Endless Seas

Quickstart

Swashbuckling with the 2d20 Game System™

Version 0.1, 20. Feb. 2023
 Background....................................................28
Table of Contents Commander Alex Norran................................29
Talents.............................................................29
Credits..........................................................................1 Equipment......................................................29
Feedback......................................................................1 Attacks............................................................29
Introduction................................................................5 Background....................................................29
What you Need to Play......................................5 Jaquinn de la Fleur............................................30
Basic Rules..................................................................5 Talents.............................................................30
Characters.............................................................5 Equipment......................................................30
Attributes.........................................................5 Attacks............................................................30
Skills..................................................................6 Background....................................................30
Focuses..............................................................6 Morgan deVray...................................................31
Notoriety..........................................................6 Talents.............................................................31
Tests........................................................................6 Equipment......................................................31
Tests...................................................................7 Attacks............................................................31
Opposed Tests.................................................7 Background....................................................31
Extended Tests................................................8
Traits.................................................................8 Credits
Advantages......................................................8
Complications.................................................8 Based on 2d20 by Modiphius, system designer Nathan
Success at a Cost............................................8 Dowdell. With thanks to Chris Birch and Modiphius
Test Difficulty..................................................9 Entertainment.
Improving the Odds.......................................9
The 2d20 Game System is a Trademark of Modiphius
Narrative Currency.............................................9
Momentum....................................................10 Entertainment and is used with their permission via
Menace............................................................10 the 2d20 World Builders Community Content
Determination...............................................11 program. For more information please visit
Conflict.................................................................11
www.2d20worldbuilders.com. The Modiphius
Encounters.....................................................12
Conflict Actions............................................12 Entertainment 2d20 World Builders logo is used
Attacks and Damage...................................14 under license.
Resistance and Cover..................................15
Endless Seas v0.1 ©2023 S.G.
Types of Attack.............................................15
Combat Momentum Spends......................17
Mystic Powers....................................................17 Feedback
Adventure: Escape the Gallows!.........................18
I’m eager on feedback! All your comments, criticism,
Introduction........................................................18
Synopsis...............................................................18 or improvements are welcome!
Scene 1: Out of the Cell!..................................18 Reach me via email: endless [ät] dthv.uber.space
Scene 2: Break into the Armoury..................20
Scene 3: Reach the “Fortune”.........................21
Scene 4: Defeat the Traitor.............................23
Conclusion..........................................................24
Non-Player-Characters....................................25
Soldier of Port Steadfast’s Garrison
[Minor NPC].................................................25
Pirate Henchman [Minor NPC]...............25
William “Bill” Harwick [Major NPC].....26
Pregenerated Characters.......................................27
Captain Vae.........................................................28
Talents.............................................................28
Equipment......................................................28
Attacks............................................................28

Introduction
Endless Seas is set in a world that resembles the
historical “golden age of piracy”, infused with mystical
powers and phenomena. Experience adventures as in
Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, myths like in
the famous Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and
uncover insidious intrigues like in Alexandre Dumas’
Three Musketeers. Think of Endless Seas as a classic, but
cinematic “cloak-and-sword” or “swashbuckling”
game.
What you Need to Play
In order to play Endless Seas, you will probably need:
• Twenty-sided dice – also known as d20s. These are
used for resolving tests. Often, a Player will roll two
twenty-sided dice, or 2d20, but as many as 5d20 can
be rolled at once.
• Six-sided dice – also known as d6s. These are used
mainly in combat. If multiple dice are required, this
will be noted as Xd6, where X does not mark a spot
on a treausre map, but the number of dice required.
Thus, 3d6 shows that three six-sided dice are to be
rolled.
• Tokens – You’ll need a way to track the narrative
Currency of Endless Seas: Momentum, Menace,
and Heroism (all covered later in detail). You need a
total of 6 tokens (or chips, beads, cards…) for
Momentum, a dozen or so for Menace and up to
five per Player for Heroism. If you have spare dice
with a sufficient number of sides, you can also use
dice to keep track of these resources.
• Pregenerated Characters – printed or sliced from
this document prior to the game, so every Player
can choose one before you begin.
• Something to take notes – so you can note down
Traits, or draw maps. After all, it’s called
Introduction
„Pen&Paper“ for a reason.
The d6 you will use, are also called “Challenge Dice”.
You can use any six-sided dice, yet need to consult the
following table to discern the result of your roll, if you
don’t have Challenge Dice of the other 2d20 system
games at hand.
Challenge Dice Result
d6 result Challenge Dice result
1 1
2 2
3 0
4 0
5 1, plus Effect
6 1, plus Effect
Basic Rules
The following section coveres the basic rules in
Endless Seas. All other rules of the game are based on
these, so every player should have a basic
understanding of these concepts during play.
Characters
Any character, whether controlled by a Player or the
Gamemaster (GM), consists of several elements that
represent defining aspects of their personality and
how they interact with their environment (and how
able they are to do so, respectively).
Attributes
Any character has six attributes: Coordination,
Daring, Endurance, Insight, Presence, and Reason.
Coordination is the character’s fine motor skills,
hand-eye-coordination, accuracy, and sense of time
and rhythm. Coordinated characters tend to be good
shots, and excel at sleight of hand and other, delicate,
precise tasks.
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Endless Seas
Daring is the character’s bravery and quick
thinking, or acting without hesitation. It also covers a
mixture of speed, balance and muscle memory.
Daring characters are quick fighters and good
dancers, acting fast and moving with precision.
Endurance is the character’s fortitude and ability
to endure physical hardship. It also encompasses the
character’s endurance, and their general health and
physical conditioning. Enduring characters are strong
and hardy.
Cunning is the character’s perceptiveness,
instincts, and their ability to comprehend the world
aorund them. It also covers a character’s ability to spot
weaknesses and exploit flaws in opponents and
situations. Cunning characters are observant and
shrewd, and may often be said to have “street smarts”
or be wise.
Presence is the character’s personality, and ability
to command attention or respect. Present characters
are diplomatic, persuasive, or intimidating.
Reason is the character’s ability to apply logic,
intellect, and the known facts to a situation.
Reasoning characters tend to be lucid, rational or
contemplative, and are often driven by a need to learn
and understand.
Skills
In addition to the six Attributes, each character is
trained in six Skills: Banter, Fight, Know, Dash, Sail,
and Survive.
Banter represents the character’s ability to socially
interact with and direct or lead others, e.g. a ship’s
crew or a violent crowd. It can also be used to deceive,
encourage, or to intimidate.
Fight represents the character’s ability to employ
and to respond to force, covering all sorts of weapon
proficiency, combat styles, and strategy.
4
Know represents the character’s knowledge of
facts, learning, and education.
Dash represents any movement of the character
itself, regardless of type – be it crawling, climbing,
running, or dancing.
Sail represents more than only the operation of a
sailing vessel, but includes any operation or
manipulation of vehicles, vessels or machines. Thus, a
character can “sail” a rowed boat, as well as “sail”
through a door by picking its lock.
Survive represents a characters ability to handle
and navigate dangerous environments or situations.
Focuses
Focuses represent specialised training or knowledge
of a character. They can be used everytime a focus is
relevant to a situation, for any combination of
Attribute + Skill.
A character can, in principle, have as many
focusses as they like. A character will start with six
skills, though, and will have to acquire any further
during gameplay.
Notoriety
Every Player Character has a socre of Notoriety,
reflecting the fame and reputation of a character.
Tests
As one might expect in the 2d20 system, when you
attempt an action, you can roll 2d20 to see if you
succeed. Each die that rolls equal to or less than the
target number is considered a success.
If you roll 1 , that die counts as critical success (the
die giving you two successes). If you roll a 20, that die
gives you a complication.
The target number is the sum of the Atribute + Skill
combination that most suits the task.
The GM decides the Difficulty of the task (a value

normally ranging from 0–5, but usually at least 1)
which is how many successes you need to get to
perform the action. If you get more successes than you
need, you gain Momentum points.
If you need to improve the odds, you can spend
these Momentum points to gain more dice. You can
also use Determination. The GM, on the other hand,
can use their Menace points to make actions more
difficult or aid non-player characters.
Tests
A basic involves a combination of a single Attribute
and a single Skill, a focus (if applicable) and rolling
two or more d20.
1. The gamemaster chooses which Attribute and
which Skill are appropriate for the attempted Test,
as well as if any of the character’s Focusses apply.
This might be stated by the rules text, or the Player
may suggest a combination, but the Gamemaster
has the final say.
Add together the Attribute and the Skill chosen:
this is the Target Number for the Test.
2. The Gamemaster sets the Difficulty for the Test,
which is usually a number ranging from 0–5. Some
Tests may have a default Difficulty listed in the
rules, but circumstances (such as those
represented by Traits) can affect those basic
Diffickulties.
The Difficulty is the number of successes the Player
must generate to successfully pass the Test.
3. Once a base Difficulty has been declared, the GM
can spend Menace to further increase Difficulty.
The Player can spend Momentum to purchase
additional dice (see Improving the Odds, p. 7).
Once Narrative Currency has been spent, the
Player rolls their dice pool.
4. Each die that rolls equal to or less than the target
Basic Rules
number scores a single success.
a) If there is an applicable Focus, then each die
that rolls equal to or less than the skill rating
being used scores two successes.
b) Each die that rolls a 1 scores two successes.
c) Each die that rolls a 20 causes a complication
(see Complications, p. 6).
5. If the number of successes scored equals or
exceeds the difficulty of the Test, then it is overall
successful. Any successes in excess of the Difficulty
of the test generate Momentum (see Momentum,
p. 8).
Even if the Test is successful, any Complication
still applies.
6. The Gamemaster describes the outcome of the
Test. If the Test is passed, the player may spend
Momentum to further improve the result. In any
event, the effects of any complications are applied.
Opposed Tests
When a character attempts an action and meets active
resistance, the situation calls for an Opposed Test.
Both characters usaually attempt a Test with a
Difficulty of 1, though circumstances might increase
Difficulty for one or both sides. The outcome of the
Opposed Test depends on each character’s results.
1. Active character succeeds, reactive character fails:
The active character achieves their goal, and their
Test is successful.
2. Active character fails, reactive character succeeds:
The active character fails to achieve their goal, and
the reactive character’s test is resolved. Some
opposed tests have a specific additional outcome
for the reactive character’s test.
3. Both characters fail: The active character fails to
achieve their goal, but the reactive character gains
no additional benefit.
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Endless Seas
4. Both characters succeed: Compare the total remains in play so long as it is true about the scene,
Momentum generated on each character’s Tests. character or place to which it is attached.
The character with the higher Momentum wins, Traits, Advantages and Complications will do one
and achieves their goal, but loses one Momentum of the following things:
for each Momentum their opponent scored. The
• The Trait would not impact the Task and does not
loser then loses all the Momentum they generated
have any effect.
and they cannot spend any. In the case of a tie, the
• The Trait is beneficial, and allows the Task to be
active character wins, but loses all the Momentum
attempted when it might normally be impossible.
they generated.
• The Trait is beneficial, and reduces the Difficulty of
Extended Tests
the Task by 1.
Sometimes, a problem is too complex to be overcome
• The Trait is detrimental, and increases the
by a single Test. This is where Extended Tests come in.
Difficulty of the Task by 1.
Effectively, they use combat mechanics to overcome
• The Trait is detrimental, it either prevents the Task
problems and represent every problem as a “fight”-
from being attempted when it might normally be
able statistics: “Stress” is called Work Track, and the
possible, or means the situation now requires a Test
“Injuries” the problem needs to suffer to solve it are
when one would not normally be required.
called Breakthroughs. These problems are “attacked”
with an appropriate Attribute + Skill combination Advantages
(comparable to Daring + Fight is an appropriate An Advantage is a Trait which is inherently positive or
combination for a “problem” in the forms of an beneficial, and which will never have a detrimental
opponent in a meelee skirmish) and might even pose effect to its owners.
Resistance. Combined, Work Track, number of
Complications
Breakthroughs needed, and Resistance make up the
A Complication is inherently negative or problematic,
essence of any extended task.
and which will never have a beneficial effect upon its
The Quickstart Adventure, “Escape the Gallows!”,
owners.
presented later, provides an opportunity to include an
Complications can arise by:
Extended Task. It is recommended, though, to only
• Rolling a 20: When attempting a skill test, each d20
use this with a group already familiar with the 2d20
that rolls 20 causes a complication, which comes
ruleset, as no further explanation on Extended Tests is
into effect once the Test has been resolved.
provided in this Quickstart.
• Gamemaster Introduction: The GM can introduce
Traits
complications by spending Menace.
Locations, characters, and situations all come in a
Success at a Cost
variety of shapes and sizes, and these differences are
handled in-game as Traits. Each Trait is a single word Some Tests can’t really be failed outright; rather, it’s
or short phrase, which describes a single significant uncertain whether the Test can be completed without
fact about whatever it is the Trait belongs to and problems. In this situation, the gamemaster may allow
the Players to succeed at a cost. With this option, a

6

failed roll still means the Test is passed, but the Player
also suffers one automatic Complication in addition
to any that occur because of the dice rolled.
Although the failed test has produced a successful
outcome, you cannot spend Momentum to improve
the outcome of a skill test. Momentum can only be
spent on the test if it was successful due to the dice
roll.
Test Difficulty
Unless otherwise noted, most Tests have a basic
Difficulty of 1, though more routine or
straightforward Tests may have a Difficulty of 0, and
more complex or problematic Tests will have higher
Difficulties.
After this, the Gamemaster considers whether
there are any other factors in the current scene or
environment, or affecting the characters involved,
that would alter the base Difficulty.
Difficulty 0 Tests
Some tests may be reduced to difficulty 0. Difficulty 0
tests do not require a dice roll: they are automatically
successful with no risk of complications. However,
because no roll is made, they cannot generate
Momentum – even bonus Momentum from talents,
even for particularly advantageous situations – and
the character cannot spend any Momentum on the
test’s outcome, either.
At the gamemaster’s discretion, a character can roll
the dice on a test with a difficulty of 0 and can
generate Momentum as normal (because zero
successes are required, every success generates
Momentum), but this comes with the normal risk of
complications as well. This sort of difficulty 0 test can
be useful if it’s important how successful a character
is, but there’s no real chance of failure.
Basic Rules
Improving the Odds
Endless Seas provides several ways for Players to
improve their chances of success by buying additional
d20s to roll on a test:
• Assistance: One or more characters can assist with
the Test. Each character attempting to assist rolls
1d20, using a target number of their own Attribute
+ Skill combination. Any success they score are
added to the test’s successes, providing the main
character attempting the test scores 1 success.
Assisting characters never roll more than 2d20.
• Momentum: Momentum can be spent to buy up to
3 additional dice.
• Threat: Players may add to Threat to buy up to 3
additional dice.
• Determination: Spending a single point of
Determination allows a Player to take one of their
d20s, and change it so that it shows a 1 instead of
rolling it, giving them two successes automatically
before rolling.
• Talents: Some Talents can grant bonus d20s in
specific circumstances but this will depend on
context and they still count towards the number of
bonus d20s that can be purchased.
For the Gamemaster buying bonus d20s for Non-
Player-Characters there are fewer options. The
Gamemaster may spend points of Threat to add dice
to a Non-Player-Character’s Test roll. The GM may not
add to Momentum to make up for missing Threat, and
typically, Non-Player-Characters do not have
Determination.
Narrative Currency
Endless Seas uses “narrative currency” to let players
and gamemasters alike alter established scenes. In
essence, you “buy” certain effects with the respective
currency at your disposal. This helps to drive the story
7
Endless Seas
forward while the Gamemaster’s ability to challenge
the players beyond the adventure planned beforhand
scales with success or defeat of the players.
The three units of narrative currency in Endless
Seas are: Momentum, Determination, and Menace.
Only Players have access to Momentum and
Determination while only the Gamemaster has access
to Menace.
Momentum
Each success above and beyond the Difficulty of a Test
becomes one point of Momentum, which the
character may use immediately, or save for later.
Momentum is a valuable pooled resource that allows
characters to improve upon their successes or gain
additional benefits.
The Momentum pool cannot contain more than
six Momentum at any time.
Bonus Momentum
Some situations, items, and talents grant a character
bonus Momentum. This is added to the amount of
Momentum you generate from a successful Test.
Sometimes it is specified that bonus Momentum can
only be used in a specific way, such as buying dice, or
obtaining information.
Bonus Momentum cannot be saved to a
Momentum pool: if it is not used when it is generated,
it is lost forever.
Example Uses for Momentum
The most common ways to use Momentum are listed
below. Immediate Momentum spends can happen at
any time. Repeatable Momentum spends can be done
more than once in succession.
• Create Opportunity (Immediate, Repeatable): The
character gains bonus d20s on their next skill test.
The first die purchased costs 1 Momentum, the
second 2, and the third 3. Thus, buying one bonus
8
d20 costs 1 Momentum in total, buying two bonus
d20s costs 3 Momentum in total, and buying three
bonus d20s costs 6 Momentums in total.
• Create Advantage: Spending two Momentum
establishes some new Advantage in addition to
whatever effect this successful Task had, or
removes a Complication from the scene.
• Create Problem (Immediate, Repeatable): A
character can choose to make things more diffcult
for an opponent, increasing the Difficulty of a
single Test by 1 for every two Momentum spent.
Create Problem must be done before any dice are
rolled for a Task.
• Obtain Information (Repeatable): For each
Momentum spent the character’s player asks the
Gamemaster a single question about the situation,
environment or the characters present, which is not
immediately obvious depending on the Test
attempted. The GM must answer truthfully, but can
be as detailed or vague as they wish.
Menace
As player characters generate and spend Momentum,
the Gamemaster generates their own currency, called
Menace. The GM spends Menace to alter scenes,
empower non-player characters, and generally make
things more challenging, perilous, or unpredictable
for the player characters. Players can also add to the
Menace pool instead of spending Momentum.
The GM typically begins each adventure with one
Menace for each player present at the start of the
session, plus halve of the sum (rounded down) of the
Notoriety score of all characters present.
Gaining Menace
The GM gains Menace in the following circumstances:
• Immediate Momentum: Whenever a character uses
an immediate Momentum Spend, such as buying

bonus d20s, they can do this by adding to the
Gamemaster’s Menace pool, point for point.
• Complications: When a character suffers one or
more Complications on a Test they or the
Gamemaster may choose not to have the
Complication take effect, but this is in exchange for
adding two points to the Menace pool.
• Menacing Circumstances: The environment or
circumstances of a new scene may be threatening
enough to warrant adding one or two points of
Threat to the pool.
• Non-Player-Character Momentum: Non-Player
Characters with unspent Momentum cannot save it
like Player Characters because they do not have a
group Momentum pool. Instead, a Non-Player-
Character adds unspent Momentum to the Threat
pool.
Spending Menace
In return, the Gamemaster can spend Menace in a few
ways. Examples of these can be found in the mission
that accompanies these rules:
• Non-Player-Character Momentum: Non-Player
Characters may use Menace in all the ways that
Player Characters use group Momentum.
• Non-Player-Character Threat Spends: For any
action that would add one or more points to
Menace, a Non-Player Character performing the
same action or choice must spend an equivalent
number of points of Menace.
• Non-Player Character Complications: If a Non-
Player Character suffers a Complication, the
Gamemaster may prevent the Complication by
spending two Threat.
• Complication: The Gamemaster may create a
Complication by spending two Menace.
• Reinforcements: The Gamemaster may bring in
Basic Rules
additional Non-Player Characters during a scene.
Minor NPCs cost one Threat apiece, while Notable
NPCs cost two.
Determination
Determination can be used by any Player citing one of
their Values. The Player must justify how the Value
applies to the current situation. A point of
Determination spent provides one of the following
benefits:
• Perfect Opportunity: Spend a point of
Determination to provide the character with a
single bonus d20. This bonus d20 is considered to
have automatically rolled a 1, thus granting two
automatic successes. The normal limit for
additional 2d20 bought for a Test still applies and
the die bought with determination is considered to
be the first additional die bought, rendering the
cost for a second die to 2 Momentum and the cost
for a third die to 3 Momentum (for a total of
1 Determination and 5 Momentum for these three
dice).
• Heroic Moment: Spend a point of Determination to
re-roll the characters dice pool. The Player may
decide which dice to re-roll and which to keep.
• Wild Flurry of Action: Spend a point of
Determination to immediately perform another
Test as soon as the current one has been resolved.
• Luck over Logic: Spend a point of Determination to
immediately create a trait for the character that
applies to the current scene. This may be used
before rolling the dice on a Test, and it can affect
the Test it has been created for.
Every character starts an adventure with 1 point of
Determination and may not have their Determination
exceed 3 points. Rules for re-gaining Determination
are not covered in this Quickstart.
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Endless Seas
Zones and Distances
Conflict
In action, it’s important to know where you are. Thus,
Endless Seas is a game of swashbuckling heroes and
keep track of which zones characters are in.
cinematic action.
Zones are defined by the terrain around them and
In this quickstart, only basic action/combat rules
tracking a character can simple be a matter of
are presented. The Core Rule of, Endless Seas cover
description: an enemy might be “standing by the
the following types of conflict:
rudder” or “down the companion”. This has the
• Duel: A classy “cloak and dagger” conflict between
advantage of relying on natural language and intuitive
two individuals.
concepts.
• Skirmish: A fight between three or more
The gamemaster may also use a map or sketch to
combatants, otherwise similar to Duels. Skirmishes
mark ouit the zones of a location, using tokens or
might lead to Duels.
markers to show positions in the scene.
• Ship Combat: Naval warfare involving
In combat, movement and ranges are measured in
manoeuvering ships and firing cannons. Ship
one state and four categories.
combat can, of course, lead to Skirmishes or Duels.
• Thte state of Reach is when an object or character is
• Intrigue: A type of social conflict involving secrets,
within arm’s length or melee weapon range of the
blackmailing or covertly use of influence.
character. It’s necessary to be in Reach of a
Encounters character to make a melee attack or begin a Duel.
Encounters are a parts of a scene that are played out Being within Reach of an enemy is quite disruptive
more formally than normal: in rounds and turns. an distracting, adding +1 to the Difficulty of any
While not necessarily involving open conflict (but also Task other than a melee attack or the attempt to
other, often time- or otherwise critical action), they begin a Duel.
often do. • Close range is defined as the zone the character is
Rounds and Turns within at the time. Moving within Close range is a

Especially combat is played out in Runds and Turns. trivial affair. Close range is, in essence, a distance
of 0 zones.
Within each Round, each character in a conflict
encounter takes one Turn. At the start of a conflict, the • Medium range is defined as any zone adjacent to

Gamemaster determines a single character to take the the character’s current zone. Medium range is a

first Turn. This is normally a Player Character unless distance of 1 zone.

there is a story reason for a Non-Player Character to • Longe range is defined as objects and creatures two
go first. zones away from a character’s current zone. Long

Order of play goes back and forth from Player range is a distance of 2 zones.

Characters to Non-Player Characters until everyone • Extreme range is any creatures and objects beyond
has had a Turn. The next Round begins with the first Long range. Extreme range is a distance of 3 or
Turn going to the side that did not act last. more zones.

10

Conflict Actions
During a Turn in an encounter, a Character can
usually attempt a single Major Action and a single
Minor Action.
Minor Actions
You can take one Minor Action on your turn. You can
spend 1 Momentum to take one additional minor
action. Only one additional Minor Action can be taken
per turn and every Minor Action can only taken once
per turn.
• Aim: You can reroll 1d20 when you make an attack
this turn.
• Draw Item: You pick up an item within reach, or
draw an item you are carrying. If the item doesn’t
require a Test to use, you can use it immediately for
free.
• Movement: You move to any point within medium
range, and can stand, or drop prone, as part of this
movement. You can’t take this minor action if you
have taken the Sprint action (see Major Actions) or if
you are within reach of an enemy.
• Prepare: You take a second to set up a major action.
Some major actions require this minor action
before they can be taken.
Major Actions
You can take one Major Action each turn. Once per
encounter, you can spend one Determination point to
take a second Major Action.
• Assist: You character assist another character you
can communicate with with a Test during their
turn. It may be that you assist them before your
turn, in which case your Major Action is taken up by
doing so when it comes to your turn. Roll 1d20
using your own Attribute + Skill combination.
Successes you score are added to the assisted
character’s providing they score at least 1 scuccess.
Basic Rules
Assisting characters never roll more than 1d20.
• Attack: You character attack an enemy or another
viable target.
• Create Advantage: The character creates some
beneficial circumstance or removes a Complication.
This costs to Momentum or adds 2 to Menace.
• Command: You issue a command to another
character under your control. That character
performs a Major Action to resolve your command,
taking any Minor Actions required to complete the
order.
• Guard: You find some defensible position, focus on
your surroundings, or otherwise gain additional
readiness for an attack.
• Pass: You choose not to take a Major Action.
• Ready: You declare that you are waiting for a
specific situation or event to occur before
attempting a Test.
When the trigger event occurs, you temporarily
interrupt the current character’s turn to resolve
your readied Major Action, and then play proceeds
as normal. If the triggering event does not occur
before your next turn, the action is lost. You can still
perform Minor Actions during your turn as normal.
• Catch Breath: You get behind cover, and attempt an
Endurance + Survive Test with a Difficulty of 2.
While behind cover, you can one additional
Resistance for each Effect rolled on Cover Dice and
regain the Ability to Avoid an Injury. You may also
regain 2 Stress per Momentum spent.
• Sprint: You attempt to move further and more
quickly. This is a Daring + Dash Test with a
Difficulty of 0. Success means you move one zone,
one additional zone per Momentum spent
(Repeatable).
• Stabilise: You attempt to treat the injury of a
11
Endless Seas
character within Reach.
• Reload Muzzle Loader: You attempt to reload a
muzzle loading ranged weapon, e.g. a flintstone
pistol or a musket. This is an Extended
Coordination + Fight Test needing a number of
successes equal to the Damage Rating of the
weapon.
• Other Test: A range of other actions can be
performed during combat, at the Gamemaster’s
discretion.
Attacks and Damage
An Attack is any action made with the intention of
harming another character, NPC or creature, or
inflicting stress upon an object.
Attacks are made as follows:
1. Declare the Attack: Choose a target that you can
engage, and a weapon to use. If you want to make a
ranged attack, you need to be able to see the target.
If you want to make a meelee attack (including an
Unarmed Strike), you must be within Reach of the
target.
2. Declare whether the Attack is intended to be Non-
Lethal or Lethal. If you intend to make a Lethal
attack, add a single point to the Menace pool.
3. Attack Test, determined by the type of attack:
a) For a Meelee Attack, the attacker attempts a
Daring + Fight Test with a Difficulty of 1,
opposed by the targets Daring + Fight (also
Difficulty 1). If the target wins the Opposed
Task, then they are considered to have made a
successful attack instead.
The winner of a meelee attack (whether they
were the attacker or defender) may
immediately leave their enemy’s Reach instead
of inflicting damage, and move anywhere
within close range. The character fends off their
opponent instead of inflicting damage.
b) For a Ranged Attack, the attacker attempts a
Coordination + Fight Test with a Difficulty of 2.
This is not an Opposed Task. The Difficulty of
this Task increases by 1 if ther eis an enemy
within Reach of the attacker. The Complication
Range of the attack increases by 1 if there are
creatures within Reach of the target. A
Complication may include that one of the other,
nearby creatures is struck by the attack.
4. Inflict Damage: If either of the Attack Tests
succeeded then the Attack inflicts Damage, as
described below:
a) Roll Challenge Dice: Roll the Number of
Challenge Dice indicated by the weapon’s
Damage Rating and total the number of Stress
inflicted and any Effects.
b) Roll Resistance: If the target has any Resistance
Dice (from Cover and the like), roll those dice,
and add the total rolled to the character’s static
Resistance, if any. The total is the character’s
Resistance for this Attack.
c) Substract the Resistance for this Attack from
the total Number of Stress as calculated under
a). Add any remaining Stress to the target’s
stress track and check to see, whether they have
sustained any injuries.
Injuries
The character suffers an injury for every of the
following circumstances:
1. If the character suffers 5 or more stress from a
single attack or hazard after reduction for
resistance.
2. The character’s stress track is filled.
3. The character already had a full stress track and
takes further stress.

12

If two of the condictions occur the character suffers
two injuries, resolved one at a time.
When a character suffers an injury they are
incapacitated. They cannot carry out any Minor
Actions or attempt any Tests for the remainder of the
scene. A character that suffers a second Injury when
already suffering from a Non-lethal Injury now suffers
from a Lethal Injury instead. A character that suffers
an Injuiry while already suffering from a Lethal Injury,
is dead.
When a character suffers an Injury, they have the
option to avoid it as they can dive aside at the last
moment, duck into cover, or otherwise dodge out of
the way. Avoiding an Injury in this way has a price: it
costs 2 Momentum (Immeadiate), or requires that the
character suffers a Complication (minor injury,
damage to equipment etc.). A character may only
Avoid an Injury once per scene, though they may regain
the ability for a second use by taking the Catch Breath
Major Action.
Resistance and Cover
Resistance comes in two forms: persistent and
conditional. Persistant resistance comes in the form of
a simple number, while conditional resistance comes
in the form of Challenge Dice.
A character gains persistant resistance from armour,
and conditional restistance from cover. Cover typically
comes from circumstances as terrain or obstacles.
Thus, it is not a static value of any character, but
depends on the scene and/or location.
Types of Attack
Weapons and other forms of attack, as well as the
damage caused by hazards, have a few common traits
and values that determine the specifics of how they
function. The key element of a weapon are what type
of weapon it is, its Damage Rating, the weapon’s size,
Basic Rules
and any Qualities it possesses that influence how it is
used.
1. The weapon’s Type is either Meelee or Ranged,
determining how the weapon is used. A meelee
weapon might be thrown (making it an improvised
ranged weapon), but this increases the
complication range of this attack by 1.
2. The weapon’s Damage Rating is a number of
Challenge Dice, and possibly one or more Damage
Effect(s) that trigger when Effects are rolled. All
weapon gain additional Challenge Dice to their
Damage Rating equal to the Fight skill of the
character.
3. The weapon’s Size is either one-handed (1H) or
two-handed (2H). A 2H weapon can be used in one
hand to make an attack, but the Difficulty
increases by 1. If a two-handed meelee weapon is
thrown (see above), size increases Difficulty by 1,
again.
4. The weapon’s Qualities are any additional rules,
setting out restrictions or benefits that apply to the
weapon’s use.
Damage Effects
The following abilities provide additional benefits
whenever an Effect is rolled on the Challenge Dice (see
Challenge Dice, p. 3). When one or more Effects are
rolled, all Damage Effects that apply to that attack are
used:
• Area: The attack covers a wide area and can affect
several targets at the same time. The attack
automatically affects any character or damageable
object within Reach of the initial target. It also
affects one additiona target within Close range of
the initial target for each Effect result on the
Challenge Dice, starting with the closest as
determined by the Gamemaster. If one or more
13
Endless Seas
Complications are rolled when using an Area
attack, the Gamemaster may choose to use
Complications to have the attack apply to an ally in
the area of the attack. A target cannot be hit if it
would have been more difficult to hit than the
intitial target.
• Intense: The attack is designed to inflict massive
harm on a target, incapacitating them far more
effectively. The cost to Avoid an Injury caused by an
intense weapon increases by one for each Effect
rolled.
• Knockdown: If one ore more Effects are rolled on
this attack, then the target is knocked prone. The
target may resist this effect by adding a number of
points to Menace equal to the number of Effects
rolled. For Non-Player Characters, the Gamemaster
spends Menace instead of adding to Menace.
• Perilous: The attack escalates problems. It adds 1 to
Menace for each Effect rolled. If used by an Non-
Player Character adversary, this instead removes 1
from Menace per Effect rolled, to a minimum of
0 Menace remaining.
• Piercing X: The Attack ignores X points of the
target’s total Resistance for each Effect rolled.
• Snare: The attack can entangle and bind the target.
The target cannot take any actions other than to try
and break free. It requires a Test with a difficulty
equal to the number of Effects rolled to break free.
• Stun: The attack or hazard leaves the target
momentarilty unable to act. If a number of Effects
are rolled that equal or exceeds the target’s Survive
Skill, the target may not take any actions in their
next turn.
• Vicious X: The atack inflicts X additional damage
for each Effect rolled.
14
Weapon Qualities
The following additional Qualities alter the way a
weapon functions in a variety of ways:
• Accurate: The weapon is especially precise, often
forged in excellence qualtity by expertly skilled
smiths. If the character performs the Aim Minor
Action before making an attack with this weapon
then any number of d20s may be re-rolled, instead
of the normal benefits of aiming.
• Cumbersome: The weapon takes patience and
precision to use effectively. The weapon cannot be
used to attack unleass a Prepare Minor Action is
performed during the same Turn.
• Deadly: The weapon is designed to kill; if the
character attempts to make a Non-Lethal attack
with this eapon, the Difficulty of the attack
increases by 1.
• Debilitating: Survival Tests to perform Stabilise
Major Actions on characters injured by this
weapon, or to heal injuries from this weapon,
increase in Difficulty by 1.
• Hidden X: The weapon is easy to conceal, or
disguised as something else. When the weapon is
hidden, any search of the owning character
requires an Insight + Fight or Reason + Fight Test
with a Difficulty of X to find the weapon. A
character may use a Minor Action to conceal a
Hidden weapon.
• Inaccurate: The weapon is imprecise and clumsy,
and very little can be done to change that. The Aim
Minor Action gives no benefit when making an
attack with this weapon.
• Non-Lethal: The weapon is debilitating rather than
deadly; if the character attempts to make a Lethal
attack with this weapon, the Difficulty of the attack
increases by 1.
 Basic Rules
• Parrying: When this weapon’s wielder makes an Re-Roll Damage

opposed test to defend against a melee attack, they
may re-roll a single d20 on their test. This does not
stack if the character has multiple Parrying
weapons.
• Subtle: Attacks with this weapon are difficult to
detect. An attack using a subtle weapon against an
unaware opponent gain +2 CD damage and the
Intense damage effect. The attack cannot be
detected unless a complication is rolled on the skill
test, though enemies damaged will know they have
been attacked if they are not defeated by it (and
may be able to trace the attack back to you if you
aren’t hidden).
Combat Momentum Spends
The following Momentum spends in combat can
improve the character’s situation in many ways:
Bonus Damage
Spend 1 Momentum (repeatable) to increase the
damage inflicted by a successful attack, regardless of
the type of attack. Each Momentum spent adds +1
damage.
Disarm
Spend 2 Momentum to knock away one weapon held
by the target. The weapon falls to the ground within
Reach and picking it up is a Minor Action for any
character within Reach.
Extra Minor Actions
Spend 1 Momentum to re-roll any number of
Challenge Dice form the current attack.
Avoid an Injury
Immediately spend 2 Momentum to avoid suffering a
single injury. The cost may be paid by suffering a
Complication instead. Other factors may increas the
cost further. May only be used once per scene, though
one additional use per scene can be obtained (see the
Catch Breath Major Action, p. 11).
Secondary Target
Spend 2 Momentum to affect a second target within
reach of the attack’s target with your attack. The
secondary target suffers half the attack’s damage,
rounded down.
Swift Action
Spend 2 Momentum to attempt one additional Test,
increasing its Difficulty by 1 over what the Test would
normally require.
Mystic Powers
There are rumours throughout the seas and ports of
extraordinary people wielding mystical powers. Called
magic by some, command of nature’s spirits by others,
these mystic powers are as rare as they are
unpredictable.
Endless Seas includes some rare supernatural
abilities that are not included in this quickstart.

Immediately spend 1 Momentum (repeatable) to take

additional Minor Actions.
Keep the Initiative

Immediately spend 2 Momentum to pass the action

order to another ally instead of the enemy. This may
only be done once before the enemy has taken at least
one Turn.

15
Endless Seas
Adventure: Escape the
Gallows!
Charaktere müssen aus einem Kerker fliehen, um
nicht als Piraten gehängt zu werden.
Introduction
This Quickstart adventures serves as an introduction
to both the world and rules set of Endless Seas. It is
meant to be played by a Gamemaster and 3–4 Players
and has been designed to demonstrate the core
mechanics of the game. Plot and action are pretty
straight-forward and intended to focus on the basic
rules of the game.
While everyone is encouraged to have read the
rules beforehand, the contents of this adventure is for
the Gamemaster’s eyes only.
The synopsis below summaries the adventure and
the events leading up to it. Rules will be introduced
throughout the adventure.
Synopsis
Four individuals of different origin meet in – a
dungeon cell below the Fort of Port Steadfast, a
trading port in the Endless Sea. Port Steadfast’s
Govenor, Lady Felicity Barrenham, has sentenced the
characters to die for various reasons. Their hanging is
scheduled for the next morning, leaving them only
this night to escape the dungeons, city, and their fate.
After teaming up to escape their cell, they will need
to sneak through the Fort to break into the armoury.
Supplied with their belongings (or, at least, some
weapons), the characters will then leave the fort and
try to dodge the city watch on their way out of town.
Captain Vae promises their ship, the Fortune, lies in
a hidden cove near Port Steadfast and agrees to take
their companions with them and to the next port of
16
call. In order to reach the ship, the characters will need
to acquire (so, most likely: steal) a small boat, escape
the port and head to the hidden cove and the Fortune.
Yet, on reaching the Fortune, Vae finds out why the
Govenor and her forces were able to catch them in the
first place: Vae has been betrayed by their First Mate, a
man called William “Bill” Harwick. The moment, their
former First Mate discovers Vae escaped the
dungeons, he will immediately turn against them and
their new acquaintance.
You begin this adventure with 2 points of Menace for each
Player.
Scene 1: Out of the Cell!
When everyone is ready to begin, set the scene reading
the following passage out aloud, paraphrasing when
needed:
Despite the tropical climate outside, your dungeon cell is
cold and musty. The interior is comfortless: rotten plank
beds with heaps of days-old straw, cobblestone flooring
and a single, barred window, to small to even stick a
head out to feel the last lights of the setting sun.
According to the local authority’s, Lady Felicity
Barrenham’ decree, you all are going to die in the first
lights of the next morning, hanged at the gallow at the
central marketplace of Port Steadfast. Needless to say,
nobody is very fond of the idea that this will be your last
night, in this strange company of the respective other
three convicts in your cell.
The window is too small to escape through and there’s no
time to dig a tunnel through a wall or a floor. So the only
way out seems to be your way in: a sturdy iron-barred
door with a big lock. If you want to try to pick it, you will
have to make sure the watch on patrol, unregularly
showing up every other minute, won’t notice you. On the
other hand, the guardsman does have a bunch of keys
dangling at his belt…

At this point, Players are encouraged to plan their
escape. This could involve the following strategies:
• Picking the door’s lock. This is a Coordination +
Sail Test with a Difficulty of 3. Spending two
Momentum to create the advantage of “Lockpicking
Tool” (which could e.g. be a hairpin or improvised
by pulling nails out of the cells “furniture”) will
reduce the Difficulty to 2. Yet, since this is probably
the first roll of the game, the Players’ Momentum
pool will still be empty and the would have add to
Menace, instead.
If the players sneaked out of their cell, this way, the
GM can spend 2 Menace at any time while they’re
still within the Fort to have them stumble into the
guard, leading to hand-to-hand combat. The GM
may also spend 4 Menace at any time to have the
guard finding the empty cell and sounding an
alarm – raising the Complication Range of any task
by two (from 20 to 18–20) inside and by one (from
20 to 19–20) outside the Fort.
• Get the keys. Provocing the guard in either way to
step one step too close to the barred door is easy – a
Presence + Banter Test with a Difficulty of 0. Yet,
reaching through the door’s bars and retrieving any
item off the guard’s belt is an opposed Daring +
Fight Test with a Difficulty of 4 for the Players and a
Difficulty of 2 for the guard, since the guard
obviously is in an advantageous position. Only one
other Player can assist the leading Player in this
Test.
Clever Players might want to grab the guard’s
sword first, to coerce him to hand in the keys or
open the door. This is a good idea, yet will not
change anything about the tests’ Difficulty. While
it’s easier to draw the guards sword, its harder to
get it through the bars while still holding a grasp on
the guard. The keys are easier to pull through the
Adventure: Escape the Gallows!
door, yet have to be picked off the guard’s belt, first.
• Intimidate the Guard. This is impossible, as the
guards know this “tactic”. The guard will respond
that he has seen too many “scumbags spitting out
vial threats and still ended up dangling from the
gallows to give anything about this talks”. If the
Players retry, he will simply walk away (but might
return in response to the Players’ actions or on his
own).
• Lure the guard in. The classy “Sick Captive Scam” is
of course a funny option, and Lady Barrenham
indeed has enough of a grudge against at least
Captain Vae or Commander Norran to want to see
them hang instead of hearing of their demise
within this cell. Of course many other strategies to
convince the guard that he has to come inside the
cell for some reason, are valid, too. For example,
Commander Norran could convince the guard to let
them escape and to fake that he was overwhelmed,
since they could have been old comrades in service
of the garrison.
Luring the guard inside the cell is a Presence +
Banter Test with a Difficulty of 2 (that can be
assisted by two other players), but the moment the
guard is inside the cell, he will realise his mistake.
Combat ensues, with the prison cell being the zone
everyone will start in, and maybe the corridor being
another.
Note, that to this point, the players will have none
of their items at hands, as they’re still locked away
safely somewhere in the armoury. Thus, they will
need to fight the guard with their bare hands.
• Brute Force Their Way Out. There are serveral
wooden planks within the cell, that can be used as
fulcrum and leavers, breaking the door out of its
support. This will require a Reason + Sail Test with
a Difficulty of 2 to set up the lever and an
17
Endless Seas
Endurance + Sail Test with a Difficulty of 5 to break
the door.
If they succeed without the guard noticing their
escape (e.g. by picking the lock or breaking the door),
read the following to the Players, paraphrasing when
needed:
You made it out of the cell and your guard does not seem
to have noticed your escape. There’s one fewer door
between you and your freedom, but you’re not even out of
the Fort, let alone the city. You do not know when your
guard will come back or what he might have heard, so
it’s time to hurry.
Your possessions you had on you when you were taken
under arrest should be safely stored within the armoury
of the Fort, a few corridors from here.
If they defeated the guard, read the following to the
Players, paraphrasing when needed:
You have defeated the guard and left him in the cell.
Now, there’s one fewer door between you and your
freedom, but you’re not even out of the Fort, let alone the
city. You do not know how many other guards are on
patrol, so it’s time to hurry.
Your possessions you had on you when you were taken
under arrest should be safely stored within the armoury
of the Fort, only a few corridors from here.
Before this scene ends, give the players a moment of
time, if they need it. The adventure assumes that they
will now proceed to break into the armoury of the Fort
to regain their equipment. Adjust the following scene’s
readings and actions, if they decide not to.
In any event, when the scene ends, substract
1 Momentum from the players’ Momentum pool.
Scene 2: Break into the Armoury
At the start of the scene, read the following to the
players, paraphrasing when needed:
18
Night falls and the Fort gets quiet. Only a skeleton crew
of guards mans the lookouts and patrols the corridors.
Whereever you head – do it silent, do it swift! If you are
discovered, you risk that the guards will sound an alarm
and the Fort to be flooded with reinforcements.
Moving silently through the Fort without being
noticed by the guards is a Coordination + Dash Test
with a Difficulty of 2. If the characters succeed they
can head to the armoury (or out of the Fort, if they
want to skip the armoury) unnoticed.
If the characters fail, they are noticed by a patrol of
a single guard, the guard having initiative. If the
characters broke out of their cell without the guard
noticing them, the Gamemaster can spend 2 Menace
to have them encounter the guard now, yet the players
will start combat, as normal if they succeeded the test
above.
After the above has been resolved, read the
following to the players, paraphrasing when needed:
You reach the Fort’s armoury. It is guarded by two
guards. They look bored, murmuring a conversation
about something you cannot understand. Only two
guards and one door are between you and your
equipment. You could of course charge the guards now,
trying to catch them by surprise. Or you can try to
employ a more delicate approach.
If the players decide to rush into conflict, combat
against the two guards ensues. This is dangerous,
since not all of the players are armed (they can, of
course, have taken the sword(s) of the guard(s) they
encountered, but not all players should be armed,
now).
If the players want to distract the guards or maybe
divide them up so they can face them individually,
pick an appropriate Attribute + Skill combination for
the respective test(s). Any test should be Difficulty 2,
unless otherwise presented below (or prescribed by

Complications resulting of prior action). Some
examples include:
• Luring one guard away. This would be a Presence +
Banter Test when involving speech (e.g. by sticking
one’s head around a corner, acting surprised, or by
feigning the voice of another guard calling for
assistance). Or a Coordination + Fight Test when
using another distraction (e.g. making other noises,
throwing something etc.).
• Surprise the Guards: Might be combinated with a
distraction. First, ask the players to roll for the
distraction; see above for appropriate Attribute +
Skill combinations. Any means of surprising the
guards may also be rolled on the Cunning Attribute,
if the players can explain how to use something in
the scene to their advantage.
On success, ask the players to roll a Coordination +
Dash Test with Difficulty 2 to sneak up to the
guards. Every succeeding character will be in Reach
of one of the guards when combat begins, and if at
least one player succeeds, the players will have the
initiative for the following combat.
If the players did not distract the guards, failed to
sneak up to them or never tried either, the guards will
begin combat, drawing their sword and prepare to
strike the first character that is within reach. If the
characters succeeded in any distraction, they will have
initiative in the ensuing fight. And every character
that succeeded in sneaking up to the guards will be in
Reach of the nearest guard. All characters begin within
Close reange of one another, thus, there is only one
zone of combat (the corridor adjacent to the armoury).
If the characters defeated the guards, they can
easily open the armoury – one of the guards has a key.
If they lured away the guards completely, without
fighting them, they need to open the door without a
key. Picking the lock will be a Coordination + Sail Test
Adventure: Escape the Gallows!
with a Difficulty of 4, as the armoury’s lock is of
outstanding quality.
If you and your players are already familiar with
the 2d20 ruleset, you can also set out picking the lock
as an Extended Test (Worktrack of 8, Magnitude of 3
and Resistance of 1) though this is only recommended
for experienced players. After four intervals of time,
the guards will return – if the players havn’t succeeded
in breaking in into the armoury they will have to
decide whether to fight the guards now or try another
distraction (though with an increase in both Difficulty
and Complication Range by one, respectively).
Once the player made it into the armoury, read the
following, paraphrasing when needed:
You close the armory’s door behind you and glance
around in the dimly lit room, packed full with weapons
of any kind. After a quick search, you discover your
possessions in an open chest in one of the corners of the
room, rolled into simple (and dirty) cotton cloths. Yet, it’s
all there, even your money and the small items valuable
to you, you had with you when you were arrested.
Now, rearmed and ready, you can make for your escape
out of the Fort.
The characters are now in possession of anything
written down on their character-sheet. If they want to
take additional weapons with them, allow them to do
so. Yet, they need to pay both Momentum and, if
applicable, Menace to acquire any item not on their
character sheet.
After the characters have re-supplied, the scene
ends. Substract 1 Momentum from the pool before
proceeding to the next scene.
Scene 3: Reach the “Fortune”
At the start of the scene, read the following to the
players, paraphrasing when needed:
You leave the armoury and head towards a small sally
19
Endless Seas
port that should bring you outside of the Fort and into
the vicinity of the harbour.
If the Players did not acquire keys from any of the
guards, they need to open this door, too. See scenes 1
or 2 for an appropriate Test. The sally port’s lock is of
similar quality as the dungeon cell’s lock. When
they’ve overcome this obstacle or defeated some of the
guards and took their keys, proceed, paraphrasing
when needed:
The moment you set foot outside of the Fort is a moment
of instant and great relief. Seeing another day is no
longer a desperate hope but a real possibility. But you do
not have time for more than one or two deep breaths of
the cold, but revivingly fresh night’s air. In the Fort
behind you, you hear the sounding of an alarm,
accompanied by more and more shouts. Your escape has
been noticed!
As you glimpse back you see parts of the Fort light up as
it awakes under the pale moonlight. You must make your
way to the harbour to acquire a boat to make it to
Captain Vae’s ship as fast as possible while not being
detected.
The characters should now make it to the harbour.
Since the alarm sounded at the Fort is heard
throughout the city, the guards patrolling the harbour
are now warned. Thus, the Complication Range for
the scene is 2 (every rolled 19 or 20 is considered a
Complication).
If the group is low on Momentum, allow one of
them to make a Cunning + Dash Test with a Difficulty
of 0, the rest of the group assisting, to evade the
guards. A Complication might mean that they run into
a patrol of two garrison troops, or that the
Complication Range for the rest of the scene rises by
an additional 1. Of course, you can always simply gain
Menace points for later use instead of immediately
imposing a Complication. Once they reach the
20
harbour read the following, paraphrasing when
needed:
The harbour still lies relatively silent. The Fort uphill is
now fully awake and lit, the garrison troops probably
searching any inch inside and most likely preparing
searches around the whole city. Still, this burst of activity
has not reached the harbour, yet.
Four hands are to few to man one of the bigger ships, so
taking a rowed ship’s boat, a pinnace or a yawl, seems
the better choice. Your plan is to row out of the harbour,
circumventing the city’s walls and fortifications and then
go back ashore. In the dense jungle around Port
Steadfast, you will be harder to detect than at the water,
and the risk that the Fortune is discovered, before you
can go aboard is way smaller this way.
Have one of the characters lead a Cunning + Survive
Test with a Difficulty of 2 that can be assisted by one
other character to find an appropriate vessel that is
not among the small number still in use at this late
hour, and not too heaviyl guarded. Allow them to
Succeed at a Cost. Then proceed, paraphrasing when
needed:
You find a vessel that should suit your needs, yet the one
in question is indeed manned. Two persons, a woman
and a man, are stowing supplies and equipment aboard,
paying virtually no attention to their surroundings. It
will be easy to get aboard, but you will need to either get
rid of these two, or convince them to bring you out of
town.
The couple are fishers, preparing their boat so they
can leave in the first lights. They are tired and won’t
display much Resistance, unless met with force. In
this instance they will immediately run and scream for
help (spend 2 Menace to create the “Detected by the
Guards” Complication).
If the characters try to convince (including bribing)
them, this is an opposed Presence + Banter Test with

a Difficulty of 1, resisted by the couple’s Cunning +
Survive (with a target number 7), also at a Difficulty of
1. If the players offer to help them with their work
preparing the ships, the Complication Range of this
test is reduced by 1, though a rolled 20 will always be a
Complication.
Intimidating the couple will be an opposed
Presence + Fight Test, resisted by the couple’s
Reason + Survive (target number 7), both with a
Difficulty of 1.
In all Tests, the couple will assist each others,
effectively rolling 3d20 against the same target
number.
Any Complication rolled will have one of the search
teams discover the fleeing characters, immediately
shouting at them and calling reinforcements. Even if
all goes well, you as the Gamemaster can introduce
this Complication via a Menace spend.
If the characters are detected by the searching
patrols, they have the possibility to fight them.
A patrol consists of four soldiers of the garrison,
equipped with muskets if you have the Menace to
escalate.
If they choose to fight, push hard at them,
introducing them with muskets. Remember, though,
that you need to be able to spend Menace for lethal
attacks, and that the muskets are effectively one-shot
weapons, as they take long to reload.
If the players decide to run, have them make a
Daring + Sail Test with a Difficulty of 3 to quickly
embark and cast off. Failure means that the guards
reach the boat for a fight, Complications can mean
that single guards make it onto the boat (to be
eventually pushed into the waters by the characters).
In any event: Narrate this as a daring escape, the
guards on the pier probably firing their muskets or
Adventure: Escape the Gallows!
yelling for a ship for a hot pursuit.
After the characters are out of reach of the guards
one way or the other, and head out of the harbour, the
scene ends. Substract 1 Momentum from the pool
before proceeding to the next scene.
Scene 4: Defeat the Traitor
At the start of the scene, read the following to the
players, paraphrasing when needed:
You made your escape out of Port Steadfast’s harbour
just in time. Just out of sight of the cities fortifications,
you disembark and proceed overland.
The new morning already dawns, when you reach the
cove hiding the Fortune, Captain Vae’s ship. It was a
long march through difficult terrain that followed your
escape out of Port Steadfast’s bay. Only when you finally
approach the Fortune, you can see the dim lights of
covered lanterns that enlighten the deck just enough not
to stumble.
There is no pier, and the gangway – rather, the Jacob’s
Ladder, a net of knotted rope to climb up – is rolled up.
Approaching the ship will be easy, even if it involves
swimming, as the cove lies still and there are neither
waves, nor currents. Yet you will need to find a way to get
aboard.
At this moment, allow the players to make a Cunning
+ Survive Test with a difficulty of 2. Allow the players
to Succeed at a Cost, saving the Complication for later
use. The player notice a body dangling from the rig,
swinging over the water just at the level of the
Fortune’s top deck. Captain Vae can identify Keanu
“Blackboot”, their (now: former) quartermaster. Vae
seeing their second-in-command hanged should
instantly notice that something is terribly wrong.
If the characters needed to Succeed at a Cost, Bill
Harwick, Vae’s former Master at Arms, will have
spotted them as they came to close to the ship before
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Endless Seas
discovering Blackboot’s corpse. He will then, silently,
alert his complices in advance.
Swimming to the ship is a Endurance + Dash Test
with a Difficulty of 0, allowing the players to build up
some Momentum before the climatic fight with the
traitor Harwick. If Complicatios are rolled, it could
mean that the gunpowder in the weapons of Captain
Vae and Commander Norran was soaked in water,
rendering their weapons useless. As always,
Complications can be used by the Gamemaster to
build up Menace points.
Climbing aboard, using e.g. the anchor’s chain, is a
Daring + Dash Test with a Difficulty of 2.
Once the characters are on board the Fortune, read
the following, paraphrasing when needed:
You’ve reached the top deck of the Fortune, Captain
Vae’s ship. Or is it Captain Vae’s former ship, now?
The sign of her quartermaster’s murdered body promises
nothing good. And indeed, something’s afoul aboard the
Fortune. The moment all characters are aboard, the
door to the quarterdeck springs open and William “Bill”
Harwick, the Fortune’s former Master-at-Arms and, as it
seems, now her Captain, comes out, carrying a flintlock-
pistol in his hand and a rapier at his belt.
“Vae!”, he shouts in overtly fake relief, “How
extraordinary good to see you! I have been assured that
you’d hang over Port Steadfast’s market, feeding the
crows and teaching little children the lesson to not be
such an excuse for a sorry pirate like you! But I see that
one cannot rely on the fancy Lady of Port Steadfast and
so I have to kill you myself. Not that it would bother me
to use your rotting corpse as my figurehead!”, he
threatens.
“Any last words –‘Captain’?”
William Harwick is accompanied by four pirate
crewmen, former members of Vae, who now take up
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arms against the group. If the characters had to
succeed at a cost to spot the corpse of “Blackboot”,
Harwick had the opportunity to convince two more
pirates, having now six henchmen.
Captain Vae could try to discourage some
henchmen from fighting, making an (unassisted)
Presence + Banter Test with a Difficulty of 2. If they
succeed, for every point of Momentum spent, one of
the henchmen will decide not to participate in the
fight.
In the ensuing fight, you can assume that the top
deck of the Fortune consists of one zone. If your group
is already familiar with the 2d20 system, it is also
possible to break up the top deck into two or three
zones, the combatant groups starting alone in their
respective zones.
Note that muzzle-loaded weapons (like flint-lock
pistols or muskets) take a long time to reload,
effectively making them one-time-useable weapons.
Conclusion
If the players are defeated, this adventure ends with a
cliffhanger: Harwick decides to not execute the
characters on the spot, but to turn them (back) in to
the local authorities – i.e. Lady Felicity Barrenham,
Governor of Port Steadfast. The characters are
brought to the Fortune’s bilge and locked in, until their
extradition can be arranged. There might be some
crew left that is loyal to Captain Vae, but in any event,
they will have to escape – again.
If the players defeat Harwick and his henchmen, at
the last possible moment Harwick will jump off board,
making a daring escape to the shore and vanishes
between the brushwood. He could make a re-curring
villain during a campaign.
You can start a swashbuckling campaign of
Endless Seas from here, considering the following

points:
• Both Lady Barrenham and William Harwick make
up formidable villains for the first story arc.
Captain Vae could want to have their revenge for
Harwick’s betrayal, and Alex Norran might want to
sneak back into Port Steadfast to see (and maybe
escape with?) their love-interest, the Governors son.
• Who betrayed Jaquinn and their lot? Maybe
Harwick is not the only dubious company, Lady
Barrenham works with.
• Who could be a possible ally for the characters? Can
Gordon Barrenham, the Governor’s son, be trusted
to work as a double-agent, spying on his mother?
Adventure: Escape the Gallows!
within close range, a Soldier of Port Steadfast’s
Garrison may re-roll one die.
Attacks
• Unarmed Strike: Meelee, 4 CD, Knockdown, Non-
Lethal
• Rapier: Meelee, 5 CD, Piercing 1, Parrying
Escalation
When introducing this NPC, you can spend 1 Menace
to outfit them with a Flintlock-Musket (Ranged,
Medium, 7 CD, Deadly). This is best employed only be
done outside the Fort.
Pirate Henchman [Minor NPC]

• And was Morgan Steadfast implicated in the plot Traits: Pirate Henchman
against Captain Vae for a reason, or were their Attributes Skills
execution accepted by the conspirers against Vae as Coordination 9 Banter 1
some kind of “colateral damage”? Daring 10 Fight 3

Non-Player-Characters Endurance 8 Know 0

Cunning 9 Dash 2
Soldier of Port Steadfast’s Garrison [Minor NPC]
Presence 7 Sail 2
Traits: Garrison Soldier
Reason 8 Survive 1
Attributes Skills Focusses
Coordination 9 Banter 1
Sailing Manoevres, Shipboard Meelee
Daring 9 Fight 3
Stress: 6
Endurance 10 Know 0
Resistance: 0
Cunning 8 Dash 2
Presence 7 Sail 1
Talents
Reason 8 Survive 2
Ambush Tactics: When a Pirate Henchman succeeds
Focusses
at an attack against an enemy who is unaware of your
Group Tactics, Fencing presence, or who is suffering from a trait or
Stress: 6 complication which represents a weaknesse or
Resistance: 0 vulnerability, add 2 CD to the amount of Stress the
attack inflicts.
Talents Attacks

Line Infantry Tactics: When fighting alongside an ally • Unarmed Strike: Meelee, 4 CD, Knockdown, Non-

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Endless Seas
Lethal heralding a greater problem for those who confront
• Cutlass: Meelee, 6 CD, Piercing 1, Unreliable him. When Harwick enters a scene, immediately add 1
to Menace. This functions this way, even if Harwick ist
Escalation
an Ally; regardless of what side he’s on, his arrival is a
When introducing this NPC, you can spend 1 Menace
sign of something getting worse.
to outfit them with a Flintlock-Pistol (Ranged,
Attacks
Medium, 7 CD, Deadly).
• Unarmed Strike: Meelee, 6 CD, Knockdown, Non-
William “Bill” Harwick [Major NPC]
Lethal
Traits: Fortune’s Treacherous former Master-At-Armes
• Rapier: Meelee, 7 CD, Knockdown, Piercing 1,
Attributes Skills Parrying
Coordination 9 Banter 3 • Flintlock-Pistol: Ranged (close), 8 CD, Deadly
Daring 12 Fight 4
Endurance 8 Know 2
Cunning 11 Dash 3
Presence 10 Sail 2
Reason 9 Survive 2
Focusses
Fencing, Flint-lock Pistols, Intimidation, Lying
Stress: 14
Resistance: 0

Talents

Brutal: William “Bill” Harwick relies on overwhelming

brute force in meelee.
He adds 1 CD and the Knockdown effect to the
damage of his meelee attack, and he may use his
Endurance attribute when making or defending
against a meelee attack, instead of Daring. In
addition, the Difficulty of enemy Reactions to defend
against Harwick’s meelee attacks increase by 1.
Threatening Fencer: When performing a Test
involving his Fight skill and buying additional d20s
with Menace, William “Bill” Harwick may re-roll a
single d20.
Menacing 2: William “Bill” Harwick is dangerous,

24
 Pregenerated Characters

Pregenerated Characters
The following characters have been pre-generated to
be used in this Quickstart adventure of Endless Seas:
Captain Vae, a minor, yet still notorious Pirate of the
Endless Sea, Commander Alex Norran, disgraced
Captain of the City Watch, Jaquinn de la Fleur, a thief-
acrobat, and Morgan deVray, a metalsmith.
Feel free to adjust their names and backgrounds to
your needs.

25
Endless Seas
intent.
Captain Vae
No Pain, No Gain
Traits: Pirate Captain, Revolutionary
You prefer to achieve your goal first, and then deal
Notoriety: 3
with the consequences felt along the way. When you
Values fail at a Test (but not an opposed Test) which involved
A Pirate truly is free your Daring, you may always choose to Succeed at a
A Captain is both parents of their Crew Cost.
Do not hesitate Quick to Action
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on During the first Round of combat, you and your allies
me!
may ignore the normal Momentum cost to Keep the
Attributes Skills Initiative.
Coordination 9 Banter 5
Equipment
Daring 11 Fight 3
Magnetic Compass, Rapier, Flintlock-Pistol
Endurance 8 Know 1
Cunning 10 Dash 3 Attacks

Presence 12 Sail 3 • Unarmed Strike: Meelee, 3 CD, Knockdown, Non-

Reason 9 Survive 2 Lethal

Focusses • Rapier: Meelee, 5 CD, Piercing 1, Parrying

Dancing, Gambling, Inspire, Intimidate, Pistols,
Sailing-Ships
Determination: 1
Stress: 10
Resistance: 0
Talents
Bold (Banter)
When you attempt a Test involving your Banter skill,
and you buy one or more bonus d20s by adding to
Menace, you may re-roll a single die in your pool.
Killer’s Instinct
When you choose to make a lethal attack, you do not
add to Menace for doing so. In addition, whenever an
enemy you can see attempts to make a lethal attack on
you, you may add 1 to Menace to increase the
Difficulty of their attack by 1, as you react to their
• Flintlock-Pistol: Ranged (Close), 6 CD, Deadly
Background
Captain Vae has often been told they would see their
end at the gallows, some day. They would have smiled
and said that this day might come, but has not, yet –
before taking the wealth and ships of their cursing
counterparts. Despite having only a small ship and
crew, Vae has earned a little reputation as an upstart
pirate captain in the Endless Seas.
This led to their situation in the Dungeons of Port
Steadfast, as someone seems to have collected the
small bounty on their head. While meeting a contact
with information on their next raiding target, Vae and
their informant, Morgan deVray were arrested and
subsequently brought before Govenor Barrenham.
Without delay, the Govenor sentenced both to be
hanged as Pirates the next morning and had them
brought into the Dungeons below the Fort.

26
 Pregenerated Characters
Commander Alex Norran assistance from you, using your Presence + Banter.
Mean Right Hook
Traits: Disgraced Captain of the City Watch, Lover of
the Govenor’s son Your Unarmed Strike Attack has the Vicious 1 Damage
Notoriety: 2 Effect.

Values Tough

Protecting my loved ones Whenever you Avoid an Injury, the cost is decreased by
Only loyal leaders deserve to be followed 1, to a minimum of 1.

Laws are there to protect people Equipment

I’ll help nobody if I’m dead Rapier, Flintlock-Musket
Attributes Skills Attacks
Coordination 10 Banter 3
• Unarmed Strike: Meelee, 5 CD, Knockdown,
Daring 11 Fight 4 Vicious 1, Non-Lethal
Endurance 10 Know 2
• Rapier: Meelee, 6 CD, Piercing 1, Parrying
Cunning 8 Dash 3
• Flintlock-Musket: Ranged (Medium), 8 CD, Deadly
Presence 10 Sail 2
Background
Reason 10 Survive 3
Alex Norran has never broken the law in their live,
Focusses
as it befits a loyal soldier and later Captain of the
Carriages, Fencing, Flirting, Group Tactics, Laws,
Poetry Garrison of Port Steadfast. They insist that this holds
true until today, despite awaiting to be hanged the
Determination: 1
next morning.
Stress: 12
The reason Govenor Felicity Barrenham wants
Resistance: 0
them dead is that Alex seduced the Govenor’s son,
Gordon. Lady Barrenham, disfavouring the affair,
Talents made short work of Alex, stripping them of their ranks
Close Protection and throwing them into the dungeon cells below
When you make a successful attack, you may spend Fort Steadfast. She ordered Alex to be hanged for
one Momentum to protect a single ally within Close mutiny – a far-fetched claim even be the most lowest
range. The next attack against that ally, before the standards – and promised that their beloved Gordon
start of your next turn, increases in Difficulty by 1. will be forced to watch the execution “to be taught a
lesson”.
Follow my Lead
Now, Alex has been there for a few days, waiting
Once per scene, when you succeed at a Test during
for an opportunity to escape and leave the city.
combat or another perilous situation, you may also
spend two Momentum. If you do, choose a single ally.
The next Task that ally attempts counts as having

27
Endless Seas
Jaquinn de la Fleur they will be well disposed toward you, just that you can
find a contact.
Traits: Thief-Artist, Street Child
Hard to Hit (Melee)
Notoriety: 2
You’re especially good at avoiding harm. Select either
Values
meelee attacks or ranged attacks when you acquire
Barriers are challenges, not obstacles
this talent. Attacks gainst you of the chosen type
Take from the Rich increase in Difficulty by 1.
Always question the man
Equipment
Watch your back
Throwing Knife, Parrying Dagger
Attributes Skills
Attacks
Coordination 12 Banter 1
• Unarmed Strike: Meelee, 4 CD, Knockdown, Non-
Daring 10 Fight 3
Lethal
Endurance 9 Know 2
• Throwing Knife: Ranged, 4 CD, Hidden 2, Subtle
Cunning 10 Dash 4
Presence 9 Sail 4 • Parrying Dagger: Meelee, 5 CD, Piercing 1, Parrying

Reason 9 Survive 3 Background

Focusses Jaquinn de la Fleur lived their life in the streets of
Brawl, Lock-Picking, Negotiate, Pickpocketing, Port Steadfast, among the poor and, especially later,
Singing, Stealth more shadier company. Starting as a nimble pocket
Determination: 1 thief near the harbour, Jaquinn soon learned how to
Stress: 12 climb the walls and roofs of warehouses or the estates

Resistance: 0 of the noble (or, at least: finer) society of

Talents
Constantly Watching
When you attempt a Test to detect danger or hidden
enemies, reduce the Difficulty by 1.
Dauntless
Whenever you attempt a Task to resist being
intimidated or threatened, you may add a bonus d20
to your dice pool.
Find Trouble
Once per adventure, wherever you are, you can always
contact the criminal underworld or black market (as
long as there is one in that area). This doesn’t mean
Port Steadfast.
They have never been caught by the city’s watch –
until yesterday, when a heist went terribly wrong,
guards awaited Jaquinn and their group in an
ambush. Jaquinn barely survived, while the other
members of the burglaring group died by the blades
and muskets of the guards chasing them through the
streets.
Recently, Lady Felicity Barrenham, Govenor of
Port Steadfast, has urged the garrison to be tougher
on crime (and criminals) and the blood toll Jaquinn’s
friends paid last night were a tribute to this new, grim
policy. In the Govenor’s eyes, Jaquinn shall make no
difference, so she ordered them to be hanged in the

28
 Pregenerated Characters
morning, with others, as a Pirate. Momentum spent (Repeatable) before they fall again.
Jury-rigged repairs can only be applied once.
Morgan deVray
Sharpshooter
Traits: Metalsmith, Curious Mind
When you take the Aim minor action before making a
Notoriety: 1
ranged attack, the first bonus d20 you buy costs 0
Values Momentum. The attack gains the Piercing effect or
A person’s words and works should be equally sound improves the weapon’s Piercing effect by 1.
Brains over Brawn Studious
Anything can be a Tool, if used accordingly Whenever you spend one or more Momentum to
There’s always something new to learn Obtain Information, you may ask one additonal
Attributes Skills question (in total, not per Momentum spent).

Coordination 11 Banter 2 Equipment

Daring 8 Fight 2 Brass Knuckles
Endurance 10 Know 3
Attacks
Cunning 10 Dash 2
• Unarmed Strike: Meelee, 3 CD, Knockdown, Non-
Presence 9 Sail 5
Lethal
Reason 11 Survive 3
• Brass Knuckles: Meelee, 4 CD, Stun, Hidden 2
Focusses
Background
Cannons, Chess, Detail Drawings, Fortifications,
Geography, Metalcrafting Morgan deVray has been in the dungeons under the
Determination: 1 Fort of Port Steadfast before – for repairs. The

Stress: 12 metalsmith only recently finished their apprenticeship

and worked hard to afford their own workshop. The
Resistance: 0
“simple favour” a rather mysterious figure asked of
them for a bag of gold came just right: together with
Talents Morgan’s savings, it would have been enough to open
Cautious (Sail) a workshop near the harbour. Since it only involved
Whenever you attempt a Test involving your Sail skill, preparing a dinner comprising a scarce, but not illegal
and you buy one or more bonus d20s by spending meal, Morgan did not ask too much questions.
Momentum, you may re-roll a single die in your dice Yet, it appears that this is what Morgan should
pool. have done. Unexpectedly, a guest showed up for the
Jury-Rig meal, demanding a letter Morgan never had. Even

Whenever you attempt a Sail Test to perform repairs, more unexpectedly, only Moments after, their little

you may reduce the Difficulty by 2. If you do this, apartment were stormed by the Garrison of

however, then the repairs are only temporary, and will Port Steadfast and both Morgan and their guest were

last a single scene, plus one additional scene per arrested.

29
Endless Seas
The guest turned out to be the pirate Captain Vae,
wanted by several authorities in the Endless Sea, and
when both were brought before the Govenor of
Port Steadfast, Lady Felicity Barrenham, both were
sentenced to die – Captain Vae for Piracy, and Morgan
as their complice.
Morgan knows that they need to leave the city
immediately, provided they make it out of the
dungeons in the first place.

30