times every two rounds. Weapon expertise does not confer extra attack or damage bonuses, though the character may receive an attack benefit if he has weapon expertise in the use of his weapon of choice, as explained above.

Weapon Specialization:

To gain Weapon Speciliazation you must purchase it along with your Class Abilities when the character is created. If you don't, then you can never become specialized in weapons. Single Class Warriors gain Weapon Specialization the easiest and at lower levels. When you can purchase Weapon Specialization and how much it costs is detailed below.

Weapon Mastery, High Mastery, and Grand Mastery:

There are swordsmen and then there are swordsmen. A warrior who devotes his life to the study of martial combat and the characteristics of a single type of weapon can become a weapon master- a fighter whose precision, quickness, and skill are virtually unequaled anywhere.

Mastery is only available to Warrors. The effects and bonuses of Mastery are listed below.

Master Weapon Skill Costs:

In the tables below I will tie all the various tables together and show how much the various levels of weapon skill cost and the benefits gained from them. Skills with a * are optional and can only be bought once for a particular character, the sole exception being Warriors who bought the Multi-Specialization Trait when they made their character. Weapon Expertise costs -1 pt if Weapon of Choice was also purchased for the same weapon.

Effects of having Expertise, Specialization and Mastery:

Advantages are Cumulative. Characters will either have Expertise or Specialization if at all, but not both. No extra attacks are gained from having both.

Specializaton Attack Rates:

Lastly the table below lists how many attacks specialists have and at what level.