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Copyright: Gary Bourne

July 2013

Version 9

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Dead Mans Chest Skirmish Wargames Rules for the Golden Age of Piracy 1660-1725

Dead Mans Chest is a set of wargames skirmish rules set in the Golden Age of Piracy 1660-1725. They allow you to play out adventures using dastardly pirates, cunning privateers, staunch garrisons, stoic towns people and escaped slaves. The rules are designed to replicate both ship to ship actions and hand to hand combat involved in boarding or land actions. The rules also have a Campaign System with a number of different scenarios, the ability to improve characteristics and gain experience points allowing players to run their own campaigns, club competitions and leagues. Can you become a famous Pirate, scourge of the Spanish Main or the most feared Pirate Hunter ruthlessly hunting down and eradicating the deadly menace of buccaneers and restoring order to the High Seas. In Dead Mans Chest ship to ship actions are based around a simple but realistic sailing mechanism that allows you to manoeuvre your ship taking into account the wind and sea conditions whilst you try and deliver a broadside to damage your opponent to slow him down enough to board him or cow him to strike his colours. Players can use a variety of ships ranging from small schooners to enormous Spanish galleons each of which have their own sailing characteristics. Hand to hand combat replicates the swirling melee of a boarding action, crossing the sides of an enemy ship engaging in a clash of cutlass, boarding pike and pistols at close range, amid a heaving deck covered in ships debris. Dead Mans Chest uses a random activation method to further emphasise the confused nature of a boarding action. Players have a limited ability to control the whole crew but can use heroic actions to bend the battle to their will. Courage and luck play a part in the battle but not to the extent that they overcome skill and a well thought out battle plan. To play Dead Mans Chest you will need a tape measure, a number of six sided dice (referred to as D6) and a scatter dice. You will also require a dice (or token) for each figure in your crew, with different colours for each crew. Finally you will need a number of markers (Cower, Flee, Stunned) and a swivel gun/grapeshot template copies of which can be found at the back of the rules. These rules are designed for 28mm miniatures mounted on a 25mm round base. Characteristics. Each character figure is given a set of characteristics that govern how effective he will be on the battlefield. They indicate his ability to carry out certain actions such as his skill at shooting, his hand to hand fighting skill or how resilient he is. These characteristics are shown below.

Weapon Skill (WS) - Ability with hand to hand weapons.

Shooting Skill (SS) Ability with ranged weapons.

Courage (C) Willingness to continue the battle.

Attacks (A) Number of attacks the character has in hand to hand combat.

Wounds (W) Number of wound points remaining before death. These characteristics are expressed as a stat line as shown below. Certain stats can be adjusted during the game such as the number of wounds. Once wounds reach zero the character is killed and his figure removed from the game.

WS A SS C W

4 1 4+ 3 4

Additional Attributes - In addition to the standard characteristics, a character can gain skills that increase his abilities and physical or psychological penalties that reduce his abilities. These characteristics can be found in the Campaign Section of the rules.

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Activation Characters are activated in a random manner. Each character figure is allocated a coloured dice (or token) which is placed inside a bag or similar opaque container. A different coloured token is used for each side. For example a crew consisting of 8 figures will put 8 dice/tokens into the bag each of the same colour. To activate a character either one of the payers or the umpire draws a single token without looking into the bag. The owning player can then decide to activate a single character in his crew. That character carries out an action which may include shooting or fighting. Once the character has completed his action and any combat or shooting has been resolved the dice/token is placed next to the character to show his move has been completed. Another dice/token is then drawn and the above sequence followed. If a heroic action is called (See Charisma section) then the appropriate number of coloured dice/tokens for each character participating in the action are drawn from the bag and placed next to the appropriate character figures to activate them. There should only be as many dice/tokens remaining in the bag as there are characters who have an activation remaining. If a character that has not yet been activated is killed, an appropriate coloured dice/token token is removed from the bag. Game Turn - Once all the dice/tokens are drawn the turn has ended. A dice/token is placed back in the bag for all surviving figures (including any that are fleeing) and the next turn started. Example - A red dice/token is drawn representing the Towns Garrison. The owning player decides to activate a soldier to shoot. He places the dice/token beside the activated character and carries out a shooting action. Once the shooting results are decided his activation is finished and another dice/token drawn, activating another character. If his shooting resulted in the death of enemy character who has not yet been activated discard one of his crews dice/ tokens from the bag since a dead character cannot be activated. Actions When a character is activated there are a number of actions he can undertake. These are:

Move The character may make a normal move of 6(less any effects of terrain).

Fire The character may fire any loaded weapon he is armed with.

Load The character may load any black powder weapon he is armed with.

Charge The character may move to engage in hand to hand combat with an opposing character (within the appropriate move restrictions). He nominates an enemy character to charge and moves directly towards him until in base contact.

Special Move -Jump/Swing/Climb/Swim The character may attempt a special move consulting the appropriate table to find out the effect.

Rally A character may attempt to rally by taking a courage check. If successful he may make no other action that turn but may defend himself if attacked. If he fails he flees.

Special Moves - Characters which are continuing to carry out an special move can only be allocated that action until they have successfully achieved their move i.e. a character who is half way up a ships rigging remains climbing until he reaches the top (or falls). Compulsory Actions There will be times that characters will be required to carry out compulsory actions that override normal actions. These are:

Cower If a character fails his courage check when charging a fearless character then he will cower. Move the character behind the nearest cover within move distance and place a cower marker next to him. He may defend himself at a -1 to his WS. If no cover is within his movement range then the character must flee. He may not carry out any other action until he rallies.

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Stunned If a character is stunned either by a wound or a fall then he will remain motionless for one complete game turn. Place a stunned marker next to the character figure. If not yet activated remove one of his crews dice/tokens and place it next to the stunned figure as his compulsory move. If he has been activated then he misses the next activation. On future turns he automatically recovers and can be activated as normal. Whilst stunned he may defend himself but with a -2 to his WS.

Flee If the character fails his courage check and is forced to flee then he is moved a full move away from the nearest enemy and a flee marker is placed alongside. He will continue to flee until he successfully passes a courage check or reaches a table edge when he is removed from play. He may defend himself as normal whilst on the table. If the character flees from the table then remove the character form the game and remove an activation dice. If playing a Campaign mark the Roster Sheet with the words Fled as this will influence the Recovery Roll at the end of the game.

Group Movement - There may be times when group movement is required for example carrying a captive or chest, firing a cannon etc. Characters must be in base contact with each other and/or the object to carry out the group task. Activate each character as normal explaining what the group intends to do but the action is only carried out when all the characters have been activated. Example Two pirates wish to carry a heavy chest at full speed. The first activation marker is placed next to one character in the group with the player stating the groups intentions but the group is only moved when the second character is activated to complete the task. MOVEMENT Movement All measurements are taken from the base edge of a character. A character can move in any direction but may not pass through other models or into spaces where the base will not fit nor may a character may end up within 1 of any enemy character unless it has declared a charge move and moves into base contact. A standard move is 6. Where a move is partially over rough terrain measure the distance to be moved in rough terrain and double it. The remaining move over open terrain is made at the normal rate Example A Character moves into a grove of Palm Trees which are 4 away.. He moves the 4 as normal over open terrain and can then move a further 1 (costs 2 of normal movement) inside the palm grove. Next the character moves 3 (costs 6 of normal movement) inside the Palm Grove ending 2 from the far edge. On the third move the character wishes to exit the Palm grove. He moves of 2 (costs 4 of normal movement) to the edge of the grove and a further 2 in open terrain. Terrain Effects The classification of each type of terrain on the board should be agreed between players prior to the start of the game. Terrain is classified as:

Open Terrain No effects on movement.

Rough Terrain Move at half rate whilst traversing rough terrain.

Impassable Terrain No movement possible.

Linear obstacles (Not more than 2 high) Move at half rate.

Climbable (steep slopes, ships rigging etc. over 2 and up to 6 high) See climbing table below.

Swim If a character is in a body of water (Sea, Lake, River etc) consult the swimming table below.

Terrain Effects

Open Terrain Normal Move

Rough Terrain Half Move

Crossing Linear Obstacle Half Move

Swing Up to 12

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Climbing - A character may attempt to climb a steep slope, rigging, ladder, side of a ship etc. He throws on the climbing table to see if he achieves it in one go, remains climbing or suffers a fall. If he falls consult the fall table adding one for each inch of height over 3 (up to a max of 3) of the obstacle.

Climb Table

1 Fall Throw on Fall Damage Table

2-3 Remain climbing

4-6 Climb to top of feature

Deduct 1 if wearing armour/and or carrying treasure (cumulative)

Jumping A character may attempt to jump over a gap for example the gap between two ships. He automatically jumps over any gap up to 1/2 counting it as 1 of movement. Gaps over 1/2 and up 2 can be leapt but the character must consult the jump table. If he fails he falls down the gap and must roll on the fall table. If he falls in the water then he is deemed to be swimming and should throw on the swimming table next turn. Gaps over 2 cannot be jumped but may be swung over if on board ship. Alternatively the character may attempt to climb down the feature. See Climbing.

Jump Table

D6 Effect

1 Miss the jump and falls.

2-5 Jumps obstacle and halts on the other side

6 Clears the gap and continues his normal move.

Deduct 1 if wearing armour/and or carrying treasure (cumulative)

Fall Damage Table

D6 Effect

1-2 No penalty but character remains at base of feature.

3-4 Stunned by fall. Miss next turn.

5-6 Throw on damage table.

7+ Killed

Add 1 for each inch of height of obstacle above 3 and +1 if he swung into an obstacle or another figure.

Swinging Gaps over 2 and up to 6 may be swung over, if there is a suitable rope. This most often occurs during boarding actions but may be allowed in certain other areas such as jungle using vines. The availability of ropes/vines must be agreed between players before the game commences. If boarding action each mast on a ship allows one character to swing per game turn. To swing across a gap the character nominates a landing spot up to 12 away by placing a landing marker. A scatter dice and a D6 are thrown. If the scatter dice scores a hit then the character is placed on the landing spot and can move normally next go. If he landed adjacent to an enemy character he may engage in hand to hand combat with no penalty. If the scatter dice indicates a miss, move the landing marker in the direction of the arrow the number of inches indicated on the D6 and the character lands here. If he lands on a terrain piece (such as a mast, cannon etc.) or another character, the figure is placed in base contact with the obstruction and the player must throw for damage on the Fall Damage Table. If the collision was with another character that character must also throw on the damage table but with a -1 on the dice. The swinging character may not initiate combat. If he lands in the water consult the swimming table on future moves. Swimming A character who enters the water (voluntarily or otherwise) may attempt to swim. Consult the swimming table to see the effect.

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Swim Table

D6 Effect

1 Drown

2 Tread water No movement

3-4 Swim at half speed 3

5-6 Swim full speed 6

* Deduct 1 if wearing armour and/or carrying treasure (cumulative)

SHOOTING Shooting - Any character armed with a ranged weapon such as a black powder weapon (Pistol, Musket or Blunderbuss), throwing weapon (Knife, Spear) or Bow and who is not locked in combat may carry out a shooting action. A shot may only be fired at a target that is in range and in LOS. Range is measured from the edge of firers base to the nearest edge of the targets base. Characters that are locked in combat may not be targeted unless the firer has the Ruthless attribute. Throw a D6 and add/subtract the appropriate factors. Compare this total against the firers Shooting Skill (SS). If he equals or exceeds the SS the firer has hit the target if not the shot misses. Line of Sight (LOS) Line of sight is defined as a straight line from one character to another. The character may be partly obscured but as long as part of the body, head, arm or leg can be seen there is LOS. If only the characters weapons or implements can be seen the there is no LOS. LOS for shooting cannot pass across another models base irrespective of which crew the intervening belongs to. Loaded - Black powder weapons must be loaded to be fired. Once fired, they take a complete turn to reload. Bows can be fired every turn without reloading. Throwing weapons may only be used once per game. They may not be picked up by any character.

Ranges Long Short

Musket* 12-18 6

Bow 8-12 4

Blunderbuss* (Hits everyone under template) - -

Pistol* - 3

Throwing Weapon** - 3

* One turn to reload **Only one use per game

Firing Factors With a few exceptions pirates were not trained marksman and coupled with firing a weapon from a pitching deck, through the debris that covered most ships and amongst the smoke of battle ranged shooting was not very effective. The following factors are used to adjust the firers score.

Firing Factors

Long range -1

Cover (always on ship) -1

On board Ship -1

Close Range +1

Trained Soldier/Marine +1

Blunderbuss +1

Thrown knife -1

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Example - For example a Marine on board a ship with a SS of 4+ and armed with a Musket, fires at a Pirate who is at Long Range and in LOS but partly concealed by a barrel which provides cover. The Marine throws a 6 to which he adds +1 for being a trained marine but -3 (Long Range, Cover, On Board Ship) resulting in a score of 4 which equals his SS and thus the shot is a hit. The firer rolls on the wound table to determine the effect of the wound. HAND TO HAND FIGHTING Fighting - When 2 characters come into base contact they engage in hand to hand combat. Compare each characters weapon skill (WS) and roll a D6 for each attack (noting that some characters have more than one attack) and add the difference in weapon skill plus any additional factors. The character with the highest score wins the combat, irrespective of how many dice are thrown. The opponent retires 2 and takes at least one hit. The winner rolls on the wound table to determine the effect of the wound. If the highest score is equalled no wounds are scored and the characters remain locked in combat. If either of the characters are subsequently activated they must continue fighting until a resolution is reached. Example - A pirate armed with a cutlass with a WS of 4 attacks a soldier armed with a musket and bayonet with a WS of 3. They each throw a dice. The pirate throws a 3 adding +1 for his higher WS totalling 4. The soldier throws a 4 adding +1 for a musket with bayonet totalling 5 thus winning the fight. The Pirate has to retreat 2 and takes a wound. The winner rolls on the wound table to determine the effect of the wound. Pistols in Close Combat Characters armed with a sword/cutlass or other single handed weapon may also use a loaded pistol in close combat gaining an extra attack during that round of combat. Once fired, the pistol must be reloaded to be used again. Multiple Attacks - When characters have more than one attack, one dice is thrown for each attack. The character with the highest overall dice throw after factors wins the combat. The winner strikes as many hits as there are winning dice. Example A Pirate Captain with 2 attacks and armed with a sword and a WS of 5 attacks a crewman with 1 attack and a WS of 4 and armed with a cutlass. The Pirate captain throws two dice scoring 2 and 6 he adds +2 to each dice (the difference between his and his opponents WS) resulting in scores of 4 and 8. His opponent throws one dice and scores 5 adding nothing. The Pirate Captain wins scoring one wound on the crewman (8 v 5) whilst the other dice (4 v 5) is cancelled out. The crewman has to retreat 2 and take a hit. The winner rolls on the wound table to determine the effect of the wound. Note if the crewman had scored 3 or less on his dice roll he would have taken 2 hits (8 v 3 and 4 v 3). Multiple Fights There may be occasions when two characters fight against a single opponent. This occurs when a character enters a locked in combat melee or when a Boarders Away heroic action is called. In this case both characters add their attacks and engage in melee. If they win their opponent is pushed back and they inflict the appropriate number of wounds on their opponent. If they lose the fight both are pushed back but their opponent may only strike at one figure (he can choose which ) unless he has scored more than one hit when he can decide to split his hits between them. In this case he must choose the split before he rolls. Example - A pirate captain (WS 5) with cutlass and pistol is fighting two crewmen (WS 3) each armed with cutlass and loaded pistol. The captain has 3 attacks (two base attacks +1 A for a loaded pistol in close combat. He throws 3 D6 scoring 1, 3 and 3 with a +2 resulting in an adjusted score of 3, 5 and 5. The two crewman each have 2 attacks (one base attack and +1A for a loaded pistol). They throw 4 D6 scoring 1, 2, 4 and 6. They have the highest dice (6 versus 5) and win the combat. The pirate captain is driven back 2 and takes a single wound. The winner throws on the wound table to decide the effect of the wound.

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Combat Factors

Charging with long reach weapons (Spear, Boarding Pike, Musket with Bayonet etc.) +1

Long range weapons in subsequent rounds of locked in combat -1

Short reach hand weapons (Knife, Club) or Improvised weapon (Clubbed Musket, Pitchfork etc.) -1

Two handed weapon (Boarding Axe etc.) unless the character has the strong trait. -1

Defending an obstacle (Ships side, castle wall etc.) +1

Fighting an opponent on higher ground -1

Trapped If a character loses a fight but is unable to retreat the full 2 he is deemed trapped. He takes double the number of wounds inflicted during the attack. Wounds - A character has a number of wound points as expressed on his stat line. When he reaches zero wounds he is dead. If he is wounded throw 2 different coloured D6 one representing the area struck and the other the severity of the wound. Consult the wound chart and determine the wound received. If the result is dead, he is removed from play immediately (unless he expends a Luck point to re-roll). A serious wound deducts 2 wound points and the character receives a further movement penalty if a leg wound or a fighting or shooting penalty if hit in the arm. A light wound removes 1 wound point. If he is stunned he misses his next activation and is vulnerable to further attacks.

Wound Table

Dice Throw 6 5 4 3 2 1

6 - Head Dead Dead Dead Serious Wound

Serious Wound

Stunned

5 - Chest Dead Dead Serious Wound

Serious Wound

Light Wound

Graze

4 Right Arm Serious Wound

Serious Wound

Light Wound

Light Wound

Graze Graze

3 Left Arm Serious Wound

Serious Wound

Light Wound

Light Wound

Graze Graze

2 Right Leg Serious Wound

Serious Wound

Light Wound

Light Wound

Graze Graze

1 Left Leg Serious Wound

Serious Wound

Light Wound

Light Wound

Graze Graze

Effects of Wounds Each type of wound has a different effect:

Serious Wound = 2 Wound Points

Light Wound = 1 Wound Point

Graze = 0 Wound Point

Stunned = Miss next turn

Serious Leg Wound = Move at half speed.

Serious Arm Wound = cannot use 2 handed weapon/musket/bow etc. -1 skill in WS/SS

Light wound/Graze = No penalty other than wound point deduction.

Two Handed Weapons add +1 to the severity wound roll (i.e. a roll of 5/2 becomes 5/3 changing the severity of the chest wound from a Light Wound to a Serious wound).

Marking Wounds - Wounds should be annotated on the Crew Roster indicating any handicap the wound gives to a player by changing his current stat line. If playing a Campaign then the type of wound received will have a bearing when throwing on the Recovery Table at the end of the game. Morale - The morale of a crew can be a fickle thing. If a battle is going well the crew will continue to fight but when things are going against them, they can very quickly turn into a rabble. Things that will break the

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will of the crew are high casualties which affect all surviving members, cumulative wounds which affect the individual and individual actions which require courage to be tested in certain circumstances. Additionally when a character is charged by or wishes to charge another character who has a Fearsome Reputation he must take a courage test. Courage Check - If a character is required to check his courage then throw a D6 add/subtract any factors and compare against his Courage (C). If the number is equal or less than his current Courage then the character carries on as normal. If it is greater he has failed his courage check and must flee. In this case move the character a complete move away from the nearest enemy towards one of the table edges. If he leaves the table edge he is lost from the game. At sea characters will flee below decks. Courage checks are made when:

Your leader has been killed or is fleeing.

The crew has lost 50% or more of its starting number either dead, fleeing or fled off the table.

When a crew member attempts to charge another character who is fearsome.

The next activation after receiving a serious wound.

Whenever character has only a single wound point left.

The character is currently cowering or fleeing.

Courage Table

Charging or being charged by a Fearsome Character -1

Reduced to one wound point -1

Crew reduced to 50% of starting numbers -1

Behind Cover or on board own ship +1

Within 12 and in LOS of Captain +1

Character currently fleeing -1

Note: Players may find it useful to add a Courage Check marker next to characters who are required to take a courage check before activation on subsequent turns. LUCK, CHARISMA AND HEROICS ACTIONS Luck - In any action movie or comic strip all heroes (and villains) have a habit of managing to avoid the certain doom awaiting them in the next clip/frame/episode. In our game each character can spend Luck points to try and avoid his destiny by leaping across the chasm, avoiding the crocodile or scaling the castle wall without falling. Characters who have them may spend a Luck point to re-roll any set of dice (all or none of the set) to attempt to gain a more favourable outcome including their own attack dice. However once the re-roll is taken, that result will stand, unless he wishes to expend an additional Luck point and roll again. He may use Luck points to force opponents to re-roll one set of dice that directly affect him i.e. a shooting attack against him but not against another member of his crew. Once used Luck points cannot be regained until the start of the next game. Example - A Privateer has attempted to climb the rigging but suffered a fall of 5. Rolling a 5 and adding 2 for the height totals results in a 7. On checking the fall table it shows that he will be killed. If he has a Luck point to spend he may re-roll the dice hoping to get a more favourable outcome. Charisma - All leaders have an ability to inspire their men to great deeds by a combination of their personality, their own actions or their stirring words i.e. their Charisma. They can achieve this effect by expending a Charisma point and carrying out a Heroic action. These Heroic actions are Boarders Away, Volley Fire, Rally to Me, and Rampaging Attack.

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Boarders Away! This requires all of his crew within 6 and within LOS of the initiating character to make a simultaneous move either to get into contact with an opponent or to make any other permissible move including retreating. The player can decide in which order the moves are made. Volley Fire! This order requires all of his crew within 6 and LOS of the initiating character who are armed with a loaded, ranged weapon and not locked in combat, to make an immediate shooting attack. All targets must be nominated before any shooting attacks are determined. Any attacks which no longer have a target (because the target is killed or moved out of range will still fire but no effect is recorded. Targets may not be changed once the first shot is fired, although the player can decide in which order the shots take place. Rally to Me! This order will allow the initiating character to attempt to rally his crew. If he passes his courage check then all his crew who are within 12 and in LOS and are currently fleeing or cowering are immediately rallied. Those who have not yet been activated may activate normally. Characters which have already been activated or who are stunned may activate normally on the next game turn unless a subsequent compulsory action prevents this. Rampaging Attack Any character who wins a fight may carry out an additional attack either on the same or another opponent. This may include an additional normal move (minus terrain factors) to come to grips with a new enemy. Only one Rampaging Attack is allowed per character per game turn. If the character remains locked in combat he may only call a Rampaging Attack against his current opponent. He may not move if he then wins the subsequent combat. Example A Governor who is fighting a pirate sees his daughter being kidnapped by another pirate. He completes his fight with his current opponent, wins the combat and drives him back 2 wounding him in the process. He now spends a Charisma point and declares a Rampaging Attack moving to contact the would-be kidnapper who he now engages in hand to hand combat. If he had not won the combat or remained locked in combat he could only re-engage his current opponent. CREW SELECTION Crews In Dead Mans Chest, a crew is the characters who make up a players force. Each crew comprises of a leader, a small number of subordinate officers and two other grades of henchmen. The types of character vary between crews i.e. a Pirate Captain leads a pirate crew whilst a Lieutenant leads a Navy crew. The names of the common types are listed below

Types of Crew

Grade Navy Pirate Privateer Merchant Town Garrison Slave

Leader Lieutenant Captain Master Skipper Governor Major Chief

Subordinate Midshipman Mate Coxswain Bosun Trusty Sergeant Maroon

Crew Able Seaman Buccaneer Sailor Seaman Bystander Soldier Carib

Standard Characteristic Chart To get players started Dead Mans Chest has created a standard characteristic chart to select a crew from.

Type WS A SS C W Luck Charisma Weapons

Leader 5 2 3+ 6 5 2 2 Sword & Pistol

Subordinate 4 2 4+ 5 4 1 0 Sword and Pistol or Two Handed Weapon

Crew 3 1 4+ 4 3 0 0 Pike or Musket and Knife, or Cutlass or Boarding Axe

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The suggested standard pirate crew is one leader, up to two subordinates and a further 6 crew. For those wishing to play a different set of crews or an extended campaign game should use the campaign rules to generate and equip a crew.

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Below are copies of the markers that players need to use for playing Dead Mans Chest. Permission is granted to photocopy for personal use. It is suggested that the templates are photocopied, cut out and pasted onto thick card or other suitable materials. Markers Grapeshot/Swivel Gun Marker

Compulsory Action Markers

STUNNED COWER FLEE COURAGE

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ACTIONS AT SEA The majority of actions were at sea with pirates and privateers chasing down and boarding ships and the Navy and the Costa Guardia in turn hunting down and sinking pirate ships or capturing them for trial and (usually) execution. This section deals with those actions conducted at sea and are split into ship to ship actions usually followed by a boarding action. Firstly both sides require a ship. The ideal pirate ship would be one that is easy to sail and mounts enough cannon. Mostly pirates chose smaller, handier ships but fitted them out with a larger number of cannon and a bigger crew than most merchants could provide. Conversely pirates were rarely a match for a Navy crew who were well armed and generally better trained, although there were some exceptions. Types of Ships In Dead Mans Chest there are 4 classes of ship and one boat. These are:

Small - Small ships include Cutter, Caravel, Pinnace, Ketch and Schooner. They are armed with up to 4 light or medium cannon. They are usually have a small crew and are often used as coastal traders or fishing vessels.

Medium Medium ships include Barque, Brigantine, Sloop, Caravel and Corvette. They usually carried a larger crew and up to 6 light or medium cannon. They are the workhorses of the sea used for longer voyages and by the Navy and the Costa Guardia as pirate hunters.

Large Large vessels include Frigates used by various navies with 8 mostly medium or heavy cannon, and Fleuts which are vessels with a large cargo hold but a small crew and a few light guns. The latter were often easy prey for pirates. Frigates were the most deadly anti-pirate ships, well armed and containing a large well trained crew.

Huge Spanish Galleons still plied their trade between the New World and Spain bringing treasures to bolster the coffers of His Most Catholic Majesty. Up to 50% of their crew are likely to be soldiers, placed aboard to defend the cargo. They carried a formidable array of cannon. Galleons were the most sought after prize but the hardest to seize.

Boat A jolly boat or longboat is usually used to ferry men ashore. It can act as a lifeboat if the ship sinks. It can only be armed with a swivel gun which is usually mounted in the bow.

Crews Unless specified any crew can man any type of ship. Ships operated by the Navy, Costa Guardia, and Merchants can be captured and used subsequently. Captured Galleons cannot be used by other crews as they cannot provide enough crew to sail or defend them effectively.

Ship Types Table

Type Size Hull Points

Rigging Points

Sail Points

Turn Rate

Min Crew

Max Cannon

NPC Crew

Boat Tiny 5 3 3 4 1 Nil Any

Cutter Small 9 9 7 3 2 4 Navy, Costa Guardia

Ketch Small 9 10 6 3 2 4 Any

Pinnace Small 11 10 4 3 2 4 Any

Schooner Small 10 10 5 3 2 4 Any

Sloop Small 12 9 4 3 2 4 Any

Barque Medium 16 14 6 2 3 6 Any

Brig Medium 14 15 7 2 3 6 Any

Caravel Medium 16 14 6 2 3 6 Any

Corvette Medium 13 15 8 2 3 6 Navy, Costa Guardia

Fleut Large 18 16 4 1 4 4 Merchant

Frigate Large 20 20 8 2 4 8 Navy, Costa Guardia

Galleon Huge 24 24 3 1 6 10 Spanish Treasure Fleet

Note Small ships may only be equipped with small or medium cannon.

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Effects of Wind - As its only source of power, the effect of wind on a sailing ship is a critical factor. The direction and strength of the wind are calculated at the start of the game. Both can change throughout the game. Direction The initial wind speed is determined at the start of play by a roll of a D6. The directions are as follows:

1= North 2= East 3 = South 4 = West 5 = Throw again 1-3 NE, 4-6 NW 6 = Throw again 1-3 SE, 4-6 SW

Speed Throw a D6. 1-2 Wind speed = Light. 3-4 Wind speed= Medium. 5-6 Wind speed = Strong. Game Turn The sequence of a game turn for actions at sea is as follows:

Wind - Check for changes in wind

Assign Crew Crew are assigned to various actions.

Orders - Write ship orders

Move - Carry out ship movement simultaneously

Broadside Fire all cannon simultaneously.

Boarding Actions Board enemy vessels

Crew actions Sharpshooters, Repair damage, Grapple, Cut Free

Check Morale Carry out any morale checks. Wind Changes Throw a D6 at the start of each game turn.

Wind Speed On a score of 1 the wind speed changes. 1-3 Wind decreases one category. 4-6 wind increases one category. Wind speed cannot go lower than light or higher than strong.

Wind Direction On a score of 6 the wind changes direction. 1-3 it veers one point to port (left). 4-6 it veers one point to starboard (right).

Assign Crew As in real life the ships crew will have different tasks. A minimum number of crew are required to sail the ship, others will man the guns and any spare can either repair damage or, if the ships are close enough fire muskets or swivel guns at the enemys crew. The player must designate how many of his crew are carrying out each task. They must carry out this task for the whole move and may not engage in any other activity. If they are killed, have to defend themselves or have a compulsory action applied to them (Cower, Flee, Stunned) they cannot carry out their primary tasks and any effect is lost. Ships Orders In real life, ships would manoeuvre at the same time and a Captain needed to guess what the other ship was likely to do and sail his ship to get it into the best position. In order to reflect this all ships moves are completed simultaneously. To achieve this players will write down the actions a ship will make during the movement phase. Orders will include the direction to sail, any turns that need to be made and at what time in the move and the amount of sail to be set. Sailing Distance A ships movement is a combination of Wind Effect, Sail Settings Points, Turns and a Random factor.

Direction of Wind in relation to the Ship There are 3 positions of wind that affects the speed of a ship:

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Running When the wind is generally across the stern. This is known as Running and is usually the fastest speed.

Reaching When the wind is coming across the side of a ship this is known as Reaching.

Close Hauled The wind is generally coming across the front of the ship. The ship is travelling at less than 90 degree to the wind direction. The ship usually travels at the slowest speed.

Effects of Wind on Sailing

Wind Speed Light Normal Strong

Running + 2 +3 + 4

Reaching 0 1 +2

Close hauled -1 -2 -3

Tacking See Tacking below

Sail Points The Captain can decide how much sail is to be set from just light sails to full sails with topgallants set. In Dead Mans Chest this is reflected in Sail Points. Each ship has a number of sail points which the player chooses to apply from one to the maximum allowed.

Random Distance At sea not everything will go exactly as planned. Fluctuations in the wind, the state of the sea, the reactions of the crew, and confusion in action all affect the sailing of a ship. Thus to reflect this, the ships speed will be adjusted by an additional random factor - the roll of a D6.

Changes of Direction Ships can turn in segments of 45 degrees. To turn the ship place a movement marker alongside the direction of travel and turn the ship one or more segments pivoting round the centre of the model. Small ships lose 1 for every segment they turn, whilst Medium ships lose 2 and Heavy ships 3 for each segment.. The ship then makes its move in the new direction. The turns can be made either at the beginning or end of a move which must be specified in the orders. Ships turn at different rates according to their size and sailing abilities which are included on the ships tables.

Tacking - Ships cannot travel up wind, at best they can move within 45 degrees of the wind direction. In order to turn across the direction of the wind they must tack. A tack is a normal turn move made across the wind direction, however if a ship ends its turn within 45 degrees of the wind direction it makes no forward movement at all. On subsequent turns it will make the appropriate move after deducting any turn penalty. Thus a smaller ship with a greater turn rate is more likely to be able to tack across the eye of the wind in a single game turn than a slower ship, giving it greater manoeuvrability. A single turn can be made at either the beginning or the end of a move. If more than one turn is made during a turn then the turns must be split between the beginning and the end of a move. If an odd number of moves are used the player can decide to use the larger number of turns at either the beginning or end of the move Example A player decides to make his corvette complete 3 turns and chooses to carry out 2 turns at the start and one turn at the end of the move. Movement The distance a ship travels in one game turn is therefore determined by the equation:

Sail Speed + Wind Effect + Random factor number of Turns = Distance travelled. Example A Ketch is sailing in a strong wind. The Captain decides to turn once to Starboard(S) (-1 to movement) at the start of the move which brings it to a Reach (+2 to movement) and turn once to Starboard(S) at the end of a move (-1 to movement). He sets 4 sail points (+4 to movement) and throws a D6 scoring 4 (+4 to movement). The orders chart will look like this:

Wind Direction

Running

Reaching Reaching

Close Hauled

Close Hauled

Wind Direction

Running

Reaching Reaching

Close Hauled

Close Hauled

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The movement will look like this.

Ships Name Start Sail End Move

Turns S S -2

Sail Speed 4 +4

Wind Effect Strong Wind - Reach +2

D6 4 +4

Total 8

Note: Wind Effect is applied to the direction of intended movement not the initial or final facing of the ship. SHOOTING AT SEA Firing at other ships at sea was not an easy task. With no reference points, judging distance is extremely difficult. In addition the motion (pitch, roll and yaw) of the ship especially in heavy seas or high winds made pin point accuracy almost impossible. To reflect this all ranges are guessed before making a measurement (from either side) and there is an additional chance that up roll or down roll will further alter the actual strike of a cannonball. Well trained crews such as the Royal Navy are better at shooting at sea. Broadside Firing is carried out simultaneously. All loaded and crewed cannon which are in range can fire at the opposing ship. Cannon have a 45 degree firing arc (22.5 degree either side of barrel). Cannon are divided into 4 categories; light, medium and heavy and swivel gun (the latter being used only as an anti-personnel weapon). The larger the cannon the greater the range and damage inflicted but also the larger crew required to fire it. The table below shows the cannon characteristics.

Ships Cannon Table Damage

Size of Cannon

Long Range

Medium Range

Close Range

Minimum Crew

Solid Shot

Heated Shot

Chain Shot

Swivel Gun - - 6 1 Grapeshot only

Small 3-4 lb 18 12 6 2 1 - 1

Medium 6-9 lb

24 18 9 2 2 2* 2

Large 12 lb + 36 24 12 3 4 4* 3

* D6 to see if fire starts

Loading It takes one complete game turn to load a cannon with the correct number of crew as long as they are not involved in any other activity. Being engaged in hand to hand combat, sailing duties or subject to a compulsory order prevents them from loading and firing the gun. Additional crew members do not increase the loading rate but if the number of crew available to man the cannon falls below the minimum it takes an additional turn to load the cannon. Ammunition - Different ammunition is used to target different parts of a ship. Each time a cannon is loaded the ammunition must be specified i.e. Solid Shot, Chain Shot or Grapeshot. Once loaded the ammunition cannot be changed and must be fired before reloading with another type.

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Solid shot can be fired at short, medium or long range and is aimed at the ships hull reducing its hull damage points. This can affect crew morale which might lead to striking their colours or eventually sink the ship.

Chain Shot can be fired at short or medium range and is fired at masts, rigging and sails reducing the speed of a ship and making boarding easier.

Grapeshot is fired at short range and is targeted against the crew usually just before boarding. Use the template to gauge which characters are affected. See Grapeshot below.

Heated Shot can only be fired by medium or heavy cannon from a fort which has a furnace. It damages hulls in the same way as solid shot but there is also the chance of the ship catching fire. A furnace takes time to warm up and can only produce heated shot on the 4th game turn onwards unless the scenario specifies differently.

Firing A loaded cannon can fire at any suitable target within a 22.5 degree arc. To fire a cannon, nominate the target, take aim by guessing the range (pre measuring is not allowed) and place a target marker at the range guessed i.e. if the range is guessed at being 13, a target marker is placed 13 from the end of the barrel irrespective of where that spot is in relation to the ship being engaged. Then throw D6 to determine where the shot fell in relation to the target marker. If the ship is hit, calculate the damage depending on the ammunition being used. Finally place a marker ,such as a small ball of cotton wool, next to the fired cannon to show it is unloaded.

Cannon Firing Table

Score Result Remarks

1 Misfire. A roll of 1 is always a misfire irrespective of any modifier

2 Shot falls short of target marker D3 If ship is hit calculate damage

3 Shot flies over target marker D3 If ship is hit calculate damage

4-5 Shot hits target marker exactly Calculate damage

6 Shot hits target marker exactly but scores a critical hit.

Throw a D6. A result of 1- 5 doubles the damage inflicted. A result of 6 destroys the nearest cannon. If using chain a result of 1-5 doubles the damage. On a result of 6 the ship loses a mast (5 sail points)

+1 to hit if firing at Close Range -1 at Long Range Royal Navy crews or Costa Guardia may add or subtract one to the dice throw.

Misfire Table

Score Effect

1 Cannon Explodes and gun crew takes 2 hits each

2-5 Unable to fire this turn

6 Unable to fire for next 2 turns.

Damage Effects - When a cannon ball or chain shot hits a ship it reduces either the hull points or sail points. When the damage reaches 50% of the relevant points of damage the ship is reduced to half speed and the Captain must take a morale check. When it reaches 75% then the ship is unable to move by sail and will drift downwind only. When the hull points reach zero the ship will sink in D3+2 turns. Raking Raking fire is when a ship fires its broadside down the length of an enemy ship, either from the stern or the prow, as shown below. When this happens a solid shot can travel the entire length of a ship causing major damage. In this instance all damage inflicted including critical hits is doubled.

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Grapeshot Cannon loaded with grapeshot can fire during the broadside phase. Use the template to show fall of shot. Any crew member (including your own crew) under the template is hit. All characters hit have a 5+ cover save reflecting the cover provided by the ship, masts, cannon etc. Any character failing this cover save takes a wound which is calculated exactly as for firing on land. Fires If heated shot is used against a ship then in addition to scoring hull damage points there is a chance of a fire starting. When a ship is hit with heated shot throw a D6, on a score of a score of 6 a fire is started. Reduce the number required for a fire to start by one, each time the ship is struck by heated shot i.e. if hit by 3 heated shot the fire starts on 4, 5 or 6. These are cumulative. Boarding Actions - In order to seize a prize the opponents ship will need to be boarded. Boarding actions can only take place once the enemy ship has been weakened to below 50% of its hull or rigging points or when the opposing Captain has failed a Courage Check. To board, sail your ship alongside its intended prize and move the crew man the sides ready to board.

Due to the cluttered nature of a ships deck all movement is treated as rough terrain.

Swivel guns are small single manned cannon loaded with grapeshot and are fired during the boarding phase as shooting attack. They are a useful method of clearing a passage onto an enemys ship but may affect your own crew as well. Calculate the effects exactly as for firing grapeshot.

Any defender manning the ships side gains the defended obstacle bonus until pushed back.

If the ship being boarded is higher than the attacking ship then the defender gets the higher ground bonus.

In order to board an enemy ship there must be enough space to move onto the opposing deck. If an enemy crewman bars the way the fighting takes place as on land but if the enemy figure is pushed back the boarding figure may follow him up into the space created. There is a greater risk of being trapped in a boarding action which may result in the loser suffering double the number of wounds. See Trapped in the Hand to Hand Fighting section.

If a Rampaging Attack is called the attacker has the option to fight another enemy to create further space for his crew to board. If he wins the subsequent combat he may move a second time into the space left by his opponent to allow other crew members to follow up.

Jumping and swinging actions may also allow crews to successfully board enemy ships avoiding defenders although both carry risks.

Morale Check There are times during a Ship to Ship Action or Boarding Action when a captain must take a Courage Check for the whole crew. A courage check is taken when:

Hull or Sail points are reduced to 50%

Hull or Sail Points are reduced to 75%

Each time the ship takes a Critical Hit

The crew reduced to 50% of its starting roster (rounded up)

The defenders are outnumbered by boarders on the boarded ship by 2:1

Captain Courage Check

Hull or Sail Points reduced to 50% -1

Hull or sail points reduced to 75% -2

Each cannon Lost -1

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Each Mast lost -1

Crew Reduced to below 50% of starting number -1

Courage Check failure -

During Ship to Ship Action - If a Captain fails his Courage Check then the ship can be boarded even if it has not suffered 50% hull or sail point damage.

During Boarding Action If the defending Captain fails his courage Check he Strikes his Colours and the game ends with victory to the boarding crew.

Crew actions After movement and firing any crew who have been assigned duties to repair damage, grapple or cut free a grappled ship can now carry out their actions if they have not been involved in any other action. Grappling Crossing from one ship to another can only take place where ships are touching, unless either a jump or swing move is attempted. If the ships touch at an angle then the boarding crew can use grappling hooks to bring the ships together. It takes 2 characters one complete game turn to pull the ships together. This is shown in the diagram below. On the left boarding can only take place over a small area. After successfully grappling an enemy ship, boarding can take place along the whole side of the ship.

Boarding and Grappling

Cutting Free If, after a turn of fighting, the grappled ship has no boarders left on it, the crew may attempt to cut free. A minimum of 2 Crewmen must be assigned to the attempt to free the ship having done nothing else in the game turn. They require a 3+ on a D6. Add one for each additional pair of crew assigned to the task. Once free the ships are moved 3 apart and the game returns to ship action. Sharpshooters If no boarding action has taken place then any character armed with a loaded musket and who is in range, can shoot at enemy characters on board the enemy ship. Shooting is resolved in exactly the same way as on land. Putting out a fire To put out a fire at least one crew member must spend one complete game turn attempting to put out the fire. He may do nothing else. Throw a D6. If the fire has just started then a score of 4+ will douse the flames. For each additional crew member fighting the fire add +1 to the dice roll. If not put out immediately the fire will spread. It requires 5,6 on the second attempt and 6 on the third attempt. If the fire is not put out within 3 turns of it starting, the fire is uncontrollable and the crew must abandon ship before it explodes. Roll a D3 +2 to indicate the number of turns before the ship explodes and sinks. The crew may take to a ships boat if it has one. Repairing damage Hull damage and sail damage can be repaired by the crew. A minimum of 2 crew must be allocated who do nothing else but man pumps or splice rigging and set new sails. Critical damage such as loss of a mast or gun can never be repaired during the game. Throw a D6 and consult the Damage Repair table.

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Damage Repair Table

Score Hull points Sail Points

1 No repairs possible No repairs possible

2-3 Ships pumps operating slowly. 1 hull point repaired.

Ropes spliced. 1 rigging point repaired

4-5 Ships pumps operating normally. 2 hull points repaired.

Ropes spliced and rigging lines replaced. 2 rigging points repaired.

6 Holes plugged. 3 Hull points repaired New sails spliced. 3 rigging points repaired

Drifting If a ship suffers 75% of either hull or sail points damage points or loses all its masts it can no longer be sailed. The ship drifts downwind according to the wind speed i.e. in a light wind a ship will drift 2. If in shallow water the ship may be anchored or run aground. It stays in the same place but faces upwind if anchored. Collision If a ship collides with another solid object such as another ship or the harbour wall and is travelling 6 or more it will suffer 2 hull points of damage +1 hull point for each additional 1 travelled. Run Aground - Any ship that collides with a sandbank, a reef or is within 3 of the shore (measured from the nearest point of the shore to the nearest point of the ships hull) it has run aground. It loses 2 hull points and remains stationary until the crew manage to re-float her. At least 2 crew must be assigned to carry out the task and they will succeed on a throw of 4+ on a D6. Add +1 to the dice roll for each additional crew assigned to the task. Crew attempting to refloat the ship may not do anything else. CAMPAIGN SECTION This section provides the additional rules for running Dead Mans Chest as a campaign either between likeminded players or for a Club Campaign or League. It deals with the recruitment of men and purchase of equipment, repairs to ships, increasing characteristics and gaining fame. The Crew A crew consists of a Leader, up to two subordinates and a number of rank and file. The maximum numbers in a crew may not exceed 20 figures except where mutually agreed between opponents. The higher ranked characters have better starting stat lines but cost more (see recruiting). They also have access to Luck and Charisma statistics that the basic crewmen do not have. This allows them to perform better in the game, lead their men and potentially stay alive longer. It is suggested that a starting crew is about 9 figures comprising of a leader, two subordinate officers/petty officers and six crew. Characteristics The starting statistics for each type of crewmember is shown below. Players may choose initially to buy additional skills to assign to their crew. See the skills section below for which additional skills are available.

Type WS A SS C W Luck Charisma

Leader 5 2 3+ 6 5 2 2

Subordinate 4 2 4+ 5 4 1 0

Crew 3 1 4+ 4 3 0 0

Types of crew - There are a number of types of crew available for the game but players are free to make up any additional types of crew they wish. Although the names change the basics characteristics are similar for all classes. All crews have specialist skills or limitations reflecting the characteristics of that crew.

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Types of Crew

Grade Navy Pirate Privateer Merchant Town Garrison Slave

Leader Lieutenant Captain Master Skipper Governor Major Chief

Subordinate Midshipman Mate Coxswain Bosun Trusty Sergeant Maroon

Crew Able Seaman Buccaneer Sailor Seaman Bystander Soldier Carib

Navy Navy crews may replace up to 4 Able Seamen with Marines at a cost of 5 doubloons each. Marines have the trained soldier characteristic (+1) to SS and must be armed with a musket and bayonet at normal cost. Any character may have the Loyal or Hardened Resolve characteristic at a cost of 10 doubloons each. Pirates Many Pirate crews were believed to offer no mercy to a captured crew. Thus any Pirate character may take the Fearsome Reputation or Fury characteristic at the cost of 10 Gold Doubloons each. Privateers - Privateers were sometimes little better than Pirate crews themselves but they were often led by inspirational characters and included gentlemen adventurers. Thus any single Privateer character may add the Inspiring characteristic or Swordsman characteristic at a cost of 10 Gold Doubloons each. Merchants Merchantmen made up the majority of the ships plying their trade be it as traders or fishermen. They are best used as Non Playing Crews/Characters. The captain may have Sea Legs characteristic at no cost but the remainder have no special characteristics. Town - Townsfolk are a Non-Player Crew who cost less than a standard crew member (5 doubloons each) but half of all Bystanders may only be armed only with improvised weapons and only the officers may be armed with pistols. Up to one Bystander may have the Strong characteristic (Free) and be armed with a two handed weapon at normal cost. The Governor is an Expert Swordsman (Free). Both Trustys are Loyal (Free). Garrison A garrison is a Non-Player Crew whose standard crew members are rated as soldiers and must be armed with musket and bayonet at an additional cost of 5 doubloons each. Any character may add the Loyal, Hardened Resolve or Inspiring Characteristic at a cost of 10 Gold Doubloons each. The Garrison crew should be treated as a Non Playing Crew in most cases but form the soldier elements of any Galleon. Escaped Slaves - An escaped slave band is a Non-Player Crew who cost less than the standard crew member (7 doubloons) and the basic crewmember can only be armed with spears, knives and/or bows. Only officers may be armed with muskets and only the leader with a pistol. The whole crew have the Fast Characteristic (Free) and up to two may have the Strong characteristic (Free) who may be armed with axes at normal cost. They may only ever crew small ships or boats. Recruitment - Although men joined a pirate crew for many reasons, pay or loot was a major factor in their decisions. Different ranks of crew members received a different share of the loot and this is reflected in the cost of recruiting pirates and in the training, pay and prize money for Navy crews. The basic crew members cost (one share) 10 doubloons, Officers such as the First Mate cost 15 doubloons (one and a half shares) and a Captain 30 Doubloons (three shares). The cost is paid on hiring. You can recruit new crew members at the beginning of the campaign and after each game. Desertion Occasionally individual crewmen deserted their former crews and took up a life of piracy or were press-ganged into the navy. After a successful boarding action the winner may attempt to lure opposing crew members to join his crew. For every character of the losing crew that is killed on the Recovery Table, the winner may dice to see if he deserts. On a throw of 6 on a D6 the character switches crews together with all his equipment and current statistics and joins the winners crew permanently for free. The character is not eligible for any upgrades until after the next encounter. Captains never desert.

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Promotion - Promotion comes when the leader or one of the subordinate officers is killed and the player wishes to promote an experienced crew member into the appointment rather than recruit a brand new character into the position. It is mandatory if the captain is killed, captured, executed or otherwise fails to return to the crew for the next game. Promotion costs the difference between the two i.e. if a pirate is promoted to First Mate then it costs 5 extra doubloons and a subordinate to leader costs 15 extra doubloons. He adopts the stat line of the higher ranked character but carries forward any additional characteristics that he has earned and his current equipment. Additional equipment may be purchased for him as explained in the equipment section. Equipment The equipment available to the crew is shown on the table below along with the cost in gold doubloons.

Equipment Cost

Knife 1

Club 1

Bayonet 2

Sword/Cutlass 3

Pike (2 Handed Weapon) 4

Axe (2 Handed Weapon) 4

Spear 4

Bow 5

Pistol 6

Musket (2 Handed Weapon) 12

Blunderbuss (2 Handed Weapon) 15

Breastplate (+1 wound) 10

The Ship All crews have a small ship and 4 small cannon to start the game (two mounted either side). The choice of ship is up to the player but only Navy crews may take a cutter. Ships are fully fitted out and seaworthy at the start of the game but may suffer hull or sail damage as a result of battles. The ship can be repaired between games at a cost. The costs of repairs are shown in the table below. In addition players may wish to upgrade their equipment, replace destroyed cannons or upgrade them etc. Crews may even purchase a replacement ship or upgrade their existing one but at considerable cost. Ships may also be upgraded by looting captured vessels. Any cannon destroyed during the battle can be replaced by salvaging a looted ship for a replacement. In addition one further cannon can be upgraded if the captured ship has heavier ordnance and your own ship is capable of taking larger cannon. Any remaining cannon are lost to the crew. Example A Pirate crew with a Pinnace armed with four small cannon captures an enemy Barque armed with four medium and one large cannon. The Pinnace lost a small cannon destroyed during the battle. The Pirate crew may replace the destroyed cannon with a medium cannon and upgrade another of their small cannon with a medium cannon taken from the Barque. As the Pinnace is a small ship they may not fit large cannon into it. For its next encounter the Pinnace will now be armed with two medium and two small cannon.

Equipment Cost

Swivel Gun 25

Small cannon 30

Medium cannon 40

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Heavy cannon 50

Repair Hull Point 5

Repair Sail Point 3

Small Ship 500

Medium Ship 1000

Large Ship 2000

Booty Pirates only do it for the money (and the fame and the women and the drink). You can buy just about anything for a price. This includes hiring a crew; buying, equipping and repairing a ship; buying weapons and information. It also allows you to ransom captured crew members, buy Letters of Marque and bribe guards and jailors etc. The local currency is Gold Doubloons. You start with 200 Gold Doubloons, enough to purchase a crew and their equipment. Costs of crew members, equipment are listed in the Crew section whilst costs of ships repairs and improvements are dealt with in the Ship section. You gain more treasure as you play each game with the winner gaining more doubloons than the loser. In a standard game the losing player(s) throws 2 D6 and multiply it by 5 for the number of Gold Doubloons he gains as booty. The winning player(s) throws 3D6. If the player throws 2 ones then he also throws on the Special Items table. Special Items From time to time certain objects come into the possession of a pirate which may aid them (or not) on their endeavours. Throw 2D6 and consult the chart below.

Special Items Table Roll Object Explanation Effect

2 Jamaican Rum

A Bottle of Jamaicas finest rum If drunk adds +1 to Courage Check -1 SS +1 Attack -1 WS. Effects one game only.

3 Medallion A fancy medallion you picked up on your last outing

Gives the owner an additional Luck Point. Once used it is worth 5 Gold Doubloons

4 Parrot A macaw which usually sits on the shoulder of its owner

Distracts an enemy -1 to opponents WS. One use only as the parrot is either killed in the resulting melee or flies away to the nearest tree.

5-8 Gold Purse 30 golden doubloons in a silk purse

9 Treasure Map

A map which purports to show buried treasure

Allows player to find buried treasure more easily. See Scenarios.

10 Letter of Marque

A letter issued by a friendly Governor allowing you to prey on other nations shipping. They often became out of date very quickly as nations changed allegiances.

Increases Treasure Roll by 1D6 when you win a ship to ship encounter. One Use only.

11 Pardon On payment of a donation to the local Governor, the captured Captain is granted a Pardon.

Allows killed or captured leader to go free on payment of 50% of his gold doubloons (up to maximum of 50 gold doubloons). One use only. Can be used to overcome a failed throw on the Character Recovery Table.

12 Black Spot Given to an opposing character at the start of a game.

Requires the character to expend 2 Luck points to achieve effect. One use only.

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Example A player who has won the game throws 3D6 and scores 14. This is multiplied by 5 giving him 70 Gold Doubloons. The loser throws 2D6 but scores 2. He receives 10 Gold Doubloons (2 x5) but also rolls on the Special Items table throwing 8 and receiving a further 30 Gold Doubloons in a silk purse. Fame Depending on the scenario played each crew gains experience points called Fame points. Generally the most famous player is the winner of the campaign unless the campaign calls for a particular objective to be achieved. Fame is gained by winning games , achieving special scenario objectives and preserving the life of your crew - after all no one wants to join a crew where everyone gets killed. In a single or standard game the winner get 5 Fame points whilst the loser gets 2. Both players gain an additional Fame point for each crew member that is still alive at the end of the game. No points are awarded for crew members that are fleeing or who have been abandoned by their crew. When playing particular scenarios additional Fame points may be warded. Additional Skills As a character progresses in his pirate life he may improve and learn additional skills which will enhance his abilities. After each battle any surviving characters may be awarded an additional skill. The loser may nominate one character whilst the winner nominates two characters to receive a skill. They may be awarded to any crew member not just the leaders. If no umpire is present then the player rolls 2D6 and consults the Positive Characteristics Table awarding the skill to a character of his choice. If an Umpire is present then he awards the most appropriate Characteristic to a character depending on his performance in battle. Example A crewman has fired a musket on board ship hitting and killing outright an opponent. He is awarded the Dead Eye characteristic. Another character has passed every courage check and remained on the board when the rest of his crew have fled. He is awarded the Loyal characteristic.

Positive Characteristics Attribute Score Explanation Effect

Fearsome Reputation

3 Some characters strike fear into their enemies

Opponents must take a courage check if charging character

Ruthless 4 Utterly ruthless May fire into a locked in combat melee. 1-3 hits his own player, 4-6 his opponent

Fury 5 When in hand to hand combat he fights like a demon

+1 attack +1 WS

Strong 6 Exceptionally strong. Can use two handed weapon without penalty

Brawler 7 A tavern brawler is used to getting into fights

Can use improvised weapons without penalty

Sea Legs 8 On deck he manages to avoid obstacles. Always treats rough terrain as normal whilst on ship

Scout 9 On land he manages to avoid obstacles. Always treats rough terrain as normal when on land

Fast 10 Covers the ground more quickly than others.

Normal move increased to 8

Pistols 11 Multiple pistols in close combat Can +1 Attack for every loaded pistol carried to a max of +3

Swordsman 12 Expert swordsman. Add +1 to WS if armed with sword or cutlass

Dead Eye 13 Excellent shot +1 to SS

Nimble 14 Agile character May re-roll all failed jumping, falling, swimming and swinging tests

Stealthy 15 Able to take advantage of folds in the ground others might miss

-1 to any shooting attack against character

Hardened Resolve

16 A steadfast crew member who is utterly loyal to the cause

May re-roll any failed Courage Check

Loyal 17 Some characters show complete loyalty to If captain alive then he always passes his

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their Captain Courage check.

Inspiring 18 This characters inspires others in his crew Characters add +1 to Courage throw of within 3 of this figure.

*Character must be armed with more than one loaded pistol. Recovery Not all men who are put out of action (killed or fled) during a game are lost to the crew. There is a chance that the character may recover from his wound or regain his courage and fight alongside his shipmates again. There is also a chance that the character will suffer some sort of wound or gain some negative characteristic that affects his future performance. At the end of the game throw a D6 for each character that was killed or fled the table and consult on the Character Recovery Table below to see the effect.

Character Recovery Table

Roll Effect on Character Remarks

1 The character died of his wounds and is permanently removed from the game. Character may desert

All his equipment and additional skills are lost to the crew, who may recruit a replacement in the normal manner. May be subject to desertion rule.

2 The character returns to his crew but is physically maimed or psychologically scarred.

Consult the Negative Characteristic Table below. He retains his other characteristics and his equipment.

3-6 Character returns to the crew unharmed with all his equipment and characteristics intact.

Rejoins crew roster but not eligible for gaining an additional skill from that battle.

Negative Skills A character may acquire a negative skill as a result of his performance or outcome of a battle. These skills my result from his actions during a battle such as running away or as a result of wounds gained during the last battle. These negative skills are applied equally to both winner and loser. For every character that scored 2 on his Recovery roll, consult the chart below.

Negative Characteristics

Cause Attribute Explanation Effect

If character fled or cowered from fearsome enemy.

Timid Prefers to fight with ranged weapons

-1 to Courage Check. May lose Timid trait if in a future battle he passes a Courage Check when facing a fearsome enemy.

If Timid Character fled or cowered from fearsome enemy

Yellow This character is not cut out to be in combat

Must re-roll any successful Courage Check in all future battles.

If character was killed by fall

Clumsy Must throw to cross any linear obstacle.

1-3 fails 4-6 succeeds -1 to jump and climb roll.

If crew abandoned the character during game

Disloyal Bides his time and plots against his Captain

On activation if the character is out of LOS of his captain throw a D6. On score of 1 he changes sides and becomes a crewmember for the opposing player remaining with him permanently.

If character was killed by a head wound during battle

Eye Patch The loss of an eye affects shooting and balance

-1 to SS, -1 on Jump Roll and Climb Roll. If he loses another eye he will retire from crew.

If Character was killed having suffered two serious leg wounds (Same Leg)

Peg Leg Covers ground more slowly than others

Normal move -2 and -2 on jump roll. Cannot climb. If loses a second leg he will retire from crew.

If character was killed having suffered two serious arm wounds (Same Arm)

Hook Hand The character wears a hook to replace his lost hand.

Cannot use two handed weapon, musket, blunderbuss or bow. +1 to WS for using hook in close combat. If he loses the other hand he will retire from crew.

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If character was killed and suffered a serious leg wound during the battle

Slow Covers the ground more slowly than others.

Normal move -2. If gains a further slow attribute he will retire from crew.

If character suffered a serious wound in the chest or was killed from combination of other wounds

Ill health More likely to die in combat

-1 Wound permanently.

Where there is more than one possible outcome then the higher cause is taken.

Game Sequence The game sequence helps players set up and play a game with the minimum of preparation and if playing a campaign allows them to record their crew roster and experience points. Select Crew (and ship if required) and complete crew roster. Select Scenario Set up board Play game End game sequence (either in presence of opponent or with Umpire) Adjust Crew Roster including

Allocate Experience Points

Throw for Booty

Allocate Additional Skills

Recover Characters and apply Negative Characteristics

Recruit and equip new crew members

Repair and refit ship

Write new crew roster.

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CREW ROSTER - A crew Roster is included to make up your own Crew.

Name Stat Move WS SS A W C Fate Fortune

Base

Rating Current

Weapons Wounds and Handicaps

Name Stat Move WS SS A W C Fate Fortune

Base

Rating Current

Weapons Wounds and Handicaps

Name Stat Move WS SS A W C Fate Fortune

Base

Rating Current

Weapons Wounds and Handicaps

Name Stat Move WS SS A W C Fate Fortune

Base

Rating Current

Weapons Wounds and Handicaps

Name Stat Move WS SS A W C Fate Fortune

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Rating Current

Weapons Wounds and Handicaps

Name Stat Move WS SS A W C Fate Fortune

Base

Rating Current

Weapons Wounds and Handicaps

Name Stat Move WS SS A W C Fate Fortune

Base

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Weapons Wounds and Handicaps

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SCENARIOS Scenario 1 Ship to Ship Action The basic tactics of all Pirate crews (and most Privateers) were to seek out ships and board them, capturing the ship, the crew and of course the cargo. Some ships were taken as prizes and sold, the ships crew could be slaughtered, marooned, made to Walk the Plank or be enticed to join the pirates themselves. The Cargo would be seized and sold at a friendly port or occasionally buried on a lonely island. This was the modern day equivalent of stashing the loot until the heat was off. This encounter pits two crews against each other on board their ships. Board Size and Set Up - Ideally a 6 x 6 table is used although smaller tables such as 6 x 4 or even 4 x 4 can be used albeit with the problem of re-positioning ships if they leave the table edge. Throw on the Wind direction and Wind Speed tables to determine the weather conditions and set the wind speed and direction marker. Starting Positions - and then position the opposing ships. Each player rolls a D6 and positions his ship as shown below. If the dice ties roll again. Players may face their ship in any direction except into wind.

Victory Conditions The winner is the player who successfully boards the opposing ship and forces the opposing Captain to Strike his Colours. If an opposing ship is sunk without boarding the winner gains only 3 victory points and loses 1D6 from his booty roll. Fame Points The winner gains 5 Fame points whilst the winner gains 2. Each player gains an additional Fame point for every one of his opponents crewman that deserts and joins his crew. If the game is a draw then both players get 2 Fame points. Additional Booty None unless thrown on the Special Items table. Special Scenario Rules If players wish to they may each place a small rocky outcrop (max 5 x 5) representing a reef or a sandbank (max 6 x 2) on the table during set up. The rules for Running Aground are in play. Scenario 2 Re-Victualling the Ship As a ships supplies get low most captains will put into a friendly port to replenish their stocks. When the ship was too far from a friendly port or there was an urgent need to replenish the water stocks the crew would sail to an uninhabited island. Here they could re-fill their water casks and hunt for the wild pig that were abundant on the island (which earned themselves the name boucanier - buccaneer) for fresh meat. You have moored the ship on one side of a small nameless island and have led your crew to the water source in the middle of the island and where herds of the small pigs are often to be found. Unfortunately for you another pirate captain has had the same idea. You may need to fight for you supplies.

1 2 3

6 5 4

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Board Size and Set Up The game is played on a 4 x 4 board. The table should be liberally covered in difficult terrain such as palm trees, and bushes. In the centre place a small water source such as a pond. Place 3 model pigs within 6 of the waters edge. Starting positions Each player throws a dice to determine choice of table edge. The winner sets up his crew within 6 of his chosen edge. The loser sets up his crew within 6 of the opposite edge. Each crew must have a barrel (or similar object) to carry water back to their ship. Victory Conditions The object of the game is to fill your water barrel and get it off your side of the table. Fame Points The player who exits his barrel of his table edge first gains 5 Fame Points whilst the loser gains 2 fame Points. In addition each player gains one experience point for each surviving member (including those carrying the water barrel). If the game is a draw then both players get 2 Fame points. Additional Bounty - For each pig killed and exited from your side of the table the player gains a further 10 Gold Doubloons. Special Scenario Rules

Barrels - Empty water barrels can be carried by any man without penalty to his movement. Full water barrels can be carried at half speed by one man but at full speed by two men. They cannot carry out any other action whilst carrying the barrel. If they are attacked they drop the barrel and defend themselves. Unattended enemy barrels can be seized by the opposing crew. A character must spend one complete turn at the pool without interruption to fill a barrel.

Pigs On turn 2 and every turn thereafter all pigs that are alive will move D6 in a random direction (use scatter dice and re-roll hits) ignoring penalties for difficult terrain. If they collide with a character play a turn of combat. To kill a pig either shoot it (-1 to hit for its size and movement) or wound it in hand to hand combat . Pigs have a WS of 3 and inflict one wound if they win the combat. A single wound will kill the pig. Pigs can be carried by a single character at half rate or by two characters at full rate. They must drop the pig if attacked. Unattended pigs can be captured by the other side.

Scenario 3 Treasure Island Buried treasure is the staple diet of all pirate movies and stories. Here your crew have landed on an uninhabited island where you have reason to believe that Captain Jim Beam had buried his treasure. Captain Jim was hung in Port Royal 2 years ago but one of his former crew told the tale of a huge chest of gold and jewels that was buried in the middle of the island . You paid him to draw you a map of the treasure which shows the burial site near a strange outcrop of rock next to a waterfall. Unbeknownst to you another pirate captain had also heard the tale and tortured the details out of the poor fellow. Board Size and Setup The game is played on a 4 x 4 board heavily covered in jungle terrain (rough going). In the centre is a rock formation. Three tokens are placed on the board, one in the direct centre and two others on the centre line 12 from centre token as shown below. One token has a cross on the underside representing the true location of the treasure. The others are dummies.

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Starting Positions Each player throws a D6 with the winner choosing the which table edge his crew deploy on and deploys his crew within 6 of the table edge. The loser then sets up on the opposite table edge within 6 of the table edge. Victory Conditions The winner is the player who succeeds in getting the treasure chest off his table edge. Fame Points The winner earns 5 Fame points and the Loser 2 fame points. If the game is a draw then both players get 2 Fame points. Additional Booty The treasure chest contains one special item in addition to the normal gold. Throw on the Special Items table re-rolling throws of 9. No additional special items will be gained by the winner as a result of the booty dice roll. Special Scenario Rules - The tokens are placed in a random order with neither player knowing which one has the cross. However if one player has a Treasure Map then he may lift one token to view its underside prior to deployment. To dig for the treasure a character has to spend one complete game turn in contact with the token doing nothing else. If the token is the real location of the treasure replace the token with a treasure chest. A character may carry the treasure chest at half movement rate. Two characters may carry it at full movement rates. If attacked they may defend themselves but must drop the chest. An unattended treasure chest may be captured and moved by the other crew. Scenario 4 Cutting Out Expedition A particularly fine prize has been brought into Pina Colada by a rival crew. You have heard that it is stuffed full of Spanish gold, spices and jewels. You believe that it is being guarded by a skeleton crew and that a brave band of cutthroats could have a chance of seizing it and sailing it to a friendly port. Board Size and Setup The game is played on a 4 x 4 board with the docks set up on one table edge and a small town filling most of the remainder of the board. A suitable ship is placed in the centre of the dock as shown below. One building is to be nominated as the Inn which must be placed 12 from the nearest point of the ship but not on the dock itself.

Starting Positions - Each player throws a D6, the highest score being the attacker. The defender sets up 3 characters which may be any of the crew except the captain, in the dock area within 6 of the ship. These

O O O

TOWN

DOCK INN

SEA

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represent sentries and the on board watch and are given 90 degree arcs to watch. The characters may be on the ship but not below decks. The remainder of the crew are busy carousing the night away in the Mermaid Inn, hell bent on spending their ill gotten gains. The attacker may spilt his forces into 2. One half sets up within 6 of the opposite table edge to the dock whilst the other half may enter from Turn 2 onwards via a jolly boat in the sea. To enter the boat party must throw 5+. If it fails then it may throw at the start of each successive turn adding +1 to the dice throw per turn. The boat crew will automatically arrive on Turn 6 if it has not already entered. The jolly boat takes one move to either arrive at the side of the ship or the dock. Individual characters in the boats crew may activate as normal the turn after. Victory Conditions The attacker wins if he can sail the ship out of the harbour. The defender wins if he kills or routs all the attacking force. Fame Points The winner gains 5 Fame Points whilst the loser gains 2 Fame points. If the game is a draw then both players get 2 Fame points. Booty The normal booty rules apply. Special Scenario Rules

Sentries- The defending ships crew act as sentries and will sound the alarm if they spot the attacking crew and sound an alarm. The alarm will be sounded either by musket or pistol shot or by the ships bell (if on the quarterdeck (rear deck) or a sentry who has spotted the attackers entering the Inn. The defenders in the Inn may activate from the Inns entrance in the following turn.

Spotting Each sentry must be given an 90 degree arc to watch. Any attacker within 12 and in LOS to a sentry will be spotted unless a shot is fired by the attacker first.

Entry to the ship via the jolly boat will be by climbing the ships side. Throw on the climb table for each character activated. Any character that falls will fall into the water. If the ships side is defended then the defender must be defeated in close combat before the ship can be boarded.

Scenario 5 Capture/Rescue the Governors Daughter The Islands Governor has taken a very anti-pirate stance and has made his town a no-go for your smuggling activities. You need some leverage to persuade him to change his attitude and what better way than capturing and ransoming his daughter. Your spies tell you that she is always visits her cousin in the town every Friday but has an escort of up to 3 men. The remainder of the enemy are usually in their barracks or in the towns inn which is nearby. You need to enter the town, overcome her guards and carry her off any board edge back to your boat. Board Size and Setup The game is played on a 4 x4 table with a town taking up most of the central position. One building in the centre of the table is the building which the Governors daughter is visiting. She is inside with her maid and her female cousin. Each player throws a D6 with the highest score being the attacker. Starting Positions - The defending crew place 3 men within 6 of the house and allocate them a 90 degree arc of observation. The remaining crew can be split into a maximum of 2 other parties and based in two separate houses neither of which is within 12 of the central house. The defender may decide to combine both forces in a single house. The defender may not know which house or houses are occupied. The attacker sets up his crew within 6 of any table edge and my separate his forces as he sees fit. Victory Conditions The attacker wins if he carries the Governors daughter off any table edge. The defender wins if he kills or routs the attacking force.

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Fame Points The winner gains 5 Fame Points whilst the loser gains 2 Fame points. If the game is a draw then both players get 2 Fame points. Additional Booty The winner gains an ransom/reward of 20 gold doubloons from the Governor. Special Scenario Rules

Governors Daughter Any attacker who comes into base contact with the daughter will cause her to swoon. She can then be carried (on subsequent activations) half distance by one man or normal distance by two men. If the kidnappers are attacked they must drop her and defend themselves. If the daughter is left unattended she will move D6 in a random manner at the start of each turn she is unattended. The defender may recover and carry her as above but may not exit her off the table edge.

Endangering the Governors Daughter. No one is permitted to fire either at the Governors Daughter or anyone carrying her even if they have the Life is Cheap characteristic for fear of hitting her. No one is permitted to attack the Governors Daughter or harm her in any way.

Sentries- The defending ships crew act as sentries and will sound the alarm if they spot the attacking crew and sound an alarm. The alarm will be sounded either by musket or pistol shot or by the ships bell (if on the quarterdeck (rear deck) or a sentry who has spotted the attackers entering the Inn. The defenders in the Inn may activate from the Inns entrance in the following turn.

Spotting Each sentry must be given an 90 degree arc to watch. Any attacker within 12 and in LOS to a sentry will be spotted unless a shot is fired by the attacker first.

Scenario 6 Free the Crew The pirate code (more guidelines than rules!) say that devil take the hindmost. However you are concerned that a crewmember has been captured and is being held in the town of Santa Pina Colada. You resolve to mount a rescue. Why? Pick one of the following a) He might reveal the location of your buried treasure b) He might reveal the sailing times of the Gold Fleet leaving Santa Margarita c) He is your wifes younger brother who you swore to look after and she will give you hell if he is hung. Board Size and Setup - The game is played on a 4 x4 table with a