View source for Crew Specialists

Crew Specialists are special crew members who give your ship bonuses during its operations. They can be encountered on almost any type of ship, though your are likely to find them more often in certain situations than others. Immigration ships very often carry crew members or immigrants with useful skills. Pirate ships may also occasionally carry crew members of all types.

Such highly skilled crew members do not come cheap, however. When treasure is to be distributed, each specialist crew member will take 5% out of the "officer's share"; i.e., essentially reducing the share of the treasure you receive by 5%. 

Specialists can be fired if you are in a port. However, you cannot fire a specialist without first having distributed at least half of the treasure on the ship.

The benefit from Specialists does '''not''' stack; in other words, you do not gain any benefit from having more than one Master Cook or Master Carpenter.

Crew specialists do not engage in combat in the current version of the game, except that when a mutiny occurs, you may risk having to fight one of your specialists (they take command of the mutiny). 

The available specialists are shown below:

==== Master Pilot ====

A skilled helmsman. He steers the ship while sailing in difficult areas and in combat. He provides a bonus to skill checks when closing with and distancing opposing ships. The pilots on patrol ships are often pretty skillful, and master pilots are occasionally hired by smugglers.

==== Master Carpenter ====

A skilled ship's carpenter. He keeps the ship afloat by making the necessary repairs. If the ship hull is damaged, he will gradually repair it. Skilled civilians of this type are often found on immigration ships.

==== Master Sailmaker ==== 

A skilled sailmaker. He is responsible for mending the ship's sails and flags. If the sails of the ship are damaged, he will gradually repair them. Skilled civilians of this type are often found on immigration ships.

==== Master Rigger ==== 

A skilled ropemaker, responsible for keeping the ship's rigging in a good state. If the rigging of the ship is damaged, he will gradually repair it. Skilled civilians of this type are often found on immigration ships.

==== Master Gunner ==== 

A skilled gunner, expert at aiming a ship's guns after years of practice. He provides a bonus to your cannons rolls during combat. Such skilled sailors are mostly found on warships.

==== Master Sergeant ==== 

A skilled drill master sergeant who, down on his luck, has decided to turn pirate. This stern task master makes your men fight better in battle and in boarding combats; your men fear him more than they fear the enemy. Such stern warriors are mostly found on troop ships.

==== Master Cook ====

This skilled draughtsman of the culinary art is truly priceless. This magician of the gastronomic arts will see the food consumption of your crew halved. However, since he demands only the best in raw materials, the cost of purchasing one unit of food for you will be doubled. Artists such as these are only really appreciated by the most refined palates, so you are most likely to encounter them on ships such as treasure galleons, though individuals may also be passengers on immigration or trading ships.