Level scale from Accursed Lands

  1. Unskilled (know next to nothing about) [all you know is that this field or skill exists]
  2. Tyro (know very little about) [you've done something, anything, with this skill]
  3. Novice (know a slight amount about) [something beyond futzing around]
  4. Beginner (know a few things about) [you could get someone else started in this]
  5. Poor (know a decent bit about) [if you stop for a while, you can come right back to it. You can pretty easily impress people who know nothing about it. There are still big gaps in your abilities]
  6. Not Very Good (are beginning to understand) [simple conversation in]
  7. Below Average (are below average at)
  8. Average (are almost average at)
  9. Above Average (are mostly average at) [Out of people who do this thing, you're better than most]
  10. Able (are a bit above average at)
  11. Fair (are roughly above average at)
  12. Proficient (are proficient at) [There are no big gaps, only small gaps. You don't fumble on the basics at all]
  13. Good (are getting rather good at)
  14. Skilled (are getting very good at) [could write an article about, have local respect in, fluency but not true mastery, all basic licensing]
  15. Adroit (are getting extremely good at) [bachelor's degree in]
  16. Very Good (are skilled at) [specialize in this, have a good overview of the whole, can produce some original, if not noteworthy, work in it, could perhaps get paid for it]
  17. Adept (are quiet skilled at) [master's degree in]
  18. Excellent (are extremely skilled at) [doctoral degree in, could write a book about it]
  19. Expert (are excellent at) [would be a good professor in]
  20. Superb (are wise in the ways of)
  21. Master (have begun to master) [could write a great book about, speak as if a native language; everything beyond this is "extra"]
  22. High master (have partially mastered) [can create noteworthy original work]
  23. Virtuoso (are close to mastering) [prestigious award winning]
  24. One of the Best (have mastered) [could write THE book about]
  25. Second to None (have perfected)
  26. Legendary (know everything about) [truly famous]