Mariner guide
This guide explains what the Mariner skill and every Mariner perk really do in game v1.5.7: how you and your crew fight on ships, how the skill strips away the penalties of fighting on a rolling deck, what the party-leader and governor halves do on the campaign map, and which perks behave differently from their tooltips. Mariner needs the NavalDLC module: the skill, its perks and its skill effects all come from NavalDLC and do not exist without it. NavalDLC extends the agent damage, agent stats, battle morale, hit experience, military power, troop training, prisoner recruitment, raid, militia and armor and strike magnitude models, and extends and replaces parts of the battle reward, combat simulation and encounter models. StoryMode extends the hit experience and prisoner recruitment models, and extends and replaces parts of the battle reward models in the story campaign.
For exact formulas, edge cases and links to the game code, see the deep dives: Naval battles (ship-sunk morale, morale terms on ships, XP per hit at sea, convoy loot), Naval campaign (raids, bribes and forcing bandits to join, battle XP, prisoner conformity, militia), Combat damage (damage perks, armor, cleave, missiles and shields, sail fire), Combat agent stats (naval penalties, handling, breath hold) and Battles (starting morale, kill morale, simulated battles, hero strength). The other two naval skills have their own guides: Boatswain and Shipmaster.
Each perk has two halves. The primary half usually helps you personally; the secondary half helps others when you hold a role: captain (the troops in the formation you lead in battle), party leader (your whole party), army commander (the army you lead) or governor (the settlement you govern). The verdict after each half says how the code compares with the tooltip:
works: does what the tooltip says, or more; broader effects are noted.differs: narrower, different or extra conditions or values compared with the tooltip.unused: never read by the game.ui_only: only shown in the interface.
Two Mariner perk halves are unused (Terror of the Seas primary, Brute Force secondary); none is ui_only. One skill effect is unused.
What unlocks what
Every 25 points of Mariner opens a new pair. You pick one perk of each pair; the other is locked for that hero.
| Mariner | Perk A | Perk B |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Pirate's Prowess: melee handling at sea; loot from merchant convoys | Rolling Thunder: steadier aim on ships; pirate prisoners turn faster |
| 50 | Brute Force: kick and bash damage; naval raid loot (never read) | Shield Breaker: crew shield damage at sea; raid speed from the sea |
| 75 | Axe of the North Wind: axe damage at sea; starting morale of mariner troops | Sunny Disposition: sword damage at sea; starting morale of other troops |
| 100 | Enemy of the Wood: enemy morale loss per sunk ship; crew fire damage to sails | Naval Fighting Training: companion XP at sea; veteran militia in port settlements |
| 125 | Rallying Cry: party starting morale in naval battles; less melee damage on own ships | Terror of the Seas: enemy morale loss per kill (never applies); less melee damage on enemy ships |
| 150 | Shattering Blow: melee armor penetration, you and crew | Shattering Volley: ranged armor penetration, you and crew |
| 175 | Arr!: force pirates to join at sea; mariner troop XP after battles at sea | Pirate Hunter: send-troops edge against pirates; regular troop XP after battles at sea |
| 200 | Boarding Master: melee damage on enemy ships, you and crew | Home Turf Advantage: melee damage on your own ships, you and crew |
| 225 | Crew of Spears: javelins and throwing axes through shields; crew throwing damage | Mighty Blows: better two-handed cleave; crew two-handed damage |
| 250 | The Sky's Fury: your ranged damage at sea; crew bow and crossbow damage | Warrior's Might: your melee damage at sea; crew throwing damage |
How the damage perks add up
Most Mariner perks are damage percentages on one blow. The game first applies the land perks (One Handed, Two Handed, Bow and the other weapon skills, banners) as one sum, then the naval perks (Mariner, Shipmaster, Boatswain) as a second sum on that result.
Damage = inflicted damage × (1 + sum of land percentage bonuses) × (1 + sum of naval percentage bonuses)
- Inflicted damage: the blow's damage after armor.
- Land percentage bonuses: the weapon-skill perks and banners; flat land bonuses are added to the inflicted damage before this step.
- Naval percentage bonuses: every Mariner damage half that applies to the blow, plus the naval damage perks of Shipmaster and Boatswain. These percentages are added, not multiplied.
Crew damage reductions (Rallying Cry, Terror of the Seas) work the same way on the damage taken. The "crew" halves read the captain of the attacking troop's formation; the captain's own blows use the personal halves instead. The damage formulas and all other sources are in Amplifications.
Mariner 25: Pirate's Prowess or Rolling Thunder
Pirate's Prowess
- Primary, +25% melee weapon handling (personal;
works). Handling is how quickly your melee weapon responds. The tooltip shows "Sea only": the +25% is applied only in naval battles, and only while your main weapon is a melee weapon. It comes after the land handling perks (Wrapped Handles, Strong Grip, Counterweight, Fury) as a separate multiplier. - Secondary, +30% loot from defeated merchant convoys (party leader;
works). When your party wins against a merchant convoy (a caravan that can sail), your party's share of its loot gets +30%. The tooltip shows "Sea only": your party must be at sea. It adds into the same sum as the Nord loot feat; see Loot share.
Rolling Thunder
- Primary, −30% accuracy penalty from ship roll (personal;
works). On ships every ranged attacker suffers several aiming penalties. Rolling Thunder cuts two of them by 30% while you hold a ranged weapon in a naval battle: the penalty for aiming while the deck moves (base 0.3) and the extra aiming error of AI-controlled shooters (base 0.2). The turning, inaccuracy and acceleration penalties are not reduced. It adds into the same sum as the Mariner skill effect (see Skill effects), and no penalty goes below 0. - Secondary, +50% conformity for pirate prisoners at sea (party leader;
works). Conformity is how fast a prisoner becomes willing to join you. While your party is at sea, each pirate prisoner gains conformity 50% faster.
Worked example. Your party is at sea with a pirate prisoner. You lead it with Leadership 100 and Rolling Thunder. Conformity starts at 10 per hour, your Leadership adds 0.05 per point (+5.0000 here), then Rolling Thunder adds 50% of the total:
A party at sea holding a pirate prisoner, led by a hero with Leadership 100 and Rolling Thunder.
| Step | Source | Stage | Change | Running value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base | Prisoner conformity gained per hour | base | 10.0000 | |
| 1 | Party leader Leadership (conformity) | add | +5.0000 | 15.0000 |
| 2 | Rolling Thunder | factor +50% | +7.5000 | 22.5000 |
| Result | Prisoner conformity gained per hour | 22.5000 |
With these inputs, prisoner conformity gained per hour is 22.5000.
The prisoner gains 22.5000 conformity per hour instead of 15.0000.
Which one? Pirate's Prowess acts on melee weapons in naval battles and on loot from merchant convoys. Rolling Thunder acts on ranged weapons in naval battles and on pirate prisoners held at sea.
Mariner 50: Brute Force or Shield Breaker
Brute Force
- Primary, +50% kicking and bashing damage (personal;
works). Kicks and shield or weapon bashes deal +50% damage. The tooltip shows "Sea only", so it does nothing on land. On horseback the rider's perk counts. - Secondary, +20% loot from naval raids (party leader;
unused). The game never reads this half. Instead, every party raiding a village from the sea gets +0.5 on its raid loot multiplier, perk or not (the number comes from this perk's primary half). Each looted item goes to your party with a chance of 0.5 × the multiplier; see Raid loot multiplier.
Worked example. Your party raids a village from the sea, with or without Brute Force:
A party at sea raiding a village, led by a hero with no Mercy trait. Brute Force is not needed; every raiding party at sea gets the same bonus.
| Step | Source | Stage | Change | Running value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base | Raid loot multiplier | base | 1.0000 | |
| 1 | Raiding party at sea | add | +0.5000 | 1.5000 |
| Result | Raid loot multiplier | 1.5000 |
With these inputs, raid loot multiplier is 1.5000.
With the multiplier at 1.5000, each looted item reaches your party with a chance of 0.5 × 1.5000 instead of 0.5 × 1.0000.
Shield Breaker
- Primary, +30% damage to shields dealt by crew (captain;
differs). In naval battles, every hit by a troop in your formation that lands on a shield (blocked or on the back shield) deals +30% damage, whatever the weapon. Your own hits do not count. As a side effect, holding this perk adds 0.01 to your hero strength rating in simulated battles, which the tooltip does not say; see Hero power modifier. - Secondary, +25% naval raid speed (party leader;
differs). The tooltip shows "+0.3% naval raid speed", but while your party raids from the sea its raid damage gets +25%. In an army raid it is weighted by your party's share of the raiders' troops. See Raid hit damage.
Worked example. Your party of 100 troops raids a village alone from the sea for one hour:
A party of 100 troops raids a village alone from the sea for one hour, led by a hero with Shield Breaker. Inputs: troops 100, hours 1.
| Step | Source | Stage | Change | Running value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base | Hourly raid damage to a village | base | 0.0167 | |
| 1 | Shield Breaker | factor +25% | +0.0041 | 0.0208 |
| Result | Hourly raid damage to a village | 0.0208 |
With these inputs, hourly raid damage to a village is 0.0208.
Which one? Brute Force's kick bonus is a sea-only perk like the rest, and its raid half does nothing: the sea raid loot bonus comes without the perk. Shield Breaker adds crew shield damage in naval battles and +25% raid speed from the sea.
Mariner 75: Axe of the North Wind or Sunny Disposition
Axe of the North Wind
- Primary, +20% damage dealt by axes (personal;
differs). Sea only, as the tooltip shows, and only for one-handed and two-handed melee axes; thrown axes do not count, which the tooltip does not say. - Secondary, +20 morale for mariner troops at the start of battle (party leader;
works). Each mariner troop of your party starts a naval battle with +20 morale. Sea only, as the tooltip shows. You, the leader, do not get it.
Sunny Disposition
- Primary, +20% damage dealt by swords (personal;
works). Sea only, as the tooltip shows, and only for one-handed and two-handed swords; daggers do not count. - Secondary, +20 morale for regular troops at the start of battle (party leader;
works). Each troop of your party that is not a mariner starts a naval battle with +20 morale, and that includes companions who are not mariners. Sea only, as the tooltip shows. You, the leader, do not get it.
The two secondary halves split your party by one test: is the troop a mariner or not. Together they would cover everyone, but you can hold only one. Starting morale and the other sources are in Initial battle morale.
Which one? The primaries differ by weapon (melee axes or swords); the secondaries differ by troop group (mariner troops or everyone else).
Mariner 100: Enemy of the Wood or Naval Fighting Training
Enemy of the Wood
- Primary, −10 morale to the enemy for each ship destroyed (army commander;
works). When a ship sinks in a naval battle, every AI-controlled fighter of its side loses 10 morale if the army leader on the other side has this perk. You need to lead an army for it to count. In battles with several armies on one side, the game looks up the leader through the first fighter it finds, so another army's leader can be the one checked. - Secondary, +25% fire damage to enemy sails (captain;
works). Fire damage dealt to enemy sails by the troops of your formation gets +25%, and your own fire counts too.
Naval Fighting Training
- Primary, +10% XP for party companions in naval battles (party leader;
differs). The tooltip says "after each naval battle". The game instead raises the experience a companion earns from every hit in a naval battle by 10%. Heroes who are not companions get nothing; regular troops already get a separate +50% per-hit bonus at sea. See Combat XP in naval map events. - Secondary, +10% militia veterancy in coastal settlements (governor;
works). The chance that a newly raised militia troop is a veteran gets +10% of its value in a town with a port, and in villages bound to such a town. The governor must be in the town. Castles are not covered.
Worked example. A port town whose governor, present in the town, has Citizen Militia and Naval Fighting Training:
A town with a port whose governor, present in the town, has Citizen Militia and Naval Fighting Training. The chance is a 0-1 probability.
| Step | Source | Stage | Change | Running value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base | Chance that a spawned militia troop is a veteran | base | 0.0000 | |
| 1 | Citizen Militia | add | +0.2000 | 0.2000 |
| 2 | Naval Fighting Training | factor +10% | +0.0200 | 0.2200 |
| Result | Chance that a spawned militia troop is a veteran | 0.2200 |
With these inputs, chance that a spawned militia troop is a veteran is 0.2200.
The +10% scales whatever chance the other sources give: here 0.2000 becomes 0.2200.
Mariner 125: Rallying Cry or Terror of the Seas
Rallying Cry
- Primary, +20% morale for party troops at the start of a naval battle (party leader;
differs). Every troop of your party except your own fighter starts a naval battle with 20% more morale. As a side effect, holding this perk adds 0.02 to your hero strength rating in simulated battles, which the tooltip does not say; see Hero power modifier. - Secondary, −10% melee damage taken by crew on own ships (captain;
works). Troops of your formation take 10% less damage from melee hits while they stand on their own side's ships, allied ships included. Unarmed blows are not reduced.
Terror of the Seas
- Primary, +20% morale loss of enemy ships (
unused). Never applies. When an enemy falls, the game reads the perk from the killer's formation captain and applies the half meant for captains, the secondary's −10%, so the side of the fallen enemy loses 10% less morale instead of 20% more. See Morale change when an agent falls. - Secondary, −10% melee damage taken by crew on enemy ships (captain;
differs). Troops of your formation take 10% less damage from melee hits while they stand on an enemy ship. Unarmed blows are not reduced. The same half is also what the game reads when an enemy falls to a fighter of your formation: the fallen enemy's side loses 10% less morale, which the tooltip does not say.
Which one? Both secondaries give −10% melee damage taken; Rallying Cry covers defending your own decks, Terror of the Seas covers boarding and also cuts enemy morale loss. Only Rallying Cry has a working primary.
Mariner 150: Shattering Blow or Shattering Volley
Armor penetration here removes part of the armor of the body part that is hit before damage is computed. Each perk removes its own percentage of the armor, and the percentages add together (Vandal from Two Handed and the other weapon-skill penetration perks included). See Adjusted armor.
Shattering Blow
- Primary, +50% armor penetration for melee weapons (personal;
works). Your melee hits ignore half of the hit body part's armor. The tooltip shows "Sea only", so it does nothing on land. - Secondary, +50% armor penetration for melee weapons wielded by crew (captain;
works). The same for melee hits by the troops of your formation, sea only. Your own hits use the primary.
Shattering Volley
- Primary, +50% armor penetration for ranged weapons (personal;
works). Your arrows, bolts and thrown weapons ignore half of the hit body part's armor, sea only. - Secondary, +50% armor penetration for ranged weapons wielded by crew (captain;
works). The same for arrows, bolts and thrown weapons of the troops of your formation, sea only.
Which one? Shattering Blow for melee, Shattering Volley for ranged; the numbers are the same, and both are sea only.
Mariner 175: Arr! or Pirate Hunter
Arr!
- Primary, surrendering pirate parties can be recruited (personal;
differs). While your party is at sea, this perk is the only way to make a bandit party join you; without it you cannot force bandits to join at sea at all. On land the normal rule applies. The perk is also read on the bribe chance of seafaring bandits, but it adds 0 there, so bribes are unchanged. - Secondary, +15% XP for mariner troops after each battle (party leader;
works). Your mariner troops (not heroes) gain 15% more battle XP. Sea only, as the tooltip shows: the party has to be at sea when the battle XP is given.
Pirate Hunter
- Primary, +20% when your crew is sent to confront pirates (party leader;
differs). In a simulated naval battle (the "send troops" option), your side's advantage gets +20% when your party leads the attacking side and a bandit party leads the defenders. Any bandit party at sea counts. If the bandits attack you, it does not apply; the tooltip does not say so. See Battle advantage. - Secondary, +10% XP for regular troops after each battle (party leader;
works). Your regular troops (not heroes) gain 10% more battle XP; sea only, like Arr!'s secondary. A regular mariner troop gets both.
Which one? Arr! decides whether you can recruit bandits at sea and trains mariner troops; Pirate Hunter helps simulated naval battles you start against bandits and trains every regular troop.
Mariner 200: Boarding Master or Home Turf Advantage
The game sorts every melee fighter in a naval battle by the ship under their feet: an enemy ship, or a ship of their own side (allied ships included).
Boarding Master
- Primary, +15% melee damage when fighting on other ships (personal;
works). Your melee hits, unarmed included, deal +15% while you stand on an enemy ship. - Secondary, +15% melee damage dealt by crew on other ships (captain;
works). The same for the troops of your formation while they stand on an enemy ship. Your own hits use the primary.
Home Turf Advantage
- Primary, +20% melee damage when fighting on your own ship (personal;
works). Your melee hits deal +20% while you stand on any ship of your side, allied ships included (broader than "own ship"). - Secondary, +20% melee damage dealt by crew on your own ship (captain;
works). The same for the troops of your formation on any ship of your side.
Which one? Boarding Master if you board enemy ships; Home Turf Advantage (+20% instead of +15%) if you fight off boarders on your own decks.
Mariner 225: Crew of Spears or Mighty Blows
Crew of Spears
- Primary, javelins impale shields, throwing axes keep going after breaking one (personal;
works). In naval battles your javelins pierce shields, and a throwing axe that breaks a shield still hits whoever stands behind it. Sea only, as the tooltip shows. - Secondary, +15% ranged damage by crew with throwing weapons (captain;
works). Thrown weapons of the troops of your formation deal +15% in naval battles, shield hits included.
Mighty Blows
- Primary, better cleave with two-handed swings (personal;
works). When a two-handed swing cuts through a target, it loses momentum in proportion to the share of the blow absorbed by armor. Mighty Blows halves that loss, so more damage carries into the next target. Thrusts do not count. The tooltip shows "Sea only", so it does nothing on land. See Cleave momentum. - Secondary, +15% melee damage by crew with two-handed weapons (captain;
works). Troops of your formation using a two-handed sword, axe, mace or polearm deal +15% in naval battles.
Mariner 250: The Sky's Fury or Warrior's Might
The Sky's Fury
- Primary, +15% ranged damage (personal;
works). Your arrows, bolts and thrown weapons deal +15%, shield hits included, sea only as the tooltip shows. - Secondary, +15% bow and crossbow damage by crew (captain;
works). Bow and crossbow hits by the troops of your formation deal +15% in naval battles.
Warrior's Might
- Primary, +20% melee damage (personal;
works). Your melee weapon hits deal +20%, sea only as the tooltip shows. Unarmed blows do not count. - Secondary, +20% throwing damage by crew (captain;
works). Thrown weapons of the troops of your formation deal +20% in naval battles, shield hits included.
Skill effects
The Mariner skill itself has four effects.
- Naval Battle Combat Penalty Negation Effect (
works): −0.5% per point to every naval combat penalty, down to −100%. In naval battles every human fighter suffers seven penalties: four aiming penalties for ranged weapons (turning, moving deck, inaccuracy, acceleration), the extra AI shooter error, a 0.2 movement speed penalty and a 0.2 damage penalty. Your effective Mariner shrinks all seven, until the −100% limit. Troops that are mariners count as Mariner 200, so they have no penalty; other troops get the full penalties. Rolling Thunder adds into the same sum for two of them. See Naval battles. - Naval battle underwater breathing duration (
differs): the tooltip promises extra seconds of breath under water, up to 20. The game applies it as a percentage of 0, so it always adds 0 seconds. See Breath hold. - Naval simulation advantage (
differs): +0.1% per point to a side's advantage in simulated naval battles. The game reads only the defending leader's Mariner and adds that bonus to both sides; the attacking leader's own Mariner never counts. See Battle advantage. - Naval Auto Battle Combat Penalty Negation Effect (
unused): never read by the game.
What the skill level itself does
The game also reads your Mariner level directly, without any perk. Effects that depend on any skill level are listed once in the skills guide.
| What it affects | What the level does | Level needed | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ship collision stagger strength on agents | Ship collision stagger on a soldier is multiplied by 100 ÷ (Mariner + 100): half at Mariner 100. | — | Mission: naval battle | works |
Who the perks work for
Who counts as you, a relative or a wanderer, and why some halves skip one of them, is explained in the Skills guide.
Every other Mariner perk half and skill effect works for every hero: you, relatives and wanderers.
| Perk | Half | Works for | Where the hero has to be |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brute Force | secondary | nobody: never read in play, or only shown in the interface | — |
| Naval Fighting Training | secondary | relatives and wanderers, not you | governor |
| Terror of the Seas | primary | nobody: never read in play, or only shown in the interface | — |
| Naval Auto Battle Combat Penalty Negation Effect | — | nobody: never read in play, or only shown in the interface | — |
All effects at a glance
Every effect site of the Mariner perks, skill effects and skill level. Values are what each site applies; a value that grows with skill is shown at the perk's required skill (skill effects and skill levels: per skill point). ×N marks N identical sites.
| Perk | Half | Game number | Stage | Value | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pirate's Prowess | primary | Melee weapon handling multiplier | factor | +25% | Item: melee weapon; mission: naval battle; role: personal | works |
| Pirate's Prowess | secondary | Winner party's share of the defeated party's loot | factor | +30% | Role: party leader; victim: naval caravan | works |
| Rolling Thunder | primary | Naval AI shooter error addend | factor | -30% | Item: ranged weapon; mission: naval battle; role: personal | works |
| Rolling Thunder | primary | Naval ranged movement accuracy penalty | factor | -30% | Item: ranged weapon; mission: naval battle; role: personal | works |
| Rolling Thunder | secondary | Prisoner conformity gained per hour | factor | +50% | Role: party leader; victim: pirate | works |
| Brute Force | primary | Blow damage after attacker amplifications | factor | +50% | Attack: kick or bash; role: personal | works |
| Brute Force | secondary | Raid loot multiplier | factor | +20% | — | unused |
| Shield Breaker | primary | Blow damage after attacker amplifications | factor | +30% | Attack: shield hit; mission: naval battle; role: captain | works |
| Shield Breaker | primary | Hero power modifier in simulation | add | +0.01 | Mission: simulation | differs |
| Shield Breaker | secondary | Hourly raid damage to a village | factor | +25% × party share | Party: at sea; role: party leader | differs |
| Axe of the North Wind | primary | Blow damage after attacker amplifications | factor | +20% | Item: axe, melee weapon; mission: naval battle; role: personal | differs |
| Axe of the North Wind | secondary | Agent initial battle morale | add | +20 | Mission: naval battle; role: party leader; troops: mariner | works |
| Sunny Disposition | primary | Blow damage after attacker amplifications | factor | +20% | Item: melee weapon, sword; mission: naval battle; role: personal | works |
| Sunny Disposition | secondary | Agent initial battle morale | add | +20 | Mission: naval battle; role: party leader; troops: not mariner | works |
| Enemy of the Wood | primary | Morale change of a sunk ship's team | add | -10 | Mission: naval battle; party: in army; role: army commander | works |
| Enemy of the Wood | secondary | Fire damage to a ship sail | factor | +25% | Mission: naval battle; role: captain; victim: sail | works |
| Naval Fighting Training | primary | Combat XP from one hit | factor | +10% | Hero: companion; mission: naval battle; role: party leader | differs |
| Naval Fighting Training | secondary | Chance that a spawned militia troop is a veteran | factor | +10% | Role: governor; settlement: port | works |
| Rallying Cry | primary | Hero power modifier in simulation | add | +0.02 | Mission: simulation | differs |
| Rallying Cry | primary | Agent initial battle morale | factor | +20% | Mission: naval battle; role: party leader | works |
| Rallying Cry | secondary | Blow damage after victim reductions | factor | -10% | Item: melee weapon; mission: naval battle; role: captain; victim: on own ship | works |
| Terror of the Seas | primary | Morale loss of the casualty's side when an agent falls | factor | +20% | — | unused |
| Terror of the Seas | secondary | Blow damage after victim reductions | factor | -10% | Item: melee weapon; mission: naval battle; role: captain; victim: on enemy ship | works |
| Terror of the Seas | secondary | Morale loss of the casualty's side when an agent falls | factor | -10% | Mission: naval battle; role: captain | differs |
| Shattering Blow | primary | Victim armor after attacker penetration effects | factor | +50% | Item: melee weapon; role: personal | works |
| Shattering Blow | secondary | Victim armor after attacker penetration effects | factor | +50% | Item: melee weapon; role: captain | works |
| Shattering Volley | primary | Victim armor after attacker penetration effects | factor | +50% | Item: consumable weapon; role: personal | works |
| Shattering Volley | secondary | Victim armor after attacker penetration effects | factor | +50% | Item: consumable weapon; role: captain | works |
| Arr! | primary | Chance a weaker party accepts a bribe | add | +0 | Role: personal; victim: pirate | differs |
| Arr! | primary | Player can force bandits to join | override | on | Hero: main hero; party: at sea, main party; role: personal | works |
| Arr! | secondary | Troop experience gained from a battle | factor | +15% | Role: party leader; troops: mariner | works |
| Pirate Hunter | primary | Side advantage in simulated battles | factor | +20% | Mission: simulation; party: attacker; role: party leader; victim: bandit party | differs |
| Pirate Hunter | secondary | Troop experience gained from a battle | factor | +10% | Role: party leader; troops: regular | works |
| Boarding Master | primary | Blow damage after attacker amplifications | factor | +15% | Item: melee weapon; mission: naval battle; role: personal; ship: enemy ship | works |
| Boarding Master | secondary | Blow damage after attacker amplifications | factor | +15% | Item: melee weapon; mission: naval battle; role: captain; ship: enemy ship | works |
| Home Turf Advantage | primary | Blow damage after attacker amplifications | factor | +20% | Item: melee weapon; mission: naval battle; role: personal; ship: own ship | works |
| Home Turf Advantage | secondary | Blow damage after attacker amplifications | factor | +20% | Item: melee weapon; mission: naval battle; role: captain; ship: own ship | works |
| Crew of Spears | primary | Missile continues after breaking a shield | override | on | Item: throwing axe; mission: naval battle; role: personal | works |
| Crew of Spears | primary | Missile weapon flags on launch | override | set to 1 | Item: javelin; mission: naval battle; role: personal | works |
| Crew of Spears | secondary | Blow damage after attacker amplifications | factor | +15% | Item: throwing weapon; mission: naval battle; role: captain | works |
| Mighty Blows | primary | Two-handed cleave momentum loss | factor | -50% | Attack: swing; item: two handed weapon; role: personal | works |
| Mighty Blows | secondary | Blow damage after attacker amplifications | factor | +15% | Item: two handed weapon; mission: naval battle; role: captain | works |
| The Sky's Fury | primary | Blow damage after attacker amplifications | factor | +15% | Item: consumable weapon; mission: naval battle; role: personal | works |
| The Sky's Fury | secondary | Blow damage after attacker amplifications | factor | +15% | Item: bow, crossbow; mission: naval battle; role: captain | works |
| Warrior's Might | primary | Blow damage after attacker amplifications | factor | +20% | Item: melee weapon; mission: naval battle; role: personal | works |
| Warrior's Might | secondary | Blow damage after attacker amplifications | factor | +20% | Item: throwing weapon; mission: naval battle; role: captain | works |
| Naval Auto Battle Combat Penalty Negation Effect | — | Damage of one simulated troop hit | base | +0.5 per point | Mission: simulation; role: party leader | unused |
| Naval simulation advantage | — | Side advantage in simulated battles | factor | +0.1% per point | Mission: simulation; role: party leader | differs |
| Naval Battle Combat Penalty Negation Effect | — | Naval AI shooter error addend | factor | -0.5% per point | Item: ranged weapon; mission: naval battle; role: personal | works |
| Naval Battle Combat Penalty Negation Effect | — | Naval damage penalty | factor | -0.5% per point | Mission: naval battle; role: personal | works |
| Naval Battle Combat Penalty Negation Effect | — | Naval external acceleration accuracy penalty | factor | -0.5% per point | Item: ranged weapon; mission: naval battle; role: personal | works |
| Naval Battle Combat Penalty Negation Effect | — | Naval ranged inaccuracy penalty | factor | -0.5% per point | Item: ranged weapon; mission: naval battle; role: personal | works |
| Naval Battle Combat Penalty Negation Effect | — | Naval ranged movement accuracy penalty | factor | -0.5% per point | Item: ranged weapon; mission: naval battle; role: personal | works |
| Naval Battle Combat Penalty Negation Effect | — | Naval ranged rotational accuracy penalty | factor | -0.5% per point | Item: ranged weapon; mission: naval battle; role: personal | works |
| Naval Battle Combat Penalty Negation Effect | — | Naval deck movement speed penalty | factor | -0.5% per point | Mission: naval battle; role: personal | works |
| Naval battle underwater breathing duration | — | Underwater breath-hold max duration | factor | +0% | Role: personal | differs |
| Skill level (any skill) | — | Agent effective skill in battle | base | skill value | — | works |
| Skill level (any skill) | — | Skill a hero inherits on coming of age | base | +1 per point | — | works |
| Skill level (any skill) | — | Heir selection points of a clan member | add | +5 | — | works |
| Skill level (any skill) | — | Maximum troops lost on an issue's alternative solution | multiply | ×max(0.2, min(0.8, trunc(issue required skill / skill) × 0.1)) | Hero: player clan | works |
| Skill level (any skill) | — | Days an issue's alternative solution takes | add | +2 × min(10, trunc(issue required skill / skill)) | Hero: player clan | works |
| Skill level (any skill) | — | Failure risk of an issue's alternative solution | add | -0.005 per point | Hero: player clan | works |
| Skill level (any skill) | — | Troops required for an issue's alternative solution | multiply | ×max(0.2, min(1.2, issue required skill / skill)) | Hero: player clan | works |
| Skill level | — | Ship collision stagger strength on agents | multiply | ×100 / (skill + 100) | Mission: naval battle | works |
| Skill level (any skill) | — | Skill is high enough for a perk reset | override | on | Hero: player clan | works |
| Skill level (any skill) | — | Gold cost to reset the perks of a skill | add | +40 per point | Hero: player clan | works |
| Skill level (any skill) | — | Persuasion success multiplier | factor | min(0.2, floor(skill / 250) × 0.2) | Hero: main hero | works |
Practical tips
- If you fight in naval battles with your own hero, every point of Mariner shrinks all seven deck penalties by 0.5%, down to the −100% limit; five of the seven (the four aiming penalties and the AI shooter error) apply only with ranged weapons.
- If your army is mostly mariner troops, they already fight without deck penalties; non-mariner troops keep the full penalties whatever your skill.
- If you lead melee crews, Shattering Blow (secondary) lowers the armor they hit and the two-handed, boarding or home-ship captain halves raise their damage; the damage halves add into one naval sum, and Shattering Blow is sea only like them.
- If you raid from the sea, every party gets +0.5 raid loot multiplier without any perk, so Brute Force's loot half adds nothing; Shield Breaker adds +25% raid speed.
- If you want recruits from pirates, Arr! is the only way to force bandits to join at sea, and Rolling Thunder makes pirate prisoners at sea ready to join 50% faster.
- If you pick Terror of the Seas, count only its working half: its morale primary never applies. The Arr! and Pirate Hunter troop XP secondaries work after battles at sea.
- If you govern a port town and stay in it, Naval Fighting Training raises the veteran militia chance only when another source (such as Citizen Militia) already gives one.