Do You Have To Use Your Races Proficient Weapon/s?

[Something]

Just like the title asks, do I have to use my given races proficient weapons to do any type of good damage? Like if I wanted to make a Drow but use a bow instead of a hand crossbow, would it ruin the run?

[Neonivek]

Racial proficiency just expands the tools you can use. So a Githyanki wizard can use medium armor.

[Izuzul]

If you're not proficient in a weapon you cannot use the weapons special skills.

[Something]

Do you gain proficiency with a weapon over time with use or is it just a flat starting passive and that's it?

[Neonivek]

Originally posted by Chub-Zero:

Do you gain proficiency with a weapon over time with use or is it just a flat starting passive and that's it?

Flat starting passive. Unless you multiclass you will always have the same proficiencies.

[ShadowDark3]

Just pointing out in case it's not clear that you get proficiencies from your class as well as your race, so if you are a drow fighter or ranger you will be proficient with a bow.

[Drake]

Originally posted by ShadowDark3:

Just pointing out in case it's not clear that you get proficiencies from your class as well as your race, so if you are a drow fighter or ranger you will be proficient with a bow.

If you're a fighter or ranger, you'll be proficient with a bow whatever the race. All martial classes have access to the martial weapon proficiency, so they can use pretty much all weapons in the game already.

The single weapon proficiency is only useful for classes that only get the simple weapon proficiencies or less, like wizards.