astronomy

[Lemnoc]

I keep separate Shiphandling and Navigation skills. A captain uses his Shiphandling skill to keep a course that he is either familiar with already or has been given him by someone who has plotted it using a Navigation skill. Navigation my use stars as a sense check, or when out of sight of land, but landmarks, prevailing winds, tides, currents etc will also be important parts of the skill.

True. Only when the compass and astrolabe came into widespread use did mariners voluntarily sail outside sight of land, and instead mostly used dead reckoning. Although there *was* an variety of astrolabe in Hellenistic times, and it appears Yemeni merchants may have done a direct sail from India to Aden across open ocean during the favorable monsoon.

But your seafaring captain would have been able to use the stars to gauge the start of that monsoon, and would certainly understand the meterological and astronomical adages about red skies and neap tides... or whatever equivalents those have in various fantasy settings.

Having sailed a bit myself, I can report that the "Shiphandling" skill consists primarily of knot tying and sky watching.

 

[Lemnoc]

regarding the relationship between astronomy and astrology in ancient times:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrabiblos

 

[sdavies2720]

As for Astronomy - I think how you use it rather depends on what the heavenly bodies are in your setting. Using it as a mundane/non magical skill presupposes the subject of study is itself mundane and entirely predictable.

Since the dawn of the study of astronomy, it has been considered the very epitome of predictability. That is kind of the point.

I'd also allow Astronomy as a bonus to magical rituals and creations: The character can start the ritual when it is most auspicious. That allows use of astrological influences without a lot of details and tears.

Steve

 

[PhilHibbs]

*sigh Yet another attempt to gain the high ground, like this is a game of chess*

At the risk of repeating myself, :shock:

 

[alex_greene]

At the risk of repeating myself, :shock:

Too much coffee in your system. Switch to decaff.

 

[PhilHibbs]

Too much coffee in your system. Switch to decaff.

Inconceivable!

 

[mwsasser]

I wonder how much an astrolabe would run in silver. I see the compass is 100 sp, can't imagine the astrolabe being much cheaper than 500 sp or more. Based on some history channel show on how they were made I'd say even more. Maybe 1,500 sp even.

 

[Mixster]

I wonder how much an astrolabe would run in silver. I see the compass is 100 sp, can't imagine the astrolabe being much cheaper than 500 sp or more. Based on some history channel show on how they were made I'd say even more. Maybe 1,500 sp even.

The only thing a mariners astrolabe could do was measure the degrees between the horizon and a sun. A proper seaman could probably do this with a one meter stick and a helper.

A mariners astrolabe was a simple brass wheel, with a pivot in the center, and a stick in that pivot. With markings on the side to tell the degrees.

I'd say such a device would be at most 50sp to make. Thus probably selling for 200sp.

 

[Owl]

Is it possible that a captain is able to navigate by simple instructions from the captain that trained him?
"Leave the port of Tartus and head west until you reach the Cliffs of Insanity, go north until you reach the Gulf of Tarsa, then North-East and wham, you're there!" Where as someone with a Lore skill could get there straight away using stars and stuff?
That way, ships would stay relatively close to the coast and routes would be closely guarded secrets perhaps?

And the astrologer, she gives answers to the rich and nobles questions for a nice paycheck.

 

[PhilHibbs]

Is it possible that a captain is able to navigate by simple instructions from the captain that trained him?
"Leave the port of Tartus and head west until you reach the Cliffs of Insanity, go north until you reach the Gulf of Tarsa, then North-East and wham, you're there!" Where as someone with a Lore skill could get there straight away using stars and stuff?
That way, ships would stay relatively close to the coast and routes would be closely guarded secrets perhaps?

And the astrologer, she gives answers to the rich and nobles questions for a nice paycheck.

Yes, staying within sight of the coast is the safe but slow method. Cutting across open sea accurately is more efficient if you can pull it off.

 

[rust]

How are you guys using Astronomy in your games?

Most of the uses of the astronomy skill have already been mentioned,
like navigation and timekeeping. Another, perhaps less obvious use is
in cartography and surveying, the instruments and methods used by
the early astronomers are mostly identical to those used to determine
distances and heights and to turn such data into maps. It is quite typi-
cal that one of the most famous early Greek astronomers, Ptolemy, al-
so was one of the most famous Greek cartographers and geographers.

 

[Lemnoc]

Is it possible that a captain is able to navigate by simple instructions from the captain that trained him?

Yes. In fact, that was the very purpose of the peripli of ancient times, a recital (probably oral long before it was carved or written) of the various headlands and days' sailing times from anchorage to anchorage.

These guys would still know the rising and settings of the sun and moon, significant seasonal stars, and all observable aspects of tides and weather.