T he B ook of

P irates
 Contents
Dead Man’s Debt 9
Chapter 1: Into the Shroud 13
Chapter 2: Testing Yer Mettle 29
Chapter 3: Crisis at the Cove 53
Chapter 4: Settling Debts 65
Pirate Glossary 68
Player Advice 70
About the Sea of Thieves 72
Rules Guide 78

Writer Playtesters
WJ MacGuffin Heather Beacher, Scott Casper, Christopher Dundon, Josh
Grumble, Colin Heffernan, Kiran Mandrekar, Michelle Mandrekar,
Editor Emily McGlawn, Kurt LaRue, Joseph Merritt, Mike Pisani, Chris
Matthew Sprange Last, Norelle Last, Sean Last, Liam O’Dea and Jacob Slade.

Layout & Illustration Additional Playtesters

Amy Perrett, Anderson Andrew Preston, Shelley Preston, James Thomas, Jason Cross,
Maia, Andoni Fernandez, Reiss Archibald, Mike Chapman, Dale Murchie, Ben Miller,
Jon Torres Rob Masalla, Jayhunt Saulog, Christopher Davies, Tom Grove

Special thanks to Peter Hentze, Adam Park and the whole Sea of Thieves team.

© 2019 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Microsoft, Rare and Sea of Thieves are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.
WHAT IS HOW DO
THE SEA OF YOU PLAY
THIEVES RPG? THIS GAME?
The Sea of Thieves RPG is your chance to live
the pirate life as you see fit, crewing up with
your friends and setting a course across the
open sea to seek out adventure and excitement,
plunder treasures from other pirates or sear
your name into the history books – whatever
your heart desires! Assuming the sharks, undead
skeletons and roving crews of bad-blooded
villains don’t get to you first.
As you can guess from the name, the Sea
of Thieves is a pirate paradise filled with
dangerous creatures, underground treasure
vaults and magical curses, and in the Sea of
Thieves RPG you’ll take on the role of a crew of
hardened sea dogs who find themselves drawn
into this strange domain.
How you’ll deal with the titanic sea monsters,
deadly storms and ancient evils that await will
be entirely up to you, but you’ll need all your
strength and cunning to survive and prove you’re
pirate enough to take your place upon the waves.
RPG stands for roleplaying game. You play the
role of someone you’re not. Unless you actually
are a pirate, in which case you’ll be right at home
with this game. Anyway, the Sea of Thieves RPG
is a sort of interactive storytelling game with
a few rules to make sure everyone has a fair
chance at being centre stage for a while.
Unlike many other games, an RPG is not
competitive. You might try to outdo your
friends at grabbing the most treasure or telling
the most outrageous tale but the game itself is
cooperative. ‘Winning’ means having a good
time and creating a story about your piratical
adventures. There is no need to learn a lot of
complex rules to play this game. In fact, all you
need to do is talk and roll dice.
To play any game you need some players
(well, that was obvious!) and another person
who serves as the Gamemaster (GM) . The GM
is a combination of a play’s director and a
sport’s referee. They describe the scenes the
pirates see and make sure the players use the
rules correctly.
5
 4-6 players is ideal for Sea of Thieves, but you
can play with more or less. Each player will
create their own Pirate Character (PC) and
decide what their PC does in the game’s world.
Playing a PC in the Sea of Thieves RPG is easy
to do. You just describe what you want to try and
the GM will help you to use the rules to figure
out how well or badly it goes. You might have to
roll some dice but that’s as hard as it gets.
The GM’s job is to keep everything fair and
help the players to create a marvellous tale of
piratical goings-on. The best part of that job is
playing any characters the pirates meet. These
are called Not-Pirate Characters (NPCs) . The
GM also helps the players to have a good time
by providing a few obstacles and problems
to overcome. After all, if piratin’ was easy
every landlubber in creation would be out
there searching for treasure instead of doing…
whatever it is landlubbers do.
It may help for the GM to have at least a vague
idea about pirates and sailing ships and stuff like
that… but vague is fine. In-depth knowledge is
not required and could get boring. Even if the
GM knows about brigantine rigs, studding-sails
and the effects of scurvy, this is not that sort
of game. It is enough to have seen a couple of
pirate movies and know that the pointy end of
the ship is the bow…
The GM is not out to stop the pirates from
succeeding but they do need to make sure things
stay interesting. How does the GM do that? By
making sure the pirates do not have an easy
time of it, that’s how! Between untrustworthy
6
captains, vengeful skeletons and massive sea
creatures, piratin’ can be a downright hazardous
occupation... but that’s a good thing. Why?
Because ‘we found this big heap o’ gold’ is not
much of a piratey tale… but that time you lost
your mast battling a rival crew and got blown
ashore on The Legendary Isle o’ Death an’
Assorted Other Misfortunes… that might be a
story worth hearing!
In addition to some players and a GM, you will
need the Legendary Dice, supply tokens and
other pieces found in this box. Regular six-sided
dice can be used instead of Legendary Dice and
it is best if each player has their own set. The
GM does not need any dice.
To play, the GM sets the scene by describing
what the PCs can see and hear. The players then
decide what they want to do and say. When you
talk, talk like you are in a play or movie. Bad
accents are not required but they add to the
quality of your piratin’ experience. When the
GM announces you are facing a Problem, you
will need to create a Solution. Then you roll
your Legendary Dice to see if your Solution
works or not.
After each roll, you narrate what happens
to your PC in the pirate’s tale based on the
outcome of your roll. From boarding an enemy
ship to digging up buried treasure, you can
accomplish all manner of piratey stuff if you
roll well enough. If you fail... well, the Sea of
Thieves is a dangerous place. Bad stuff happens
sometimes. It’s all part of the piratin’ experience.
HOW DOES • • General inventory: Online, each bullet or
wooden plank counts. That makes sense in a

THIS RPG
video game, as it is easy to track and display
that you have 3 planks, 5 bullets, 2 bananas,
10 cannonballs and so on. There is no need

DIFFER FROM
to be so exact in an RPG, so this game uses
a generalised inventory (you have enough
planks until you run out) instead accounting

THE VIDEO for every item.

• • ●Roll for sailing only when necessary:

GAME? Sailing in Sea of Thieves takes some skill.

Even the most experienced players need to
carefully navigate between far-flung islands
This game is based on the video game developed
and anchor safely. Here, sailing is only a
by Rare and published by Xbox Game Studios.
Problem when specific circumstances put the
For those of you familiar with Sea of Thieves on
ship in danger, such as manoeuvring out of a
Xbox One or PC, here are some ways this RPG
galleon’s cannonball range or racing another
diverges from the video game.
ship to an island.

• • ●Less emphasis on PvP: A fun part of the

• • No cosmetic upgrades: One of the biggest
video game experience is fighting other
draws for the video game is earning gold for
players, especially in The Arena. While
cosmetic upgrades like Admiral Hats, Bilge
players can lie, swindle and backstab each
Rat Spyglasses or Hunter Tankards. That
other in proper pirate fashion in this RPG,
works because the entire game is visually
they are encouraged to work together to gain
right in front of you. Other players can
infamy and treasure. Players can still fight
see your cool stuff! However, in a tabletop
each other, of course, it is just not a core
game, you use your imagination instead of
element of the game.
graphics. Since cosmetic upgrades do not
affect gameplay at all (by design) , they do
not appear in the RPG.

• • Dice instead of skill: Because there are

no weapon or armour upgrades in the
video game, success relies solely on skill,
experience and sometimes luck. Combat
comes down to who can shoot and move
better instead of who has the best weapon.
In the RPG, you get more dice to roll as your
PC gains experience and reputation. This
represents a pirate getting better at doing
piratey stuff over time.

7
D ead M an ’ s D ebt
 An introductory Voyage for the Sea of Thieves RPG that teaches the rules as you play.

Rules are necessary in an RPG but pirates do

not want to read books – they want to sail the
seas in search of adventure! That is why The
RULES: These sections
Book of Pirates teaches you how to play this
game through an introductory Voyage. contain the rules of the
game. Together, they are called
As everyone contributes to this pirate tale, the Avast system. The GM must
they will be gradually introduced to the rules
explain these when they come
when they are needed. The GM ideally should
read this book beforehand but does not need to. into play and reference them
Learning as you go along is part of the piratin’ whenever needed by players.
experience. What could possibly go wrong? The rules are also summarised
at the end of this book for

PREPARATION referencing later on.

Before the players arrive, the GM should make

sure they have the following ready:

• • All the Personality Cards.

N
• • 3 Legendary Dice for each player (Regular
six-sided dice can be used) .
• • Enough Banana, Plank and Bullet Tokens so
players have 1 of each (3 tokens total) . Put the
Cannonball and Gold Tokens aside for now.
•• Weapons Cards (cutlass, pistol, blunderbuss, Eye
of Reach) so players have 1 each (4 cards total).
ARRATION: These are
sections to be read aloud
to the players to describe the
setting/location and dialogue
from NPCs. The GM should read
these word for word and, when
reading an NPC’s speech, add

• • 1 Ledger for each player.

in some inflection or accent. In
other words, have fun pretending

To help run this Sea of Thieves RPG

to be a pirate!
introductory adventure, the GM will find
important text has been coloured.

10
 Map

Ledgers

Personality
Cards

Quest Weapon
Cards Cards

Legendary Supply
Dice Tokens

Gold Token

11
 C hapter 1:
I nto the S hroud
 Summary: This scene starts in the wider world. The PCs are crew members aboard the Maiden’s Rest,
led by Captain Silas Norridge. For some years now, Silas has secretly known about the Sea of Thieves,
a hidden and almost magical paradise located somewhere in the Caribbean. He has become obsessed
with getting there, as he believes the Sea of Thieves holds untold riches waiting for him to plunder.
Silas knows the way to get there is through a mysterious force of nature called the Devil’s Shroud. He
also thinks he needs a vast amount of treasure to ‘buy’ his way in, but he is wrong about that – as the
PCs will soon find out.

To get things started, the GM should read the following out loud :

W
e’re about to enter the Sea of Thieves, a place of lawless pirate crews and
grand adventures. A place where stories are born – the sort of tall tales
real pirates would tell aboard their ships during those long, dark nights at sea.
Tales of plunder and peril, curses and Krakens… Upon the Sea of Thieves, all the
old legends are true.

Your pirates will have their own story and you will be the ones to tell it… but
that does not mean everything will go your way. Whenever your pirates try to do
something important we will be using dice to see where the story goes next. The
dice do not dictate a specific outcome; they show us how well or badly things went.
A good result lets you narrate a moment of triumph and if you get a bad result,
well, it happens. Pirates soon learn to roll with the punches.

The game has rules, of course, but when do pirates care too much about those? Instead
of reading books and stuff before playing we’re going to set sail and figure it out as we
go. All will become clear... or not. Either way, the Sea of Thieves is calling to us.

Here we go....

You are crewmembers aboard the Maiden’s Rest, a galleon run by Captain Silas
Norridge. He is tall, with dark bags under his eyes and a grey, grizzled beard cut
shorter than his long, dark hair.

You are somewhere in the Caribbean and ahead of you the storm clouds look dark
red, as if they are angry at you. Rain pours down and waves pound against your
ship. Behind you, a galleon, a brigantine and a sloop are just out of cannon range
but obviously trying to catch you. That is because Captain Silas betrayed them all
and stole the loot from your last voyage. To Captain Silas, this shows he is a better
pirate than any of them. The enemy ships are probably why Silas has steered the
ship right into this horrible storm.

14
Some players might want to know what those
ships are like. Tell them that a galleon is a
classic pirate ship that is powerful but harder
to manoeuvre than other ships. Sloops are the
smallest ships, not very dangerous but nimble
and quick. Brigantines are in between galleons
and sloops.
Then tell the players that they are going to be
creating their Pirate Characters (PCs) . Give
each player a ledger and ask them to pick one
Personality Card from the deck. Remind players
that each card has different traits on each side
but they will only use one side of the card for
their PC.
Both traits are also great for roleplaying help,
so tell players to use the two traits just for
roleplaying for now. If they pick the Personality
Card face that says ‘Friendly | Impulsive’, then
that pirate is normally friendly and fun to be
around. However, when they get stressed, they
can be too impulsive and make rash decisions.
Ask the players to roleplay those traits as they
help tell the tale.
After giving Personality Cards, give each player
2 Legendary Dice. This is how all new PCs start.
15
 PERSONALITY CARDS: These cards list two personality traits that
help define the PC.

The Main Personality: The Hidden Personality:

B R AV E DISHONEST

How the character

3
normally acts.
28/01/ 2019 10:15:22 How the character
sot personality car
ds.ind d 4 acts when they think
ds.indd
sot personality car 28/01/2019 10:
they are alone – or when they are
15:22

very stressed.

During the game, players can flip the Personality Card.

In a stressful situation or alone: In a calm situation or together:

B R AV E DISHONEST
DISHONEST
B R AV E
sot personality cards :22
.indd 3 28/01/2019 10:15
28/01/2019 10:15 .indd 4
:22 sot personality cards

To Gain for 1 Turn To Gain for 1 Turn

sot personality cards :22
.indd 4 28/01/2019 10:15
28/01/2019 10:15 .indd 3
:22 sot personality cards

+ +

if Hidden is already showing in a stressful situation it cannot be flipped again.

Likewise if Main is already showing in a calm situation it cannot be flipped.

16
 LEGENDARY DICE: These dice measure a pirate’s skill, experience and
reputation. PCs can have 1-5 Legendary Dice (and up to 7, if they achieve
Pirate Legend status). Whenever players try to solve Problems, they will roll
their Legendary Dice. NPCs do not have any dice, as the GM does not roll dice in
this game.

These are special dice that have these faces:

You get 1 Victory and have a fun choice to make.

You get 1 Victory. You are one step closer to solving a Problem.

You get nothing. You made no progress on solving a Problem.

You have a tough choice to make.

Rolling Victories helps solve Problems in the game.

Once players have their dice and cards, ask them
what station they want their PCs to man. If they
look baffled, tell them that means they need to
decide what job they are doing aboard the ship.
The players may have questions at this point
about their ship (Maiden’s Rest) , their captain
(Silas Norridge) or the pirates pursuing them.
The GM can explain:
• • Their ship is a galleon with two lower levels,
eight cannons and no damage yet – but rain
is starting to fill the lower deck with water.
• • Silas Norridge is their captain and they
are supposed to follow his orders. Silas is a
skilled pirate but he wants everyone to say
he is the best pirate in the world – and he
is not that skilled. He has been steering the
ship in what looks like a random pattern but
he is now dead set on sailing straight into
the storm.
• • ●The pirates partnered with three other
crews to raid an island but Silas murdered
some of his allies and stole all the treasure
they took. That is why the three ships are
chasing the Maiden’s Rest.

17
 SHIP STATIONS: Each station is a place on a ship that lets players roll
Legendary Dice to solve Problems. The GM decides whether a station can
help solve a Problem or not.
Helm Capstan
(steering wheel) Sails Crow’s Nest Cannon (anchor)

Brigantine

Galleon

Sloop

Below Deck: This is where a player can find new supplies (get more Supply Tokens), use the Map Table, put someone in the brig
or swap out Weapon Cards. It takes 1 turn to go between decks and ships initially have 3 supply tokens of each type.

C
aptain Silas has been fighting
the helm for a while but now
has begun lashing the wheel in place
to maintain course. The storm is
turning red and almost looks like a
sunset – but it is only midday. ‘Ignore
the cannon, you filthy dogs!’ says
Silas. ‘Full sails! Angle them to catch
the wind! We’re gonna make it for
sure!’ Then he heads below deck. You
do not know what he means by ‘make
it’, but Silas gets very angry when
pirates do not follow his orders.
The PCs were ordered to throw on full sail
and adjust the rigging to catch the wind. Right
now, sails are at half-mast due to the storm
and not angled correctly. That means there are
two Problems:
• • The sails are at half-mast, which will
allow the enemy ships to catch up. This
is a Difficulty 3 Problem with Timer 4. A
shorthand way of noting this is as a (3/4)
Problem.
• • The sails need to catch the wind or enemy
ships will catch up, another (3/4) Problem.
Notice how both Problems have a target (the
sails) and a consequence (the enemy ships will
catch up) . Both targets and consequences help
the players figure out how to solve the Problems
– and what happens if they fail.
Encourage players to pick the sails stations
on the ship (there are three on a galleon) so
they can get used to rolling Legendary Dice
using the Avast system. However, if they want
to do something different they can certainly
try. The pirates might try to confront Silas to
understand what is going on. If they do, Silas
scowls and orders them back to the top deck. He
will back that up with threats of violence – and
the PCs know Silas always means it. Silas is
Powerful, meaning the Difficulty of Problems
he causes is 8. He also has two abilities: one
Interrupt and one Danger.
When someone wants to solve a Problem that
includes an enemy, the GM uses the Difficulty
and adjusts it as needed. So, if a player tries to
get Silas to reveal his plans, that Problem would
start with Difficulty 8.
When players man the stations, ask them for a
Solution even if it is really obvious. The point
is to get players used to hearing Problems and
deciding what the Solution should be. A typical
Solution here might be ‘Lower the sails so they
catch the wind’ or ‘Angle the sails so the ship
moves faster’.
Any PC at the sails or helm stations can help
with these two Problems (but only one Problem
at a time) . Once Solutions are agreed upon, it
is time for the players to roll their Legendary
Dice! Start by telling players to roll first, then
narrate what happens to their pirate. There is no
need to announce what the pirate will do before
rolling except when they want to use Weapons,
Equipment or Personality Cards. This is because
the Legendary Dice will describe what happens.
But who goes first?
Remember that any rolled on the dice count
as 1 Victory apiece and count as nothing.
and are special, however.
19
 THE AVAST SYSTEM: The GM creates Problems and presents them
to the players, who decide on a Solution. The players then roll their
Legendary Dice and try to get enough Victories to solve the problem. If
they get enough, the problem is solved. If not the situation might actually get worse…

PROBLEMS: These are important story points where players roll dice to see
what happens. The GM creates Problems and they have four parts:
• Target: What causes the Problem or where it can be found. Players need a
target to create a Solution for the Problem.
• Consequence: A bad thing that will happen if the players do not solve the
Problem in time. This lets players know how important it will be to solve it.
• Difficulty: How many Victories players need to solve the Problem. Problems
often have a Difficulty, or a number the GM starts with, adjusted up or down
depending on external factors.
• Timer: How many turns players have before the consequence happens.
Timers are set to 4 by default but can be changed by the GM.

TA RGE T DI F F ICU LT Y

The skeleton will shoot you dead (2/4).

CONSEQU ENCE T I M ER

Problems can be very specific (‘Nardo the pirate is angry at you and wants
to shoot you dead’) or general (‘holes will sink your ship’). Either way, players
need to roll enough Victories to indicate their Solution works.

SOLUTIONS: These are the players’ plans to solve Problems. GMs create
Problems and players create Solutions. Unlike Problems, Solutions have
no structure; players just need to solve the Problem at hand. Players can
abandon one Solution for a new one but any saved Victories (see In the Hold)
are lost because they are no longer working on that Solution. Players should
work together and agree upon a Solution but if they take too much time
debating the Solution, the GM can lower the timer by 1 turn.
 Silas Norridge
Blunt | Disloyal
Powerful | 8 | No weaknesses
Interrupt: -1 Victory aboard his ship
(usable once per Problem)

Danger: Any causes 1 Injury in addition

to the tough choice but cannot kill a PC
(usable once per round)

ENEMY PERSONALITIES: Enemies can have personalities but these do

not affect dice rolls. Instead, they are here to help GMs roleplay that character.

ENEMY DIFFICULTY: Enemies (human or otherwise) are rated with a Difficulty:

Weak (Difficulty 2) Strong (Difficulty 6) Dreaded (Difficulty 10)

Average (Difficulty 4) Powerful (Difficulty 8) Pirate Legend (Difficulty 12)

When someone wants to solve a Problem that includes an enemy, the GM uses the
Enemy’s Difficulty as a starting point and adjusts it as needed. So, if a PC tries
to get Silas to reveal his plans, that Problem would start with Difficulty 8.

INTERRUPT & DANGER ABILITIES: Enemies that are Average or stronger have
special abilities that impact Problems and Solutions. An Interrupt ability can only
be used once per Problem and is triggered by the GM if the condition is right. This
ability interrupts the Solution and takes away one Victory, making things harder.

For example, if someone fights Silas on his ship, the GM can take away one
Victory rolled by the players – but only once for each Problem. This should be built
into the GM’s narrative. For example, if the PCs are battling Silas and doing well at
getting enough Victories to produce a Solution, Silas might use his Interrupt to create
a setback. Perhaps he has stashed a couple of extra pistols ready for an emergency or
he lures a PC onto that strangely slippery part of the deck…

A Danger ability is one that can be used once per round. This means a Danger ability
can be used multiple times during the same Problem, making such an enemy very, well,
dangerous. The GM still decides when and if the ability is triggered. However, a PC
cannot be killed by Interrupt or Danger abilities.
 DIFFICULTY & TIMERS: Problems have a Difficulty, which is the
number of Victories needed from players rolling their Legendary Dice to
make the Solution happen. This should be adjusted by the GM
depending on two factors – number of players and the story so far.

● • Number of players: Decrease the difficulty when you have fewer

players. An Average enemy has Difficulty 4, but if you only have three players,
that can be reduced to 3. If you have seven players, consider increasing the
Difficulty to 5 or even 6. This is more art than science but the only way to get
it wrong is to go to extremes such as changing Difficulty 4 to a 1 or a 9.

● • The story so far: Playing Sea of Thieves should be challenging

but too much randomness can skew that. If the players have had really bad
luck, decrease the Difficulty for a few enemies to bring them back on track. If
the opposite is true and players are solving Problems far too easily, increase
the Difficulty to make the pirate tale more exciting. Keep the changes small
however; Difficulty should not be altered by more than 1 or at most 2.

Timers are how many rounds the players have to solve the Problem.
Timers change at the start of every new round. When the timer hits 0, the
Consequence happens before players can act. So, if a Timer reaches 0 at the
start of round 4, then the Consequence happens at the start of round 4. There
are some Problems where the Timer is unlimited (U). That means there are no
real consequence for not solving it in time.

The GM keeps track of Timers, not the players. Timers tick down at the
start of every round. If the players take too long in creating a Solution to a
Problem (usually because they start bickering, arguing or faffing about doing
something insufficiently piratical), the GM can lower the Timer by 1 before
anyone gets to roll dice.

The most important information for Problems is presented as ‘Difficulty/

Timer’. So, if you see ‘(6/4)’ after a Problem, that means the Difficulty is 6 and
the Timer starts at 4.
Since there are several sail stations aboard a
galleon, two or more players can work on the
same Problem. This is called Teamwork.
Now we get to the most important rule about
rolling dice in the Avast system. We are telling
a story, so the players must narrate the results
of their actions – unless they fail to create a
Solution in time, in which case the GM narrates
bad stuff based on the Consequence for not
solving the Problem. This does not have to be
incredibly detailed but do encourage players
to describe what the results of their dice roll
would look like in the story rather than merely
announcing that they have succeeded.
The Avast system uses turns and rounds like
many games. Let every pirate have a turn to roll
dice or do something, then advance the Timer
and go around again so everyone can keep trying.
• • If a Problem still needs Victories, ask
players to roll again and interpret their
results into the tale.
INITIATIVE: When deciding
who goes when, PCs always
go before the GM’s characters
and monsters unless there is a
good reason (like an ambush). The
PC who currently has the most
Legendary Dice goes first, then the
next most dice and so on. When
there is a tie between players, they
either decide who goes first or go
at the same time. If needed, players
can each roll one Legendary Dice
and the best roll can go first.
• • If the Problem is solved, ask the player to
narrate how their actions in the storm helped
the Maiden’s Rest put some leagues between
it and the enemy ships.
• • If the Timer runs out and they did not
succeed, then the consequence happens.
The enemy ships catch-up and will start
firing cannonballs at the Maiden’s Rest.
Make up a new Problem such as The enemy
galleon wants to board you (5/4). Sometimes
the Consequence of a Problem is another
Problem. And another…
Continue for a few rounds so everyone gets used to
how Problems, Solutions and Legendary Dice work.
TEAMWORK: When working
on the same Solution to the same
Problem, players roll individually
but combine their results. So, if two
players each rolled 1 , they can add
2 Victories towards solving
the Problem.
rolled in Teamwork are shared
as well. Players must agree on the
outcome of the tough choice (the GM
decides if players cannot agree).
If PCs are using Teamwork and fail
to solve a Problem, then the PC(s)
with the most Legendary Dice face
the consequence. Ties mean all tying
PCs face the consequences. Note that
this rule uses the most Legendary
Dice currently held, so a pirate who
normally has 2 Legendary Dice but
is down to 1 due to an Injury just has
1 dice for this rule.
23
 LEGENDARY DICE CONTINUED:

: When a player rolls this, they have a fun choice to make:

1. Gain an additional Victory (so this dice brings 2 Victories total).

2. Increase the Problem’s Timer by 1.
3. Belay (that is pirate-speak for cancel) any just rolled.

The GM has the right to limit this choice, such as saying a player cannot increase
the Timer because there is no plausible way to delay the Problem’s consequence.

: When a player rolls a this, they have a tough choice to make:

1. Take an Injury (see page 46).

2. Ask the GM to create a new Problem: the current Problem is still there; the
players now face two Problems… or more if things really are not going
their way!
3. Lose a supply token related to the Problem being faced (see page 45).

With , the GM narrates what happens, not the players, although players
may offer suggestions. As with , the GM can also limit this choice
depending on circumstances.

IN THE HOLD: When players roll Legendary Dice, they can save
some or all of the Victories they rolled for future turns. This is
called putting Victories ‘in the hold’. This helps players succeed if the
Difficulty is very high for a future Problem.

24

NARRATION: Players
should explain what their pirate
is doing based upon their dice roll
results. Be descriptive and have fun
– everyone loves an exciting pirate!
When players solve a Problem, they
earn the right to describe how that
looks in the tale. However, if they fail,
the GM earns that right instead.
TURNS & ROUNDS: Turns
are the time needed for each
player to do something (rolling
dice, moving, talking and so on). They
do not have a set length in seconds or
minutes; they are just a chance for PCs
to do fun stuff. A round is a collection
of every player’s turns. If you have six
players, then they each have a turn, and
once all six turns have been taken the
round is over. If a player is not paying
attention or drags the game to a halt
asking about endless details, the GM
can skip his turn. Inattentive pirates are
ineffective pirates!
If a player rolls a and requests a new
Problem, the GM makes one up on the spot!
If the GM is not sure yet what a new Problem
could be, here are some examples:
• • A torn sail slows the galleon. This will let
the enemy ships catch up (4/4).
• • A rope snapped and a sail is flapping loose.
This will also let the enemy ships will catch
up (2/4).
• • The rain is flooding the ship and it will
sink (3/4).
• • A shark will eat you (4/3).
Use new Problems to build drama and tension
in this scene. Pulling on a rope to move a sail is
not very exciting but what about doing it while
you have enemy ships behind you… and the rope
breaks while the ship is taking on water? That is
a bit more interesting!
Note that it is entirely possible to have two
Problems with the same consequence, meaning
the players will have to work together, with
some fixing a rope whilst others move the sail.
For the rest of this scene, keep making Problems
until everyone (the GM and the players) feels
comfortable with the Avast system. Once
everyone is happy with the rules so far, read
the following:
25
 A
s you plunge through the
tall waves, pouring rain and
booming thunder, you notice that
the red sky has taken on an even
more menacing hue. There are
blood-coloured clouds stretching
from horizon-to-horizon and even
the water looks bloodstained. Crack!
Suddenly, there is a hole in the
gunwale (the part of a boat’s hull
that is like a small wall around the
top deck). And from below deck,
Be descriptive! Talk about the water filling up
two more loud cracks! It looks like
the lowest deck, the eerie red storm clouds and
the other ships are having similar the loud noise of holes spontaneously appearing
troubles. They are desperately in the wooden hull. Remember, the players need
turning away! to narrate their dice rolls, so they should be
descriptive as well.

The Maiden’s Rest has sailed into the Devil’s Let this happen for a few rounds, then it is time
Shroud, the mysterious force of nature that acts for Silas to betray his crew.
like a barrier between the wider world and the
Sea of Thieves. This is what causing the damage

T
to the ship and will eventually sink her. Since he ship is taking on too much
the players do not know this, they might try to water and starting to list to
repair the damage. If you want more experience
starboard. All sails are torn to ribbons
rolling and interpreting Legendary Dice in the
Avast system, then create some Problems and and the ship’s compass is spinning
have at it! like a top. The sky and water are
almost glowing dark red and you can
The current Problem is: Mysterious holes in the
ship will sink it (5/4). If the players solve this,
barely hear each other shout over the
create a similar Problem with a higher Difficulty howling winds. Silas charges into his
or lower Timer; this is what happens when a cabin and quickly emerges carrying
ship sails into the Devil’s Shroud. If the players
a chest heavy with coins and gold.
try asking Captain Silas for orders (or even
help) , they find him coming back from below He smiles like a madman, shouts
deck towards his cabin. Silas will shove anyone something that was probably quite
out of his way and offer an extra share of the unpleasant and jumps overboard.
treasure to anyone who kills (yes, kills) pirates
in his way.

26
If any player tries to stop him, the Problem is:
Stop Captain Silas from jumping overboard
(8/2). Alternatively, explain to the players that
the ship is listing and they are facing hurricane-
strength winds, so running across the deck to
grab Silas is impossible.

Do not cause the players to become frustrated

trying to save the ship when it is completely
impossible. Instead, before they can try to do
anything, read the following:

T
here is a loud groan and crack as
the masts break. The hull soon
follows and you are all tossed into
the raging sea. You grasp for some
piece of the ship to stay afloat but
the dark red waves and storm are too
much. The last thing you remember is
sinking below the blood-red
sea, then something like mermaids
coming to your rescue before you
pass out.

Then you are coughing up water. The

storm is gone. So is the sea! You’re
lying on the ground in what looks like
a tavern. A stocky lady behind a bar
waves and says, ‘Hello! Welcome to the
Sea of Thieves. Want some grog, then?’

27
 C hapter 2:
T esting y er M ettle
 Summary: The PCs have found their way into the Sea of Thieves and awaken on Sanctuary Outpost.
Tracy and Duke suggest they enter a competition to win a brigantine of their own. Unfortunately, this
ship comes with 1,000 coins of debt owed to various pirates who threaten the PCs. Duke encourages the
PCs to take a trading company job to repay the debt.

Tracy the barkeep has already welcomed the PCs

but they are going to have plenty of questions.
Here are some important details Tracy can tell DRUNK PIRATES: PCs can
the players if they ask: drink grog (a mixture of rum,
water and spices) but they might
• • The Sea of Thieves is a world unto itself.
get drunk. For each tankard drunk, the
Some call it pirate heaven. But once here,
it is almost impossible to get back to the players rolls:
wider world.

• • It is surrounded by the Devil’s Shroud, a

mysterious force of red storms and waves. It
keeps most people out of the Sea of Thieves
but some get through. Those who do often
regain their senses in a tavern, presumably
because they need a drink after passing or = They are fine.
through the Devil’s Shroud.

• • There are many islands here and many

pirates. Some are nice to each other, while or = They are Drunk
others attack at first sight. There are also
for 5 rounds.
many sharks, magic, buried treasure and
undead skeleton pirates!

• • The players are in a tavern called The

George & Kraken. It is located on Sanctuary When Drunk
Outpost, an island in a calm, beautiful region
called the Shores of Plenty. Tracy owns this =
tavern and comes from a long line of tavern
keepers both here and in the wider world.
The GM can also require rolls for
mundane actions like walking.
Throughout this, Tracy will be positive and
helpful, although a little condescending. And
because this is a tavern, the PCs can drink grog.

30
 Tracy the Barkeep
Upbeat | Haughty
Powerful | 8 | No weaknesses
Interrupt: -1 Victory with talking
Danger: -1 Legendary Dice with fighting
(players regain this dice at the start of each turn)

Before long, Tracy will say:

FINDING INFORMATION:

W
‘ ell then, with you lot being
There are times when a PC wants
new and all that, I’m guessing
to learn something, such as whether
you’ll want to know about the big
an NPC is lying or if a ship’s log has
competition. It’s a way to earn
an important course. Use the Avast
yourselves a good ship instead of
system’s Problem/Solution mechanic.
crewing up with some random souls.
The Target is usually the person or
You’re new, so you’re invited!’
object and the Consequence is not
getting the truth. If the Timer runs
Tracy can explain that two other groups tried to
win the competition but failed and that she does out, then the information cannot
not know who started the competition. As far as be gained from that Target and the
everyone knows, the brigantine was discovered
players cannot try again.
already docked one foggy night with a letter
explaining the competition stuck to its mast
with a knife.
This competition was set-up by Silas, their old
captain, in hopes of getting some of the best pirates
If the players do not trust Tracy, they can roll
in the Sea of Thieves to join his crew. Because
to find out the truth. Problem: The PCs do not
time works differently in the Sea of Thieves, Silas
know if Tracy is lying (6/4). The Difficulty
arrived a good month before the PCs.
comes from Tracy being a strong NPC but she
is not lying and has no additional information to
As the players discuss this competition, a loud
share. The pirates might go to a lot of trouble
and apparently blind drunk man bursts into the
to find this out. That’s okay; diligent pirates are
tavern demanding grog in a direct but jolly tone:
well-informed pirates!

Give the players Handout #1.

31
 T D
he tavern has no door or this uke says, ‘Planning on winning
man would have slammed it the mysterious competition?
open. He staggers into the place, Why not, right? It’s a chance to be a
bounces off a table and manages to real pirate! But which part will ye be
careen towards the bar. ‘A hoy, Tracy doing first?
ye lovely barkeep! More grog for me
If ye want to try your hand at
tankard! I just sank a sloop and sent
digging up treasure, then visit
some dull scallywags a-swimmin’ for
Humphrey at the Gold Hoarders tent
the merfolk!’ Then he notices you’re
near the beach. Itching to take down
here and gives you a slightly drunk
some skellies? Go see the Order of
stare. ‘A h, ye have company! Where
Souls in their building. And if ye are
are me manners? On the ocean floor,
looking for something more mundane,
that’s where! HAHAHAHA! I’m
get a chicken cage from the Merchant
Duke and a true pirate! What are ye?’
Alliance. Looks like ye need all three,
He’s a tall and stout man with white
so stop dawdling! Pirates move quick,
hair and beard, and a large tattoo of a
mateys! But ye had better hurry. Two
rat across his chest.
new pirates appeared before ye and
they’ve already begun!’
Duke is the unofficial leader of the Bilge Rats, a
group dedicated to keeping piracy alive and well
in the Sea of Thieves. Play Duke as a harmless These two pirates – Nardo and Modest Molly
cheerleader who sometimes goes too far, because – are strictly for comic relief and do not pose a
that is mostly what he is. He will be on hand serious threat. Since the players do not know
to encourage the PCs to do piratey things like that, they can be used to keep the PCs focused
swashbuckling or thieving during the contest. on the competition.
Duke is also a Pirate Legend, which means he is
about as mighty as they come.

32
 Duke
Boisterous | Controlling
Pirate Legend | 12 | No weaknesses
Interrupt: -2 Victory with cutlasses
-2 Victory with his ship
-2 Victory with cannons
Danger: -1 Victory when talking
-1 Timer when fighting
-1 Victory when fighting

QUESTS & VOYAGES: A quest

is a particular action needed to
advance the story, such as collecting
a buried Treasure Chest or defeating
a notorious pirate. Voyages are
collections of quests,
although a Voyage might only have
a single quest. Typically, an
‘adventure’ like Dead Man’s Debt is
considered one Voyage. When players
complete a Voyage, they each gain
1 permanent Legendary Dice. This
represents a pirate’s increasing skill
and reputation as they adventures in
the Sea of Thieves.

33
 Once they move outside the tavern, describe the island for the players:

S
anctuary Outpost is a hub of activity stretched over three small islands. You’re
on the biggest, home to shipwrights, weaponsmiths and shops. Dozens of pirates
wander around the island and you see several ships docked here. And yes, you do
indeed see a brigantine without a flag tied to the wooden docks. You hear people
arguing over trades, seagulls squawking overhead and faint whispers from pirates
having discreet conversations. The air is humid and warm but the sun is bright
and the water clear and smooth. Palm trees and vegetation cover most of the island,
except for a large rock to the west and a sandy beach ringing the island. This is as
close to a Caribbean paradise as you might find.

The Gold Hoarders’ dark tent and the Order of Souls building are to the southeast. The Merchant
Alliance has a space set on the main dock. These three can be done in any order but all three quests
must be completed before the PCs can earn their ship. If the players want to visit some shops, they
can – but be sure to remind them that they have no money at all.

34
THE GOLD
HOARDERS
QUEST
At the dark tent near the shore, the PCs will
find Humphrey the Hoarder.

T
he man inside the tent is staring
at you and rubbing his hands.
The right side of his face, and several
fingers, are made of gold and he
wears a typical pirate outfit. ‘Come
for the competition, have you? That’s
why newcomers visit ol’ Humphrey
the Hoarder, they do. Do you want
some gold, too? Then bring us a
Treasure Chest. But it is locked,
locked hard and true! Only the Gold
Hoarders have the keys that unlock
chests in the Sea of Thieves. Bring
one here and I’ll give you gold as
your share. You’ll also be one step
closer to winning that ship. Do we
have a deal?’ Humphry holds out the
hand with the golden fingers.

Humphrey the Hoarder

Stoic | Paranoid
Powerful | 8 | Weak with cutlasses
Interrupt: -2 Victories with gold
Danger: -1 Victory with Quest Cards

35

If they players want to know more, here is what
they can learn.
• • Humphrey’s gold skin comes from
touching cursed gold, something almost
everyone within his trading company suffers
from. They cannot resist gold, even when it
is cursed.
• • The Gold Hoarders have keys that unlock
chests that otherwise will never be opened.
This is why they hire pirates to find treasure
and sell them for a finder’s fee – and why
pirates do not just open the chests and take
the treasure for themselves.
If the crew agrees to the deal, Humphrey
will hand the PCs a riddle – give the players
Handout #2 at this point. He explains that the
answer to this riddle will be a location here
in Sanctuary Outpost. Go there, dig up the
Treasure Chest and bring it back to him. This
will move the PCs ahead in the competition. If
a player wants to try haggling with Humphrey,
they will automatically fail. No one haggles with
the Gold Hoarders… not successfully, anyway.
Before the PCs head off in search of buried
treasure, their ‘competition’ shows up.
ENEMY WEAKNESSES: Some
enemies have a specific weakness.
When the condition is met, players
gain one extra Legendary Dice. For
example, if a PC attacks Humphrey
with a cutlass, the player gains +1
Legendary Dice. That bonus is lost if
either the Weapon Card is removed
(such as by dropping that cutlass) or
the PC stops using it for a Solution.
T
wo tired-looking pirates walk
up just as you are done with
Humphrey. One is a short, bald man
with a purple eye patch and gnarled
wooden leg. The other is a tall, thin
woman wearing a dirty yellow dress
that covers almost her entire body.
‘Endless fish?’ asks the man. ‘What
is this endless fish? We can no find
the fish!’ The women speaks next.
‘Regrettably, I have lost faith in you,
good sir. I do believe you are playing
a game with us.’
Nardo and Molly cannot solve the riddle, so
they came back to argue with Humphrey. If the
PCs leave Nardo and Modest Molly alone, they
continue to argue until Humphrey threatens
them. However, if they introduce themselves as
fellow competitors, Nardo will challenge one PC
to a fistfight while Molly harangues everyone
else for being untrustworthy opportunists.
Problem: Nardo will knock you out (2/4). Use
this to comedic effect; Nardo swings wildly
and falls down, while Molly accuses the PCs of
trying to look at her ankles.

36
Modest Molly Nardo
Demure | Accusatory Compliant | Bellicose
Weak | 2 | No weakness Weak | 2 | No weakness
Interrupt: None Interrupt: None
Danger: None Danger: None

37
 Once they return the chest to Humphrey, some
RIDDLES: These are not local pirates cheer half-heartedly and Humphrey
gives the PCs 1 Gold Token in total. Duke is also
Problems, so the Avast system is not
waiting at the tent and he congratulates the PCs
used here. Instead, players must solve for their success.
the riddle by asking the GM about
the island (where is the highest peak,
where is the picture of a lizard, etc.)
to determine where the riddle wants
them to go. However, the GM can
create some Problems along the way
to allow the pirates to solve parts of
the riddle if the players are stuck.
For example, the GM might declare
to the players that they do not know
where a picture of a lizard can be QUEST CARDS: These
found and this can be considered a cards represent items
Problem, which can then be assigned a needed to complete quests
Difficulty and Timer. such as treasure chests, bounty
skulls, animal cages or cargo crates.
The answer to the riddle is this: When a player has one of these cards,
it means his PC is using both hands
• • The highest peak of all the rocks on
to carry it.
Sanctuary Outpost is found on the western
side of the main island.

• • Hidden behind some bushes is a primitively

painted image of two fish chasing each other
in a circle.

• • Stand in front of the image and walk six

paces south to a patch of sand. Below that
spot is a weather-beaten Treasure Chest
with a devious lock.

When the players think they have found the right

spot to dig, announce that this is a Problem: The
Treasure Chest will remain hidden under the
sand (4/U). When they unearth the chest, give
one player a Quest Card showing a Treasure
Weapons cannot be used while covered.
Chest. The ‘U’ stands for ‘Unlimited’, meaning
this Problem does not have a Timer. The players
can keep trying until they succeed.

38
THE ORDER OF
SOULS QUEST
I
nside this building you see a long
counter covered with skulls, half-
melted candles, books and multi-
coloured glasses. Behind the counter
is a tall, striking woman. She has a
thick, dark line running from her
eyes to her jawline and the air of
someone who does not suffer fools
lightly. A skull with some kind of
mystical symbol between the eye
sockets hangs from her hip. She looks
up from a book she was reading and
does not smile. ‘Welcome, fellow
travellers,’ she says in a voice used to
commanding others. ‘You come here
because you want something from my
Order. Perhaps we can help
each other?’
This is Madame Olive. Her Main Personality
trait is Direct, so she is quite willing to discuss
her role in the competition. The task she offers
is to find a skeleton pirate hiding in the jungle
on this island, defeat him in combat and return
with his skull. In return, Olive will offer 1 Gold
Token for the bounty skull and the players will
be closer to winning the competition.
Here is what the players can learn about the
Order of Souls:
• • The Order of Souls seek out the skulls of
skeletons, especially Skeleton Captains,
because members have magic that can read
the memories of the dead pirate’s skull.
• • This means the Order of Souls tends to
know many secrets but they keep these
to themselves.
• • No one is sure why some dead pirates come
back as skeletons and there are other, more
dangerous creatures in the Sea of Thieves.
GOLD TOKENS: These are
supply tokens just like bullets
or bananas. The difference
is that players can have any number of
Gold Tokens.
100 gold coins =
Note that the Sea of Thieves RPG does
not keep track of individual coins.
Anything worth buying is counted in
tokens. It is assumed that the pirate has
enough coin to buy minor items costing
less than one Gold Token – unless they
don’t have any Gold Tokens, in which
case they are broke and need to get on
with some piratin’.
Players can also purchase new
permanent Legendary Dice with Gold
Tokens but this can be very expensive.
39
 Madame Olive
Direct | Sad
Powerful | 8 | Weak with any weapon
Interrupt: -1 Legendary Dice with magic
Danger: -1 Timer with magic

If the players accept this quest, they face one

Problem first: A skeleton will remain hidden in
the jungle (4/U). Skellies are Weak and usually
have Difficulty 2, but because it is hard to spot
in the jungle, the Difficulty increases to 4. Have
the players come up with Solutions and adjust
the Difficulty or Timer as needed. Then have
players roll using Teamwork, including bonus
dice from any Main or Hidden Personality.
Remind them to narrate the results of their dice
as part of the tale!

Once this Problem is solved, they find the

skeleton pirate. Whoever rolled the last Victory
needed is the one now facing the skelly.

Y
ou see a skeleton walking as if
still alive! It is wearing some
tattered pirate boots and a blue
bandana over its skull, and is armed
with both a pistol and a cutlass.
When it sees you, it hisses and aims
its pistol at you!

This creates a new Problem: The skeleton wants

to kill you (2/4).

Let the player who found the skeleton come up

with the Solution and adjust both the Difficulty
and/or Timer as needed. Other players can join
in and use Teamwork to help but unless they
specified that they were searching in teams, it

40
 TIMER UNLIMITED:
In cases where players have
Skeleton Pirate
Weak | 2 | No weakness
all the time they need to solve a Interrupt: None
given Problem, the Timer is considered Danger: None
unlimited (U). That means the
consequence will not happen. However,
this does not affect in any way, so
despite there being no time to crunch,
players can still get Injured.

will take a turn to reach the fight. This would be

a great time to remind players about using their
Main and Hidden personalities.

This will likely be the first combat scene of the

Voyage but it uses the same Avast system as any
other Problem in the game. Start by pointing out
the two Weapon Cards each player has face-up.
Quickly go over the bonuses and ranges they
provide, as described below, then ask each player
to select which two weapons they want their
pirate to use.

In addition, there are range restrictions:

LAST VICTORY: If
• • Cutlasses only grant bonuses in Hand range. solving a Problem leads
to something important
• • Blunderbusses only grant bonuses in
Close range. (like finding a lost Treasure Chest
or spotting a ship on the horizon),
• • Pistols only grant bonuses in Middle range.
the player who rolls the last Victory
• • Eyes of Reach only grant bonuses in
needed to solve the Problem is the first
Long range.
one involved in what happens next.

41

DISTANCE &
PROBLEMS: If some PCs
are too far away, they
cannot roll to help solve a
Problem. The GM decides if this is
the case and how many turns it takes
until they can help. On a ship, this
typically means one turn. On a large
island, it could take 5 turns or more,
depending on how the players are
split up.
x
5 up near the player’s Personality Card.
Either while the skelly is still active or just
after it was defeated, present a new Problem to
a random PC: Modest Molly will accidentally
cause an Injury with her blunderbuss (2/1). Yes,
Nardo and Molly are trying to kill the same
skeleton. Molly saw movement in the jungle and
fired without thinking. This will be an Injury,
not death, so failing to solve this Quick Problem
means losing one Legendary Dice temporarily.
WEAPON CARDS: PCs can
only hold two weapons at a
time. This is represented by
placing two Weapon Cards face-
When used:

If an enemy has a weakness against a

particular weapon.

+
QUICK PROBLEMS: There are
times when a Problem appears
suddenly and out of nowhere, such
as a skeleton bursting up from the
ground or a rock big enough to sink
a ship appearing out of the fog. In
these cases, the Timer can be set to
2 or even 1. However, the Difficulty Eventually, the PCs will defeat the skeleton
and collect his skull. Once they bring it back
should likewise be low so the players
to Madame Olive, they receive 100 coins (i.e. 1
have a chance to be successful. Gold Token) . And no, she will not explain what
memories this skeleton had.

42
 RANGE: In combat, there are four ranges:

There are no set distances to define each range, as there are many
things that can get in the way (like trees, ship masts, etc.), and
so they exist just to give players an idea of how far away they are
from something.

Range is decided by the GM at the start of a Problem but this can change depending
on subsequent narration. Players can move to go from one range to the next.

Weapons can be used in narration even if they are out of range; a pistol can still be
used at short range but:

Range in the Avast system is purposefully vague to encourage players to narrate

how close they are. To switch weapons, you need to visit your ship or armory to
collect other Weapon Cards but you still must select only two to have face up.

43
 NO GM ROLLS: In
the Avast system, the
GM never rolls dice.
Any attacks, dodges or similar
actions come from the players’ own
rolls. If a player rolls a and
sustains an injury, this indicates an
enemy landed a hit on the PC – there
is no need for the GM to make any
rolls during combat. That dreaded
makes the player responsible for
any damage or setbacks they face.
However, there are two ways to cancel
the negative effect of a . This is
called belaying it.
44
BELAYING: There are two
ways a player might be able to
belay a and avoid the tough
choice (see page 24).
• If they roll a and a at the
same time (for their roll, not anyone
else’s), then they can belay the .
The still counts as 1 Victory.
• If a new Problem caused by a
causes a needed supply to run out
(such as running out of bullets
during combat), the player can give
one of their Supply Tokens to the
GM and belay that new Problem.
 SUPPLY TOKENS: PCs can carry bananas, bullets, planks and
cannonballs. Instead of tracking each individual item, a PC has enough of
whatever they are using until they roll a and the new Problem involves
that supply (bullets are needed when fighting, planks are needed to repair
ships and so on). At this point, the pirate runs out of whatever they were using.
The pirate can then hand the relevant token to the GM in order to belay the
new Problem entirely. In other words, supply tokens can instantly solve new
Problems created by a if they are relevant. All PCs start with one token of
each type and can get more by seeking supplies on an island, ship or shipwreck.

For example, if a player rolled a while shooting a pistol, the new Problem
could be You have no bullets left and cannot use your pistol. If they had a
Bullet Token, they can give this to the GM and instantly cancel the Problem,
letting them use that pistol in the next turn as normal. Planks are used to belay
Problems revolving around ship damage, cannonballs are like bullets but used
for ship cannon and bananas are used to belay injuries. Belaying a new Problem
takes the next turn and players cannot roll dice in that turn.

Ships start with 3 of each supply token aboard and more can be found on
outposts, seaposts, skeleton fortresses and islands. Smart players can
stock up their ship before battle but each PC can only have one of
each supply token at one time.

Planks Cannonballs
Bullets
Bananas

45
 INJURIES: When a player
takes an Injury because of
a , they save themselves from
losing a Victory or facing a new
Problem. However, it also means they
temporarily loses 1 Legendary Dice. If
they started with two Legendary Dice
and a skelly hurts them, then they
will be reduced to just one Legendary
Dice. Players can heal Injuries by
spending a Banana Token.

PIRATE DEATH: This game

is deadly at times but death is
only a setback. Whenever
a PC loses their last Legendary
Dice by being Injured, they die and
appear aboard a ghost ship called the
Ferry of the Damned. Two turns later, a
portal opens back to the Sea of Thieves
and the pirate reappears on their ship.
If their ship has been sunk, the merfolk
bring the ship back some distance
away from where it sunk but in perfect
working order. Any dead PCs will then
reappear on it.

There is a penalty for dying. A pirate

that dies loses 1 Legendary Dice
permanently. The only way to regain the
lost dice is by completing a Voyage. PCs
never drop below 1 Legendary Dice, so if
a PC dies with only 1 dice in their hand,
they will still return with 1 dice.

46
THE MERCHANT
ALLIANCE QUEST
The Merchant Alliance spot is located on the
same dock as the shipwright and the soon-
to-be-their brigantine. Anyone can board the
brigantine and look around, and those doing so
see the ship is extremely well-crafted and clean.
She really is a great ship. Senior Trader Mavis
is running the Merchant Alliance right now.

Y
ou see a tall woman dressed
in a yellow vest and with
glasses perched on her nose. She
definitely looks more merchant
than pirate compared to most
people in Sanctuary Outpost. She
waves as you approach. ‘You look
like capable people. Need money?
Oh, you are new and want to win
that ship! I’m Senior Trader Mavis,
it is a pleasure to meet you. Here is
what you need to do for this part of
the competition. A lady on Golden
Sands Outpost is hosting a dinner
party and requested a white-
feathered chicken from us. We have
none. However, there is at least one
on this island. I’m busy working
the books, so take this cage, go find
the chicken and bring it to me. I Senior Trader Mavis
Efficient | Arrogant
shall pay 100 coins to you upon
Powerful | 8 | weak with gold
receipt of said chicken. You may
Interrupt: -1 Victory with supply tokens
leave right away.’
Danger: cause -1 Timer as well as the
tough choice

47
 As with the skeleton, this challenge is broken
down into two Problems:
• Find the chicken before time runs out (5/5).
• Put the chicken in the cage before it runs
away (5/5).
Finding and catching the chicken really depends
on narration to be fun. Encourage players to
describe how their rolls translate into the tale.
If new Problems come up thanks to , some
examples include:
• Another skeleton hiding in the jungle wants
to kill you (2/3).
• The chicken was swept away by a big wave
and will drown (4/3).
The GM can create whatever new Problems seem
to make sense at the time. Just make sure that they
have a target and consequence.
Once the chicken has been captured, Nardo and
Molly stumble out of the jungle. Nardo looks
proud and carries a snake. When a PC points
out that is not a chicken, Nardo realises his
mistake and the snake bites him. Molly promptly
faints. Giving the chicken to Mavis earns the
PCs a Gold Token.
48
DIFFICULTY & STRENGTH:
Defeating a single skeleton is
usually Difficulty 2, so why
does capturing a chicken start
with Difficulty 5? Because in this
game, difficulty is not a measure of
an enemy’s power or threat level.
Instead, it is a measure of how
difficult it would be for PCs to solve a
Problem. Fighting a lone skelly is not
hard for a pirate; capturing a
small and fast-moving chicken
is a lot harder.
RESTARTING PROBLEMS: If
the Timer runs out and a Problem
is failed, players can sometimes retry
the same Problem over again. The
GM decides when this can happen,
depending on the finality of the
Problem’s consequence. For example,
a failed attempt to capture a chicken
can be restarted. Failing to avoid
being killed by a skeleton cannot.
WINNING THE
800 coins is 8 Gold Tokens. By now, the PCs
should have 3 Gold Tokens. The GM should
make it very clear that the PCs do not have

SHIP AND LESS enough to pay the debt.

Once all three quests are complete, the PCs Who gambled the ship and accrued all that debt?
can return to The George & Kraken to confirm It was Duke in disguise. He thought it hilarious to
their Victory in the competition. Duke will be gamble away a boat that did not belong to anyone.
there, as will Tracy, and together they announce That is why he was eager to help the PCs.
that the players have won the brigantine. Duke
celebrates by drinking a whole tankard of grog
and promptly falls asleep. Tracy will walk the
players down to the docks while congratulating
them on being skilled pirates.

Y
ou notice a crowd has gathered
between you and the docks,
spilling out along the beach. They
seem restless and many are pointing
at your ship. Finally, one pirate
wearing a tricorn hat and a metal peg
leg steps up to you. ‘I know this ship.
Do ye be ‘er owners?’

Let the players answer or try to stall. Either

way, this pirate continues.

T
‘ his ship ‘ere, well, she’s been
used to back some gambling
debts. Now, I’m not a merchant but
I can do math and the debt be 800
gold coins. In case ye do not savvy,
that is a lot of money what ye owe us.
Ye own that ship there, right? Then
ye own ‘er debts. Now, ‘ow about ye
Francois Le Pirate
Frugal | Greedy
hornswogglers pay us our money Average | 4 | No weaknesses
so no one gets tarred, feathered and Interrupt: -1 Timer with talking
tossed in a brig to rot?’ Danger: None

49
 Once inside the tavern, Duke can be woken from
his drunken slumber to help the PCs. He asks
how much they have earned so far. Realising it
What if the PCs fight the crowd or steal
is not enough, he says he will go with the PCs to
the ship? Some players may be tempted
convince a trading company to give them a quest
to up their pirate reputation by either
that earns enough to pay off the debt. He can
fighting the debtors or trying to steal the
also keep the angry debtors at bay because he is
ship. Neither is a good idea! The crowd
both liked and feared in the Sea of Thieves.
is so big that there is no Solution to that
Problem; the players will each get Injured
The players can choose any of the three trading
(and temporarily lose 1 Legendary Dice)
companies, who each give a similar Voyage:
and be forcibly placed on their ship.
Stealing the ship is likewise not possible
• • Gold Hoarders: Use a treasure map to
because that crowd is effectively guarding
unearth two large Treasure Chests buried on
the ship. They might not be educated but
the nearby island Cannon Cove.
they are not dumb.
• • Order of Souls: Get a skull of a Skeleton
Captain named Duncan Dominguez on the
nearby island Cannon Cove.
Tracy all but demands the PCs head back to her
• • Merchant Alliance: Take two cages and
tavern. Not only is it safer there, she wants to
capture two golden snakes on the nearby
ask Duke how to solve this issue. If players are
island Cannon Cove.
reluctant to do that, tell them any fight would
be The crowd will tar, feather and imprison
everyone (20/3) (the Difficulty is set that high All Voyages go to Cannon Cove; they just have
because there are that many angry pirates on different quests. They also pay 5 Gold Tokens
Sanctuary Outpost right now) . If they try to each, just enough to pay the debts.
stall, Nardo and Modest Molly will be heard in
the crowd screaming for the PCs’ heads.

50
 C hapter 3:
C risis at the C ove
 Summary: The PCs take their brigantine on a quest to Cannon Cove. Along the way, a sloop bearing
the flag of their old captain attacks their ship. They finally reach Cannon Cove and get the needed
Quest Card. That is when Silas and a skeleton ship arrives next to their brigantine. Duke and a dozen
Bilge Rats show up to defend the PCs , leading to Silas either escaping or being killed.

Once Duke has helped the PCs get a Voyage

U
from a trading company, he convinces the crowd p ahead, you see a small dot
to allow the players to earn enough money to
on the horizon. Using your
pay the debts. Duke says he will cover the debt
if the PCs never come back (although Duke
spyglass, you can just make out a
informs the players that the Sea of Thieves is sloop. Its sails are full, since it is
quite small and he will find them eventually) . sailing with the wind, and atop the
Then it is time to sail their lovely new
mast you see a familiar flag, red with
brigantine! The PCs should also name their ship,
as this one does not have a name yet. a betentacled skull – the flag of your
old captain, Silas Norridge!

SAILING LONG DISTANCES:

When sailing from one island to
another, rolls are only necessary if
a) there is some danger or b) there is
a need to get there fast. If the trip is
uneventful or the players can take
their time reaching their destination,
then no rolls are necessary – move to
the next part of the PCs’ tale.
Because the Sea of Thieves has a strange
relationship with time, Silas entered the Sea a
good month before the PCs did. He set-up the
competition and hired (and threatened) pirates
to follow anyone who wins the brigantine and
the these pirates aboard the sloop think killing
the PCs and stealing the brigantine would be a
great idea. When the sloop gets into Long range,
one pirate will use the Speaking Trumpet to
shout from a distance.

Every ship includes a map of the Sea of Thieves,
so the players can easily figure out that they need
to sail south-by-southeast to reach Cannon Cove.
Since there is no danger or time constraints (at
least not yet) , the players do not have to make
any rolls to sail the ship at the moment.
A
‘ hoy there! We seek to parley!
We will raise our sails and hope
ye do the same!’ Then you see their
one sail being raised up high.

If the players talk to them, the other pirates will

Once the players have their stations, ask them
ask two questions:
to narrate the process of setting sail from
Sanctuary Outpost. Although storms and rough
• • Are they new to the Sea of Thieves?
seas can hit the Shores of Plenty region, today
the sky is sunny and seas calm. About halfway • • Did they once sail with a captain named
there, they encounter a sloop coming at them Silas Norridge?
from Cannon Cove.

54
If the players confirm the second question, the
sloop attacks with a cannon: The sloop will
sink your ship (5/4). If the players want to lie,
then they have to solve a different Problem: The
other pirates will think you are lying (5/4).
The Difficulty is determined by the pirates
sailing the enemy ship, since a ship is only as
good as its crew. However, different ship types
grant different Interrupts.
This combat scene should not last very long,
as a brigantine will make short work of a
sloop crewed by two barely competent pirates.
However, it would be fun to use any rolled
to create a new Problem such as A hole in your
hull is letting in water and will sink your
ship (2/4).
If (when) a fight starts, do not forget about the
pirate’s own Interrupt ability, which lets them take
away a Victory during a ship combat Problem.
Players might try to board the sloop, which they
can do – unless that was not part of the original
Solution they agreed upon. If the PCs agreed
to ‘Sink the sloop before they sink us’, then
boarding only works if the intent is to sink the
sloop from there. Otherwise, this changes the
Solution already being worked on, so any current
Victories are lost. However, different players
can work on different Solutions; this just limits
the effects of Teamwork since you only share
Victories when working on the same Solution.
SHIP COMBAT: Ship combat
uses the Avast system just like any
Problem. A typical Problem is The
enemy ship wants to sink your ship
(5/5). That means the PCs’ ship will
sink in 5 turns if they do not solve
the Problem, so some Teamwork is
called for. The GM should remember
that ship stations limit how many
players can roll to solve any given
Problem. PCs at the helm and cannon
stations can use Teamwork for ship
combat but other stations might be
relevant if the GM agrees. Sunk ships
will later turn up, fully repaired, off
the shore of an island some distance
away. Merfolk do this, probably to
stop their nice tidy seabed being
cluttered up with wrecks.
The Difficulty of a Problem caused
by a hostile vessel is determined by
the pirates sailing the enemy ship,
since a ship is only as good as its
crew. However, different ship types
grant different interrupts.
Silas’ Human Pirates
Ambitious | Opportunistic
Average | 6 | No weaknesses
Interrupt: -1 Victory with ships
Danger: None
55

REPAIRING SHIPS: Ships
do not have Legendary Dice,
so they do not take Injuries (or lose
dice) like a player. Instead, they
have deadly Problems like The ship
is sinking (5/4). This Problem is
solved like any other but players
can use Plank Tokens to belay these
problems. Doing so takes 1 turn.
CHANGING SOLUTIONS: There
can be situations where, midway
through working on a Solution, the
players want to switch to a different
Solution. This is fine but there is
a cost; any Victories in the hold
are belayed and disappear. When
changing to a new Solution, the
players effectively start over again.
56
SHIP INTERRUPTS: The biggest
difference between galleons,
brigantines and sloops are
their stations. For example, a galleon
has four cannon stations on each
side, whereas a sloop only has one.
That means more players can use
Teamwork during combat when on
a galleon, making it more deadly.
However, each ship type has its own
Interrupt ability just like enemies. As
with any Interrupt, they can only be
used once per Problem and the GM
decides when to use them.
• Galleons: -2 Victories with
combat & -1 Victories with Speed
(when at full sail).
• Brigantines: -1 Victories with
combat & -1 Victories
with manoeuvring.
• Sloops: -2 Victories with
manoeuvring (sloops are the
most nimble ships).
QUESTING
AT THE COVE
When the PCs arrive at Cannon Cove, use
Handout #3 (the Treasure Map) as a general map
of the island and ask the players where they want
to anchor. If the players’ response is general and
simple ( ‘We anchor a few feet off shore’) , then
either give them a very easy Problem or just skip
rolling altogether. Only give them a hard Problem
if they want something fancy ( ‘We sail into the
cove, spin around and anchor at the wooden dock
so we are facing open sea’) .
Gold Hoarders Voyage
If the players took the Gold Hoarders Voyage,
they will face two Problems.
• Find the first chest or it remains lost (4/U).
• Find the second chest or it remains lost (4/U).
When the PCs match or exceed the Difficulty,
they dig up the Treasure Chest. Give one of the
Quest Cards with a chest to whichever player
agrees to carry it. Remind them that, should
combat occur, they must spend 1 turn dropping
the chest (i.e. taking the Quest Card off their
Weapon Cards) before they can attack. And no, a
Treasure Chest cannot be used as a weapon.
Here are some Problems to throw at the players
should they roll a and choose a new Problem:
• A weak skeleton with a cutlass pulls itself
from the ground and will kill one PC (2/3).
• An average pirate is here and will steal that
chest (4/4).
• A shovel gets stuck in the ground and
cannot be used (2/U).
GROUP DIFFICULTIES: The
GM can create one Difficulty for
a group of identical enemies (that is
much better than rolling to fight one
skelly at a time!). To set the Difficulty,
start with the listed difficulty for
that enemy, such as ‘2’ for a regular
skeleton. Then add the following:
• Weak enemies: +1 for each enemy
after the first.
• Average or Strong enemies: +2
for each after the first.
• Powerful enemies: +4 for each
after the first.
• Dreaded or Pirate Legend
enemies: Add the Difficulties together.
A group of 5 regular skeletons would
have Difficulty 6 (start with 2 for the
first skeleton and then add 1 for each
other skeleton). A group of five plant
skeletons would have Difficulty 12
(start with 4 then add 2 for each other
skeleton). Note that different enemies
(a regular skelly and a plant skelly, for
example) cannot be grouped this way.
Also, these Difficulties can be modified
by the GM as always.
When both chests are unearthed, the players can
head back to their ship. See Unwelcome Visitors
on page 60.
57
 Order of Souls Voyage
If the players took the Order of Souls Voyage, Skeleton Group (4 skellies)
they will face two Problems: Weak | 3 | No weaknesses
Interrupt: None
• A group of 4 skeletons will kill two PCs
Danger: None
(5/4).

• A Skeleton Captain will kill two

PCs (6/4)

Skeleton Group (2 skellies)

Before the players can find the skelly captain, Weak | 3 | No weaknesses
they will need to deal with the 4 regular Interrupt: None
skeletons wandering the island. Once the first Danger: None
skeletons are defeated, two more appear along
with one that is noticeably different.

T
hree more skeletons burst up
from the ground. Two are just
like the ones you already fought
but one is different. It is dressed
in a captain’s hat and a matching
long jacket and boots. It also looks
faster and more aware than the other
skeletons. It hisses at you and charges.

A Skeleton Captain is a lot tougher than regular

skeletons, so it is very possible that it will kill a
PC in a fight. If that happens, remind the player
that a) they lose 1 Legendary Dice permanently
and b) they reappear two turns later aboard
their brigantine after a brief stay in the Ferry of
the Damned.

When Dominguez is defeated, hand the players a

bounty skull Quest Card. The players can then
head back to their ship. See Unwelcome Visitors
Skeleton Captain Dominguez
Powerful | 8 | No weaknesses
on page 60.
Interrupt: -1 Victory with cutlasses

Danger: Must pick 2 options from ’

tough choice

58
Merchant Alliance Voyage
If the players took the Merchant Alliance
Voyage, they will face two Problems.
• Find and capture a golden snake or it will
disappear into the jungle (3/U).
• Find and capture a golden snake without it
killing one PC (4/4).
Snakes in the Sea of Thieves are venomous little
creatures but they tend to leave you alone if you
leave them alone. That is why the first Problem
does not start with any danger or have a Timer.
However, be sure to introduce dangerous
situations if the players begin rolling .
Golden Snake
Average | 4 | No weaknesses
Interrupt: Lose half Legendary Dice
(rounded down) when Injured
Danger: None
By the time the players look for the second snake,
it is ready to fight. If a shows up, let players
know the snake’s Interrupt ability means taking
an Injury will lose half of their Legendary dice
(meaning most PCs will lose 1) . Any PCs killed by
a snake lose 1 Legendary Dice permanently and
reappear on their ship as usual, which could be
quite a distance from the rest of the PCs by the
time the snakes are found.
When two golden snakes have been put in the
cages, hand two animal cage Quest Cards to the
players. The players can then head back to their
ship. See Unwelcome Visitors on page 60.
59
 UNWELCOME
Y
VISITORS
When the players are done with their trading
company quest, they will head back to their ship.
Silas’ Pirates (7 pirates)
Average | 16 | Weak with talking
Interrupt: -1 Victory with fighting
Silas Norridge
Blunt | Disloyal
Powerful | 8 | No weaknesses
Interrupt: -1 Victory aboard his ship
(usable once per Problem)
Danger: Any causes 1 Injury in addition
to the tough choice but cannot kill a PC
(usable once per round)
60
ou can see your brigantine gently
bobbing in the calm, clear waters.
What a lovely sight! What’s a bit less
lovely is the galleon anchored right
next to your ship! The hull is painted
a dull yellow, its sails red with a gold
betentacled skull, and the bow features
a figurehead of a sleeping woman.
Looking carefully, you can see
pirates moving around as if they were
searching for someone or something.
There are even several on the deck of
your ship.
That is when you hear an all-too-
familiar chuckle behind you. You turn
and see Captain Silas himself! His hair
is cut shorter and his beard has grown
longer but he still has bags under his
dark, piercing eyes. He’s armed with
a blunderbuss and seven sailors with
even more weapons stand
behind him.
‘A nd here I was thinking me old crew
was resting in Davy Jones’ locker.
Not only did ye make it here, ye won
me competition. I guess that is to be
expected. Sailing under me leadership
made ye into the old salts ye are today.
I’ll have to pay Duke a bonus for
telling me where ye were heading!’
Did Duke really betray the PCs? Yes, but Duke

did not get paid. He just wanted to create a
‘thrilling pirate adventure’ for the PCs. In fact,
Duke and a dozen Bilge Rats are nearby, ready
to jump into the fight on the PCs’ side (Duke is
also feeling a bit guilty since he gambled using
the PCs’ brigantine and created the debts) .
What happens next depends on
the players:
• • If they choose to fight right now, make sure
they know the Problem is very hard thanks
to the number of pirates and the presence
of Captain Silas: The pirates will disarm
and capture everyone (16/4). The players
can definitely try, of course; just note that
the consequence is capture, not killing (and
if a player dies due to Injuries, they appear
on their brigantine where they face more
pirates trying to capture them) .
• • If they choose not to fight, Silas will lead
the PCs to his ship. There, he ties them to
the masts.
Y
ou hear a high-pitched whistling
noise. Suddenly, the ship
rocks violently and you hear the
unmistakable sound of a cannonball
hitting wood. A galleon flying a flag
with a rat image is sailing in fast!
Your eye catches movement and you
see a new pirate quietly climbing
the ladder onto Silas’ ship from the
starboard side.
The players might try to distract Silas to allow
more Bilge Rats to board. If they are successful,
the GM can lower the Difficulty of the coming
Problem by 1-2.
Once the PCs are free, the combat begins in
earnest. Because there are so many moving parts
to this fight, you will need to announce at least
two Problems:

• • If they want to parley and convince Silas to
leave them alone, this will not work. Silas is
too obsessed to be convinced otherwise.
• • A group of 4 pirates want to kill you (10/4).
• • A dif ferent group of 4 pirates also want to
kill you (10/4).

Assuming they are captured, tell the players

Help from the Bilge Rats gives an additional
to turn all their Weapon Cards face down, as
Legendary Dice to each of the players. At the
their weapons are confiscated. Silas will explain
start of this scene, the players do not have any
that he set-up the competition, as only the best
weapons but if they want to retrieve one, create
crew can sail with the best captain. He refers to
a new Problem like The weapons remain out of
himself as the Lord Guardian and tells the PCs
reach (3/4).
they have a choice: Either swear allegiance to
him for all time or be chained below deck and
What will Silas do during this fight? That
tortured for all time.
depends on the players. If no one specifies they
go after him, he will betray his crew (surprise,
Just when things look hopeless for the PCs, it is
surprise) and head for the island. His goal is to
time for Duke and his pirates to arrive.
escape using a rowboat he already hid on the
other side of Cannon Cove.

61
 If players say they want to focus on Silas, give
them a hard Problem like Silas will kill one PC
(8/4). If that does not deter the players, run
the combat for a few rounds, then cancel the
Problem as Silas realises he is outmatched and
runs for the island. Once there, he will disappear
into the jungle and be lost (no Solution is
possible for this) .
Once the players have defeated Silas one way or
another, read the following:
CANCELLING PROBLEMS:
There are times when a Problem
disappears before it is solved. For
example, a pirate vessel attacking the
players’ ship runs into a rock and
sinks. When this happens, the players
stop rolling for the Solution as the
Problem has ended.

T
he pirates cheer and congratulate themselves and they offer you enough
bananas to heal any injuries. Duke swings on a rope and lands dramatically
nearby. ‘It is high time I offer ye lads an apology, so stow yer weapons and pay
attention. Yes, I told this biscuit eater where to find ye. That’s because ye were
needing a good pirate adventure!

That is what we do. We’re the Bilge Rats and we make sure the Sea of Thieves is a
place where pirates can be pirates! We hates those preening pirate fops. You need
to get into some trouble, get a few scars and behave like true pirates! Fighting
a power-mad captain aboard his ship? Now that is a tale to get ye free grog and
attention, if ye know what I mean. For your troubles, the Bilge Rats grant ye 500
gold! Now, let’s patch up yer ship and sail together back to
Sanctuary Outpost.’

62
[[art: celibrating pirtes or bannanas?]]
 C hapter 4:
S ettling D ebts
 Summary: The players return to Sanctuary Outpost, where they visit the trading company that gave
them a Voyage and earn enough coins to settle the debt tied to their brigantine. Since they completed
the Voyage, they also gain Legendary Dice permanently.

BACK AT THE COMPLETING VOYAGES: When

OUTPOST an official Voyage is complete, each

The PCs can sail back to Sanctuary Outpost
without any rolls, as there is no danger and time
is not important here. Duke and his galleon sail
away, saying they have more adventures to be
getting on with.
Once on the island, the players can visit the
trading company that gave them the chance
to earn coins and pay the debt. Narrate this
scene with the trading company character
(Humphrey, Olive or Mavis) acting with their
Main personality (stoic, direct and efficient,
respectively) . The crowd of pirates builds again
but this time they are cheerful and impressed
with the PCs.
The trading company will pay off all debts to the
crowd and announces the brigantine now belongs
PC gains one permanent Legendary
Dice. This shows the PCs have
improved their skill and reputation,
making them more formidable. These
Legendary Dice can still be lost
temporarily (through Injuries) or
permanently (through death).
completely to the players. Since the Voyage’s
quests are now complete, so is the Voyage. Each
PC gains one Legendary Dice permanently.
This is the end of Dead Man’s Debt but the
fight between the PCs and Silas Norridge is just
beginning. GMs will find the Book of Voyages
continues the adventure with Roach’s Fortune.

THE END

66
1.

2.

3.
 P irate G lossary
Feel free to use as many (or as few) of these terms as you want. While knowing the difference
between port and starboard can help make the game feel more piratey, there is nothing wrong with
saying ‘left’ and ‘right’ instead.
General Terms
Adrif t: A ship floating freely and not under
control.
Ahoy: Look or pay attention.
Bearing: A compass direction such as South-by-
South East.
Belay: Stop immediately.
Bilge Rat Doubloons: Coins made from a dull,
blue metal. Their value fluctuates and many
pirates prefer gold.
Booty: Treasure.
Broadside: Firing all cannons on one side of the
ship.
Cardinal directions: The four main directions on
a compass: North, South, East and West.
Colours: Nickname for a ship’s flag.
Fathom: 6 feet. Typically used to measure the
water’s depth.
Flotsam: Debris (ship parts or supplies) floating
on the water.
Grog: Watered-down rum, often with lime, sugar
and spices like cinnamon.
Heave ho: Work harder on a physical activity.
Also, to get rid of something.
Hornswoggle: Cheat.
Keelhaul: Often-fatal punishment where someone
is tied and dragged against the ship’s bottom.
Landlubber: Someone very bad at sailing or living
aboard a ship.
Moor: To dock a ship.
Quarter: Letting opponents survive combat. ‘No
quarter’ means killing everyone.
Parley: Discussing a dispute to avoid combat.
Plunder: Steal or rob.
Sail ho: A sail is visible on the horizon.
Savvy: To understand someone.
Scallywag: A villain or bad person.
Scurvy: Disease caused by not getting enough
vitamin C.
Smartly: Quick or fast.
Swab: Mop.
Weigh anchor: Raise the anchor and leave.
Aboard a Ship
Af t: Towards the back of the ship.
Anchor slam: Suddenly dropping anchor while
the sails are full to one side. This effectively
turns the ship 180 degrees very quickly.
Becalmed: When the wind dies and a ship cannot
move much.
Binnacle: Small box near the helm that holds the
ship’s compass.
Boom: Horizontal thin pole helping sails catch
the wind.
Flags
Ally Flag: A triangular flag with a heart motif.
Bow: Front of the ship.
Means you are seeking allies for a quest or
Capstan: Device for lowering and raising the Voyage. Allied pirates can use teamwork when
ship’s anchor. solving the same Problem.

Come about: Turn the ship into the wind (or
windward) .
Crow’s Nest: Small platform atop the highest
mast.
Give Way: Turn the ship to avoid colliding with
another ship.
Gunwale (pronounced ‘Gun-nle’): Mini-wall
surrounding the top deck. Cannons poke
through the gunwale.
Helm: Steering wheel.
Hold: Cargo area below the top deck.
Leeward: Going with the wind, i.e. where the
wind is blowing towards.
Colourful Flags: Whether red, yellow, blue or
some other colour, pirates in the Sea have not
agreed on what these mean.
Jolly Roger: Traditional pirate flag. Means your
ship is seeking some pirate action.
Pirate Legend: Flag flown only by ships with a
Pirate Legend aboard.
Reaper’s Mark: A dark red flag with a glowing
red skull in the centre. A ship flying this flag is
looking for a fight. Magic in this flag makes the
ship visible on nearby maps.
White Flag: Peace or surrender. Means your
ship is looking to be ignored or not fight.

List: To lean towards one side.

Port: To the left (facing the bow) .

R igging: The ropes, pulleys, etc. that control the

sails.

Starboard: To the right (facing the bow) .

Stern: Back of the ship.

Windward: Going into the wind, i.e. where the

wind is coming from.
 P layer A dv ice
So you’re new to the piratin’ lark and want some
advice. Well, we got some of that for you right
Tell a Good Story
You are telling a pirate’s tale, so describe
here. So grab some grog and we’ll tell yer how
exciting action! Nobody will buy you another
it’s done.
tankard of grog to hear something boring, so
give them a story that will keep the drinks
The Sea of Thieves RPG is meant to be a fun
coming. You don’t just shoot a skeleton, you
game to play with your friends. Don’t spend half
fumble while loading your pistol as the skeleton
an hour trying to work out the exact best way to
draws closer and, just as it raises its bony arm
solve a Problem… just do something that sounds
to slash you with its cutlass, you blast it right in
like it might make a fun story. It might work, it
its grinning skull sending bits of skelly rattling
might not. But what makes a better story... ‘We
all over the deck!
spent three days making a plan then executed it
perfectly and that’s how we got the gold.’ Or ‘so
A Good Story is at least marginally plausible.
there am I, hanging from the yardarm by one
Be creative but not silly. Avoid Solutions like
hand with me cutlass in me teeth, waiting for
‘Oh look, I find five loaded cannons on this
the guard to go past underneath, when Yowling
tiny isle that just happen to be aimed at the
Jack McDuffy comes over the horizon with his
enemy’s ship!’. Be exciting and colourful in your
scurvy crew of sea-dogs. Suddenly the deck is
narration... but not outrageous.
full o’ pirates all ready fer a fight. Somebody
looks up and there am I a-dangling...’
Go For Fun and Adventure
So how do you make sure you tell a good story? The Sea of Thieves RPG is not a historically
Here’s how: accurate depiction of piracy (no, really, it’s
not) . There are no English governors, Spanish

Roll First, Narrate Second galleons or slavery. Pirates never said ‘Arrrr!’
and conditions aboard pirate vessels could
You will have heard it a few times by now but
be horrific. That is why you want to favour
it really is important. In the Sea of Thieves
adventure instead of history. Worry less about
RPG, you roll to find out how well the situation
scurvy and more about finding buried treasure.
goes and use that information to narrate what
happens to your character. Be creative and use
your pirate’s personalities for inspiration!
Keep Track Of Your Victories
The GM already has a lot to do, which is why
players are responsible for keeping track of
their Victories. That is especially true for
tracking Victories in the hold. When rolling
Legendary Dice to solve Problems, do what you
need to count Victories achieved so far. If you
and another player are using Teamwork and
realise neither kept track of those Victories, the
GM has the right to discount them all. Yes, all.
Work As A Team
During Voyages, you will likely meet enemies
or situations where you cannot roll enough
Victories before the Timer runs out (a PC with
two Legendary Dice is not going to defeat a
Pirate Legend with Difficulty 12) . To increase
your chances of winning, work with other PCs
through Teamwork.
Use Your Personality Traits
The Main and Hidden personalities listed on
your Personality Card can be great ways to
roleplay your pirate. Use the Main personality to
bring colour and fun to your roleplaying, and do
not forget to delve into the Hidden personality
once your pirate gets hurt. At the same time,
do not go overboard with your personalities in
either case. Just because your pirate is brave, it
does not mean that he fights every Pirate Legend
he meets!
Are Fun
Death in this game is pretty inconvenient but
it’s not the end of your piratin’ career. That
means you can die and still play the game! In
that spirit, do not worry about rolling .
Instead, look at them as something fun! You can
get more grog out of your audience by having
a few setbacks in your tale than you can with a
boring story of how you ambled down the beach
picking up treasure chests. So remember; a
is a chance to let your pirate really show he’s got
what it takes. Tell a good story, setbacks, skulls,
crossbones and all.
 A bout the
S ea of T hieves
DEVIL’S
Where did the Sea of Thieves come from?
Lots of people claim to know and all of them
want something in return for telling you. All
of them will tell you that everyone else selling
information about the Sea is wrong or a liar. SHROUD
Are any of them right? Nobody seems to know… What is keeping people here? Surrounding the
except the people selling the information. They entire Sea of Thieves is a mysterious barrier
are quite sure they are right and will take large of storms and swells called the Devil’s Shroud.
sums of gold from you to prove it. If you sail too far in any direction, the sky
grows dark red. Then the ocean does the same.
Most people believe the Sea of Thieves has Lighting, thunder and powerful winds attack
existed for a very long time. You can find your ship, and the water itself tears away chunks
remnants of old, primitive civilisations called The of hull from even the stoutest vessels. To sail
Ancients around the islands. Yet time seems to into the Shroud without the right course is a
run differently here. Even the stars are different, painful waste of time; you will come close to
with a new North Star in the heavens. It is also death and then reappear aboard your recovered
home to things you never see in the wider world, ship thanks to the merfolk. If that was not weird
like gigantic sharks, magic and merfolk. enough, the Shroud can ebb and flow like the
tide. Sometimes, entire islands appear – or are
Some call the Sea of Thieves a pirate paradise, consumed by the Shroud.
as it is almost perfect for piracy. Islands and
buried treasure are plentiful, with many pirates
(living and undead) sailing the waters in search
of prey. And when you die, you return aboard
your ship. For better or worse, escaping from the
Sea of Thieves is very difficult and given the fun
a pirate can have here, most have absolutely no
desire to return to the wider world.

THE FOUR
REGIONS
There are four distinct regions in the Sea of
Thieves.
• • The Shores of Plenty reminds pirates of
balmy Caribbean islands with clear skies,
sandy beaches and plenty of trees and bushes.
• • The Ancient Isles was the main home for
The Ancients civilisation, although they
lived throughout the Sea of Thieves. Islands
are often larger than in the Shores of Plenty.
Some have ruins or lost temples to
forgotten gods.
• • The Wilds is a damned place. The waters are
dark and rough, while the islands’ plants are
blighted and often sick. You’ll also find many
navigation hazards (like jagged rocks in the
water) and stone beaches.
• • The Devil’s Roar is dangerous, as there are
active volcanoes that throw burning rocks far
across the waters. Lava, steam geysers and
boiling waters add to the general mayhem.
FERRY OF
THE DAMNED
How do pirates return from the dead? You have
to thank the Ferryman, if you have the courage
to speak to his gaunt and spectral form. Once you
die, you appear as a ghost aboard the Ferry of the
Damned, sailing a cursed sea somewhere outside
of the Sea of Thieves. You will wait a while
aboard this ghost ship before the cabin door
opens. Going through this returns you to the Sea
of Thieves, alive once more, but be warned... The
Ferryman sometimes refuses to open his door
for pirates, especially those who are particularly
wicked or that the Ferryman has a grudge
against. These lost souls end up serving aboard
the Ferry of the Damned for all eternity.
OUTPOSTS
These islands are where many of the Sea’s
residents can be found; an outpost is more-or-
less a pirate port. It has docks, carpenters and
shipwrights, various shops and, perhaps most
importantly, taverns where pirates gather to
drink and tell tales. Each outpost also has a
liaison with the trading companies and is the
source of many quests and Voyages.
SKELLIES MONSTERS
& SKELETON & WORSE
LORDS Skeletons are not the only creatures ye must
prepare for, as the waters are full of hungry
sharks. However, two types of gigantic creatures
Be warned: Not all pirates return from the dead
also dwell below the waves: Megalodons, sharks
as good as new. If you are cursed or damned,
twice as big as a galleon, and Krakens, giant
you may reappear as an undead skeleton pirate.
squids who drag sailors off ships to a watery
No one knows how much these creatures retain
grave. There are also tales of ghosts, revenants
from their old life but one thing is for sure;
and worse!
Skellies hate the living and will never offer
quarter. They often hide below the sands to
Monsters are bad enough but for many pirates
burst up and attack with sword or shot, and
the biggest problem is… other pirates! Even
there are some with different strengths and
apparently friendly people might decide to
weaknesses. Some even sail skeleton ships that
rob you blind and leave you stranded on some
rise from deep below the waves.
distant isle.

Skeleton Captains are more formidable and

retain some knowledge of their previous life.
Worse yet are the dreaded Skeleton Lords.
When a damned pirate dies with a great,
unfulfilled passion, they can come back as
intelligent, evil skeletons of incredible power
and resilience. If you face a Skeleton Lord, your
best plan might be to run away. Screaming is
also good.
MER OLK &
THE BARGAIN
Below the waves, you will find mermen and
mermaids from classic legends. They have secret
knowledge of the Sea’s mysteries and some are
said to know about the Ancients. The Merfolk

SKELETON
are bound by a bargain with the original Pirate
Lord. Nobody knows the details of this bargain
– although there are plenty of people who will

FORTRESSES take your money in return for telling you all

about it! One thing is certain though; Merfolk
will rescue stranded pirates and can even raise
In the Sea of Thieves, there are small islands
your sunken ship!
where skeletons have built a fortress of their
own. Often these are undefended and can be
a good source of supplies, like bananas or
cannonballs, but be wary of any fortress with
a strange, skull-shaped cloud overhead – that
means there are several groups of skeletons
active inside! Each has a powerful Skeleton
Captain and dozens of average skeletons.
GHOSTS &
REVENANTS
Not all dead pirates return as skeletons. Some
return as ghosts or revenants.
Ghosts appear green but translucent like the
sea. They look mostly human and can talk to
pirates. Most are surprisingly helpful but some…
are really not. No one knows why some pirates
came back as ghosts but according to rumour
this stopped when the Ferryman arrived. Back
then some pirates found ways to come back to
the world of the living but ended up as ghosts.
Very little is known about revenants. Unlike
ghosts, they inhabit bodies and can interact with
the physical world. They are incredibly rare and
so far, the only ones known to exist serve the
Pirate Lord.
TRADING
COMPANIES
No one rules the Sea of Thieves but there are
those who try. Others settle for control over
small parts of it or build trading empires. The
trading companies sometimes hire pirates for
quests or step in to settle disputes if it suits
their purposes. They each have their own little
obsession and usually give out quests
connected with it.
Gold Hoarders
This is a trading company obsessed with gold
coins and treasure. All Treasure Chests in the
Sea are deviously locked and no one can open
these chests (nor break them open) without
the Gold Hoarders’ keys. When hired by this
company to find buried treasure, you must
return the unopened chest to a company liaison.
In return, you will earn gold.
Members’ obsession with gold has led to a
unique curse on the Hoarders; their skin slowly
turns into gold. Traditionally, each Hoarder
takes a new name that starts with the letter ‘H’.
Their leader is a cunning man named Humphrey.
Order of Souls
This trading company welcomes seers,
soothsayers and those who use the dark magic
of the Sea of Thieves. Their magic extracts
memories from skulls, so they pay pirates to kill
skellies (especially Skeleton Captains) and return
the skulls for a hefty bounty. Their leader is
Madame Olivia.
Merchant Alliance
As close to an outside-world business as any
trading company in the Sea of Thieves, this
group is run by Chief Trader Mollie and focuses
on traditional trade. Many of their quests require
you to fetch animals for rich patrons, while
others are cargo runs between outposts. At first,
the Merchant Alliance suffered greatly from
pirates. Now, they hire them to do their work.
SEA DOGS
Founded by twin pirates DeMarco and Lesedi
Singh, this group invites pirates to compete in
battles and challenges to earn rewards and infamy.
BILGE RATS
This group is more of a social club than a
trading company. They are obsessed with ‘true’
piracy and spend most of their time exploring
and using their freedom to have adventures on
the high seas. There is no official leader to the
Bilge Rats but Duke is the de facto leader as a
result of his enthusiasm and courage.
PERSONS
OF NOTE
The Pirate Lord: Stories claim this pirate was
the first to discover the Sea of Thieves. If people
know his real name they do not speak it but they
know he was the one putting unbreakable locks
on Treasure Chests and hiding them on islands.
He is rumoured to be a ghost these days. If so,
he must be a very dangerous one.
Captain Briggsy: One of the dreaded Skeleton
Lords in the Sea of Thieves. She wears a mask
over her skeletal face and has a glowing red eye,
but don’t let her unusual appearance fool you.
Briggsy is fierce and deadly. Not only can she
summon skeletons from the ground, but she can
also use magic to teleport during a fight. It’s
hard to hit what’s not there!
The Gold Hoarder: Another Skeleton Lord.
This one has replaced most of his skeletal body
with gold and precious gems. Rumour has it
he founded the Gold Hoarders after betraying
the Pirate Lord over treasure. It is generally
considered unwise to make deals with this
Skeleton Lord.
Merrick: An old pirate who lost both legs, a
hand and one eye over the years. He collected
the tales of The Ancients and discovered a
magical shanty that can summon the Hungering
One, a massive Megalodon.
Umbra: A tattooed woman who collects stories
and information. She considers herself the Sea’s
historian and she knows much about the area’s
history as well as the latest gossip. Umbra is
often willing to share stories but her cost is
typically something she does not yet know.
Lesedi Singh: Lesedi is the daughter of the
greatest pirate ever to sail the Sea of Thieves and
strives to live up to that. She is also the twin sister
to DeMarco Singh. She has dreamt of adventure
on the high seas since she was very young and
makes it a point to test her mettle against anyone
who doubts her. This drive to succeed has made
her sharp but has also cost her an eye. Lesedi
has found a way of using the missing eye to her
advantage, blaming it for running into people
whose pockets she wishes to pick.
DeMarco Singh: DeMarco is Lesedi’s twin
brother and the son and heir apparent to the
greatest pirate ever to sail the Sea of Thieves.
When it comes to piracy, DeMarco loves the
spoils and pageantry, and is always well-dressed,
with a roguish smile on his lips. Charming,
handsome and skilled with people, DeMarco
lacks the drive to succeed that pushes his sister…
unless there is a very large sum of gold involved!
 R ules G uide
CHARACTER
GENERATION
Summary: To make a character for this game,
pick one Personality Card (either side of a card)
that matches what you want your character to
be like. Then grab two Legendary dice, two
Weapon Cards (your choice from four types)
and three supply tokens (one each for Bananas,
Bullets and Planks) . Then give your pirate a
name and you are ready!
Personality Cards: Cards that describe both
the Main personality and Hidden personality
of a character. Players keep these cards face-
up in front of them throughout the game. Once
per Problem, players mark a term to gain +1
Legendary Dice for a roll. The Main personality
can be used when the card is right-side up and
the PC is relaxed; turn the card upside-down
after using the Main personality. The Hidden
personality can be used when the card is upside-
down and the PC is stressed and after using it,
players turn the card right-side up again. The
GM decides if a personality is relevant for a
given roll. These cards are also used to help
roleplay how a PC would act.
Example: I’m going to make my own pirate
character! I looked at several Personality Cards
and eventually picked ‘Alert | Superstitious.’
My pirate is a sharp and lively one but most do
not realise how superstitious he can become on
the seas. During the game, I could tell the GM,
‘My pirate gets a bonus to this fight because
he’s always alert and would know when things
were getting ugly.’ The GM agrees, so I turn my
Personality Card upside down and get +1 dice
for one roll. After researching some old names, I
decided ‘Thomas Hewes’ would work for my pirate.
Legendary Dice: Six-sided dice with symbols
instead of numbers. They represent a pirate’s
skill and infamy. 1 = , 2-3 = , 4-5 =
and 6 = . Players roll these dice to determine
what happens in the pirate tale. Legendary Dice
also serve as a measure of a PC’s health, skill
and infamy. A pirate with just 1 dice is weak and
unknown, whereas a true Pirate Legend has 7
dice. PCs can never drop below 1 dice. Players
lose 1 die temporarily when injured and 1 die
permanently when killed.
Weapon Cards: These cards show what weapons
a PC is carrying. There are four types of
Weapon Cards: cutlass, pistol, blunderbuss and
Eye of Reach (a sniper rifle) . A PC can only
carry two at any time. Players pick two cards
and play them face up near the Personality Card
to show what weapons their PC is carrying.
A character must visit a shop or their ship to
change out Weapon Cards.
These cards grant a bonus Legendary Dice if
1) the character is in the right range and 2) if
the enemy has a weakness to that weapon. This
bonus can be used every turn both of those
conditions are met.
• Cutlasses must be in Hand range.
• Blunderbusses must be in Close range.
• Pistols must be in Middle range.
• Eyes of Reach must be in Long range.
Example: I like some swordplay but I also like
guns. That’s why I pick the cutlass and pistol as
my two weapons. I place both cards face-up and
give the other two to the GM. The cutlass requires
close range, so if I ever meet a plant skeleton
(which has a weakness to cutlasses) , I would move
in close to get +1 Legendary Dice for each roll.
AVAST SYSTEM
Summary: When the PCs face an important
part of the tale, the GM will explain a Problem
that includes what will happen if it is not solved
in time. Then players create a Solution. Each
turn, players roll all of their Legendary dice
(and adding dice for anything ‘marked’ like a
personality or weapon) to gain enough Victories
and make the Solution happen. Once the dice
have been rolled, players narrate what happened
with their PC.
Turns and Rounds: When playing the game,
every PC gets one turn to do something
interesting. Turns do not have a defined time
length other than ‘Time enough to do piratey
things’! A round is a collection of all players’
turns. Typically, a player can only roll their
Legendary Dice once per turn.
Legendary Dice: Although players can use
standard d6s for play, the box set comes with
customised Legendary Dice.
• • 1 is replaced by a . This gives you a
tough choice to make.
• • 2-3 are replaced by . These mean no
progress was made towards solving the
Problem.
• • 4-5 are replaced by . These represent 1
Victory towards solving the Problem.
• • 6 is replaced by a . This gives you 1
Victory and a fun choice.
Creating Problems: Problems are what players
roll dice to solve. They are created by the GM
and include four elements: Target, Consequence,
Difficulty and Timer.
• Target: What’s causing the Problem – and
what players will likely target.
• Consequence: What will happen if the
Problem isn’t solved. This lets players know
the consequences of not succeeding.
• Dif ficulty: The number of Victories players
need to roll to enact their Solution. The
higher the Difficulty, the harder it will be for
players to solve the Problem.
• Timer: The number of turns players have
to collect those Victories. When the Timer
turns to 0, the Consequence happens no
matter how much progress was made.
Problems are typically written as ‘Target
Consequence (Dif ficulty/Timer)’ as in The
skeleton will kill one PC (2/4).
Example: Good ol’ Thomas Hewes is following a
treasure map on Cannon Cove. Suddenly, a pair of
skellies emerge from the sandy beach! They each
have a cutlass and advance on Hews. The GM
says this is a Problem: Two skeletons will cut you
into pieces (3/4) . The Target is ‘two skeletons’,
showing that multiple targets can be combined in
one problem. The Consequence is death. Although
that term is not used, it is clear from how the
problem was worded. The first number is the
Difficulty and the last number is the Timer. All
that means I have to four turns to roll 3 Victories
on my Legendary Dice or Hewes will die!
Creating Solutions: After the GM explains the
Problem, players must come up with a Solution.
This is a plan to solve the Problem. There can be
many possible Solutions to a given Problem and
the GM decides if any Solution would not work.
Once the GM has accepted the Solution, players
will start to roll Legendary Dice and see if they can
get enough Victories before the Timer runs out.
Unlike Problems, Solutions do not have any parts.
As long as it would actually solve the Problem and
is feasible given the situation, it works.
Example: Hewes is facing those two skellies. I offer
a solution: ‘I set fire to the ground and burn the
skeletons’. The GM says no because 1) I have no
source of flame and 2) beach sand does not ignite. I
offer a new solution: ‘I draw me cutlass and pistol,
and I get ready to kill them before they lay a bony
hand on me!’. The GM agrees and says my Solution
boils it down to ‘Kill the skellies first’.
Changing Solutions: At any point, a player may
propose a new Solution and work on that. In
this case, any Victories in the hold for the old
Solution are lost no matter who put them there.
If at least one PC keeps working on the original
Solution, then those Victories are saved.
Dif ficulty: This explains how many Victories
will need to come from dice rolls in order
to make the Solution happen (and avoid the
Problem’s Consequence) . It is also a measure of
how difficult a Problem will be for the players.
Enemies have base Difficulties but the GM
modifies these depending on three factors:
Number of players: If there are fewer than five
players, slightly decrease the difficulty. If there are
more than five players, slightly increase the difficulty.
The story so far: If the players are having a lot
of trouble solving problems, slightly decrease
the difficulty. If the players are having a lot of
success, slightly increase the difficulty.
Number of enemies: Facing a single average-
strength pirate will be easier than facing five
such pirates.
The GM can also modify the difficulty for other
factors such as a great plan from the players or
a thunderstorm interfering with a solution. This
mechanic is more art than science by design.
Keeping things flexible allows the GM to alter
the tale as needed. If the pirates are having an
unlucky run, the GM can lower the Difficulty.
Once there are enough Victories to meet or
beat the Difficulty, the Solution happens and
the Problem goes away. If a player rolls more
Victories than needed, any additional Victories
for this Solution are lost.
Example: Skellies start with a Difficulty of 2.
The GM doesn’t see any other factors in this scene
but there are two skellies, not one. The GM says
the problem is Two skeletons will cut you into
pieces 3/4. I will need to roll 3 Victories in order
to kill both skellies and stay alive.
Example: I’m playing with two other players (3
total) and need to defeat a powerful Skeleton
Captain. Normally, the Difficulty is 8. Given the
small size of our crew, the GM announces the
Difficulty is 7 instead.
Enemy Capability: Enemies are rated in
categories based on how strong they are. These
set the Difficulty for when they are the Target
in a Problem, as well as any abilities, but the
Difficulty can be modified by the GM.
• • Weak: 2, no abilities.
• • Average: 4, 1 Interrupt ability.
• • Strong: 6, 2 Interrupt abilities.
• • Powerful: 8, 1 Interrupt ability,
1 Danger ability.
• • Dreaded : 10, 2 Interrupt abilities,
2 Danger abilities.
• • Pirate Legend : 12, 3 Interrupt abilities,
3 Danger abilities.
Timers: After setting the Difficulty, the GM
needs to set the Timer for the problem. This is a
countdown of rounds (not turns) remaining until
the Consequence happens automatically. All • • For dice showing , nothing happens.
Timers start at 4 turns but as with Difficulties,
it can be modified by the GM. There are • • Rolling a means making a tough choice
unlimited timers (U) , which means you have so to make (see below) .
much time to solve the problem that the timer
does not truly apply.
After rolling, players narrate what happens
based on the roll results. There is no need to
Timers decrease by 1 at the start of every new
state what a character will do prior to rolling.
round after the first (Timer 4 becomes Timer 3 at
the start of the second round) . When the Timer
Example: Hewes is facing those two skellies. I roll
reaches 0, the Consequence happens immediately
two dice and get a pair of . That gives me 2
(i.e. at the start of the same turn it changed to
of the 3 Victories needed (the Difficulty is 3) . I
0) . Once the GM sets the Timer, the GM keeps
describe what happens. ‘The skeletons swing their
track of how many rounds have passed and must
cutlasses at me, but I roll forward in the sand
announce when the Timer is up.
and come up right next to them. I hit one in the
skull with the back of my hilt, knocking it down!
Example: The GM say the skellies are not far
Then I duck the second skellies sword and strike
away but not right on top of Hewes either.
upward, cutting through the rib cage and killing
Therefore, the GM sticks with the Timer of 4.
that skelly! I am a bad-ass pirate!’
That means I have 4 rounds to roll 3 Victories or
the skellies really will cut Hewes into pieces.
NOTE: In the Sea of Thieves RPG, the GM never
rolls dice. Any Injuries from fights or complications
Initiative: Since the GM does not roll dice,
from failure come from players rolling.
enemies and monsters do not roll to see if they go
first. Players go in order of how many Legendary
: Rolling a means making a fun choice.
Dice they have. If there is a tie, then either the
A player must choose one of the following:
players can decide who goes next or they can roll
Legendary Dice and the best roll goes next.
• • Gain an additional Victory. (This dice gives
2 Victories here since it always grants 1
Rolling Dice: When it is a player’s turn, they do
Victory. )
not need to roll dice all the time. He can simply
roleplay his character. However if the player • • Add 1 to the Problem’s Timer (remember,
wants to add Victories to make a Solution happen, Timers change at the start of every round) .
he must roll his Legendary Dice. He starts by
• • Belay (cancel) one just rolled by
taking all permanent Legendary Dice already
any player using Teamwork on the same
assigned to his character (for example, a new PC
Solution.
gets 2 dice) . Any dice lost to an Injury are not
rolled. Bonus dice can be received from marking a Example: Hewes is facing the problem A
personality (Main or Hidden) or using a weapon drunken pirate will beat you senseless (2/4),
against the right foe in the right range. and my solution is ‘Offer her a drink on my tab
so she doesn’t want to fight anymore’. I roll my
• • For dice showing , the player contributes 2 Legendary Dice and get and a Treasure
1 Victory to the Solution. Chest. That gives me 1 Victory and a fun choice.
I choose to get an additional Victory and then
• • Rolling a means 1 Victory and making
have enough to solve the Problem. I narrate how
a fun choice (see below) .
the success comes to be. ‘She lunges for me and I
easily avoid her. She loses her footing and hits the
sand face first. As the other pirates laugh loudly,
I offer her my hand and tell her a drink and some
stories would be better than a fight. She perks up
at the drink offer and agrees.’
: Rolling a means making a tough
choice. A player must choose one of the
following:
• • Take an Injury and lose 1 Legendary Dice
temporarily (until you are healed) . If a player
loses all their dice, the PC dies!
•• Lose 1 Victory. This can be one rolled by the
same player or any in the hold from older rounds.
• • Face a new Problem. The GM creates a new
problem to solve. The original problem still
needs to be solved! (Note that a relevant
Supply Token can be spent in a round to
cancel a new Problem created this way) .
Unlike with rolling Victories or nothing bad, the
GM gets to narrate this choice into the tale. The
GM has the right to limit the tough choice to
two or even one option.
Example: I’m rolling to solve the Problem A weak
pirate will win all my gold in a poker game
(2/5). Hewes has grown and now has 3 Legendary
dice, and I roll 2 and a . The 2
match the difficulty, so I win the game. However,
that still needs to be dealt with. After
thinking about it, I choose to face a new Problem
(I really wanted to win that game!) .
I narrate my Victories: ‘The scurvy dog across
the table lays down three Aces but I notice two
more hidden up his jacket sleeve. With blazing
speed, I grab my knife and pin the sleeve to the
table. Everyone sees how he was cheating, so I
win the hand!’
Then the GM gets to narrate the : ‘That
pirate is embarrassed and furious. He grabs the
knife, flips the table and yells, ‘Yer gonna feed
the fishes, you lily-livered dog!’ You have a new
Problem: The cheating pirate will stab your smug
face until you die (2/4).
I roll to fight and get 1 ,1 and 1 .
Since I want to keep my Victory (and be halfway
to solving this) , I take an Injury. The GM
narrates: ‘You aim your pistol and shoot just as
someone bumps into you, sending the shot into
the plaster wall. The angry pirate takes this
chance and punches you hard in the jaw.’
Abilities: Enemies that are Average or higher
have special abilities that affect the game.
• • Interrupt abilities can interrupt a given
solution and make things harder for the crew
— if a certain condition is met first. Then the
GM can (but does not have to) trigger the
positive or negative effect. Interrupt abilities
can only be used once per problem but
otherwise can be used at any time.
• • Danger abilities can be used once per
round if the condition is met. Again, the
GM decides when these trigger and Danger
abilities can be used at any time.
When an ability says, ‘-1 Victory with X’, that
means the GM can use this ability whenever that
‘X’ appears as part of a Solution. For example, ‘-1
Victory with cutlasses’ means the GM can take
away 1 Victory if a PC is using a cutlass in their
Solution. If no one uses a cutlass to help solve the
Problem, then the GM cannot trigger this ability.
This applies to both Interrupts and Dangers.
Example: Hewes is trying to convince a Gold
Hoarder to give more coins for a treasure chest.
The Hoarder has two special abilities: -1 Victory
with gold (Interrupt) and -1 Timer with talking
(Danger) . The Difficulty is 5 Victories and
has Timer 4. For my first turn, I roll and get 2
Victories but then the GM triggers the ‘-1 Victory
with gold’ Interrupt ability because we are
haggling over gold coins. That means I only get 1
Victory for this roll.
Next round, the timer drops to 3 like normal.
Before I can roll, the GM announces the timer
drops to 2 thanks to the Hoarder’s Danger ability.
I start to panic because he can use that ability
each turn!
In the Hold: Players can save Victories for
future turns by putting them ‘in the hold’. If
a player rolls 2 Victories for a Difficulty 5
problem, those 2 Victories are saved. Next turn,
he will only need to roll 3 more Victories to
make the Solution happen. Note: If a player rolls
a and choses to remove a Victory, he can
take that from either the current roll or the hold.
Also, these stored Victories are lost if all players
give up and try a different Solution. Victories
in the hold are not lost if at least one PC is still
working on that solution but Victories stored
for one Solution cannot be used for another.
Example: Hewes had a good roll and stored 3
Victories in the hold for the Problem Rocks will
tear holes in your ship’s hull (4/4). Another
player is working on Cannonball holes in the
hull will sink your ship (3/3). She rolls and gets
nothing but . Since she is working on a different
Problem, she cannot use the 3 Victories I put in the
hold. Next turn, I roll 2 Victories. That’s enough to
solve my Problem with one extra Victory but that
is wasted since I was not working to repair damage
from cannonballs.
Teamwork: Players can work with other PCs
to share Victories when working on the same
Solution. Players still roll their own Legendary
Dice but the results are combined. Facing a
Difficulty 5 problem with 3 dice is hard but it
is much easier with 9 dice (from two additional
players) . While there is a higher chance of
getting a this way, there is also a higher
chance of getting a that cancels it out.
Teamwork can be limited by the GM depending
on the circumstances.
If Teamwork fails and a Consequence happens,
and the Problem is unclear who faces it, the
player who currently has the most Legendary
Dice faces the Consequence. If there is a tie,
all tying players face that Consequence. If
the problem is ‘The shark will kill you’ and
three PCs with 2 Legendary dice apiece use
teamwork but fail, then all three die. If one PC
was injured and only had 1 dice, then he would
survive and the other two would be eaten. If the
Consequence says something like, ‘... all of you’,
then all pirates using Teamwork are affected.
Teamwork can be limited by the GM. On a ship,
this is often limited by available ship stations.
Example: Hewes and two other PCs are in a sloop
facing the problem Mad Morris’ galleon will sink
your ship (6/4). My Solution is ‘Run away so they
can’t sink us’! I ask for help and the players agree
to work on my Solution. One grabs the only sail;
the other mans the cannon to fight back.
The GM says I get Teamwork for the first pirate
only, as a cannon cannot be used to help sail away
(that is a completely different solution) . I roll 3
Legendary dice and get 1 and 2 for 2
Victories total. The other player rolls and gets
1 ,1 and 1 . After using the fun
choice to belay the tough choice, he contributes 2
Victories. Our total is now 4 Victories, just two shy
of solving the Problem.
Hewes screams ‘All hands to sails!’ as he grabs
the helm and turns hard to port. With the
adjusted sails, the sloop catches the wind and
picks up speed. Hewes narrowly steers between
two jagged rocks and takes off to the northwest,
and now Mad Morris’ galleon is falling behind.
Hewes notes one of his crew went to the guns
instead of sails and plans some flogging if they
survive this encounter.
Personality Traits: The Main and Hidden
personalities on a player’s Personality Card can
be used to gain one bonus Legendary Dice when
rolling. However, there are limitations.
•• The Main personality can be marked at any
time as long as the card is right-side up and the
PC is not in a stressful situation. This gives +1
Legendary Dice for a single roll per Problem.
Once this has been done, this player must turn
his Personality Card upside down.
• • The Hidden personality can only be marked
when the Personality Card is upside down and
when the character is either injured, stressed
or alone. This gives +1 Legendary Dice
for a single roll to solve the Problem. Once
this has been done, the player must turn his
Personality Card back so it is right-side up.
Both personalities should also be used to colour
narration and roleplaying no matter if they are
marked or not.
Drunk Pirates: Pirates can enjoy some grog but
run the risk of getting drunk. For each tankard,
the player rolls a dice. If he rolls or
he is fine. If he rolls or , then the PC is
drunk for 5 rounds. During this time any
rolled are treated as if they are . Also, the
GM can turn mundane actions like not falling
overboard into Problems that require dice rolls.
Narration: Playing the Sea of Thieves RPG is
about telling pirate tales! That is why players
should narrate the dice roll results after
checking for Victories, and . Players
are encouraged to be over-the-top in their
descriptions but there are limits. For example,
a pirate cannot swing from a chandelier if he
is on the top deck of a galleon. The key rule to
remember is this; roll first, narrate second. The
dice gives direction for the story, players are
needed to make it exciting and fun.
When two or more PCs are using Teamwork to
solve a Problem, the player who rolls the last
Victory needed to solve the Problem earns the
right to narrate the Solution. Players are never
forced to narrate and if a fight is taking many
rolls, it might make sense to skip some narration
or save it for the end.
Cancelling Problems: If the circumstances
change while trying to solve a Problem (such
as a ship you want to capture suddenly sinks) ,
the GM can cancel it. When this happens, the
Consequences does not happen; any Victories in
the hold are lost and the Solution is over.
Quests and Voyages: Stories need structure,
which is where quests and Voyages come in.
•• A quest is a direct goal needed to achieve
success during the game, such as ‘Deliver Mad
Morris’ Treasure Chest to the Gold Hoarders’
or ‘Collect the bounty skull of Dread Mary
and give it to the Order of Souls’. Quests give
specific reasons for players to do things in
the game and they are often handed out by
trading companies.
,
•• A Voyage is a collection of quests and serves
as the overall plot of an ‘episode’ in this pirate
tale. If you have the quest ‘Deliver three golden
chickens to Golden Sands Outpost’, that could
be part of the larger Voyage ‘Complete three
quests for the Merchant’s Alliance to earn
their favour.’
New Legendary Dice: When a PC completes
a Voyage (not just a quest) , he received one
permanent Legendary Dice. This represents
how that PC’s skill and infamy have grown
thanks to that Voyage and he is now a more
formidable opponent. When a PC reaches 5
dice, the next time they get a new Legendary
Dice, they get 2 instead (skipping 6 and going
to 7 dice) and become a Pirate Legend. 7 is the
maximum and 1 is the minimum.
Permanent Legendary Dice can also be
purchased with Gold Tokens but the price
increases with each new one.
• • Going from 1 dice to 2 dice: 5 Gold Tokens.
• • From 2 to 3 : 15 Gold Tokens.
• • From 3 to 4 : 25 Gold Tokens.
• • From 4 to 5 : 35 Gold Tokens.
Players cannot purchase more than 5 dice. They
cannot buy their way into becoming a Pirate Legend!
FIGHTING
Personal Combat: At the start of the game,
players put two Weapon Cards face-up. These
are the weapons carried by their pirate and each
offers a mechanical benefit if the Target has the
right weakness and the PC is in the right range.
• • The cutlass adds +1 dice for Hand range.
• • The blunderbuss adds +1 dice for Close range.
• • The pistol adds +1 dice for Middle range.
• • The Eye of Reach adds +1 dice for Long range.
Again, these bonuses only apply if the Target
has a weakness to them.
Outside of those ranges, weapons can be used
only as story elements. To change which cards
are face-up, the player must work with the GM to
determine where the other weapons might be found.
This is normally aboard your ship but you can steal
weapons from fallen pirates or shops.
Example: When Hewes boarded an enemy
galleon, I had the blunderbuss and Eye of Reach
cards face-up. The Eye of Reach is not useful
in close quarters fighting but I left my other
weapons aboard my sloop. If I try to mark the Eye
of Reach card to gain a die when rolling, the GM
can easily say this is nowhere near Long range
and it doesn’t give any bonus dice. Since the
blunderbuss is great when closer, I look around
for any enemies at Close range.
Range: Range is purposefully kept vague in
the Sea of Thieves RPG since pirates would not
measure exact ranges. There are four ranges:
Hand, Close, Middle and Long. Moving between
ranges takes 1 turn (where the character cannot
do anything but talk) , and it must be to the next
range closer or farther (a pirate cannot go from
Hand to Long in one turn) .
Injuries, Healing and Death: The only time a
PC takes damage is when the player rolls a
and chooses the Injury option. Each Injury takes
away 1 Legendary Dice temporarily. Banana
Tokens can be spent to heal Injuries, but each
takes 1 turn to eat and heal.
Example: A skeleton ship is getting closer and
I make a desperate roll to sail our sloop and
escape. I get 1 and 2 . For one, I remove
1 Victory from the hold. For the second, I take an
Injury and lose a Legendary Dice. Thankfully, I
still have a Banana Token available. It’s just that
I won’t be able to roll for escaping if I spend next
turn eating that banana!
Thanks to the unique properties of the Sea of
Thieves, death is just a setback. If a player loses
all his Legendary Dice, his PC dies and appears
aboard the Ferry of the Damned, a ghostly ship
in some kind of dimension between worlds. After
2 turns, he comes back as a living pirate (fully
healed) and appears on the top deck of his ship.
If the ship was sunk, he appears on a beach with
the ship anchored just offshore.

However, there is a price to be paid for this
resurrection. Death takes away 1 Legendary Dice
permanently (but PCs always have at least 1 dice) .
These dice can be regained by either completing
Voyages or spending a lot of Gold Tokens.
Example: Hewes’ sloop did not escape and now
the galleon is right alongside. Hewes climbs the
rigging and swoops onto the galleon’s deck with
pistol and cutlass at the ready. The GM said
the problem is Enemy pirates want to kill you
repeatedly (6/4). I roll my 3 Legendary Dice and
get 2 and 1 . I choose an Injury for the
tough choice and the GM narrates: ‘In the chaos
of fighting on the galleon’s decks, you fail to
notice a pirate sneaking up behind you. You feel a
sharp pain in your side as a bullet tears through
you.’ Now, I only have 2 Legendary Dice to roll
the remaining 4 Victories I need.
PCs Fighting Other PCs: If two (or more) PCs
need to fight, the first step is to create a problem
for each PC such as Your pirate friend will kill
you. The Consequence can be unconsciousness
or whatever the player decides is a fitting fate.
That means one can fight to first blood while the
other aims to kill! The Difficulty is 2 plus the
number of permanent Legendary Dice owned by
the player and the Timer is 4. The first player
to reach 5 Victories within the time limit is the
winner. Everyone else faces the Consequence of
the Problem.
Example: Hewes and another PC get into a polite
disagreement over some stolen treasure. We both
decide to fight to unconsciousness and since we
both have 3 dice, we face identical problems: You
will get knocked out 5/4. After three rounds,
I have 5 Victories to her 3. I win! Her PC is
knocked out and Hewes gets all the treasure to
himself. Arrrr!
SHIPS
Ship Stations: Places aboard a ship where a player
can contribute to related Problems. They include
helm, cannon, Crow’s Nest, sails, map table and
capstan. If a PC is at the right station, he can use
Teamwork and combine rolls with other PCs.
Moving between stations takes 1 turn where the
PC cannot do anything else.
Example: A brigantine is trying to sink our ship,
and our Solution is to sink them first! Hewes is
manning the cannon facing the enemy, so he can
roll for the Solution. Another player’s PC is in the
Crow’s Nest and the GM says that will not help with
this fight and therefore he cannot join in Teamwork.
The Brig: Brigantines and galleons (but not
sloops) have a small jail cell below deck. If a
character is locked in the brig, he cannot roll for
any Problem except trying to escape or talk to
those below deck with him. If a ship sinks when
he is stuck in the brig, that character dies.
Ship Interrupts: There are three types of ships
available: galleons, brigantines and sloops (while
a rowboat is technically a ship, it is so small that
it does not have a Interrupt) . Each type has its
own Interrupt which forces -2 Victories if the
condition is met:
• • Galleons -2 Victories with fighting.
• • Brigantines -2 Victories with speed.
• • Sloops get -2 Victories for maneuvering.
PCs aboard their ships get the same Interrupts
but as +2 Victories. As with other Interrupts,
these can be used once per Problem and must
meet that condition.
Example: Hewes is sailing aboard a galleon,
and an enemy brigantine is trying to sink her.
My solution is to sink the brigantine first! That
means I can mark the galleon’s Interrupt and get
2 Victories right at the start. The GM cannot take
away any Victories because my Solution involves
combat, not speed. A few rounds later, a skeleton
ship pops up from the waves! My crew decides to
run away and because we are sailing aboard a
galleon, we cannot mark our ship’s Interrupt for
this new Solution despite it being a new Problem.
Strange Situations: Sometimes, a ship will sail
into strange situations that appear in the Sea of
Thieves. These can turn an uneventful trip into
one that requires rolling Legendary Dice.
• Storms: Rain from a storm will not sink a
ship but it can throw a ship off course and
make a compass spin wildly. A typical storm
problem is The ship will sail of f course (8/4)
but players may need rolls to avoid hitting
rocks and sinking.

• Fog: The occasional fog bank can roll in and

Ship Combat: When fighting on the high seas,
obscure just about everything. A typical fog
the Avast system still applies. Teamwork is
problem can be The ship will hit something
limited by the ship’s stations and failing to solve
unseen (5/3) but the GM can also have an
a Problem means the Consequence happens just
enemy ship suddenly appear, creating a
like normal. Moving between stations always
problem with a short timer.
takes one turn, making a problem’s Timer is
more important. • Volcanoes: Sail too close to a volcano in
Devil’s Roar and PCs could face the problem
Ships do not have Legendary Dice, so they Rocks rain down on the ship and sink it
do not take Injuries. Instead, the GM makes (6/5). Players can avoid this by sailing far
new Problems that endanger the ship, such away from the island but this will add time to
as Cannonball holes will sink the ship (4/4). their trip.
If a ship sinks, it will be returned by friendly
merfolk but several islands away.

Example: Hewes and two other pirates are

sailing on a sloop when they are attacked by a
CARDS
Megalodon! I man the port cannon; the second
pirate mans the starboard cannon; and the last
one mans the helm. The GM says the Megalodon
AND TOKENS
Weapon cards: These represent the four
is on the port side of our ship, so the starboard
weapons available in the game. A pirate can only
cannon station cannot be used for teamwork here.
carry two weapons at a time, so players should
The GM also says the helm can be used since
pick 2 of the 4 Weapon Cards and play them
positioning the ship is so important is sea battles.
face-up next to the Personality Card. Switching
to a new weapon requires 1 turn and the PC
I roll and get a , and a . I really
must be where there are other weapons available
want Victories here, so instead of using the
(such as a ship’s hold or a shop) .
to belay the , I get a second Victory. I choose
a new Problem for that bad die and the GM says,
Quest cards: These are important quest items
‘The Megalodon takes a bite out of your ship! Your
like treasure chests, bounty skulls or animal
new Problem is Damage to the hull will sink the
cages. These take two hands to hold, so when a
ship (4/3). The Timer starts at 3 because the ship
PC has one of these, play the Quest Card over
will sink that fast if you do nothing.’
the two Weapon Cards. It will take 1 turn to
drop the Quest Card. Typically, these can be
turned in to trading company liaisons for Gold
Tokens. Their value depends on how rare it is.
Treasure Chests:
• • Castaway’s Chest: 1 Gold Token.
• • Seafarer’s Chest: 2 Gold Tokens.
• • Marauders Chest: 5 Gold Tokens.
• • Captain’s Chest: 8 Gold Tokens.
• • Stronghold chest: 12 Gold Tokens (Only
found in skeleton fortresses) .
Bounty Skulls:
• • Foul bounty skull: 1 Gold Token.
• • Disgraced bounty skull: 2 Gold Tokens.
• • Hateful bounty skull: 5 Gold Tokens.
• • Villainous bounty skull: 8 Gold Tokens.
• • Stronghold skull: 12 Gold Tokens (Only
found in skeleton fortresses) .
Animals:
• • White or Pink: 1 Gold Token.
• • Red : 2 Gold Tokens.
• • Black: 5 Gold Tokens.
• • Golden: 10 Gold Tokens.
Cargo Crates:
• • Fine sugar: 1 Gold Token.
• • Rare tea: 5 Gold Tokens.
• • Exotic silk: 8 Gold Tokens.
• • Exquisite spices 10 Gold Tokens.
Supply Tokens: A token representing a supply
of a needed resource. These include Banana
Tokens, Bullet Tokens, Cannonball Tokens
and Plank Tokens. Players can only have one
of each token at any time. Supply tokens are
spent (i.e. given back to the GM) to belay a new
Problem caused by or to heal from an Injury
but this takes 1 turn. New tokens can normally
be acquired from outposts, islands, skeleton
fortresses and ships. Players can store up to 3
extra tokens on the lower deck of their ship.
Example: Hewes is fighting off three skeleton
pirates on a deserted cay. I roll 3 Legendary dice
and get 1 ,1 and 1 . I pick a new
Problem and the GM says Your pistol is out of
ammo (2/U). Rather than lose my pistol, I ask
the GM if my Bullet Token would belay that new
problem. The GM agrees and I spend my next
turn reloading. When I narrate my roll, I include
almost running out of bullets for my pistol but
then finding a spare set in my jacket’s pocket.
Next turn, I roll that again and take an
Injury. I ask the GM if I can spend my Banana
Token to heal and the GM says sure but that
is will take 1 turn. Rather than spend a turn
without adding Victories to the Problem, I take
the Injury and roll 1 fewer Legendary Dice next
turn. But at least I can shoot something!
Gold Tokens: Similar to supply tokens, these
represent gold coins, precious jewels and other
pirate treasure found in the Sea of Thieves.
These can be spent to buy permanent Legendary
Dice or a new ship.
• • A sloop costs 15 Gold Tokens.
• • A brigantine costs 30 Gold Tokens.
• • A galleon costs 50 Gold Tokens.