Beachcomber (sage study)

Beachcombing is a sage study in the field of Wilderland, encompassing knowledge of places where the shoreline between land and sea predominates — parts of the world that are described as "intertidal."

In addition to obtaining food and fresh water, scavenging and learning the basic means of navigating the environment, a beachcomber is also familiar with tidal behaviour, rip tides and the presence of unstable ground such as sinking sand and soft mud. By eye, a beachcomber will recognize the danger of cliff falls and potential mud slides, enabling safe passage along a shore.

Through observance of the sea, the beachcomber gains abilities that allow personal contact with unusual creatures and humanoids unknown to land-dwellers — so that in practice, they are often ambassadors between the two worlds. The study is enhanced by an interest in underwater riding mounts, since finding such a mount would come more easily to a beachcomber. Knowledge of the sea enables the leading of many peoples across great oceans, locating impossible to find places through observation and skill.

Sage Abilities

The sage abilities below are those acquired by a character through the study, according to status.

Amateur Status

• Catch Fishing: use of fishing line, gaffs, bone hooks and barbed spears; includes hand gathering.

• Clam Digging: enables foraging along the strandline for meat and other foods.

• Construct Bivouac: gives knowledge of how to build a wooden frame shelter within hours.

• Sailing: able to manage a wind-powered craft upon the water over a chosen course.

• Steershand: enables the management of a boat through the safest and most efficient river waters.

• Swimming: provides the character with the basic ability to swim.

Authority Status

• Free-diving: empowers the character with the ability to hold his or her breath, enabling deep dives.

• Locate Water: identifies the probable location of existing fresh water in a salt-water environment.

• Marine Sighting: greatly increases the probability of noticing seagoing creatures that would be ordinarily overlooked.

• Net Fishing: skill at fishing with a net.

• Orienteering: allows certain knowledge of direction and orientation.

• Predict Storms: gives a 12 hour notice of wind conditions greater than 28 knots.

• Scavenging: provides a high chance of finding useful materials along a shoreline.

• Skiffmaking

Expert Status

• Deep Breathing: provides unnatural lung capacity that allows periods of 8 to 15 minutes underwater.

• Boatbuilding: enables the character to fashion a seaworthy craft that's capable of a long journeys.

• Seafaring: enables accurate passage across bodies of water, out of sight of land, without the need of a compass.

• Survive Storm: greatly decreases any chance that the character will drown or be lost at sea.

Sage Status

• Breathe Water: enables the character to survive continuously underwater.

See Ranger Sage Abilities