Specialization is the key to Improvement

It is possible to improve your skills beyond what you chose at game start.

During turnsheeting, you can can take training actions. These will grant you Specializations in a skill, which can eventually be used to upgrade the it.

Each time you train, you will need to pick a different area to specialize in. Performing the exact same training montage will have no additional effect.

You can gain Specializations in one of the following ways

For 2AP, you can train yourself in a particular skill. Naturally you need the means to train, namely somewhere to practise, and the appropriate study aids (a sword, a tome of lore). You gain 1 specialization for this this.

Ulrik fancies himself as an Adventurer, so wants to improve his anthropology skill. His friend Nasha has allowed him to visit her museum, and study in her library. So he spends 2AP on Practise (Anthropology). He now has 'specialization:Old Curiosities'.

This works similar to Practise, except it costs 1AP for the tutor, and 1AP from the trainee. You gain 1 specialization from this. Naturally, the tutor decides the subject.

Ulrik wants still has a ways to go, so he persuades Nasha to tutor him in ancient artifacts. Nasha agrees to give him a personal tour of her museum, discussing the contents in depth. Nasha spends 1AP on training, and so does Ulrik. Ulrik now has a second 'specialization:Historical Analysis'.

The best way to learn is through experience. While working on any other task, you may spend an additional 1AP to train in that area. For each 2 AP you spend doing something, you can add an extra 1 AP to train that skill and receive 1 specialization.

In exchange for her services, Nasha persuades Ulrik to retrieve an artifact from the Temple of Relative Safety (a most foul place!). Ulrik agrees, seeing it as a valuable opportunity to test his skills. He spends 4AP on venturing into the temple. He then spends 1AP more on On the Job Training. He now has a third 'specialization:Temple Safety Tips'

When you have enough specializations, you have a broad enough understanding of the skill to consider yourself at a higher level. You may trade them in to increase you skill level. You will lose the specializations, but have a higher skill level.

This table shows how many specializations you need to upgrade to a particular level.

It is possible to have specializations in a skill at level 0. This represents a very basic understanding of the skill.

For Example: Godam is an expert architect, at Level 1. He is specialized in Bridge construction, Irrigation Systems and Storm Defenses. After some hard study, he has a broad knowledge in Anti-Piracy measures. With all this special knowledge, he is practically a master architect. He turnsheets to trade in his 4 specializations, and become an unspecialized level 2 Architect.