Specializations

**Specializations** refer to bonuses you may purchase using rewards from participation in our guild's activities. These are intended as ways to further customize your character's performance in any dice-roll situation.

For more information about our standard combat system, please have a look at the Contrivance System's main page.

## What Specializations Are

Long story short, not every character trait you may wish to bring into play is represented by an ability. In order to increase your control over your character's story, we offer additional Specializations you can purchase to alter the outcomes of rolls or simply change your options, usually in non-combat situations.

Each Specialization has two tiers:

* *Basic* specialization costs 10 XP, and grants a low-level version of the trait you seek (such as changing a status effect, or granting a low-level bonus or buff.
* *Mastery* in a specialization costs 30 XP, and grants a significantly improved bonus, either on top of the Basic version or in place of it.

You can choose to spend your points anywhere you like, up to 50. That means, of course, that choosing Mastery in a Specialization means that you can only take Basic in one other; or that becoming a Jack-of-all-trades means you cannot take Mastery. This is to maintain balance as well as to force you to *choose wisely.*

### *Stealth*

* *Basic:* Add 2 points to any stealth roll.
* *Mastery:* Your first stealth roll will always succeed.

### *Will*

* *Basic:*  Any failed saving throw against influence or mind control will instead result in a stun as you struggle to throw it off.
* *Mastery:*  Your first saving throw against influence or mind control will always succeed.

### *Perception*

* *Basic:*  Add 2 points to any perception roll.
* *Mastery:*  You will always perceive something of relevance on any perception roll.

### *Memory*

* *Basic:*  You may roll once to see if you randomly remember something relevant to the matter at hand.
* *Mastery:*  You will remember something pertaining to the matter at hand, once per event at your choice

### *Endurance*

* *Basic:*  Your health is set at 6 rather than 5.
* *Mastery:*  Your health is set at 8 rather than 5.

## Fantastic XP and Where to Find It

**Merits**and**Commendations**are a simple metric by which the Knights of Ashfall acknowledges the participation and contributions of our members. By no means are they the be-all and end-all--we're grateful for everything our players do to make this guild one of the finest on this server--but they do help ensure that you get visible recognition.

Merits and Commendations are purely OOC things--a point system. They translate to XP for our D20 system, and help remind your sometimes absent-minded guild master of how much participation you've demonstrated.

This is one way we hope to reward going that little extra distance. We offer many opportunities to "do more"--most of them, we hope, directed toward building your character and story--but this little bit will help give a little boost to your character's growth as a combatant.

Also, Merits and Commendations belong to you, the player, and apply to all of your characters in this guild. That's because these points are awarded for *your* participation as a player. No need to "level" your alts all over again!

### ***Merits***

Merits are smaller "units" of participation, and are awarded for typical contributions. They're worth 1 XP apiece.

You can accumulate Merits for activities along this vein:

* Attending guild events;
* Helping guildies accomplish objectives, like running instances or acquiring transmog pieces;
* Taking screenshots for events and passing them along; or
* Participating in earning guild achievements.

Every bit helps, and in turn, every bit will help you!

### ***Commendations***

Commendations are the larger "units", and are awarded for extraordinary contributions. These are worth 2 XP apiece, and represent you having taken initiative and leadership.

Commendations can be awarded for doing such things as:

* Creating and DMing events;
* Recruiting new members;
* Writing an article for the Wikia; and
* Lore building.