D&D 5E - gaining a new proficiency

[HawaiiSteveO]

I did search of previous posts and didn't have any luck . . .
Have free base rules in pdf, obvious question is how does a PC gain a new proficiency?
A wizard doesn't get the armor prof. at 1st, so gains no benefit & can't cast spells while doing so.
Obvious question - how does wizard gain armor prof.?
Maybe it's in PHB and not in free rules?

[Lorathorn]

If I remember correctly (don't have the book in front of me) he can either multi-class into fighter, or take the armor prof. feat.

That's the only way that I can recall, unless you give that wizard elven chainmail, which effectively grants armor proficiency, but again, I might not be remembering with 100% accuracy.

[Petty Alchemy]

One of the dwarf subraces gets armor proficiency, so that's an option as well.
If you do multiclass, it's generally better to start as a Fighter (since that will give you Con save proficiency as well, which is more important to you as a Wizard for making concentration checks).

[LazarX]

Remember that gaining proficiency does not address arcane spell failure chance. Unless they got rid of it in 5E

[HawaiiSteveO]

Dwarven wizard . . . has potential!

I can't see anything about gaining extra proficiencies at certain levels etc . . . thanks!

Guess this place is going to get busier with D&D stuff!

[Lorathorn]

@ Lazar, they did. In the basic PDF (and presumably somewhere in the PHB) there is a note under the equipment section noting that as long as you are proficient with armor, you can cast spells freely.

On a side note, it always did irk me to have the dwarf sub-race get armor proficiency. It's great for getting an armored dwarf that isn't necessarily part of a martial class, but it bars that dwarven subrace from being effective if the player DOES choose a martial class. I'd love to see more racial trait alternatives.

[Petty Alchemy]

Lorathorn wrote:

@ Lazar, they did. In the basic PDF (and presumably somewhere in the PHB) there is a note under the equipment section noting that as long as you are proficient with armor, you can cast spells freely.

On a side note, it always did irk me to have the dwarf sub-race get armor proficiency. It's great for getting an armored dwarf that isn't necessarily part of a martial class, but it bars that dwarven subrace from being effective if the player DOES choose a martial class. I'd love to see more racial trait alternatives.

IIRC, doesn't that subrace get +2 Str +2 Con? I think it can survive a little redundancy for martial character proficiency.

[thejeff]

Petty Alchemy wrote:

Lorathorn wrote:

@ Lazar, they did. In the basic PDF (and presumably somewhere in the PHB) there is a note under the equipment section noting that as long as you are proficient with armor, you can cast spells freely.

On a side note, it always did irk me to have the dwarf sub-race get armor proficiency. It's great for getting an armored dwarf that isn't necessarily part of a martial class, but it bars that dwarven subrace from being effective if the player DOES choose a martial class. I'd love to see more racial trait alternatives.

IIRC, doesn't that subrace get +2 Str +2 Con? I think it can survive a little redundancy for martial character proficiency.

Yeah, not taking advantage of one trait of a subrace is hardly a bar to being effective.

[Lorathorn]

Perhaps, but you tell me how lame you feel getting a redundant trait. It's not a barrier, but it is a consideration. Especially when the alternative is an extra hp per level.

[thejeff]

Lorathorn wrote:

Perhaps, but you tell me how lame you feel getting a redundant trait. It's not a barrier, but it is a consideration. Especially when the alternative is an extra hp per level.

But also 1 point to Wisdom instead of 2 to Strength.

I know which I'd take for a martial character.

[Lorathorn]

Well, excepting a monk, perhaps.

[Kalshane]

Yeah, multi-classing or feats are the way to go. Though proficiency in languages and tools can be achieved via downtime and gold.

[Terquem]

I think there are some Backgrounds that grant additional proficiencies (I'll check later).

[Kalshane]

Backgrounds always grant 2 skills, plus some combination of tools and languages.

[Lorathorn]

I was right... Elven Chain bestows proficiency with armor (though only for that armor, of course).

[Aeshuura]

In rules as written (basic rules) there is no way. Feats (in PHB) are an alternate rule and allow for armor training, and there is nothing barring a DM from giving it as a reward (a martial caster takes the PC under his wing, training him to cast and fight in armor!)

[Hitdice]

There are downtime rules which allow you to gain tool proficiencies (and other stuff) in the PHB, with variants in the DMG.

[SmiloDan]

I have a PF dwarf barbarian 1/magus 7 I might someday rebuild as a 5E mountain dwarf wizard abjurer. Medium Armor, full casting, battle axe proficiency, and the abjurer class feature creates a pool of extra hit points (specifically NOT temporary hit points) equal to double your wizard level + your Int bonus. Basically, Tough for free. And then take Tough as well, and you're on your way to having fighter hit points and wizard magic. Fun fun fun!!! It's a little MAD (Str, Con, Int, cannot dump Dex or Wis) but probably really fun. I would probably go for self-buffing and de-buffing (I LOVE all the bonus action and reaction spells--counterspell and shield in particular, and they're even abjuration spells! :-D

[Petty Alchemy]

Did they errata the Abjurer's feature to not work with the Warlock's Mage Armor at Will? That was a nifty little thing (though somewhat cheesy to actually bring to the table).

[SmiloDan]

Oh! That's a neat trick. I only read the errata once, and I don't remember it.

But you can also use alarm as a ritual to get that benefit at will, or at least after encounter (so you're pool of extra hit points is recharged for the beginning of the next encounter).