Siege Weapon Proficiency

[Lord Fyre]

The rules on Siege Weapons in Ultimate Combat are as clear as mud.

My question, who in the crew for a Siege engine needs the Exotic Weapon Proficiency Feat?

[Pizza Lord]

Siege Engines > Crew wrote:

Crew: The sheer size of a siege engine often necessitates a crew for its use. One person of that crew is the crew leader. Usually the crew leader targets or controls the movement of a siege engine; sometimes the crew leader does both. Often the crew leader is required to take actions and make specific checks in order for a siege engine to function. The rest of the crew members are required to spend actions and make checks in order for a siege engine to function.

While it doesn't specify, I would say that only the crew leader (whoever is firing or driving/controlling the siege engine needs proficiency. The rest of the crew spend their actions loading or turning or otherwise prepping it. Presumably the crew leader directs them appropriateky and they handles the actual use and checks (make the attack rolls or roll for the saves if needed).

[I grok do u]

From what I see (bearing in mind I have terrible vision), the creature, most likely the crew leader, making the attack roll (or indirect targeting roll) is the one that would take non-proficiency penalties. The rules mention the crew may need to make checks, but I only see craft(siege engines) or knowledge (engineering) checks that I don't think weapon proficiency would apply to.

Technically, no one - they just take the -4 penalty. However, seems just the crew leader/shooter would need the proficiency to avoid the penalty.