9.47 Seafaring

(See HELP MARQUE, HELP SEAFARING SPECIALISTS)

Just about anybody can exist on a ship on the sea. It is entirely possible
to sail aboard a ship without any skill in Seafaring at all.

To truly excel and prosper at sea, aboard ship, requires Seafaring.


Something New
-------------
Seafaring has an exciting new approach which changes the options usually found
in other Achaean skills where abilities are always gained in the same order. As
with other skills, you learn Seafaring by spending lessons to increase your
overall capacity in the skill. The new approach relates to Seafaring
specialisations, which means that any two practitioners of Seafaring are likely
to have a different set of abilities.


Seafaring Promotion Points
--------------------------
Each skill rank (HELP SKILL RANKS) you gain in your study of Seafaring grants
you one or more SPPs - Seafaring Promotion Points. These SPPs may be used to
increase rank in one of the five Seafaring specialisations: deckhand, weapons,
helm, watch, and command. The grand total of SPPs you may gain is about thirty
two if you study Seafaring all the way to Transcendent. This would allow you to
reach the maximum rank of five in two specialisations, with a couple of SPPs
left for other specialisations.


The Five Seafaring Specialisations
----------------------------------
1) Deckhand - stability, repairs, and boarding enemy ships
2) Weapons  - aiming, firing, and fixing ship weapons
3) Helm     - ship handling, bearings, manoeuvres, and whirlpools
4) Watch    - crow's nest, bearings, ship scanning, and ship combat powers
5) Command  - more effective operations, and several powerful seaspells

Each specialisation has ranks one through five. Increase your rank in a
specialisation by spending SPPs as follows:

 To Gain     Will      Grand Total SPPs
  Rank       Cost     Spent to Gain Rank
 
    I      one SPP           one   
   II      two SPPs         three
   III    three SPPs         six
   IV      four SPPs         ten
    V      five SPPs       fifteen


General Abilities
-----------------
Some abilities are gained by having any specialisation to rank II or above. If
you get any rank II in any specialisation, you'll gain one of the Seafaring
General Abilities. If you get any rank III in any specialisation, you'll gain
another, and so forth. 


How to Gain a Rank in a Specialisation
--------------------------------------
Find the proper specialist who is able to grant your promotion. See HELP
SPECIALISTS. Make sure you have enough SPPS for the promotion with SHOW SPPS,
then

   SPECIALISE IN *

(* is deckhand, weapons, helm, watch, or command)

If it works, you spend some SPPs and gain a rank in the specialisation. Check
your current ranks in specialisations by SKILLS.


How to Give up a Rank in a Specialisation
-----------------------------------------
For at least a little while after Seafaring is made available, you will be able
to give up a rank in a specialisation at no cost. That is, you'll reduce your
rank and regain all of the SPPs you had expended to get it. Simply:

   UNSPECIALISE *

(* is deckhand, weapons, helm, watch, or command)
If it works, you regain some SPPs and lose a rank in the specialisation. Check
your current ranks in specialisations by SKILLS.


(See HELP MARQUE, HELP SEAFARING SPECIALISTS)