08-07-2017, 10:44 AM | #31 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Buffalo, New York
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Re: A couple of minor points --
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Thing is, I'm betting each captain had his own "customs" he enforced on his quarterdeck, meaning that each ship's routine would have had certain similarities but have a few quirks involved. Some of the captains (for the 74's) had to run their own schooling for their midshipmen due to the lack of education involved. Other's had a thing for nobility (perhaps due to the better educational opportunities?) that was in some parts, simply a sign of their times where the nobility were expected to be a better class of man. In all, I'm betting too, that there would have been certain "standards" observed (perhaps as a part of the professional skill?) of what makes a proper gentleman in the eyes of the Navy. Between music, poetry, literature - one might also find a smattering of what constitutes gossip about the goings on of various famous or infamous people. Knowledge of popular plays as well as memorable symphonies would also come into play here or there. As a convention in my own GURPS TRAVELLER games, I've also had a skill that I call "Area Knowledge: Ship" which also constitutes area knowledge for the class of ship as well. Knowing where the nooks and crannies are of a ship would have become something embedded within the brains of those who served about said ships. Learning the ropes, while a skill to be sure, wasn't just about learning what ropes did what per se, but also how a given vessel behaved while under the command of those charged to sail her. So, riding a horse? Probably. Climbing as a skill quite possibly. Acrobatics as the midshipmen might compete to show who was more fearless than the others in their Larking? Probably. Knowing what foods and wines are better than others? Ok. Learning to make a guinea stretch further - for some to be sure. Housekeeping or sewing? I'll have to suspect that this has to be true. But what of the midshipmen who had to lead "missions" such as getting water to restore the ship's stores? What of land engagements in which the sailors were sent ashore to fight as a unit? Gunnery skills - if not through osmosis, then from actual training? I suspect that SOME might, while others might not. It also seems to be hinted that brawling amongst themselves might have been a *cough* popular failing. In some instances, the skills (if they can be called that) that one picks up from one's landlubber days might also be as varied as the individuals based on their family's life. Ultimately however, there has to be a core of skills that all of the midshipmen were tasked to pick up else they should lose their ability to advance within the King's navy. Somewhere along the way I probably should amend the first or second post in this thread to list those skills that are deemed to be core, and those deemed to be optional. So, a survey of sorts... All who have chimed in thus far, please weigh in on what you feel should be core skills, and what you feel MIGHT be optional skills and possible amongst the midshipmen. It would be nice to have either a post that lists all of these, or perhaps go to earlier posts and modify them with the general consensus of the skills for any who might do a search under Age of Sail... :) |
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08-07-2017, 01:18 PM | #32 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
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Re: Age of Sail: Identifying Skills for a Midshipman
Well I specified land combat. Obviously no one then or now thought riding much use at see.
But in any case you should separate the skills you want them to have on enlistment and the ones they pick up. After enough time they should have enough skills to be a fair naval officer. In the beginning a typical collection for a low nobility or high bourgeois family background will be satisfactory.
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"The navy could probably win a war without coffee but would prefer not to try"-Samuel Eliot Morrison |
08-07-2017, 03:05 PM | #33 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Buffalo, New York
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Re: Age of Sail: Identifying Skills for a Midshipman
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As we get a list going, we can put it in a summary in the first or second post. |
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08-07-2017, 03:29 PM | #34 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Buffalo, New York
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Re: Age of Sail: Identifying Skills for a Midshipman
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That's approximately 28.94 £ per gun on average. The book by the way is: Anatomy of the ship: The Frigate Diana by David White. It also gives a list of various measurements such as masts and the like. If anyone wants that information further down the road, feel free to email me for the specifics... :) Hal |
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08-07-2017, 04:19 PM | #35 |
Night Watchman
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
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Re: Age of Sail: Identifying Skills for a Midshipman
A midshipman needs the skills of an able seaman before he'll be put forward for examination, so it's worth identifying those, along with the abilities he's expected to have before he goes to sea. As well as the absolutely necessary skills, there are a lot of skills that will often be useful; a midshipman might well have a Dabbler perk or two in some of them.
Required starting abilities English at Accented or better Literacy Able Seaman skills Boating (Sailboat) Boating (Unpowered) Climbing Guns (Musket) Gunner (Cannon) Housekeeping* Knot-Tying (possibly the default from Seamanship) Savoir-Faire (Naval) Seamanship Shortsword or Spear Weather Sense *The Royal Navy keeps its ships ferociously clean, as a means of preventing disease. Officer skills Administration Diplomacy Leadership Navigation (Sea) Shiphandling Sword skill of officer's choice Tactics (Naval) Tactics (Small unit) Useful additional skills for seamen Area Knowledge Carousing Carpentry Games Intimidation Sewing Singing Survival (Island/Beach) Swimming Useful additional skills for officers Astronomy Current Affairs Engineer (Vehicles) Freight Handling Guns (Pistol) Law Mathematics (Applied) Musical Instrument Politics Public Speaking Riding (Equines) Savoir-Faire (High Society) Strategy (Naval) Advantages or perks: Surefooted (Naval) (perk) Language (Latin) Language (French) Language (Spanish)
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08-07-2017, 06:47 PM | #36 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Buffalo, New York
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Re: Age of Sail: Identifying Skills for a Midshipman
Nicely done Johndallman - nicely done. Wish I'd thought to do it that way.
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08-07-2017, 07:44 PM | #37 | |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
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Re: Age of Sail: Identifying Skills for a Midshipman
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Savoire-faire Fencing Firearms(pistol) Riding Survival(semi-cultivated forest) Area Knowledge(local manor) Carrousing Leadership Gourmet Any type of Noble entertainment to taste. They will be useless on shipboard, though hunting as demonstrated is useful for a cavalry officer. But they will get reasonably fit physically from some of them. If their btackground is the sort that makes them into useless brats, they will have to be shaped up quite a bit, a la "Captain's Courageous". Cultural familiarity: Gentry and nobility, local peasantry(The first reflects cosmopolitan knowledge of the upper class, the second knowledge of his neighborhood). Optional: Classics He probably should know how to read, write and cipher. However equally his background is makes it less necessary then for a townie. Area Knowledge(Italy, Dabbler): This is perk level to represent having gone on a Grand Tour Languages:(French). The picture is more "jocky" then "geeky". A fairly good scholarly background is reasonable but not essential. For a "New Rich" second generation with a shipping daddy who can afford to get a position: Reading Writing Bookkeeping Literacy is a survival skill to a merchant not a luxury and is also widely bred into the Dissenter parts of the country from religious traditon. Someone from the southern ports, and perhaps the old Danelaw(those were two of the sources of naval seamen) would be near enough to this to be "plugged in". Gentry are likely to be literate and perhaps highly literate but it is less of an obvious emphasis. Sailor(merchant apprentice, optional); reflecting any familiarity he might have with the job from before such as taking a ride-along on a family ship. Probably no more then dabbler unless the father took time to seriously train him. Street Smart Merchant Area Knowledge(London or other city) Carrousing Savoire-Faire(clubbing). Cultural Familiarity: Waterfront Aristocracy(Captains, Builders, big Chandlers, owners, import-exporters, etc; not hereditary but certainly oligarchical). Savoire-faire is separate from Carrousing, as it is not just about how to party but about what is polite at a given hangout according to whatever hangouts he knows. For a good overview, skim Timbs' Club Life of London. These are just some ideas. They need a bit of refinement. As you can see the first backstory has more general "toughness" justified whereas the second has more familiarity with the nautical world.
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"The navy could probably win a war without coffee but would prefer not to try"-Samuel Eliot Morrison Last edited by jason taylor; 08-08-2017 at 09:53 AM. |
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08-08-2017, 04:56 AM | #38 |
Join Date: Mar 2008
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Re: Age of Sail: Identifying Skills for a Midshipman
The Latin and Greek is probably higher Written then Spoken since lots of the classic education consisted of "translate this chunk of Caesar's Commentaries" and such.
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08-08-2017, 07:50 AM | #39 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
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Re: Age of Sail: Identifying Skills for a Midshipman
Swimming isn't needed, in fact sailors seldom learned it then for it was hubristically offending the sea and You Don't Want To Do That(Jack Tar had quite a bit of residual animism). On the other hand upper classes came from a different background. Furthermore, every once in a while you read stories of someone swimming over at night to jigger the other sides rudder so at least someone knew how to swim.
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"The navy could probably win a war without coffee but would prefer not to try"-Samuel Eliot Morrison |
08-08-2017, 10:09 AM | #40 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Portland, Oregon
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Re: Age of Sail: Identifying Skills for a Midshipman
You know, given that alternative of background, you could do something with the character interaction between a Middie with a Samuel Johnson-ish City Mouse background, and one with a Jane Austen-ish Country Mouse background.
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"The navy could probably win a war without coffee but would prefer not to try"-Samuel Eliot Morrison |
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