How about this...
-a new player starts with 3 nobles
-a new player gets to pick 5 skills for free (total/not per noble)
-the skill category skill sheets (ie. shipcraft,combat...) are sent in the
rules or in the startup info. One of the slowest of most time consuming
things in the beginning is figuring out what the possible things a
character can do are. This way new players will have some idea what the
good skill areas are and be able to start in much quicker doing, rather
than just studying.
-Possible?? let them also know what the magic (160-165) main skill sheet say.
Harold