1879: Professions High Tiers: The Sailor

Before we launch the London Kickstarter next week, let’s have a look at one more Profession’s upper reaches.

The Warden-Tier Sailor defends their ship’s honour with Champion Challenge, and leads their crew with Oratory and Rally. Their Bardic Voice can be heard through storms and battle, cheering their own crew and striking fear into the enemy with Emotion Song. And yes, the Sailor might really have a love in every port, or at least a brief encounter, being skilled at Seduction, but anyone romancing a Sailor should remember that no mortal love ever rivals the sea.

By this Tier, the Sailor holds the rank of bosun, or crew chief, or petty officer, and leads their crew by conferred authority as well as force of will. This lets them direct the crew to Heave Together Now, unifying the crew’s efforts in moments of crisis. Anyone joining the crew, even for the moment, can benefit from coordinated direction. The ship itself receives the greatest part of the benefit, as the crew works as one to overcome the challenge.

Much of the Master Tier involves effectiveness in combat, although Diplomacy is a Core Skill at this Tier as well as Concentrated Assault. The key ability involves Fighting for the Vessel’s Honour. More than just defending, the Master Sailor takes the reputation of the ship into personal combat as champion of vessel and crew.

Skills and Abilities

• Warden
  • Core Skills
    • Champion Challenge, Emotion Song, Oratory, Rally, Resist Taunt
  • Optional Skills
    • Bardic Voice, Defense, Lion Spirit, Resist Pain, Seduction
  • Abilities
    • The character gains +1 to their Physical Defense.
    • The character gains +1 to their Social Defense.
    • The character gains +1 Recovery Test per day.
    • Heave Together Now:The Sailor may coordinate a group effort, providing cadence to keep the crew working in synch with each other. The character makes an Emotion Song Test at a bonus equal to their Crew Ship/Airship Rank against the highest Social Defense in the crew, +1 for each additional crew member after the first. Each success adds +1 Step to all Tests the crew make in unison or to the same immediate goal. The effect lasts a number of minutes equal to the Sailor’s Emotion Song Rank. If the Sailor does not know Emotion Song, they may substitute a CHA Test, and use their CHA Step for the duration in combat rounds.
• Master
  • Core Skills
    • Concentrated Assault, Diplomacy, Multi-Strike, Relentless Recovery, Second Weapon
  • Optional Skills
    • Inspire Others, Perfect Focus, Second Chance, Song of Battle, Vicious Wound
  • Abilities
    • The character gains +2 to their Physical Defense.
    • The character’s Max Karma increases by 15.
    • Fighting For The Vessel’s Honour: The Sailor may spend 5 points of Strain to represent the vessel they serve aboard against the champion of another vessel. The Sailor adds the Reputation of their vessel to their Champion Challenge Test as a Step Bonus. If the Sailor is the commander of the vessel, they add their own Reputation to the Test as well. The outcome of the single combat affects both the vessel and its crew. Ship-to-ship battles have been conceded based on the outcome of a duel between ships’ champions.