Weapon Proficiency
Weapon Proficiency, or 'skills,' determine a player's ability to use each of the six types of weapons in the realms - sharp, thrusting, pole, blunt, missile, and, for monks only, Hand-to-hand. Each character in Aalynor's Nexus begins with a certain amount of skill in one type of weapon, of his/her choosing (not very much, however). This skill, and the others, which don't receive that head-start, are improved with time, by using each type of weapon, and earning experience with it. One may see his proficiency with the 'skills' command. For instance, if a completely new character were to type, 'skills,' he/she would see:
| Skill | Level of Mastery |
| ---------------------------------------------------- | |
| Sharp Weapons | Unskilled |
| Thrust Weapons | Unskilled |
| Blunt Weapons | Unskilled |
| Pole Weapons | Unskilled |
| Missile Weapons | Unskilled |
Now, to the beginner, this can look pretty disconcerting. It is important to note, however, that one can still use the weapons, with an unskilled proficiency rating. The level of skill determines how often one will miss, hit for double, etc. NOT whether or not one can use a weapon at all. After all, how can one improve, if he/she can't practice?
There are several levels of proficiency in each skill:
- Unskilled
- Basic
- Skilled
- Experienced
- Refined
- Ace
- Adept
- Expert
- Specialist
- Master
- Grandmaster (fighters only)
One advances through these ranks, as stated above, by earning experience while using the weapon in question. The rate at which one improves his/her skill depends largely on killing foes with them. Fighters improve their skills at a faster rate than others.
Though perhaps daunting at first, Weapon Proficiency add to the rich and complex environment of the realms of Aalynor's Nexus.