Expertise - Ofer Nave

# Games > Cosmere > Stormlight > Character > Expertise > [!NOTE] References > Pages 16, 20, 38-45, 51-54 ## Overview - Represents specialized knowledge. - There isn’t a finite list of expertises. - The more specific an expertise, the greater its narrative impact. - Some specialized items can’t be crafted without a specific expertise. - Most weapons and armor, along with a few other items, have **expert traits**. These traits grant additional benefits to characters with the specified expertise. - Specialist expertise can't be chosen without GM involvement. - If a talent grants a cultural, utility, weapon, or armor expertise that you already have, you can instead choose another expertise from the same category (with your GM’s permission). #### Categories - **Cultural** — *Languages known, cultural knowledge, and perspectives on the world.* - **Utility** — *A trade, tool, or similar technical field.* - **Weapon** — *How to maintain, wield, and create a certain non-special weapon. You benefit from that weapon's Expert Traits.* - Also: **Improvised Weapon**, **Unarmed Attacks** - **Armor** — *How to maintain, wear, and create a certain type of non-special armor. You benefit from that armor's Expert Traits.* - **Specialist** — *Unique expertise in a restricted field of knowledge that most people have no access to.* #### Character Creation - gain 1-2 Cultural expertise at character creation (where you're from and/or familiar with) - gain additional expertises equal to your Intellect score > [!NOTE] Gaining More > "If you dedicate your downtime to training, you can improve yourself, potentially gaining a new expertise. You can gain a specialist expertise in this way (such as the Warhammer or Half-Shard expertise). > > To do this, find a resource to help you in acquiring the expertise — this might be a mentor, an excellent reference book, or just lots of observation of the experts. The GM then decides how much time it takes you to learn and whether any skill tests are required. > > It usually takes 20 days or longer to learn a new expertise, and each day costs 5 marks in supplies and other costs. Additionally, most training requires you to succeed on a skill test relevant to your chosen subject, and each failure adds more time or other complications." — p.293 ## Cultural Expertise You can choose how proficient you are in the languages. | Culture | Languages | You know... | You can... | | :-------------------------------: | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Alethi** *Alethkar* | • spoken Alethi • women’s script • glyphs | **Geography:** names & locations of princedoms **Politics:** monarch & highprinces **Religion:** basic tenets of Vorinism, the Almighty, and the Heralds | *(choose a princedom your character has lived in)* ...replicate its regional dialect ...know how to find vendors, public organizations, and noteworthy landmarks | | **Azish** *Azish Empire* | • Azish • Azish sign language | **Geography:** basic facts about each member state **Politics:** the bureaucracy, Bronze Palace, Prime Aqasix, and the viziers **Religion:** the Kadasixes and scions | ...easily navigate civic buildings to review current laws, request the help of a constable for law enforcement, file a complaint, or take the vizier exam | | **Herdazian** *Herdaz* | • Herdazian • glyphs | **Politics:** king & prominent ranching families **Practical:** basic tools for ranching, including sparkflickers **Religion:** basic tenets of Herdazian Vorinism | ...know how to navigate between expansive ranches, including how to avoid the coastal areas inhabited by vicious greatshells | | **Iriali** *Iri* | • Iri | **Politics:** the Iriali Triumvirate — the two kings & queen who rule together **Practical:** basic strategies for travel & journeys, such as management of supplies **Religion:** basic tenets of the One and the Long Trail | *(choose a city or rural area your character has lived in)* ...know how to find vendors, public organizations, and noteworthy landmarks | | **Kharbranthian** *Kharbranth* | • spoken Kharbranthian • women’s script • glyphs | **Politics:** the city’s major education systems and their designations **Practical:** names and functions of common medicines; basic hygiene measures to ward off rotspren **Religion:** basic tenets of Vorinism, the Almighty, and the Heralds | - | | **Listener** *Narak* | • the listener language • the singer rhythms *(singers instinctively know all rhythms)* | **Biology:** aware of dullform, mateform, nimbleform, warform and workform *(even if you’re human and can’t assume them yourself)* **Geography:** basic facts about Shattered Plains ecology **Politics:** the listener council known as the Five; the War of Reckoning and the Alethi armies that fight for gemhearts on the plateaus **Social:** might know some of the songs of the listeners | - | | **Natan** *New Natanan* | • Natan *(or another Vorin language)* | **Lore:** tales of the lands the Natan people lost and what they were like during their full glory **Practical:** what highstorms are like at full potency, as well as defensive measures you can take to protect yourself and your property **Religion:** basic tenets of Vorinism, as well as with the common Natan reverence for the moons | - | | **Reshi** *Reshi Isles* | • Reshi | **Economics:** which resources are unavailable in the Reshi Isles and which nations they are typically sourced from **Geography:** basic ecology of the Reshi Sea; the locations of major stationary islands **Lore:** the existence of Tai-na greatshells, spren deities, and tales of islands going to war **Social:** the Reshi inclination toward fierce but quickly resolved social conflicts | - | | **Shin** *Shinovar* | • Shin | **Geography:** the mild highstorms that reach the isolated western lands of Shinovar, as well as the ecology and architecture they support **Religion:** basic tenets of Stone Shamanism | ...how to barter by diminishing the perceived value of your offerings | | **Thaylen** *Thaylenah* | • Thaylen | **Economics:** names and reputations of major artifabrian guilds, and you’ve likely experienced fabrials as a part of everyday life **Politics:** the elective monarchy and the merchant councils **Practical:** tips to mitigate sea sickness & arrange travel between the three islands & outer islets **Religion:** basic tenets of Vorinism, as well as the Passions | - | | **Unkalaki** *Horneater Peaks* | • Unkalaki | **Lore:** ecology; myths; the phenomenon of strange offworld visitors emerging from the oceans **Politics**: the nuatomas (patriarchs of the peaks) **Practical:** your body is familiar with breathing thin air, allowing you to keep your wits about you *(due to your lineage or experience)* **Religion:** the gods of the waters, mountains, and trees, along with the practice of worshiping spren as gods | - | | **Veden** *Jah Keved* | • spoken Veden • glyphs • women's script *If relevant to your backstory: Alethi, Bav, Siln* | **Politics:** the king, the princedoms, and the four major ethnic groups **Religion:** basic tenets of Vorinism and current events relevant to the church | - | | **Wayfarer** | - | **Geography:** how to read international map keys **Social:** basic greetings and a few cultural touchstones from various nations | ...find trustworthy currency exchange hubs in major cities, which can be used to switch out dun spheres for infused ones | #### Subcultural Expertise | Expertise | References | Notes | | ------------- | ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Fashion** | p.87, p.105 | gained from: • *ENVOY > Steadfast Challenge > Well Dressed* • *LEADER > Cutthroat Tactics > Rumormonger > Well Dressed* | | **High Society** | p.79, p.86 | gained from: • *AGENT > Plausible Excuse > Cover Story > High Society Contacts* • *ENVOY > Steadfast Challenge > Well Dressed > High Society Contacts* | | **Military Life** | p.52, p.94, p.121 | gained from: • *HUNTER > Combat Training* • *WARRIOR > Combat Training* | | **Underworld** | p.45 | p.52: "could allow you to communicate covertly with local thieves’ guilds" | ## Utility Expertise | Expertise | References | Notes | | ---------------------- | ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Animal Care** | p.53, p.97 | gained from: • *HUNTER > Animal Bond > Protective Bond > Feral Connection* | | **Armor Crafting** | p.53, p.108 | - | | **Criminal Groups** | p.81 | gained from: • *AGENT > Risky Behavior > Double Down > Underworld Contacts* | | **Diagnosis** | p.113 | gained from: • *SCHOLAR > Emotional Intelligence* | | **Engineering** | p.20, p.53 | p.20: "you might automatically know if it’s safe to cross a rickety bridge, while another character would have to test Deduction to come to the same conclusion" p.52: "could help you talk circles around a mere layperson" | | **Equipment Crafting** | p.53, p.108 | - | | **History** | p.53 | - | | **Legal Codes** | p.78 | gained from: • *AGENT > Watchful Eye > Quick Analysis > Gather Evidence* | | **Literature** | p.243 | gained from: • Academic Kit | | **Mental Health Care** | p.113 | gained from: • *SCHOLAR > Field Medicine > Swift Healer > Ongoing Care* | | **Military Logistics** | p.104 | gained from: • *LEADER > Composed > Well Supplied* | | **Military Strategy** | p.53 | - | | **Motivational Speech** | p.89 | gained from: • *ENVOY > Sound Advice > Lessons in Patience* | | **Music** | p.33 | gained from: • *SINGER > Forms of Finesse* | | **\<Musical Instrument\>** | p.259 | - | | **Painting** | p.33 | gained from: • *SINGER > Forms of Finesse* | | **Religion** | p.53 | - | | **Riding Horses** | p.53, p.313 | *see Riding \<Species\>* | | **Riding \<Species\>** | p.313 | p.313: "You can activate abilities from their profile by spending your own resources (including FP, ▶, and ↻). These abilities happen on your turn, not on a separate turn for the mount. If you don’t have expertise in riding that mount, they take no actions of their own." | | **Scandal** | p.105 | gained from: • *LEADER > Cutthroat Tactics > Rumormonger* | | **Sleight of Hand** | p.80 | gained from: • *AGENT > Plausible Excuse* | | **Weapon Crafting** | p.53, p.108, p.265 | - | ## Specialist Expertise | Expertise | References | Notes | | ---------------- | ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | | **Fabrial Crafting** | p.54, p.109, p.264, p.267 | gained from: • *SCHOLAR > Prized Acquisition* | | **Grandbows** | p.54, p.120, p.248 | gained from: • *WARRIOR > Shard Training* | | **Half-Shards** | p.54, p.248 | - | | **Knights Radiant** | p.54 | - | | **Shardblades** | p.54, p.120, p.248 | gained from: • *WARRIOR > Shard Training* | | **Shardplate** | p.54, p.120, p.248 | gained from: • *WARRIOR > Shard Training* | | **Singer History** | p.54 | - | | **Warhammers** | p.54, p.120, p.248 | gained from: • *WARRIOR > Shard Training* |