-the roleplaying game Table of Contents Preface................................................. Preface............................................ ..... 2
What you need.................. need............................ ................... ............... ...... 2 Game terms............ terms..................... .................. ................... .................. ........ 2 Credits........ Credits................. ................... ................... .................. ................... ............ 2
Introduction..........................................3
What is a roleplaying game?.......................4 Scenario's.. Scenario's........... ................... ................... .................. ................... ............ .. 4 Playing the game................................. game................ ........................ ....... 4
Game Mechanics.......................... Mechanics................................... ......... 5
Rolling Rolling Dice........... Dice.................... ................... ................... .................. ......... 6 Rules Summary............. Summary...................... .................. ................... ............ 6 Drama Points.......... Points................... ................... ................... ................. ........ Damage........ Damage.................. ................... .................. ................... .................. ........ !atural !atural "a#ards........ "a#ards.................. ................... .................. ............. .... $$ %iscellaneous Rules.................................. Rules.................. ................ $2 &(ects...... &(ects............... ................... ................... ................... ................... ......... $4 )*perienc )*perience........ e................. ................... ................... .................. ............ ... $+ ,ge............. ,ge...................... ................... ................... ................... .................. ........ $+ Glossary... Glossary............. ................... ................... ................... .................. ........... .. $6
Character Creation.............................. 21
Character Character Concepts...... Concepts............... .................. ................... .......... 22 Distincti Distincti-e -e eatures........ eatures................. .................. ................. ........ 22 !ationality and Religion............................22 Social Social Status........... Status.................... ................... ................... ............... ...... 2/ S0ills1 Specialities and las..................... 24 las.......... las.................... ................... ................... ................... ................. ........ 2
Combat............................................... Combat....................................... ........ 30
Special Special ,ttac0s...... ,ttac0s................ ................... ................... ................ ...... /2 Special Special Results........ Results.................. ................... .................. .............. ..... // Spot Rules................... Rules............................ .................. ................... ............ // ighting ighting aoard ship........... ship.................... ................... ............. ... /4 Duelling. Duelling........... ................... ................... ................... .................. ............. .... /+
%ass Comat......... Comat................... ................... .................. ................ ....... /6 Life at Sea.......................................... 37
3ypes o Ships...................................... Ships...................... .................... .... / Putting Putting to Sea............. Sea....................... ................... .................. ........... .. 45 Sea attles........ attles.................. ................... .................. ................... ............ 4$ Pri#e Pri#e %oney.......... %oney................... ................... ................... ................. ........ 42 Sea Dogs............ Dogs..................... ................... ................... .................. ........... 4/ Retirement................................................44 7ie ,oard Ship........... Ship.................... ................... ................... ......... 44 3he Ships Charter..................................... Charter..................... ................ 4 Crime Crime and Punishment. Punishment........... ................... .................. ......... 4 Piratical Piratical ,cti-itie ,cti-ities......... s.................. ................... ................... ......... 48 Ports......... Ports................... ................... .................. ................... ................... ........... +5
Money and !ui"ment....................... !ui"ment......................... .. 53
%oney........ %oney.................. ................... ................... ................... .................. ......... +4 uying uying Poer........... Poer.................... ................... ................... .............. ..... ++ General General )9uipment. )9uipment.......... .................. ................... ................ ...... +6 ,rmour....... ,rmour................. ................... .................. ................... .................. ........ +: Weapons........ Weapons................. ................... ................... ................... ............... ..... +: )*plosi-es.......................................... )*plosi-es......................... ........................ ....... +
Cam"ai#ns.......................................... Cam"ai#ns.......................................... $0
,d-enture ,d-enture ;deas................... ;deas............................ ................... ............ 6$ 3he 7ate Campaign................................... Campaign...................... ............. 62 3he )arly Campaign.................................. Campaign............................ ...... 62 ;mportant Ports.................................. Ports................. ........................ ....... 66 "istorica "istoricall igures....... igures................ .................. ................... ............. ... 6:
%""endi& 'ne (sin# Shi" Shi" of the Line.... $) %""endi& *+o Ma"s and *ra,e- times... 70 %""endi& *hree % startin# startin# scenario...... 75 %""endi& our % sea #rammar............. #rammar............. 7/ %""endi& i,e 1777 Code ue--o.......... ue--o.......... /0 Inde&................................................... /2 Inde&.................................................
-the roleplaying game Table of Contents Preface................................................. Preface............................................ ..... 2
What you need.................. need............................ ................... ............... ...... 2 Game terms............ terms..................... .................. ................... .................. ........ 2 Credits........ Credits................. ................... ................... .................. ................... ............ 2
Introduction..........................................3
What is a roleplaying game?.......................4 Scenario's.. Scenario's........... ................... ................... .................. ................... ............ .. 4 Playing the game................................. game................ ........................ ....... 4
Game Mechanics.......................... Mechanics................................... ......... 5
Rolling Rolling Dice........... Dice.................... ................... ................... .................. ......... 6 Rules Summary............. Summary...................... .................. ................... ............ 6 Drama Points.......... Points................... ................... ................... ................. ........ Damage........ Damage.................. ................... .................. ................... .................. ........ !atural !atural "a#ards........ "a#ards.................. ................... .................. ............. .... $$ %iscellaneous Rules.................................. Rules.................. ................ $2 &(ects...... &(ects............... ................... ................... ................... ................... ......... $4 )*perienc )*perience........ e................. ................... ................... .................. ............ ... $+ ,ge............. ,ge...................... ................... ................... ................... .................. ........ $+ Glossary... Glossary............. ................... ................... ................... .................. ........... .. $6
Character Creation.............................. 21
Character Character Concepts...... Concepts............... .................. ................... .......... 22 Distincti Distincti-e -e eatures........ eatures................. .................. ................. ........ 22 !ationality and Religion............................22 Social Social Status........... Status.................... ................... ................... ............... ...... 2/ S0ills1 Specialities and las..................... 24 las.......... las.................... ................... ................... ................... ................. ........ 2
Combat............................................... Combat....................................... ........ 30
Special Special ,ttac0s...... ,ttac0s................ ................... ................... ................ ...... /2 Special Special Results........ Results.................. ................... .................. .............. ..... // Spot Rules................... Rules............................ .................. ................... ............ // ighting ighting aoard ship........... ship.................... ................... ............. ... /4 Duelling. Duelling........... ................... ................... ................... .................. ............. .... /+
%ass Comat......... Comat................... ................... .................. ................ ....... /6 Life at Sea.......................................... 37
3ypes o Ships...................................... Ships...................... .................... .... / Putting Putting to Sea............. Sea....................... ................... .................. ........... .. 45 Sea attles........ attles.................. ................... .................. ................... ............ 4$ Pri#e Pri#e %oney.......... %oney................... ................... ................... ................. ........ 42 Sea Dogs............ Dogs..................... ................... ................... .................. ........... 4/ Retirement................................................44 7ie ,oard Ship........... Ship.................... ................... ................... ......... 44 3he Ships Charter..................................... Charter..................... ................ 4 Crime Crime and Punishment. Punishment........... ................... .................. ......... 4 Piratical Piratical ,cti-itie ,cti-ities......... s.................. ................... ................... ......... 48 Ports......... Ports................... ................... .................. ................... ................... ........... +5
Money and !ui"ment....................... !ui"ment......................... .. 53
%oney........ %oney.................. ................... ................... ................... .................. ......... +4 uying uying Poer........... Poer.................... ................... ................... .............. ..... ++ General General )9uipment. )9uipment.......... .................. ................... ................ ...... +6 ,rmour....... ,rmour................. ................... .................. ................... .................. ........ +: Weapons........ Weapons................. ................... ................... ................... ............... ..... +: )*plosi-es.......................................... )*plosi-es......................... ........................ ....... +
Cam"ai#ns.......................................... Cam"ai#ns.......................................... $0
,d-enture ,d-enture ;deas................... ;deas............................ ................... ............ 6$ 3he 7ate Campaign................................... Campaign...................... ............. 62 3he )arly Campaign.................................. Campaign............................ ...... 62 ;mportant Ports.................................. Ports................. ........................ ....... 66 "istorica "istoricall igures....... igures................ .................. ................... ............. ... 6:
%""endi& 'ne (sin# Shi" Shi" of the Line.... $) %""endi& *+o Ma"s and *ra,e- times... 70 %""endi& *hree % startin# startin# scenario...... 75 %""endi& our % sea #rammar............. #rammar............. 7/ %""endi& i,e 1777 Code ue--o.......... ue--o.......... /0 Inde&................................................... /2 Inde&.................................................
Pri-ateers and Pirates is a set o rules to acilitate roleplaying as pri-ateer or pirate cres. 3he rules are mainly intended to e used in one o to time periods< 3he =Golden ,ge> ,ge> o piracy $65@$:2+A also also reerred to as as the =early> campaign campaign in these rules. 3he =!apoleonic> =!apoleonic> period $:+5@$$5A $:+5@$$5A also reerred to as the =late> campaign campaign in these these rules. Players ta0e on the roles o oicers on a pri-ateer or pirate -essel usually a sloopA and set out to ma0e their ortune on the high seas. 3he Golden ,ge o piracy as eteen appro*imately $65 and $:2+ and a campaign set in this period ocuses on player characters as the cre o a pirate ship operating in the Cariean and surrounding aters. 3he !apoleonic period places player characters in charge o the cre o a pri-ateer hunting enemy shipping during ar time. Campaigns in this time period are concentrated concentrated around the )nglish Channel and ased in the Channel ;slands. • •
hat you need
7ots o ten@sided dice. ;magination. 3o or more more people.
ice o--in# and other con,entions d$5 a ten@sided dice. 2d$5 roll to ten@sided dice and add them together. D$55 roll to ten@sided t en@sided dice and read one as tens and one as units1 gi-ing a numer rom 5$ oneA to 55 one hundredA.
Game terms
Pri,ateer ,n armed pri-ate -essel hich ears the commission o the so-ereign poer to cruise against the enemy. Pirate , roer on the high seas< one ho y open -iolence ta0es the property o another on the high seas< especially1
one ho ma0es it his usiness to cruise or roery or plunder< a reeooter on the seas< also1 one ho steals in a harour.
Games Master4 3he indi-idual indi-idual ho descries descries the orld and go-erns go-erns the players players interaction ith ith it. GM4 ,n are-iation o Games %aster. P-ayer4 ,n indi-idual ho plays a character in the orld dictated y the G%. P-ayer Character4 , character controlled y a player. onP-ayer Character4 , character controlled y a G%. 2d104 Roll to ten sided dice and add them together. d1004 d1004 Rolling to ten@sided dice to generate a numer rom 5$ oneA to 55 one hundredA. eore rolling one dice is
designated as tens1 the other as units.
Modifiers4 %odiiers are applied to rolls ater rolling. rama Points4 Drama points can e spent during play to achie-e -arious special results. S6i--4 , s0ill represents a general degree o competence competence in a type o acti-ity1 such as Shooting. S"ecia-ity4 , speciality represents a degree o e*pertise in one acti-ity ithin a group o acti-ities co-ered y a s0ill1 such
as shooting handguns. -a+4 , la indicates some physical or mental ea0ness in a characters ma0eup hich can impact on ho they perorm in the game. Chec64 , d$55 roll1 higher is etter.
Credits
ritin# esi#n and e,e-o"ment4 Bonathan Clar0e Clar0e %rtists4 Gillian Pearce P-ay testers4 Da-e Star01 %artin Wharton1 ath and ,ndy %c7elland Proofreadin#4 ,lison Ross
(sin# the Game 3o use the game game you need to irst irst o all read through through these rules rules thoroughly to get get a eel or the game game orld. !e*t generate generate player characters then the G% should run a group o players through the to sample ad-entures in the ac0 o this oo0.
255+ Bonathan Clar0e. ,ll Rights Reser-ed. 3his game is protected under the copyright las o the Enited ingdom. ,ny reproduction or unauthorised use o the material herein is prohiited ithout the e*press ritten permission o Bonathan Clar0e.
"aynard and Teach themselves !egun the fight #ith their s#ords$ "aynard maing a thrust$ the point of his s#ord #ent against Teach%s cartridge !o&$ and !ended it to the hilt' Teach !roe the guard of it$ and #ounded "aynard%s fingers !ut did not disa!le him$ #hereupon he (umped !ac and thre# a#ay his s#ord and fired his pistol #hich #ounded Teach' Demelt struc in !et#een them #ith his s#ord and cut Teach%s face pretty much) in the interim !oth companies engaged in "aynard%s sloop$ one of "aynard%s men !eing a *ighlander$ engaged Teach #ith his !road s#ord$ #ho gave Teach a cut on the nec$ Teach saying #ell done lad) the *ighlander replied$ If it not !e #ell done$ I%ll do it !etter' +ith that he gave him a second stroe$ #hich cut off his head$ laying it flat on his shoulder' ,ccording to "aynard$ Blac!eard fell #ith five shot in him and 2. dismal cuts in several parts of his !ody' *e ept the head and slung it !elo# the !o#sprit of his sloop' -,ccount of /d#ard Teach$ aa aa 0Blac!eard%s$ death a!oard the amuel$ 1314
hat is a ro-e"-ayin# #ame8
;n a roleplaying game RPGA one indi-idual ta0es the role o Games %aster G%A and descries ictitious situations and en-ironments to another group o people1 the players. )ach player has a character hich e*ists in that ictitious en-ironment and they tell the G% ho their characters are responding to the situations the G% is descriing. , set o rules are used to determine ho characters relate to the situations and e-ents descried y the G%. , character is 9uantiied y a range o numers and descriptors hich let the G% and players 0no hat that character is capale o e.g. ho strong the character is1 ho ast they are1 hat s0ills they ha-eA. 7i0eise1 the G% ill ha-e numers and descriptors or anything hich they descrie1 such as -alues or monsters or o(ects in the en-ironment they are descriing. 3he rules go-ern ho these -alues relate to one another1 do you hit the monster hen you attac01 i you are hit1 ho much damage can you ta0e eore passing out and so on.
Scenario9s
RPG's are normally uilt around the concept o a scenario. 3he G% creates a scenario or the characters to e used in1 then runs that scenario or the players. Creating a scenario is an art orm unto itsel and there are many good pieces o or0 a-ailale ree on the internet hich can help you create your on pieces. ;n -ery simple terms1 ; ould suggest using the =script> model. ;n the script model the scenario is ro0en don into a series o scenes1 much li0e a ilm or 3F sho. 3he irst scene is the =hoo0>. ;n the hoo0 scene e-ents unold hich dra the characters into the story e.g. 3he oman comes into the pri-ate eyes oice to oer him a (o1 the cre are approached y an old man ith a treasure map1 the rich old man approaches the party to rescue his 0idnapped daughter and so onA. rom then on the scenes alternate eteen action scenes and de-elopment scenes. ,n action scene is pretty sel e*planatory1 the characters ha-e to ta0e some 0ind o action to carry the story orard e.g. rea0ing into a arehouse1 raiding the enemy mercenary campA. 3his need not e physical action1 it could e a prolem sol-ing situation or other action. 3he rule is1 that in an action scene the ocus o attention is on the characters and their actions and1 usually1 there is some ris0 to the characters percei-ed or realA. ;n de-elopment scenes the ocus o attention is on something aside rom the characters1 typically they are recei-ing some 0ind o inormation or action hich ill push the story orard. !ormally1 there is no ris0 to the characters in a de-elopment scene. 3he inal to scenes in a scenario are the Clima* and ,termath. 3he clima* is usually an action scene o some 0ind and1 i the characters are successul1 it mar0s their -ictory o-er the scenario e.g. 3he oss ight1 re-ealing the identity o the murdererA. 3he inal scene is the atermath1 this is the scene in hich any loose threads are tied up although1 the G% may delierately lea-e threads hanging1 to lead into uture ad-enturesA and the hole scenario is ound don. *+ists :in#e Points asy routes and Side stories 3here are many additional elements to a scenario hich you may or may use. Some e*amples include tists1 here all is not as it seems and the players perception o e-ents is radically altered1 usually near the end o the scenario1 y a single e-ent e.g. &ne o your group turns out to e a traitor or the classic =7u0e.. ; am your atherA. 3ists are great un1 ut the G% should e cautious in o-er using them1 it's no un i e-ery scenario you rite has a tist in it ecause players (ust come to e*pect it.
Side@stories are additional opportunities to do things hich do not relate to the main thrust o the scenario. Side@stories are oten used as a counterpoint to the main e-ents o the scenario. ; the scenario is unrelentingly grim or depressing a side@story might present the players ith the opportunity to do something light and rereshing1 e-en humorous e.g. ; the party stop in a -illage o-er night hilst on a 9uest1 the locals might as0 them to go and ind a lost child1 or some other small ser-iceA. , hinge point is an e-ent in the scenario hich is critical to the continuation o the scenario. ,s a G%1 you should identiy hinge points in your scenario and come up ith continuity plans hich allo the scenario to continue i the hinge point is ro0en1 someho. or e*ample1 i the characters need to spea0 to an old man to get directions to the ortress o e-il1 and they 0ill him1 there must e an alternati-e ay or them to get the directions. ,n easy ay to a-oid this 0ind o prolem is to a-oid hinge points1 and instead use =easy routes>. ,n easy route is an action1 hich i ta0en1 ma0es the scenario easier. ,n e*ample might e a -isit to the aorementioned old man ho can tell you ho to use the secret ac0 door into the ortress o e-il. ; you don't go to him1 or 0ill him y accident1 you can still get into the ortress1 you (ust ha-e to go in the hard ay1 through the ront door. Linear ,s. onLinear , linear scenario tends to channel the characters in-ol-ed in it don a -ery speciic path1 mo-ing rom one situation to another in a more or less preplanned order. Such scenarios re9uire little intellectual eort rom the players and G% and are ideal or those la#y Sunday aternoons hen e-eryone is already tired out. !on@linear scenarios are more ta*ing on players and G%. 3he most common types o non@linear scenarios are time ased or trigger ased. ;n a time ased scenario a cloc0 is eecti-ely tic0ing in the ac0ground and e-ents occur at speciic times1 prompting the characters to respond. 3ime ased scenarios can e ris0y to run and can easily spiral out o control1 ut can also e -ery en(oyale as the tic0ing cloc0 creates a real sense o urgency. ;n a trigger ased scenario e-ents are triggered y the actions o the characters. ,n e-ent does not occur until the characters trigger it. 3rigger ased scenarios are -ery similar to linear scenarios. , certain action may trigger more than one e-ent1 or certain e-ents may trigger other e-ents.
P-ayin# the #ame ;t isn't possile to ha-e a speciic rule or e-ery e-entuality. ;nstead1 most games including Pri-ateer and PiratesA try to pro-ide a rules rameor0 hich can apply to most situations1 along ith e*amples o ho to resol-e speciic situations. 3he G% should alays e le*ile and listen to the players hen deciding ho to resol-e situations. Pri-ateers and Pirates is relati-ely easy to play as it is set in the =real orld>. 3here are no mystical poers1 supernatural eings and such li0e1 so e-erything that goes on lies ithin the scope o normal human e*perience. ; you aren't sure apply common sense and go rom there.
*he Go-den u-e is :a,e fun;
For /d#ard Teach$ commonly called 8aptain Teach$ or Blac!eard$ one hundred Pounds$ for every other commander of a Pyrate hip$ loop$ or 7essel$ forty Pounds) for every 9ieutenant$ "aster$ or :uarter"aster$ Boats#ain$ or 8arpenter$ t#enty Pounds) for every other inferior ;fficer$ fifteen Pounds$ and for every private "an taen on Board such ship$ loop or 7essel$ ten Pounds' -
Introduction
3he rules gi-e you a ay to resol-e the success or ailure o actions underta0en y characters. %ost actions underta0en y a character don't need a roll. &nly ones here there is some real ris0 o ailure should e rolled or.
S0ill chec0s are usually gi-en in the ormat I X S6i--
Sometimes the chec0 may e gi-en in the ormat
S6i--
o--in# ice
&nly one type o dice is used1 the ten@sided dice1 reerred as a to a d$5. %ost rolls in Pri-ateers and Pirates use d$55. 3his means1 roll to ten@sided dice and one represents the tens -alue o a numer and the other the units. eore rolling1 the player states hich dice is the tens -alue and hich the units1 resulting in a numer rom 5$ oneA to 55 one hundredA. ,nother 0ind o roll hich is sometimes as0ed or is a 2d$5 roll. 3his means roll to ten@sided dice and add them together.
u-es Summary •
•
• •
•
•
•
•
•
, character is deined y a description and a range o s0ills1 specialities and las. Player characters may also ha-e a Drama point -alue. ,ctions are resol-ed y ma0ing S0illspecialityA chec0s. 3o ma0e a s0illspecialityA chec0 roll d$55. ; you don9t ha-e the s0ill read the loest dice as tens and the highest as units. ; you ha,e the s0ill only1 state hich dice is the tens -alue eore rolling1 the other is the units -alue. ; you ha-e both the s0ill and the speciality1 read the highest dice as tens and the loest as units. ; your roll is greater than the Diiculty D;A numer or the tas0 you succeed1 otherise you ail. ; you succeed and roll doules you ha-e achie-ed a critical success. ; you ail and roll doules you ha-e achie-ed a critical ailure.
S6i--s and S"ecia-ities S0ills are things that a character is good at and specialities are speciic elements o a s0ill hich a character is really good at. , character cannot ha-e a speciality ithout ha-ing the s0ill it is associated ith. Possessing the s0ill indicates a good all round 0noledge and aility in the s0ill concerned. "a-ing a speciality indicates additional e*pertise in a speciic element o that ider s0ill. ; you are as0ed to ma0e a chec0 or a s0ill you don't ha-e1 roll to ten@sided dice and read the loest dice as the tens -alue. ; you are as0ed to ma0e a chec0 or a s0ill you do ha-e1 roll to ten@sided dice ut state hich o the to dice ill e the tens dice eore rolling. ; you ha-e the s0ill and the rele-ant speciality eing as0ed or roll to ten@sided dice and the highest dice is the tens -alue. •
•
•
, 5 on the dice is a #ero.
3his means that the acting character must roll using the irst S0illspecialityA and the D; is ased on the opposing characters S0ill andor Speciality. ; the opponent doesn't ha-e the S0ill the D; is /5. ; the opponent has the S0ill only1 the D; is +5. ; the opponent has oth the S0ill and the Speciality the D; is :5. ;n the ormer case the S0ill and speciality ha-e een deined or you. ;n the latter case only the s0ill has een deined1 it is up to the G% hether a particular speciality is rele-ant to the s0ill chec0 eing made in such a case. Sometimes you may see the ords =rele-ant specialityA> ater a named S0ill. 3his (ust means that you should decide hat speciality is rele-ant in the speciic situation. •
• •
For example, For a Shooting(handguns) check the Shooting skill and handguns speciality are appropriate. If the check only had Shooting the shooting skill would be releant and the speciality for the weapon being used, so if you were shooting a handgun, the handguns speciality would be releant.
%n &am"-e of S6i-- (se , character is as0ed to ma0e a "ealthconstitutionA chec0 ith a Diiculty D;A +5. 3he character has the s0ill and speciality and rolls to ten@sided dice1 getting a one and a si*. ecause they ha-e oth the s0ill and speciality they read the highest dice as tens1 or a result o si*ty one1 a success. ; the player had rolled a #ero and a our they ould ha-e read the dice as 451 a ailure. -a+s Characters may ta0e las during character creation. las eect ho you spend Drama points during play. , ull list o las and their eects can e ound in the character creation section. Modifiers %odiiers are usually applied to a roll1 rather than to the D; o a tas0. %odiiers are used to relect actors outside o the tas0 at hand1 actors hich increase or decrease the diiculty o the tas0. For example, if you are trying to shoot someone the !IFF is defined by the leel of coer they hae. Factors like range, moement and so on are expressed as positie or negatie modifiers to the attackers roll.
Standard ifficu-ties %ost o the time players ill ha-e a D; numer or a tas0 eing attempted. 3o help the G% this section gi-es some guidelines on ho to set Diiculty numers. ifficu-ty
I
,utomatic
5
Fery )asy
$5
)asy
/5
Routine
+5
"ard
:5
efau-t ifficu-ty ; it is not stated to the contrary1 assume that a tas0 is routine1 ith a D; o +5.
,lmost ;mpossile 85 such as al0ing around normally or opening a door. >ery asy4 Something hich -irtually anyody could e e*pected to do ithout diiculty such as threading a needle1 running o-er ro0en groundA. asy4 , tas0 hich an uns0illed and unspecialised character has a +5H chance o succeeding at such as liting a ig ag o potatoes o-er your headA. outine4 , tas0 hich a s0illed or specialised character has a +5H chance o succeeding at such as liting a teenager o-er your headA. :ard4 , tas0 hich a s0illed and specialised person has a +5H chance o succeeding at liting a small adult o-er your headA. %-most Im"ossib-e4 , tas0 hich any character ould ind hard to succeed at such as liting a don0ey o-er your headA. 3he tale elo shos the percentage chance o eating a gi-en diiculty depending on hether you ha-e neither the s0ill nor speciality1 ha-e one or the other1 or ha-e oth s0ill and speciality. No Skill
Skill only
'""osed chec6s Sometimes to characters may attempt to perorm actions hich conlict ith one another and here only one can =in>. 3he character ho initiated the situation should ma0e their chec01 ith the D; ased on their opponents S0ill andor Speciality status. ; the opponent doesn't ha-e the S0ill the D; is /5. ; the opponent has the S0ill only the D; is +5. ; the opponent has oth the S0ill and the Speciality the D; is :5. ,n opposed chec0 is oten indicated y the phrase or something similarA =against the S0illspecialityA o the character>. •
%utomatic4 Something hich it is impossile to ail at1
DIFF
S6i-- Modifiers Superhuman ailities are sometimes represented y s0ill modiiers. , s0ill modiier is a onus hich is added to s0ill rolls1 alloing rolls in e*cess o $55.
Skill and Speciality
5
$55H
$55H
$55H
$5
2H
85H
8H
25
66H
5H
8+H
/5
+5H
:5H
85H
45
/:H
65H
/H
+5
26H
+5H
:4H
65
$:H
45H
6/H
:5
$5H
/5H
+5H
5
+H
25H
/4H
85
2H
$5H
$H
$55
5H
5H
5H
3his is pro-ided purely as an aid to the G% hen (udging hat D; le-els to assign to tas0s. For example, a character with a releant skill and speciality has a "#$ chance of beating a !IFF of %&.
• •
'"tiona- u-e4 andom '""osed Chec6s Rather than using i*ed D; numers or opposed chec0s1 instead ma0e the appropriate s0illspecialityA chec0 and use the roll as the D; numer. 3his rule slos don play ut you may ind some players preer it1 particularly in comat situations. 3his rule is entirely optional. !ui"ment Certain s0ill chec0s may speciy that e9uipment is needed to attempt them. Esually1 you can still attempt the chec0 ithout the re9uired e9uipment ut must ta0e a @25 on the chec0. 3his assumes you can impro-ise tools to get the (o done. 3he G% alays has the inal say o-er hether a s0ill chec0 can e attempted ithout the re9uired e9uipment. ;n some cases they may not allo the chec0 ithout the re9uired e9uipment. *ryin# %#ain 3he G% alays has the inal say on hether you can attempt an action again ha-ing pre-iously ailed. ,s a rule o thum1 some signiicant change must occur eore you can try again. For example, if you were trying to pick a lock you might hae to ac'uire different picks before you could try again.
;n comat1 e-ery chec0 is considered to e uni9ue1 so i you miss an attac0 you can try again ith your ne*t action. or6in# to#ether ; se-eral characters are or0ing together on the same all should roll. 3a0e the highest roll and add the tens -alue o each o the other rolls to it. For example, if three characters are working on the same task and rolled ", * and *+ their combined total would "*-"*.
Critica- Successes ; you succeed on a chec0 and roll doules you ha-e critically succeeded. , critical success means that you ha-e succeeded as intended and something eneicial has occurred on top o the normal success. Some ideas might includeI When attac0ing1 you inlict more damage. Jou recei-e additional useul inormation eyond hat you ere see0ing. • •
Critica- ai-ures ; you ail a chec0 and roll doules you ha-e critically ailed. , critical ailure means something ad happens1 in addition to the normal conse9uences o ailure. Some ideas might includeI Jou hit an ally rather than your intended target ally gets a dodge or parry as normalA. Jou drop your eapon. ,n unreliale eapon (ams. Jou trip and all don. Jou stun yoursel. Jour eapon hits something hard and rea0s. •
succeeded and may continue as normal. If they rolled #* to & they would be incapacitated for ten minutes (one hour if they rolled ## or %%). If they rolled #& or less they would be incapacitated and dying (because they rolled less than or e'ual to their worst wounds alue). If they rolled **, ++ or (doubles and less than their most serious wounds alue) they would be dead instantly.
yin# Characters , dying character re9uires a successul "ealingsurgeryA roll to e made on them ithin one hour o starting to die. 3he D; is e9ual to the -alue o the dying characters most serious ound. , success stailises them. )ach attempt ta0es ten minutes. For example, using the aboe example of a character with a #&pt and +&pt wound, they would need a successful /ealing(surgery) roll against a !IFF of #& to sae their life.
• • • • •
rama Points Drama Points are hat ma0es a character =larger than lie>. During play1 a drama point can e used in one o three ays. Spend a point to add ity to a roll you (ust made. Spend a point to sutract ity rom a roll someone else (ust made. Spend a point to ta0e an additional action or mo-e1 at any time. Jou can interrupt other characters turns i you ish. Spent drama points are reco-ered e-ery morning1 unless they ere used to =cheat death>. Cheating death is discussed in more detail elo. • •
ama#e Codes ,ny attac0 on a character ill ha-e a damage code. 3he amount o damage inlicted on the character in pointsA is determined y reading the dice o the attac0 roll in a certain ay1 the ay eing determined y the damage code as ollosI Damage Code
Calculate Damage by
Roll 37
F7 -ery loA
Damage e9uals the loest dice o the attac0 roll #eroes are tensA.
/
7 loA
Damage e9uals the highest dice o the : attac0 roll #eroes are tensA.
•
ama#e
Characters can e damaged y a -ariety o things1 including delierate attac0s and natural ha#ards. Damage is e*pressed as a numerical -alue1 the higher the -alue the more damage inlicted y the e-ent. )ach time a character is damaged1 note the amount o damage as a discrete ound this is important ecause all ounds heal simultaneouslyA.
% Damage e9uals the sum o the dice in $5 mediumA the attac0 roll add the dice togetherA. " highA
Damage e9uals the product o the dice 2$ in the attac0 roll multiply the dice y one anotherA.
F" -ery highA
Damage e9uals the attac0 roll as rolled.
/:
3he rightmost column shos the damage -alues or each damage code or an attac0 roll o /:. For example, an 0 damage weapon would inflict *& damage on a successful attack roll of ".
ama#e Chec6s When a character ta0es a ound they must immediately ma0e a "ealthresilienceA chec0 ith the total -alue o all their current ounds as the D;. 3his chec0 is 0non as a =damage chec0>. ; they ail the chec0 they immediately collapse and remain completely incapacitated or ten minutes. ; they ail ith a roll o doules a critical ailureA they immediately collapse and remain completely incapacitated or one hour. ; they ail and their roll is less than or e9ual to their most serious current ound1 they are incapacitated or ten minutes and also dying. ; they ail and their roll is doules and less than or e9ual to their most serious current ound1 they die instantly. ; the total o ounds ta0en e-er reaches one hundred1 death occurs instantly.
3he notes elo are intended to ser-e as a rough guide to eapons and damage codes. %ore inormation on speciic eapons and their damage codes can e ound in the e9uipment sectionI
For example, a character already has a #&pt wound and then takes a +&pt wound. hey must immediately make a /ealth(resilience) check against a !IFF of & (#&pt wound+&pt wound). If they rolled * or more, they
orn %rmour Worn armour is treated -ery simply in Pri-ateers and Pirates. , suit o orn armour steps damage rom attac0s don one step.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Small animals or normal unarmed attac0s typically inlict F7 damage. F7 damage is also caused y the eects o armour on more poerul attac0s. Small 0ni-es1 rass 0nuc0les and cudgels typically inlict 7 damage. Pistols and &ne handed melee eapons such as sords and a*esA typically inlict % damage. Riles1 Shotguns and 3o handed melee eapons such as great a*es and halerdsA typically inlict " damage. i*ed mount eapons1 such as oat guns1 typically inlict F" damage.
For example, an 0 damage hit would be stepped down to 1 damage against a character in appropriate armour.
%ost armours are eecti-e against only one o the olloing1 although some are eecti-e against se-eral typesI )*plosi-e Guns %elee attac0s , more comprehensi-e list o armour types can e ound in the e9uipment section o these rules. • • •
ounds and :ea-in# Grie,ous ound ; a character sur-i-es a dying situation they should roll d$55 on the tale elo to determine hat complications are associated ith the grie-ous ound. d100 Com"-ication
5$@65 !o complications 6$@6+ Scar
%rm4 3he
character cannot perorm actions hich re9uires to arms. 3his includes using to handed eapons. (""er S"ine4 3he character is permanently paralysed rom the nec0 don. Lo+er S"ine4 3he character is permanently paralysed rom the aist don. 3hey can use their upper ody still1 ut not their legs. 3hey re9uire a heel chair to get around mo-ement in a heelchair is one@9uarter normal rateA. ?-inded in one eye =; thin0 the eyepatch ma0es me loo0 ra0ish1 don't you?> 7oss o depth perception gi-es the character @$5 to all ranged attac0s. Partia- eafness =Pardon... too much time on the gun dec0s you 0no> 3he character has a @$5 to all !otice chec0s rom no on. e,er =Pass me another hot compress> 3he character is gripped y e-er and none o their ounds recei-e any natural healing or 2d$5 days.
66@:5 e-er :$@:+ racture :6@5 Wea0ness $@+ Sha0es 6@85 rain Damage
racture ="mm.. one po0ing through the s0in.. ; thin0 it's ro0en> &ne o the characters lims has een ro0en. 3reat this as an ,mputation or game eects1 ut the eect only lasts 2d$5 ee0s. ;n addition1 roll on this tale elo rather than the amputation taleI
8$@8+ ,mnesia
d10 Location
86@8: Partial Deaness
$
, oot
8@88 linded in one eye
2
, hand
55
/@4
,n arm
+@6
, leg
:
S0ull
Pel-is
8
Spine
5
Ris
,mputation
%m"utation ="mmm... ; thin0 that's going to ha-e t o come o> 3he ound is se-ere enough to necessitate the amputation o a lim or e*tremity. Roll $d$5 to determine hich and roll d$5 again or side e-en roll is right side1 odd roll is let side< d10
Location
$@2
, oot
/@4
, hand
+@6
,n arm
:
7oer Spine
Epper Spine
8@5
, leg
oot4 ,ll actions hich use the missing oot are at @251
and your mo-ement rate is 9uartered. :and4 3he character cannot perorm an action hich re9uires to hands and actions here to hands are preerale are at @25. 3he character may place a prosthetic hand or hoo0 on the stump a hoo0 can inlict " damage hen used as a melee eaponA reducing the penalty or actions here to hands are preerale to only @$5. Le#4 ,ll actions hich use the missing leg are at @251 and your mo-ement is 9uartered. 3his assumes that the character has a ooden leg or crutch1 i they don't1 they cannot mo-e at all.
oot1 "and1 ,rm and 7eg results are as their amputation e9ui-alents. S6u--4 ,ll chec0s are at @$5 until the racture heals. ibs4 ,ll physical rolls in-ol-ing mo-ing the ody are at @$5 until the racture heals. Pe-,is or S"ine4 Whilst the eect lasts1 the character is completely immoile and cannot ta0e part in any ad-entures. ea6ness =Sorry.. could you help me ith this?> 3he characters ound ea0ens their ody signiicantly and lea-es them in an unhealthy state. 3he character permanently loses all their specialities in the ran group. Scar =;t tends to ache in damp eather> 3he ound lea-es a noticeale scar1 this has no game eect ut may e un to oast aout. Sha6es =!ot much use as a utler ;'m araid> Damage to the ner-es lea-es the character ith a tendency to shi-er and sha0e at random. 3he character
permanently loses all their specialities in the Rele*es group and cannot ta0e any more in uture. ?rain ama#e
=Pleeshh... yuuuu musht runnK> Damage to the rain means that the character no slurs their ords and inds it hard to thin0. 3he character permanently loses all their specialities in the Wits group and cannot ta0e any more in uture. %mnesia =Sorry.. ho are you again?> 3he ound has gi-en the character amnesia and impaired their memory and aility to recall details. 3he character permanently loses all their specialities in the noledge group and cannot ta0e any more in uture. Cheatin# eath ; a character dies ith one or more Drama points unspent1 they may sacriice a point permanently to =cheat death>. ; they ta0e this option they sur-i-e the e-ent that should ha-e 0illed them. ;t is up to the G% andor player to decide ho they sur-i-ed. ;n game terms1 the e-ent that 0illed them is deemed to ha-e not happened so any damage it inlicted didn't occurA. ; the character died in a situation here re-i-al ould li0ely result in immediate death again1 such as in a ri-er o la-a1 droning in a storm or in the middle o a attle1 the character is someho remo-ed or protected until the dangerous situation ends. For example, a character who drowns in a storm at sea decides to 2heat death. he 30 rules that they surie the storm and are cast up on the shore of a nearby island or some foreign coast a few days later.
irst %id , character can spend ten minutes to ma0e a "ealingirst aidA chec0 on a ound. ; the character attempting the chec0 does not ha-e a irst aid 0it they ha-e a @25 to the chec0. ; they can impro-ise tools such as using ripped up clothes or andages and its o ood or splintsA the modiier is only @$5. , successul chec0 hal-es the -alue o that ound1 rounding up. , critically successul chec0 9uarters the -alue o the ound1 rounding up. , gi-en ound can only recei-e one successul healing chec0 normal or criticalA and additional successul healing chec0s ha-e no eect on that ounds -alue1 hich can only e reduced urther y natural healing. , critical ailure on a "ealingirst aidA chec0 precludes any urther attempts to treat the ound y other characters any such attempts automatically ailA. atura- :ea-in# )ach o a characters ounds reduces in -alue y one point at sunrise each day1 to points i the character rested or the entire pre-ious day. For example, a character with a two point and a fie point wound spends a day in bed. he next morning the two point wound has reduced to 4ero, completely healed, and the fie point wound has dropped to three. !uring that day the character is actie and the next morning the three point only drops to two points. he rest of the day is spent in bed so the next morning the two point wound completely heals to 4ero.
h
atura- :a@ards
!atural ha#ards are damaging e-ents rom the natural orld around a character. 3he section elo lists some common or uncommonA natural ha#ards and rules or dealing ith them. Enless stated otherise1 armour does not reduce damage rom natural ha#ards. ati#ue atigue results rom inclement eather conditions such as e*cessi-e heat or coldA1 physical laour1 star-ation or (ust staying aa0e or e*tended periods. atigue is e*pressed as a cumulati-e modiier to all chec0s a character ma0es1 representing the eects o e*haustion on their aility to perorm. ; the modiier e-er reaches @$55 the character dies rom e*haustion. )ach time one o the olloing conditions is met the character recei-es a atigue penalty. • •
• •
,ter a night ithout a good eight hours sleep. ,ter a day spent outdoors in inclement conditions ithout proper protection such as inter clothing in the cold1 or desert clothing in the heatA. ,ter a day spent ithout ood. ,ter an hour o hard physical laour
3he penalty isI @25 i you don't ha-e the "ealth s0ill. @$5 i you ha-e the "ealth s0ill. @+ i you ha-e the "ealth s0ill and endurance speciality. • • •
, good nights sleep1 proper meal and shelter reduces the current atigue penalty ac0 to #ero again. Suffocation , character ho is depri-ed o air must ma0e a D; +5 "ealthenduranceA chec0 e-ery minute. 3he irst time they ail they pass out unconscious1 the second time they ail they die. 3hey must continue ma0ing chec0s until they get air again. ear When a character recei-es a sudden shoc0 or is e*posed to some horriying e-ent they must ma0e a D; +5 Willra-eryA roll to 0eep their ner-e. ; they succeed they are ale to maintain their poise and act normally. , ailed roll means they must lee the cause o the chec01 ut they may ma0e a ne chec0 at the start o each suse9uent round to regain control. ; they cannot lee they are treated as helpless until they ma0e the chec0. ; a character critically succeeds on such a chec0 they ha-e ecome immune to hate-er caused that chec0 and no longer ha-e to ma0e Willra-eryA chec0s hen conronted ith similar circumstances. ; a character critically ails such a roll they lose a Drama point permanently. 3he most common modiier to a =ear> roll is one to relect the amient =scariness> o the en-ironment. Something li0e a gra-eyard at night ould rate a @$5 and a =haunted house> might e a @25. a--in# , character ho alls ta0es damage e9ual to the distance allen in eet. ,rmour gi-es no protection rom alling1 although landing on a sot surace hal-es damage ta0en round donA. 3he G% may allo a character a D; +5 ,gilitydodgeA chec0 to hal the damage ta0en again. , character undergoing a controlled all1 such as (umping donards1 ta0es hal damage round donA.
For example, if a character falls +& feet they take +& damage. If they 5umped down +& feet they would only take *& damage. If they also make a successful !IFF %& 6gility(dodge) check they would take only % damage.
Co--isions ; something collides ith something else it ta0es damage ased on the speeds in miles per hourA o the to o(ects in the collision. ;n the case o a nose to tail -ehicle collision one -ehicle running into the ac0 o anotherA the damage e9uals the higher speed minus the loer speed. ;n a head on collision the damage e9uals the sum o the speeds o the to o(ects. ;n any other situation the damage ta0en is the a-erage o the to speeds. ?urnin# ; a character is urning roll d$55 at the start o each round or the damage they ta0e. 3he damage code or the roll depends on the nature o the ireI Damage Code
Examples
F7
Fery 7o temperature lames urning matchA
7
7o temperature lames oiling ater1 molten lead or ood ireA
%
%edium temperature napalm or molten ironA or moderate acid
"
"igh temperature thermite1 hite phosphorus1 la-aA or strong acid
,rmour steps damage don one step in the irst round only1 then is considered destroyed. *o&ins 3o*ins include poisons and diseases. , character ho is e*posed to a poison must ma0e a "ealthconstitutionA roll. 3he D; depends on the potency o the poison and the si#e o the dose1 actors hich the G% must (udge on a case y case asis. For example, an 6dder bite might be !IFF #&, whereas a deliberate poisoning attempt with hemlock might be !IFF *&&.
; they ail they ill die one hour later i they do not recei-e an antidote. , successul "ealingmedicineA roll y the poisoned character or someone else pre-ents death. 3he modiier to this roll e9uals the modiier o the poison. , gi-en character may ma0e one attempt to heal1 i that ails they cannot try again. Doctors tools are needed to a-oid a @25 to the "ealingmedicineA chec01 although i a character can impro-ise such tools such as using hot toels and a 0nie to try and dra the poisonA the penalty is only @$5. ;n the case o a disease1 ma0e a "ealthconstitutionA roll hen irst e*posed to see i you catch the disease. ; you do1 ma0e a second roll ater one day has e*pired. ; you ail again you ill die one ee0 later ithout a "ealingmedicineA roll y yoursel or someone else. Doctors tools are needed to a-oid a @25 to the "ealingmedicineA chec01 although i a character can impro-ise such tools such as using hot toels and poulticesA the penalty is only @$5. or diseases1 the modiier again relects the lethality and transmissaility o the disease1 actors hich the G% ill ha-e to (udge on a case y case asis. For example, the 7lack !eath would be around !IFF %&, ebola irus around !IFF 8& and !IFF % for common
influen4a.
ru#s and %-cohoDrugs and alcohol are measured in terms o drin0s. , drin0 is a shot o spirits1 a glass o ine or a pint o lager or eer. )ach drin0 gi-es you a cumulati-e @25 penalty to all rolls. ; you ha-e the "ealth s0ill or Constitution speciality reduce the penalty to @$5 and reduce it to @+ i you ha-e oth the "ealth s0ill and the Constitution speciality. 3his penalty is reduced y the $5 or e-ery hour you go ithout a drin0. Recreational drugs can e handled in much the same ay1 ith one dose e9ualling one or more drin0s. , line o cocaine is aout one drin01 single spli o mari(uana or cannais is orth to drin0s1 a shot o heroin around i-e drin0s.
T!esold
Character has neither "ealth nor strength
/5 )!C
Character has "ealth
+5 )!C
Character has "ealth and strength
:5 )!C
; )!C score e-er e*ceeds tice your threshold you cannot mo-e at all. ,s a rule o thum1 calculate the )!C -alue o any o(ect as ollos. ; the item can e held comortaly in one hand1 )!C + such as a pistolA ; item can e heted in one hand such as a sordA1 )!C $5 ; item re9uires to hands to handle1 )!C $+ or more or larger o(ects1 )!C e9uals doule the s9uare root o the o(ects eight in pounds so a 855l o(ect has an )!C o 65 and a 22+l o(ect has an )!C o /5A. •
•
•
&"-osions Roll d$55 to determine damage or each person near the last. 3hese igures are or a grenado si#ed last. or larger or smaller e*plosions simply multiply the ranges and damages detailed elo y a suitale actor. 3argets ithin ten yards o the last centre ta0e % damage. 3argets ithin i-e yards o the last centre ta0e " damage. 3argets in contact ith the e*ploding =thing> ta0e F" damage. ,ppropriate ody armour reduces the damage code one step1 as does eing prone so eing prone and suitaly armoured reduces the damage to stepsA. ;n the case o a grenado1 the d$55 roll is replaced ith a 3hroingalancedA chec0. %a0e the chec01 then calculate the damage o the chec0 roll. •
•
•
*am"ed Char#e &"-osion , tamped charge e*plosion is an e*plosion here the e*plosi-e has een tamped to ocus it's eects onto something. 3hat something ta0es tice the normal damage and anything else neary ta0es hal the normal damage. on"-ayer Characters !on@player characters !PC'sA can 9uic0ly e generated using the character generation rules. ,s a rule o thum1 only ma(or !PC's should ha-e Drama points. %ost !PC's do not recei-e any Drama points1 Drama points eing one o the things that really sets player characters apart rom most non@player characters.
Misce--aneous u-es
3his section outlines a -ariety o miscellaneous rules hich may ma0e resol-ing situations in play easier. ncumbrance , character ho is carrying or earing any e9uipment may ha-e an )ncumrance )!CA score o one or more. ,ll items ha-e an )!C -alue1 hich indicates ho hea-y and ul0y the item is. , characters )!C score is the sum o the )ncumrance -alues o all the things they are earing1 pulling around or carrying. !eedless to say1 a characters )!C score ill change as they ad(ust hat items they are carrying1 earing or dragging around ith them. ; a characters )!C score e*ceeds a certain threshold they are considered to e ncumbered and mo-e at hal speed and cannot stay aloat in ater. 3he thresholds are gi-en in the tale eloI
•
Losin# &tremities ; a character loses an e*tremity they automatically ta0e a ound o a certain -alue as ollos1 and the listed eect or the appropriate e*tremity rom the amputation complication. in#er or toe4 45pt ound :and or oot4 65pt ound %rm or Le#4 5pt ound • • •
is#uise , character must ma0e a successul Disguise chec0 to disguise themsel-es. ; the character does not ha-e a Disguise 0it this roll is at @25. &ther character need to ma0e a successul !otice chec0 and roll higher than the Disguised characters original roll to see through the disguise. For example, a character succeeds at their !isguise check with a #%. 6nyone encountering them must make a successful 9otice check with a !IFF of #% to see through the disguise.
(sin# Inf-uence 3o say another characters opinion in a direction o your choice ma0e a chec0 o your ;nluence against your =targets> Will chec0. 3he rele-ant speciality or ;nluence depends on the method used seduction1 persuasion or intimidationA. or the Will chec01 use WillresistanceA against seduction or persuasion1 and Willra-eryA against intimidation. ;t's important to note that ;nluence is not =mind control>. , successul chec0 does not resulting sla-ish oedience to your hims1 it (ust shits the targets opinion in a direction o your choosing. ;nluence chec0s should ne-er e a sustitute or roleplaying1 ut they should eect ho you roleplay. ,a-uation 3o determine an items -alue and pro-enance ma0e an appropriate s0ill chec0. or non@metal goods Crating is appropriate1 or metal goods use Smithing and or historical arteacts use "umanitieshistoryA. Lan#ua#es )-ery character egins play ale to spea0 their nati-e language and a numer o additional languages e9ual to the tens -alue o their age. Rememer that i you don't spea0 someone's language
spea0 in a loud1 clear -oice and a-e your hands around ildly. 3his techni9ue has or0ed or the ritish or hundreds o years. '"enin# Loc6s Pic0ing a loc0 or disarming a mechanical trap re9uires an SmithingartiiceA chec0 and a loc0pic0 0it. ; you do not ha-e such a 0it ta0e a @25 on the chec0 this can e reduced to @$5 i you can impro-ise tools rom sti ires1 or e*ampleA. 3he modiier to the chec0 depends on the 9uality o the loc0. Loc6 Aua-ity
Modifier
Cheap loc0
5
Standard loc0
@$5
)*pensi-e loc0
@25
, critical ailure means you ha-e ro0en a tool o in the loc0. Jou need a ne loc0pic0 0it and the loc0 is unusale1 permanently (ammed. :untin# and ora#in# "unting is a popular past time o the upper classes and is also a good ay o supplementing ships rations hen you are moored near land. oraging is much li0e hunting1 only you are loo0ing or edile plantlie rather than hunting ildlie or meat. , character ho is hunting and oraging gets a D; +5 Sur-i-al roll e-ery hour. , success inds enough ood to eed one person or one day. , critical success inds enough ood to eed ten people or a day. *rac6in# olloing trac0s to their end re9uires a !otice roll. 3he modiier o the roll depends on the terrain you are trac0ing across1 rom @$5 to ollo a resh trac0 through sot earth to @85 to ollo an old trac0 o-er roc0 ashed recently y rain. , character may1 at any time1 try to rea0 their trac0s y ma0ing a D; +5 Stealth chec0. 3his ta0es hal an hour and a successul chec0 means that a character olloing them must ma0e a ne !otice chec0 here the Stealth chec0 succeeded to pic0 up the trail. , critical success means that the character olloing must get a critical success on their !otice chec0 to pic0 up the trac0s again.
>ehic-es
Fehicles ha-e a %anoeu-re Score %SA and 3oughness Rating 3RA. Fehicles ith a L ater their 3oughness Rating do not ully enclose their dri-erpassengers. 3he occupants o such a -ehicle can e targeted ith a @25 to the attac0 chec01 a successul hit damages the occupant ithout hitting the -ehicle. Manoeu,rin# When you are controlling a -ehicle rele-ant s0ill chec0s are made1 ut the D; is the %anoeu-re Score o the -ehicle concerned. >ehic-e ama#e Fehicles are damaged li0e other o(ects. Ships are handled dierently1 speciic rules eing presented later in these rules. Chases Chases are simply resol-ed as a series o opposed maneu-er chec0s1 ith each participant ma0ing a chec0 each round. ,nyone ho ails the chec0 is out o the chase. ; the person eing chased ails the chec0 the chase ends and they ha-e een caught up to y e-eryone else. 3he dri-er o the -ehicle eing chased may opt to ta0e a negati-e modiier o their choosing to the chec01 representing some stunt or maneu-er hich they perorm. )-eryone else in the chase must ta0e the same modiier or drop out o the chase automatically. ,nyone ho critically ails their chec0 crashes and their -ehicle ta0es suicient damage to render it ro0en. "orse riders can participate in chases1 ma0ing Riding chec0s. Characters on oot can also chase on another1 ma0ing ,thletics chec0s. ut i anyody else in the chase is on horseac01 or in a -ehicle1 the oot ound character has a @25 to their chec0 to relect their disad-antage at eing signiicantly sloer1 oset a little y eing more manoeu-erale. Shootin# in Chases 3he -ehicle1 runner or rider eing chased can ire ac0ards acing eapons at any -ehicle pursuing it and the chasing -ehicles1 runners M riders can ire any orard acing eapons. Passengers in a -ehicle eing chased can ire out o a-ailale indos or hatches i such e*ist and i they can e opened. ,ttac0s rom a mo-ing -ehicle1 hilst running or rom a mo-ing mount ha-e a @$5 on attac0 chec0s. ; the lead runner1 rider or -ehicle set a negati-e modiier or the maneu-er chec0s in the round that modiier is also added to any attac0s made y any one else in the round1 representing the eect o trying to hit a ea-ing and rapidly maneu-ering target. Sea Chases Ships can chase each other using the ao-e rules. )ach round ma0e a Sailing chec0 or each ship in the chase and use the chase rules as listed to determine the results. 3he leader can only ta0e a negati-e modiier to their sailing chec0 i there is some =terrain> hich allos them to engage in dangerous maneu-ering1 such as a coastline or rees. ; ships catch up ith the =escaping> ship a sea attle may ensue1 use the rules in the =7ie aoard ship> section to resol-e this.
%nima-s 7i0e characters1 animals are descried y their S0ills and Specialities. 3hey may also ha-e s0ill modiiers to relect superhuman le-els o aility.
,ll animals ha-e the !otice and ,thletics s0ill. Carni-ores also possess the ighting s0ill. ,nimal attac0s inlict % damage1 unless stated otherise1 to relect the animals natural eapons such as teeth1 hoo-es and angs. ,ll animals are moti-ated y instinct as ollosI ,n animal ill attac0 anyone threatening its ospring or mates. ,n animal ill run rom anyone threatening it. ,n animal hich tries to escape ut hich is cornered ill attac0. ,n animal ill try to scare o anyone trespassing on its territory. ,n animal ill attac0 possile prey hen it is hungry. ; the prey in(ures it1 it ill attempt to retreat. 3he only e*ceptions to this are sic0 animals hich may attac0 ithout pro-ocation and male animals in the mating season1 hich are liale to attac0 ithout arning. ; an animal has a onus to "ealth chec0s they do not die instantly until the total ounds they ha-e ta0en e9ual $55Nthat modiier. •
• •
•
•
For example, a 7ear has a "& on /ealth checks, so they do not die instantly until they their total wounds reaches *"&pts. "nimal
ear
Skills # Specialities
,thletics1 "ealthLN:51 !otice1 ighting1 Will
due to the diiculties o eing immersed.
'bBects
,ll o(ects are gi-en a 3oughness Rating 3RA hich relects their inherent toughness and resistance to damage. When an o(ect ta0es damage1 compare it's 3R to that damage. !ote that this is (ust the damage rom the single e-ent. &(ects do not ta0e ounds li0e characters1 they are either ro0en or unro0en. ; the damage is higher1 the o(ect is ro0en. ; the damage is loer the o(ect remains unro0en. ;n the case o a door1 rea0ing it orces it open. ;n the case o a all or arrier1 rea0ing it (ust punches an appropriate si#ed hole through it e.g. ,n a*e ould hac0 an a*e head si#ed hole in itA. )*plosion de-ices are more eecti-e against arriers. eing ro0en y an e*plosi-e de-ice los a good si#ed hole through the o(ect1 large enough or characters to cral or shule through. • •
Common 'bBects 3he olloing list is y no means e*clusi-e1 it is intended to gi-e you some idea o the 3R scores or -arious common o(ects. 'bBect
*
Cat
,thletics1 !otice1 ighting1 ,gilityL1 StealthL
7ight door
+
Chimp
,thletics1 "ealth1 !otice1 ighting1 ,gilityL
%edium door
$5
"ea-y door
$+
Fery "ea-y door
25
Constrictor Sna0e ,thletics1 "ealthL1 !otice1 ighting1 StealthL
7ight loc0ed chest
$5
Gorilla
,thletics1 "ealthL1 !otice1 ighting1 ,gility1 Will
%edium loc0ed chest
25
"ea-y "orse
,thletics1 "ealthLN+51 !otice
)mpty arrel
$5
7arge Dog
,thletics1 "ealth1 !otice1 ighting1 WillL
ull arrel
25
"ea-y loc0ed chest
/5
7ight "orse
,thletics1 "ealthL1 !otice
Fery "ea-y loc0ed chest
45
%edium Dog
,thletics1 !otice1 ighting1 ,gility1 Stealth1 WillL
Wattle all
$5
Pac0 o Rats $
,thletics1 !otice1 ighting1 Stealth
Wattle and dau all
$+
Wooden plan0 all
25
ric0 or 7og all
+5
&a0 or Stone all
:5
3hic0 &a0 or Stone all
L
Poisonous Sna0e 2 ,thletics1 !otice1 ighting1 StealthL Small Dog
,thletics1 !otice1 ighting1 ,gilityL1 Stealth1 WillL
Shar0/
,thletics1 !otice1 "ealthLN451 ighting1 ,gility
3iger
,thletics1 "ealthN/5L1 !otice1 ighting1 ,gility1 Stealth1 Will
Wol
,thletics1 "ealth1 !otice1 ighting1 ,gility1 Stealth
, L 3oughness Rating indicates something hich is too tough to e damaged y anything short o ships cannon. ,ssume that a cannon ill automatically rea0 a L o(ect1 ut anything else ill (ust ounce o harmlessly.
, L y a S0ill indicates that the animal has the s0ill and all it's specialities.
!ote that ships ha-e their on special rules or determining damage rom attac0s made against them1 hich can e ound in the lie aoard ship section o these rules.
3hese stats are or a pac0 o rats1 an indi-idual rat is no threat to a character. 2 ; the sna0e is poisonous a hit hich causes one or more damage poisons the character. / , character ho is attac0ed y a shar0 is almost certainly in the ater ith it and has a @25 on all chec0s
e"airin# 'bBects ro0en o(ects can e repaired ith successul Smithing or Crating chec0s. )ach chec0 re9uires one hours or0 and the D; e9uals the amount the damage inlicted e*ceeded the o(ects 3R y.
$
For example, if an : *& ob5ect took %& damage you would need a successful !IFF #& check to fix it.
3he tale elo endea-ours to summarise the s0illspecialityA chec0 re9uired to i* a gi-en type o o(ect and the tools needed or the tas0. %ore inormation on the tools can e ound in the %oney and )9uipment section o the rules. Materia-
S6i--
*oo-s
%etal item Smithinglac0smithingA
Smiths tools
Gun
SmithinggunsmithingA
Gunsmiths tools
Cloth item
CratingtailoringA
3ailors tools
7eather item
Cratingleather or0ingA 7eather or0ers tools
Wood
CratingcarpentryA
Carpenters tools
Stone
CratingmasonryA
%asons tools
Ceramics
CratingpotteryA
Potters tools
Cloc0or0s SmithingartiiceA or 7oc0s
,rtiicers tools
Where an o(ect is made o more than one material such as an a*e ith a ooden handleA ma0e a separate chec0 to repair each 0ind o material.
&"erience
)*perience Points OPA are earned through roleplaying and used to ad-ance characters. , player ill typically earn +@$5 OP per session. OP are used to uy ,d-ances. 3he irst ad-ance or a character costs $5 OP1 the second costs 25OP1 the third /5OP1 the ourth 45OP and so on. )ach time you uy an ad-ance1 you can do one o the olloing ,c9uire a ne s0ill. ,c9uire a ne speciality in a s0ill you already ha-e. ,dd N$5 to a specialityL ,c9uire an e*tra drama point. Jou can ad-ance a speciality so you get a N$5 on chec0s using that speciality. Jou can ad-ance a speciality ith a N$5 onus to N251 N25 to N/5 and so on. • •
• •
%+ardin# &"erience Points 3he easiest ay to aard OP to a character is to as0 the olloing i-e 9uestions. ,ard them to OP or each 9uestion hich they can anser =yes> to1 one OP or each 9uestion hich they can anser =maye> to and no OP or each one they anser =no> to. Did the player turn up or the game? Did the player roleplay their character ell? Did the player contriute to the o-erall 9uality andor en(oyment o the game y e-eryone? Did the character perorm any noteorthy eats in the session? Did the cre achie-e their goals or the session? • • •
•
•
%#e Pirates and Pri-ateers is -ery generous hen it comes to handling age. &nce a character is pasty ity they should ma0e a roll e-ery year1 on their irthday. ; they roll doules less than or e9ual to their ,ge1 they die o natural causes during the olloing year. ; they roll doules greater than their ,ge1 they sur-i-e ut lose one s0ill or speciality o their choice to represent the gradual decline o their aculties ith ageA. For example, if a & year old character rolled , they would die of something in the coming year. If they rolled they would not die, but would lose one skill or speciality, representing their diminishing faculties as they age.
a
G-ossary ,le Seaman
noledgeale sailor.
,ore
3o the ront o the ship. ,s in =)nemy ship ,ore CaptainK>
,t
3o the rear o the ship.
,hoy
, sailor's call to dra attention.
,lot
"igh in the masts or rigging.
,midships
;n the middle o the ship.
,nchor
,n iron or ron#e grapnel shaped de-ice hich is tossed o-eroard and attached to the ship y a hea-y line. 3he anchor snags on the ottom and pre-ents the ship driting aay.
,nchors ,eighK , phrase oten called hen the anchor is thron o-eroard. ,rticles
Contract signed y pirates or pri-ateers hen signing ith a ship. ;t stated the rules as ell as shares o proits.
ooty
3erm or proits ta0en rom plunder.
oucan
rench ord or a grill used to smo0e meat. 3he ord uccaneer came rom oucan. Smo0ing meat or sale to passing ships as common rom aout $625 to $6:5. %en ere illegally hunting and smo0ing the meat until the Spanish crac0ed don on them. %any too0 up pirating since their li-elihood as o-er. 3hese men at the time ere 0non as oucaniers.
o or ore
3he ront end o a ship
olines
Ropes attached to sails to pull them orard.
osprit
Spar at the ront o a ship.
o* "aul
Sharp turning o a ship.
race
Rope used to hold direction o a sail.
rigantine
3o@masted ship.
ring 3o
Sloing a ship so that it almost stops y heading it into the ind.
roadside
3he iring o all guns on one side o a ship.
uccaneer
3he 3erm originally applied to the hunters o ild o*en and pigs on the island o "ispaniola1 ut later it as used to descrie the pirates and pri-ateers ho plundered the shipping and coastal tons in the West ;ndies and on the coasts o South and Central ,merica in the second hal o the se-enteenth century.
,stern
ehind.
,-ast
Stop
allast
"ea-y materials at the ottom o a ship used to 0eep the ship upright.
ar
Shallo ater in entrance to harour.
ar9ue
3hree@masted ship.
eam
Width o ship.
ear ,ay
Change direction to s ail eore the ind.
elaying Pin
, ooden or metal ar to hich a rope can e astened.
ul0head
3he area inside the ship. 3he regular sailors and midshipman slept elo dec0s.
, hea-y =all> hich di-ides the inside o a ship into separate partitions.
ular0s
3he plan0ing or oodor0 along the sides o a ship1 ao-e her upper dec0 to pre-ent seas ashing o-er the gunales and to pre-ent persons rom alling or eing ashed o-eroard.
umoo
, mi*ture o rum1 ater1 sugar1 and nutmeg. a-oured among West ;ndians as ell as uccaneers and pirates. ,nd or your roleplaying en(oyment1 here is a real@orld recipe or umooI ;n a tall glass put ice1 sliced limes1 a slug o dar0 rum M top ith se-en up1 then add gratedA nutmeg.
Cale
, term or hea-y rope.
Cale lengthA
, length o 245 yards.
Cannon
, mu##le loading gunpoder eapon hich hurls a metal all or other ammunitionA at high speed at a target.
Can-as
3he material sails are made o.
Capstan
Cylindrical de-ice that sailors inserted poles into to help haul up cales.
Captain
3he person ho is in charge o a
elo Dec0s
ilges
ottom compartment o ship1 usually illed ith aste ater.
lac0 Bac0
, leather tan0ard made sti ith a coating o tar. Esed y doc0side pus and ta-erns to ser-e ine and eer. ,lso a term used or a short eighted leather clu tarredA using to stri0e los to the head to 0noc0 out people.
lo
Short1 intense gale or storm.
oarding
3he action o mo-ing alongside another ship and sending sailors across to =oard> it. 3he term originates in the use o ooden plan0s oardsA eteen to ships to allo easier access.
oarding !ets
!ets strung out rom ship's side to stop oarding.
oarding Pi0e
, to@handed tool used to grapple an enemy ship and pull along side. asically its a ooden pole ith a hoo0 on the end.
oatsain or osun
3he Warrant &icer in charge o sails1 rigging1 anchors and associated gear.
-essel and legally responsile or it and its occupants
Cutlass
, short1 hea-y1 cur-ed sord. 3he preerred eapon o many a pirate.
7ying a ship on its side to allo its hull to e cleaned. 3he ship is ought into shallo ater1 then hen the tide goes it out it rolls sideays1 alloing it to e cleaned. &n the ne*t high tide it can e loated o again.
Cutter
Single@masted small ship.
Da-y Bones' 7oc0er
,ccording to sailor's lore1 Da-y Bones is an e-il spirit in the sea. "is loc0er as the ocean here he recei-ed dead sailors.
, short1 at1 cannon. ;t has a shorter range than a standard cannon1 ut pac0s more punch.
Dec0
3he e*posed area o the ship here the men did their or0.
Dir0
, long thin 0nie. ;t as used or ighting in close 9uarters1 as ell as cutting rope.
Douloon
, gold coin minted y Spain or Spanish colonies. Worth aout se-en ee0s pay or an a-erage sailor
)n lute
, arship ithout some1 or all1 o its cannons.
athom
, measure o si* eet1 used to descrie the depth o ater.
igurehead
, car-ed igure perched on the ront or o o sailing ships that helped estalish a ship's identity. 3his also reers to the captain hen the spouse is on oard. "istorically the igurehead as credited ith the aility to ard o e-il spirits many %editerranean ships ha-e eyes painted on the pro1 hich ere elie-ed to ard o the e-il eyeA.
lag &icer
, senior oicer in charge o a s9uadron or leet usually an ,dmiralA. , lag oicer has their on personal lag hich is lon rom the mast o the ship they are on oard.
lagship
3he ship hich the commander o a leet or s9uadron operates rom. ;t lies the commanders personal pennant his lagA1 hence lagship.
liustier
rench term or pirates during the Golden ,ge o piracy.
lu0e
3he portion o an anchor that digs securely into the ottom1 holding the oat in place< also a term or any occasion hen the anchors digs in on the irst try.
ore
ront o a ship.
orecastle
Small d ec0 a t ront o ship1 u sually raised ao-e the main dec0. ;n ancient times the orecastle as here archers ere stationed.
oredec0
3he orard part o the main dec0.
, group o player characters or0ing together on the same ship1 oten called a party in other roleplaying games.
reeooter
,nother term or pirate.
Ga
Jard supporting top o a sail.
Gas0et
Platted rope holding sails to yards.
Crimp
, person ho is tric0ed or press ganged into ser-ing on a cre.
Giet
Cros nest
, as0et at the top o the main mast here a loo0@out is stationed. 3he height gi-es them the est possile -isiility.
, ooden rame rom hich dead pirates ere hung1 oten in a metal cage especially itted or the dead man. 3his as done as a arning to others ho ould thin0 o ta0ing up a career in piracy.
Careen
Carronade
Cat'&'!ine3ails
, hip made rom 0notted ropes1 used to punish cremen.
Caul0ing
Esing unpic0ed rope and pitch to seal gaps in plan0s. 3he caul0ing on a ship had to e regularly replaced as it ore out.
Chaplain
, priest or clergyman ser-ing a group o people ho are not organi#ed as a mission or church. Pirates rarely had a Chaplain1 ut most arships and some pri-ateers did.
Chaser
, small calire gun mounted on the ore or at o the ship1 used to ire on targets ho are olloing you1 or ho you are olloing.
Close@"auled
Rigging a ship to sail directly into the ind.
Cog
, ship de-eloped in the medie-al period1 partly to resist attac0s y longships as used y the Fi0ingsA. ;t had -ery high sides to pre-ent oarding and a raised o and stern here archers ould e stationed.
Colours
3he lag lon y a ship to sho her nationality.
Commissions
Go-ernments ould issue these licenses to pri-ateers. 3hey authori#ed raids on oreign shipping.
Cooper
, arrel ma0er. Fery important aoard ship as most supplies ere stored in arrels.
Corsairs
Co-ent Garden
Cre
, Pirate or Pri-ateer operating in the %editerranean. 3he most amous corsairs ere those ased on the arary Coast o !orth ,rica ho ere authori#ed y their go-ernments to attac0 the merchant shipping o the Christian countries. , pia##a and mar0et in the heart o 7ondon1 modelled on the Pia##a's o Fenice and other ;talian cities.
Go on the account
3o emar0 on a piratical cruise
Grog
ritish na-al seamen recei-ed a portion o li9uor e-ery day. ;n $:451 ,dmiral )dard Fernon ordered the rum to e diluted ith ater. Fernon's nic0name as &ld Grogram1 and the e-erage as gi-en the name grog in their disdain or Fernon.
Grommet
, name ritish seamen ga-e to an apprentice sailor1 or ship's oy. 3he ord comes rom the Spanish ord grumete1 hich has the same meaning.
Gun
, generic term or any irearm. ;ncludes cannons1 chasers and carronades.
"alyards
Ropes to raise or loer sails.
"aul &
%o-e aay.
"ea-e 3o
Stopping a ship y heading it into the ind.
"eel
3he term used to descrie a ships leaning to one side under the inluence o ind and sail a ship heeling to staroard is leaning to the rightA.
"ull
3he main ody o a ship1 uilt out o hea-y ooden timers.
Bi
3riangular sail at pro o ship.
Bolly oat
, small crat used y the ships cre or general or0. 3he term =(olly oat> comes rom the crats use as a erry to ta0e the cre ashore or rest and recreation.
Bolly Roger
3he Bolly Roger as the pirate's lag. ;t had a lac0 ac0ground and a symol usually hiteA symoli#ing death. 3he (olly roger came into use aout $:55. eore then pirates used the colors o their nationality. &nly )dard )ngland le a lag ith the s0ull and crossones moti1 ut all those lying the Bolly Roger had symols signiying either death1 -iolence or limited time. 3he -ariations ere unlimited.
eel
7oest lengthise running timer o ship.
7and "oK
3raditional calling hen a sailor sights land.
7andluer
7uer is an old slang ord or someone ho is stupid and la#y. Sailors added land to it to descrie someone stupid aout the ays o lie aoard a ship.
7andsman
;ne*perienced sailor.
7aroard
Port.
7ateen sail
, triangular sail.
7ee
Donind. 3he lee side o a ship is that hich is donind1 and a leet in a lee position is donind rom their enemy.
7eeard
3he direction hich the ind is loing to. Ships under sail heel to leeard and this reduces the eecti-eness o guns on the leeard side. 3he leeard side o a ship is the side sheltered rom the ind.
7etters o %ar9ue
, commission or license issued y the go-ernment authori#ing sei#ure o enemy property. ;n ritain and her colonies the letter as issued y the so-ereign1 the 7ord "igh ,dmiral1 or a Colonial Go-ernor. Such letters ere purchased y entrepreneurs1 a percentage o their pri#es as 0ept y the issuing authority and any remainder as split e-enly eteen the cre o the pri-ateer.
7ight cannon
, game term used to descrie a smaller calire cannon1 normally only ound on merchant ships.
7og@line
, 0notted rope and piece o ood that measures a ship's speed.
7ong oat
, long roing oat1 oten called a pinnace.
7u
3urn a ship closer to ind.
7ug sail
, our@sided sail.
7ugger
, small to or three masted ship intended or ishing1 coasting or sailing.
7ying 3o
Position a ship is in ater eing rought to.
%arling spi0e
, pointed iron spi0e used to separate strands o rope.
%aroon
Pirates used marooning as an act o punishment. , transgressor o their codes ould e stripped and let upon an isolated island ith only a e supplies1 i any at all. %ost transgressors preerred a 9uic0 death to marooning1 or it could mean star-ation or orse1 isolation or years1 until rescue or death.
%ast
Epright eams hich sails ere suspended rom. 3he numer o masts -aried and their names included. 3he mainmast largest mast centrally locatedA1 ore@mast ront o shipA1 at@mast rear o mainmastA1 mi##enmast usually lateen@rigged1 rear and sometimes ront o ship1 used to impro-e steeringA1 osprit e*tended out at an angle o-er the oA.
%aster at ,rms
3he oicer in charge o the ships eaponry. &ten a marine and in charge o oarding actions as ell.
%ate
3he ord mate comes rom the ord meat1 and originally meant people ho shared ood. 7ater it came to e 0non as a companion. %ate as also the title o an oicer aoard na-al and merchant ships. 3he mate o-ersa the sailors1 ensuring that the captain's orders ere carried out. "e also as
responsile or stoing cargo and organi#ing the cre's or0. %idshipmen
Bunior@ran0ing oicers ho ould assist in the control o the cre. %ost midshipman ere teenagers1 those sur-i-ing eing promoted to lieutenant in a e years.
%i##en
Rear o a ship.
!o Purchase1 !o , term used to mean no plunder1 no Pay pay. ,t the time1 the )nglish ord purchase reerred to any plunder1 loot1 or ooty. , pirate sailing under this term in the ship's articlesA ould ha-e to sei#e loot or oreit pay. &a0um
, preparation o tarred ire hich is pac0ed eteen the plan0s o a ships hull to stop ater lea0ing in the pac0ing process is reerred to as =caul0ing>A.
&rdinary Seaman
Sailor ith limited e*perience.
&rlop dec0
3he loest dec0 on a ship.
Pac0et
Small1 ast ship or despatches and orders.
Peg 7eg
3his as a nic0name1 gi-en y pirates to those ho had replaced a leg ith a ooden prosthetic. 3he Spanish name is PiQ de Palo1 the Dutch is "outeeen.
Peso Piece o )ightA
Petty &icer
sending
3he peso as the main coin in the Spanish@,merican colonies. ;t as slightly larger than the $8th century E.S. sil-er dollar. &ten the coin ould e cut into sections1 each one representing $ reale. "ence the name piece o eight. 3he Spanish go-ernment minted an immense amount o these coins and they ere idely circulated. ;ncluded gunner's mates1 9uartermasters1 master@at@arms1 carpenter1 osun and cooper1 the ship's master1 chaplain and surgeon
Picaroon
3erm meaning oth pirate and sla-er.
Pinnace
, ship's oat1 usually toed ehind the ship hilst at sea.
Plunder
Goods or money otained illegally1 o the act o ac9uiring goods or money illegally.
Plying
3urn to indard.
Ponton
,n )nglish prison hul01 or con-erted ship hull here captured pirates ere held.
Port
3he let side o a ship1 i you are acing orard.
Press Gang
, group o sailors ho recruit or their ship using -iolence and intimidation
Pri-ateer
,n armed ship or persons aoard1 hich are authori#ed y a commission or letter o mar9ue rom a
go-ernment to capture the merchant ships o an enemy nation. Pri#e
, pri#e as a ship hich as captured. 3he ord is deri-ed rom the latin pretium1 meaning pri#e1 -alue1 reard1 ages.
uarterdec0
,s the need or castles raised sections at ore and at to act as iring platorms or archersA as diminished so too as their si#e. ore and at@ castles ere replaced ith the terms 9uarter@dec0 and ore@dec0.
uartermaster
Ender pirates1 the 9uartermaster had an almost e9ual amount o authority as the captain. "e as elected and as such as the cre's -oice. ; a ship as captured1 the 9uartermaster almost alays too0 o-er the captured ship. "e maintained order1 settled arguments1 and distriuted supplies. 3he 9uartermaster as in charge o all ooty gained and distriuted it among the cre.
Ra0e
iring don the length o a ship rom a position o o its o or stern. , good ra0ing shot ill tear straight through the ships elo dec0s1 li0ely causing massi-e damage.
Ranleigh Gardens
, pleasure garden in 7ondon1 similar to Fau*hall gardens and Co-ent garden.
Ratlines
Ropes attached to a ship's shrouds that are used as ladders.
Ree
7essen sail area y tying parts o it to the mast.
Rigging
3he part o a ship hich supports and operates the sails. ,lso a -er hich means =to put the sails and lines on the masts>.
Royals
S9uare sails topgallants.
Sail
, large sheet o can-as hich is attached to the mast. When the ind los it catches the sail and some o the inds 0inetic energy is transerred to the ship in the orm o mo-ement.
Sailing
3he art o getting rom , to in a sail dri-en ship1 sloly1 hilst a-oiding star-ation1 dehydration1 disease1 getting lost1 mutiny1 the na-y and ad eather.
Schooner
, ship ith to masts1 here the ore mast is shorter than the at mast.
Scuppers
"oles pierced in dec0 near ular0s to allo surplus ater to drain o.
Scur-y
, disease resulting rom a -itamin C deiciency hich results in ea0ness1 anaemia1 and spongy gums.
Sea Ro-er
, pirate or pirate's ship.
Sheets
Ropes attached to ottom corners o sails.
sitting
eneath
the
Ships ,rticles
Shi-er me timers
, document hich go-erns the conduct o a pri-ate cre and ship. ,nyone ser-ing aoard a ship must ollo the articles or ace punishment. 3he articles ere usually laid don y the ships master its onerA and the captain. ,n imprecation used y stage@ sailors presumaly o nautical origin1 shi-er here is used in the sense o to shatter or splinter into pieces1 the timers o a ship.
Shrouds
Support ropes attached to the masts.
S9uare@Rigged
, ship rigged ith s9uare sails at its o.
Staroard
3he right side o a ship1 i you are acing orard
Stays
orards and ac0ards ropes or the masts.
Stern or at
Rear o ship.
Stri0e the Colours
3o haul don a ship's lag as a signal o surrender.
Surgeon
3he oicer responsile or medical ell eing o the men.
Sa
, sa is a mop made rom rope used to clean the dec0. ;t is also an insult intended to sho contempt or a crude1 ignorant person.
Seet trade
3he career o piracy.
3ac0
Way o a ship #ig@#agging into the ind or turning it y steering to indard.
3ar
, pitchy sustance used or -arious purposes aoard ship such as caul0ing or protecting suraces rom aterA. ,lso a collo9uial term or a ritish seaman.
3op
Platorm around the mast.
3opgallant
"ighest o the three spars used to ma0e a mast.
Ender sail
, ship hich has its sails up and is mo-ing is =under sail>
Ender ay
, ship hich is =under ay> is mo-ing.
Fau*hall Gardens
Fau*hall Gardens as a pleasure garden in 7ondon1 one o the most important. Pleasure gardens ere the period e9ui-alent o modern amusement par0s1 here people ould come to promenade1 dine and en(oy music and entertainments in the open air.
Wal0 the Plan0
Wal0ing the Plan0 reerred to lindolding a prisoner1 tying his hands to his sides1 and orcing him to al0 a plan0 that as suspended out o-er the sea. ;t is ictional1 the or0 o $8th century artists.
Wear
3urn a ship y mo-ing pro in direction o the ind.
support
the
Weather
Epind. &pposite o lee1 the eather side o a ship is that hich is acing into the ind. , leet in a eather position is upind rom their enemy.
Weather Gauge
3o =ha-e the eather gauge> o-er an enemy means you are upind o them at the start o an engagement1 a ma(or ad-antage in sail dri-en ships.
Windage
"o ar a ship is lon o course y the ind.
Windard
3he direction rom hich the ind is loing.
Oeec
, small three masted ship rigate or smaller in game termsA ith lateen and s9uare sails.
Jard
"ori#ontal spar that holds up the sails.
Jardarm
&uter sections o the yard.
eaman and a!le !odied 9andsman$ #ho #ish to ac@uire Aiches and *onour$ are invited to repair on !oard the Privateer ship of +ar$ no# laying in 8harleston *ar!our) mounting Thirty 8arriage Guns$ #ith 8arronades$ s#ivels$ !ound on a 8ruiCe to the outh#ard for four "onths against the French and all *is "a(estys enemies$ and then to return to this *ar!our' ,ll volunteers #ill !e received on !oard the said shipEor !y the 8aptain at his rendeCvous at the Blac Dog$ "r' Proud%s Tavern near the 8handlery$ #here they #ill meet #ith all due encouragement$ and the !est treatment) Proper ,dvance #ill !e given' -January 12$ 133?
Introduction
Girl disguised as a oy1 led rom her stiling amily.
3his section tells you ho to create a character to play Pri-ateers and Pirates.
oy rom a poor amily anting to ma0e his ortune. Romantic idealist ho ancies eing a pirate.
Character Creation Character creation is -ery simple. 3here is a standard character sheet presented at the end o these rules to ma0e lie easier or the G% and players. $. irst o all decide on a character concept that its into the type o game you are playing. 2. !e*t decide on your name1 nationality1 religion1 age and gender. Characters in this game may come rom any ac0ground. 3hey ha-e let their pre-ious lie ehind to sail the seas o high ad-entureK /. !o choose your social status Wor0ing class1 %iddle class or Epper classA and e*@military ran0 i anyA. 4. !e*t1 choose a numer o s0ills plus specialities e9ual to the tens -alue o your ,ge douled. +. Jou may then ta0e one or more las. 6. %a0e up a numer o distincti-e eatures e9ual to the tens -alue o your ,ge. :. !ote don that you ha-e a Drama score o one or each la ta0en1 plus three i you are Wor0ing class1 to i you are %iddle class or one i you are Epper class. . ; you are Wor0ing class you egin play ith d$55 Shillings read the highest dice as tensA. 8. ; you are %iddle class you egin play ith d$55 pounds read the highest dice as tensA. $5.; you are Epper class you egin play ith d$55 *25 pounds read the highest dice as tensA. $$.3his money may e used to uy any starting e9uipment eore play egins. $2.3he cre egins ith a single ship gi-en them y the G%. !ormally this is a sloop or rig players choice hichA and a cre o tenty i-e sailors. 3hat's it1 you no ha-e a character and can egin play. Dierent genres may introduce additional elements to this process.
j Character Conce"ts 3o gi-e you some help1 here's a list o some possile character conceptsI
"al dea master gunner. War eary soldier ho has no other s0ills e*cepting ighting. Gri##led old ar -eteran turned mercenary. Sadistic psychopath ho en(oys hurting people. reed)scaped !egro sla-e. Disgraced !a-al Captain. )*@!a-al Captain ith a drug hait. ,ristocrat ho lost e-erything in a game o cards and no see0s to get their money ac0.
Smart usiness man ho ants to get rich 9uic0. ,d-enturous noleman1 out or the thrill o it. istincti,e eatures
)ach character is descried y a numer o distincti-e eatures e9ual to the tens -alue o their ,ge score. For example, if the characters 6ge is & they hae three distinctie features.
Distincti-e eatures are the irst things people notice aout a character hen they encounter them. Some e*amples olloI Scar on chee0
randed
White hair
"igh pitched -oice
ulging muscles
Fery deep -oice
Rotten teeth
Phlegmatic
Piercing lue eyes
Ra-en lac0 hair
7ong hair
"igh chee0ones
Sha-ed or ald head
%issing tooth
3attooed ace
Gold tooth
%issing inger
and so on....
!ote that a character does not gain additional distincti-e eatures hen their ,ge increases during play. Distincti-e eatures are only gained or lost through e-ents during roleplay. ationa-ity and e-i#ion
or the purposes o the game characters are1 y deault1 o )nglish1 Scots1 ,merican or Welsh nationality and o the Christian religion. 3his is a game con-enience ecause most players o Pri-ateers and Pirates are li0ely to e o ritish or ,merican origin. Characters are luent in a numer o languages e9ual to the tens -alue o their ,ge score. Some other nationalities could e< rench
Russian
,ustrian
Spanish
Portugese
Sedish
;talian
Chinese
!oregian
Dutch
,rican
Danish
German
,raic
3ur0ish
:ome Port Jou do not need to choose a home port or your cre1 ut is a nice touch to do so. Jour home port is simply the place here you spend most o your time hen not out pirating. Socia- Status When a character is irst created you should decide on their social ran0. ;n the ordered societies o ma(or nations1 social ran0 is -ery important1 ut on the high sea's and ild ports here pirates and pri-ateers tend to e ound1 it ecomes less o an issue. Jou may also ish to gi-e your character military ran01 to indicate a pre-ious career in the army or na-y. Player characters are ci-ilians so they must e retired rom ser-ice hether honouraly or dishonouraly is up to the player concernedA. ear in mind that pirates are1 y deinition1 anted criminals1 regardless o their original social ac0ground. ; you are playing a game here characters are pirates1 a character may come rom hate-er social class they ish and may or may not ha-e ser-ed in the military. Pri-ateers are not criminals1 at least not in the country ho's letter o mar9ue they are operating under. ;n other countries they ill e treated (ust li0e any other pirate. Characters o the upper classes ho ha-e sun0 to pri-ateering are li0ely to e either an0rupt or impo-erished1 and are pursuing pri-ateering as ay to get rich1 or are thrill see0ers. )ither ay1 such characters do not ha-e access to the usual ealth and resources associated ith their class. ;n the case o thrill see0ers1 it can e assumed that they ha-e een disoned y their amilies or their ayard eha-iour. Socia- Status in P-ay , character choice o social status determines ho many Drama points they start play ith and ho money they start play ith. eyond that1 social status should e considered more o a distincti-e eature than anything else. ,s a general rule o thum1 a characters social status should help them as oten as it hinders them. eing the ith )arl o "untingdon may in you a-our ith a go-ernor1 ut it's li0ely to result in merchants o-ercharging you and other pirates trying to 0idnap you or ransom. 7i0eise1 Smelly Bim the criminal may ha-e a lot o 0udos ith his ello pirates1 ut etter atch out or the la. rom a G%'s standpoint1 0eep an eye on ho players use their social status and alance your ad-entures accordingly. ; a character insists o sanning around ith airs and graces and using their social ran0 a lot1 the G% should ensure to penalise them accordingly later. ;n maths terms1 social status is a #ero@sum game. &"-anation of Socia- Status 3his section gi-es a rie o-er-ie o the society o the period. Society has i-e social ran0sI • • • •
Criminal or &utcastA Wor0ing class %iddle class Epper class
Criminal or &utcast isn't really a social class1 instead it is a current status o an indi-idual. 3hey still posses their nati-e class. Criminals are (ust that1 anted criminals. ,ll pirates are1 y deinition1 criminals1 the only =sae> places or them eing pirate ports. &utcasts ha-e een cast out o their nati-e society ut
are not criminals. 3hey are li0ely to e hea-ily pre(udiced against and treated -ery adly y e-eryone. Sla-es are o the outcast social ran0. 3he or0ing class are the great ma(ority o the population1 poorly educated and li-ing in po-erty. ;n the early campaign the ma(ority o or0ing class people or0 the land still. ;n a late campaign the industrial re-olution has egun and more and more o the or0ing class li-e in the stin0ing tons1 or0ing in the actories. ,rtisans1 such as cratspeople1 are typically or0ing class. 3he middle class are the usiness and proessional peoples o a society. 3hey are the employers and s0illed or0ers1 the entrepreneurs1 layers1 doctors and other proessionals. 3he middle class are the dri-ing orce ehind economic groth in most societies. 3he Epper class constitutes the gentry and aristocracy. 3he gentry are the traditional small land oners1 particularly in rural areas here they are the large armers and lords o the manor. %emers o the gentry are typically distinguished rom the middle classes y their holding o titles1 usually nighthoods ma0ing them a nightA or aronetcies ma0ing them a aronet1 a senior ran0 0nightA1 hich entitle them to e addressed as Sir or 7ady. 3he children o 0nights and arons are entitled to e addressed as =the Right "onourale> until the inherit their ull title. 3he aristocracy are orn and red to rule. 3heir ealth comes rom their land holdings and e engage in trade o any 0ind. ,ristocrats are peers o the realm1 holding the title o aron or higher. 3his entitles them to a seat in the house o 7ords in ritain at leastA. %emers o the aristocracy are alays addressed as 7ord or 7ady. Princes and Princesses are =your "ighness> and a ing or ueen is =your %a(esty>. 3he son or daughter o a titled character has a courtesy title one step loer than their parents. So the son o an )arl has the courtesy title o Fiscount until they inherit. &"-anation of Mi-itary an6 Characters may ish to ha-e pursued a military career prior to eginning play. 3he to ser-ices are the ,rmy and the !a-y. !a-y characters may ha-e een in the !a-y proper or %arines in eect1 shipoard soldiersA. Characters are assumed to ha-e een honouraly discharged1 although they can ha-e dishonouraly discharged i you ish.
*he Socia- 'rder 3he tale elo shos speciic social classes classes and ran0s in order rom loest at the top o the taleA to highest at the ottomA. Socia- an6
a,a- an6s
%rmy an6s
Criminal
&rdinary Seaman
Pri-ate
&utcast
,le Seaman
7ance@Corporal
7oer Wor0ing Class
7eading Seaman
Corporal
%iddle Wor0ing Class
Petty &icer
Sergeant
Epper Wor0ing Class
Chie Petty & iicer
Ser ge geant %a(or
7oer %iddle Class %idshipman
Second 7ieutenant
Epper %iddle Class 7ieutenant
7ieutenant
night
7ieutenant@Commander Captain
aronet
Commander
%a(or
aron a aron es ess
Bunior Po Post Ca Captain
7ieut en enant @C @Colonel
Fiscount Fiscountess
Senior Po Post Ca Captain
Colonel
)arlCountess
Commodore
rigadier
%ar9uess %archioness
Rear ,dmiral
%a(or General
Du0e Duchess
Fice ,dmiral
7ieutenant General
Prince Princess
,dmiral
General
ingueen
,dmiral o the leet
ield %arshal
S6i--s S"ecia-ities and -a+s 3he ull list o S0ills and and Specialities hich are are a-ailale to char charac acte ters rs are are pres presen ente ted d elo elo. . 3he 3he S0il S0ills ls and and Specia Specialit lities ies are organi organised sed into into our our themat thematic ic groups groups11 ran1 Wits1 noledge and Rele*es. )ach )ach s0ill s0ill has has it's it's speci speciali alitie tiess listed listed under under it as ullet ullet points.
f ?ra+n S6i--s and S"ecia-ities 3hese S0ills and Specialities relate to a characters phys physic ical al stre streng ngth th11 itn itnes ess1 s1 heal health th and and othe otherr odi odily ly ailities. %th-etics4 %th-etics4 , character ith this s0ill is an accomplished
athlete. Specialisations includeI S+immin#4 %a0e an ,thleticssimmingA chec0 hen trying to sim. um"in#4 %a0e %a0e an ,thle ,thletic tics( s(ump umping ingAA chec0 chec0 hen trying to (ump up1 don or along. C-im C-imbi bin# n#44 %a0e %a0e an ,thletic ,thleticscli scliming mingAA chec0 chec0 hen trying to clim something. o+in#4 o+in#4 %a0e an ,thleticsroingA chec0 hen trying to ro a oat. •
•
•
%n &am"-e of Character Creation Starting ith the concept o =ar eary soldier> ,ndy sets out to create a ne character. "e decides that his character ill e )nglish1 /+ years old1 protestant and male. "e is or0ing class and attained the ran0 o Sergeant in the army eore he retired. ,ndy gi-es his character the name =Bohn Smith>. !e*t he chooses si* s0ills and specialities si* is doule the tens -alue o Bohn's age o /+A. "e ta0es the olloing s0ills. "ealth Shooting Will "ealing 3actics Gaming ,ndy has chosen not to ta0e any specialities1 eeling that Bohn is the 0ind o guy ho's =een around> ut ho has ne-er ta0en the time to really concentrate on mastering any particular ailities. 3o relect this he chooses the =Driter> la and comes up ith the olloing three distinguishing eaturesI Slight limp rom an old ullet ound in his let leg ald Gold earring in his let ear Bohn's starting Drama score is our three or eing Wor0ing class plus one or his laA and he egins play ith no OP1 no ounds and no ad-ances. inally1 ,ndy rolls the dice and reads the loest as tens to ind out ho much money Bohn egins play ith. "e rolls /:1 gi-ing Bohn /: pounds to egin play ith. • • • • • •
•
• •
•
i#htin#4 , character ith the ighting s0ill is a trained
and e*per e*perien ienced ced close close coma comatan tant. t. 3his 3his s0ill s0ill and and it's it's attendant specialities impro-e your chance to hit and the D; D; o you eing hit hils hilstt approp appropria riatel tely y armed armed in comat. Specialisations includeI ?ra+-in#4 %a0e %a0e a ighti ighting ngra rali lingA ngA chec0 chec0 hen hen attac0 attac0ing ing ith ith your your areha arehands nds or ith ith rass 0nuc0les. a##er4 %a0e %a0e a ightingd ightingdagger aggerAA chec0 chec0 hen attac0ing ith a 0nie or dagger. S+or S+ord d4 %a0e %a0e a ighti ighting ngso sord rdAA chec0 chec0 hen hen attac0ing ith some 0ind o sord. %&e4 %a0e a ightinga*eA chec0 hen attac0ing ith some 0ind o a*e or a*eli0e eapon. ?-unt4 %a0e %a0e a igh ighti ting ng lu lunt ntAA chec chec0 0 hen hen attac0ing ith some 0ind o lunt eapon such as a clu1 mace or hammerA. S"ear 4 %a0e %a0e a ighti ighting ngspe spearA arA chec0 chec0 hen hen attac0ing ith some 0ind o spear. •
•
•
•
•
•
, chara haract cter er ith ith the the "eal "ealth th s0il s0illl has has a remar remar0a 0aly ly roust roust const constitu itutio tion n and le-el le-el o itnes itness. s. Specialisations Specialisations includeI Constitution4 %a0e a "ealthconstitutionA "ealthconstitutionA chec0 to resist the eects o poisons or diseases. ndurance4 %a0e a "ealthenduranceA chec0 to resi resist st the the ee eect ctss o ati atigu gue e or e*tr e*trem emes es o climate. esi-ience4 esi-ience4 %a0e a "ealthresilienceA chec0 to resist damage and in(uries. Stren#th4 %a0e a "ealthstrengthA chec0 hen trying to lit something1 orce something open or :ea-th4
•
•
•
•
•
perorm some similar display o ra strength. chec0 chec0 hen engaged engaged in grapples1 grapples1 arm restles restles and restling matches. Gra" Gra"""-in in#4 #4 %a0e %a0e a "eal "ealth thgra grappl ppling ingAA
u
its S6i--s and S"ecia-ities 3hese S0ills and Specialities Specialities relate to ho ho ast a character character thin0s1 their nati-e intelligence and aareness and their aility to interact ith others.
•
Music4 Jou are a talented musician. Specialities includeI ?ras ?rass4 s4 %a0e %a0e a music musicra rassA ssA chec0 chec0 to play play a •
rass instrument such as trumpetsA. •
Strin#ed4 %a0e a musicstringedA chec0 to play
•
Percussion4 %a0e a musicpercussionA chec0 to
a stringed instrument such as the iddleA.
•
%nima%nima- :and-in#4 :and-in#4 , character ith the ,nimal handling
s0il s0illl is e*per *perie ien nced ced in deali ealin ng ith ith anima imals. ls. Specialisations Specialisations includeI idin#4 idin#4 %a0e an ,nimal "andlingridingA chec0 to control an animal you are riding. ri ,i ,i n# n#4 %a0e %a0e an ,nimal ,nimal "andl "andling ingdr dri-i i-ingA ngA chec0 to control a agon1 coach1 plough or other animal dran -ehicle. :usbandry4 %a0e an ,nimal mal "andli ndlin ng husandryA chec0 to diagnose animal illnesses1 tre treat anima nimals ls ou ounds or to 0no no aout out domesticated animals. •
•
•
chec0 to get people to oey you through ear o the conse9uences o not doing so. is#uise4 is#uise4 %a0e an ;nluencedisguiseA chec0 to pretend to e someone else. , character ith this speciality is particularly adept in the arts o disg disgui uise se.. 3his 3his incl includ udes es usin using g ma0e ma0eup up and and prosthetics to change your appearance and also techni9ues or changing your gait1 mannerisms and -oice.
•
play play a perc percus ussi si-e -e inst instru rume ment nt suc such h as the the drumsA. ind4 %a0e a musicindA chec0 to play a ind instrument such as a luteA. Pian Piano4 o4 %a0e %a0e a music musicpia piano noAA chec0 chec0 to play play a piano or piano type instrument.
oti otice ce44 , characte characterr ith this s0ill has an astonishi astonishing ng
sensiti-i sensiti-ity ty to their their surround surroundings1 ings1 noticing noticing small small details details oth in the en-ironmen en-ironmentt and in peoples peoples attitudes attitudes and eha-iours. Specialisations includeI Sea4 %a0e a !oticeseaA chec0 to notice things hilst at sea. i-derness4 %a0e a !oticeildernessA chec0 to notice things hilst in the ilds. ura-4 %a0e a !oticeildernessA !oticeildernessA chec0 to notice things in rural areas. (rban4 %a0e %a0e a !otice !oticei ilde lderne rnessA ssA chec0 chec0 to notice things hilst in settlements. •
•
•
%rt4 , character ith this s0ill is an accomplished artist.
Specialities includeI •
ra+in#4 %a0e an ,rtdraingA chec0 to dra a
•
Paintin#4 %a0e an ,rtpaintingA chec0 to create
picture or e-aluate an e*isting picture.
•
•
•
a painting or e-aluate an e*isting painting. Scu-" Scu-"tur ture4 e4 %a0e %a0e an ,rtsc ,rtsculp ulptur tureA eA chec0 chec0 to crea create te a scul sculpt ptur ure e or e-al e-alua uate te an e*is e*isti ting ng sculpture. ritin#4 %a0e an ,rtritingA chec0 to create a piece o riting or e-aluate an e*isting piece o riting. MusicaMusica- Com"osition4 Com"osition4 %a0e an ,rtsculptureA chec chec0 0 to crea create te a musi musica call comp compos osit itio ion n or e-aluate an e*isting composition. composition.
Gamin#4 , character ith this s0ill is a s0illed gamer1 and
gamler. Specialisations includeI Card Cards4 s4 %a0e %a0e a Gaming Gamingca cards rdsAA chec0 chec0 to play play po0er. ?ettin#4 %a0e a GamingettingA chec0 to et eecti-ely. ice4 %a0e a GamingdiceA chec0 to play dice games. •
•
•
InfInf-ue uenc nce4 e4 , char charac acte terr ith ith this this s0il s0illl is a s0il s0ille led d
manipulator o people1 ith an instincti-e understanding o hat ma0es people tic0 and ho to pull their strings to get hat they ant. Specialisations includeI Persuasion4 %a0e %a0e an ;nluenc ;nluencepe epersua rsuasion sionAA chec0 to get people to agree ith you and help you through through reas reasoned oned argument argument11 negotiati negotiation1 on1 deate and emotional emotional appeal. Seduction4 Seduction4 %a0e an ;nluenceseductionA chec0 to get people to assist you through the promise o se*ual a-ours. Intimidation4 %a0e an ;nluence intimidationA •
•
•
•
Sai-in#4 Jou are an e*pert sailor. 3his s0ill co-ers galleys
are ell as sailing -essels. Specialisations includeI Sea4 %a0e a SailingseaA chec0 to control a ship at sea. Coasta-4 %a0e a SailingcoastalA SailingcoastalA chec0 to control a ship in coastal aters. Piracy4 %a0e a SailingpiracyA chec0 hen trying to ind prey on the high seas. •
•
•
i--4 , chara characte cterr ith ith this this s0ill s0ill has a high high degre degree e o
mental sel control1 ale to stay ocussed on actions hen distracted1 resistant to inluence y others and ale to hold their ground in the ace o rightening or shoc0ing e-ents. Specialisations includeI Resist ;nluence1 Resist ear esista esistance4 nce4 %a0e a Willresi Willresistanc stanceA eA chec0 chec0 to resist sist ;nlue luen nce chec0 ec0s made y other ther characters. ?ra,ery4 %a0e a Willra-eryA chec0 to resist the eects o ear and terriying situations. •
•
b
Dno+-ed#e S6i--s and S"ecia-ities 3hese S0ills and Specialities relate to hat a character 0nos1 relecting their depth and readth o 0noledge1 e*perience and education.
la or to prosecute or deend in a ci-il case. Science4 , character ith this s0ill is a scientist1 s0illed in
the scientiic arts. Specialisations includeI Chemistry4 %a0e a Science chemistryA chec0 chec0 to sol-e chemical prolems and to 0no aout chemistry. Physics4 %a0e a Science Science physicsA chec0 to sol-e physics prolems and to 0no aout physics. ?io-o#y4 %a0e a Science iologyA chec0 to sol-e iology prolems and to 0no aout iology. Geo-o#y4 %a0e a Science geologyA chec0 to sol-e geology prolems and to 0no aout geology. •
Smithin#4 , character ith this s0ill is s0illed in or0ing
ith metals. •
•
•
•
•
?-ac6smithin#4 %a0e a Smithing lac0 lac0smi smithi thingA ngA chec0 chec0 to e-alua e-aluate1 te1 ma0e ma0e or repair metal eapons items e*cept sords. %rti %rtifi fice ce44 %a0e %a0e a Smithi Smithing ngart artii iiceA ceA chec0 chec0 to e-aluate1 ma0e or repair comple* de-ices1 such as cloc0s or loc0s. S+ordsmithin#4 %a0e a Smithing sord sordsmi smithi thingA ngA chec0 chec0 to e-alu e-aluate ate11 ma0e ma0e or repair sords. Gunsmit Gunsmithin# hin#44 %a0e %a0e a Smithing Smithing gunsmith gunsmithingA ingA chec0 to e-aluate1 ma0e or repair irearms o all 0inds. Loc6smithin# Loc6smithin#44 %a0e a Smithing loc0smithingA chec chec0 0 to pic0 pic0 loc0 loc0ss and and disa disarm rm comp comple le* * mechanisms.
Craftin#4 Craftin#4 , character ith this s0ill is s0illed in or0ing
ith non@metal materials. Car"entry4 %a0e a CratingcarpentryA chec0 to e-aluate1 ma0e or repair ooden items. Masonry4 %a0e %a0e a Crating Cratingmaso masonryA nryA chec0 to e-aluate1 ma0e or repair stone or concrete items. *ai-orin#4 %a0e a Crating Cratingtailo tailoring ringAA chec0 chec0 to e-aluate1 ma0e or repair non@leather clothes. Leather+or6in#4 %a0e a Crating leath leather eror0 or0ing ingAA chec0 chec0 to e-alua e-aluate1 te1 ma0e ma0e or repair leather items. Pottery4 %a0e %a0e a Crat Cratin ingpo gpotter tteryA yA chec0 chec0 to e-aluate1 ma0e or repair clay and ceramic items. •
•
•
•
•
, cha characte acterr ith ith this this s0il s0illl has an unders understan tandin ding g o the physi physical cal princi principle pless in-olin-ol-ed ed in designing and uilding things1 and loing them up. Shi"+ri#ht4 %a0e an )ngineering shiprightA roll to design and manage the uild o ships. Structura-4 %a0e an )ngineering structuralA roll to design and manage the uilding o uildings. emo-itions4 %a0e an )ngineering demol demoliti ition onsA sA chec0 chec0 to sael saely y handl handle e and and lay lay e*plosi-e charges or ma*imum eect. Gunnery4 %a0e an )ngineeringgunneryA chec0 to ma*i ma*imi mise se the the ei eici cien ency cy o cano canons ns and and hoit#ers.
n#ineerin#4
•
•
•
•
:ea-in#4 , character ith this s0ill is a master o the
healing arts. Specialisations includeI Sur#ery4 %a0e a "ealingsurgeryA chec0 to treat grie-ous ounds and perorm other surgeries. irst %id4 %a0e %a0e a "ea "ealing lingirst irst aidA chec0 to treat non@grie-ous ounds. Medicin Medicine4 e4 %a0e %a0e a "eal "ealingm ingmedici edicineA neA chec0 chec0 to treat poisons and diseases. %uto %uto"s "sy4 y4 %a0e %a0e a "ea "eali ling ngau autop topsyA syA chec0 chec0 to determine hat someone died o. •
•
•
•
La+4 La+4 , character ith this s0ill is li0ely to e a layer1
ith a deep understanding o las and customs and their application in court. Specialisations includeI Crimina-4 %a0e a 7acriminalA chec0 to 0no aout criminal la or to prosecute or deend in a criminal case. Ci,i-4 %a0e a 7aci-ilA chec0 to 0no aout ci-il •
•
•
•
•
Connections4 , character ith this s0ill is comortale in
-arious social situations and has a netor0 o contacts and associates to dra on. Specialities includeI Crimina-4 %a0e a ConnectionscriminalsA chec0 to ind ind a suita suitale le crimin criminal al conta contact ct or some some reason reas on or to understan understand d the relatio relationship nshipss and players in the criminal underorld. Mi-itary4 %a0e a ConnectionsmilitaryA chec0 to ind a suitale military contact or some reason or to understand the relationships and players in the military. ?usines ?usiness4 s4 %a0e a ConnectionsusinessA chec0 to ind ind a suita suitale le usine usiness ss contac contactt or or some some reason reas on or to understan understand d the relatio relationship nshipss and players in the usiness community. Societ Society4 y4 %a0e a ConnectionssocietyA chec0 to ind ind a suita suitale le upper upper class class contac contactt or some some reason reas on or to understan understand d the relatio relationship nshipss and player playerss amongs amongstt the gentr gentry1 y1 arist aristocr ocracy acy and royal social circles. Po-itica-4 %a0e a ConnectionspoliticalA chec0 to ind a suitale political contact or some reason or to understand the relationships and players in the orld o politics and go-ernment. •
•
•
•
•
a,i#ation4 Jou are an e*pert on the plotting o routes
and courses. Specialisations includeI Sea4 Sea4 %a0e a !a-igationseaA chec0 to plot and ollo a course at sea. Land4 %a0e a !a-igationlandA chec0 to plot and ollo a course on land.
•
•
•
•
•
Si#na--in#4 Jou are an e*pert on signalling1 hether ith
sema semaph phor ore1 e1 lamp lamp or othe otherr meth method od.. Sign Signal alli ling ng also also includes the use o secret codes. Specialisations includeI Lam"4 %a0e %a0e a Sign Signal alli ling ngla lamp mpAA chec chec0 0 to accurately send or interpret lamp signals using lashes o a lamp to communicate communicate at nightA. Sema"hore4 %a0e %a0e a Signal Signallin lings gsema emapho phore reAA chec0 to accurately send or interpret semaphore signals using lags to communicate1 in the day onlyA. Codes4 %a0e a SignallingcodesA chec0 to de-ise or decipher codes o all types. t ypes.
•
%a0e a "umaniti "umanitiesge esgeogra ographyA phyA chec0 to 0no aout the locations o dierent places and geographical geographical eatures. :istory4 %a0e %a0e a "umaniti "umanitieshi eshistoryA storyA chec0 to 0no aout historical e-ents and igures. Curr Curren entt %ffa %ffair irs4 s4 %a0e %a0e a "umaniti "umanitiesc escurre urrent nt aair aairsA sA chec0 chec0 to 0no 0no aout aout curren currentt e-ents e-ents11 people and politics. Phi-oso"hy4 %a0e a "umanit "umanitiesp iesphilo hilosophyA sophyA chec0 to 0no aout philosophical matters. Geo# Geo#ra ra"h "hy4 y4
•
c
•
•
Sur,i,a-4 , character ith this s0ill is a sur-i-or1 at home
in the ilds1 ale to li-e comortaly o the land1 ollo trac0s1 conceal their on trac0s and set traps. 3hey are also 0noledgeale on the su(ects o animals and plants o the ilds. Specialisations Specialisations includeI *em"erate4 %a0e %a0e Sur-i-alt Sur-i-altempe emperateA rateA chec0s chec0s to sur-i-e in temperate climates most o )urope and ,merica is considered temperateA. *ro" *ro"ic icaa-44 %a0e %a0e Sur-iSur-i-al altro tropic picalA alA chec0 chec0ss to sur-i-e in tropical tropical climates much o ,rica1 ;ndia and the Cariean is considered tropicalA. Po-ar4 %a0e Sur-i-al polarA chec0s to sur-i-e in ,rctic or ,ntarctic climates most o Scandina-ia1 ;celand1 Greenland and the poles are considered polarA. esert4 %a0e Sur-i-al desertA chec0s to sur-i-e in desert climates. Mountai Mountains4 ns4 %a0e Sur-i-al mountainsA chec0s to sur-i-e in mountainous mountainous climates. •
•
•
•
•
*actics4 , charac character ter ith ith this this s0ill s0ill is an e*peri e*perien enced ced
arleader1 ale to lead men into attle and plan eecti-e tactics and strategies1 hilst also managing the logistical needs o a campaign. 3his also includes all aspects o siege arare1 including logistics and siege engine usage Specialisations Specialisations includeI Sea4 %a0e 3acticsseaA chec0s to ma*imise your eecti-eness during sea attles. Land4 %a0e 3acticsland 3acticslandAA chec0s chec0s to ma*imise ma*imise your eecti-eness during land attles. ?oar ?oardi din# n#44 %a0e 3actics 3acticsoardi oardingA ngA chec0s chec0s to ma*imise ma*imise your eecti-e eecti-eness ness during during oarding oarding actions. •
•
•
%dministratio %dministration4 n4 , characte characterr ith this s0ill is amiliar amiliar
ith ith the the me mech chan anic icss o runn runnin ing g usi usine ness sses es and and organisations. organisations. Specialities includeI %ccountin#4 %a0e an ,dministration accountingA accountingA chec0 to prepare or analyse sets o accounts. Mana Mana# #emen ement4 t4 %a0e %a0e an a ,dmi ,dmini nist stra rati tion on managementA chec0 to set up and run systems hich hich 0eep 0eep a usine usiness ss or other other organi organisat sation ion running smoothly and eecti-ely. *rainin#4 %a0e %a0e an ,dmin ,dminist istrat ration iontr train aining ingAA chec0 to deli-er proper training. •
•
•
:umanities4 , character ith this s0ill is 0noledgeale
on matters matters such as geograph geography1 y1 history1 history1 current current aairs1 philosophy and so orth. Specialisations Specialisations includeI
ef-e&es S6i--s and S"ecia-ities 3hese s0ills and specialities relate to a characters speed o action1 accuracy and inesse. %#i-ity4 , character ith this s0ill has an e*cellent sense
o alance and control o their odily position. Eseul or dodging dodging things1 things1 dancing dancing and alanci alancing. ng. Specialis Specialisatio ations ns includeI od#e4 od#e4 %a0e an ,gilitydodgeA chec0 to a-oid traps1 traps1 or to perorm gymnastic gymnastic eats1 such as singing on ropes or perorming lips and rolls. ,lso gi-es a onus to oth melee and ranged deence ?a-ance4 %a0e an ,gilityalanceA chec0 to 0eep your your alan alance ce11 such such as hen hen crossi crossing ng narro narro suraces or al0ing on ropes. ance4 %a0e an ,gilitydanceA chec0 to dance in an entertaining and s0ilul ay. unnin#4 %a0e an ,gilityrunningA chec0 to run really ast. Initiati,e4 %a0e %a0e an ,gilityinitia ,gilityinitiati-eA ti-eA chec0 to determine turn order in comat rounds. •
•
•
•
•
%rchery4 , character ith this s0ill is a s0illed archer1
capale capale o ast and accurate accurate shooting. shooting. Specialisatio Specialisations ns includeI ra+n bo+4 %a0e %a0e an ,rche ,rchery rydra dran n oA oA chec chec0 0 to hit hit some someon one e ith ith an arro arro rom rom a longo or shorto. Crossbo+4 %a0e an ,rcherycrossoA chec0 to hit someone ith a olt rom a crosso. •
•
Shootin#4 Shootin#4 , characte characterr ith this s0ill is a crac0sh crac0shot ot ith pistols1 pistols1 carines carines11 riles riles and shotguns. shotguns. Specialis Specialisatio ations ns includeI :and#u :and#uns4 ns4 %a0e a ShootinghandgunsA ShootinghandgunsA chec0 hen iring pistols and other handguns. Lon#a Lon#arms4 rms4 %a0e a Shooting longarmsA chec0 hen iring mus0ets1 mus0ets1 carines carines11 riles1 riles1 shotguns shotguns and other eapons held in to hands to ire. Gun ne ner y4 y4 %a0e %a0e a Shoot Shooting inggu gunn nnery eryAA chec0 chec0 hen iring si-el guns1 cannons and hoit#ers. Stea-th4 , character ith this s0ill is ale to mo-e around undetected and hide lalessly. Specialisations includeI (rban4 %a0e a StealthuranA chec0 to hide or •
•
•
•
•
•
mo-e undetected through settlements. Stealth is oten opposed y Perception. ura-4 %a0e a StealthruralA chec0 to hide or mo-e undetected through ields and culti-ated lands. Stealth is oten opposed y Perception. i-d4 %a0e a StealthildA chec0 to hide or mo-e undetected through ilderness1 places as yet untouched y man. Stealth is oten opposed y Perception.
•
•
*hro+in#4 , character ith this s0ill has a good throing
arm1 ale to place thron o(ects accurately and relialy. 3hey are also good at catching things. Specialisations includeI ?a-anced4 %a0e a 3hroingalancedA chec0 to hit something ith a alanced thron o(ect. alanced means that the o(ect lies straight and true hen thron throing 0ni-es1 (a-elins and alls are e*amples o alanced o(ectsA. (nba-anced4 %a0e a 3hroingunalancedA chec0 to hit something ith an unalanced o(ect. Enalanced o(ects do not ly straight and true hen thron urniture1 other characters1 animals and most melee eapons are e*amples o alanced o(ectsA. •
•
•
•
•
•
e -a+s
3he olloing list comprises the las a-ailale to player characters during character creation. %ddict4 3he character is addicted to some sustance1 usually alcohol1 hashish or psilocye magic mushroomsA. 3he character must discard a Drama point hene-er you turn don the opportunity to incapacitate themsel-es y ta0ing the sustance concerned. ?erser6er4 &nce the character gets into comat they must spend a Drama point to ithdra eore all their enemies ha-e een 0illed1 incapacitated or ha-e led1 or the character is deeated. ?-ood thirsty4 3he character must spend a Drama point not to 0ill a deeated oe in cold lood. Com"assionate4 3he character must spend a Drama point to not help someone ho is clearly in need. Co+ard4 3he character cannot spend Drama points hen acting in a =heroic> manner. , heroic manner is acting against their on sel@ interest in helping others. oomed4 3he character cannot spend Drama points to reduce damage ta0en. 3hey are
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
doomed to die. 3hey may ha-e emraced their ate and ha-e a deathish1 or may e acti-ely trying to a-oid it. rifter4 3he character must spend a Drama point to stay in the same place or more than one night. &ne point suices to let them stay or any length o time in that place until the choose to mo-e on. ; they then later return they must spent a point to stay more than one night again. ocussed4 &nce the character has decided on a goal something they ish to achie-eA they must spend a Drama point to perorm any action hich is not directly conduci-e to achie-ing that goal. or#etfu-4 3he character cannot spend Drama points on noledge s0ill chec0s. 3hey ha-e a memory li0e a sie-e and ould orget their on head i it asn't screed on. Grim4 Whene-er the character encounters an authority igure in a tense situation1 they must spend a Drama point or the authority igure ill assume the character1 and those associated ith them1 are the ad guys. Gui-t4 Whene-er the character 0ills someone or something they are rac0ed y pangs o guilt and must discard a Drama point. :arbin#er4 ,ny allies ithin $55t o the character cannot spend Drama points to reduce damage ta0en although the character can spend Drama points to reduce damage they themsel-es ta0e as normalA. Death ollos the character li0e a shroud and those around them seem to die li0e lies. :aunted4 3he character cannot spend Drama points on Wits s0ill chec0s. Some atrocious deed or e-ent in their past haunts them to this day and they are oten ound staring into the distance1 not paying attention to e-ents around them. :eroic4 3he character cannot spend Drama points hen acting in a =coardly> manner. , coardly manner is acting in their on sel@ interest hen they are in a position to help others. :onest4 3he character must spend a Drama point to tell a lie1 conceal the truth rom someone1 decei-e someone through act o omission o the truth or to collude ith others to decei-e. 3hey're as honest as the day is long. :onourab-e4 3he character must spend a Drama point to rea0 their ord once gi-en. ,s long as you don't gi-e your ord1 you can reely lie and cheat til the cos come home. !ote that you can gi-e your ord to yoursel1 searing a personal oath to achie-e something1 do something or not do something. rea0ing your on oath then re9uires a Drama point to spent. &nce you ha-e spent a Drama point to rea0 your ord you no longer need to spend points to rea0 that particular commitment again. in&ed4 3he character cannot spend Drama points on chec0s here you use a mechanism o any 0ind e.g. Guns1 ut not sordsA. %echanisms (ust don't seem to li0e them. Liar4 3he character must spend a Drama point to tell the straight1 unemellished truth. ;n practise this means they must conceal important inormation1 tell outright lies1 understate or e*aggerate inormation at e-ery opportunity. 3he character is a no good lying dog.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Lone o-f4 Whene-er the characters spends a
Drama point all their allies ithin $55t must discard a Drama point each. ; they ha-e no Drama points this has no aect on them. 3he lone ol or0s est alone and tends to attract troule hen in groups. Lusty4 3he character must spend a Drama point to turn don the oer o a romantic interlude hen oered. Mad o#4 3he character cannot spend Drama points in a comat hich someone else started. 3hey are the archetypical =mad dog> alays spoiling or a ight and preerring -iolent solutions to peaceul ones. Pariah4 3he character is re-iled y most o the population ecause o hat they are1 rather than ho they are. !egro's in ,merica are pariah's. Spend a Drama point at the start o the session or you ill ind yoursel placed in at least one dangerous situation due to your pariah status during the game session. a#e4 3he character must spend a Drama point not to attac0 someone ho insults or attac0s the character. e-uctant4 3he character cannot spend Drama points in a comat hich they ha-e started. 3hey are reluctant to ight or some reason1 such as eing a retired soldier or e*@paid 0iller. e"utation4 3he character has a reputation hich attracts those loo0ing to ma0e a name or themsel-es. Spend a Drama point at the start o a session or some young challenger ill approach and challenge the character to a duel during the session1 ith -iolent conse9uences. Se-fish4 3he character must spend a Drama point hen they ish to gi-e something o theirs to someone else. !ote that they can't circum-ent this y =indirect> gi-ing1 such as dropping something so someone else can pic0 it up. Sha6es4 3he character cannot spend Drama points on Rele*es s0ill chec0s. !er-e or psychological damage has let them prone t o the sha0es. Sic64 3he character cannot spend Drama points on ran s0ill chec0s. 3hey are unell. 3his might e a chronic disease li0e tuerculosis1 a physical impairment such as a limp or adly healed ound or a state o general unhealth. S"endthrift4 3he character spends money li0e it's going out o ashion or tends to lose it. ,t the end o a game session they lose any remaining money they ha-e1 starting o the ne*t session lat ro0e. anted4 3he character is anted or a crime they either did commit1 or hich they ere ramed or. Spend a Drama point at the start o each session or they ill ha-e to contend ith ounty hunters or oicials1 ho are ater them1 during that session.
?efore P-ay ?e#ins eore starting play ma0e sure you ha-e perormed all the actions on this chec0listI $. Create characters. 2. !ame your ship. /. ,ssign positions to characters. 4. Choose a home port optionalA. +. Play.
The pirates s#armed a!oard the 2amuel and !egan taing the ship apart' They tore open the hatches and attaced the cargo lie madmen$ cutting open !ales$ truns and !o&es #ith their !oarding a&es and cutlasses' ome of the goods they carried off to their ship$ !ut much of the cargo they haced to pieces and thre# over!oard' They too t#o of the mounted guns and all of the spare rigging and stores$ !ut they thre# the anchor and ca!les over the side' They carried off forty !arrels of gunpo#der and commandeered the ship%s !oat' ,ll this #as done #ith incessant cursing and s#earing$ more lie fiends than men' -"ay 2?$ 132.
Introduction
Pri-ateers and Pirates is a game here comat is li0ely to e 9uite a common occurrence ut the rules or managing comat are delierately 0ept 9uic0 and simple. 3he rules really (ust gi-e a rameor0 or comat to occur in and the G% and players should ha-e un illing in the details through roleplay. 3he olloing section pro-ides detailed rules or go-erning tactical e-ents1 situations here time is critical. 3o succeed on a chec0 you must roll greater than the D; numer. Summary Comat is di-ided into a series o rounds. )ach character can mo-e andor perorm one other action each round.
ounds
3ime critical situations1 such as comat1 are di-ided into rounds. )ach round is i-e seconds in duration and each character in-ol-ed in the situation gets one turn per round. Sur"rise ;n some situations one or oth sides in a comat may e surprised y the other. , surprised character rolls ,gilityinitiati-eA as normal1 ut is treated as Stunned discussed laterA in the irst round o comat.
*urns
, round is di-ided up into turns. )ach character gets one turn per round. ,t the start o a comat encounter each character should ma0e a ,gilityinitiati-eA chec0. Starting in the irst round1 characters ta0e their turns in order o the one ith the highest ,gilityinitiati-eA roll irst1 or0ing donards. When a characters turn comes up they may mo-e andor perorm one other action. ,lternati-ely1 a character may =hold> their turn. 3he =held> turn can e used at any time and can interrupt another players turn i the holding player ishes1 ut you can only mo-e or perorm another action on a held turn1 not oth. ; the held turn is not used eore the start o the characters ne*t turn it is lost. ; a situation arises here to or more characters ish to use their held turns at the same time1 the characters concerned should ma0e ,gilityinitiati-eA chec0s and the highest roller gets to choose hen to act. Sample actions includeI %anoeu-re around an opponent Sing on a rope Clim or (ump o-er a lo ostacle such as a lo all or railingA Sim to yards ,ttac0 an opponent ,im Deend uarter reload one arrel o a lac0poder gun &pen an unloc0ed door 3a0e something rom a poc0et1 pac0 or similar1 ready to use it Dra a eapon Ese something you are holding %a0e a statement or comment during comat ,dminister a coup de grace ;t can e assumed that any action can include a yard or to o mo-ement1 unless common@sense clearly precludes mo-ement hilst perorming the action. rie comments or gestures do not re9uire an action1 they are ree to perorm as and hen a player ishes1 ut anything • • •
• • • • • • •
• • • •
more than a e ords counts as a ull action.
Mo,ement
"o ar a character can mo-e in a single turn is noted in the olloing taleI $o%ement
Character has neither ,gility nor running /5t Character has ,gility
+5t
Character has ,gility and running
:5t
Rememer that encumbered characters hal-e their ma*imum mo-ement distance and also hal-e mo-ement distances i crossing treacherous #round.
'ther %ctions %ost o the actions are airly sel e*planatory1 ut a e merit urther discussionI efend ; you use a deend action all attac0s against you are at @25 until the start o your ne*t turn. %im ,n aim action gi-es you N25 to hit i you attac0 on your ne*t turn. Manoeu,re , maneu-er action gi-es you N$5 to hit i you attac0 melee and rangedA on your ne*t turn and all attac0s against you are at @$5 until the start o your ne*t turn. %anoeu-re in-ol-es shiting position around an opponent in melee1 or (ust shuling round in ranged comat to get a etter angle or oth oensi-e and deensi-e purposesA. Cou" de Grace , Coup de Grace instantly 0ills an incapacitated character. Jou can only deli-er a coup de grace to a character ho is incapacitated.
%ttac6s
3o hit an opponent ma0e a ighting chec0 or a melee attac01 3hroing chec0 or a ranged attac0 ith a thron eapon1 ,rchery chec0 or a ranged attac0 ith a o or crosso or a Shooting chec0 or a ranged attac0 ith a gun. ; the target is not completely helpless or immoile the ase D; to hit depends on their s0ills and specialities or melee attac0s and their co-er or ranged attac0sI %#ainst Me-ee %ttac6s
I
3arget doesn't ha-e ighting
/5
3arget has ighting
+5
3arget has ighting and rele-ant speciality or :5 eapon eing used
hen ighting primiti-e nati-es1 =ci-ilised> people do not tend to use them. Paired ea"ons , character ielding to one@handed melee eapons one in each handA recei-es a N$5 onus to %elee ,ttac0 rolls M N$5 to their %elee Deence D;. ; they hit ith an e-en roll the eapon in the right hand stri0es. , hit ith an odd roll indicates a hit ith the let hand eapon. , character ielding to pistols recei-es a N$5 Ranged attac0 i they discharge oth in the same action. Critica- :its ;ncrease the damage code o a critically successul attac0 y one step a critically successul attac0 is one here you hit ith a roll o doulesA.
S"ecia- %ttac6s
%#ainst an#ed %ttac6s
3arget has no Co-er
/5
3arget in Partial co-er
+5
3arget has ull co-er
:5
Partial co-er conceals eteen $ and +5H o a character rom an attac0. ull co-er co-ers more than +5H o a character rom attac0. 3his ase D; represents a character aility to a-oid eing hit y dodging1 e-ading1 loc0ing and parrying attac0s.
Special attac0s are attac0s hich aim to do more than (ust inlict damage on a target. Stun %a0e a normal unarmed attac0 using ightingralingA. ; the attac0 hits immediately ma0e a "ealthstrengthA chec0 against the targets "ealthresilienceA. ; you succeed you ha-e stunned them or ten minutes. ; you ail they are still standing. , stun attempt inlicts -ery lo damage1 regardless o the eapon eing used. ; you critically succeed1 they are 0noc0ed unconscious or ten minutes.
3arget is not immoile or stunned and has ,gility s0ill
@$5
Gra""-e %a0e a normal unarmed attac0 using ightingralingA. ; the attac0 hits immediately ma0e a "ealthgrapplingA chec0 against the "ealthgrapplingA o the character ho you struc0. ; you in you ha-e pinned them. ; you lose the grapple attempt ails. , grapple attempt inlicts no damage. Pinning is discussed in more detail later in these rules.
3arget is not immoile or stunned and has ,gility s0ill and Dodge speciality not cumulati-e ith the ao-e modiierA
@25
S-am
3arget at 7ong range
@25
,ttac0er ,imed on their last turn
N25
,ttac0er using a %anoeu-re action on their last turn
N$5
3arget is outnumered 2I$
N$5
3arget is outnumered /I$ or more
N25
3arget is stunned
N/5
3arget is immoile
N+5
urther modiiers may then e applied to the attac0 roll as ollosI Modifier
3arget used a Deend action on their last turn @25 3arget used a %anoeu-re action on their last turn
@$5
,ttac0er has height ad-antage
N$5
3arget has height ad-antage
@$5
, target eyond a eapons short range -alue ut not eyond the eapons long range -alue is at long range. Shie-ds , character using a shield recei-es a N$5 to their %elee M Ranged Deence D;. 3he only time characters are li0ely to encounter shields is
%a0e a normal unarmed attac0 using ightingralingA. ; the attac0 hits immediately ma0e a "ealthstrengthA chec0 against the "ealthstrengthA o the character ho you struc0. ; you in you ha-e 0noc0ed them don. ; you lose they are still standing. , slam attempt inlicts no damage. Jou may recei-e a N25 on the "ealthstrengthA chec0 i you 0noc0 yoursel don as part o the attac0 representing a tac0leA. isarm %a0e a normal attac0 using ightingrele-ant specialityA. Jou may e armed or unarmed to perorm a disarm. ; the attac0 hits immediately ma0e a ightingrele-ant specialityA chec0 against the ightingrele-ant specialityA o the character ho you struc0. ; you in you ha-e orced them to drop a held item o your choice. ; you lose the disarm attempt ails. , disarm attempt inlicts no damage. Push %a0e a normal attac0 using ightingrele-ant specialityA. Jou may e armed or unarmed to perorm a push. ; the attac0 hits immediately ma0e a "ealthstrengthA chec0 against the "ealthstrengthA o the character ho you struc0. ; you in you orce them up to i-e yards in a direction o your choosing. ; you lose they hold their ground. , push attempt inlicts no damage.
Snea6 %ttac6 Jou can only ma0e a snea0 attac0 against a target ho is completely surprised1 not e-en aare o the attac0 until it hits them. %a0e a normal attac0 roll and1 i you hit1 the attac0 instantly 0ills them1 or incapacitates them or an hour attac0ers choice hichA. 3he target o a snea0 attac0 may spend a drama point to (ust ta0e normal damage rom the attac0 rather than the instant 0ill or incapacitation eect. 3he G% should apply common sense to snea0 attac0s1 under most circumstances a normal character couldn't 0ill an elephant ith a single attac01 or e*ample. Critica- ai-ures in Combat , critical ailure an unsuccessul attac0 ith a roll o doulesA on an attac0 means one o the olloing e-ents occursI ; there is a riendly or neutral character ad(acent to the intended target o your attac01 your attac0 stri0es them instead. Calculate damage rom the critically ailed roll as normal. Cheap guns (am hen you roll a critical ailure hen attac0ing ith them. Clearing a (am is an action and re9uires a successul D; :5 Shootingrele-ant eapon specialityA chec0. Entil the (am is cleared the gun cannot e ired again. Cheap melee eapons rea0 hen you roll a critical ailure hen attac0ing ith them. , ro0en melee eapon can still e used as an impro-ised eapon. ; none o the three ao-e e-ents apply you are stunned or the rest o the round and the hole o the ne*t round.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
S"ecia- esu-t s 3he olloing are se-eral special results than can occur to characters in comat1 eyond (ust normal damage. ntan#-e ; an entangling eapon hits it entangles the target. ,n entangled character can do nothing e*cept use actions to ma0e D; :5 "ealthstrengthA chec0s. &nce they ha-e succeeded at the chec0 they can act normally again. Stunned ,ll attac0s against a Stunned character are at N/5 and a Stunned character cannot mo-e or perorm actions. 3he speciics o eing stunned are up to the player or G% ut li0ely include a comination o eing 0noc0ed prone1 lurred -ision1 ringing in the ears and general conusion. ,nother character can use an action to ma0e a D; :5 "ealingirst aidA chec0 to help a stunned character1 a success negates the stun and the character can egin to act normally again on their ne*t turn. Pinned , pinned character is helpless until the character ho is pinning them releases them or is incapacitated. , pinned character can do nothing and counts as immoilised1 so all attac0s against them ha-e a N+5 modiier to hit. , pinning character can mo-e or perorm an action each turn hilst maintaining the pin. ; they ish1 they may use that other action to get one o the olloing additional eectsI %a0e a "ealthgrapplingA roll and inlict damage e9ual to the tens dice o the roll. 3his damage is not reduced y armour. %a0e a "ealthgrapplingA roll against the pinned •
•
characters "ealthgrapplingA to orce them to drop something they are holding. %a0e a "ealthgrapplingA roll roll against the pinned characters "ealthgrapplingA to mo-e three yards ith the pinned character. %a0e a "ealthgrapplingA roll against the pinned characters "ealthgrapplingA to push the pinned character don to the ground. ; you -oluntarily go prone ith them1 recei-e a N25 on your roll. %a0e a "ealthgrapplingA roll against the pinned characters "ealthgrapplingA to use them as a human shield. ,ll attac0s against you ha-e a @25 to hit and i they miss1 stri0e the pinned character instead. %a0e a "ealthgrapplingA roll against the pinned characters "ealthenduranceA. ; you in the pinned character is 0noc0ed unconscious or ten minutes.
S"ot u-es
3he olloing rules are pro-ided to ma0e things easier in certain1 airly common1 situations. *reacherous ootin# , character ho has treacherous ooting a0a. 3reacherous groundA1 such as mud1 ice1 0nee deep or more in ater and so orth1 should ta0e a @$5 to attac0 rolls and hal-es ma*imum mo-ement distance in a turn. Confined S"aces Comat in conined spaces is diicult. ,s a good rule o thum1 i a character is cramped or restricted in their aility to mo-e reely such as ha-ing to stoop o-er in a tunnelA they ta0e a @$5 on all attac0s. ; they are -ery cramped1 conined or restricted such as ha-ing to crouch or cralA the penalty increases to @25 and the G% may also ish to hal-e ma*imum mo-ement distance as ell. :ei#ht %d,anta#e , character ho is ao-e their opponent has a N$5 on attac0s. , character ho is elo their opponent has a @$5 on attac0s. Mounted Combat , character ho is on horseac0 gets a N$5 on attac0s against opponents on the ground i they ha-e the Riding s0ill and attac0s made against them rom the ground are at @$5 to hit. ;n addition1 the rider uses their horses mo-ement rate rather than their on. ; you are on horseac0 and don't ha-e the Riding s0ill you do not get the modiiers ut you do still use the mounts mo-ement rather than your on. Im"ro,ised ea"ons ,n impro-ised eapon is something hich you pic0 up and use to attac0 or deend yoursel ith1 ut hich is not specially designed as a eapon. ,ttac0 rolls made ith an impro-ised eapon ha-e a @$5. , small impro-ised eapon1 such as a tan0ard or roc01 inlicts 7 damage. , medium si#ed impro-ised eapon1 such as a ooden ranch or tale leg1 inlicts % damage. , large impro-ised eapon1 something hich needs to hands to ield such as a sledgehammer or small oulder1 inlicts " damage. •
•
•
Aua-ity ea"ons uality eapons cost to or more times the price o a normal -ersion o the same eapon. 3hey gi-e a onus to hit1 e9ual to their price multiplier1 up to a limit o N$5.
For example, when using a 'uality sword which costs six times normal price you hae a modifier to your attacks with that sword.
Shar"ness <'"tiona- u-e= )dged eapons gain a cumulati-e $ modiier to the damage they inlict or e-ery attle in hich they are used. For example, after three battles a sword would be at ; damage.
3his modiier may e reset to 5 y sharpening the eapon y hand1 ta0ing ten minutes. Esing a proper grinding heel changes the modiier to N$ so the eapon actually inlicts more damage than normal ater it has een groundA.
i#htin# aboard shi"
Comat is 9uite li0ely to occur aoard ship1 so these rules co-er some common situations and ho to deal ith them. Im"ro,ised +ea"ons aboard Shi" 3here are no shortage o impro-ised eapons around a ships dec01 so assume a character can use an simple action to ind an impro-ised eapon such as a cudgel1 elaying pin or chain. S+in#in# from the ri##in# Characters can use the -arious loose ropes hich orm part o a ships rigging as an aid to comat. 3here are to main ays to do thisI *o #et around4 Jou can use the ropes to sing rom place to place rather than mo-ing normally. 3his lets you sing o-er the heads o your enemies. *o fi#ht4 Jou can sing into an opponent. 3his re9uires a mo-e and attac0 action in the same round1 ut you get a N$5 on the attac0 action. •
•
i#htin# on a tossin# dec6 or in the ri##in# ; the dec0 is tossing around due to stormy seasA1 or oth comatants are in the rigging1 all chec0s are at @$5 and mo-ement rates are hal-ed. ?ein# 6noc6ed o,erboard , character ho alls into ater earing armour drons. ; they cheat death they are assumed to ha-e managed to shed their armour hich is lostA ut they sur-i-e.
etai-ed Combat &am"-e Royal !a-al 7ieutenant Bonathan "arding has pursued the ic0ed pirate lac0patch into a arehouse ull o cotton ales in Port Royale. !either 7ieutenant "arding nor lac0patch has any Drama points. Bonathan "arding
lac0patch
%#e
2$
42
S6i--s
!otice
ighting1 Sailing1 Stealth1 Shooting
!ui"ment
Cutlass %A
Cutlass %A
lintloc0 pistol %1 lintloc0 pistol %1 )!C +1 T$U1 $+65A )!C +1 T$U1 $+65A )!C $+
)!C $+
b f ound 'ne Round one egins as Bonathan "arding enters a arehouse here he suspects the pirate lac0patch to e. Bonathan "arding and lac0patch ma0e ,gilityinitiati-eA chec0s. !either has either the s0ill or speciality so they each roll d$55 and read the loest dice as tens. Bonathan "arding gets a + and lac0patch gets a 2/1 so Bonathan gets to act irst each round. "e enters the arehouse and loo0s around an actionA. lac0patch is hiding ehind a ale o cotton1 so the G% tells "arding's player to ma0e a !otice chec0 to spot him. lac0patch has the Stealth s0ill1 so the D; o the !otice chec0 is +5. "arding chec0s and succeeds1 spotting lac0patch. "arding uses his mo-ement action to duc0 ehind a ale1 getting into partial co-er the G% rules that the ale can co-er most o him1 ut it might not completely stop a all hitting near the edgeA. lac0patch no gets his turn and decides to hold his turn his pistol is already dranA. 3he to opponents are around $5 yards apart. ound *+o Bonathan "arding ho's gun is already dranA uses his action to shoot at lac0patch1 ut lac0patch interrupts Bonathan's turn1 using his held action to ire at the 7ieutenant. lac0patches player ma0es a Shooting chec01 needing more than +5 Bonathan is in partial co-erA. lac0patch rolls a 46 he has the Shooting s0ill1 so reads the dice as rolledA and misses. Bonathan completes his attac0. "e needs a +5 to hit ecause lac0patch is also in co-erA and rolls a $4 reading loest dice as tens ecause he doesn't ha-e the Shooting s0illA1 not enough1 and misses. ;t's no lac0patch's turn his pre-ious action as his held turn rom last roundA. "e drops his no ired pistol a ree actionA1 dras his cutlass one actionA then mo-es into melee ith Bonathan his mo-ementA. ound *hree Bonathan drops his pistol and uses his action to dra his
cutlass1 then ad-ances to meet lac0patch. lac0patch circles round Bonathan1 using a %anoeu-re action. ound our Bonathan inds himsel up close and personal ith lac0patch and uses his action to slash at lac0patch. "e rolls a ighting chec0. "e needs more than +5 ecause lac0patch has the ighting s0illA and has a @$5 modiier ecause lac0patch manoeu-red on his last turn. Bonathan rolls and gets 2+1 sutracting ten or a inal roll o $+1 not enough to hit. lac0patch no uses his action to stri0e at Bonathan. "e needs more than /5 to hit ecause Bonathan doesn't ha-e the ighting s0illA. "e lac0patchA has the ighting s0ill and also gets a N$5 to hit ecause he %anoeu-red on his last turn. "is irst roll is a /+1 increased to 4+1 a hit. ;t inlicts % damage1 hich is 8pts. Bonathan ma0es his damage chec0 and succeeds. ound i,e Bonathan realises he's in troule and opts to Deend and run aay1 mo-ing his ma*imum /5t aay rom lac0patch. lac0patch pursues also mo-ing /5tA and tries to sta him in the ac0. "e rolls 861 hich is reduced to :6 y Bonathans Deend action. 3his is still suicient to hit as lac0patch only needed a /5. 3he cutlass inlicts $+ damage and Bonathan ma0es his damage chec0. Bonathan rolls $ and ails his chec01 needing a 24 to succeed. 7uc0ily he rolled more than his most serious ound the $+ point oneA1 so he is only incapacitated or ten minutes1 rather than leeding to death. lac0patch is in a good mood today1 so he saunters o1 lea-ing the young 7ieutenant to li-e to ight another day. ue--in# Duelling is comat eteen to indi-iduals olloing ormal rules. reach o the rules results in an automatic loss and possile conse9uences rom others in-ol-ed. )ach participant in a duel usually ha-e a second1 ho's (o is to loo0 ater their interests. 3he to most common types o duels are sord duels and pistol duels. 3o egin a duel one party challenges the other. ;t is normal or the challenged party to decide the time and place o the duel1 and the eapons to e used. 3he challenger decides hether the attle is to irst lood as soon as one participant ta0es a ound the duel endsA or death. 3his is decided hen the duel is agreed. ; the duel is to the death and one party ecomes incapacitated ut sur-i-es the duel must e repeated hen oth characters are ully healed. ;n polite society an indi-idual may reuse a duel ithout loss o ace or honour i they are clearly outclassed. Duels are usually ought ith sords or pistols. Duelling is a common ay or pri-ateers to settle their dierences. ,rmour is not normally orn in duels1 and the reeree ill chec0 oth parties or armour eore eginning the duel.
S+ord ue-s , sord duel is a standard attle eteen to opponents. 3hey egin to sords lengths apart ith eapons dran1 then ight on. ; the duel is to the death and one character is leeding it is normal to stop the duel hilst their ounds are treated1 then continue again. Sord duels are normally ought ith a single sord1 ut a sord and dagger comination may also e used on occasion. Pisto- ue-s ;n a pistol duel oth duellists coc0 their eapons then stand ac0 to ac0. 3hey then al0 aay rom one another1 an agreed numer o paces1 then turn and ire simultaneously. 3he characters secretly decide hether to aim or not eore iring. ; neither aims1 oth ire simultaneously ith their snapshot modiier on their attac0 roll. ; one aims and the other doesn't1 the one ho didn't shoots irst ith their snapshot modiier1 then the other ires ith no modiier. ; oth aim1 they oth ire simultaneously ith no modiiers. 3he numer o paces usually relected the se-erity o the insult. or a mild insultI 7ong range or the eapons eing used. or a serious insultI Short range or the eapons eing used. 3he shots are resol-ed y ShootingpistolsA chec0s1 a success indicating a hit on the other character. Characters may not dodge attac0s in a pistol duel1 they are e*pected to stand and ta0e the ire. &-iously pistol duels tend to e pretty dangerous. ,ter oth parties ha-e ired honour is normally considered to ha-e een satisied and the duel ends. •
•
a
Mass Combat
3he olloing rules allo 9uic0 resolution o large scale comats ithout ogging game play don too much. %ass comat is di-ided into a series o rounds. )ach mass comat round is ten minutes in duration. ,t the start o each round the leaders o each side ma0e opposed 3actics chec0s. When ighting ashore use 3acticslandA chec0s and hen engaged in oarding actions attles aoard shipsA use 3acticsoardingA. 3he losing side ta0es casualties e9ual to one@tenth o the numer o troops on the inning side. ; the inning side gets a critical success doule the casualties ta0en in that round. 3hese =lost> troops are casualties. ,ter the attle ends the chie medical character on a side should ma0e a D; +5 "ealingsurgeryA roll or each casualty. &n a success that casualty sur-i-es1 on a ailure they die. %odiiers may apply to the tactics chec0s as ollos. ,dd these modiiers to your rollI Situation
Modifier
%a(ority o soldiers on side are green or militia
@$5
%a(ority o soldiers on side are regulars
N5
%a(ority o soldiers on side are -eterans
N$5
%a(ority o soldiers on side are elite
N25
%a(ority o soldiers on side are poorly e9uipped
@$5
%a(ority o soldiers on side are superly e9uipped
N$5
Side has height ad-antage
N$5
Side in good co-er
N$5
Side has good morale
N$5
Side has poor morale
@$5
Side has ire support cannonsA
N$5
irst round o an amush
N/5 to amushing side
;n a oarding action1 the deending side has a N$5 onus until they lose a round o comat. Entil they lose they are considered to e holding the oarders o1 once they lose a round the oarders ha-e managed to get onoard and the odds are more e-en. ; a ship has si-el guns it's troops are considered to ha-e ire support. %ost na-al ships and pirates ha-e si-el guns1 most merchants do not. ;n a land attle ire support comes rom artillery cannon1 mortars and hoit#ersA.
etreat E Surrender Generally spea0ing a non@player character controlled orce ill attempt to retreat i they ha-e ta0en hal o their starting numer as casualties. ; they ha-e lost :+H o their starting orce the retreat ill turn into a rout. , orce that cannot retreat ecause its routes o escape are cut oA ill surrender unless there is a -ery good reason not to. Characters in mass combat )-ery time the characters sides leader rolls doules on their 3actics chec0 an opportunity or indi-idual heroism arises. 3he G% should create a speciic action or the player characters to participate in1 such asI ;n a oarding action1 a player character might come ace to ace ith the enemy captain. During a land attle the player characters might ha-e to ta0e an enemy gun position i their side is inning1 or hold o an enemy assault i their side is losing. Player characters might ha-e to race to pre-ent a -ital ridge eing destroyed. ,nd so on... 3his interlude is played out eore the ne*t mass comat round egins. •
•
•
•
d
The four charges against the prisoners are as follo#s 1' That they did piratically$ feloniously$ and in an hostile manner$ attac$ engage$ and tae$ seven certain fishing !oats and that they assulted the fisherman and stole their fishing !oats and that they assulted the fisherman and stole their fish and fishing tacle' 2' That they did upon the high seas$ in a certain place$ distance a!out three leagues from the island of *ispaniola'''set upon$ shoot at$ and tae$ t#o certain merchant sloops$ and did assault James Do!!in and other mariners' 5' That on the high sea a!out five leagues from Port "aria Bay in the island of Jamaica they did shoot at and tae a schooner commanded !y Thomas penlo# and put penlo# and other mariners in corporeal fear of their lives' 6' That a!out one league from Dry *ar!our Bay$ Jamaica$ they did !oard and enter a merchant sloop called "ary $ commanded !y Thomas Dillon$ and did steal and carry a#ay the sloop and her tacle' - at 1321 panish To#n$ Jamaica
Introduction 3he olloing section pro-ides a -ariety o rules hich go-ern lie aoard ship and ship operations. 3hese are important to play as cres ill spend much o their time aoard ship.
*y"es of Shi"s
Ships in Pri-ateers and Pirates are deined y the olloing inormationI Manoeu,re Score
S + M e r C
s n u G
$st rate Ships o the 7ine
65 55
$55
2 rate Ships o the 7ine
65 :55
86
/ rate Ships o the 7ine
65 655
:2
4th rate rigate
+5 +55
+6
7arge + rate rigate
+5 455
44
Small +th rate rigate
+5 /55
/6
6 rate rigate
+5 255
24
7arge rigantine
65 255
/2
7arge Sloop
65 255
/2
rig2 to@masted s9uare riggedA 45 $55
$6
Sloop ship riggedA
45 $55
$6
Schooner
45 :+
$2
Gunoat or Gunrig
/5 25
Cutter
25 25
4
ishing Smac0
+5 $5
@
7ugger
65 $5
2
%erchant Carrier
5 $55L $6
Dutch leut
:5 5L
)ast ;ndiaman
:5 /55L /4
Galleon
:5 255L :2
nd rd
th
th
Galley +5 /55L $2 L3hese ships are primarily merchant -essels and usually run at less than one 9uarter ma*imum cre. Enli0e other -ehicles1 ships do not ha-e a =damage code re9uired to damage>1 instead they use their on rules or damage1 hich are co-ered in the ship to ship comat section urther don. ;n game terms1 arships larger than sloops and rigs are =rated>1 or e*ample irst rate1 second rate and so on. , ships =rate> is determined y it's numer o guns as shon on the tale elo. !ote that guns are alays mounted in pairs one acing port1 one acing staroardA1 so a ships roadside iring all guns on one side at a targetA is hal its total numer o guns. ;n addition1 most $ 3he ship can operate ith one 9uarter this numer at no modiier. elo that numer she can still e1 ut hal-es her numer o guns iring in an attac0 due to undermanning and elo one tenth that numer she cannot e-en e sailed. 2 ,lso called a rigantine.
ships carry some small calire guns hich can ire ore and at1 0non as ore and stern chasers assume one ore and one stern gun or e-ery ten main gunsA. 3he Spanish and rench did oth possess a handul o -essels ith more than $$5 guns1 including the rench &rient $$2 gunA and the Spanish Santissima 3rinidad $/6A. Shi" Costs or the sa0e o argument use the same prices or an early or late campaign. , ships cost1 in pounds1 is e9ual to the numer o guns it mounts times one thousand so a $55 gun irst rate ship o the line costs T$551555A. ; a ship has no guns such as a ishing smac0A1 assume it's price to e /55 pounds. *he Shi"s ate , shipVs rateV as mainly decided y the numer o guns she carried1 rom the largest $/6@ gun irst Rate1 don to Si*th Rate 24@gun ships. 3he smaller unratedV -essels sloops1 rigs1 om -essels1 etc.A ere commanded y more (unior oicers Commanders1 7ieutenantsA ut a ratedV ship as alays a CaptainVs command and alays ship rigged ha-ing three s9uare rigged mastsA. irst ate4 3he iggest ships o the leet1 ith their guns
on three dec0s. irst rates ere generally used as lagships and ought in the centre o the line@o@attle. 3hey ere armed ith a minimum o $55 hea-y cannon1 carried a cre o aout +5 and ere o-er 2555 tons uilderVs %easure a ormula or calculating the capacity o the ship1 not the displacement o the ship as is the practice noadaysA. Second ate4 3he Second Rate ships o the line ere
also three@dec0ers li0e the irst rates1 ut smaller1 ith a reputation or poor handling and slo sailing. 3hey mounted eteen 85 and 8 guns1 and also ought in the centre o the line@o@attle. Generally around the 2555 ton mar01 they had a cre o appro*imately :+5. 7i0e the irst Rates1 they had /2 pounder guns on the gundec01 ut $ pounders instead o 24 pounders on the middle dec01 ith $2 pounders on the upper dec0 compared to $ or 24 pounders on irst RatesA. Enli0e the irst Rates1 hich ere too -aluale to ris0 in distant stations1 the Second Rates oten ser-ed o-erseas as lagships. *hird ate4 3he most common ships o the line ere the
to@dec0er 3hird Rates1 ith eteen 64 and 5 guns. 3he most eecti-e and numerous o these as the :4 gun ship1 in many ays the ideal compromise o economy1 ighting poer and sailing perormance1 and orming the core o the attleleet. ourth ate4 3o dec0er ships o +5 to 65 guns1 ere1
y the end o the $th century1 no longer rec0oned to e it to stand in the line o attleV. Despite this1 +5 gun ships ere hea-ily engaged1 in the line1 at the attles o Camperdon and Copenhagen. With to dec0s1 their e*tra accommodation made them suitale lagships or minor o-erseas stations1 hile their relati-ely shallo draught made them suitale as head9uarter ships or anti@in-asion operations in the !orth Sea and the )nglish Channel. 3hey ere also useul as con-oy escorts1 troopships and e-en1 on occasion1 as con-ict transports. ;n normal ser-ice they had a main armament o $ pounders1 a cre o /+5 and measured around $555 tons. Sometimes ourth rates are reerred to as rigates1 at
other times as Ships o the 7ine. ;n game terms they are considered to e rigates. ifth ate4 3hese ere the =true> rigates1 the !a-yVs
glamour shipsV. , rigates main armament as located on a single gun dec0. 3he rigates ser-ed as =the eyes o the leet> operating as ast scouts o the attleleet. ,t other times they operated in an independent cruising role1 searching out enemy merchant ships1 pri-ateers or enemy leets. De-eloped rom early@$th century prototypes1 the ith Rates o !elsonVs time had a -ariety o armaments and gun arrangements1 rom /2 gun ships armed ith $2 pounders to /6 and /@gun rigates ith $ pounders1 e-en some 45 gun ships and cut don to@dec0ers ith 24 pounders. Captured enemy rigates ere also used in ser-ice1 and many o the est ritish@uilt ships ere copied or adapted rom rench designs. , ith rate typically had a cre o 2+5 to /55 men. ;n game terms ith rates are di-ided into to classes1 7arge 45@4 gunsA and Small /5@/ gunsA. Si&th ate4 3he Si*th Rates ere smaller and more
lightly armed rigates1 ith eteen 22 and 2 nine@ pounder guns1 a cre o aout $+51 and measuring 4+5 to ++5 tons. 3here ere ne-er enough rigates< hile 7ord !elson as searching or the rench leet eore the attle o the !ile he said1 rigatesK Were ; to die this moment1 ant o rigates ould e ound engra-ed on my heartKV.
d Enrated -essels included the olloingI S-oo"I , sloop o ar as a -essel commanded y an
oicer ith the ran0 o Commander. Sloops could e armed ith eteen $5 and 25 guns1 e ship rigged or rigs to@masted s9uare rigA and ere capale o most o the tas0s underta0en y rigates1 ith the e*ception o leet reconnaissance. 3hey ere oten armed ith carronades1 gi-ing them a hea-y punch at close range. 3he cruiser class a speciic class o sloopA as the most numerous class o sailing arships e-er uilt1 o-er $55 o these /5 ton1 $ gun rig sloops eing uilt. 3hey carried a cre o $25 men. ?omb ,esse-s and fireshi"s4 De-eloped rom to@
masted crat 0etchesA armed ith mortars or shore omardment1 and irst used y the rench in the late $:th century1 the om -essel o the late $th century had ship rig. 3he ireship1 intended as a means o setting an enemy ship on ire1 as oten a con-erted merchant ship1 though some ere specially uilt or the Royal !a-y. oth the om -essel and the ireship ere only seldom used in their designed role1 ut pro-ed useul as patrol or con-oy escort sloops. Gunboats and #unbri#s4 3hese ere small1 to@masted
-essels1 a 7ieutenantVs command1 and originally intended or anti@in-asion patrol. 7ater1 they de-eloped into more capale -essels1 it or a -ariety o tas0s. 3hey ere uilt
to a ide -ariety o classes1 and oten had e-ocati-e names1 or instance Grappler1 Groler and Griper ere three CourserV Class gunrigs. Cutters4 3he smallest arships in ser-ice1 cutters ere
de-eloped rom crat used y )nglish smugglers. 3hese single masted -essels ere uilt or speed and employed as patrol oats and dispatch carriers. Merchant Carriers4 2:+t in length and 5t ide1 the
%erchant Carrier is a streamlined ship designed to carry cargo and passengers across the ,tlantic in under a month. %erchant Carriers typically run at less than one 9uarter cre to sa-e money. utch -eut4 5t in length1 road and lat ottomed1 the
Dutch leuts ere originally de-eloped to or0 around the coasts o )urope1 ut such an eecti-e design as rapidly copied and ound all o-er the orld. leuts typically run at less than one 9uarter cre to sa-e money.
ast Indiaman4 255t long1 )ast ;ndiamen are large
ships designed to spend e*tended periods at sea. 3hey ere originally de-eloped to ser-ice the ;ndia trade1 sailing rom ;ndia to )urope in a single -oyage1 though they can e ound all o-er the orld.
Ga--eon4 3he original Galleons ere Spanish treasure
ships. %ost merchants opted or speed1 e-asion and surrender o-er ighting1 hereas the galleons ere designed as ormidale ighting platorms. Enortunately there design renders them hard to maneu-er in close 9uarters attle. Ga--ey4 Galleys are primarily oar poered1 ith s9uare
rigged sails hich are raised to conser-e eort on long -oyages. 3hey are primarily intended to operate near the coast. Galleys carry e guns1 instead their preerred tactic is to close rapidly on a oe and oard them. )-en a small galley ill typically ha-e at least one hundred piratesmarines ho ill sarm aoard an enemy -essel on contact. Shi"s by Cam"ai#n ;n a late campaign Galleons ill not e used. ,ll other ship types are a-ailale. Galleys ill only typically e encountered in the hands o arary Corsairs1 operating o the ,rican coast. ;n an early campaign the largest arships in ser-ice ere third rate ships o the line.
Puttin# to Sea
Generally spea0ing a ship at sea is either trying to get rom one place to another1 or is sailing around a speciic area loo0ing or prey. ;n the case o a pirate or pri-ateer1 that prey is merchantmen. ;n the case o a arship1 that prey is either pirates or enemy shipping. *ra,e--in# from "-ace to "-ace 3o determine the tra-el time eteen to ports reer to the tra-el time tales in ,ppendi* to. 3he !a-igator o the ship ma0es a D; +5 !a-igationseaA chec0 or each (ourney and the result modiies the time ta0en as ollosI • •
ai-ure4 Bourney ta0es tice as long as listed. Success4 Bourney ta0es time as listed.
; you roll a critical success or ailure on your !a-igation chec0 you ha-e encountered something en route1 roll on the encounter tale. ; you got a critical success you can decide hich dice is tens ater rolling on the encounter tale. :untin# 3he Captain o a ship hich is hunting or prey should ma0e a SailingpiracyA chec0 e-ery day i near a port andor on a trade route1 or once a ee0 i at sea anyhere else. &n a success roll on the )ncounter tale to determine hat you ha-e encountered. Jou may decide hich dice is tens ater rolling on the tale. ncounters at Sea ; you encounter something at sea1 roll d$55 on the tale elo to determine hat it is. Jou may spend a Drama point to re@roll a roll on the tale1 i you ish. 100
ncounter
5$@45
!othing o interest
4$@6+
ad Weather
66@+
%erchant Ship doules means a con-oy1 otherise a single shipA
6@8+
Pri-ateer or Pirate doules means a pac01 otherise a single shipA
86@55
Warship doules means otherise a single shipA
a
s9uadron1
?ad eather 3he "elmsman must ma0e a D; +5 Sailing chec0 to a-oid the ship sin0ing. , success means the ship is o0ay1 a ailure sin0s her. Characters aoard a ship hich sin0s die i they do not Cheat death. ,s a guideline1 ad eather is typically eauort orce $5 or more storm conditionsA. Merchant Jou ha-e encountered a lone merchant ship1 easy pic0ings. , con-oy consists o a group o 2d$52 merchant ships sailing in con-oy. ; there are i-e or more ships there ill e a single rigate ith the con-oy. Reer to the Ship to Ship encounter section elo or more inormation on ho to resol-e this encounter. , merchant -essel ill try to escape comat i attac0ed.
Pirate or Pri,ateer Jou ha-e encountered a lone pirate or pri-ateer roll $d$5< $@+ Pirate1 6@5 Pri-ateerA. , con-oy consists o 2d$54 ships or0ing together. ;n the case o a pri-ateer1 roll d$5. &n an e-en roll the pri-ateer is riendly or neutral1 on an odd roll it is hostile. Reer to the Ship to Ship encounter section elo or more inormation on ho to resol-e this encounter. , riendly or neutral pri-ateer ill normally come alongside1 trade1 e*change stories and generally liaise. , hostile pri-ateer or pirate ill attac0 i they thin0 they can in. arshi" Roll $d$5 to determine hat you ha-e encounteredI d10
arshi"
$
, single cutter
2@/
, single sloop or rig
4@6
, si*th rate rigate
:@5
, ith rate rigate
Roll $d$5. &n an e-en roll the arship is riendly or neutral. &n an odd roll it is hostile. , s9uadron comprises 2d$5 di-ided y our1 round upA Ships o the 7ine o -arious si#es. )ach Ship o the 7ine is accompanied y a single rigate. Reer to the Ship to Ship encounter section elo or more inormation on ho to resol-e this encounter. , riendly or neutral arship ill pass y ith a a-e. , hostile arship ill attac0 i they thin0 they can in i.e. ; their ship is iggerA. ?rin#in# to ?att-e &nce ships ha-e encountered one another the ne*t step is to either escape or e ought to attle. ; oth ships ish to escape1 the encounter ends. ; either ship ishes to ring the other to attle the player character Captain must ma0e an opposed Sailing chec0 against the Sailing s0ill o the other Captain. ; the player characters ins1 they can escape or engage. ; they lose the other ship decides hat happens. eso-,in# ncounters &nce to ships ha-e engaged the G% should run the encounter through. Communication is y a mi*ture o shouting across the ater and using signal lamps and lags. Signalling chec0s may e appropriate in ad eather1 to a-oid miscommunication.
e
Sea ?att-es
%ore oten than not1 encounters end in shots eing e*changed. 3o resol-e a attle at sea use these rules. Ship to Ship comat is di-ided into rounds1 ith each round lasting ten minutes. )ach round is conducted as a series o steps1 as ollosI $. 2. /.
4.
+.
6. :. .
,t the start o each round each helmsman ma0es a Sailing chec0 ith the ships %anoeu-re Score as the D; numer. ,ny ship hich ailed it's Sailing chec0 cannot ire this round1 they ha-e een outmanoeu-red Ships that succeeded can attac0 other ships. ; the helmsman rolled a critical success on their Sailing chec0 their ship can attac0 tice this round against the same or dierent targetsA. ,n attac0 inlicts casualties on the target e9ual to the numer o guns iring and also destroys a numer o the targets guns e9ual to one@tenth o the numer o guns iring1 rounded up. For example, a hit from a "+ gun ship inflicts "+ casualties and destroys eight guns ("+<*&-".+, which rounds up to eight).
3he helmsman ho succeeded ith the highest roll may opt not to ire and then disengage rom the attle ater iring has een resol-ed. ;n the e-ent o a dra1 ith to or more ships rolling the highest score1 no one can disengage in that round. , ship hich disengages is out o the attle until they choose to return. ; all o a ships cre ha-e ecome casualties1 it is disaled and out o action. ; all o a ships guns ha-e een destroyed it sin0s. &nce all ships ha-e ired andor disengaged1 the ne*t round starts step to ao-eA.
Gun Cre+s !ote that each gun re9uires a cre o our to ire eecti-ely. ;n practise that means that a ship can ire a ma*imum numer o guns e9ual to one@9uarter it's current cre. Cre+in# Warships generally run ith doule the numer o cre needed to man all their guns so they can asor casualties and still continue to ight eecti-elyA. %erchant ships usually only ha-e enough cre to man hal o their total guns. (ndercre+in# ; a ship has less than one@9uarter it's ma*imum cre it has a @$5 on any Sailing chec0s re9uired. ?oardin# ;n a round1 a Ship can opt to try and oard another ship rather than iring at it. 3o oard you must ha-e succeeded at your Sailing chec0 and your opponent must e illing to allo the oarding or ha-e ailed their Sailing chec0 one or the otherA. 3he oarding occurs ater the iring phase. &nce you oard1 the to ships are loc0ed together and the oarding action must e resol-ed using the mass comat rules. Esually1 the uartermaster leads the oarding action or the %aster at ,rms aoard a !a-al shipA. 3he ships can only rea0 apart once the oarding action has een resol-ed one ay or the other. !ote that mass comat and sea attle rounds are the same length ten minutesA and are resol-ed simultaneously. Whilst a oarding action is eing resol-ed1 oth ships in the action are treated as automatically ailing their Sailing
chec0s or the round. C-e,er P-ans
; the G% eels that the characters aoard a ship ha-e come up ith an ingenious plan they may gi-e them N$5 or e-en N25 to their Sailing chec0 in a round. Plans are made eore any chec0s are made or the round. *reacherous aters
; a helmsman critically ails their Sailing chec0 hilst ighting in treacherous aters such as eing -ery near to the coast1 mud lats1 sand an0s or reesA they ha-e run aground. , ship hich has run aground is treated as ailing it's Sailing chec0s or e-ery round rom no on. ; the ship ran aground on mud lats or sand an0s it can e loated o ater the attle ends assuming it isn't destroyedA. ; the ship ran aground on roc0y rees or the coast it is considered destroyed and any player characters aoard must Cheat death or die ith the ship. Shore ?atteries
Shore atteries are hea-y cannons on land1 iring out to sea. , gi-en shore attery may ha-e one or more guns and can alays ire at one target per round. Shore atteries do not ma0e Sailing chec0s at the start o the round. ;nstead1 they can automatically ire at any ship hich ailed it's Sailing chec01 inlicting damage as normal. ,ttac0s against shore atteries inlict one@tenth normal damage1 rounding up1 hich relects their hea-y emplacements and strong construction. For example, a "+ gun ship would inflict 8 casualties on a shore battery and destroy * gun. Chainshot
3he Gunner can load chainshot to attac0 their opponents sails. Rather then inlicting casualties and destroying guns1 increase the targets %anoeu-re score y one@tenth o the numer o guns iring. isab-ement and Sin6in# &nce all o a ships cre has ecome casualties it is considered disaled and unale to do anything at all. &nce a ship is reduced to one@9uarter o it's normal cre due to undermanning or casualtiesA1 reduce it's %anoeu-re score y ten points. ; all o a ships guns are destroyed1 it sin0s. e"airs Guns lost in attle cannot e repaired and must e replaced y either uying ne guns rom port at a cost o T/55 eachA or stealing them rom someone else. Replacement cre can e otained easily in most ports. ; a ship loses hal or more o it's guns in a single attle it has suered serious hull damage and must put into port or repairs ithin 2d$5 days1 or sin0. Such repairs cost $5H o the ships purchase price. ; less than hal a ships guns are lost in a attle the damage it has ta0en is not se-ere enough to re9uire putting into port. or game purposes1 it can eecti-ely e ignored as the cre perorm running repairs at sea. Casua-ties in Sea ?att-es ,ter the attle ends the ships surgeon should ma0e a D; +5 "ealingsurgeryA chec0 or each casualty. ; they succeed the casualty reco-ers ine. ; they ail that casualty dies. Character Casua-ties in Sea ?att-es ; the helmsman ails their Sailing chec0 ith a roll o doules1 a random player character aoard that ship ta0es damage e9ual to the sum o the ailed rolls dice1 i the ship is attac0ed during the round.
For example, the /elmsman fails with a roll of . heir ship is attacked during the round, so a random player character takes a pt wound (-).
eso-,in# Surrender &nly anatics ill ight until their ship is sun0. %ost Captains ill surrender once they realise that the attle is lost. Player characters are ne-er compelled to surrender1 it is alays their choice. ; a player character Captain calls upon an enemy to surrender they should ma0e an ;nluence chec0 opposed y the targets Will chec0. ; the player character ins the other ship surrenders. 3he G% should apply a modiier rom N/5 to @/5 to the players chec0 ased on ho serious a threat they pose to the other ship @/5 i as0ing or a surrender is a (o0e1 to N/5 i the player Captain is holding all the cardsA.
Pri@e Money
Warships are alays orth their listed -alue. %erchant ships ha-e a -ariale -alue1 depending on their cargo. 3heir -alue e9uals their listed -alue numer o guns *T$555A plus the -alue o their cargo. 3o determine the -alue o the cargo on a captured merchant ship roll d$55. ; you are hunting in particularly =rich> aters1 here you e*pect to ind ealthy prey1 read the d$55 roll as highest dice irst. ;n particularly poor aters1 read the d$55 roll as loest dice irst1 otherise state hich dice is tens eore rolling. ; you roll doules roll again and add on. ; the ne*t roll is also doules roll and add on again1 continue doing this until you ail to roll doules. 3he roll is the -alue o the cargo1 in thousands o pounds. ut rememer1 you only recei-e hal the -alue o the captured ship and cargo hal is lost to the admiralty or go-ernment i you are a pri-ateer1 or to ences i you are a pirateA.
Pirate Shi"s 3he pri#e money li9uidated -alue o captured cargo and shipsA is shared out amongst the cre1 ith certain posts recei-ing more than one share. •
•
•
3he Captain and uartermaster recei-e to shares each. 3he %aster Gunner and oatsain recei-e one and a 9uarter shares each. ,ll other cremen recei-e one share each.
3his is a more or less standard di-ision and can -ary rom ship to ship. 3he di-ision o pri#e money is alays laid don in the ships Charter. Mi-itary >esse-s ,ll captured assets ships and cargoA are turned o-er to the admiralty at the end o the -oyage. , Pri#e court then decides on the split hich is normally as ollosI •
• •
•
•
$/rd o the Captains share goes to the ,dmiral commanding the leet i the ship as operating as part o a leetA. ; the admiral has any (unior lag oicers elo them they ta0e U and the other U o their share is split eteen these (unior lag oicers. 2 to the Captain. $ split eteen Captains o marines1 7ieutenants1 %asters and Surgeons. $ split eteen 7ieutenant o %arines1 secretary o the ,dmiral1 Principal arrant oicers1 Chaplains 4 split eteen %idshipmen1 inerior arrant oicers1 principal arrant oicers mates1 marine sergeants and e-eryone else
For example, if you capture a merchant carrier (worth =*,&&&) in rich waters and rolled %+ on d*&&, it would hae a =%+,&&& cargo aboard. >hen this was li'uidated you would hae =+,&&& in cash from the cargo and =8,&&& for the ship itself, to share amongst the crew, because half the alue is lost when the ship and cargo is sold.
i,ision of Pri@e Money 3he method o di-ision o pri#e money eteen the cre is deined in the charter o the ship1 hich each cre memer signs up to hen (oining the ship. 3here are three general ays o splitting the pri#e depending on hether the ship is a pri-ateer1 pirate or military -essel. ; more than one ship is present at the capture o a pri#e the pri#e -alue is split e9ually eteen all ships1 e-en i some ships too0 no part in the action it as generally agreed that an enemy -essel ould respond dierently to a greater numer o enemies1 so it as air to split the pri#e this ay. ;n practise most cres resented this rule and ent out o their to ma0e solo capturesA. Pri,ateer >esse-s ,ll captured assets are li9uidated at the end o the -oyage and :+H o the pri#e is shared eteen the in-estors1 the captain and the oicers. 3he remaining 2+H is split eteen the rest o the cre.
f
Sea o#s
What is a ship ithout a cre? 3his section pro-ides more inormation on the cre o a ship and their duties. -ection of 'fficers %ost pri-ateer cres are -eterans o one o the na-ies o the great poers o the era. %ost o the oicers o !a-al ships are there y -irtue o reeding and patronage1 rather than competence1 so these pirate sailors are more than amiliar ith the prolems created y cruel andor incompetent leaders. ,n appreciation o the inherent dangers o eing at sea and the need or 9uality command had led to them electing their on oicers1 thus alloing an oicer to e remo-ed oten loodilyA i they demonstrated incompetence or unnecessary cruelty to the cre. Conse9uently all the oicers o a pri-ateer are elected democratically y the cre1 and can e remo-ed rom oice in the same ay. Im"ortant Positions 3here are -arious memers o the cre ho are 0ey to the ships unctioning. Player characters should see0 to ta0e one role each1 ith any remaining player characters ta0ing on the role o mates to another character. Ca"tain 3he Captain is in o-erall command o the -essel. &n a pri-ateer the captain is elected y the ma(ority -ote o the cre and can e unelected (ust as easily. 3he captain must sho a sound grasp o seamanship and na-igation1 a s0illul hand in managing people and some luc0 in inding suitale prey. 3he captains position is somehat precarious and they must alays e aare o the eelings o their cre. Proaly the single most important s0ill or a captain is the aility to read the cres mood and act accordingly. !ot all pirates are loodthirsty psychopaths1 and a captain is as li0ely to e sac0ed or eing too ea0 as too harsh. irst Mate !ot all ships ha-e a irst mate. ; the ship does ha-e a irst mate they are1 in eect1 the Captains right hand man. &n a na-al -essel the irst mates role ould e illed y the senior lieutenant1 ho ould ill the captains shoes i he as lost in attle. &n most pirate ships the uartermaster ould ta0e on the Captains role i he as lost in attle1 ma0ing the irst mate redundant. Second Mate 3he second mate has a -ery similar role to the irst mate ut lies under them in the pec0ing order aoard ship. Auartermaster 3he uartermaster is elected y the ma(ority -ote o the cre to loo0 out or the interests. "e deals ith cre discipline1 ood and supplies. 3echnically the Captain is the ran0ing oicer on a ship1 ut in practice the uartermaster oten had more eight than the captain e*cept in comat. "e usually leads any oarding parties and is li0ely to ta0e command o any captured -essels. Serious crimes are tried y a (ury o the cre1 ut minor oences are summarily handled y the uartermaster. ;n the e-ent o a cre (ury decreeing a logging the uartermaster is the one to carry it out. Sai-in# Master 3he sailing master is in charge o piloting and na-igation. 3his is a specialised1 and ell paid1 (o. Conse9uently most sailing masters had no interest in ris0ing lie and
lim aoard a pri-ateer and many sailing masters ere 0idnapped rom merchant ser-ice to ser-e aoard pri-ateers. ?oats+ain 3he oatsain is in charge o maintenance and ensuring supplies are 0ept up. )ach morning the oatsain must inspect all o the ships sails and rigging and they also controlled all dec0 acti-ities1 such as raising or loering the anchor1 raising or loering sails and coiling ropes. oatsain is usually are-iated to =osun>. Seamen chosen y the osun to or0 ith him are 0non as =day men> as they only normally or0 in the daytime and stand no night atches. Day men are usually the est 9ualiied sailors on the ship. Master Gunner 3he master gunner is in charge o the ships eapons. 3his includes maintenance1 0eeping the poder ready to use and training the gun cres. eing "ard o "earing is common in master gunners. Car"enter 3he Carpenter is responsile or the maintenance and repair o the ooden hull1 masts and yards. "e or0s under the direction o the ship's %aster and oatsain. 3he Carpenter chec0s the hull regularly1 placing oa0um eteen the seems o the plan0s and ooden plugs on lea0s to 0eep the -essel tight. Mate &n a large ship there as usually more than one %ate aoard. 3he %ate ser-es as apprentice to the Ship's %aster1 oatsain1 Carpenter and Gunner. "e handles the itting out o the -essel1 and e*amines hether it is suiciently pro-ided ith ropes1 pulleys1 sails1 and all the other rigging that is necessary or the -oyage. 3he %ate ta0es care o hoisting the anchor1 and during a -oyage he chec0s the tac0le once a day. ; he oser-es anything amiss1 he reports it to the ship's %aster. ,rri-ing at a port1 the mate causes the cales and anchors to e repaired1 and ta0es care o the management o the sails1 yards and mooring o the ship. Sai-or 3he common sailors are the ac0ones o the ship and need to 0no the rigging and the sails. ,s ell as ho to steer the ship and applying it to the purposes o na-igation. "e needed to 0no ho to read the s0ies1 eather1 inds and most importantly the moods o his commanders. &ther (os on the ships ere surgeon or large -esselsA1 coo0s and cain oys. 3here ere many (os di-ided up amongst the oicers1 sometimes one man ould perorm to unctions. %ates ho ser-ed apprenticeships ere e*pected to ill in or ta0e o-er positions hen sic0ness or death created an opportunity. Some sailors are 0non as =leading sailors>1 these are the more senior sailors aoard ship1 responsile or managing their atch.
Marine %arines are soldiers speciically trained to operate aoard1 and rom1 ships. Firtually all na-al ships maintain a marine contingent. ;n peace time the marines act as guards and police aoard ship and in ar time they orm the oarding teams or a -essel. Pirate -essels rarely had a speciic marine contingent1 in a oarding action e-ery sailor gras a eapon and ights.
g etirement
Sooner or later e-en the most hardened pirate or pri-ateer egins to thin0 o retiring. 3his normally comes aout ater either a run o -ery ad luc01 a e near misses or a -ery large haul. ;n the case o a pri-ateer retirement is easy1 you (ust sail to here-er you ish to retire to pro-iding its a riendly placeA1 sell up and settle don. or pirates retirement is somehat more diicult. Some pirates mo-e to %adagascar and settle there1 others opt to try and uy a-our ith the Go-ernment o the country o their choice1 loo0ing to uy a pardon or their misdeed1 then settle don. 3his isn't too diicult as most retiring are -ery ealthy and such an inlu* o money into a community is elcomed1 especially i the pirate has renounced their prior deeds. ;n game terms1 hen a pirate character decides to retire they must approach the rele-ant authorities and ma0e a 7uc0 chec0. Succeed or ail1 they lose a percentage o their current Wealth e9ual to the roll. ; they succeed they ha-e ried the right people and retire into lissul peace and 9uiet. ; they ail they still lose their ealth1 ut ha-e een etrayed. ;n the case o etrayal1 the authorities come or the pirate shortly ater their =retirement> and the G% should run a scenario accordingly1 as the pirate tries to escape the authorities.
Life %board Shi"
7ie aoard a sailing ship is pretty uncomortale1 hat ith the rats gnaing at the ood1 hull and anything else1 cramped and dirty 9uarters or the cre1 the smell o spoiled or inested ood and oul ater. Shipoard lie is est descried as months o oredom interspersed ith minutes o sheer terror. Sailors spend most o their day ta0ing care o the routine maintenance o the ship1 including patching sails1 splicing ropes and hac0ing out old oa0um and replacing it ith resh oa0um to 0eep the hull atertight. Periodically1 the cre see0 out a hidden co-e and careen the ship1 eaching it so that hen the tide goes out they can scrape the arnacles o the hull arnacles slo don the shipA and remo-e the ship orms hich ore into the ood creating small lea0sA. Seaman tended to sing1 car-e ood1 play cards1 roll dice and dance (igs as ays o entertaining themsel-es hilst at sea. %ost ships articles orid gamling1 as it tends to lead to arguments and -iolence1 causing dissent in the cre. 3oacco is cheed hen at sea1 rather than smo0ed1 to a-oid the ire ris0.
When pirates come ashore they tended to s9uander their ealth on drin01 omen and gamling1 usually spending most o their earnings eore setting ac0 to sea to earn some more. &ne popular pastime amongst pirates is the moc0 trial. )ach man played a part e it (ailer1 layer1 (udge1 (uror1 or hangman. 3his sham court arrested1 tried1 con-icted1 and =carried out> the sentence to the amusement o all. ,shore1 some pirates emulate gentleman merchants y earing 0nee reeches1 stoc0ings1 emroidered aistcoats1 lace@trimmed shirts1 long coats1 and shoes ith sil-er uc0les and high heels. , e ear podered igs andor ornate (eellery 3hey ac9uired these rightly coloured garments as shares o ooty ta0en rom captured ships or uy them in port. While at sea1 a sailor usually ears one outit until it is -irtually rags. Seamen tend to a-our earnoughts short (ac0ets o hea-y lue or grey clothA or can-as coats in oul eatherA1 red or lue aistcoats1 plain or chec0ed shirts oten lue and hiteA1 and petticoat reeches can-as trousers cut a e inches ao-e oneVs an0lesA. 3hese ere oten coated ith tar to ma0e them aterproo and to help delect sord thrusts treat such tar coated clothes as thic0 leather (er0insA. Shoes ere orn on shore1 ut rarely aoard a ship and all manner o head ear as normally orn to protect rom the urning heat o the sun. 3hese could include 0notted scar-es1 tricorn hats1 or -arious styles o caps. %ost seamen are young1 lie at sea re9uiring considerale stamina and agility hich older men do not possess. Wor0 includes hauling on et and thus hea-yA ropes day and night1 climing the masts to handle hea-y sails in all 0inds o eather and manning the pumps or hours on end. ;n good eather the cre ould oten sleep on the dec01 to escape the stench o tar1 ilgeater1 animals 0ept elo dec0s or oodA and unashed odies hich permeated the elo dec0s. !a-al cres ha-e an easier time o it on the hole ignoring the act that they might get 0illed thoughA. Warships ha-e around our times as many cre as similar si#ed ci-ilian -essels1 all the e*tra men eing needed to man the guns1 so indi-iduals ha-e a lot less or0 to do than their ci-ilian counterparts. Whilst ci-ilian ages are higher1 na-al cres stand to gain a share o the pri#e money hen an enemy ship is ta0en. , With a it o luc0 and a s0illed captain a na-al seaman might e ale to retire ith a small ortune. !a-al ood is etter than ci-ilian ood1 a good captain 0nos that morale is dependent on the 9uality o the ood ser-ed1 and an unhealthy cre cannot ight as eecti-ely. Discipline tends to e more e*treme1 ut as rarely administered. 3he na-y also uses press gangs to orcily recruit sailors hen short o men. Contrary to rumour1 press gangs do not gra random people o the street1 they are loo0ing or ci-ilian seamen to press into ser-ice1 not some untrained landluer. 3he most common reason or an indi-idual to turn to piracy or pri-ateering is to get rich1 shares in the pri#e money oering a 9uic0 route to ortune1 as opposed to a lie spent star-ing1 egging or thie-ing on land. Pirates usually 0illed or put ashore people rom captured ships. Specialists1 such as coopers1 shiprights1 pilots and so orth1 ere usually orced to (oin the pirate cre1 or e 0illed1 a pretty star0 choice. 3hey are reerred to as =orced men>1 although the la made no such dierentiation eteen them and those pirates ho ere -olunteers. ,nother source o pirates as unemployed seamen. During artime go-ernments are 9uic0 to employ and create si#eale odies o seamen1 then they are e9ually 9uic0 to discharge them ater hostilities cease. Some o those no unemployed seamen turn to piracy as a ay t o
sur-i-e and there is usually an upsurge in piracy immediately ater a ar. *ime6ee"in# , ship's cre is di-ided into to atches1 one o hich sails the ship hile the other is o@duty resting or sleeping. &ne is the staroard atch and the other the port atch. )ach atch spends our hours on1 then our hours o1 day and night. )ach span o duty lasts 4 hours or ells and is also called a atch. 3here is a middle atch1 hich lasts rom midnight until 4 am. 3hen comes the early morning atch rom 4 until am1 also called Diana1 olloed y the morning atch until noon. 3he aternoon atch is rom midday until 4 pm. So that each group or atch does not alays come on duty at the same time1 the 4@ pm atch is di-ided into to1 hich are called dog@atches. 3he Captain does not lead a atch1 ut is around and aout as needed. 3he Second %ate typically leads the eight til tel-e atch. 3he Sailing %aster typically leads the tel-e til our atch. 3he uartermaster or irst %ate typically leads the our til eight atch. ;n port1 the normal atch structure is usually changed so that the cre or0 rom am to +pm1 ith an hour or lunch1 then some o them guard the gangay eteen +pm and am hilst the others rela* or go ashore. , hal hour period o a atch on shipoard is indicated y the stro0es o a ell. &ne ring one ellA hal an hour into the atch1 to rings to ellsA one hour in1 three rings three ellsA one and a hal hours1 until eight ells hich signiies the end o a atch and the start o the ne one. % day aboard shi" 3he inormation in this section applies e9ually to pirates1 merchant ships1 pri-ateers and na-al -essels. 3he popular image o pirates as a unch o drun0en chaotic layaouts is 9uite distant rom the truth. 3he sea is a harsh mistress and anyone ho intends to stay ali-e at sea needs to stic0 to precise rules. Discipline may not e 9uite as strict aoard pirate ships as other -essels1 ut the asic regimens o daily lie are maintained rememer1 most pirates are e*perienced seamen ho are 9uite used to the procedures o daily lie as laid out elo1 rom their days ser-ing in more legal endea-oursA. y tradition1 the day oicially egins at noon1 hen the date and day o the ee0 are changed on the log@oard. Bust eore noon on a clear day1 the Sailing %aster and his %ate measure1 ith their 9uadrants1 the angle o the sun as it reached its highest point o the hori#on1 thus determining latitude and correcting the time 0ept y any chronometers on oard. !oon is reported to the Captain1 and eight sto0es are struc0 on the ship's ell1 olloed y the oatsain's pipe to dinner1 e*ecuted on his high@ pitched sil-er histle. ,s already discussed1 the day is di-ided into atches o our hours apiece1 measured y a sandglass and mar0ed y a ringing o the ellI eight ells at tel-e o'cloc01 one ell at tel-e@thirty1 to at one o'cloc01 three at one@thirty and so on1 until eight ells are reached at our o'cloc01 and the cycle starts again. Sailors stand their duty hours in atches1 our hours on and our o1 throughout the day and night. Shortly eore our ,.%.1 the uartermaster1 ho has among his duties 0eeping time and steering the ship1 aa0es the rele-ant leader coming on duty1 and shortly thereater1 the oatsain stands at the hatchays and pipes ,ll hands1 then shoutsI 7aroard or staroardA atch1 ahoy. Rouse out there1 you sleepers. "ey. &ut or don here. Stumling out o their hammoc0s1 the memers o the
atch 9uic0ly dress and come on dec0 or muster eore going to their assigned stations. 3hey relie-e the heel and the loo0outs1 ho-e the log to determine speed1 and recorded all the inormation on the log@oard. Shortly ater our ,.%.1 the Carpenter and oatsain come on dec0 to egin their repair or01 hile the Coo0 lights ires in the galley i the ship has oneA and egan the preparations or rea0ast1 oten the oatmeal gruel called urgoo or s0illagolee1 an unlo-ed concoction re9uently o poor oatmeal and ad ship's ater. Sometime ater $5+1 Coo0s ere ale to ser-e it ith utter or molasses to ma0e it more palatale.A. ,nother rea0ast oering is dar01 thic0 Scotch Coee1 urned ship's iscuit oiled in ater. ,t aout i-e ,.%. the atch egins to ash don the dec0s and polish the plan0s ith a hea-y holystone. !oo0s and crannies are polished in the same ay ith small its o the same type o stone1 called prayer oo0s. olloing the holystoners come other sailors ith rooms1 sas1 and uc0ets to dry the dec0s1 hile others polish the rass ittings so that they gleamed in the irst rays o dan. &ther seamen lemish don the lines into neat and orderly coils. ,t se-en ,.%.1 this or0 is aout inished1 and the dec0s are drying as the Second %ate comes on dec0 to super-ise the remaining or0 o the day. ,t aout se-en@ thirty ,.% the oatsain's %ate pipes ,ll hands1 up hammoc0s1 and the rest o the cre come on dec0. ,ter the last o the hammoc0s ere stoed1 the Captain comes on dec0 and eight ells are struc0 or eight o'cloc0. With his appro-al1 the oatsain pipes rea0ast or the cre. ,ter hal an hour1 they return to their duty1 and the ne atch comes on dec01 ringing ith them ags and chests rom the loer dec0 to allo cleaning there. During the orenoon atch1 eteen eight ,.%. and noon1 many o the cre or0 in messes1 groupings ased on their mess tales1 preparing the main meal o the day1 to e ser-ed at noon. &thers may help the uartermaster resto the pro-isions in the arship's small hold1 elo the orlop dec01 to ma0e the ship sail more eiciently. &r they might perorm some other maintenance chores such as retarring the rigging or repairing a damaged cannon. 3hose not on atch may sleep1 sociali#e1 or mend their clothes. y ele-en1 si* ells1 the Captain1 ha-ing e*amined the logs and the Gunner's1 Purser's1 oatsain's1 and Carpenter's accounts and ha-ing conerenced ith the irst %ate and others1 might call all hands to itness punishment1 in hich case the oatsain rigs a grating or logging a seaman. ,ter the oser-ance o noon1 dinner is ser-ed to the cre1 ho use sea chests here they store their elongingsA as enches hile eating. 7ater1 the ie may play a tune on his lute hile the cre recei-e their li9uor rations rom tus on the main dec0 and ta0e them don to the mess tales elo. 3he issuing o grog1 a mi*ture o rum and ater1 egan in the $:45s as a means to control li9uor consumption in the !a-y. 3he men usually recei-e to rations a day totalling a pint1 ut it is not the only drin0. eer1 rationed out at the rate o a gallon a day, is ar more popular than grog ut usually a-ailale only in home aters or up to a month out at sea. ;n the %editerranean1 the seamen oten recei-e a pint o ine as their alcohol ration. While the cre eat at tales elo dec0 on their ee0ly rations o ship's iscuit1 salt ee1 por0 ith pea soup1 and cheese1 the oicers ha-e etter are. ;n the ardroom1 they eat together sitting on chairs at a ell@set tale1 each oten attended y a ser-ant. ;nstead o sharing the rations pro-ided or the cre1 the oicers usually appoint one o their on as the mess caterer1 and he purchases their ood ashore1 using their mess suscriptions. Sometimes these mess suscriptions1 illed to each oicer1 run as
high as T65 per year and allo oicers to en(oy such lu*uries as tea1 sugar1 and ine. ,t one@thirty P.%.1 the atch on dec0 is called to duty1 lea-ing those o atch to do hat they ish1 or1 alternati-ely1 all hands are called to e e*ercised or ship's drills hich include ire drills1 repelling oarders1 oarding other ships1 sail handling1 gunnery and patching lea0s. ,t our in the aternoon1 the atch changes again. 3his our@hour period is di-ided into to to@hour atches1 called dogatches. During this time1 a short e-ening meal is ser-ed1 along ith the second portion o grog. Bust eore sunset1 the drummer eats to 9uarters and all hands report to their attle stations or inspection y the oicers. ,t this time1 the %aster o ,rms oten arrests anyone ho as eing rody or ho had managed to drin0 too much o a riend's rum. &enders are put on the lac0 list and oten placed in irons through the ne*t day. ,ter the ship has een reported as eing in good order1 the men are released rom their attle stations and reco-er their hammoc0s rom stoage in the netting. ,t eight o'cloc01 the atch is changed1 those (ust inished turning in or a e hours o sleep eore the middle atch midnight to our ,.%.A. 7ights are e*tinguished so that the ship cannot e seen rom a distance1 and the %aster at ,rms egins his series o nightly rounds through the ship. ,ll is 9uiet1 e*cept or the regular sentry reports o all's ell rom -arious stations. ,nd so the pattern continues day ater day1 month ater month1 ro0en only y attle1 the occasional call at port1 or an emergency that re9uires all hands to or0 together in maneu-ering the ship. Scur,y Scur-y is a disease that results rom insuicient inta0e o -itamin C and leads to the ormation o li-id spots on the s0in1 spongy gums1 leeding rom almost all mucous memranes and e-entually death. 3he spots are most aundant on the thighs and legs1 and a person ith the ailment loo0s pale1 eels depressed1 and is partially immoili#ed. 3he relationship eteen scur-y and -itamin C as only tentati-ely identiied in $:4: y Bames 7ind1 ho realised that resh citrus ruits in the diet usually limesA seemed to delay the onset o scur-y at sea. ;n a late campaign scur-y is not a prolem as ships carry supplies o lime (uice and in an early campaign scur-y starts to ecome an issue ater three months at sea hich is the longest resh ruit remains edile or aoard shipA. or the sa0e o simplicity the eects o scur-y are igured into the rules or Stores1 to e ound on the ne*t page. isease aboard shi" &ne o the greatest ris0s aoard ship is disease. With the cre li-ing and or0ing in such close pro*imity disease spread rapidly and each ne port -isited is a potential source o contamination. Scur-y is discussed elsehere ut other common diseases include dysentery1 tuerculosis1 typhus1 and smallpo* hich 0ill around hal o all seamen. ; a ship enters a port here there is an outrea0 o disease1 each creman ho goes ashore should ma0e a "ealthconstitutionA roll. ; they ail they ha-e een inected and ring the disease ac0 to the ship1 inecting the rest o the cre. ;nected characters should ma0e "ealthconstitutionA chec0s1 and anyone ho ails succums and dies.
i
Stores 3he prolem ith carrying stores ood and drin0A aoard ship isn't the 9uantities in-ol-ed1 ut ho long the stores last eore ecoming too spoiled to eat. ,s a good rule o thum a character ill die three or more months ater their ships last resupply1 rom a comination o star-ation1 dehydration and disease. "o long this ta0es depends on your ailitiesI •
Character doesn9t ha,e :ea-th S6i--4 3hey die
three months ater last resupply. •
Character has :ea-th S6i--4 3hey die i-e
months ater last resupply. •
Characters has Constitution s"ecia-ity4 3hey
die se-en months ater last resupply. ;t's important to note that in an early campaign scur-y ill 0ill you a lot aster than shortage o ood and ater. ood and rin6 3he common seaman's diet each day isI • • • • • • • • •
$l read $ gallon o eer $Uo# sugar $o# cocoa Xo# tea Yl salt ee or Yl o salt por0 Yl o lour or U pint o peas one pint o -inegar spread o-er ourteen days $2o# o utter per ee0
Sometimes1 other ood ould e sustituted or the items shon. or instance1 lour may e sustituted y suet or raisins. &ne pound o raisins as considered to e e9ual to one pound o lour1 ut i suet or currants ere used then they ould e issued at only hal a pound. )*amples o other sustitutes areI $U l sot read1 $ l o rice or $ l lour considered e9ual to $ l iscuit. $ pint o ine or X pint o spirits considered e9ual to one gallon o eer. $ o# o coee or X o# o tea considered e9ual to $ o# cocoa. $l Rice considered e9ual to $ pint o peas. $l utter considered e9ual to $ l sugar. •
•
ea0 y modern standards ut has the eneit o eing sterile and thus not liale to poison or inect you. Pirates mainly restoc0 their ood supplies y stealing rom other shipsV stores hilst at sea. resh ood is otained at port or y ishing or ish such as dolphins and tuna in tropical atersA or other ish in colder aters. ;n the tropics1 sea turtles ere commonly captured1 eing easily caught on land1 and 0ept ali-e in the ships holds to pro-ide resh meat hen needed. 3heir sot shelled eggs are considered a delicacy. &ne popular dish is salamagundi also 0non as Solomon 3rundy). 3his dish contains marinated its o ish1 turtle1 and meat comined ith hers1 palm hearts1 spiced ine1 and oil. 3his concoction is then ser-ed ith hard@oiled eggs1 pic0led onions1 caage1 grapes1 and oli-es. Pirates also ate yams1 plantains1 pineapples1 papayas1 and other ruits and -egetales indigenous to the tropics1 har-ested rom islands the ship passes y. oo#e is -ery popular ith cres. ;t has the ad-antage o not eing prone to aterorne diseases or spoilage and also helps to ta0e the edge o o lie. ear in mind though1 that eing drun0 on duty is a serious oence. ;n the later campaign sherry1 randy1 port1 rum1 ine and eer are the popular tipples and in the early campaign umoo is -ery popular1 a mi*ture o rum1 ater1 sugar1 and nutmeg. Rumustian is another popular drin0 that lended ra eggs ith sugar1 sherry1 gin1 and eer. Pirates also en(oyed eer1 sherry1 randy1 and port. Cannialism is not un0non aoard ship1 particularly hen the alternati-e is death y star-ation. eer as commonly stored in earthenare ottles and other spirits and oo#es in glass ottles. Peter plates and tan0ards ere common and sil-erare as used y the ealthy1 although most pirates ate ith their ingers and 0ni-es. Cres aoard a na-al or pri-ateering ship are organised into messes. )ach mess sleeps1 or0s1 eats and ights together. )ach mess has one o it's numer ho acts as the messes on coo0. ,oard pirate ships things are a lot more chaotic. Some ships ha-e galleys here the ood is prepared y the ships coo0 and then ser-ed to the hole cre1 hilst others ha-e no galley and instead ha-e a cauldron mounted on a ric0 hearth hich is used to prepare meals during calm eather. 3he ood is then stored and ser-ed cold later. 3he cre o a ship relie-e themsel-es up y the osprit right at the ront o the shipA1 simply doing their usiness o the o into the sea.
•
• •
3hese rations ere rom the standard pro-isions stored on oard ut there as also resh meat and poultry rom the li-estoc0 0ept on the ship and until the chic0ens ecame ood they could also pro-ide eggs. resh -egetales ere stored1 ut ithout modern methods o rerigeration they did not stay in good condition so ere used up 9uic0ly. Salt dried ish could e used1 and the cre ere ale to catch resh ish hen conditions alloed. Enortunately or the cre1 these pro-isions ere not resh and oten rotten ater months at sea. %eats tend to e salted pac0ed in arrels o saltA or smo0ed suspended in smo0e houseA to e*tend their liespans 3he iscuit1 also 0non as 'hard tac0'1 oten contains ee-ils or maggots and sailors tap their iscuits on the tale to 0noc0 most o the ee-ils out eore eating. 3o soten hard tac0 and ma0e it more palatale1 coo0s might soa0 and oil them in rum and ron sugar to create a porridge@li0e mi*ture. ;n addition to the ood1 the sailor also recei-es a gallon o eer a day. 3his eer tends t o e
f
*he Shi"s Charter 3he charter is a set o rules dran up y the cre o a pri-ateer or pirate -essel and applicale to all o them. 3he olloing charter is typical o ships charters1 although indi-idual cres might change some o the detailsI
$.
)-ery man shall ha-e an e9ual -ote in aairs o the moment. "e shall ha-e an e9ual title to the resh pro-isions or strong li9uors at any time sei#ed1 and shall use them at pleasure unless a scarcity ma0es it necessary or the common good that a retrenchment may e -oted. 2. )-ery man shall e called airly in turn y the list on oard o pri#es1 ecause o-er and ao-e their proper share1 they are alloed a shit o clothes ut i they deraud the company to the -alue o e-en one dollar in plate1 (eels or money1 they shall e marooned. ; any man ros another he shall ha-e his nose and ears slit1 and e put ashore here he shall e sure to encounter hardships. /. !one shall game or money1 either ith dice or cards. 4. 3he lights and candles shall e put out at eight at night1 and i any o the cre desire to drin0 ater that hour they shall sit upon the open dec0 ithout lights. +. )ach man shall 0eep his piece1 cutlass and pistols at all times clean and ready or action. 6. !o oy or oman to e alloed amongst them. ; any man shall e ound seducing one o the latter se* and carrying her to sea in disguise1 he shall suer death. :. "e that shall desert the ship or his 9uarters in time o attle shall e punished y death or marooning. . !one shall stri0e another aoard the ship1 ut e-ery man's 9uarrel shall e ended on shore y sord or pistol in this mannerI ,t the ord o command rom the uartermaster1 each man eing pre-iously placed ac0 to ac01 shall turn and ire immediately. ; any man do not1 the uartermaster shall 0noc0 the piece out o his hand. ; oth miss their aim1 they shall ta0e to their cutlasses1 and he that dras irst lood shall e declared the -ictor. 8. !o man shall tal0 o rea0ing up their ay o li-ing till each has a share o T$1555. )-ery man ho shall ecome a cripple or lose a lim in the ser-ice shall ha-e eight hundred pieces o eight rom the common stoc01 and or lesser hurts proportionately. $5. 3he Captain and the uartermaster shall each recei-e to shares o a pri#e1 the %aster Gunner and oatsain1 one and one 9uarter1 and pri-ate gentlemen o ortune one share each. $$. 3he musicians shall ha-e rest on the Saath Day only1 y right1 on all other days1 y a-our only. Crime and Punishment ,ll go-ernments acti-ely sought to capture pirates and enemy pri-ateers. 3his as done y the !a-y1 as part o its standing duties and y reelance =ounty hunters> hen a reard as posted or the pirate or pri-ateer concerned. Epon capture1 the prisoner ould e ta0en to the nearest ma(or port and there tried eore an admiralty court or their crimes. 3rials or piracy1 ere usually held in admiralty courts1 triunes1 that had een ounded in $/45Vs in )ngland1 or trials concerning crimes committed eyond the high ater mar0 in other ords1 crimes at seaA. ;t as possile or a
memer o the pirate cre to turn ingVs e-idence and testiy against his ello pirates1 or hich a pardon as granted1 ut only ater the others had een con-icted. &nce con-icted1 the pirate could e hanged any time ten days ater the trial. eing hanged as oten reerred to as =Dancing the hempen (ig>. &n the day o the hanging1 the condemned pirates ere led in a procession led y an oicer carrying the Sil-er &ar1 hich symoli#ed the authority o the "igh Court o the ,dmiralty. 3he inal destination as the gallos1 hich as usually positioned in a pulic place near the ater1 oten at the lo@tide mar0. 3he entire e-ent1 li0e all hangings as a spectacle that dre large crods. eore the actual hanging1 a chaplain usually ga-e a sermon1 urging the con-icted to proess their aith1 and repent1 eore eing hung. &ten the sermon ould also preach to the audience1 using the pirates as prime e*amples o the degeneracy o a human soul. olloing the sermon1 the pirate as alloed to spea0 to the people eore eing sung o the cart eneath the gallos. ,ter the e*ecution1 the odies o the less signiicant cre memers1 ere uried ace don1 elo the high ater mar01 or let hanging until three tides had passed o-er them. 3he odies o the most notorious captains1 ere oten emalmed in tar1 encased in an iron rameor0 or chains1 and hung rom a giet in a conspicuous place y the aters edge1 here they sayed in the ind1 until nothing as let. 3his ser-ed as an e*ample o the conse9uences o piracy. , pri-ateer ho as caught y their opponents ould e sentenced to imprisonment1 ith the possiility o eing released in a prisoner e*change. ;t should e noted that imprisonment as much o an alternati-e to the noose as the prisons ere in-arialy prison hul0s1 retired na-al ships moored o shore1 or stin0ing gaols. )ither ay1 the prisoner must ma0e a "ealthconstitutionA chec0 e-ery three months in imprisonment. 3he irst time they ail the roll they catch a disease and die.
h
Piratica- %cti,ities
Pirates and Pri-ateers get up to all 0inds o acti-ity on the high seas. 3o simpliy things or you1 the G%1 the olloing section outlines a -ariety o common acti-ities that pirates or pri-ateers may ish to underta0e. *radin# 3rading in-ol-es uying goods cheap in one place1 then selling them on at a proit elsehere. 3o trade1 the cre should decide ho much money they ish to spend and hat type o goods they ish to uy. 3he decision on hat goods to uy should e ased on 0noledge o the local mar0ets. , good trader uys goods here there is a surplus o them1 then ships them to a location here they are in deicit and sells them1 ma0ing a good return. 3he three main ris0s to traders are Piracy1 ,ccidents and ad noledge. Piracy is pretty sel e*planatory1 ha-ing pirates or pri-ateers ta0e your cargo at sea and steal it. ,ccidents are usually don to ad eather1 compounded y poor maintenance. ad 0noledge is hat happens hen you get your acts rong and ship goods to a place here they are orth less than here you ought them rom. When a ne cargo o goods is deli-ered to a place1 local prices usually drop. Sometimes a traders goods ill arri-e to ind other traders got there irst and the price has conse9uently collapsed. 3his is ad ith non@perishale goods and terrile ith perishales. ;n the ormer case the trader loses the costs o the -oyage1 ut the goods are still saleale. ;n the latter case the trader loses the -oyage costs and also the -alue o the goods. ,n a-erage proit margin o /5H on trading is 9uite reasonale. Shi""in# Shipping is a lot simpler than trading1 ut a lot less proitale too. , ship simply ad-ertises it's intended destination and in-ites shipping agents ho can e ound in any portA to load it ith cargo or that destination. 3he cre simply recei-e a payment ased on the cost o shipping. 3hey are not e*posed to any inancial ris0 eyond the normal ris0s o the -oyageA1 ut do not stand to reap any signiicant proits either. Shipping ee's are generally suicient to co-er the actual costs o the -oyage plus a $5@25H proit margin. 3raders may also charter ships to carry a cargo to a speciic destination. 3he proit margin is slightly less rom a charter ut the ships oner does not ha-e to orry aout organising multiple cargoes and dealing ith agents. , =su@di-ision> o shipping is passenger transit. 3he ship simply sustitutes passengers or cargo. ear in mind that most ships ha-e no real passenger acilities and passengers are e*pected to sleep on the dec0 or in the hold on the hole1 passengers preer to e on dec01 as it is a lot less unpleasantA. or rich passengers the Captain might relin9uish their stateroom to the passengers. ,n a-erage proit margin o around $5@25H hen shipping is 9uite reasonale. :untin# , ship goes to sea to hunt or loaded merchant ships and ta0e them. 3he o(ecti-e is to ta0e their cargoes andor the ships as ell. 3his is the classic acti-ity o a pirate or pri-ateer. eore putting to sea the cre must resupply their -essel and ensure they ha-e suicient stoc0s o ood and ater or the duration o their intended -oyage. "unting ships normally stay near the common trade routes as these are the most li0ely place to ind potential prey. Staying close to ports is also a good ay o increasing the chances o success1 ut the donside is
that eing on a trade route or near a port increases the chance o encountering na-al -essels or pirate hunters. &nce a ship has een sighted the pirate ship must close the distance to identiy it1 then decide hether to lee or engage. 3here are -arious ruses to close the distance1 one o the most common eing to pretend to (ust e another merchant ship. &nce the pirate has got ithin gun range1 or e-en dran alongside i they are really luc0y1 they re-eal their colours as a pirate and demand the other ships surrender. &taining a surrender is e-ery pirates o(ecti-e. 3hey ant the target ship undamaged and co@operati-e i possile. 3he G% should determine hat happens ased on circumstances. Some Captains ill try to lee1 others ill gi-e up ithout a ight and others ill ight ac0. ; a ship ails to surrender hen hailed1 a pirate captain ill li0ely place a arning shot across their os. ; they still ail to surrender the captain ill li0ely ire into the target ship1 see0ing to damage it's sails and rudder prior to coming alongside and sending a oarding party across. &nce the target has surrendered the pirates send a oarding party across to ta0e stoc0 o their capture. , merciul Captain ill li0ely (ust ta0e the ships cargo and maye =recruit> any s0illed cre i they are needed. , cruel captain might put the cre in oats and steal the ship and cargo completely1 or e-en (ust murder the hole cre. , pirates reputation can e a mi*ed lessing. , pirate ho is renoned or their cruelty is unli0ely to ha-e people surrender easily to them. &ne ho is 0non as eing too sot ill ha-e more prolems. 3he ideal situation is to e renoned as eing ruthless i resisted1 ut air i co@ operated ith. ,n a-erage proit margin o $55H or more hen hunting is 9uite reasonale1 ut the ris0s are -ery high. Pirate :unters and ?ounty :unters 3here are sustantial ounties or pirates and other criminals and many indi-iduals or cres ma0e a li-ing acting as ounty hunters. , pirate hunter is simply a ounty hunter ho specialises in hunting pirates. 3his is a dangerous proession1 ut 9uite lucrati-e. Pirate hunters operate in a -ery similar manner to pirates1 ut their prey are the pirates rather than merchants. 3he ings Commissioner is a special 0ind o pirate hunter. ings Commissioners are appointed y the cron o a country1 e9uipped ith the est na-al e9uipments and cres1 then sent to hunt notorious pirates. rom a pirates standpoint there is only ay to handle a ings Commissioner1 run aay. , ounty typically runs rom a e pounds or a general pirate1 to hundreds or e-en thousands or a really inamous one. Proit margins o +5@$55H are 9uite reasonale hen engaged in ounty hunting. aidin# Pirates sometimes engage in raids. , raid is asically the act o selecting a small settlement or a large1 lightly deended oneA then assemling an armed orce to ta0e it. 3he raiders then sail to the target and raid it. , typical Raid consists o a to pronged attac0. 3he ul0 o the armed orce is landed some distance rom the target1 then they march to it as the ships stand oshore near the target. 3he ships demand the settlements surrender as the troops attac0 and support them ith omardment. 3he o(ecti-e1 li0e hunting1 is to orce a surrender ith the minimum damage. 3he raiders then loot the settlement and retreat to sea again. Raids are oten underta0en y a group o pirates1 or0ing under the leadership o one charismatic leader. 3hey are dangerous things to underta0e as nothing is more li0ely to
attract the attention o the !a-y and Pirate "unters than raiding so-ereign settlements. 3he proit margin rom raiding is e-en more than rom hunting1 although the ris0s are e-en greater.
Ports
%ost ports are ound either at the mouth o ri-ers or inside natural ays on the coastline. Ports ha-e to primary unctions< to act as a place here goods can e transerred rom ship to land and -ice -ersa and to pro-ide shelters or ships at sea. ays and ri-er mouths pro-ide ships ith a place to hide rom the orst o the eather. %ore estalished ports usually augment this natural shelter ith harours. !e settlements may ha-e no doc0ing acilities1 ships ha-ing to eigh anchor in the ay or ri-er and then erry personnel and cargo ashore using small oats. %ost ports ill ha-e (etties at the -ery least. , (etty is a ooden structure hich protrudes out rom the shore into the ay or ri-er. Ships can moor at the (etty and cargo and personnel can then e carriedal0 o straight onto land. %ore estalished ports are li0ely to ha-e harours. , harour comprises sea alls made o hea-y stone loc0sA uilt out rom the coast into the sea to encompass an area o ater in the ay or ri-er. Ships inside the harour are sae rom all ut the harshest storms. Ships can eigh anchor inside the harour or moor up on the inside o the sea alls these sea alls are 0non as uaysA. Some harours are tidal1 ith the harour drying out at lo tide1 hilst others are alays ull o ater at all states o the tide. Warships rarely tie up on the 9uayside in ports1 instead preerring to moor in deep ater and erry to the shore. 3he cre ill notice hen coming into a harour are the ishermen sitting around on the 9uays and (etties mending nets and sails1 or selling resh ish o the doc0. Small ishing oats ill e tied up to the 9uays and (etties1 or pulled up onto the each here appropriate. ,t lo tide a lot o the ishing oats maye (ust sitting on the sand or mud aiting to e loated up on the rising tide. 7arger ships usually tie up or1 i there is no room let1 drop anchor urther out and erry passengers and cargo in. Pirate Ports Pirate ports are ports hich are =riendly> to pirates. %ost pirate ports are controlled y one o the ma(or poers ut simply ha-e a Go-ernor ho is illing to turn a lind eye to illegal acti-ities in e*change or hety ries. &ther pirate ports are completely independent and are run y a ton council1 comprising the most poerul merchants and players in the ton. 3o a degree1 the ma(or poers tolerate the e*istence o pirate ports as they are ustling centres o trade and the acti-ities o pirates are not alays detrimental to their on strategic goals. ;n an early campaign the Spanish generally detest pirate ports1 eing one o the main targets or pirates due to their large gold and sil-er shipments rom the ,merica's. 3he other )uropean poers are ar more tolerant1 -ieing anything hich damages Spanish poer as a good thing. Some o the more renoned pirate ports are discussed in more detail in the campaigns chapter. ree Ports %any go-ernments ha-e one or more ree ports. , ree port is somehere here duties are not le-ied on imported goods and customs regulations tend to e handled ith a light touch. Go-ernments set up ree ports to encourage trade and mercantile acti-ity. ;t is up to the G% to decide hether a gi-en port should e a ree port in their campaign.
Comin# into "ort ,s a ship approaches a port they may irst e approached y roing oats ith -arious -endors trying to sell them resh ruit1 -egetales1 hores and other goods. 3he ship ill then gradually loer sails to slo itsel don and the captain ill decide hether to doc0 at the 9uayside or (ust stop in deep ater and eigh anchor. ; he opts to eigh anchor the ship is sloed y dropping the sails1 then the anchor dropped and the ship ought to a halt. 3he cre may then go ashore y roing oat1 although a s0eleton cre ill remain aoard the ship at all times. ; the captain ta0es the ship into the harour and doc0s at the 9uayside much the same process must e gone through. ,ter arri-al1 the irst person the captain ill ish to see is the harourmaster1 ho ill oten e aiting at the doc0 or a nely arri-ed ship. 3he harourmaster is in charge o the harour and all acti-ities ithin it. ;n practise this means that they collect port ee's rom ships in the harour. Port ee's are typically around one pound a day or a sea going ship. &nce this usiness has een ta0en care o the ne*t -isitor ill e the e*ciseman1 duty must e paid on all goods hich are to e ta0en ashore and yes1 you pay the duty eore you sell the goods. &nce this has een done the cre can shit any goods ashore. 3he ships 9uartermaster typically handles dealing ith agents and uying and selling cargoes as appropriate. 3he cre are let o in groups and a s0eleton cre set to loo0 ater the ship. or most captains1 a stay in port lasts no more than to days1 long enough to do hate-er usiness is necessary then ac0 to sea again. )-ery moment spent in port is a moment not spent loo0ing or loot at sea1 and is costing the cre money. &n a pirate ship the pressure to lea-e port is less signiicant as pirates do not ha-e e*ternal in-estors to orry aout most pri-ateers are unded y groups o in-estors ho are loo0ing to ma0e a return on their in-estmentA1 so the cre generally decides ho long to spend in port.
u *ides 3ides play a critical role in shipping. Firtually all ports are tidal1 ith ships only eing ale to enter or lea-e the port at high tide. 3he period rom one high tide to the ne*t high tide is around tel-e hours in duration and most ships can only enter or lea-e port ithin aout one or to hours eore or ater high tide1 so ships can only come and go rom the port or around our hours in e-ery tel-e hour period. ;n some ports large =loc0> gates separate the harour rom the sea. 3hese are closed as the tide starts to drop1 0eeping the ater le-el high in the harour until the tide rises again1 hen they are reopened. arehouses &ne o the most common eatures o the land near the harour is arehouses. 3hese are large uildings here goods are stored eore eing put aoard ships or transported inland rom the port to other settlements.
Warehouses are typically oned y merchants. ?onded arehouses Sometimes cargoes are oloaded in a port1 to e later loaded onto another ship or transshipment elsehere. ;n such a case duty is not due on the cargo1 ut it must e stored in a onded arehouse. onded arehouses are regulated y the e*cisemen and once goods are placed inside them1 they cannot then e ta0en out e*cept or shipment out o the port again. *he &cisemen %ost go-ernments charge customs duty on goods ought ashore in a port. 3he oner o the goods is re9uired to pay the duty eore the goods can e ought ashore and1 to this end1 ships are inspected hen they enter a port. 3hese duties orm a signiicant part o a go-ernments income and most go-ernments are -ery harsh in their enorcement o such duties1 employing e*cisemen to inspect cargoes and ensure that duties are paid on incoming goods. Smugglers ma0e a healthy li-ing y secretly ringing cargoes ashore ithout the e*cisemen catching them1 this means they can a-oid paying duty on the cargo. *he Mayor and Counci, ton is run y an elected mayor and council. Generally spea0ing1 only a relati-ely e citi#ens ha-e a -ote. 3he -ote is usually limited to those ho ha-e a certain minimum ealth1 usually measured in terms o property they on. 3he council passes local las and ordnances1 hich are enorced y the atch and courts. *he Courts %ost settlements ha-e a court o some 0ind1 here (ustice can e metered out. Bustice is -ery pulic in the period concerned and it is common or sentences to e carried out in pulic or e*ample1 loggings1 hangings and eing placed in the stoc0sA as a ay o sending a strong message to any potential rong doers. Budges are independent and appointed y the go-ernment o the state hich controls the settlement. ;n most settlements1 a large enough rie can get you out o most prolems. 3he la is enorced y the local militia or garrison1 there eing no such thing as an organised police orce at the time. *he atch %ost settlements ha-e a atch. 3he atch is a group o indi-iduals employed y the council to enorce the la and guard the settlement. ;n tons the atch may e 9uite proessional1 ith ull time employees1 and in smaller settlements it may only e a part@time arrangement. 3he atch has -arious duties includingI Patrolling at night ,rresting people Watching or ires Sounding the hours through the night )-en a pirate port has a atch1 although there are eer las to enorce. ;n practise1 anything hich is ad or usiness tends to get dealt ith1 ut otherise the atch stays out o things.
as hired muscle1 oten hiring out to the criminal underorld. ishermen )-ery port has ishermen1 those ho e0e a li-ing rom the sea. 3heir nets pro-ide ood or the people o the port. %ost isherman stay relati-ely close to port1 sailing out on the tide to spend a day at sea1 then returning on the late tide. When the tides are not good1 or the eather ad1 the ishermen tend to e ound on the doc0side mending their nets and sails1 or in the harourside ta-erns. Inns rom a pirate or pri-ateers point o -ie the ;nn is one o the most important places in a port. Jou can drin01 gamle1 ench1 drin0 and parta0e in the local gossip. 3he cres o ships are oten to e ound in inns and a canny listener can easily ind out hat ships are coming and going rom the port1 their cargoes and their routes. %any a merchantman has allen -ictim to pirates ho o-erheard the cre discussing their coming -oyage and cargo in an inn eore settings ail. Gamb-in# ens and Casinos %uch o the gamling in a port is inormal1 occurring on the streets or in the inns1 ut there are also ormal gamling dens and casinos. Gamling dens are simpler rougher -ersions o casino's. %ost such estalishments play airly straight games1 the estalishment has no need to cheat as the odds automatically a-our the house1 and a reputation or running croo0ed games ill 9uic0ly put such an estalishment out o usiness. )stalishments deal ith cheats ruthlessly1 the local la turning a lind eye to the summary (ustice hich is oten dished out. ig inners may ha-e to atch their ac0s as ell1 some estalishments not eing a-erse to arranging or hired muscle to =reco-er> some o the money lost to a successul gamler. ?rothe-s rothels are a common enterprise in ports1 sailors paying their money and ta0ing their choice. %ost rothels ha-e their on eicient ouncers and any unruly eha-iour is 9uic0ly dealt ith. Catching a se*ually transmitted disease is a -ery real ris0 hen using rothels1 particularly hen patronising the cheaper end o the mar0et. Shi"+ri#ht 3he shipright is the uilder o ne ships and repairer o e*isting ones. %ost shiprights are ound near the harour and the larger ones may e-en ha-e drydoc0 acilities1 here a ship can e ought in and then the ater pumped out1 alloing easy access to the normally sumerged portions o the hull.
• • • •
Mercenaries %ercenaries are a not uncommon sight in ports1 oten on their ay eteen attles. ;t is common practise in the old orld )uropeA or large numers o men to e ought under arms during the many conlicts and ars1 only to e unceremoniously dumped ac0 onto the streets ater the ar has ended. 3hese e*@soldiers may sell their ser-ices
?-ac6smith lac0smiths or0 iron and other metals to orge tools1 metal armours and metal melee eapons. , lac0smiths place o or0 is a orge1 a uilding here a coal uelled ire the orgeA is used to heat and shape metal. *ai-or 3he tailor ma0es clothes rom cloth and other arics. Some tailors ma0e cheap1 ser-iceale garments and others specialise in high 9uality apparel suitale or the gentry. Gunsmith , common port o call or pirates and pri-ateers1 the gunsmith produces irearms and cannons o all types.
Some gunsmiths specialise in high 9uantity1 lo 9uality eapons hilst others may e masters ho produce a small numer o much sought ater eapons. ;n eteen lie the medium 9uality1 medium 9uantity manuacturers. S+ordsmith Sordsmiths manuacture laded eapons1 speciically sords. 7i0e gunsmiths1 some specialise in the mass production o lo 9uality lades1 others alance 9uality and 9uantity and others produce only a e ine 9uality lades. Merchant %erchants try to uy cheap and sell dear. %ost merchants maintain a arehouse ull o goods near the harour somehere and oices in the more salurious parts o ton. %erchants ill uy most goods as long as they aren't too easily identiiale as stolen. 3hey ill typically pay around +5H o the items list price. Richer merchants may not deal directly ith you1 instead you may ha-e to deal ith their agents1 ho operate on their ehal. ence ences are indi-iduals ho speciically deal in stolen goods. ;t's important to note that most o the cargoes ta0en y pirates or pri-ateers can e sold legally through normal merchants1 it's only particularly notale items hich must e enced. , ence ill typically pay only $5@ 25H o an items listed price. *he Garrison 3he garrison in a port can -ary rom a simple ooden uilding ith a handul o militia to a hea-y ortiied ortress ith a company o soldiers and a hea-y attery o cannons. ;n larger ports the garrison is usually (ust outside the port in a position here it's hea-y guns can last any approaching -essel long eore it can get ithin range ith it's lighter ship mounted eapons. ;n some areas smaller atteries are also spread around the coast near a port1 each attery hosting se-eral hea-y guns and a platoon or to o soldiers to man and protect them. ,nything military installation hich may e encountered is the atchtoer. 3hese are strongly uilt toers1 sometimes ith a gun or to1 hich 0eep atch o-er the surrounding land and sea. When an enemy is sighted a ire is lit on the top o the toer1 alerting the other orces neary. *he atch 3he atch are ci-ilians paid to act as a comined police and deensi-e orce or the port. %ost o their or0 re-ol-es around arresting criminals and 0eeping the peace. 3hey are under the command o the Go-ernor or %ayor o the ton. e+e--er Beellers or0 in precious metals1 such as sil-er1 gold1 platinum and e-en copper1 and ine gems. 3hey produce eautiul (eellery hich is orn to sho o one's ealth and poer. Beellery is commonly orn y oth men and omen and in addition to it's display -alue1 acts as an e*cellent ay to store your ealth in a portale ashion1 -ery useul in turulent times. %rchitect ,rchitects design and o-ersee the construction o uildings. , thri-ing1 groing ton ill ha-e more architects than one hich is stale in si#e or shrin0ing. Go,ernors Pa-ace
3he go-ernors palace is the residence o the go-ernor and the centre o local ureaucracy. 3his is here you come i you need to otain permits or other legal documents1 including pardons and letters o mar9ue.
Four Barrells of Beefe$ four *ogsheads of Por$ eighty t#o ferins of Butter$ si& hundred #eight of 8heese$ /ighteen Butts of Beere$ three Bo&es of oape$ Fourteen Bo&es of 8andles$ T#elve Barrells of ;atmeale$ Three *ogsheads of 7inegar$ i& Pieces of 8anvas for *ammocs$ Fourty Beds$ Fourty Pillo#s$ Fourty Augs$ Fifty Aed 8oats$ one hundred and fifty 8apps$ Four 8ass of Tallo#$ i& horse hydes$ three ole 9eather hydes$ one earthen ;ven$ T#elve doCen tocings$ ;ne hundred #eight of 8ore -Partial list of stores loaded a!oard an /nglish privateer at the Irish provisioning port of insale in 13.4'
Money
,ll cash -alues are e*pressed in ritish pounds1 shilling and pence.
Captain 6th RateA
T$5
!oleman
T+555@2+1555
Colonial Go-ernor
T$555@+555
•
&ne pound TA e9uals tenty shillings SA
%emer o the Gentry
T$555@+555
•
&ne shilling e9uals tel-e pence$2dA
&ice holding layer
T$555
•
our arthings e9ual one pence dA
,rmy Colonel
T/6+
•
3o hal pennies e9uals one pence
,rmy %a(or
T2/5
, guinea is tenty one shillings proessionals are normally paid in golden guineas or the ser-ices1 rather than poundsA
Jeoman armer or Plantation T45@2+5 &ner ,rmy Captain
T$46
, hal guinea is ten shillings and si* pence usually pronounced =ten and si*>
Doctor
T$25
Bustice o the Peace
T6/
,rmy 7ieutenant
T:/
Court Poet
T+5@65
,rmy Sergeant
T+4
7o ran0ing clergy
T$5@+5
S0illed cratsman
T/5
Sculptor
T25@$55
&ne pound notes are a-ailale in the late campaign1 ut not the early prior to $821 one pound notes ere only in circulation eteen $:8: and $2$1 then eteen $2+ and $26. 3hey ere ta0en out o circulation as they pro-ed too easy to orgeA.
S0illed laourer
T$6@$
,pothecary
T$5@$+
,rmy Soldier
T$+
Ens0illed laourer
T$2
3here are roughly i-e ES dollars to a ritish Pound in $$5.
,gricultural or0er
T$5@$/
%ale 3eacher
T$2
emale 3eacher
T
Susistence armer
T6
Woman 7aourer
T+
%ilitiaman
T4
Ser-ant
T2 plus ood and lodgings
•
•
•
, cron is i-e shillings
•
&ne shilling as commonly ritten as $@
•
•
•
•
&ne and a hal shillings one si*penceAould e ritten $6 etc.
and
an0 notes are a-ailale in ten1 iteen1 one hundred and one thousand pound denominations.
Pay ates 3his section outlines the rates o pay or !a-al sailors in a late campaign. or merchant sailors1 doule the ages. ear in mind that the lo na-al ages relect the act that a na-al cre is entailed to a share in any pri#e money1 hereas a merchant cre is not. 3he cre o a pri-ateer ould typically e paid a age somehere eteen the !a-al and %erchant rate1 depending on the share o any pri#e money they ould e entitled to. Jearly Wage 7andsman
T$2
&rdinary Seaman
T$/
,le Seaman
T25
Petty &icers
T2+@/+
%aster
T$55
Surgeons
T$6
Ship's Carpenter
T:5
Ship's Gunner
T+
Ship's osun
T+
%idshipman
T/5
7ieutenant
T$/5
Commander
T2+5
Captain $st RateA
T+55.55
w
ar-y ,s. Late ,ll the prices listed in this section are ased on mid@$ th century prices. or the sa0e o argument use the same prices or an early or late campaign. Aua-ity 3he items o e9uipment in this section are o normal 9uality. ;t is possile to uy any item at higher 9uality i you ish. , higher 9uality recei-es a onus to rele-ant rolls e9ual to it's cost multiplier. For example, a sword which cost fie times the usual price would hae a % to attacks and parries made with it.
3he 9uality modiiers are applied as ollosI *oo-s4 %odiier applies to chec0s made using the tool. ea"ons4 %odiier applies to attac0 and parry chec0s made ith the eapon. %rmour4 Reduce the armours )ncumrance score y the cost multiplier to a minimum o oneA. •
•
•
ncumbrance Where appropriate1 an item has it's )!C listed in rac0ets ater its name.
?uyin# Po+er
3he olloing section is to gi-e you an idea ho much a sum o money can uy. 3hese prices are right or oth early and late campaigns there eing little inlation eteen the toA. 1F2d
1s $d4 Rate o indo ta* per indo o a house ith
$2N indos $:62A 2s <2F=4 Cost o $2 yards o gold raid1 Wee0ly rent o a urnished room or a tradesman. , ottle o ine. Cotton or linen stoc0ings. , sailors reeches. 2s 2d <2F2=4 Daily pay or (ourneyman tailors. , cotton or linen cra-ate. 2s $d <2F$=4 , hole pig1 , tooth e*traction1 Dinner sent in rom a ta-ern1 , chic0en at Fau*hall gardens1 , tic0et to hear the rehearsal o the music or the royal ireor0s at Fau*hall 25s4 ,n hours or so's entertainment y a lady o the night. 2s 10d <2F10=4 $l o candles. 3s4 , cotton or linen o-ers0irt. , stra hat. , sailors cap. , sailors shirt. 3s 2d4 , pair o men's yarn 0nitted stoc0ings 0nitting as airly neA 3s 3d4 , arrel o Colchester oysters. s $d4 , petticoat or a or0ing oman. , elt. 5s <5F=4 , pound o ry's drin0ing chocolate1 , ottle o claret at Fau*hall1 , o* at Drury 7ane 3heatre $:6/A1 , or0man's secondhand coat. , good meal such as por0 or ish1 resh read1 onions1 yams and resh ruitA. Good lodgings per dayA ith plenty o light in the day and sheltered rom the elements. , linen or cotton shirt. 7inen or cotton reeches. s )dH$s4 $l o coee 5s 2d4 , pint o la-ender ater. 5s 7d4 , pair o omen's orsted stoc0ings. $s4 , pair o stays a supporti-e undergarmentA or a or0ing oman. , cotton or linen s0irt. 7s4 , do#en raits in the mar0et1 , stout pair o shoes. 7s $dH1$s4 $l o tea. /s4 , ottle o champagne at Fau*hall. Wool reeches. /s /d4 , yard o loered damas0 you ould need $+U yards or one dressA. , simple hat. )s4 Wee0ly age o an uns0illed laourer1 , piece $4 $2 yardsA o ;ndian sprigged muslin. 10s4 Cost o Dr Bohnson's (ust@pulished Dictionary $:+6. , corset or odice. , ool o-ers0irt. , linen or cotton chemise. , sailors (ac0et. 10s $d4 , ottle o Dr Prossilly's ater or the po* hal a guinea as a common proessional eeA1 , tic0et to hear "andel's %essiah "andel on the organA at the oundling "ospital1 , tic0et in pit or o* at 3heatre Royal1 Co-ent Garden $:6/. 12s4 , gentleman's meal ith our courses such as suc0ling pig in a ine and honey sauce1 resh read1 game hen marinated in lemon (uice1 and pepper1 green peppers stued ith de-illed cra1 a delicate clam soup1 muins ith utter and cheese1 lemon sugar crumpets1 all ser-ed ith a spar0ling hite ine1 and later a glass o good scotch to greet the e-eningA. , oollen s0irt. , cotton or linen aistcoat. , good pair o shoes. 10s $d1 15s4 Cost o -arious igs 13s 10d4 , yard o %echlin lace. 15s4 , plumed hat. 1$s4 , pair o men's lace rules. , ottle o good ine. 17s d4 , pair o men's sil0 stoc0ings. 1/s22s4 Wee0ly age o a (ourneyman tradesman $:::. 1/s4 , ig or a cler0 in a pulic oice1 , rass arometer. 1/s $d4 , yard o rich rocaded satin. 1
1 12s4 , pair o stout sil0@0nit reeches. 1 15s4 %onthly pay o an )ast ;ndia Company seaman
$:62.
124 , sil0 cra-ate. 14 , ool aistcoat. 1124 , 9uality ig. 2
•
• •
•
contract. Sil0 stoc0ings.
2 2s
cler0 in pulic oice. 54 , ine sil-er hilted sord. , grooming 0it including ra#or1 ash asin1 linen1 soap1 cologne1 com1 small shears and a small chamer potA. 5 5s
Car#oes and *reasures 3he olloing list is a y no means e*clusi-e selection o cargoes and treasuresI 10004 $55l o Sandalood rom ChinaA 10004 +5 Rugs rom 3ur0eyA 12004 255 oo0s rom )uropeA 15004 , +l ar o Gold 1$004 Cas0 o Ginseng 1/004 /5 pieces o urniture rom ParisA 100004 255 pieces o sil-erare 104 Cas0 o eer 104 Cas0 o poor rum 1004 Cas0 o ine ine 1004 Cas0 o Rosemary 120004 /55 Pearls 204 Cas0 o Finegar or oli-e oil 2000004 $55l o Precious gemstones usually +55@ $555 in numerA 2004 Cas0 o Pepper 32004 55 ans rom ChinaA 304 Cas0 o good rum 304 Cas0 o local ruit ine 0004 $55 pieces o Beellery rom SpainA 00004 $55ls o assorted Semi@Precious gemstones usually /55@+55 in numerA 00004 ;-ory $5 tus0sA 004 255 7eather shoes rom lorenceA 004 Cas0 o Clo-es 504 , +l ar o sil-er 504 Cas0 o )uropeanA Wine $0004 +5 pieces o Beellery rom FeniceA $004 255 pieces o Peterare rom 7ondonA /004 255 pieces o Glassare rom ,msterdamA /004 , olt o Sil0 /004 Cas0 o %edicinal hers
Genera- !ui"ment
3he olloing are some general items o e9uipment1 mainly detailed here or eight purposes. or other e9uipment loo0 in the list ao-e. o"e4 $d and 2 )!C per yard •
•
*orch4 , ooden shat coated in pitch and urnt
or light. $d and + )!C each. ations4 2d and + )!C per day 'i- Lam"4 , closed oil lamp1 4 shillings and + )!C. Pint of 'i-4 urns or 6 hours in a lamp1 /d and + )!C. Someone doused in urning oil ta0es $2 damage per round. -int E *inder4 Esed to start ires1 U a shilling1 2 )!C.
*oo-s and Dits ,ll sets o tools1 or 0its1 cost to pounds and ha-e an )!C o $51 unless otherise stated1 and can e otained in Cheap or ine -ersion. %rtificers too-s4 Without artiicers tools1 all SmithingartiiceA chec0s are at @25. ,rtiicers tools consist o ine implements or or0ing ith cloc0or01 loc0s and other comple* mechanisms. %rtists too-s4 Without artists tools1 all ,rt chec0s to ma0e or0s o art are at @25. ,rtists tools include pens1 pencils1 rushes1 paints and the li0e. Car"enters too-s4 Without carpenters tools1 all CratingcarpentryA chec0s are at @25. Carpenters tools include hammers1 chisels1 nails1 sas and other tools. is#uise Dit4 Without a disguise 0it1 all disguise chec0s are at @25. , disguise 0it contains ace paints1 ma0eup1 padding1 igs1 alse hair and other items needed to disguise ones appearance. Gunsmiths too-s4 Without gunsmiths tools1 all SmithinggunsmithingA chec0s are at @25. Gunsmiths tools consist o rushes1 hammers1 scredri-ers and the other tools needed to or0 on irearms. Loc6"ic6 Dit4 Without loc0pic0s1 all artiiceloc0sA smithing chec0s are at @25. 7oc0pic0s only costs hal a pound and ha-e )!C +. , loc0pic0 0it consists o a -ariety o tensioning ars1 drills1 pic0s and other ine implements or or0ing on loc0s. Maso ns t oo-s4 Without masons tools1 all CratingmasonryA chec0s are at @25. %asonry tools include hammers1 chisels and the li0e. a,i#ators too-s4 Without na-igators tools1 all !a-igation chec0s are at @25. !a-igators tools include a se*tant1 compass1 lunar tales and the li0e. Potters too-s4 Without potters tools1 all CratingpotteryA chec0s are at @25. Potters tools include a heel1 shaping tools and the li0e. Scientific Instruments4 Without scientiic instruments all in-estigati-e Science chec0s are at @25. !ot ha-ing tools is not a prolem hen sol-ing intellectual prolems1 only hen perorming physical in-estigations. Scientiic instruments include microscopes1 accurate measures o distance and eight1 slides1 orceps1 ea0ers1 retorts and other scientiic tools and instruments. Si#na--in# e!ui"ment4 Without signalling e9uipment1 all Signalling chec0s are at @25. Signalling e9uipment includes lamps and semaphore lags. ?-ac6 Smiths too-s4 Without smiths tools1 all Smithinglac0smithingA chec0s are at @25. lac0smiths tools include hammers1 tongs1 an-il and a portale orge. •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
too-s4 Without tailors tools1 all CratingtailoringA chec0s are at @25. 3ailors tools include als1 needle1 thread1 scissors and other tools. Le ather +or6ers too-s 4 Without leather or0ers tools1 all Cratingleather or0ingA chec0s are at @25. 7eather or0ing tools are much li0e tailors tools ut hea-ier duty. irst %id 6it4 Without a irst aid 0it all "ealingirst aidA chec0s are at @25. Such a 0it costs 2d and has splints1 andages1 needle and thread. Sur#eons too-s4 Without surgeons tools all "ealingsurgeryA and "ealingautopsyA chec0s are at @25. Surgeons tools include sas1 scalpels1 orceps1 tongs and other tools needed or surgery. octors too-s4 Without Doctors tools all "ealingmedicineA chec0s are at @25. Doctors tools includes compresses1 poultices1 drugs and other medicines. *ai-ors
%rmour List ,rmour is ought as suits. , character may only ear one suit o armour at a time. !o orn armour is eecti-e against irearms attac0s in Pri-ateers and Pirates. 3he olloing list gi-es some types o armourI Mai- Shirt <C 15 2=4 , shirt o inely o-en metal rings hich co-ers the ody and arms. Counts as armour against all melee attac0s. Padded ac6 <C 10 12s=4 , (ac0et o 9uilted cotton hich protects ody and arms. Counts as armour against lunt melee attac0s only. *hic6 Leather er6in <C 10 1$s=4 , (ac0et o thic0 leather hich protects ody and arms. Counts as armour against sharp melee attac0s only. 3his type o armour is actually either thic0 leather or thinner leather reinorced ith metal strips or studs at strategic points. P-ate Cuirass <C 20 3=4 , plate metal cuirass hich protects the ody. Counts as armour against melee attac0s and os1 ut not against guns. Plate cuirasses are oten orn y soldiers in an early campaign1 ut not a late one. !o character can sim in armour1 so it is rarely orn aoard ship. %etal armours mail1 scale and plateA (ust pull you straight don and leather or 9uilted armours rapidly ecome aterlogged and1 li0eise1 pull you don. ;t is also common or duellists to ight are chested to pro-e that they ere not earing a mail shirt elo their clothes. •
•
•
•
Me-ee ea"ons ,ttac0s ith melee eapons re9uire ighting chec0s1 or 3hroing chec0s i the eapon is thron. Rather than trying to gi-e game -alues or e-ery 0ind o eapon you can thin0 o1 instead eapons are organised into groups1 such as ist eapons. ;t is up to the G% to decide hich group a gi-en eapon alls into. Weapons are descried in the olloing ormat •
ea"on ame <ama#e Code ncumbrance ,a-ue cost short ran#eF-on# ran#e= Description
3he eapons are as ollosI •
ist ea"ons
include daggers1 rass 0nuc0les1 coshes and cudgels. 3hey are designed to e easily
concealed and are popular ith the criminal classes. ;t is hard to hide a sord1 ut a dagger can e easily concealed. ist eapons can e thron as +25 eapons. 'rdinary ea"on
•
•
•
•
•
?o+s
,ttac0s ith os and Crossos re9uire ,rchery chec0s. os are rarely encountered1 ha-ing een superseded y irearms in -irtually all instances. ,out the only time characters may e*pect to encounter os is hen ighting indians or similar nati-e tries. Crossos are rarely seen anyhere ut are sometimes used ecause they are almost silent hen ired. , short or long o needs one action to ready to ire again ater a shot. , crosso needs our actions to ready to ire again olloing a shot. Short ?o+
•
•
smoothore eapon.
?-ac6"o+der Guns
,ttac0s ith guns re9uire Shooting chec0s. )ach shot re9uires one all and an eighth o an ounce o poder. ?-ac6"o+der4 i-e pounds per cas0. , cas0 is )!C 25 and holds tenty pounds o poder ?a--s4 &ne shilling or one pound o alls )!C +A1 hich is 25 alls. Po+der :orn4 Esed to store poder. 3en pence )!C +A and holds 45 shots orth o poder. 3he poder horn is normally slung round the nec0 and shoulder on a thong. Cartrid#e bo&4 )!C +A and 2s 6d. "olds 25 paper cartridges or a mus0et. 3he o* is usually orn at the hip. Enless stated otherise1 reloading a gun arrel re9uires our actions. 3he inormation or each eapon is gi-en in this ormatI •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
ea"on ame <ama#e Code ncumbrance ,a-ue cost short ran#eF-on# ran#e= Description
•
•
Weapons are organised y the Shooting speciality hich relates to their use.
Poc6et Pisto-
pistol designed to e carried concealed re9uires a !otice chec0 to ind on a searchA. Cost one pound. -int-oc6 Pisto-
mus0et1 9uite rare and e*pensi-e still. &nly a-ailale in late campaigns. ?-underbuss o--ey Gun
separately or oth together1 or F" damage. )ach arrel re9uires our actions to ready to ire again ater shooting1 although the shotgun can e ired ith only one arrel ready limiting it to one shotA.
:and#uns ,ll handguns are ired one@handed. •
if-ed mus6et <: C 15 5 5F300= , riled
oub-e ?arre--ed Pisto-
Gunnery ea"ons Gunnery eapons are designed to e ired rom i*ed positions and are asically scaled don ships cannon. ?oat Gun : C 200 20 2F200= , hea-y ship@mounted eapon. When ired rom a mounted position it has an eecti-e )!C o 5. ;t can e loaded ith solid shot using the -alues ao-eA. When loaded ith pellets the range is +$551 the damage "1 and you get our attac0s hich can e spread against any or all targets1 ho must all e ithin a $5t diameter circle.
Lon#arms 7ongarms are designed to e ired to@handed1 ut may e ired one@handed ith a @25 on attac0 rolls. Carbine
&"-osi,es Rules or e*plosi-e eects can e ound in the rules mechanics chapter. Some common e*plosi-es includeI Grenado <C 5 12s 10F30=4 , primiti-e hand grenade. Ese the e*plosion rules in the general rules section hen handling a grenado. , grenado is a small all o metal1 pottery or glass ith a gunpoder charge inside. ;t typically eighs around to ounces. 3he use is lit as one action1 then thron as a second. ;t then detonates at the end o the round. ?-ac6"o+der4 3reat as a asic e*plosion or e-ery ounce o lac0poder )!C $ per ounceA. lac0poder is not thron1 it is set in place and detonated y a lit use. Cost one shilling per ounce. Stin6"ot <C 5 s 5F20=4 , stin0pot is not an e*plosi-e de-ice1 ut has een placed here ecause it is similar in use to a grenado. ;t is lit and thron in the same ay as a grenado and hen it lands it creates a cloud o irritant gas
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
?-underbuss Pisto-
, lunderuss pistol is an open mouthed lintloc0 pistol designed to ill an area ith lead. Cost one and hal pounds. >o--ey Pisto- <: C 5 / 15F0= , pistol -ersion o the -olley gun descried eloA ith only i-e arrels. When the trigger is pulled all i-e arrels ire simultaneously. 3his gi-es you to attac0 rolls against the same target. ;t ta0es our actions to reload each arrel and all i-e arrels must e reloaded eore the gun can e ired again. Can ire oth arrels simultaneously at the same target causing " damage still ma0e only one attac0 chec0 thoughA or ire each arrel separately although each shot is separate actionA. , pistol ith to arrels side y side1 each ith its on loc0. *urno,er "isto-
0Piracy is only the sea term for ro!!ery #ithin the (urisdiction of the ,dmiralty'''If the mariner of any ship shall violently dispossess the master and after#ards carry a#ay the ship itself or any of the goods #ith a felonious intention in any place #here the 9ord ,dmiralty hath (urisdiction this is ro!!ery and piracy -British ,dmiralty court definition of piracy in 1>?>
Pirates or Pri,ateers8
When starting a campaign you should decide i characters are pri-ateers or pirates. Pirates are criminals1 anted y e-eryone1 ith e sae harours. !ote that pirates still lose hal their pri#e money1 (ust li0e anyone else1 ut rather than this going to the go-ernments ho's licence they are operating under1 li0e a pri-ateer1 it is instead lost to ences and others ho handle stolen goods. Pri-ateers1 on the other hand1 are operating under license to a so-ereign poer in this game1 ritainA and can ind sae ha-en in that poers ports and aters. , pri-ateer ill not e attac0ed y arships1 or other pri-ateers1 o its on nation either. %any pirates see0 to uy a letter o mar9ue sometime in their career1 mo-ing under the auspices o that nation. , letter o mar9ue1 as a rough guide1 costs around iteen hundred pounds.
%d,enture Ideas
3he olloing section gi-es you1 the G%1 some possile ideas or Pri-ateers and Pirates ad-entures. •
•
•
•
•
•
%n#-o"hi-ia Pri-ateers and Pirates assumes that player characters are either ritish1 or oreign sailors ser-ing aoard ritish ships. ar-y ,s. Late Cam"ai#n ,n early campaign is set in the =Golden ,ge o Piracy>1 a period hich is generally accepted to ha-e een1 -ery appro*imately rom $65@$:2+. Characters ill most li0ely ta0e the role o pirates and ill e set in either the Spanish main the CarieanA or the ;ndian &cean ased out o %adagascarA , late campaign is set during the ,nglo@rench ars hich periodically le up rom around $:+5 to $$5. 3he late campaign concentrates on ad-entures either round the )nglish channel andor %editerranean1 ith player characters most li0ely ased in the channel islands1 or around the ,rican gold coast. % a,a- Cam"ai#n Whilst these rules are primarily designed to run pirate or pri-ateer centred games there is nothing to stop you using them to run na-al or otherA games in the same period. Particularly during the ,nglo@rench ars1 most Captains particularly o rigates1 Sloops and rigsA operated much li0e pri-ateers1 hunting enemy shipping or the pri#e money. , lot o !a-al captains (oined up to get rich1 retiring ith a comortale pile o pri#e money. or such a game the characters are memers o a arship cre and should all ta0e ConnectionsI!a-y. Enli0e the more democratic pri-ateer or pirate games arships ere ruled y strict discipline1 the Captains ord as la1 enorced y other oicers and a marine contingent. Characters in na-al campaigns are also li0ely to recei-e orders rom the ,dmiralty to perorm speciic missions1 hich gi-es the G% a great opportunity to ha-e some un ith players.
•
•
•
•
•
3he characters intercept a merchant carrying some -ery precious gems. ; they interrogate the captain they can ind out here the gems came rom1 a secret mine1 and raid it. 3he characters ind out that a small ton hich is meant to e garrisoned isn't1 the garrison has let and the ton is undeended. , large ounty is oered or someone1 do you ant the money? ,n enemy go-ernment has put a ounty on y ou and the ounty hunters attac0 during shore lea-e. Jour ship is impounded y a oreign go-ernment. Jou must steal it ac0. Jou encounter a ship o the line hich hunts you1 the captain may ha-e some personal -endetta. , air maiden has een 0idnapped y dastardly -illains1 her amily oer a large reard or her sae return. Jou are drated y the military to go on a special mission. 3his might e to collect a -ery important passenger1 or deli-er one1 collect some item or message1 or deli-er it. Reconnoitre an enemy stronghold mas9uerading as traders. Jou get into a drun0en et ith another character captain and his cre. 3he one ho loses the et loses their ship. Rumours o a long lost gold mine ha-e arisen1 ollo the clues to ind the mine.
g
*he Late Cam"ai#n 3he late campaign is ocussed around the )nglish channel and %editerranean ports1 ith possile -entures to the ;ndian ocean. *he Channe- Is-ands and the ChanneDuring the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century the channel islands ere an acti-e ase or pri-ateers and pirates hich1 although oicially roned upon1 ere tolerated y the local go-ernment ecause o the ealth they ought in. ,ny -essel operating rom the islands as re9uired to ha-e at least one or to nati-e islanders aoard their -essel. 3he islands consist o to ailiic0s< Guernsey and Bersey. Bersey includes the main island o Bersey and the to smaller1 uninhaited1 islands o %in9uiers and )crQhous. Guernsey encompasses the isle o Guernsey and the smaller islands o ,lderney1 Sar01 "erm1 Bethou1 rec9hou1 urhou and other islets. Ships operating rom the channel islands typically sail out into the channel1 the southern north sea and the channel approaches and hunt or prey. 3here is a steady lo o traic through the channel1 tra-elling to and rom the -arious ports along the channels S0ills and Specialities.
i *he ar-y Cam"ai#n 3he early campaign is ocussed around the Spanish %ain1 Cariean ;slands and lorida. *he S"anish Main 3he Spanish %ain as the area that no comprises Central ,merica and the !orthern Coast o South ,merica the Spanish colonies in the ,mericasA. 3he centre o the the Spanish %ain ould proaly e Darien on the ;sthmus o Panama. 3he land as rich in gold1 sil-er1 precious gems and other resources. %ost o the ealth o the %ainland as not located here ships could easily reach it1 hich meant that large 9uantities o precious metals and gems had to e e mo-ed y pac0 animals to ortiied ports that ere uilt along the coast. Some o the 0ey port cities ere port cities ere Portoello and Darien in the area o present day Panama and Cartagena near present day Fene#uela. Pirates ere ell aare o the methods Spain used or mo-ing treasure and they ere illing to ris0 the dangers o the mos9uito inested samps in order to relie-e Spain o its ealth. Despite hea-ily armed guards1 the trail through the (ungle aorded ample opportunity or pirates to amush the gold trains. 3he trails ere narro1 and did not allo the Spaniards to maneu-er. urthermore the Pirates ould oten attac0 at dus01 ater the Spaniards had had a long and arduous march through the (ungle. ; the amush ailed1 the Pirates could melt ac0 into the (ungle1 conident that the Spaniards ould not ollo.
Soldiers could not pursue the attac0ers or ear that the amush as simply a di-ersion and that the main attac0 ould occur ater the Spanish split up their orces. 3he ortiied ports ere proaly the est deended locations along the Spanish %ain and also the richest. or the most part it as oolhardy to attempt an attac0 on such a hea-ily ortiied area despite the riches that it contained and pirates rarely othered to attac0 such a place. rancis Dra0e as as an e*ception to this rule1 as as "enry %organ. %organ's most daring accomplishment as the sac0ing o Portoello1 although he as acting as a pri-ateer in the ser-ice o the )nglish at the time. 3he ports themsel-es had high1 thic0 alls and poerul shore atteries hich alloed them to engage raiders long eore the raiders could egin iring the port could oten get o to or three sal-oes eore the raider got into range to ire its irstA. ;n addition each port also had its on s9uadron o galleons hich ould mo-e to intercept raiders eore they got ithin iring range o the port. 3he main -ulneraility in the ports as their lac0 o protection rom the landard side. Spain assumed that the (ungle as good enough protection or this area and1 most o the time1 they ere correct. *he ?ahamas and Pirates 3he ahamas ere originally inhaited y a group o ,raa0 ;ndians 0non as the 7ucayan. &riginally rom the South ,merican continent1 some o the ,raa0 had een dri-en north into the Cariean y the Cari ;ndians. Enli0e their Cari neighours1 the 7ucayan ere generally peaceul1 more in-ol-ed in ishing than agriculture1 and not cannialistic. 3he Spaniards made no attempt to settle ut operated sla-e raids on the peaceul ,raa0 that depopulated the islands1 and y the time the )nglish arri-ed the ahamas ere uninhaited. ;n $628 Charles ; o )ngland granted the islands to one o his ministers1 ut no attempt at settlement as made. ;n $64 William Sayle led a group o )nglish Puritans rom ermuda to1 it is thought1 )leuthera ;sland. 3his settlement met ith e*treme ad-ersity and did not prosper1 ut other ermudan migrants continued to arri-e. !e Pro-idence as settled in $6+6. y $6:5 the ahamas ere gi-en to the Du0e o ,lemarle and i-e others as a proprietary colony. 3he proprietors ere mostly uninterested in the islands1 and e o the settlements prospered. Piracy ecame a ay o lie or many. 3he pirate community as large and ell estalished and 9uic0ly ecame a source o concern to the Cron1 primarily due to its pro*imity to the ritish colonies in !orth ,merica. ;n response a na-al station as set up in the ahamas to police local aters. ;n $:$: the colony re-erted to the Cron and serious eorts ere made to end the piracy. 3he irst royal go-ernor1 Woodes Rogers1 succeeded in controlling the pirates ut mostly at his on e*pense and ith little assistance rom )ngland. Conse9uently1 the islands remained poor and susceptile to Spanish attac0. Rogers as an e*ceptional pirate hunter. "e oered pardons to pirates in an eort to get them t o turn. "e as sincere in his actions and e-entually 21555 pirates o-ercame their suspicion and accepted the pardons and made the ahamas -irtually pirate ree. Rogers 0ne the haits o pirates and he as certain that many o the pardoned pirates ould go ac0 to their e-il ays. ut this concerned him little. Rogers recruited men rom among those pardoned to hunt don those ho returned to their old ays. 3he mo-e as 9uite successul and e-entually many o the rethren o the coast ere dancing the de-il's (ig on the gallos. "eld or a e days y the E.S. !a-y in $::61 and or
almost a year y Spain in $:2@/1 the islands re-erted to )ngland in $:/ and recei-ed a oost in population rom loyalists and their sla-es ho led the Enited States ater the ,merican Re-olution. Cotton plantations rought some prosperity to the islands1 ut hen the soil ga-e out and sla-ery as aolished in $/41 the ahamas' endemic po-erty returned. ?ermuda ermuda consists o se-en main islands and o-er $+5 smaller islets. ;t as irst charted y the Spaniards around $+$+ and not settled until an )nglish ship1 ith o-er $+5 people aoard1 as lon o course and ship rec0ed there. 3he sur-i-ors had no ay to lea-e the island so they ounded a colony. ermuda as not along the trade routes eteen the Spanish %ain and Spain ut it as an ideal stopo-er or tra-ellers eteen the ,#ores and !orth ,merica1 particularly South Carolina. Conse9uently the ritish made it a permanent colony and put a temporary military garrison there1 a mo-e hich the Spanish authorities did not en(oy. ;n the $655's and up to $:/41 ermuda as instrumental in the ,rican sla-e trade and1 on more than one occasion1 sla-es in ermuda out numered settlers and -iolent reellions ere put don. ;n $:/41 )ngland outlaed sla-ery and the colony o ermuda olloed the Cron1 ut this did not stop the smuggling o sla-es through ermuda onto the ,merican colonies. 3he rees and numerous small islands made an e*cellent ha-en or pirates ut not eing on the main trade route eteen Spain and the Spanish %ain resulted in the pirates oten sac0ing ermuda. rom $:5$ onards1 ritain considered ermuda -ital to its !e World interests and made it a permanent military post o the Royal !a-y and ,rmy. 3he signiicantly increased ris0 to pirates resulted in many turning rom piracy to smuggling. -orida Compared to the rest o the Spanish %ain lorida as no great treasure tro-e ut its location made it strategically important. Spain used lorida as a staging area or its con-oys so groups o hea-ily@laden Spanish -essels1 called plate leets1 usually sailed up the Gul Stream through the straits that parallel loridaVs eys. Pirates preyed on these leets and hurricanes created additional ha#ards1 sometimes rec0ing the ships on the rees and shoals along loridaVs shores. ,n )nglish incursion along the St. Bohns Ri-er in $+64 threatened Spain's treasure leets hich sailed along lorida's shoreline on their ay ac0 to Spain and1 as a result1 ing Phillip ;; named Don Pedro %enende# de ,-iles1 Spain's most e*perienced admiral1 as go-ernor o lorida1 instructing him to e*plore and to coloni#e the territory. %enende# as also instructed to dri-e out any pirates or settlers rom other nations1 should they e ound there. %enende# arri-ed o the coast o lorida on the2th o ,ugust $+6+1 the east Day o St. ,ugustine. )le-en days later1 he and his 655 soldiers and settlers came ashore at the site o the 3imucuan ;ndian -illage o Seloy ith anners lying and trumpets sounding. "e hastily ortiied the ledgling -illage and named it St. ,ugustine. ;t as here that Spain ould estalish its most !orthern post on the Spanish %ain and try to ipe out the scourge o piracy. Runaay sla-es1 disgruntled merchantmen and disinherited youth loc0ed to the 3ortugas1 Point Royal and other ild places 0non as recruiting centres or pirate ships and1 rom there1 (oined in the search or plunder. &n the $5 th o Septemer $622 a tenty@eight ship con-oy let "a-ana headed or Spain1 loaded to the gunales ith treasure rom South and Central ,merica.
, to day hurricane sun0 eight o the ships and1 as ith most shiprec0s1 Spain attempted to sal-age hat it could and pirates ould use the opportunity or easy pic0ings. Spanish sailors or ell to do passengers ho managed to sur-i-e a ship rec0ing storm could -ery ell ind them in the hands o pirates and eing sold into sla-ery or ransomed or reard. Ships sun0 in shalloer ater ould e 9uic0ly -isited y patrolling pirates and sur-i-ors ere only orth pic0ing up i they could oer some 0ind o pri#e. Ga--o+s Point and &ecution oc6
Gallos point as located on the Palisadoes in Bamaica. &ten1 ater the pirate as hanged1 he ould then e itted in a suit o irons and displayed on a sandy cay near Port Royal. )*ecution Doc0 as in 7ondon on the 3hames. %any a pirate ere sent on the other (ourney rom this place. ;t as customary to then hang the pirates in irons along the 3hames1 especially at the mouth o the 3hames1 called Gra-es Point1 as a reminder to all sailors hat ecame o mutineers and pirates. Char-eston
across the mouth o the harour to pre-ent saoteurs rom entering and sin0ing ships. 3he rees outside the harour added to the protection as ell as added to the loss o many sil-er ships.
w *ortu#a 3ortuga or 3urtle ;sland1 presently 0non as ;le de la 3ortue lay o the !orthest shore o present day "aiti1 on the ;sland o "ispanola. 3ortuga is appro*imately 25 miles long and no more than 4 miles ide. 3he rench settled the island in $62+ e-en though the Spanish disco-ered itA and there ere repeated s0irmishes eteen rance and Spain o-er the isle1 its onership changing hands se-eral times. 3he rench Go-ernors o 3ortuga ould1 or a price1 oer sae harour to (ust aout any ship that asn't Spanish and ere ready to issues letters o %ar9ue to (ust aout anyody to attac0 Spanish shipping. ,s such 3ortuga ecame the home o the rethren o the Coast and y the late $:th century most o the population o 3ortuga as made o Pirates and Pri-ateers. 3he pirate leets oer oth protection and income to the small colony and most o the piratespri-ateers are )nglish or rench. y $6:5 the island as acti-ely promoted as a ase o operations or pirates and pri-ateers and or the disposal o ooty. y the $65s1 las ere made that )nglish seaman sailing under oreign lags ere traitors to the 3hrone and pirates. Se-eral )nglishmen ere con-icted and hanged or piracy ater attac0ing Dutch ships. When the Spanish gold egan to dindle the mainly rench uccaneers o 3ortuga turned their attention to Bamaican plantations and )nglish %erchant ships. 3his led to protests rom the )nglish go-ernment to the ing o rance. )-entually the uccaneers ere pri-ateers only in name and attac0ed anything that asn't rench. inally1 in $64 the 3reaty o Ratisone as signed hich ormally ended hostility eteen rance and Spain. With the treaty came the ithdraal o all 7etters o %ar9ues. rom that point on1 the uccaneers ho continued attac0s ere pirates and ere 9uic0ly hanged. %any o the ormer pri-ateers ere employed y the go-ernment o rance to hunt don their ormer rethren o the Coast. While piracy ould continue in and around 3ortuga or years to come1 it no longer en(oyed the status as a "ome o the uccaneers. Port oya- amaica ;n the mid@ $655s Bamaica as a ritish colony surrounded y Spanish and Portuguese property. or most o this time Spain and )ngland ere at ar and Port Royal as a sae protected harour on Bamaica ith a good draught and centrally located along the trade routes eteen Panama and Spain. uccaneers loc0ed to Port Royal1 the de acto head9uarters o raids against the Spanish %ain. ,s ith any military operation1 the camp olloers also came as ell as anyone else anting to ma0e a douloon or to o o drun0en sailors1 ma0ing Port Royal not only a
Pri-ateering centering ut also a den o sin and -ice. When the ritish occupied Bamaica they estalished a ort at Port Royal to discourage the Spaniards rom coming into the harour. Enortunately1 their asn't really a !a-y to protect the harour or Bamaica or that matter and the Go-ernor o Bamaica too0 it upon himsel to issue 7etters o %ar9ue to raise a Pri-ate !a-y or Pri-ateers. "e recruited these pri-ateers rom among the uccaneers in 3ortuga and proaly some o the greatest stories to e-er come rom the Golden ,ge o Piracy. 3he Pri-ateers 9uic0ly ound royal protection or their attac0s on Spanish and Dutch ships. 3he ton o Port Royal 9uic0ly ecame ull o looted gold1 (eels1 and other products that ould ha-e een going to Spain. 3he pri-ateers ould return ith their plunder and 9uic0ly s9uander it on drin0ing and horing. Fery soon they ould e lat ro0e and e o again to raid the Spanish %ain on oard another Pri-ateer. Port Royal had a thri-ing trade ith 7ondon and the ,merican colonies and the people ore the latest ashions rom 7ondon. ;n e*change or the ine clothing and other manuactured goods1 Port Royal sent ac0 gold1 sugar cane1 and other ra materials. olloing the end o the War ith Spain the sla-e trade ecame more important to Port Royal. 3he plantation oners o Bamaica ere seeing much etter proits rom their cheap sla-e laour and loo0ed don on Port Royal as an eyesore and many o the uccaneers continued to ply their trade only to ind up singing in chains at Gallos's point. *he arth!ua6e of 1$)2 3he )arth9ua0e o $682 as (ust one o many natural disasters to hit Port Royal. , hurricane in $6++ had actually separated the ton rom the rest o Bamaica as ell. Port Royal is the last cay in a line o connected cays e*tending rom the mouth o the "ope Ri-er. ecause o South )asterly ind and Western ocean current1 sediments rom the "ope Ri-er ere deposited along the ocean loor e*tending estard rom the mouth o the ri-er. &-er time1 a series o cays or small islands ormed as coral rees egan to gro in the rich sediments deposited y the ri-er. 3hese cays continued to collect more and more sediment until the Palisadoes Spit ormed. 3he hurricane o $6++ ashed aay portions o the top sand and separated Port Royal rom the rest o the ;sland1 the )nglish sun0 old ships and dumped in roc0 and sand to reuild the spit and reattach the ton to the rest o Bamaica. Enortunately or the Palisadoes spit1 the land as unstale1 ith a ed o limestone made rom the old coral reeA and then a layer o loose sand on top o the limestone. 3his loose sand oten ecame saturated ith ater1 alloing it to slip easily rom side to side. &n Bune the :th $682 a tremendous earth9ua0e struc0 the area and the entire estern end o the ton slid into the ocean. ,lmost immediately ater the 9ua0e1 a tidal a-e hit the ton. %any o the people ho had een hal uried y the 9ua0e ere droned y this tidal a-e and ithin a e minutes o-er to thousand people died. 3o ma0e matters orse1 the cemetery located outside o ton on the Palisadoes as opened up y the 9ua0e and most o it slid into the sea as ell. 3he e sur-i-ors reuilt on the site ut most o Bamaica preerred uilding in ingston1 across the ay and in $:/+ a na-al ase as estalished once more at Port Royal or the ritish West ;ndies S9uadron in its struggle against the rench. *he
*a,erns
of
Port
oya-4
?efore
the
arth!ua6e of 1$)2 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
3he lac0 Dog1 $682 3he lue ,nchor1 $6:8 3he Cat and iddle1 $6:6 3he Cheshire Cheese1 $64 3he eathers1 $6$ 3he Green Dragon1 $6:4 3he Bamaican ,rms1 $6:: 3he ing's ,rm1 no. $A $6:: 3he ing's ,rm1 no. 2A $6:: 3he Ship1 $6:4 3he Sign o acchus1 $6:/ 3he Sign o the %ermaid1 $6+ 3he Sign o the George1 $62 3he Sugar 7oa1 $66: 3he 3hree Crons1 $6:/ 3he 3hree %ariners1 $6:: 3he 3hree 3unns1 $66+ 3he Windmill1 $64
Mada#ascar and the Indian 'cean %adagascar as a large island lying appro*imately 2+5 miles o the southeast coast o ,rica. 3he indigenous peoples li-ed in small tries1 idely spaced apart and no )uropean poer laid claim to the island. ;t had a multitude o sheltered co-ers1 resh ater and aundant oods including limes and orangesA and eaches suitaly or the careening o -essels. ;t's 0ey asset as it's pro*imity to the ma(or Red Sea and ;ndian &cean trade routes and1 as a conse9uence1 many pirates chose to use %adagascar as their ase o operations. ;ts pea0 as prior to the Golden ,ge o piracy in Cariean1 ut it did see a signiicant le-el o acti-ity as it ecame more and more diicult to operate in the Cariean due to competition and increasing policing rom the )uropean poers ater the )uropean ars endedA. ands o pirates estalished a -ariety o ases on %adagascar ith each ase under the command o a single pirate reerred to as a 0ing. 3he primary encla-es included Bohanna ;sland1 Ranter ay1 %auritius1 Saint ,ugustineVs ay1 RQunion ;sland1 ort Dauphin and [le Sainte %arie. 3he last pro-ed -ery popular ith pirates1 and y $:55 around $1+55 o them li-ed there and se-enteen -essels made it their home port. ;n $68 the pirates o %adagascar ere oered pardons1 hich many too01 in part ecause s9uadrons o arships no patrolled the ;ndian &cean and Red Sea in e-er increasing numers1 protecting the lucrati-e ;ndia trade. %adagascarVs popularity and population declined and y $:$$ less than one hundred pirates remained on the island. %adagascar had a slight1 ut short li-ed1 return to popularity hen Woodes Rogers succeeded in dri-ing the pirates out o !e Pro-idence in the Cariean. *he Go-d Coast 3he Gold Coast as the immediate area o coast around Ghana in West ,rica. ;t as a primary hu o the trans@ ,tlantic sla-e trade and many Cariean pirates spent at least some time in the aters. ;t ne-er achie-ed the same status as an area or piracy as the ;ndian &cean or Cariean.
h
Im"ortant Ports
3he olloing section details a numer o important ports in the Spanish %ain1 ;ndian &cean and Gold Coast. 3hese ports ha-e een speciically chosen ecause they are ig enough or ships to come and go ithout causing a huge stir. 3here are many more ports hich ships can use1 ut these are the most li0ely ones or cres to re9uent. Im"ortant Ports on the S"anish Main • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Charleston ritishA@ lorida ermuda ritishA Port Royal ritishA@ Bamaica St. ,ugustine SpanishA@ lorida "a-ana SpanishA@ Cua Santiago SpanishA@ Cua Campeche SpanishA@ Central ,merica "onduras SpanishA@ Central ,merica Portoello SpanishA@ Central ,merica Cartagena SpanishA@ Central ,merica Port o'Spain SpanishA@ Central ,merica San Buan SpanishA@ Puerto Rico Santa Domingo SpanishA@ "ispaniola 3ortuga PirateA@ "ispaniola !e Pro-idence PirateA@ ahama's Curacao DutchA@ Central ,merica Guadelope renchA@ 7eeard ;slands %artini9ue renchA@ 7eeard ;slands
la0e ehind the port alloed many ships to anchor there1 gi-ing them protection rom those ho pursued them. ;n addition1 i#erte controlled access eteen the eastern and estern hal-es o the %editerranean1 pro-iding corsairs ith a treasure tro-e o ships to plunder. 7ong 0non as a centre o trade and reuge or the persecuted1 the Repulic o SalQ present@day RaatA also attracted corsairs. Farious actions -ied or control until Sultan %oulay Raschid reunited %orocco in $66. "e oered his protection to the corsairs or a ten percent share o the proits1 hich e-entually increased to ity percent and the corsairs turned to more reputale pursuits or let SalQ. ;n $:$:1 anho(i ,ngria repulsed an attempt y the ritish to destroy his island encla-e near omay and continued to prey on )ast ;ndiamen in the ;ndian &cean until his death in $:28. During the ,merican Re-olution1 rench corsairs ound sae harour in Dun0ir01 a port in rance that had een used as a pri-ateering ase or hundreds o years. 3he rench Re-olution and the !apoleonic Wars rought Saint %alo to the ore as a ase or corsairs li0e Roert Surcou and RQnQ Duguay. ;n the ar east1 the %alay and Daya0 pirates preyed on maritime shipping in the aters eteen Singapore and "ong ong rom their ha-en in orneo. 3he alanini1 ased in Bolo1 raided or sla-es and preyed on Spanish -essels in the Philippines until the $65Vs hen the ritish and Spanish na-ies eradicated the pirates. Sumatra as another popular ha-en1 rom hich the ,t(eh and Riau pirates attac0ed ships in the Sundra and %alaccan Straits.
Im"ortant Ports of the Indian 'cean • • • • • • • • •
;sle Ste.%arie PirateA@ %adagascar ila PortugalA@ ,rica \an#iar ;sland %oorishA@ ,rica )thiopia %oorishA@ ,rica %ocha %oorishA@ ,raia omay ritishA@ ;ndia Se-erndroog ;slands DutchA@ ;ndia Goa PortugalA@ ;ndia Calicut renchA@ ;ndia
Im"ortant Ports of the Go-d Coast • • •
Cape Coast ritishA@ ,rica Whyda ritishA@ ,rica Cormantin DutchA@ ,rica
Pirate Ports Ports hich are mar0ed as =pirate> are riendly to pri-ateers and pirates o all nations during the Golden ,ge. 3hey are generally laless and rody places ith a lot o drin0ing and gamling estalishments and houses o ill repute. 'ther Pirate Ports around the +or-d Pirate ports ha-e e*isted throughout the orld and throughout history. 3he arary corsairs a-oured ,lgiers1 %orocco1 3ripoli1 and 3unis or their ha-ens. 3he corsairs attac0ed ships and settlements in the %editerranean and ere inamous or ensla-ing capti-es unale to pay their ransoms. 3hey ere pri-ateers ho1 in part1 e*isted to deend !orth ,rican rom )uropean aggression. 3he height o their poer came during the iteenth and si*teenth centuries1 ut corsairs still attac0ed ships into the early nineteenth century. ,nother port@o@call or corsairs as i#erte in 3unis. 3he
f
:istorica- i#ures of the Go-den %#e of Piracy 3he entry in rac0ets ater the characters name is the name o their ship i anyA. ;n the case o to or more names1 they had more than one ship in their career. 3hese are all characters rom the )arly Campaign period. ?artho-ome+ Portu#ues ane <*reasure= Fane ought ra-ely against Woodes Rogers hen he came to !e Pro-idence in $:$61 meeting the i-e arships ith ire ships and guns la#ing. "e led !e Pro-idence ut continued to harry shipping and the turncoat pirates o the island or a urther three years eore eing deposed y his lieutenant Bohn Rac0ham or reusing to attac0 a large rench ship. "e managed to regain command o another -essel later on ut as e-entually hung in Bamaica ater sur-i-ing a hurricane and marooning. 3he ship that rescued him rom star-ation on the island turned him o-er to the authorities. Christo"her Condent <e-i,erance= ,ter a relati-ely lac0 lustre career Condent as orced rom !e Pro-idence y Woodes Rogers. "e led to the ;ndian ocean and too0 an ,ra ship o omay orth $+51555 pounds ith his small rig1 resulting a shareout o T2555 per man o his cre. "e promptly retired1 ought a pardon rom the local rench go-ernor1 married the go-ernors daughter1 emigrated to rance and ecame a ealthy ship oner. d+ard n#-and <ancy= Whilst not normally renoned or his generosity )ngland ecame amous hen he engaged the )ast ;ndiaman Cassandra1 under Bames %acrae1 near %adagascar in $:25. 3he Cassandra caused 85 pirate casualties or a loss o /: men eore eing run aground and her cre ha-ing to lee into the (ungle. %acrae ra-ed certain death y returning to arter ith )ngland or the return o his ship and )ngland as so impressed y the man that he ga-e them the attered ancy and let him 0eep hal his cargo. Enortunately1 as a direct result o his clemency1 )ngland's on man marooned him shortly aterards. d+ard Lo+ <ancyFGood ortune= )dard 7o possessed an unceasing hatred o !e )ngland and its inhaitants and rutally tortured any !e )nglanders ho eel into his hands. "e as inamous or cutting one !e )ngland Captains ears o1 then ma0ing him eat them. d+ard *each K?-ac6beard 3he emodiment o =the pirate>. 3each as not an o-erly successul pirate ut his mastery o psychological arare
as super. "e as a hea-y drin0er1 super sordsman and natural leader o men ho inally ell in a attle aoard "%S Pearl1 0illing or ounding thirty our opponents eore he inally succumed to tenty i-e ounds he had ta0en. During his career he married ourteen omen1 led a leet o o-er our hundred man and succeeded in deeating a thirty gun rigate o the Royal !a-y. mmanue- ynne <%d,enture= Wynn as the irst pirate to e sighted using the =(olly roger>1 s0ull and crossones1 lag o ,rica in $:55. &riginally the (olly roger as thought to indicate an oer o 9uarter1 in-iting a target to surrender. ; they did not surrender 9uic0ly enough the (olly roger ould e loered and replaced ith a red lag1 indicating that no mercy ould e gi-en. rancis L9'-onais ,-ery's pirate career egan in $684 hen he as part o a pri-ateer cre hich mutinied and turned pirate. ;n $68+ he and his cre o $65 too0 the Great %ogul's 65 gun treasure ship Gang@;@Saai1 deeating its i-e hundred mus0eteers. 3he %ogul claimed a loss o si* hundred thousand pounds and held the ritish )ast ;ndia company responsile1 ma0ing ,-ery a ol0 hero and anted criminal. :o+e-- a,is <o,er= "oell Da-is as renoned or his sil-er tongue and as adept at gaining ad-antage through tric0ery. ;ronically1 he met his end in $:$8 hilst trying to entice the Go-ernor o "igh Cameroon onto his ship ith a alse oer o hospitality. "e as succeeded y artholome Roerts1 ho he had pressed into ser-ice only a e ee0s pre-iously. ohn Aue-ch
his cre shortly aterards. ohn ac6ham <%d,enture= =Calico Bac0> as amous or his to iercest hands ere to inamous omen< ,nne onney and %ary read. 3hey ere renoned as the irst to oard an enemy and the last to lea-e. ohn *ay-or <>ictoryFCassandra= 3aylor replaced )dard )ngland as Captain ater the %acrae incident and is most notale or ta0ing the dismasted Portugese )ast ;ndiaman !ossa Senhora do Cao in $:22. 3he Cao as returning rom Goa ith the retiring -iceroy and his personal ortune o one million pounds in diamonds. !eedless to say 3aylor and his cre retired happily on this single luc0y rea0. Le Sieur a,anau de Lusan <-a oudre= 7usan as a rench aristocrat ho entered piracy -ia uccaneer e*peditions against the Spanish as an escape rom gamling dets. "e as highly courageous and renoned or his ci-ility toards his capti-es. MaBor Stede ?onnet <e,en#eFoya- ames= onnet as an oddity1 a gentleman ho ought his on ten gun sloop and hired the se-enty man cre out o his on poc0et. "e ell in ith lac0eard and lost his ship1 eore regaining it hen lac0eard douled crossed his cre and they turned ac0 to their original Captain. "e as captured in $:$ and as noted or his shameless gro-elling eore the hangman. '-i,er La ?u@e <>ictoire= ,lso 0non as =the u##ard> and &li-er la ouche. 7a u#e as sailing in tandem ith Bohn 3aylor hen he too0 the Cao and he shared in the loot. Peter ?-ood KCa"tain ?-ood <%rabe--a= Peter lood trained as a doctor ut instead ecame a mercenary. "e ought in se-eral ars1 learned seamanship1 returned to ritain to practice medicine eore eing con-icted o treason and sentenced to sla-ery in arados. "e escaped during a Spanish attac0 and sei#ed a Spanish ship1 turning to piracy. ,ter a long and loody career he ended up sa-ing Port Royal rom rench attac01 as gi-en a royal pardon y the nely croned ing William ;; and ecame an assistant go-ernor eore inally retiring and marrying the Go-ernors Daughter. i--iam Didd <%d,enture Ga--ey= Captain idd ecame ealthy as a pri-ateer eore eing pressured into acting as a ings Commissioner and sailing to the Red Sea to attac0 rench shipping. ,ter se-eral ailed attempts he as orced y his cre to ta0e se-eral hutch ships then a richly laden %oorish ship1 using their possession o rench passes as an e*cuse. Epon his return to !e Jor0 idd as arrested or piracy and etrayed y the -ery person ho had sent him out1 7ord ellomont1 Go-ernor o !e Jor0 ecause he had ecome a political liaility. idd's ody as let to hang or many years1 earning him his =ame> and his ealth as ne-er ully reco-ered1 leading to many stories o uried pirate treasure.
A
Jou can use the Ship o the 7ine S&37A to play out ship to ship engagements in Pri-ateers and Pirates. 3o do this you need toI $. Determine the e9ui-alent ship1 in S&37 terms1 to the ships in the engagement. 2. Determine the cre 9ualities o each ship. /. Determine i any characters aoard a ship can act as 7egendary &icers and1 i so1 are they going to. Shi" *y"e Bust ind the appropriate ship type on the S&37 ship tale and use those Stats. Cre+ Aua-ity ; the irst %ate o a pirate ship1 pri-ateer or arship has the ,dministrationtrainingA s0ill and speciality their ships cre can e considered to e Feteran. ; the ship is a merchant ship assume the cre 9uality is Green1 or Regular i the irst %ate has the ,dministrationtrainingA s0ill and speciality. Le#endary 'fficer Status , character ith at least three Drama points and the appropriate S0ill M Speciality can act as a 7egendary &icer during a attle. , gi-en character can only act as one type o 7egendary &icer in any gi-en attle. Le#endary 'fficer
S6i-- and S"ecia-ity
7egendary ,dmiral
3acticsseaA
7egendary Captain
3acticsseaA
7egendary Sailing %aster
Sailing
7egendary Surgeon
"ealingsurgeryA
7egendary Gunner
ShootinggunneryA
7egendary uartermaster ighting and Shooting 7egendary ,rtillerist
ShootinggunneryA
7egendary oatsain
,dministration
3he olloing section lists a numer o ma(or locations hich characters may -isit rom time to time. Cross reerence the starting point o a (ourney and its end to determine the a-erage numer o days it ta0es to complete the (ourney. 3hese tales assume an a-erage speed o i-e 0nots or the (ourney a-erage or a sailing ship o the dayA. 3he entry in rac0ets ater each location is the nationality o that location. Where there are to entries separated y a slashA the irst eore the slashA reers to the locations onership in the early campaign period and the second ater the slashA reers to its onership in the late campaign. Shi""in# outes )ach tale represents one =campaigning area> and each campaigning area is connected to the others y shipping routes. 3o mo-e eteen areas a ship should sail to the start o a shipping route1 then across to the end o that shipping route in another campaigning area. For example, if a ship wishes to sail from ?ort :oyal to /ull look up the sailing time from ?ort :oyal to 7ermuda, the sailing time from 7ermuda to ?lymouth (the shipping route), then the sailing time from ?lymouth to /ull and add them all together.
rom the S"anish Main and %merica9s to Ca"e Coast or Channe- Ports oston to ristolI 24 days oston to PlymouthI 24 days oston to 7isonI 2/ days ermuda to 7isonI 22U days ermuda to ristolI 24 days ermuda to PlymouthI 2/ days %artini9ue to Cape CoastI 28 days • • • • • • •
rom the Channe- Ports to the Go-d Coast 7ison to Cape CoastI 22 U days •
rom Go-d Coast or Channe- Ports to the Mediterranean Giraltar to 7isonI 2 U days Giraltar to Cape CoastI 22 days • •
rom Go-d Coast to the Indian 'cean Cape ton to Cape CoastI 22 days •
*he S"anish Main and the %merica9s
Spanish Main and the America's
n o t s o B
k r o Y w e N
n o t s e l r a h C
e n i t s u g u A . t S
a a o o d n g g a i a n u v t i m a n m r e H a o S D B a t n a S
l n a e a y c u o n e R d i n t v a r o o r S P P w e N
e i n o e o l u a a h l " % c c e i a e & n $ S r % o i t u t r # C m r a t a o P r C ! o P
Boston( New )ngland *British+American,
-
New York( New York *British+American,
-
Charleston( Carolina *British+American,
/
0
-
23
0
-
0
0
04
5
-
Havana( Cu&a *S%anish,
224
23
64
74
Santiago( Cu&a *S%anish,
284
22
5
/
54 6 4
-
Santa Domingo( His%aniola *S%anish9,
2
224
5
/4
54
:4
8
-
Port Royal( amaica *British,
2:
28
7
5
74
0
24
8
New Providence( Bahama$s *Pirate+British,
23
5
:
/
/
:4 :4 64
San uan( ;irgin
28
224
74
23
/
5
6
:4
6
04
-
!artini"ue( =eeward
2:4
2:
284
2
7
22
5
/4
5
74
-
Port #$S%ain( >indward
204
20
2:
2:
22
28 54
54
5
22
6
8
-
Curacao( Dutch Antilles *Dutch,
264
26
28
224 234 74
64
6
54
:
:
4
Cam%eche( Yucatan *S%anish,
2:
28
5
04
28
84 64 /4
0
28 234 2
Porto&ello( Panama *S%anish,
25
204
2
28
24
5
64
0
'ela( Honduras *S%anish,
20
2:
23
5
2:
:4
0
/4
Cartagena( ;ene?uela *S%anish,
2/
264
28
7
6
6
St. Augustine( 1lorida *S%anish+American, Hamilton( Bermuda *British,
224 284
a n e g a t r a C
-
6
-
:4
-
0
5
54 04
2: 23
74 74
-
0
2
-
2
7
4
0
-
/4 /4
:
54
8
64 /4 234 2 :
-
L3he ;sle o 3ortuga1 hich lies (ust o the !orth )ast coast o "ispaniola is an independent pirate port. %frica and the Indian 'cean
a l e '
-
Africa
t a & a R
t a o C e % a C
? n n i e w t % o n o t a = e m e % r % a o a C C C
Ra&at( !orocco *
-
Ca%e Coast( @old Coast Arica *British,
:
-
Cormantin( @old Coast Arica *Dutch,
0
8
-
/
04
-
82
25
Ca%e =o%e?( @old Coast Arica *Portugese, 85 Ca%etown( South Arica *Dutch+British,
Indian Ocean
Ca%etown( South Arica *Dutch+British,
80 88
n w o t e % a C
e i r a ! . t S e l s <
*he Ca"e of Good :o"e 3he Cape o Good "ope is the Southernmost point o ,rica and a dangerous stretch o aters. 3he Captain o any ship tra-elling rom Capeton to another port in the ;ndian &cean or -ice -ersaA should ma0e a Sailing chec0. &n a critical ailure their ship is rec0ed and sin0s in the treacherous aters.
-
r a ' i # n a \
a h c o !
t a c s u %
y a & m o B
a o @
-
-
an?i&ar( Arica *#ttoman,
25
8
@
!ocha( Red Sea *#ttoman,
254
$4
-
!uscat( Persian @ul *#ttoman,
/
2$
$U
23
-
Bom&ay(
5
88
82
2:
:
-
/4
83
834
2:
5
8
-
22
6
@oa(
d n a l s < g o o r d n r e v e S
0
274 834 204
*he Channe- Mediterranean and %t-antic Ports
-
Atlantic Ports
l m l u a H d r e t t o R
n o d n o =
r e v o D
l h o t t u i s o r m B s t r o P
r h t e l u i e o m H . t y l P S
e r v a H e =
t s e r B
e n n o y a B
s i a l a C
n o & s i =
Rotterdam( the Netherlands *Dutch,
-
Hull( )ngland *British,
2
-
24
8
-
Dover( )ngland *British,
2
2
Portsmouth( )ngland *British,
8
:
8
:4
0
:
:4
84
-
Plymouth( )ngland *British,
:
8
8
2
8
-
St.Helier( ersey *British,
4 84
24
2
84
2
-
=e Havre( 1rance *1rench,
8
4
24
2
2
24
2
-
Brest( 1rance *1rench,
:
64
4
4
8
8
24
8
8
-
04
5
0
0
64
6
:4
6
64
-
Calais( 1rance *1rench,
2
2
4
2
4
8
8
2
6
-
=is&on( Portugal *Portugese,
7
234 54 234
/
/
0
04
/
64
64
5
-
284 234
7
7
5
5
7
/4
/
23
8
=ondon( )ngland *British,
Bristol( )ngland *British,
Bayonne( 1rance *1rench,
Cadi?( S%ain *S%anish, @i&raltar *British, Ra&at( !orocco *Ara&ic,
22
? i d a C
r a t l a r & i @
t a & a R
-
22
224
2
22
224 74
74
54
54
74
5
22
2
22
224
74
54
54
23
54
7
*he Mediterranean Ports 3o enter the %editerranean ships must pass y Giraltar.
/4 234 84 5
23
84
4
-
24
24
-
r a t l a r & i @
s e l l i e s r a !
a t t e l l a ;
s r e i g l A
a o n e @
s e l % a N
o m r e l a P
e t s e i r '
s u e a r i P
l u & n a t s <
r i m ? <
a i r d n a e l A
@i&raltar *British,
-
!arseilles( 1rance *1rench,
6
-
;alletta( !alta *British,
5
64
-
4
4
6
-
@enoa(
/
24
6
:
Na%les(
5
:
84
6
Palermo(
/4
:
8
:
4
'rieste(
2:
23
0
234
7
04
0
-
Piraeus( @reece *@reek,
284
7
:4
7
5
64
6
/
-
264
224
/
224
234
5
/4
7
-
24
23
64
23
74
/
04
54
2
8
-
26
224
0
224
22
54
5
23
:
0
:
-
'ri%oli( =i&ya *#ttoman,
5
0
24
64
0
:
/4
6
/
04
/
'unis( 'unisia *#ttoman,
04
:
8
:
84
24
/4
0
54
Algiers( Algeria *#ttoman,
Aleandria( )gy%t *#ttoman+1rench,
i s l o i n % i u r ' '
-
/4 54
84
-
3he olloing scenario is designed to let you play Pri-ateers and Pirates as soon as you ha-e made up some characters. 3his scenario is ritten or the early campaign ut can e played in the late campaign using the changes noted at the end. Summary , ashed up Spanish Captain =Don Buan Galiano> 0nos aout a secret shipment o gold rom Portoello to Santa Domingo and is illing to guide the cre i they cut him in or a share. "e is a drun0ard and as discharged rom the Spanish !a-y or eing drun0 on duty one time too many. ,t 0ey points in the ad-enture he ill e under the tale and no use1 orcing the cre to impro-ise. "is plan can e summarised as ollosI $. Sail to a small ishing port near Portoello1 hi(ac0 to ishing smac0s. 2. Some o the cre snea0 the irst smac0 into the harour and capture the gold ship a sloopA. /. 3he rest o the cre set light to the second smac0 and head it or the harour as a di-ersion. 4. ;n the ensuing chaos snea0 the ully loaded gold ship out o the harour. +. Sail to the nearest ritish colony and sell the ootyK Com"-ication $. 3he Captain is so drun0 that hen the cre gets into the harour he can't identiy the gold ship. 3he cre has to impro-ise a plan to or0 out hich o the three sloops in harour is the right one. 2. Don Buan holds the current Go-ernor o Portoello =Don Corte#> responsile or his dismissal rom the !a-y. Corte# as the oicer presiding o-er the courts marshall hich discharged Don Buan. /. 3he treasure ship is not a Spanish national ship1 it is actually the personal1 and secret ealth o Don Corte#. ; the cre steals it Corte# ill place a personal ounty on their heads and the cre ill li0ely ha-e to deal ith the conse9uences in uture ad-entures. :iBac6 "i(ac0ing the to ishing smac0s is airly easy. 3he cre can either capture one or oth at sea1 or sail close to the -illage then send a landing party in to capture the -essels. 3he ishermen -alue their li-es more than their ships and ill surrender i they are clearly outnumered. Mas!uerade 3he cre ha-e to sail their smac0 into Portoello harour1 mas9uerading as Spanish ishermen. irst and oremost they need at least one person ho has Spanish as a 9ualiied s0ill to act as a spo0esperson. Don Buan o-iously spea0s Spanish ut the closer they get to Portoello the drun0er he gets. ; the characters stop him drin0ing he gets more and more surly and uncooperati-e. 3o ma0e things interesting1 the ishing smac0 ill e hailed y one o the patrolling gunoats hen it comes into the harour and the characters ill ha-e to lu their ay past. asically the Spanish spea0er needs to ma0e an ;nluence or Disguise chec0 to come across con-incingly1 i they ail the gunoat cre are suspicious ut let them pass. 3he militia are alerted and ill 0eep an eye on the cre hen they ha-e doc0ed1 any unusual eha-iour ill e responded to 9uic0ly. ; they critical ail the gunoat cre is alerted and ill open ire. *he *reasure Shi"
3he sloop is orth se-enteen thousand pounds and its golden hoard is orth another ity thousand poundsK Identifyin# the shi" 3here are three sloops on the doc0side. 3he player characters must identiy hich is the treasure ship. "o the characters handle this depends on the players1 ut some possile methods might includeI •
Snea6in#
aboard
and
chec6in#
the
ho-ds4
Re9uires a StealthuranA chec0 or each ship1 to chec0 the hold ithout detection. , ailed chec0 alerts the atch on the ship eing chec0ed and the character must either lee or ight. %s6in# around the ta,erns4 Re9uires an ;nluencegossipA chec0 to identiy the ship correctly. , critical ailure means someone ecomes suspicious and alerts the militia ho start loo0ing or the characters. ; the cre ailed their Disguise or ;nluence chec0 hen conronted y the gunoat earlier the militia ill e olloing them1 ma0ing either o the ao-e actions more diicult @$5 on the chec0sA. •
*a6in# the treasure shi" &nce the cre ha-e identiied the correct ship they must snea0 aoard1 disale the atchmen and any cre aoard1 then set sail. *he :arbour 3here are to gunoats on patrol in the harour at any gi-en time. , successul Sailing chec0 lets the helmsman o the treasure ship slip out undetected y night1 ut i they ail the gunoats ill engage. ;t ta0es our ship rounds or reinorcements to moilise themsel-es rom the doc0side1 those reinorcements eing to more ully creed gunoats. ,ny ship maneu-ering in the harour has a @25 to their Sailing chec0 each round to relect the relati-ely conined space and shallo aters. , ship hich succeeds on its Sailing chec0 may lea-e the harour in that round1 ut cannot ire on any -essels in the same round as lea-ing the harour. Ships in the harour cannot attac0 ships outside the harour. Portobe--o 3he ton is arranged in the orm o a hal moon1 ith the to points1 aiming )ast and West. 3he ul0 o the ton is located in the centre o the crescent. rom the Pla#a de la %ar in the centreA1 there are to streets going to the Castillo Santiago. ,nother road leads rom the Pla#a de la %ar up into the mountains. irst it crosses a small ridge o-er a cree0 descending rom the mountainsA and then to another pla#a aout one hundred yards rom the Pla#a de la %ar. 3he ton is roughly i-e hundred yards =long> ith many cross streets. ;n the ton1 there are aout +5 houses1 a cathedral1 the Con-ent o %ercy1 a hospital1 and the ings houses on the Pla#a de la %ar. 3he City Go-ernment houses1 )l CaildoA1 are located on the second pla#a. Portoello consists o our districts< 3riana1 here the poor Spaniards1 and the ings sla-es li-e. %erceds1 here the ell to do citi#ens li-e. Guinea1 the residence o the ree !egros. Shanty ton1 around /5@45 huts made o cane and stra1 inhaited y peasants %ost o the homes outside Shanty tonA are constructed •
• • •
o ood1 ith stone ooters. Some are to@stories and some ha-e glass indos1 and tile roos. etter o indi-iduals preer stone uildings to ood1 associating ood ith illness and disease due to the pro*imity o the thic0 (ungle hich encircles the tonA. 3here are also some go-ernment arehouses1 hich are generally stone uilt. ;t is also important to note the eather. eing in the tropics it rains -irtually e-ery day1 although the months o Banuary to ,pril the dry seasonA are slightly more tolerale. 3he ton is surrounded y (ungle to landard and has only one ma(or roaday into it1 rom panama. Garrisons are located throughout the ton and around /55 soldiers totalA are located in the ton garrisons. rom a pirates point o -ie1 the most important thing in Porto ello is the ings 3reasure "ouse1 a massi-ely ortiied uilding here royal unds are held typically ten thousand ducats or moreA. Portoello harour is around /0m in length1 $: athoms deep in the centre1 dropping to around : athoms ne*t to the ton1 so e-en the largest ships can easily moor up on the doc0 at the ton or oloading. 3hree castles protect the anchorage. Castillo de San elipe /+ cannons1 +5 soldiersA
Castillo Santiago + cannons1 /5 soldiersA Castillo de San Beronimo + cannons1 /5 soldiersA 3he castles are made o /m thic0 coral alls1 nigh on indestructile. ,t a push1 the harour has room or /55 galleons and a $555 smaller ships to anchor up saely1 and another 2555 smaller ship could moor up outside the protection o the orts. • •
*he Chase to Port oya&nce the cre has escaped any attle at Portoello they must sail ac0 to the nearest pirate or ritish port most li0ely Port RoyalA. %a0e a normal roll to tra-el the distance1 e*cept that any arship result ill e Spanish ships hunting or the stolen treasure ship. Chan#es for the Late Cam"ai#n ; you ant to use this scenario in a late campaign ma0e the olloing changesI ,ction mo-es to the Channel ,rea. Cre's home port is St. "elier Channel ;slandsA. 3he rench replace the Spanish as the ad guys all game stats remain the same thoughA. 3he target port is St.!a#aire rather than Portoello. • • •
•
•
Portobe--o :arbour Ma" &n the map elo all land areas are co-ered in thic0 (ungle. %o-ement through thic0 (ungle is at aout one mile per hour1 or sloer in hea-y rain. 3he 7aguna Grande is a shallo resh ater lagoon1 only na-igale y oats and small crat.
Cast of Characters ame
Don Buan Galiano
3ypical Spanish %ilitia
3ypical Sailor
Gender
%ale
%ale
%ale
%#e
+2
-aries
-aries
rama
2
5
5
S6i--s E ighting1 ,rt1 Gaming1 ;nluence1 %usic1 Sailing1 ighting1 "ealth1 Shooting S"ecia-ities Connections1 !a-igation1 Signalling1 3actics1 &icers ha-e 3actics as ellA
"ealth1 ,thletics1 Sailing
,dministration -a+s
,ddict alcoholA
escri"tion Drun0ard1 dirty clothes1 oul reath !ui"ment
Cheap old lintloc0 pistol %1 )!C +1 T$U1 $+65A. Sord %1 )!C $5A 3otal )!C $+
@
@
%oustachioed1 slic0ed ac0 hair
Staggering around
%us0et "1 )!C $+1 T2U1 +255A Sord %1 )!C $5A
Dagger 71 )!C +1 4sA
3otal )!C 2+
3otal )!C +
Drun0en SailorsI ,ny Sailors met on the aterront at Portoello ater nightall are almost certainly ineriated1 ith a @$5 to all chec0s. ishin# Smac6 Go-d Shi"
+5
45
/5
Cre+
$5
$55
25
Guns
@
$6
3his piece o or0 is the thirteenth chapter o the $62: oo0 =, Sea Grammar1 ith the Plaine )*position o Smiths ,ccidence or young Sea@men1 enlarged. Di-ided into iteene ChaptersI hat they are you may partly concei-e y the Contents. Written y Captaine ;ohn Smith1 sometimes Go-ernour o Firginia1 and ,dmiral o !e@)ngland> ;t is presented here to gi-e a general reerence or players and the G% as to ho conduct themsel-es hilst roleplaying in an early campaign1 and to add period la-our. &o' to manage a (igt at Sea) 'it te p!ope! tea!mes in a (igt la!gely exp!essed) and te o!de!ing o( a Na%y at Sea* 0any bookes or this master peece o this or0e1 ; conesse ; might doe etter to lea-e it to e-ry particular mans of t he 6rt of conceit as it is1 or those o longer practice or more e*perience1 yet ecause ; ha-e seene many oo0es >ar for the o the ,rt o Warre yland1 and ne-er any or the Sea1 seeing all men so silent in this most diicult land, none for ser-ice1 and there are so many young Captaines1 and others that desire to e Captains1 ho 0no -ery little1 or nothing at all to any purpose1 o their etter understanding ; haue proceeded thus arre< no or the sea. this that olloes1 hat ; haue seene1 done1 and concei-ed y my small e*perience1 ; reerre me to their riendly constructions1 and ell ad-ised considerations.
, saile1 ho eares she or stands shee1 to ind@ard or lee@ard1 set him y the Compasse< he stands right ahead1 or on the eather@o1 or lee@o1 let lie your colours i you ha-e a consort1 else not. &ut ith all your sailes1 a steady man to the helme1 sit close to 0eepe her steady1 giue him chase or etch him up< 3o giu-e chase. hee holds his one1 no1 e gather on him. Captaine1 out goes his lag and pendants1 also his aste clothes and top armings1 Wast clothes. hich is a long red cloth aout three 9uarters o a yard road1 edged on each side ith Calico or hite 3op armings. linnen cloth1 that goeth round aout the ship on the out sides o all her upper or0es ore and at1 and eore the curidge heads1 also aout the ore and ]page B2I65^ maine tops1 as ell or the countenance and grace o the ship1 as to couer men rom eing seene1 hee urles and slings his maine yard1 in goes his spret@saile. ighting sailes. 3hus they use to strip themselues into their short sailes1 or ighting sailes1 hich is onely the ore saile1 3o hale a ship. the maine and ore top sailes1 ecause the rest should not e ired nor spoiled< esides they ould e troulesome to handle1 hinder our ights and the using our armes< he ma0es ready his close ights ore and at. "o to egin a %aster ho stands the chase? Right on head ; say< Well e shall reach him y and y< What's all ready1 ight. Jea1 yea1 e-ery man to his charge1 dose your top@saile to salute him or the Sea1 hale him ith a noise o trumpets< Whence is your ship? & Spaine< Whence is yours? & @ngland < ,re you a %erchant1 or a man o War? We are o the Sea< "e a-es us to lee@ard ith his drane sord1 cals amaine or the ing o Spaine1 and springs his louse1 giue him a chase peece ith your road side1 and run a good erth ahead o him< Done1 done1 We ha-e the ind o him1 and he tac0es aout1 tac0e you aout also and 0eepe your louse1 e yare at the helme1 edge in ith him1 gi-e him a -olley o small shot1 also your pro and road side as eore1 and 0eepe your louse< "ee payes -s shot or shot< Well1 ee shall re9uire him< What are you ready againe1 Jea1 yea. 3ry him once more as eore1 Done1 done< eepe your louse and loge your ordnance againe< ;s all ready? Jea1 yea< edge in in ] sic^ ith him againe1 egin ith your o peeces1 proceed ith your road side1 M let her all o ith the ind1 to gi-e her also your ull chase1 your eather road side1 and ring her round that the sterne may also discharge1 and your tac0es close aoord againe< Done1 done1 the ind -eeres1 the Sea goes too high to oord her1 and ee are shot thoro and thoro1 and eteene ind and ater. 3ry the pump1 eare up the helme1 %aster let -s reathe and reresh a little1 and sling a man ouer oord to stop the lea0es< "o to sling a that is to trusse him up aout the middle in a peece o can-as1 and a rope to 0eepe him rom sin0ing1 man ouer and his armes at lierty1 ith a malet in the one hand1 M a plug lapped in &a0um1 and ]page ;/I6$^ ell oord. tarred in a tarpaling clout in the other1 hich he ill 9uic0ly eat into the hole or holes the ullets made< What cheere mates1 is all ell? ,ll ell1 all ell1 all ell< 3hen ma0e ready to eare up ith him againe1 and ithall your great and small shot charge him1 and in the smo0e oord him tart the hase1 on the o1 mid ships1 or rather then saile1 on his 9uarter1 or ma0e ast your graplings i you can to his close ights and sheare o. Captaine e are ole on each other1 and the ship is on ire1 cut any thing to get cleare1 and smother the ire ith et cloathes. ;n such a case they ill presently e such riends1 as to help one the other all they can to get cleare1 lest they oth should urne together and sin0e< and i they e generous1 the ire 9uenched1 drin0e 0indley one to another< hea-e their cans o-er oord1 and then egin againe as eore. , consultation M direction in a sea ight1 M ho they ury their dead.
Well %aster1 the day spent1 the night draes on1 let us consult. Chirurgion loo0e to the ounded1 and inde up the slaine1 ith each a eight or ullet at their heads and eet to ma0e them sin0e1 and gi-e them three gunnes or their unerals1 Saer ma0e cleane the ship1 Purser record their !ames1 Watch e -igliant to 0eepe your erth to ind ard that e lose him not in the night1 Gunners spunge your &rdnance1 Souldiers score your peeces1 Carpenters aout your lea0es1 oatsaine and the rest repaire the sailes and shrouds1 and Coo0e see you oser-e your directions against the morning atch1 oy1 "olla %aster "olla1 is the 0ettle oiled1 yea1 yea1 oatsaine call -p the men to prayer and rea0e ast.
, preparation oy etch my cellar o ottles1 a health to you all ore and at1 courage my hearts or a resh charge1 or a resh Gunners eat open the ports1 and out ith your loer tire1 and ring me rom the eather side to the charge lee1 so many peeces as e ha-e ports to eare upon him1 %aster lay him aoord louse or louse1 midships men see the tops and yards ell manned1 ith stones1 ire pots1 and rasse ailes1 to thro amongst them eore e enter1 or i e e put o1 charge them ith all your great and small shot1 in the smo0e let -s enter ]page ;/I62^ them in the shrouds1 and e-ry s9uadron at his est ad-antage1 so sound Drums and 3rumpets1 and Saint 3eorge or )ngland. "o a prise 3hey hang out a lag o truce1 hale him a maine1 a ase1 or t a0e in his lag1 stri0e their sailes and come doth yeeld1 and aoord ith their Captaine1 Purser and Gunner1 ith ther commission1 coc0et1 or ils o lading. &ut goes ho to the oat1 they are lanched rom the ship side1 entertaine them ith a generall cry1 God sa-e the entertaine him Captaine and all the company ith the 3rumpets sounding1 e*amine them in particular1 and then Sea@man li0e. conclude your conditions1 ith easting1 reedome1 or punishment1 as you inde occasion< ut alayes ha-e as much care to their ounded as your one1 and i there e either young omen or aged men1 use them noly1 hich is e-er the nature o a generous disposition. 3o conclude1 i you surpri#e him1 or enter perorce1 you may sto the men1 rile1 pillage1 or sac0e1 and cry a pri#e. "o to call a Councell o War1 and order a !auy at Seat.
3o call a Councell o Warre to manage all usinesses o import1 and the common Councell or matters o small moment1 hen they ould ha-e a meeting1 here the ,dmirall doth appoint it< i in the ,dmirall1 they hang out a lag in the maine shrouds< i in the Fice ,dmirall1 in the ore shrouds< i in the Reare ,dmirall1 in the mi#en< ; there ee many s9uadrons1 the sic^ is to eare his lag in the maine top1 in the presence o the ,dmirall generall1 e*cept the ,dmirall come aoard o hime to Councell1 to dinner1 or collation1 and so any ship else here he so resideth during that time1 is to eare his lag in the maine top. they use to martiall or order those s9uadrons in ran0es li0e %anaples1 hich is oure s9uare1 i the ind and Sea permits1 a good erth or distance rom ]page ;I6/^ each other1 that they ecalme not one another1 nor come not ole o each other< the Generall commonly in the middest1 his Fice ,dmirall in the ront1 and his Reare ,dmirall in the Reare< or otherise li0e a hale %oone1 hich is to s9uadrons li0e to triangles or the to hornes1 and so the rest o the s9uadrons ehind each other a good distance1 and the Generall in the middest o the hal circle1 rom hence he seeth all his leet1 and sendeth his directions1 as he indes occasion to hom he pleaseth.
Stratagems or !o eteene to !a-ies they use oten1 especially in a harour or road here they are at anchor1 to Sea@men. ill old ar0es ith pitch1 tar1 traine oile1 lincet oile1 rimstone1 rosen1 reeds1 ith dry ood1 and such comustile things1 sometimes they lin0e three or oure together in the night1 and puts them adrit as they inde occasion. 3o passe a ort some ill ma0e oth ship and sailes all lac01 ut i the ort 0eepe ut a ire on the other side1 and all the pieces point lan0e ith the ire1 i they discharge hat is eti*t them and the ire1 the shot ill hit i the rule ee truly oser-ed< or hen a ship is eti*t the ire and you1 shee doth 0eeepe ] sic^ you rom seeing it till shee ee past it. 3o conclude1 there is as many stratagems1 ad-antages1 and intentions to e used as you inde occasions1 and thereore e*perience must e the est 3utor.
3he Code Duello1 co-ering the practice o duelling and points o honour1 as dran up and settled at Clonmel Summer ,ssi#es1 $:::1 y gentlemen@delegates o 3ipperary1 Galay1 Sligo1 %ayo and Roscommon1 and prescried or general adoption throughout ;reland. 3he Code as generally also olloed in )ngland and on the Continent ith some slight -ariations. ;n ,merica1 the principal rules ere olloed1 although occasionally there ere some glaring de-iations. u-e 1. 3he irst oence re9uires the irst apology1 though the retort may ha-e een more oensi-e than the insult.
)*ampleI , tells he is impertinent1 etc. retorts that he lies< yet , must ma0e the irst apology ecause he ga-e the irst oence1 and then ater one ireA may e*plain aay the retort y a suse9uent apology. u-e 2. ut i the parties ould rather ight on1 then ater to shots each ut in no case eoreA1 may e*plain irst1 and ,
apologi#e aterard.
!.. 3he ao-e rules apply to all cases o oences in retort not o stronger class than the e*ample. u-e 3. ; a dout e*ist ho ga-e the irst oence1 the decision rests ith the seconds< i they on't decide1 or can't agree1
the matter must proceed to to shots1 or to a hit1 i the challenger re9uire it.
u-e . When the lie direct is the irst oence1 the aggressor must either eg pardon in e*press terms< e*change to shots
pre-ious to apology< or three shots olloed up y e*planation< or ire on till a se-ere hit e recei-ed y one party or the other.
u-e 5. ,s a lo is strictly prohiited under any circumstances among gentlemen1 no -eral apology can e recei-ed or
such an insult. 3he alternati-es1 thereore @@ the oender handing a cane to the in(ured party1 to e used on his on ac01 at the same time egging pardon< iring on until one or oth are disaled< or e*changing three shots1 and then as0ing pardon ithout proer o the cane. ; sords are used1 the parties engage until one is ell looded1 disaled1 or disarmed< or until1 ater recei-ing a ound1 and lood eing dran1 the aggressor egs pardon. !.. , disarm is considered the same as a disale. 3he disarmer may strictlyA rea0 his ad-ersary's sord< ut i it e the challenger ho is disarmed1 it is considered as ungenerous to do so. ;n the case the challenged e disarmed and reuses to as0 pardon or atone1 he must not e 0illed1 as ormerly< ut the challenger may lay his on sord on the aggressor's shoulder1 then rea0 the aggressor's sord and say1 ; spare your lieK 3he challenged can ne-er re-i-e the 9uarrel @@ the challenger may. u-e $. ; , gi-es the lie1 and retorts y a lo eing the to greatest oencesA1 no reconciliation can ta0e place till
ater to discharges each1 or a se-ere hit< ater hich may eg ,'s pardon humly or the lo and then , may e*plain simply or the lie< ecause a lo is ne-er alloale1 and the oence o the lie1 thereore1 merges in it. See preceding rules.A !.. Challenges or undi-ulged causes may e reconciled on the ground1 ater one shot. ,n e*planation or the slightest hit should e suicient in such cases1 ecause no personal oence transpired. u-e 7. ut no apology can e recei-ed1 in any case1 ater the parties ha-e actually ta0en ground1 ithout e*change o
ires.
u-e /. ;n the ao-e case1 no challenger is oliged to di-ulge his cause o challenge i pri-ateA unless re9uired y the
challenged so to do eore their meeting.
u-e ). ,ll imputations o cheating at play1 races1 etc.1 to e considered e9ui-alent to a lo< ut may e reconciled ater
one shot1 on admitting their alsehood and egging pardon pulicly.
u-e 10. ,ny insult to a lady under a gentleman's care or protection to e considered as1 y one degree1 a greater oence
than i gi-en to the gentleman personally1 and to e regulated accordingly. u-e 11. &ences originating or accruing rom the support o ladies' reputations1 to e considered as less un(ustiiale
than any others o the same class1 and as admitting o slighter apologies y the aggressorI this to e determined y the circumstances o the case1 ut alays a-ourale to the lady. u-e 12. ;n simple1 unpremeditated recontres ith the smallsord1 or couteau de chasse1 the rule is @@ irst dra1 irst
sheath1 unless lood is dran< then oth sheath1 and proceed to in-estigation.
u-e 13. !o dum shooting or iring in the air is admissile in any case. 3he challenger ought not to ha-e challenged
ithout recei-ing oence< and the challenged ought1 i he ga-e oence1 to ha-e made an apology eore he came on the ground< thereore1 children's play must e dishonourale on one side or the other1 and is accordingly prohiited. u-e 1. Seconds to e o e9ual ran0 in society ith the principals they attend1 inasmuch as a second may either choose
or chance to ecome a principal1 and e9uality is indispensale u-e 15. Challenges are ne-er to e deli-ered at night1 unless the party to e challenged intend lea-ing the place o
oence eore morning< or it is desirale to a-oid all hot@headed proceedings.
u-e 1$. 3he challenged has the right to choose his on eapon1 unless the challenger gi-es his honour he is no
sordsman< ater hich1 hoe-er1 he can decline any second species o eapon proposed y the challenged.
u-e 17. 3he challenged chooses his ground< the challenger chooses his distance< the seconds i* the time and terms o
iring. u-e 1/. 3he seconds load in presence o each other1 unless they gi-e their mutual honours they ha-e charged smooth
and single1 hich should e held suicient.
u-e 1). iring may e regulated @@ irst y signal< secondly1 y ord o command< or thirdly1 at pleasure @@ as may e
agreeale to the parties. ;n the latter case1 the parties may ire at their reasonale leisure1 ut second presents and rests are strictly prohiited. u-e 20. ;n all cases a miss@ire is e9ui-alent to a shot1 and a snap or non@coc0 is to e considered as a miss@ire. u-e 21. Seconds are ound to attempt a reconciliation eore the meeting ta0es place1 or ater suicient iring or hits1 as
speciied. u-e 22. ,ny ound suicient to agitate the ner-es and necessarily ma0e the hand sha0e1 must end the usiness or that
day.
u-e 23. ; the cause o the meeting e o such a nature that no apology or e*planation can or ill e recei-ed1 the
challenged ta0es his ground1 and calls on the challenger to proceed as he chooses< in such cases1 iring at pleasure is the usual practice1 ut may e -aried y agreement. u-e 2. ;n slight cases1 the second hands his principal ut one pistol< ut in gross cases1 to1 holding another case ready
charged in reser-e. u-e 25. Where seconds disagree1 and resol-e to e*change shots themsel-es1 it must e at the same time and at right
angles ith their principals1 thusI
; ith sords1 side y side1 ith i-e paces inter-al. !.. ,ll matters and douts not herein mentioned ill e e*plained and cleared up y application to the committee1 ho meet alternately at Clonmel and Galay1 at the 9uarter sessions1 or that purpose.
%-"habetica- Inde& ,nimals................................ $/ ,rmour 7ist........................... +: ,ttac0s................................. /2 lac0poder Guns................+ oarding............................... 4$ oatsain.............................4/ om -essels....................... /8 os.....................................+: Captain................................. 4/ Carpenter............................. 4/ Chainshot............................. 4$ Character Concepts..............22 Characters in mass comat.. /6 Chases..................................$/ Common &(ects.................. $4 Crime....................................4 Critical ailures....................... Critical "its........................... /2 Critical Successes................... Cutters................................. /8 Damage Codes....................... Deault Diiculty.................... : Duelling................................ /+ Dutch leut.........................../8 )ast ;ndiaman......................./8 )lection o &icers............... 4/
)*plosi-es............................ + atigue................................. $$ ith Rate............................../8 irst %ate............................. 4/ irst Rate.............................. / ourth Rate.......................... / Galleon................................. /8 Galley................................... /8 Grie-ous Wound..................... 8 Gunoats.............................. /8 "ome Port............................ 2/ 7anguages............................ $2 %arine.................................. 44 %aster Gunner......................4/ %ate..................................... 4/ %elee Weapons.................... +: %erchant Carriers................. /8 %odiiers.................................: %oney.................................. +4 !ationality............................ 22 &pening 7oc0s...................... $/ &pposed chec0s..................... : Pay....................................... +4 Pirate...................................... 2 Pistol Duels........................... /+ Pri-ateer................................. 2
Pri#e %oney.......................... 42 Pri#e %oney1 Di-ision o .......42 Punishment.......................... 4 uartermaster...................... 4/ Retreat M Surrender............. /6 Rounds................................. /$ Sailing %aster.......................4/ Sailor.................................... 4/ Scenario................................. 4 Scur-y.................................. 46 Second %ate.........................4/ Second Rate......................... / Ship Cost.............................. / Ships Charter........................4 Si*th Rate............................./8 Sloop.................................... /8 Suocation........................... $$ Sord Duels......................... /+ 3hird Rate............................. / 3reacherous Waters............. 4$ 3rying ,gain........................... : 3urns.................................... /$ Fehicles................................ $/ Wor0ing together................... :
Useful Summaries Combat Summary Rolling Dice When you attempt a task roll two ten sided dice and read them as a number from 01 (one) to 00 (one hundred), one dice being read as tens and the other as units. If you don't hae the skill needed for the task read the lowest of the two dice as the tens alue. If you hae the skill state which of the two dice will be the tens alue before rolling. If you hae the speciality needed for the task read the highest of the two dice as the tens alue. !o succeed you must roll greater than or e"ual to the #ifficulty (#I$$) number assigned to the task by the %&. success with a roll of doubles is a critical success and a failure with a roll of doubles is a critical failure. •
1. -. .
•
•
.
2.
Character Creation Summary ou'll find a character sheet on the last page of the book. 1. tart by deciding on your characters concept, write this down on the character sheet where it says *+oncept. -. e/t gie your character a name, choose a social class, military rank (if you wish to hae sered in the military), nationality and religion and decide on their ge. Write these down in the appropriate places on the sheet. . e/t, choose a number of skills and specialities e"ual to twice the tens alue of your ge and circle them on the character sheet (note that to take a speciality you must already hae the skill it is grouped under). . ou may choose one or more $laws. +ircle the flaws you choose to take (if any). 2. &ake up a number of distinguishing features e"ual to the tens alue of your ge. 3. our starting #rama point score e"uals the number of $laws taken plus three if you are Working class, two if &iddle class and one if 4pper class. Write this down in the appropriate place. 5. ou start with no wounds, no 67 and no adances. 8. If you are Working class you begin play with d100 hillings (read the highest dice as tens). 9. If you are &iddle class you begin play with d100 pounds (read the highest dice as tens). 10. If you are 4pper class you begin play with d100 /-0 pounds (read the highest dice as tens). 11. !his roll is how many pounds (in cash) you begin play with. !his can be spent to buy e"uipment and weapons before play starts.
Character Improvement :etween game sessions you may spend 67 to improe your character. our first adance costs 1067, second costs -067, third costs 067 and so on. When you adance, spend the re"uired 67 and increase the number in the dances section of the sheet by one (so you hae a record of how many adances you hae had).
3. 5. 8.
t the start of a battle eery character makes an gility(initiatie) roll. !he character with the highest roll acts first each round, working downwards. ;n your turn you may moe and perform an action, or hold your turn. ou may use a held turn at any time before the start of your ne/t turn, but can only moe or perform an action in a held turn, not both. If you attack make an appropriate roll to hit. $or a melee attack the #I$$ is based on the targets &elee skills and specialities. $or a ranged attack the #I$$ is based on how much coer the target has. If you hit, the damage is figured from the attack roll.
Damage Checks 1. -. .
.
2.
Wheneer a character is hurt they must make a #amage check. !his is a =ealth(resilience) roll. !he #I$$ e"uals the total of all the characters current wounds. $ailure results in incapacitation for ten minutes or one hour if you failed with a roll of doubles. If you fail and roll less than or e"ual to the worst single wound you hae, you are incapacitated and dying. If not treated in ten minutes you die from blood loss. If you fail and roll doubles which are less than or e"ual to the worst single wound you hae, you die instantly.
Healing 1.
-.
.
Wounds heal at a rate of one point per wound per day (two points if the entire preious day was spent resting). $irst id re"uires a =ealing(first aid) check, the #I$$ is the alue of the wound being worked on. uccess hales the alue of that wound. gien wound can only be reduced in this way once. If a character suries a dying situation they must roll on the grieous wound table.
Drama Points #rama points can be spent to> dd fifty to a roll (spend the point before or after rolling). ubtract fifty from a roll someone else ?ust made (spend the point before or after they roll). 7erform an action at any time. #rama points spent in any of these ways are recoered at the start of each new day. ou can also sacrifice drama points to *cheat death. #oing this negates an eent which would otherwise hae killed the character. ote that this does not count as suriing a dying situation, so no roll on the grieous wound table is needed. 7oints sacrificed in this way are not recoered and must be bought back using adances. •
•
•
!his page may be freely reproduced for personal use only.
Name Concept Age Nationality Drama Points Current XP Distinguishing Features
c
Gender Religion Social Class Military Rank Advances Current ounds
Skills and Specialities Brawn
Archery
Athletics
•
•
S"imming
•
%umping
•
Clim#ing
Cross#o"
Seduction
•
&ntimidation
•
Criminal
•
Chemistry
•
Disguise
•
Military
•
Physics
•
$usiness
•
$iology
•
Society
S"ord
•
Rural
•
A+e
ild )hro"ing •
•
,ndurance
•
Resilience Strength
•
Grappling
$alanced *n#alanced
$rass
•
Stringed
•
Percussion
•
ind
•
Carpentry
•
Piano
•
Masonry
•
)ailoring
•
!eather"orking
Reflexes
Riding
•
Driving
•
•
•
*r#an
(us#andry
•
Dra"ing
•
Ship"right
•
Structural
•
•
Coastal
•
Piracy
•
Dodge
•
Painting
•
$alance
•
Sculpture
•
Resistance
•
Dance
•
riting
•
$ravery
•
Running
•
•
&nitiative
•
Demolitions
Surgery
First Aid (umanities •
Musical Composition
•
Geography
•
(istory
•
Semaphore
•
$lacksmithing
•
Arti'ice
•
S"ordsmithing
•
Gunsmithing
!ocksmithing Survival •
)emperate
•
)ropical
•
Polar
•
Desert
Mountains )actics •
Current A''airs
•
•
•
Gunnery (ealing
ill
•
!amp
•
•
•
Codes Smithing
•
Sea
•
Geology Signalling
Pottery ,ngineering
Sailing
Art Agility
ilderness Rural
•
•
Political Cra'ting •
Sea
•
Animal (andling
•
•
Notice
Wits
!and Science
•
Music
•
•
•
)raining Connections
Sea
•
•
Constitution
•
!ongarms
*r#an
•
Management
•
•
Spear
Accounting
•
Persuasion
Dagger
•
•
•
Gunnery Stealth
(ealth
Civil Navigation •
(andguns
•
Administration
Criminal
•
$ra"ling
$lunt
$etting
•
•
•
Dice &n'luence
•
•
•
•
•
!a"
•
Shooting
Ro"ing Fighting
Knowledge
Gaming Cards
Dra"n #o"
•
Philosophy
•
Sea
•
!and
•
$oarding
Flaws Addict Compassionate $erserker Co"ard $lood thirsty Doomed
b
Dri'ter Grim (aunted Focussed Guilt (eroic Forget'ul (ar#inger (onest
(onoura#le %in+ed !iar
!one ol' !usty Mad Dog
Range
Notes
Pariah Rage Reluctant
Reputation Sel'ish Shakes
Sick Spendthri't anted
Equipment (ENC
Weapon (ENC
!amage
)his page may #e 'reely reproduced 'or personal use only-
