TEXT: I 
  I 
  a 
  
  Wighseas 
  CONTENTS 
  1. INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . .  
  2. NEWWORLDCHARACTERS . . .  
  2.1 Basic Character Generation . . . . . .  
  2.2 New Backgrounds & Skill Choices . . 
  2.3 New Skills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  2.4 New Martial Skills and Training. 
  2.5 Advantages €4 Secrets . . . . . . . . .  
  Map of the New World. . . . . .  
  2.6 Money and Equipment. 
  3. PERSONAL COMBAT. . .  
  3.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  3.2 New Weapons, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  3.3 Special Situations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  4. RANKS & POSITIONS I N  THE NEW WORLD 
  4.1 Introduction to the New World. . . . . . .  
  4.2 Colonial Military Forces. . . . .  
  A n tilles Map . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  French North America , . . , 
  Hispaniola . . . . . . . . . . .  
  4.3 Shipboard Ranks. . . . . . . . .  
  4.4 The Clergy in the New World. . 
  4.5 Colonial Bureaucracy , . , , 
  The West lndies . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  4.6 Colonial Clubs . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  5. PIRATES & PRIVATEERS . . . . . . . . . .  
  5.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  5.2 Pirate Articles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  5.3 Letters of Marque . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  5.4 Ruthlessness RAting & The Jolly Roger. . 
  5.5 Pirate and Privateer Expeditions . . . . . .  
  5.6 Booty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  6. SHIP BUILDING, TRADE & C O M B A T  . . .  
  6.1 Ship Construction . . . . . . . . . . .  
  6.2 Sea Travel . . . . . . . .  
  6.3 Sea Trade . . . . . . . .  
  Sea Trade Example. . . . . .  
  6.4 Ship-to-Ship Combat. . . . .  
  ShiD Combat Examole . , . . 
  . . .  
  4.7 Banking & Taxes in the New World . . .  
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  Map of Port Royal Harbor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  23 
  SCAVENGER‘SDAUGHTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  24 
  Being a mini-campaign involving the characters in the perils of 
  piracy on the high seas. 
  Being an adventure wherein a treasure map leads t o  riches and 
  to danger, 
  Being an adventure of rescue and intrigue wherein the secrets 
  of voodoo are explored. 
  Being an adventure of espionage and peril amidst the dons of 
  the Spanish Main. 
  PIKE’S TROVE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  . 2 7  
  GUEDE-JE-ROUGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  3 .  
  PORTOBELO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  36 
  1 1.x 
  J
  U.S. COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
  Copyright 1985 Mark Pettigrew. 
  All rights t o  this book are reserved. N o  part of this book may be 
  used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission, 
  except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or 
  reviews. For information, contact Fantasy Games Unlimited Inc., 
  P.O. Box 182, Roslyn, N.Y. 11576, USA. 
  Cover art and interior illustrations t o  adventures are copyright 
  1985 by Bain Sidhe Studio: 
  Matt Wagner 
  Bill Cucinotta 
  Rich Rankin 
  Neil Vokes 
  All rights reserved. 
  Any resemblance t o  persons living or dead is purely coincidental. 
  
  1 
  1. Introduction 
  The best of swgshbuckling adventure can be divided into two 
  milieus: the France of old, rife with highwaymen, political intrigues, 
  and constant duels, and the New World of the 17th Century, where 
  desperate men fought at sea for Spanisb gold. High Seas is a set of ex- 
  pansion rules for Flashing Blades, designed to allow Gamemasters to 
  incorporate both milieus in their campaigns. Players must already be 
  familiar with Flashing Blades in order to play High Seas. 
  High Seas provides basic rules for designing characters from the 
  French colonies in the New World, characters in the French Navy, 
  Marines, and 'Gentlemen of Fortune.' A section on special positions 
  and shipboard ranks is also included, along with background material 
  on the New World, pirates and privateers, and ships. 
  Because High Seas is set in the New World, primarily in the West 
  lndies and on the Spanish Main, it includes basic systems for ship 
  building, combat, travel and trade. These systems are brief and simple, 
  however. The emphasis of High Seas is placed on character develop- 
  ment and involved adventures. Several other games have been pub- 
  lished which provide more detailed rules for 17th Century ships, and 
  a l i s t  is included a t  the beginning of section 6.4 of High Seas. Game- 
  masters should gauge their campaigns to their players: if your players 
  want a more complex system for ship-to-ship combat, feel free to sub- 
  stitute another for the one included herein. 
  High Seas may be played in i t s  own setting, just using the Flashing 
  Blades rules as a guide, or the two may be mixed. It is easy for a Game- 
  master to find ways of bringing French-born Flashing Blades char- 
  acters into High Seas adventures, and vice versa. French characters 
  could be appointed t o  positions in the New World, transferred to 
  Garrison Regiments, 'shanghaied' by Navy press gangs, or sent to New 
  World plantations as convicts. Characters might also choose to go to 
  the New World to escape enemies, debts, or the Law. Rich characters 
  could even outfit French Privateers or Merchantmen, and sail to the 
  Spanish Main in search of booty or profit. By the same token, rich 
  colonials, pirates and privateers could gp to France (perhaps with an 
  assumed name or identity) to buy their way to power, or to redress 
  old wrongs. 
  At the end of this booklet, a short campaign is included, entitled 
  Scavenger's Daughfer. It is composed of three 'Pirate' adventures. 
  Characters from any background, and from either the New World or 
  France may be used in this campaign. 
  2Wew World Chaficters 
  2.1 BASIC CHARACTER GENERATION 
  Colonial and Naval characters are created in the same manner as 
  French-born Flashing Blades characters, with a few small modifications. 
  Attributes, Height, Build, Hit Points, Encumbrance Value and Skill 
  Points are determiend normally. Skill choices, Martial Skills, Advan- 
  tages, 
  Secrets, Money and Equipment may vary, depending upon 
  Background. 
  2.2 NEW BACKGROUNDS 81 SKILL CHOICES 
  High Seas characters may choose from six possible backgrounds. 
  Each of these differs from those of normal Flashing Blades characters 
  as shown below. 
  COLONIAL ROGUE 
  A Colonial Rogue is similar to his French-born brethren. He is a 
  criminal sort of person (perhaps an escaped convict from Europe). 
  Colonial Rogues will tend to congregate in 'pirate havens,' where 
  they rob, gamble, and sell 'tips' t o  pirates and privateers. Sometimes, 
  they will be taken onboard pirate or privateer ships for special missions 
  (those in which their special grab-bag of skills will be required). 
  Colonial Rogues may choose from the normal Rogue skills (listed 
  in Flashing Blades). In addition, all Colonial Rogues are able to speak 
  the 'Pirate Patois' (see below). 
  COLONIAL GENTLEMAN 
  A Colonial Gentleman may be the son of a New World plantation 
  owner or merchant, or the black sheep of a wealthy or noble French 
  family. Colonial Gentlemen, like French Gentlemen, are well educated 
  (they may have had their schooling in France). If properly skilled, a 
  Colonial Gentleman may start the game as a low-level Clergyman, 
  Bureaucrat or Banker, as detailed in the Flashing Blades rules. 
  Colonial Gentlemen may choose from the normal Gentleman 
  skills. In addition, a Colonial Gentleman may choose the skill Pilot 
  (at a cost of 2 Skill Points) which allows him to navigate on shipboard. 
  CO LON1 AL SO LO I ER 
  A Colonial Soldier is a member of one of the two garrison regiments 
  stationed to protect the French colonies in the New World. He may be 
  a. French-born Soldier transferred to the colonies, or a colonial recruit, 
  Colonial Soldiers determine their starting rank as detailed in the 
  Flashing Blades rules. Colonial Soldiers may also choose their garrison 
  Regiment and Company (see section 4.21). 
  Colonial Soldiers choose from normal Soldier skills. 
  MARINE 
  A Marine is a Soldier in the Royal Marines Regiment. Marines are 
  trained to fight a t  sea, and are stationed onboard warships and impor- 
  tant government ships. Being a Marine i s  quite dangerous, especially 
  since French Marines were expected to learn by experience. They had 
  their initial training on land, although expected to serve at sea. Char- 
  acters with this background are assumed to have spent enough time on 
  ships t o  have 'learned the ropes.' Characters from other backgrounds 
  who join the Royal Marines will always start as Recruits (not Troopers) 
  and will be expected to fight a t  sea. Characters with Marine background 
  are allowed t o  determine starting rank normally (just as Soldiers in 
  Flashing Blades). The Royal Marines are recruited in both France and 
  the Colonies. 
  Marines may choose from the skills shown below (those in capitals 
  are bonus skills): 
  
  2 
  Marine Skills (Base Attribute) 
  Acrobatics (Dexterity) 
  Bargaining (Wit) 
  CAPTAINCY (Charm) 
  CAROUSING (Endurance) 
  Gambling (Luck) 
  Pirate Patois (None) 
  Seamanship (None) 
  Stealth (Dexterity) 
  STRATEGY (Wit) 
  SAILOR 
  A Sailor i s  a man trained t o  serve as a crew member o n  a ship. Most 
  17th Century Sailors grew u p  on ships, and were experienced by the 
  time they reached adulthood. To reflect this, all Sailors start with 
  Seamanship skill (without paying Skill Points for it). Sailors may 
  come from France or the Colonies, but will be poorly educated either 
  way (i.e. illiterate). A t  the beginning of the game, Sailors rnay choose 
  the type of vessel they wish t o  sail on : a Merchantman, Warship or a 
  Privateer. 
  Sailors may choose from the skills shown below (those in capitals 
  are bonus skills): 
  Sailor Skills (Base Attribute) 
  ACROBATICS (Dexterity) 
  Bargaining (Wit) 
  Captaincy (Charm) 
  CAROUSING (Endurance) 
  Fine Manipulation (Dexterity) 
  Gambling (Luck) 
  LANGUAGES (Wit) 
  Literacy (None) 
  Pilot (Wit) 
  Pirate Patois (None) 
  Stealth (Dexterity) 
  Strategy (Wit) 
  All Sailors will have a specific duty onboard their ship: Sail, Gun- 
  nery, or Helm, Pilot skill is required for those who wish t o  specialize 
  in Helm. Shipboard duties are fully discussed in section 4.3.1. 
  PIRATE 
  A character who starts the game as a Pirate i s  a desperate individual 
  who has taken up the most dangerous and criminal of all of the pro- 
  fessions of the 17th Century. Although characters from other back- 
  grounds rnay become Pirates at later times, a character from this 
  background gains certain advantages. Pirates may choose their skills 
  as if they were Sailors, except that they automatically speak the Pirate 
  Patois (see below). They are, however, very poorly educated, and start 
  the game not only illiterate (unless they buy Literacy skill), but also 
  with one less Skill Point with which to choose general skills. 
  Pirates, like Sailors, have specific duties onboard their ships (dis- 
  cussed in section 4.3.1 of these rules). 
  NOTE: 
  There is no such Background as 'Colonial Nobleman.' This is be- 
  cause nearly all French nobles were born and educated in France. The 
  colonials were, in majority, those who had little t o  lose by leaving 
  France. To reflect this in High Seas, noblemen may only enter the 
  game as French-born characters (created by using the normal rules 
  from Flashing Blades) who find their way t o  the colonies. The Game- 
  master or the players may suggest logical reasons for the move (i.e. t o  
  become a privateer, plantation owner, avoid debts, etc.). 
  2.3 NEW SKILLS 
  High Seas introduces three new skills t o  the list already compiled 
  in Flashing Blades. The areas of ability governed by these skills, and 
  their specific effects on the game are provided below: 
  PI LOT 
  This skill represents training in 17th Century navigation, cartog- 
  raphy, and meteorology. Pilot skill is necessary for characters who 
  wish t o  specialize in Helm onboard ships. Pilots are able t o  accurately 
  steer the helm (and may take the helm in an emergency situation), 
  as well as read and make maps, predict weather, determine longitude 
  and latitude with a sextant, etc. Only a character with Pilot skill may 
  become a Pilot's Mate, Ship's Pilot or Captain of a ship. 
  PIRATE PATOIS 
  The pirates, smugglers, and other cutthroats of the Spanish Main 
  came from many different countries and cultures. When they mixed 
  at sea, so did their languages. Pirate Patois is a gutteral mix of English, 
  French and Spanish, with occasional Caribe and African words thrown 
  in, It requires a Wit roll (at -5) for a character without the Patois t o  
  understand it. All Pirates and Colonial Rogues are familiar with Pirate 
  Patois, and are able t o  communicate across normal language barriers 
  with it. Marines and Sailors are allowed to buy Pirate Patois for 1 Skill 
  point (it is only spoken, not written). This reflects chances they may 
  have had t o  pick it up while in West Indian ports. All other colonials 
  may learn Pirate Patois for 2 Skill points (with Language skill) or 3 
  Skill points (without Language skill). 
  SEAMANSHIP 
  This skill covers the basic knowledge and abilities necessary to be 
  a sailor in the 17th Century. Characters with Seamanship skill are able 
  t o  perform all the normal tasks of sailing tall ships (i.e. adjusting sails, 
  loading and unloading ballast, sounding for depth, etc.). They also 
  always have their 'sea-legs' and may move swiftly in rigging. Characters 
  with Seamanship skill and a Dexterity of 8 or more, may specialize 
  in Sail aboard ships, Only a Master in Seamanship rnay become a ship's 
  Sailmaster, First Mate,.or Captain. 
  2.4 NEW MARTIAL SKILLS & TRAINING 
  2.4.1 New Martial Skills 
  nautical backgrounds. Full descriptions o f  these are listed below: 
  FIGHTING WEAPONS 
  This skill represents expertise in the use o f  the most primitive 
  naval weapons of the 17th Century, including hand axes, pikes (used 
  for boarding) and fighting irons. These weapons, due t o  their crudity, 
  start at Expertise 8, with normal modifiers. 
  GUNNERY 
  This skill represents expertise in the use of small cannon and swivel 
  guns onboard ships. Characters must have Gunnery skill t o  specialize 
  i n  Gunnery on a ship. Characters with Artillery skill rnay learn t o  use 
  ship cannons with a little practice (just as Gunners may learn t o  use 
  field artillery). After a few weeks onboard a ship, a character with 
  Artillery skill rnay serve as a Gunner. Gunnery, like Artillery and 
  Grenadier, has no Expertise rating, and advances like a normal skill. 
  A character must be a Master in Gunnery in order t o  become a ship's 
  Chief Gunner. 
  High Seas introduces three new Martial Skills for characters with 
  SHIPBOARD WEAPONS 
  This skill covers the use of standard shipboard weapons including 
  daggers, cutlasses, and longswords. As a 'style' of fencing, shipboard 
  combat depends heavily upon cuts and slashes (similar t o  those of 
  the Cavalry Style). To reflect this, characters trained with shipboard 
  weapons receive a +1 bonus t o  hit when using a slash attack. Ship- 
  board weapons start at Expertise 10, with normal modifiers. 
  Expertise is calculated normally for Fighting Weapons and Ship- 
  board Weapons (as detailed in Flashing Blades). Remember that char- 
  acters may spend normal Skill Points t o  raise Expertise with various 
  weapons, but not to buy Martial Skills. 
  2.4.2 Choosing Martial Skills 
  The choices of Martial Skills for colonial characters are slightly 
  different from those listed in Flashing Blades. The New World could 
  be a dangerous and brutal place, so colonial characters tend t o  be 
  tougher than their French-born contemporaries. Exact Martial Skill 
  choices are listed below, by background: 
  Colonial Rogues rnay choose any t w o  of the following Martial 
  Skills: Brawling, Firearms, Old Style Dueling, or Shipboard Weapons. 
  In addition, Colonial Rogues receive 2 points of extra training with 
  one weapon, reflecting early practice (these points rnay be added 
  directly to Expertise). 
  Colonial Gentlemen are trained in the same way as French-born 
  gentlemen, with t w o  exceptions: Colonial Gentlemen may substitute 
  Shipboard Weapons for a Dueling Style when training at a School, 
  Fraternity, Academy, etc.; Colonial Gentlemen may not choose Arch- 
  ery School for martial training, 
  Colonial Soldiers are trained as Fusiliers (i.e. trained in Polearms 
  and Firearms skills) and they may choose one additional skill: either 
  Brawling or Shipboard Weapons. Colonial Soldiers also receive 1 point 
  of extra training in one weapon. 
  Marines rnay choose any three of the following Martial Skills: 
  Brawling, Fighting Weapons, Firearms, Old Style Dueling, Polearms, 
  
  3 
  or Shipboard Weapons. Marines also receive 1 point of extra training 
  in one weapon. 
  Sailors are trained in Shipboard Weapons. and may choose one ad- 
  ditional Martial Skill: Brawling, Fighting Weapons, Firearms, or Gun- 
  nery. Sailors also receive 1 point of extra training in one weapon. 
  Pirates are trained in Shipboard Weapons, and rnay choose t w o  
  additional Martial Skills: Brawling, Fighting Weapons. Firearms or 
  Gunnery. 
  2.5 ADVANTAGES & SECRETS 
  in Flashing Blades, with the following exceptions: 
  0 As no High Seas character may start as a 'colonial nobleman,' the 
  advantage of 'Title' rnay not be chosen. 
  0 
  Only Colonial Gentlemen may choose the advantage of 'Land,' and 
  Advantages and Secrets in High Seas are handled similarly t o  those 
  I 
  THE NEW WORLD 
  Miles 
  - 
  0 
  500 
  SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 7
  
  4 
  even then, with a -2 modifier t o  the roll. A 'villa' or 'estate' on the 
  table is assumed t o  be a colonial plantation. A plantation requires 
  only half the normal money for upkeep (due to slave labor), but 
  may require a great deal of the owner's time, keeping records, 
  organizing harvests, etc. 
  0 Only a Colonial Gentleman or Colonial Soldier may choose to have 
  a 'Gentleman's Lackey.' 
  0 
  Only a Colonial Gentleman may choose to be a Member of an Or- 
  der. I n  this case, the result will always be a 'Gentleman's Club.' 
  The list of New World clubs varies from that of France (see section 
  4.6 of these rules). 
  0 Colonial Rogues, Marines and Pirates may not have 'Code of Honor' 
  or 'Religious Fanatic' as their Secrets. 
  2.6 MONEY AND EQUIPMENT 
  26.1 Yearly Allowance 
  High Seas characters determine their Yearly Allowance at the start 
  of the game, All Backgrounds receive a yearly allowance except for 
  Pirates, A Pirate receives only a starting sum of money. and must fend 
  for himself when it runs out. 
  Colonial Rogues, Soldiers, and Gentlemen roll t o  determine their 
  Yearly Allowances on the same tables as their French-born counter- 
  parts (listed in Flashing Blades). Marines and Pirates roll 1D6 on the 
  tables provided below: 
  Roll 
  Marine 
  Sailor 
  Pirate 
  6 
  250 L 
  200 L 
  150 L 
  2.6.2 Outfitting 
  High Seas characters outfit themselves normally at the start of the 
  game, buying equipment with their first year's allowance. All of the 
  normal equipment from the Flashing Blades rulebook may be bought. 
  Prices in the New World, however, are 10% more expensive than those 
  of France, due to the costs of shipping, and the unreliability of ship- 
  ments. Only those goods which are commonly produced in the New 
  World (as determined by the Gamemaster) will escape this price in- 
  crease. 
  Support in the New World is normally 3 L x the character's Social 
  Rank per month in a city or at a plantation. While garrisoned at a fort 
  (for Soldiers and Marines) or at sea, support is free. 
  The two new weapons introduced in High Seas cost as follows: 
  Hand Axe 8 L 
  Fighting Iron 14 L. 
  As in Flashing Blades, characters from some backgrounds begin 
  the game with starting gear. This gear must be replaced by characters 
  if lost or broken, Starting gear is listed below: 
  Sailors and Pirates start with sailors' knives (which count as daggers 
  Colonial Soldiers start with Fusiliers' armor and weaponry (see 
  Marines start with Fusiliers' armor, a cutlass, and one other hand- 
  for game purposes). 
  Flashing Blades ) . 
  weapon or matchlock musket (player's choice). 
  2.6.3 Monetary Conversions 
  The monetary system of High Seas is based on French currency 
  (Sous, Pistoles, Livres, etc.) just like Flashing Blades. The New World 
  swarmed with different currencies, however, and even French colonials 
  commonly used Spanish, and sometimes, Dutch and English money. 
  Pirates and privateers, of course, became used to all different cur- 
  rencies. Conversions were based on weight, and gold or silver content. 
  Approximate conversion rates between 17th Century currencies are 
  provided below for use in campaigns: 
  English Money: 
  1 Shilling = 2 French Sous 
  20 Shillings = 1 Pound 
  1 Pound = 2 French Livres 
  Spanish Money: 
  4 Reals = 5 French Livres 
  8 Reals = 1 Peso (a 'Piece of Eight') 
  1 Peso = 10 French Livres 
  Dutch Money: 
  1 Guilder = 10 French Sous (% Livre) 
  2.7 COLONIAL SOCIAL RANK 
  High Seas incorporates the Social Scale used in Flashing Blades. 
  Advancements in Social Rank may be attained as detailed in the rules 
  for Flashing Blades, and in section 4.1.2 of these rules. High Seas 
  characters have starting Social Ranks based on their backgrounds, as 
  shown below: 
  Colonial Rogues and Pirates start at Social Rank 1. 
  Colonial Soldiers and Marines start at Social Rank 2 (although 
  Sailors start at Social Rank 2. 
  Colonial Gentlemen start at Social Rank 6 (or Social Rank 7 for 
  this may be greater, depending upon their starting military rank). 
  those who own plantations). 
  2.8 NOTES ON HIGH SEAS CHARACTERS 
  Excepting the additions and modifications listed above, High Seas 
  characters are created and played exactly like their Flashing Blades 
  brethren. In cases of doubt between these rules and those of Flashing 
  Blades, always refer t o  the original rules (Nashing Blades) for clarif- 
  ica t ion. 
  For extended campaigns, the Aging system (section 5.10.4). and 
  Experience system (section 6.0) of Flashing Blades should be used. 
  3 Tersonal Combat 
  3.1 INTRODUCTION 
  The Flashing Blades system for personal combat remains basically 
  unchanged in High Seas. Turn Sequence, Actions, Rolling t o  Hit and 
  Parry, Damage, the Optional Rules, etc. all work normally. Two new 
  sections have been added t o  expand the Flashing Blades combat system 
  for adventures a t  sea. 
  The first section is comprised of new rules for two weapons intro- 
  duced for shipboard combat: the hand axe (a short tomahawk-like 
  axe used for cutting ropes or as a weapon) and the fighting iron (a 
  flail-like weapon made up of three lengths of iron joined by chains). 
  Although common in the New World and at sea, these weapons were 
  not often used on the continent (and never in polite company). A 
  normal Flashing Blades character would have t o  go t o  sea t o  learn how 
  to use them. 
  The second section includes new rules for special shipboard combat 
  situations. Some of these (such as the rules for Drowning) could be 
  used in normal Flashing Blades adventures. 
  3.2 NEW WEAPONS 
  The hand axe and fighting iron are two typical, if brutal, shipboard 
  combat weapons, Expertise in both is covered by the martial skill 
  Fighting Weapons. 
  Hand Axe 
  A hand axe weighs 2 weight points and is about the same size as 
  a cutlass. It may be used t o  make a Strike attack during the third 
  phase of a combat turn (i.e. at the same time as foils, rapiers, long- 
  swords, etc.). When hitting as a hand weapon, a hand axe gets +1 to 
  hit. When thrown, a hand axe counts as a Thrown Brawling Weapon 
  for range purposes. A hand axe may be used to parry at -1 (but only 
  using the Parry action, not as a 'Reaction Parry'). A hand axe may also 
  be parried by dueling weapons, daggers, and Two-Handed swords. A 
  hand axe has a Weapon Strength of 4, and is useless if broken by a 
  parry. 
  A hand axe does 3 points of damage on a Strike or Throw (+1D6 
  
  5 
  if it i s  a Serious Wound). Minimum Strength for a hand axe is 9; Ad- 
  vantageous Strength i s  16. For fatigue purposes (using the optional 
  combat rules) a hand axe subtracts one point from Endurance. 
  Fighting Iron 
  A fighting iron weighs 3 weight points and may range in size from 
  1.3 t o  2 meters in length. It may only be used to make a Strike attack, 
  and, due t o  its slowness, it strikes in the fourth phase o f  a combat turn 
  (at the same time as daggers, clubs, and brawling weapons). When at- 
  tacking, a fighting iron gets -3 t o  hit. A fighting iron may not be used 
  t o  parry or block. It may be blocked by an improvised shield. 
  A fighting iron does 5 points of damage if it hits ( t 1  D6 for a Serious 
  Wound). Any character who is not wearing a helmet, and is hit on the 
  head with a fighting iron, will be stunned for t w o  turns automatically. 
  Minimum Strength for a fighting iron is 14; Advantageous Strength is 
  19. For fatigue purposes a fighting iron subtracts 2 points from En- 
  durance. 
  3.3 SPECIAL SITUATIONS 
  Fighting on shipboard may entail many special combat situations, 
  For most of these, the Gamemaster must improvise rules. Five fairly 
  common shipboard situations are dealt with below as a start: 
  LANDLUBBERS 
  Characters who are not used t o  fighting at sea will have difficulty 
  at first. Only Pirates, Sailors and Marines are assumed to start the game 
  with good 'sea-legs.' All others receive a -1 penalty to hit, and move 
  at half speed when fighting onboard a ship. After a character has made 
  three successful attacks while fighting at sea, he may attempt t o  make 
  a roll against his Wit t o  develop good 'sea-legs.' Landlubbers will lose 
  their 'sea-legs' after a few hours on land, but old salts are always'at ease 
  fighting at sea. A Landlubber may develop permanent 'sea-legs' if he 
  learns Seamanship skill. 
  RIGGING 
  Characters with Seamanship skill may move up, down, and around 
  rigging at a rate of t w o  meters per turn (+1 for Dexterity 15+, +1 for 
  Acrobatics skill, +I 
  for Master Seamen). This rate is doubled for long 
  actions. Characters who rush through a ship's rigging during combat 
  or during a storm must make suitable rolls'against Dexterity t o  avoid 
  falling (determined b y  the Gamemaster). Characters fighting in the 
  rigging receive -1 penalties on all attacks and parries, and must make 
  normal Dexterity rolls each combat turn t o  avoid falling ( t 3  for Sea- 
  manship skill, +3 for Acrobatics skill). Master Seamen and Acrobats 
  may swing o n  ropes from the rigging o f  one mast t o  another, or to a 
  ship's deck. Swinging about in a ship's rigging requires various Dexterity 
  rolls (determined by the Gamemaster). 
  SWIMMING 
  A character may swim in water at a rate of one meter per turn (+2 
  meters for Seamanship skill, +1 meter for Dexterity 15+). A character 
  may also stay underwater for a number o f  combat turns equal t o  his 
  Endurance. All attacks and parries in water have a -5 modifier, except 
  for attacks and parries with daggers, and unarmed attacks and blocks 
  (these have no modifiers). 
  DROWN1 NG 
  A character in the water without any sort of support must make a 
  roll t o  stay above the surface each turn in the following situations: 
  (1) character does not have Seamanship skill; (2) character is swim- 
  ming in rough water; or (3) character i s  fighting in the water. The roll 
  t o  stay on the surface is made against Dexterity with a -1 modifier 
  for each weight point of armor the character i s  wearing. When a char- 
  acter goes underwater, he may attempt to hold his breath for his 
  Endurance in turns, Each turn, he may attempt t o  regain the surface. 
  This requires a roll against Strength, -1 for each point of armor, -1 
  for each previously failed attempt to regain the surface, +2 for Sea- 
  manship skill. If a character i s  held under the water, the roll becomes 
  a Strength vs. Strength resistance roll. If a character fails t o  regain the 
  surface within his Endurance in turns, and is not fished out by friends, 
  he will drown. 
  SHIPBOARD RECUPERATION 
  Recuperation at sea requires a special note because of the lack of 
  good medical care and sterile facilities. Unless there i s  a physician 
  aboard, recovering characters have a +5 modifier when rolling for 
  lasting effects of wounds which have reduced a hit location t o  0 hit 
  points. 
  Further special combat situations are discussed in section 6.4.8 
  under the heading of 'Heroic Actions.' 
  4qanks68L Position8 
  4.1 INTRODUCTION 
  4.1.1 The French Colonies 
  France, like the other colonial powers of i t s  time, had numerous 
  holdings in the New World. Each colony had i t s  share of garrisoned 
  troops, bureaucrats, and clergymen, providing ranks and positions for 
  colonial characters. In High Seas campaigns, characters may pursue 
  careers through the hierarchies o f  the colonies, just as French-born 
  characters pursue theirs in the institutions of France. 
  A brief description of each of the major French colonies in the 
  New World is provided below. Many of the names of towns, forts 
  and geographic features have been kept in their original (17th Century) 
  forms, and are followed in parentheses by their more modern titles. 
  The largest of the French colonies was New France, which included 
  North American lands up and down the St. Laurence (St. Lawrence) 
  River, from St. Laurence (St. Lawrence) Bay t o  the Great Lakes. The 
  settlements included Monreal (Montreal), Trois Rivieres, Quebec, 
  fadoussac, and Louisburg. These were guarded b y  forts, with garrison 
  companies at Monreal (Montreal), Quebec and Louisburg. New France 
  was protected from Indian and British colonial raids t o  the south b y  
  a garrison company at Fort La Salle. 
  New France was claimed for the French Crown in 1534 by Jacques 
  Cartier, and quickly became a precious holding. The French traded 
  with local Indians for valuable furs and pelts. A Colonial Governor, 
  appointed by the King, governed the colony from Monreal (Montreal). 
  In 1682 Louisiana was claimed by La Salle as a new colony of 
  France. The territory of Louisiana extended throughout the area now 
  occupied by the states Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, 
  Arkansas, Oklahoma, and parts of Texas and Florida. Settlements 
  developed at St. Louis Bay, Ouacha, Bayogoula, Mobile, and Pensacola. 
  Garrison companies were stationed at St. Louis Bay, and Fort Mobile. 
  Later (in the early 18th Century) a string of forts, garrisoned by four 
  new companies, were built t o  form a line of defense between Louisiana 
  and New France. 
  Louisiana was of less importance t o  France in the 17th Century 
  than New France. Because it was settled late in the Century, it may 
  not come into play in early campaigns. The active exploration of the 
  territory in the 1680s. however, makes Louisiana an interesting place 
  in which t o  set wilderness adventures. After its settlement, Louisiana 
  was controlled by a Colonial Governor (appointed b y  the King) at 
  Mo bi I e. 
  In the West Indies, the Antilles were peppered with French islands. 
  These islands, although small, were important for their tobacco and 
  sugar plantations, and as ports for French ships. The colonies in the 
  Antilles were controlled by a Colonial Governor, stationed at Mar- 
  tinique, and his three Lieutenant Governors, on Dominica, Guadeloupe, 
  and St. Lucia. Each island was fortified (to a greater extent on Mar- 
  tinique than the others) and garrisoned with a company of troops. 
  The most important French colony in the West lndies was French 
  Hispaniola (Haiti). French Hispaniola was valuable for i t s  sugarcane, 
  and was settled at Geava (Port au Prince) and Tortuga. The island was 
  controlled by a Colonial Governor, at Tortuga, and was garrisoned with 
  t w o  companies. Tortuga made huge profits for the French crown as 
  a pirate den. Any and all ships (except those which had attacked 
  
  6 
  French shipping) were allowed to enter the port, for a set percentage 
  of their booty. This made money for the Colonial Governor and the 
  French Government, and also provided armed ships as protection for 
  the harbor. 
  Besides the obvious material benefits of colonial furs, tobacco, 
  sugar, etc., the colonies helped to support the French economy by pro- 
  viding raw materials for production, and markets for finished French 
  goods. Although the French colonies were not rich in gold and silver 
  (as were those of Spain), they were s t i l l  quite important t o  France 
  economically. 
  French ports were protected by forts and garrisons (distributed 
  as listed above). Much of the colonial population was well armed. With 
  the constant threats of pirate raids, Indian attacks, and slave revolts, 
  most towns developed well-organized militias. 
  4.1.2 Social Ranks in the New World 
  Social Ranks work the same in High Seas as in Flashing Blades. A 
  French Colonial Social Rank will be accepted in France, and vice 
  versa. Because they may be seen as provincial in France, colonial 
  characters start with slightly lower Social Ranks than their French- 
  born equivalents (the exact Social Ranks are shown below, and are 
  also listed in section 2.7 of these rules). This difference my be made 
  up quickly, however, by attaining normal ranks and positions. 
  Many new ranks and positions are introduced in High Seas t o  ac- 
  comodate colonial characters. These may be incorporated into the 
  normal Social Scale as shown below: 
  Rank 
  Positions 
  6 
  (Colonial Gentleman), Pirate or Merchantman Captain 
  8 
  Colonial Club Chief 
  10 
  - 
  12 
  Admiral 
  No Social Rank beyond 12 i s  listed because there are no new ranks 
  or positions above that level. 
  Pte. des Chateaux 
  DESIRADE 
  PETITE TERRE 
  MARIE GALANTE 
  Basse Terre 
  IS. des SAINTES - 
  Fort de France 
  MAR TIN I QUE 
  W! 
  Pt. des Salines- 
  Pt du Cap 
  40 MILES - 
  (c IL 
  THE ANTILLES 
  FRENCH NORTH AMERICA 
  Trois Riviere 
  4.2 COLONIAL MILITARY FORCES 
  4.2.1 New Regiments 
  breakdown i n  companies of each is shown below: 
  Regiment (and companies) 
  Enlist. Roll 
  Status 
  Three new regiments are introduced in these rules. The exact 
  Colonial Garrison Regiment 
  7 
  4 
  1 Company Monreal Garrison (fusiliers) 
  1 Company Quebec Garrison (fusiliers) 
  1 Company Fort Louisburg Garrison (fusiliers) 
  1 Company Fort La Salk Garrison (fusiliers) 
  1 Company St. Louis Bay Garrison (fusiliers) 
  1 Company Fort Mobile Garrison (fusiliers) 
  Royal Garrison Regiment 
  7 
  1 Company Martinique Garrison (fusiliers) 
  1 Company St. Lucia Garrison (fusiliers) 
  1 Company Dominica Garrison (fusiliers) ' 
  1 Company Guadeloupe Garrison (fusiliers) 
  2 Companies French Hispaniola Garrison (fusiliers) 
  4 
  Royal Marines 
  6 Companies Marines 
  8 
  3 
  Colonial Soldiers may choose t o  start in either the Colonial Gar- 
  rison Regiment or the Royal Garrison Regiment, and may pick their 
  companies. Marines automatically start in the Royal Marines. Starting 
  rank is determined normally. 
  Later enlistment in the colonial regiments by characters from dif- 
  ferent backgrounds is rolled for normally. Rank may be bought in the 
  Colonial Garrison Regiment and the Royal Garrison Regiment, but 
  all 'enlistees' in the Royal Marines start as raw Recruits. Marine Rec- 
  ruits receive their training 'hands on,' and are expected to fight a t  
  sea until they learn the ropes. 
  
  7 
  ATLANTIC OCEAN 
  .I T- 
  HI SPAN IO LA 
  200 miles 
  CARIBBEAN SEA 
  Ranks and positions advance normally in the colonial regiments, 
  (1 ) Subalterns in the Royal Marines are referred t o  as 'Ensigns.' 
  (2) A Captain in one of the Garrison Regiments will command 
  his Garrison Company. He functions not only as a normal Captain, 
  but also as commander of his garrison fort, and as a sort of police 
  chief in the French settlements nearby. 
  (3) When a character from one of the colonial regiments reaches 
  the rank of Brigadier, he may return to France as a normal Flashing 
  Blades character, to continue his career. If he chooses to remain in the 
  New World, he will maintain the rank of Brigadier, but will not be 
  promoted further. 
  A Colonial Soldier or Marine who returns to France may transfer 
  into a company in the regular French Army, provided it status is 4 
  or less, and that he successfully makes the normal enlistment roll. 
  High Seas characters who transfer receive a rank in the new regiment 
  one lower than that which they previously held (although never lower 
  than Trooper). 
  4.2.2 Colonial Military Campaigns 
  Colonial Soldiers dd not engage in normal (continental) Military 
  Campaigns. They do, however, participate in various colonial skir- 
  mishes and raids, as detailed below. 
  Each month, a Colonial Garrison rolls a D6 t o  determine i f  it 
  participates in some sort of 'Colonial Campaign.' On a roll of 6, it does. 
  When there is a Colonial Campaign, roll another D6 on the table below 
  and cross reference the colony with the roll to determine the exact 
  nature of the Campaign: 
  Colonial Campaigns 
  Roll 
  New France 
  Louisiana 
  Antilles 
  HisDaniola 
  with the following exceptions: 
  2 
  Indian 
  Spanish 
  Endish 
  SDanish 
  Attack 
  Raid 
  Raid 
  Raid 
  Raid 
  Bombardment 
  Bombardment Bombardment 
  An Indian Attack indicates that hostile Indians have attacked the 
  settlement or fort guarded by the garrison. The number of Indians 
  attacking is determined by rolling (1D20 x 20) and adding 200 (pro- 
  ducing a number between 220 and 600). The settlement will be protec- 
  ted by the garrison company (200 men) and (2D6 X 10) civilian militia- 
  men. Roll the three encounters as if it were a normal Flashing Blades 
  Campaign. Determine Army Strengths by dividing the Indian forces 
  by 20, and the French forces by 10. For example, if a fort with a gar- 
  rison company (200 men) and 60 militiamen was attacked by 340 
  Indians, the French Army Strength would be 26 (260/10 = 26) and the 
  Indian Army Strength would be 17 (340/20 
  = 17). 
  When rolling for individual results in an Indian Attack, roll normal- 
  ly. Eastcoast Indians will not be mounted. Normal encounters will be 
  armed with a spear (equivalent to a pike) or hand axe, and a bow. I f  
  a roll indicates an encounter with an Officer or Cavalier, the Indian 
  will have a musket, There is no roll for Booty after an Indian Attack. 
  If a garrison loses in the fight against an Indian Attack, each player- 
  character in the company (or militia) must attempt a Luck roll. If the 
  Luck roll fails, he i s  captured (further adventures in this case are up 
  to the Gamemaster). 
  A Slave Revolt may take place in the West Indies, where African 
  slaves were forced to provide labor for French sugar and tobacco plan- 
  tations. In a Slave Revolt, (1 D20 x 20) + 160 slaves will rise up to 
  fight for their freedom (double this number on French Hispaniola). 
  The garrison (200 men in the Antilles, or 400 on French Hispaniola) 
  and 1D6 x 10 militiamen will attempt to put them down again. To 
  determine Army Strengths, divide the slave forces by 20 (due to lack 
  of good weaponry) and divide French forces by 10. Determine the 
  results of the first encounter; if the French win, the revolt will end; 
  if the slaves win, an additional (1D6 x 10) will join the cause. If the 
  first encounter is a tie, or a victory for the slaves, proceed to the next 
  two encounters. 
  When rolling for individual results in a Slave Revolt, toll normally. 
  Slaves will not be mounted. Normal encounters will be armed with a 
  club, dagger, or hand axe. If a roll indicates an encounter wiith an Of- 
  ficer or Cavalier, the slave will have a musket or two pistols. There is 
  no roll for Booty after a Slave Revolt. If the French lose t o  the slaves, 
  each French player-character must attempt a Luck roll. If successful, 
  he escapes on one of the ships in the harbor, and gets t o  another 
  French island. If the luck roll fails, he i s  captured, 
  A Raid indicates that a foreign power, or a pirate fleet, has landed 
  or sent troops to the French settlement to make a quick skirmish at- 
  tack. There will be (1D20 x 20) + 100 enemy soldiers (double this 
  number against French Hispaniola). The French fort or settlement will 
  be defended by its garrison (200 men, or 400 men on Hispaniola) 
  and 1 D6 x 10 militiamen (206 x 10 militiamen in New France or in 
  Louisiana). French Hispaniola will also be defended by 2D6 x 10 
  friendly pirates and privateers. To determine Army Strength, divide 
  each side's forces by 10. If the French win the first encounter, the 
  enemy raiders will flee, otherwise, continue the Campaign normally. 
  When rolling for individual results in a Raid, roll normally, but 
  assume that none of the raiders will be mounted (substitute an Of- 
  ficer encounter for Cavalier). The roll for Booty a t  the end of a Raid 
  has a -4 modifier. Raiders will hold the settlement only long enough 
  t o  pillage and plunder (a week at most). Player-characters who look 
  rich may be taken for ransom by the raiders, but otherwise, they will 
  only be imprisoned until the raiders leave. 
  
  8 
  A Bombardment indicates that the garrison fort and settlement 
  are attacked b y  ships from sea. The ships will attempt t o  bombard 
  the colonials into surrender, and then plunder them. A Bombard- 
  ment is handled according t o  the ship combat rules (section 6.4.8). 
  Campaign results are not determined normally. The Gamemaster, 
  must determine the number and type of ships and forts in a Bom- 
  bardment, and run the battle accordingly. 
  4.2.3 Marine Duty 
  Marines may be stationed either on land (as additional garrison 
  troops for forts) or at sea. For every t w o  months served aboard ships, 
  a Marine may spend one month at a colonial port. While garrisoned 
  in the colonies, Marines determine Colonial Campaigns in the same way 
  as Colonial Soldiers. Marine troops are added t o  the French total in 
  Colonial Campaigns, but are usually stationed only in small numbers 
  (twenty or forty). 
  A t  sea, Marines are assigned t o  serve as boarding and defensive 
  troops on French Warships and Merchantmen. On a small or medium 
  sized ship (such as a Corsair, Merchantman, or Small Warship) a squad 
  of twenty Marines will be stationed. Larger vessels may have forty or 
  sixty Marines (two or three squads). Warships rnay carry large numbers 
  of Marines for raids. 
  On board Merchantmen, Marines are only defensive. Roll for normal 
  encounters for the ship (as detailed in section 6.2.3). I f  a hostile en- 
  counter occurs, use the rules in section 6.4 t o  determine the outcome. 
  On Warships, Marines rnay participate in Naval Battles (as boarders), 
  or in land raids on foreign colonies'(as raiders). The design and use of 
  naval battles are up t o  the discretion of the Gamemaster. I f  the High 
  Seas players are familiar with wargaming, the Gamemaster may wish 
  t o  use some advanced rules for naval battles (see the beginning of 
  section 6.4 for a list of good ship-to-ship wargaming rules). Otherwise, 
  the rules in section 6.4 may be adapted for small naval battles, 
  Marine raids o n  foreign colonies should be handled as detailed in 
  section 4.2.2. Marine raiders, however, may face varying numbers of 
  defenders, depending upon the colony and the situation (as determined 
  by the Gamemaster). After successfully taking a foreign port, Marines 
  may roll twice for Booty. 
  4.3 SHIPBOARD RANKS 
  4.3.1 Signing On and Initial Duties 
  Sailors and Pirates start the game as members of a ship's crew. 
  Sailors who choose t o  start on Warships are in the French Navy, and 
  must serve six months every year aboard French ships. Otherwise, 
  Sailors and Pirates are their own bosses, and may sign o n  t o  the ships 
  of their choice. 
  A Sailor or Pirate signs on t o  a ship for a single voyage or period 
  of time, and may leave for another ship at the voyage's end, Signing 
  on is also the signing of a contract, determining pay (or share o f  booty). 
  Once a Sailor has signed on t o  a ship, he i s  at the Captain's command 
  for the voyage. 
  To serve aboard a ship, a character must have Seamanship skill, 
  and must perform one of three duties: Gunnery, Sail or Helm. 
  Gunnery requires characters with Gunnery skill, t o  load and fire 
  the ship's cannons, Sail requires characters with Dexterities of 8+ t o  
  manipulate the ship's sails. Helm requires characters with Pilot skill, 
  t o  man the helm and steer the ship. Regular Sailors, aboard a Merchant- 
  man or Warship are paid 5 L per month (8 L for those o n  Helm duty). 
  Sailors aboard privateer and pirate vessels are paid in single shares 
  of the total Booty. 
  Sailors and Pirates may rise in Shipboard Rank as they progress. 
  Openings on shipboard are made only by losses or signing off. During 
  shipboard melee, the Gamemaster should keep track of what happens 
  t o  the ship's officers (see section 6.4.7). In addition, o n  each voyage 
  of two weeks or longer, roll 1D6. On a roll o f  6, one of the ship's 
  officers dies of disease (determine which one randomly). 
  When a ship comes into port at the end o f  a voyage, some officers 
  may sign on t o  other ships, leaving openings for player-characters. 
  Roll a D6 for each officer other than the Captain and the First Mate; 
  on a roll of 6, he signs off the ship. Player-characters who are eligible 
  for higher positions may also check for openings aboard other ships 
  at port. Again, roll a D6; on a 6, another ship has an opening. 
  4.3.2 Gunnery Ranks 
  nery, as detailed below: 
  GUNNER'S MATE 
  A Gunner's Mate supervises the crews o f  t w o  cannons, He i s  chosen 
  by one o f  the Gunners. When there i s  an opening for a Gunner's Mate, 
  A number of ranks are available t o  characters specializing in Gun- 
  a player-character must roll 7 or more on 2D6 to be chosen for the 
  position. A Gunner's Mate i s  paid 6 L per month aboard Warships 
  and Merchantmen, and receives a normal share of the booty aboard 
  pirates and privateersmen. 
  GUNNER 
  A Gunner supervises the Gunner's Mates and the gun crews of half 
  a deck. There are t w o  Gunners per gun deck. When there is an opening 
  for a Gunner, a player-character who is a Gunner's Mate will be chosen 
  automatically b y  the Chief Gunner for the position. A Gunner is paid 
  10 L per month aboard Warships and Merchantmen, and receives t w o  
  shares of the booty aboard Pirates and Privateersmen. 
  MASTER-AT-ARMS 
  The Master-at-Arms keeps order below decks, and i s  expected t o  
  lead boarding parties in shipboard melee, A Strength of at least 13, and 
  Captaincy skill are required for this position. The Master-at-Arms i s  
  appointed by the Captain on Warships, Merchantmen, and Privateers, 
  and i s  elected aboard Pirate vessels. When the position opens, any 
  qualified player-character who Is a Gunner or Gunner's Mate will be 
  appointed or elected (unless he i s  unpopular for some reason). The 
  Master-at-Arms is paid 12 L per month aboard Warships and Merchant- 
  men, and receives three shares of the Booty aboard Pirates and Priv- 
  ateers. 
  CHIEF GUNNER 
  The Chief Gunner commands the gun decks, and appoints all of the 
  Gunners and Gunner's Mates. The Chief Gunner i s  appointed by the 
  Captain, and must be a Master in Gunnery skill. A character must have 
  the rank of Gunner or Master-at-Arms t o  be appointed Chief Gunner. 
  tf there is an opening, any qualified player-character will be appointed. 
  The Chief Gunner i s  paid 16 L per month aboard Warships and Mer- 
  chantmen, and receives three shares aboard pirate and privateer vessels. 
  After Chief Gunner, characters specializing in Gunnery may only 
  continue into the Higher Ranks (detailed in section 4.3.5). 
  4.3.3 Sail Ranks 
  before progressing to the higher ranks: 
  SAILMASTER'S APPRENTICE 
  The Sailmaster's Apprentice i s  a Sailmaster in training, who i s  
  specially chosen by the Sailmaster. I f  the position is open, a player- 
  character must roll 8+ on 206 t o  be chosen. The Sailmaster's Ap- 
  prentice receives normal pay (only one share aboard pirate and priv- 
  ateer ships). A t  the end of each voyage he makes, the Sailmaster's 
  Apprentice automatically receives one check on his Seamanship skill. 
  When he becomes a Master Seaman, he i s  qualified t o  serve as a Sail- 
  master himself (and t o  choose his own apprentice). 
  SAILMASTER 
  The Sailmaster (sometimes referred t o  as 'the Boatswain') is in 
  charge of managing the ship's sails, and organizing the Sail crew. He 
  must be a Master at Seamanship skill, and is appointed b y  the Captain. 
  If there is an opening for Sailmaster, the Sailmaster's Apprentice (if 
  he i s  qualified) automatically gets the position. The Sailmaster i s  paid 
  16 L per month aboard Warships and Merchantmen, and receives three 
  shares aboard pirate and privateer vessels. 
  FIRST OFFICER 
  The First Officer of a ship is in charge of keeping discipline on the 
  t o p  decks. He is appointed by the Captain on a Warship, Merchantman 
  or Privateersman, and i s  elected on a pirate vessel. The First Officer 
  must have Captaincy skill. If there is an opening, qualified player- 
  characters must roll 8 or better on 2D6 t o  be appointed or elected 
  (+1 if the character is already Sailmaster). The First Officer i s  paid 
  16 L per month aboard Warships and Merchantmen, and receives three 
  shares of booty aboard pirates and privateers. 
  Characters who specialize in Sail may advance through three ranks, 
  4.3.4 Helm Ranks 
  A t  the Helm there are only two ranks: 
  PI LOT'S MATE 
  The Pilot's Mate is the special apprentice o f  the Ship's Pilot. The 
  Pilot's Mate must have a Wit of 12 or more, and must be chosen by the 
  Ship's Pilot. If there is an opening for Pilot's Mate, a qualified player- 
  character must roll 8 or more on 2D6 t o  be chosen for the position. 
  A t  the end of each voyage he makes, the Pilot's Mate automatically 
  receives a check on Pilot skill. When he becomes a Master in Pilot skill, 
  
  9 
  he i s  eligible t o  become a Ship's Pilot. The Pilot's Mate receives normal 
  pay, and only one share of the booty (aboard pirates and privateers), 
  SHIP'S PILOT 
  The Ship's Pilot is the navigator of his ship, and he must be a 
  Master in Pilot skill. The Ship's Pilot is appointed by the Captain, 
  but a qualified player-character who i s  already Pilot's Mate will be ap- 
  pointed automatically when there is an opening, The Ship's Pilot is 
  paid 20 L per month aboard Warships and Merchantmen, and receives 
  three shares aboard pirates and privateersmen. 
  4.3.5 The Higher Ranks 
  After a character attains the rank of Master-at-Arms, Chief Gunner, 
  Sailmaster, First Officer or Ship's Pilot, he rnay progress into the 
  higher ranks: 
  FIRST MATE 
  The First Mate i s  a ship's second in command. It is the First Mate 
  who signs sailors onto the ship, assigns duties, administrates, and 
  keeps discipline (after the Master-at-Arms and the First Officer). To 
  be First Mate, a character must be a Master Seaman, and have Cap- 
  taincy and Literacy skills as well. The First Mate i s  chosen by the 
  Captain, I f  there is an opening, a qualified player-character must roll 
  8 or more on 2 0 6  t o  get the position (+1 i f  he i s  Ship's Pilot). The 
  First Mate i s  paid 20 L per month aboard Warships and Merchantmen, 
  and he receives three shares of booty aboard Pirates and Privateers. 
  In addition, aboard Merchantmen bearing cargo, the First Mate is paid 
  5% of the profits at the end of the voyage. 
  CAPTAIN 
  The Captain is the commander of his ship, and has the power of 
  life and death over his crew, while they are signed aboard, To Captain 
  a ship, a character must be a Master Seaman, and have Captaincy, 
  Literacy, Pilot and Strategy skills as well. Aboard a Merchantman 
  or Privateer, the Captain will be appointed by the owner. If the owner 
  of a Merchantman or Privateer i s  qualified, he rnay appoint himself 
  Captain. Captains aboard Warships are appointed by an Admiral, or 
  by the King. If an opening for a Captain appears, the First Mate (if 
  he is qualified) will be appointed. Otherwise a Captain will be chosen 
  at the next port (qualified characters rnay attempt t o  roll 10 or better 
  on 2D6 for the position). Aboard pirate vessels, the Captain is elected: 
  each qualified character aboard rolls 2D6 (+2 for the First Mate) and 
  the highest roll indicates election. The Captain i s  paid 40 L per month 
  aboard Warships. Pirate Captains rnay claim five t o  ten shares of the 
  Booty, while Privateer Captains get five shares, and must turn over 
  five shares t o  the owner (he gets all ten shares if he i s  both the Captain 
  and the Owner). Finally, Captains of Merchantmen receive 30% of the 
  profits at the end o f  a voyage (75% i f  they own the ship), 
  There are no ranks beyond that of Captain, except for Naval Ranks, 
  open only t o  Captains of Warships: 
  FLEET COMMANDER 
  Each year after being appointed Captain of a Warship, a character 
  has a chance for temporary promotion t o  Fleet Commander. A roll 
  of 9 or more on 2D6 is necessary to be appointed Fleet Commander 
  (+1 if the character i s  a Master o f  Strategy skill, +1 if the character 
  has a Noble Title). A Fleet Commander will control a small armada 
  o f  2D6 Warships for six months. After this time, he returns t o  being 
  a Captain. A Fl'eet Gommander i s  paid 50 Leach month, and is allowed 
  t o  keep 20% of the Booty captured from enemy ships and towns b y  
  his fleet. 
  ADMIRAL 
  After being a Fleet Commander three times, a character will be 
  given the permanent position of Admiral in France. A n  Admiral rnay 
  command two fleets (of 2D6 ships each) for six months every year, 
  but he i s  not required t o  do so. Otherwise, an Admiral need not per- 
  form any military duties. A n  Admiral i s  paid 1000 L per year, and 
  is allowed to keep 50% of the Booty captured from enemy ships 
  and towns by his fleets. 
  4.3.6 Naval Campaigns 
  Pirates and Privateers rove the seas in search of prizes, but only 
  Warships take part in Naval Campaigns. Naval Campaigns will vary 
  widely, depending upon the situation. The Gamemaster may use the 
  rules provided in this section as basic guidelines. The simple ship-to- 
  ship combat rules in section 6.4 may be used for Naval Campaigns, 
  or the Gamemaster may wish t o  use more complex rules, a l i s t  o f  
  which rnay be found at the beginning of that section. 
  For each month at sea, roll 1 D6 for the assignment of a Warship: 
  Roll 
  Assignment 
  1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  Patrol 
  2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  .Search 
  3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  Convoy 
  4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  Bombardment 
  5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . R  
  aid 
  6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  NavalBattle 
  A Patrol assignment indicates that the ship i s  t o  patrol French 
  colonial waters, keeping an eye out for Pirates and enemy ships. For 
  Patrols, simply roll on the Sea Encounter Table in section 6.2.3. If a 
  hostile ship comes up as an encounter, the Patrol ship rnay fight or (if 
  outnumbered or outclassed) go back to port for reinforcements. 
  A Search means the Warship has been assigned t o  look for a par- 
  ticular hostile vessel sighted in French colonial waters. The Game- 
  master should specify the type o f  ship for which t o  search (e.9. a Pirate 
  Corsair, a Small English Warship, etc.). Roll for normal encounters 
  at sea. I f  a ship matching the description given appears, assume that 
  it i s  the hostile ship that is the subject of the search. 
  On a Convoy assignment, the Warship must escort one or more 
  Merchantmen through dangerous waters. Roll for normal encounters 
  at sea. 
  A Bombardment result indicates that the Warship (and possibly 
  others) is assigned t o  fire upon an enemy colonial fort or town. The 
  Gamemaster must determine the strength of the target's defenses, the 
  number o f  Warships assigned t o  bombard it, etc., and use the rules in 
  section 6.4.8 t o  determine the outcome. 
  A Raid assignment means that the Warship is assigned to ferry 
  Marines from a French colony, and land them near an enemy fort or 
  town for a Raid (as described in section 4.2.3, Marine Duty). A Warship 
  assigned t o  a Raid must wait to pick up the Marines again, after they 
  have been defeated or after they have plundered the town. The Warship 
  may have t o  fight enemy ships as it waits. 
  A Naval Battle result indicates that the Warship will be required 
  t o  participate in a large scale battle at sea. The Gamemaster must 
  determine the specifics of the battle situation, the strengths of the two 
  sides, etc. 
  Fleets under the command of Fleet Commanders or Admirals also 
  roll o n  this table t o  determine their assignments. 
  4.4 THE CLERGY IN THE NEW WORLD 
  4.4.1 Clergy Positions in the New World 
  The Clergy in the New World were limited. Although parishes were 
  divided i n  the French colonies, bishoprics and archbishoprics were 
  not established in the 17th Century. A Priest, Curate or Pastor rnay 
  function normally in the New World, but a colonial clergyman must 
  return t o  France t o  find a position on a Curia o r  as a Bishop. 
  Becoming a Student o f  Theology in the New World was difficult. 
  In game terms, a colonial character must return t o  France t o  study 
  Theology, and be ordained. Colonial Gentlemen, like those born in 
  France, have the option o f  starting the game as Students o f  Theology 
  (in France). Other colonial characters may attempt t o  join French 
  Schools of Theology, but with -1 modifiers t o  their Entrance Rolls. 
  Alternatively, a colonial character may become a Missionary, at- 
  tempting t o  convert Indians and slaves in the French colonies t o  Cath- 
  olocism. A colonial character must study with a Pastor in the colonies 
  for t w o  years before being ordained as a Missionary. A Missionary 
  receives the benefits of being a Priest, but rnay not advance in the 
  Clergy. If a Missionary returns t o  France for a year t o  study Theology, 
  he may become a normal Priest. 
  4.4.2 Huguenots in the New World 
  French Protestants did not fare well in the New World. Huguenots 
  first attempted t o  settle in Florida, but in 1565 they were massacred 
  when their leader, Jean Ribault, surrendered t o  the Spanish. 
  After losing their Florida settlement, French Protestants were 
  largely kept out o f  the New World. Colonists going t o  New France 
  and Louisiana especially were carefully screened by the French Govern- 
  ment. It i s  worth note that those French Protestants who made it t o  
  the New World often settled in the English colonies of North America, 
  where they faced persecution and eventual acceptance only out of the 
  need for community cooperation in the face of wilderness dangers. 
  4.5 COLONIAL BUREAUCRACY 
  No self-rule was allowed the colonies by the French Crown, so 
  the Colonial Bureaucracy was simply an extension of that of France. 
  
  10 
  In game terms, political positions in the New World are handled just 
  as in Flashing Blades, with a few modifications listed below: 
  STUDENT OF LAW 
  MINOR OFFICIAL 
  A character cannot study Law i n  the colonies. To become a Student 
  of Law, a colonial character must travel back t o  France, and study 
  there for six years. Colonial Gentlemen may start the game as Students 
  of Law i n  France. After six years of study at a College of Law, a char- 
  acter may practice as a Lawyer in France or in the French colonies. 
  Minor Officials in the Colonies may become Colonial Sheriffs and 
  Aides to Colonial Lt. Governors, with the same benefits and duties 
  of normal Provincial Sheriffs and Aides to Provincial Lt. Governors, 
  repectivelv. 
  
  OFFICIAL OF THE REALM 
  Officials of the Realm in the colonies may become Colonial Lt. 
  Governors, Colonial Tax Collectors, or Colonial Town Mayors. These 
  positions are nearly identical t o  the normal positions of Provincial 
  Lt. Governor, Provincial Tax Collector, and (French) Town Mayor. 
  Colonial Lieutenant Governors are appointed in New France, Louis- 
  iana and French Hispaniola. Three islands i n  the Antilles, Guadeloupe, 
  Dominica, and St. Lucia are each controlled by a Lieutenant Governor, 
  under the Colonial Governor at Martinique. Colonial Lieutenant Gover- 
  nors in the Antilles command one garrison company of fusiliers each. 
  Unlike their French counterparts, Colonial Tax Collectors rnay only 
  squeeze an extra 200 L per year from the settlers in their area, due to 
  the general poverty of colonials. 
  A Colonial Town Mayor commands a small colonial militia, of 1 D6 
  x 5 men. A Colonial Town Mayor who actively recruits men for his 
  militia (at a cost of 20 L per month of recruiting and training) will 
  increase his force b y  1D6 men per month. A Town Militia rnay not 
  exceed sixty men, 
  ROYAL OFFICIAL 
  Royal Officials in the colonies rnay become Colonial Governors 
  or Colonial City Mayors. These positions are analogous to those of 
  Provincial Governor and City Mayor in France. The position of Am- 
  bassador is not available for colonial bureaucrats. Colonial Governors 
  are stationed in New France (at Monreal), Louisiana (at Mobile), in 
  French Hispaniola (at Tortuga), and the French Antilles (at Martin- 
  ique). They function as Provincial Governors, but command varying 
  numbers of garrison companies (four in New France, t w o  i n  Louisiana, 
  t w o  on French Hispaniola, and four i n  the French Antilles). 
  Colonial City Mayors are stationed at large cities in. the colonies 
  which are not the seats of Colonial Governors, These include Quebec, 
  Trois Rivieres, and Tadoussac (in New France), Pensacola, Ouacha, 
  and St. Louis Bay (in Louisiana) and Geava (on French Hispaniola). 
  There are no Colonial City Mayors in the French Antilles because 
  each of the islands i s  controlled by a Governor or Lieutenant Governor, 
  Colonial City Mayors have command over garrisons stationed in their 
  cities (after the Colonial Governor). Each city has, in addition, a 
  Militia of 1D6 x 10 men. A Colonial City Mayor may recruit more 
  militiamen as detailed above, up t o  a total of one hundred men. 
  When a Royal Official i s  promoted from his position in the colonies, 
  he may choose t o  return to France, and serve as a Royal Official there. 
  A Royal Official from the colonies may never be promoted directly 
  t o  the position o f  Court Minister. 
  Colonial bureaucrats who return t o  France may transfer t o  positions 
  one rank lower than the one they held in the colonies (e.9. a Colonial 
  Magistrate could transfer as a Lawyer or Official of the Realm in 
  France). By the same token, French bureaucrats rnay transfer t o  
  positions in the colonies, but with no loss of rank (e.g. a French Mag- 
  istrate could transfer as a Colonial Magistrate). If such characters 
  transfer back t o  the French Bureaucracy, however, they suffer the 
  normal colonial penalty of one rank. 
  4.6 COLONIAL CLUBS 
  Royal and Noble Orders may not be joined in the colonies, and 
  only t w o  of the popular Gentlemen's Clubs o f  France have branches 
  there. There are t w o  Colonial Clubs, however, which, although they 
  are of lower status than the French Clubs, cater t o  the elite gentlemen 
  and plantation owners of the New World. The Clubs which may be 
  joined in the colonies are listed below: 
  Minimum 
  Entrance 
  Club 
  Social Rank 
  Roll 
  Yearly Dues 
  The Black Cross 
  5 
  1 o+ 
  20 Llyear 
  The Boar's Head 
  4 
  9+ 
  10 Llyear 
  Club Sans Souci 
  4 
  8+ 
  10 L/year 
  Maison Malnom 
  3 
  7+ 
  10 Llyear 
  The rules for joining and advancing in clubs are the same as in 
  Flashing Blades. Note that the French Clubs are more difficult to join 
  in the colonies than in France, due t o  their increased prestige. 
  4.7 BANKING & TAXES IN THE NEW WORLD 
  The Banking system of Flashing Blades remains unchanged in High 
  Seas. Colonial Bankers advance and make investments in the same 
  ways as their French counterparts. In addition, High Seas introduces 
  a system for direct trade investment in Joint Stock Companies (as de- 
  tailed in section 6.3). 
  The French Colonies are heavily taxed by the Crown. Add 10% t o  
  yearly taxes in the New World. Because the Catholic Church i s  less 
  organized in the colonies, however, Tithes are only half the normal 
  rate (i.e. 5 L x Social Rank, rather than 10 L x Social Rank). 
  5 Hates 68L Privateea 
  5.1 INTRODUCTION 
  Although High Seas i s  designed to encompass a variety of New 
  World and naval settings and milieus, the most exciting and romantic 
  i s  that of pirates on the Spanish Main. This section i s  included t o  pro- 
  vide background and source material for Pirate and Privateer High 
  Seas adventures. 
  First, it i s  important t o  clarify the difference between Pirates and 
  Privateers. Pirates were cutthroats who robbed and plundered ships 
  at sea, and coastal towns and harbors, without commissions from 
  sovereign nations. Privateers committed similar crimes, but under 
  the protection of the European governments. Privateers were granted 
  'Letters of Marque' which permitted them t o  plunder enemy ships, 
  and seek safety in the harbors of the issuing power. 
  17th Century Pirates were, for the most part, desperate men: 
  deserters, escaped convicts, renegade Privateers, and various other 
  villains. Hlgh Seas characters from the Pirate background fit into this 
  group. Characters from other Backgrounds, however, rnay easily be- 
  come Pirates. Characters with Seamanship, Gunnery, or Pilot skills, 
  who can find their way t o  a 'pirate haven' (see below) rnay sign onto 
  pirate vessels directly. Others rnay be made 'involuntary recruits.' 
  They may be 'shang-haied' by pirates in a pirate haven, or given the 
  choice of joining or 'walking the plank' when their vessel is captured 
  by pirates. 
  Privateers often had more illustrious backgrounds than Pirates. 
  All characters from the Sailor background have the option of starting 
  the game as crewmen aboard a Privateer. A character who can afford 
  t o  buy and outfit a Privateer vessel may start his own plundering ex- 
  pedition. If qualified, he may appoint himself Captain; otherwise, he 
  must hire a Captain t o  command the ship. He must also receive (or 
  buy) a Letter of Marque. 
  A Privateer Owner and Captain i s  limited in ways that a Pirate 
  Captain i s  not. A Privateer may not menace the shipping of the nation 
  which commissioned him, and must pay a set percentage o f  his booty 
  (15% t o  20%) t o  that nation. On the other hand, a Privateer Captain 
  i s  not elected (as is a Pirate Captain) and cannot be booted out of his 
  position by the crew (unless there i s  a mutiny). A Privateer vessel also 
  has more safe harbors open t o  it than a Pirate. 
  5.2 PIRATE ARTICLES 
  As mentioned above, and in the preceding sections, many pirate 
  Officers were lected, and most pirate ships had sets of Articles, as 
  Charters or Constitutions for the crew. Not all pirate crews were 
  democratic, but most were, and it was difficult for a less-than-out- 
  standing Captain t o  become a tyrant. To reflect this in game terms, 
  only a Pirate Captain with a Ruthlessness Rating of 10 or more (see 
  below) rnay take absolute control of his ship. 
  Normal Pirate Articles contained a series of rules and regulations, 
  and a set of punishments for various crimes (desertion, thievery and 
  violence within the crew, disobeying orders, etc.). Pirate punishments 
  reflected the brutality of their times, and often included marooning 
  and/or death. Pirate Articles usually provided extra shares of booty 
  for men who lost limbs or joints in boarding melee, and sometimes, 
  shares for the families of Pirates killed at sea. 
  Pirate Articles included provisions for the election and appointment 
  of ship's officers. The Captain, First Officer, and Master-at-Arms 
  were generally elected, while the First Mate, Sailmaster, Pilot and 
  
  12 
  Chief Gunner were appointed by the Captain. Election i s  rolled for in 
  the same manner as normal appointment (as detailed in section 4.3). 
  Pirate Articles also provided for the number of shares of booty due t o  
  each crewman after a successful engagement: 
  Rank 
  Shares 
  Crewman (Gunnery, Helm or Sail) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  . l  
  Gunner's Mate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  . 1  
  Gunner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  . 2  
  Master-at-Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  . 3  
  Chief Gunner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  . 3  
  Sailmaster's Apprentice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  1 
  Sailmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  . 3  
  First Officer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  . 3  
  Pilot's Mate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  . l  
  Ship's Pilot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  . 3  
  First Mate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  . 3  
  Captain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  . 5 - I O  
  In addition, if a Physician is aboard, he receives two shares; a Ship's 
  Carpenter (not a player-character rank) also receives two shares. 
  If a Pirate crew becomes dissatisfied with an elected officer, or with 
  an officer appointed by the Captain, it rnay give the Captain 'the Black 
  Spot' - an official complaint mixed with threat. The 'Black Spot' i s  
  simply a piece of parchment or paper, blackened on one side, with a 
  statement by the crew on the other. The 'Black Spot' may only be 
  prepared by a majority of the crew. 
  The 'Black Spot' may demand a change of strategy or the deposition 
  of one of the ship's officers. If the Captain ( or any other elected of- 
  ficer) disagrees, he may argue out his position with the crew. A Captain 
  rnay attempt to roll his Ruthlessness Rating or below o n  a D20 t o  im- 
  mediately squelch the crew's objections. If this roll is successful, the 
  whole dispute i s  ended. 
  If a new election i s  demanded by the 'Black Spot' for one o f  the 
  ship's officers, assume that the position has been made open. Any 
  qualified character (including the deposed officer) may roll t o  obtain 
  the position; the highest roll wins, 
  A Captain may ignore the 'Black Spot' if he so wishes, at the risk 
  of a popular mutiny. 
  5.3 LETTERS OF MARQUE 
  Any character who can afford t o  buy and outfit a vessel rnay be- 
  come a Privateer, provided he can obtain a Letter of Marque. A Letter 
  of Marque allows a Privateer t o  plunder enemy ships and towns, and 
  receive safe shelter in friendly harbors, in return for 15 t o  20% of his 
  Booty (paid t o  the government that issued the Letter of Marque). A 
  Privateer Captain (or Owner) i s  not elected by his crew, and may ap- 
  point the other officers as he sees fit. Privateer vessels do not have 
  Pirate Articles, but they do have Charters, providing normal shares 
  of booty for the various crewmen and officers. 
  France, England, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, and the Netherlands 
  issue Letters of Marque. A character in France may obtain a Letter of 
  Marque (with a 20% rate t o  the French Crown) if he has a Social Rank 
  of 7 or more, and can make a successful roll against his Wit (+2 for 
  Bureaucratics or Magistracy skill, +2 i f  the character has a Title). 
  Failing this, he may buy a Letter of Marque for 1000 L. In the colonies, 
  French Letters of Marque may be obtained in Tortuga or Martinique 
  (at the price of 1500 L, if the roll fails). Only Pirates notorious for 
  sinking French ships will be denied a French Letter of Marque. 
  A Letter of Marque becomes invalid if a Privateer fails to pay his 
  20%. or attacks French shipping or towns. 
  5.4 RUTHLESSNESS RATING & THE JOLLY ROGER 
  As a Pirate or Privateer Captain continues to menace shipping, 
  he will gradually develop a reputation t o  strike fear into the hearts 
  of his enemies. In game terms, this is measured as the Captain's 'Ruth- 
  lessness Rating.' Ruthlessness Rating starts at 1 when a character be- 
  comes a Captain, or at 2 if the character served as First Mate under 
  another Pirate or Privateer Captain o f  Ruthlessness lo+. Ruthlessness 
  Rating rnay progress up to 20, depending upon the Captain's career. 
  Ruthlessness Rating affects the game in the following ways: 
  Recruiting: A normal ship in port rnay recruit 2D6 new crew 
  members each week. If a Captain can make a successful D20 roll 
  again$ 
  his Ruthlessness Rating, however, he will recruit an extra 
  D6 + 1 eager Pirates or Privateers per week. 
  Morale: A Pirate or Privateer Captain may attempt to rally his 
  men in Boarding Melee (see section 6.4.7) once, when they would 
  normally surrender or retreat. If he can make a successful D20 roll 
  against his Ruthlessness Rating, the troops will rally, and fight with 
  one extra attack roll for one turn (i.e. a crew receiving six attack rolls 
  
  13 
  would receive seven rolls for one turn, after being rallied). 
  Surrender: When a Pirate or Privateer raises his flag (the 'Jolly 
  Roger') at Short or Close Range, he rnay attempt t o  roll his Ruth- 
  \essness Rating or below o n  a D20. If the roll is successful, a pursued 
  Merchantman will automaticall 
  surrender (unless the Captain or 
  Owner of the Merchantman i s  a prayer-character). 
  Pursuit: For every point of Ruthlessness Rating, assume that 
  there i s  one enemy Warship out looking for the Pirate or Privateer 
  Captain and his vessel, 
  Despotism: When a Pirate Captain reaches a Ruthlessness Rating 
  of 10 or more, he may roll a D20 against his rating at the beginning 
  of each voyage he makes. If successful, he may take absolute control 
  of his ship. A Captain who has absolute control may appoint all of the 
  ship's officers, and may only be deposed b y  a mutiny. 
  Status: Within the world of Pirates and Privateers, Ruthlessness 
  Rating acts as a sort of social scale. After a Captain's Ruthlessness 
  Rating has reached IO, he rnay add a short title onto the end of his 
  name (i.e. Albert tHe Awful, Diego the Dreadful, Raoul the Ruthless, 
  etc.). After Ruthlessness passes 14. a character enters the 'Pirate Nob- 
  ility) and may add a noble Title t o  his name (not recognized outside 
  of Pirate society) - i.e. Morgan, Prince of the Spanish Main, or Jean- 
  Pierre, Duke of Port Royal. A character who progresses t o  Ruthlessness 
  18 or more becomes a Pirate King, and may be so powerful that the 
  major powers of Europe will band together t o  wipe him out. Within 
  Pirate society, Ruthlessness Ratings may be used for Resistance rolls, 
  when one Pirate leader tries t o  'stare down' another. 
  Ruthlessness Rating increases on the basis of 'checks,' similar t o  
  those used in calculating normal experience. Unlike experience checks, 
  however, more than one check o n  Ruthlessness may be received in a 
  single adventure. Ruthlessness checks are earned for the following 
  achievements. 
  Achievement 
  Number of Ruthlessness 
  Checks Earned 
  Taking a Merchantman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  .1 
  Taking a Corsair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  .1 
  Killing an Enemy Captain in Single Combat. . . . . . . .  .1 
  Taking.a Mule Train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  .I 
  Successfully Raiding & Plundering a Town . . . . . . . .  .3 
  Taking a Warship or Galleon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  .2 
  The number of Ruthlessness checks required for Ruthlessness 
  Rating t o  increase is shown below. As soon as a Captain's number 9f 
  checks equals the number shown, raise his Ruthlessness Rating t o  the 
  indicated level : 
  Ruthlessness Rating 
  No. of Checks Required 
  2 
  1 
  3 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  5 
  7 
  6 
  10 
  7 
  13 
  8 
  16 
  9 
  19 
  10 
  22 
  1 1  
  26 
  12 
  30 
  13 
  35 
  14 
  40 
  15 
  50 
  16 
  65 
  17 
  85 
  18 
  110 
  19 
  140 
  20 
  180 
  When a character becomes a Pirate or Privateer Captain, and devel- 
  ops a Ruthlessness Rating, he must design his own flag. It is b y  his flag 
  that he i s  identified t o  other ships. The flag rnay be a simple variation 
  on the Jolly Roger (skull and crossbones) or it may be more elaborate. 
  The design of individual flags should be left up t o  the players' and the 
  Gamemaster's imagination. 
  5.5 PIRATE & PRIVATEER EXPEDITIONS 
  Pirate and Privateer Captains must be constantly organizing new 
  expeditions, to maintain their good favor with their crews (for Pirates) 
  or their sponsoring governments (for Privateers). These expeditions 
  should generally be designed by the Gamemaster, using this section 
  as a guideline. Pirate Expeditions may include plundering Merchant- 
  men at sea, raiding or bombarding coastal towns, inland excursions, 
  and treasure hunts. 
  Pirate crews (and often Privateer crews as well) will usually con- 
  gregate at 'pirate havens.' A haven i s  a safe port where pirates may 
  repair their ships and take shore-leave without fear o f  capture. In the 
  first half of the 17th Century, the port of Tortuga on French His- 
  paniola was the most popular pirate haven. All ships not hostile (or 
  not known to be hostile) t o  French shipping were allowed into the 
  harbor of Tortuga for a 'tariff' of 20% o f  their 'cargoes.' This served 
  t o  make the Governor of French Hispaniola, and the French Colonial 
  Government rich from the booty of pirates of all nations. 
  In 1655, England captured Spanish Jamaica, and Port Royal came 
  t o  rival and surpass Tortuga as a pirate haven. Frequent infamous 
  visitors, such as the bloodthirsty Henry Morgan, lent Port Royal the 
  title o f  'the world's wickedest town.' 
  Within pirate havens, the Gamemaster may set up pirate expeditions 
  by giving the player-characters 'tips.' A tip rnay be information on 
  gold shipments, stranded Merchantmen, unprotected coastal towns, 
  mule train routes, etc. Once the Gamemaster drops a tip, the players 
  should be off on their next adventure. 
  5.6 BOOTY 
  When a Pirate o r  Privateer successfully takes a ship or coastal town, 
  there will be booty. Booty is split into shares for a ship's crew, ac- 
  cording t o  the Articles or Charter of the ship, 
  Warships, and other Pirates and Privateers will normally carry 
  
  14 
  little cargo. One ton on each such ship will be taken u p  by supplies. 
  Another one to three tons will be taken by jolly boats. Half of what 
  remains will be filled with powder and shot. On a roll o f  5 or 6 on a 
  D6, the ship will carry one type of cargo in the rest o f  the hold, 
  Merchantmen and Galleons will carry normal supplies, one t o  
  three jolly boats, and one to three tons of powder and shot. The rest 
  of their holds are normally filled with two types of cargo. Roll 1 D20 
  t o  determine each type on the table below: 
  Divide the number of empty cargo tons between the t w o  types of 
  cargo evenly. Cargo may be sold at pirate havens, for the normal prices 
  listed in section 6.3 of these rules. 
  Coastal towns which are raided or bombarded into surrender will 
  have 1 D6 different types of cargo in town (with 1 D6 tons of each) as 
  well as 2D6 x 1000 Livres in ransom money. Add 1500 Livres for each 
  Small Fort defending the town; 3000 Livres for each Medium Fort; and 
  5000 Livres for each Large Fort. Forts which are destroyed or taken 
  may also be plundered for half of their guns, and 1 D6 tons of powder 
  and shot each. 
  Roll 
  Cargo 
  Textiles 
  3 
  Livestock 
  4 
  7 
  Iron 
  8 
  Mercury 
  11 
  Gems 
  1 2  
  Sugar 
  13 
  Tobacco 
  14 
  Furs 
  15 
  Wine 
  16 
  Rum 
  6 Sh$%uilding Tt'ade, 
  Combat 
  and 
  6.1 SHIP CONSTRUCTION 
  Normally, High Seas characters will sign onto ships, and eventually 
  command them b y  promotion (or election) t o  Captain. Extraordin- 
  arily rich characters, however, from either High Seas or Flashing Blades, 
  may purchase ships and outfit them. If qualified, ship owners may ap- 
  point themselves as Captains. Otherwise, Captains must be hired. Ships 
  owned b y  player-characters will generally be Merchantmen or Privat- 
  eers. 
  The first step in constructing a ship i s  choosing the basic hull-type. 
  For convenience, the ships of the period have been sorted into five 
  basic categories. Each category has i t s  own ratings for Hit Points (the 
  damage capacities of the Hull and Rigging), Speed (in ship combat 
  situations), Handling (the ship's basic maneuverability) and Size. The 
  five basic ship categories, and their various attributes, are listed below: 
  (1) A CORSAIR i s  a small, highly maneuverable type of ship, that 
  i s  favored by smugglers and pirates. Some 17th Century ship types 
  which fall into this category are sloops, small brigantines, and schooners 
  Corsairs are characterized by shallow drafts, length to beam ratios 
  of about 6:1, and relatively small cargo tonnages. Corsairs normally 
  have 25 Hull Hit Points, 15 Rigging Hit Points, Speed 4, Handling 4, 
  and Size 1. A well-armed Corsair may carry up t o  eight long guns 
  (cannon) on each side, t w o  more as chasers (on the bow), and t w o  as 
  stern guns (total possible armament of twenty guns). A fully armed 
  Corsair requires a Gunnery crew o f  sixty, plus ten Gunner's Mates, 
  and t w o  Gunners. In an emergency, a Corsair must have a Sail crew 
  of at least six rnen. A Corsair cannot hold a crew o f  more than one 
  hundred men. Normal Cargo Tonnage for a Corsair is ten tons. 
  (2) A SMALL WARSHIP is a sleek, naval ship, designed t o  carry 
  many guns without sacrificing maneuverability. Typical 17th Century 
  ships in this category include sloops-of-war, frigates, and small capital 
  ships. Small Warships have fairly shallow drafts (except for frigates), 
  and length t o  beam ratios of about 5:l. Small Warships normally have 
  35 Hull Hit Points, 20 Rigging Hit Points, Speed 3, Handling 3, and 
  Size 2. A fully armed Small Warship may carry sixteen long guns on 
  each side, two more as chasers, and four as stern guns (total possible 
  armament of thirty-eight guns). A fully armed Small Warship requires 
  a Gunnery crew of 114, plus nineteen Gunner's Mates and two Gun- 
  ners, In an emergency, a Small Warship must have a Sail Crew of at 
  least ten men. A Small Warship will not carry a crew of more than 
  one hundred and sixty men. Normal Cargo Tonnage for a Small War- 
  ship is sixteen tons. 
  (3) A MERCHANTMAN is a large, sturdily built ship, designed 
  t o  carry large commercial cargos. 17th Century ships in this category 
  include large brigantines and medium capital ships. Merchantmen 
  have deep drafts, and length t o  beam ratios of about 4:l. Merchant- 
  men normally have 40 Hull Hit Points, 25 Rigging Hit Points, Speed 
  3, Handling 2, and Size 3. A heavily armed Merchantman may carry 
  as many as twelve long guns on each side, t w o  as chasers, and four 
  more as stern guns (total maximum armament o f  thirty guns). A fully 
  armed Merchantman requires a Gunnery crew of ninety men, plus 
  fifteen Gunner's Mates and t w o  Gunners. In an emergency, a Merchant- 
  man must have a Sail crew of at least twelve men. A Merchantman 
  will not carry a crew of more than one hundred and sixty men. Nor- 
  mal Cargo Tonnage for a Merchantman is twenty-four tons. 
  (4) A LARGE WARSHIP i s  a big, bulky type of ship, designed t o  
  carry heavy batteries of guns. Ships from the 17th Century which 
  fall into this category are large capital ships and ships-of-the-line. 
  Large Warships were almost always owned by a navy, and were used 
  primarily in European and Mediterranean sea battles. They were very 
  rarely seen in French Colonial waters, except when bringing cargos 
  of payment for garrisoned troops. Large Warships are characterized 
  by deep drafts, and length t o  beam ratios of about 4:l. Large War- 
  ships normally have 4 5  Hull Hit Points, 25 Rigging Hit Points, Speed 
  2, Handling 2, and Size 4. A fully armed Large Warship will have 
  twenty long guns on each side, t w o  more as chasers, and six as stern 
  guns (total possible armament of forty-eight guns). A fully armed 
  Large Warship requires a Gunnery crew of 144, plus twenty-four 
  Gunner's Mates and four Gunners. In an emergency, a Large Warship 
  must have a Sail crew of at least twelve men. A Large Warship will 
  carry a maximum crew of t w o  hundred rnen. Normal Cargo Tonnage 
  for a Large Warship i s  twenty tons. 
  (5) A GALLEON i s  a huge, slow, hulk of a ship, bristling with guns. 
  This type o f  ship was favored b y  the Spaniards and Portuguese, and be- 
  came the legendary 'treasure ship.' Galleons have deep drafts and length 
  t o  beam ratios of about 3 : l .  They normally have 5 0  Hull Hit Points, 
  30 Rigging Hit Points, Speed 1, Handling 1, and Size 4. A fully armed 
  Galleon will have twenty-four long guns on each side, four more as 
  chasers, and six as stern guns (total possible armament of fifty-eight 
  guns). A fully armed Galleon requires a Gunnery crew of 174 men, 
  plus twenty-nine Gunner's Mates and four Gunners. In an emergency, 
  a Galleon must have a Sail crew of at least sixteen men. A Galleon 
  
  15 
  can carry no more than two hundred and fifty men as crew. Normal 
  Cargo Tonnage for a Galleon i s  thirty-two tons. 
  Ships may be constructed in any major port. Basic costs and con- 
  struction times are listed by ship types below. Add one month to con- 
  struction times i n  the New World. 
  Ship Type 
  cost 
  Construction Time 
  In addition to the basic costs of ship construction, other expenses 
  must be paid to fully outfit a vessel, as detailed below: 
  1. A ship's weaponry is normally made up of 'long guns' (cannon 
  which fire twelve or sixteen pound shot). Long guns cost 400 Livres 
  each, and require three-man Gunnery crews. A larger, more devas- 
  tating gun i s  the 'cannon royal,' which cost 800 Livres each, and 
  require a four-man Gunnery crew. Pont or swivel guns (equivalent to 
  hand cannons) mounted on a ship's deck cost 120 Livres each. Pont 
  guns are used t o  repel boarders, and do not count as normal cannon. 
  There is only enough room for one pont gun per Size point of a ship on 
  each side (e.g. a Merchantman could have no more than three pont 
  guns on each side). 
  A ship's armament also includes i t s  supply of shot and powder. 
  Shot and powder must be stored in the ship's magazine (part of the 
  cargo hold tonnage) and costs 400 Livres per ton. To find how much 
  shot and powder is used i n  an engagement, multiply the number of 
  guns fired (not counting pont guns) by the number of times they were 
  fired, and divide this number by 120. This will provide the number of 
  tons used (e.9. a fully armed Merchantman which fires eight broadsides 
  would use up [12 x 81/120 or .8 ton of shot and powder). If a ship's 
  magazine is set on fire in any way, the shot and powder will explode, 
  doing 3D6 points of damage to the hull per ton of powder. 
  2. A ship's crew may be recruited at a rate of 2D6 men per week in 
  a friendly port. If 'press gangs' are sent out (a common practice used 
  by various navies), an additional 2D6 men may be shang-haied each 
  week. A Pirate or Privateer Captain may use his Ruthlessness Rating 
  t o  attract more cutthroats (as detailed in section 5.4). New sailors 
  coming aboard a ship must be supplied with basic gear, a t  a cost of 
  
  ~ 
  16 
  16 Livres per man. Aboard Navy ships and Merchantmen, sailors 
  must be paid normal wages (as listed in section 4.3). Specially skilled 
  non-player characters, such as a Ship's Physician or Carpenter, may be 
  hired on for 20 Livres per month. Pirate and Privateer crews are paid 
  in shares of booty. Each crew member, aboard any kind of ship, re- 
  quires 4 Livres worth of food each month, and one ton of cargo space 
  must be set aside for the crew's food supplies on a voyage. Aboard 
  Navy ships, basic gear, wages, and food supplies are all paid for by the 
  government, Aboard Pirate and Privateer vessels, the costs of gear 
  and supplies are subtracted from booty. Aboard Merchantmen, the 
  owner must pay for a l l  expenses. 
  3. Jolly boats, for taking men and cargo ashore, cost 300 Livres each. 
  Each jolly boat holds fifteen men (or five men and a cannon) and takes 
  up one ton of space aboard a ship. A cannon carried on a jolly boat 
  may not be fired, but a pont gun may be attached to the stern for 
  protection. 
  4. Optional improvements may be made on ships when they are first 
  built, at varying costs. Reinforcing the hull will increase Hull Hit Points 
  (by up t o  5 points) at a cost of 400 Livres per Hit Point. Reinforcing 
  the masts and using superior quality sail canvas and ropes will increase 
  Rigging Hit Points (by up to 5 points) at a cost of 200 Livres per Hit 
  Point, A ship may be streamlined, to increase i t s  Speed by one, at a 
  cost of 1000 Livres plus 50% of the basic ship construction cost. A 
  ship may be close hauled and fitted with a superior rudder, to increase 
  i t s  Handling by one, at a cost of 1000 Livres plus 20% of the basic ship 
  construction cost. Both streamlining and close hauling delay the ship 
  construction time by one month. 
  After a ship is fully constructed, it will require regular maintenance. 
  After damage i n  combat or storms, a ship's Rigging may be repaired 
  by the crew at a rate of 4 Hit Points per week. Half of the damage t o  
  the Hull of a ship may be repaired by a crew at sea, at a rate of 2 Hit 
  Paints per week (or at a rate of 4 Hit Points per week i f  there i s  a 
  Ship's Carpenter aboard). Remaining Hull damage must be repaired 
  in a friendly port at a cost of 50 Livres per point of damage repaired 
  (for lumber, labor, etc.). Repairs in port are made at a rate of 10 Hit 
  Points (either HulJ or Rigging) per week. 
  Ships will require careening every four months. This involves the 
  scraping of barnacles and teredo worms off the hulls of ships to prevent 
  drag on the bottom, and eventual penetration of the hull. Ships with 
  shallow drafts (Corsairs and all Small Warships except frigates) rnay be 
  beached and careened on deserted islands or river banks. This i s  risky, 
  however, especially for Pirates and Privateers, due to the obviously 
  vulnerable position in which careening ships are placed. Ships may also 
  be careened in friendly ports, for a fee equal t o  10% of the basic con- 
  struction cost of the hull (e.g. it would cost 800 Livres t o  have a 
  Small Warship careened in port). Careening takes about three days 
  if performed by a full and efficient crew. For each month after four 
  that a ship goes without careening, i t s  speed i s  reduced by 1 (though 
  Speed will never go below 1). After six months, and each month 
  thereafter, without careening, a ship loses 2D6 Hit Points on the Hull. 
  This damage rnay not be repaired until the ship is careened. 
  6.2 SEA TRAVEL 
  6.2.1 Sea Travel Speed 
  Sea travel is handled relatively simply in High Seas. The different 
  types of ships have basic sea travel speeds (not to be confused with 
  their Speeds in encounter situation) as shown below (all values are 
  given in Nautical Miles). 
  Type of Ship 
  Sea Travel Speed 
  Corsair . . . . . . . . ,100 miles per day 
  Small Warship. . , . . .90 miles per day 
  Merchantman . . . . . .80 miles per day 
  Large Warship. . . . . .70 miles per day 
  Galleon. , . . . . . . . .60 miles per day 
  To this basic Sea Travel speed, add or subtract the modifiers listed 
  below. 
  0 
  0 
  Streamlined ships sail an extra ten miles per day. 
  If a ship's crew i s  highly competent, it will sail faster. If the Ship's 
  Pilot i s  a Master Superior in Pilot skill, add ten miles per day. If 
  the Sailmaster or Captain i s  a Master Superior in Seamanship skill, 
  add another ten miles per day; if both are Masters Superior, add 
  twenty miles per day. 
  For each voyage, roll a D6 t o  determine the average winds, as in- 
  dicated on the table below: 
  0 
  Roll 
  Winds 
  Results 
  3 
  Light Winds 
  -10 miles per day 
  For a more detailed journey, the Gamemaster may wish to roll for 
  winds on each day of the voyage. 
  0 
  For each 20% of total Hit Points suffered by Rigging, lose 5 miles 
  per day. 
  0 Some Hull damage can cause reduced speeds, but this depends upon 
  the exact nature of the damage and such reductions are left to the 
  Gamemaster. 
  0 
  For each month beyond three without careening, lose five miles 
  per day (cumulative) until the ship is properly careened to reduce 
  drag. 
  6.2.2 Special Events 
  On cross-Atlantic trips and other long sea voyages, roll once for 
  Special Events on a D6. A roll of 6 indicates that a Special Event oc- 
  curs, When a ship has a Special Event, roll a D6 on the table below for 
  the result: 
  Specbl Events at Sea 
  Roll 
  Result 
  Ship's Pilot must make a successful roll against Wit, or 
  damage the ship's rigging (-1 D6 Rigging Hit Points) and 
  blow the ship off course by 1 D6 x 10 miles (in a random 
  delays it for 1D6 days, damages i t s  Rigging and Hull 
  (-2D6 
  Rigging Hit Points, -1D6 Hull Hit Points), and 
  blows it off course by 1 D6 x 25 miles (in a random dir- 
  ection). The Captain of a ship caught in a storm must 
  make a successful roll against his Wit for each day that 
  the storm persists, t o  avoid the possibility of shipwreck 
  (as per the discussion above). 
  6.2.3 Encounters at Sea 
  During a sea voyage, rolls are made to determine if B ship meets 
  other vessels, friendly, hostile, or neutral. This roll i s  made on a D6. 
  and a roll of 6 indicates that another vessel or vessels have appeared. 
  A roll for encounters at sea i s  made: 
  0 Once each day in coastal, West Indian, and European waters, 
  0 Once each week on major sea lanes; 
  0 Once each month in uncharted or unexplored waters. 
  When an encounter occurs, roll 2D6 and read them sequentially to 
  determine the result (e.g. a roll of '3' and '5' would be read as '35,' '2' 
  and '1' would be '21,' etc.). This refers to the Encounters at Sea Table 
  below: 
  
  Roll 
  Encountered Ship(s) 
  15 
  A lightly armed Dutch Frigate (Small Warship) 
  25 
  26 
  A heavily armed Large Warship searching for Pirates/ 
  A heavily armed Spanish Merchantman 
  enemy Privateers (belonging t o  the nearest sea power1 
  A lightly armed English Corsair 
  A heavily armed Portuguese Galleon 
  A small English fleet (1 D6 + 1 Small Warships) 
  31 
  32 
  33 
  34 
  35 
  36 
  A heavily armed French Merchantman 
  A heavily armed Pirate/Privateer Small Warship 
  2 heavily armed patrol ships (Corsairs) belonging t o  the 
  nearest sea power 
  A heavily armed Dutch Merchantman 
  A small French fleet (1 D6 + 1 Small Warships) 
  2 lightly armed Spanish Merchantmen 
  41 
  42 
  43 
  44 
  45 
  46 
  A heavily armed Pirate/Privateer Corsair 
  A lightly armed Portuguese Merchantman 
  A lightly armed Danish Merchantman 
  54 
  55 
  56 
  A Spanish Convoy of 2 lightly armed Galleons and 2 
  A lightly armed French Merchantman 
  A heavily armed English Large Warship 
  heavily armed Large Warships 
  64 
  A Pirate/Privateer fleet (1 D 6  + 1 Small Warships) 
  65 
  66 
  A heavily armed French Merchantman 
  Spanish Treasure Fleet o f  ID6 + 1 Galleons guarded b y  
  an equal number of Large Warships 
  To determine how an encountered ship is armed, consult the table 
  below: 
  Type of Ship 
  Long Guns per Side 
  Chasers 
  Stern Guns 
  PontGuns 
  lightly armed 
  1 D 6  
  0 
  0 
  0 
  heavily armed 
  1 D 6 + 2  
  2 
  2 
  1 /side 
  Corsair 
  Corsair 
  lightly armed 
  1D6 + 4  
  0 
  2 
  0 
  Small Warship 
  heavilv armed 
  1D6 + 10 
  2 
  4 
  2/side 
  Small Warship 
  Merchantman 
  heavily armed 
  ID6 + 6  
  2 
  4 
  2Iside 
  Merchantman 
  lightly armed 
  1D6 + 2  
  0 
  2 
  0 
  lightly armed 
  2D6 + 2  
  2 
  2 
  1 /side 
  Large Warship 
  heavilv arn;ed 
  2D6 + 8 
  2 
  6 
  4/side 
  Large Warship 
  lightly armed 
  2 0 6  + 6  
  2 
  4 
  2Iside 
  Galleon 
  heavily armed 
  2D6 + 12 
  4 
  6 
  5/side 
  Galleon 
  Ships in fleets are always assumed t o  be heavily armed. The number 
  of guns on each side of a ship will always be equal (for balance). Guns 
  on encountered ships are assumed t o  be normal laong guns rather than 
  cannon royal. 
  How an encounter progresses once it i s  rolled up is determined by 
  the actions of the player-characters (and their Captain) and the judg- 
  ment of the Gamemaster. Merchantmen, Galleons, and Convoys en- 
  countered at sea will generally not bother other ships, and will try t o  
  evade i f  attacked. Corsairs will usually only attack Merchantmen, and 
  will attempt t o  evade Warships, Patrol Ships and solitary Warships 
  may attack vessels which appear to be Pirates or Privateers, or those 
  belonging to an enemy power. I f  outnumbered, Patrol Ships may 
  attempt to evade, in order t o  bring reinforcements, Fleets, although 
  powerful at sea, are usually set upon some mission (a Raid or Bom- 
  bardment, or perhaps a rendezvous at a naval battle). They will not 
  take time out from their mission to engage other ships unless they 
  recognize the other ship(s) as Pirates or enemy Privateers. A fleet will 
  sometimes destroy a ship it encounters i f  it fears that the ship will 
  give away i t s  presence in enemy waters. 
  When an encounter turns into a ship-to-ship combat, use the rules 
  in section 6.4 below t o  determine the outcome. 
  6.3 SEA TRADE 
  The Owners, Captains and Investors in Merchantmen may risk the 
  hazards of sea travel in order t o  make profits on sea trade. A t  the begin- 
  ning o f  a Merchantman's trade voyage, percentages of the final profits 
  must be agreed upon. Normally, they are as shown below: 
  The Ownerk) of the ship receives 45% 
  The Captain of the ship receives 30% 
  The First Mate o f  the ship receives 5% 
  The additional 20% o f  the profits is subtracted for various expenses. 
  Note that, i f  the Owner is qualified to be the Captain of a Merchant- 
  man, he may appoint himself to that position, and take a 75% share of 
  the profits. 
  The Owner of a Merchantman must pay for the ship's construction, 
  and outfitting. He must supply wages for the crew and purchase cargo 
  himself. Of course, a group of player-characters may get together and 
  pool their resources for a Merchantman, but the expenses are still high. 
  In order t o  make ends meet in sea trade, the Owner(s) of a Merchant- 
  man may elect t o  form a Joint Stock Company. 
  The first step in forming a Joint Stock Company i s  obtaining a 
  Charter from the French government, Charters may only be granted in 
  France, or on Martinique or French Hispaniola. A player-character must 
  make a successful D20 roll against his Social Rank (+2 for Bureaucracy 
  skill) to be granted a Charter. If this roll fails. a Charter must be bought 
  for 1500 Livres (2000 L in the colonies). 
  Once a Charter is obtained, the Owner of a Merchantman may start 
  his own Joint Stock Company. If one of the player-characters organ- 
  izing the Company i s  not a Banker, a qualified Banker must be hired 
  (for a 5% share o f  the profits, deducted from the Owner's normal 
  share). After the Company i s  fully organized, it may sell shares of 
  Stock. Each 'Share' equals 1% of the profits o f  all voyages made by the 
  Joint Stock Company (this is deducted from the Owner's percentage). 
  When a Joint Stock Company starts, 1% shares may be sold for 500 L 
  each. A t  a later time, the Company Owners may wish t o  buy back the 
  Stock in their Company, in order t o  reap the full profits. Stock may be 
  sold at a rate of 2D6 shares per month, and bought back et a rate of 
  ID6 shares per month. The price of Stock in a Company may drop (if 
  the Company i s  unsuccessful) t o  as low as 100 Livres per share, or rise 
  (if the Company i s  very successful) t o  as high as 1000 Livres per share, 
  Fluctuations in the value of stock are determined by the Gamemaster. 
  Each time a Merchantman sets out on a new voyage, it may pur- 
  chase cargo, for sale at another port. Expenditures for cargo normally 
  come out of the Owner's pocket (or from the money gained by selling 
  Stocks in the Company). The value of cargo varies from one place t o  
  another. Basic costs in France and the French colonies for a variety of 
  cargos are listed below (all values listed are for one ton of the indicated 
  cargo) : 
  Value in 
  Value In 
  Value in 
  Value In 
  Cargo 
  France 
  West lndies New France 
  Louisiana 
  Rum 
  1000 L/ton 
  800 L/ton 
  900 L/ton 
  850 Liton 
  A Merchantman may carry UP t o  twenty-four tons of cargo in i t s  
  
  18 
  hold (although allowances must be made for powder and shot, crew 
  rations, and jolly boats). The Cargo Tonnages for other types of ships 
  are listed in section 6.1. 
  When a Merchantman comes into a port t o  sell i t s  cargo, roll a D6 
  for minor fluctuations in price due t o  local demands (add one t o  this 
  roll if the Captain, or the Owner (if he i s  aboard), i s  a Master in Trade 
  skill). Roll once for each type of cargo the ship carries: 
  Roll 
  Result 
  2 
  5 
  There i s  good demand for the cargo; increase the cargo's 
  It takes about a week i n  port t o  unload cargo for sale, and t o  buy 
  new cargo and reload the ship. 
  s 
  To illustrate the Sea Trade system of High Seas, an example i s  
  . 
  provided below. 
  Jean-Pierre de Serge i s  a Colonial Gentleman who owns a plan- 
  tation on Dominica. Another player-character, his friend Albert 
  Gris, i s  First Mate aboard a Merchantman. Together, they have 
  saved their money, in hopes o f  buying their own Merchantman, 
  and starting a Joint Stock Company. 
  A t  the end of one voyage, Albert visits Jean-Pierre at his estate, 
  and they make plans to go into business. Together (after the sale 
  of Jean-Pierre's plantation) they have 16,000 Livres. They travel 
  together to Martinique, where Albert starts working on the basic 
  ship construction, Jean-Pierre visits the Colonial Governor of Mar- 
  tinique, and requests a Charter for form a Joint Stock Company. 
  He has a Social Rank of 7, and Bureaucracy skill, so he must roll 9 
  or less on a D20 t o  be granted a Charter. Jean-Pierre rolls a 3, in- 
  dicating that he has made a good impression, and has been given 
  leave t o  start his own Joint Stock Company. Because neither he nor 
  Albert i s  a Banker, they must hire one (for 5% of their profits) t o  
  manage the business of the Company. 
  After the Company i s  organized, the actual work of designing 
  the ship must be done. Jean-Pierre and Albert decide t o  build a 
  normal Merchantman, with t w o  jolly boats, eighteen long guns 
  (eight on each side and t w o  on the stern), and four pont guns (two 
  on each side). This will cost as shown below 
  Merchantman construction . . . . . . . . . . . .10,000 Livres 
  2 jolly boats. 
  . , . . . . . . . . . . , . , . . . . , 600 Livres 
  18 long guns. , 
  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,7200 Livres 
  4 pont guns . . , . . , . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . , 480 Livres 
  TOTAL. . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . .18,280 Livres 
  Already, they have surpassed their original 16,000 Livres. so 
  they must sell some stock. The ship construction takes six months, 
  giving them plenty of time t o  sell stock and recruit a crew. At a 
  rate of 500 Livres per share, Jean-Pierre and Albert sell twenty 
  shares over three weeks time, for a total of 10,000 Livres. This is 
  reduced t o  7720 Livres, after the remaining ship construction costs 
  have been deducted. 
  Jean-Pierre and Albert must now recruit a crew (2D6 men per 
  week). They determine t o  have a crew of eighty-seven men (sixty- 
  five on guns, plus men on Sail and Helm, and Officers). Albert, as 
  he is qualified, will serve as First Mate, Basic gear for the recruited 
  crew will cost 1392 Livres (87 x 16) and two months of food sup- 
  plies will cost 696 Livres. Wages for the crew will vary as shown in 
  section 4.3 The total pay for the first t w o  months will be 1042 
  Livres. A Captain for the ship must be hired for a 30% percentage 
  of the profits (Albert hopes t o  one day qualify for Captain, and to 
  secure this share). Jean-Pierre and Albert are now down t o  4590 
  Livres in capital. 
  The cargo hold of their Merchantman may hold twenty-four tons 
  of cargo. Already, three tons are taken up lone by supplies, and two 
  by jolly boats). After buying t w o  tons of powder and shot for the 
  ship's magazine (at a cost of 800 Livres), there are nineteen tons 
  capacity left in the hold for cargo, and 3790 Livres left with which 
  t o  buy it. 
  They decide to make thei first trade voyage back t o  France. 
  Because they don't have much capital left, and because of the de- 
  mand in France, Jean-Pierre add Albert choose t o  trade in Sugar 
  and Tobacco. They load their ship with ten tons of Sugar (at a cost 
  of 1000 Livres i n  the West Indies) and nine tons of Tobacco (at a 
  cost of 1350 Livres). This leaves them with 1440 Livres. Their 
  futures are dependent upon the success of their voyage, because 
  this i s  not enough money t o  support their ship and Company for 
  long. 
  The Pride of  domini^^, the name Jean-Pierre and Albert have 
  chosen for their ship, sets sail on her first voyage, t o  France. The 
  journey i s  one of approximately 3600 nautical miles. Normally. 
  the Pride would make about eighty miles per day, but the Game- 
  master rolls a 3 for average winds, indicating that the ship is slowed 
  to seventy miles per day. A t  this rate, the voyage i s  estimated t o  
  take about fifty-one days. During the voyage, the Gamemaster 
  rolls once for Special Events, and seven times for encounters at 
  sea (once each week, as they are sailing on the sea lanes). He fails 
  t o  roll a 6, however, so the Pride encounters no other vessels or un- 
  necessary hardships on her way t o  France. 
  When The Pride of Dominica docks in France, at Nantes, she 
  unloads her cargo. The Gamemaster rolls to determine how well 
  the cargo sells. He rolls a 3 for Sugar, indicating an average sale, 
  at 400 L per ton, and a 5 for Tobacco, indicating that there was a 
  demand. Tobacco will sell at +lo% value, or 660 Livres per ton. 
  This means that Jean-Pierre and Albert will sell their ten tons of 
  Sugar for 4000 Livres and their nine tons o f  Tobacco for 5940 
  Livres, for total sales of 9940 Livres. Subtracting the money spent 
  on their original good (2350 Livres) and pay and support for t h e  
  crew (1738 L), the first voyage of the Pride has made a profit of 
  4852 Livres. Jean-Pierre and Albert first subtract the expenses, i n  
  order t o  pay for goods, supplies, and wages for the journey back t o  
  Martinique. Then, they divide the profits by shares: 
  0 The hired Captain of the Pride gets 30% (1456 Livres) 
  0 The hired Company Banker gets 5% (243 Livres) 
  0 The Stockholders of the Company get 20% (970 Livres) 
  0 The Owners (Jean-Pierre and Albert) get 45% 
  +5% because Albert g6ts 1 st Mate's share 
  -5% for the Banker's share of profits 
  -20% for the Stockholders' shares 
  = 25% left for the Owners (1213 Livres) 
  The final 20% i s  assumed t o  go for various other expenses (dock 
  fees, the unloading and loading o f  cargo, etc.). 
  Before buying supplies and cargo for their return journey, Jean- 
  Pierre and Albert are well off. They have 1440 Livres saved from the 
  Stockholders' money, 4088 Livres return from the expenses of their 
  first voyage, and 1213 Livres as their share of the profits, This does 
  not, of course, repay them for their original expenses of construc- 
  ting and outfitting a ship, but it i s  a good start for their trading 
  careers. 
  
  19 
  6.4 SHIP-TO-SHIP COMBAT 
  Ship-to-ship combat i s  inevitable when hostile ships encounter each 
  other The High Seas system for ship combat is quite simple, and may 
  be played with dice, pencils and paper. In advanced campaigns, the 
  Gamemaster and players may desire a more complex set of rules. De- 
  tailed sets of ship combat rules based in roughly the same period 
  include Heart of Oak (from Prwateers & Gendemen, published by FGU, 
  Sku// & Crossbones (also published b y  FGU), Wooden Ships & Iron 
  Men (published by Avalon Hill) and Frigate (published b y  SPI). 
  6.4.1 Scale 
  Time in ship encounters i s  measured in 'ship turns' o f  about one 
  minute each, rather than the twelve seconds of normal combat turns. 
  Unless otherwise stated, all turns listed in this section are assumed t o  
  be 'ship turns.' 
  Distance in ship encounters is measured simply as one of five pos- 
  sible ranges: Far, Long, Medium, Short or Close. Range distances are 
  variable, but as a normal base, assume they are four times the missile 
  ranges listed i n  Flashing Blades. Thus, Far Range i s  more than 192 
  meters (approximately 644 feet), Long Range i s  96 t o  192 meters 
  (approximately 320 t o  644 feet), Medium Range is 3 2  t o  96 meters 
  (approximately 107 t o  320 feet), Short Range i s  16 t o  32 meters (ap- 
  proximately 52 to 107 feet), and Close Range i s  less than sixteen 
  meters (less than approximately fifty-two feet). 
  Normal sighting and/or recognition distance between ships i s  Far 
  Range. In rough weather, sighting distance i s  reduced to Long Range. 
  In a Storm or in Fog, sighting distance becomes Medium Range. A t  the 
  beginning of an encounter, ships start at sighting distance, 
  6.4.2 Tactics 
  A t  the beginning of each turn, the Captain of each ship involved in 
  the encounter must choose a tactic. This may be one o f  three, as shown 
  below. 
  1. A ship which hopes to escape and leave an encounter may Evade. 
  This indicates that the ship i s  attempting to sail away from all other 
  ships in the encounter, t o  move out o f  sighting range. 
  2 A ship which hopes to close with an enemy quickly, to board and 
  capture, or just get into better range for guns, may Bear Down. This 
  indicates that the ship is pursuing i t s  prey at maximum speed. 
  3. A ship which i s  maneuvering t o  gain a better position for gunfire 
  may Circle. This indicates that the ship i s  not trying t o  get any closer 
  t o  or farther from i t s  enemy, but i s  attempting t o  loose a broadside 
  without being caught in one herself. 
  Captains (controlled b y  the players aboard their ships, and by the 
  Gamemaster for non-player ships) write down one tactic at the begin- 
  ning of each turn. In a particularly perilous situation, a Captain may 
  also choose a Desperate Strategy at the beginning of a turn. The t w o  
  possible Desperate Strategies are listed below. 
  1. A ship which needs more Speed may wet i t s  sails, t o  catch more 
  wind, at the risk of tearing the sails and straining the rigging. Wetted 
  sails last two turns before they dry, and add 2 points t o  the ship's 
  Speed each turn. Each turn that sails are wet, roll 1 D6; o n  a roll of 6 
  the rigging i s  damaged (-1 D6 points of Rigging Hit Points, and the ship 
  moves at half normal Speed next turn). 
  2. A ship which requires more Handling may make hard turns, at the 
  risk of straining the rudder. Each turn spent making hard turns, add 
  2 to the ship's Handling, and roll :D6. On a roll of 6, the rudder is 
  damaged (-1 Hull Hit Point, and -1 from Handling permanently, until 
  the rudder is repaired in port). 
  After Tactics and Desperate Strategies are revealed at the beginning 
  of a turn, each ship Captain may roll t o  perform a Brilliant Maneuver. 
  This requires a roll of the Captain's Wit/3 or less on a 020. If a Captain 
  succeeds in making a Brilliant Maneuver, he may add 3 t o  all further 
  rolls in the turn. If a Captain fails t o  make a Brilliant Maneuver, and his 
  First Mate is a player-character with Strategy skill, the First Mate may 
  attempt t o  make the roll. 
  6.4.3 Evasion 
  escape, and the encounter ends. 
  When one ship chooses the tactic Evade, and one or more other 
  ships choose t o  Bear Down on her, a chase ensues. Each ship involved 
  When all ships i n  an encounter choose the tactic Evade, all of them 
  Brilliant Maneuver). If the pursued ship's total i s  higher than the 
  pursuer's, the range between them increases b y  one. If the pursuer's 
  total is greater than the pursued ship's, the range between them de- 
  creases by one. If the totals are the same, the range remains the same, 
  If a pursued ship manages t o  escape past the sighting range of all pur- 
  suers, she has successfully evaded, and i s  removed from the encounter. 
  An example of a short chase might be as follows: Two Pirate 
  Corsairs (Speed 4 each) encounter a Merchantman (Speed 3 )  at 
  Far Range. The Merchantman decides t o  Evade, and both Pirates 
  Bear Down. On the first turn, the Merchantman rolls 7, and her 
  Captain makes a Brilliant Maneuver, so her total i s  13 (7 + 3 + 3). 
  The first Pirate rolls a 5 (5 + 4 = 9) so he drops behind, and out of 
  sighting range o f  the Merchantman. The second Pirate rolls a 9 
  (9 + 4 = 131, so she manages t o  keep sight of the Merchantman, 
  but still at Far Range. On the second turn, the Merchantman Cap- 
  tain chooses t o  Evade again, and to Wet Sails t o  increase Speed. 
  His sails hold up (he doesn't roll a 6 indicating rigging strain) and he 
  rolls an 8 t o  evade the Pirate s t i l l  following (8 + 3 + 2 = 13). The 
  Pirate who can still see the Merchantman Bears Down again, and 
  rolls a 6 (6 + 4 = IO), indicating that she couldn't keep up, and the 
  Merchantman i s  safely outside of Far Range. 
  When one ship Evades, and n o  enemy Bears Down on her, the range 
  lutomatically increases by one. 
  A n  Evading Ship may only fire i t s  stern guns at enemy ships, until 
  a pursuing ship reaches Close Range. When an enemy ship closes t o  this 
  range, the Evading ship may automatically fire a broadside. Ships 
  Bearing Down on another ship may only fire their chasers, until Close 
  Range. A t  this range, pursuing ships may grapple and/or fire broad- 
  sides. I f  a ship is Circling while another is Evading, the Circling ship 
  may automatically fire a broadside at the Evading ship (the Evading 
  ship may fire only stern guns back). 
  6.4.4 Bearing Down 
  If two ships i n  an encounter Bear Down on each other, the range 
  between them decreases b y  two. I f  a ship Bears Down on an Evading 
  ship, a chase ensues, as detailed in the section directly above. If a ship 
  Bears Down on a Circling ship, the range between the ships decreases 
  by one automatically. 
  A ship Bearing Down rnay only fire chasers against another ship 
  Bearing Down, or against an Evading ship, until she reaches Close 
  range (as mentioned above). A ship Bearing Down may have a chance 
  to fire a broadside at a Circling ship, depending upon the rolls detailed 
  below. 
  6.4.5 Circling 
  A ship which i s  Circling stays in roughly the same position. So, 
  against an Evading ship, range increases b y  one automatically, against 
  a ship Bearing Down, range decreases by one. If t w o  enemy ships Circle 
  on the same turn, their range remains constant. 
  A Circling ship always has a chance to fire a broadside at an Evading 
  ship (within range). Against a ship Bearing Down on it, a Circling ship 
  has a chance of firing a normal broadside. Both ships roll 2D6 and 
  add their Handling (+2 for making Hard Turns, +3 for a Brillian Man- 
  euver). If the Circling ship gets a higher total, she may fire a normal 
  broadside at the ship Bearing Down (without suffering one herself). 
  If the ship Bearing Down gets a higher total, or i f  the totals are the 
  same, both ships may fire broadsides. 
  If t w o  ships are Circling each other, each ship makes the roll listed 
  above (2D6 + Handling). If one ship beats the other b y  four or rhore, 
  she may fire a broadside, and the target rnay only return fire with 
  chasers or stern guns (Captain's choice). Otherwise, both Circling 
  ship; may fire normal broadsides. 
  r 
  1 
  For example, i f  a Small Warship and a Galleon were circling 
  each other, both would roll 2D6 and add their Handlings. Assuming 
  the rolls were 8 (+ 3 = 11.) for the Warship, and 6 (+ 1 = 7) for the 
  Galleon, the Warship would get t o  loose a broadside, and the Gal- 
  leon would only be allowed t o  return fire with her chasers or 
  stern guns, 
  L 
  J 
  In a group of ships, a given ship may not fire more than t w o  broad- 
  sides per turn (one from each battery of guns). When two broadsides 
  in a chase rolls 2D6 and adds her Speed ( i 2  for Wetted Sails, +3 for a 
  are fired, they must be designated against separate enemy ships. 
  
  _ _  
  . 1,- - 
  6.4.6 Cannon Fire 
  A ship's guns may be fired as broadsides, or the stern guns or the 
  chasers may be fired as their own batteries. No two of these four 
  batteries (each broadside i s  a battery) may be fired at the same enemy 
  ship, however. None of a ship's batteries may be fired twice in two 
  turns, as one turn i s  required to reload the cannon. A ship may fire 
  a broadside each turn, but not the same broadside (from the same 
  side of the ship). A ship which fires both broadsides i n  a single turn 
  must reload both on the next turn. 
  At the end of a turn, after the new range has been calculated, and 
  after grappling (see below), ships may fire their guns, as indicated by 
  the Tactics used that turn. The roll to hit with cannon i s  made on a 
  D20. Before the roll is made, the Captain of the attacking ship must 
  choose to aim for the enemy ship's Hull or Rigging. Hits to the Hull 
  may sink the enemy vessel, while hits to the Rigging may cripple it. 
  At Close Range, the attacking vessel may choose to fire grapeshot at 
  the enemy Crew. Once ships are grappled, however, a ship's broadside 
  rnay only be aimed at the enemy's Hull. 
  The chance to hit i s  based on the range and the location aimed 
  for. Consult the table below, and attempt t o  roll the number shown 
  or below. 
  Ranae 
  Chance to Hit 
  Chance to Hit 
  automatic 
  Note that Far Range i s  not included, because it i s  outside of the 
  range of normal cannon. The chance to hit is modified by various 
  factors, shown bdow 
  Ship's Chief Gunner i s  a Master Superior in Gunnery skill. . . +2 
  Ship i s  a Navy Warship . . . . , . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . +I 
  Enemy Ship i s  larger than attacking ship. . . . . . . . . . . . . + I  
  Firing in Fog or a Storm . . . . . . . , , . . . . . . . . . . . . . -3 
  Enemy Ship has a higher Handling than attacking ship. . . . . -1 
  A roll of 1 to hit indicates a Critical Hit (double all damage done). 
  A roll of 20 t o  hit indicates that one gun (determine which randomly) 
  has exploded aboard the attacking ship, and that i t s  crew i s  killed (three 
  men t o  a long gun, four t o  a cannon royal). 
  The damage done by a successful volley of cannon fire is determined 
  by two factors. a roll on 3D6, and the firepower of the battery firing. 
  Firepower i s  determined as shown below. 
  Firepower = (the No of long guns in the battery x .1) + (the No. of 
  cannon royal in the battery x .15) 
  Thus the firepower of a broadside battery of a ship with ten long 
  guns and two cannon royal per side would be (10 x .1) + (2 x .15) = 1.3 
  When a battery hits, it does i t s  firepower x 3D6 in damage t o  either 
  the Hull or Rigging of the enemy ship, depending upon aim. If grape- 
  shot was fired at Close Range, assume t h a t  the damage done i s  the 
  number of men in the enemy crew (on deck) killed. 
  The effects of damage are simple. For every ten points of damage 
  t o  the Hull, a gun and i t s  crew are destroyed. When the amount of 
  damage t o  the Hull exceeds half of i t s  normal Hit Points, the ship loses 
  one point of Handling and starts taking on water. When a Hull's Hit 
  Points are reduced t o  0, the ship sinks (the men on board have two 
  turns t o  get away). 
  For every five points of damage to the Rigging, a man on Sail duty 
  i s  killed. When the amount of damage t o  the Rigging exceeds half of 
  i t s  normal Hit Points, the ship loses half of i t s  Speed, and may only 
  roll I D 6  in chases, for Evading or Bearing Down. When Rigging Hit 
  Points are reduced to 0, the ship i s  crippled, and rnay not move (al- 
  though it may s t i l l  Circle, with -5 t o  i t s  Handling). 
  6.4.7 Grappling and Boarding Melee 
  When two ships reach Close Range, one or both may attempt to 
  grapple the other (i.e. secure the two ships together to facilitate boar- 
  ding). This takes place before cannon fire, and a ship which has been 
  grappled may only fire into the enemy Hull. An enemy who fails to 
  grapple, however, in the face of a broadside of grapeshot, i s  in serious 
  trouble. The chance of grappling each turn i s  based on the relative 
  sizes of the two ships. Roll a D6 and consult the table below: 
  Size Relationship 
  Chance of Grappling 
  Grappling ship is 
  Smaller 
  roll of 5 or 6 
  Grappling ship i s  
  the Same Size 
  roll of 4, 5, or 6 
  Once an enemy ship has been grappled, boarders (led by the ship's 
  Master-at-Arms) may swarm aboard, A t  this point it i s  necessary to 
  determine how many Trained Fighters are in each crew, as shown 
  below: 
  0 1 /4 of a Merchantman Crew are Trained Fighters 
  0 1 /3 of a Navy Ship or Privateer Crew are Trained Fighters 
  0 1 /2 of any English or Dutch Crew are Trained Fighters 
  0 All Pirates are Trained Fighters 
  0 All Marines are Trained Fighters 
  0 All of a ship's Officers are Trained Figbters 
  A boarding party may only be made up of Trained Fighters. 
  At the start of boarding, both ships may fire pont guns (if there 
  are men to fire them) and muskets, Only Marines and men specially 
  armed will have muskets. Roll I D 6  for each pont gun and musket on 
  both sides. Each roll of 5 or 6 (for a pont gun) or 6 (for a musket) 
  indicates an enemy Trained Fighter i s  killed. 
  After musket fire, individual pistols rnay be fired as boarders and 
  defenders reach close quarters. All of a ship's Officers, and one fifth 
  of all other Trained Fighters will normally be armed with pistols. Roll 
  a D6 for each pistol on both sides, as for pont guns and muskets. For 
  each roll of 6 with pistols, an enemy Trained Fighter i s  killed. 
  After grappling and initial gunfire, if the Trained Fighters of one 
  one side on deck are outnumbered by three t o  one or more, they will 
  surrender. Even if there are more men below decks, the fighters on 
  deck will surrender at three to one. This is because men rushing up 
  from the hold or gun decks may be easily slaughtered by an enemy with 
  such superior numbers. Boarders who are outnumbered three to one 
  will retreat back t o  their own ship (which may be boarded in turn by 
  the late defenders). If neither side i s  outnumbered, a hand-to-hand 
  melee ensues. Roll a D6 each turn for every two Trained Fighters, 
  and every five normal sailors and untrained fighters, on both sides. 
  Each roll of 6 indicates that an enemy Trained Fighter i s  killed. If, at 
  the end of any turn, the Trained Fighters on one side are outnumbered 
  by three to one or more, they will surrender. Men from below decks 
  (those assigned to Gunnery) may be brought up to the top deck as 
  reinforcements i n  a boarding melee a t  a rate of one third of the gunnery 
  men per turn (a ship preparing to board may wish to bring these men 
  up before boarding even begins). 
  Grappled ships fighting a boarding melee are effectively immobile 
  and indefensible to other ships. Any ship Circling nearby may loose 
  a broadside on them with a +3 to hit, but must divide the damage 
  equally between the grappled ships. After boarding melee has ended, 
  ships may be ungrappled in one turn. 
  6.4.8 Special Situations 
  ship combat: 
  The following special situations may present themselves in normal 
  
  21 
  FORTS 
  Commonly. coastal towns were protected from enemy raiders 
  and bombardments by forts and fortresses bristling with guns. Forts 
  may be dealt with in ship combat assuming they are immobile, and may 
  fire their full battery every turn. To be destroyed, a fort must be re- 
  duced to 0 Hit Points. Statistics for normal forts are provided below: 
  Tvee 
  Gun Batterv 
  Hit Points 
  Normal Garrison 
  .. 
  Log Fort 
  12 Long Guns 
  35 
  42 Gunnery 
  8 Fighters 
  Earthworks 
  20 Lona GJns 
  50 
  70 Gunnerv 
  (favorite protection built by Pirates) 
  4 Officers 
  Embankment (built by-Pirates) 
  7 Officer's 
  16 Fiahters 
  Medium Fort 
  36 Long Guns 
  80 
  120 Gunnery 
  12 Officers 
  40 Marines 
  Large Fort 
  48 Long Guns 
  100 
  168 Gunnery 
  16 Officers 
  60 Marines 
  Only ships with shallow drafts may approach within Short or 
  Close Range of a Fort. A Fort rnay be automatically 'boarded' when 
  a ship comes within Close Range. All shots aimed at a fort get +2 t o  
  hit (due to the size and immobility of forts), but shots from a fort 
  get +I t o  hit as well (due t o  the relative stability o f  fort gun platforms). 
  BOMBARDMENTS 
  Ships at sea may bombard defenseless towns for ransoms. This was 
  a common practice of Pirates and Privateers who wanted a town's 
  booty, but dared ont fight land engagements A coastal town will 
  nearly always be guarded by a fort. Once this is destroyed, the town 
  may be freely bombarded. Shots directed at a town will always hit (a 
  whole town is an easy target). After 200 points of damage have been 
  caused b y  bombardment, the town will surrender, and give up its 
  wealth. A town of average size may have one or two cannon itself, 
  which will fire back at the attackers in the harbor, at the equivalent 
  of Medium Range, until the town surrenders. 
  LARGE BATTLES 
  Battles between more than three ships may be difficult for the 
  Gamemaster to handle I n  order t o  run a large ship combat situation, 
  use the following rules and guidelines 
  (1 1 If possible, split the battle into a number of smaller combats, 
  which may be played out normally. 
  (2) Keep track of each ship's distance from each other ship, Re- 
  member that the Evade tactic is directed against all other ships 
  (i.e. an Evading ship i s  trying t o  escape from everyone) whereas the 
  Bear Down tactic is directed against one particular ship (i.e. a ship 
  Bearing Down is closing on a specific target). The Circle tactic may 
  be used against two enemy ships at most. 
  (3) A ship must remain within sighting distance of at least one other 
  ship involved in the combat t o  stay in the battle. A ship out of sighting 
  range of one ship may 'catch up' t o  sighting range with any other ship 
  in the combat in one turn. For example, a Corsair which has lost sight 
  of a Merchantman (Le. has moved past Far Range) could still catch 
  up t o  Far Range in one turn, provided she i s  still within sighting range 
  of another ship (nearby the Merchantman). 
  More detailed tactical rules are particularly recommended when 
  dealing with large Naval Battles. 
  HEROIC ACTIONS IN MELEE 
  In boarding melee, player-characters should not be subjected t o  the 
  normal brawl and chaos, and should not be counted among those 
  killed b y  gunfire and melee combat. Player-characters in boarding 
  melee should be forced t o  fight, using the personal combat rules. As- 
  sume that one enemy will engage a player-character in combat every 
  turn (once every five normal personal combat turns) if he i s  not already 
  engaged. In addition, player-characters may attempt to perform Heroic 
  Actions, as detailed below. 
  (1) Cut Sails and Rigging: A player-character rnay climb up into 
  the rigging and cut down various sails and pieces of rigging t o  crush 
  enemy crewmen and further confuse the boarding melee. To get t o  a 
  likely sail, the character must spend two turns (two combat turns) 
  climbing up, and he must fight two enemy sailors. A roll on Luck is 
  required, once he cuts the sail, t o  do a good job. If the roll is success- 
  ful, 1 D6 enemy sailors on deck will be crushed and enveloped in the 
  falling canvas. I f  the Luck roll fails, one t o  three (roll a D6 and divide 
  by two) sailors on each side will be crushed. 
  (2) 
  Light Ship's Magazine: In a desperate boarding melee, a player- 
  character may go below to light the ship's magazine (i.e. self-destruct) 
  the ship and the one boarding it) or to douse the fuse (if another 
  player-character has already lit one). The character must fight his way 
  through a man on deck, and a gunner below decks, and climb down 
  into the hold for one turn. After this, he may light a fuse, allowing 
  four t o  ten turns before the ship goes up. If a fuse has already been 
  lit, he rnay douse it. Returning t o  deck and abandoning the ship will 
  take at least three turns (more i f  something goes wrong). Each ton of 
  powder and shot i n  the magazine will do 3D6 points of damage t o  the 
  Hull of i t s  ship. and 2D6 points of damage t o  the Hulls of any other 
  ships grappled t o  her. 
  
  22 
  (3) Ungrapple: In the middle of a boarding melee, a player-character 
  mav attemot t o  cut the qramles holdinq the two ships toqether. He 
  when the ships are ungrappled remain where they are (some may try 
  t o  swim back if the fight turns against them). 
  mukt get into the thick ofihe fight, and must fight an enemyeach turn. 
  If he has at least one free combat turn out of every five, he may cut 
  one grapple. After three grapples are cut, the ships will start to drift 
  apart. The enemy ship may make one attempt t o  regrapple before 
  the ships drift to Short Range, Enemy boarders aboard either ship 
  Performing an Heroic Action (successfully) will earn a player- 
  character an extra share of the booty (aboard a Pirate or Privateer) 
  O r  a bonus wward of 2D6 X 20 Livres (aboard a Merchantman Or a 
  Warship) if his side wins. 
  6.4.9 Ship Combat Example 
  Although fairly simple, the High Seas ship combat system may 
  seem confusing at first. The example in this section is designed t o  
  illustrate and clarify the rules. 
  Let us return t o  the two player-characters, Jean-Pierre and Al- 
  bert, mentioned in the example in section 6.3. After her successful 
  voyage to France, The Pride of Dominica i s  outfitted and laden 
  for her journey home. She leaves Nantes on a good wind. After the 
  first week, the Gamemaster rolls a 6, indicating an encounter. 
  Next, he rolls a 23, indicating two lightly armed Pirate Corsairs. 
  It is determined that the first of these, the Revenge, carries eight 
  guns (four on each side) and a crew of sixty. The second Pirate 
  vessel, Infernal Fancy, carries six guns (three on each side) and a 
  crew of forty-five. As mentioned earlier, the Pride carries eight 
  long guns on each side and two stern guns, along with two pont 
  guns per side. 
  Sighting on the first turn i s  at Far Range. Jean-Pierre and Al- 
  bert, looking through telescopes, detect an odd look about the two 
  Corsairs, and hazard a guess that they are Pirates. They order the 
  Captain t o  Evade post haste. Both Corsairs choose t o  Bear Down 
  on the Pride. The Captains of all three ships attempt to make a 
  Brilliant Maneuver. All three fail with rolls of 12, 8, and 17. Al- 
  bert, because he is a player-character and First Mate, and has Strat- 
  egy skill, may also attempt the roll. He fails with a roll of 13. For 
  the chase, the Pride rolls a 4 (+ a Speed of 3 = 7). The Revenge 
  rolls an 9 (+ a Speed of 4 = 13). and the Fancy rolls an 8 (+ a 
  Speed of 4 = 12). This indicates that both Corsairs gain on the 
  Pride, to Long Range. A t  the end of the turn, guns may be fired. 
  The Corsairs have no chasers, so they may not fire. The Pride 
  may only fire i t s  stern battery. The Captain chooses t o  aim for the 
  Hull of the Revenge. A roll of 5 or less (normal 6 or less, -1 be- 
  cause the Corsair has a better Handling than the Merchantman) 
  is necessary to hit, on a 020. The players roll an 11, indicating 
  a miss. 
  On the second turn, the Pride Evades, and both Corsairs Bear 
  Down again. All Captains (and Albert) roll for and fail t o  make 
  Brilliant Maneuvers. For the chase, the Pride rolls a 7 (+3 = 10). 
  The Revenge rolls a 9 (+4 = 13) and the Fancy rolls a 6 (+4 = 10). 
  This time, the Revenge has closed to Medium Range, but the Fancy 
  is unable to keep up and remains a t  Long Range. No cannon are 
  fired this turn, as the Pride must reload i t s  stern battery. 
  On the third turn, Jean-Pierre and Albert decide that they're 
  tired of running away, and order the Captain of the Pride to Circle, 
  Both Corsairs, not suspecting the Merchantman's new strategy, 
  Bear Down as before The range automatically decreases to Short 
  (between the Pude and the Revenge) and Medium(between the 
  Prlde and the Fance). The Pride now attempts t o  outmaneuver 
  both enemies, with a roll of 9 (+ a Handling of 2 = 11 ). The Re- 
  venge rolls a 4 (+ a Handling of 4 = 8) and i s  exposed to a broad- 
  side with no chance of returning fire, The Fancy 0% the other hand, 
  rolls a 7 (+4 = 11 ), indicating that she i s  able t o  exchange broad- 
  sides with the Pride. The Pride aims for the Hull of each ship, and 
  needs a 13 (to hit the Revenge) and a 9 (to hit the Fancy). The 
  players roll a 4 and an 11, indicating a hit on the Revenge and a 
  miss on the Fancy. Damage to the Hull of the Revenge equals the 
  Pride's broadside firepower (9 long guns x .1 = .9) 
  times a roll of 
  15 on 3D6. This comes out t o  13.5 (rounded up to 14) points of 
  damage. This means that one gun and i t s  crew are destroyed, and 
  the Revenge also loses 1 point of Handling, The Revenge still has 
  11 Hull Hit Points. Now the Fancy may fire upon the Pnde. The 
  Captain of the Fancy aims for the rigging, and needs a 9 or less 
  t o  hit (normal 8, +1 because the Pride is a larger ship). The Game- 
  master rolls a 6, indicating a hit. Damage to the Pride's Rigging 
  Hit Points equals the Fancy's broadside firepower (3 guns x .1 
  = .3) x a roll of 13 on 3D6. This i s  rounded up to 4 points of dam- 
  age. 
  On the fourth turn, the Pride Evades, and both Corsairs Bear 
  Down. The Captains fail to make Brilliant Maneuvers, but Albert 
  succeeds with a roll of 4. For the chase, the Pride rolls a 10 (+ 3 
  for Speed, +3 for the Brilliant Maneuver = 16). The Revenge rolls 
  a 12 (+4 = 16) indicating that she i s  s t i l l  at Short Range. The Fancy 
  rolls a 6 (+4 = 10) indicating that she falls behind to Long Range. 
  The Pride may fire its stern guns, and chooses the Revenge as a 
  target. The players aim for the hull, and roll a 7, indicating a hit. 
  Firepower from the stern guns i s  .2; multiplied by a roll of 11 on 
  3D6, which means that the Revenge takes two more points of 
  damage t o  i t s  Hull. 
  On the fifth turn, the Pride Circles, and attempts t o  make 
  Hard Turns (to add 2 to Handling), while both Corsairs Bear Down. 
  Range automatically closes t o  Close Range between the Pride and 
  the Revenge, and Medium Range between the Pride and the Fancy. 
  The Pride rolls first to see i f  i t s  rudder is damaged in Hard Turns: 
  a roll of 4 means that it isn't damaged. Now the Pnde may attempt 
  t o  outmaneuver i t s  opponents again. The Prlde rolls a 9 (+2 Hand- 
  ling, +2 for Hard Turns = 13); the Revenge rolls a 6 (+4 Handling, 
  -1 for damage to Hull = 9); the Fancy rolls an 8 (+4 = 12). This 
  turn, the Pride has managed to get broadsides into both enemy 
  ships. The Revenge, because she has closed t o  Close Range, also 
  gets a broadside at the Pride. Before cannon fire occurs, however, 
  the Revenge gets a chance to grapple and board. The crew is un- 
  successful in grappling, however, as indicated by a roll of 4. The 
  Pride now aims for the Hulls of both Corsairs, automatically hitting 
  the Revenge, and rolling a 12 against the Fancy, indicating a miss. 
  Damage against the Revenge equals .9 x a roll of 12 on 3D6, or 11 
  points. This i s  more than the Hull of the Revenge can take, and she 
  starts to sink (the men aboard will have two turns to escape). Be- 
  fore going under, however, she fires her Broadsige at the Pride's 
  rigging, and hits with a roll of 18 This hit causes .4 x a roll of 11 
  on 3D6, or 4 points of damage. 
  On the sixth turn, the Pride decides to Evade, and the Fancy 
  Beard Down, The Pride also Wets Sails, t o  try to pick up a little 
  extra Speed. The Gamemaster rolls a 6, however, indicating that 
  this tactic has caused I D 6  points of damage to the Rigging (the 
  Gamemaster rolls a 5 for damage t o  the Rigging). This total damage 
  i s  too much for the Pride's rigging, and she i s  reduced to half Speed. 
  For the chase, she rolls a 4 (+2 for new Speed, +2 for Wet Sails = 
  8). while the Fancy rolls a 6 (+4 = I O ) .  Range closes t o  Short 
  Range between the ships. The stern guns o f  the Prlde miss the 
  Fancy with a roll of 16. 
  On the seventh turn, it is obvious that the Pride cannot outrun 
  the Fancy, so she Circles, while the Fancy Bears Down to Close 
  Range. A t  the beginning of the turn, the Captain of the Fancy 
  orders all men below decks (twenty-three men on his ship) to ab- 
  andon their guns, and start coming up to the deck for boarding 
  
  23 
  (eight of them will ascend this turn). The Pride automatically 
  gets a broadside, but not before the Fancy attempts t o  grapple. 
  A roll of 5 indicates that the Pride i s  successfully grappled, and 
  Pirate boarders start to swarm aboard. 
  A t  this point, the various melee fighting strengths o f  the two 
  ships must be determined. There are thirty Pirates above decks, 
  who may board the Pride. Another fifteen are on their way up from 
  the Fancy’s gun decks, and eight will enter the fight next turn. 
  All of the Pirates are assumed t o  be Trained Fighters. There are 
  twenty-two men on the deck of the Pride. Of these, the five Of- 
  ficers, one quarter of the normal crew (or four men in this case), 
  and Albert and Jean-Pierre are assumed to be Trained Fighters 
  (for a total of eleven Trained Fighters on deck). Below, the Pride 
  has sixty five men manning the guns, nineteen of whom are also 
  Trained Fighters. These men will ascend at a rate of twenty-two 
  per turn. 
  As the boarders first rush aboard, musket fire occurs. Jean- 
  Pierre has a musket, and the Pride has two pont guns. Jean-Pierre 
  kills one enemy with a roll of 6, but both pont guns miss. Now 
  comes pistol fire. The Officers, player-characters and one fifth o f  
  the other Trained Fighters on both ships are armed with pistols. 
  This means that the Pride gets eight shots, and the Pirates get 
  eleven shots. In the ensuing hail of pistol shots, t w o  Pirates and 
  three Trained Fighters aboard the Pride are killed simultaneously, 
  with rolls of 6. Unfortunately, the Pirates now outnumber the 
  Pride’s Trained Fighters by 27 t o  8. Because this i s  greater than a 
  3:l ratio, the Captain and crew of the Pride surrender. The re- 
  maining Trained Fighters aboard, although not outnumbered by 
  the same odds, are still below decks, and unable t o  aid in the melee 
  in time. The heroic player-characters, Albert and Jean-Pierre, are 
  delivered over into Pirate hands. Their escape or ransom will begin 
  a new adventure. 
  1 PORT ROYAL HARBOR 
  Hellsfire Point 
  Onebush Key \ 
  -Drunkenman’s 
  Key 
  ison Fort H
  e
  J
  a
  m
  e
  s
   
  Fort 
  
  24 
  Tcavenger Hlaughtey 
  INTRODUCTION 
  Scavenger's Daughter i s  a short campaign of three adventures de- 
  signed for either High Seas or French-born Flashing Blades characters. 
  The campaign starts with several Flashing Blades characters being sent 
  by the French Crown with a secret message for the Colonial Governor 
  of Martinique. On their way, their ship i s  taken by a band of marauding 
  pirates. They are forced to join the pirates (who are short of hands) 
  in the hopes of being able to escape and deliver their message as soon 
  as possible, Other player-characters (those from High Seas) rnay enter 
  the campaign in one of two ways: they may start as part of the pirate 
  crew, or they rnay b e  shang-haied along with the French-born charac- 
  ters. 
  Once the player-characters are all recruited or captured, they may 
  share a series of Pirate adventures with the crew of the Scavenger's 
  Daughter. The first of these, Pike's Trove, i s  a classic pirate treasure 
  hunt on a desert island. The second, Guede-Je-Rouge, involves the evil 
  Voodoo practices of a plantation owner on French Hispaniola. The 
  final adventure of this campaign, Portobelo, is a spy mission, in which 
  the player-characters must discover Spanish mule train schedules, 
  before the Spanish discover them. 
  A t  the end of the three adventures in Scavenger's Daughter, the 
  player-characters will be given a chance to leave the pirates, and go t o  
  Martinique. Characters who help to deliver the secret message from the 
  King will, of course, be pardoned for their short Pirate careers. Char- 
  acters who choose not t o  leave, may stay aboard the Scavenger's 
  Daughter, and continue to have pirate adventures. 
  THE SECRET MESSAGE 
  All player-characters starting in France will be asked to take a secret 
  message to the Colonial Governor of Martinique. The mission will be 
  revealed t o  them in the following ways. 
  Characters who have powerful patrons or contacts will be called 
  for an interview. The patron will hand each character an envelope, 
  edged with gold leaf, and bearing the royal seal. The patron will 
  instruct the characters to open their envelopes a t  their convenience, 
  after leaving his (or her) company. The letter enclosed in each en- 
  velope reads as follows. 
  'Honorable Gentleman Adventurer, 
  Your loyalty to your esteemed patron, and your obvious ac- 
  climation to situations o f  danger have n o t  escaped the notice of 
  your Royal Sovereign. A mission o f  great importance, and requiring 
  the utmost secrecy, has presented itself. If you wish to honor 
  yourself and your King, attend upon us at the Palais-Royal tomor- 
  row, a t  8 o%lock in the morning Reveal this letter to m y  private 
  steward, as proof o f  your identity.' 
  The letter i s  signed only with the royal seal. 
  Characters in the Bureaucracy or Military will be called into 
  the offices of their direct superiors. They will be handed similar 
  envelopes, edged with gold leaf, and bearing the royal seal. Inside 
  each will be found a copy of the letter shown below: 
  'To Our Loyal Servant, 
  You serve your King's institutions, and thus, you serve your 
  King. We would wish your personal services presently, in a matter 
  o f  great importance and secrecy. Attend upon our Royal presence 
  a t  the Palais-Royal tomorrow, at 8 o%lock in the morning. Reveal 
  this letter to our private steward, as proof o f  your identity.' 
  Again, the letter is signed with the royal seal. 
  b 
  Finally, those characters who do not receive copies of the two 
  letters above will receive a different letter. This letter should be 
  dramatically hidden by the Gamemaster (e.9. a Priest might find 
  it in his bible, a Rogue might find it placed among his thievery 
  tools, etc.). Copies of the third letter should read as follows: 
  'To Our Grateful Subject, 
  Your talents have n o t  escaped the watchful eyes o f  your King. 
  N o w  we require you to use those talents in our service. We request 
  your aid in a matter o f  great importance and secrecy, To serve your 
  Sovereign with honor, attend upon us at the Palais-Royal tomorrow, 
  at 8 o'clock in the morning. Reveal this letter to our private steward 
  as proof o f  your identity.' 
  Again, the letter is signed with the royal seal. 
  THE APPOINTMENT 
  The next morning, when the player-characters show up at the 
  Palais-Royal, the guards will stop them, and question them about 
  their business. Before the characters can answer, however, a short 
  hatchet-faced man, wearing the outfit of a royal steward, will step 
  forward, whisper something t o  the guards, and motion the characters 
  to come forward, After checking that each bears a royal letter, the 
  steward will lead the group down several ornate hallways, and then 
  through a short hidden passageway. The characters will find themselves 
  in an oak-paneled study, with large drapes covering the windows, lit 
  only by candles, The little steward will then retire, leaving the party 
  alone in the room. 
  A few minutes will be allowed for the characters t o  get to know 
  each other (if they don't already). Then, the steward will return, and 
  draw a veil-like curtain across the room, obscuring one end. After he 
  withdraws again, a shadow will be seen behind the curtain - a shadow 
  not unlike the silhouette of the King! As the characters watch the 
  shadow, it will begin t o  speak: 
  'Have you all determined to serve your monarch, in this mission 
  o f  utmost secrecy?' When the characters voice their assent, he will 
  cbntinue, 'Very well then, we require that you make a longjourney, 
  to our colony o f  Martinique, in the New World. You must deliver 
  a letter which cannot be sent through normal channels to our Col- 
  onial Governor on that island. Here is the letter,' a delicate royal 
  hand will reach through the veil to hand the party a n  envelope of 
  thick parchment, bearing the royal seal, 'and here IS m y  ring,' the 
  hand extends again, bearing a gold ring with the royal Bourbon 
  arms emblazoned upon it. 'Show thls to obtain an audience with 
  the Governor.' 
  'All o f  the arrangements have been made, and here are your 
  detailed instructions. Prepare for your voyage, and then travel to 
  Le Havre. You will meet a Merchantman there, calledle Chameau, 
  whlch has been commissioned to take wages to our troops gar- 
  risoned in the Antilles. Your passages have been purchased, and 
  Martinique will be Le Chameau's first stop. When you get there, 
  deliver the letter to the Governor. The letter also instructs him to 
  purchase passage back to France for all o f  you. Now. go and per- 
  form your mission honorably; prove yourselves worthy of your 
  King's trust!' 
  With this, the shadow behind the veil will disappear, 
  and the party will be led out of the palace by the King's steward. 
  THE LAST VOYAGE OF LE CHAMEAU 
  It will take the party a few days to prepare for the journey, and 
  about two days t o  travel t o  Le Havre by carriage or on horseback. The 
  Gamemaster should have the characters decide who will carry the sec- 
  ret message and who will carry the ring, along with how they plan to 
  
  guard these precious items. 
  Le Chameau i s  a well-armed Merchantman in good repair As soon 
  as the Captain has taken the player-characters aboard, he will sail on 
  the tide If there are any Sailor player-characters in the game, the 
  Gamemaster may make them members of the crew of Le Chameau. The 
  Gamemaster could also place Colonial Soldiers (returning t o  their 
  garrisons after leave in France) and Colonial Gentlemen (perhaps 
  returning t o  the colonies after their education i n  France) aboard. 
  This would allow colonial characters and French-born Flashlng Blades 
  characters t o  mix early in the campaign. 
  If the characters who bear the secret message become curious as 
  t o  i t s  contents, they may wish to open it during the voyage. Of course, 
  opening the envelope means breaking the seal, but a character with 
  Forgery skill may reconstruct the seal if he can make a successful roll 
  against Wit or Luck (player's choice). The letter inside i s  in code. The 
  code may be broken in a week by any character with Espionage skill 
  who can make a successful roll against Wit. The decoded message 
  reads as follows 
  'By Order of your King and Sovereign, 
  Ready and prepare fleet for encounter off the Gulf of Florida. 
  Assume Naval Command, and rendezvous with the Hispaniola 
  fleet. 
  Provide passage back to France for the bearers of this message. 
  Let them know nothing of its contents. 
  By m y  own hand, (the royal seal)' 
  French-born characters will be able t o  make little of this message. 
  Colonial characters, however, if allowed t o  see the message, will im- 
  mediately divine i t s  greater significance. The King i s  ordering a prep- 
  aration of naval fleets to sail to the Gulf of Florida and intercept the 
  Spanish Treasure Fleet (bearing the year's spoils from the New World), 
  Of course, characters will be able t o  do little about such malor military 
  plans, but they may be interested t o  know about them, 
  The voyage from Le Havre t o  Martinique i s  projected to take about 
  six weeks. This will be Cut short, however, in the fifth week when a 
  sleek Corsair will be sighted at Far Range. 
  As the player-characters watch on deck, the Captain of Le Chameau 
  will attempt t o  Evade. The Corsair, however, will continue to gain 
  ground The stern guns o f  Le Chameau will fire twice, but miss both 
  times, as the Corsair closes t o  Short Range. A t  this point, the Corsair 
  will raise her colors. a blood-red Jolly Roger with crossed swords be- 
  low This is the flag of the dreaded Scottish Pirate 'Smilin" Jack Mac- 
  Gregor, and at the sight of it (and the hoards of pirates swarming on 
  the Corsair's deck), the Captain of Le Chameau will lay t o  and sur- 
  render, 
  As the Corsair closes t o  board Le Chameau, her name will become 
  visible on the side. It is The Scavenger's Daughter. When grapples have 
  secured Le Chameau, a number of fearsome pirates will leap aboard t o  
  disarm the crew members (and the player-characters). If the player- 
  characters resist, the Gamemaster should warn them that they are 
  vastly outnumbered. If they s t i l l  insist on fighting, the pirates will 
  subdue them, and take them prisoner. 
  Once Le Chameau has been disarmed, Smilin' Jack himself will 
  come aboard. He is a tall, lean man with twin scars on either cheek 
  extending from the corners of his mouth. These curious wounds lend 
  him his nickname. As he boards, his pirates will discover Le Chameau's 
  cargo of garrison wages (in silver bullion). Smilin' Jack will introduce 
  himself courteously, i n  passable French, and say t o  the crew and pas- 
  sengers of Le Chameau : 'Well lads, I'll give you two choices. I'm a wee 
  bit short 0' hands on Scavenger's Daughter, the men you sawwdeck 
  were only my normal Gunnery crew, so any of you who would like 
  to become 'gentlemen of fortune' may join my band and sign my 
  Articles if you wish. Those who would rather die in their beds may be 
  set adrift in the jolly boats, though I can't promise you won't land on 
  a Spanish island!' 
  This, of course, offers the player-characters one viable course of 
  action: joining the crew of the Scavenger's Daughter. The characters 
  bearing the secret letter especially cannot take the risk of being cap- 
  tured by the Spaniards. They must join the Pirate crew i n  the hopes 
  of escaping quickly and traveling t o  Martinique. t o  deliver the message. 
  Most of the crew of Le Chameau will choose to board the ship's four 
  jolly boats, hoping t o  land on French Colonial shores. After the silver 
  bullion is transferred t o  the Scavenger's Daughter, and the jolly boats 
  are set adrift, Smilin' Jack will light a fuse t o  Le Chameau's magazine, 
  The crew of the Scavengers Daughter will cheer (after retreating t o  
  a safe distance) as Le Chameau explodes into matchwood. 
  THE SCAVENGER'S DAUGHTER 
  The Scavenger's Daughter i s  an excellent Pirate vessel. It has a 
  Streamlined Corsair design (Speed 5, Handling 4, Size 1) with a rein- 
  forced Hull and Rigging structure (28 Hull Hit Points, 18 Rigging Hit 
  Points). She carries eight long guns o n  each side, as well as two stern 
  guns and two chasers. A pont gun is fixed on each side of the Corsair, 
  and there are two jolly boats (each armed with i t s  own pont gun). 
  The ship's magazine contains three tons of powder and shot. The 
  cargo hold contains one ton of supplies, four tons of silver bullion 
  (from Le Chameau). The crew includes fifty-two men o n  Gunnery 
  duty, twelve on Sail, and four on Helm (not including officers). 
  After sinking Le Chameau, the Scavenger's Daughter will head 
  back towards Port Royal, that notorious Pirate den on British Jamaica. 
  The journey will take about fifteen days. allowing the player-char- 
  acters to become accustomed to life at sea, and giving them a chance 
  
  26 
  t o  meet the cast of odd non-player characters aboard the ship. The 
  Gamemaster may roll for encounters, but assume that the Scavenger's 
  Daughter will evade everything she meets (after all, her hold is filled 
  with booty). High Seas characters of the Pirate or Rogue background 
  rnay wish t o  start as members of Smilin' Jack's crew, or they rnay sign 
  on when the ship reaches Port Royal. They should be given a chance 
  t o  meet and introduce themselves to the French-born playercharacters 
  who volunteered after the capture of Le Chaqeau. 
  The player-characters from L e  Charneau who 'volunteer' must sign 
  the Articles of the Scavenger's Daughter. These are normal Pirate 
  Articles, allowing for normal shares of the booty (Cap'n MacGregor 
  gets six shares). In the first fifteen days, the new recruits will learn 
  enough Seamanship to serve as men on Sail duty. By the end of the 
  campaign, they will have fully learned the skill, and may write it on 
  their character sheets. The player-characters rnay learn t o  basically 
  communicate in the Pirate Patois i n  the first fifteen days. Each time 
  they wish t o  use it during the campaign, they must roll against their 
  Wits to understand or t o  make themselves understood. By the end o f  
  the campaign, the player-characters will be fluent in the Patois. 
  The officers and main cast of the Scavenger's Daughter are listed 
  below. As Scavenger's Daughter i s  a campaign, the Gamemaster should 
  develop the personalities of the non-player characters as the three ad- 
  ventures unfold. Some may become close friends and comrades (they 
  rnay even be told of the secret document), while others may become 
  enemies, who may try to betray the player-characters in the Portobello 
  adventure. 
  Smilin' Jack MacGregor i s  the Captain of the Scavenger's Daughter. 
  He is a weathered Scotsman, about forty years old. He is good natured 
  and fair, although he has a Ruthlessness Rating of 12, he allows his 
  ship t o  be run as a democracy. There are many mysteries about this 
  man, such as the origin of his odd scars, which he will only reveal t o  
  loyal and friendly characters. Cap'n MacGregor hates the word 'Pirate,' 
  preferring the term 'Gentleman of Fortune.' He is rarely seen without 
  his faded blue long coat, a cutlass, a pair of wheellock pistols, and 
  Cap'n Crocky, his parrot. Cap'n Crocky can repeat a few simple phrases 
  (such as 'All hands on deck!' and 'Pieces of Eight'). It i s  rumored 
  among the crew that Cap'n Crocky repeats what he hears the crew 
  saying to Smilin' Jack at night. 
  Smilin' Jack has the following attributes: Strength 14, Dexterity 
  17, Endurance 13, Wit 17, Charm 14, and Luck 19. He has 16 Hit 
  Points and wears only light padded armor. He has Expertise 20 with 
  cutlasses, and Expertise 14 with pistols. He is a Master in Seamanship, 
  Captaincy, and Strategy. He also possesses the following skills: Ac- 
  robatics, Carousing, Fine Manipulation, and Pilot. He can speak French, 
  Spanish and the Pirate Patois. He can read and write in English. 
  Peter Dark is the Ship's Pilot aboard the Scavenger's Daughter. He 
  is a self-educated and self-assured man who escaped slavery as a boy. 
  He is friendly, and speaks French with a good accent, He will become 
  a friend of the player-characters aboard. If he finds one who is par- 
  ticularly bright (Wit 16+), he rnay take him on as his Pilot's Mate. 
  If the character does not have Pilot skill, he will learn it by the end of 
  the campaign, as Peter's apprentice. 
  Peter has the following attributes: Strength 11, Dexterity 14, En- 
  durance 15, Wit 19, Charm 17, and Luck 15. He has 14 Hit Points, 
  and wears only a leather jerkin and boots as armor. He has Expertise 
  15 with longswords and daggers. He i s  a Master Pilot and Seaman. 
  His other skills include Bargaining, Captaincy, Etiquette, Fine Man- 
  ipulation, History, Oratory, and Stealth. He speaks Caribe, the Pirate 
  Patois and several West African dialects. He is literate in French and 
  English, 
  Thievin' Dick is the ship's First Officer, He i s  pleasant enough, 
  but always in debt at one port or another, due t o  his compulsive 
  gambling habit. He is perpetually trying to borrow money from other 
  crew members (the old hands have all learned not to give him a sou). 
  Thievin' Dick has the following attributes: Strength 12. Dexterity 
  13, Endurance 8, Wit 12, Charm 13, Luck 6. His skills include Bar- 
  gaining, Bribery, Captaincy, Carousing, Gambling and Seamanship. 
  Dick is a 'shy' fighter, with only 9 Hit Points, and Expertise 12 with 
  cutlasses. He speaks only English and the Pirate Patois, and is illiterate. 
  'Dangler' is the ship's Sailmaster. He is an eccentric and solitary 
  fellow. He earned his name by once surviving a hanging. His neck s t i l l  
  bears a rope-burn scar, and has a funny, stretched look about it. He 
  spends most of his time in the ship's rigging. 
  Dangler has the following attributes: Strength 12, Dexterity 17, 
  Endurance 16, Wit 12, Charm 8, and Luck 19. He favors a hand axe 
  in combat (Expertise 16) and has 17 Hit Points (no armor). Dangler 
  is a Master i n  Seamanship and Acrobatics skills. His other skills include 
  Carousing, Fine Manipulation, Stealth and Strategy. He speaks English, 
  Spanish, and the Pirate Patois. 
  Hairy Jim is the First Mate of the Scavenger's Daughter. He is a 
  huge (and indeed hairy) Englishman. He's not too bright, or sociable, 
  but he's fiercely loyal t o  Cap'n MacGregor. 
  Hairy Jim has the following attributes: Strength 18, Dexterity 9, 
  Endurance 17, Wit 8, Charm 7, and Luck 9. He has 18 Hit Points 
  and wears a leather jerkin for armor. He has Expertise 14 with fighting 
  irons (his favorite weapon). He is a Master Seaman. His other skills 
  include Captaincy, Carousing, and Gambling. He speaks only English 
  and the Pirate Patois, and is (barely) literate. 
  Toad Morgan is the Chief Gunner aboard the Scavenger's Daughter. 
  He i s  a dour Welshman who is going a bit deaf from the roar of his 
  cannon. If he likes one of the newly recruited player-characters (the 
  character with the highest Luck may roll t o  see if Toad likes him) he 
  will start t o  train him in Gunnery skill. Any character with Artillery 
  skill may learn Gunnery on the trip t o  Port Royal. Otherwise, a char- 
  acter who studies under Toad will learn Gunnery by the end of the 
  campaign, 
  Toad Morgan has the following attributes: Strength 13, Dexterity 
  16, Endurance 14, Wit 14, Charm 5, and Luck 14. He has 13 Hit 
  Points, and wears fusiliers armor. He fights with a cutlass (Expertise 
  14) and a flintlock pistol (Expertise 13). He i s  a Master of Gunnery 
  skill, His other skills include Bribery, Captaincy, Fine Manipulation, 
  and Gambling. Toad Morgan speaks English, the Pirate Patois, and a 
  little (coarse) French, but he i s  illiterate i n  all languages. 
  'Shark' is the ship's Master-at-Arms. He is a brutal and treacherous 
  man who cares only for himself. It is quite likely that he will take a 
  personal disliking t o  one or more of the player-characters. He may try 
  t o  turn the Captain against them, or put them in dangerous situations. 
  Of the non-player characters aboard, Shark especially hates Toad 
  Morgan (this is because Shark would like t o  be Chief Gunner). 
  Shark's attributes are as follows: Strength 16, Dexterity 12, En- 
  durance 18, Wit 10, Charm 9, and Luck 12. He has 19 Hit Points, and 
  wears fusiliers armor. He fights with a fighting iron (Expertise 16) and 
  a pistol (expertise 12). He is a Master of Gunnery and Captaincy 
  skills. His other skills include Bribery, Carousing, Forgery, Gambling, 
  and Stealth. Shark speaks only English and the Pirate Patois, and is 
  illiterate. 
  Robert de Lille i s  not an officer, but he serves in the Gunnery 
  crew of the Scavenger's Daughter. H e  i s  a young French nobleman 
  who was 'recruited' by Cap'n MacGregor a year before the player- 
  characters. He is a witty person, and will quickly befriend the player- 
  characters. Any character with Heraldry skill, who can make a success- 
  ful roll against Wit, will remember the history of the de Lille family. 
  Since he left France, de Lille's father, the Baron de Lille, has died. 
  
  27 
  If he returns t o  France, Robert de Lille stands t o  inherit a sizable 
  fortune, and his father's title. If the player-characters inform de Lille 
  of his inheritance, he will try to escape with them t o  Marinique and 
  from thence t o  France. 
  Robert de Lille has the following attributes: Strength 12, Dexterity 
  14, Endurance 11, Wit 13, Charm 14, and Luck 13. He has 13 Hit 
  Points and wears a leather jerkin and boots for armor. He fights with 
  a rapier (Expertise 15) and a main gauche. His skills include Etiquette. 
  Gambling, Heraldry, Horsemanship, and Gunnery. He speaks (and is 
  literate in) French and Spanish, as well as the Pirate Patois. 
  INTRODUCTION 
  Pike's Trove is the first of the three adventures that player-char 
  acters may have aboard the Scavenger's Daugbrer. It revolves around 
  a mysterious buried treasure, hidden on a deserted island. While in Port 
  Royal, two player-characters will find pieces of a treasure map designed 
  by the infamous Pirate Captain Jacob H. Pike, known as 'Red Pike,' 
  before his disappearance. The final piece will turn up in the possession 
  of Cap'n MacGregor. Smilin' Jack will organize an expedition t o  the 
  isle to unearth Pike's Trove. 
  PIKE'S MAP 
  After the Scavenger's Daughrer arrives in Port Royal, the player- 
  characters will have a week (while Smilin' Jack unloads his booty 
  and restocks supplies) in which t o  enjoy the local color. Each character 
  will be accompanied by two or three crewmen to keep him from 
  'deserting.' These other crewmen may also serve as guides, however, 
  and interpreters. While seeing Port Royal, the player-characters will 
  discover two pieces of Cap'n Pike's treasure map. 
  The first part will be given to one of the characters at the Gallows 
  Bird Pub. The character will be taken there by his 'guides.' Local 
  entertainments include carousing and gambling (these may be handled 
  as in Tavern Brevage Noir in the basic adventure booklet of flashing 
  Blades). While the character enjoys himself, he will meet an aging, one- 
  eyed French Pirate named Albert du Coin. Albert will be quite drunk. 
  As he rambles to the character, telling his life story, he will mention 
  that he i s  a millionaire. When the character expresses disbelief or in- 
  terest, he will thrust a section of old parchment at him, describing it 
  as a priceless map. He will then shuffle outside, apparently forgetting 
  about the parchment. If the character looks for du Coin outside, he 
  will have disappeared. In the morning, the character may hear that 
  du Coin was found drowned in the harbor. 
  The parchment given by du Coin is a rough third of a map, drawn 
  in black ink, with highlights written in dried blood. This first piece 
  shows a longitude, the edge of an island or peninsula, and part of a 
  short written text, including a signature reading: 'Cap'n J.H. Pike,' 
  The rest cannot be deciphered without the other pieces. 
  The second part of the map will be found some days later by a 
  different player-character. While visiting a small waterfront sailing 
  shop with his 'guides,' the character will notice an old, and bulky 
  telescope with the name 'Captain Jacob H. Pike' written on the side. 
  The view from the telescope is obscured, and something inside rattles 
  i f  it is shaken. The character may buy the telescope for 1 L. If it is 
  broken open later, the second piece of the map will be found, rolled 
  up inside (this caused the obscurity and rattling). The second piece 
  is another third of the map. It shows a compass wheel, the top edge 
  of an island, and the words 'Crooked Isle.' 
  The third and final piece of the map is i n  the possession of Cap'n 
  MacGregor. The characters may discover this if they show Smilin' 
  Jack or any other members of the crew the map. Otherwise, the name 
  of Captain Pike will attract MacGregor's attention, and he will call 
  the player-characters in t o  his cabin to tell him what they know, 
  Smilin' Jack's third of the map shows a detail of the center of the 
  island, a latitude, and some of the text. When the three pieces are put 
  together, the map will appear the same as the illustration found 
  herein. 
  THE LEGEND OF RED PIKE 
  When the player-characters tell Cap'n MacGregor about their 
  discoveries, and after the map has been reconstructed, MacGregor 
  will tell them the Legend of Red Pike: 
  Smilin' Jack, when he was a lad, was the cabin boy aboard a ship 
  called the Sea Car. The vessel was originally outfitted as a Privateer 
  by a Captain named Baxter, and Jacob H. Pike,was her First Mate. 
  Racoon Cay $ 
  Acklin ' s l a n g  
  Salina Pt. 
  Great Ragged Island 'v 
  0 
  Cay Verde 
  EASTERN END OF CUBA 
  w - -  
  0 
  50 
  lob MILES 
  
  28 
  The Sea Cat left England and recruited a cutthroat crew in the West 
  Indies. After a year of privateering, Jacob Pike led a mutiny, and 
  killed Captain Baxter in a duel. From then on, the Sea Cat became 
  a Pirate vessel, and Jacob Pike, or 'Red Pike' as he came t o  be known, 
  was her Captain. 
  Pike ruled with an iron fist, and controlled his crew with fear. 
  Two mutinies were attempted against him, and both times he won, 
  over a heap of dead bodies. Red Pike used t o  chew glass before 
  closing with enemy ships to make blood run down his chin. He be- 
  came incredibly rich, after plundering Spanish, English and French 
  vessels all over the Caribbean. 
  Smilin' Jack, realizing that Pike was a madman, managed to jump 
  ship in Tortuga. After the Sea Cat had left port, he found his third 
  of Pike's map flattened in his bible, where Pike had apparently 
  hidden it. After leaving Tortuga, the Sea Cat and Captain Pike were 
  never seen again. There were rumors that Pike had traveled on the 
  brink of death t o  a desert island, buried his treasure, and destroyed 
  his own ship and crew. There were also rumors that Pike left a map to 
  his trove for anyone clever enough to puzzle it out. 
  After telling this tale, Smilin' Jack will suggest an immediate 
  expedition to 'Crooked Isle' t o  look for the mysterious buried treas- 
  ure of Red Pike. 
  TRAVEL TO CROOKED ISLE 
  Crooked Isle i s  just t o  the north and east of French Hispaniola, 
  and travel there will take about five days. During this time, Cap'n 
  MacGregor will tell the crew of the Scavenger's Daughter about the 
  treasure hunt, and ask for volunteers. Only the player-characters, 
  Peter Dark, and Hairy Jim are willing to go with the Captain t o  ex- 
  plore the island. All of the others fear the ghost of Red Pike and his 
  murdered crew. The Captain decides that Peter Dark should Stay 
  aboard the ship, to navigate in case something happens to Hairy 
  Jim or himself. 
  Smilin' Jack scoffs at the crew for i t s  cowardice and says, 'Well, 
  all the more booty for those what's going!' A special set of articles 
  are drawn up t o  split the booty found oh Crooked Isle. Each man 
  who goes ashore will get twenty shares, plus five shares for each man 
  with a piece of the map. Those men who stay aboard the ship will get 
  one share each, regardless o f  rank (this is t o  insure that they will 
  wait for the men who go ashore). There are seventy-three men staying 
  aboard the ship. 
  On the morning of the fifth day out of Port Royal, the look-out 
  will cry 'land-ho!' as he sights 'The Lump,' the first of the smaller 
  islands near Crooked Isle. By 8 o'clock, the Scavenger's Daughter 
  will be safely anchored in Spaniard's Cove, 
  FOLLOWING THE TRAIL 
  After dropping anchor, Cap'n MacGregor, Hairy Jim, and the 
  player-characters will land i n  a jolly boat. The ship will be harbored 
  in the middle of the cove. As the jolly boat rows east (towards the 
  most inviting beach, and the Tower on the map), the characters will 
  notice an imposing cliff rising above them to the northeast. A t  the very 
  top, three large wooden crosses can be seen. Cap'n MacGregor will 
  comment on them, and mention that the tide should go out at 10 
  o'clock. He will point out on the map the word9 'Look at lowtide 
  beneathe the 3 Corsses.' 
  Once the jolly boat lands, it will not be difficult to find the Tower. 
  This crude stone structure, perhaps originally built as part of a Pirate 
  embankment fort, lies about one hundred meters east of the beach, 
  and can be seen at quite a distance. The entrance has collapsed, leaving 
  a pile of rubble. It will take about fifteen minutes to clear a path into 
  the interior, Inside, the Tower is filled with old munitions used by Red 
  Pike and his crew. There are three old long guns (too rusty for use), 
  a pile of cannon balls, two kegs o f  gunpowder (now damp and un- 
  usable), and twelve cutlasses. Cap'n MacGregor will take a cutlass as 
  a souvenir, and invite the player-characters to do so too. 
  As recorded on the map, a pathway leading to the top of the cliff 
  overlooking Spaniard's Cove starts about seventy paces north of the 
  Tower, The cliff path i s  narrow and treacherous in places, and it takes 
  half an hour to negotiate safely. A t  the top of the cliff are the three 
  wooden crosses that were seen from the cove. There are no inscriptions, 
  but Cap'n MacGregor will take off his hat as he nears them, as if they 
  
  are graves. 
  There are two possible entrances to the treasure complex of Pike's 
  Trove which may be discovered at the three crosses, depending upon 
  how the player-characters interpret the instructions on the map. If they 
  choose to dig directly beneath the crosses, they will find a trap door 
  beneath the center cross, after a half an hour of digging, The trap door 
  is formed from one of the hatches of a ship (the Sea Car) and has an 
  odd symbol burned into it: *x- 
  Beneath the trap door is a vertical shaft leading nearly fifty meters 
  down into the bowels of the cliff (and entering the treasure complex 
  a t  IF,' see below). On the sides of the shaft are hand holds, fastened 
  into the rock. Several of these are loose however, and the climb down 
  i s  dangerous. Any character who goes down must make a successful 
  roll against Luck. or fall. If no precautions have been taken (such as 
  tying a rope from above to the character), he will fall 2D20 meters, 
  taking one point of general damage for every two meters fallen, 
  If the party does not discover the secret trap door, they may inter- 
  pret the instructions on the map to mean 'look at the base of the 
  cliffs at low tide.' If the characters take this strategy, they must wait 
  till 10 o'clock in the morning. As the tide goes out, they may see, far 
  below the cliff edge, a narrow stretch of beach appear. Directly below 
  the crosses, an old rusty anchor can be seen, lying in front of a sea 
  cave. It will take half an hour to get back to the jolly boat, and another 
  fifteen minutes to row to the base of the cliff. When the characters 
  get there, they will be at the main entrance of the treasure trove (at 
  'A' in the key). 
  EXPLORING THE TREASURE COMPLEX 
  Pike's Trove is hidden in a treasure complex at the base of the cliffs 
  at Spaniard's Cove, and guarded by a series of traps and barriers. When 
  the player-characters discover the trap door and vertical shaft, or the 
  sea cave entrance, the Gamemaster should refer to the treasure complex 
  map and use this section as a key, The locations within the treasure 
  complex are as follows: 
  A. 
  The Cave Entrance to the treasure complex is normally under- 
  water (during high tide) and will only become visible at low tide. 
  l v  front of the entrance is an old rusty anchor, bearing the name of 
  i t s  ship, the Sea Cat, and a strange symbol: 
  This was the Sea Cat's only anchor, and it i s  safe to assume that 
  i t s  presence means Red Pike sank his ship in Spaniard's Cove, 
  The Outer Cave i s  a chamber filled with stalagtites, stalagmites 
  and seaweed. The floor is sand and coral. 
  A t  the rear of the Outer Cave is a bricked and mortared wall, 
  blocking further progress, Next to the wall is an arrow, and the 
  symbol ' 
  6. 
  C. 
  x 
  indicating that the Walled Entrance leads to the continuation of 
  the complex. It i s  too dangerous to blow the wall up with gun- 
  powder (the whole cave might collapse). If the party wishes to get 
  through, it must tear the wall down with picks and spades. It will 
  take fifteen minutes to get the required instruments from the Scav- 
  enger's Daughter, and about three hours t o  break down the wall. 
  Of course, opening the Walled Entrance also opens up the inner 
  complex to the ravages of the sea when high tide comes in. Careful 
  inspection of the wall from the inside will reveal that it was built 
  from that side (in room 'D') rather than from the Outer Cave. . . 
  The center of this sandy sea cave chamber i s  blocked by quick- 
  sand. Captain MacGregor will spot it if he is in front of the party. 
  Otherwise, the lead character must make a successful roll against 
  Wit t o  notice before stepping into it. It takes three turns t o  be 
  dragged down and suffocated by quicksand. Each turn a roll against 
  Strength may be attempted to break free (-2 per turn). Characters 
  on the side may help with ropes or hands (+2 to the Strength rolls 
  per character helping). When a victim 'drowns' in the quicksand, 
  all other characters who tried to help him r u s t  make Dexterity 
  rolls or be dragged in too. 
  Once the quicksand i s  discovered, the party must find a way t o  
  get around it. Characters edging close t o  the walls must make 
  successful rolls against Dexterity t o  avoid falling in. Another strat- 
  egy might be to tie a rope between stalagmites on either side of the 
  quicksand. This still requires that at least One character edge around 
  D. 
  29 
  THE 
  VERTICAL 
  S"*fT 
  the quicksand to tie the rope on the other side. Once the rope is 
  tied, all other characters may get through (around) the quicksand 
  safely. 
  A t  the bottom of a short flight of coral steps leading from the 
  Quicksand Room i s  a Forked Passage. Any character who can make 
  a successful Luck roll will notice an arrow carved into the wall, 
  pointing down the east passage (leading t o  the Windy Passage at 
  'F'). I f  the party fails t o  notice the arrow, it may go down the 
  northern passage. This leads down a short stairway, carved from 
  the slippery coral of the caves. A t  the base of the stairs is a deep 
  crevasse. Any character descending the stairs must make a success- 
  ful roll against Luck or Dexterity (player's choice) t o  avoid falling 
  in. A character who falls in will take 2D6 points of general damage, 
  and land on a ledge six meters below. He must be rescued by his 
  comrades with a lowered rope. 
  F. 
  The Windy Passage is a winding hallway, filled with powder 
  kegs, A number of air vents in the southwest wall allow a stiff 
  breeze to enter here. The first character who enters bearing a 
  torch or candle will have it blown out. Only a well-shielded lantern 
  will be able t o  withstand the wind. The Windy Passage is also the 
  nesting place of a small colony of bats (who fly in through the air 
  vents). They will screech wildly when the party first enters. The 
  floor i s  slick with bat guano. 
  The powder kegs here are quite dry, and the powder is still 
  usable. By the key farthest t o  the southeast lie a pair of old rusted 
  digging spades (these may be used by the Gamemaster to give the 
  players the mistaken impression that there is something t o  dig for 
  here). The vertical shaft from the three crosses at the top of the 
  cliff, drops into the southeast end of the passage. A character may 
  climb up it, but may not exit above until the trapdoor i s  excavated 
  from on top. 
  After a short stairway down from the Windy Passage (at 'F') the 
  cave broadens into another hallway. Within the northwest wall are 
  hidden a series of three spring traps, which shoot out boarding 
  pikes at passing characters. The first of the three traps has already 
  been sprung, and a grisly skeleton, impaled on a polearm, will greet 
  the party as it enters the hall. Cap'n MacGregor will exclaim 'Why, 
  it's Henri Le Forte, Cap'n Pike's Chief Gunner! I recognize him by 
  his Gascon cap!' From all evidence, it appears that Le Forte was 
  killed by the trap while attempting to exit the treasure complex, 
  as the skeleton faces the entrance. 
  The second trap in the Pike Trap Hall no longer works (the 
  mechanism i s  too rusted). The third trap is in working order, how- 
  ever. It is aimed for the Chest, and does l D6 + 5 points of damage. 
  The trap i s  set off by a tripwire close to the ground, and will auto- 
  matically hit unless precautions are taken by the leading character. 
  The party should be fully warned by the skeleton, and should be 
  on the lookout for tripwires and the like. 
  E. 
  G. 
  
  30 
  H. 
  The next section o f  the treasure complex i s  a Coral Maze, hewn 
  out of the natural rock of the cave, Distributed around the maze are 
  three covered pits. The leading character in the party must make a 
  successful Wit roll to spot each pit before stepping into it. If a pit 
  is stepped into, the victim must make a successful Dexterity roll 
  to avoid falling in. There are knife blades imbedded point upwards 
  on the floor of each pit. A character who falls in will suffer t w o  
  wounds (on random locations) doing 1D6 + 2 points of damage 
  each. If a fallen character survives, it i s  easy for him to climb or be 
  pulled out. Once a pit is spotted, it may be avoided (by edging 
  around the sides). 
  In one back corner of the Coral Maze lies another skeleton. This 
  one has a cutlass stuck through i t s  ribcage, and wears a striped 
  I. 
  jerkin of English design. Cap'n MacGregor will recognize the clothes 
  as those o f  Eli Smitty, Red Pike's First Mate. 
  In the far south corner of the Coral Maze i s  a carefully hidden 
  Secret Exit, formed out o f  a revolving chunk of coral. Each char- 
  acter passing has a chance of seeing t h e  secret door, on a successful 
  roll against % his Luck. Any character who searches for the secret 
  door in i t s  vicinity will find it on a successful roll against Wit. 
  A flight of steps lead down from the Secret Exit o f  the Coral 
  Maze, into a short hallway. At the base of the steps in a tripwire, 
  which may only be avoided i f  the lead character notices it in time. 
  If the lead character i s  looking for traps, he will automatically spot 
  the wire. Otherwise, a successful roll against % of the character's 
  Luck is required t o  notice it. The tripwire sets a large boulder 
  J. 
  K. 
  Pike's Trove at Spaniard's cove 
  
  31 
  rolling down the side passage next to 'K.' If the party continues 
  moving forward, the boulder will catch one t o  three characters 
  (roll 1 D6 and divide by 2). These characters must make Dexterity 
  rolls to run ahead of the boulder and down the stairs t o  'L.' Those 
  characters who miss their rolls will be crushed. Those who escape 
  the boulder will s t i l l  run headlong down the stairs, and will probably 
  set off the trap in Pike's Tomb ('L') in their confusion. Characters 
  who remain by the steps to the Coral Maze will be safe. Once the 
  boulder i s  set off, it will become wedged at the top of the stairs 
  to 'L' and it will take half an hour of work to dislodge it enough 
  to allow passage down the stairs. 
  The final chamber of the treasure complex is Pike's Tomb. It 
  is a huge natural cavern, filled in part by an underground lake, and 
  in part by a huge pile of gold. Atop the pile of gold sits the skeleton 
  of Red Pike clutching a treasure chest, and pointing two wheellock 
  pistols at the entrance. A tripwire is carefully placed between two 
  stalagmites at the entrance, and attached to Pike's pistols. The 
  first character who enters without looking will be hit by two pistols 
  (each does 1 D6 + 2 points of damage). Any character who enters, 
  looking for traps will notice (and avoid) the tripwire. 
  When Captain MacGregor enters Pike's Tomb, he will take off his 
  hat and say, 'That's him, all right,' looking like a man who has seen a 
  ghost. Once the trap i s  set off or disarmed, the characters may look 
  over the treasure in safety. The gold pile contains about 200,000 L 
  L. 
  worth of gold. Within the chest are about 20,000 Livres worth of 
  diamonds, rubies and emeralds. A t  the very bottom of the chest i s  a 
  sign, burned into the wood, which says: 
  'Remember the tyde. matey!' 
  CONCLUSION 
  The adventure of Pike's Trove will be concluded by the party 
  taking out as much treasure as it can. If the Walled Entrance at ' C  was 
  broken down, the characters will have only until 7 o'clock PM t o  take 
  the treasure out. A t  7 o'clock, the tide will come in and fill the treasure 
  complex, drowning any characters still inside, and washing the remain- 
  der of the treasure away. Each character may take a load of 5000 
  Livres of gold out every half hour. The gems rnay be taken out in a 
  single load. 
  A really smart party may have used the Vertical Shaft t o  enter the 
  treasure complex. If the Walled Entrance is still sealed, and the party 
  removes the treasure through the Vertical Shaft, it may all be taken 
  (over a period of two or three days). The Gamemaster should allow 
  for the dangers of using the Vertical Shaft by requiring every character 
  using it to make a Luck roll each day (when using a rope) or each trip 
  (without a rope). A missed roll indicates a fall down the shaft. 
  When the party has removed as much treasure as possible, it may 
  be divided aboard the Scavenger's Daughter, according to the previous- 
  ly agreed upon shares. 
  INTRODUCTION 
  Guede-Je-Rouge is an adventure taking place on French Hispaniola. 
  After recovering the treasure from Pike's Trove, the Corsair Scavenger's 
  Daughter will travel t o  the nearby Pirate haven of Tortuga. There, the 
  player-characters will soon hear that the Colonial Governor's daughter 
  has been cursed by a jealous Pirate Captain, with the help of a local 
  sorcerer. Peter Dark, who has some experience with the magic beliefs 
  of voodoo, will quickly volunteer t o  help in the matter. After recruiting 
  the player-characters to help, he will set off to discover the identity 
  of the sorcerer who has cursed the Governor's daughter, and break the 
  spell. A series o f  clues, and a helpful friendly magician, will lead Peter 
  Dark and the party t o  an old plantation where they must battle the 
  evil Baron Samedi. 
  It is important for the Gamemaster running Guede-Je-Rouge t o  
  decide if magic really exists in his game or not. If magic does not 
  exist, the Gamemaster may rationalize the adventure as being a sort of 
  psychological drama. Remember that the characters in the game will 
  almost surely believe i n  magic and the occult, due to the superstitions 
  of their period. A clever Gamemaster may leave the players unsure 
  throughout the adventure as t o  whether magic i s  really working or not. 
  THE RUMOR 
  After the adventure at Pike's Trove, the Scavenger's Daughter 
  will sail for two days to the port o f  Tortuga, off French Hispaniola. 
  Here, the player-characters will be allowed total freedom. Player- 
  characters from France, sent on the secret mission for the King, rnay 
  jump ship if they wish. It i s  relatively easy to find a ship sailing for 
  Martinique (the journey takes about nine days, and passage costs 
  30 Livres per person). It would be quite difficult for characters t o  
  unload their shares of Pike's Trove from the cargo of the Scavenger's 
  Daughter, however. Basically, the Gamemaster may allow conscientious 
  characters bearing the secret message to escape, but they must leave 
  their shares of the treasure behind. 
  The day after the Scavenger's Daughter arrives at Tortuga, a rumor 
  will run its course among the Pirates aboard. It seems that a fearsome 
  French Pirate Captain, named Sebastian du Sang, recently wooed 
  Henrietta, the daughter of the Colonial Governor of French Hispaniola, 
  the Chevalier de Bosque. The Governor was enraged, and banished 
  du Sang from French Hispaniola (including Tortuga), telling him 
  never to return. Du Sang swore numerous terrible oaths, and told the 
  Governor that he would return in a month, and that Henrietta would 
  wed him or she would die. He then intoned the name 'Guede-Je-Rouge' 
  and left the port, 
  The day after du Sang left, the Governor's daughter fell into a 
  trance-like sleep. The best physicians of French Hispaniola have been 
  unable to help her, and the popular belief i s  that she i s  a victim of a 
  voodoo curse. It is ten days before du Sang said he would return, and 
  Henrietta's condition has grown steadily worse. The Governor is of- 
  fering a 3000 Livre reward t o  anyone or group of people who can free 
  Henrietta from her curse. So far, no one has dared t o  even investigate 
  the strange case. 
  Peter Dark will be especially interested in this story, and will ask for 
  Cap'n MacGregor's permission t o  organize an expedition to save Hen- 
  rietta. Once given permission, he will ask for volunteers from the crew. 
  The non-player crewmen are all too superstitious, however, t o  face a 
  voodoo curse. Peter will then speak with the playertharacters. He 
  knows something of voodoo, and black magic, or 'macumba,' 
  and will 
  be their guide. His plan is, first, to see the Governor and look at Hen- 
  rietta's condition, and, second, t o  go to the various voodoo shops 
  of Tortuga for further information and clues. 
  THE INTERVIEW 
  The Colonial Governor of Tortuga and French Hispaniola lives in 
  a large fortress-like estate attached t o  one of the forts protecting 
  the harbor. His guards will quickly admit the party, once they under- 
  stand the purpose of the visit. All weapons, however, must be checked 
  at the gate (a man who deals daily with Pirates can't be too careful). 
  These will be returned when the characters leave. 
  The Chevalier de Bosque (the Governor) i s  a portly man, with a 
  ruddy, wine-reddened face. He will be pleased fo see the characters, 
  and will treat them politely. He will relate t o  them the story they have 
  already heard in rumor, and will add that, although he has sent men 
  from his garrison to find out more about the curse, they were all too 
  frightened and superstitious t o  really help. He expresses great hope 
  that the party will do better, and renews his offer of 3000 Livres 
  reward. He can offer the party no aid in its search, but he will overlook 
  any of their illegal activities. 
  A t  Peter Dark's request, the Chevalier de Bosque will allow the 
  party t o  see his daughter Henrietta, She lies in bed, in a feverish coma 
  which has lasted twenty days, despite the attention of a number of 
  local physicians. Her appearance, although beautiful (Charm 181, is 
  
  32 
  I 
  deathlike in i t s  pallor and gauntness. As the characters approach, she 
  will whisper, very softly, the word 'Samedi' (Saturday). It requires a 
  successful roll against Luck to hear this whisper accurately. 
  When the player-characters have finished their visit, the Governor 
  will thank them profusely for helping, and wish them luck. 
  THE VOODOO SHOPS 
  There are three major voodoo shops in Tortuga, and Peter Dark 
  knows the location of each. 
  At the first, a small corner-store filled with magical bric-a-brac, 
  the party will be shunned. When they are seen entering, the other 
  customers will quickly leave. Those in the party who can make success- 
  ful rolls against Luck may hear them murmuring the words 'Guede- 
  Je-Rouge' and 'Maitre Carrefour' as they leave. The proprietor knows 
  nothing of the Governor's daughter, and will act as if he doesn't recog- 
  nize the names 'GuedeJe-Rouge,' 
  'Samedi,' 
  or 'Maitre Carrefour' if 
  they are mentioned. 
  The second voodoo shop is a larger establishment, catering mostly 
  t o  local whites. Again, the customers will leave quickly when they see 
  the party. The proprietor, a quadroon gentleman, will claim t o  know 
  nothing about the Governor's daughter or the odd voodoo names the 
  characters have heard, As the party starts t o  leave, however, he will 
  call them back and offer each player-character a little magical charm, 
  'for good luck, and free of charge.' Each charm appears to be a Spanish 
  Real nailed to a small wooden crucifix. A t  the base of each crucifix, the 
  words 'Ogu-badragi'are burned into the wood. 
  The third voodoo shop i s  little more than a shack, located on the 
  outskirts of the town. The clientelle of t h i s  shop are mostly slaves 
  from the plantations around Tortuga. As the player-characters enter, 
  they will hear the sound of drums. Inside, they will see two elderly 
  black men. The first i s  a freedman, and owns the shop. The second, 
  the drum player, is a slave nicknamed Papa-Jean. When the characters 
  ask about the Governor's daughter or the names they have heard, the 
  proprietor will point t o  Papa-Jean. Papa-Jean will first tell the char- 
  acters the meanings of the names. A 'Guede-Je-Rouge' is believed to 
  be a sort of red-eyed death god or demon, 'Maitre Carrefour' is the 
  name given t o  the patron voodoo spirit of sorcerers. 'Ogu-badragi' is 
  the name of a good and protective voodoo god. 'Samedi,' 
  or rather 
  Baron Samedi, i s  the name of a dreaded white bok0 (voodoo sorcerer) 
  who lives on French Hispaniola. Papa-Jean suspects that the Baron 
  Samedi cast the evil spell which has afflicted Henrietta de Bosque. 
  Papa-Jean will offer t o  help the player-characters, provided they can 
  obtain his freedom, 
  Papa-Jean i s  owned by a debauched Colonial Gentleman named 
  Phillipe Cartomancier, who i s  well known in the Tortuga area for his 
  gambling debts. The player-characters may travel t o  the Cartomancier 
  Plantation outide of town i n  about half an hour. They will be well 
  received, as soon a M. Cartomancier is sure that they haven't come to 
  collect debts. As may be guessed, M. Cartomancier i s  a bit short on 
  funds. He will happily sell Papa-Jean (who i s  too old t o  work any more) 
  for 100 Livres. Proper documents, certifying Papa-Jean's freedom may 
  be drawn up in the port of Tortuga. 
  Once Papa-Jean i s  free, he will invite the player-characters back 
  t o  the third voodoo shop i n  the evening. Papa-Jean i s  a macumba 
  magician of power, who uses his magic only for good. By playing his 
  drums, he will be able t o  discover the exact cause of Henrietta's ail- 
  ment, and how the curse may be lifted. 
  PAPA-JEAN'S SEANCE 
  In the evening, when the party returns to the voodoo shop, it will 
  find Papa-Jean sitting by a bonfire outside, surrounded by his drums, 
  and wooden fetishes. He will explain that his father was a native Af- 
  rican, and taught him to carve wooden statues and drums in the old 
  ways. After seating the characters in a circle around the fire, he will 
  begin t o  play his drums and chant softly. 
  For the benefit of the party, Papa-Jean will perform the ceremony 
  in French. He will entreat Ogu-badragi, god o f  justice and prophecy, 
  t o  tell him who laid the curse upon the Governor's daughter, and how 
  it might be broken. After a moment, the fire will die down, and shad- 
  ows will grow. Papa-Jean will stop playing, and will shiver for a minute, 
  as he feels the presence of the voodoo spirit. He will then close his 
  eyes, and begin t o  speak in a deep resonant voice, quite unlike his 
  own : 
  'Henrietta de Bosque's soul belongs to the bok0 (sorcerer) 
  known as Baron Samedi. She may only be freed if his centers of 
  power are destroyed. First, you must destroy Samedi's govi-jars, 
  which house the souls o f  his ancestors. Second, you must dig 
  beneath the cross, and destroy Samedi's offering to MaiC-e Carre- 
  four. Third, you must destroy his focus, which will be some item 
  found on Baron Samedi himself. Only if these steps are taken, 
  may the Governor's daughter be saved from Samedils curse.' 
  After these words, the fire will suddenly flare up, and then die. 
  Papa-Jean will come to himself. He will give them directions to the 
  Samedi Plantations, which is about twenty miles away along the north 
  coast of French Hispaniola. The plantation harvests sugarcane, and 
  Papa-Jean claims that Baron Samedi uses zombies (animated corpses) 
  t o  tend his fields, Papa-Jean adds that the characters have no need t o  
  fear the zombies, as they were once good people, and that repetition 
  of the Lord's Prayer will quickly drive them away if they get too close. 
  If shown the crucifix charms given t o  the characters in the second 
  voodoo shop, Papa-Jean will comment that they are effective amulets 
  against many types of evil magic, and should protect the characters 
  spiritually while on the Samedi Plantation. 
  
  33 
  THE COASTAL ROAD 
  The days after Papa-Jean's seance will be misty with tropical rain 
  and fog. It will take about six hours on foot, or two on horseback, t o  
  reach the Samedi Plantation along the road running east o n  French 
  Hispaniola across the narrow strait from Tortuga, along the north coast 
  of the island. Riding horses may be rented for the day at a cost o f  
  ten Livres each. A carriage may be rented for 30 Livres (+40 L for the 
  horses t o  draw it). 
  As the party travels along the coastal road, in about the middle o f  
  the journey t o  the Samedi Plantation, a large black coach, drawn b y  
  six powerful horses, and lit only by a spectral red lantern, will appear 
  from the direction of the plantation. It will bear down on the player- 
  characters. Each character on foot will be attacked with a charging 
  trample, by one of the horses (see section 4.74 of Flashing Blades). 
  Normal horses will spook at the sight of the 'demon coach,' and each 
  character on horseback must make a successful roll against Dexterity 
  (Horsemanship skill required) t o  avoid falling. Characters without 
  Horsemanship skill will automatically fall. A fall from horseback 
  causes 1 D6 -t 1 points of damage t o  a random location. 
  If the player-characters are i n  a carriage, the 'demon coach' will 
  try t o  drive t h e  carriage off the road and make them crash. The driver 
  of the party's carriage must make three Dexterity Resistance rolls 
  against the 'demon coach's' Dexterity o f  12 (-5 t o  the player-char- 
  acter's rolls i f  he does not have Horsemanship skill). If one of these 
  rolls fails, the carriage will be driven off the road. When a carriage 
  crashes, each playercharacter inside must make a successful roll against 
  Luck (+3 for Acrobatics skill) t o  jump out i n  time. Those who lump 
  out will suffer minor bruises (2 points of general damage). Characters 
  still inside a crashed carriage will receive t w o  wounds of ID6 points 
  of damage each, on random locations. 
  The 'demon coach' itself may not be driven off the road, and all 
  shots taken at it will apparently miss (or have no effect). If the party 
  i s  disrupted and confused b y  the first attack, the 'demon coach' will 
  turn around and attack again. After the second attack, it will ride off 
  at breakneck speed into the mist, in the direction of the Samedi Plan- 
  tation. 
  THE SAMEDI PLANTATION 
  If the party is undaunted by the 'demon coach' and continues on 
  t o  the Samedi Plantation, the Gamemaster should refer to the map o f  
  the Plantation, using this section as a key. 
  A. 
  The coastal road t o  Tortuga ends at the Samedi Plantation. It 
  winds between t w o  sugarcane fields, and u p  a low hill. From the 
  road, a small manorhouse, a willow tree, and the crest of a wind- 
  mill may be seen on top o f  the hill, 
  B. 
  Spread around the Samedi Plantation are three large sugarcane 
  fields. The fields appear poorly tended, and only a few slavgs can 
  be seen working in them. If the player-characters look closely, they 
  will notice that the 'slaves' working in the fields move very slowly 
  and mechanically. They are emaciated, and have glassy eyes. Even 
  i f  they are approached, they will not appear t o  notice the party, 
  and will not ollswer i f  spoken to. Suggestible characters may believe 
  that these are the zombies mentioned by Papa-Jean. 
  To one side of the hill, and a short distance from the road, are 
  the Slave Quarters of the Samedi Plantation. These are a collection 
  of ragged shacks. The interiors do not appear lived in (another bit 
  of evidence supporting Papa-Jean's statement about zombies). In 
  the center of the passage between the two rows of shelters i s  a large 
  kettle filled with a sort of stew. Peter Dark will drop some salt 
  into the kettle, as it i s  believed that i f  zombies taste salt, they will 
  be freed from a sorcerer's magic. 
  D. 
  As the coastal road continues u p  the slope of the hill, it ap- 
  proaches a large Willow Tree, in front o f  the Samedi House. As the 
  player-characters approach, they will notice a number of small, 
  puppet-like dolls nailed t o  the tree. One doll represents Peter Dark, 
  and each of the others represents a player-character. They are 
  minutely detailed, accurate in clothing, hair color, stature, etc., 
  so each character should be able t o  easily recognize himself. Each 
  doll has pins and needles stuck through both eyes, the forehead, 
  the neck, chest and stomach. The dolls are meant as a warning, t o  
  scare the party away. 
  E. 
  The Samedi House, behind the Willow Tree i s  a small, decrepit 
  manorhouse. It appears abandoned and unlived in. In front of the 
  house i s  an old black coach, which i s  almost identical t o  the 'demon 
  coach' encountered on the coastal road, except that it is in poor 
  repair, and could never have been so dangerous, Characters who 
  shot at the 'demon coach' will be able t o  find recent bullet holes i n  
  the sides o f  this old coach, on successful Luck rolls. 
  The interior of the Samedi House i s  unremarkable. It appears 
  unused and dusty, and the furniture i s  covered with sheets. Thick 
  black drapes have been drawn over the windows, leaving the house 
  dark and mildewy. In the back of the house, rickety staircases lead 
  up (to the top floor) and down (to the basement). 
  The top floor is abandoned, like the ground floor, except for one 
  chamber, the Red Room. The Red Room i s  a large bedchamber, 
  decorated entirely with plush red tapestries and furniture. It is in 
  some disarray, and appears lived in. Several rich, i f  slightly outdated, 
  suits of gentlemen's clothing are laid out in the closet. All are black 
  or some dark shade of red. Hanging on a chair i s  a sword-belt, corn- 
  plete with a rapier and a main gauche. A table nearby is covered 
  with women's makeup equipment, rouge, face powder, etc., and a 
  gentleman's wig. A rosewood writing desk stands i n  the corner, with 
  a quill pen, ink bottle, and parchment papers atop it. The drawer of 
  C. 
  
  34 
  I 
  THE SAMEDI HOUSE 
  ' \ m i  
  \ \ -  
  I-, 
  E 
  , 
  ' \, 
  THECROSS 
  - 
  Samedi 
  TWENTY METERS - 
  I
  1
   
  ROAD TO TORTUGA 
  1 
  B 
  SUGARCANEFIELD 
  the desk i s  locked. It may be opened by any character with Fine 
  Manipulation skill who can make a successful roll against Dexterity. 
  Otherwise, it may be smashed open. Inside the drawer i s  a bag of 
  gems (worth 1000 Livres) and a note. The note reads as follows: 
  'Boko Samedi, 
  you are a man of yours. 
  Here is your fee. As you see, I am a man of my word. I hope 
  By my own hand, 
  Sebastian du Sang 
  This should provide enough evidence to convince the Governor 
  that Baron Samedi i s  responsible for his daughter's illness. The 
  money will be split equally by Peter Dark among the members of 
  the party, as an added bonus, beyond the reward offered by the 
  Chevalier de Bosaue. 
  The steps leading down from the ground floor of the Samedi 
  House go to the basement. The basement i s  a large chamber formed 
  of packed earth. It is empty, except for four shelves on the southern 
  wall, which are filled with clay jars. Each jar has a name on it, al- 
  ways ending with 'Samedi.' These are the govi-jars of which Papa- 
  Jean spoke. They are supposed t o  house the spirits of Baron Sam- 
  edi's ancestors. The first step t o  freeing Henrietta de Bosque from 
  Samedi's curse is to destroy these jars. As each jar i s  smashed, sug- 
  gestible characters will hear whispers and sighs. Of course, it could 
  always be the wind outside. . . 
  As the road continues, it narrows to a dirt path, and passes a 
  large wooden Cross on top of a rise in the hill. Strange (and def- 
  initely non-Christian) symbols are engraved on the cross, and the 
  name 'Maitre Carrefour' is burned into the base (see the illustration 
  that follows). This is the cross mentioned by Papa-Jean. The party 
  must dig beneath it, and destroy Samedi's offering to Maitre Carre- 
  F. 
  
  35 
  four, the patron spirit of sorcerers, in order to help save the Gover- 
  nor's daughter. Digging will take fifteen minutes with a shovel or 
  etc.). Buried about a meter beneath the cross i s  a wooden crutch, 
  the symbol of Legba (another manifestation of Maitre Carrefour). 
  At the very crest of the hill, i s  a tattered Windmill, once used 
  to squeeze the sugar out of the sugarcane, but now inoperable, 
  due to lack of maintenance. The octogonal stone walls are starting 
  to fall to rubble, and the vanes are too ripped and torn to catch any 
  wind. There is only one entrance, a low wooden door on the south- 
  east side. 
  Inside the windmill there are three floors, joined by a spiral 
  staircase. The ground floor is occupied by broken mill machinery, 
  bits and pieces of sugarcane, and a small table. On the table is a 
  human hand, covered with tallow and turned into a candle. The 
  fingers are lit, and they cast an eerie glow around the abandoned 
  mill. Below the hand i s  a wooden sign which reads: 'Guede-Je- 
  Rouge dwells here.' These mementos (the hand and the sign) are 
  another fear tactic used by Baron Samedi, in an attempt to scare 
  the party away. 
  The middle floor of the windmill is Baron Samedi's 'pantry,' 
  where he keeps the components for his voodoo spells. It i s  filled 
  with magical articles and ornaments, including chicken heads, 
  stuffed bats, dead lizards, and a variety of herbs. Among the herbs, 
  is a bottle of sneeze powder which will stun an opponent for 1 D6 
  turns if thrown in his face (as for the attack Throw Sand). A victim 
  of sneeze powder may attempt to roll against Luck to avoid its 
  effects. There is also a small vial of deadly poison. Anyone who 
  injests it must make a successful roll against Endurance, or die 
  within five minutes. There are three doses of sneeze powder, but 
  only one dose of poison. A character with Chemist skill may recog- 
  nize these substances while searching the pantry, i f  he can make 
  two successful rolls against Wit (one roll for each substance). 
  The top floor i s  barren, except for the shaft and turning mechan- 
  ism of the mill. Most of the roof has been blown off the top of the 
  mill, and the walls have crumbled in places, allowing a spectacular 
  view of the entire Samedi Plantation. Besides the stairs. a char- 
  , 
  spade, or an hour, using improvised tools (swords, musket butts, 
  G. 
  
  acter could leave the top floor of the mill by climbing down one 
  of the wind vanes. This would require a successful roll against Dex- 
  terity (+I for Seamanship skill, +3 for Acrobatics skill). Falling 
  from a wind vane would cause 1 D6 + 3 points of general damage. 
  BARON SAMEDI 
  While the player-characters explore the Samedi Plantation, Baron 
  Samedi will set up a plan t o  trap and kill them. 
  As the party approaches the plantation, Samedi will watch from the 
  top floor of the windmill. He will be enraged when the party destroys 
  his govi-jars and offering t o  Maitre Carrefour, but still, he will bide his 
  time. Once the party enters the mill, he will climb down a wind vane 
  to the ground. He will light a torch, and start burning the base of the 
  mill. The wood inside the mill i s  dry and brittle, and will quickly start 
  a fire. About five turns after the characters ascend to the middle floor 
  of the mill, the fire will be started. The party will be unable to hear 
  the flames at first, due to the pelting rain outside the mill. 
  After setting the fire, Baron Samedi will blow a whistle, calling his 
  'slaves' (or perhaps zombies) from the fields. A player-character who 
  can make a successful roll against % his Luck will hear this whistle. 
  After a few more turns (probably as the characters are ascending t o  
  the top floor of the mill), player-characters may attempt rolls against 
  Luck t o  smell smoke. 
  On the top floor, the characters may look out through the crumbled 
  walls and see how desperate their situation really is. Looking down, 
  they will see the bottom floor in flames, rendering passage impossible. 
  To make matters worse, the slow-moving workers from Samedi's fields 
  will be seen converging in a circle, around the mill. Baron Samedi 
  will be leading them. The only logical route of escape i s  to climb 
  down the wind vanes. Even after reaching the base of the mill, how- 
  ever, and escaping the fire, the party will be surrounded by Samedi 
  and the field workers. 
  Baron Samedi himself is a tall, pale and skeletal man, dressed in 
  a cavalier's outfit, with a long black cape. He carries a shovel as a 
  weapon, This i s  also his magical focus (the shovel, as an implement 
  of the grave i s  associated with Guede-Je-Rouge), and it must be des- 
  troyed to free Henrietta from Samedi's curse. Curiously enough, Baron 
  Samedi cannot b e  hit with missile weapons (the Gamemaster should 
  lead players to believe they have simply missed him). He must t 
  fought at close range, Samedi has 20 Hit Points, and wears only a 
  padded doublet, gauntlets and boots. His shovel counts as a Brawling 
  Weapon for attack purposes, and does 3 points of damage. Samedi 
  has an Expertise of 18 with his shovel. Samedi also carries three doses 
  of sneeze powder (see above). 
  As the characters approach Samedi, they will feel his tremendous 
  presence. Any character who does not have his voodoo charm (from 
  the second voodoo shop) will be dazzled by the Baron for two turns, 
  and unable t o  take any actions. 
  The field workers will only block characters, and attempt to hold 
  them (Grapple). Each has a Brawling Expertise of 8, Dexterity 8 and 
  Strength 15. A single hit will knock a field worker down, and put him 
  out of action. As mentioned by Papa-Jean, the Lord's Prayer will stop 
  the field workershombies. They will simply cross themselves when 
  they hear it, and stumble away confusedly. 
  , 
  CONCLUSION 
  If the player-characters manage t o  (1) destroy the govi-jars in the 
  basement of the Samedi House, (2) dig up and break the crutch of 
  Legba beneath the Cross of Maitre Carrefour, and (3) destroy Baron 
  Samedi's shovel focus, Henrietta de Bosque will come out of her coma. 
  When the party returns to Tortuga, the Governor will thank the char- 
  acters and give them the reward of 3000 Livres (to be split equally 
  among them). Henrietta will personally thank the party as well. 
  If Baron Samedi i s  captured, the Governor will have him publicly 
  executed. If he i s  killed, the Governor will have him buried in uncon- 
  secrated ground. If he manages t o  escape somehow, he will be hunted 
  down by the French Garrison (the Governor's troops will no longer 
  be afraid, once they are assured that Samedi's magical power has been 
  destroyed). 
  A week after the party returns from the Samedi Plantation, Captain 
  du Sang will sail boldly into Tortuga, believing that he i s  safe, with 
  Henrietta as a hostage. He will be captured and summarily hanged 
  by Pirates friendly t o  the Governor, along with most o f  his crew. His 
  ship, the Neptune, will be refitted as a French Privateer. 
  Toftobelo 
  INTRODUCTION 
  The final adventure in the Scavenger's Daughter campaign i s  a spy 
  mission into Portobelo, a major stop for the Spanish Treasure Fleet. 
  Most of the treasure picked up at Portobelo by the fleet comes from 
  other Spanish colonies, by way of mule-trains across Panama. Cap'n 
  MacGregor and several other Pirate Captains have banded together t o  
  raid the mule-trains as they cross the isthmus, but they need to know 
  when they are coming, what routes will be taken, and how they will be 
  armed. The player-characters must infiltrate the town of Portobelo, 
  and gather information for the Pirate band. 
  THE MISSION 
  When the player-characters return to Tortuga after the Guede-Je- 
  Rouge adventure, Cap'n MacGregor will call them into his cabin aboard 
  the Scavenger's Daughrer for a private discussion. He will tell them 
  that while they were rescuing the Governor's daughter, he was not idle 
  himself. Cap'n MacGregor and several other Captains harbored at Tor- 
  tuga have agreed t o  make joint raids on Spanish mule-trains heading for 
  Portobelo. They need more detailed information about the routes, 
  times, and armaments of the trains, however, and that's where the 
  player-characters come in. Smilin' Jack and the others agree that the 
  spies sent to Portobelo must be newcomers (so they won't be recog 
  nized by the Spanish authorities). It i s  also important that they not be 
  British, as British Pirates and Privateers have driven the Spaniards t o  
  paranoia. Therefore, the player-characters, as both newcomers and 
  Frenchmen, are perfectly suited for the job. Going with them will be 
  Robert de Lille, who is also French and a recent recruit. The pretext 
  for the arrival of the characters will be that they have been victims of a 
  Pirate attack The Scavenger's Daughter will leave them in a jolly boat, 
  within rowing distance of the harbor. They will be picked up again in 
  a week's time, at a secluded cove near Portobelo. 
  It has not escaped Cap'n MacGregor's notice that some (or all) of 
  the player-characters have been thinking of desertion (presumably 
  t o  take the secret message to Martinique). If they successfully bring 
  back one or more mule-train schedules, Smilin' Jack will take the 
  player-characters t o  the island of their choice, and drop them off in 
  a jolly boat, with his blessing. Those characters who choose t o  stay with 
  Cap'n MacGregor and his crew in the Scavenger's Daughter may do so, 
  and will be given five extra shares of treasure from the mule-train raids, 
  for being spies in Portobelo. 
  TRAVEL TO PORTOBELO 
  It will take eight days for the Scavenger's Daughter to reach Por- 
  tobelo. During this time, the player-characters will be armed and prep- 
  ared for their mission. Their story is simple' They were passengers on 
  a French Merchantman which was taken by Pirates (that part is true 
  enough). After the Pirates had robbed them, they sank their ship and 
  set them adrift in a jolly boat. Once this story i s  told t o  the Spanish 
  authorities, the party will have an excuse to stay in port for a while. 
  Smilin' Jack will tell the characters to contact Senor Novata, the prop- 
  rietor of an inn called Posada del Rev, on Calle de San Cristobal. He i s  
  an inside contact of the Pirates, and he will be able to provide shelter 
  and directions for the party. 
  Of course, while in Portobelo, the player-characters will be in a 
  very vulnerable position. If they have made any enemies aboard the 
  Scavenger's Daughter (especially Shark, the Master-at-Arms), they will 
  be betrayed. A letter warning the Governor of Darien and Portobelo, 
  Don Santiago, of Pirate spies will be sent secretly by the characters' 
  enemy. It will arrive several days after the player-characters. and will 
  make their mission particularly perilous. 
  
  i - 
  a; 
  .-.--- 
  37 
  THE TOWN OF PORTOBELO 
  be split into roughly six areas. 
  1. The Harbor: 
  After a day of drifting in their jolly boat, the player-characters will 
  row into the Harbor of Portobelo. The Harbor is protected b y  two 
  Medium Forts and a garrison of two hundred and fifty Spanish soldiers. 
  It i s  normally open t o  French and Portuguese ships. In times of war 
  with France, French ships are excluded from the Harbor. 
  2. Calle Real: 
  The largest street of Portobelo, Calle Real extends from the Harbor 
  t o  the town's main gate, where mule-train shipments enter. It i s  always 
  bustling, but it is particularly crowded and busy just before the an- 
  nual Treasure Fleet arrives each year. 
  Portobelo is a large, heavily fortified, Spanish colonial town. It may 
  3. The Plaza del Rastro: 
  Near the Calle Real, and in the center of Portobelo, i s  a large square 
  called the Plaza del Rastro. The Rastro is normally a sort of rag fair and 
  When the player-characters first arrive in Portobelo, they will be 
  detained at the Harbor for three hours by the Spanish authorities. The 
  Gamemaster may wish t o  grill the players at this point, possibly making 
  them believe they have already been betrayed. Eventually, however, the 
  Harbor Master, acting i n  behalf of the Governor, will allow the party t o  
  stay i n  Portobelo until the arrival of the next French Merchantman. 
  After they are released, the party will probably first go t o  the 
  Posada del Rey on Calle de San Cristobal, to contact Senor Novata. 
  Novata i s  a short, pot-bellied man with an untrustworthy face. He 
  speaks passable French and (of course) the Pirate Patois. Once he un- 
  derstands the mission of the player-characters, he will give them a room 
  in his inn (free of charge) and provide them with basic directions (the 
  town description listed above). Novata himself knows nothing of the 
  mule-train routes or schedules. 
  The party must basically cornb the city for information about the 
  treasure shipments. A t  each location of t h e  town the characters may 
  have encounters (some of which rnay know mule-train schedules). They 
  may also overhear rumors at any location These clues should gradually 
  provide the party with the details of several mule-trains. Of course, 
  the inhabitants of Portobelo speak Spanish. If none of the player- 
  food market. Before the Treasure Fleet arrives, however, valuable items 
  and artifacts find their way into the hands of the street vendors. 
  4. Calle de San Cristobal: 
  The Calle de San Cristobal i s  a side-street off of the Calle Real, near 
  the Harbor. It has a bad reputation, and is the site of various sleazy 
  inns, taverns, and gambling halls. Among the establishments of Calle de 
  San Cristobal is the Posada del Rey, owned by Senor Novata, the Pirate 
  contact in Portobelo. 
  5. Governor's Palace: 
  On a slight rise above the Harbor is the beautiful palace of Don 
  Santiago, the Spanish Colonial Governor of Darien and Portobelo. A 
  narrow and well-guarded road leading to the palace rises from the 
  Harbor. 
  6. The Torre de Homenaje: 
  The Torre de Homenaje i s  a large square tower connected to one of 
  the forts in the Harbor. It serves as a prison for criminals in Portobelo. 
  In a plaza in front of the Torre is a raised wooden platform for exec- 
  utions. 
  characters speak Spanish, Robert de Lille may translate (although this 
  will decrease the party's chances of overhearing rumors). A t  the Plaza 
  del Rastro and on the Calle de San Cristobal the Pirate Patois i s  com- 
  monly spoken, and the party need not use an interpreter. 
  In the sections below, the rumors and possible encounters at each 
  location in Portobelo are listed. Assume that it takes about fifteen 
  minutes to travel from any location in the town t o  the Calle Real. A t  
  the end of a week, the party must sneak out of the main gate of Porto- 
  belo t o  meet the Scavenger's Daughter at the hidden cove nearby. 
  RUMORS 
  Each time the player characters have a chance to hear a rumor, roll 
  1 D6 for each character who speaks Spanish. If at least one 6 i s  rolled, 
  the party hears a rumor. Roll I D 6  on the table below t o  determine 
  the exact rumor they overhear: 
  Roll 
  1 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  6 
  Rumor 
  The Treasure Fleet has been sighted from Trinidad, and should 
  arrive in Portobelo i n  two weeks. 
  A notorious Spanish Pirate. Pedro the Cruel, was captured re- 
  cently, along with twenty of his men, heading towards some 
  mule-train routes. He has been imprisoned in the Torre de 
  Homenaje, and his execution is scheduled in two weeks. Of 
  course, the player-characters may reason, that if Pedro went t o  
  raid the mule-trains, he must know their schedules, The party 
  rnay try t o  rescue Pedro, or trick him into giving the schedules 
  (see the section on the Torre del Homenaje, below). 
  A Pirate Corsair was sighted on the coast, near Portobelo, and 
  the Governor has called for increased vigilance, in case the 
  Pirates plan an attack. 
  A huge Inca treasure i s  said t o  have been discovered i n  Peru. 
  It's on i t s  way by ship t o  Panama, and will be brought from 
  there by mule-train t o  Portobelo. 
  Don Santiago, the Governor, has received word that there 
  are Pirate spies in Portobelo, and has sent his soldiers t o  seek 
  them out. This could warn the playercharacters of their betrayal 
  or it could just be an idle rumor. A t  any rate, the party will have 
  to be careful. 
  They say that any information can be bought, for a price, at 
  the sleazy Oro y Plata Tavern o n  Calle de San Cristobal. If the 
  party follows up this lead, refer to the section on the Calle de 
  San Cristobal, below. 
  THE HARBOR 
  For every hour spent at the Harbor, there i s  a chance for the party 
  t o  overhear a rumor (see the section o n  Rumors). For every half-hour, 
  there is a chance for an encounter: roll 1 D6, on a 6, an encounter oc- 
  curs. Roll 1 D6 on the table below to determine the nature of the 
  encounter: 
  Roll 
  Encounter 
  1 
  The party meets 1 D 6  Spanish merchants. They probably know 
  nothing of t h e  mule-train routes, but one knows that a shipment 
  of pearls i s  due in Portobelo soon. This may be learned through 
  a successful Bribery roll against Wit (with a bribe o f  20 to 50 
  Livres). If a character fails a Bribery roll, or asks too many 
  questions, the merchants rnay report his suspicious behavior to 
  
  38 
  // 
  Portobeb 
  I 
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  \ 
  \ 
  \ 
  \ 
  \ 
  \ 
  \ 
  \ \ \ 
  \ 
  I 
  f 
  / 
  I 
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  / 
  I 
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  the Governor. 
  206 Spanish Soldiers pass the party. If there i s  anything sus- 
  picious about the characters, the Soldiers may stop and question 
  them. If the characters have been betrayed by a letter to the 
  Governor, they will be stopped if the Soldiers even hear them 
  speaking French. If the party can offer an acceptable explan- 
  ation to the Soldiers (in the Gamemaster's judgment), they will 
  not be detained for more than fifteen minutes. If this fails, a 
  successful Bribery roll (on Wit) and a bribe of 10 to 30 Livres 
  will extricate them from the situation. Otherwise, they will be 
  arrested and taken t o  the Governor (see the section on the 
  Governor's Palace, below). 
  The party encounters 1 D6 Spanish Sailors. They won't have any 
  useful information. On a roll of 6 on 1D6, however, they will 
  be drunken and rowdy, and will insult or pick a fight with the 
  playercharacters. A brawl could get the party arrested and 
  brought before the Governor. 
  The party meets 1 D6 Spanish dock workers. This i s  not a sig- 
  nificant encounter (the dock workers have no information). 
  A 'new ship comes into the Harbor; roll 1 D6 to determine what 
  2 
  3-4 
  5 
  6 
  r 
  
  39 
  kind. 
  1-2: A Spanish Warship 
  3. A Spanish Merchantman 
  4. A Portuguese Merchantman 
  5. A Spanish Galleon (the first of the ships of the Treasure Fleet 
  6. A French Merchantman (the party will be forced t o  board and 
  purchase passage, due to the agreement with the Harbor Master) 
  CALLE REAL 
  Along the Calle Real, the party will have a chance to hear a rumor 
  every two hours. For every half hour spent on the Calle Real, roll 1D6 
  for encounters; on a roll of 5 or 6, an encounter occurs. Roll 1 D6 for 
  the nature of the encounter and consult the table below. 
  Roll 
  Encounter 
  1 
  2 
  The party encounters 1D6 merchants. They are very busy and 
  will probably not stop to talk to the party. 
  A group of 2D6 Soldiers passes the party. If the player-char- 
  acters seem suipicious for any reason, the Soldiers will stop 
  to question them. If the characters have been betrayed, the 
  Soldiers will stop them if they are even heard speaking French. 
  If the characters can offer an acceptable explanation t o  the 
  Soldiers (in the Gamemaster's judgment), they will not be 
  detained for more than fifteen minutes. If this fails, a success- 
  ful Bribery roll (against Wit) and a bribe of 10 to 30 Livres 
  will release the party. Otherwise, the party will be arrested and 
  taken to the Governor (see the description of the Governor's 
  Palace, below). 
  The characters enter an area of festivities, celebrating the im- 
  minent arrival of the Treasure Fleet. During the day, festivities 
  will include dancing and music. A t  nitht, crowds will gather 
  to watch fireworks. 
  The party notices a new mule-train enter through the main gate 
  of the town. Careful questioning will reveal that it is a weekly 
  mule-train, which travels by the Darien route. The characters 
  can determine the size of the mule-train themselves: ten mules, 
  ten muleteers, and ten soldiers. 
  The party must step t o  the side of the Calk Real, t o  make way 
  for twenty Soldiers on parade, celebrating the imminent arrival 
  of the Treasure Fleet. 
  and acrobats) in celebration of the approach of the Treasure 
  Fleet. 
  ~ 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  I 
  / 
  6 
  The party enters a crowd of spectators watching a show (dancers 
  I_ 
  THE PLAZA DEL RASTRO 
  For every hour spent at the Rastro, the party may roll t o  pick up a 
  new rumor. For every half hour, a roll for encounters may be made; 
  roll 1 D6, on a 5 or 6, an encounter occurs. Roll 1 D6 on the table below 
  to datermine the exact nature of the encounter: 
  Roll 
  1 
  1 - 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  6 
  Encounter 
  The party discovers the booth of a seller of exotic birds. He 
  specializes in colorful birds from the Portuguese colonies. Char- 
  acters rnay buy beautiful talking parrots for 50 Leach. 
  The party passes a jewelry shop. Inside are a wide variety of rich 
  articles, including solid gold pirate earrings for 5 Livres apiece. 
  The shop is also filled with large and precious pearls. The owner, 
  who i s  talkative, will mention that they came all the way from 
  Margarita, by mule-train. He knows the route and schedule of 
  the train, and will tell the party if given decent incentive (a 
  bribe of 100 t o  200 Livres) and convinced that the party will not 
  tell of his open-mouthedness to the Governor. The pearl mule- 
  train, usually made up of ten mules, ten muleteers, and twenty 
  well-armed Soldiers, leaves at the beginning of each month from 
  New Andalusia. It travels along a coastal road through Caracos 
  and New Granada, t o  Portobelo. 
  The party meets a vendor selling genuine Caribe weapons, in- 
  cluding bows (20 L each), daggers (10 L each), and blow-guns 
  (10 Leach). 
  The party discovers a shop specializing in clothing of cloth-of- 
  gold. Characters who wish t o  purchase a dazzling wardrobe rnay 
  buy a gentleman's coat for 50 L, a hat for 15 L, or an entire suit 
  for 100 L. 
  The party comes upon an armorer's booth, selling weapons of 
  the finest Toledo steel. These include rapiers (1 10 L each), main 
  gauches (75 L each) and daggers (35 L each). These weapons 
  count as High Quality weapons. 
  In a tiny booth, curtained off from the rest of the Rastro, the 
  party finds a corrupt muleteer, selling Inca artifacts (idols, for 
  100 Livres each, and necklaces for 60 L). The vendor stole these 
  when he left a mule-train recently. He knows that a huge Inca 
  treasure i s  on its way t o  Portobelo, and will tell the party about 
  it for a bribe of 200 Livres or more. In a few weeks, depending 
  upon when the shipment arrives from Peru, a mule-train of 
  twenty mules, twenty muleteers, and fifty soldiers will leave 
  from Panama, along the Veragua route. 
  CALLE DE SAN CRISTOBAL 
  For every hour spent at Calle de San Cristobal, the party will have 
  a chance t o  hear a rumor. For every half hour spent there, there is a 
  chance of an encounter; roll 1D6, on a 6 an encounter occurs. Roll 
  1D6 t o  determine the nature of the encounter and consult the table 
  below: 
  Roll 
  1 
  2 
  3 
  4 
  5 
  6 
  Encounter 
  The party meets 1 D6 Sailors. They have no useful information, 
  but on a roll of 5 or 6 on 1 D6, they will be drunk. If drunk, they 
  may insult or provoke player-characters into a fight. A public 
  brawl could get the characters arrested and taken t o  the Gov- 
  ernor. 
  2D6 Soldiers pass the party. I f  there i s  anything suspicious 
  about the characters, the Soldiers rnay stop and question them. 
  If the characters have been betrayed by someone from the 
  Scavenger's Daughter, the Soldiers will stop them if they are 
  heard speaking French. If the party offers an acceptable ex- 
  planation (in the Gamemaster's judgment), it will not be held 
  for more than fifteen minutes. I f  this fails, a successful Bribery 
  roll (on Wit) and a bribe of 10 to 30 Livres will extricate the 
  characters. Otherwise, they will be arrested and taken to the 
  Governor (see the section on the Governor's Palace, below). 
  The party encounters 1 D6 drunken rowdies, who will attempt 
  to pick a fight. Again, a public brawl could get the characters 
  arrested and taken t o  the Governor, 
  The player-characters observe a mysterious person, apparently 
  following them. If they try to catch him, this person will disap- 
  pear into a crowd. This encounter doesn't mean anything, but 
  it should keep the party nervous. 
  1 D6 thieves spot the party. They will follow, and then attempt 
  to pickpocket or cut-purse the wealthiest-looking characters. 
  The party meets 1D6 drunken muleteers, just returned from 
  Panama. If the player-characters buy them a few more drinks, 
  they may be cajoled into telling them about their mule-train and 
  route. They go weekly, along the Darien route, with a train of 
  ten mules, ten muleteers, and ten soldiers. They take mostly 
  gold dust, although sometimes bullion, t o  Portobelo. 
  Also on the Calle de San Cristobal i s  the Posada del Rey, owned by 
  Senor Novata, where the party lodges. For those characters interested 
  in gambling, a large gambling hall, called Los Gallos, i s  situated next 
  door t o  the Posada. It specializes in cockfights, and has three pits. The 
  Gamemaster rnay handle gambling at Los Gallos using the rules in- 
  cluded i n  Tavern Brevage Noir in the introductory adventure book, 
  If the characters have heard o f  the Oro y Plata Tavern from rumors, 
  they rnay wish to visit it t o  buy information. It i s  a dangerous place, 
  filled with rowdies and brawlers. The bartender, however, a man by 
  the name of Senor Picaza, does have a great deal of information. If 
  approached and offered a bribe of 150 Livres or more, he will tell the 
  party about the Pearl Mule-Train from New Andalusia. As mentioned 
  above, it i s  made up of ten mules, ten muleteers, and twenty soldiers. 
  It travels along the northern coast of the Spanish Main, and it leaves 
  at the beginning of each month. The character who gets this infor- 
  mation from Senor Picaza must make a successful roll against Luck 
  (+3 for Bribery skill) or Senor Picaza will go to the Governor after- 
  wards, and report on that character. 
  THE GOVERNOR'S PALACE 
  A t  the top of a rise above the harbor of Portobelo i s  the palatial 
  estate of Don Santiago, the Colonial Governor o f  Darien and Portobelo. 
  The playercharacters rnay not pick up normal rumors, or meet normal 
  encounters at the Governor's Palace. They will probably only be 
  brought there if arrested i n  town. 
  The Palace i s  high-walled, and all of the windows on the ground 
  floor are barred with grillwork. Twenty Soldiers guard the Governor's 
  estate. In shifts, four men are stationed on the road up to the Palace, 
  two at the entrance, two inside, and two function as personal body- 
  guards for the Governor. Assume that all guards are armed with flint- 
  lock carbines and rapiers (Expertise 11 with each weapon). They are 
  armored as Fusiliers, and have 12 Hit Points each. 
  Don Santiago himself is a tall, proud, red-haired Spaniard. He i s  
  a Galacian, and a career Soldier. He has no wife or family, and has 
  
  40 
  tracy skill, Rank, or Title. The player-characters will be allowed no 
  legal counsel, and Don Santiago will not accept bribes. Subtract 4 from 
  the roll if Don Santiago has concrete evidence of the characters’ crime, 
  subtract 2 i f  they t r y  t o  offer him a bribe. Characters convicted after 
  brawling will be thrown into the Torre del Homenaje for I D 6  days, 
  Characters convicted of spying will be thrown into the Torre, and will 
  be scheduled t o  be executed i n  three weeks. The punishments for all 
  other crimes are as listed in Flashing Blades. Of course, Smilin’ Jack 
  will organize an expedition t o  save condemned player-characters, i f  
  he hears of their plight in time. 
  THE TORRE DEL HOMENAJE 
  The Torre del Homenaje is the fearsome dungeon of Portobelo. It 
  i s  a block-like tower, with walls ten feet thick. It i s  guarded by twenty 
  regular soldiers. It would be almost impossible to storm the Torre. 
  Attacks by stealth (Le. climbing to the roof and sneaking in) or deceit 
  are the only viable options. Raids on the prison should be dealt with by 
  the Gamemaster. 
  Characters placed in the Torre will be forced t o  pay the guards, or 
  live i n  the worst possible conditions. The guards must be paid the 
  equivalent of a Livre per day (either by the character, or b y his friends 
  outside) or he will half-starve. Characters who cannot pay their rent 
  must make a successful Endurance roll each day, or lose a (temporary) 
  point of Strength. When Strength i s  reduced t o  % its normal value, 
  further hardship decreases Hit Points at the same rate. When Hit Points 
  reach 0, the character dies of starvation and/or disease. Lost Strength 
  and Hit Points may be regained at a rate of 1 point per day of proper 
  eating and rest. 
  The player-characters may wish t o  visit their comrades in the Torre. 
  This requires a successful Bribery roll (oh Wit) and a bribe of 10 t o  30 
  Livres. Visitors will be carefully searched by the guards. 
  If the player-characters hear rumor number 2, they may wish t o  
  visit or rescue Pedro the Cruel, a Pirate Captain imprisoned in the Torre 
  del Homenaje. Pedro i s  a vicious portly man with a thick beard. He 
  knows about the Inca treasure scheduled t o  travel soon by the Veragua 
  route from Panama t o  Portobelo (with twenty mules, twenty muleteers, 
  and fifty soldiers). Pedro was on his way t o  intercept it, but he was too 
  early and the Governor’s soldiers caught him while he camped out. In 
  return for his freedom, Pedro will tell the player-characters about the 
  train. Only if the party can trick him somehow, will he tell them the 
  details without being rescued (this is left to the discretion of the 
  Gamemaster). 
  CONCLUSlON 
  devoted his life t o  the service of his country. He fights with two wheel- 
  He wears Arquebusier’s armor and has 16 Hit Points. 
  in town, they will be tried by him alone. Roll as if Don Santiago were 
  a Magistrate, using the rules in section 7.2.6 of Flashing Blades. Char- 
  acters who do not speak Spanish will gain n o  advantage from Magis- 
  lock dueling pistols (Expertise 17) and a longsword (Expertise 18). 
  If characters are brought before Don Santiago after being arrested 
  1 
  I - 
  A t  the end of a week, the player-characters may leave the town of 
  Portobelo and meet Smilin’ Jack at the nearby cove. There are three 
  possible mule-trains they may have learned about; the gold weekly 
  I 
  SPANISH MAINLAND 
  Peru 
  + 
  I 
  
  41 
  from Panama, along the Darien route; the pearl-train from New An- 
  dalusia; and the great Inca Treasure, coming along the Veragua route 
  from Panama. Cap’n MacGregor will be pleased to hear of two mule- 
  trains, and will be overjoyed i f  the party has learned o f  all three. 
  True t o  his word, Smilin’ Jack will drop off those characters who 
  wish to leave the Scavenger’s Daughter, in a jolly boat, near the harbor 
  of Martinique. They will also b e  loaded with their shares of Pike’s 
  treasure, and 200 extra Livres each, as a personal gift from Cap’n 
  MacGregor. Robert de Lille will accompany the player-characters to 
  Martinique. Upon landing at Martinique, those player-characters or- 
  iginally sent with the Secret Message may show the ring with the royal 
  seal o n  it, and will be admitted t o  an audience with the Colonial Gov- 
  ernor. The Governor will officially pardon them for their brief Pirate 
  careers, because o f  the great service they have performed for the 
  Crown. The Governor will also provide transportation back t o  France 
  for all of the player-characters on Martinique who desire it. Upon 
  return t o  France Safter a peaceful journey of two months), all char- 
  acters who took the Secret Message to the New World may roll im- 
  mediately (and regardless of Social Rank) t o  be admitted to one of the 
  Noble or Royal Orders. Characters who fail t o  be admitted, will be al- 
  lowed to join the Gentlemen’s Club of their choice (again, regardless 
  of Social Rank). 
  Those player-characters who choose t o  remain with Smilin’ Jack 
  may continue t o  have Pirate adventures. Portobelo leaves alot of 
  room for further expeditions and raids on the mule-trains. Who knows 
  how much the Inca treasures are worth? Will Don Santiago lay a trap 
  for Pirate raiders? Will Cap’n MacGregor organize a rescue operation 
  for characters or Pedro the Cruel, jailed in the Torre del Homenaje? 
  It’s all up to the imagination o f  the Gamemaster. 
  
  Wighseas 
  An expansion for FLASHING BLADES to allow characters to adventure in the New World 
  and at sea in the Caribbean (or elsewhere). Included herein are complete rules for the creation 
  of colonial characters, new skills and backgrounds for the New korld, a complete background 
  to the New world and the colonial bureaucracy, colonial military campaigns, and even the 
  position of the clergy in the Americas. Also included are complete rules for shipbuilding, 
  ship types, sea travel and trade, and ship-to-ship combat. Additional sections provide a com- 
  plete background to the world of pirates and privateers. 
  This book is rounded out by a complete mini-campaign set amidst the pirates of the Spanish 
  Main. Herein can be found: 
  0 SCAVENGER’S DAUGHTER: An introductory adventure involving French-born characters 
  sent from France to the New world on a perilous mission of importance for their monarch. 
  0 PIKE’S TROVE: An adventure wherein the pieces of a treasure map come together to 
  lead to both riches and dangers. 
  0 GUEDE-JE-ROUGE: An adventure of rescue involving the beautiful daughter of a Colonial 
  Governor and a voodoo curse. 
  0 PORTOBELO: An adventure of intrigue and espionage in a Spanish city on the Spanish 
  Main wherein await potential rewards and perilous encounters. 
  2103 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Flashing Blades/FGU 2103 - Flashing Blades - High Seas.pdf