Dungeons and Dragons character creation, AD&D 2nd edition character creation, Skills: nonweapon and weapon proficiency

Character Creation main

Character creation intro

Skill system rules

Skill index

Credits

Mining (Mental 1, Physical 1, Wisdom/Intuition -3, Strength/Muscle -3) — A character with the Mining skill is needed to site and supervise the operations of any mine.
Not all regions will yield something of value, regardless of the success of the skill check. Examples of places where mining is a waste of time include regions of deep sand or dirt and areas of hardened lava. Streams flowing through these regions may have carried traces of ores or a gemstone, but a character with the Mining skill knows that mining these areas is guaranteed to yield nothing.
If a miner seeks to excavate an area that might yield valuable material, he can make a Mining skill check after surveying the area. He may determine that increasing the area of his survey sweep could yield something of value.
The length of time required for a survey will depend upon the conditions of the search. Under ideal conditions, it would take a week to survey an three-mile hex. Ideal conditions mean that the character is not constantly fending off goblins and marauding bandits, nor is he hunting for food. If the search is begin conducted above ground, deep snow could make prospecting nearly impossible. Even a thin layer would triple the time needed. Steady rainstorms, rough terrain, and short daylight hours all interfere with a survey of the surface.
Underground searches are limited by the natural formations of caverns and passages. The area which can be examined in one week is reduced underground to two-square-miles, conditions permitting. The natural shape of the passages may be such that the character is restricted to a narrow 100-yard stretch or that the search must be carried deeper into the earth.
After the search is completed, a skill check must be made by the miner. If unsuccessful, the search has either failed to discover anything of value or the character thinks he has found the best site for the mine. The miner may search the area again, seeking to verify his original findings, but it becomes increasingly more difficult; the amount of time required is multiplied by the number of surveys (the second survey takes twice as long, the third takes three times as long, etc.,) and a cumulative -5% penalty is imposed on each subsequent skill check (-5% on the second check, -10% on the third check, etc.).
If the check is successful, the surveyor has determined the extent of mineral wealth in the area, within a reasonable margin of error. This does not guarantee a successful mine, but it does locate the best site for one. If the area contains nothing of value or is unsuitable for mining, a successful Mining skill check reveals the fact.
The check does not guarantee a successful mine, only that a particular site is the best choice in a given area. The DM must determine what minerals, if any, are to be found in the region of the mine by consulting Tables 5.3.12 to 5.3.15 below. On a failed check, the character only thinks he has found a good site. Much effort is spent before the character is proved wrong, of course.
Once the mine is in operation, a character with the Mining skill must remain on site to supervise all work. Although this is a steady job, most player characters will find it better to hire an NPC for this purpose. Mine frequency: The following table indicates the chance for a mine to exist in a three-mile hex. It takes approximately one week under ideal conditions to survey a three-mile hex.

Table 5.3.12: Mine Frequency

Terrain Chance for mine

Mountains 10%

Hills 7%

Rivers 2%

Other areas 1%

Mine Products: The following tables should be used to determine the products of a mine located in a specific terrain type.

Table 5.3.13: Mountains & Hills

d00 roll
Mine Product

01-20
Coal

21-25
Salt

26-40
Iron

41-45
Hardstones*

46-66
Lead

67-76
Tin, Zinc, Bismuth

77-81
Sulfur

82-95
Precious Metals (roll d00 again)

01-65

Copper

66-83

Silver

84-95

Gold

96-97

Platinum

98

Aluminum

99-00

Special: Mithril, etc., consult Table 5.3.16

96-00
Gemstones

*See Forgotten Realms Adventures, pg. 141, to determine hardstone type. Reroll all results that indicate materials not found in the earth.

Table 5.3.14: Rivers & Streams†

d00 roll
Mine Product

01-50
Coal

51-65
Gemstones

66-75
Gold

76-00
Roll again at -10% on mountain table

^†Not located in mountain or hill region

Table 5.3.15: Other Regions

d00 roll
Mine Product

01-35
Coal

36-40
Salt

41-60
Iron

61-66
Sulfur

67-00
Roll again: If result is 57-00, then consult Table 5.3.13

Special metals: Mithril, adamantite and other special metals exist deep under the earth in dense metamorphic formations. The actual presence of a special metal must be confirmed by checking the Special Metal Formation table.

Table: 5.3.16: Special Metal Formation

d00
Product Quality

01-45
Silver (highest quality)

46-80
Gold (highest quality)

81-90
Platinum (highest quality)

91-95
Mithril

96-99
Adamantite

00
Special metal (Vultite, Rolaren, etc., DM's discretion)

Gemstone: If gemstones are found roll on the table below to determine the average value of the stones, then consult the tables found on pg 130-39 of Forgotten Realms Adventures to determine the specific gem type.

Table 5.3.17: Gemstones

d00
Gem Classification

01-24
Ornamental stones

25-48
Semi-precious stones

48-68
Fancy stones

69-88
Precious stones

89-96
Gems

97
Jewels

98-99
Roll twice

00
Roll three times

Quality of mine: Because a mine has been established does not mean that it automatically yields valuable metal or gems. The quality of the ore must be determined. Even the highest quality metal requires some processing before it can be sold.
Metals: If the yield of the mine is a metal, it will probably be in the form of ore (metal-bearing rock). While pure nuggets may be discovered occasionally, usually a character with the Smelter skill must separate the metal from the ore.
The quality of the ore is equal to the number of coins which can be produced from it by a single miner in one week. A copper mine with a rating of 200 cp, would mean that a single miner, working for one week, produces a pile of ore which can yield 200 cp of copper when smelted. The amount of coinage indicates how much is produced, not that coins must be produced. For example, 1,000 coins of iron equals one suit of plate armor, 100 spear heads or 500 arrowheads.
To determine the quality of the mined ore, roll 1d12 and compare it to the result for that metal on the Ore Quality table below. The result is the coin equivalent produced per week by each miner.
If a 12 is rolled, roll 1d12 again. If another 12 results, the mine is a pure vein of the highest quality and requires no smelting. If an 11 or lower results, the metal must be smelted.
Ideally, the smelted metal has the same value as its coin equivalent, ie., 20 ten-coin ingots of silver are worth 200 sp. In a true medieval economy, however, everything is negotiable. Miners may not be able to get this much for their bullion or may get more, depending on local conditions, who the buyer is and regional supply.
If the character sells the ore without smelting, the selling price can be no more than 25 percent of the value of the pure metal and it may be as low as five percent. The asking price will depend on the difficulty of transportation and the cost of smelting the ore.

Table 5.3.18: Ore Quality

Ore Type

d 12 roll — number of coins per miner per week

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Adamantite
1 2 4 8 16 30 45 75 120 200 325 500

Aluminum
2 4 8 16 35 70 105 200 300 400 600 900

Copper
100 200 250 300 350 400 500 750 1,000 2,000 3,000 5,000

Gold
10 25 50 100 200 300 400 500 750 1,000 1,500 2,500

Iron, Lead
200 300 500 800 1,200 1,700 2,300 3,000 3,800 4,700 5,700 8,000

Mithril
2 4 8 12 20 32 50 80 130 210 350 600

Platinum
5 10 20 40 75 100 250 400 800 1,200 1,600 2,000

Silver
25 50 100 200 300 400 500 750 1,000 2,000 3,500 5,000

Bismuth, Tin, Zinc
150 250 400 700 1,000 1,600 2,200 2,800 3,600 4,400 5,400 7,500

Gemstones: Newly mined gemstone are not nearly as valuable as they are after finishing. Gemstone are rough and even unrecognizable when first discovered. Characters with the Mining or Gem Cutting skills can correctly identify a stone after 1d6 rounds of study.
The quality of a gemstone mine depends on the number of stone in each find and the value of the stones is that which one miner can excavate in a week.
The value of the stones is the average value for an uncut stone, which is 10 percent of its cut value. To realize the full amount from the gemstones, a miner needs to employ a character with the Gem Cutting skill. Some stone are more or less valuable than this amount, but the average is as accurate as needed to calculate the income from the mine.
The output of a gemstone mine does not remain constant, it is rolled each week to determine the worth of the week's output. The number of miners at work each week is determined before the dice are rolled.
In addition to the base value of the stone mined in a given week, there is a 1% chance per week of operation that a miner will discover an exceptional stone. If an exceptional stone is found, its value is equal to the base value of the mine's stones multiplied by 1d00. For example, an exceptional stone found in a semi-precious stone mine worth up 40 sp normally (according to the roll for the week) would be worth 40 sp multiplied time a d00 roll or up to 4,000 sp.
This table on the opposite page should be used to determine the quantity of stones that can be produced per man week and the average value of an uncut stone.

Table 5.3.19: Gem Quality & Average Uncut Value

Gem Type

d10 roll — number and average value of gems mined per week

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

Ornamental

#/week
1d10 1d10 2d10 2d10 4d10 4d10 4d10 5d10 5d10 7d10

Avg. Value (sp)
3d6 5d6 3d6 5d6 3d6 5d6 7d6 4d6 5d6 5d6

Semi-precious

#/week
1d6 1d6 1d10 1d10 2d10 2d10 2d10 4d10 4d10 6d10

Avg. Value (20 sp+)
5d6 10d6 5d6 10d6 5d6 10d6 12d6 7d6 10d6 10d6

Fancy

#/week
1d6 1d6 1d10 1d10 2d10 2d10 2d10 4d10 4d10 6d10

Avg. Value (gp)
1d10 1d20 1d10 1d20 1d10 1d20 2d12 2d8 1d20 1d20

Precious

#/week
1d4 1d4 1d6 1d6 1d10 1d10 1d10 2d6 2d6 2d8

Value (x15 gp)
1d2 1d4 1d2 1d4 1d2 1d4 1d6 1d3 1d4 1d4

Gems

#/week
1d2 1d2 1d3 1d3 1d4 1d4 1d4 1d6 1d6 1d8

Value (x25 gp)
1d3 1d6 1d3 1d6 1d3 1d6 1d8-1 1d4 1d6 1d6

Jewels

#/week
1 1 1d2 1d2 1d2 1d3 1d3 1d3 1d10/3 1d4

Value (x125 gp)
1d3 1d6 1d3 1d6 1d3 1d6 1d8-1 1d4 1d6 1d6

Coal, hardstones, salt: The following table should be used to determine the amount of coal, hardstones or salt yielded in a mine or quarry per man week.

Table 5.3.20: Coal/Hardstones/Salt

d10 roll Quantity

1 1/2 ton

2 1 ton

3 1.5 tons

4 2 tons

5 3 tons

6 5 tons

7 7.5 tons

8 10 tons

9 12 tons

10 15 tons

Types of mines: The two types of mines commonly in use are placer mines and underground tunnel mines.
Placer mines: Placer mining involves a pan or sluice to sift gravel, dirt, sand and water from a flowing stream or river. This technique is most commonly employed above ground, but can be conducted below. Placer mining is a relatively simple operation requiring little equipment. At this basic level, the only requirements are a character with a shallow pan and a great deal of patience.
Placer mines collect mineral deposits from underground veins which have been eroded by water, tumbled downstream and been deposited in a streambed where the miner harvests them. Only mineral wealth, eroded from deposits, collects along the streambed. Since erosion is slow, placer mining is much less profitable than deep mining.
Placer mines do not yield profitable amounts of copper, iron, mithril or gemstones. Characters who have discovered gold, silver or platinum may try to mine the deposits. Underground mines are required for all other metals and gems. To calculate the value of a placer mine, determine the quality and then roll 1d4 and multiply by 10. This is the percentage of its top value the mine will yield. For example, if a gold mine could yield 100 gp per week, a placer mine will yield only 10 to 40 gp per week.
Tunnel mines: Operating an underground or tunnel mine requires much more work than a placer mine, but the potential for wealth is also greater. An underground mine tunnels into the earth in search of veins of ore and gem-encrusted rock.
Excavating a tunnel mine: Excavating a tunnel is hard work and time consuming. The rates for excavating by the various races follow. Rates are in cubic feet per miner per eight-hour shift. If a character with the Mining skill does not supervise workers for underground construction they work at half the normal rate if the character supervising makes a successful Mining skill check, otherwise the miner's work at only a quarter the normal rate. The following tables give guidelines for how well these workers preform when supervised by a skilled miner.

Table 5.3.21: Mining Rates

(Cubic Volume of Rock per Eight Hours Labor per Miner)

Miner’s Race
very soft rock
(limestone) soft rock
(sedimentary rocks) hard rock
(lava, igneous rocks)

gnoll, halfling, human
75’ 50’ 25’

gnome, kobold, half-orc, Stout halfling, Sul human
80’ 60’ 30’

goblin, orc, uldra
85’ 65’ 30’

dwarf, hobgoblin
90’ 70’ 35’

half-ogre, mul
120’ 85’ 45’

ogre
150’ 100’ 50’

hill giant
250’ 150’ 75’

fire giant, frost giant
300’ 200’ 100’

stone giant
500’ 350’ 175’

Overseeing mining operations: In order for a mine to produce at maximum efficiency, the character in charge must make a successful Mining skill check each week of the mine's operation. If the roll succeeds, the mine produces normally. If it fails, production is reduced by half for that week. This could be the result of pilfering among laborers, a cave-in which causes the loss of valuable production time, the intrusion of some monster — an umber hulk or ankheg perhaps — or plain old bad decisions on the part of management. The exact details should be worked into an adventure if possible; hunting the umber hulk through the tunnels or rescuing trapped miners before they suffocate.
Although overseeing a mine provides steady work, player characters will probably find it best to hire an NPC with the Mining skill to act as overseer, freeing themselves up for more exciting pursuits.
Multiple workers: For game purposes, assume that each extra miner will cause an appropriate additional volume of rock to be mined, providing that there is room in the shaft. Assuming that a typical shaft will be 10-feet wide and arched to 16 feet (or so) at its peak, including shoring, where appropriate, the maximum number of miners, by race, per 10-foot wide shaft is shown on Table 5.3.22 below. Increase the number for wider or narrower shafts accordingly, although any miner larger than man-sized needs a 10-foot minimum width in which to work.

Table 5.3.22: Workers per 10-foot section of shaft

Miner Race
Maximum workers

dwarf, gnome, goblin, halfling, kobold, uldra
16

hobgobling, human, half-orc, orc
12

gnoll, half-ogre
8

ogre
6

giant (any type)
4

Multiple Shifts: There is no reason to limit work to one-third of the day. If there is need, construction can be carried on 24 hours per day, as long as there are enough fresh workers every eight hours to do so. No worker may toil more than eight hours per day (at full efficiency).
Humanoid and unwilling labor: As a rule, player characters will not be able to get a race of evil creatures such as kobolds, hobgoblins, orcs, gnolls, ogres or giants to perform mining labor. These creatures would rather steal, rob and kill for their income. Fear or enslavement will sometimes prove successful for a time, but guarding the unwilling miners and the hard task of getting them to work at their optimum rate will be difficult problems for the taskmaster.
Miners have tools, which make quite efficient weapons, so one comparable guard per four workers is about the minimum. Slave or unwilling labor is from 50 to 80 percent as efficient, depending on how many foremen are on hand to watch and drive the laborers. If the ratio is 1:16, efficiency is 50 percent; if 1:12, it is 60 percent; 1:8 means 70 percent; and 1:4 brings efficiency to 80 percent of normal. Thus, for every four unwilling miners there must be a guard. Of course, if ogres were doing the work, the guard or taskmaster would have to be equal to an ogre in Hit Dice/power — 4th-level fighters for ogres, for example.
Mineral Vein Direction: A tunnel mine must follow the shifting vein of mineral through the earth. Such a path typically requires a tunnel 10 feet wide and 10 feet high.
When a miner discovers a vein, roll 1d10 and multiply by 10; this is the depth in feet needed to intersect the vein. Mining may now begin in earnest. To determine the path of the vein, roll 1d4 and consult the Mineral Vein Direction table below.

Table 5.3.23: Mineral Vein Direction

d4 roll
Vein runs

1
North-South

2
East-West

3
Northeast-Southwest

4
Northwest-Southeast

The vein always runs at least 20 feet in the direction indicated. After each 20-foot section is excavated roll 1d10 and check the Vein Path Alteration table to determine the new path of the vein.

Table 5.3.24: Vein Path Alteration

d12 roll
Change

1-2
Steep descent

3-4
Shallow descent

5
Curves right (10-60 degrees)

6
Curves left (10-60 degrees)

7
Continues straight

8
Shallow ascent*

9
Steep ascent*

10
Vein ends

11
Vein splits

12
Special (DM's choice)

*If the mine starts on the surface, the first time this is rolled it is treated as descent rather than ascent.

Miners who wish to continue working the mine must follow the vein, even if it goes in a direction they do not wish to follow. If the path of the vein takes a course that makes it impossible to follow, such as emerging into thin air through a cliff face, that particular course of the mine is played out. If all branches of the vein end, the mine is played out. This rule takes priority over the duration of mining site rules.
In unusual circumstances, say a tunnel which ends at a cliff which overlooks a gorge, miners may try to pick up the vein again on the other side. The DM must decide how likely that vein is to continue, depending on the situation.
Natural areas: Where natural passages and cave/cavern space exist, there can be no work or minor work only to straighten, enlarge or whatever. Computing the amount of rock necessary to be mined for such passages or spaces in no great matter. The existence of such natural areas is another matter altogether. You can always assume that the basically subterranean races of creatures discover such natural cave areas and select them purposely. For player characters, you might wish to allow the following chances for finding a natural cave area:

Table 5.3.25: Chance to discover natural cave area

Type of Rock Being Mined
Chance for Natural Space
(per man month)

limestone (very soft)
1 in 10

other sedimentary rocks (soft)
1 in 50

lava (hard)
1 in 20

other igneous rocks (hard)
1 in 100

The size of such natural areas will be small to very large and with many passages in the case of limestone only. Igneous rock areas will be short passages or small caves only. Lava area spaces will tend to be tubes often fairly large and long. Other sedimentary areas will be smallish and not extensive.
Shoring a tunnel: A tunnel mine must be supported or shore with wood or stone pillars. Otherwise, sections of the tunnel will almost certainly cave in. Shoring can be done by characters with the Mining, Carpentry or Stonemasonry skills.
Each 10' section of tunnel requires two side braces and one ceiling brace, each at least 1' thick. If the tunnel is 10' wide and 10' high, each brace uses 30' of bracing material. Each shoring brace requires four hours to build.
Playing out a mine: Mines contain finite amounts of mineral wealth. Sometimes, this amount is enough to keep miners busy for generations. More frequently the mine plays out after a period of intensive mining.
To determine the length of time a mine will produce before depletion, roll d00 at the start of the mining operation. The result is the number of weeks the mine can be worked. If the result was doubles (11, 22, 33, etc.), the mine has a much longer duration. Roll d00 again, the result is the additional number of months the mine will produce. Add this figure to the number of weeks set by the first roll. If the second roll is also doubles, roll 1d00 a third time, the result is the number of additional years the mine will operate. Further doubles are treated as tens of years, hundreds of years, and so on.
In Fälgorna, each month is four weeks and each year is 62 weeks or 16 months. Note, a week is the amount of work that one miner can perform in a week. If 12 miners are engaged in excavating a mine, 12 weeks of the mine's lifetime are used up for each week of operation.
If the mine is a placer mine, disregard any doubles rolls for the duration of the find. A placer mine is always depleted after 1d00 weeks of work.
Racial modifiers: Dwarves, gnomes, hobgoblins and muls receive a +15% bonus to their Mining skill score, goblins, orcs, and uldras receive a +10% bonus, and half-orcs, Stout halflings, Sul humans and kobolds receive a +5% bonus.

Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (AD&D) 2nd Edition Site