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Sea of Dead Men is a role playing game, based on
the Forged in the Dark ruleset, about a daring crew
of pirates making their fortune in the lawless
Carrascan Sea. Youʼll start out as a novice crew,
with a ragged ship and a motley gang of sailors,
and slowly grow in skill and influence as you
navigate a web of rival pirates, occult powers,
merchant companies, and military armadas.
The flow of the game alternates between the
charactersʼ daring scores, where theyʼll seize
plunder and strike against their enemies, and the
downtime in between, where theyʼll recover and
pursue their own goals.
The Characters
The characters will begin as crew members on a
fledgling pirate ship – an untested, ragtag band of
outlaws. Over the course of the game, theyʼll try to
build their crew into a serious force in the
Carrascan Sea, and to make themselves rich in the
process.
The Crew
The characters arenʼt lone operatives; theyʼre all
part of the same crew of pirates, along with a band
of other sailors. The ship that the characters sail,
and the crew they lead, get their own playbook
sheet alongside the characters themselves.
This work is based on Blades in the Dark (found
at http://www.bladesinthedark.com/), product
of One Seven Design, developed and authored
by John Harper, and licensed for our use under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Unported license (http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by/3.0/).
The Setting
The game takes place in the Carrascan Sea, a
This document is a demo for the Sea of Dead
tropical ocean lying on the southern edge of the
Men rule set, not a complete game by itself. The
known world. Itʼs dotted by chains of small
full game is available for purchase here:
islands, which range in climate from warm
beaches to barren rocks and jagged cliffs. Various https://ensifer.itch.io/sea-of-dead-men
nations from the northern continents have spent
If youʼve played Blades in the Dark or other
the past century colonizing the Carrascan, and
Forged in the Dark games, this document has all
most of its islands are filled with towns and cities
the unique rules youʼll need to play; if anything
flying the banner of one country or another.
is missing here, you can assume that it works
Those islands not filled with colonies are home to the same as in Blades. (You can find a reference
the indigenous tribes of the Carrascan. Some of document for the Blades ruleset at https://
these tribes deal peacefully with colonists, while bladesinthedark.com).
others fight back against any who enter their
The full rulebook for Sea of Dead Men provides
territory. Despite their lack of forged steel and
the complete, stand-alone rule set, plus a
powder, their resourcefulness and knowledge of
wealth of description for the gameʼs setting and
the islands make them formidable opponents – or
factions, a primer on sailing terminology, and
valuable allies.
advice for running the game.
There are also whispers of ancient ruins half-
buried on forgotten islands, of impossible
Touchstones
creatures lurking beneath the waves. They say
Film & TV: Black Sails, by Robert Levine and
that there are some among the island tribes who
Jonathan E. Steinberg; Disneyʼs Pirates of the
can perform rituals to bewitch a sailor or restore
Caribbean series; Master & Commander: The Far
a dead body back to life. The official statements
Side of the World, directed by Peter Weir.
from back north claim that such tales are
superstitious nonsense, but the seafarers of the Video Games: Assassinʼs Creed IV: Black Flag, by
Carrascan know all too well how true they can be. Ubisoft; Sid Meierʼs Pirates!; Return of the Obra
Dinn, by Lucas Pope.
Amidst it all sail the pirates, brigands, corsairs,
and privateers who have made the Carrascan their Books (Fiction): Treasure Island, by Robert Lewis
home. The laws of the old world are thin around Stevenson; the Aubrey & Maturin series, by Patrick
its edges, and no country can spare the resources OʼBrien; The Scar, by China Miéville; Red Seas
to stamp out piracy for good. As long as they stay Under Red Skies, by Scott Lynch.
beneath the notice of the law, thereʼs plenty of
Books (Nonfiction): The Sea Roverʼs Practice, by
opportunity for pirate crews to make a fortune in
Benerson Little; The Pirate Wars, by Peter Earle.
the Carrascan.
Music: Privateering, by Mark Knopfler, or your
favorite sea shanty.
For the most part, Sea of Dead Men uses the same rules as Blades in the Dark, but there are a number of
differences between the two.
The list below covers the various changes that Sea of Dead Men introduces. Some will be described later
on in this document; the less complicated changes are simply provided here. Anything that isnʼt
repeated on a later page will be italicized, to make sure you donʼt you donʼt accidentally skip over it.
Crew Advancement & Upgrades Score & Downtime •
• The crew starts out with a flagship, a special • Traveling between different regions of the
cohort that has a separate harm tracker and an Carrascan Sea costs coin, and risks adding heat
extra set of edges and flaws (see page 12). on the crew (see page 13).
• There are no claims or turf in Sea of Dead Men; the • If the crew doesnʼt have a specific score in
life of a pirate is too impermanent to make any mind, they can hunt in a particular region to
lasting claims. (If you do want to use claims in search for potential prey (see page 16).
your game, theyʼre provided as an optional rule
• Characters can deposit or remove coin from
in the full rulebook.)
their stash directly, 1 for 1, but must spend a
• The crew starts out at Tier I, not Tier 0. downtime action to do so (see page 5).
• Cohorts taking actions outside their cohort • Thereʼs a new downtime action, repair, to heal
type roll dice equal to half their tier, instead of harm to the crewʼs flagship (see page 5).
a flat 0d rating (see page 11).
Heat & Entanglements
• If you lose hold while you have weak hold, you still • The crew has separate heat values for each of
drop down in tier, but you have strong hold in the the six nations who control the Carrascan Sea.
new tier rather than falling straight to weak. When generating entanglements, you decide
which heat value to use based on where the
• Hunting grounds are no longer tied to specific
crew spends their downtime (see page 13-14).
types of scores; instead, they give bonuses
when the crew hunts or gathers information in • Wanted level is now a binary value: the crew is
a particular region (see page 16). either wanted or theyʼre not. Like heat, itʼs
tracked for each nation (see page 13).
• The crew does not automatically add to their stash
when they advance in tier. • When making entanglement rolls, you roll dice
equal to the crewʼs tier minus one, instead of
• The stress costs for Rituals are calculated
using their wanted level (see page 14).
differently (see page 15).
When you Attune, you open your mind to the seaʼs power.
You might stare down a shark or a merfolk. You might handle a cursed artifact.
You could try to sense the winds to predict a shipʼs path (but Navigating might be
better).
When you Blast, you strike with explosive force.
You might unleash a broadside on your foes. You might shoot an opponent in a
melee. You might batter down a door or ram a ship. You could try to take down an
enemy with a precision shot (but Finessing might be better).
When you Brawl, you engage a target in close combat.
You might cut down your enemies in battle. You might hold a choke point. You
might wrestle an opponent, or beat them down with your fists. You could try to
fight in a formal duel (but Finessing might be better).
When you Command, you compel swift obedience.
You might intimidate or threaten someone to get what you want. You might lead
your crew in a group action. You could use your authority to convince a skeptical
crew of something (but Swaying might be better).
When you Consort, you socialize with friends and contacts.
You might make a good first impression or win someone over with your charm and
style. You might find new friends or connect with people who share your heritage
or background. You could try to influence a rival with social pressure (but
Swaying might be better).
When you Finesse, you employ precision or subtle misdirection.
You might pick someoneʼs pocket or open a lock. You might make a long-range
gunshot. You might duel an opponent with graceful and skilled swordplay. You
could try to fight in a pitched battle (but Brawling might be better).
When you Navigate, you devise and follow a path to your destination.
You might chart out a course to intercept another ship. You might maneuver to
avoid rocks or cannon blasts. You might find your way in an unfamiliar city. You
could try to ram an enemy with your ship (but Blasting might be better).
When you Patch, you repair or modify a structure.
You might make repairs to your ship during a battle, You might disguise your ship
or fake damage to lure in an enemy. You might construct fortifications. You could
try to damage a building (but Blasting might be better).
When you Skulk, you act stealthily or avoid notice.
You might sneak aboard a ship or hide in the shadows. You might ambush a ship
in the darkness or fog. You might attack someone from hiding. You could try to
waylay a victim in the midst of a battle (but Brawling might be better).
When you Scan, you observe a situation and anticipate outcomes.
You might spot a storm or an enemy vessel on the horizon. You might uncover
opportunities or weaknesses. You might detect a personʼs motivations or intent.
You could try to plot out a route through treacherous waters (but Navigating
might be better).
When you Sway, you influence with guile, charm, or logic.
You might lie convincingly. You might persuade someone to do what you want.
You might argue a compelling case that leaves no clear rebuttal. You could try to
gain someoneʼs affection or obedience (but Consorting or Commanding might be
better).
When you Vault, you quickly traverse past obstacles.
You might swing on a rope from one ship to another. You might climb a cliff or a
fort wall. You might dive into the ocean from a great height. You could try to
maneuver unpredictably in combat (but Brawling might be better).
Gain secure access to your stash, and retrieve or
store coin.
You may add or take out any amount of coin; you
can even take out more than the normal limit of 4
coin that your character can hold, but you must
spend any extra by the end of downtime.
Work in your downtime to hone your skills; mark
1xp on one of your characterʼs xp tracks. If you
have the appropriate crew training upgrade, mark
2xp instead of 1.
You may only train each xp track once in a single
downtime.
Gain use of a temporary asset for some duration.
To acquire the asset, roll dice equal to your tier. If
itʼs an asset that youʼve acquired before, you get
+1d to the roll. The result indicates the quality of
the asset, relative to the crewʼs tier.
• 1-3: One tier below you
• 4-5: What you would expect for your tier.
• 6: One tier higher than you
• Critical: Two tiers higher than you
Lower your heat with a specific nation.
Decide which nation you want to placate, describe
how you do so, then roll the appropriate action
rating. Reduce heat according to the results:
• 1-3: Clear one heat
• 4-5: Two heat
• 6: Three heat
• Critical: five heat
Seek medical treatment and heal your wounds. Work on a progress clock, or start a new one.
To recover, roll dice equal to the crewʼs tier. Fill in Describe what you do to work towards your goal,
the characterʼs healing clock based on the result: and roll the appropriate action rating. Fill in the
clock based on the result:
• 1-3: Fill in one segment
• 4-5: Two segments • 1-3: Fill in one segment
• 6: Three segments • 4-5: Two segments
• Critical: Five segments • 6: Three segments
• Critical: Five segments
When you fill your healing clock, reduce each
instance of harm by one level, removing lesser
harm entirely, then reset the clock. Any segments
Relieve stress by giving in to your characterʼs vice.
left over are filled in after the clock is reset.
Roll dice equal to your lowest attribute (Insight,
Other characters or contacts can only assist you
Prowess, or Resolve), and clear stress equal to the
with this downtime action if they have medical
highest number on the dice. A critical result only
training (or the Sawbones ability).
counts as a 6.
When you suffer new harm, the clock is reset.
If you clear more stress than you had marked, you
overindulge. Choose an complication or problem
from the list below:
Spend time repairing harm to your flagship.
• Attract Trouble: Select or roll an additional
This works the same way as recovering, but note
entanglement.
that the flagship automatically removes one level
• Brag: Take 2 heat with a nation.
of harm at the beginning of downtime; you only
• Disappear: Your character vanishes for a while.
need to spend a downtime action if itʼs taken more
Play another character until this one returns.
than lesser harm.
When they do, theyʼve healed all their harm.
• Burn a Bridge: Offend your vice purveyor or
another contact.
Spend time helping a cohort recover from harm.
• Play With Fire: Do something tremendously ill-
Each cohort automatically removes one level of advised, causing a complication or obstacle for
harm at the beginning of downtime; taking this the crew.
action lets you remove one more level of harm.
If you have any traumas and donʼt indulge your
Healing cohorts does not require a roll.
vice, you take stress equal to the number of
If the cohort in question is totally destroyed, you traumas that you have.
canʼt heal it. Instead, you must replace it by
spending 2 downtime actions and coin equal to
your tier plus 2.
0. Choose a Crew Playbook
The crew playbook you choose wonʼt force you
into any specific character playbooks, but it will
have a significant impact on the tone of the game.
Itʼs best to decide on your crew playbook as a
group before you start delving into the characters.
1. Choose a Character Playbook
Your playbook determines your characterʼs items,
special abilities, and general reputation. Multiple
characters can have the same playbook.
Youʼll have the option to take abilities from other
playbooks as you advance; the choice of playbook
defines your characterʼs starting point, but itʼs up
to you where they go from there.
2. Detail Your Heritage
Choose a heritage and jot down a note about your
characterʼs upbringing and family history. For
instance, “Revelle: Family of farmers, offered land in
the Carrascan”, or “Waturey: Chieftainʼs daughter”.
The next page has a description for each heritage.
3. Detail Your Background
Choose a background and fill in a detail or two
about your characterʼs life before they turned to
piracy. For instance, “Military: Disgraced naval
officer”, or “Underworld: Tobacco smuggler”.
4. Assign Action Ratings
You start with 3 points of action ratings already
assigned based on your playbook. Add four more:
one point to an action that reflects the characterʼs
heritage, one for their background, and two more
wherever you like.
At the start of the game, you canʼt have any action
rating higher than two dice (unless a special
ability states otherwise).
5. Choose a Special Ability 8. Finalize Character Details
Pick one of the special abilities on the character Choose a name for your character, as well as an
sheet. If you canʼt decide, take the first one on the alias or nickname if you feel they would have one.
list – itʼs placed there as a good default option. Write down a few words for your characterʼs look:
what they wear and how they present themselves.
The Veteran ability, which lets you take abilities
from other playbooks, is off limits for now – your
starting ability must be from your own playbook.
6. Choose a Close Friend and a Rival
Choose one of your characterʼs contacts as a close
friend or ally, and mark the upward facing arrow
next to their name; choose another as an enemy
or rival, and mark the downward-facing arrow.
7. Choose Your Vice
Choose your characterʼs vice from the list below,
and write down a few details. For instance,
“Luxury: Fine Sallician clothes”, or “Obligation:
Bedridden husband in the Castaways”.
• Faith: Youʼre devoted to a god, spirit, ancestor,
or other religious figure.
• Gambling: You crave risky decisions and games
of chance.
• Luxury: You enjoy expensive or ostentatious
displays of opulence.
• Obligation: Youʼre dedicated to a cause, family
member, organization, or something else that
makes demands on your time.
• Pleasure: You find gratification from lovers,
food, drink drugs, art, or some other hedonistic
experiences.
• Stupor: You seek oblivion in the abuse of drugs,
working or fighting to the point of exhaustion,
or drinking to excess.
• Weird: You experiment with strange rituals,
commune with dark powers, or observe bizarre
customs and taboos.
Valdesia
The empire of Valdesia once spanned practically
the entire world, but in recent years its star has
begun to fall. Valdesians are raised to value
discipline and hard work, and their merchant and
naval vessels enforce a strict hierarchy.
Revelle
A small kingdom rapidly gaining power on the
world stage, Revelle is known for its beautiful
craftsmanship and religious fervor. Its nobility
and priesthood are hotbeds of intrigue, while the
common folk esteem honor and forthrightness.
Sallice
The people of Sallice venerate explorers and
adventurers, and seek to win renown for
themselves and their families. The merchant
houses that rule Sallice do their best to stay
disentangled from other nationsʼ political affairs,
but compete bitterly among themselves.
Meghra
The city-states of Meghra follow the Dakhir faith,
worshiping the Twin Goddesses of earth and sky
rather than the monotheistic religion of the other
colonial nations. They periodically suffer raids
from ambitious Revellan nobles, and in return
send fleets of corsairs to disrupt their enemiesʼ
trade routes.
Segamba
A fallen desert kingdom, the once-great nation of
Segamba has been pushed to the breaking point
by brutal civil wars and Valdesian raids. Many
Segambans have left their home in search of a
better life in the Carrascan, only to find
themselves easy pickings for raiders and slavers
from other nations.
Waturey
Most indigenous people in the Carrascan belong
to one of the Waturey tribes. With the arrival of
the other nations in the Carrascan, most Waturey
tribes were displaced from their homes into less
habitable islands, and many saw their people
captured and sold into slavery.
Ourogan
The Ourogan tribes are warlike seafarers,
resistant to colonization and hostile to most
outsiders. Many sailors believe theyʼre cannibals
who eat the corpses of their fallen enemies, but
the few souls who have traded with Ourogan
villages claim that this is mere superstition.
Standard Items
• A Blade or Two: A standard set of one-handed
melee weapons. Perhaps a heavy cleaver, a
rapier and dagger, a pair of cutlasses, or a long
knife.
• A Firearm: A heavy gun, held in two hands.
Perhaps a musket, rifle, or blunderbuss.
• A Pistol: A one-handed, single-shot firearm.
Slow to reload, but useful as a club once itʼs
been fired.
• A Large Weapon: A two-handed melee weapon.
Perhaps a staff or a boarding pike.
• An Unusual Weapon: A curiosity or tool turned
into a weapon. Perhaps a whip, an oar, a
belaying pin, a chain, or a small anchor.
• Armor: A thick leather tunic, worn under a coat
or shift. Heavy Armor adds metal plates or
bands for extra protection, plus leather bracers
and shoulder guards. You can expend your
armor to resist harm without taking stress.
• A Bottle of Rum: Good for celebrating victories,
steadying nerves, or drowning sorrows. Safer to
drink than water, in most cases.
• A Crude Explosive: A simple grenade that
generally explodes when you want it to. Can be
thrown in combat, or placed with a timed fuse.
• A Musical Instrument: A flute, concertina,
fiddle, drum, or other small instrument.
• A Torch or Lantern: A simple oil lantern, or a
torch; something thatʼs held in one hand, burns
slowly, and gives off light.
• Climbing Gear: Rope, grappling hooks, iron
pitons. Enough to get you up a cliff or a wall.
• Carpenterʼs Tools: A hammer and nails, a saw,
a coil of rope, a jar of pitch. Good for repairing
a ship, or sabotaging one.
• Navigational Tools: Tools to figure out where
you are and where youʼre headed. A sextant, a
compass, a spyglass, a set of maps.
Commander Items
• Fine Rifle: An exquisitely crafted firearm,
accurate at long range but slow to reload.
• Fine Pair of Pistols: Two handguns made for
accuracy and efficiency.
• Fine Navigational Tools: Tools built to the
highest standards, much more precise and
accurate than other instruments.
• Documents: Writs of sale, correspondences,
royal proclamations, and other interesting
papers youʼve collected – forged or otherwise.
• Personal Memento: A memory of the life you
left behind.
Mariner Items
• Fine Bottle of Rum: A few steps up from the
swill that most of your crewmates drink. Great
for making friends quickly.
• Fine Carpenterʼs Tools: A well-made set of
sturdy and reliable tools, molded to your hand
by years of use.
• Fine Explosive: A potent and reliable bomb.
• Trained Pet: A small animal, perhaps a monkey
or parrot, trained to obey your commands.
• Warding Talisman: An amulet strung with
beads or feathers to ward off occult dangers.
Occultist Items
• Fine Whalebone Knife: A razor-sharp blade,
carved from the bones of a long-dead creature.
• Fine Warding Talisman: A charm that keeps
away some of the oceanʼs darker powers. Not
made with exceptional materials, but still much
more potent than the usual trinkets.
• Fanciful Map: An old map that charts out
impossible locations, noting landmarks and
treasures that canʼt possibly exist.
• Occult Focus: A small trinket that helps you
direct your magic.
• Trained Pet: An animal that does your bidding.
Reaver Items
• Fine Brace of Pistols: A staggering quantity of
guns – you wonʼt need to worry about reloading.
• Fine Hand Weapon: A finely crafted one-
handed melee weapon of your choice. Perhaps
a perfectly honed cutlass, a trusty hammer or
axe, or a vicious dagger.
• Fine Heavy Armor: A sturdy and lightweight set
of armor. (Takes up only 1 load instead of 2).
• Scary Weapon or Tool: A intimidating hand
weapon or tool. Great for threatening someone,
though not always better in a fight.
• Manacles and Chain: A set of heavy manacles
and chain, suitable for restraining a prisoner or
using as an improvised weapon.
Scoundrel Items
• Fine Concealed Weapon: A small dagger or
pistol, easily hidden about your person.
• Forgery Kit: Sets of paper, ink, and wax
allowing you to imitate official documents.
• Loaded Dice: A set of bones subtly altered to
favor particular outcomes.
• Lockpicking Tools: Picks and skeleton keys to
circumvent most kinds of locks.
• Sleeping Powder: Tasteless, colorless powder
that can be slipped into food or drink. Enough
doses for a dozen or so targets.
Swashbuckler Items
• Fine Blade: A magnificent one-handed sword,
well balanced and finely sharpened.
• Fine Set of Clothes: A well-tailored outfit,
expensive enough to blend in with nobility.
• Fine Bottle of Wine: A particularly excellent
vintage. Smells and tastes exquisite.
• Fine Musical Instrument: A perfectly built
instrument, a work of art in itself.
• Improvised Weapons: Whatever you find at
hand when a fight breaks out.
1. Choose a Crew Playbook
The crew playbook determines the crewʼs general
aesthetic and theme, as well as the xp triggers and
special abilities theyʼll use.
If you pick the Loyalists or Phantoms playbook,
decide on your crewʼs loyalty or dark purpose
(respectively).
Loyalists: Loyalty
If you choose the Loyalists playbook, pick what
nation you serve from the list of heritage options:
Valdesia, Revelle, Sallice, Meghra, Segamba,
Ourogan, or Waturey.
Besides the obvious fictional impact, this will
determine the names and nationality of your
crewʼs contacts. Check the reference sheets for a
list of contact names for each loyalty option.
Phantoms: Dark Purpose
If youʼre playing a crew of Phantoms, choose one
option for the dark purpose to which your crew is
bound. Youʼll gain xp when you work towards that
purpose or struggle against it.
• Corruption: You must subvert and defile a
particular target, twisting it into a dark
reflection of its former self.
• Devastation: Youʼre sworn to wreak destruction
and chaos.
• Protection: You must keep someone or
something safe from harm.
• Redemption: You became Phantoms when you
performed some act of unforgivable evil, and
you must now try to redeem yourselves.
• Servitude: You are bound to the service of some
dark power. You go where they tell you, and
perform whatever tasks they command.
• Vengeance: Youʼve been wronged somehow,
and you seek revenge on the perpetrators.
2. Choose an Initial Reputation
Decide how the other sailors and pirates of the
Carrascan Sea view your crew: Ambitious, Brutal,
Daring, Honorable, Professional, Savvy, Subtle, or
Strange. What reputation have you gained, in the
short time youʼve sailed together?
The crew will earn xp when they bolster their
reputation.
3. Describe Your Flagship
You begin the game with a single ship under your
command. Even if you end up amassing a fleet,
that ship – your flagship – will still be a defining
part of your crew.
Decide what the shipʼs original purpose was, and
how you acquired it. Describe the look of the ship
– what shape is the figurehead? What flag do you
fly? What features distinguish it from others of its
kind?
Assign the flagship two edges and one flaw from
the lists on the playbook sheet.
4.Describe Your Sailors
Flesh out the crew of your flagship using the
normal cohort rules: determine their cohort type
(Adepts, Killers, Knaves, or Rovers) and assign them
1 or 2 edges and an equal number of flaws.
5. Choose a Special Ability
Pick one of the special abilities on the crew sheet.
If you canʼt decide, take the first one on the list –
itʼs placed there as a good default option.
The Veteran ability, which lets you take abilities
from other playbooks, is off limits for now – the
crewʼs starting ability must come from its own
playbook.
6. Assign Crew Upgrades
Each crew playbook comes with two upgrades
pre-selected; choose two more upgrades, from the
general or playbook-specific lists.
Decide on two factions that you crossed paths
with when you acquired these upgrades:
• One faction helped you get one of the upgrades.
Take +1 status with them, or pay 1 coin to get
+2 status instead.
• Another faction was thwarted when you gained
an upgrade. Take -2 status with them, or spend
1 coin to get -1 status instead.
7. Choose a Favored Contact
Mark one contact on the crew sheet who is a close
friend, long-time ally, or partner in crime.
Decide on two factions who are connected to this
contact:
• One faction also has a good relationship with
them. Take +1 status with that faction.
• Another faction is enemies or rivals with the
contact, and therefore suspicious of you. Take
-1 status with them.
Optionally, you can choose to increase both status
changes to +2 and -2 status.
8. Choose Your Hunting Grounds
Look over the map of the Carrascan Sea, and pick
one of its regions to be your hunting grounds.
Youʼll get a bonus die when you hunt for prey or
gather information in this region.
9. Name Your Flagship
Choose a name for your flagship, and by extension
for the crew itself. This could be the name that the
ship had originally, or one that the crew gave it
when you first took ownership.
• Armor: Your flagshipʼs hull is reinforced to
make it significantly more durable. This allows
you to resist physical harm to the ship without
paying stress, just like the Armor item that
characters can use.
• Boltholes: Your flagship is filled with nooks and
crannies useful for concealing illicit cargo. You
can hide your loot well enough to thwart all but
the most thorough searches.
• Coffers: Your flagship has a secure strongbox,
allowing you to store up to 8 coin instead of the
usual 4. A second upgrade increases the storage
capacity to a total of 16 coin.
• Hidden Cannons: Some of your flagshipʼs gun
ports are concealed into the side of the hull,
allowing the ship to pass as one less heavily
armed.
• Oars: Your flagship is fitted with long oars to
propel it forward when the winds die down,
along with benches and portholes on a lower
deck to let the crew easily row them. (You can
still try to row the ship without this upgrade,
but it will be slow and awkward to do so.)
• Overgunned: The railings on the flagshipʼs
upper decks have been torn down and replaced
with more cannons, increasing your firepower.
• Prow Ram: The prow of your flagship is
reinforced and braced to resist direct impacts,
allowing you to ram enemy vessels while taking
only minimal damage yourself.
• Specialty Shot: Your flagship is stocked with
specialty ammunition for your cannons – chain
shot, grape shot, etc. – in addition to the normal
round shot. Taking this upgrade again provides
incendiary cannonballs.
• Training: This upgrade lets you earn 2 xp Unlike in Blades in the Dark, each characterʼs stash
instead of 1 when you train a particular xp track is a very literal, physical stockpile where they can
during downtime. You can take this upgrade store their ill-gotten gains.
once for each of the four xp tracks on the
The fictional details of the stash are yours to
character sheet: Insight, Prowess, Resolve,
decide: your stash might be the classic chest of
and Playbook.
treasure buried on a deserted island, or a trusted
• Mastery: Your crew reaches the pinnacle of ally at the edge of the Carrascan whoʼs promised to
skill. With this upgrade, PCs may advance their hold onto your loot, or an account with a secure
action ratings to 4d, past the normal cap of 3d. Revellan bank. However it looks in the fiction,
Gaining mastery costs four crew upgrades. your stash is always inviolable. Regardless of the
fictional situation, the coin in your stash will
• Quality: Each quality upgrade improves the
always be safe whenever you come to check on it.
quality of one aspect of the flagship, or one
particular type of item carried by the crew. You The price for this security is ease of access: it
can improve the quality of your flagshipʼs takes a downtime action to securely and secretly
cannons, hull, rudder, or sails, potentially access your stash (see page 5). Once you reach it,
boosting your position and effect in situations however, you can put in or take out as much coin
when those parts of the ship play an important as you need. Thereʼs no cost or tax for doing so;
role. You can also improve the crewʼs charts you get 1 stash for every 1 coin you put in, and
(Navigational Tools), gear (Climbing Gear, vice versa when you take coin back out.
Carpenterʼs Tools, Torches & Lanterns, etc.), or
weapons (explosives, blades, and firearms).
• Cohort: A cohort is a single expert NPC in your
employ, or the crew of a ship. Acquiring or
upgrading a cohort costs two crew upgrades; to
gain a ship cohort, you may also need to spend
coin in order to get your hands on the actual
ship. For more details, see the Creating a Cohort
section on the next page.
A cohort encompasses either a ship and its crew,
or a single expert NPC under your command.
Each cohort has a cohort type, which describes
their particular specialties, and a set of edges and
flaws to flesh out their personality.
Creating a Cohort
The crew starts with one ship cohort, to represent
the other pirates who sail on the PCsʼ flagship.
Recruiting a new cohort during the game costs
two crew upgrades. If youʼre adding a ship cohort
and you donʼt have the actual ship yet, youʼll need
to spend 8 coin to get your hands on a craft.
To create a cohort, run through these steps:
• Choose whether youʼre adding a single skilled
expert to your crew or recruiting an entire ship
of pirates.
• Choose a cohort type to represent the cohortʼs
area of expertise.
• Assign one or two edges and as many flaws.
Modifying a Cohort
You can add an additional cohort type to one of
your cohorts by spending two crew upgrades.
Using a Cohort
When you send a cohort out to achieve a goal,
make an action roll; determine the position and
effect level as normal, based on their potency,
quality, and scale versus their opposition.
If the cohort is doing something that fits in their
cohort type, they roll dice equal to the crewʼs tier.
When they act outside of their skillset, their dice
pool is half the crewʼs tier, rounded down.
If a PC is working directly with the cohort, they
can lead a group action; you can either roll
Command, or whatever action matches the task.
Expert Cohorts
An expert is a single highly-skilled individual in
the crewʼs employ.
There isnʼt a fixed list of cohort types for experts;
instead, write down a word or short phrase that
describes their area of expertise. For instance, an
expert might be a Marksman, Surgeon, or Explorer.
An expert gains a bonus die when they perform
an action that matches their cohort type.
Ship Cohorts
A ship cohort represents both the physical ship
itself and the sailors who pilot and maintain it.
The crew starts with a single flagship, a special
kind of ship cohort with some extra mechanical
traits (see the next page), but over time you can
recruit other ships to sail under your command.
To gain a ship cohort, you must have possession of
the physical ship you want to crew and sail. If you
donʼt have a good way to find a ship in the fiction,
you can spend 8 coin to buy one from a mostly-
reputable source.
When you gain a ship cohort, pick a cohort type
from the list below:
• Adepts: Shamans, arcanists, and soothsayers.
• Killers: Butchers, brawlers, and cut-throats.
• Knaves: Rogues, adventurers, and jacks of all
trades.
• Rovers: Seafarers, voyagers, and navigators.
Regardless of type, all cohorts have a basic level of
skill at piracy - they can competently sail the ship
or hold their own in battle.
Some crew upgrades add the Elite tag to ship
cohorts of a certain type; this gives them +1d
when they take actions that match their type.
Edges
• Fearsome: The cohort is terrifying in aspect
and reputation.
• Independent: The cohort can be trusted to
make good decisions and act on their own
initiative when they donʼt have direct orders.
• Loyal: The cohort canʼt be bribed or turned
against you.
• Tenacious: The cohort wonʼt be deterred from
a task.
Flaws
• Bloodthirsty: The cohort is excessively violent
and cruel.
• Gutless: The cohort is soft-hearted and
cowardly.
• Unreliable: The cohort canʼt always be
depended on.
• Wild: The cohort is drunken, debauched, and
loud-mouthed.
Cohort Harm & Healing
Cohorts suffer harm in much the same way as PCs
do. A cohort can suffer four levels of harm, with
one harm slot for each level:
• Lesser harm - Weakened. Reduced effect.
• Moderate harm - Impaired. -1d for actions.
• Severe harm - Broken. Canʼt act without help.
• Fatal harm - Destroyed. Dead or disbanded.
Cohorts recover one level of harm for free each
downtime. A PC may spend a downtime action to
remove an additional harm level.
When a cohort is destroyed, it can be replaced;
spend two downtime actions, and coin equal to
the crewʼs tier plus 2. The cohort returns with all
its harm cleared.
To replace a ship cohort, you need to find another
ship you can claim (or pay 8 coin to buy one).
Your crew begins the story with command of one
ship: your flagship. Though you can acquire other
ships later on, the flagship is always the lead ship
in your armada. This flagship is, in some ways,
another character on the crew, as important to the
story as any of the PCs.
The flagship is represented as a ship cohort, but
has more mechanical depth than the other ships
you command. It has a second set of edges and
flaws that represent the quirks of the ship itself, in
addition to those of its sailors, and you can spend
crew upgrades to improve it in various ways. It
also has a fleshed-out harm tracker like the PCs
do, and a repair clock to reflect how it recovers
from harm between scores.
Flagship Edges
The flagship gets two edges from the list below:
• Fast: With the right wind, the flagship can
make exceptional speed.
• Inconspicuous: The flagship can easily blend
in with other ships, and doesnʼt immediately
stand out as a pirate vessel.
• Imposing: The flagship is naturally
intimidating.
• Large: The flagship is a little larger than other
ships of similar make, allowing it to fit more
sailors and more cannons on board.
• Lucky: The flagship inexplicably seems to
catch the wind and waves in just the right ways
to dodge cannon fire or sail through storms.
• Nimble: The flagship steers easily and can
rapidly change its heading.
The flagshipʼs edges can give the crew a free +1d
on actions where they would be helpful, like an
assist maneuver but with no stress cost. If the
flagship gives a bonus die to a roll, no other PC can
assist the roll.
Flaws
The flagship gets one flaw from the list below:
• Cramped: The layout of the ship, both above
and belowdecks, is tight and constrained.
• Distinctive: The flagship has highly visible and
memorable features, making it harder to
conceal its identity or pass undetected.
• Finicky: The flagship has quirks that only a few
people understand; any others will have
difficulty sailing it.
• Heavy: The flagship turns slowly and doesnʼt
sail as well into the wind, though it can still
reach great speeds with the wind at its back.
• Standardized: The flagship was built to a
standard design, the same as countless other
ships of its type. Most other captains will be
familiar with the capabilities of the ship and the
layout of its decks.
Some of these flaws are the direct opposites of
potential edges – for instance, Large vs Cramped
or Nimble vs Heavy. Use common sense and avoid
contradicting details about the flagship that have
already been established.
Unlike the shipʼs edges, its flaw has no strict
mechanical effect. Instead, the GM should use it
to adjust the shipʼs quality when determining the
position and effect of a roll, or as part of a devilʼs
bargain.
Flagship Harm
The flagship has the same kind of harm tracker as
the player characters. This tracks physical harm to
the ship; harm to the sailors on board is tracked
with the normal cohort harm track.
The penalties for harm to the flagship are the
same as for the PCs: reduced effect, -1d, etc.
These penalties apply to any character who takes
an action where the flagshipʼs harm would apply,
in addition to any penalties from the characterʼs
existing harm. However, a character can only take
the same penalty once. For instance, if both the
ship and the PC have taken lesser harm, the PC
would only have the effect level of her roll reduced
once, not twice.
Repairing the Flagship
Like other cohorts, the flagship automatically
recovers from one level of harm during each
downtime phase.
Any remaining damage to the ship must be dealt
with using the repair downtime action, which
works just like the recovery action for the PCs.
If the flagship is completely destroyed, it cannot
be repaired or easily replaced; the crew must find
another ship to be their new flagship.
Changing Flagships
To gain a new flagship (whether your current one
is destroyed or just feels obsolete), you must gain
access to it in the fiction. This could come from a
score, a long-term project to refurbish an old ship,
or a favor from another faction, but you canʼt just
spend coin for it.
Choose new edges and a flaw for the new flagship.
It keeps all the crew upgrades of its predecessor,
and starts out with no active harm.
Travel Costs
When you travel between different regions of the
Carrascan Sea, you must spend 1 coin for each
new region you enter, representing the supplies
and rations that you expend over the course of the
journey.
Additionally, you run the risk of being spotted by
unfriendly eyes. When you enter a new region
and you have more than 3 heat with the nation
who controls that region, you take an additional 1
heat with them. If you travel through multiple
regions belonging to the same nation, each new
region can add additional heat.
These costs only apply when you travel from one
region to another; sailing within a single region
can be done for free.
You can travel between regions during any phase
of the game: as part of a score, in downtime, or in
free play.
Dangerous Travel
By default, itʼs assumed that the crewʼs voyages go
smoothly; the characters are all skilled sailors,
more than capable of handling bad weather and
minor incidents off-screen.
That said, if something is obviously dangerous or
troublesome about the route that the characters
take, the GM can choose to frame a scene where
the PCs must confront that danger.
The GM is responsible for clearly telegraphing any
risks associated with a journey or a specific route.
It should never be a surprise when the characters
find themselves in danger during a voyage, and if
possible they should have the opportunity to take
a safer route.
Nations Wanted
Each NPC faction is associated with one of six If you fill up any nationʼs heat track, the crew is
nations that control the Carrascan Sea: Valdesia, now wanted by that nation. Its forces are intent
Revelle, Sallice, Pirates, Occult, and Outcasts. Only enough on your capture that theyʼll hunt you
the first three are nations in the literal sense; the down no matter where you flee, and theyʼll send
others are groups of factions with shared goals or serious firepower to make sure you donʼt escape.
affiliations.
When youʼre wanted by a nation, you can no
Each nation has a heat track, which denotes how longer reduce your heat with that nation by any
much the PCs have raised that nationʼs ire. As you normal means. Instead, you must execute a score
take more heat with a nation, theyʼll start to make in order to appease or redirect their ill will: frame
it more and more of a priority to bring your crew another crew for your crimes, negotiate a truce,
to justice. arrange for trouble to flare up elsewhere, or any
other operation that makes sense in the fiction. If
When you reduce heat, it affects only a single heat
the score is successful, clear the wanted status
track; you decide which nation you appease.
and reduce your heat with that nation to 3 heat
Heat (plus any additional heat from the score).
After each score, decide which nation was most
inconvenienced or hurt by the crewʼs actions. The
PCs take heat with that nation based on the nature
of the operation, starting with a general sense of
the score:
• 0 heat for a smooth and quiet score.
• 2 heat for a contained score.
• 4 heat for a loud and chaotic score.
• 6 heat for a wild score.
Adjust that baseline value as follows:
• Add +1 heat if the scoreʼs target is high profile
or well connected.
• Add +2 heat if the score dealt a serious blow to
this nationʼs interests.
• Take -1 heat (minimum 0) if the score occurred
far from the nationʼs territory.
If the score helped the interests of another nation,
reduce the crewʼs heat with that nation by -2 heat.
If the PCs happened to serve multiple nations at
once, reduce heat with each nation they aided, but
only by -1 heat.
 Heat 0-3 Heat 4-5 Heat 6+ Wanted
1-3 Crew Troubles or Ship Disrepair Crew Troubles or Patrol Challenge or Flipped Flipped or Bounty
4-5 Threats or Cooperation Probing or Rivals Restless Depths or Raid Restless Depths or Outnumbered
6+ Probing or Stowaway Cooperation or Sabotage Outnumbered or Bounty Assault or Leviathan

The Entanglement Roll
To generate an entanglement, roll dice equal to
the crewʼs tier minus one, and use the relevant
heat value (see below) to interpret the results on
the table above. Each space in the table lists two
different potential entanglements; use whichever
one makes the most sense for the fiction.
Determining Heat
The PCs have six different heat values, showing
how much theyʼve damaged the interests of each
nation in the setting (see the previous page).
At the beginning of downtime, the crew decides
what region of the Carrascan theyʼll spend their
downtime in. When you roll their entanglement,
decide which nation controls that region or area,
and use the crewʼs heat with that nation.
If the PCs have filled one of their heat tracks and
are wanted by any nation, use the Wanted column
in the table, no matter where they spend their
downtime. When a nation decides it wants your
head, thereʼs nowhere you can run.
Entanglement List
• Assault: A nation decides that itʼs time to put you
down. They send a small fleet, or a comparable
force, to do away with you once and for all.
• Bounty: A nation puts a hefty price on your head –
enough money to make even hardened pirates
consider turning you over.
• Cooperation: A contact or allied faction asks you
for a favor. Agree to help them, or lose status with
them.
• Crew Troubles: Your crew or cohorts cause trouble
– either with other factions, or within the crew.
Lose face, make an example, or find some other way
to deal with the situation.
• Challenge: A crew member publicly makes a claim
for the captaincy of your ship, or threatens to do so
if their demands arenʼt met.
• Flipped: One of your contacts or allies cuts ties –
itʼs too dangerous to be associated with you right
now.
• Leviathan: A great beast rises from the sea, its
intentions unclear.
• Outnumbered: Two or more enemy factions put
their differences aside to deal with you, launching
a combined attack.
• Patrol: An enemy faction sends ships to scout your
last known location. Lie low until they lose interest,
evade them, or confront them.
• Probing: A neutral or enemy faction starts looking
for information on your crewʼs movements and
weaknesses.
• Raid: An enemy faction launches an outright
attack. Either back down from the fight (lose hold),
or go to war with them.
• Restless Depths: One or more supernatural
creatures find their way to your ship. Find a priest
or an occultist to banish them, or deal with the
situation yourselves.
• Rivals: Another faction tries to recruit some of
your crew or contacts. Scare them off, allow them to
steal your people, or fight back.
• Sabotage: An enemy faction tries to damage your
ship, either quietly (fraying the riggings, boring
holes in the hull) or overtly (trying to light it on fire
or taking potshots at the sails).
• Ship Disrepair: The ship is damaged by rocks or
storms and needs to be fixed. Pick a part of the ship
(hull, sails, rudder, etc.) – that part has reduced
quality until the ship is next repaired, or until the
end of the next score.
• Stowaway: Someone creeps on board your ship as
you prepare to set sail. Make a fortune roll to see if
you discover them in the attempt, or if they remain
hidden until youʼre in open waters.
• Threats: Another faction tries to intimidate you, a
friend or contact, or one of your vice purveyors.
Rituals are large-scale workings of occult magic,
carried out over multiple hours or days.
Only PCs who have taken the Ritual ability may
learn or perform rituals, though some rituals may
allow the uninitiated to act in a supporting role.
Learning a Ritual
When a PC first gains the Ritual ability, they
automatically learn a single ritual, but they can
learn or create other rituals over time.
Learning or creating a new ritual requires finding
a source that can grant you knowledge of the
magic associated with that ritual. This could be an
old arcane text, training from another shaman, or
even a week spent half-submerged listening to the
tides. Some sources may require you to complete
a long-term project or a score in order to gain the
knowledge you seek.
Once you have found the source for a ritual, you
may start a long-term project to learn the ritual.
This usually requires an 8-segment progress
clock. As part of this process, the player and GM
take turns asking and answering questions to
define the details of the ritual.
• The GM asks: What does the ritual do, and what
about it is uncanny or strange? The player
answers.
• The player asks: What must I do to perform the
ritual, and what is its cost? The GM answers.
(The following sections have guidelines to help
with this answer.)
• The GM asks: What new belief or fear does
knowledge of this ritual instill in you? The player
answers.
You can ask these questions once when you start
or complete the clock, or spread them out over
time as the character works through the ritual.
Performing a Ritual
A ritual is a complex piece of magic, and takes
time to cast. A ritual canʼt usually be completed
from start to finish during the duration of a single
score. Most rituals are completed as a single
downtime action, but very powerful rituals may
require even more time to set up; these can be
represented as a long-term project.
Some rituals allow you to “prime” the magical
effect, binding it inside a token of some kind or
temporarily holding it back; this allows you to give
the final incantation to release the effect later on.
If a ritual is especially dangerous or troublesome
to perform, you might need to make an action roll
(usually with Attune) to see if it brings about any
unpleasant consequences.
Ritual Stress Costs
Performing a ritual costs some amount of stress,
determined by the GM during its creation. This
cost should be based on the scale and potency of
the ritual, subject to the GMʼs discretion.
• 1-2 stress for a weak ritual: a minor effect that
touches a small area or a few people for no
more than one or two minutes.
• 3-4 stress for a moderate ritual: an effect lasting
an hour or two that affects a dozen or so people
or the space of a large clearing.
• 5-6 stress for a significant ritual: a powerful or
long-lasting effect that reaches from one island
to another or covers a large buildingʼs worth of
space or people.
• 7-10 stress for a powerful ritual: an especially
potent effect covering a small village or an
entire shipʼs crew, targeting someone in a
distant region, or lasting for up to a few weeks.
• 11-16 stress for a devastatingly strong ritual,
too immense for any one occultist to perform
alone: an effect that spans an entire island or
city, channels terrible powers, or endures for
months at a time.
Some rituals may allow other characters to
contribute stress on behalf of the primary caster.
PCs can contribute any amount, but they must
spend one additional stress beyond what is added
to the ritual. NPC cohorts can contribute an
amount of stress equal to their tier if their cohort
type lends itself to ritual magic, or half their tier
otherwise (rounded down).
If the ritual has other difficult costs or conditions,
for instance requiring a mermaidʼs scale or a dark
and moonless night, the GM may reduce the stress
cost at their discretion by up to 4 stress. This
should never make the ritual trivial to perform.
Sometimes the crew wonʼt have a specific target in
mind – theyʼll just sail out looking for a ship they
can take, without caring what faction owns the
prize or what cargo they might find. Seeking out a
target of opportunity is referred to as hunting.
Hunting Costs
Lingering in a region and searching for a prize
incurs the same costs as traveling into that region
(see page 13): the PCs must pay 1 coin for
supplies, and they might take heat with the nation
who controls the region. If the crew is already
sailing through the region as part of a longer
voyage, however, they can hunt for targets of
opportunity along the way for no extra cost.
Generating the Target
The GM decides what target the crew finds by
making two fortune rolls, using the traits of the
region (see page 17).
First, roll using the regionʼs wealth rating to
determine how valuable the targetʼs cargo is. If the
crew is operating within their hunting grounds,
add +1d to this roll.
• 1-3: A meager prize. Enough cargo to pay for the
shipʼs expenses, but less than youʼd expect from a
merchant ship. (About 4 coin in payoff)
• 4-5: An average score. A hold full of trade goods,
with a few minor valuables. (About 8 coin)
• 6: A major score. Perhaps multiple ships sailing
together or a single ship with especially valuable
cargo. (About 10 coin)
• Crit: A unique opportunity. Gold and gems,
occult artifacts, or state secrets. (About 12 coin in
payoff, assuming the cargo can be sold)
Then, roll using the regionʼs security rating to Hunting Grounds
decide how well that cargo is defended. When you create your crew, youʼll choose one
region of the Carrascan Sea to be your hunting
• 1-3: A vulnerable target. Inexperienced sailors, a
grounds. This is a region that your crew knows
skeleton crew, a weak or damaged vessel.
particularly well, where youʼre most comfortable
• 4-5: Standard security. A full complement of
operating as a pirate vessel.
sailors and cannons, or at least whatʼs normal for
a trading ship. You gain two benefits when you act within your
• 6: Significant defenses. A military escort or hunting grounds:
especially well-armed ship.
• When you hunt for a prize within your hunting
• Crit: Overwhelming force. Multiple warships, a
grounds (see previous sections), you add +1d to
full man-of-war, or an ambush by an enemy
the regionʼs wealth rating when you roll to see
faction.
how valuable a target you find. (You donʼt get a
Use the results of the two rolls to come up with corresponding benefit to the security roll; you
some fictional details for the prize. A valuable can sniff out richer prizes, but that doesnʼt help
target with weakened defenses might be a you with their defenses.)
treasure ship thatʼs come down with plague or
• You get +1d when you gather information in or
been damaged by storms; a meager prize with
about the region. This can help you plan your
high security is likely a navy patrol or a crew of
scores, stay up to date on the regionʼs factions,
rival pirates. The random tables in the reference
or pick up on key details during the middle of a
sheets can help you brainstorm details about the
tense scene.
prize or its cargo.
You arenʼt obligated to take on scores only in your
Attacking the Target hunting grounds. If the target of a score is located
Once the prey is generated, the group can begin
elsewhere, or if you just happen to be on the other
the score. As with other scores, the players must
end of the ocean and donʼt want to make the
decide on a plan to attack the target and provide
journey, you can hunt or raid in any region you
the associated detail – maybe theyʼll try an all-out
like. The crew will be most comfortable working
assault, or run up the black flag to scare their prey
inside their hunting grounds, but the whole of the
into submission, or wait until nightfall for a raid
Carrascan Sea is yours for the taking.
under cover of darkness. From there, the GM
makes an engagement roll to see how the initial
approach goes, and then the action begins.
Alternately, if the crew doesnʼt think the prize is
worth the risk, in most cases they can just let the
target sail past. The PCs can keep hunting if they
want, paying the costs again and looking for a
more attractive score; otherwise, they can head
back to port and figure out a different target.
The Agostine Isles (Sallice): The breadbasket of Salliceʼs colonies, filled
with lush farmland and dense forests.
Climate: 3 | Wealth: 2 | Security: 2 | Occult: 2
The Brightwater Isles (Valdesia): A beautiful and vibrant destination for
visiting nobility, home to rich merchants and dedicated officers.
Climate: 4 | Wealth: 4 | Security: 3 | Occult: 1
Carrowan (Outcasts): The untamed frontier of the Carrascan Sea, a vast
continent filled with high mountains and thick jungles.
Climate: 2 | Wealth: 1 | Security: 1 | Occult: 3
The Castaways (Valdesia): A once-prosperous region struggling with the
depletion of its natural resources.
Climate: 2 | Wealth: 1 | Security: 1 | Occult: 2
Greater Cuiverra (Revelle): The hub of Revellan culture in the Carrascan,
boasting great temples and monuments to rival the old world.
Climate: 3 | Wealth: 3 | Security: 3 | Occult: 2
The Hollows (Occult): A desolate and haunted chain of islands, filled with
occult dangers and devoid of settlements.
Climate: 0 | Wealth: 1 | Security: 0 | Occult: 4
Lesser Cuiverra (Revelle, Sallice): A pastoral region of small farms and
villages, trapped in a stalemate between Revellan and Sallician colonists.
Climate: 3 | Wealth: 2 | Security: 2 | Occult: 1
New Valdesia (Valdesia): The Valdesian governmentʼs stronghold in the
Carrascan; a bastion of trade, politics, shipbuilding, and corruption.
Climate: 2 | Wealth: 3 | Security: 4 | Occult: 1
The Southern Reach (Outcasts, Pirates): A distant sprawl of rocky islands,
home to displaced indigenous tribes and the pirates of Pelican Rock.
Climate: 2 | Wealth: 1 | Security: 2 | Occult: 2
Vespoliʼs Gate (Sallice): The first colony founded in the Carrascan, now a
crowded mercantile hub.
Climate: 4 | Wealth: 3 | Security: 4 | Occult: 0
The Windward Isles (Outcasts): A formerly bountiful island chain wracked
by a volcanic eruption, now used as an outpost by Meghran corsairs.
Climate: 1 | Wealth: 1 | Security: 3 | Occult: 2
Pirate Factions
The Pirate Council (4S) The five most influential
captains of Pelican Rock, who maintain order on the
island and command its forces in times of war.
The Shipwrights (4W) Expert carpenters and
sailors responsible for the maintenance of Flotsam.
The Duchess (3S) An infamous crew of raiders,
newly arrived in the Carrascan and looking to make
their mark.
The Ospreys (3S) Flotsam's peacekeeping force, who
live up in the masts and riggings of the city.
The Razor (3S) A notorious pirate ship known for
daring raids and cunning ambushes.
The Retribution (3S) A Segamban crew that targets
slaving ships.
The Silver Hand (3W) A privateering vessel
bolstered by informants and spies throughout the
ocean.
The Windrunner (3W) A crew of rovers who swoop
in after storms to snatch up weakened targets.
The Armistice (2S) A veteran crew of pirates
seeking revenge for their slain captain.
The Falcon (2S) An upstart crew pursuing renown
and influence by any means necessary.
The Red-Handers (2S) Masked mercenaries and
killers for hire.
The Requiem (2S) An honorable crew led by a
priest-turned-pirate.
The Revenge (2S) Valdesian sailors who were left to
die after a battle at sea, now sworn enemies of the
crown.
The Bleeding Dove (2W) A ship crewed by vicious
killers, who fly a distress flag to lure their victims in.
The Hangmanʼs Noose (2W) A resolute crew that
preys on corrupt merchants and other pirates.
The Plain Devil (2W) Enterprising privateers with
a letter of marque from every nation.
Wreckers (2W) A gang of former pirates who lure
ships to their doom with false signal lights.
The Zephyr (2W) A swift ship with impossibly good
luck in picking its targets.
The Gadfly (1S) A privateering ship that habitually
lurks near Revellan trade routes.
The Laughing Bastard (1S) A versatile crew of
merry swashbucklers.
The Sirena (1S) A crew of pirates that recruits new
hands from the ships they capture.
The Furie (1W) Inexperienced pirates on the lookout
for a big score.
The Northern Wind (1W) Fugitives running from
the crown's justice on a stolen ship.
Valdesian Factions
Imperial Navy (6W) Fleets of disciplined soldiers
and skilled officers.
Langdon & Grey (4S) A Valdesian trading company
with a monopoly on trade in the Carrascan Sea.
Brightwater Isles Citizens (4W) Inhabitants of the
Brightwater Isles.
The Redcliff Company (3S) Established arms
dealers, looking to expand into other markets.
New Valdesia Citizens (3W) Inhabitants of New
Valdesia.
The Viceroy (3W) A navy ship given full authority
to maintain order in Valdesiaʼs colonies.
The Wolves (3W) A savage band of pirate hunters.
The Torn Banner (2S) A navy ship posing as pirates
to spy on other nationsʼ privateers.
Castaways Citizens (2W) Inhabitants of the
Castaways.
Revellan Factions
Revellan Navy (5S) A rapidly growing fleet of loyal
Revellan soldiers.
The Seven Stars (5S) A council of priests and
governors controlling Revellan policy in the
Carrascan.
Greater Cuiverra Citizens (3S) Inhabitants of
Greater Cuiverra.
Knights of Abrandus (3S) An order of zealots
fighting a perennial war against the Meghran
corsairs.
Ministry of Trade (3S) Revellan officials who
sponsor merchant expeditions.
The Golden Lilies (3W) An elite squadron of the
Revellan navy, mostly drawn from the nobility.
The Starlight Vigil (2S) Maleurite missionaries
spreading Revellan doctrine across the Carrascan.
Lesser Cuiverra Citizens (2W) Inhabitants of
Lesser Cuiverra.
The Whispering Breeze (1S) Agents of the
Revellan monarchy, who keep tabs on the colonies.
Sallician Factions
House Pavoni (5S) The powerful family that
controls most of Salliceʼs colonies.
House Camillieri (4W) A disgraced noble family
trying to regain their power by controlling Carrascan
trade.
The Monarchi (3S) High-end bounty hunters, hired
by Salliceʼs elite.
Vespoliʼs Gate Citizens (3W) Inhabitants of
Vespoliʼs Gate.
Agostine Isles Citizens (2S) Inhabitants of the
Agostine Isles.
Seekerʼs Guild (2S) An organization of explorers
and adventurers, searching for glory and renown.
House Carrascos (2W) A separatist movement
hoping to create an independent Carrascan territory.
Brightflower Guild (1S) Explorers who scour the
Carrascan Sea for orchids and other valuable flora.
Cascabel Guild (1S) Skilled blacksmiths renowned
for their cannons.
Occult Factions
Drowners (4W) Dead sailors returned to a strange
semblance of life.
The Circle (3S) A collection of occultists working
together to influence events in the Carrascan.
The Maelstrom (2S) A ghost ship perpetually
surrounded by storms.
The Sisterhood of the Depths (2S) Sea-witches of
noble birth, trying to harness the oceanʼs power.
The Undying (2S) Waturey tribes who are inhabited
by the spirits of their ancestors.
The Calming Tide (2W) A sea cult that adopts and
trains occultists who struggle to control their magic.
Fort Crimson (2W) A former slave colony whose
prisoners swore a dark pact to win their freedom.
The Terminus (2W) A crew of ghostly sailors
roaming the Hollows.
The Harbingers (1S) An apocalyptic cult that
worships leviathans.
Outcast Factions
The Makote Pact (3W) An organization of Waturey
tribes, banding together for survival and defense.
Meghran Corsairs (3W) Zealots launching raids
and disrupting trade routes throughout the
Carrascan.
Southshore Maroons (2S) Segamban and Ourogan
refugees claiming territory in southern New Valdesia.
The Stormʼs Children (2S) Ourogan raiders
targeting the colonists who settled in their former
homes.
Southern Reach Natives (2W) Indigenous
inhabitants of the Southern Reach.
The Path of Embers (2W) A network of indigenous
spies who infiltrate and sabotage slave plantations.
Castaways Natives (1S) Indigenous inhabitants of
the Castaways.
The Woodworms (1S) Waturey saboteurs who rob
and capsize ships docked on nearby islands.
Carrowan Natives (1W) Indigenous inhabitants of
Carrowan.
There are no special rules for naval combat in Sea
of Dead Men. The standard mechanics of action
rolls and fictional positioning, which govern most
situations, apply to naval maneuvers and cannon
fire just as well as they do to actions on land.
The PCsʼ individual actions can be resolved using
action rolls or fortune rolls; maneuvers taken at
a larger scale might require rolling for actions
from the crewʼs cohorts, or using a group action
to resolve a broadside volley or boarding party.
The rest of this page gives some advice on running
interesting battles at sea.
Managing Complexity
The factors that go into position and effect for a
battle at sea can be quite simple or very complex,
depending on how much your group is interested
in naval tactics and nuances of sailing. If you want
to factor in details like wind speed and direction,
thatʼs great – you can fold that into potency or
quality. If you arenʼt an expert in naval combat, or
you just donʼt care about those details, thatʼs fine
too. You can often run a more exciting scene when
youʼre not bogged down in the minutia.
You can also avoid focusing on the tactical parts of
a ship battle altogether. If your players like duels
with cutlasses and pistols rather than chain shot
and cannons, you can resolve the sailing elements
of a score with one or two rolls and focus instead
on the PCs as they dramatically board their prey
and fight on its deck.
As with any situation, you can zoom in or out on a
nautical battle as you like. A high-stakes skirmish
could require the crew to fill a progress clock or
two in order to subdue their foes; a less important
battle might be resolved in a single action roll.
Scale and Spotlight Setting the Stage
Actions and consequences in ship battles can play Itʼs all too easy to start a battle by describing two
out at either of two different levels: the ship level, ships out in open waters, with nothing around and
a zoomed-out view of how the ships maneuver no weather to speak of. That may be realistic, but
around each other and exchange cannon fire, and it can get stale after a few scores.
the character level, which zooms back in on the
To keep things interesting, consider adding some
people on board those ships. The ship level might
scenery for the ships to deal with. Naval battles
have actions like firing a broadside or trapping the
donʼt have quite as many options for set dressing
enemy ship against a cliff; the character level can
as battles on land, but any environmental factors
feature actions like shooting at an enemy officer
you can add will make the scene more engaging.
or putting out a fire belowdecks.
You might add shallows, cliffs, or rocks to the
An ideal ship battle should shift back and forth
scene, or have it take place near an island or close
between these two levels. Actions taken at the ship
to a well-armed fortress. Bad weather can also be
level can become abstract and boring; if you give
a great tool for creating dynamic battles: thick fog
them consequences at the character scale, you
can limit visibility, and storms or high winds will
can build excitement and spread the spotlight
force each side to fight with the weather as well as
across the whole group.
the enemy ships.
A failed Navigate action, for instance, might mean
Ship Details
that the enemy fires a barrage of chain shot that
Keep in mind the particular traits of each ship in
cripples the mast and inflicts moderate harm to
the battle. The crewʼs flagship has edges and flaws
the ship. Not only does this hamper the ship on a
that reflect its unique qualities, but other ships
tactical level, but it provides fodder for action on
donʼt have the same mechanical depth; itʼs up to
the character level: suddenly there are shattered
the GM to keep their strengths and weaknesses in
pieces of wood raining down, sailors tangled up in
mind when making decisions about position and
the riggings, and the Scoundrel in the crowʼs nest
effect.
is now stranded on a collapsing mast.
As the GM, make an effort to be transparent about
Itʼs a little harder to have actions at the character
how other ships rate against the PCs. The more
level roll back up to affect the big picture, but itʼs
information they have, the better they can plan. If
just as important. Besides dealing with the fallout
an enemy ship is sluggish and riding low in the
from actions at the ship level, characters can pick
water, or if itʼs naturally fast or overloaded with
off important enemy leaders, raise fake signals, or
cannons, the crew should be able to notice, and
use setup actions to help their crewmates. The
they can use that information when they decide
PCs can also lead their sailors in a group action,
their approach to the battle.
taking charge of a gun crew or boarding party to
act with additional scale.
Pirates in the Carrascan Sea pirates tend to
congregate in a few pirate havens, communities
out on the fringes of society that operate well clear
of civilized laws. These havens are built to support
piracy, offering all the supplies and vices that a
crew can ask for.
There are three significant pirate havens in the
Carrascan Sea: Flotsam, No Manʼs Land, and
Pelican Rock.
No Manʼs Land
The island known to sailors as No Manʼs Land has
no official name, and does not appear on any map.
The island is a haven for spies, privateers, pirates,
and unscrupulous sailors: a neutral ground where
crews from all nations can drink and gamble
together, away from the watchful eyes of their
colonial masters.
The “land” portion of No Manʼs Land is a tiny islet,
barely extending above the waterline and
surrounded by a submerged sand bar. The islet
itself holds the havenʼs larger buildings, foremost
among them a sprawling tavern called the Mizzen,
while the rest of the town is built of ramshackle
structures resting on long stilts above the water.
The sand bar extends far enough out that most
ships canʼt sail close to the islet itself; visitors are
forced to lay anchor just past the shallows and row
the rest of the way in. This quirk of terrain creates
a natural perimeter of anchored ships that act as a
warning system should the town ever be attacked.
While all governments officially deny knowledge
of any such place, No Manʼs Land is an open secret
among the officers and spies who operate in the
Carrascan. A port where sailors of all nations
mingle freely creates a unique opportunity for
espionage, and behind the chaos and revelry lies a
thriving market for information and rumors.
Flotsam
The floating city of Flotsam, as far as most folk
outside the Carrascan are concerned, is nothing
but a legend. No reputable ship has ever seen it,
after all, and the explorers who go out searching
for it every year come back empty-handed. In
truth, though, Flotsam is entirely real: a veritable
armada of ships lashed together into a floating
colony of scoundrels and neʼer-do-wells.
The city is rumored to be protected by powerful
magic that wards off any unwelcome visitors.
Many of Flotsamʼs enemies have tried to locate the
floating city, but none have ever found it. Long-
term residents of Flotsam, on the other hand, gain
an instinctive sense of direction that leads them
back to the city no matter how far it drifts.
Flotsam operates under a kind of cheerful
anarchy, with no real laws or government. What
little order exists in the city is maintained by a
gang called the Ospreys, who run a protection
racket over most of its shops and merchants.
Outside their turf, anything goes: murder, theft,
and sabotage are commonplace events.
The one unwritten rule that every resident of
Flotsam follows, though, is a strict taboo against
open flame. Instead of torches and candles, the
cityʼs residents carry thick metal lanterns that
leave no chance of breaking and lighting the
wooden decks on fire.
Maintenance of the city is performed by the
Shipwrights, a collection of skilled carpenters. In
exchange, they demand a toll of supplies from
every ship that enters the city. Those who pay the
toll have the Shipwrightʼs guarantee of relative
safety for their cargo; the rare ships who refuse
are turned away from the docks, usually pursued
by a few opportunistic pirate crews.
Pelican Rock
Legend has it that Pelican Rock was founded when
a single pirate crew, its name now lost to history,
escaped a crew of bounty hunters by making a
mad scramble into the Southern Reach. There,
past the jagged rocks and sharp cliffs, the crew
found a small, defensible cove and decided to
claim it as their own.
Decades later, Pelican Rock has grown from its
humble beginnings into the largest pirate haven
in the Carrascan. Itʼs filled with pirates returning
from their latest voyages, sailors looking to join up
with a new crew, and enough fences, carpenters,
and purveyors of vice to keep the island in
business. Anything a pirate might need – rope,
lumber, ale, information, a good brawl – can be
found somewhere in Pelican Rock.
The crews who call Pelican Rock home are led by
the Pirate Council, an informal collective of five
pirate captains. Membership in the Pirate Council
is fluid, enforced only by the strength of those
holding it: to join, one must simply make a claim
for one of its five seats, and force any opposition
to back down.
The Pirate Council holds its meetings in a cave
dug into the side of a cliff – once a natural
formation, now a carved-stone room furnished
with all the comforts of a palace. The cave holds
six stone seats set around the table; five are simple
and utilitarian, made for the council members to
sit in, while the sixth is an elaborately carved
throne, with inscriptions that reserve it for a
“Pirate King”. That seat stands empty, as a symbol
of the piratesʼ contempt for monarchs and
dictators; if any ambitious soul ever tries to claim
it, the usual ban on violence is set aside and the
offender is unceremoniously shot.
Listed below are a set of opportunities, rumors and hooks that you can use to introduce potential scores and add background events to the world. Each list
is tailored for a specific crew type, but you can feel free to mix and match.
Loyalist Opportunities
Opportunities for Loyalist crews will usually tie into the nation they serve.
These can be explicit orders from the crewʼs superior officers, unofficial
requests from their allies, or just rumors that they happen to stumble on.
1. Your nationʼs navy is planning a large offensive; they need a separate force
to harass the enemyʼs lines of communication prior to the attack.
2. One of your nationʼs spies has been uncovered by an enemy; a pirate raid
would be the perfect cover to extract the agent without risking a diplomatic
incident.
3. Privateers loyal to another nation have been mouthing off to your crew.
4. A convoy of diplomats is headed to the Carrascan to negotiate a truce
between two of your nationʼs enemies.
5. A rival officer in your nationʼs military comes to you with a score thatʼs too
good to be true.
6. One of your navyʼs ships has recently deserted and turned pirate. They need
to be found and brought in as an example to would-be defectors.
7. A recent treaty will force your nation to move some of its ships out of a
contested region, and they need a few privateers to pick up the slack.
8. A crew of pirate hunters from another nation have started making a point of
tracking down and capturing enemy privateers.
9. A fortress belonging to your nation has just been seized by an enemy; it
must be retaken immediately, before the new occupants have time to rebuild
its defenses.
Marauder Opportunities
Marauder crews are built for violence – to threaten it, and inflict it. Their
opportunities generally involve an incentive for a fight, or prey thatʼs been
rendered vulnerable to attack.
1. A crew of Meghran corsairs has washed up onshore after a vicious fight with
Revellan troops. Theyʼre in bad shape now (and could easily be wiped out);
once they recover their strength, theyʼll be looking for allies for a
counterattack.
2. A nearby colony was recently struck by a terrible plague, rendering it nigh-
defenseless.
3. War is brimming between two nations, and both sides are looking for
privateers to recruit.
4. The governor of a nearby colony has been stockpiling gunpowder and
munitions in preparation for a raid on the islandʼs Ourogan tribes.
5. A band of maroons is planning an assault on a wealthy plantation, and
they need some extra firepower to ensure it goes smoothly.
6. A small flotilla of merchant ships is headed to a Sallician gold mine to pick
up a major shipment.
7. An influential merchant is preparing for a voyage, escorted by a huge
convoy of warships. Nobody knows where theyʼre bound, or their cargo.
8. Another pirate captain has a tip on the location of a treasure fleet, but their
crew doesnʼt have the strength to take on the prize alone.
9. A pirate crew recently sailed back into port, terribly damaged after a prize
managed to turn the tables on them. The pirates couldnʼt win the battle
outright, but they managed to inflict heavy damage as they fled; another
crew might be able to sail out and finish the job.
Phantom Opportunities
Scores for Phantoms will vary widely depending on the dark purpose of the
specific crew: a ship sworn to the protection of a certain relic will take on
very different missions than one whose goal is simple destruction. The
opportunities in this list mostly introduce new supernatural powers or
events, which the PCs can either oppose, support, or exploit.
1. A castaway rescued from a deserted isle is covered in strange tattoos and
scars, and keeps babbling about a “great storm”.
2. A ship that was lost at sea years ago suddenly returns to port, its crew
haggard and sunken-eyed. They refuse to talk about what happened to them
or where theyʼve been all this time.
3. The howling winds that haunt the Whispering Rocks have suddenly gone
quiet.
4. An enslaved child on a nearby plantation has manifested supernatural
powers and escaped into the wilderness.
5. Another crew has been receiving strange nightmares and visions for weeks
on end. Theyʼre willing to pay whatever it takes for someone to help them.
6. A group of explorers has unearthed a strange relic; they plan to bring it back
to the civilized world for thorough study.
7. Deep beneath the waves, a long-slumbering leviathan is beginning to wake.
Those attuned to the ocean have begun to experience splitting headaches
and terrifying visions as the leviathan exerts its influence.
8. A particular ship has been sitting in port for months now; its sailors
complain that theyʼre hounded by swarms of sea creatures any time the ship
ventures into open waters.
9. Another occultist reaches out to your crew, offering an exchange of services.
Renegade Opportunities
Opportunities for Renegade crews are an mixed bag of plot hooks and tip-
offs, chances to outwit other factions or to go on daring adventures.
1. Another pirate crew is bragging about a lucrative score theyʼre about to
attempt. They donʼt plan to leave for a day or two, though…plenty of time
to beat them to it.
2. Rumors around port say that a certain pirate captain is a spy who sells
intelligence to pirate hunters. The powers that be want the traitor dealt
with, one way or another.
3. Two pirate captains have started feuding, and their crews are brawling in
the streets.
4. A band of explorers is headed to a remote island to search for valuable
orchids and other treasures. Theyʼre in need of protection, but none of the
legitimate colonies will supply any troops.
5. A nearby colony has fallen victim to a string of Ourogan raids; the colonyʼs
governor is fleeing to safer shores, along with her family and all their
valuables.
6. The lone survivor of a navy ambush needs passage back to the site of the
battle, to retrieve a hidden stash of plunder from the wrecked ship.
7. A powerful pirate captain is looking for a lost artifact, hidden away on a
remote island.
8. A disgraced aristocrat from the old world is fleeing to a colony in the
Carrascan, hoping for a life of luxury and relative obscurity.
9. A friendly pirate ship was just captured, and its crew is scheduled to be
hanged at the end of the month.