Sea of Dead Men

v1.2

Joe Adkisson
Overview
“The sea’s a cruel mistress, mark my words. There are whispers of ancient ruins half-buried beneath forgotten
What she offers is freedom – a chance to carve
The Characters islands, and of strange, impossible creatures – mermaids and
The characters begin as the crew of a fledgling pirate ship – an
out a new life for yourself, away from the rules sirens, giant serpents and tentacled monsters. Old sailors tell
untested, ragtag band of outlaws. They attempt to build themselves
and laws of the land. It’s a powerful thing, to stories of ghostly ships roaming the face of the sea, and vast
up to a serious force in the Carrascan Sea, by taking prizes, building
live on the sea’s bounty. But her price is steep, leviathans lurking beneath it. They say that there are some among
alliances, striking back at their enemies, and staying a step ahead
and sooner or later she always takes what’s the island tribes who can mix drugs to bewitch a sailor, or restore
of the law.
due.” a dead body to life. The official statements from back north say
– Reza Pearce, captain of the Falcon that such tales are superstitious nonsense – but the seafarers of
The Crew the Carrascan know all too well how true they can be.
In addition to creating characters, you’ll also create the crew by
Summary choosing what kind of pirates you’re interested in playing. This Amidst it all sail the pirates, brigands, corsairs, and privateers who
Sea of Dead Men is a Blades hack about a crew determines the general aesthetic of the crew, and makes a couple have made the Carrascan their home. Far from the harsh reality
of pirates making their fortune in the lawless decisions about your ship. The crew (and by extension the ship) gets of laws and hard labor, pirates ply their trades freely, harassing
Carrascan Sea. There are pitched naval its own sheet, just like a player character. merchant vessels and bringing home holds full of plunder. The
battles, chases, camaraderie, betrayals, laws of the old world are thin around its edges, and no country can
deception, swashbucklery, strange magic and
lost treasure.
The Setting spare the resources to stamp out piracy for good. As long as they
The game takes place in the Carrascan Sea, a tropical ocean lying stay beneath the notice of the law, there’s plenty of opportunity
We play to find out if our pirate crew can on the southern edge of the so-called civilized world. It’s dotted by for pirate crews to make a fortune in the Carrascan.
survive and flourish amidst the rival pirates, small islands, which range in climate from warm and hospitable
dark spirits, powerful merchant companies, beaches to barren rocks and jagged cliffs. Imperialist nations from Caveat Lector
and royal navies of the Carrascan, or if they the northern continents have been colonizing the Carrascan for the Sea of Dead Men is not a complete game. It’s a hack of Blades
will fall beneath the waves as have so many past few decades, and most of the larger and more hospitable islands in the Dark, by John Harper; as such, it leaves out a lot of rules
before them. are home to port towns, plantations and fortresses flying the flag and gameplay information that you’ll need to play. If you
of some country or other. already have a copy of Blades, go on ahead – this PDF will
Touchstones Wars spring up between nations as easily as brawls in a dockside
provide you with the rules changes, playbooks and setting info
Film & TV: Captain Blood, directed by you need to play a crew of daring pirates in a bountiful and
bar, and their effects are felt even as far south as the Carrascan: dangerous ocean. If not, you can grab a copy of Blades at
Michael Curtiz; Black Sails, by Robert Levine navies skirmish over resources and territory, and privateers armed
and Jonathan E. Steinberg; Disney’s Pirates DriveThruRpg or your local game store. There should one day
with official letters of marque harass trade routes. Politics aren’t be a standalone version of Sea of Dead Men that includes all
of the Caribbean series. the only source of conflict, though: several merchant companies
Games: Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, by the necessary rules; that said, it probably won’t be for a little
have arisen to exploit the bountiful resources of the Carrascan, and while.
Ubisoft; Sid Meier’s Pirates! they have as much influence and power in the Sea as any nation’s
Books: Treasure Island, by Robert Lewis navy. Roll20 character sheets for Sea of Dead Men are available here,
Stevenson; Red Seas under Red Skies, by Scott
though you will need a Roll20 pro account to import them into
Lynch; The Scar, by China Mieville. The islands not filled with colonies and ports are home to the your own games. They’re based on the incredible Blades sheets
indigenous tribes of the Carrascan. Some of these tribes trade made by Jakob Oesinghaus.
Theme Song happily with colonial merchants, while others attack any ship that
Privateering by Mark Knopfler, though any enters their territory. For the most part, they don’t have access to If you end up playing this, I’d love to hear about it; leave a
good shanty will do in a pinch. the forged steel and gunpowder with which battles at sea and on post in the Blades G+ group with any questions, feedback,
land are usually won, but their resourcefulness and knowledge of comments, or tales of swashbuckling adventure that you might
the Carrascan make them formidable opponents – and valuable have.
allies.
Actions & Rules Changes
Rules Changes
For the most part, Sea of Dead Men either uses the same
rules as Blades in the Dark or has fairly large-scale changes,
but there are a few subtle differences that are easy to miss.
Below is a list of changes to the basic Blades rules; most of
these are explained further on in the rulebook, but make
sure you understand all of them before you play.
● The crew starts at Tier 1, not Tier 0.
● There are no claims or turf.
● Characters can take out coin from their stash directly,
1 for 1, but must spend a downtime action to visit the
stash (either to take coin out or to put it in)
● The crew has separate heat with each of five nations
(collections of factions), and rolls entanglements based
on heat with the Nation who controls the region they
are in.
● Wanted level is now a binary (you’re either Wanted
or you’re not). Like heat, it’s tracked separately for each
nation.
● The crew has a flagship, which functions as a cohort
in addition to any experts or fleets they may employ
● It costs coin to make long journeys between regions,
and the crew risks danger or complications when doing
Skulk around unseen and undetected; ambush with close Visit Stash: Take out, or put in, any amount of coin from
so.
violence; get the jump on an unsuspecting foe.
Action Ratings Downtime Actions
Attune to the ocean's currents and the dark forces beneath Acquire Asset: Acquire temporary use of an asset. Roll the
the sea; perceive supernatural entities; read the winds and Crew’s Tier. The result indicates the quality of the asset
the tides. (1-3: Inferior (Tier-1), 4-5: Standard (Tier), 6: Fine (Tier+1),
Crit: Exceptional (Tier+2). You may spend coin to bump this
Blast your enemies with cannon-fire, guns, or explosives;
result beyond exceptional, but it costs 2 coin per level to do so.
break through an obstacle with chaos and force.
Long-Term Project: Work on a long-term project, if you
Brawl with an opponent in close quarters; assault or defend
have the means. Roll a trait and mark 1 segment on the
a position; hold your own in a melee.
project clock per level (1-3: one, 4-5: two, 6: three, Crit:
Command obedience with your force of personality; five).
intimidate or threaten; lead your crew on a mission.
Recover: Get treatment to tick your healing clock (like a
Consort with connections from your heritage, background, long-term project). When you fill the clock, each harm is
friends, or rivals to gain access to resources, information, reduced by one level.
people, or places.
Repair: As Recover, but tick the ship’s Repair clock rather
Finesse an item from someone's pocket; employ subtle than your own healing clock.
misdirection or sleight-of-hand; formally duel an opponent.
Reduce Heat: Say how you reduce Heat on the crew and
Navigate your vessel across the high seas; keep your sense roll the appropriate action. Reduce heat according to the
of direction in unfamiliar areas; maneuver your ship in result level (1-3: one, 4-5: two, 6: three, Crit: five).
combat and pursue fleeing enemies.
Train: Mark 1xp for an attribute or your playbook (2xp if
Patch up a sail or rigging; keep the ship running despite you have the appropriate crew training upgrade). You can
damage. train a given xp track only once per downtime.
your stash.
Scan your surroundings for danger; perceive a threat before Indulge Vice: Visit a purveyor of your vice and roll dice
it strikes; study a document, person or situation. equal to your lowest attribute. Clear stress equal to your
Sway someone with charm, logic, deception, disguise, or highest dice result. If you clear more stress levels than you
bluff; change attitudes or behavior with manipulation or had marked, you overindulge (see below). If you do not or
seduction. cannot indulge your vice during downtime, you take stress equal
to your Trauma.
Vault over obstacles; swing across ropes and climb riggings;
perform great athletic feats. Overindulge: You make a bad call because of your vice - in
acquiring it, or while under it’s influence. What did you do?
● Attract Trouble: Select or roll an additional
entanglement.
● Brag about your exploits: Take +2 heat.
● Lost: Play a different character until this one returns
from their bender.
● Tapped: Your current vice purveyor cuts you off. Find
a new source for your vice.
Character Creation
0. Choose Crew Type
Your characters will be greatly influenced by which Pick your preferred kind of vice, and detail it with
crew playbook you select, so discuss your choice of a short description.
crew type before you start building individual
characters.
1. Choose a Playbook
Your playbook determines your character’s reputation
and specialties, their special abilities, and how they
advance. Multiple characters can choose the same
playbook.
2. Choose a Heritage
Detail it with a note about your upbringing and family
history. For instance: Revelle: Poor Laborers, or
Waturey: Chieftain’s Daughter. Add one point to an
action that reflects your heritage (max starting action
rating is 2).
3. Choose a Background
Detail it with your specific history. For instance:
Underworld: Smuggler, or Labor: Career Sailor. Add one
point to an action that reflects your background (max
starting action rating is 2)
4. Assign Action Dots
Assign two additional action dots, however you like.
No action may begin with a rating higher than two. Some items count as two items for load (they have
(During play, action ratings can advance to three dots, two connected boxes). Items in italics don’t count
or four with the Mastery crew upgrade)
7. Choose Your Vice
8. Record Name and Look
Choose a name or alias for your character, and jot
down a few words about your look.
Loadout
You have access to all of the items on your character
sheet. For each score, decide what your character’s
load will be. During the operation, you may say that
your character has an item on hand by checking the
box for the item you want to use – up to a number
of items equal to our chosen load. Your load also
determines your movement speed, weight, and
conspicuousness:
● 1-3 load: Light. You’re faster, less conspicuous;
you look like a normal sailor or citizen.
● 4/5 load: Normal. You look like a pirate, ready
for trouble.
● 6 load: Heavy. You’re slower, weighed down.
You look like an operative on a mission. It’s
harder for you to swim.
● 7-9 load: Encumbered. You’re overburdened
and can’t do anything except move very slowly.
towards your load.
Vices
- Faith: You are dedicated to a god, spirit, ancestor, etc.
- Gambling: You crave risky decisions and games of chance.
- Luxury: Expensive and/or ostentatious displays of opulence.
- Obligation: You’re devoted to a family, cause, charity, etc.
- Pleasure: Gratification from lovers, food, drink, drugs, etc.
- Stupor: You seek oblivion in the abuse of drugs, drinking to excess,
getting beaten to a pulp in tavern brawls, etc.
- Weird: You experiment with strange rituals, observe bizarre taboos or
customs, consort with spirits, etc.
Names
Abdul, Acanorex, Adelaide, Ahari, Albin, Amani, Amira, Antoni, Aramoca,
Archibald, Areida, Arunei, Atuadi, Bagamu, Baruna, Bashir, Bastien,
Belen, Benjamin, Bianca, Biautex, Brigid, Brooke, Bryson, Cacimar,
Canimao, Carina, Casiguaya, Daguao, Charles, Charlotte, Conrad,
Constance, Dante, Derrick, Edward, Eleanor, Emeni, Emma, Eregu, Faisal,
Farida, Florian, Gari, Guaraca, Guruna, Gwendolyn, Heather, Henry,
Horace, Imotonex, Irichau, Isaac, Isabelle, Jack, Jameson, Kariun, Khalid,
Layla, Leonard, Lynn, Mabo, Macuya, Malena, Maniquatex, Marion,
Marise, Miranan, Mireia, Nohemi, Numan, Nuria, Orrin, Sagana, Saragu,
Sebastian, Shaheen, Sibyl, Stefan, Sumadi, Susanne, Theresa, Tobias,
Toussaint, Uganu, Urayoan, Victor, Wagundan, Yabura, Yacaguex, Zahra
Family Names
Barnes, Brown, Byrd, Campbell, Carver, Castria Chandler, Cole, Corrigan,
Cormac, Drake, Fielder, Frakes, Gates, Greene, Hardy, Harland,
Harrington, Hayward, Jansen, Levine, Mallory, Manderly, March, Morgan,
Neilson, Nelson, O'Malley, Redd, Rivers, Ryder, Schmidt, Shepherd,
Shrike, Singer, Starr, Underwood, Vance, Waller, Waters

Looks Bandanna Leathers Scavenged Uniform

5. Choose a Special Ability
Man, woman, ambiguous, concealed Bone Necklace Light Tunic Sharp Trousers
Pick a starting ability from the column on the character
Bulky Coat Long Coat Soft Boots
sheet. If you can’t decide, choose the first ability on
Affable, Athletic, Bony, Branded, Bright, Brooding, Elaborate Dress Long Scarf Tall Boots
the list; it’s placed there as a good all-around choice.
Calm, Chiseled, Cold, Dark, Delicate, Fair, Fierce, Fine Jewelry Loose Silks Tricorn Hat
Half-Cape Nautical Tattoos Waxed Coat
6. Choose a Close Friend and a Rival Grimy, Handsome, Huge, Hunched, Languid,
Lovely, Open, Plump, Rough, Sad, Scarred, Slim, Heavy Cloak Ostentatious Jewelry Wide Belt
Mark a contact who is a close friend, long-time ally,
Soft, Squat, Stern, Stout, Striking, Twitchy, Heavy Jacket Plain Tunic Wide-Brimmed Hat
family relation or lover (the upward-pointing triangle).
Weathered, Wiry, Worn. Hooded Coat Polished Rings Work Boots
Mark one who is a rival, enemy, scorned lover, betrayed
Hooded Cape Rags & Tatters Worn Trousers
shipmate, etc. (the downward-pointing triangle).
Knit Cap Rolled Sleeves Vest or Waistcoat
Items
Climbing Gear: Rope, grappling hooks, iron Mariner Items
“Every crewman fights just a little different - Scoundrel Items
pitons. Nothing too fancy, but it'll get you Fine carpenter's tools: A finely crafted set
cutlass and pistol, brass knuckles, hammers,
up a cliff or over a wall.
clubs, you name it. Those soldiers are trained Fine blade: A sword crafted by an expert
of sturdy and reliable tools.
for battling other soldiers, everybody fighting smith, practically molded to your hand.
Carpenter's Tools: A hammer and nails, a Fine bottle of rum: A much better vintage
the same - so when we climb over the rail, Fine set of clothes: A well-tailored outfit,
saw, a small coil of rope, a jar of pitch. Good than the swill most crew members drink.
they’ve got no idea what’s coming at them.” fine enough to impress common folk or pass
for repairing a ship, or sabotaging one.
- Esra Sherazi, first mate of the Zephyr Fine explosive: A ceramic grenade, with a you off as a wealthy noble.
Bandages: Enough loose cloth to stop a more precise fuse and a bigger blast.
Loaded dice: A set of bones subtly altered
Standard Items wound from bleeding. A needle and thread
A Blade or Two: A standard set of one- for stitching up cuts. Occultist Items to favor particular outcomes.
handed melee weapons. A heavy cleaver, a A Torch or Lantern: A simple oil lantern, Fine whalebone knife: A razor-sharp Lockpicking tools: Picks, skeleton keys,
rapier and dagger, a pair of cutlasses, a or a torch. It's held in one hand, it burns blade, made from the bones of some long- and assorted other devices to disable and
serrated knife. slowly, and it gives off light. dead sea creature. circumvent locks.
A Firearm: A heavy gun, meant to be held Warding Talisman: A bracelet or amulet, Fine warding talisman: Not necessarily of
in two hands. A musket or rifle, with slightly strung with beads, feathers, and bits of gold. exceptional craftsmanship, but certainly
greater accuracy; or a blunderbuss, with Superstitious types say it wards against the more effective than the usual trinkets.
slightly greater stopping power. strange things that dwell in the depths.
Voodoo doll: A small humanoid doll, made
A Pistol: A heavy, single-shot firearm. Slow Trained Pet: A small animal, perhaps a from whatever material's around. Useful for
to reload, but still useful as a club once it's monkey or parrot, trained to respond to cursing an enemy, or for scaring them if
been fired. commands. they're a superstitious type.
A Large Weapon: A melee weapon meant Fanciful map: An old map that charts out
Commander Items
for two hands. A battle-axe, a pike, a big impossible locations, pointing out creatures
Fine rifle: A finely crafted rifle, accurate at
hammer. and treasure that can't possibly exist.
long range but slow to reload and relatively
An Unusual Weapon: A curiosity or tool useless in close quarters. Reaver Items
turned into a weapon. A whip, an oar, a
Fine pistol: A handgun crafted for accuracy Fine hand weapon: A finely crafted one-
belaying pin, a length of chain, an anchor,
and efficiency. Quicker to reload than handed melee weapon of your choice.
steel-toed boots.
normal, and it almost never misfires. Perhaps a brightly sharpened cutlass, a
Armor: A thick leather tunic, worn under a trusty hammer or axe, or a sharp dagger?
Fine navigational tools: Tools crafted by a
coat or shirt.
master cartographer, with a much higher Brace of pistols: A staggering quantity of
Navigational Tools: A sextant, a compass, degree of accuracy than normal instruments. guns - you won't need to worry about
a spyglass, a collection of maps. reloading.
Documents & Books: Documents are writs
A Bottle of Rum: Good for celebrating of sale, important correspondences, royal Scary weapon or tool: A scary-looking
victories, steadying nerves, or drowning proclamations, and other papers - forged or hand weapon or tool. This item grants
sorrows. Safer to drink than water, in most otherwise. Books are heavier volumes, increased effect when you intimidate, not
cases. usually hardbound. increased harm in combat.
A Crude Explosive: A simple grenade that Personal memento: A memory of your life Manacles & chain: A set of heavy manacles
generally explodes when you want it to. before you turned to the seas. A locket, a and chain, suitable for restraining a prisoner
Suitable for throwing in combat, or hiding signet ring, an old diary, a unique piece of - or as an improvised weapon in battle.
somewhere with a timed charge. jewelry.
Heritage
“All these flags? They're just a convenience, a pretty lie that
we tell so we can get close to our prey. There's only one
Sallice Waturey Tribes
banner I've ever been proud to sail under, and the Valdesian It was a Sallician explorer who first found gold in a Most indigenous people in the Carrascan come from one of
navy sure as hell ain't flying it.” Carrascan island, and the merchant princes of Sallice still the Waturey tribes. Tribes are divided into small chiefdoms,
- Francesca Cook, gunnery officer on the Gadfly lay claim to many of the most profitable colonies. They each ruled by a chief and a small council of elders and
focus on commerce rather than politics, and do a brisk shamans. Waturey tribes are sedentary and agricultural for
The Carrascan Sea is a bold new frontier, and every country business in the Carrascan trading both valuable materials the most part. Many have been pushed out of their homes
in the world wants something from it. Sailors, townsfolk and captured slaves. into less habitable islands, and more than a few have had
and merchants from all over the world have sailed to the their people captured and sold as slaves.
Sallice is a nation of calculating merchants, bold explorers, and
Carrascan to make their fortunes, and countries squabble
heartless mercenaries. The Waturey are tribes of peaceful farmers, brash warriors,
over territory and trade. Pirate crews tend to be especially
and wise shamans.
diverse; as long as you know how to sail, few captains will
care what country you came from. Meghra
The city-states of Meghra worship the Twin Goddesses, Ourogan Tribes
Below is a list of the various countries and tribes from which Nasra and Ilqala, and look down on the monotheistic faiths The Ourogan tribes are bands of warlike seafarers, resistant
player characters might claim descent. practiced by other nations. They are periodically forced to to colonization and hostile to most outsiders. They launch
defend themselves from raids by ambitious Revellan nobles, periodic raids on the borders of many island towns, though
Valdesia and in return they send fleets of corsairs to disrupt trade the colonies' superior firepower keeps them locked in a
The Valdesian Empire once spanned practically the entire routes and destroy enemy ships throughout the Carrascan. stalemate. Most sailors believe the Ourogans eat the corpses
world, but its star has begun to fall: though most merchants Meghra lays claim to just one colony in the Carrascan, the of their fallen enemies, though those few who have lived in
and warships that sail the Carrascan still fly the Valdesian island of Basari, which it uses as a staging ground for its Ourogan villages claim that the rumors of cannibalism are
flag, the borders of the Empire are beginning to weaken as attacks. just superstition and gossip.
other nations test the limits of its power.
Meghra is a nation of reverent scholars, skilled craftsmen, and The Ourogan are tribes of expert navigators, deadly hunters,
Valdesia is a nation of veteran sailors, merciless soldiers, and haughty courtiers. and solitary wanderers.
greedy politicians.
Segamba
Revelle A fallen desert kingdom, the once-great nation of Segamba
A small kingdom rapidly becoming a power on the world is now pushed to the breaking point by constant attack –
stage, Revelle is beginning to stretch out its hands into the both from within, by civil wars, famine, and disease, and
Carrascan Sea. It currently remains at peace with Valdesia, from without, by foreign slavers and conquerors. Most
preferring to focus its military efforts on beating back Segambans who dwell in the Carrascan are current or former
attacks by the corsairs of Meghra, but it’s only a matter of slaves, but there are a few who travel there freely, seeking
time before open war breaks out between the two. aid for their homeland or an escape from its troubles.

Revelle is a nation of cultured artisans, devout priests, and Segamba is a nation of embattled villagers, beleaguered slaves,
ambitious officers. and vengeful outlaws.
Crew Creation
1. Choose Crew Type
The crew type determines the general
aesthetic of your pirate crew, their special
abilities, and how they advance. You begin
at Tier 1, with weak hold and 0 rep. You start
with 2 coin.
2. Choose an Initial Reputation
Decide how other sailors and pirates of the
Carrascan view you: Ambitious, Brutal,
Daring, Honorable, Professional, Savvy, Subtle,
or Strange. Your crew gains experience when
you bolster your reputation.
3. Choose a Special Ability
Choose a starting special ability from the
crew sheet. If you can’t decide, choose the
first ability on the list; it’s placed there as a
good all-around choice.
4. Describe Your Flagship
You start the game with one ship under your
command; even if you end up amassing a
whole navy, that ship – your flagship – will
still be an important part of your crew.
Decide what its original purpose was, and
how you acquired it. Figure out the look of
the ship - what does the figurehead look like?
What flag do you fly? How well maintained is
it? Assign the ship two edges and one flaw
from the ones listed on the crew sheet. These
represent the basic qualities of the ship, for
instance it’s nimble and fast but the quarters
are cramped, or it’s sturdy and imposing but
heavy.
5. Describe Your Crew
Create the ship’s crew using the cohort rules
on the following page: decide their type, and
assign them 1 or 2 edges and an equal
number of flaws.
6. Assign Crew Upgrades
Your crew has two upgrades pre-selected;
choose two more. These represent the work
you’ve done to improve the ship and train
your crewmates. Record faction status
changes due to your upgrades:
- One faction helped you get an upgrade.
Gain +1 status with them, or spend 1 coin to
make it +2.
- One faction was harmed when you got an
upgrade. Take -2 status with them, or spend
1 coin to make it -1 instead.
7. Choose a Favorite Contact
Mark the contact on your sheet who is a close
friend, long-time ally, or partner in crime.
Record faction status changes related to your
contact:
- One faction is friendly with your contact.
Take +1 status with them.
- One faction is unfriendly with your contact.
Take -1 status with them.
Optionally, increase the intensity of these
factions’ relationships with your contact and
take +2 and -2 status instead.
8. Choose Hunting Grounds
Look at the map and pick a region to be your
hunting grounds. You’ll get a bonus die when
you seek out a prize in that region.
8. Name Your Flagship
This could be the name it was first given, or
a name that your crew gave it once it was
yours.
Crew Upgrades
● Boltholes: Your ship is filled with
nooks and crannies useful for
concealing illicit cargo. Plunder you’re
carrying can be hidden to thwart all but
the most thorough searches.
● Coffers: Your ship has a secure
strongbox, allowing you to store up to
8 coin. A second upgrade increases
your storage capacity to 16.
● Cohort: A cohort is a crew of NPCs, or
a single expert, in your employ. A crew
starts out with enough sailors to crew
a single ship; you can spend an upgrade
to expand their scale into a fleet. For
more details on cohort rules, see the
following page.
● Elite: Your cohorts gain +1d when
performing actions that match the
given type.
● Hidden Cannons: Some or all of your
gunports are concealed, allowing your
ship to pass for one less heavily armed.
● Letter of Marque: You bear a letter
marking you as a privateer for one of
the colonial nations.
● Mastery: Your crew have become
tremendously skilled, allowing you to
advance to action ratings of 4 rather
than the normal maximum of 3. This
costs 4 upgrades to take.
● Overgunned: The decorative railings
on the upper deck have been replaced
with another row of cannons.
● Prow Ram: The prow of your ship is
reinforced with metal and hardened
wood, allowing you to ram enemy
vessels while taking only minimal
damage yourself.
● Specialty Shot: Your ship is stocked
with specialty cannon ammunition -
chain shot, shrapnel, etc - in addition
to the standard cannonballs. A second
upgrade provides a portable furnace
capable of preparing heated shot.
● Retractable Keel: Your ship’s keel can
be raised to give it a smaller draft,
allowing it to sail through reefs or
shallow waters that would otherwise
ground a vessel of its size.
● Royal Covenant: A pact made with
one of the colonial nations, allowing
you safe passage through their waters
in exchange for your services.
● Quality: Each upgrade increases the
quality of the PCs' equipment, or a
particular part of the ship, past the
normal levels based on Tier and fine
items. You can upgrade the PCs’
Charts, Tools, or Weapons, and the
ship’s Cannons, Hull, Sails, or
Rudder.
● Training: This upgrade represents the
natural skills and inclinations of your
crew. When you train an XP track for
which you have the training upgrade,
you gain 2xp rather than just 1.
Cohorts
“Let’s see here…one share per sailor, two for repairs, two for
the captain, and another one for the captain’s ego.”
Experts Cohort Harm & Healing
An expert is a single specialist in the crew’s employ. There Cohorts suffer harm similarly to PCs. A cohort can suffer
- Malcolm Graves, quartermaster of the Hammerhead
isn’t a fixed list of types for experts; instead, when recruiting four levels of harm, which parallel the PCs’ harm track:
A cohort is a fleet of ships or a single expert, working under an expert, decide on a type that fits their specialty. For ● Weakened: The cohort has reduced effect.
your command. Recruiting a new cohort costs two crew instance: marksman, surgeon, or spy. ● Impaired: The cohort has reduced quality (-1d).
upgrades. ● Broken: The cohort can’t do anything until they
An expert has quality equal to your current Tier plus 1, and recover.
Every cohort has a type, which determines their particular a fixed scale of zero (a single person). ● Dead: The cohort is destroyed.
specialty, and one or more edges and flaws. You can spend Unless prevented by unfavorable circumstances, cohorts
two crew upgrades to add another type to a cohort, up to a Flagship recover by one level of harm each downtime. A PC may
maximum of two; edges and flaws cannot be changed. Every crew starts with a flagship, which is treated for all spend a downtime action to remove an additional harm level.
intents and purposes as a fleet, and created in the same way.
Fleets It has a special set of edges and flaws describing the ship, If a cohort is destroyed, it may be replaced. Replacing a
cohort costs coin equal to your Tier+2, plus two downtime
A fleet is one or more ships working for the players. When in addition to the standard cohort rules, however, and it’s
you recruit a fleet, choose a type from the list below: scale is fixed at a single ship and does not grow as the crew actions; it does not require spending any crew upgrades.
● Adepts: Shamans, arcanists, and soothsayers advances in Tier.
● Killers: Butchers, brawlers, and cut-throats Using Cohorts
● Knaves: Rogues, adventurers, and jacks of all trades Edges & Flaws When you send your cohorts off to do something, roll
● Rovers: Seafarers, voyagers, and navigators their quality to see how it goes. If a PC is overseeing
When you create a cohort (of any variety), assign them one
All fleets, regardless of type, are made up of proficient or two edges and an equal number of flaws. Note that these them, treat it as a group action: have the PC roll
sailors capable of manning a ship under normal conditions. are different from the ship edges and flaws that describe the Command if they’re directing the cohort, or whatever the
appropriate action is if they’re joining in and leading by
flagship; the details of ships sailed by cohorts are less
A fleet has quality equal to your current Tier. Some crew important than the personalities of the cohorts themselves. example.
upgrades make a fleet “Elite”, for instance “Elite Rovers” or
“Elite Knaves”; this grants them an extra die when rolling Edges: When the action a cohort performs matches its type, it
for the relevant type. rolls using its full quality rating (Tier for fleets, Tier+1 for
● Fearsome: The cohort is terrifying in aspect and
experts). Otherwise, it rolls with dice equal to half the
reputation.
The size of the fleet (its scale) is likewise determined by crew’s current Tier, rounded down.
● Independent: The cohort can be trusted to make good
Tier, and will expand as the crew advances: decisions and act on their own initiative in the absence
● Tier I: One ship of direct orders.
● Tier II: A handful of ships ● Loyal: The cohort can’t be bribed or turned against you.
● Tier III: A half-dozen ships ● Tenacious: The cohort won’t be deterred from a task.
● Tier IV: A dozen ships Flaws:
● Tier V: Twenty-odd ships ● Gutless: The cohort is soft-hearted and cowardly.
The same guidelines should be used to determine the scale ● Savage: The cohort is excessively violent and cruel.
of fleets sent by other factions against the PCs. ● Wild: The cohort is drunken, debauched, and loud-
mouthed.
● Unreliable: The cohort isn’t always available, due to
other obligations or interests.
The Flagship
“Oh, she’s expensive, all right - but don’t fret, once you get her immediate mechanical impact; instead, they should be used To gain a new flagship, you must have access to it in the
in the water, she’ll be worth her weight in gold. And don’t as fodder for devil’s bargains or to adjust the fictional fiction. It doesn’t matter how the crew acquires the new
worry, those bloodstains will scrub right off.” positioning of a roll. flagship – it could be a ship sailed by one of your cohorts, a
- Laura Tamm, dockmaster at Pelican Rock new vessel that you seize from another pirate crew, or
The flagship has Quality equal to the crew’s Tier, and the simply a beached wreck that your crew spends time
Ship Quality players can spend crew advances on various upgrades to it. repairing – but it can’t be simply pulled out of thin air.
These upgrades represent both additions and modifications
In general, the overall capability and strength of a ship is
to the ship, for instance a smuggling compartment, or When you take on a new flagship, simply choose new edges
determined by its Quality. This will vary for individual
improvements to the quality of a specific part of the ship. and flaws for it from the list on the crew sheet. It
ships, but a good baseline is the Tier of the ship’s owners.
automatically gains the ship upgrades possessed by its
For instance, a fledgling crew of pirates (Tier 1) going up The flagship has the same kind of harm track that the player
predecessor; some, like Coffers or Specialty Shot, can be
against a Valdesian navy vessel (Tier 6) will likely find characters do, which tracks physical damage to the ship. If
easily transferred to the new ship, and it's assumed that the
themselves at a significant disadvantage. the flagship takes level 1 harm, it might have torn sails or ship is refit and upgraded over the course of the next
leaks in the hull; if it takes level 4 harm, it’s sunk outright. downtime.
Ships may have different Quality values for different
Harm to the flagship can be repaired in downtime by filling
attributes and capabilities. The player characters can
a repair clock, which functions like an individual It isn't compulsory for a crew to have a ship at all times, nor
upgrade their flagship (see below) to increase the quality
characters’ recovery clock. If the flagship is destroyed, it do scores have to take place at sea; even without a ship, a
of specific parts of the ship (its rudder, or hull, or sails),
cannot be replaced; the crew must claim a new flagship (see pirate crew is a force to be reckoned with, and scores
which can improve their effect when performing various
Changing Flagships, below) executed on land (sowing chaos in an enemy port, for
tasks. At the GM’s discretion, NPC ships can have similar
instance, or laying a beachside ambush) can be just as
(though less formalized) adjustments in Quality. A The consequences for harm to the ship (reduced effect, interesting as adventures at sea. If your ship is destroyed,
merchant ship, for example, may be well-armed and stout, dice penalties) apply to all relevant rolls taken by it's perfectly okay to spend a few scores without one - and
but sluggish and slow to maneuver due to all its cargo. characters on board. If a character would take the same stealing or bartering for a replacement ship makes for a
penalty twice due to both character and ship harm, they fantastic score in its own right.
Player characters, of course, can make up for differences in
instead take the next highest harm penalty for that roll. For
quality with action rolls - Blasting the enemy's mast or
instance, if a ship’s navigator has level 1 harm, Splitting Stash
rudder, doing some tricky Navigating, Swaying the enemy
Headache, as she steers a ship with a Broken Mast (also level
with a false flag, or anything else that feels reasonable. A character’s stash is where they store their ill-gotten gains,
1 harm), the two penalties would combine to give her
safe from prying eyes and thieving hands. This isn’t an
reduced effect, the equivalent of level 2 harm.
The Flagship abstract measure of assets and investments, as it is in Blades
The PCs may build up an entire fleet of ships over time, but The sailors aboard the flagship are treated as a cohort in in the Dark, but a literal stash of gold, gems, and other
unless it’s specified otherwise in the fiction they’re assumed their own right, with their own edges, flaws, and harm track. valuables, hidden somewhere in the Carrascan.
to all sail together on a single flagship. The flagship gets a Harm to the crew is inflicted and healed separately from
Accessing your stash costs a downtime action; it takes time
little more mechanical depth than other ships; it has edges harm to the ship, though it’s likely that the two will go hand
and effort to securely reach where you’ve stored your loot.
and flaws that describe the physical vessel in addition to in hand.
Taking the downtime action lets you convert between coin
the normal cohort mechanics that flesh out its crew, and it
and stash on a one-for-one basis, as you either put money
has its own harm track and repair clock. Changing Flagships into your hoard or take it back out. There is no limit to how
It’s said that nothing lasts forever, especially not in the much coin can be added or removed from the stash in a
Each of the flagship’s edges gives the ship a free assist
Carrascan, and the ships that sail its waters are no single downtime.
whenever it comes into play: for instance, a flagship with
exception. Whether a flagship is sunk by enemy cannons or
the Fast edge would gain an extra die when trying to outrun
simply grows obsolete, there will come a day when every
an enemy, and an Inconspicuous flagship would get an assist
crew moves on to a new vessel.
sneaking into port. Flaws, on the other hand, have no
Heat & Entanglements
“Stick your neck out too far, and pretty soon you’re liable to
find it in a noose.” Entanglements
- Grace Corrigan, captain of the Revenge After calculating payoff and heat, decide on the region in which your crew is spending their downtime. Roll dice equal to
your Tier, and read the result off the table below. If your crew is Wanted by any nation, read the result from the Wanted
column; if not, decide which nation controls the region your crew is in, and read from the column matching your crew’s
Factions & Nations Heat with that nation.
All factions in Sea of Dead Men belong to a specific nation,
a powerful sovereign state or collection of factions with
Heat 0-3 Heat 4-5 Heat 6+ Wanted
interests in the Carrascan. Nations don’t have faction status,
though the factions they contain still do; instead, the crew Crew Troubles or Ship Crew Troubles or Flipped or Show of
1-3 1-3 1-3 Flipped or Patrol 1-3
has a heat track for each nation. The active nations in the Disrepair Threats Force
Carrascan are as follows: Pirates, Valdesia, Revelle, Sallice, Restless Depths or Restless Depths or Restless Depths or Leviathan or
4-5 4-5 4-5 4-5
Occuult, and Outcasts. See the following page for a list of Cooperation Rivals Show of Force Bounty
factions belonging to each nation. 6 Probing 6 Show of Force 6 Outnumbered 6 Assault

Heat Assault: A nation decides that it's time to put you down. Probing: An enemy faction snatches up a cohort, vice
After a score or conflict, the crew takes heat with the nation They send a small fleet, or comparable force, to do away purveyor or crew member and interrogates them about your
most hurt or annoyed by their actions. with you once and for all. crew's movements and weaknesses. Make a fortune roll to
● 0 heat for a smooth and quiet score, with low exposure Bounty: A nation puts a hefty bounty on your head -- find out if they resist questioning, or try to get them back
● 2 heat for a contained score with standard exposure enough money to make even hardened pirates consider before they can spill anything.
● 4 heat for a loud and chaotic score, with high exposure turning you over. Restless Depths: A supernatural creature finds its way to
● 6 heat for a wild score with devastating exposure your ship. Find a priest or an occultist to banish it, or deal
Cooperation: An allied faction asks you for a favor. Agree
Add +1 heat if the score's target is high-profile or well- with it yourself.
to do it or lose 1 status with them. If you don't have any
connected; add +1 heat if the score took place in or near
allied factions, you avoid entanglements for the moment. Rivals: An enemy faction makes a move against you (or a
waters controlled by that nation; add +2 heat if you dealt a
Crew Troubles: Your crew, or one of your other cohorts, vice purveyor, contact or ally). Pay them off, allow them to
serious blow to the nation’s interests.
causes trouble. Lose face, make an example of a crew mess with you, or fight back.
If the score helped the interests of another nation, reduce member, or find some other way to deal with the situation. Ship Disrepair: The ship is damaged by rocks or bad
heat with that nation by 2 ticks. Flipped: One of your contacts or allies switches allegiances weather and needs maintenance. Pick a part of the ship
due to the heat on you. They're loyal to another faction (hull, sails, rudder, etc); that part has -1 quality until it is
If you fill up your heat track with a nation, you become now. repaired.
Wanted. Your heat with that nation can no longer be Leviathan: A great beast rises from the sea, its intentions Show of Force: An enemy faction launches an outright
reduced, except by executing a score specifically to appease unclear. attack. Either back down from the fight (lose 1 hold) or go
or redirect their ill-will. If the score is successful, the to war with them.
Outnumbered: Two or more enemy factions put aside their
Wanted status is cleared and heat with that nation is Threats: A neutral faction tries to throw their weight
grievances to deal with you, launching a combined attack.
reduced to three ticks (plus any heat gained in the score). around. They threaten you, a friend or contact, or one of
Patrol: An enemy faction sends ships to patrol your last
your vice purveyors.
The reduce heat downtime action applies only to heat with seen location. Hide in port until they lose interest, evade
a single nation; you decide which nation’s heat you reduce. them, or confront them directly.
Likewise, in most cases a crew should gain heat with only
one power per score; however, some particularly far-
reaching scores may impact the crews' heat with multiple
factions at once.
Factions
Pirates
The Council (4S): The five most influential captains of
Pelican Rock, who maintain order on the island.
The Shipwrights (4W): Experienced carpenters and
sailors, responsible for the maintenance of Flotsam.
The Ospreys (3S): Flotsam’s peacekeeping force. They
live up in the crow’s nests and riggings of the city.
The Retribution (3S): A Segamban crew that targets
slaving ships.
The Razor (3S): A notorious pirate ship known for daring
raids and cunning ambushes.
The Windrunner (3W): A carefree crew of rovers who
swoop in after storms to snatch up weakened targets.
The Silver Hand (3W): A privateering vessel bolstered by
informants and spies throughout the world.
The Falcon (2S): An upstart crew seeking renown and
influence by any means necessary.
The Armistice (2S): A veteran crew of pirates seeking
revenge for their slain captain.
The Requiem (2S): An honorable crew led by a priest-
turned pirate.
The Revenge (2S): A Valdesian navy ship whose crew was
left to die after a battle, now sworn enemies of the crown.
The Hammerhead (2W): A hard-bitten crew with ties to
various maroon camps.
The Bleeding Dove (2W): A ship crewed by vicious killers,
who fly a distress flag to lure their victims in.
The Zephyr (2W): A swift ship with impossibly good luck
in picking its targets.
Wreckers (2W): A gang of former pirates who loot the
wrecks of ships lured in by their false lights.
The Gadfly (1S): A privateering ship that habitually lurks
near Revellan trade routes.
The Laughing Bastard (1S): An unpredictable crew of
merry swashbucklers.
The Furia (1W): Inexperienced pirates looking for a score.
Valdesia
Imperial Navy (6S): Fleets of disciplined sailors and
skilled officers.
Langdon & Grey (4S): An established Valdesian trading
company, with a monopoly on trade in the Carrascan Sea.
Brightwater Isles Citizens (4S): Inhabitants of the
Brightwater Isles.
New Valdesia Citizens (3W): Inhabitants of New Valdesia.
The Redcliff Company (3W): A company trading in
gunpowder and cannons, looking to expand into other
markets.
The Wolves (3W): A savage band of pirate hunters.
The Viceroy (2S): A veteran crew tasked with maintaining
law and order in Valdesia's colonies.
Castaways Citizens (2W): Valdesian inhabitants of the
Castaways.
Revelle
Revellan Navy (5S): A rapidly growing fleet of loyal
Revellan sailors.
Knights of Abrandus (3S): An order of zealots fighting a
war against Meghran corsairs.
Greater Cuiverra Citizens (3S): The inhabitants of
Greater Cuiverra.
Golden Lillies (3W): An elite naval squadron, composed
of highly trained nobility.
Lesser Cuiverra Citizens (2W): People of Lesser Cuiverra.
Sallice
House Pavoni (5S): A powerful family that dominates
Carrascan trade.
House Camillieri (4W): A disgraced noble family trying
to regain power by controlling Carrascan trade.
The Monarchi (3S): High-end bounty hunters. Very
expensive, very thorough.
Vespoli's Gate Citizens (3W): People of Vespoli's Gate.
Agostine Isles Citizens (2W): People of the Agostine
Isles.
The Seeker’s Guild (2W): An organization of explorers
and adventurers.
Outcasts
The Confederation (3W): An organization of Waturey tribes
throughout the Carrascan.
Corsairs (3W): Meghran zealots launching raids and
disrupting trade routes throughout the Carrascan.
The Talons (2S): Ourogan raiders who strike ports and harass
trade routes.
The Spears (2W): Segamban raiders who gain new recruits by
attacking plantations and freeing the slaves working there.
Carrowan Natives (2W): Inhabitants of Carrowan.
Cliff Dwellers (1S): Tribes of maroons eking out a living in
the Southern Reach.
Castaways Natives (1S): Native inhabitants of the Castaways.
Occult
Drowners (4W): Dead sailors come back to life for some
unknown purpose.
The Circle (3S): A collection of shamans and occultists
working together to subtly influence events in the Carrascan.
The Undying (2S): Tribes of Waturey natives who claim to be
inhabited by the spirits of their ancestors.
The Maelstrom (2S): A ghost ship surrounded by storms.
The Sisterhood (2S): A coven of sea-witches drawn from
various noble families.
Fort Crimson (2W): A former slave colony whose prisoners
swore a dark pact in exchange for their freedom.
The Fair Chance (2W): A ship crewed by insane sailors, who
attack other vessels on sight.
The Terminus (2W): Ghostly sailors roaming the Hollows.
The Harbingers (1S): Apocalyptic Leviathan-worshippers.
The Carrascan Sea
“There’s no law out there, nothing close to civilization. It’s
complete barbarism. If the cannibals don’t get you, then by
god the pirates will.”
- Lieutenant Matthew Carver, Valdesian naval officer

Regions
Agostine Islands: The colonial seat of Sallician power,
filled with bountiful gold mines and thriving farmland.

Brightwater Isles: A prosperous trade center, the first port

most ships dock at when they reach the Carrascan.

Carrowan: A large and overgrown island, rumored to hold

ancient treasures.

The Castaways: A formerly influential region struggling to

deal with slave uprisings and pirate raids.

Greater Cuiverra: A chain of Revellan islands, filled with

all the culture and riches of the old world.

Lesser Cuiverra: Backwater port towns and plantations, in

territory disputed by Revelle and Sallice.

The Hollows: A rocky and desolate island chain. home to

drowners, sea demons, and worse.

New Valdesia: The seat of Imperial power in the Carrascan.

Southern Reach: The far edge of civilization. Inhabited by

pirates, natives, escaped slaves, and other outcasts.

Vespoli’s Gate: Trading hubs and colonies divided up

amongst Sallice’s various merchant families.

Windward Islands: Small clusters of islands patrolled by

Meghran corsairs.
Sailing the Seas
“I don’t care if you’ve got every pirate hunter in the world In addition, ratings for each region may be adjusted or
breathing down your neck - you don’t sail into the Hollows. ignored at the GM’s discretion. For instance, if the crew
Hunting
Sometimes your crew won’t have a specific target in mind
Least not if you want to live.” hires an occultist to give them safe passage through the
- they just want to sail out looking for a prize.
- Edward Bellows, captain of the Razor Hollows, the GM might reduce the Weather rating there to
2 dice, or ignore it entirely.
When you haunt a trade route or sail a region looking for a
Upkeep prize to take, select the region in which you are hunting.
The Morningstar’s journey takes them through four regions:
The Carrascan sea is roughly divided into regions. Your ship The GM makes a fortune roll based on the Opportunity trait
the Southern Reach, the Agostine Isles, Lesser Cuiverra, and
can sail freely within the region it departs from, and any of that region. If the crew is Wanted, take -1d to that roll;
Greater Cuiverra. The GM scans through the Weather and
adjacent regions; a journey to a region farther away requires if the crew is operating in their Hunting Grounds, take +1d.
Security ratings for each region, and sees values up to 3 dice
extra supplies and maintenance, which costs 1 coin for each
(Security in the Agostine Isles and Greater Cuiverra, and
additional region travelled through. This must be paid 1-3: Desperate position. Perhaps a particularly dangerous
Weather in Lesser Cuiverra).
before the ship departs. prize, or an enemy ambush.
4-5: Risky position. A standard prize, not exceptionally well
By default, journeys are assumed to be round-trip to and The Travel Roll guarded.
from a home port. If instead the crew makes a one-way trip Sailing in the Carrascan is a risky business, especially for 6+: Controlled position. A lucrative or easily taken prize.
to another port, the cost is reduced by 1 coin (minimum 0). those outside the law. Whenever the crew makes a
voyage, the GM may make a fortune roll to see how the This roll operates as a sort of extended engagement roll; it
The crew of the Morningstar needs to sail from the Southern journey goes. The dice for the fortune roll are determined determines what sort of prize or opportunity the crew finds,
Reach to Greater Cuiverra. They can sail through the Southern by the danger of the route (see above) - a more harrowing as well as their starting position for the score.
reach and Agostine Isles for free, but must pay 2 coin to extend journey should have more dice associated with it.
their range through Lesser and Greater Cuiverra. This allows Each region description contains a list of potential prizes,
them to return to the Reach with their plunder; if they’d been 1-3: The voyage goes smoothly; perhaps even a small obstacles, and opponents characteristic to that region; the
willing to risk spending downtime in Greater Cuiverra, they benefit is gained. GM can choose something from that list, or simply improvise.
could have done a one-way trip and only paid 1 coin. 4-5: A minor complication; a few hours’ delay
6: A moderate complication; a few days’ delay
Calculating Danger Critical: A serious complication or delay - something that
must be immediately dealt with
The danger of a route is determined by looking at the
Weather and Security ratings of each region, displayed on The results of this roll shouldn’t usually create a whole
the map on the following page. A high Weather rating session’s worth of adventure - presumably the players are
represents chronic storms, doldrums, rocks, and other sailing somewhere for a reason, and a bit of trouble along
natural obstacles; a high Security rating represents the way shouldn’t distract from their destination. That said,
presence by the region’s authorities. if the players are blindly sailing into a dangerous region -
don’t hesitate to make them pay for it.
To come up with a number of dice to roll, quickly scan
through the route; find the region with the highest value The GM rolls 3 dice for the Morningstar’s journey - a 5 and two
in either of the two ratings, and roll that many dice. 3’s. That means a moderate complication or delay. The GM
thinks for a second, then describes how an unexpected wind
If the crew has a Letter of Marque for the nation
pulls the Morningstar off course and forces them to duck
controlling a region, they can ignore that region’s
around a Sallician patrol.
Security; likewise, if the crew has the Phantoms ability
Seven Seas, they can ignore Weather ratings.
Travel Rules Reference
Upkeep:
Ships can travel within a 1-region range for free; each
additional region costs 1 coin.

A one-way trip (as opposed to out-and-back) reduces the

cost by 1.

Danger Ratings:
Take the maximum of Weather and Security ratings for all
regions along the route.

● Ignore a region’s Security if the crew has a Letter of

Marque with that region’s rulers
● Ignore all Weather ratings if the crew has the Seven Seas
ability
● Adjust or ignore ratings at the GM’s discretion

Travel Roll:
Fortune roll using the journey’s Danger rating.

1-3: The voyage goes smoothly; perhaps even a small

benefit is gained.
4-5: A minor complication; a few hours’ delay
6: A moderate complication; a few days’ delay
Critical: A serious complication or delay - something that
must be immediately dealt with.

Complications/delays from the travel roll should generally

not overshadow the destination/score itself.

Hunting:
Used when the players don’t have a specific score in mind.
Make a fortune roll using the target region’s Opportunity
score. +1d if it’s in the crew’s Hunting Grounds, -1d if
they’re Wanted. Result determines the prize, and the
starting position.

1-3: Desperate position. Perhaps a particularly dangerous

prize, or an enemy ambush.
4-5: Risky position. A standard prize, not exceptionally well
guarded.
6+: Controlled position. A lucrative or easily taken prize.
Pirate Havens
“Sure, you’ll probably get a knife to the kidney as soon as you
Pelican Rock
walk into the place, but at least the one giving it to you won’t
Flotsam
Legend has it that Pelican Rock was founded when a group The floating city of Flotsam, as far as most folk outside the
be wearing a damn uniform.”
of pirates, pursued by Sallician bounty hunters, made a mad Carrascan are concerned, is nothing but a legend - an old
- Lizzie Bellows, scavenger and criminal
scramble into the harsh waters of the Southern Reach. wives’ tale meant to scare children away from the sea. No
The rule of law is inconsistent, at best, in the Carrascan; There, past jagged rocks and sharp cliffs, they found a small, government acknowledges its existence, after all, and the
there are islands filled with rich nobles and merchants who defensible cove and decided to claim it as their own. explorers who go out searching for it every year come back
pay through the nose for protection from their navies, and Now, decades later, Pelican Rock is the largest pirate haven empty-handed.
there are places that are just more trouble to patrol than in the Carrascan. It’s filled with pirates returned from their
In truth, Flotsam is very real: a veritable armada of ships
they’re worth. latest voyage, sailors looking to join up with a crew, and
lashed together into a floating colony of scoundrels and
enough fences, carpenters, and purveyors of various vices
And then there are the pirate havens: areas tucked away in to keep the island’s economy running. Anything a pirate ne’er-do-wells. It’s home to the largest black market in the
the far reaches of the Carrascan, too obscure or too might need - rope, lumber, ale, information - can be found Carrascan, where goods and services of all kinds - no matter
dangerous for any navy to properly assault, where the fences somewhere in the Rock. how dangerous or illegal - are sold.
and criminals of the sea have made their own governments.
The city is rumored to be protected by powerful magic that
They’re places where pirate crews gather to sell their loot The pirates who call Pelican Rock home are governed by the
Council, an informal collective of five pirate captains. They keeps away unwanted intruders. Many enemies of Flotsam
and drink away their coin.
cooperate to ensure that the Rock’s operations run - naval officers chasing down pirate crews, or fences looking
Pirate havens make a natural starting point and home base smoothly, and oust anybody who causes the wrong kind of to cut out their rivals - have tried to locate the floating city,
for a crew of scoundrels; they’ll have easy fictional access trouble. Membership in the Council is fluid, and enforced but none have had any success. Long-term residents of the
to fences and merchants, and rubbing elbows with other only by the strength of those holding it: to join the council, city, however, gain an intuitive sense of direction that
pirate crews means an immediate jump into factional one must simply claim a seat at the table, and keep anyone allows them to find their way back no matter how far it has
politics. That said, there’s no reason why a crew necessarily else from taking it. drifted.
needs to start in one of these places; privateering crews in The Council holds its meetings in a cave dug into the side
Flotsam operates under a cheerful anarchy: there are no
particular may well make port in their employers’ colonies, of a cliff - once a natural formation, now a carved-stone
laws or governments, just decrees passed down from
for instance, and a crew that sails from an Ourogan outpost room furnished with all the comforts of a palace. There are
whatever crews or factions are strongest. Murder, theft and
is an equally interesting concept. six stone seats set around the central table. Five are simple sabotage are commonplace events, barely considered
and utilitarian, made for the Council to sit in; the sixth is notable by the city’s residents.
an elaborately carved throne, with inscriptions that reserve
it for a “Pirate King”. That seat has sat practically untouched The one unwritten rule that every resident of Flotsam
since its carving; if any ambitious soul tries to claim it, the follows, though, is a strict taboo against open flame. There
usual ban on violence during Council meetings is set aside are no torches, candles, or fireplaces in Flotsam; instead,
and the offender is unceremoniously shot. its residents carry thick metal lanterns, which leave no
chance of breaking and lighting the ship on fire.
Opportunities & Rumors
“There’s always money to be made here in the Carrascan - you
just need to know where to look.”
Phantom Opportunities Renegade Opportunities
Scores for Phantoms will vary widely depending on what the Renegade opportunities are a grab-bag of plot hooks and
- Alain Marchand, captain of the Silver Hand
crew’s purpose is - a ship sworn to the protection of a tip-offs, chances to outwit other factions or go on bold and
Below are a few opportunities for each crew type, to throw certain relic will care about vastly different things than one daring adventures.
in on the fly if the PCs are looking for a score. Not every whose goal is simple devastation. These opportunities ● Another pirate crew is bragging about a lucrative score
score needs to be built on a golden opportunity - the hunting mostly introduce new occult events or powers, which the they're about to go on.
rules are there for when the players just want to find PCs can either oppose or try to exploit. ● Word is a pirate captain is a spy selling intelligence to
somebody and rob them - but these offer interesting ● A castaway rescued from a deserted isle is covered in pirate hunters. The powers that be want them dealt
situations to plant the crew into. strange tattoos and scars, and keeps babbling about a with.
"great storm". ● Two pirate captains have started feuding, and their
● A ship that was lost at sea years ago suddenly returns, crews are brawling in the streets.
Marauder Opportunities its crew haggard and sunken-eyed. ● A band of explorers is headed to a remote island to
Marauders are built for violence - to threaten it, and to
● The howling winds that haunt the Turtleshell Island search for orchids and other treasures. They're in need
inflict it. Opportunities should involve the incentive for
channel have suddenly gone silent. of protection, but all the legitimate colonies have
violence, or prey that’s been rendered vulnerable.
● A young slave child on a nearby plantation has turned them away.
● A crew of Meghran corsairs has washed up onshore after manifested supernatural powers. ● The governor of a colony harassed by Ourogan raids is
a battle with Revellan troops - they're looking for allies ● Another crew has caught the attention of some dark fleeing to safer shores, along with their family and
to help in a counterattack. power, and they want you to deal with it. valuables.
● A colony was recently struck by a great plague, ● A crew's sailors complain that their ship is followed by ● The lone survivor of an Valdesian raid needs passage
rendering it nigh-defenseless. swarms of sea creatures whenever it leaves port. to go back and retrieve their crew’s stash of hidden loot.
● War is brimming between two nations, and both sides ● A group of explorers has unearthed a strange relic and ● A powerful pirate captain is willing to pay good money
are looking for privateers. plans to carry it back to the old world for study. for a lost artifact, hidden somewhere on a distant island.
● A colony is stockpiling powder and cannons in their ● Deep beneath the waves, some long-slumbering ● An aristocrat from the old world is fleeing to a colony
fort in preparation for launching a raid. creature is waking up. in the Carrascan sea.
● A naval officer has arrived in the Carrascan, vowing to ● Another occultist reaches out to your crew, offering an ● A friendly pirate ship was just captured, and its crew is
put an end to piracy once and for all. exchange of services. due to be hanged in a week.
● A Maroon colony wants help raiding a plantation.
● Ships are headed to a Sallician gold mine to pick up a
shipment.
● An influential merchant is preparing for a voyage,
escorted by a huge and well-armed convoy. Nobody
knows what cargo they’re carrying.
● Another crew has a tip on the location of a treasure
fleet, but they don't have the firepower to take it on
alone.