Sailing (sage ability)

Sailing is a sage ability that employs the wind, acting on sails, to propel a craft on the surface of the water over a chosen course, which is often part of the larger plan of navigation. Like all athletic abilities, the amount of ability is ranked according the character's total knowledge, which is graded as no skill, insufficient skill, amateur, authority, expert and sage "status."

No Skill

Those with zero knowledge cannot perform the ability in any degree at all, even as helpers aboard ship. Such persons may be minimally trained to reach an "insufficient" skill, provided their teacher has (1) an authority-status in sailing; or (b) both amateur-status in sailing and the sage ability, give secondary skill.

By either of these, the student may, after 17 hours of continuous sailing and working aboard ship, make an attempt to gain 1 point of sailing ability. This requires a successful intelligence check and wisdom check. If either check fails, another 17 hours of training must follow before the attempt to learn a point can be made again. No more than three successes are possible per month of training, while a maximum of 9 points may be gained (1 less than is needed for amateur status).

To achieve amateur status, the teacher must have both an authority-status ability in sailing and the pass along ability sage ability.

Insufficient Skill

Characters with a bare minimum of knowledge who are not yet amateurs can provide assistance as "supportive crew" in up to fresh breeze conditions, or 21 knots. Above that, those with insufficient skill can find themselves overwhelmed. Persons with this status of ability will not be able to manage a boat on their own, nor properly be able to teach others how to sail.