Survival (Proficiency)

==Player's Handbook==
This proficiency must be applied to a specific environment—i.e., a specific type of terrain and weather factors. Typical environments include arctic, woodland, desert, steppe, mountain, or tropical. The character has basic survival knowledge for that terrain type. Additional proficiency slots can be used to add more types of terrain.
A character skilled in survival has a basic knowledge of the hazards he might face in that land. He understands the effects of the weather and knows the proper steps to lessen the risk of exposure. He knows the methods to locate or gather drinkable water. He knows how to find basic, not necessarily appetizing, food where none is apparent, thus staving off starvation. Furthermore, a character with survival skill can instruct and aid others in the same situation. When using the proficiency to find food or water, the character must roll a proficiency check. If the check is failed, no more attempts can be made that day.
The survival skill in no way releases the player characters from the hardships and horrors of being lost in the wilderness. At best it alleviates a small portion of the suffering. The food found is barely adequate, and water is discovered in minuscule amounts. It is still quite possible for a character with survival knowledge to die in the wilderness. Indeed, the little knowledge the character has may lead to overconfidence and doom!
==Player's Option: Skills & Powers==
Survival: A character with this proficiency has a basic knowledge of the dangers and challenges in certain wilderness terrain: arctic, woodland, desert, plains, or tropical. Mountains are not usually a separate terrain type-a mountain range may be tropical, wooded, snow-covered, etc.
Survival skill means the character has a good chance of finding food or water in that environment- if there is any to be found. The character can roll a proficiency check once a day for each category. Success means food, water, or shelter is found. Typically it will take 1d6 hours to find water, and 2d6 turns to forage enough food for one person.
A character with this skill also understands the perils inherent in sudden storms and dangerous topical features- avalanches, quicksand, sandstorms, and landslides, for example. The DM might allow a player to roll a proficiency check when one of these dangers appears on the horizon- success means the character has noticed the menace.
==The Complete Thief's Handbook==
Required: Bandit.
Recommended: Bounty Hunter.
This proficiency is normally restricted to warriors. Its description is on p. 63 of the Player's Handbook.
==Note from The Complete Ranger's Handbook==
All rangers have basic survival skills in their primary terrain. Additional proficiency slots may be spent to add more terrain types. Thus, if a ranger spends slots to acquire this proficiency, he must choose a terrain type other than his primary terrain, giving him the survival proficiency in two types of terrain.
==The Complete Barbarian's Handbook==
Every barbarian has basic survival skills in his homeland terrain; the survival proficiency isn't necessary. If a barbarian spends slots to acquire this proficiency, he chooses a terrain type other than his homeland terrain, thus giving him the survival proficiency in two terrains. More slots give survival skills in additional terrains. During character creation the player should justify how the barbarian has these proficiencies.
==Campaign Option: Council of Wyrms Setting==
This proficiency is described in the Player's Handbook. It gives a basic understanding of the natural hazards of the chosen environment. A successful check allows a dragon to find the location of whatever food or water might be available (failure means nothing was found and no more checks can be made that day). 
Hatchlings can take this proficiency only for their natural terrain. For example, a hatchling bronze from the shores of the southern islands could take Survival (Jungle), but would have to wait until it advanced in level and gained additional noncombat proficiency slots before taking Survival (Arctic). 
Category:Player's Handbook Proficiencies
Category:The Complete Thief's Handbook Proficiencies