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.

Amateur

• 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

• 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.
• 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

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

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

See Ranger Sage Abilities