Privateers and Pirates

Roleplaying on the High Seas

FJGaming

Privateers and Pirates -the roleplaying game

Table of ContentsPreface.................................................2

What you need........................................... 2Game terms................................................ 2Credits........................................................ 2

Introduction..........................................3What is a roleplaying game?.......................4Scenario's................................................... 4Playing the game........................................ 4

Game Mechanics................................... 5Rolling Dice................................................ 6Rules Summary.......................................... 6Drama Points.............................................. 8Damage...................................................... 8Natural Hazards........................................ 11Miscellaneous Rules.................................. 12Objects..................................................... 14Experience................................................ 15Age........................................................... 15Glossary.................................................... 16

Character Creation.............................. 21Character Concepts.................................. 22Distinctive Features.................................. 22Nationality and Religion............................ 22Social Status............................................. 23Skills, Specialities and Flaws..................... 24Flaws........................................................ 28

Combat...............................................30Special Attacks......................................... 32Special Results......................................... 33Spot Rules................................................ 33Fighting aboard ship................................. 34Duelling.................................................... 35

Mass Combat............................................ 36Life at Sea.......................................... 37

Types of Ships.......................................... 38Putting to Sea........................................... 40Sea Battles............................................... 41Prize Money.............................................. 42Sea Dogs.................................................. 43Retirement................................................ 44Life Aboard Ship....................................... 44The Ships Charter..................................... 48Crime and Punishment............................. 48Piratical Activities..................................... 49Ports......................................................... 50

Money and Equipment......................... 53Money....................................................... 54Buying Power............................................ 55General Equipment................................... 56Armour..................................................... 57Weapons................................................... 57Explosives................................................. 58

Campaigns.......................................... 60Adventure Ideas....................................... 61The Late Campaign................................... 62The Early Campaign..................................62Important Ports......................................... 66Historical Figures...................................... 67

Appendix One Using Ship of the Line.... 69Appendix Two Maps and Travel times... 70Appendix Three A starting scenario......75Appendix Four A sea grammar............. 78Appendix Five 1777 Code Duello.......... 80Index.................................................. 82

FJGaming

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PrefacePrivateers and Pirates is a set of rules to facilitate roleplaying as privateer or pirate crews. The rules are mainly intended to be used in one of two time periods;• The “Golden Age” of piracy (1680-1725) also referred to as the “early” campaign in these rules.• The “Napoleonic” period (1750-1810) also referred to as the “late” campaign in these rules.Players take on the roles of officers on a privateer or pirate vessel (usually a sloop) and set out to make their fortune on the high seas.The Golden Age of piracy was between approximately 1680 and 1725 and a campaign set in this period focuses on player characters as the crew of a pirate ship operating in the Caribbean and surrounding waters.The Napoleonic period places player characters in charge of the crew of a privateer hunting enemy shipping during war time. Campaigns in this time period are concentrated around the English Channel and based in the Channel Islands.

What you needLots of ten-sided dice.Imagination.Two or more people.

Dice Rolling and other conventionsd10 a ten-sided dice.2d10 roll two ten-sided dice and add them together.D100 roll two ten-sided dice and read one as tens and one as units, giving a number from 01 (one) to 00 (one hundred).

Game termsPrivateer- An armed private vessel which bears the commission of the sovereign power to cruise against the enemy.Pirate- A robber on the high seas; one who by open violence takes the property of another on the high seas; especially, one who makes it his business to cruise for robbery or plunder; a freebooter on the seas; also, one who steals in a harbour.Games Master: The individual who describes the world and governs the players interaction with it.GM: An abbreviation of Games Master.Player: An individual who plays a character in the world dictated by the GM.Player Character: A character controlled by a player.Non-Player Character: A character controlled by a GM.2d10: Roll two ten sided dice and add them together.d100: Rolling two ten-sided dice to generate a number from 01 (one) to 00 (one hundred). Before rolling one dice is designated as tens, the other as units.Modifiers: Modifiers are applied to rolls after rolling.Drama Points: Drama points can be spent during play to achieve various special results.Skill: A skill represents a general degree of competence in a type of activity, such as Shooting.Speciality: A speciality represents a degree of expertise in one activity within a group of activities covered by a skill, such as shooting handguns.Flaw: A flaw indicates some physical or mental weakness in a characters makeup which can impact on how they perform in the game.Check: A d100 roll, higher is better.

CreditsWriting, Design and Development: Jonathan ClarkeArtists: Gillian PearcePlay testers: Dave Stark, Martin Wharton, Kath and Andy McLellandProof-reading: Alison Ross

Using the GameTo use the game you need to first of all read through these rules thoroughly to get a feel for the game world. Next generate player characters then the GM should run a group of players through the two sample adventures in the back of this book.

©2005 Jonathan Clarke. All Rights Reserved. This game is protected under the copyright laws of the United Kingdom. Any reproduction or unauthorised use of the material herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Jonathan Clarke.

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Introduction

The Death of Blackbeard

Maynard and Teach themselves begun the fight with their swords, Maynard making a thrust, the point of his sword went against Teach's cartridge box, and bended it to the hilt. Teach broke the guard of it, and wounded Maynard's fingers but did not disable him, whereupon he jumped back and threw away his sword and fired his pistol which wounded Teach. Demelt struck in between them with his sword and cut Teach's face pretty much; in the interim both companies engaged in Maynard's sloop, one of Maynard's men being a Highlander, engaged Teach with his broad sword, who gave Teach a cut on the neck, Teach saying well done lad; the Highlander replied, If it not be well done, I'll do it better. With that he gave him a second stroke, which cut off his head, laying it flat on his shoulder.According to Maynard, Blackbeard fell "with five shot in him and 20 dismal cuts in several parts of his body." He kept the head and slung it below the bowsprit of his sloop.

-Account of Edward Teach, aka “Blackbeard's”, death aboard the Samuel, 1718

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What is a roleplaying game?In a roleplaying game (RPG) one individual takes the role of Games Master (GM) and describes fictitious situations and environments to another group of people, the players. Each player has a character which exists in that fictitious environment and they tell the GM how their characters are responding to the situations the GM is describing. A set of rules are used to determine how characters relate to the situations and events described by the GM. A character is quantified by a range of numbers and descriptors which let the GM and players know what that character is capable of (e.g. how strong the character is, how fast they are, what skills they have). Likewise, the GM will have numbers and descriptors for anything which they describe, such as values for monsters or objects in the environment they are describing. The rules govern how these values relate to one another, do you hit the monster when you attack, if you are hit, how much damage can you take before passing out and so on.

Scenario'sRPG's are normally built around the concept of a scenario. The GM creates a scenario for the characters to be used in, then runs that scenario for the players. Creating a scenario is an art form unto itself and there are many good pieces of work available free on the internet which can help you create your own pieces. In very simple terms, I would suggest using the “script” model.In the script model the scenario is broken down into a series of scenes, much like a film or TV show. The first scene is the “hook”. In the hook scene events unfold which draw the characters into the story (e.g. The woman comes into the private eyes office to offer him a job, the crew are approached by an old man with a treasure map, the rich old man approaches the party to rescue his kidnapped daughter and so on). From then on the scenes alternate between action scenes and development scenes. An action scene is pretty self explanatory, the characters have to take some kind of action to carry the story forward (e.g. breaking into a warehouse, raiding the enemy mercenary camp). This need not be physical action, it could be a problem solving situation or other action. The rule is, that in an action scene the focus of attention is on the characters and their actions and, usually, there is some risk to the characters (perceived or real). In development scenes the focus of attention is on something aside from the characters, typically they are receiving some kind of information or action which will push the story forward. Normally, there is no risk to the characters in a development scene. The final two scenes in a scenario are the Climax and Aftermath. The climax is usually an action scene of some kind and, if the characters are successful, it marks their victory over the scenario (e.g. The boss fight, revealing the identity of the murderer). The final scene is the aftermath, this is the scene in which any loose threads are tied up (although, the GM may deliberately leave threads hanging, to lead into future adventures) and the whole scenario is wound down.

Twists, Hinge Points, Easy routes and Side-storiesThere are many additional elements to a scenario which you may or may use. Some examples include twists, where all is not as it seems and the players perception of events is radically altered, usually near the end of the scenario, by a single event (e.g. One of your group turns out to be a traitor or the classic “Luke.. I am your father). Twists are great fun, but the GM should be cautious in over using them, it's no fun if every scenario you write has a twist in it because players just come to expect it.

Side-stories are additional opportunities to do things which do not relate to the main thrust of the scenario. Side-stories are often used as a counterpoint to the main events of the scenario. If the scenario is unrelentingly grim or depressing a side-story might present the players with the opportunity to do something light and refreshing, even humorous (e.g. If the party stop in a village over night whilst on a quest, the locals might ask them to go and find a lost child, or some other small service). A hinge point is an event in the scenario which is critical to the continuation of the scenario. As a GM, you should identify hinge points in your scenario and come up with continuity plans which allow the scenario to continue if the hinge point is broken, somehow. For example, if the characters need to speak to an old man to get directions to the fortress of evil, and they kill him, there must be an alternative way for them to get the directions. An easy way to avoid this kind of problem is to avoid hinge points, and instead use “easy routes”.An easy route is an action, which if taken, makes the scenario easier. An example might be a visit to the aforementioned old man who can tell you how to use the secret back door into the fortress of evil. If you don't go to him, or kill him by accident, you can still get into the fortress, you just have to go in the hard way, through the front door.

Linear vs. Non-LinearA linear scenario tends to channel the characters involved in it down a very specific path, moving from one situation to another in a more or less preplanned order. Such scenarios require little intellectual effort from the players and GM and are ideal for those lazy Sunday afternoons when everyone is already tired out.Non-linear scenarios are more taxing on players and GM. The most common types of non-linear scenarios are time based or trigger based. In a time based scenario a clock is effectively ticking in the background and events occur at specific times, prompting the characters to respond. Time based scenarios can be risky to run and can easily spiral out of control, but can also be very enjoyable as the ticking clock creates a real sense of urgency.In a trigger based scenario events are triggered by the actions of the characters. An event does not occur until the characters trigger it. Trigger based scenarios are very similar to linear scenarios. A certain action may trigger more than one event, or certain events may trigger other events.

Playing the gameIt isn't possible to have a specific rule for every eventuality. Instead, most games (including Privateer and Pirates) try to provide a rules framework which can apply to most situations, along with examples of how to resolve specific situations. The GM should always be flexible and listen to the players when deciding how to resolve situations. Privateers and Pirates is relatively easy to play as it is set in the “real world”. There are no mystical powers, supernatural beings and such like, so everything that goes on lies within the scope of normal human experience. If you aren't sure apply common sense and go from there.

The Golden Rule is, Have fun!

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Game Mechanics

Proclamation By Alexander Spotswood, The Governor of Virginia

For Edward Teach, commonly called Captain Teach, or Blackbeard, one hundred Pounds, for every other commander of a Pyrate Ship, Sloop, or Vessel, forty Pounds; for every Lieutenant, Master, or Quarter-Master, Boatswain, or Carpenter, twenty Pounds; for every other inferior Officer, fifteen Pounds, and for every private Man taken on Board such ship, Sloop, or Vessel, ten Pounds.

-November 24, 1718

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IntroductionThe rules give you a way to resolve the success or failure of actions undertaken by characters. Most actions undertaken by a character don't need a roll. Only ones where there is some real risk of failure should be rolled for.

Rolling DiceOnly one type of dice is used, the ten-sided dice, referred as a to a d10. Most rolls in Privateers and Pirates use d100. This means, roll two ten-sided dice and one represents the tens value of a number and the other the units. Before rolling, the player states which dice is the tens value and which the units, resulting in a number from 01 (one) to 00 (one hundred). Another kind of roll which is sometimes asked for is a 2d10 roll. This means roll two ten-sided dice and add them together.

Rules Summary• A character is defined by a description and a range of

skills, specialities and flaws. Player characters may also have a Drama point value.

• Actions are resolved by making Skill(speciality) checks.

• To make a skill(speciality) check roll d100.• If you don't have the skill read the lowest dice as tens

and the highest as units.• If you have the skill only, state which dice is the tens

value before rolling, the other is the units value.• If you have both the skill and the speciality, read the

highest dice as tens and the lowest as units.• If your roll is greater than the Difficulty (DIFF) number

for the task you succeed, otherwise you fail.• If you succeed and roll doubles you have achieved a

critical success.• If you fail and roll doubles you have achieved a critical

failure.

Skills and SpecialitiesSkills are things that a character is good at and specialities are specific elements of a skill which a character is really good at.A character cannot have a speciality without having the skill it is associated with.Possessing the skill indicates a good all round knowledge and ability in the skill concerned. Having a speciality indicates additional expertise in a specific element of that wider skill.

• If you are asked to make a check for a skill you don't have, roll two ten-sided dice and read the lowest dice as the tens value.

• If you are asked to make a check for a skill you do have, roll two ten-sided dice but state which of the two dice will be the tens dice before rolling.

• If you have the skill and the relevant speciality being asked for roll two ten-sided dice and the highest dice is the tens value.

A 0 on the dice is a zero.

Skill checks are usually given in the format

DIFF X Skill(speciality)

X is the DIFF number for the task being attempted.Sometimes the check may be given in the format

Skill(speciality) vs. Skill(speciality)

This means that the acting character must roll using the first Skill(speciality) and the DIFF is based on the opposing characters Skill and/or Speciality.

• If the opponent doesn't have the Skill the DIFF is 30.

• If the opponent has the Skill only, the DIFF is 50.• If the opponent has both the Skill and the

Speciality the DIFF is 70.In the former case the Skill and speciality have been defined for you. In the latter case only the skill has been defined, it is up to the GM whether a particular speciality is relevant to the skill check being made in such a case.Sometimes you may see the words “(relevant speciality)” after a named Skill. This just means that you should decide what speciality is relevant in the specific 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 relevant and the speciality for the weapon being used, so if you were shooting a handgun, the handguns speciality would be relevant.

An Example of Skill UseA character is asked to make a Health(constitution) check with a Difficulty (DIFF) 50. The character has the skill and speciality and rolls two ten-sided dice, getting a one and a six. Because they have both the skill and speciality they read the highest dice as tens, for a result of sixty one, a success. If the player had rolled a zero and a four they would have read the dice as 40, a failure.

FlawsCharacters may take Flaws during character creation. Flaws effect how you spend Drama points during play. A full list of Flaws and their effects can be found in the character creation section.

ModifiersModifiers are usually applied to a roll, rather than to the DIFF of a task. Modifiers are used to reflect factors outside of the task at hand, factors which increase or decrease the difficulty of the task.For example, if you are trying to shoot someone the DIFF is defined by the level of cover they have. Factors like range, movement and so on are expressed as positive or negative modifiers to the attackers roll.

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Standard DifficultiesMost of the time players will have a DIFF number for a task being attempted. To help the GM this section gives some guidelines on how to set Difficulty numbers.

Difficulty DIFF

Automatic 0

Very Easy 10

Easy 30

Routine 50

Hard 70

Almost Impossible 90

Automatic: Something which it is impossible to fail at, such as walking around normally or opening a door.Very Easy: Something which virtually anybody could be expected to do without difficulty (such as threading a needle, running over broken ground).Easy: A task which an unskilled and unspecialised character has a 50% chance of succeeding at (such as lifting a big bag of potatoes over your head).Routine: A task which a skilled or specialised character has a 50% chance of succeeding at (such as lifting a teenager over your head).Hard: A task which a skilled and specialised person has a 50% chance of succeeding at (lifting a small adult over your head).Almost Impossible: A task which any character would find hard to succeed at (such as lifting a donkey over your head).

The table below shows the percentage chance of beating a given difficulty depending on whether you have neither the skill nor speciality, have one or the other, or have both skill and speciality.

DIFF No Skill Skill only Skill and Speciality

0 100% 100% 100%

10 82% 90% 98%

20 66% 80% 95%

30 50% 70% 90%

40 37% 60% 83%

50 26% 50% 74%

60 17% 40% 63%

70 10% 30% 50%

80 5% 20% 34%

90 2% 10% 18%

100 0% 0% 0%

This is provided purely as an aid to the GM when judging what DIFF levels to assign to tasks.For example, a character with a relevant skill and speciality has a 74% chance of beating a DIFF of 50.

Skill ModifiersSuperhuman abilities are sometimes represented by skill modifiers. A skill modifier is a bonus which is added to skill rolls, allowing rolls in excess of 100.

Default DifficultyIf it is not stated to the contrary, assume that a task is routine, with a DIFF of 50.

Opposed checksSometimes two characters may attempt to perform actions which conflict with one another and where only one can “win”. The character who initiated the situation should make their check, with the DIFF based on their opponents Skill and/or Speciality status.

• If the opponent doesn't have the Skill the DIFF is 30.

• If the opponent has the Skill only the DIFF is 50.• If the opponent has both the Skill and the

Speciality the DIFF is 70.An opposed check is often indicated by the phrase (or something similar) “against the Skill(speciality) of the character”.

Optional Rule: Random Opposed ChecksRather than using fixed DIFF numbers for opposed checks, instead make the appropriate skill(speciality) check and use the roll as the DIFF number. This rule slows down play but you may find some players prefer it, particularly in combat situations. This rule is entirely optional.

EquipmentCertain skill checks may specify that equipment is needed to attempt them. Usually, you can still attempt the check without the required equipment but must take a -20 on the check. This assumes you can improvise tools to get the job done. The GM always has the final say over whether a skill check can be attempted without the required equipment. In some cases they may not allow the check without the required equipment.

Trying AgainThe GM always has the final say on whether you can attempt an action again having previously failed. As a rule of thumb, some significant change must occur before you can try again.For example, if you were trying to pick a lock you might have to acquire different picks before you could try again.In combat, every check is considered to be unique, so if you miss an attack you can try again with your next action.

Working togetherIf several characters are working together on the same all should roll. Take the highest roll and add the tens value of each of the other rolls to it.For example, if three characters are working on the same task and rolled 67, 31 and 12 their combined total would 67+3+1=71.

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Critical SuccessesIf you succeed on a check and roll doubles you have critically succeeded. A critical success means that you have succeeded as intended and something beneficial has occurred on top of the normal success. Some ideas might include:

• When attacking, you inflict more damage.• You receive additional useful information beyond

what you were seeking.

Critical FailuresIf you fail a check and roll doubles you have critically failed. A critical failure means something bad happens, in addition to the normal consequences of failure. Some ideas might include:

• You hit an ally rather than your intended target (ally gets a dodge or parry as normal).

• You drop your weapon.• An unreliable weapon jams.• You trip and fall down.• You stun yourself.• Your weapon hits something hard and breaks.

Drama PointsDrama Points are what makes a character “larger than life”. During play, a drama point can be used in one of three ways. • Spend a point to add fifty to a roll you just made.• Spend a point to subtract fifty from a roll someone

else just made.• Spend a point to take an additional action or move, at

any time. You can interrupt other characters turns if you wish.

Spent drama points are recovered every morning, unless they were used to “cheat death”. Cheating death is discussed in more detail below.

DamageCharacters can be damaged by a variety of things, including deliberate attacks and natural hazards. Damage is expressed as a numerical value, the higher the value the more damage inflicted by the event. Each time a character is damaged, note the amount of damage as a discrete wound (this is important because all wounds heal simultaneously).

Damage ChecksWhen a character takes a wound they must immediately make a Health(resilience) check with the total value of all their current wounds as the DIFF. This check is known as a “damage check”.

• If they fail the check they immediately collapse and remain completely incapacitated for ten minutes.

• If they fail with a roll of doubles (a critical failure) they immediately collapse and remain completely incapacitated for one hour.

• If they fail and their roll is less than or equal to their most serious current wound, they are incapacitated for ten minutes and also dying.

• If they fail and their roll is doubles and less than or equal to their most serious current wound, they die instantly.

If the total of wounds taken ever reaches one hundred, death occurs instantly.For example, a character already has a 40pt wound and then takes a 20pt wound. They must immediately make a Health(resilience) check against a DIFF of 60 (40pt wound+20pt wound). If they rolled 61 or more, they

succeeded and may continue as normal. If they rolled 41 to 60 they would be incapacitated for ten minutes (one hour if they rolled 44 or 55). If they rolled 40 or less they would be incapacitated and dying (because they rolled less than or equal to their worst wounds value). If they rolled 11, 22 or 33 (doubles and less than their most serious wounds value) they would be dead instantly.

Dying CharactersA dying character requires a successful Healing(surgery) roll to be made on them within one hour of starting to die. The DIFF is equal to the value of the dying characters most serious wound. A success stabilises them. Each attempt takes ten minutes.For example, using the above example of a character with a 40pt and 20pt wound, they would need a successful Healing(surgery) roll against a DIFF of 40 to save their life.

Damage CodesAny attack on a character will have a damage code. The amount of damage inflicted on the character (in points) is determined by reading the dice of the attack roll in a certain way, the way being determined by the damage code as follows:

Damage Code

Calculate Damage by Roll 37

VL (very low)

Damage equals the lowest dice of the attack roll (zeroes are tens).

3

L (low) Damage equals the highest dice of the attack roll (zeroes are tens).

7

M (medium)

Damage equals the sum of the dice in the attack roll (add the dice together).

10

H (high) Damage equals the product of the dice in the attack roll (multiply the dice by one another).

21

VH (very high)

Damage equals the attack roll as rolled.

37

The rightmost column shows the damage values for each damage code for an attack roll of 37.For example, an M damage weapon would inflict 10 damage on a successful attack roll of 37.

The notes below are intended to serve as a rough guide to weapons and damage codes. More information on specific weapons and their damage codes can be found in the equipment section:

• Small animals or normal unarmed attacks typically inflict VL damage. VL damage is also caused by the effects of armour on more powerful attacks.

• Small knives, brass knuckles and cudgels typically inflict L damage.

• Pistols and One handed melee weapons (such as swords and axes) typically inflict M damage.

• Rifles, Shotguns and Two handed melee weapons (such as great axes and halberds) typically inflict H damage.

• Fixed mount weapons, such as boat guns, typically inflict VH damage.

Worn ArmourWorn armour is treated very simply in Privateers and Pirates. A suit of worn armour steps damage from attacks down one step.

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For example, an M damage hit would be stepped down to L damage against a character in appropriate armour.Most armours are effective against only one of the following, although some are effective against several types:

• Explosive• Guns• Melee attacks

A more comprehensive list of armour types can be found in the equipment section of these rules.

Wounds and Healing

Grievous WoundIf a character survives a dying situation they should roll d100 on the table below to determine what complications are associated with the grievous wound.

d100 Complication

01-60 No complications

61-65 Scar

66-70 Fever

71-75 Fracture

76-80 Weakness

81-85 Shakes

86-90 Brain Damage

91-95 Amnesia

96-97 Partial Deafness

98-99 Blinded in one eye

00 Amputation

Amputation“Hmmm... I think that's going to have to come off”The wound is severe enough to necessitate the amputation of a limb or extremity. Roll 1d10 to determine which and roll d10 again for side (even roll is right side, odd roll is left side;

d10 Location

1-2 A foot

3-4 A hand

5-6 An arm

7 Lower Spine

8 Upper Spine

9-0 A leg

Foot: All actions which use the missing foot are at -20, and your movement rate is quartered.Hand: The character cannot perform an action which requires two hands and actions where two hands are preferable are at -20. The character may place a prosthetic hand or hook on the stump (a hook can inflict H damage when used as a melee weapon) reducing the penalty for actions where two hands are preferable to only -10.Leg: All actions which use the missing leg are at -20, and your movement is quartered. This assumes that the character has a wooden leg or crutch, if they don't, they cannot move at all.

Arm: The character cannot perform actions which requires two arms. This includes using two handed weapons.Upper Spine: The character is permanently paralysed from the neck down.Lower Spine: The character is permanently paralysed from the waist down. They can use their upper body still, but not their legs. They require a wheel chair to get around (movement in a wheelchair is one-quarter normal rate).

Blinded in one eye“I think the eyepatch makes me look rakish, don't you?”Loss of depth perception gives the character -10 to all ranged attacks.

Partial Deafness“Pardon... too much time on the gun decks you know”The character has a -10 to all Notice checks from now on.

Fever“Pass me another hot compress”The character is gripped by fever and none of their wounds receive any natural healing for 2d10 days.

Fracture“Hmm.. bone poking through the skin.. I think it's broken”One of the characters limbs has been broken. Treat this as an Amputation for game effects, but the effect only lasts 2d10 weeks. In addition, roll on this table below rather than the amputation table:

d10 Location

1 A foot

2 A hand

3-4 An arm

5-6 A leg

7 Skull

8 Pelvis

9 Spine

0 Ribs

Foot, Hand, Arm and Leg results are as their amputation equivalents.Skull: All checks are at -10 until the fracture heals.Ribs: All physical rolls involving moving the body are at -10 until the fracture heals.Pelvis or Spine: Whilst the effect lasts, the character is completely immobile and cannot take part in any adventures.Weakness“Sorry.. could you help me with this?”The characters wound weakens their body significantly and leaves them in an unhealthy state. The character permanently loses all their specialities in the Brawn group.

Scar“It tends to ache in damp weather”The wound leaves a noticeable scar, this has no game effect but may be fun to boast about.

Shakes“Not much use as a butler I'm afraid”Damage to the nerves leaves the character with a tendency to shiver and shake at random. The character

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permanently loses all their specialities in the Reflexes group and cannot take any more in future.

Brain Damage“Pleeshh... yuuuu musht runn!”Damage to the brain means that the character now slurs their words and finds it hard to think. The character permanently loses all their specialities in the Wits group and cannot take any more in future.

Amnesia“Sorry.. who are you again?”The wound has given the character amnesia and impaired their memory and ability to recall details. The character permanently loses all their specialities in the Knowledge group and cannot take any more in future.

Cheating DeathIf a character dies with one or more Drama points unspent, they may sacrifice a point permanently to “cheat death”. If they take this option they survive the event that should have killed them. It is up to the GM and/or player to decide how they survived. In game terms, the event that killed them is deemed to have not happened (so any damage it inflicted didn't occur). If the character died in a situation where revival would likely result in immediate death again, such as in a river of lava, drowning in a storm or in the middle of a battle, the character is somehow removed or protected until the dangerous situation ends.For example, a character who drowns in a storm at sea decides to Cheat death. The GM rules that they survive the storm and are cast up on the shore of a nearby island or some foreign coast a few days later.

First AidA character can spend ten minutes to make a Healing(first aid) check on a wound. If the character attempting the check does not have a first aid kit they have a -20 to the check. If they can improvise tools (such as using ripped up clothes for bandages and bits of wood for splints) the modifier is only -10.A successful check halves the value of that wound, rounding up. A critically successful check quarters the value of the wound, rounding up. A given wound can only receive one successful healing check (normal or critical) and additional successful healing checks have no effect on that wounds value, which can only be reduced further by natural healing.A critical failure on a Healing(first aid) check precludes any further attempts to treat the wound by other characters (any such attempts automatically fail).

Natural HealingEach of a characters wounds reduces in value by one point at sunrise each day, two points if the character rested for the entire previous day.For example, a character with a two point and a five point wound spends a day in bed. The next morning the two point wound has reduced to zero, completely healed, and the five point wound has dropped to three.During that day the character is active and the next morning the three point only drops to two points. The rest of the day is spent in bed so the next morning the two point wound completely heals to zero.

h

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Natural HazardsNatural hazards are damaging events from the natural world around a character. The section below lists some common (or uncommon) natural hazards and rules for dealing with them. Unless stated otherwise, armour does not reduce damage from natural hazards.

FatigueFatigue results from inclement weather conditions (such as excessive heat or cold), physical labour, starvation or just staying awake for extended periods.Fatigue is expressed as a cumulative modifier to all checks a character makes, representing the effects of exhaustion on their ability to perform. If the modifier ever reaches -100 the character dies from exhaustion. Each time one of the following conditions is met the character receives a fatigue penalty.

• After a night without a good eight hours sleep.• After a day spent outdoors in inclement

conditions without proper protection (such as winter clothing in the cold, or desert clothing in the heat).

• After a day spent without food.• After an hour of hard physical labour

The penalty is:• -20 if you don't have the Health skill.• -10 if you have the Health skill.• -5 if you have the Health skill and endurance

speciality.

A good nights sleep, proper meal and shelter reduces the current fatigue penalty back to zero again.

SuffocationA character who is deprived of air must make a DIFF 50 Health(endurance) check every minute. The first time they fail they pass out unconscious, the second time they fail they die. They must continue making checks until they get air again.

FearWhen a character receives a sudden shock or is exposed to some horrifying event they must make a DIFF 50 Will(bravery) roll to keep their nerve. If they succeed they are able to maintain their poise and act normally. A failed roll means they must flee the cause of the check, but they may make a new check at the start of each subsequent round to regain control. If they cannot flee they are treated as helpless until they make the check. If a character critically succeeds on such a check they have become immune to whatever caused that check and no longer have to make Will(bravery) checks when confronted with similar circumstances.If a character critically fails such a roll they lose a Drama point permanently. The most common modifier to a “fear” roll is one to reflect the ambient “scariness” of the environment. Something like a graveyard at night would rate a -10 and a “haunted house” might be a -20.

FallingA character who falls takes damage equal to the distance fallen in feet. Armour gives no protection from falling, although landing on a soft surface halves damage taken (round down). The GM may allow a character a DIFF 50 Agility(dodge) check to half the damage taken again.A character undergoing a controlled fall, such as jumping downwards, takes half damage (round down).

For example, if a character falls 20 feet they take 20 damage. If they jumped down 20 feet they would only take 10 damage. If they also make a successful DIFF 50 Agility(dodge) check they would take only 5 damage.

CollisionsIf something collides with something else it takes damage based on the speeds (in miles per hour) of the two objects in the collision.In the case of a nose to tail vehicle collision (one vehicle running into the back of another) the damage equals the higher speed minus the lower speed. In a head on collision the damage equals the sum of the speeds of the two objects. In any other situation the damage taken is the average of the two speeds.

BurningIf a character is burning roll d100 at the start of each round for the damage they take. The damage code for the roll depends on the nature of the fire:

Damage Code

Examples

VL Very Low temperature flames (burning match)

L Low temperature flames (boiling water, molten lead or wood fire)

M Medium temperature (napalm or molten iron) or moderate acid

H High temperature (thermite, white phosphorus, lava) or strong acid

Armour steps damage down one step in the first round only, then is considered destroyed.

ToxinsToxins include poisons and diseases. A character who is exposed to a poison must make a Health(constitution) roll. The DIFF depends on the potency of the poison and the size of the dose, factors which the GM must judge on a case by case basis.For example, an Adder bite might be DIFF 40, whereas a deliberate poisoning attempt with hemlock might be DIFF 100.If they fail they will die one hour later if they do not receive an antidote. A successful Healing(medicine) roll by the poisoned character or someone else prevents death. The modifier to this roll equals the modifier of the poison. A given character may make one attempt to heal, if that fails they cannot try again. Doctors tools are needed to avoid a -20 to the Healing(medicine) check, although if a character can improvise such tools (such as using hot towels and a knife to try and draw the poison) the penalty is only -10.In the case of a disease, make a Health(constitution) roll when first exposed to see if you catch the disease. If you do, make a second roll after one day has expired. If you fail again you will die one week later without a Healing(medicine) roll by yourself or someone else. Doctors tools are needed to avoid a -20 to the Healing(medicine) check, although if a character can improvise such tools (such as using hot towels and poultices) the penalty is only -10.For diseases, the modifier again reflects the lethality and transmissability of the disease, factors which the GM will have to judge on a case by case basis.For example, the Black Death would be around DIFF 50, ebola virus around DIFF 80 and DIFF 5 for common

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influenza.

Drugs and AlcoholDrugs and alcohol are measured in terms of drinks. A drink is a shot of spirits, a glass of wine or a pint of lager or beer. Each drink gives you a cumulative -20 penalty to all rolls. If you have the Health skill or Constitution speciality reduce the penalty to -10 and reduce it to -5 if you have both the Health skill and the Constitution speciality.This penalty is reduced by the 10 for every hour you go without a drink.Recreational drugs can be handled in much the same way, with one dose equalling one or more drinks. A line of cocaine is about one drink, single spliff of marijuana or cannabis is worth two drinks, a shot of heroin around five drinks.

ExplosionsRoll d100 to determine damage for each person near the blast. These figures are for a grenado sized blast. For larger or smaller explosions simply multiply the ranges and damages detailed below by a suitable factor.

• Targets within ten yards of the blast centre take M damage.

• Targets within five yards of the blast centre take H damage.

• Targets in contact with the exploding “thing” take VH damage.

Appropriate body armour reduces the damage code one step, as does being prone (so being prone and suitably armoured reduces the damage two steps).In the case of a grenado, the d100 roll is replaced with a Throwing(balanced) check. Make the check, then calculate the damage off the check roll.

Tamped Charge ExplosionA tamped charge explosion is an explosion where the explosive has been tamped to focus it's effects onto something. That something takes twice the normal damage and anything else nearby takes half the normal damage.

Non-player CharactersNon-player characters (NPC's) can quickly be generated using the character generation rules. As a rule of thumb, only major NPC's should have Drama points. Most NPC's do not receive any Drama points, Drama points being one of the things that really sets player characters apart from most non-player characters.

Miscellaneous RulesThis section outlines a variety of miscellaneous rules which may make resolving situations in play easier.

EncumbranceA character who is carrying or wearing any equipment may have an Encumbrance (ENC) score of one or more. All items have an ENC value, which indicates how heavy and bulky the item is.A characters ENC score is the sum of the Encumbrance values of all the things they are wearing, pulling around or carrying. Needless to say, a characters ENC score will change as they adjust what items they are carrying, wearing or dragging around with them.If a characters ENC score exceeds a certain threshold they are considered to be Encumbered and move at half speed and cannot stay afloat in water. The thresholds are given in the table below:

Threshold

Character has neither Health nor strength 30 ENC

Character has Health 50 ENC

Character has Health and strength 70 ENC

If ENC score ever exceeds twice your threshold you cannot move at all.

As a rule of thumb, calculate the ENC value of any object as follows.

• If the item can be held comfortably in one hand, ENC 5 (such as a pistol)

• If item can be hefted in one hand (such as a sword), ENC 10

• If item requires two hands to handle, ENC 15 or more

• For larger objects, ENC equals double the square root of the objects weight in pounds (so a 900lb object has an ENC of 60 and a 225lb object has an ENC of 30).

Losing ExtremitiesIf a character loses an extremity they automatically take a wound of a certain value as follows, and the listed effect for the appropriate extremity from the amputation complication.• Finger or toe: 40pt wound• Hand or Foot: 60pt wound• Arm or Leg: 80pt wound

DisguiseA character must make a successful Disguise check to disguise themselves. If the character does not have a Disguise kit this roll is at -20. Other character need to make a successful Notice check and roll higher than the Disguised characters original roll to see through the disguise.For example, a character succeeds at their Disguise check with a 45. Anyone encountering them must make a successful Notice check with a DIFF of 45 to see through the disguise.

Using InfluenceTo sway another characters opinion in a direction of your choice make a check of your Influence against your “targets” Will check. The relevant speciality for Influence depends on the method used (seduction, persuasion or intimidation). For the Will check, use Will(resistance) against seduction or persuasion, and Will(bravery) against intimidation.It's important to note that Influence is not “mind control”. A successful check does not resulting slavish obedience to your whims, it just shifts the targets opinion in a direction of your choosing. Influence checks should never be a substitute for roleplaying, but they should effect how you roleplay.

EvaluationTo determine an items value and provenance make an appropriate skill check. For non-metal goods Crafting is appropriate, for metal goods use Smithing and for historical artefacts use Humanities(history).

LanguagesEvery character begins play able to speak their native language and a number of additional languages equal to the tens value of their age. Remember that if you don't speak someone's language

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speak in a loud, clear voice and wave your hands around wildly. This technique has worked for the British for hundreds of years.

Opening LocksPicking a lock or disarming a mechanical trap requires an Smithing(artifice) check and a lockpick kit. If you do not have such a kit take a -20 on the check (this can be reduced to -10 if you can improvise tools from stiff wires, for example). The modifier to the check depends on the quality of the lock.

Lock Quality Modifier

Cheap lock 0

Standard lock -10

Expensive lock -20

A critical failure means you have broken a tool off in the lock. You need a new lockpick kit and the lock is unusable, permanently jammed.

Hunting and ForagingHunting is a popular past time of the upper classes and is also a good way of supplementing ships rations when you are moored near land. Foraging is much like hunting, only you are looking for edible plantlife rather than hunting wildlife for meat.A character who is hunting and foraging gets a DIFF 50 Survival roll every hour. A success finds enough food to feed one person for one day. A critical success finds enough food to feed ten people for a day.

TrackingFollowing tracks to their end requires a Notice roll. The modifier of the roll depends on the terrain you are tracking across, from -10 to follow a fresh track through soft earth to -90 to follow an old track over rock washed recently by rain.A character may, at any time, try to break their tracks by making a DIFF 50 Stealth check. This takes half an hour and a successful check means that a character following them must make a new Notice check where the Stealth check succeeded to pick up the trail. A critical success means that the character following must get a critical success on their Notice check to pick up the tracks again.

VehiclesVehicles have a Manoeuvre Score (MS) and Toughness Rating (TR). Vehicles with a * after their Toughness Rating do not fully enclose their driver/passengers. The occupants of such a vehicle can be targeted with a -20 to the attack check, a successful hit damages the occupant without hitting the vehicle.

ManoeuvringWhen you are controlling a vehicle relevant skill checks are made, but the DIFF is the Manoeuvre Score of the vehicle concerned.

Vehicle DamageVehicles are damaged like other objects. Ships are handled differently, specific rules being presented later in these rules.

ChasesChases are simply resolved as a series of opposed maneuver checks, with each participant making a check each round. Anyone who fails the check is out of the chase. If the person being chased fails the check the chase ends and they have been caught up to by everyone else.The driver of the vehicle being chased may opt to take a negative modifier of their choosing to the check, representing some stunt or maneuver which they perform. Everyone else in the chase must take the same modifier or drop out of the chase automatically. Anyone who critically fails their check crashes and their vehicle takes sufficient damage to render it broken.Horse riders can participate in chases, making Riding checks. Characters on foot can also chase on another, making Athletics checks. But if anybody else in the chase is on horseback, or in a vehicle, the foot bound character has a -20 to their check to reflect their disadvantage at being significantly slower, offset a little by being more manoeuverable.

Shooting in ChasesThe vehicle, runner or rider being chased can fire backwards facing weapons at any vehicle pursuing it and the chasing vehicles, runners & riders can fire any forward facing weapons. Passengers in a vehicle being chased can fire out of available windows or hatches if such exist and if they can be opened. Attacks from a moving vehicle, whilst running or from a moving mount have a -10 on attack checks.If the lead runner, rider or vehicle set a negative modifier for the maneuver checks in the round that modifier is also added to any attacks made by any one else in the round, representing the effect of trying to hit a weaving and rapidly maneuvering target.

Sea ChasesShips can chase each other using the above rules. Each round make a Sailing check for each ship in the chase and use the chase rules as listed to determine the results. The leader can only take a negative modifier to their sailing check if there is some “terrain” which allows them to engage in dangerous maneuvering, such as a coastline or reefs. If ships catch up with the “escaping” ship a sea battle may ensue, use the rules in the “Life aboard ship” section to resolve this.

AnimalsLike characters, animals are described by their Skills and Specialities. They may also have skill modifiers to reflect superhuman levels of ability.

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All animals have the Notice and Athletics skill. Carnivores also possess the Fighting skill. Animal attacks inflict M damage, unless stated otherwise, to reflect the animals natural weapons such as teeth, hooves and fangs. All animals are motivated by instinct as follows:• An animal will attack anyone threatening its offspring

or mates.• An animal will run from anyone threatening it.• An animal which tries to escape but which is cornered

will attack.• An animal will try to scare off anyone trespassing on

its territory.• An animal will attack possible prey when it is hungry.

If the prey injures it, it will attempt to retreat.The only exceptions to this are sick animals which may attack without provocation and male animals in the mating season, which are liable to attack without warning.If an animal has a bonus to Health checks they do not die instantly until the total wounds they have taken equal 100+that modifier.For example, a Bear has a +70 on Health checks, so they do not die instantly until they their total wounds reaches 170pts.

Animal Skills & Specialities

Bear Athletics, Health*+70, Notice, Fighting, Will

Cat Athletics, Notice, Fighting, Agility*, Stealth*

Chimp Athletics, Health, Notice, Fighting, Agility*

Constrictor Snake Athletics, Health*, Notice, Fighting, Stealth*

Gorilla Athletics, Health*, Notice, Fighting, Agility, Will

Heavy Horse Athletics, Health*+50, Notice

Large Dog Athletics, Health, Notice, Fighting, Will*

Light Horse Athletics, Health*, Notice

Medium Dog Athletics, Notice, Fighting, Agility, Stealth, Will*

Pack of Rats1 Athletics, Notice, Fighting, Stealth

Poisonous Snake2 Athletics, Notice, Fighting, Stealth*

Small Dog Athletics, Notice, Fighting, Agility*, Stealth, Will*

Shark3 Athletics, Notice, Health*+40, Fighting, Agility

Tiger Athletics, Health+30*, Notice, Fighting, Agility, Stealth, Will

Wolf Athletics, Health, Notice, Fighting, Agility, Stealth

A * by a Skill indicates that the animal has the skill and all it's specialities.

1 These stats are for a pack of rats, an individual rat is no threat to a character.2 If the snake is poisonous a hit which causes one or more damage poisons the character.3 A character who is attacked by a shark is almost certainly in the water with it and has a -20 on all checks

due to the difficulties of being immersed.

ObjectsAll objects are given a Toughness Rating (TR) which reflects their inherent toughness and resistance to damage.When an object takes damage, compare it's TR to that damage. Note that this is just the damage from the single event. Objects do not take wounds like characters, they are either broken or unbroken.

• If the damage is higher, the object is broken. • If the damage is lower the object remains

unbroken.In the case of a door, breaking it forces it open. In the case of a wall or barrier, breaking it just punches an appropriate sized hole through it (e.g. An axe would hack an axe head sized hole in it).Explosion devices are more effective against barriers. Being broken by an explosive device blows a good sized hole through the object, large enough for characters to crawl or shuffle through.

Common ObjectsThe following list is by no means exclusive, it is intended to give you some idea of the TR scores for various common objects.

Object TR

Light door 5

Medium door 10

Heavy door 15

Very Heavy door 20

Light locked chest 10

Medium locked chest 20

Empty barrel 10

Full barrel 20

Heavy locked chest 30

Very Heavy locked chest 40

Wattle wall 10

Wattle and daub wall 15

Wooden plank wall 20

Brick or Log wall 50

Oak or Stone wall 70

Thick Oak or Stone wall *

A * Toughness Rating indicates something which is too tough to be damaged by anything short of ships cannon. Assume that a cannon will automatically break a * object, but anything else will just bounce off harmlessly.

Note that ships have their own special rules for determining damage from attacks made against them, which can be found in the life aboard ship section of these rules.

Repairing ObjectsBroken objects can be repaired with successful Smithing or Crafting checks. Each check requires one hours work and the DIFF equals the amount the damage inflicted exceeded the objects TR by.

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For example, if an TR 10 object took 50 damage you would need a successful DIFF 40 check to fix it.The table below endeavours to summarise the skill(speciality) check required to fix a given type of object and the tools needed for the task. More information on the tools can be found in the Money and Equipment section of the rules.

Material Skill(speciality) Tools

Metal item Smithing(blacksmithing) Smiths tools

Gun Smithing(gunsmithing) Gunsmiths tools

Cloth item Crafting(tailoring) Tailors tools

Leather item

Crafting(leather working) Leather workers tools

Wood Crafting(carpentry) Carpenters tools

Stone Crafting(masonry) Masons tools

Ceramics Crafting(pottery) Potters tools

Clockworks or Locks

Smithing(artifice) Artificers tools

Where an object is made of more than one material (such as an axe with a wooden handle) make a separate check to repair each kind of material.

ExperienceExperience Points (XP) are earned through roleplaying and used to advance characters. A player will typically earn 5-10 XP per session. XP are used to buy Advances.The first advance for a character costs 10 XP, the second costs 20XP, the third 30XP, the fourth 40XP and so on.Each time you buy an advance, you can do one of the following

• Acquire a new skill.• Acquire a new speciality in a skill you already

have.• Add +10 to a speciality*• Acquire an extra drama point.

You can advance a speciality so you get a +10 on checks using that speciality. You can advance a speciality with a +10 bonus to +20, +20 to +30 and so on.

Awarding Experience PointsThe easiest way to award XP to a character is to ask the following five questions. Award them two XP for each question which they can answer “yes” to, one XP for each question which they can answer “maybe” to and no XP for each one they answer “no” to.

• Did the player turn up for the game?• Did the player roleplay their character well?• Did the player contribute to the overall quality

and/or enjoyment of the game by everyone?• Did the character perform any noteworthy feats

in the session?• Did the crew achieve their goals for the session?

AgePirates and Privateers is very generous when it comes to handling age. Once a character is pasty fifty they should make a roll every year, on their birthday.If they roll doubles less than or equal to their Age, they die of natural causes during the following year. If they roll doubles greater than their Age, they survive but lose one skill or speciality of their choice (to represent the gradual decline of their faculties with age).For example, if a 60 year old character rolled 33, they would die of something in the coming year. If they rolled 66 they would not die, but would lose one skill or speciality, representing their diminishing faculties as they age.

a

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GlossaryAble Seaman Knowledgeable sailor.

Afore To the front of the ship. As in “Enemy ship Afore Captain!”

Aft To the rear of the ship.

Ahoy A sailor's call to draw attention.

Aloft High in the masts or rigging.

Amidships In the middle of the ship.

Anchor An iron or bronze grapnel shaped device which is tossed overboard and attached to the ship by a heavy line. The anchor snags on the bottom and prevents the ship drifting away.

Anchors Aweigh! A phrase often called when the anchor is thrown overboard.

Articles Contract signed by pirates or privateers when signing with a ship. It stated the rules as well as shares of profits.

Astern Behind.

Avast Stop

Ballast Heavy materials at the bottom of a ship used to keep the ship upright.

Bar Shallow water in entrance to harbour.

Barque Three-masted ship.

Beam Width of ship.

Bear Away Change direction to sail before the wind.

Belaying Pin A wooden or metal bar to which a rope can be fastened.

Below Decks The area inside the ship. The regular sailors and midshipman slept below decks.

Bilges Bottom compartment of ship, usually filled with waste water.

Black Jack A leather tankard made stiff with a coating of tar. Used by dockside pubs and taverns to serve wine and beer. Also a term used for a short weighted leather club (tarred) using to strike blows to the head to knock out people.

Blow Short, intense gale or storm.

Boarding The action of moving alongside another ship and sending sailors across to “board” it. The term originates in the use of wooden planks (boards) between two ships to allow easier access.

Boarding Nets Nets strung out from ship's side to stop boarding.

Boarding Pike A two-handed tool used to grapple an enemy ship and pull along side. Basically its a wooden pole with a hook on the end.

Boatswain or Bosun

The Warrant Officer in charge of sails, rigging, anchors and associated gear.

Booty Term for profits taken from plunder.

Boucan French word for a grill used to smoke meat. The word buccaneer came from boucan. Smoking meat for sale to passing ships was common from about 1620 to 1670. Men were illegally hunting and smoking the meat until the Spanish cracked down on them. Many took up pirating since their livelihood was over. These men at the time were known as Boucaniers.

Bow or fore The front end of a ship

Bowlines Ropes attached to sails to pull them forward.

Bowsprit Spar at the front of a ship.

Box Haul Sharp turning of a ship.

Brace Rope used to hold direction of a sail.

Brigantine Two-masted ship.

Bring To Slowing a ship so that it almost stops by heading it into the wind.

Broadside The firing of all guns on one side of a ship.

Buccaneer The Term originally applied to the hunters of wild oxen and pigs on the island of Hispaniola, but later it was used to describe the pirates and privateers who plundered the shipping and coastal towns in the West Indies and on the coasts of South and Central America in the second half of the seventeenth century.

Bulkhead A heavy “wall” which divides the inside of a ship into separate partitions.

Bulwarks The planking or woodwork along the sides of a ship, above her upper deck to prevent seas washing over the gunwales and to prevent persons from falling or being washed overboard.

Bumboo A mixture of rum, water, sugar, and nutmeg. Favoured among West Indians as well as buccaneers and pirates. And for your roleplaying enjoyment, here is a real-world recipe for bumboo:In a tall glass put ice, sliced limes, a slug of dark rum & top with seven up, then add (grated) nutmeg.

Cable A term for heavy rope.

Cable (length) A length of 240 yards.

Cannon A muzzle loading gunpowder weapon which hurls a metal ball (or other ammunition) at high speed at a target.

Canvas The material sails are made of.

Capstan Cylindrical device that sailors inserted poles into to help haul up cables.

Captain The person who is in charge of a

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vessel and legally responsible for it and its occupants

Careen Lying a ship on its side to allow its hull to be cleaned. The ship is bought into shallow water, then when the tide goes it out it rolls sideways, allowing it to be cleaned. On the next high tide it can be floated off again.

Carronade A short, fat, cannon. It has a shorter range than a standard cannon, but packs more punch.

Cat'O'NineTails A whip made from knotted ropes, used to punish crewmen.

Caulking Using unpicked rope and pitch to seal gaps in planks. The caulking on a ship had to be regularly replaced as it wore out.

Chaplain A priest or clergyman serving a group of people who are not organized as a mission or church. Pirates rarely had a Chaplain, but most warships and some privateers did.

Chaser A small calibre gun mounted on the fore or aft of the ship, used to fire on targets who are following you, or who you are following.

Close-Hauled Rigging a ship to sail directly into the wind.

Cog A ship developed in the medieval period, partly to resist attacks by longships (as used by the Vikings). It had very high sides to prevent boarding and a raised bow and stern where archers would be stationed.

Colours The flag flown by a ship to show her nationality.

Commissions Governments would issue these licenses to privateers. They authorized raids on foreign shipping.

Cooper A barrel maker. Very important aboard ship as most supplies were stored in barrels.

Corsairs A Pirate or Privateer operating in the Mediterranean. The most famous corsairs were those based on the Barbary Coast of North Africa who were authorized by their governments to attack the merchant shipping of the Christian countries.

Covent Garden A piazza and market in the heart of London, modelled on the Piazza's of Venice and other Italian cities.

Crew A group of player characters working together on the same ship, often called a party in other roleplaying games.

Crimp A person who is tricked or press ganged into serving on a crew.

Crows nest A basket at the top of the main mast where a look-out is stationed. The height gives them the best possible visibility.

Cutlass A short, heavy, curved sword. The preferred weapon of many a pirate.

Cutter Single-masted small ship.

Davy Jones' Locker

According to sailor's lore, Davy Jones is an evil spirit in the sea. His locker was the ocean where he received dead sailors.

Deck The exposed area of the ship where the men did their work.

Dirk A long thin knife. It was used for fighting in close quarters, as well as cutting rope.

Doubloon A gold coin minted by Spain or Spanish colonies. Worth about seven weeks pay for an average sailor

En Flute A warship without some, or all, of its cannons.

Fathom A measure of six feet, used to describe the depth of water.

Figurehead A carved figure perched on the front or bow of sailing ships that helped establish a ship's identity. This also refers to the captain when the spouse is on board. Historically the figurehead was credited with the ability to ward off evil spirits (many Mediterranean ships have eyes painted on the prow, which were believed to ward off the evil eye).

Flag Officer A senior officer in charge of a squadron or fleet (usually an Admiral). A flag officer has their own personal flag which is flown from the mast of the ship they are on board.

Flagship The ship which the commander of a fleet or squadron operates from. It flies the commanders personal pennant (his flag), hence Flagship.

Flibustier French term for pirates during the Golden Age of piracy.

Fluke The portion of an anchor that digs securely into the bottom, holding the boat in place; also a term for any occasion when the anchors digs in on the first try.

Fore Front of a ship.

Forecastle Small deck at front of ship, usually raised above the main deck. In ancient times the forecastle was where archers were stationed.

Foredeck The forward part of the main deck.

Freebooter Another term for pirate.

Gaff Yard supporting top of a sail.

Gasket Platted rope holding sails to yards.

Gibbet A wooden frame from which dead pirates were hung, often in a metal cage especially fitted for the dead man. This was done as a warning to others who would think of taking up a career in piracy.

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Go on the account

To embark on a piratical cruise

Grog British naval seamen received a portion of liquor every day. In 1740, Admiral Edward Vernon ordered the rum to be diluted with water. Vernon's nickname was Old Grogram, and the beverage was given the name grog in their disdain for Vernon.

Grommet A name British seamen gave to an apprentice sailor, or ship's boy. The word comes from the Spanish word grumete, which has the same meaning.

Gun A generic term for any firearm. Includes cannons, chasers and carronades.

Halyards Ropes to raise or lower sails.

Haul Off Move away.

Heave To Stopping a ship by heading it into the wind.

Heel The term used to describe a ships leaning to one side under the influence of wind and sail (a ship heeling to starboard is leaning to the right).

Hull The main body of a ship, built out of heavy wooden timbers.

Jib Triangular sail at prow of ship.

Jolly Boat A small craft used by the ships crew for general work. The term “jolly boat” comes from the crafts use as a ferry to take the crew ashore for rest and recreation.

Jolly Roger The Jolly Roger was the pirate's flag. It had a black background and a symbol (usually white) symbolizing death. The jolly roger came into use about 1700. Before then pirates used the colors of their nationality. Only Edward England flew a flag with the skull and crossbones motif, but all those flying the Jolly Roger had symbols signifying either death, violence or limited time. The variations were unlimited.

Keel Lowest lengthwise running timber of ship.

Land Ho! Traditional calling when a sailor sights land.

Landlubber Lubber is an old slang word for someone who is stupid and lazy. Sailors added land to it to describe someone stupid about the ways of life aboard a ship.

Landsman Inexperienced sailor.

Larboard Port.

Lateen sail A triangular sail.

Lee Downwind. The lee side of a ship is that which is downwind, and a fleet in a lee position is downwind from their enemy.

Leeward The direction which the wind is blowing to. Ships under sail heel to leeward and this reduces the effectiveness of guns on the leeward side. The leeward side of a ship is the side sheltered from the wind.

Letters of Marque

A commission or license issued by the government authorizing seizure of enemy property. In Britain and her colonies the letter was issued by the sovereign, the Lord High Admiral, or a Colonial Governor. Such letters were purchased by entrepreneurs, a percentage of their prizes was kept by the issuing authority and any remainder was split evenly between the crew of the privateer.

Light cannon A game term used to describe a smaller calibre cannon, normally only found on merchant ships.

Log-line A knotted rope and piece of wood that measures a ship's speed.

Long boat A long rowing boat, often called a pinnace.

Luff Turn a ship closer to wind.

Lug sail A four-sided sail.

Lugger A small two or three masted ship intended for fishing, coasting or sailing.

Lying To Position a ship is in after being brought to.

Marling spike A pointed iron spike used to separate strands of rope.

Maroon Pirates used marooning as an act of punishment. A transgressor of their codes would be stripped and left upon an isolated island with only a few supplies, if any at all. Most transgressors preferred a quick death to marooning, for it could mean starvation or worse, isolation for years, until rescue or death.

Mast Upright beams which sails were suspended from. The number of masts varied and their names included. The mainmast (largest mast centrally located), fore-mast (front of ship), aft-mast (rear of mainmast), mizzenmast (usually lateen-rigged, rear and sometimes front of ship, used to improve steering), bowsprit (extended out at an angle over the bow).

Master at Arms The officer in charge of the ships weaponry. Often a marine and in charge of boarding actions as well.

Mate The word mate comes from the word meat, and originally meant people who shared food. Later it came to be known as a companion. Mate was also the title of an officer aboard naval and merchant ships. The mate oversaw the sailors, ensuring that the captain's orders were carried out. He also was

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responsible for stowing cargo and organizing the crew's work.

Midshipmen Junior-ranking officers who would assist in the control of the crew. Most midshipman were teenagers, those surviving being promoted to lieutenant in a few years.

Mizzen Rear of a ship.

No Purchase, No Pay

A term used to mean "no plunder, no pay". At the time, the English word purchase referred to any plunder, loot, or booty. A pirate sailing under this term (in the ship's articles) would have to seize loot or forfeit pay.

Oakum A preparation of tarred fibre which is packed between the planks of a ships hull to stop water leaking in (the packing process is referred to as “caulking”).

Ordinary Seaman

Sailor with limited experience.

Orlop deck The lowest deck on a ship.

Packet Small, fast ship for sending despatches and orders.

Peg Leg This was a nickname, given by pirates to those who had replaced a leg with a wooden prosthetic. The Spanish name is Pié de Palo, the Dutch is Houtebeen.

Peso (Piece of Eight)

The peso was the main coin in the Spanish-American colonies. It was slightly larger than the 19th century U.S. silver dollar. Often the coin would be cut into 8 sections, each one representing 1 reale. Hence the name "piece of eight". The Spanish government minted an immense amount of these coins and they were widely circulated.

Petty Officer Included gunner's mates, quartermasters, master-at-arms, carpenter, bosun and cooper, the ship's master, chaplain and surgeon

Picaroon Term meaning both pirate and slaver.

Pinnace A ship's boat, usually towed behind the ship whilst at sea.

Plunder Goods or money obtained illegally, of the act of acquiring goods or money illegally.

Plying Turn to windward.

Ponton An English prison hulk, or converted ship hull where captured pirates were held.

Port The left side of a ship, if you are facing forward.

Press Gang A group of sailors who "recruit" for their ship using violence and intimidation

Privateer An armed ship or persons aboard, which are authorized by a commission or "letter of marque" from a

government to capture the merchant ships of an enemy nation.

Prize A prize was a ship which was captured. The word is derived from the latin pretium, meaning prize, value, reward, wages.

Quarterdeck As the need for castles (raised sections at fore and aft to act as firing platforms for archers) was diminished so too was their size. Fore and aft-castles were replaced with the terms quarter-deck and fore-deck.

Quartermaster Under pirates, the quartermaster had an almost equal amount of authority as the captain. He was elected and as such was the crew's voice. If a ship was captured, the quartermaster almost always took over the captured ship. He maintained order, settled arguments, and distributed supplies. The quartermaster was in charge of all booty gained and distributed it among the crew.

Rake Firing down the length of a ship from a position off of its bow or stern. A good raking shot will tear straight through the ships below decks, likely causing massive damage.

Ranleigh Gardens

A pleasure garden in London, similar to Vauxhall gardens and Covent garden.

Ratlines Ropes attached to a ship's shrouds that are used as ladders.

Reef Lessen sail area by tying parts of it to the mast.

Rigging The part of a ship which supports and operates the sails. Also a verb which means “to put the sails and lines on the masts”.

Royals Square sails sitting beneath the topgallants.

Sail A large sheet of canvas which is attached to the mast. When the wind blows it catches the sail and some of the winds kinetic energy is transferred to the ship in the form of movement.

Sailing The art of getting from A to B in a sail driven ship, slowly, whilst avoiding starvation, dehydration, disease, getting lost, mutiny, the navy and bad weather.

Schooner A ship with two masts, where the fore mast is shorter than the aft mast.

Scuppers Holes pierced in deck near bulwarks to allow surplus water to drain off.

Scurvy A disease resulting from a vitamin C deficiency which results in weakness, anaemia, and spongy gums.

Sea Rover A pirate or pirate's ship.

Sheets Ropes attached to bottom corners of sails.

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Ships Articles A document which governs the conduct of a private crew and ship. Anyone serving aboard a ship must follow the articles or face punishment. The articles were usually laid down by the ships master (its owner) and the captain.

Shiver me timbers

An imprecation used by "stage-sailors" presumably of nautical origin, shiver here is used in the sense of "to shatter" or "splinter into pieces", the timbers of a ship.

Shrouds Support ropes attached to the masts.

Square-Rigged A ship rigged with square sails at its bow.

Starboard The right side of a ship, if you are facing forward

Stays Forwards and backwards support ropes for the masts.

Stern or aft Rear of ship.

Strike the Colours

To haul down a ship's flag as a signal of surrender.

Surgeon The officer responsible for the medical well being of the men.

Swab A swab is a mop made from rope used to clean the deck. It is also an insult intended to show contempt for a crude, ignorant person.

Sweet trade The career of piracy.

Tack Way of a ship zig-zagging into the wind or turning it by steering to windward.

Tar A pitchy substance used for various purposes aboard ship (such as caulking or protecting surfaces from water). Also a colloquial term for a British seaman.

Top Platform around the mast.

Topgallant Highest of the three spars used to make a mast.

Under sail A ship which has its sails up and is moving is “under sail”

Under way A ship which is “under way” is moving.

Vauxhall Gardens

Vauxhall Gardens was a pleasure garden in London, one of the most important. Pleasure gardens were the period equivalent of modern amusement parks, where people would come to promenade, dine and enjoy music and entertainments in the open air.

Walk the Plank Walking the Plank referred to blindfolding a prisoner, tying his hands to his sides, and forcing him to walk a plank that was suspended out over the sea. It is fictional, the work of 19th century artists.

Wear Turn a ship by moving prow in direction of the wind.

Weather Upwind. Opposite of lee, the weather side of a ship is that which is facing into the wind. A fleet in a weather position is upwind from their enemy.

Weather Gauge To “have the weather gauge” over an enemy means you are upwind of them at the start of an engagement, a major advantage in sail driven ships.

Windage How far a ship is blown off course by the wind.

Windward The direction from which the wind is blowing.

Xebec A small three masted ship (frigate or smaller in game terms) with lateen and square sails.

Yard Horizontal spar that holds up the sails.

Yardarm Outer sections of the yard.

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Character Creation

All Gentlemen Volunteers

Seaman and able bodied Landsman, who wish to acquire Riches and Honour, are invited to repair on board the Privateer ship of War, now laying in Charleston Harbour; mounting Thirty Carriage Guns, with Carronades, swivels, & bound on a Cruize to the Southward for four Months against the French and all His Majesty’s enemies, and then to return to this Harbour.All volunteers will be received on board the said ship~or by the Captain at his rendezvous at the Black Dog, Mr. Proud's Tavern near the Chandlery, where they will meet with all due encouragement, and the best treatment; Proper Advance will be given.

-January 12, 1779

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IntroductionThis section tells you how to create a character to play Privateers and Pirates.

Character CreationCharacter creation is very simple. There is a standard character sheet presented at the end of these rules to make life easier for the GM and players.1. First of all decide on a character concept that fits into

the type of game you are playing. 2. Next decide on your name, nationality, religion, age

and gender. Characters in this game may come from any background. They have left their previous life behind to sail the seas of high adventure!

3. Now choose your social status (Working class, Middle class or Upper class) and ex-military rank (if any).

4. Next, choose a number of skills plus specialities equal to the tens value of your Age doubled.

5. You may then take one or more Flaws.6. Make up a number of distinctive features equal to the

tens value of your Age.7. Note down that you have a Drama score of one for

each Flaw taken, plus three if you are Working class, two if you are Middle class or one if you are Upper class.

8. If you are Working class you begin play with d100 Shillings (read the highest dice as tens).

9. If you are Middle class you begin play with d100 pounds (read the highest dice as tens).

10. If you are Upper class you begin play with d100 x20 pounds (read the highest dice as tens).

11. This money may be used to buy any starting equipment before play begins.

12. The crew begins with a single ship given them by the GM. Normally this is a sloop or brig (players choice which) and a crew of twenty five sailors.

That's it, you now have a character and can begin play. Different genres may introduce additional elements to this process.

jCharacter ConceptsTo give you some help, here's a list of some possible character concepts:

Half deaf master gunner.

War weary soldier who has no other skills excepting fighting.

Grizzled old war veteran turned mercenary.

Sadistic psychopath who enjoys hurting people.

Freed/Escaped Negro slave.

Disgraced Naval Captain.

Ex-Naval Captain with a drug habit.

Aristocrat who lost everything in a game of cards and now seeks to get their money back.

Girl disguised as a boy, fled from her stifling family.

Boy from a poor family wanting to make his fortune.

Romantic idealist who fancies being a pirate.

Smart business man who wants to get rich quick.

Adventurous nobleman, out for the thrill of it.

Distinctive FeaturesEach character is described by a number of distinctive features equal to the tens value of their Age score.For example, if the characters Age is 30 they have three distinctive features.Distinctive features are the first things people notice about a character when they encounter them. Some examples follow:

Scar on cheek Branded

White hair High pitched voice

Bulging muscles Very deep voice

Rotten teeth Phlegmatic

Piercing blue eyes Raven black hair

Long hair High cheekbones

Shaved or Bald head Missing tooth

Tattooed face Gold tooth

Missing finger and so on....

Note that a character does not gain additional distinctive features when their Age increases during play. Distinctive features are only gained or lost through events during roleplay.

Nationality and ReligionFor the purposes of the game characters are, by default, of English, Scots, American or Welsh nationality and of the Christian religion. This is a game convenience because most players of Privateers and Pirates are likely to be of British or American origin. Characters are fluent in a number of languages equal to the tens value of their Age score. Some other nationalities could be;

French Russian Austrian

Spanish Portugese Swedish

Italian Chinese Norwegian

Dutch African Danish

German Arabic Turkish

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Home PortYou do not need to choose a home port for your crew, but is a nice touch to do so. Your home port is simply the place where you spend most of your time when not out pirating.

Social StatusWhen a character is first created you should decide on their social rank. In the ordered societies of major nations, social rank is very important, but on the high sea's and wild ports where pirates and privateers tend to be found, it becomes less of an issue.You may also wish to give your character military rank, to indicate a previous career in the army or navy. Player characters are civilians so they must be retired from service (whether honourably or dishonourably is up to the player concerned).Bear in mind that pirates are, by definition, wanted criminals, regardless of their original social background. If you are playing a game where characters are pirates, a character may come from whatever social class they wish and may or may not have served in the military.Privateers are not criminals, at least not in the country who's letter of marque they are operating under. In other countries they will be treated just like any other pirate.Characters of the upper classes who have sunk to privateering are likely to be either bankrupt or impoverished, and are pursuing privateering as way to get rich, or are thrill seekers. Either way, such characters do not have access to the usual wealth and resources associated with their class. In the case of thrill seekers, it can be assumed that they have been disowned by their families for their wayward behaviour.

Social Status in PlayA character choice of social status determines how many Drama points they start play with and how money they start play with.Beyond that, social status should be considered more of a distinctive feature than anything else. As a general rule of thumb, a characters social status should help them as often as it hinders them. Being the fifth Earl of Huntingdon may win you favour with a governor, but it's likely to result in merchants overcharging you and other pirates trying to kidnap you for ransom. Likewise, Smelly Jim the criminal may have a lot of kudos with his fellow pirates, but better watch out for the law.From a GM's standpoint, keep an eye on how players use their social status and balance your adventures accordingly. If a character insists of swanning around with airs and graces and using their social rank a lot, the GM should ensure to penalise them accordingly later.In maths terms, social status is a zero-sum game.

Explanation of Social StatusThis section gives a brief overview of the society of the period. Society has five social ranks:

• (Criminal or Outcast)• Working class• Middle class• Upper class

Criminal or Outcast isn't really a social class, instead it is a current status of an individual. They still posses their native class.Criminals are just that, wanted criminals. All pirates are, by definition, criminals, the only “safe” places for them being pirate ports.

Outcasts have been cast out of their native society but

are not criminals. They are likely to be heavily prejudiced against and treated very badly by everyone. Slaves are of the outcast social rank.

The working class are the great majority of the population, poorly educated and living in poverty. In the early campaign the majority of working class people work the land still. In a late campaign the industrial revolution has begun and more and more of the working class live in the stinking towns, working in the factories. Artisans, such as craftspeople, are typically working class.

The middle class are the business and professional peoples of a society. They are the employers and skilled workers, the entrepreneurs, lawyers, doctors and other professionals. The middle class are the driving force behind economic growth in most societies.

The Upper class constitutes the gentry and aristocracy.

The gentry are the traditional small land owners, particularly in rural areas where they are the large farmers and lords of the manor. Members of the gentry are typically distinguished from the middle classes by their holding of titles, usually Knighthoods (making them a Knight) or Baronetcies (making them a Baronet, a senior rank knight), which entitle them to be addressed as Sir or Lady. The children of knights and barons are entitled to be addressed as “the Right Honourable” until the inherit their full title.

The aristocracy are born and bred to rule. Their wealth comes from their land holdings and few engage in trade of any kind. Aristocrats are peers of the realm, holding the title of Baron or higher. This entitles them to a seat in the house of Lords (in Britain at least). Members of the aristocracy are always addressed as Lord or Lady. Princes and Princesses are “your Highness” and a King or Queen is “your Majesty”. The son or daughter of a titled character has a courtesy title one step lower than their parents. So the son of an Earl has the courtesy title of Viscount until they inherit.

Explanation of Military RankCharacters may wish to have pursued a military career prior to beginning play. The two services are the Army and the Navy. Navy characters may have been in the Navy proper or Marines (in effect, shipboard soldiers).Characters are assumed to have been honourably discharged, although they can have dishonourably discharged if you wish.

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The Social OrderThe table below shows specific social classes and ranks in order from lowest (at the top of the table) to highest (at the bottom).Social Rank Naval Ranks Army Ranks

Criminal Ordinary Seaman Private

Outcast Able Seaman Lance-Corporal

Lower Working Class

Leading Seaman Corporal

Middle Working Class

Petty Officer Sergeant

Upper Working Class

Chief Petty Officer Sergeant Major

Lower Middle Class Midshipman Second Lieutenant

Upper Middle Class Lieutenant Lieutenant

Knight Lieutenant-Commander Captain

Baronet Commander Major

Baron/ Baroness Junior Post Captain Lieutenant-Colonel

Viscount/ Viscountess

Senior Post Captain Colonel

Earl/Countess Commodore Brigadier

Marquess/ Marchioness

Rear Admiral Major General

Duke/ Duchess Vice Admiral Lieutenant General

Prince/ Princess Admiral General

King/Queen Admiral of the Fleet Field Marshal

An Example of Character CreationStarting with the concept of “war weary soldier” Andy sets out to create a new character.He decides that his character will be English, 35 years old, protestant and male. He is working class and attained the rank of Sergeant in the army before he retired. Andy gives his character the name “John Smith”.Next he chooses six skills and specialities (six is double the tens value of John's age of 35). He takes the following skills.

• Health• Shooting• Will• Healing• Tactics• Gaming

Andy has chosen not to take any specialities, feeling that John is the kind of guy who's “been around” but who has never taken the time to really concentrate on mastering any particular abilities.To reflect this he chooses the “Drifter” flaw and comes up with the following three distinguishing features:

• Slight limp from an old bullet wound in his left leg

• Bald• Gold earring in his left ear

John's starting Drama score is four (three for being Working class plus one for his Flaw) and he begins play with no XP, no wounds and no advances.Finally, Andy rolls the dice and reads the lowest as tens to find out how much money John begins play with. He rolls 37, giving John 37 pounds to begin play with.

Skills, Specialities and Flaws

The full list of Skills and Specialities which are available to characters are presented below. The Skills and Specialities are organised into four thematic groups, Brawn, Wits, Knowledge and Reflexes.Each skill has it's specialities listed under it as bullet points.

fBrawn Skills and SpecialitiesThese Skills and Specialities relate to a characters physical strength, fitness, health and other bodily abilities.

Athletics: A character with this skill is an accomplished athlete. Specialisations include:

• Swimming: Make an Athletics(swimming) check when trying to swim.

• Jumping: Make an Athletics(jumping) check when trying to jump up, down or along.

• Climbing: Make an Athletics(climbing) check when trying to climb something.

• Rowing: Make an Athletics(rowing) check when trying to row a boat.

Fighting: A character with the Fighting skill is a trained and experienced close combatant. This skill and it's attendant specialities improve your chance to hit and the DIFF of you being hit whilst appropriately armed in combat. Specialisations include:

• Brawling: Make a Fighting(brawling) check when attacking with your barehands or with brass knuckles.

• Dagger: Make a Fighting(dagger) check when attacking with a knife or dagger.

• Sword: Make a Fighting(sword) check when attacking with some kind of sword.

• Axe: Make a Fighting(axe) check when attacking with some kind of axe or axelike weapon.

• Blunt: Make a Fighting(blunt) check when attacking with some kind of blunt weapon (such as a club, mace or hammer).

• Spear: Make a Fighting(spear) check when attacking with some kind of spear.

Health: A character with the Health skill has a remarkably robust constitution and level of fitness. Specialisations include:

• Constitution: Make a Health(constitution) check to resist the effects of poisons or diseases.

• Endurance: Make a Health(endurance) check to resist the effects of fatigue or extremes of climate.

• Resilience: Make a Health(resilience) check to resist damage and injuries.

• Strength: Make a Health(strength) check when trying to lift something, force something open or

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perform some similar display of raw strength.• Grappling: Make a Health(grappling) check

when engaged in grapples, arm wrestles and wrestling matches.

uWits Skills and SpecialitiesThese Skills and Specialities relate to how fast a character thinks, their native intelligence and awareness and their ability to interact with others.

Animal Handling: A character with the Animal handling skill is experienced in dealing with animals. Specialisations include:

• Riding: Make an Animal Handling(riding) check to control an animal you are riding.

• Driving: Make an Animal Handling(driving) check to control a wagon, coach, plough or other animal drawn vehicle.

• Husbandry: Make an Animal Handling (husbandry) check to diagnose animal illnesses, treat animals wounds or to know about domesticated animals.

Art: A character with this skill is an accomplished artist. Specialities include:

• Drawing: Make an Art(drawing) check to draw a picture or evaluate an existing picture.

• Painting: Make an Art(painting) check to create a painting or evaluate an existing painting.

• Sculpture: Make an Art(sculpture) check to create a sculpture or evaluate an existing sculpture.

• Writing: Make an Art(writing) check to create a piece of writing or evaluate an existing piece of writing.

• Musical Composition: Make an Art(sculpture) check to create a musical composition or evaluate an existing composition.

Gaming: A character with this skill is a skilled gamer, and gambler. Specialisations include:

• Cards: Make a Gaming(cards) check to play poker.

• Betting: Make a Gaming(betting) check to bet effectively.

• Dice: Make a Gaming(dice) check to play dice games.

Influence: A character with this skill is a skilled manipulator of people, with an instinctive understanding of what makes people tick and how to pull their strings to get what they want. Specialisations include:

• Persuasion: Make an Influence(persuasion) check to get people to agree with you and help you through reasoned argument, negotiation, debate and emotional appeal.

• Seduction: Make an Influence(seduction) check to get people to assist you through the promise of sexual favours.

• Intimidation: Make an Influence (intimidation)

check to get people to obey you through fear of the consequences of not doing so.

• Disguise: Make an Influence(disguise) check to pretend to be someone else. A character with this speciality is particularly adept in the arts of disguise. This includes using makeup and prosthetics to change your appearance and also techniques for changing your gait, mannerisms and voice.

Music: You are a talented musician. Specialities include:• Brass: Make a music(brass) check to play a

brass instrument (such as trumpets).• Stringed: Make a music(stringed) check to play

a stringed instrument (such as the fiddle).• Percussion: Make a music(percussion) check to

play a percussive instrument (such as the drums).

• Wind: Make a music(wind) check to play a wind instrument (such as a flute).

• Piano: Make a music(piano) check to play a piano or piano type instrument.

Notice: A character with this skill has an astonishing sensitivity to their surroundings, noticing small details both in the environment and in peoples attitudes and behaviours. Specialisations include:

• Sea: Make a Notice(sea) check to notice things whilst at sea.

• Wilderness: Make a Notice(wilderness) check to notice things whilst in the wilds.

• Rural: Make a Notice(wilderness) check to notice things in rural areas.

• Urban: Make a Notice(wilderness) check to notice things whilst in settlements.

Sailing: You are an expert sailor. This skill covers galleys are well as sailing vessels. Specialisations include:

• Sea: Make a Sailing(sea) check to control a ship at sea.

• Coastal: Make a Sailing(coastal) check to control a ship in coastal waters.

• Piracy: Make a Sailing(piracy) check when trying to find prey on the high seas.

Will: A character with this skill has a high degree of mental self control, able to stay focussed on actions when distracted, resistant to influence by others and able to hold their ground in the face of frightening or shocking events. Specialisations include: Resist Influence, Resist Fear

• Resistance: Make a Will(resistance) check to resist Influence checks made by other characters.

• Bravery: Make a Will(bravery) check to resist the effects of fear and terrifying situations.

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Knowledge Skills and SpecialitiesThese Skills and Specialities relate to what a character knows, reflecting their depth and breadth of knowledge, experience and education.

Smithing: A character with this skill is skilled in working with metals.

• Blacksmithing: Make a Smithing (blacksmithing) check to evaluate, make or repair metal weapons items except swords.

• Artifice: Make a Smithing(artifice) check to evaluate, make or repair complex devices, such as clocks or locks.

• Swordsmithing: Make a Smithing (swordsmithing) check to evaluate, make or repair swords.

• Gunsmithing: Make a Smithing (gunsmithing) check to evaluate, make or repair firearms of all kinds.

• Locksmithing: Make a Smithing (locksmithing) check to pick locks and disarm complex mechanisms.

Crafting: A character with this skill is skilled in working with non-metal materials.

• Carpentry: Make a Crafting(carpentry) check to evaluate, make or repair wooden items.

• Masonry: Make a Crafting(masonry) check to evaluate, make or repair stone or concrete items.

• Tailoring: Make a Crafting(tailoring) check to evaluate, make or repair non-leather clothes.

• Leatherworking: Make a Crafting (leatherworking) check to evaluate, make or repair leather items.

• Pottery: Make a Crafting(pottery) check to evaluate, make or repair clay and ceramic items.

Engineering: A character with this skill has an understanding of the physical principles involved in designing and building things, and blowing them up.

• Shipwright: Make an Engineering (shipwright) roll to design and manage the build of ships.

• Structural: Make an Engineering (structural) roll to design and manage the building of buildings.

• Demolitions: Make an Engineering (demolitions) check to safely handle and lay explosive charges for maximum effect.

• Gunnery: Make an Engineering(gunnery) check to maximise the efficiency of canons and howitzers.

Healing: A character with this skill is a master of the healing arts. Specialisations include:

• Surgery: Make a Healing(surgery) check to treat grievous wounds and perform other surgeries.

• First Aid: Make a Healing(first aid) check to treat non-grievous wounds.

• Medicine: Make a Healing(medicine) check to treat poisons and diseases.

• Autopsy: Make a Healing(autopsy) check to determine what someone died of.

Law: A character with this skill is likely to be a lawyer, with a deep understanding of laws and customs and their application in court. Specialisations include:

• Criminal: Make a Law(criminal) check to know about criminal law or to prosecute or defend in a criminal case.

• Civil: Make a Law(civil) check to know about civil

law or to prosecute or defend in a civil case.

Science: A character with this skill is a scientist, skilled in the scientific arts. Specialisations include:

• Chemistry: Make a Science (chemistry) check to solve chemical problems and to know about chemistry.

• Physics: Make a Science (physics) check to solve physics problems and to know about physics.

• Biology: Make a Science (biology) check to solve biology problems and to know about biology.

• Geology: Make a Science (geology) check to solve geology problems and to know about geology.

Connections: A character with this skill is comfortable in various social situations and has a network of contacts and associates to draw on. Specialities include:

• Criminal: Make a Connections(criminals) check to find a suitable criminal contact for some reason or to understand the relationships and players in the criminal underworld.

• Military: Make a Connections(military) check to find a suitable military contact for some reason or to understand the relationships and players in the military.

• Business: Make a Connections(business) check to find a suitable business contact for some reason or to understand the relationships and players in the business community.

• Society: Make a Connections(society) check to find a suitable upper class contact for some reason or to understand the relationships and players amongst the gentry, aristocracy and royal social circles.

• Political: Make a Connections(political) check to find a suitable political contact for some reason or to understand the relationships and players in the world of politics and government.

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Navigation: You are an expert on the plotting of routes and courses. Specialisations include:

• Sea: Make a Navigation(sea) check to plot and follow a course at sea.

• Land: Make a Navigation(land) check to plot and follow a course on land.

Signalling: You are an expert on signalling, whether with semaphore, lamp or other method. Signalling also includes the use of secret codes. Specialisations include:

• Lamp: Make a Signalling(lamp) check to accurately send or interpret lamp signals (using flashes of a lamp to communicate at night).

• Semaphore: Make a Signalling(semaphore) check to accurately send or interpret semaphore signals (using flags to communicate, in the day only).

• Codes: Make a Signalling(codes) check to devise or decipher codes of all types.

Survival: A character with this skill is a survivor, at home in the wilds, able to live comfortably off the land, follow tracks, conceal their own tracks and set traps. They are also knowledgeable on the subjects of animals and plants of the wilds. Specialisations include:

• Temperate: Make Survival(temperate) checks to survive in temperate climates (most of Europe and America is considered temperate).

• Tropical: Make Survival(tropical) checks to survive in tropical climates (much of Africa, India and the Caribbean is considered tropical).

• Polar: Make Survival (polar) checks to survive in Arctic or Antarctic climates (most of Scandinavia, Iceland, Greenland and the poles are considered polar).

• Desert: Make Survival (desert) checks to survive in desert climates.

• Mountains: Make Survival (mountains) checks to survive in mountainous climates.

Tactics: A character with this skill is an experienced warleader, able to lead men into battle and plan effective tactics and strategies, whilst also managing the logistical needs of a campaign. This also includes all aspects of siege warfare, including logistics and siege engine usage Specialisations include:

• Sea: Make Tactics(sea) checks to maximise your effectiveness during sea battles.

• Land: Make Tactics(land) checks to maximise your effectiveness during land battles.

• Boarding: Make Tactics(boarding) checks to maximise your effectiveness during boarding actions.

Administration: A character with this skill is familiar with the mechanics of running businesses and organisations. Specialities include:

• Accounting: Make an Administration (accounting) check to prepare or analyse sets of accounts.

• Management: Make an a Administration (management) check to set up and run systems which keep a business or other organisation running smoothly and effectively.

• Training: Make an Administration(training) check to deliver proper training.

Humanities: A character with this skill is knowledgeable on matters such as geography, history, current affairs, philosophy and so forth. Specialisations include:

• Geography: Make a Humanities(geography) check to know about the locations of different places and geographical features.

• History: Make a Humanities(history) check to know about historical events and figures.

• Current Affairs: Make a Humanities(current affairs) check to know about current events, people and politics.

• Philosophy: Make a Humanities(philosophy) check to know about philosophical matters.

cReflexes Skills and SpecialitiesThese skills and specialities relate to a characters speed of action, accuracy and finesse.

Agility: A character with this skill has an excellent sense of balance and control of their bodily position. Useful for dodging things, dancing and balancing. Specialisations include:

• Dodge: Make an Agility(dodge) check to avoid traps, or to perform gymnastic feats, such as swinging on ropes or performing flips and rolls. Also gives a bonus to both melee and ranged defence

• Balance: Make an Agility(balance) check to keep your balance, such as when crossing narrow surfaces or walking on ropes.

• Dance: Make an Agility(dance) check to dance in an entertaining and skilful way.

• Running: Make an Agility(running) check to run really fast.

• Initiative: Make an Agility(initiative) check to determine turn order in combat rounds.

Archery: A character with this skill is a skilled archer, capable of fast and accurate shooting. Specialisations include:

• Drawn bow: Make an Archery(drawn bow) check to hit someone with an arrow from a longbow or shortbow.

• Crossbow: Make an Archery(crossbow) check to hit someone with a bolt from a crossbow.

Shooting: A character with this skill is a crackshot with pistols, carbines, rifles and shotguns. Specialisations include:

• Handguns: Make a Shooting(handguns) check when firing pistols and other handguns.

• Longarms: Make a Shooting (longarms) check when firing muskets, carbines, rifles, shotguns and other weapons held in two hands to fire.

• Gunnery: Make a Shooting(gunnery) check when firing swivel guns, cannons and howitzers.

Stealth: A character with this skill is able to move around undetected and hide flawlessly. Specialisations include:

• Urban: Make a Stealth(urban) check to hide or

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move undetected through settlements. Stealth is often opposed by Perception.

• Rural: Make a Stealth(rural) check to hide or move undetected through fields and cultivated lands. Stealth is often opposed by Perception.

• Wild: Make a Stealth(wild) check to hide or move undetected through wilderness, places as yet untouched by man. Stealth is often opposed by Perception.

Throwing: A character with this skill has a good throwing arm, able to place thrown objects accurately and reliably. They are also good at catching things. Specialisations include:

• Balanced: Make a Throwing(balanced) check to hit something with a balanced thrown object. Balanced means that the object flies straight and true when thrown (throwing knives, javelins and balls are examples of balanced objects).

• Unbalanced: Make a Throwing(unbalanced) check to hit something with an unbalanced object. Unbalanced objects do not fly straight and true when thrown (furniture, other characters, animals and most melee weapons are examples of balanced objects).

eFlawsThe following list comprises the flaws available to player characters during character creation.

• Addict: The character is addicted to some substance, usually alcohol, hashish or psilocybe (magic mushrooms). The character must discard a Drama point whenever you turn down the opportunity to incapacitate themselves by taking the substance concerned.

• Berserker: Once the character gets into combat they must spend a Drama point to withdraw before all their enemies have been killed, incapacitated or have fled, or the character is defeated.

• Blood thirsty: The character must spend a Drama point not to kill a defeated foe in cold blood.

• Compassionate: The character must spend a Drama point to not help someone who is clearly in need.

• Coward: The character cannot spend Drama points when acting in a “heroic” manner. A heroic manner is acting against their own self-interest in helping others.

• Doomed: The character cannot spend Drama points to reduce damage taken. They are

doomed to die. They may have embraced their fate and have a deathwish, or may be actively trying to avoid it.

• Drifter: The character must spend a Drama point to stay in the same place for more than one night. One point suffices to let them stay for any length of time in that place until the choose to move on. If they then later return they must spent a point to stay more than one night again.

• Focussed: Once the character has decided on a goal (something they wish to achieve) they must spend a Drama point to perform any action which is not directly conducive to achieving that goal.

• Forgetful: The character cannot spend Drama points on Knowledge skill checks. They have a memory like a sieve and would forget their own head if it wasn't screwed on.

• Grim: Whenever the character encounters an authority figure in a tense situation, they must spend a Drama point or the authority figure will assume the character, and those associated with them, are the bad guys.

• Guilt: Whenever the character kills someone or something they are wracked by pangs of guilt and must discard a Drama point.

• Harbinger: Any allies within 100ft of the character cannot spend Drama points to reduce damage taken (although the character can spend Drama points to reduce damage they themselves take as normal). Death follows the character like a shroud and those around them seem to die like flies.

• Haunted: The character cannot spend Drama points on Wits skill checks. Some atrocious deed or event in their past haunts them to this day and they are often found staring into the distance, not paying attention to events around them.

• Heroic: The character cannot spend Drama points when acting in a “cowardly” manner. A cowardly manner is acting in their own self-interest when they are in a position to help others.

• Honest: The character must spend a Drama point to tell a lie, conceal the truth from someone, deceive someone through act of omission of the truth or to collude with others to deceive. They're as honest as the day is long.

• Honourable: The character must spend a Drama point to break their word once given. As long as you don't give your word, you can freely lie and cheat til the cows come home. Note that you can give your word to yourself, swearing a personal oath to achieve something, do something or not do something. Breaking your own oath then requires a Drama point to spent. Once you have spent a Drama point to break your word you no longer need to spend points to break that particular commitment again.

• Jinxed: The character cannot spend Drama points on checks where you use a mechanism of any kind (e.g. Guns, but not swords). Mechanisms just don't seem to like them.

• Liar: The character must spend a Drama point to tell the straight, unembellished truth. In practise this means they must conceal important information, tell outright lies, understate or exaggerate information at every opportunity. The character is a no good lying dog.

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• Lone Wolf: Whenever the characters spends a Drama point all their allies within 100ft must discard a Drama point each. If they have no Drama points this has no affect on them. The lone wolf works best alone and tends to attract trouble when in groups.

• Lusty: The character must spend a Drama point to turn down the offer of a romantic interlude when offered.

• Mad Dog: The character cannot spend Drama points in a combat which someone else started. They are the archetypical “mad dog” always spoiling for a fight and preferring violent solutions to peaceful ones.

• Pariah: The character is reviled by most of the population because of what they are, rather than who they are. Negro's in America are pariah's. Spend a Drama point at the start of the session or you will find yourself placed in at least one dangerous situation due to your pariah status during the game session.

• Rage: The character must spend a Drama point not to attack someone who insults or attacks the character.

• Reluctant: The character cannot spend Drama points in a combat which they have started. They are reluctant to fight for some reason, such as being a retired soldier or ex-paid killer.

• Reputation: The character has a reputation which attracts those looking to make a name for themselves. Spend a Drama point at the start of a session or some young challenger will approach and challenge the character to a duel during the session, with violent consequences.

• Selfish: The character must spend a Drama point when they wish to give something of theirs to someone else. Note that they can't circumvent this by “indirect” giving, such as dropping something so someone else can pick it up.

• Shakes: The character cannot spend Drama points on Reflexes skill checks. Nerve or psychological damage has left them prone to the shakes.

• Sick: The character cannot spend Drama points on Brawn skill checks. They are unwell. This might be a chronic disease like tuberculosis, a physical impairment such as a limp or badly healed wound or a state of general unhealth.

• Spendthrift: The character spends money like it's going out of fashion or tends to lose it. At the end of a game session they lose any remaining money they have, starting off the next session flat broke.

• Wanted: The character is wanted for a crime they either did commit, or which they were framed for. Spend a Drama point at the start of each session or they will have to contend with bounty hunters or officials, who are after them, during that session.

Before Play BeginsBefore starting play make sure you have performed all the actions on this checklist:1. Create characters.2. Name your ship.3. Assign positions to characters.4. Choose a home port (optional).5. Play.

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Combat

Bartholomew Roberts plunders the Samuel

The pirates swarmed aboard the Samuel and began taking the ship apart. They tore open the hatches and attacked the cargo like madmen, cutting open bales, trunks and boxes with their boarding axes and cutlasses. Some of the goods they carried off to their ship, but much of the cargo they hacked to pieces and threw overboard. They took two of the mounted guns and all of the spare rigging and stores, but they threw the anchor and cables over the side. They carried off forty barrels of gunpowder and commandeered the ship's boat. All this was done with "incessant cursing and swearing, more like fiends than men."

-May 29, 1720

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IntroductionPrivateers and Pirates is a game where combat is likely to be quite a common occurrence but the rules for managing combat are deliberately kept quick and simple. The rules really just give a framework for combat to occur in and the GM and players should have fun filling in the details through roleplay.The following section provides detailed rules for governing tactical events, situations where time is critical.To succeed on a check you must roll greater than the DIFF number.

SummaryCombat is divided into a series of rounds. Each character can move and/or perform one other action each round.

RoundsTime critical situations, such as combat, are divided into rounds. Each round is five seconds in duration and each character involved in the situation gets one turn per round.

SurpriseIn some situations one or both sides in a combat may be surprised by the other. A surprised character rolls Agility(initiative) as normal, but is treated as Stunned (discussed later) in the first round of combat.

TurnsA round is divided up into turns. Each character gets one turn per round. At the start of a combat encounter each character should make a Agility(initiative) check. Starting in the first round, characters take their turns in order of the one with the highest Agility(initiative) roll first, working downwards.When a characters turn comes up they may move and/or perform one other action. Alternatively, a character may “hold” their turn.The “held” turn can be used at any time and can interrupt another players turn if the holding player wishes, but you can only move or perform another action on a held turn, not both. If the held turn is not used before the start of the characters next turn it is lost.If a situation arises where two or more characters wish to use their held turns at the same time, the characters concerned should make Agility(initiative) checks and the highest roller gets to choose when to act.Sample actions include:

• Manoeuvre around an opponent• Swing on a rope• Climb or jump over a low obstacle (such as a low

wall or railing)• Swim two yards• Attack an opponent• Aim• Defend• Quarter reload one barrel of a blackpowder gun• Open an unlocked door• Take something from a pocket, pack or similar,

ready to use it• Draw a weapon• Use something you are holding• Make a statement or comment during combat• Administer a coup de grace

It can be assumed that any action can include a yard or two of movement, unless common-sense clearly precludes movement whilst performing the action. Brief comments or gestures do not require an action, they are free to perform as and when a player wishes, but anything

more than a few words counts as a full action.

MovementHow far a character can move in a single turn is noted in the following table:

Movement

Character has neither Agility nor running 30ft

Character has Agility 50ft

Character has Agility and running 70ft

Remember that encumbered characters halve their maximum movement distance and also halve movement distances if crossing treacherous ground.

Other ActionsMost of the actions are fairly self explanatory, but a few merit further discussion:

DefendIf you use a defend action all attacks against you are at -20 until the start of your next turn.

AimAn aim action gives you +20 to hit if you attack on your next turn.

ManoeuvreA maneuver action gives you +10 to hit if you attack (melee and ranged) on your next turn and all attacks against you are at -10 until the start of your next turn. Manoeuvre involves shifting position around an opponent in melee, or just shuffling round in ranged combat to get a better angle (for both offensive and defensive purposes).

Coup de GraceA Coup de Grace instantly kills an incapacitated character. You can only deliver a coup de grace to a character who is incapacitated.

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AttacksTo hit an opponent make a Fighting check for a melee attack, Throwing check for a ranged attack with a thrown weapon, Archery check for a ranged attack with a bow or crossbow or a Shooting check for a ranged attack with a gun. If the target is not completely helpless or immobile the base DIFF to hit depends on their skills and specialities for melee attacks and their cover for ranged attacks:

Against Melee Attacks DIFF

Target doesn't have Fighting 30

Target has Fighting 50

Target has Fighting and relevant speciality for weapon being used

70

Against Ranged Attacks

Target has no Cover 30

Target in Partial cover 50

Target has Full cover 70

Partial cover conceals between 1 and 50% of a character from an attack. Full cover covers more than 50% of a character from attack.

This base DIFF represents a character ability to avoid being hit by dodging, evading, blocking and parrying attacks.

Further modifiers may then be applied to the attack roll as follows:

Modifier

Target is not immobile or stunned and has Agility skill

-10

Target is not immobile or stunned and has Agility skill and Dodge speciality (not cumulative with the above modifier)

-20

Target at Long range -20

Attacker Aimed on their last turn +20

Attacker using a Manoeuvre action on their last turn

+10

Target is outnumbered 2:1 +10

Target is outnumbered 3:1 or more +20

Target is stunned +30

Target is immobile +50

Target used a Defend action on their last turn -20

Target used a Manoeuvre action on their last turn

-10

Attacker has height advantage +10

Target has height advantage -10

A target beyond a weapons short range value but not beyond the weapons long range value is at long range.ShieldsA character using a shield receives a +10 to their Melee & Ranged Defence DIFF.The only time characters are likely to encounter shields is

when fighting primitive natives, “civilised” people do not tend to use them.

Paired WeaponsA character wielding two one-handed melee weapons (one in each hand) receives a +10 bonus to Melee Attack rolls & +10 to their Melee Defence DIFF. If they hit with an even roll the weapon in the right hand strikes. A hit with an odd roll indicates a hit with the left hand weapon.A character wielding two pistols receives a +10 Ranged attack if they discharge both in the same action.

Critical HitsIncrease the damage code of a critically successful attack by one step (a critically successful attack is one where you hit with a roll of doubles).

Special AttacksSpecial attacks are attacks which aim to do more than just inflict damage on a target.

StunMake a normal unarmed attack using Fighting(brawling). If the attack hits immediately make a Health(strength) check against the targets Health(resilience). If you succeed you have stunned them for ten minutes. If you fail they are still standing. A stun attempt inflicts very low damage, regardless of the weapon being used. If you critically succeed, they are knocked unconscious for ten minutes.

GrappleMake a normal unarmed attack using Fighting(brawling). If the attack hits immediately make a Health(grappling) check against the Health(grappling) of the character who you struck. If you win you have pinned them. If you lose the grapple attempt fails. A grapple attempt inflicts no damage. Pinning is discussed in more detail later in these rules.

SlamMake a normal unarmed attack using Fighting(brawling). If the attack hits immediately make a Health(strength) check against the Health(strength) of the character who you struck. If you win you have knocked them down. If you lose they are still standing. A slam attempt inflicts no damage.You may receive a +20 on the Health(strength) check if you knock yourself down as part of the attack (representing a tackle).

DisarmMake a normal attack using Fighting(relevant speciality). You may be armed or unarmed to perform a disarm. If the attack hits immediately make a Fighting(relevant speciality) check against the Fighting(relevant speciality) of the character who you struck. If you win you have forced them to drop a held item of your choice. If you lose the disarm attempt fails. A disarm attempt inflicts no damage.

PushMake a normal attack using Fighting(relevant speciality). You may be armed or unarmed to perform a push. If the attack hits immediately make a Health(strength) check against the Health(strength) of the character who you struck. If you win you force them up to five yards in a direction of your choosing. If you lose they hold their ground. A push attempt inflicts no damage.

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Sneak AttackYou can only make a sneak attack against a target who is completely surprised, not even aware of the attack until it hits them. Make a normal attack roll and, if you hit, the attack instantly kills them, or incapacitates them for an hour (attackers choice which). The target of a sneak attack may spend a drama point to just take normal damage from the attack rather than the instant kill or incapacitation effect.The GM should apply common sense to sneak attacks, under most circumstances a normal character couldn't kill an elephant with a single attack, for example.

Critical Failures in CombatA critical failure (an unsuccessful attack with a roll of doubles) on an attack means one of the following events occurs:

• If there is a friendly or neutral character adjacent to the intended target of your attack, your attack strikes them instead. Calculate damage from the critically failed roll as normal.

• Cheap guns jam when you roll a critical failure when attacking with them. Clearing a jam is an action and requires a successful DIFF 70 Shooting(relevant weapon speciality) check. Until the jam is cleared the gun cannot be fired again.

• Cheap melee weapons break when you roll a critical failure when attacking with them. A broken melee weapon can still be used as an improvised weapon.

• If none of the three above events apply you are stunned for the rest of the round and the whole of the next round.

Special ResultsThe following are several special results than can occur to characters in combat, beyond just normal damage.

EntangleIf an entangling weapon hits it entangles the target. An entangled character can do nothing except use actions to make DIFF 70 Health(strength) checks. Once they have succeeded at the check they can act normally again.

StunnedAll attacks against a Stunned character are at +30 and a Stunned character cannot move or perform actions. The specifics of being stunned are up to the player or GM but likely include a combination of being knocked prone, blurred vision, ringing in the ears and general confusion. Another character can use an action to make a DIFF 70 Healing(first aid) check to help a stunned character, a success negates the stun and the character can begin to act normally again on their next turn.

PinnedA pinned character is helpless until the character who is pinning them releases them or is incapacitated.A pinned character can do nothing and counts as immobilised, so all attacks against them have a +50 modifier to hit.A pinning character can move or perform an action each turn whilst maintaining the pin. If they wish, they may use that other action to get one of the following additional effects:

• Make a Health(grappling) roll and inflict damage equal to the tens dice of the roll. This damage is not reduced by armour.

• Make a Health(grappling) roll against the pinned

characters Health(grappling) to force them to drop something they are holding.

• Make a Health(grappling) roll roll against the pinned characters Health(grappling) to move three yards with the pinned character.

• Make a Health(grappling) roll against the pinned characters Health(grappling) to push the pinned character down to the ground. If you voluntarily go prone with them, receive a +20 on your roll.

• Make a Health(grappling) roll against the pinned characters Health(grappling) to use them as a human shield. All attacks against you have a -20 to hit and if they miss, strike the pinned character instead.

• Make a Health(grappling) roll against the pinned characters Health(endurance). If you win the pinned character is knocked unconscious for ten minutes.

Spot RulesThe following rules are provided to make things easier in certain, fairly common, situations.

Treacherous FootingA character who has treacherous footing (aka. Treacherous ground), such as mud, ice, knee deep or more in water and so forth, should take a -10 to attack rolls and halves maximum movement distance in a turn.

Confined SpacesCombat in confined spaces is difficult. As a good rule of thumb, if a character is cramped or restricted in their ability to move freely (such as having to stoop over in a tunnel) they take a -10 on all attacks. If they are very cramped, confined or restricted (such as having to crouch or crawl) the penalty increases to -20 and the GM may also wish to halve maximum movement distance as well.

Height AdvantageA character who is above their opponent has a +10 on attacks. A character who is below their opponent has a -10 on attacks.

Mounted CombatA character who is on horseback gets a +10 on attacks against opponents on the ground if they have the Riding skill and attacks made against them from the ground are at -10 to hit. In addition, the rider uses their horses movement rate rather than their own.If you are on horseback and don't have the Riding skill you do not get the modifiers but you do still use the mounts movement rather than your own.Improvised WeaponsAn improvised weapon is something which you pick up and use to attack or defend yourself with, but which is not specially designed as a weapon. Attack rolls made with an improvised weapon have a -10.

• A small improvised weapon, such as a tankard or rock, inflicts L damage.

• A medium sized improvised weapon, such as a wooden branch or table leg, inflicts M damage.

• A large improvised weapon, something which needs two hands to wield such as a sledgehammer or small boulder, inflicts H damage.

Quality WeaponsQuality weapons cost two or more times the price of a normal version of the same weapon. They give a bonus to hit, equal to their price multiplier, up to a limit of +10.

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For example, when using a quality sword which costs six times normal price you have a +6 modifier to your attacks with that sword.

Sharpness (Optional Rule)Edged weapons gain a cumulative –1 modifier to the damage they inflict for every battle in which they are used.For example, after three battles a sword would be at –3 damage.

This modifier may be reset to 0 by sharpening the weapon by hand, taking ten minutes. Using a proper grinding wheel changes the modifier to +1 (so the weapon actually inflicts more damage than normal after it has been ground).

Fighting aboard shipCombat is quite likely to occur aboard ship, so these rules cover some common situations and how to deal with them.

Improvised weapons aboard ShipThere are no shortage of improvised weapons around a ships deck, so assume a character can use an simple action to find an improvised weapon such as a cudgel, belaying pin or chain.

Swinging from the riggingCharacters can use the various loose ropes which form part of a ships rigging as an aid to combat. There are two main ways to do this:• To get around: You can use the ropes to swing from

place to place rather than moving normally. This lets you swing over the heads of your enemies.

• To fight: You can swing into an opponent. This requires a move and attack action in the same round, but you get a +10 on the attack action.

Fighting on a tossing deck or in the riggingIf the deck is tossing around (due to stormy seas), or both combatants are in the rigging, all checks are at -10 and movement rates are halved.

Being knocked overboardA character who falls into water wearing armour drowns. If they cheat death they are assumed to have managed to shed their armour (which is lost) but they survive.

Detailed Combat Example

Royal Naval Lieutenant Jonathan Harding has pursued the wicked pirate Blackpatch into a warehouse full of cotton bales in Port Royale. Neither Lieutenant Harding nor Blackpatch has any Drama points.

Jonathan Harding Blackpatch

Age 21 42

Skills Notice Fighting, Sailing, Stealth, Shooting

Equipment Cutlass (M)

Flintlock pistol (M, ENC 5, £1½, 15/60)

ENC 15

Cutlass (M)

Flintlock pistol (M, ENC 5, £1½, 15/60)

ENC 15

b fRound OneRound one begins as Jonathan Harding enters a warehouse where he suspects the pirate Blackpatch to be.Jonathan Harding and Blackpatch make Agility(initiative) checks. Neither has either the skill or speciality so they each roll d100 and read the lowest dice as tens. Jonathan Harding gets a 58 and Blackpatch gets a 23, so Jonathan gets to act first each round. He enters the warehouse and looks around (an action). Blackpatch is hiding behind a bale of cotton, so the GM tells Harding's player to make a Notice check to spot him. Blackpatch has the Stealth skill, so the DIFF of the Notice check is 50.Harding checks and succeeds, spotting Blackpatch. Harding uses his movement action to duck behind a bale, getting into partial cover (the GM rules that the bale can cover most of him, but it might not completely stop a ball hitting near the edge).Blackpatch now gets his turn and decides to hold his turn (his pistol is already drawn).The two opponents are around 10 yards apart.

Round TwoJonathan Harding (who's gun is already drawn) uses his action to shoot at Blackpatch, but Blackpatch interrupts Jonathan's turn, using his held action to fire at the Lieutenant. Blackpatches player makes a Shooting check, needing more than 50 (Jonathan is in partial cover).Blackpatch rolls a 46 (he has the Shooting skill, so reads the dice as rolled) and misses.Jonathan completes his attack. He needs a 50 to hit (because Blackpatch is also in cover) and rolls a 14 (reading lowest dice as tens because he doesn't have the Shooting skill), not enough, and misses.It's now Blackpatch's turn (his previous action was his held turn from last round). He drops his now fired pistol (a free action), draws his cutlass (one action) then moves into melee with Jonathan (his movement).

Round ThreeJonathan drops his pistol and uses his action to draw his

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cutlass, then advances to meet Blackpatch.Blackpatch circles round Jonathan, using a Manoeuvre action.

Round FourJonathan finds himself up close and personal with Blackpatch and uses his action to slash at Blackpatch. He rolls a Fighting check. He needs more than 50 (because Blackpatch has the Fighting skill) and has a -10 modifier because Blackpatch manoeuvred on his last turn. Jonathan rolls and gets 25, subtracting ten for a final roll of 15, not enough to hit.Blackpatch now uses his action to strike at Jonathan. He needs more than 30 to hit (because Jonathan doesn't have the fighting skill). He (Blackpatch) has the Fighting skill and also gets a +10 to hit because he Manoeuvred on his last turn.His first roll is a 35, increased to 45, a hit. It inflicts M damage, which is 9pts. Jonathan makes his damage check and succeeds.

Round FiveJonathan realises he's in trouble and opts to Defend and run away, moving his maximum 30ft away from Blackpatch.Blackpatch pursues (also moving 30ft) and tries to stab him in the back. He rolls 96, which is reduced to 76 by Jonathans Defend action. This is still sufficient to hit as Blackpatch only needed a 30. The cutlass inflicts 15 damage and Jonathan makes his damage check.Jonathan rolls 18 and fails his check, needing a 24 to succeed. Luckily he rolled more than his most serious wound (the 15 point one), so he is only incapacitated for ten minutes, rather than bleeding to death.Blackpatch is in a good mood today, so he saunters off, leaving the young Lieutenant to live to fight another day.

DuellingDuelling is combat between two individuals following formal rules. Breach of the rules results in an automatic loss and possible consequences from others involved. Each participant in a duel usually have a second, who's job is to look after their interests. The two most common types of duels are sword duels and pistol duels. To begin a duel one party challenges the other. It is normal for the challenged party to decide the time and place of the duel, and the weapons to be used.The challenger decides whether the battle is to first blood (as soon as one participant takes a wound the duel ends) or death. This is decided when the duel is agreed. If the duel is to the death and one party becomes incapacitated but survives the duel must be repeated when both characters are fully healed.In polite society an individual may refuse a duel without loss of face or honour if they are clearly outclassed.Duels are usually fought with swords or pistols. Duelling is a common way for privateers to settle their differences. Armour is not normally worn in duels, and the referee will check both parties for armour before beginning the duel.

Sword DuelsA sword duel is a standard battle between two opponents. They begin two swords lengths apart with weapons drawn, then fight on. If the duel is to the death and one character is bleeding it is normal to stop the duel whilst their wounds are treated, then continue again. Sword duels are normally fought with a single sword, but a sword and dagger combination may also be used on occasion.

Pistol DuelsIn a pistol duel both duellists cock their weapons then stand back to back. They then walk away from one another, an agreed number of paces, then turn and fire simultaneously. The characters secretly decide whether to aim or not before firing. If neither aims, both fire simultaneously with their snapshot modifier on their attack roll. If one aims and the other doesn't, the one who didn't shoots first with their snapshot modifier, then the other fires with no modifier. If both aim, they both fire simultaneously with no modifiers. The number of paces usually reflected the severity of the insult.• For a mild insult: Long range for the weapons being

used.• For a serious insult: Short range for the weapons being

used.The shots are resolved by Shooting(pistols) checks, a success indicating a hit on the other character. Characters may not dodge attacks in a pistol duel, they are expected to stand and take the fire.Obviously pistol duels tend to be pretty dangerous. After both parties have fired honour is normally considered to have been satisfied and the duel ends.

a

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Mass CombatThe following rules allow quick resolution of large scale combats without bogging game play down too much. Mass combat is divided into a series of rounds.

Each mass combat round is ten minutes in duration.

At the start of each round the leaders of each side make opposed Tactics checks. When fighting ashore use Tactics(land) checks and when engaged in boarding actions (battles aboard ships) use Tactics(boarding).

The losing side takes casualties equal to one-tenth of the number of troops on the winning side. If the winning side gets a critical success double the casualties taken in that round.

These “lost” troops are casualties. After the battle ends the chief medical character on a side should make a DIFF 50 Healing(surgery) roll for each casualty. On a success that casualty survives, on a failure they die.

Modifiers may apply to the tactics checks as follows. Add these modifiers to your roll:

Situation Modifier

Majority of soldiers on side are green or militia

-10

Majority of soldiers on side are regulars

+0

Majority of soldiers on side are veterans

+10

Majority of soldiers on side are elite +20

Majority of soldiers on side are poorly equipped

-10

Majority of soldiers on side are superbly equipped

+10

Side has height advantage +10

Side in good cover +10

Side has good morale +10

Side has poor morale -10

Side has fire support (cannons) +10

First round of an ambush +30 to ambushing side

In a boarding action, the defending side has a +10 bonus until they lose a round of combat. Until they lose they are considered to be holding the boarders off, once they lose a round the boarders have managed to get onboard and the odds are more even. If a ship has swivel guns it's troops are considered to have fire support. Most naval ships and pirates have swivel guns, most merchants do not.In a land battle fire support comes from artillery (cannon, mortars and howitzers).

Retreat & SurrenderGenerally speaking a non-player character controlled force will attempt to retreat if they have taken half of their starting number as casualties. If they have lost 75% of their starting force the retreat will turn into a rout. A force that cannot retreat (because its routes of escape are cut off) will surrender unless there is a very good reason not to.

Characters in mass combatEvery time the characters sides leader rolls doubles on their Tactics check an opportunity for individual heroism arises. The GM should create a specific action for the player characters to participate in, such as:

• In a boarding action, a player character might come face to face with the enemy captain.

• During a land battle the player characters might have to take an enemy gun position if their side is winning, or hold off an enemy assault if their side is losing.

• Player characters might have to race to prevent a vital bridge being destroyed.

• And so on...This interlude is played out before the next mass combat round begins.

d

36

Life at Sea

Charges laid against John Rackman aka “Calico Jack” and his crew

The four charges against the prisoners are as follows:

1. That they "did piratically, feloniously, and in an hostile manner, attack, engage, and take, seven certain fishing boats" and "that they assulted the fisherman and stole their fishing boats" and "that they assulted the fisherman and stole their fish and fishing tackle".2. That they did "upon the high seas, in a certain place, distance about three leagues from the island of Hispaniola...set upon, shoot at, and take, two certain merchant sloops," and did assault James Dobbin and other mariners.3. That on the high sea about five leagues from Port Maria Bay in the island of Jamaica they did shoot at and take a schooner commanded by Thomas Spenlow and put Spenlow and other mariners "in corporeal fear of their lives."4. That about one league from Dry Harbour Bay, Jamaica, they did board and enter a merchant sloop called Mary, commanded by Thomas Dillon, and did steal and carry away the sloop and her tackle.

-November 16 at 1721 Spanish Town, Jamaica

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IntroductionThe following section provides a variety of rules which govern life aboard ship and ship operations. These are important to play as crews will spend much of their time aboard ship.

Types of ShipsShips in Privateers and Pirates are defined by the following information:Manoeuvre Score (MS): The ships Manoeuvre Score, how well she sails. Lower is better.Crew: The normal crew for a ship of that size1.Guns: The number of guns the ship mounts.

TypeM

S

Cre

w

Gu

ns

1st rate Ships of the Line 60 800 100

2nd rate Ships of the Line 60 700 96

3rd rate Ships of the Line 60 600 72

4th rate Frigate 50 500 56

Large 5th rate Frigate 50 400 44

Small 5th rate Frigate 50 300 36

6th rate Frigate 50 200 24

Large Brigantine 60 200 32

Large Sloop 60 200 32

Brig2 (two-masted square rigged) 40 100 16

Sloop (ship rigged) 40 100 16

Schooner 40 75 12

Gunboat or Gunbrig 30 20 8

Cutter 20 20 4

Fishing Smack 50 10 -

Lugger 60 10 2

Merchant Carrier 80 100* 16

Dutch Fleut 70 80* 8

East Indiaman 70 300* 34

Galleon 70 200* 72

Galley 50 300* 12

*These ships are primarily merchant vessels and usually run at less than one quarter maximum crew.

Unlike other vehicles, ships do not have a “damage code required to damage”, instead they use their own rules for damage, which are covered in the ship to ship combat section further down.

In game terms, warships larger than sloops and brigs are “rated”, for example first rate, second rate and so on. A ships “rate” is determined by it's number of guns as shown on the table below. Note that guns are always mounted in pairs (one facing port, one facing starboard), so a ships broadside (firing all guns on one side at a target) is half its total number of guns. In addition, most

1 The ship can operate with one quarter this number at no modifier. Below that number she can still be, but halves her number of guns firing in an attack due to undermanning and below one tenth that number she cannot even be sailed.

2 Also called a Brigantine.

ships carry some small calibre guns which can fire fore and aft, known as fore and stern chasers (assume one fore and one stern gun for every ten main guns).

The Spanish and French did both possess a handful of vessels with more than 110 guns, including the French Orient (112 gun) and the Spanish Santissima Trinidad (136).

Ship CostsFor the sake of argument use the same prices for an early or late campaign.A ships cost, in pounds, is equal to the number of guns it mounts times one thousand (so a 100 gun first rate ship of the line costs £100,000).If a ship has no guns (such as a fishing smack), assume it's price to be 300 pounds.

The Ships RateA ship’s ‘rate’ was mainly decided by the number of guns she carried, from the largest 136- gun First Rate, down to Sixth Rate 24-gun ships. The smaller ‘unrated’ vessels (sloops, brigs, bomb vessels, etc.) were commanded by more junior officers (Commanders, Lieutenants) but a ‘rated’ ship was always a Captain’s command and always ship rigged (having three square rigged masts).

First Rate: The biggest ships of the fleet, with their guns on three decks. First rates were generally used as flagships and fought in the centre of the line-of-battle. They were armed with a minimum of 100 heavy cannon, carried a crew of about 850 and were over 2000 tons Builder’s Measure (a formula for calculating the capacity of the ship, not the displacement of the ship as is the practice nowadays).

Second Rate: The Second Rate ships of the line were also three-deckers like the first rates, but smaller, with a reputation for poor handling and slow sailing. They mounted between 90 and 98 guns, and also fought in the centre of the line-of-battle. Generally around the 2000 ton mark, they had a crew of approximately 750. Like the First Rates, they had 32 pounder guns on the gundeck, but 18 pounders instead of 24 pounders on the middle deck, with 12 pounders on the upper deck (compared to 18 or 24 pounders on First Rates). Unlike the First Rates, which were too valuable to risk in distant stations, the Second Rates often served overseas as flagships.

Third Rate: The most common ships of the line were the two-decker Third Rates, with between 64 and 80 guns. The most effective and numerous of these was the 74 gun ship, in many ways the ideal compromise of economy, fighting power and sailing performance, and forming the core of the battlefleet.

Fourth Rate: Two decker ships of 50 to 60 guns, were, by the end of the 18th century, no longer reckoned to be ‘fit to stand in the line of battle’. Despite this, 50 gun ships were heavily engaged, in the line, at the battles of Camperdown and Copenhagen. With two decks, their extra accommodation made them suitable flagships for minor overseas stations, while their relatively shallow draught made them suitable as headquarter ships for anti-invasion operations in the North Sea and the English Channel. They were also useful as convoy escorts, troopships and even, on occasion, as convict transports. In normal service they had a main armament of 18 pounders, a crew of 350 and measured around 1000 tons. Sometimes fourth rates are referred to as Frigates, at

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other times as Ships of the Line. In game terms they are considered to be Frigates.

Fifth Rate: These were the “true” frigates, the Navy’s ‘glamour ships’. A frigates main armament was located on a single gun deck. The Frigates served as “the eyes of the fleet” operating as fast scouts of the battlefleet. At other times they operated in an independent cruising role, searching out enemy merchant ships, privateers or enemy fleets. Developed from early-18th century prototypes, the Fifth Rates of Nelson’s time had a variety of armaments and gun arrangements, from 32 gun ships armed with 12 pounders to 36 and 38-gun frigates with 18 pounders, even some 40 gun ships and cut down two-deckers with 24 pounders. Captured enemy frigates were also used in service, and many of the best British-built ships were copied or adapted from French designs. A fifth rate typically had a crew of 250 to 300 men. In game terms fifth rates are divided into two classes, Large (40-48 guns) and Small (30-38 guns).

Sixth Rate: The Sixth Rates were smaller and more lightly armed frigates, with between 22 and 28 nine-pounder guns, a crew of about 150, and measuring 450 to 550 tons. There were never enough frigates; while Lord Nelson was searching for the French fleet before the battle of the Nile he said, ‘Frigates! Were I to die this moment, want of frigates would be found engraved on my heart!’.

dUnrated vessels included the following:

Sloop: A sloop of war was a vessel commanded by an officer with the rank of Commander. Sloops could be armed with between 10 and 20 guns, be ship rigged or brigs (two-masted square rig) and were capable of most of the tasks undertaken by frigates, with the exception of fleet reconnaissance. They were often armed with carronades, giving them a heavy punch at close range. The cruiser class (a specific class of sloop) was the most numerous class of sailing warships ever built, over 100 of these 380 ton, 18 gun brig sloops being built. They carried a crew of 120 men.

Bomb vessels and fireships: Developed from two-masted craft (ketches) armed with mortars for shore bombardment, and first used by the French in the late 17th century, the bomb vessel of the late 18th century had ship rig. The fireship, intended as a means of setting an enemy ship on fire, was often a converted merchant ship, though some were specially built for the Royal Navy. Both the bomb vessel and the fireship were only seldom used in their designed role, but proved useful as patrol or convoy escort sloops.

Gunboats and gunbrigs: These were small, two-masted vessels, a Lieutenant’s command, and originally intended for anti-invasion patrol. Later, they developed into more capable vessels, fit for a variety of tasks. They were built

to a wide variety of classes, and often had evocative names, for instance Grappler, Growler and Griper were three ‘Courser’ Class gunbrigs.

Cutters: The smallest warships in service, cutters were developed from craft used by English smugglers. These single masted vessels were built for speed and employed as patrol boats and dispatch carriers.

Merchant Carriers: 275ft in length and 80ft wide, the Merchant Carrier is a streamlined ship designed to carry cargo and passengers across the Atlantic in under a month. Merchant Carriers typically run at less than one quarter crew to save money.

Dutch Fleut: 80ft in length, broad and flat bottomed, the Dutch fleuts were originally developed to work around the coasts of Europe, but such an effective design was rapidly copied and found all over the world. Fleuts typically run at less than one quarter crew to save money.

East Indiaman: 200ft long, East Indiamen are large ships designed to spend extended periods at sea. They were originally developed to service the India trade, sailing from India to Europe in a single voyage, though they can be found all over the world.

Galleon: The original Galleons were Spanish treasure ships. Most merchants opted for speed, evasion and surrender over fighting, whereas the galleons were designed as formidable fighting platforms. Unfortunately there design renders them hard to maneuver in close quarters battle.

Galley: Galleys are primarily oar powered, with square rigged sails which are raised to conserve effort on long voyages. They are primarily intended to operate near the coast. Galleys carry few guns, instead their preferred tactic is to close rapidly on a foe and board them. Even a small galley will typically have at least one hundred pirates/marines who will swarm aboard an enemy vessel on contact.

Ships by CampaignIn a late campaign Galleons will not be used. All other ship types are available. Galleys will only typically be encountered in the hands of Barbary Corsairs, operating off the African coast.In an early campaign the largest warships in service were third rate ships of the line.

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Putting to SeaGenerally speaking a ship at sea is either trying to get from one place to another, or is sailing around a specific area looking for prey. In the case of a pirate or privateer, that prey is merchantmen. In the case of a warship, that prey is either pirates or enemy shipping.

Travelling from place to placeTo determine the travel time between two ports refer to the travel time tables in Appendix two. The Navigator of the ship makes a DIFF 50 Navigation(sea) check for each journey and the result modifies the time taken as follows:

• Failure: Journey takes twice as long as listed.• Success: Journey takes time as listed.

If you roll a critical success or failure on your Navigation check you have encountered something en route, roll on the encounter table. If you got a critical success you can decide which dice is tens after rolling on the encounter table.

HuntingThe Captain of a ship which is hunting for prey should make a Sailing(piracy) check every day if near a port and/or on a trade route, or once a week if at sea anywhere else. On a success roll on the Encounter table to determine what you have encountered. You may decide which dice is tens after rolling on the table.

Encounters at SeaIf you encounter something at sea, roll d100 on the table below to determine what it is. You may spend a Drama point to re-roll a roll on the table, if you wish.

D100 Encounter

01-40 Nothing of interest

41-65 Bad Weather

66-85 Merchant Ship (doubles means a convoy, otherwise a single ship)

86-95 Privateer or Pirate (doubles means a pack, otherwise a single ship)

96-00 Warship (doubles means a squadron, otherwise a single ship)

Bad WeatherThe Helmsman must make a DIFF 50 Sailing check to avoid the ship sinking. A success means the ship is okay, a failure sinks her. Characters aboard a ship which sinks die if they do not Cheat death. As a guideline, bad weather is typically beaufort force 10 or more (storm conditions).

MerchantYou have encountered a lone merchant ship, easy pickings. A convoy consists of a group of 2d10/2 merchant ships sailing in convoy. If there are five or more ships there will be a single frigate with the convoy. Refer to the Ship to Ship encounter section below for more information on how to resolve this encounter. A merchant vessel will try to escape combat if attacked.

Pirate or PrivateerYou have encountered a lone pirate or privateer (roll 1d10; 1-5 Pirate, 6-0 Privateer). A convoy consists of 2d10/4 ships working together. In the case of a privateer, roll d10. On an even roll the privateer is friendly or neutral, on an odd roll it is hostile. Refer to the Ship to Ship encounter section below for more information on how to resolve this encounter. A friendly or neutral privateer will normally come alongside, trade, exchange stories and generally liaise. A hostile privateer or pirate will attack if they think they can win.

WarshipRoll 1d10 to determine what you have encountered:

d10 Warship

1 A single cutter

2-3 A single sloop or brig

4-6 A sixth rate frigate

7-0 A fifth rate frigate

Roll 1d10. On an even roll the warship is friendly or neutral. On an odd roll it is hostile.A squadron comprises 2d10 divided by four, (round up) Ships of the Line of various sizes. Each Ship of the Line is accompanied by a single frigate. Refer to the Ship to Ship encounter section below for more information on how to resolve this encounter. A friendly or neutral warship will pass by with a wave. A hostile warship will attack if they think they can win (i.e. If their ship is bigger).

Bringing to BattleOnce ships have encountered one another the next step is to either escape or be bought to battle. If both ships wish to escape, the encounter ends.If either ship wishes to bring the other to battle the player character Captain must make an opposed Sailing check against the Sailing skill of the other Captain. If the player characters wins, they can escape or engage. If they lose the other ship decides what happens.

Resolving EncountersOnce two ships have engaged the GM should run the encounter through. Communication is by a mixture of shouting across the water and using signal lamps and flags.Signalling checks may be appropriate in bad weather, to avoid miscommunication.

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Sea BattlesMore often than not, encounters end in shots being exchanged. To resolve a battle at sea use these rules.Ship to Ship combat is divided into rounds, with each round lasting ten minutes. Each round is conducted as a series of steps, as follows:

1. At the start of each round each helmsman makes a Sailing check with the ships Manoeuvre Score as the DIFF number.

2. Any ship which failed it's Sailing check cannot fire this round, they have been outmanoeuvred

3. Ships that succeeded can attack other ships. If the helmsman rolled a critical success on their Sailing check their ship can attack twice this round (against the same or different targets).

4. An attack inflicts casualties on the target equal to the number of guns firing and also destroys a number of the targets guns equal to one-tenth of the number of guns firing, rounded up.For example, a hit from a 72 gun ship inflicts 72 casualties and destroys eight guns (72/10=7.2, which rounds up to eight).

5. The helmsman who succeeded with the highest roll may opt not to fire and then disengage from the battle after firing has been resolved. In the event of a draw, with two or more ships rolling the highest score, no one can disengage in that round. A ship which disengages is out of the battle until they choose to return.

6. If all of a ships crew have become casualties, it is disabled and out of action.

7. If all of a ships guns have been destroyed it sinks.

8. Once all ships have fired and/or disengaged, the next round starts (step two above).

Gun CrewsNote that each gun requires a crew of four to fire effectively. In practise that means that a ship can fire a maximum number of guns equal to one-quarter it's current crew.

CrewingWarships generally run with double the number of crew needed to man all their guns (so they can absorb casualties and still continue to fight effectively). Merchant ships usually only have enough crew to man half of their total guns.

UndercrewingIf a ship has less than one-quarter it's maximum crew it has a -10 on any Sailing checks required.

BoardingIn a round, a Ship can opt to try and board another ship rather than firing at it. To board you must have succeeded at your Sailing check and your opponent must be willing to allow the boarding or have failed their Sailing check (one or the other).The boarding occurs after the firing phase. Once you board, the two ships are locked together and the boarding action must be resolved using the mass combat rules. Usually, the Quartermaster leads the boarding action (or the Master at Arms aboard a Naval ship). The ships can only break apart once the boarding action has been resolved one way or the other.Note that mass combat and sea battle rounds are the same length (ten minutes) and are resolved simultaneously.Whilst a boarding action is being resolved, both ships in the action are treated as automatically failing their Sailing

checks for the round.

Clever PlansIf the GM feels that the characters aboard a ship have come up with an ingenious plan they may give them +10 or even +20 to their Sailing check in a round. Plans are made before any checks are made for the round.

Treacherous WatersIf a helmsman critically fails their Sailing check whilst fighting in treacherous waters (such as being very near to the coast, mud flats, sand banks or reefs) they have run aground. A ship which has run aground is treated as failing it's Sailing checks for every round from now on. If the ship ran aground on mud flats or sand banks it can be floated off after the battle ends (assuming it isn't destroyed). If the ship ran aground on rocky reefs or the coast it is considered destroyed and any player characters aboard must Cheat death or die with the ship.

Shore BatteriesShore batteries are heavy cannons on land, firing out to sea. A given shore battery may have one or more guns and can always fire at one target per round. Shore batteries do not make Sailing checks at the start of the round. Instead, they can automatically fire at any ship which failed it's Sailing check, inflicting damage as normal. Attacks against shore batteries inflict one-tenth normal damage, rounding up, which reflects their heavy emplacements and strong construction.For example, a 72 gun ship would inflict 8 casualties on a shore battery and destroy 1 gun.

ChainshotThe Gunner can load chainshot to attack their opponents sails. Rather then inflicting casualties and destroying guns, increase the targets Manoeuvre score by one-tenth of the number of guns firing.

Disablement and SinkingOnce all of a ships crew has become casualties it is considered disabled and unable to do anything at all. Once a ship is reduced to one-quarter of it's normal crew (due to undermanning or casualties), reduce it's Manoeuvre score by ten points. If all of a ships guns are destroyed, it sinks.

RepairsGuns lost in battle cannot be repaired and must be replaced by either buying new guns from port (at a cost of £300 each) or stealing them from someone else. Replacement crew can be obtained easily in most ports.If a ship loses half or more of it's guns in a single battle it has suffered serious hull damage and must put into port for repairs within 2d10 days, or sink. Such repairs cost 10% of the ships purchase price.If less than half a ships guns are lost in a battle the damage it has taken is not severe enough to require putting into port. For game purposes, it can effectively be ignored as the crew perform running repairs at sea.

Casualties in Sea BattlesAfter the battle ends the ships surgeon should make a DIFF 50 Healing(surgery) check for each casualty. If they succeed the casualty recovers fine. If they fail that casualty dies.

Character Casualties in Sea BattlesIf the helmsman fails their Sailing check with a roll of doubles, a random player character aboard that ship takes damage equal to the sum of the failed rolls dice, if the ship is attacked during the round.

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For example, the Helmsman fails with a roll of 33. Their ship is attacked during the round, so a random player character takes a 6pt wound (3+3=6).

Resolving SurrenderOnly fanatics will fight until their ship is sunk. Most Captains will surrender once they realise that the battle is lost. Player characters are never compelled to surrender, it is always their choice. If a player character Captain calls upon an enemy to surrender they should make an Influence check opposed by the targets Will check. If the player character wins the other ship surrenders. The GM should apply a modifier from +30 to -30 to the players check based on how serious a threat they pose to the other ship (-30 if asking for a surrender is a joke, to +30 if the player Captain is holding all the cards).

Prize MoneyWarships are always worth their listed value. Merchant ships have a variable value, depending on their cargo. Their value equals their listed value (number of guns x£1000) plus the value of their cargo.To determine the value of the cargo on a captured merchant ship roll d100. If you are hunting in particularly “rich” waters, where you expect to find wealthy prey, read the d100 roll as highest dice first. In particularly poor waters, read the d100 roll as lowest dice first, otherwise state which dice is tens before rolling.If you roll doubles roll again and add on. If the next roll is also doubles roll and add on again, continue doing this until you fail to roll doubles.The roll is the value of the cargo, in thousands of pounds. But remember, you only receive half the value of the captured ship and cargo (half is lost to the admiralty or government if you are a privateer, or to fences if you are a pirate).For example, if you capture a merchant carrier (worth £16,000) in rich waters and rolled 52 on d100, it would have a £52,000 cargo aboard. When this was liquidated you would have £26,000 in cash from the cargo and £8,000 for the ship itself, to share amongst the crew, because half the value is lost when the ship and cargo is sold.

Division of Prize MoneyThe method of division of prize money between the crew is defined in the charter of the ship, which each crew member signs up to when joining the ship. There are three general ways of splitting the prize depending on whether the ship is a privateer, pirate or military vessel. If more than one ship is present at the capture of a prize the prize value is split equally between all ships, even if some ships took no part in the action (it was generally agreed that an enemy vessel would respond differently to a greater number of enemies, so it was fair to split the prize this way. In practise most crews resented this rule and went out of their to make solo captures).

Privateer VesselsAll captured assets are liquidated at the end of the voyage and 75% of the prize is shared between the investors, the captain and the officers. The remaining 25% is split between the rest of the crew.

Pirate ShipsThe prize money (liquidated value of captured cargo and ships) is shared out amongst the crew, with certain posts receiving more than one share.

• The Captain and Quartermaster receive two shares each.

• The Master Gunner and Boatswain receive one and a quarter shares each.

• All other crewmen receive one share each.

This is a more or less standard division and can vary from ship to ship. The division of prize money is always laid down in the ships Charter.

Military VesselsAll captured assets (ships and cargo) are turned over to the admiralty at the end of the voyage. A Prize court then decides on the split which is normally as follows:

• 1/3rd of the Captains share goes to the Admiral commanding the fleet (if the ship was operating as part of a fleet). If the admiral has any junior flag officers below them they take ½ and the other ½ of their share is split between these junior flag officers.

• 2/8 to the Captain.• 1/8 split between Captains of marines,

Lieutenants, Masters and Surgeons.• 1/8 split between Lieutenant of Marines,

secretary of the Admiral, Principal warrant officers, Chaplains

• 4/8 split between Midshipmen, inferior warrant officers, principal warrant officers mates, marine sergeants and everyone else

f

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Sea DogsWhat is a ship without a crew? This section provides more information on the crew of a ship and their duties.

Election of OfficersMost privateer crews are veterans of one of the navies of the great powers of the era. Most of the officers of Naval ships are there by virtue of breeding and patronage, rather than competence, so these pirate sailors are more than familiar with the problems created by cruel and/or incompetent leaders. An appreciation of the inherent dangers of being at sea and the need for quality command had led to them electing their own officers, thus allowing an officer to be removed (often bloodily) if they demonstrated incompetence or unnecessary cruelty to the crew.Consequently all the officers of a privateer are elected democratically by the crew, and can be removed from office in the same way.

Important PositionsThere are various members of the crew who are key to the ships functioning. Player characters should seek to take one role each, with any remaining player characters taking on the role of mates to another character.

CaptainThe Captain is in overall command of the vessel. On a privateer the captain is elected by the majority vote of the crew and can be unelected just as easily. The captain must show a sound grasp of seamanship and navigation, a skillful hand in managing people and some luck in finding suitable prey. The captains position is somewhat precarious and they must always be aware of the feelings of their crew.Probably the single most important skill for a captain is the ability to read the crews mood and act accordingly. Not all pirates are bloodthirsty psychopaths, and a captain is as likely to be sacked for being too weak as too harsh.

First MateNot all ships have a first mate. If the ship does have a first mate they are, in effect, the Captains right hand man. On a naval vessel the first mates role would be filled by the senior lieutenant, who would fill the captains shoes if he was lost in battle. On most pirate ships the Quartermaster would take on the Captains role if he was lost in battle, making the first mate redundant.

Second MateThe second mate has a very similar role to the first mate but lies under them in the pecking order aboard ship.

QuartermasterThe Quartermaster is elected by the majority vote of the crew to look out for the interests. He deals with crew discipline, food and supplies. Technically the Captain is the ranking officer on a ship, but in practice the Quartermaster often had more weight than the captain except in combat. He usually leads any boarding parties and is likely to take command of any captured vessels. Serious crimes are tried by a jury of the crew, but minor offences are summarily handled by the Quartermaster. In the event of a crew jury decreeing a flogging the Quartermaster is the one to carry it out.

Sailing MasterThe sailing master is in charge of piloting and navigation. This is a specialised, and well paid, job. Consequently most sailing masters had no interest in risking life and

limb aboard a privateer and many sailing masters were kidnapped from merchant service to serve aboard privateers.

BoatswainThe Boatswain is in charge of maintenance and ensuring supplies are kept up. Each morning the Boatswain must inspect all of the ships sails and rigging and they also controlled all deck activities, such as raising or lowering the anchor, raising or lowering sails and coiling ropes. Boatswain is usually abbreviated to “Bosun”. Seamen chosen by the Bosun to work with him are known as “day men” as they only normally work in the daytime and stand no night watches. Day men are usually the best qualified sailors on the ship.

Master GunnerThe master gunner is in charge of the ships weapons. This includes maintenance, keeping the powder ready to use and training the gun crews. Being Hard of Hearing is common in master gunners.

CarpenterThe Carpenter is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the wooden hull, masts and yards. He works under the direction of the ship's Master and Boatswain. The Carpenter checks the hull regularly, placing oakum between the seems of the planks and wooden plugs on leaks to keep the vessel tight.

MateOn a large ship there was usually more than one Mate aboard. The Mate serves as apprentice to the Ship's Master, Boatswain, Carpenter and Gunner. He handles the fitting out of the vessel, and examines whether it is sufficiently provided with ropes, pulleys, sails, and all the other rigging that is necessary for the voyage. The Mate takes care of hoisting the anchor, and during a voyage he checks the tackle once a day. If he observes anything amiss, he reports it to the ship's Master. Arriving at a port, the mate causes the cables and anchors to be repaired, and takes care of the management of the sails, yards and mooring of the ship.

SailorThe common sailors are the backbones of the ship and need to know the rigging and the sails. As well as how to steer the ship and applying it to the purposes of navigation. He needed to know how to read the skies, weather, winds and most importantly the moods of his commanders. Other jobs on the ships were surgeon (for large vessels), cooks and cabin boys. There were many jobs divided up amongst the officers, sometimes one man would perform two functions. Mates who served apprenticeships were expected to fill in or take over positions when sickness or death created an opportunity. Some sailors are known as “leading sailors”, these are the more senior sailors aboard ship, responsible for managing their watch.

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MarineMarines are soldiers specifically trained to operate aboard, and from, ships. Virtually all naval ships maintain a marine contingent. In peace time the marines act as guards and police aboard ship and in war time they form the boarding teams for a vessel. Pirate vessels rarely had a specific marine contingent, in a boarding action every sailor grabs a weapon and fights.

gRetirementSooner or later even the most hardened pirate or privateer begins to think of retiring. This normally comes about after either a run of very bad luck, a few near misses or a very large haul. In the case of a privateer retirement is easy, you just sail to wherever you wish to retire to (providing its a friendly place), sell up and settle down. For pirates retirement is somewhat more difficult. Some pirates move to Madagascar and settle there, others opt to try and buy favour with the Government of the country of their choice, looking to buy a pardon for their misdeed, then settle down. This isn't too difficult as most retiring are very wealthy and such an influx of money into a community is welcomed, especially if the pirate has renounced their prior deeds.In game terms, when a pirate character decides to retire they must approach the relevant authorities and make a Luck check. Succeed or Fail, they lose a percentage of their current Wealth equal to the roll. If they succeed they have bribed the right people and retire into blissful peace and quiet. If they fail they still lose their wealth, but have been betrayed.In the case of betrayal, the authorities come for the pirate shortly after their “retirement” and the GM should run a scenario accordingly, as the pirate tries to escape the authorities.

Life Aboard ShipLife aboard a sailing ship is pretty uncomfortable, what with the rats gnawing at the food, hull and anything else, cramped and dirty quarters for the crew, the smell of spoiled or infested food and foul water.Shipboard life is best described as months of boredom interspersed with minutes of sheer terror. Sailors spend most of their day taking care of the routine maintenance of the ship, including patching sails, splicing ropes and hacking out old oakum and replacing it with fresh oakum to keep the hull watertight. Periodically, the crew seek out a hidden cove and careen the ship, beaching it so that when the tide goes out they can scrape the barnacles off the hull (barnacles slow down the ship) and remove the ship worms which bore into the wood (creating small leaks). Seaman tended to sing, carve wood, play cards, roll dice and dance jigs as ways of entertaining themselves whilst at sea. Most ships articles forbid gambling, as it tends to lead to arguments and violence, causing dissent in the crew. Tobacco is chewed when at sea, rather than smoked, to avoid the fire risk.

When pirates come ashore they tended to squander their wealth on drink, women and gambling, usually spending most of their earnings before setting back to sea to earn some more. One popular pastime amongst pirates is the mock trial. Each man played a part be it jailer, lawyer, judge, juror, or hangman. This sham court arrested, tried, convicted, and “carried out” the sentence to the amusement of all. Ashore, some pirates emulate gentleman merchants by wearing knee breeches, stockings, embroidered waistcoats, lace-trimmed shirts, long coats, and shoes with silver buckles and high heels. A few wear powdered wigs and/or ornate jewellery They acquired these brightly coloured garments as shares of booty taken from captured ships or buy them in port. While at sea, a sailor usually wears one outfit until it is virtually rags. Seamen tend to favour fearnoughts (short jackets of heavy blue or grey cloth) or canvas coats (in foul weather), red or blue waistcoats, plain or checked shirts (often blue and white), and petticoat breeches (canvas trousers cut a few inches above one’s ankles). These were often coated with tar to make them waterproof and to help deflect sword thrusts (treat such tar coated clothes as thick leather jerkins).Shoes were worn on shore, but rarely aboard a ship and all manner of head wear was normally worn to protect from the burning heat of the sun. These could include knotted scarves, tricorn hats, or various styles of caps.Most seamen are young, life at sea requiring considerable stamina and agility which older men do not possess. Work includes hauling on wet (and thus heavy) ropes day and night, climbing the masts to handle heavy sails in all kinds of weather and manning the pumps for hours on end.In good weather the crew would often sleep on the deck, to escape the stench of tar, bilgewater, animals (kept below decks for food) and unwashed bodies which permeated the below decks.Naval crews have an easier time of it on the whole (ignoring the fact that they might get killed though). Warships have around four times as many crew as similar sized civilian vessels, all the extra men being needed to man the guns, so individuals have a lot less work to do than their civilian counterparts. Whilst civilian wages are higher, naval crews stand to gain a share of the prize money when an enemy ship is taken. A With a bit of luck and a skilled captain a naval seaman might be able to retire with a small fortune. Naval food is better than civilian food, a good captain knows that morale is dependent on the quality of the food served, and an unhealthy crew cannot fight as effectively. Discipline tends to be more extreme, but was rarely administered. The navy also uses press gangs to forcibly recruit sailors when short of men. Contrary to rumour, press gangs do not grab random people off the street, they are looking for civilian seamen to press into service, not some untrained landlubber.The most common reason for an individual to turn to piracy or privateering is to get rich, shares in the prize money offering a quick route to fortune, as opposed to a life spent starving, begging or thieving on land. Pirates usually killed or put ashore people from captured ships. Specialists, such as coopers, shipwrights, pilots and so forth, were usually forced to join the pirate crew, or be killed, a pretty stark choice. They are referred to as “forced men”, although the law made no such differentiation between them and those pirates who were volunteers.Another source of pirates was unemployed seamen. During wartime governments are quick to employ and create sizeable bodies of seamen, then they are equally quick to discharge them after hostilities cease. Some of those now unemployed seamen turn to piracy as a way to

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survive and there is usually an upsurge in piracy immediately after a war.

TimekeepingA ship's crew is divided into two watches, one of which sails the ship while the other is off-duty resting or sleeping. One is the starboard watch and the other the port watch. Each watch spends four hours on, then four hours off, day and night.Each span of duty lasts 4 hours or 8 bells and is also called a watch. There is a middle watch, which lasts from midnight until 4 am. Then comes the early morning watch from 4 until 8 am, also called Diana, followed by the morning watch until noon. The afternoon watch is from midday until 4 pm. So that each group or watch does not always come on duty at the same time, the 4-8 pm watch is divided into two, which are called dog-watches. The Captain does not lead a watch, but is around and about as needed.The Second Mate typically leads the eight til twelve watch.The Sailing Master typically leads the twelve til four watch.The Quartermaster or First Mate typically leads the four til eight watch.In port, the normal watch structure is usually changed so that the crew work from 8am to 5pm, with an hour for lunch, then some of them guard the gangway between 5pm and 8am whilst the others relax or go ashore.A half hour period of a watch on shipboard is indicated by the strokes of a bell. One ring (one bell) half an hour into the watch, two rings (two bells) one hour in, three rings (three bells) one and a half hours, until eight bells which signifies the end of a watch and the start of the new one.

A day aboard shipThe information in this section applies equally to pirates, merchant ships, privateers and naval vessels.The popular image of pirates as a bunch of drunken chaotic layabouts is quite distant from the truth. The sea is a harsh mistress and anyone who intends to stay alive at sea needs to stick to precise rules. Discipline may not be quite as strict aboard pirate ships as other vessels, but the basic regimens of daily life are maintained (remember, most pirates are experienced seamen who are quite used to the procedures of daily life as laid out below, from their days serving in more legal endeavours).By tradition, the day officially begins at noon, when the date and day of the week are changed on the log-board. Just before noon on a clear day, the Sailing Master and his Mate measure, with their quadrants, the angle of the sun as it reached its highest point off the horizon, thus determining latitude and correcting the time kept by any chronometers on board. Noon is reported to the Captain, and eight stokes are struck on the ship's bell, followed by the Boatswain's "pipe to dinner," executed on his high-pitched silver whistle.As already discussed, the day is divided into watches of four hours apiece, measured by a sandglass and marked by a ringing of the bell: eight bells at twelve o'clock, one bell at twelve-thirty, two at one o'clock, three at one-thirty and so on, until eight bells are reached at four o'clock, and the cycle starts again.Sailors stand their duty hours in watches, four hours on and four off, throughout the day and night. Shortly before four A.M., the Quartermaster, who has among his duties keeping time and steering the ship, awakes the relevant leader coming on duty, and shortly thereafter, the Boatswain stands at the hatchways and pipes "All hands," then shouts: "Larboard (or starboard) watch, ahoy. Rouse out there, you sleepers. Hey. Out or down here." Stumbling out of their hammocks, the members of the

watch quickly dress and come on deck for muster before going to their assigned stations. They relieve the wheel and the lookouts, hove the log to determine speed, and recorded all the information on the log-board.Shortly after four A.M., the Carpenter and Boatswain come on deck to begin their repair work, while the Cook lights fires in the galley (if the ship has one) and began the preparations for breakfast, often the oatmeal gruel called "burgoo" or "skillagolee," an unloved concoction frequently of poor oatmeal and bad ship's water. (Sometime after 1805, Cooks were able to serve it with butter or molasses to make it more palatable.). Another breakfast offering is dark, thick "Scotch Coffee," burned ship's biscuit boiled in water. At about five A.M. the watch begins to wash down the decks and polish the planks with a heavy holystone. Nooks and crannies are polished in the same way with small bits of the same type of stone, called prayer books. Following the holystoners come other sailors with brooms, swabs, and buckets to dry the decks, while others polish the brass fittings so that they gleamed in the first rays of dawn. Other seamen Flemish down the lines into neat and orderly coils.At seven A.M., this work is about finished, and the decks are drying as the Second Mate comes on deck to supervise the remaining work of the day. At about seven-thirty A.M the Boatswain's Mate pipes "All hands, up hammocks," and the rest of the crew come on deck. After the last of the hammocks were stowed, the Captain comes on deck and eight bells are struck for eight o'clock. With his approval, the Boatswain pipes breakfast for the crew. After half an hour, they return to their duty, and the new watch comes on deck, bringing with them bags and chests from the lower deck to allow cleaning there.During the forenoon watch, between eight A.M. and noon, many of the crew work in "messes," groupings based on their mess tables, preparing the main meal of the day, to be served at noon. Others may help the Quartermaster restow the provisions in the warship's small hold, below the orlop deck, to make the ship sail more efficiently. Or they might perform some other maintenance chores such as retarring the rigging or repairing a damaged cannon. Those not on watch may sleep, socialize, or mend their clothes.By eleven, six bells, the Captain, having examined the logs and the Gunner's, Purser's, Boatswain's, and Carpenter's accounts and having conferenced with the First Mate and others, might call all hands to witness punishment, in which case the Boatswain rigs a grating for flogging a seaman.After the observance of noon, dinner is served to the crew, who use sea chests (where they store their belongings) as benches while eating. Later, the fife may play a tune on his flute while the crew receive their liquor rations from tubs on the main deck and take them down to the mess tables below. The issuing of grog, a mixture of rum and water, began in the 1740s as a means to control liquor consumption in the Navy. The men usually receive two rations a day totalling a pint, but it is not the only drink. Beer, rationed out at the rate of a gallon a day, is far more popular than grog but usually available only in home waters or up to a month out at sea. In the Mediterranean, the seamen often receive a pint of wine as their alcohol ration.While the crew eat at tables below deck on their weekly rations of ship's biscuit, salt beef, pork with pea soup, and cheese, the officers have better fare. In the wardroom, they eat together sitting on chairs at a well-set table, each often attended by a servant. Instead of sharing the rations provided for the crew, the officers usually appoint one of their own as the mess caterer, and he purchases their food ashore, using their mess subscriptions. Sometimes these mess subscriptions, billed to each officer, run as

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high as £60 per year and allow officers to enjoy such luxuries as tea, sugar, and wine.At one-thirty P.M., the watch on deck is called to duty, leaving those off watch to do what they wish, or, alternatively, all hands are called to be exercised for ship's drills which include fire drills, repelling boarders, boarding other ships, sail handling, gunnery and patching leaks.At four in the afternoon, the watch changes again. This four-hour period is divided into two two-hour watches, called dogwatches. During this time, a short evening meal is served, along with the second portion of grog. Just before sunset, the drummer beats to quarters and all hands report to their battle stations for inspection by the officers. At this time, the Master of Arms often arrests anyone who was being rowdy or who had managed to drink too much of a friend's rum. Offenders are put on the black list and often placed in irons through the next day. After the ship has been reported as being in good order, the men are released from their battle stations and recover their hammocks from stowage in the netting.At eight o'clock, the watch is changed, those just finished turning in for a few hours of sleep before the middle watch (midnight to four A.M.). Lights are extinguished so that the ship cannot be seen from a distance, and the Master at Arms begins his series of nightly rounds through the ship. All is quiet, except for the regular sentry reports of "all's well" from various stations.And so the pattern continues day after day, month after month, broken only by battle, the occasional call at port, or an emergency that requires all hands to work together in maneuvering the ship.

ScurvyScurvy is a disease that results from insufficient intake of vitamin C and leads to the formation of livid spots on the skin, spongy gums, bleeding from almost all mucous membranes and eventually death. The spots are most abundant on the thighs and legs, and a person with the ailment looks pale, feels depressed, and is partially immobilized.The relationship between scurvy and vitamin C was only tentatively identified in 1747 by James Lind, who realised that fresh citrus fruits in the diet (usually limes) seemed to delay the onset of scurvy at sea.In a late campaign scurvy is not a problem as ships carry supplies of lime juice and in an early campaign scurvy starts to become an issue after three months at sea (which is the longest fresh fruit remains edible for aboard ship).For the sake of simplicity the effects of scurvy are figured into the rules for Stores, to be found on the next page.

Disease aboard shipOne of the greatest risks aboard ship is disease. With the crew living and working in such close proximity disease spread rapidly and each new port visited is a potential source of contamination. Scurvy is discussed elsewhere but other common diseases include dysentery, tuberculosis, typhus, and smallpox which kill around half of all seamen. If a ship enters a port where there is an outbreak of disease, each crewman who goes ashore should make a Health(constitution) roll. If they fail they have been infected and bring the disease back to the ship, infecting the rest of the crew. Infected characters should make Health(constitution) checks, and anyone who fails succumbs and dies.

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StoresThe problem with carrying stores (food and drink) aboard ship isn't the quantities involved, but how long the stores last before becoming too spoiled to eat. As a good rule of thumb a character will die three or more months after their ships last resupply, from a combination of starvation, dehydration and disease. How long this takes depends on your abilities:

• Character doesn't have Health Skill: They die three months after last resupply.

• Character has Health Skill: They die five months after last resupply.

• Characters has Constitution speciality: They die seven months after last resupply.

It's important to note that in an early campaign scurvy will kill you a lot faster than shortage of food and water.

Food and DrinkThe common seaman's diet each day is:

• 1lb bread• 1 gallon of beer• 1½oz sugar• 1oz cocoa• ¼oz tea • ¾lb salt beef or ¾lb of salt pork• ¾lb of flour or ½ pint of peas • one pint of vinegar spread over fourteen days• 12oz of butter per week

Sometimes, other food would be substituted for the items shown. For instance, flour may be substituted by suet or raisins. One pound of raisins was considered to be equal to one pound of flour, but if suet or currants were used then they would be issued at only half a pound.

Examples of other substitutes are:• 1½ lb soft bread, 1 lb of rice or 1 lb flour

considered equal to 1 lb biscuit.• 1 pint of wine or ¼ pint of spirits considered

equal to one gallon of beer.• 1 oz of coffee or ¼ oz of tea considered equal to

1 oz cocoa.• 1lb Rice considered equal to 1 pint of peas.• 1lb butter considered equal to 1 lb sugar.

These rations were from the standard provisions stored on board but there was also fresh meat and poultry from the livestock kept on the ship and until the chickens became food they could also provide eggs. Fresh vegetables were stored, but without modern methods of refrigeration they did not stay in good condition so were used up quickly. Salt dried fish could be used, and the crew were able to catch fresh fish when conditions allowed. Unfortunately for the crew, these provisions were not fresh and often rotten after months at sea. Meats tend to be salted (packed in barrels of salt) or smoked (suspended in smoke house) to extend their lifespansThe biscuit, also known as 'hard tack', often contains weevils or maggots and sailors tap their biscuits on the table to knock most of the weevils out before eating. To soften hard tack and make it more palatable, cooks might soak and boil them in rum and brown sugar to create a porridge-like mixture. In addition to the food, the sailor also receives a gallon of beer a day. This beer tends to be

weak by modern standards but has the benefit of being sterile and thus not liable to poison or infect you.Pirates mainly restock their food supplies by stealing from other ships’ stores whilst at sea. Fresh food is obtained at port or by fishing for fish such as dolphins and tuna (in tropical waters) or other fish in colder waters. In the tropics, sea turtles were commonly captured, being easily caught on land, and kept alive in the ships holds to provide fresh meat when needed. Their soft shelled eggs are considered a delicacy.One popular dish is salamagundi (also known as Solomon Grundy). This dish contains marinated bits of fish, turtle, and meat combined with herbs, palm hearts, spiced wine, and oil. This concoction is then served with hard-boiled eggs, pickled onions, cabbage, grapes, and olives. Pirates also ate yams, plantains, pineapples, papayas, and other fruits and vegetables indigenous to the tropics, harvested from islands the ship passes by.Booze is very popular with crews. It has the advantage of not being prone to waterborne diseases or spoilage and also helps to take the edge off of life. Bear in mind though, that being drunk on duty is a serious offence. In the later campaign sherry, brandy, port, rum, wine and beer are the popular tipples and in the early campaign bumboo is very popular, a mixture of rum, water, sugar, and nutmeg. Rumfustian is another popular drink that blended raw eggs with sugar, sherry, gin, and beer. Pirates also enjoyed beer, sherry, brandy, and port. Cannibalism is not unknown aboard ship, particularly when the alternative is death by starvation.Beer was commonly stored in earthenware bottles and other spirits and boozes in glass bottles. Pewter plates and tankards were common and silverware was used by the wealthy, although most pirates ate with their fingers and knives.Crews aboard a naval or privateering ship are organised into messes. Each mess sleeps, works, eats and fights together. Each mess has one of it's number who acts as the messes own cook. Aboard pirate ships things are a lot more chaotic. Some ships have galleys where the food is prepared by the ships cook and then served to the whole crew, whilst others have no galley and instead have a cauldron mounted on a brick hearth which is used to prepare meals during calm weather. The food is then stored and served cold later.The crew of a ship relieve themselves up by the bowsprit (right at the front of the ship), simply doing their business off the bow into the sea.

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The Ships CharterThe charter is a set of rules drawn up by the crew of a privateer or pirate vessel and applicable to all of them. The following charter is typical of ships charters, although individual crews might change some of the details:

1. Every man shall have an equal vote in affairs of the moment. He shall have an equal title to the fresh provisions or strong liquors at any time seized, and shall use them at pleasure unless a scarcity makes it necessary for the common good that a retrenchment may be voted.

2. Every man shall be called fairly in turn by the list on board of prizes, because over and above their proper share, they are allowed a shift of clothes but if they defraud the company to the value of even one dollar in plate, jewels or money, they shall be marooned. If any man robs another he shall have his nose and ears slit, and be put ashore where he shall be sure to encounter hardships.

3. None shall game for money, either with dice or cards.

4. The lights and candles shall be put out at eight at night, and if any of the crew desire to drink after that hour they shall sit upon the open deck without lights.

5. Each man shall keep his piece, cutlass and pistols at all times clean and ready for action.

6. No boy or woman to be allowed amongst them. If any man shall be found seducing one of the latter sex and carrying her to sea in disguise, he shall suffer death.

7. He that shall desert the ship or his quarters in time of battle shall be punished by death or marooning.

8. None shall strike another aboard the ship, but every man's quarrel shall be ended on shore by sword or pistol in this manner: At the word of command from the Quartermaster, each man being previously placed back to back, shall turn and fire immediately. If any man do not, the Quartermaster shall knock the piece out of his hand. If both miss their aim, they shall take to their cutlasses, and he that draws first blood shall be declared the victor.

9. No man shall talk of breaking up their way of living till each has a share of £1,000. Every man who shall become a cripple or lose a limb in the service shall have eight hundred pieces of eight from the common stock, and for lesser hurts proportionately.

10. The Captain and the Quartermaster shall each receive two shares of a prize, the Master Gunner and Boatswain, one and one quarter, and private gentlemen of fortune one share each.

11. The musicians shall have rest on the Sabbath Day only, by right, on all other days, by favour only.

Crime and PunishmentAll governments actively sought to capture pirates and enemy privateers. This was done by the Navy, as part of its standing duties and by freelance “bounty hunters” when a reward was posted for the pirate or privateer concerned. Upon capture, the prisoner would be taken to the nearest major port and there tried before an admiralty court for their crimes.Trials for piracy, were usually held in admiralty courts, tribunes, that had been founded in 1340’s in England, for trials concerning crimes committed beyond the high water mark (in other words, crimes at sea). It was possible for a

member of the pirate crew to turn King’s evidence and testify against his fellow pirates, for which a pardon was granted, but only after the others had been convicted. Once convicted, the pirate could be hanged any time ten days after the trial. Being hanged was often referred to as “Dancing the hempen jig”.On the day of the hanging, the condemned pirates were led in a procession led by an officer carrying the Silver Oar, which symbolized the authority of the High Court of the Admiralty. The final destination was the gallows, which was usually positioned in a public place near the water, often at the low-tide mark. The entire event, like all hangings was a spectacle that drew large crowds.Before the actual hanging, a chaplain usually gave a sermon, urging the convicted to profess their faith, and repent, before being hung. Often the sermon would also preach to the audience, using the pirates as prime examples of the degeneracy of a human soul. Following the sermon, the pirate was allowed to speak to the people before being swung off the cart beneath the gallows.After the execution, the bodies of the less significant crew members, were buried face down, below the high water mark, or left hanging until three tides had passed over them. The bodies of the most notorious captains, were often embalmed in tar, encased in an iron framework or chains, and hung from a gibbet in a conspicuous place by the waters edge, where they swayed in the wind, until nothing was left. This served as an example of the consequences of piracy.A privateer who was caught by their opponents would be sentenced to imprisonment, with the possibility of being released in a prisoner exchange. It should be noted that imprisonment was much of an alternative to the noose as the prisons were invariably prison hulks, retired naval ships moored off shore, or stinking gaols. Either way, the prisoner must make a Health(constitution) check every three months in imprisonment. The first time they fail the roll they catch a disease and die.

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Piratical ActivitiesPirates and Privateers get up to all kinds of activity on the high seas. To simplify things for you, the GM, the following section outlines a variety of common activities that pirates or privateers may wish to undertake.

TradingTrading involves buying goods cheap in one place, then selling them on at a profit elsewhere. To trade, the crew should decide how much money they wish to spend and what type of goods they wish to buy.The decision on what goods to buy should be based on knowledge of the local markets. A good trader buys goods where there is a surplus of them, then ships them to a location where they are in deficit and sells them, making a good return.The three main risks to traders are Piracy, Accidents and Bad Knowledge. Piracy is pretty self explanatory, having pirates or privateers take your cargo at sea and steal it. Accidents are usually down to bad weather, compounded by poor maintenance. Bad knowledge is what happens when you get your facts wrong and ship goods to a place where they are worth less than where you bought them from.When a new cargo of goods is delivered to a place, local prices usually drop. Sometimes a traders goods will arrive to find other traders got there first and the price has consequently collapsed. This is bad with non-perishable goods and terrible with perishables. In the former case the trader loses the costs of the voyage, but the goods are still saleable. In the latter case the trader loses the voyage costs and also the value of the goods.An average profit margin of 30% on trading is quite reasonable.

ShippingShipping is a lot simpler than trading, but a lot less profitable too. A ship simply advertises it's intended destination and invites shipping agents (who can be found in any port) to load it with cargo for that destination. The crew simply receive a payment based on the cost of shipping. They are not exposed to any financial risk (beyond the normal risks of the voyage), but do not stand to reap any significant profits either. Shipping fee's are generally sufficient to cover the actual costs of the voyage plus a 10-20% profit margin.Traders may also charter ships to carry a cargo to a specific destination. The profit margin is slightly less from a charter but the ships owner does not have to worry about organising multiple cargoes and dealing with agents.A “sub-division” of shipping is passenger transit. The ship simply substitutes passengers for cargo. Bear in mind that most ships have no real passenger facilities and passengers are expected to sleep on the deck or in the hold (on the whole, passengers prefer to be on deck, as it is a lot less unpleasant). For rich passengers the Captain might relinquish their stateroom to the passengers.An average profit margin of around 10-20% when shipping is quite reasonable.

HuntingA ship goes to sea to hunt for loaded merchant ships and take them. The objective is to take their cargoes and/or the ships as well. This is the classic activity of a pirate or privateer. Before putting to sea the crew must resupply their vessel and ensure they have sufficient stocks of food and water for the duration of their intended voyage.Hunting ships normally stay near the common trade routes as these are the most likely place to find potential prey. Staying close to ports is also a good way of increasing the chances of success, but the downside is

that being on a trade route or near a port increases the chance of encountering naval vessels or pirate hunters.Once a ship has been sighted the pirate ship must close the distance to identify it, then decide whether to flee or engage. There are various ruses to close the distance, one of the most common being to pretend to just be another merchant ship.Once the pirate has got within gun range, or even drawn alongside if they are really lucky, they reveal their colours as a pirate and demand the other ships surrender. Obtaining a surrender is every pirates objective. They want the target ship undamaged and co-operative if possible. The GM should determine what happens based on circumstances. Some Captains will try to flee, others will give up without a fight and others will fight back. If a ship fails to surrender when hailed, a pirate captain will likely place a warning shot across their bows. If they still fail to surrender the captain will likely fire into the target ship, seeking to damage it's sails and rudder prior to coming alongside and sending a boarding party across.Once the target has surrendered the pirates send a boarding party across to take stock of their capture. A merciful Captain will likely just take the ships cargo and maybe “recruit” any skilled crew if they are needed. A cruel captain might put the crew in boats and steal the ship and cargo completely, or even just murder the whole crew.A pirates reputation can be a mixed blessing. A pirate who is renowned for their cruelty is unlikely to have people surrender easily to them. One who is known as being too soft will have more problems. The ideal situation is to be renowned as being ruthless if resisted, but fair if co-operated with.An average profit margin of 100% or more when hunting is quite reasonable, but the risks are very high.

Pirate Hunters and Bounty HuntersThere are substantial bounties for pirates and other criminals and many individuals or crews make a living acting as bounty hunters. A pirate hunter is simply a bounty hunter who specialises in hunting pirates. This is a dangerous profession, but quite lucrative. Pirate hunters operate in a very similar manner to pirates, but their prey are the pirates rather than merchants.The Kings Commissioner is a special kind of pirate hunter. Kings Commissioners are appointed by the crown of a country, equipped with the best naval equipments and crews, then sent to hunt notorious pirates. From a pirates standpoint there is only way to handle a Kings Commissioner, run away.A bounty typically runs from a few pounds for a general pirate, to hundreds or even thousands for a really infamous one. Profit margins of 50-100% are quite reasonable when engaged in bounty hunting.

RaidingPirates sometimes engage in raids. A raid is basically the act of selecting a small settlement (or a large, lightly defended one) then assembling an armed force to take it. The raiders then sail to the target and raid it.A typical Raid consists of a two pronged attack. The bulk of the armed force is landed some distance from the target, then they march to it as the ships stand offshore near the target. The ships demand the settlements surrender as the troops attack and support them with bombardment. The objective, like hunting, is to force a surrender with the minimum damage. The raiders then loot the settlement and retreat to sea again.Raids are often undertaken by a group of pirates, working under the leadership of one charismatic leader. They are dangerous things to undertake as nothing is more likely to

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attract the attention of the Navy and Pirate Hunters than raiding sovereign settlements.The profit margin from raiding is even more than from hunting, although the risks are even greater.

PortsMost ports are found either at the mouth of rivers or inside natural bays on the coastline. Ports have two primary functions; to act as a place where goods can be transferred from ship to land and vice versa and to provide shelters for ships at sea.Bays and river mouths provide ships with a place to hide from the worst of the weather. More established ports usually augment this natural shelter with harbours.New settlements may have no docking facilities, ships having to weigh anchor in the bay or river and then ferry personnel and cargo ashore using small boats. Most ports will have jetties at the very least. A jetty is a wooden structure which protrudes out from the shore into the bay or river. Ships can moor at the jetty and cargo and personnel can then be carried/walk off straight onto land.More established ports are likely to have harbours. A harbour comprises sea walls (made of heavy stone blocks) built out from the coast into the sea to encompass an area of water in the bay or river. Ships inside the harbour are safe from all but the harshest storms. Ships can weigh anchor inside the harbour or moor up on the inside of the sea walls (these sea walls are known as Quays). Some harbours are tidal, with the harbour drying out at low tide, whilst others are always full of water at all states of the tide.Warships rarely tie up on the quayside in ports, instead preferring to moor in deep water and ferry to the shore.The crew will notice when coming into a harbour are the fishermen sitting around on the quays and jetties mending nets and sails, or selling fresh fish off the dock. Small fishing boats will be tied up to the quays and jetties, or pulled up onto the beach where appropriate. At low tide a lot of the fishing boats maybe just sitting on the sand or mud waiting to be floated up on the rising tide. Larger ships usually tie up or, if there is no room left, drop anchor further out and ferry passengers and cargo in.

Pirate PortsPirate ports are ports which are “friendly” to pirates. Most pirate ports are controlled by one of the major powers but simply have a Governor who is willing to turn a blind eye to illegal activities in exchange for hefty bribes.Other pirate ports are completely independent and are run by a town council, comprising the most powerful merchants and players in the town. To a degree, the major powers tolerate the existence of pirate ports as they are bustling centres of trade and the activities of pirates are not always detrimental to their own strategic goals. In an early campaign the Spanish generally detest pirate ports, being one of the main targets for pirates due to their large gold and silver shipments from the America's. The other European powers are far more tolerant, viewing anything which damages Spanish power as a good thing. Some of the more renowned pirate ports are discussed in more detail in the campaigns chapter.

Free PortsMany governments have one or more free ports. A free port is somewhere where duties are not levied on imported goods and customs regulations tend to be handled with a light touch. Governments set up free ports to encourage trade and mercantile activity. It is up to the GM to decide whether a given port should be a free port in their campaign.

Coming into portAs a ship approaches a port they may first be approached by rowing boats with various vendors trying to sell them fresh fruit, vegetables, whores and other goods. The ship will then gradually lower sails to slow itself down and the captain will decide whether to dock at the quayside or just stop in deep water and weigh anchor. If he opts to weigh anchor the ship is slowed by dropping the sails, then the anchor dropped and the ship bought to a halt. The crew may then go ashore by rowing boat, although a skeleton crew will remain aboard the ship at all times. If the captain takes the ship into the harbour and docks at the quayside much the same process must be gone through.After arrival, the first person the captain will wish to see is the harbourmaster, who will often be waiting at the dock for a newly arrived ship.The harbourmaster is in charge of the harbour and all activities within it. In practise this means that they collect port fee's from ships in the harbour. Port fee's are typically around one pound a day for a sea going ship. Once this business has been taken care of the next visitor will be the exciseman, duty must be paid on all goods which are to be taken ashore and yes, you pay the duty before you sell the goods. Once this has been done the crew can shift any goods ashore. The ships quartermaster typically handles dealing with agents and buying and selling cargoes as appropriate. The crew are let off in groups and a skeleton crew set to look after the ship. For most captains, a stay in port lasts no more than two days, long enough to do whatever business is necessary then back to sea again. Every moment spent in port is a moment not spent looking for loot at sea, and is costing the crew money.On a pirate ship the pressure to leave port is less significant as pirates do not have external investors to worry about (most privateers are funded by groups of investors who are looking to make a return on their investment), so the crew generally decides how long to spend in port.

uTidesTides play a critical role in shipping. Virtually all ports are tidal, with ships only being able to enter or leave the port at high tide. The period from one high tide to the next high tide is around twelve hours in duration and most ships can only enter or leave port within about one or two hours before or after high tide, so ships can only come and go from the port for around four hours in every twelve hour period.In some ports large “lock” gates separate the harbour from the sea. These are closed as the tide starts to drop, keeping the water level high in the harbour until the tide rises again, when they are reopened.

WarehousesOne of the most common features of the land near the harbour is warehouses. These are large buildings where goods are stored before being put aboard ships or transported inland from the port to other settlements.

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Warehouses are typically owned by merchants.

Bonded WarehousesSometimes cargoes are offloaded in a port, to be later loaded onto another ship for transshipment elsewhere. In such a case duty is not due on the cargo, but it must be stored in a bonded warehouse. Bonded warehouses are regulated by the excisemen and once goods are placed inside them, they cannot then be taken out except for shipment out of the port again.

The ExcisemenMost governments charge customs duty on goods bought ashore in a port. The owner of the goods is required to pay the duty before the goods can be bought ashore and, to this end, ships are inspected when they enter a port. These duties form a significant part of a governments income and most governments are very harsh in their enforcement of such duties, employing excisemen to inspect cargoes and ensure that duties are paid on incoming goods.Smugglers make a healthy living by secretly bringing cargoes ashore without the excisemen catching them, this means they can avoid paying duty on the cargo.

The Mayor and CouncilA town is run by an elected mayor and council. Generally speaking, only a relatively few citizens have a vote. The vote is usually limited to those who have a certain minimum wealth, usually measured in terms of property they own. The council passes local laws and ordnances, which are enforced by the watch and courts.

The CourtsMost settlements have a court of some kind, where justice can be metered out. Justice is very public in the period concerned and it is common for sentences to be carried out in public (for example, floggings, hangings and being placed in the stocks) as a way of sending a strong message to any potential wrong doers. Judges are independent and appointed by the government of the state which controls the settlement. In most settlements, a large enough bribe can get you out of most problems. The law is enforced by the local militia or garrison, there being no such thing as an organised police force at the time.

The WatchMost settlements have a watch. The watch is a group of individuals employed by the council to enforce the law and guard the settlement. In towns the watch may be quite professional, with full time employees, and in smaller settlements it may only be a part-time arrangement. The watch has various duties including:

• Patrolling at night• Arresting people• Watching for fires• Sounding the hours through the night

Even a pirate port has a watch, although there are fewer laws to enforce. In practise, anything which is bad for business tends to get dealt with, but otherwise the watch stays out of things.

MercenariesMercenaries are a not uncommon sight in ports, often on their way between battles. It is common practise in the old world (Europe) for large numbers of men to be bought under arms during the many conflicts and wars, only to be unceremoniously dumped back onto the streets after the war has ended. These ex-soldiers may sell their services

as hired muscle, often hiring out to the criminal underworld.

FishermenEvery port has fishermen, those who eke a living from the sea. Their nets provide food for the people of the port. Most fisherman stay relatively close to port, sailing out on the tide to spend a day at sea, then returning on the late tide. When the tides are not good, or the weather bad, the fishermen tend to be found on the dockside mending their nets and sails, or in the harbourside taverns.

InnsFrom a pirate or privateers point of view the Inn is one of the most important places in a port. You can drink, gamble, wench, drink and partake in the local gossip. The crews of ships are often to be found in inns and a canny listener can easily find out what ships are coming and going from the port, their cargoes and their routes. Many a merchantman has fallen victim to pirates who overheard the crew discussing their coming voyage and cargo in an inn before settings ail.

Gambling Dens and CasinosMuch of the gambling in a port is informal, occurring on the streets or in the inns, but there are also formal gambling dens and casinos. Gambling dens are simpler rougher versions of casino's. Most such establishments play fairly straight games, the establishment has no need to cheat as the odds automatically favour the house, and a reputation for running crooked games will quickly put such an establishment out of business.Establishments deal with cheats ruthlessly, the local law turning a blind eye to the summary justice which is often dished out. Big winners may have to watch their backs as well, some establishments not being averse to arranging for hired muscle to “recover” some of the money lost to a successful gambler.

BrothelsBrothels are a common enterprise in ports, sailors paying their money and taking their choice. Most brothels have their own efficient bouncers and any unruly behaviour is quickly dealt with. Catching a sexually transmitted disease is a very real risk when using brothels, particularly when patronising the cheaper end of the market.

ShipwrightThe shipwright is the builder of new ships and repairer of existing ones. Most shipwrights are found near the harbour and the larger ones may even have drydock facilities, where a ship can be bought in and then the water pumped out, allowing easy access to the normally submerged portions of the hull.

BlacksmithBlacksmiths work iron and other metals to forge tools, metal armours and metal melee weapons. A blacksmiths place of work is a forge, a building where a coal fuelled fire (the forge) is used to heat and shape metal.

TailorThe tailor makes clothes from cloth and other fabrics. Some tailors make cheap, serviceable garments and others specialise in high quality apparel suitable for the gentry.

GunsmithA common port of call for pirates and privateers, the gunsmith produces firearms and cannons of all types.

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Some gunsmiths specialise in high quantity, low quality weapons whilst others may be masters who produce a small number of much sought after weapons. In between lie the medium quality, medium quantity manufacturers.

SwordsmithSwordsmiths manufacture bladed weapons, specifically swords. Like gunsmiths, some specialise in the mass production of low quality blades, others balance quality and quantity and others produce only a few fine quality blades.

MerchantMerchants try to buy cheap and sell dear. Most merchants maintain a warehouse full of goods near the harbour somewhere and offices in the more salubrious parts of town. Merchants will buy most goods as long as they aren't too easily identifiable as stolen. They will typically pay around 50% of the items list price.Richer merchants may not deal directly with you, instead you may have to deal with their agents, who operate on their behalf.

FenceFences are individuals who specifically deal in stolen goods. It's important to note that most of the cargoes taken by pirates or privateers can be sold legally through normal merchants, it's only particularly notable items which must be fenced. A fence will typically pay only 10-20% of an items listed price.

The GarrisonThe garrison in a port can vary from a simple wooden building with a handful of militia to a heavy fortified fortress with a company of soldiers and a heavy battery of cannons. In larger ports the garrison is usually just outside the port in a position where it's heavy guns can blast any approaching vessel long before it can get within range with it's lighter ship mounted weapons. In some areas smaller batteries are also spread around the coast near a port, each battery hosting several heavy guns and a platoon or two of soldiers to man and protect them. Anything military installation which may be encountered is the watchtower. These are strongly built towers, sometimes with a gun or two, which keep watch over the surrounding land and sea. When an enemy is sighted a fire is lit on the top of the tower, alerting the other forces nearby.

The WatchThe watch are civilians paid to act as a combined police and defensive force for the port. Most of their work revolves around arresting criminals and keeping the peace. They are under the command of the Governor or Mayor of the town.

JewellerJewellers work in precious metals, such as silver, gold, platinum and even copper, and fine gems. They produce beautiful jewellery which is worn to show off one's wealth and power. Jewellery is commonly worn by both men and women and in addition to it's display value, acts as an excellent way to store your wealth in a portable fashion, very useful in turbulent times.

ArchitectArchitects design and oversee the construction of buildings. A thriving, growing town will have more architects than one which is stable in size or shrinking.

Governors Palace

The governors palace is the residence of the governor and the centre of local bureaucracy. This is where you come if you need to obtain permits or other legal documents, including pardons and letters of marque.

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Money and Equipment

Four Barrells of Beefe, four Hogsheads of Pork, eighty two ferkins of Butter, six hundred weight of Cheese, Eighteen Butts of Beere, three Boxes of Soape, Fourteen Boxes of Candles, Twelve Barrells of Oatmeale, Three Hogsheads of Vinegar, Six Pieces of Canvas for Hammocks, Fourty Beds, Fourty Pillows, Fourty Rugs, Fifty Red Coats, one hundred and fifty Capps, Four Casks of Tallow, Six horse hydes, three Sole Leather hydes, one earthen Oven, Twelve dozen Stockings, One hundred weight of Corke

-Partial list of stores loaded aboard an English privateer at the Irish provisioning port of Kinsale in 1708.

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MoneyAll cash values are expressed in British pounds, shilling and pence.

• One pound (£) equals twenty shillings (S)

• One shilling equals twelve pence(12d)

• Four farthings equal one pence (d)

• Two half pennies equals one pence

• A guinea is twenty one shillings (professionals are normally paid in golden guineas for the services, rather than pounds)

• A half guinea is ten shillings and six pence (usually pronounced “ten and six”

• A crown is five shillings

• One shilling was commonly written as 1/-

• One and a half shillings ("one and sixpence")would be written 1/6 etc.

• Bank notes are available in ten, fifteen, one hundred and one thousand pound denominations.

• One pound notes are available in the late campaign, but not the early (prior to 1928, one pound notes were only in circulation between 1797 and 1821, then between 1825 and 1826. They were taken out of circulation as they proved too easy to forge).

• There are roughly five US dollars to a British Pound in 1810.

Pay RatesThis section outlines the rates of pay for Naval sailors in a late campaign. For merchant sailors, double the wages. Bear in mind that the low naval wages reflect the fact that a naval crew is entailed to a share in any prize money, whereas a merchant crew is not. The crew of a privateer would typically be paid a wage somewhere between the Naval and Merchant rate, depending on the share of any prize money they would be entitled to.

Yearly Wage

Landsman £12

Ordinary Seaman £13

Able Seaman £20

Petty Officers £25-35

Master £100

Surgeons £168

Ship's Carpenter £70

Ship's Gunner £58

Ship's Bosun £58

Midshipman £30

Lieutenant £130

Commander £250

Captain (1st Rate) £500.00

Captain (6th Rate) £180

Nobleman £5000-25,000

Colonial Governor £1000-5000

Member of the Gentry £1000-5000

Office holding lawyer £1000

Army Colonel £365

Army Major £230

Yeoman Farmer or Plantation Owner

£40-250

Army Captain £146

Doctor £120

Justice of the Peace £63

Army Lieutenant £73

Court Poet £50-60

Army Sergeant £54

Low ranking clergy £10-50

Skilled craftsman £30

Sculptor £20-100

Skilled labourer £16-18

Apothecary £10-15

Army Soldier £15

Unskilled labourer £12

Agricultural worker £10-13

Male Teacher £12

Female Teacher £8

Subsistence Farmer £6

Woman Labourer £5

Militiaman £4

Servant £2 plus food and lodgings

w

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Early vs. LateAll the prices listed in this section are based on mid-18th

century prices. For the sake of argument use the same prices for an early or late campaign.

QualityThe items of equipment in this section are of normal quality. It is possible to buy any item at higher quality if you wish. A higher quality receives a bonus to relevant rolls equal to it's cost multiplier.For example, a sword which cost five times the usual price would have a +5 to attacks and parries made with it.The quality modifiers are applied as follows:

• Tools: Modifier applies to checks made using the tool.

• Weapons: Modifier applies to attack and parry checks made with the weapon.

• Armour: Reduce the armours Encumbrance score by the cost multiplier (to a minimum of one).

EncumbranceWhere appropriate, an item has it's ENC listed in brackets after its name.

Buying PowerThe following section is to give you an idea how much a sum of money can buy. These prices are right for both early and late campaigns (there being little inflation between the two).1/2d (half a penny): Half a loaf, during the gin craze earlier in the 1700s.1d (one penny): Enough gin to get drunk on, A day's allowance of coal. Entry to a theatre. A loaf of bread. A pint of wine or ale.1 1/2d: A pound of soap (by no means as gentle as today's soap, for it might contain traces of lye, a caustic substance), Hourly rate for a boy to chop firewood2d (tuppence): Enough gin to get dead drunk on "Drunk for a penny, dead drunk for tuppence" A pound of meat. A whole chicken. A night in a dormitory with up to twenty others (dry, but watch your belongings).3d (threepence): Supper of bread, cheese and beer, Cost of blood-letting for a poor person, Cost of postage of a one-page letter going 80 miles (paid for by recipient). Gallery seat at the theatre.4d (fourpence): A quart of beer, A boat across the river. A pound of butter or a dozen eggs.4d–6d: A pound of cheese (domestic).5d: A pound of hair powder.6d (sixpence): A barber's fee for a shave and dressing of one's wig, Cost of sweeping one chimney.6 1/4d (Sixpence farthing): Dinner for a government clerk (cold meat, bread and a pint of porter)8d: Cost of an evening at a coffee house, Turnpike toll for a coach and four horses.8d-10d: A pound of butter.9d: Cost of an almanac.10d–1s: 1lb of fat bacon (enough for two working men), A dozen Seville oranges (they would be used for making marmalade)1s (one shilling): Dinner in a steakhouse - beef, bread and beer (plus tip), Sign-on bonus for army recruitment: The king's Shilling, Admission to Vauxhall pleasure gardens, Admission to Ranelagh Gardens (although it could be as much as two guineas on masquerade nights), A dish of beef at Vauxhall, 1lb of perfumed soap, Postage of a one page letter from London to New York, 1lb of Parmesan cheese. A box at the theatre. A bottle of rum. A dry place to sleep (per day).

1s 6d: Rate of window tax per window of a house with 12+ windows (1762)2s (2/-): Cost of 12 yards of gold braid, Weekly rent of a furnished room for a tradesman. A bottle of wine. Cotton or linen stockings. A sailors breeches.2s 2d (2/2): Daily pay for journeyman tailors. A cotton or linen cravate.2s 6d (2/6): A whole pig, A tooth extraction, Dinner sent in from a tavern, A chicken at Vauxhall gardens, A ticket to hear the rehearsal of the music for the royal fireworks at Vauxhall2-5s: An hours or so's entertainment by a lady of the night.2s 10d (2/10): 1lb of candles.3s: A cotton or linen overskirt. A straw hat. A sailors cap. A sailors shirt.3s 2d: A pair of men's yarn knitted stockings (knitting was fairly new)3s 3d: A barrel of Colchester oysters.4s 6d: A petticoat for a working woman. A belt.5s (5/-): A pound of Fry's drinking chocolate, A bottle of claret at Vauxhall, A box at Drury Lane Theatre (1763), A workman's secondhand coat. A good meal (such as pork or fish, fresh bread, onions, yams and fresh fruit). Good lodgings (per day) with plenty of light in the day and sheltered from the elements. A linen or cotton shirt. Linen or cotton breeches.4s 9d–6s: 1lb of coffee5s 2d: A pint of lavender water.5s 7d: A pair of women's worsted stockings.6s: A pair of stays (a supportive undergarment) for a working woman. A cotton or linen skirt.7s: A dozen rabbits in the market, A stout pair of shoes.7s 6d–16s: 1lb of tea.8s: A bottle of champagne at Vauxhall. Wool breeches.8s 8d: A yard of flowered damask (you would need 15½ yards for one dress). A simple hat.9s: Weekly wage of an unskilled labourer, A piece (14 1/2 yards) of Indian sprigged muslin.10s: Cost of Dr Johnson's just-published Dictionary 1756. A corset or bodice. A wool overskirt. A linen or cotton chemise. A sailors jacket.10s 6d: A bottle of Dr Prossilly's water for the pox (half a guinea was a common professional fee), A ticket to hear Handel's Messiah (Handel on the organ) at the Foundling Hospital, A ticket in pit or box at Theatre Royal, Covent Garden 1763.12s: A gentleman's meal with four courses (such as suckling pig in a wine and honey sauce, fresh bread, game hen marinated in lemon juice, and pepper, green peppers stuffed with devilled crab, a delicate clam soup, muffins with butter and cheese, lemon sugar crumpets, all served with a sparkling white wine, and later a glass of good scotch to greet the evening). A woollen skirt. A cotton or linen waistcoat. A good pair of shoes.10s 6d-1 15s: Cost of various wigs13s 10d: A yard of Mechlin lace.15s: A plumed hat.16s: A pair of men's lace ruffles. A bottle of good wine.17s 4d: A pair of men's silk stockings.18s-22s: Weekly wage of a journeyman tradesman 1777.18s: A wig for a clerk in a public office, A brass barometer.18s 6d: A yard of rich brocaded satin.£1 (one pound): A whole pig. A worsted wool skirt.£1-36s (one pound to 36 shillings): Price of carpet per square yard.£1 1s (one guinea): A fine beaver hat, Twelve French lessons.£1 6s: A pair of leather boots.£1 9s: Season ticket to Vauxhall 1742.£1 10s: A pair of velvet breeches.

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£1 12s: A pair of stout silk-knit breeches.£1 15s: Monthly pay of an East India Company seaman 1762.£1-2: A silk cravate.£1-4: A wool waistcoat.£1-12: A quality wig.£2 (two pounds): Annual shaving and wig-dressing contract. Silk stockings.£2 2s (two guineas): A month's dancing lessons.£2 10s: Annual pay of a ship's boy. A pound of tea.£3-5: A wool coat.£3-8: A silk shirt.£4 10s (four and a half pounds): A suit of clothes for a clerk in public office.£5: A fine silver hilted sword. A grooming kit (including razor, wash basin, linen, soap, cologne, comb, small shears and a small chamber pot).£5 5s (five guineas): A silver watch£5-10: Silk breeches.£6: Cost of a night out, including supper, a bath and a fashionable courtesan£6-10: A silk overskirt.£6-12: A silk bodice.£8-30: A silk skirt.£8-15: A silk chemise.£20-100: A silk waistcoat£50-150: A silk coat.£100-8000: Dowry for a women of the gentry or aristocracy.£1000: Baronet title.

Cargoes and TreasuresThe following list is a by no means exclusive selection of cargoes and treasures:£1,000: 100lb of Sandalwood (from China)£1,000: 50 Rugs (from Turkey)£1,200: 200 Books (from Europe)£1,500: A 5lb bar of Gold£1,600: Cask of Ginseng£1,800: 30 pieces of Furniture (from Paris)£10,000: 200 pieces of silverware£10: Cask of Beer£10: Cask of poor rum£100: Cask of fine wine£100: Cask of Rosemary£12,000: 300 Pearls£20: Cask of Vinegar or olive oil£200,000: 100lb of Precious gemstones (usually 500-1000 in number)£200: Cask of Pepper£3,200: 800 Fans (from China)£30: Cask of good rum£30: Cask of local fruit wine£4,000: 100 pieces of Jewellery (from Spain)£40,000: 100lbs of assorted Semi-Precious gemstones (usually 300-500 in number)£40,000: Ivory (10 tusks)£400: 200 Leather shoes (from Florence)£400: Cask of Cloves£50: A 5lb bar of silver£50: Cask of (European) Wine£6,000: 50 pieces of Jewellery (from Venice)£600: 200 pieces of Pewterware (from London)£800: 200 pieces of Glassware (from Amsterdam)£800: A bolt of Silk£800: Cask of Medicinal herbs

General EquipmentThe following are some general items of equipment, mainly detailed here for weight purposes. For other equipment look in the list above.

• Rope: 1d and 2 ENC per yard

• Torch: A wooden shaft coated in pitch and burnt for light. 1d and 5 ENC each.

• Rations: 2d and 5 ENC per day• Oil Lamp: A closed oil lamp, 4 shillings and 5

ENC.• Pint of Oil: Burns for 6 hours in a lamp, 3d and

5 ENC. Someone doused in burning oil takes 12 damage per round.

• Flint & Tinder: Used to start fires, ½ a shilling, 2 ENC.

Tools and KitsAll sets of tools, or kits, cost two pounds and have an ENC of 10, unless otherwise stated, and can be obtained in Cheap or Fine version.

• Artificers tools: Without artificers tools, all Smithing(artifice) checks are at -20. Artificers tools consist of fine implements for working with clockwork, locks and other complex mechanisms.

• Artists tools: Without artists tools, all Art checks to make works of art are at -20. Artists tools include pens, pencils, brushes, paints and the like.

• Carpenters tools: Without carpenters tools, all Crafting(carpentry) checks are at -20. Carpenters tools include hammers, chisels, nails, saws and other tools.

• Disguise Kit: Without a disguise kit, all disguise checks are at -20. A disguise kit contains face paints, makeup, padding, wigs, false hair and other items needed to disguise ones appearance.

• Gunsmiths tools: Without gunsmiths tools, all Smithing(gunsmithing) checks are at -20. Gunsmiths tools consist of brushes, hammers, screwdrivers and the other tools needed to work on firearms.

• Lockpick Kit: Without lockpicks, all artifice(locks) smithing checks are at -20. Lockpicks only costs half a pound and have ENC 5. A lockpick kit consists of a variety of tensioning bars, drills, picks and other fine implements for working on locks.

• Masons tools: Without masons tools, all Crafting(masonry) checks are at -20. Masonry tools include hammers, chisels and the like.

• Navigators tools: Without navigators tools, all Navigation checks are at -20. Navigators tools include a sextant, compass, lunar tables and the like.

• Potters tools: Without potters tools, all Crafting(pottery) checks are at -20. Potters tools include a wheel, shaping tools and the like.

• Scientific Instruments: Without scientific instruments all investigative Science checks are at -20. Not having tools is not a problem when solving intellectual problems, only when performing physical investigations. Scientific instruments include microscopes, accurate measures of distance and weight, slides, forceps, beakers, retorts and other scientific tools and instruments.

• Signalling equipment: Without signalling equipment, all Signalling checks are at -20. Signalling equipment includes lamps and semaphore flags.

• Black Smiths tools: Without smiths tools, all Smithing(blacksmithing) checks are at -20. Blacksmiths tools include hammers, tongs, anvil and a portable forge.

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• Tailors tools: Without tailors tools, all Crafting(tailoring) checks are at -20. Tailors tools include awls, needle, thread, scissors and other tools.

• Leather workers tools: Without leather workers tools, all Crafting(leather working) checks are at -20. Leather working tools are much like tailors tools but heavier duty.

• First Aid kit: Without a first aid kit all Healing(first aid) checks are at -20. Such a kit costs 2d and has splints, bandages, needle and thread.

• Surgeons tools: Without surgeons tools all Healing(surgery) and Healing(autopsy) checks are at -20. Surgeons tools include saws, scalpels, forceps, tongs and other tools needed for surgery.

• Doctors tools: Without Doctors tools all Healing(medicine) checks are at -20. Doctors tools includes compresses, poultices, drugs and other medicines.

Armour ListArmour is bought as suits. A character may only wear one suit of armour at a time. No worn armour is effective against firearms attacks in Privateers and Pirates. The following list gives some types of armour:

• Mail Shirt (ENC 15, £2): A shirt of finely woven metal rings which covers the body and arms. Counts as armour against all melee attacks.

• Padded Jack (ENC 10, 12s): A jacket of quilted cotton which protects body and arms. Counts as armour against blunt melee attacks only.

• Thick Leather Jerkin (ENC 10, 16s): A jacket of thick leather which protects body and arms. Counts as armour against sharp melee attacks only. This type of armour is actually either thick leather or thinner leather reinforced with metal strips or studs at strategic points.

• Plate Cuirass (ENC 20, £3): A plate metal cuirass which protects the body. Counts as armour against melee attacks and bows, but not against guns.

Plate cuirasses are often worn by soldiers in an early campaign, but not a late one.No character can swim in armour, so it is rarely worn aboard ship. Metal armours (mail, scale and plate) just pull you straight down and leather or quilted armours rapidly become waterlogged and, likewise, pull you down. It is also common for duellists to fight bare chested to prove that they were not wearing a mail shirt below their clothes.

Melee WeaponsAttacks with melee weapons require Fighting checks, or Throwing checks if the weapon is thrown. Rather than trying to give game values for every kind of weapon you can think of, instead weapons are organised into groups, such as fist weapons. It is up to the GM to decide which group a given weapon falls into.Weapons are described in the following format

• Weapon Name (Damage Code, Encumbrance value, cost, short range/long range) Description

The weapons are as follows:• Fist Weapons (L, ENC 5, 4s) Fist weapons

include daggers, brass knuckles, coshes and cudgels. They are designed to be easily

concealed and are popular with the criminal classes. It is hard to hide a sword, but a dagger can be easily concealed. Fist weapons can be thrown as 5/20 weapons.

• Ordinary Weapon (M, ENC 10, 12s) Ordinary weapons are swords, axes, maces and the like. Items specifically designed as weapons to be wielded in one hand. Ordinary weapons can be thrown as 2/10 weapons.

• Great Weapon (H, ENC 15, £1) Great weapons are two handed axes, swords and huge maces. Items specifically designed as weapons to be wielded in both hands. Great weapons can be thrown as 2/5 weapons.

• Pole Arm (H, ENC 20, £1½) A polearm is a blade or heavy weight on the end of a long pole (usually 6-10ft in length). Examples of polearms include halberds, pole axes and glaives. Polearms are designed to both swing and stab, unlike long spears which are only intended for stabbing. Polearm wielders have a +10 to attack rolls until they are hit, at which point the +10 becomes a -10 to hit modifier. This represents the initial advantage of length, then the disadvantage it presents when the opponent gets inside your reach.

• Improvised Weapons (varies) If a character just picks up some handy object and uses it as a weapon, treat it as a fist, ordinary or great weapon as described above, but with an additional -10 on attacks made with it. Things like boarding pikes (long spear), felling axes (great axe) and big wooden mallets (great mace) are Great weapons. Hatchets (axe), Marling spike (dagger), belaying pins & cudgels (mace) and lengths of chain (flail) would be Ordinary weapons.

• Staff (M, ENC 10 1s) A simple wooden staff, perhaps 6ft in length, wielded in two hands. A staff has a +10 on attack rolls and can be thrown as a 2/5 weapon.

• Bayonets (H, ENC 5, £1) Carbines, Muskets, Musketoons and Rifled Muskets can be fitted with a bayonet turning them into a fearsome H damage melee weapon. Fitting a bayonet requires one action.

The most commonly encountered weapons are knives, daggers and cudgels.. all fist weapons, swords, which are ordinary weapons and halberds (the standard arm of soldiers not armed with guns) which are Great weapons.

BowsAttacks with Bows and Crossbows require Archery checks. Bows are rarely encountered, having been superseded by firearms in virtually all instances. About the only time characters may expect to encounter bows is when fighting indians or similar native tribes. Crossbows are rarely seen anywhere but are sometimes used because they are almost silent when fired. A short or long bow needs one action to ready to fire again after a shot. A crossbow needs four actions to ready to fire again following a shot.

• Short Bow (M, ENC 10, 10s, 5/150) Around 3ft in length and can be used when mounted.

• Long Bow (H, ENC 15, 16s 2/200) Around 6ft in length, the long bow is a very large weapon.

• Crossbow (H, ENC 15, £1 10/150) A fairly compact but powerful weapon which hurls a heavy bolt, shorter and heavier than an arrow.

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Blackpowder GunsAttacks with guns require Shooting checks. Each shot requires one ball and an eighth of an ounce of powder.

• Blackpowder: Five pounds per cask. A cask is ENC 20 and holds twenty pounds of powder

• Balls: One shilling for one pound of balls (ENC 5), which is 20 balls.

• Powder Horn: Used to store powder. Ten pence (ENC 5) and holds 40 shots worth of powder. The powder horn is normally slung round the neck and shoulder on a thong.

• Cartridge box: (ENC 5) and 2s 6d. Holds 20 paper cartridges for a musket. The box is usually worn at the hip.

Unless stated otherwise, reloading a gun barrel requires four actions.The information for each weapon is given in this format:

• Weapon Name (Damage Code, Encumbrance value, cost, short range/long range) Description

Weapons are organised by the Shooting speciality which relates to their use.

HandgunsAll handguns are fired one-handed.

• Pocket Pistol (M, ENC 2, £1, 20/20) A small pistol designed to be carried concealed (requires a Notice check to find on a search). Cost one pound.

• Flintlock Pistol (M, ENC 5, £1½, 15/60) A simple pistol, single shot. Cost one and a half pounds.

• Blunderbuss Pistol (M, ENC 5, £1½, 25/35): A blunderbuss pistol is an open mouthed flintlock pistol designed to fill an area with lead. Cost one and half pounds.

• Volley Pistol (H, ENC 5, £8, 15/40) A pistol version of the volley gun (described below) with only five barrels. When the trigger is pulled all five barrels fire simultaneously. This gives you two attack rolls against the same target. It takes four actions to reload each barrel and all five barrels must be reloaded before the gun can be fired again.

• Double Barrelled Pistol (M, ENC 5, £3, 15/50) Has two shots before needing reloading. Can fire both barrels simultaneously at the same target causing H damage (still make only one attack check though) or fire each barrel separately (although each shot is separate action). A pistol with two barrels side by side, each with its own lock.

• Turnover pistol (M, ENC 5, £5, 15/40) Has four shots before needing reloading. It has four barrels arranged on a spindle, the weapon is fired then the next barrel manually rotated into place to fire. Turning the barrel requires a single action.

LongarmsLongarms are designed to be fired two-handed, but may be fired one-handed with a -20 on attack rolls.

• Carbine (M, ENC 10, £2, 10/100) A weapon which is somewhere between a pistol and rifle in length. Popular with cavalry units.

• Musketoon (M, ENC 10, £2½, 10/150) A shortened musket.

• Musket (H, ENC 15, £2½, 5/200) A long

smoothbore weapon.• Rifled musket (H, ENC 15, £5, 5/300) A rifled

musket, quite rare and expensive still. Only available in late campaigns.

• Blunderbuss (M, ENC 15, £1, 25/30) A blunderbuss is an open mouthed shotgun designed to fill an area with lead when fired. A single shot gives you two attack rolls.

• Volley Gun (M, ENC 15, £12, 10/100) A short carbine type weapon with seven barrels arranged in a circle. When the trigger is pulled all seven barrels fire simultaneously. A single shot gives you three attack rolls which can be spread amongst any or all targets, although all the targets must be within a 10ft diameter circle. It takes four actions to reload each barrel and the weapon cannot be fired until all seven barrels have been reloaded.

• Shotgun (H, ENC 15, £2, 20/70) A shotgun fires a spray of small pellets with each shot.

• Double Barrelled Shotgun (H, ENC 15, £3, 20/70) A shotgun with two shots. It can fire them separately or both together, for VH damage. Each barrel requires four actions to ready to fire again after shooting, although the shotgun can be fired with only one barrel ready (limiting it to one shot).

Gunnery WeaponsGunnery weapons are designed to be fired from fixed positions and are basically scaled down ships cannon.

• Boat Gun (M, ENC 50, £5, 5/70): A boat gun is an enlarged blunderbuss (or a reduced swivel gun, depending on your point of view) designed to be fired from a pintle mount on a small boat. When fired from a mounted position it has an effective ENC of 0. When fired you get four attacks which can be spread against any or all targets, who must all be within a 10ft diameter circle.

• Swivel Gun (VH, ENC 200, £20, 2/200) A heavy ship-mounted weapon. When fired from a mounted position it has an effective ENC of 0. It can be loaded with solid shot (using the values above). When loaded with pellets the range is 5/100, the damage H, and you get four attacks which can be spread against any or all targets, who must all be within a 10ft diameter circle.

ExplosivesRules for explosive effects can be found in the rules mechanics chapter. Some common explosives include:

• Grenado (ENC 5, 12s, 10/30): A primitive hand grenade. Use the explosion rules in the general rules section when handling a grenado. A grenado is a small ball of metal, pottery or glass with a gunpowder charge inside. It typically weighs around two ounces. The fuse is lit as one action, then thrown as a second. It then detonates at the end of the round.

• Blackpowder: Treat as a basic explosion for every ounce of blackpowder (ENC 1 per ounce). blackpowder is not thrown, it is set in place and detonated by a lit fuse. Cost one shilling per ounce.

• Stinkpot (ENC 5, 4s, 5/20): A stinkpot is not an explosive device, but has been placed here because it is similar in use to a grenado. It is lit and thrown in the same way as a grenado and when it lands it creates a cloud of irritant gas

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which causes nausea, tears and vomiting in anyone caught nearby (the effect starts at the end of the round in which it is lit). Any one in the cloud must make a DIFF 50 Health(constitution) check at the start of the round. If they fail, they can do nothing in that round (no movement, actions, dodges or parries). If they succeed they can act normally. The cloud lasts for 2d10 rounds (roll when it detonates). Stinkpots were commonly thrown aboard enemy shots before boarding, to demoralise the crew. A wet rag wrapped round the nose and mouth gives a +10 on the Health checks. Stinkpots are considered to be unbalanced objects for throwing purposes.

Both grenado's and Stinkpots can be thrown indirectly. This means lobbing the grenado or stinkpot at a location you can't see. If you do this, you can't Aim the attack, so the snapshot penalty always applies.

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Campaigns

“Piracy is only the sea term for robbery within the jurisdiction of the Admiralty...If the mariner of any ship shall violently dispossess the master and afterwards carry away the ship itself or any of the goods with a felonious intention in any place where the Lord Admiralty hath jurisdiction this is robbery and piracy”

-British Admiralty court definition of piracy in 1696

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Pirates or Privateers?When starting a campaign you should decide if characters are privateers or pirates. Pirates are criminals, wanted by everyone, with few safe harbours. Note that pirates still lose half their prize money, just like anyone else, but rather than this going to the governments who's licence they are operating under, like a privateer, it is instead lost to fences and others who handle stolen goods.Privateers, on the other hand, are operating under license to a sovereign power (in this game, Britain) and can find safe haven in that powers ports and waters. A privateer will not be attacked by warships, or other privateers, of its own nation either.Many pirates seek to buy a letter of marque sometime in their career, moving under the auspices of that nation. A letter of marque, as a rough guide, costs around fifteen hundred pounds.

AnglophiliaPrivateers and Pirates assumes that player characters are either British, or foreign sailors serving aboard British ships.

Early vs. Late CampaignAn early campaign is set in the “Golden Age of Piracy”, a period which is generally accepted to have been, very approximately from 1680-1725. Characters will most likely take the role of pirates and will be set in either the Spanish main (the Caribbean) or the Indian Ocean (based out of Madagascar) A late campaign is set during the Anglo-French wars which periodically blew up from around 1750 to 1810. The late campaign concentrates on adventures either round the English channel and/or Mediterranean, with player characters most likely based in the channel islands, or around the African gold coast.

A Naval CampaignWhilst these rules are primarily designed to run pirate or privateer centred games there is nothing to stop you using them to run naval (or other) games in the same period. Particularly during the Anglo-French wars, most Captains (particularly of Frigates, Sloops and Brigs) operated much like privateers, hunting enemy shipping for the prize money. A lot of Naval captains joined up to get rich, retiring with a comfortable pile of prize money. For such a game the characters are members of a warship crew and should all take Connections:Navy. Unlike the more democratic privateer or pirate games warships were ruled by strict discipline, the Captains word was law, enforced by other officers and a marine contingent. Characters in naval campaigns are also likely to receive orders from the Admiralty to perform specific missions, which gives the GM a great opportunity to have some fun with players.

Adventure IdeasThe following section gives you, the GM, some possible ideas for Privateers and Pirates adventures.

• The characters intercept a merchant carrying some very precious gems. If they interrogate the captain they can find out where the gems came from, a secret mine, and raid it.

• The characters find out that a small town which is meant to be garrisoned isn't, the garrison has left and the town is undefended.

• A large bounty is offered for someone, do you want the money?

• An enemy government has put a bounty on you and the bounty hunters attack during shore leave.

• Your ship is impounded by a foreign government. You must steal it back.

• You encounter a ship of the line which hunts you, the captain may have some personal vendetta.

• A fair maiden has been kidnapped by dastardly villains, her family offer a large reward for her safe return.

• You are drafted by the military to go on a special mission. This might be to collect a very important passenger, or deliver one, collect some item or message, or deliver it.

• Reconnoitre an enemy stronghold masquerading as traders.

• You get into a drunken bet with another character captain and his crew. The one who loses the bet loses their ship.

• Rumours of a long lost gold mine have arisen, follow the clues to find the mine.

g

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The Late Campaign

The late campaign is focussed around the English channel and Mediterranean ports, with possible ventures to the Indian ocean.

The Channel Islands and the ChannelDuring the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century the channel islands were an active base for privateers and pirates which, although officially frowned upon, were tolerated by the local government because of the wealth they bought in. Any vessel operating from the islands was required to have at least one or two native islanders aboard their vessel.The islands consist of two bailiwicks; Guernsey and Jersey. Jersey includes the main island of Jersey and the two smaller, uninhabited, islands of Minquiers and Ecréhous. Guernsey encompasses the isle of Guernsey and the smaller islands of Alderney, Sark, Herm, Jethou, Brecqhou, Burhou and other islets.Ships operating from the channel islands typically sail out into the channel, the southern north sea and the channel approaches and hunt for prey. There is a steady flow of traffic through the channel, travelling to and from the various ports along the channels Skills and Specialities.

iThe Early Campaign

The early campaign is focussed around the Spanish Main, Caribbean Islands and Florida.

The Spanish MainThe Spanish Main was the area that now comprises Central America and the Northern Coast of South America (the Spanish colonies in the Americas). The centre of the the Spanish Main would probably be Darien on the Isthmus of Panama. The land was rich in gold, silver, precious gems and other resources. Most of the wealth of the Mainland was not located where ships could easily reach it, which meant that large quantities of precious metals and gems had to be be moved by pack animals to fortified ports that were built along the coast. Some of the key port cities were port cities were Portobello and Darien in the area of present day Panama and Cartagena near present day Venezuela. Pirates were well aware of the methods Spain used for moving treasure and they were willing to risk the dangers of the mosquito infested swamps in order to relieve Spain of its wealth. Despite heavily armed guards, the trail through the jungle afforded ample opportunity for pirates to ambush the gold trains. The trails were narrow, and did not allow the Spaniards to maneuver. Furthermore the Pirates would often attack at dusk, after the Spaniards had had a long and arduous march through the jungle. If the ambush failed, the Pirates could melt back into the jungle, confident that the Spaniards would not follow.

Soldiers could not pursue the attackers for fear that the ambush was simply a diversion and that the main attack would occur after the Spanish split up their forces.The fortified ports were probably the best defended locations along the Spanish Main and also the richest. For the most part it was foolhardy to attempt an attack on such a heavily fortified area despite the riches that it contained and pirates rarely bothered to attack such a place. Francis Drake was was an exception to this rule, as was Henry Morgan. Morgan's most daring accomplishment was the sacking of Portobello, although he was acting as a privateer in the service of the English at the time. The ports themselves had high, thick walls and powerful shore batteries which allowed them to engage raiders long before the raiders could begin firing (the port could often get off two or three salvoes before the raider got into range to fire its first). In addition each port also had its own squadron of galleons which would move to intercept raiders before they got within firing range of the port. The main vulnerability in the ports was their lack of protection from the landward side. Spain assumed that the jungle was good enough protection for this area and, most of the time, they were correct.

The Bahamas and PiratesThe Bahamas were originally inhabited by a group of Arawak Indians known as the Lucayan. Originally from the South American continent, some of the Arawak had been driven north into the Caribbean by the Carib Indians. Unlike their Carib neighbours, the Lucayan were generally peaceful, more involved in fishing than agriculture, and not cannibalistic. The Spaniards made no attempt to settle but operated slave raids on the peaceful Arawak that depopulated the islands, and by the time the English arrived the Bahamas were uninhabited. In 1629 Charles I of England granted the islands to one of his ministers, but no attempt at settlement was made. In 1648 William Sayle led a group of English Puritans from Bermuda to, it is thought, Eleuthera Island. This settlement met with extreme adversity and did not prosper, but other Bermudan migrants continued to arrive. New Providence was settled in 1656. By 1670 the Bahamas were given to the Duke of Albemarle and five others as a proprietary colony. The proprietors were mostly uninterested in the islands, and few of the settlements prospered. Piracy became a way of life for many. The pirate community was large and well established and quickly became a source of concern to the Crown, primarily due to its proximity to the British colonies in North America. In response a naval station was set up in the Bahamas to police local waters.In 1717 the colony reverted to the Crown and serious efforts were made to end the piracy. The first royal governor, Woodes Rogers, succeeded in controlling the pirates but mostly at his own expense and with little assistance from England. Consequently, the islands remained poor and susceptible to Spanish attack. Rogers was an exceptional pirate hunter. He offered pardons to pirates in an effort to get them to turn. He was sincere in his actions and eventually 2,000 pirates overcame their suspicion and accepted the pardons and made the Bahamas virtually pirate free. Rogers knew the habits of pirates and he was certain that many of the pardoned pirates would go back to their evil ways. But this concerned him little. Rogers recruited men from among those pardoned to hunt down those who returned to their old ways. The move was quite successful and eventually many of the brethren of the coast were "dancing the devil's jig" on the gallows. Held for a few days by the U.S. Navy in 1776, and for

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almost a year by Spain in 1782-83, the islands reverted to England in 1783 and received a boost in population from loyalists and their slaves who fled the United States after the American Revolution. Cotton plantations brought some prosperity to the islands, but when the soil gave out and slavery was abolished in 1834, the Bahamas' endemic poverty returned.

BermudaBermuda consists of seven main islands and over 150 smaller islets. It was first charted by the Spaniards around 1515 and not settled until an English ship, with over 150 people aboard, was blown off course and ship wrecked there. The survivors had no way to leave the island so they founded a colony.Bermuda was not along the trade routes between the Spanish Main and Spain but it was an ideal stopover for travellers between the Azores and North America, particularly South Carolina. Consequently the British made it a permanent colony and put a temporary military garrison there, a move which the Spanish authorities did not enjoy. In the 1600's and up to 1734, Bermuda was instrumental in the African slave trade and, on more than one occasion, slaves in Bermuda out numbered settlers and violent rebellions were put down. In 1734, England outlawed slavery and the colony of Bermuda followed the Crown, but this did not stop the smuggling of slaves through Bermuda onto the American colonies.The reefs and numerous small islands made an excellent haven for pirates but not being on the main trade route between Spain and the Spanish Main resulted in the pirates often sacking Bermuda. From 1701 onwards, Britain considered Bermuda vital to its New World interests and made it a permanent military post of the Royal Navy and Army. The significantly increased risk to pirates resulted in many turning from piracy to smuggling.

FloridaCompared to the rest of the Spanish Main Florida was no great treasure trove but its location made it strategically important. Spain used Florida as a staging area for its convoys so groups of heavily-laden Spanish vessels, called plate fleets, usually sailed up the Gulf Stream through the straits that parallel Florida’s Keys. Pirates preyed on these fleets and hurricanes created additional hazards, sometimes wrecking the ships on the reefs and shoals along Florida’s shores. An English incursion along the St. Johns River in 1564 threatened Spain's treasure fleets which sailed along Florida's shoreline on their way back to Spain and, as a result, King Phillip II named Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles, Spain's most experienced admiral, as governor of Florida, instructing him to explore and to colonize the territory. Menendez was also instructed to drive out any pirates or settlers from other nations, should they be found there. Menendez arrived off the coast of Florida on the28th of August 1565, the Feast Day of St. Augustine. Eleven days later, he and his 600 soldiers and settlers came ashore at the site of the Timucuan Indian village of Seloy with banners flying and trumpets sounding. He hastily fortified the fledgling village and named it St. Augustine. It was here that Spain would establish its most Northern post on the Spanish Main and try to wipe out the scourge of piracy. Runaway slaves, disgruntled merchantmen and disinherited youth flocked to the Tortugas, Point Royal and other wild places known as recruiting centres for pirate ships and, from there, joined in the search for plunder. On the 10th of September 1622 a twenty-eight ship convoy left Havana headed for Spain, loaded to the gunwales with treasure from South and Central America.

A two day hurricane sunk eight of the ships and, as with most shipwrecks, Spain attempted to salvage what it could and pirates would use the opportunity for easy pickings. Spanish sailors or well to do passengers who managed to survive a ship wrecking storm could very well find them in the hands of pirates and being sold into slavery or ransomed for reward. Ships sunk in shallower water would be quickly visited by patrolling pirates and survivors were only worth picking up if they could offer some kind of prize.

Gallows Point and Execution DockGallows point was located on the Palisadoes in Jamaica. Often, after the pirate was hanged, he would then be fitted in a suit of irons and displayed on a sandy cay near Port Royal.Execution Dock was in London on the Thames. Many a pirate were sent on "the other journey" from this place. It was customary to then hang the pirates in irons along the Thames, especially at the mouth of the Thames, called Graves Point, as a reminder to all sailors what became of mutineers and pirates.

Charleston (Charles Town)Whilst not in the Spanish Main, Charleston had a very active smuggling trade in its colonial days and was a popular port with pirates seeking to refit and enjoys its hospitality. Local attitudes to piracy fluctuated wildly in Charleston, depending on the Governor of the time but, for the most part, pirates were not welcome.

Havana, CubaThe Spanish port of Havana was one of the most important Spanish cities with an easily protected harbour and ideally located to act as a staging area for the long voyage to Spain. The Spanish Silver fleet would start its collection in Venezuela and Peru, making stops in Panama and along the coast of Mexico. They would then head for Havana and form a massive flotilla before crossing the Atlantic. This huge flow of riches into and out of the area resulted in a lot of pirate activity and the islands of the Florida Keys became the staging area for pirates who who lay in wait for the Silver Fleet as it approached Havana. Pirates would mingle among the saloons and whore houses in Havana and listen to the idle gossip for any information concerning when the ships would be arriving. Typically the fleets came to America in the late summer. They would winter around Cartegena, Vera Cruz, and Acapulco. In the Spring the ships would make their way to Havana and, once assembled, they knew they had just a few short months before the Hurricanes would make safe passage to Spain an impossibility. The Spaniards knew it, the pirates knew it, and the Spaniards knew the pirates knew it. The pirates had little trouble finding out when and where the the silver fleets would be coming from. Many of the Spanish colonists throughout the "Main" and in Havana were more than willing to tell them anything they wanted to know, for a price. The Spanish royal family controlled the "Casa de Contratación" or House of Trade and stipulated that merchants within the colonies could only trade with specific merchant seamen, creating an effective monopoly which bred resentment.Most merchants would happily trade with anyone, which resulted in a huge amount of corruption and bribery.As time passed, the town and it's harbour became well fortified, with the forts, Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Mooro and Castillo de San Salvador de la Punta protecting the entrance of the harbour. A fleet of Spanish galleons would also patrol the water in search of pirates. And if this were not enough, every night, a large chain was drawn

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across the mouth of the harbour to prevent saboteurs from entering and sinking ships. The reefs outside the harbour added to the protection as well as added to the loss of many silver ships.

wTortugaTortuga or Turtle Island, presently known as Ile de la Tortue lay off the Northwest shore of present day Haiti, on the Island of Hispanola. Tortuga is approximately 20 miles long and no more than 4 miles wide. The French settled the island in 1625 (even though the Spanish discovered it) and there were repeated skirmishes between France and Spain over the isle, its ownership changing hands several times.The French Governors of Tortuga would, for a price, offer safe harbour to just about any ship that wasn't Spanish and were ready to issues letters of Marque to just about anybody to attack Spanish shipping. As such Tortuga became the home of the Brethren of the Coast and by the late 17th century most of the population of Tortuga was made of Pirates and Privateers. The pirate fleets offer both protection and income to the small colony and most of the pirates/privateers are English or French.By 1670 the island was actively promoted as a base of operations for pirates and privateers and for the disposal of booty.By the 1680s, laws were made that English seaman sailing under foreign flags were traitors to the Throne and pirates. Several Englishmen were convicted and hanged for piracy after attacking Dutch ships. When the Spanish gold began to dwindle the mainly French buccaneers of Tortuga turned their attention to Jamaican plantations and English Merchant ships. This led to protests from the English government to the King of France. Eventually the buccaneers were privateers only in name and attacked anything that wasn't French. Finally, in 1684 the Treaty of Ratisbone was signed which formally ended hostility between France and Spain. With the treaty came the withdrawal of all Letters of Marques. From that point on, the Buccaneers who continued attacks were pirates and were quickly hanged. Many of the former privateers were employed by the government of France to hunt down their former brethren of the Coast. While piracy would continue in and around Tortuga for years to come, it no longer enjoyed the status as a Home of the Buccaneers.

Port Royal, JamaicaIn the mid- 1600s Jamaica was a British colony surrounded by Spanish and Portuguese property. For most of this time Spain and England were at war and Port Royal was a safe protected harbour on Jamaica with a good draught and centrally located along the trade routes between Panama and Spain. Buccaneers flocked to Port Royal, the de facto headquarters of raids against the Spanish Main. As with any military operation, the camp followers also came as well as anyone else wanting to make a doubloon or two off of drunken sailors, making Port Royal not only a

Privateering centering but also a den of sin and vice. When the British occupied Jamaica they established a fort at Port Royal to discourage the Spaniards from coming into the harbour. Unfortunately, their wasn't really a Navy to protect the harbour or Jamaica for that matter and the Governor of Jamaica took it upon himself to issue Letters of Marque to raise a Private Navy or Privateers. He recruited these privateers from among the buccaneers in Tortuga and probably some of the greatest stories to ever come from the Golden Age of Piracy. The Privateers quickly found royal protection for their attacks on Spanish and Dutch ships. The town of Port Royal quickly became full of looted gold, jewels, and other products that would have been going to Spain. The privateers would return with their plunder and quickly squander it on drinking and whoring. Very soon they would be flat broke and be off again to raid the Spanish Main on board another Privateer.Port Royal had a thriving trade with London and the American colonies and the people wore the latest fashions from London. In exchange for the fine clothing and other manufactured goods, Port Royal sent back gold, sugar cane, and other raw materials. Following the end of the War with Spain the slave trade became more important to Port Royal. The plantation owners of Jamaica were seeing much better profits from their cheap slave labour and looked down on Port Royal as an eyesore and many of the buccaneers continued to ply their trade only to wind up swinging in chains at Gallows's point.

The Earthquake of 1692 The Earthquake of 1692 was just one of many natural disasters to hit Port Royal. A hurricane in 1655 had actually separated the town from the rest of Jamaica as well.Port Royal is the last cay in a line of connected cays extending from the mouth of the Hope River. Because of South Easterly wind and Western ocean current, sediments from the Hope River were deposited along the ocean floor extending westward from the mouth of the river. Over time, a series of cays or small islands formed as coral reefs began to grow in the rich sediments deposited by the river. These cays continued to collect more and more sediment until the Palisadoes Spit formed. The hurricane of 1655 washed away portions of the top sand and separated Port Royal from the rest of the Island, the English sunk old ships and dumped in rock and sand to rebuild the spit and reattach the town to the rest of Jamaica. Unfortunately for the Palisadoes spit, the land was unstable, with a bed of limestone (made from the old coral reef) and then a layer of loose sand on top of the limestone. This loose sand often became saturated with water, allowing it to slip easily from side to side. On June the 7th 1692 a tremendous earthquake struck the area and the entire western end of the town slid into the ocean.Almost immediately after the quake, a tidal wave hit the town. Many of the people who had been half buried by the quake were drowned by this tidal wave and within a few minutes over two thousand people died. To make matters worse, the cemetery located outside of town on the Palisadoes was opened up by the quake and most of it slid into the sea as well.The few survivors rebuilt on the site but most of Jamaica preferred building in Kingston, across the bay and in 1735 a naval base was established once more at Port Royal for the British West Indies Squadron in its struggle against the French.

The Taverns of Port Royal: Before the

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Earthquake of 1692

• The Black Dog, 1692 • The Blue Anchor, 1679 • The Cat and Fiddle, 1676 • The Cheshire Cheese, 1684 • The Feathers, 1681 • The Green Dragon, 1674 • The Jamaican Arms, 1677 • The King's Arm, (no. 1) 1677 • The King's Arm, (no. 2) 1677 • The Ship, 1674 • The Sign of Bacchus, 1673 • The Sign of the Mermaid, 1685 • The Sign of the George, 1682 • The Sugar Loaf, 1667 • The Three Crowns, 1673 • The Three Mariners, 1677 • The Three Tunns, 1665 • The Windmill, 1684

Madagascar and the Indian OceanMadagascar was a large island lying approximately 250 miles off the southeast coast of Africa. The indigenous peoples lived in small tribes, widely spaced apart and no European power laid claim to the island. It had a multitude of sheltered covers, fresh water and abundant foods (including limes and oranges) and beaches suitably for the careening of vessels. It's key asset was it's proximity to the major Red Sea and Indian Ocean trade routes and, as a consequence, many pirates chose to use Madagascar as their base of operations. Its peak was prior to the Golden Age of piracy in Caribbean, but it did see a significant level of activity as it became more and more difficult to operate in the Caribbean (due to competition and increasing policing from the European powers after the European wars ended). Bands of pirates established a variety of bases on Madagascar with each base under the command of a single pirate referred to as a king. The primary enclaves included Johanna Island, Ranter Bay, Mauritius, Saint Augustine’s Bay, Réunion Island, Fort Dauphin and Île Sainte Marie. The last proved very popular with pirates, and by 1700 around 1,500 of them lived there and seventeen vessels made it their home port.In 1698 the pirates of Madagascar were offered pardons, which many took, in part because squadrons of warships now patrolled the Indian Ocean and Red Sea in ever increasing numbers, protecting the lucrative India trade. Madagascar’s popularity and population declined and by 1711 less than one hundred pirates remained on the island. Madagascar had a slight, but short lived, return to popularity when Woodes Rogers succeeded in driving the pirates out of New Providence in the Caribbean.

The Gold CoastThe Gold Coast was the immediate area of coast around Ghana in West Africa. It was a primary hub of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and many Caribbean pirates spent at least some time in the waters. It never achieved the same status as an area for piracy as the Indian Ocean or Caribbean.

h

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Important PortsThe following section details a number of important ports in the Spanish Main, Indian Ocean and Gold Coast. These ports have been specifically chosen because they are big enough for ships to come and go without causing a huge stir. There are many more ports which ships can use, but these are the most likely ones for crews to frequent.

Important Ports on the Spanish Main

• Charleston (British)- Florida• Bermuda (British)• Port Royal (British)- Jamaica• St. Augustine (Spanish)- Florida• Havana (Spanish)- Cuba• Santiago (Spanish)- Cuba• Campeche (Spanish)- Central America• Honduras (Spanish)- Central America• Portobello (Spanish)- Central America• Cartagena (Spanish)- Central America• Port o'Spain (Spanish)- Central America• San Juan (Spanish)- Puerto Rico• Santa Domingo (Spanish)- Hispaniola• Tortuga (Pirate)- Hispaniola• New Providence (Pirate)- Bahama's• Curacao (Dutch)- Central America• Guadelope (French)- Leeward Islands• Martinique (French)- Leeward Islands

Important Ports of the Indian Ocean

• Isle Ste.Marie (Pirate)- Madagascar• Kilwa (Portugal)- Africa• Zanzibar Island (Moorish)- Africa• Ethiopia (Moorish)- Africa• Mocha (Moorish)- Arabia• Bombay (British)- India• Severndroog Islands (Dutch)- India• Goa (Portugal)- India• Calicut (French)- India

Important Ports of the Gold Coast

• Cape Coast (British)- Africa• Whyda (British)- Africa• Cormantin (Dutch)- Africa

Pirate PortsPorts which are marked as “pirate” are friendly to privateers and pirates of all nations during the Golden Age. They are generally lawless and rowdy places with a lot of drinking and gambling establishments and houses of ill repute.

Other Pirate Ports around the worldPirate ports have existed throughout the world and throughout history. The Barbary corsairs favoured Algiers, Morocco, Tripoli, and Tunis for their havens. The corsairs attacked ships and settlements in the Mediterranean and were infamous for enslaving captives unable to pay their ransoms. They were privateers who, in part, existed to defend North African from European aggression. The height of their power came during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, but corsairs still attacked ships into the early nineteenth century. Another port-of-call for corsairs was Bizerte in Tunis. The

lake behind the port allowed many ships to anchor there, giving them protection from those who pursued them. In addition, Bizerte controlled access between the eastern and western halves of the Mediterranean, providing corsairs with a treasure trove of ships to plunder. Long known as a centre of trade and refuge for the persecuted, the Republic of Salé (present-day Rabat) also attracted corsairs. Various factions vied for control until Sultan Moulay Raschid reunited Morocco in 1668. He offered his protection to the corsairs for a ten percent share of the profits, which eventually increased to fifty percent and the corsairs turned to more reputable pursuits or left Salé. In 1717, Kanhoji Angria repulsed an attempt by the British to destroy his island enclave near Bombay and continued to prey on East Indiamen in the Indian Ocean until his death in 1729.During the American Revolution, French corsairs found safe harbour in Dunkirk, a port in France that had been used as a privateering base for hundreds of years. The French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars brought Saint Malo to the fore as a base for corsairs like Robert Surcouf and Réné Duguay. In the far east, the Malay and Dayak pirates preyed on maritime shipping in the waters between Singapore and Hong Kong from their haven in Borneo. The Balanini, based in Jolo, raided for slaves and preyed on Spanish vessels in the Philippines until the 1860’s when the British and Spanish navies eradicated the pirates. Sumatra was another popular haven, from which the Atjeh and Riau pirates attacked ships in the Sundra and Malaccan Straits.

f

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Historical Figures of the Golden Age of PiracyThe entry in brackets after the characters name is the name of their ship (if any). In the case of two or more names, they had more than one ship in their career. These are all characters from the Early Campaign period.

Bartholomew Portugues (Santiago)Portugues was most famed for being captured to be executed in 1666. He escaped, swam to shore, raised another pirate band then boarded and took the ship that had held him captive.

Bartholomew Roberts “Black Bart” (Fortune/Good Fortune/Royal Fortune)Arguably the greatest pirate of all time, Roberts became Captain of the Royal Rover in 1719 following the death of Howell Davis. In the following four years he captured over four hundred vessels from the Caribbean to the Indian Ocean. He was finally killed in 1723 when his ship was cornered by the sixty gun warship Swallow, commanded by Chaloner Ogle. In the first broadside Roberts throat was shot away by grapeshot killing him instantly.

Charles Vane (Treasure)Vane fought bravely against Woodes Rogers when he came to New Providence in 1716, meeting the five warships with fire ships and guns blazing. He fled New Providence but continued to harry shipping and the turncoat pirates of the island for a further three years before being deposed by his lieutenant John Rackham for refusing to attack a large French ship. He managed to regain command of another vessel later on but was eventually hung in Jamaica after surviving a hurricane and marooning. The ship that rescued him from starvation on the island turned him over to the authorities.

Christopher Condent (Deliverance)After a relatively lack lustre career Condent was forced from New Providence by Woodes Rogers. He fled to the Indian ocean and took an Arab ship off Bombay worth 150,000 pounds with his small brig, resulting a shareout of £2000 per man of his crew. He promptly retired, bought a pardon from the local French governor, married the governors daughter, emigrated to France and became a wealthy ship owner.

Edward England (Fancy)Whilst not normally renowned for his generosity England became famous when he engaged the East Indiaman Cassandra, under James Macrae, near Madagascar in 1720. The Cassandra caused 90 pirate casualties for a loss of 37 men before being run aground and her crew having to flee into the jungle. Macrae braved certain death by returning to barter with England for the return of his ship and England was so impressed by the man that he gave them the battered Fancy and let him keep half his cargo. Unfortunately, as a direct result of his clemency, England's own man marooned him shortly afterwards.

Edward Low (Fancy/Good Fortune)Edward Low possessed an unceasing hatred of New England and its inhabitants and brutally tortured any New Englanders who feel into his hands. He was infamous for cutting one New England Captains ears off, then making him eat them.

Edward Teach “Blackbeard”The embodiment of “the pirate”. Teach was not an overly successful pirate but his mastery of psychological warfare

was superb. He was a heavy drinker, superb swordsman and natural leader of men who finally fell in a battle aboard HMS Pearl, killing or wounding thirty four opponents before he finally succumbed to twenty five wounds he had taken. During his career he married fourteen women, led a fleet of over four hundred man and succeeded in defeating a thirty gun frigate of the Royal Navy.

Emmanuel Wynne (Adventure)Wynn was the first pirate to be sighted using the “jolly roger”, skull and crossbones, flag off Africa in 1700. Originally the jolly roger was thought to indicate an offer of quarter, inviting a target to surrender. If they did not surrender quickly enough the jolly roger would be lowered and replaced with a red flag, indicating that no mercy would be given.

Francis L'Olonais (Le Mort)L'Olonais hated the Spanish and tortured any Spanish captives he took. He was renowned for cutting open the chests of his captives and pulling out their beating heart, then biting chunks out of it as other prisoners watched. His greatest success was a five hundred man raid on Maracaibo in 1667, which netted a quarter of a million pieces of eight. This led to a second expedition against Nicaragua which was roundly defeated and resulted in L'Olonais being captured by the local Indians and slowly tortured death, poetic justice indeed.

Francis Spriggs (Elizabeth)Francis Spriggs sailed with Edward Low until the two quarrelled and he struck out on his own. He was renowned for his cruelty and barbarities and was finally killed in 1725 when his ship was run aground by a warship, with all hands lost.

George Lowther (Ranger)Lowther was forced into piracy by a tyrannical captain. The captain caused a mutiny to occur so Lowther and crew took to piracy, mutiny already being a capital offence. For a time he sailed in tandem with Edward Low. He finally met his maker in 1723 when his ship was surprised whilst careened. He and his crew fled into the jungle, most were caught and hanged and he took his own life rather than face execution.

Henry Avery (Fancy/Duke)“Long Ben” Avery's pirate career began in 1694 when he was part of a privateer crew which mutinied and turned pirate. In 1695 he and his crew of 160 took the Great Mogul's 60 gun treasure ship Gang-I-Sawai, defeating its five hundred musketeers. The Mogul claimed a loss of six hundred thousand pounds and held the British East India company responsible, making Avery a folk hero and wanted criminal.

Howell Davis (Rover)Howell Davis was renowned for his silver tongue and was adept at gaining advantage through trickery. Ironically, he met his end in 1719 whilst trying to entice the Governor of High Cameroon onto his ship with a false offer of hospitality. He was succeeded by Bartholomew Roberts, who he had pressed into service only a few weeks previously.

John Quelch (Charles)Quelch and crew mutinied aboard a British privateer (the Charles), fitted out to the fight the French, and proceeded to ransack Portuguese trade. Unfortunately for Quelch, Portugal was nominally a British ally and he was arrested in 1704 upon his return to Boston to be hung with six of

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his crew shortly afterwards.

John Rackham (Adventure)“Calico Jack” was famous for his two fiercest hands were two infamous women; Anne Bonney and Mary read. They were renowned as the first to board an enemy and the last to leave.

John Taylor (Victory/Cassandra)Taylor replaced Edward England as Captain after the Macrae incident and is most notable for taking the dismasted Portugese East Indiaman Nossa Senhora do Cabo in 1722. The Cabo was returning from Goa with the retiring viceroy and his personal fortune of one million pounds in diamonds. Needless to say Taylor and his crew retired happily on this single lucky break.

Le Sieur Ravanau de Lusan (la Foudre)Lusan was a French aristocrat who entered piracy via buccaneer expeditions against the Spanish as an escape from gambling debts. He was highly courageous and renowned for his civility towards his captives.

Major Stede Bonnet (Revenge/Royal James)Bonnet was an oddity, a gentleman who bought his own ten gun sloop and hired the seventy man crew out of his own pocket. He fell in with Blackbeard and lost his ship, before regaining it when Blackbeard doubled crossed his crew and they turned back to their original Captain. He was captured in 1718 and was noted for his shameless grovelling before the hangman.

Oliver La Buze (Victoire)Also known as “the Buzzard” and Oliver la Bouche. La Buze was sailing in tandem with John Taylor when he took the Cabo and he shared in the loot.

Peter Blood “Captain Blood” (Arabella)Peter Blood trained as a doctor but instead became a mercenary. He fought in several wars, learned seamanship, returned to Britain to practice medicine before being convicted of treason and sentenced to slavery in Barbados. He escaped during a Spanish attack and seized a Spanish ship, turning to piracy. After a long and bloody career he ended up saving Port Royal from French attack, was given a royal pardon by the newly crowned King William II and became an assistant governor before finally retiring and marrying the Governors Daughter.

William Kidd (Adventure Galley)Captain Kidd became wealthy as a privateer before being pressured into acting as a Kings Commissioner and sailing to the Red Sea to attack French shipping. After several failed attempts he was forced by his crew to take several hutch ships then a richly laden Moorish ship, using their possession of French passes as an excuse. Upon his return to New York Kidd was arrested for piracy and betrayed by the very person who had sent him out, Lord Bellomont, Governor of New York because he had become a political liability. Kidd's body was left to hang for many years, earning him his “fame” and his wealth was never fully recovered, leading to many stories of buried pirate treasure.

A

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Appendix One Using Ship of the LineYou can use the Ship of the Line (SOTL) to play out ship to ship engagements in Privateers and Pirates. To do this you need to: 1. Determine the equivalent ship, in SOTL terms, to the ships in the engagement.2. Determine the crew qualities of each ship.3. Determine if any characters aboard a ship can act as Legendary Officers and, if so, are they going to.

Ship TypeJust find the appropriate ship type on the SOTL ship table and use those Stats.

Crew QualityIf the First Mate of a pirate ship, privateer or warship has the Administration(training) skill and speciality their ships crew can be considered to be Veteran. If the ship is a merchant ship assume the crew quality is Green, or Regular if the First Mate has the Administration(training) skill and speciality.

Legendary Officer StatusA character with at least three Drama points and the appropriate Skill & Speciality can act as a Legendary Officer during a battle. A given character can only act as one type of Legendary Officer in any given battle.

Legendary Officer Skill and Speciality

Legendary Admiral Tactics(sea)

Legendary Captain Tactics(sea)

Legendary Sailing Master Sailing

Legendary Surgeon Healing(surgery)

Legendary Gunner Shooting(gunnery)

Legendary Quartermaster Fighting and Shooting

Legendary Artillerist Shooting(gunnery)

Legendary Boatswain Administration

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Appendix Two Maps and Travel timesThe following section lists a number of major locations which characters may visit from time to time. Cross reference the starting point of a journey and its end to determine the average number of days it takes to complete the journey. These tables assume an average speed of five knots for the journey (average for a sailing ship of the day). The entry in brackets after each location is the nationality of that location. Where there are two entries (separated by a slash) the first (before the slash) refers to the locations ownership in the early campaign period and the second (after the slash) refers to its ownership in the late campaign.

Shipping RoutesEach table represents one “campaigning area” and each campaigning area is connected to the others by shipping routes. To move between areas a ship should sail to the start of a shipping route, then across to the end of that shipping route in another campaigning area.For example, if a ship wishes to sail from Port Royal to Hull look up the sailing time from Port Royal to Bermuda, the sailing time from Bermuda to Plymouth (the shipping route), then the sailing time from Plymouth to Hull and add them all together.

From the Spanish Main and America's to Cape Coast or Channel Ports• Boston to Bristol: 24 days• Boston to Plymouth: 24 days• Boston to Lisbon: 23 days• Bermuda to Lisbon: 22½ days• Bermuda to Bristol: 24 days• Bermuda to Plymouth: 23 days• Martinique to Cape Coast: 29 days

From the Channel Ports to the Gold Coast• Lisbon to Cape Coast: 22 ½ days

From Gold Coast or Channel Ports to the Mediterranean• Gibraltar to Lisbon: 2 ½ days• Gibraltar to Cape Coast: 22 days

From Gold Coast to the Indian Ocean• Cape town to Cape Coast: 22 days

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The Spanish Main and the America's

Spanish Main and the America's

Bos

ton

New

York

Char

lest

on

St.

August

ine

Ber

muda

Hav

ana

San

tiag

o

San

ta D

omin

go

Port

Roy

al

New

Pro

viden

ce

San

Juan

Mar

tiniq

ue

Port

O'S

pain

Cura

cao

Cam

pec

he

Port

obel

lo

Tel

a

Car

tagen

a

Boston, New England (British/American) -

New York, New York (British/American) 3 -

Charleston, Carolina (British/American) 7 6 -

St. Augustine, Florida (Spanish/American) 10 6 3 -

Hamilton, Bermuda (British) 6 6 6½ 8 -

Havana, Cuba (Spanish) 11½ 10 5½ 3 9½ -

Santiago, Cuba (Spanish) 12½ 11 8 7 8½ 5 ½ -

Santa Domingo, Hispaniola (Spanish*) 13 11½ 8 7½ 8½ 4½ 2 -

Port Royal, Jamaica (British) 14 12 9 8 9½ 6 1½ 2 -

New Providence, Bahama's (Pirate/British) 10 8 4 7 7 3 4½ 4½ 5½ -

San Juan, Virgin Islands (Spanish) 12 11½ 9½ 10 7 8 5 4½ 5 6½ -

Martinique, Leeward Islands (French) 14½ 14 12½ 13 9 11 8 7½ 8 9½ 3 -

Port O'Spain, Windward Islands (Spanish 16½ 16 14 14 11 12 8½ 8½ 8 11 5 2 -

Curacao, Dutch Antilles (Dutch) 15½ 15 12 11½ 10½ 9½ 5 5½ 5 8½ 4 4 3½ -

Campeche, Yucatan (Spanish) 14 12 8 6½ 12 2½ 5½ 7½ 6 12 10½ 13 14 10 -

Portobello, Panama (Spanish) 18 16½ 13 12 13½ 8 5½ 6 4½ 6 8 9½ 9½ 6 1 -

Tela, Honduras (Spanish) 16 14 10 8 14 4½ 6 7½ 5½ 7½ 10½ 13 13 9 3½ 6 -

Cartagena, Venezuela (Spanish) 17 15½ 12 11½ 12½ 9 5 5 4 8½ 6½ 7½ 7½ 4 8½ 2 3 -

*The Isle of Tortuga, which lies just off the North East coast of Hispaniola is an independent pirate port.

Africa and the Indian Ocean

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Africa

Rab

at

Cap

e Coat

Corm

antin

Cap

e Lo

pez

Cap

etow

n

Rabat, Morocco (Independent) -

Cape Coast, Gold Coast Africa (British) 4 -

Cormantin, Gold Coast Africa (Dutch) 6 2 -

Cape Lopez, Gold Coast Africa (Portugese) 28 7 6½ -

Capetown, South Africa (Dutch/British)26 22 21 18 -

The Cape of Good HopeThe Cape of Good Hope is the Southernmost point of Africa and a dangerous stretch of waters. The Captain of any ship travelling from Capetown to another port in the Indian Ocean (or vice versa) should make a Sailing check. On a critical failure their ship is wrecked and sinks in the treacherous waters.

Indian Ocean

Cap

etow

n

Isle

St.

Mar

ie

Zanzi

bar

Moc

ha

Musc

at

Bom

bay

Goa

Sev

erndro

og I

slan

d

Capetown, South Africa (Dutch/British) -

Isle Ste.Marie, Madagascar (Independent/French) 17½ -

Zanzibar, Africa (Ottoman) 20 9 -

Mocha, Red Sea (Ottoman) 33 18½ 14 -

Muscat, Persian Gulf (Ottoman) 37 21 18½ 10 -

Bombay, India (British) 38 22 21 14 7 -

Goa, India (Portugese/British) 37½ 20 20½ 14 8 2 -

Severndroog Island, India (Dutch/British) 36 19½ 20½ 16½ 11 5 3 -

The Channel, Mediterranean and Atlantic Ports

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Atlantic Ports

Rot

terd

am

Hull

London

Dov

er

Port

smouth

Brist

ol

Plym

outh

St.

Hel

ier

Le H

avre

Bre

st

Bay

onne

Cal

ais

Lisb

on

Cad

iz

Gib

raltar

Rab

at

Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Dutch) -

Hull, England (British) 1 -

London, England (British) 1½ 2 -

Dover, England (British) 1 3 1 -

Portsmouth, England (British) 2 4 2 -

Bristol, England (British) 4½ 6 4 4½ 2½ -

Plymouth, England (British) 3 4 2 2 1 2 -

St.Helier, Jersey (British) 3 3½ 2½ 1½ 1 2½ 1 -

Le Havre, France (French) 2 3½ 1½ 1 1 3 1½ 1 -

Brest, France (French) 4 5½ 3½ 3½ 2 2 1½ 2 2 -

Bayonne, France (French) 6½ 8 6 6 5½ 5 4½ 5 5½ 3 -

Calais, France (French) 1 3 1 ½ 1 3½ 2 2 1 3 5 -

Lisbon, Portugal (Portugese) 9 10½ 8½ 10½ 7 7 6 6½ 7 5½ 5½ 8 -

Cadiz, Spain (Spanish) 11 12½ 10½ 11 9 9 8 8 9 7½ 7 10 2 -

Gibraltar (British) 11½ 13 11 11½ 9½ 9½ 8½ 8½ 9½ 8 7½ 10½ 2½ ½ -

Rabat, Morocco (Arabic) 11 13 11 11½ 9 9½ 8½ 8½ 10 8½ 8 10 2½ 1½ 1½ -

The Mediterranean PortsTo enter the Mediterranean ships must pass by Gibraltar.

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Gib

raltar

Mar

seill

es

Val

lett

a

Alg

iers

Gen

oa

Nap

les

Pale

rmo

Tri

este

Pira

eus

Ista

nbul

Izm

ir

Ale

xandria

Tripoli

Tunis

Gibraltar (British) -

Marseilles, France (French) 5 -

Valletta, Malta (British) 8 5½ -

Algiers, Algeria (Ottoman) 3½ 3½ 5 -

Genoa, Italy (Italian) 7 1½ 5 4 -

Naples, Italy (Italian) 8 4 2½ 5 -

Palermo, Italy (Italian) 7½ 4 2 4 3½ -

Trieste, Italy (Italian) 14 10 6 10½ 9 6½ 6 -

Piraeus, Greece (Greek) 12½ 9 4½ 9 8 5½ 5 7 -

Istanbul, Turkey (Ottoman) 15½ 11½ 7 11½ 10½ 8 7½ 9 3 -

Izmir, Turkey (Ottoman) 13½ 10 5½ 10 9½ 7 6½ 8½ 1 2 -

Alexandria, Egypt (Ottoman/French) 15 11½ 6 11½ 11 8½ 8 10 4 6 4 -

Tripoli, Libya (Ottoman) 8 6 1½ 5½ 6 4 3 7½ 5 7 6½ 7 -

Tunis, Tunisia (Ottoman) 6½ 4 2 3 4 2½ 1½ 7½ 6 8½ 7½ 8½ 2½ -

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Appendix Three A starting scenarioThe following scenario is designed to let you play Privateers and Pirates as soon as you have made up some characters. This scenario is written for the early campaign but can be played in the late campaign using the changes noted at the end.

SummaryA washed up Spanish Captain “Don Juan Galiano” knows about a secret shipment of gold from Portobello to Santa Domingo and is willing to guide the crew if they cut him in for a share. He is a drunkard and was discharged from the Spanish Navy for being drunk on duty one time too many. At key points in the adventure he will be under the table and no use, forcing the crew to improvise. His plan can be summarised as follows:1. Sail to a small fishing port near Portobello, hijack two

fishing smacks.2. Some of the crew sneak the first smack into the

harbour and capture the gold ship (a sloop).3. The rest of the crew set light to the second smack and

head it for the harbour as a diversion.4. In the ensuing chaos sneak the fully loaded gold ship

out of the harbour.5. Sail to the nearest British colony and sell the booty!

Complication1. The Captain is so drunk that when the crew gets into

the harbour he can't identify the gold ship. The crew has to improvise a plan to work out which of the three sloops in harbour is the right one.

2. Don Juan holds the current Governor of Portobello “Don Cortez” responsible for his dismissal from the Navy. Cortez was the officer presiding over the courts marshall which discharged Don Juan.

3. The treasure ship is not a Spanish national ship, it is actually the personal, and secret wealth of Don Cortez. If the crew steals it Cortez will place a personal bounty on their heads and the crew will likely have to deal with the consequences in future adventures.

HijackHijacking the two fishing smacks is fairly easy. The crew can either capture one or both at sea, or sail close to the village then send a landing party in to capture the vessels. The fishermen value their lives more than their ships and will surrender if they are clearly outnumbered.

MasqueradeThe crew have to sail their smack into Portobello harbour, masquerading as Spanish fishermen. First and foremost they need at least one person who has Spanish as a qualified skill to act as a spokesperson. Don Juan obviously speaks Spanish but the closer they get to Portobello the drunker he gets. If the characters stop him drinking he gets more and more surly and uncooperative.To make things interesting, the fishing smack will be hailed by one of the patrolling gunboats when it comes into the harbour and the characters will have to bluff their way past. Basically the Spanish speaker needs to make an Influence or Disguise check to come across convincingly, if they fail the gunboat crew are suspicious but let them pass. The militia are alerted and will keep an eye on the crew when they have docked, any unusual behaviour will be responded to quickly.If they critical fail the gunboat crew is alerted and will open fire.

The Treasure Ship

The sloop is worth seventeen thousand pounds and its golden hoard is worth another fifty thousand pounds!

Identifying the shipThere are three sloops on the dockside. The player characters must identify which is the treasure ship. How the characters handle this depends on the players, but some possible methods might include:• Sneaking aboard and checking the holds:

Requires a Stealth(urban) check for each ship, to check the hold without detection. A failed check alerts the watch on the ship being checked and the character must either flee or fight.

• Asking around the taverns: Requires an Influence(gossip) check to identify the ship correctly. A critical failure means someone becomes suspicious and alerts the militia who start looking for the characters.

If the crew failed their Disguise or Influence check when confronted by the gunboat earlier the militia will be following them, making either of the above actions more difficult (-10 on the checks).

Taking the treasure shipOnce the crew have identified the correct ship they must sneak aboard, disable the watchmen and any crew aboard, then set sail.

The HarbourThere are two gunboats on patrol in the harbour at any given time. A successful Sailing check lets the helmsman of the treasure ship slip out undetected by night, but if they fail the gunboats will engage. It takes four ship rounds for reinforcements to mobilise themselves from the dockside, those reinforcements being two more fully crewed gunboats.Any ship maneuvering in the harbour has a -20 to their Sailing check each round to reflect the relatively confined space and shallow waters. A ship which succeeds on its Sailing check may leave the harbour in that round, but cannot fire on any vessels in the same round as leaving the harbour. Ships in the harbour cannot attack ships outside the harbour.

PortobelloThe town is arranged in the form of a half moon, with the two points, aiming East and West. The bulk of the town is located in the centre of the crescent. From the Plaza de la Mar (in the centre), there are two streets going to the Castillo Santiago. Another road leads from the Plaza de la Mar up into the mountains. First it crosses a small bridge over a creek (descending from the mountains) and then to another plaza about one hundred yards from the Plaza de la Mar. The town is roughly five hundred yards “long” with many cross streets. In the town, there are about 50 houses, a cathedral, the Convent of Mercy, a hospital, and the Kings houses on the Plaza de la Mar. The City Government houses, (El Cabildo), are located on the second plaza. Portobello consists of four districts;

• Triana, where the poor Spaniards, and the Kings slaves live.

• Merceds, where the well to do citizens live.• Guinea, the residence of the free Negros.• Shanty town, around 30-40 huts made of cane

and straw, inhabited by peasantsMost of the homes (outside Shanty town) are constructed

75

of wood, with stone footers. Some are two-stories and some have glass windows, and tile roofs. Better off individuals prefer stone buildings to wood, associating wood with illness and disease (due to the proximity of the thick jungle which encircles the town).There are also some government warehouses, which are generally stone built.It is also important to note the weather. Being in the tropics it rains virtually every day, although the months of January to April (the dry season) are slightly more tolerable.The town is surrounded by jungle to landward and has only one major roadway into it, from panama. Garrisons are located throughout the town and around 300 soldiers (total) are located in the town garrisons.From a pirates point of view, the most important thing in Porto Bello is the Kings Treasure House, a massively fortified building where royal funds are held (typically ten thousand ducats or more).Portobello harbour is around 3km in length, 17 fathoms deep in the centre, dropping to around 7 fathoms next to the town, so even the largest ships can easily moor up on the dock at the town for offloading. Three castles protect the anchorage.

• Castillo de San Felipe (35 cannons, 50 soldiers)

• Castillo Santiago (5 cannons, 30 soldiers)• Castillo de San Jeronimo (5 cannons, 30 soldiers)

The castles are made of 3m thick coral walls, nigh on indestructible.At a push, the harbour has room for 300 galleons and a 1000 smaller ships to anchor up safely, and another 2000 smaller ship could moor up outside the protection of the forts.

The Chase to Port RoyalOnce the crew has escaped any battle at Portobello they must sail back to the nearest pirate or British port (most likely Port Royal). Make a normal roll to travel the distance, except that any warship result will be Spanish ships hunting for the stolen treasure ship.

Changes for the Late CampaignIf you want to use this scenario in a late campaign make the following changes:• Action moves to the Channel Area. • Crew's home port is St. Helier (Channel Islands). • The French replace the Spanish as the bad guys (all

game stats remain the same though). • The target port is St.Nazaire rather than Portobello.

Portobello Harbour MapOn the map below all land areas are covered in thick jungle. Movement through thick jungle is at about one mile per hour, or slower in heavy rain. The Laguna Grande is a shallow fresh water lagoon, only navigable by boats and small craft.

Cast of Characters

Name Don Juan Galiano Typical Spanish Militia Typical Sailor

Gender Male Male Male

Age 52 varies varies

Drama 2 0 0

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Skills & Specialities

Fighting, Art, Gaming, Influence, Music, Sailing, Connections, Navigation, Signalling, Tactics, Administration

Fighting, Health, Shooting (Officers have Tactics as well)

Health, Athletics, Sailing

Flaws Addict (alcohol) - -

Description Drunkard, dirty clothes, foul breath Moustachioed, slicked back hair Staggering around

Equipment Cheap old flintlock pistol (M, ENC 5, £1½, 15/60).Sword (M, ENC 10)Total ENC 15

Musket (H, ENC 15, £2½, 5/200)Sword (M, ENC 10)

Total ENC 25

Dagger (L, ENC 5, 4s)

Total ENC 5

Drunken Sailors: Any Sailors met on the waterfront at Portobello after nightfall are almost certainly inebriated, with a -10 to all checks.

Fishing Smack Gold Ship (Sloop) Portobello Gunboat

MS 50 40 30

Crew 10 100 20

Guns - 16 8

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Appendix Four A sea grammarThis piece of work is the thirteenth chapter of the 1627 book “A Sea Grammar, with the Plaine Exposition of Smiths Accidence for young Sea-men, enlarged. Divided into fifteene Chapters: what they are you may partly conceive by the Contents. Written by Captaine Iohn Smith, sometimes Governour of Virginia, and Admiral of New-England”It is presented here to give a general reference for players and the GM as to how conduct themselves whilst roleplaying in an early campaign, and to add period flavour.

How to manage a fight at Sea, with the proper tearmes in a fight largely expressed, and the ordering of a Navy at Sea.Many bookes of the Art of War for the land, none for the sea.

For this master peece of this worke, I confesse I might doe better to leave it to evry particular mans conceit as it is, or those of longer practice or more experience, yet because I have seene many bookes of the Art of Warre byland, and never any for the Sea, seeing all men so silent in this most difficult service, and there are so many young Captaines, and others that desire to be Captains, who know very little, or nothing at all to any purpose, fo their better understanding I haue proceeded thus farre; now for this that followes, what I haue seene, done, and conceived by my small experience, I referre me to their friendly constructions, and well advised considerations.

A saile, how beares she or stands shee, to wind-ward or lee-ward, set him by the Compasse; he stands right ahead, or on the weather-Bow, or lee-Bow, let flie your colours if you have a consort, else not. Out with all your sailes, a steady man to the helme, sit close to keepe her steady, giue him chase or fetch him up;

To giuve chase. hee holds his owne, no, we gather on him. Captaine, out goes his flag and pendants, also his waste clothes and top armings,

Wast clothes. Top armings.

which is a long red cloth about three quarters of a yard broad, edged on each side with Calico or white linnen cloth, that goeth round about the ship on the out sides of all her upper workes fore and aft, and before the cubbridge heads, also about the fore and [page J2:60] maine tops, as well for the countenance and grace of the ship, as to couer men from being seene, hee furles and slings his maine yard, in goes his spret-saile.

Fighting sailes. To hale a ship.

Thus they use to strip themselues into their short sailes, or fighting sailes, which is onely the fore saile, the maine and fore top sailes, because the rest should not be fired nor spoiled; besides they would be troublesome to handle, hinder our fights and the using our armes; he makes ready his close fights fore and aft.

How to begin a fight.

Master how stands the chase? Right on head I say; Well we shall reach him by and by; What's all ready, Yea, yea, every man to his charge, dowse your top-saile to salute him for the Sea, hale him with a noise of trumpets; Whence is your ship? Of Spaine; Whence is yours? Of England; Are you a Merchant, or a man of War? We are of the Sea; He waves us to lee-ward with his drawne sword, cals amaine for the King of Spaine, and springs his louse, giue him a chase peece with your broad side, and run a good berth ahead of him; Done, done, We have the wind of him, and he tackes about, tacke you about also and keepe your louse, be yare at the helme, edge in with him, give him a volley of small shot, also your prow and broad side as before, and keepe your louse; Hee payes vs shot for shot; Well, wee shall require him; What are you ready againe, Yea, yea. Try him once more as before, Done, done; Keepe your louse and loge your ordnance againe; Is all ready? Yea, yea; edge in in [sic] with him againe, begin with your bow peeces, proceed with your broad side, & let her fall off with the wind, to give her also your full chase, your weather broad side, and bring her round that the sterne may also discharge, and your tackes close aboord againe; Done, done, the wind veeres, the Sea goes too high to boord her, and wee are shot thorow and thorow, and betweene wind and water. Try the pump, beare up the helme, Master let vs breathe and refresh a little, and sling a man ouer boord to stop the leakes;

How to sling a man ouer boord.

that is to trusse him up about the middle in a peece of canvas, and a rope to keepe him from sinking, and his armes at liberty, with a malet in the one hand, & a plug lapped in Oakum, and [page I3:61] well tarred in a tarpawling clout in the other, which he will quickly beat into the hole or holes the bullets made; What cheere mates, is all well? All well, all well, all well; Then make ready to beare up with him againe, and withall your great and small shot charge him, and in the smoke boord him twart the hawse, on the bow, mid ships, or rather then saile, on his quarter, or make fast your graplings if you can to his close fights and sheare off. Captaine we are fowle on each other, and the ship is on fire, cut any thing to get cleare, and smother the fire with wet cloathes. In such a case they will presently be such friends, as to help one the other all they can to get cleare, lest they both should burne together and sinke; and if they be generous, the fire quenched, drinke kindley one to another; heave their cans over boord, and then begin againe as before.

A consultation & direction in a sea fight, & how they bury their dead.

Well Master, the day spent, the night drawes on, let us consult. Chirurgion looke to the wounded, and winde up the slaine, with each a weight or bullet at their heads and feet to make them sinke, and give them three gunnes for their funerals, Swabber make cleane the ship, Purser record their Names, Watch be vigliant to keepe your berth to wind ward that we lose him not in the night, Gunners spunge your Ordnance, Souldiers scowre your peeces, Carpenters about your leakes, Boatswaine and the rest repaire the sailes and shrouds, and Cooke see you observe your directions against the morning watch, Boy, Holla Master Holla, is the kettle boiled, yea, yea, Boatswaine call vp the men to prayer and breake fast.

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A preparation for a fresh charge

Boy fetch my cellar of bottles, a health to you all fore and aft, courage my hearts for a fresh charge, Gunners beat open the ports, and out with your lower tire, and bring me from the weather side to the lee, so many peeces as we have ports to beare upon him, Master lay him aboord louse for louse, midships men see the tops and yards well manned, with stones, fire pots, and brasse bailes, to throw amongst them before we enter, or if we be put off, charge them with all your great and small shot, in the smoke let vs enter [page I3:62] them in the shrouds, and evry squadron at his best advantage, so sound Drums and Trumpets, and Saint George for England.

How a prise doth yeeld, and how to entertaine him Sea-man like.

They hang out a flag of truce, hale him a maine, a base, or take in his flag, strike their sailes and come aboord with their Captaine, Purser and Gunner, with ther commission, cocket, or bils of lading. Out goes the boat, they are lanched from the ship side, entertaine them with a generall cry, God save the Captaine and all the company with the Trumpets sounding, examine them in particular, and then conclude your conditions, with feasting, freedome, or punishment, as you finde occasion; but alwayes have as much care to their wounded as your owne, and if there be either young women or aged men, use them nobly, which is ever the nature of a generous disposition. To conclude, if you surprize him, or enter perforce, you may stow the men, rifle, pillage, or sacke, and cry a prize.

How to call a Councell of War, and order a Nauy at Seat.

To call a Councell of Warre to manage all businesses of import, and the common Councell for matters of small moment, when they would have a meeting, where the Admirall doth appoint it; if in the Admirall, they hang out a flag in the maine shrouds; if in the Vice Admirall, in the fore shrouds; if in the Reare Admirall, in the mizen; If there bee many squadrons, the sic] is to beare his flag in the maine top, in the presence of the Admirall generall, except the Admirall come aboard of hime to Councell, to dinner, or collation, and so any ship else where he so resideth during that time, is to weare his flag in the maine top. they use to martiall or order those squadrons in rankes like Manaples, which is foure square, if the wind and Sea permits, a good berth or distance from [page I:63] each other, that they becalme not one another, nor come not fowle of each other; the Generall commonly in the middest, his Vice Admirall in the front, and his Reare Admirall in the Reare; or otherwise like a halfe Moone, which is two squadrons like two triangles for the two hornes, and so the rest of the squadrons behind each other a good distance, and the Generall in the middest of the half circle, from whence he seeth all his fleet, and sendeth his directions, as he findes occasion to whom he pleaseth.

Stratagems for Sea-men.

Now betweene two Navies they use often, especially in a harbour or road where they are at anchor, to fill old Barkes with pitch, tar, traine oile, lincet oile, brimstone, rosen, reeds, with dry wood, and such combustible things, sometimes they linke three or foure together in the night, and puts them adrift as they finde occasion. To passe a fort some will make both ship and sailes all black, but if the fort keepe but a fire on the other side, and all the pieces point blanke with the fire, if they discharge what is betwixt them and the fire, the shot will hit if the rule bee truly observed; for when a ship is betwixt the fire and you, shee doth keeepe [sic] you from seeing it till shee bee past it. To conclude, there is as many stratagems, advantages, and intentions to be used as you finde occasions, and therefore experience must be the best Tutor.

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Appendix Five 1777 Code DuelloThe Code Duello, covering the practice of duelling and points of honour, was drawn up and settled at Clonmel Summer Assizes, 1777, by gentlemen-delegates of Tipperary, Galway, Sligo, Mayo and Roscommon, and prescribed for general adoption throughout Ireland. The Code was generally also followed in England and on the Continent with some slight variations. In America, the principal rules were followed, although occasionally there were some glaring deviations.

Rule 1. The first offence requires the first apology, though the retort may have been more offensive than the insult. Example: A tells B he is impertinent, etc. B retorts that he lies; yet A must make the first apology because he gave the first offence, and then (after one fire) B may explain away the retort by a subsequent apology.

Rule 2. But if the parties would rather fight on, then after two shots each (but in no case before), B may explain first, and A apologize afterward.

N.B. The above rules apply to all cases of offences in retort not of stronger class than the example.

Rule 3. If a doubt exist who gave the first offence, the decision rests with the seconds; if they won't decide, or can't agree, the matter must proceed to two shots, or to a hit, if the challenger require it.

Rule 4. When the lie direct is the first offence, the aggressor must either beg pardon in express terms; exchange two shots previous to apology; or three shots followed up by explanation; or fire on till a severe hit be received by one party or the other.

Rule 5. As a blow is strictly prohibited under any circumstances among gentlemen, no verbal apology can be received for such an insult. The alternatives, therefore -- the offender handing a cane to the injured party, to be used on his own back, at the same time begging pardon; firing on until one or both are disabled; or exchanging three shots, and then asking pardon without proffer of the cane.

If swords are used, the parties engage until one is well blooded, disabled, or disarmed; or until, after receiving a wound, and blood being drawn, the aggressor begs pardon.

N.B. A disarm is considered the same as a disable. The disarmer may (strictly) break his adversary's sword; but if it be the challenger who is disarmed, it is considered as ungenerous to do so.

In the case the challenged be disarmed and refuses to ask pardon or atone, he must not be killed, as formerly; but the challenger may lay his own sword on the aggressor's shoulder, then break the aggressor's sword and say, "I spare your life!" The challenged can never revive the quarrel -- the challenger may.

Rule 6. If A gives B the lie, and B retorts by a blow (being the two greatest offences), no reconciliation can take place till after two discharges each, or a severe hit; after which B may beg A's pardon humbly for the blow and then A may explain simply for the lie; because a blow is never allowable, and the offence of the lie, therefore, merges in it. (See preceding rules.)

N.B. Challenges for undivulged causes may be reconciled on the ground, after one shot. An explanation or the slightest hit should be sufficient in such cases, because no personal offence transpired.

Rule 7. But no apology can be received, in any case, after the parties have actually taken ground, without exchange of fires.

Rule 8. In the above case, no challenger is obliged to divulge his cause of challenge (if private) unless required by the challenged so to do before their meeting.

Rule 9. All imputations of cheating at play, races, etc., to be considered equivalent to a blow; but may be reconciled after one shot, on admitting their falsehood and begging pardon publicly.

Rule 10. Any insult to a lady under a gentleman's care or protection to be considered as, by one degree, a greater offence than if given to the gentleman personally, and to be regulated accordingly.

Rule 11. Offences originating or accruing from the support of ladies' reputations, to be considered as less unjustifiable than any others of the same class, and as admitting of slighter apologies by the aggressor: this to be determined by the circumstances of the case, but always favourable to the lady.

Rule 12. In simple, unpremeditated recontres with the smallsword, or couteau de chasse, the rule is -- first draw, first sheath, unless blood is drawn; then both sheath, and proceed to investigation.

Rule 13. No dumb shooting or firing in the air is admissible in any case. The challenger ought not to have challenged without receiving offence; and the challenged ought, if he gave offence, to have made an apology before he came on the ground; therefore, children's play must be dishonourable on one side or the other, and is accordingly prohibited.

Rule 14. Seconds to be of equal rank in society with the principals they attend, inasmuch as a second may either choose

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or chance to become a principal, and equality is indispensable

Rule 15. Challenges are never to be delivered at night, unless the party to be challenged intend leaving the place of offence before morning; for it is desirable to avoid all hot-headed proceedings.

Rule 16. The challenged has the right to choose his own weapon, unless the challenger gives his honour he is no swordsman; after which, however, he can decline any second species of weapon proposed by the challenged.

Rule 17. The challenged chooses his ground; the challenger chooses his distance; the seconds fix the time and terms of firing.

Rule 18. The seconds load in presence of each other, unless they give their mutual honours they have charged smooth and single, which should be held sufficient.

Rule 19. Firing may be regulated -- first by signal; secondly, by word of command; or thirdly, at pleasure -- as may be agreeable to the parties. In the latter case, the parties may fire at their reasonable leisure, but second presents and rests are strictly prohibited.

Rule 20. In all cases a miss-fire is equivalent to a shot, and a snap or non-cock is to be considered as a miss-fire.

Rule 21. Seconds are bound to attempt a reconciliation before the meeting takes place, or after sufficient firing or hits, as specified.

Rule 22. Any wound sufficient to agitate the nerves and necessarily make the hand shake, must end the business for that day.

Rule 23. If the cause of the meeting be of such a nature that no apology or explanation can or will be received, the challenged takes his ground, and calls on the challenger to proceed as he chooses; in such cases, firing at pleasure is the usual practice, but may be varied by agreement.

Rule 24. In slight cases, the second hands his principal but one pistol; but in gross cases, two, holding another case ready charged in reserve.

Rule 25. Where seconds disagree, and resolve to exchange shots themselves, it must be at the same time and at right angles with their principals, thus:

If with swords, side by side, with five paces interval.

N.B. All matters and doubts not herein mentioned will be explained and cleared up by application to the committee, who meet alternately at Clonmel and Galway, at the quarter sessions, for that purpose.

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Alphabetical Index

Animals................................ 13Armour List........................... 57Attacks................................. 32Blackpowder Guns................58Boarding............................... 41Boatswain............................. 43Bomb vessels....................... 39Bows.....................................57Captain................................. 43Carpenter............................. 43Chainshot............................. 41Character Concepts.............. 22Characters in mass combat.. 36Chases..................................13Common Objects.................. 14Crime....................................48Critical Failures.......................8Critical Hits........................... 32Critical Successes................... 8Cutters................................. 39Damage Codes....................... 8Default Difficulty.................... 7Duelling................................ 35Dutch Fleut........................... 39East Indiaman.......................39Election of Officers............... 43

Explosives............................ 58Fatigue................................. 11Fifth Rate..............................39First Mate............................. 43First Rate.............................. 38Fourth Rate.......................... 38Galleon................................. 39Galley................................... 39Grievous Wound..................... 9Gunboats.............................. 39Home Port............................ 23Languages............................ 12Marine.................................. 44Master Gunner......................43Mate..................................... 43Melee Weapons.................... 57Merchant Carriers................. 39Modifiers.................................7Money.................................. 54Nationality............................ 22Opening Locks...................... 13Opposed checks..................... 7Pay....................................... 54Pirate...................................... 2Pistol Duels........................... 35Privateer................................. 2

Prize Money.......................... 42Prize Money, Division of .......42Punishment.......................... 48Quartermaster...................... 43Retreat & Surrender............. 36Rounds................................. 31Sailing Master.......................43Sailor.................................... 43Scenario................................. 4Scurvy.................................. 46Second Mate.........................43Second Rate......................... 38Ship Cost.............................. 38Ships Charter........................48Sixth Rate............................. 39Sloop.................................... 39Suffocation........................... 11Sword Duels......................... 35Third Rate.............................38Treacherous Waters............. 41Trying Again........................... 7Turns.................................... 31Vehicles................................ 13Working together................... 7

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Useful Summaries

Rolling DiceWhen 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 have the skill needed for the task read the lowest of the two dice as the tens value.

• If you have the skill state which of the two dice will be the tens value before rolling.

• If you have the speciality needed for the task read the highest of the two dice as the tens value.

To succeed you must roll greater than or equal to the Difficulty (DIFF) number assigned to the task by the GM. A success with a roll of doubles is a critical success and a failure with a roll of doubles is a critical failure.

Character Creation SummaryYou'll find a character sheet on the last page of the book.

1. Start by deciding on your characters concept, write this down on the character sheet where it says “Concept”.

2. Next give your character a name, choose a social class, military rank (if you wish to have served in the military), nationality and religion and decide on their Age. Write these down in the appropriate places on the sheet.

3. Next, choose a number of skills and specialities equal to twice the tens value of your Age and circle them on the character sheet (note that to take a speciality you must already have the skill it is grouped under).

4. You may choose one or more Flaws. Circle the flaws you choose to take (if any).

5. Make up a number of distinguishing features equal to the tens value of your Age.

6. Your starting Drama point score equals the number of Flaws taken plus three if you are Working class, two if Middle class and one if Upper class. Write this down in the appropriate place.

7. You start with no wounds, no XP and no advances.

8. If you are Working class you begin play with d100 Shillings (read the highest dice as tens).

9. If you are Middle class you begin play with d100 pounds (read the highest dice as tens).

10. If you are Upper class you begin play with d100 x20 pounds (read the highest dice as tens).

11. This roll is how many pounds (in cash) you begin play with. This can be spent to buy equipment and weapons before play starts.

Character ImprovementBetween game sessions you may spend XP to improve your character. Your first advance costs 10XP, second costs 20XP, third costs 30XP and so on. When you advance, spend the required XP and increase the number in the Advances section of the sheet by one (so you have a record of how many advances you have had).

Combat Summary1. At the start of a battle every character makes an

Agility(initiative) roll.2. The character with the highest roll acts first each

round, working downwards.3. On your turn you may move and perform an

action, or hold your turn. You may use a held turn at any time before the start of your next turn, but can only move or perform an action in a held turn, not both.

4. If you attack make an appropriate roll to hit. For a melee attack the DIFF is based on the targets Melee skills and specialities. For a ranged attack the DIFF is based on how much cover the target has.

5. If you hit, the damage is figured from the attack roll. Effective armour steps damage type down one level and a critical hit (successful hit with a roll of doubles) steps damage type up one level.

6. A miss with a roll of doubles is a critical failure, which results in something bad happening.

7. Characters who are hit must make Damage checks immediately.

8. Once every character has taken a turn in a round (or held their turn) a new round starts.

Damage Checks1. Whenever a character is hurt they must make a

Damage check. 2. This is a Health(resilience) roll. 3. The DIFF equals the total of all the characters

current wounds. Failure results in incapacitation for ten minutes or one hour if you failed with a roll of doubles.

4. If you fail and roll less than or equal to the worst single wound you have, you are incapacitated and dying. If not treated in ten minutes you die from blood loss.

5. If you fail and roll doubles which are less than or equal to the worst single wound you have, you die instantly.

Healing1. Wounds heal at a rate of one point per wound

per day (two points if the entire previous day was spent resting).

2. First Aid requires a Healing(first aid) check, the DIFF is the value of the wound being worked on. Success halves the value of that wound. A given wound can only be reduced in this way once.

3. If a character survives a dying situation they must roll on the grievous wound table.

Drama PointsDrama points can be spent to:

• Add fifty to a roll (spend the point before or after rolling).

• Subtract fifty from a roll someone else just made (spend the point before or after they roll).

• Perform an action at any time.Drama points spent in any of these ways are recovered at the start of each new day.You can also sacrifice drama points to “cheat death”. Doing this negates an event which would otherwise have killed the character. Note that this does not count as surviving a dying situation, so no roll on the grievous wound table is needed. Points sacrificed in this way are not recovered and must be bought back using advances.

This page may be freely reproduced for personal use only.

Name GenderConceptAge ReligionNationality Social ClassDrama Points Military RankCurrent XP AdvancesDistinguishing Features Current Wounds c

Skills and Specialities

Brawn Archery Gaming Knowledge Law• Drawn bow • Cards • Criminal

Athletics • Crossbow • Betting Administration • Civil

• Swimming • • Dice • Accounting Navigation

• Jumping Shooting Influence • Management • Sea

• Climbing • Handguns • Persuasion • Training • Land

• Rowing • Longarms • Seduction Connections Science

Fighting • Gunnery • Intimidation • Criminal • Chemistry

• Brawling Stealth • Disguise • Military • Physics

• Dagger • Urban Music • Business • Biology

• Sword • Rural • Brass • Society • Geology

• Axe • Wild • Stringed • Political Signalling

• Blunt Throwing • Percussion Crafting • Lamp

• Spear • Balanced • Wind • Carpentry • SemaphoreHealth • Unbalanced • Piano • Masonry • Codes

• Constitution Notice • Tailoring Smithing

• Endurance Wits • Sea • Leatherworking • Blacksmithing

• Resilience • Wilderness • Pottery • Artifice

• Strength Animal Handling • Rural Engineering • Swordsmithing

• Grappling • Riding • Urban • Shipwright • Gunsmithing

• Driving Sailing • Structural • LocksmithingReflexes • Husbandry • Sea • Demolitions Survival

Art • Coastal • Gunnery • TemperateAgility • Drawing • Piracy Healing • Tropical

• Dodge • Painting Will • Surgery • Polar

• Balance • Sculpture • Resistance • First Aid • Desert

• Dance • Writing • Bravery Humanities • Mountains

• Running • Musical Composition • Geography Tactics

• Initiative • History • Sea

• Current Affairs • Land

• Philosophy • Boarding

Flaws

Addict Compassionate Drifter Grim Haunted Honourable Lone Wolf Pariah Reputation SickBerserker Coward Focussed Guilt Heroic Jinxed Lusty Rage Selfish SpendthriftBlood thirsty Doomed Forgetful Harbinger Honest Liar Mad Dog Reluctant Shakes Wanted

bEquipment (ENC)

Weapon (ENC) Damage Range Notes

This page may be freely reproduced for personal use only.

FJGaming FJG005

“Ahoy there me hearties!”

Privateers and Pirates is a role playing game set in the Age of Sail. Characters are the crews of pirates or privateers, out to sail the seven seas, get rich and hopefully retire to a comfortable berth.