Weapon and Non-Weapon Proficiency (NWP) Rules:

Proficiency Slots and Non-Proficiency Penalties by Class

Weapon Proficiencies:

• Axes:  Hand axes, battle axes, and throwing axes are all separate weapons as well as separate weapon proficiencies.  Some hand axes are also balanced for throwing but these are rare and expensive.  Hand axes and throwing axes that are not balanced for both melee and missile use and are used for the other suffer a -2 penalty to hit, as well as any applicable non-proficiency penalty.
• Bows:  Longbows, short bows, and their composite counterparts are all separate weapons and require their own weapon proficiency to properly use.
• Clubs:  The spiked club (unless of sufficient quality to actually be considered a morning star) uses the same proficiency as the club and both may be hurled.  Clerics and some other priests have religious prohibitions against using the spiked club, however.  Spiked clubs are clubs that have been set with small chunks of sharp rock and bone to do 2-5/1-4 damage.
• Crossbows:  Heavy, light, repeating light, and hand crossbows are all separate weapons and require their own weapon proficiency to properly use.  Historically, the crossbow had a great deal of difficulty transferring its power to the quarrel (hence the lower damage, as well, bolts tend to be smaller and weight has a lot to do with damage) but they were preferred for ease of use and accuracy.  To reflect this, heavy and light crossbows suffer only a -1 to hit at medium range and -2 to hit at long range.  Additionally, there are ways of stabalizing any crossbow so it is more accurate.  Hand crossbows are too small and aren't held properly (i.e., locked into the shoulder) to gain the range penalty reduction benefit.
• Daggers:  Daggers and throwing daggers are separate weapons and require separate weapon proficiency slots.  Some daggers are also balanced for throwing but these are rare and expensive.  Daggers and throwing daggers that are not balanced for both melee and missile use and are used for the other suffer a -2 penalty to hit, as well as any applicable non-proficiency penalty.
• Footman's and Horseman's Weapons:  All weapons that have both footman's and horseman's versions require separate weapon proficiency slots to use both.
• Knives:  Knives and throwing knives are separate weapons and require separate weapon proficiency slots.  Some knives are also balanced for throwing but these are rare and expensive.  Knives and throwing knives that are not balanced for both melee and missile use and are used for the other suffer a -2 penalty to hit, as well as any applicable non-proficiency penalty.
• Lances:  Light, medium, and heavy lances are separate weapons but only one proficiency slot is required to use them.  A dismounted light or medium lance acts as a spear and a dismounted heavy lance acts as a pike.  If used dismounted, a lance requires the appropriate weapon proficiency (lance or spear) to use properly.
• Morning Star:  Spiked clubs with spikes that are both large enough and well enough set are considered morning stars for all purposes, including using the morning star proficiency.  Like morning stars, they cannot be hurled (except by bugbears).
• Siege Weapons:  To properly use a ballista or catapult a weapon proficiency slot must be expended or full non-proficiency penalties apply (barbarians suffer a -4 penalty in this case).  Separate slots are required for ballista and catapult but any size engine of the type is covered by the slot.  Any class may become proficient in both types of siege engines (some faiths may be disallowed, however).  Unless in service to a noble house, only duergar and hobgoblins from outside the city may start with proficiency in a siege weapon.  Barbarians may never begin play proficient in the use of a siege weapon.
• Spiked Bucklers:  Spiked bucklers require a proficiency slot to use properly as a weapon.  Their nature makes them -2 to hit but there is no penalty for using two weapons at once for non-drow using a spiked buckler as a secondary attack.
• Tools:  A number of tools can be used as weapons.  Some of these are so awkward they can never be proficiently used, some require weapon proficiency slots of their own to use, and some fall under the category of another weapon proficiency.

Non-Weapon Proficiencies

Secondary Skills

Use the following links for more on the game:

• Character Classes
• Character Races
• Creating a Player Character (PC)