Weapon Proficiency

When survivors reach specific thresholds (e.g. Age, Butchery, etc.) they are granted weapon proficiency. They may select a weapon type and start gaining weapon proficiency levels with this weapon. A weapon's type is a gear keyword on the gear card. The following weapons may be selected as a weapon proficiency: axe, bow, club, dagger, fan, fist & tooth, grand weapon, katar, scythe, shield, spear, sword, and whip.

Earning Weapon Proficiency Levels

During a showdown, a survivor must wound a monster at least once with their chosen weapon type to become eligible to gain 1 level of weapon proficiency. During the Aftermath, if they are victorious, eligible survivors gain 1 weapon proficiency level. Fill in the next unfilled box on the survivor record sheet to indicate this. A survivor cannot gain weapon proficiency if they do not have a weapon type selected (unless stated otherwise). They have not yet dedicated themselves to training and thus, cannot learn.

Changing Your Weapon Type

A survivor may change their selected weapon type when they depart for a hunt. If they do, lose all accrued levels of weapon proficiency, including weapon specializations. Erase any filled boxes and start over with the new weapon type.

Weapon Specialization/Mastery

When a survivor reaches the specialization milestone (rank 3), they gain the benefits of the specialization card for their selected weapon type. Specializations are advanced abilities that can be used with that weapon. They keep these benefits while their milestone remains filled.

When a survivor reaches a weapon mastery (rank 8), it is permanently added to the settlement as an innovation. The survivor's command of the weapon is so extensive that all current and future survivors of that settlement gain that weapon's specialization ability in addition to their own weapon proficiencies. The master will keep full benefits of the mastery, so long as the innovation remains in the settlement. If a new survivor wants to gain the benefits of a mastery that is already an innovation in the settlement, they must gain all 8 weapon proficiency levels.

Twilight Sword & Katana Specialization/Mastery

Twilight Sword Proficiency and Katana Proficiency are special in that they cannot be selected as a weapon type to gain weapon proficiency levels with. Instead, survivors get access to these weapon types by triggering events such as Hooded Knight - Tattered Parcel, Nightmare, and
Edged Tonometry.

Weapon Proficiency Survivor Status Cards

Main Article: AI Cards
Weapon proficiency survivor status cards represent a connection forged by a shared passion. They are given to the survivor with the highest weapon proficency in a particular type of weapon (with a minimum of 1).

Arc Survivors and Weapon Proficiency

Main Article: Arc Survivor
Arc survivors do not choose weapon proficiency as a result of Age. Instead, weapon proficiencies result from collective cognition rewards.

Novel Proficiencies

Novel weapon proficiencies allow survivors to grow their skills with unusual weapon types. These weapon types may not normally be selected to accumulate weapon proficiency levels. Only remarkable circumstances inspire survivors to train with these weapons. Mastering novel weapon types does not confer any benefits to other survivors in the settlement. When a survivor gains a novel proficiency, they may select this weapon type and accumulate weapon proficiency ranks as normal.

Beta Rules

The beta rules for novel proficiencies were introduced in the Willow beta release, and no longer apply:
When a survivor's proficiency level reaches specialization and they have at least 3 courage, they can develop something new. They may select a novel weapon proficiency that matches their weapon type, instead of continuing with the normal weapon proficiency. When a survivor with novel weapon proficiency reaches mastery, it becomes an innovation and all survivors gain the benefit of its specialization rules. A campaign can have both a weapon mastery and its novel mastery.

Sealed

Main Article: Gear Special Rules
A gear special rule. Sealed gear has a bonus effect that can only be earned by training. A survivor can unseal the gear by declaring it as their weapon proficiency, forsaking the normal bonuses of selecting a weapon type. When the survivor reaches the specialization rank, they earn the effect listed after the Sealed special rule on the gear card. A survivor can only earn a gear's Sealed bonus once per lifetime.

Ex: A survivor declares Toxicimitar as their weapon proficiency (because it has a Sealed effect). When they reach rank 3 (specialization), they gain the Crescent Step secret fighting art.

Lantern Armor Proficiency

A special type of proficiency. When a survivor is wearing a full Lantern Armor set, they may select Lantern Armor as their weapon proficiency type instead of a weapon. During the Aftermath, they are eligible to gain a proficiency rank if they suffered damage during the showdown. In order to claim the benefits of Specialization and/or Mastery, the survivor must be wearing a full Lantern Armor set and claim its armor set bonus card.

List of Proficiency Cards

• Axe Proficiency
• Bow Proficiency
• Cleaver Proficiency (included in the Vignette of Death: Killennium Butcher)
• Club Proficiency
• Dagger Proficiency
• Fan Proficiency (included in the Sen beta release)
• Fist & Tooth Proficiency
• Grand Weapon Proficiency
• Katana Proficiency (included in the Sunstalker Expansion)
• Katar Proficiency
• Lantern Armor Proficiency (included in the Aya - Lantern Armor beta release)
• Novel Sword Proficiency
• Scythe Proficiency (included in the Dragon King Expansion)
• Shield Proficiency
• Spear Proficiency
• Sword Proficiency
• Twilight Sword Proficiency
• Whip Proficiency