Training Proficiencies

Sometimes, a character may wish to learn a tool, language, or weapon proficiency outside the scope of their starting proficiencies. Perhaps they grew close to a particular artisan or warrior, or grew close to a culture far from home. Whatever the case may be, follow the rules below for training another character.


The Apprentice
First, if you wish to gain proficiency in a tool, language or weapon, you must find another character who already has that proficiency. Over the course of some time and RP, the master will teach the apprentice the ins and outs of their particular area of focus. For a tool, this involves not only how to use the tool but also the incidental information surrounding its use, such as histories, particular styles of crafting, and similar. For a language, this includes esoteric word forms and rare turns-of-phrase, encompassing not merely an understanding of the language but a commanding mastery of its use. For a weapon, this involves a culture (or several cultures) worth of training in how to wield a weapon for its most devastating blows and most unbreakable defenses.


The Journeyman
Next, the two characters RP their training together. Have fun with it! This is a shared exercise, so feel free to invent oddities, fun trivia, or other minor world features which express the fractal depth that learning a new proficiency entails. This training should be recorded in some way—preferably through chat logs or screenshots—and posted in the Training Screenshots subthread. The sessions should be as long as is necessary to convey the training in an interesting way, and should involve both characters RPing together. This isn't meant to be homework; have fun, loosen up, and enjoy using training to RP with other characters!


The Master
Finally, over the course of several days, the apprentice must complete five training sessions, ranging from beginner to mastery. This should not be done all at once—please leave at least one real life day between each training session, to express the time spent alone by the apprentice practicing their craft and perfecting the use of their tool, language, or weapon on their own time. While only part way through learning a proficiency, you may use the tool, language, or weapon; however, tools always make their checks with disadvantage, and do not grant any benefits to skill checks. Languages can only be spoken falteringly, with several errors and difficulty expressing oneself. Weapons simply lack their proficiency bonus to attack rolls, as per normal for lacking a weapon proficiency.

If a teacher goes missing, don't fret! You can be trained by any number of masters, so long as each master completes a full session with you.

Once your training is done, that's it! You can add proficiency in the relevant tool, language, or weapon to your character sheet.



Training Capabilities

Beyond mere proficiencies, some training expands to cover a much wider gamut of skills, or otherwise acts to better practice one in the skills they already have. For those specializing in martial combat, this can be time spent sparring or practicing strikes with the aid of a teacher. For those of arcane efforts, it can instead manifest as rigorous study and rote practice alongside the guidance of another. For the divine, it may even manifest as a growing connection to one's gods, beliefs, and understandings of their place in an order. Regardless of specifics, follow the rules below for generalized training.


Practice, Perfected
When training with another character, whether it be sparring, studying, or some other activity, both characters must have a session of such training with one another. Doing so comprises RP spent engaging with one's class features, general proficiencies, and particular areas of expertise over the course of a session of RP. As before, a session should be as long as is necessary to convey the training in an interesting way, and should involve both characters RPing together. After logs of the training are posted in the Training Screenshots subthread, all participating characters will receive xp towards their next level.


Rest, Recommended
After receiving xp in this way, a character cannot receive it again until one real life week has passed since their last training session. They can still participate in spars and training sessions with other characters; they will simply only get xp for one such session per week. In addition, training never gives xp to those who are the highest level on the server. Practicing is always helpful, but only challenges to one's skills provide the breakthroughs necessary to level up. Staff will inform a player if their character is too high a level to receive xp for training, either upon request or when training logs are sent.




Note:
Posts made to the Training Screenshots subthread are only visible by the poster and staff. We understand the nature that some of these may contain RP information you'd rather be left private, secret, or otherwise discovered IC, and so wish to enable such without denying players xp in the process.