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Nations & Cannons - Quickstart Guide
Nations & Cannons - Quickstart Guide
Nations & Cannons - Quickstart Guide
Team:
Design Lead: Pat Luke Mooney
Rules Development: Collyn Messier
Writing and Research: Kate Devorak
Art Direction: Adrienne R. Cohen
Additional Writing and Editing: Lin "Rascal" Taylor
Playtesting and Rules Development: Carmen Melillo
Illustrations: Giancarlo Montalbano
Additional Rules Development: James Roche
Additional Rules Development: Keith Stratton
Chapter 1: Origins
"If they mean to have a war, let it begin here."
–John Parker
You duck as a musket shot strikes the wall beside you, Heritage and Languages
showering you with a spray of hot leaden shrapnel. The Heritages are organized into nine language groups as
streets echo with the shouts of soldiers, bayonets fixed, shown in the table below. Different languages within
charging a fortified position on a distant hill. Somewhere, these groups are partially intelligible, and speakers
through heavy fog, the staccato drumbeat of artillery can communicate complex ideas with sufficient time
roars to life. The British have landed in New York harbor, and patience. Languages in light gray have a few words
and it feels like the whole world has turned upside down. and phrases in common with the encompassing dark
Nations & Cannons is a historical campaign setting gray group, but have significant cultural and linguistic
for 5th edition set during the American Revolution. The differences that make them poorly understood.
British occupation has brought with it a new kind of war,
precarious and subversive, where a pivotal shot or an Language Groups
inspired speech can turn the tide of battle. Heritage Language Heritage Language
U nconventional H eroes Acadien Cajun Criollo Spanish
Haitian Ayisyen Ladino (any)* Varies
You are given missions vital to the war effort. These
missions require a deft touch—armies are cumbersome French French Sephardim Sefardí
things, slow to maneuver and even slower to react. If
Québécois French Irish Gaelic
things go according to plan, you’re in and out before
anyone notices. Your objective might be to gather Afro-Seminole Gullah Scots-Irish Gaelic
intelligence by rescuing a key informant, recovering
a cache of supplies hidden in enemy territory, or even Choctaw Choctaw Penn. Deutsch High German
taking out an enemy officer with a black mark by their Creek Muskogean Hessian Low German
name. While battles rage, you operate from deep cover, Seminole Muskogean Prussian Low German
often with little to no backup.
When you create your character, think about how you African (any)* Varies Dutch Dutch
can complement your party’s strengths or shore up its British English Polish-Lithuanian Polish
weaknesses. Your Role represents your training, history, Colonial English Slavic Russian
and abilities, shaping the type of comrade-in-arms your
character will become. Are you a battle-hardened warrior? Jamaican Patois Métis Métif
An opportunistic intelligencer? An idealist, fighting for Cherokee Cherokee Shawnee Anishinaabe
liberty and equality? Or something else entirely? Iroquois Iroquoian Three Fires Anishinaabe
In Nations & Cannons, all characters are human.
Heritages and Roles replace the normal racial traits Wyandot Iroquoian Wabenaki Abenaki
characters start with. Your character’s Heritage represents
their cultural upbringing and their first language. Your When you choose a Heritage for your character, you can also
Role provides different mechanical traits that, along choose a region your character is from. The world of the 18th
with your ability scores, heritage, class, and background, century is highly interconnected, and people from all over the
define your character's origins. globe have traveled to—or been raised in—Colonial America.
Chapter 1: Origins |3
Regions
In North America, the peoples inhabiting the geographic Province of Maine into Canada. Former French allies, the
regions along the Atlantic coast—from the cold north Wabenaki Confederacy have a long history of conflict
of Canada to the tropical warmth of the Caribbean—all with British colonists in New England. Even so, the
played a role in the American Revolution. Mi'kmaq, Passamoquoddy, and Maliseet are the first
nations to enter into an alliance with the newly formed
C anada United States, with the nations agreeing to send troops to
support the Continental Army.
The Québécois are French speaking settlers of former
New France. When the British took control of Canada Ohio Country
following the French and Indian War, the Québécois
suddenly found themselves living in a British system. West of the Appalachian Mountains lies the highly contested
The British gave religious freedom to Catholics, Ohio Country, a vast region stretching as far north as Lake
expanded the province’s territory west, and allowed for Erie and south to the borders of Virginia. The Ohio Country
French civil law in private matters. During the American was originally under French rule, and many Québécois
Revolution, Congress attempts to sway the Québécois to traders, missionaries, and voyageurs settled in the area.
their cause, though the majority of this population either The Ohio Country came under British jurisdiction
sides with the British or remains neutral. after the French and Indian War, though the Crown
The Wyandot originally inhabited the lands around decided to set aside that land as an “Indian Reservation”.
Lake Ontario, and formed profitable trade relations with Settlement over the Appalachian Mountains is forbidden
French fur traders. Conflicts with the Iroquois and white by the Proclamation of 1763, but many white colonists
settlers eventually push the Wyandot south into Ohio ignore the decree, putting them in conflict with the
Country, where they join forces with the British to wage indigenous peoples of the region.
war on Patriot settlers in the west. These include the Council of Three Fires, an alliance
Since the early years of New France, European fur of three Anishinaabe groups—the Ojibwe, Ottawa, and
traders entered into marriages with women of Canada’s Potawatomi—as well as the Shawnee, a semi-migratory
First Nations. Their children, the Métis, are generally nation that finds itself at odds with both European
raised in their mothers’ culture with a strong Catholic colonists and the Iroquois Confederacy. The Shawnee
and European influence. The Métis form a vital bridge largely side with the British during the Revolution in an
between the Europeans and indigenous tribes, and many attempt to push white settlers from their lands, though a
find work as trappers or interpreters. minority faction lobby for neutrality.
During and after the Revolution, Quebec becomes a
refuge for Loyalists, including Black Loyalists who are M id -A tlantic
promised freedom by the British.
The Dutch established the New Netherland colony,
N ew E ngland including New Amsterdam, later New York City, in the
early 17th century. The commercial nature of the Dutch
Largely founded by British Puritans, religious extremists colony allowed for the immigration of different ethnic
who sought to build a utopia in the New World away from and religious groups in the region. Descendants of the
the clutches of the Crown, this region contains some of the original Dutch settlers remain in the colony, particularly
oldest of the Thirteen Colonies. Though New England's in the Hudson River Valley, and are some of the
puritanical fervor waned by the late 18th century, its wealthiest and most influential families in the region.
self-sufficiency and resistance to British control remains Germans immigrated to the colonies en masse, primarily
strong. The Revolution began with protests led by the settling in Pennsylvania. These Pennsylvania Deutsch
Sons of Liberty in Boston, and tensions there ultimately are especially valuable during the Revolutionary War,
led to "the shot heard 'round the world" at the Battles of as many ethnic Germans are recruited to counter the
Lexington and Concord. Hessian mercenaries employed by the British Army.
The Puritans were not the only religious group to seek In upstate New York, the Six Nations of the centuries-
refuge here. The Sephardim are Jewish immigrants who old Iroquois Confederacy attempt to assert their
settled along the coast in the mid-17th century, establishing sovereignty while dealing with a changing colonial
communities in Rhode Island and elsewhere. Many come landscape and influx of white settlers. While the tribes
from Portugal or Brazil following the expulsion of the initially strive for neutrality in the war between the
Jewish population from the Iberian Peninsula. colonies and Great Britain, the Confederacy is soon
The Wabenaki Confederacy, formed from five major divided, with the Mohawk, Onondaga, Seneca, and
Algonquin-speaking nations—the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet, Cayuga joining forces with the British while the Oneida
Passamoquoddy, Abenaki, and Penobscot—inhabit the and Tuscarora ally with the Patriots.
4| Chapter 1: Origins
T idewater
The Caribbean
The middle southern colonies of Virginia, Delaware, With their warm climates suited for large-scale
Maryland, and North Carolina enjoy a more mild climate cultivation of sugarcane, the Caribbean islands
than the north, and are better suited for crop cultivation. have proven the most profitable settlements for
Tobacco is a major export of the Tidewater region, and European colonization. Life on plantations here is
wealthy planters develop plantation complexes styled brutal and short for the enslaved workers, who often
after the estates of British landed gentry. Much of this contract tropical diseases or are worked to death.
class is classically educated, and become some of the In addition to many British, Spanish, and Dutch
leaders at the forefront of the Revolution. Many of the holdings, France has a substantial colony on Saint-
lower class came to the colony as indentured servants, Domingue (present-day Haiti). While the island's
though the practice waned as the African slave trade economy relies on slave labor, the colony formed
became more popular in the region. a distinct class called gens de couleur libres, or
West and Central Africans, predominantly Akan, free people of color. Some join provincial Haitian
Bantu, Mandé, and Yoruba peoples, are captured and regiments and fight alongside French regulars
taken to the British colonies to be sold as workers and during the American Revolution.
servants. Most end up in the Middle and Southern The planters sometimes met resistance from
colonies, though slavery is also practiced in the North. escapees called Maroons, who organized several
This system is part of the Triangle Trade, in which uprisings in the 17th and 18th centuries. The
abducted Africans were sent to the Americas, plantation Jamaican Maroons established communities in
goods were shipped to the northern colonies and Europe, the dense jungle that lived freely for a century.
and European goods were brought to Africa.
Scottish and particularly Scots-Irish migration to
the colonies boomed in the mid-18th century. Many have the Appalachian Mountains. The Cherokee inhabit towns
settled throughout the middle and southern colonies, throughout the frontiers of the Carolinas and Georgia, as
gravitating towards rural Appalachia where they act as a well as present-day Tennessee and Alabama. During the
buffer between the British colonies and the indigenous Revolution, they find themselves in a tentative alliance
tribes of the west. Loyalties between the Scottish population with the British against Patriot squatters.
vary, with Highlanders largely siding with the British and
Lowlanders and Scots-Irish favoring the Patriots. G ulf C oast
D eep S outh The vast territories of New Spain stretch from the Gulf Coast
to the Pacific and into Central and South America, reflecting
Many of the wealthy members of Southern society are a centuries-old legacy of exploitation, trade, and conquest. In
the children of Caribbean plantation owners, who settled much of New Spain, marriage between European, Black, and
in the Carolinas and Georgia to seek more land and Indigenous peoples is common. Their Ladino descendants
financial opportunities. The Southern Colonies were are subjected to a segregated society, controlled by the
therefore slave societies upon inception, and closely Criollo children of white Spanish colonists.
follow the plantation system of the Caribbean. The Spanish took control of France’s Louisiana colony
Enslaved peoples in the Deep South are abducted after the French and Indian War. The port city of New
from the same African nations as the populations taken Orleans is home to a large population of former Acadien
to Tidewater. In many places, enslaved Black laborers colonists, who were expelled from New France due to their
greatly outnumber the white population, but the harsh resistance to British occupiers. New Orleans has a large
laws of the colony prevent large-scale uprisings. The and diverse community, bolstered by its access to the
colonial government enacted laws which prohibit Mississippi and the interior waterways of the continent.
enslaved Africans from travel, assembly, and literacy. The British control the sparsely populated colonies of East
Those who attempt escape are viciously punished with and West Florida, which changed hands several times in early
beatings, dismemberment, or death. colonial wars. Florida remains a Loyalist haven during the
In South Carolina, the relative isolation from the white Revolution and does not join the Thirteen Colonies. Though
population for extended periods results in the creation of the British have reintroduced slavery to the region, the
Gullah, a distinct culture which fuses West African traditions swamps and bayous remain a haven for freedom seekers
and language with colonial and indigenous influences. and others.
During the Revolutionary War, the British attempt to Marriages form between formerly enslaved and free
gain the support of the enslaved population by promising Black people and the Seminole people of Florida, and
freedom to anyone who escapes and joins the British cause. Afro-Seminoles establish their own communities near
Lieutenant Colonel John Laurens pushes for a similar or within main Seminole settlements. The Seminole were
Patriot program to bolster enlistment in the Continental themselves an offshoot of the Muskogee Confederacy,
Army. Many white colonials are reluctant to arm, and later a loose tribal group including the Creek and Choctaw
free, Black men, and the project is constantly undermined. that inhabit the Georgia border. Though nominally neutral,
In the west, the Cherokee nation struggles to maintain some Muskogee fought alongside the British in order to
their autonomy as white colonists increasingly push past curb Patriot incursions on their western territories.
Chapter 1: Origins |5
Officer
6| Chapter 1: Origins
An army without leadership is nothing more than an unruly
mob. Maintaining discipline under fire requires confidence, Foreign Officers
trust, and decisive action—the hallmarks of a talented Whether drawn by the promise of adventure on
Officer. When battle lines are drawn, the rank-and-file put a faraway continent, the fight against tyranny, or
their lives in the hands of their superiors. The wrong orders simple mercenary self-interest, European nobles
on the field can spell disaster; Officers are wise to remember and professional soldiers alike have volunteered
that discretion can be the better part of valor. to serve in the Continental Army.
Though some Patriots remain skeptical of these
F or a C ommand foreign fighters, many will prove themselves with
distinction. Washington understands the value of
Most commissions are by (and for) those of means. Officers a diverse officer corps and graciously welcomes
commissioned by the Continental Congress are often from foreign officers such as Lafayette and von Steuben.
the landed gentry or merchant's sons, and they are expected You can choose to play as a foreign officer; the
to look after their company's needs and even recruit soldiers most common were French, Prussian, or Polish-
into their regiment. Some outfit their troops at personal Lithuanian. Some indigenous leaders were also
expense, even occasionally going into debt as they wait for commissioned on both sides of the war.
reimbursement from Congress.
Expected to behave gentlemanly at all times, some novice
Officers struggle to maintain decorum when facing the stark Chief, George Washington is referred to as “His Excellency.”
realities of war. Non-commissioned sergeants with greater Still, aspiring commanders like Daniel Morgan and
frontline experience also sometimes challenge their authority. Nathanael Greene are able to rise from nothing to the rank
of General by virtue of their performance on the battlefield.
F ield T raining With any rank comes politicking, however. The leaders of
New England units are sometimes chosen by popular vote
At the start of their career, junior Officers hold a subaltern rather than experience, and some see service in the corps as
rank of lieutenant, cornet, or ensign, reporting to their a path to a political career. A junior Officer must be on guard
company’s captain. These positions can serve as flagbearers, even off the battlefield, lest their rivals launch inquests and
carrying a heavy standard in place of a musket on their court-martial proceedings at the slightest infraction.
shoulder. Regimental colors are highly symbolic, but are
also used to signal the men and maintain unit cohesion. O fficer T raits
Both the Continentals and Redcoats have departments
off the battlefield, from provisioners and quartermasters Your character’s traits indicate your Officer rank.
to garrison duty. Content to draw a salary—paid regularly, Ability Score Increase. One ability score of your
even during shortages—some careerists covet desk positions. choice increases by 2.
Ambitious junior Officers seek out combat postings, eager Heritage. Choose your heritage. Officers serving in
to prove their courage on the front lines. The bravest North America are usually British or Colonial.
Patriot recruits are assigned to light infantry companies, Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.
dragoon legions, or even given command of a marine Brave. You have advantage on saving throws you make
unit or one of the small Continental Navy cutters. to avoid or end the frightened condition on yourself.
Commissioned. You have been granted a commission as
C limbing the R anks a junior officer in your nation's armed forces. Your starting
wealth is £ 40, twice that of other characters. You earn £ 10
Some Patriot leaders were formerly British Officers who every time you advance in level after 2nd, which you can
have switched allegiance, while others were born in the collect from your army or nation the next time you report in.
colonies. In European armies, it’s common for wealthy men Code of Conduct. Your reputation is held to a high
to purchase their own commissions to gain a higher rank standard. While wearing your uniform, you have advantage
than through merit alone. The Continental Army holds to on Charisma checks made to interact with soldiers, partisans,
some of these aristocratic trappings: as Commander-in- and government officials that are allied with your nation.
If you are disgraced before a superior officer, such as
for disobeying orders, looting, or desertion, you lose
Optional Rule: Heroic Inspiration this benefit until you can make amends. If you continually
In addition to quality role-playing, the GM should engage in conduct unbefitting an officer, your commission
consider giving inspiration for acts of bravery or self- may be reduced or even stripped away.
sacrifice that put characters at significant risk. Players Inspired Leadership. You know how to turn the tide
can use inspiration in the following ways. of a battle. As a reaction, you can grant inspiration to one
ally within 30 feet. After you use this trait, you can't use it
• Gain advantage when making an attack roll, again until you finish a short or long rest.
saving throw, or ability check. Skill Versatility. You gain proficiency in two skills of
• Force an opponent to reroll an attack. your choice.
• Reload an equipped firearm as a bonus action. Language. You can speak, read, and write your
heritage language.
Chapter 1: Origins |7
Pioneer
8| Chapter 1: Origins
Sturdy, uncompromising folk from forests and valleys, T he L ong F rontier
Pioneers eke out a living on the harsh colonial frontier.
Many are immigrants seeking freedom from both their The Ohio River valley in present-day Kentucky—ceded to
old lives in Europe and unfamiliar colonial cities. Others colonials by the Six Nations of the Iroquois in 1768—is an
are formerly enslaved people who escaped the reach of inhospitable land to settlers. The Shawnee and Cherokee, who
slave patrols, joining welcoming communities and tribes have lived in the area for generations, were not consulted in
farther from colonial society. Strong and strong-willed, negotiations and refuse to recognize the contentious treaty.
Pioneers are committed to their causes. Led by Daniel Boone, white Pioneers of the area believe they
have a valid claim and have begun to blaze the "Wilderness
H umble O rigins Trail" connecting the Thirteen Colonies to the west.
While the value of colonial currencies is volatile, land
Promises of unclaimed land, free of religious persecution grants are the most sought-after commodity in America.
with endless miles of fertile soil, have drawn many colonists Joint-stock ventures like the Transylvania Company try to
from Europe over the years. However, some immigrants combine holdings into new colonial entities, while small militia
found mostly Protestant communities along the eastern groups in Pennsylvania and Connecticut come to blows over
seaboard that were intolerant of their Anabaptist, Lutheran, or disputed territory in the so-called "Yankee–Pennamite Wars."
Catholic beliefs. The voyage across the Atlantic is expensive, Decisions over the land are often made in distant cities by
and many so-called redemptioners had to sign themselves speculators or royal officials, who care more about titles and
into indentured servitude to secure their passage. deeds than the people who live in the west. Pioneers, less
Seeking opportunities of their own, these waves of concerned with borders on a map, mark their claims with
Pioneers left the relative safety of the coast for the inland tomahawks and their initials—but can be forced from their
regions of the Mid-Atlantic and Tidewater. They are land at the whims of bureaucrats. Many join the Revolution on
often joined by the children of many first- and second- the promise of land bounties or legal ownership of their homes.
generation settlers—who stand to inherit minuscule
parcels of land, once the family plot is divided amongst P ioneer T raits
their surviving relatives.
Others, like the Public Universal Friend, seek not Your character’s traits represent a Pioneering spirit.
only religious freedom but also freedom from oppressive Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score
colonial norms. The P.U.F. formed a religious community increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.
in western Pennsylvania preaching abolition, free will, Heritage. Choose your heritage. Among the many who
and the message that anyone, regardless of gender, could cross the Appalachians are Colonial, Pennsylvania Deutsch,
gain access to God's light. The frontier is a new beginning and Irish and Scots-Irish settlers. Acadien, Criollo, and Ladino
for peoples escaping slavery, persecution, or societal Pioneers settle Louisiana and New Spain to the southwest.
expectations, where anyone can find a home and reinvent Speed. Your walking speed is 35 feet, making you
themselves at the remote edges of colonial America. quicker than average folk.
Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by 1,
S tubborn as a M ule and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.
Drover’s Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws
Pioneers are hardy folk who make their own way. Far from you make to avoid or end diseases or the poisoned condition
the bustling port cities and trade routes, they cannot rely on yourself. You also have resistance to poison damage.
on imported goods and have to make do on their own. Spit and Vinegar. While traveling, you can march
Some of these settlers live on their own, preferring the quiet a number of additional hours equal to your Strength
of the woods to the company of others. Many settlers form modifier (minimum 1) before you must make Forced
their own tightly-knit communities along ethnic lines, like March saves against exhaustion.
Scots-Irish and German villages where English is a second Burst of Strength. By tapping into a reservoir of raw
language. As the Revolution progresses, some colonials strength you can perform incredible feats, such as lifting
become distrustful of the Pennsylvania Deutsch who an enemy cannon or righting an overturned wagon. As
welcome Hessian deserters into their families—furthering an action, you can make a Strength check to try to lift
linguistic and cultural divides with other communities. an object of any weight. The DC is determined by the
The west is not uninhabited, contrary to promises object's size; Medium DC 10, Large DC 15, Huge DC 20.
made by land speculators and colonial governments. You are heavily encumbered while carrying the object,
Pioneers trying to settle westward quickly learn that the and can maintain your grip for a number of rounds equal
indigenous inhabitants of these regions (as well as those to your Strength modifier. After you use this trait, you
already forced from the coast) aren’t keen on giving up can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
more of their land. However, some settlers in Québec and in Ingenuity. You can craft any item that requires an
the Great Lakes region form less contentious relationships artisan's tool proficiency to craft. However, if you're not
with local indigenous peoples through trade and cultural proficient with the required tools, crafting takes double the
exchanges. The minister Samuel Kirkland, a speaker of normal time. If you are proficient with the tools, you can
many Iroquoian languages, serves as ambassador between craft the item in half the normal amount of time required.
Pioneers and the Oneida and Mohawk tribes, and is Languages. You can speak, read, and write your
instrumental in convincing Oneida to join the Patriots. heritage language, as well as one language of your choice.
Chapter 1: Origins |9
Renegade
10 | Chapter 1: Origins
Every society has its outlaws. Some fight for coin, some
for revenge, and others for noble causes and to right
historic injustices. But above all, a Renegade’s loyalty is Troubled Past
to themself. At home in alehouses and gambling dens, Whether on the run or hiding in plain sight, some
these rapscallions always have an escape route and renegades have a sordid history that is always
know just where to go to ground. Whether charming and one step behind them. When making a renegade
manipulative, or brutal and opportunistic, Renegades character, you can discuss your past with your
thrive in the gray areas of the war. GM and create a rival who you have crossed
before. This figure could be a money-lender, an
L ife at the F ringe unscrupulous officer, an outlaw fighting for the
enemy, or even a mark that you fleeced for a tidy
With war comes shortages, as armies barter, requisition, sum of sterling. If your rival interferes when you are
and outright seize everything from gunpowder stores on a mission, it could cause a serious complication,
to herds of cattle. Groups of vagabonds, deserters, or but settling the score might bring its own rewards.
runaways can turn to banditry for coin or even basic
necessities, forming gangs to rob plantations and
merchant shipments. Patience Wright, an American-born sculptor who
The best equipped highwayman plunder from horseback, gained popularity in George III’s court, secretly provides
based in sparsely populated frontiers outside the reach information on British military preparations to her contacts
of local militias like the Georgia backcountry or the in France. More daring still, Patience is said to have cleverly
independent “Republic of Vermont.” Other raiders operate concealed intelligence in wax figurines and shipped them to
with impunity in the contested areas between British her family in Philadelphia, bypassing British censors.
and Continental territory, preying on enemy soldiers Some Maroon communities take an active role in
and partisans along the lawless Neutral Ground north of fighting back against their oppressors. From the swamps
Manhattan and much of war-ravaged New Jersey. of the Louisiana territory, runaway leader Jean Saint
Some of these units are led by militia or even army Malo wages a guerrilla campaign against Spanish forces
personnel that adhere to the Laws of War, such as Francis along the Mississippi. Sneaking into New Orleans, his
Marion, the “Swamp Fox” of the Carolinas. But when rebels help to liberate others from bondage, as well as
supplies dwindle, both sides can turn a blind eye to ne’er- gathering weapons from covert supporters to use in their
do-wells who indiscriminately attack civilians and military revolt against the planter class.
targets alike.
R enegade T raits
F or L ove or M oney
Your character’s traits represent a Renegade lifestyle.
Renegades occasionally serve as enlisted irregulars or Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score
soldiers-for-hire. The Continental Congress and many increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
state governments have issued Letters of Marque by the Heritage. Choose your heritage. You are a born
hundreds, commissioning privateers to attack British renegade, whether from the streets of New York City or
shipping. Serving on an armed vessel is dangerous, if the far-flung edges of the British Empire.
highly profitable—privateers can keep any prize they Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.
capture—and people of all heritages sign on to privateer Darkvision. Accustomed to night fighting, you have
crews to seek their fortunes at sea. superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see
Switching sides can also be a path to a better life. in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light,
Patriot promises of land and citizenship are made and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern
to entice Hessian soldiers, many of whom are poor color in darkness, only shades of gray.
conscripts, to defect to the Continental Army. Following Scoundrel's Luck. When you would be reduced to 0
Dunmore’s Proclamation in 1775—which promised hit points, you can instead cause that attack or effect to
freedom to any enslaved person to escape and join the reduce you to 1 hit point. Perhaps the shot was deflected
British cause—many Black men take up arms against by a lucky coin in your pocket, or a convenient slip causes
their former enslavers. The uniform of Dunmore’s so- a slash to glance off your starched collar. After you use
called Ethiopian Regiment is emblazoned with the phrase this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
“Liberty to Slaves.” Fast Talker. You have proficiency in the Deception skill.
Tricks of the Trade. You can cast fog of war and non
T urning the T ables sequitur with this trait, using Wisdom as your casting ability.
Once you cast either gambit, you can’t cast it again with
Whether freedom fighters, undercover agents, or this trait until you finish a long rest. You can also cast these
backchannel diplomats, Renegades also work to foster gambits using any gambit slots you have.
rebellion and change empires from within. Often dismissed Renegade Training. You have proficiency with all
or ignored in high society, colonial women and other simple and martial carbines.
disenfranchised peoples can act as the eyes and ears of Languages. You can speak read, and write your
the Revolution. heritage language, as well as one language of your choice.
Chapter 1: Origins | 11
Scholar
12 | Chapter 1: Origins
Though they are more at home in a lecture hall rather C all to R evolution
than the battlefield, a Scholar’s quick thinking and wide
array of knowledge can devise creative solutions for the Scholars look to the uncertain future with fascination and
most difficult problems. Many adventurous academics, excitement. Cheap printers in every major city allow
scientists, and engineers are eager to put their studies pamphlets and polemics to be distributed rapidly. The
into practice, and some even come from abroad to offer colonial world is abuzz with vigorous discussion, from
their unique services to the Revolution. Thomas Paine’s well-reasoned Common Sense to the fiery
propaganda issued by Sam Adams and Paul Revere in
A ge of E nlightenment favor of rebellion against tyranny.
The possibility of a new nation presents America as a
In the 17th and 18th centuries, a new intellectual movement great social experiment—one that could put Enlightenment
blossomed in Europe, which focused on rational thought, ideals of democracy and self-government into practice. The
empiricism, and the pursuit of happiness as the basis for writings of John Locke, Daniel Rousseau, Montesquieu, and
society, government, and law. A renewed interest in the others have laid the foundation of what could become a nation
sciences creates opportunities for Scholars, who are of united states. As the principles of personal liberty spread,
presented with new and exciting fields of study. Scholars wonder what the brewing conflict will bring, and
Explorers and naturalists set out on voyages of discovery, how much they must sacrifice to live up to their ideals.
mapping the seas and studying the flora and fauna of
far off islands. The fields of botany and zoology become S cholar T raits
increasingly accessible, as opposed to hobbies for the
rich. Chemists identify new elements, while others seek Your character’s traits represent your Scholarly aims.
to understand the mysteries of electricity and magnetism. Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score and
Philosophers concern themselves with human nature as your Intelligence score increase by 2.
doctors examine the body. Deists search for proof of God Heritage. Choose your heritage. Enlightenment
in nature and reason, and astronomers look to the sky. knows no nation, and while many intellectuals hail from
abroad, Scholars of all backgrounds have begun to study
T he B ounds of R eason at American universities.
Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.
The first North American colleges were established in Rational Skepticism. You have advantage on saving
New Spain in the 16th century, and since then, more have throws you make to avoid or end the charmed condition
formed in the east, including Harvard, Yale, and King’s on yourself.
College. However, higher education is often limited to the Careful Study. You are well learned and know how
wealthy. Some Scholars are self taught, but an academic to apply your education to the task at hand. As a bonus
life is a privilege. On Southern estates, tutors are hired action, you can add double your proficiency bonus (instead
to mold the children of planters in the style of British of your normal bonus) to an ability check using a skill or
aristocracy. These students learn history, mathematics, tool you are proficient in. If you use the Help action, you
and manners to prepare for university. can grant this benefit to the creature you aid in addition to
Still, these American Scholars often clash with advantage on the ability check. After you use this trait, you
European academics. They must advance through the can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
rigid academies of science to secure employment, and Best Laid Plans. If you are not surprised when you
salons often exclude artists that they deem too radical. roll initiative, you can immediately take the Ready action
Jesuit priests expelled from New France struggle to and write down the details in secret. You must write the
establish schools and missions in the American frontier. circumstance that will trigger the plan, as well as the
action you will take in response. This action can be used
D are to K now only to take the Cast a Gambit (with a target of self only),
Help, Search, or Use an Object.
A true Scholar is not deterred by social barriers. The When the conditions of your plan are met, you can take
Library Company of Philadelphia, one of the first of its your reaction to act. If you do so, you must reveal what you
kind, allows members to buy "shares" and contribute wrote down at the start of the encounter. If you readied a
to a common fund to expand the collection. Scholars gambit using this trait, the gambit isn't cast until you take
can also readily find knowledge in local coffeehouses, your triggered reaction. After revealing a plan, you cannot
where the public gathers to discuss and debate the latest use this trait again until you finish a long rest.
in philosophical ideas, scientific advancements, and Tool Curiosity. You gain proficiency with one tool of
political thought. your choice. After 7 days of practice and research, you
In South Carolina, Martha Daniell Logan turns her can replace the tool proficiency gained with this trait with
love of nature into a career in botany, documenting local a different tool proficiency you don't have.
flora and contributing to a British and North American Cantrip. You know one cantrip of your choice from
seed exchange. Largely self taught, the land surveyor and the firebrand gambit list. Your casting ability for this
astronomer, Benjamin Banneker, authors a successful cantrip is Charisma.
series of almanacs in spite of the racial discrimination he Language. You can speak, read, and write your heritage
faces from publishers. language, as well as any two languages of your choice.
Chapter 1: Origins | 13
Scout
Nonhelema Tegahsweangalolis
Known to her enemies as "The Grenadier," the Shawnee "Saw Mill," also known as Paul Powless, is a young warrior
chieftess Nonhelema has seen her share of war. After a of the Oneida tribe. He ardently believes in the Patriot
lifetime spent resisting British occupation, she has taken cause—even as many of the Iroquois nations are drawn
up the hatchet once more, hoping the Americans will over to the British side—and has pledged to fight for the
respect her tribe's lands on the frontier. cause of freedom.
14 | Chapter 1: Origins
For generations, indigenous peoples have explored and to these forces can give a decisive advantage in frontier
settled the diverse regions of North America. Unprepared warfare. Integrated units such as Pierre de Rigaud’s militia,
for the vast forests and cold winters of the New World, Brant’s Volunteers, and particularly Roger’s Rangers have
many European hunters had to adopt native teachings to established the principles of the colonial ranger tradition.
survive. Scouts are sentries, trackers, and pathfinders who Relations between Patriot settlers and native peoples
use knowledge from indigenous traditions to live off the are often fraught, compounded by mutual distrust and a
land and guide the unprepared through the wilderness. legacy of dishonest treaties written by the governments
of the Thirteen Colonies. Parliament has pledged to respect
A mong the T rees the sovereignty of indigenous nations at war's end, and many
native Scouts have allied with the British. Others, tired
At home in the wilds, Scouts are excellent trappers and of being pawns of European powers, have joined the
explorateurs. With the coming of European settlers, many Revolutionary cause in the hope of securing their future.
of them—particularly the Wabenaki, Iroquois, and tribes Some Scouts wait to see which way the wind will blow—
of the Three Fires—found a lucrative exchange in the with the frontier balanced on a knife's edge, loyalties can
colonial fur trade. Access to firearms transformed these change rapidly in the brush. As military expeditions range
confederations, whose influence expanded greatly by further afield, both sides are quick to promise territory to any
migration and conquest during the Beaver Wars of the Scouts who aid them. There are deals to be struck, but often
17th century. they will need to be secured by the barrel of a gun.
Making use of underbrush and overgrowth, scouting
tactics favor ambushes and the element of surprise. Advance S cout T raits
Scouts penetrate deep into enemy territory and quietly
shadow their movements. There they wait until the opportune Your character’s traits represent a Scout’s travels.
moment, using bird calls and complex signals to relay their Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by
observations to nearby allies. When the time is right, the 2, and two other ability scores of your choice increase by 1.
entire force strikes quickly and decisively: razing homes, Heritage. Choose your heritage. Indigenous Scouts
rounding up livestock, and melding back into the forest fighting in the Revolution come from the Cherokee, Choctaw,
before the enemy can muster a defense. Creek, Iroquois, Shawnee, Three Fires, Wyandot, and Wabenaki
peoples. Some British, Colonial, and Québécois Scouts also
S wift and T rue serve alongside the Métis and other mixed communities.
Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.
Scouts cultivate a keen sense of their environment, ever Darkvision. Thanks to your time in the wild, you have
alert to the threat of enemy counterattacks. By reading superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in
the contours of the land, they can sense likely ambush dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and
spots and the places where trails converge. The Great in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color
Trail—a network of extensive footpaths spanning from in darkness, only shades of gray.
Tidewater to the Ohio Country—allows indigenous Reconnaissance. Your vision is not hindered in areas
warriors, hunters, and representatives from different lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist,
nations to travel quickly through the woodlands. and other natural phenomena.
In peacetime, the paths and waterways connecting the Swiftness. You can give yourself a bonus to your
interior facilitated commerce and exchange between these initiative rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier. If you
societies and colonial powers. Outposts and entrepôts dot are surprised, you can take the Dodge action and make
the Ohio, Saint Lawrence, and Mississippi rivers, where reactions on your first turn of the combat.
both groups live side-by-side, and alliances are made and Trail-Breaker. You can cast alarm and find traps with this
broken. Here in the middle is where most colonial Scouts trait, using Wisdom as your casting ability for them. Once you
learn their trade. Among them are voyageurs, “Indian cast either of these gambit with this trait, you can't cast that
Agents,” and the occasional outlander adopted into a gambit with it again until you finish a long rest. You can
native tribe. Children born of colonial and indigenous also cast these gambits using any gambit slots you have.
parents often grow up with a foot in both worlds, and When you cast find traps, you have advantage on any
sometimes their descendants form entirely new societies, Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Perception) checks
like the Métis of New France. to locate any traps you detect.
Traditional Weapons. You increase the damage you
T he P ath to W ar deal with simple melee weapons by one die step, improving
a handaxe's damage to 1d8 from 1d6, and a gunstock club’s
Frictions between settlers and indigenous groups intensified damage to 2d6 from 2d4, for example.
as European nations waged proxy wars on North American When you score a critical hit with one of these weapons,
soil for control of the continent. These conflicts culminated you can roll one additional damage die and add it to the
in the devastating French & Indian War, a theater of the Seven extra damage of the critical hit.
Years War. Unable to field enough provincial troops, colonial Hit and Fade. You have proficiency in the Stealth skill.
powers frequently engage indigenous and mixed-heritage Language. You can speak, read, and write your heritage
irregulars to supplement their regiments. Scouts attached language, as well as one language of your choice.
Chapter 1: Origins | 15
Veteran
16 | Chapter 1: Origins
Soldiers, mercenaries, and survivors of wars past, children or grandchildren or perhaps because they know
Veterans are experienced troops who have seen their their experience and gumption could save the lives of
share of action. Anything but subtle, these brave men and young soldiers who have yet to live a full life.
women are quick to charge into the fray, unafraid of the These soldiers know that it’s not what you fight for,
enemy onslaught. They have one profession, and they but who you fight under that can sway the balance. The
know it well. difference between a good, experienced sergeant and a
greenhorn officer is immeasurable. Young upstarts full of
O f S terner S tuff notions about the "glory of war" are apt to get their men
killed. Seasoned leaders who respects their troops can
Soldiers who have seen action bear the scars of wars past, inspire loyalty on and off the field—and even instill the
whether on their face, body, or their very soul. Others who courage they need to reenlist as Veterans themselves.
see these scars are often uncomfortable, unsure of how to Formal military training is still severely lacking in the
react to them. To Veterans, these scars are badges of honor, Continental Army, with many regiments organized by men
memories of a lost friend, or reminders of the cause they who have never been on the receiving end of a musket.
fight for. An artillery barrage might cause horses to bolt Veterans have a discipline and lived experience that
and militiamen to scatter, but a Veteran holds firm, calm, make them invaluable to the cause, though the nature of
collected, and ready to take action. After countless hours of revolution means many Patriots find themselves facing
drills and practice, reloading a musket or stringing a bow former comrades-in-arms on the battlefield. All the more
has become second nature even as hot lead whistles past. reason for Veterans to get back in the fight.
Lined troops and volley fire makes for a more impersonal
form of warfare than the bloody melees of bygone eras. A V eteran T raits
sense of duty often drives a Veteran to fight for king and
country, but so too does a sense of kinship with your fellow Your character’s traits represent your Veteran gumption.
soldiers, even the enemy. There is a certain reluctance at Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases
an officer's command to bayonet charge a fleeing force, but by 1, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.
then again, orders are orders. Most veterans take no joy Heritage. Choose your heritage. North American
in senseless killing and spurn those that join a militia or Veterans are most commonly British or Colonial, but many
army to satisfy bloodlust or vendettas. Hessian, indigenous, and African soldiers serve as well.
Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.
Y ears of S ervice Tour of Duty. As a seasoned soldier, you have served
with distinction in numerous engagements. Choose a
Since the first colonists landed on American shores, militias conflict from the table below, or create your own:
have been the principle form of defense for towns and
cities. Depending on the amount of external threats Conflict Belligerents
a colony faced, militia service was either voluntary or War of Jenkins’ Ear British, Colonials, Criollos, or Ladinos
compulsory for men 16 to 60 years in age. While originally
Jacobite Rising British, Hessians, or Scots-Irish
formed to deal with external threats, militias often found
themselves tasked with enforcing the law at the order of Mackandal Revolt Colonials, French, or Haitians
politicians instead of military leaders. French & Indian War British, French, Iroquois, or Québécois
Fighting through a war forms intimate bonds between
comrades that can be closer than family. Conflicts in North Pontiac’s Rebellion British, Shawnee, Three Fires, or Wyandot
America in the early 18th century sometimes took soldiers Cherokee War Cherokee, Choctaw, Colonials, or Shawnee
far from home. It was on campaign that these soldiers were
exposed to new and different cultures and languages, and Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check
learned to rely on their allies if they hoped to survive. related to this conflict, you are considered proficient in
Veterans can be found in all walks of life. Some old the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus
colonial soldiers retired to major population centers in to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
New England and the Mid-Atlantic—Boston, Newport, In addition, choose one of the belligerents involved in
Philadelphia, and New York City. A few can be found in the conflict. You have battlefield experience facing this foe
the sparsely populated Deep South, intrepid venturers and consider that heritage your Favored Enemy (as the
who journeyed far from home to wage war. Virginian ranger class feature). You learn their language if you do
militiamen have fought in significant numbers in nearly not already know it.
every North American conflict, and are eager to fight Veteran Training. You have proficiency with all
under George Washington's command again. simple and martial muskets.
Campaigner. You have proficiency with the
T he O ld G uard munitions kits. At the site of a major battle—recent or
historic—you can spend 1 hour scavenging enough
The distinctive match cord burns between a Veteran's discarded shot to make up to 10 cartridge rounds.
fingers are a surer sign of age than the wrinkles on Experienced. You gain one feat of your choice.
their face. These so-called old hands are pulled into the Language. You can speak, read, and write your heritage
war, perhaps to fight for a more peaceful world for their language, as well as a language from Tour of Duty.
Chapter 1: Origins | 17
18 |
Chapter 2: Classes
"We must all hang together now, or assuredly we shall hang separately."
–Benjamin Franklin
In Colonial America, mages and divine prophets are
the things of legend and fantasy. Players in Nations & Subclass Options
Cannons play as heroic characters that are capable of The subclasses in this book aren’t the only subclasses
extraordinary, though mundane, feats of ingenuity and that can be used in the Nations & Cannons setting.
bravery. Spells in this system are replaced by Gambits, Work with your GM to come up with ways to explain
stunts of guile, misdirection, and trickery that create the more magical abilities of the subclass you want
powerful effects (described in chapter 5). The classes listed to play. Below is a list of recommended subclasses:
below are the most appropriate classes for this setting.
• Barbarian: Berserker or Totem Warrior
R evolutionary C lasses • Fighter: Champion or Battlemaster
• Ranger: Hunter or Beast Master
Due to the lethality of firearms, it is advised play begin at • Rogue: Thief or Assassin
2nd level. Choose a class (or classes) from among the
following options:
Firebrand. Courageous and duplicitous, firebrands Rogue. Shrewd and crafty, rogues are as likely as not to
inspire both courage and dread as agents, manipulators, be highway robbers, enterprising sailors, or hired guns.
rabble-rousers, and leaders of men.
Barbarian. Fearless soldiers, barbarians represent the Protégé
bravest of warriors and assault troops. After you reach 10th level, your character can overcome all but
Fighter. Comfortable with all manner of weapons, the most challenging missions. The next time you would gain
fighters might be standard infantry, mercenaries, or a level, you can retire your character to accept a promotion,
grizzled old warhorses. a political office, or an offer to teach the next generation.
Ranger. Among the ranks of sappers, sentries, and Your character has left the party, but not the story! Make a
skirmishers, rangers have a long history in colonial new character as their Protégé, who starts play at 5th level with
warfare, outmaneuvering and ambushing their enemies. the maximum possible hit points and £ 100 (£ 150 for Officers).
New Subclasses
Class Subclass Description Primary Ability
An eloquent speaker who supports their allies with words
Firebrand Chaplain Charisma
as powerful as their convictions.
A malcontent who manipulates the emotions of their
Firebrand Demagogue Charisma & Strength
audience to achieve their dubious ends.
A powerful front-line warrior whose strength is matched
Barbarian Grenadier Strength
only by their recklessness.
A soldier of fortune who lives by their wits, employing
Fighter Turncoat Strength & Charisma
weapons of stealth and sabotage.
A canny master of the environment who can turn the
Ranger Trailblazer Wisdom
wilderness to their advantage.
A crack shot who can outflank enemies using guile,
Rogue Marksman Dexterity & Wisdom
cunning, and deadly precision.
Chapter 2: Classes | 19
Firebrand Feeling revolution on the horizon, Mercy Otis Warren
calls out for an end to the tyranny of the crown. The
colonists hear her words and feel the promise of freedom
behind every line.
Thomas Paine reads his words aloud to a crowd of
listeners, every face before him rapt with attention. He
champions the rights of man, his impassioned speech and
powerful language capturing the audience’s hearts and
minds in dreams of the future.
Phillis Wheatley sits at her desk, a blank sheet of paper
before her. Her poetry flows as easily from her thoughts as
ink from her pen. Her convictions shine through in every
word, buoyed by her eloquence.
Firebrands are orators and writers, diplomats and
preachers, poets and liars. Through their words, they rally
and inspire their allies, or berate and shame their enemies.
T he S pirit of R evolution
A war is fought on many fronts, not merely through
strength of arms. The firebrand understands the power
and importance of the people’s approval, and uses their
talent for persuasion and argument to their advantage.
Firebrands are versatile people, with quick wits and
clever reasoning that give them an advantage both in
conversation and, if necessary, on the battlefield. While
not natural soldiers, firebrands are far from helpless in
a fight. They employ gambits which can debilitate their
enemies and inspire their allies, turning the tide of an
engagement in their favor.
Chapter 2: Classes
T he F irebrand
Proficiency Resolve Cantrips —Gambit slots per Gambit Level—
Level Bonus Points Features Known 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
1st +2 — Bear Witness, Speech-Casting, Vocation 3 2 — — — —
2nd +2 2 Ounce of Wit, Vocation feature 3 2 — — — —
3rd +2 3 Fighting Style, Rhetorical Flourish 3 3 — — — —
4th +2 4 Ability Score Improvement 4 3 — — — —
5th +3 5 Fighting Words, Pamphleteer 4 4 2 — — —
6th +3 6 Penny Saved, Vocation feature 4 4 2 — — —
7th +3 7 — 4 4 3 — — —
8th +3 8 Ability Score Improvement, Decisive Strike 4 4 3 — — —
9th +4 9 — 4 4 3 2 — —
10th +4 10 Revolutionary Covenant, Vocation feature 5 4 3 2 — —
11th +4 11 Indivisible 5 4 3 3 — —
12th +4 12 Ability Score Improvement 5 4 3 3 — —
13th +5 13 Mystifying Argument (6th level) 5 4 3 3 1 —
14th +5 14 Decisive Strike 5 4 3 3 1 —
15th +5 15 Vocation feature 5 4 3 3 2 —
16th +5 16 Ability Score Improvement 5 4 3 3 2 —
17th +6 17 Mystifying Argument (7th level) 5 4 3 3 3 1
18th +6 18 — 5 4 3 3 3 1
19th +6 19 Ability Score Improvement 5 4 3 3 3 2
20th +6 20 Fire of Liberty 5 4 3 3 3 2
Chapter 2: Classes | 21
B ear W itness S peech -C asting
Your logical reasoning allows you to find the truth hidden in As an orator and rhetorician, you can deploy gambits
a deceit. You have advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) against your enemies. Gambits represent extraordinary
checks to see through illusions. In addition, when you effects that can manipulate the weak-willed, aid your
succeed on an ability check to catch a creature or community allies, and trick your foes into serving your designs.
in a lie, see through an illusion, or find proof of a deception,
you can uncover a hidden truth. Cantrips
Select a question to ask the GM from the following list You know two cantrips of your choice from the firebrand
to learn more about this duplicity: gambit list. You learn additional firebrand cantrips of
your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips
• Who is orchestrating the deceit? Known column of the Firebrand table.
• What is being hidden?
• When did the deception begin? Preparing and Casting Gambits
• Where can you find evidence of the truth? The Firebrand table shows how many gambit slots you
• Why was it hidden from you? have to cast your gambits of 1st level and higher. To
• How many accomplices are involved? cast one of these gambits, you must expend a slot of the
gambit’s level or higher. You regain all expended gambit
Your GM answers this question truthfully, providing slots when you finish a long rest.
information that you may have gleaned from context You prepare the list of firebrand gambits that are
clues or slips of the tongue. The more information you available for you to cast by choosing from the firebrand
already have about the duplicity, the more precise and gambit list. When you do so, choose a number of firebrand
detailed the information you receive. gambits equal to your Charisma modifier + ½ your firebrand
level, rounded down (minimum of one gambit). The
gambits must be of a level for which you have gambit slots.
For example, if you are a 5th-level firebrand, you have
four 1st-level and two 2nd-level gambit slots. With a
Charisma of 14, your list of prepared gambits can include
four gambits of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If
you prepare the 1st-level gambit non sequitur, you can
cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the
gambit doesn't remove it from your list of prepared
gambits.
You can change your list of prepared gambits when
you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of firebrand
gambits requires time spent practicing your delivery and
refining logical assertions: at least 1 minute per gambit
level for each gambit on your list.
Casting Ability
Charisma is your casting ability for your firebrand gambits,
since your influence comes from rational argumentation
and debate. You use your Charisma whenever a gambit refers
to your casting ability. In addition, you use your Charisma
modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a firebrand
gambit you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Ritual Casting
You can cast a firebrand gambit as a ritual
if that gambit has the ritual tag and you
have the gambit prepared.
Chapter 2: Classes
V ocation Defense
When you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
You can sway opinions with a handful of words. Choose
a vocation: Chaplain or Demagogue, both detailed at Dueling
the end of the class description. Your choice grants you When you are wielding a melee weapon or pistol in
vocational gambits and other features when you choose one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to
it at 1st level. It also grants you additional ways to use damage rolls with that weapon.
Resolve Points when you gain that feature at 2nd level, and
additional benefits at 6th, 10th, and 15th levels. Great Weapon Fighting
When you roll a 1 or a 2 on a damage die for a melee
Vocational Gambits attack, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll,
Each vocation has a list of gambits—its vocational even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have
gambits—that you gain when that level's gambits are the two-handed or versatile quality for you to gain this
first available to you as a firebrand. Once you gain a benefit (and have a bayonet affixed, if it is a firearm).
vocational gambit, you always have it prepared, and it
doesn't count against the number of gambits you can Protection
prepare each day. When a creature you can see attacks a target other than
If you have a vocational gambit that doesn’t appear you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction
on the firebrand gambit list, the gambit is nonetheless a to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be
firebrand gambit for you. wielding a shield or a longsword.
You cannot use this fighting style to protect against
O unce of W it ranged attacks from firearms.
Chapter 2: Classes | 23
A bility S core I mprovement D ecisive S trike
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, At 8th level, you gain the ability to aim your recriminations
and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your down the barrel of a gun. Once on each of your turns when
choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the
your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability attack to deal an extra 1d8 damage to the target. When you
score above 20 using this feature. reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.
24 | Chapter 2: Classes
area could become the target of an impending raid, or the F ire of L iberty
authorities of a neutral settlement might turn hostile when
the war is brought to their doorstep. Being exposed behind At 20th level, people travel from miles around just to hear
enemy lines can have disastrous consequences. you give a speech, read scripture, or berate an opponent
Once you use this feature in a city or village, you can’t in a public forum. If you spend at least 10 minutes
use it again within that settlement for 30 days. orating to a crowd, you can cast charm person on up to
twelve creatures that can see and hear you, without using
I ndivisible a gambit slot. When you cast charm person this way,
onlookers and affected creatures are unaware that you
At 11th level, you can maintain your focus through sheer cast a gambit and any affected creatures do not know
willpower even when under fire. You can spend 1 point they were charmed by you. Once you use this feature, you
of resolve to automatically succeed on a saving throw to can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
maintain your concentration when you take damage.
26 | Chapter 2: Classes
Dread Reprisal
Starting at 2nd level, your words deliver bitter denunciations
Firebrand Gambit List
that throw your foes off balance. When you deal psychic This list is organized by gambit level, not character level.
damage to a creature you share a language with, you can If a gambit can be cast as a ritual, the ritual tag appears
spend 1 resolve point to weaken it. Until the start of your after the gambit's name. Gambits marked with an asterisk
next turn, the creature doesn't benefit from any condition are described in chapter 5.
immunities it has. In addition, the next weapon attack that
hits it ignores all resistances to damage and deals an extra Cantrips (0 level) prayer of healing
2d4 damage. foxfire* sally forth*
guidance stock and barrel*
Excoriate mending suggestion
Starting at 6th level, you can add your Charisma modifier resistance
to any psychic damage roll you make. spare the dying 3rd Level
shillelagh beacon of hope
Make an Example true strike bestow curse
At 10th level, when you drop an enemy to 0 hit points, vicious mockery beyond reproach*
you can spend 3 resolve points to force any creatures fear
of your choice within 30 feet to make a Wisdom saving 1st Level harsh invective*
throw against your gambit save DC. On a failure, they bane ignite fervor*
become frightened of you for 1 minute. bless intelligence network*
charm person mass healing word
Tar and Feather code duello* nondetection
At 15th level, you can incite a crowd to oust an individual comprehend languages protection from energy
from a settlement as long as you have documented (ritual) remove curse
evidence of your claims and their misdeeds. To convince cure wounds slow
the crowd, make a Charisma check and add your dead drop*
proficiency bonus. If your target is beloved or if the disguise self 4th Level
settlement is loyal to them, you have disadvantage on healing word compulsion
this check. heroism confusion
If your result is higher than a DC equal to 8 + the identify (ritual) death ward
target's proficiency modifier + the target's Charisma illusory script (ritual) esprit de corps*
modifier, you sway the crowd. Over the course of 8 hours non sequitur* forestall*
a mob forms to forcibly evict your target. The people rhetoric* freedom of movement
of the settlement grant you their favor, improving their sanctuary fusillade*
attitude toward you—to indifferent from hostile, or to tongue lash* to the gallows*
friendly from indifferent.
On a failure your claims are met with skepticism 2nd Level 5th Level
from the populace, and your target may retaliate against aid eye of reason*
you for spreading "slander and rumor." If your dice roll augury (ritual) geas
(before adding your modifier) is lower than the target's calm emotions hold monster
Charisma modifier, your incitement backfires. The castigate* hold the line*
settlement's attitude toward your target improves, and enthrall legend lore
the mob turns against you, running you and your allies hold person mass cure wounds
out of the settlement. knock modify memory
leechcraft* summon company*
Chapter 2: Classes | 27
Barbarian
G renadier
Grenadiers are the shock infantry who specialize in
breaking up enemy formations. These elite troops are
skilled with many types of weaponry, from land-pattern
muskets to hatchets and boarding axes. The largest and
strongest soldiers in the army, grenadiers originally
took their namesake from the heavy, unpredictable
grenades they carried. While most now forego these
dangerous handheld bombs, grenadiers are still adept at
demolitions and clearing fortified positions. Some still
do wield explosives—and their allies would be advised to
give them a wide berth.
Bonus Proficiency
When you choose this path at 3rd level you gain
proficiency with the munitions kit.
Short Fuse
Starting at 3rd level, you become more adept with thrown
weapons and grenades in the heat of battle. If your
weapon has the thrown property, increase its range by 10
feet. You also can add your rage bonus to damage dealt
by thrown weapons and grenades while raging.
Reckless Shot
At 3rd level, you can use your Reckless Attack feature
to gain advantage with ranged weapons, as long as your
target is within your weapon's normal range.
Assault Munitions
At 10th level, you become adept at making improvised
explosives. You can cast stinkpot or fougasse without using
a gambit slot. Constitution is your casting modifier for
these gambits. After you cast either gambit in this way, you
can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Chapter 2: Classes
Fighter
T urncoat Colonial Fighting
Fighting styles in Nations & Cannons use these rules:
Whether motivated by money, power, or status, a The new Quick Flint style (described on page 23)
turncoat's allegiance always puts themself first above all can be learned by fighters and rangers.
others. Talented soldiers in their own right, turncoats are The Archery style cannot be used with firearms.
determined to be on the winning side and always willing The Dueling style can be used with pistols.
to at least hear out an offer from an opposing faction The Great Weapon Fighting style applies to
when defeat seems imminent. melee attacks using firearms with bayonets affixed.
The Protection style can be used when wielding a
Bonus Proficiencies longsword. It cannot be used to impose disadvantage
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain on ranged attacks from firearms.
proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: In Nations & Cannons you can use two-weapon
Athletics, Deception, Insight, Intimidation, or Sleight fighting with light pistols, allowing you to use the
of Hand. You also gain proficiency in your choice of the Two-Weapon Fighting style on your offhand attack.
disguise kit, forgery kit, or poisoner’s kit.
Professional Chicanery
Starting at 3rd level, your unconventional training has check to grapple a creature, you can choose to subdue
armed you with a variety of underhanded tricks called that creature in a special grip called a stranglehold. A
chicaneries. You specialize in a chicanery of your choice creature held in a stranglehold is grappled, restrained,
that allows you to cast a limited number of gambits. These and cannot speak as long as you maintain the grapple.
gambits use Charisma as your casting ability. While maintaining a stranglehold grapple you cannot
Cutthroat. You can cast create draught or detect poison make attacks or cast gambits, but you gain half cover
once as a 1st-level gambit with this feature and regain the against ranged attacks.
ability to do so when you finish a long rest. Any injury When a creature attempts to break out of your
poisons you create using this feature can be applied to up stranglehold, you can use your reaction to impose
to three daggers or handaxes (or three arrows, as normal). disadvantage on their contested check to escape the
When you reach 7th level, you can cast create tincture grapple. If you do, your speed becomes 0 until the end of
once as a 3rd-level gambit with this feature and regain your next turn.
the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
Informant. You can cast charm person or illusory Human Shield
script once using this feature and regain the ability to At 7th level you improve your stranglehold, gaining a
do so when you finish a long rest. When you cast charm benefit based on the chicanery of your choice. You can
person using this feature, the creature is unaware it was choose the same chicanery you selected at 3rd level or a
charmed unless the gambit ends early. In addition, the different one.
creature can make a new saving throw if you or your Cutthroat. While holding a creature in a stranglehold,
companions attack any of its allies. you have advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks.
When you reach 7th level, you can cast beyond As an action, you can force a creature you have
reproach once using this feature and regain the ability to subdued in a stranglehold to consume an ingested
do so when you finish a long rest. poison. That creature has disadvantage on their saving
Mercenary. You can cast barbed spike or dead drop throw against the poison.
once using this feature and regain the ability to do so Informant. You can attempt a stranglehold on an ally
when you finish a long rest. When you cast dead drop to confuse your enemies. Your ally can choose to fail their
using this feature you always locate a cache, regardless of contested check against the stranglehold grapple. A hostile
the chance to find one. If you come across an enemy cache creature with an Intelligence of 4 or higher that sees you
you have advantage on your Intelligence (Investigation) succeed on the stranglehold will treat you as a noncombatant
check to locate hidden messages. or ally, until you prove yourself to be otherwise.
When you reach 7th level, you can cast intelligence You can use your reaction at any time to drop the
network once using this feature and regain the ability to do ruse, release your hostage, and immediately take an
so when you finish a long rest. action. Any attacks you make as part of this action
are made with advantage. Once you reveal your true
Stranglehold allegiance, the enemies that fell for your ruse can no
Also at 3rd level, you learn to quickly restrain an longer be fooled by your use of this feature.
opponent. After you succeed on a Strength (Athletics)
Chapter 2: Classes | 29
Mercenary. After subduing a creature in a stranglehold, Whenever you make an Insight (Wisdom) check, you gain
you can take the Dodge action as a bonus action. Until a bonus to the check equal to your Charisma modifier.
the start of your next turn—as long as you maintain the Mercenary. The matter of your allegiance is always
stranglehold grapple—any attack that misses you due to negotiable. You gain immunity to the charmed condition.
disadvantage instead hits the creature you are grappling. If targeted by an effect that would charm you, you can
choose to act as if you were charmed for the effect's
High Price duration. While the charmer thinks you are under their
At 10th level you gain a new benefit based on the sway, you gain advantage on opposed ability checks
chicanery of your choice. You can choose the same against them. If you attack the charmer or target them with
chicanery you selected previously or a different one. harmful abilities or gambits, the effect immediately ends.
Cutthroat. Poisons you apply to weapons retain
their potency for one hour before drying. When you True Colours
make a damage roll that deals poison damage, it ignores At 18th level, whether through deceit, forgery, or guile, you
resistance to poison damage. can obtain a signed writ from a commanding officer of an
Informant. When you hit a creature with a melee attack opposing force that you can use to cast summon company.
you can feint to gouge at your target’s eyes. The attack When you cast the gambit in this way, you enlist the aid
deals no damage, but the creature is blinded until the end of a squad of hostile troops that believe you are an ally.
of its next turn. You can use this feature a number of times If given cause to doubt you or your motives, the sergeant
equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of 1). You leading the company can make a Wisdom saving throw
regain all expended uses of it after a long rest. against a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your
Mercenary. As a bonus action, you can make a single Charisma modifier. On a successful save, the sergeant
melee attack against a charmed, frightened, or poisoned becomes increasingly suspicious of you and your actions.
creature within reach. The company will not fire on allied forces unless you
give them a convincing reason. If you do so, the sergeant
False Façade must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the
At 15th level you gain a new benefit based on the sergeant will reluctantly obey your command and order
chicanery of your choice. You can choose the same their troops to fire.
chicanery you selected previously or a different one. The troops will rebel against you—either by
Cutthroat. Poisons you use cannot be detected by disobeying your orders, deserting, or attacking you—if
any divination gambits. All ability checks to determine you or your allies attack any of the summoned company,
if an object, food, or weapon has been poisoned by you or if the sergeant succeeds on its saving throw three times.
are made with disadvantage. After you use this feature, you can't use it again for 7
Informant. You have a keen eye and a familiarity days. You cannot use the same writ to summon multiple
with all manner of ciphers, invisible inks, and illusions. companies, and you cannot procure troops from the same
You gain truesight out to a range of 10 feet in front of you. division more than once.
Ranger
T railblazer
Urban Explorer
Where others see wilderness, trailblazers see opportunity. In the bustling colonial cities and towns of North
They are equally at home in the wild and on the battlefield, America, you have learned to conceal yourself in
clearing brush for a lean-to shelter as efficiently as they back alleys, read the streets for signs of danger, and
erect defensive earthworks. By exploring (and exploiting) scavenge food from soup kitchens or unattended
the lay of the land, trailblazers can reshape the field to storefronts. Any ranger can choose the Urban favored
suit their needs. They can quickly find a fallback position terrain and benefit from their Natural Explorer
for their allies and set deadly traps for their enemies. feature in residential or commercial districts (markets,
docks, or neighborhoods), though not in military
Terrain Gambits installations (forts, batteries, or prison camps).
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you learn
additional gambits based on the favored terrain you selected
for your Natural Explorer feature as shown in the tables below.
Each gambit counts as a ranger gambit for you, but it doesn't Forest
count against the number of ranger gambits you know. Level Terrain Gambits
You learn the gambits associated with additional
terrains when your Natural Explorer feature improves at Cantrip shillelagh
6th and 10th levels. 1st entrap*, fog of war*
2nd darkvision, warding bond (only within 5 feet)
Arctic
Level Terrain Gambits
Grassland
Cantrip resistance
Level Terrain Gambits
1st purify food and drink, shield
Cantrip foxfire*
2nd aid, augury
1st animal friendship, war paint*
2nd find steed, locate animals or plants
Coast
Level Terrain Gambits
Mountain
Cantrip guidance
Level Terrain Gambits
1st fog cloud, jump
Cantrip mending
2nd portage*, ropework*
1st barbed spike*, escalade*
2nd improvised artillery*, knock
Desert
Level Terrain Gambits
Swamp
Cantrip produce flame
Level Terrain Gambits
1st dead drop*, illusory script
Cantrip poison spray
2nd blowback*, flaming sphere
1st create draught*, detect poison and disease
2nd leechcraft*, prayer of healing
Optional Rule: Natural Versatility
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can Urban
replace one of your favored terrains with another Level Terrain Gambits
favored terrain from the Natural Explorer feature.
If you do so, you must also replace all the gambits Cantrip message
you learned from the old terrain with the gambits 1st comprehend languages, disguise self
associated with the new terrain.
2nd pass without trace, suggestion
Chapter 2: Classes | 31
Understrap Choke Point
Also at 3rd level, you learn to use your innate talents and the Starting at 7th level, you find opportunities to cast gambits
resources around you to clear the way. As a reaction you can in the natural contours of the land. You can make a Wisdom
activate one of the following effects: (Survival) check to study the terrain around you and prepare
a choke point to confound your enemies. Compare the
• Reroll a Wisdom ability check or saving throw. You results of your check to the DCs listed below. You can select
must use the new roll, potentially turning the failure any gambit with a DC lower than your result.
into a success.
• Change the casting time of a gambit that has a DC 20: alarm, or grease
casting time of no more than 1 minute, to 1 action. DC 25: ropework (noose snare)*, or spike growth
• Cast a ritual gambit you know without expending a DC 30: fougasse*, or logjam*
gambit slot. It takes 10 minutes longer to cast than DC 35: hallucinatory terrain, or wall of fire
normal (as normal for ritual casting). DC 40: insect plague, or ruse de guerre*
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Describe your plan in detail and how you can alter the
proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses terrain to create the gambit’s effect. For example, you might
when you finish a long rest. lay down some green briar over the road to prepare spike
growth, or place jars of sugar water out in the bayou to
prepare insect plague.
Favored Enemies It takes 1 hour of strenuous work to assemble your
When choosing a favored enemy, rangers may choose choke point. If an ally assists you with construction for the
either beasts or any two heritages. Listed below are the full hour, they can aid you by casting guidance, or taking the
major factions of the war and the heritage(s) associated. Help action—granting advantage on your check.
After creating your choke point, you can activate it to
Anishinaabeg. Shawnee and Three Fires irregulars in Ohio. cast the chosen gambit as an action. A gambit cast using
Chickamauga. Midwest Cherokee and Wyandot irregulars. this ability does not require concentration and lasts for the
Continentals. Colonial soldiers, various indigenous allies. gambit’s full duration. If the choke point is not activated
Dutch. Dutch sailors and privateer irregulars from Holland. within 24 hours of construction, it degrades and is no
Français. French soldiers, Acadien and Haitian irregulars. longer usable. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it
Hessians. Hessian mercenary irregulars from Hesse-Kessel. again until you finish a long rest.
Muskogee. Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole irregulars.
Redcoats. British soldiers and Colonial irregular militias. Surest Path
Six Nations. Irregular warriors of the Iroquois confederation. At 11th level, when you make an Intelligence or Wisdom
Spanish. Criollo soldiers and frontier Ladino irregulars. check related to any of your favored terrains, your
proficiency bonus is tripled—instead of doubled—if you
are using a skill that you’re proficient in.
Hinterlander
Starting at 15th level, you gain additional benefits while
in a favored terrain you have selected for your Natural
Explorer feature. When an attack hits you while in your
favored terrain, you can use your reaction to instead
cause the attack to miss. You cannot do so again until
you finish a short or long rest.
While traveling in a favored terrain, you
are immune to weather effects and other
environmental hazards. In addition, your group
can move stealthily at a normal pace or move
at a fast pace without taking a penalty to
their passive Wisdom (Perception).
Rogue
M arksman Tall Tales
Beginning at 9th level, your deadly reputation has spread
For many, the first sight of an enemy marksman is also far and wide. If you or an ally spend at least 1 minute
the last. Nestled in carefully constructed sniper’s nests, interacting with a creature with an Intelligence of 4 or
marksmen are hard to spot and even harder to flush out higher, regaling them with tales of your exploits—or
of hiding. Well equipped with an array of hard-won tricks providing a suitable demonstration—the creature must
learned in the field, marksmen can land incredible shots make a Charisma saving throw against your Technique save
that would be impossible for most shooters. A soldier DC. On a failure, the creature is frightened of you for 1 hour.
with a marksman's ability is a lethal foe, capable of If a creature's saving throw is successful, they are
eliminating targets with a single shot. undeterred by your display and openly scorn you. Word
quickly spreads of your disgrace, and creatures in the
Bonus Proficiencies settlement (or otherwise immediate area) become
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain immune to your Tall Tales for 7 days.
proficiency with the jäger rifle and pennsylvania rifle. You Your reputation comes at a cost. Once you gain this
also gain proficiency with gunsmith's tools. feature, you permanently have disadvantage on checks to
disguise yourself or to impersonate another. At the GM's
Deadly Aim discretion, challengers may seek you out to test your mettle.
At 3rd level, you learn to exploit any advantage you can get.
Taking shots that confound your enemies and allies alike, Sniper's Nest
you are always at the ready with a trick up your sleeve. Starting at 13th level, when you are hidden in a Hide Site,
Techniques. You learn two techniques of your choice. attacks against a surprised creature do not give away
Your technique options are detailed at the end of the your location, even if your attack hits.
archetype description. Many of the techniques involve
your Sneak Attack feature. When you hit a creature with
a ranged attack that could benefit from Sneak Attack, you Hide Site
can forgo dealing some or all of your sneak attack dice Finding a location to set up a hide site before a
to instead activate specific techniques. You can only battle starts is paramount to a sniper. A good hide
activate one such technique per attack. site has visibility across the battlefield and has
When you gain certain rogue levels, you learn additional natural cover that allows for easy concealment. If
techniques of your choice, as shown on the Techniques you make a medium difficulty Wisdom (Survival)
Known table. Each time you learn a new technique, you check to create a hide site, you can gain advantage
can also replace one technique you know with a different on Dexterity (Stealth) checks while inside. It takes
one that you could learn at a lower level. at least a minute to set up a hide site although time
Saving Throws. Some of your techniques require your and difficulty required could vary depending on the
target to making a saving throw to resist the technique’s environment and location as determined by your GM.
effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows:
Chapter 2: Classes | 33
T echniques
Muzzle Loaders
If a technique has prerequisites, you must meet them to To load a muzzle loader you need to first pour
learn it. You can learn the technique at the same time that powder down the barrel, drop the bullet, use a
you meet its prerequisites. A level prerequisite refers to ramrod to tamp the wad, and then prime the pan.
your level in this class. While simple enough to do while standing or
kneeling, this task is next to impossible while lying
Always Prepared down, as is trying to aim the 5-foot barrel up at a
Prerequisite: 6th level target towering above you.
While prone, you cannot reload two-handed
You reduce the Misfire score of firearms you are wielding firearms and you have disadvantage on ranged
by 1, to a minimum of 1. attack rolls made with them, as normal. However, you
can make ranged attacks with one-handed firearms
Blinding Charge while prone without suffering disadvantage.
Prerequisite: 12th level
When you reload a firearm, you can use a bonus action
to add a special mixture of combustible powder. The next Dangerous Game
ranged attack you make with this firearm produces a Prerequisite: 6th level
shower of bright sparks, illuminating the area whether
you hit or not. You can cast blowback once using this technique. Once
On a hit, your target must succeed on a Constitution you use this technique, you can’t do so again until you
saving throw or be blinded for a number of rounds equal finish a short or long rest.
to your proficiency bonus. The creature can repeat the
saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the Exotic Arms
effect on a success. If your attack benefits from Sneak Prerequisite: 6th level
Attack, all of your sneak attack damage is radiant damage.
This mixture lasts for 1 minute before degrading, You gain proficiency in all martial rifles.
rendering the loaded round useless. Once you use this
technique, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. Impossible Shot
Prerequisite: 9th level
Cannoneer
Prerequisite: 6th level You can cast ricochet once using this technique. When
you cast ricochet in this way, you can add your Sneak
You gain proficiency with artillery. If you act as the Attack damage to the gambit's second target even if
gunner for a piece of artillery, you can use your Wisdom the first target doesn't meet the requirements for Sneak
modifier, instead of Intelligence, for artillery attack rolls Attack. In this case, the sneak attack dice is only applied
and for setting the artillery save DC. to the second target. Once you use this technique, you
In addition, you can cast improvised artillery as a 2nd can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
level gambit once using this technique. Once you use
this technique, you can’t do so again until you finish a Gut Shot
long rest. Prerequisite: 9th level
Clear the Barrel When you hit a creature with a ranged attack, you can
Prerequisite: 6th level forgo dealing all of your Sneak Attack dice to give the
target a deadly bleeding wound. At the start of each of its
After you make a ranged attack with a firearm, you can turns the creature takes damage equal to half your sneak
use your reaction to reload that weapon. If your firearm is attack dice, rounded down. This effect lasts for a number
unusable due to a misfire, you automatically repair it in of rounds equal to your proficiency bonus.
addition to reloading it. Once you use this technique, you The target or any creature within reach can use its
can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest. action to stop the bleeding with a successful Wisdom
(Medicine) check against your Technique save DC. Once
Covering Fire you use this technique, you can't do so again until you
When you hit a creature with a ranged attack, you can finish a long rest.
forgo dealing a number of Sneak Attack dice to create an
opening for that many of your allies to reposition. Those Journeyman
allies can use their reaction to move up to half their You gain proficiency with any two tools of your choice.
speed without provoking opportunity attacks when you When you learn this technique, you can replace one or
use this technique. more of the skills you selected for your Expertise feature
with the chosen tools.
34 | Chapter 2: Classes
Maquillage haven't moved during this turn. After making your attack,
You can cast war paint on yourself at will as a 1st-level gambit. you cannot move until the start of your next turn.
Plains of Abraham (September 13, 1759). Quebec civilians in Boston. The event is heavily publicized by
City finally falls to British forces, in a victory that marks a leading Patriots as the opening salvo of a propaganda war.
major reversal of fortunes in the French and Indian War. Watauga Association (May 8, 1772). A group of
Seven Years War Ends (February 10, 1763). The Treaty white settlers establish a semi-autonomous government
of Paris ends the war, with New France ceded to Great Britain. in what is now Eastern Tennessee. The British consider
Royal Proclamation (October 7, 1763). Britain prohibits the Association an illegal and dangerous example of the
settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains, creating colonists’ growing independence.
a boundary between the colonies and native lands. White Gaspee Affair (June 9, 1772). Tensions escalate between
settlers are outraged, and many ignore the proclamation. American colonists and British officials after a group of Rhode
Stamp Act (March 22, 1765). Parliament institutes a Islanders attack and torch the HMS Gaspee, a British customs
direct tax on the Thirteen Colonies to fund its military schooner, in defiance of the Navigation Acts.
operations in North America. This taxation without Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773). The Sons of Liberty,
proper representation is met with fury from the colonists. disguised as Mohawk warriors, steal aboard ships of the East
Regulator Uprising (June 6, 1765). A revolt begins in the India Company and dump their cargo to protest more taxes.
North Carolina backcountry as settlers charge royal officials 1st Continental Congress (September 5, 1774). Delegates
with levying excessive fees and falsifying records. from twelve of the Thirteen Colonies meet for the first time
Townshend Acts (June 5, 1767). A series of acts are to discuss their cause and the worsening situation in Boston.
passed by Parliament to raise the revenue of the colonies Lord Dunmore's War (May 27, 1774). The Governor
by regulating American trade and imposing indirect taxes of Virginia call out the militia after settler incursions
on British goods such as glass, paper, lead, and tea. provoke frontier violence with the Shawnee and Mingo.
Treaty of Fort Stanwix (November 5, 1768). Members Restraining Acts (February 9, 1775). Parliament
of the Six Nations agree to cede territory to the British in declares that Massachusetts is in an open state of rebellion
order to decrease tensions with the colonists. However, not and imposes a naval blockade on the Northeast coast.
all of the indigenous groups in the region agree to the treaty. Lexington & Concord (April 19, 1775). Years of growing
Boston Massacre (March 5, 1770). After being hostilities erupt into armed conflict as Massachusetts militia
harassed by a mob, British soldiers shoot and kill several clash with the British Army. The Revolutionary War begins.
Healer’s Specialty
There are many ways to accrue medical knowledge.
Choose a specialty or roll on the table below to define
your practice as a healer.
d8 Specialty d8 Specialty
1 Apothecary 5 Magnétiseur
2 Field medic 6 Midwife
3 Herbalist 7 Nurse
4 Horse doctor 8 Pneumatist
Suggested Characteristics
Most healers are defined by their studies, whether
theoretical or practical, that allow them to perfect their
craft. Both patient and persistent, effective healers value
knowledge highly, even if it is sometimes controversial.
Feature: Self-Sufficient
d6 Bond You can use your skills to maintain a modest lifestyle as a
1
I value the freedom of movement that trading offers, laborer in settlements, provided you spend at least 8 hours
and never stay in one place for long. a day working. You can also quickly repair damage to a
This is my ancestral land, and I know it better than structure or vehicle composed primarily of wood, patching
2 holes and shoring up supports. As an action, you can
anyone.
restore a number of hit points to the structure or vehicle
The status I gain as the fur trade grows will keep my
3 equal to 5 × your proficiency bonus, provided you have
family secure and well fed.
carpenter’s tools and spare lumber. A structure or vehicle
4
The wilderness is my home in a way that settlements repaired in this way cannot be repaired by this ability again
never will be. until after 24 hours or its hit points have been fully restored.
5 I love coming home with new tales to tell.
Suggested Characteristics
The people I’ve met on my travels are now my lifelong
6 Homesteaders must rely on themselves to achieve their
friends.
ends. Most homesteaders welcome the freedom and solitude
that comes with independent living. This lifestyle shapes
d6 Flaw their relationships as well as their individual ideals.
Not everyone is as excited about animal carcasses as I
1
am. I forget that sometimes.
I’m unscrupulous about undercutting other traders.
2
Sometimes at the edge of a knife.
While I’m great at tracking animals, I’m not always
3
great at knowing where I am.
I share my opinions on the latest fashion trends a little
4
too freely.
5 I have different opinions on bathing than other people.
6 I always exaggerate the tales of my adventures.
42 |
d8 Personality Trait I mmigrant
1 I am always making something, if only just a small trinket.
Notable Member: Johann "William" Jasper
I will always try to salvage supplies that I find, even You have arrived on these shores with the determination
2
when impractical. and drive to build a new life for yourself. Whether you
3 I make a point of learning my way around every new area. seek religious freedom, opportunities for wealth, or just
a chance to start over, you’ve become a stranger in a
I constantly make notes in the margins of my map
4 strange land.
about terrain and wildlife.
Immigrants come from all over the world, from the
5 I speak to animals as though they understand me. European countrysides to the sea ports of the Pacific. Sailors
I have unconventional ideas about how frequently one known as "lascars" arrive from as far away as India and
6 China, working amidships on East India Company vessels
should bathe.
or even on privateer crews. During James Cook's early
7 I take great offense when those around me are wasteful.
voyages of discovery, some intrepid Polynesian adventurers
I get territorial about my land, my possessions, and my joined his crew to travel halfway around the world.
8
draft animals. The immigrant experience is not universal. Travelers
from Britain or other colonies who arrive speaking
d6 Ideal English have a very easy time assimilating to life in
North America, and are often not considered immigrants.
Independence. I need to prove myself to the people
1 Dark-skinned immigrants and people who don't speak
around me. (Any)
English find adapting more difficult, and often form tight-
Just Dues. I have earned all my triumphs. Those knit communities with others who share their heritage.
2 who take what they do not earn are the worst sort of There are no restrictions on immigration, and many
person. (Neutral) arrive with only the clothes on their back. Adapting to
Generosity. I have been lucky in life, and fortune a foreign way of life can be trying at first, but in this
3 new country, your work speaks for itself. You don't earn
should be shared. (Good)
respect through aristocracy or relationship to the nearest
Security. I just want to keep my community safe and
4 local lord. You earn your place based on the work that you
secure. (Neutral)
put into building this society.
Pride. I will build a home that will last against the
5
wilderness. (Lawful) Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Persuasion
6 Ownership. I won’t let anyone take what is mine. (Evil) Tool Proficiencies: Cook’s utensils, one type of artisan’s tools
Equipment: Cook’s utensils, a set of artisan’s tools with
which you are proficient, an instrument from your
d6 Bond home country, a set of common clothes, a family
1 My home is everything. I would die to protect it. heirloom worth £ 2 to the right buyer, and a pouch
I carry a token from my hometown with me, to remind containing $1 in Continental dollars.
2
me where I came from.
Feature: Of Two Worlds
3 My family is counting on me to make us a better life.
When in a non-English speaking community, you can
4
The explorers that came before me are my greatest blend in with ease if the community speaks your heritage
inspiration. language. You can also request passage via cart or boat,
My life depends on my ability to adapt. I will do what no further than a day’s travel, for up to 5 companions.
5 This community will also exchange basic information
it takes to survive.
such as directions, names of local government officials,
6 I love the independence of my self-sufficient lifestyle.
and other small but useful pieces of information.
d6 Ideal
1 Wealth. It's easier to make money here. (Any)
2 Change. I came to this land for adventure. (Chaotic)
Home. I love my country, and I love my community in
3
these new United States. (Neutral)
Freedom. I came here to find my own way, and I will
4
build a life on my own terms. (Chaotic)
Caution. This is a strange place, and I am not
5
comfortable enough yet to let my guard down. (Any)
Open. More than anything, this is an opportunity for
6
me to learn and grow. (Good)
P arishioner
d6 Bond Notable Member: Pierre Gibault
I traveled here to meet the family members who came Whether through faith or your community’s traditions,
1
before me. you are a true leader. You command respect within your
community as a figure of authority due to your position
I am free to practice my religion. As long as I have my and wisdom. Your role may have been appointed, or
2
faith, I can weather any storm. perhaps you grew into it through practice. Regardless,
I brought a book in my native language from my others look to you for guidance.
3
homeland, which I keep close to me. The relationship between the church and colonial
I want to show the family and friends that I left behind society is so strong as to make them almost synonymous.
4 In almost every colonial settlement, the church is the
that I can make something of myself.
center of civic life: the church keeps records, raises funds
5 I came here with nothing. I'll leave with everything. for the community through tithes, and oversees such
This place is only temporary. When the time is right, I occasions as births and marriages.
6
will return to my real home. In these times, many church leaders have become
more engaged politically. Men of the cloth helped to
d6 Flaw begin talk of revolution, while the so-called "Black-Robed
Regiment" preaches the gospel of freedom, even taking
I assume no one in colonial society understands my up arms themselves as an example to their flock.
1
native language. This is not always the case.
2 I am deeply mistrustful of the food and drink here. Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from among Insight,
I make assumptions about everyday colonial life which Intimidation, Performance, and Religion
3
frequently prove to be false. Tool Proficiencies: One type of musical instrument
Languages: Two of your choice
4 I hate leaving my community, and say so. Equipment: Clerical clothing (a cassock, habit or native
I am compelled to teach others about my culture, regalia of fine quality), a holy symbol passed down
5
regardless of the circumstances. from a mentor, a religious tool or piece of writing such
The currency here is very different from my original as a totem, bible, or psalm book, 5 sticks of incense, and
6
home, and I find it confusing. a pouch containing $1 in Continental dollars.
d6 Ideal
Camaraderie. My compatriots and I share a bond
1
forged in flames. (Any)
2 Justice. There is no greater cause than freedom. (Lawful)
Homeland. I will see the British removed from my
3
country at any cost. (Neutral)
Empathy. We must win this war quickly so that more
4
lives are not lost. (Good)
Determination. This is one step on a much longer
5
path to freedom for everyone. (Lawful)
Wealth. When we’ve won the war I’ll have the life I
6
always dreamed of. (Any)
d6 Bond
My friends drew me into this fight, and I will lay down
1
my life for them.
2 The British have hurt me personally. I want them to pay.
3 I believe we can build a better world.
I admire the heroes of the revolution, and I want to be
4
one of them.
Only when we are free of British rule can I and my
5
family can truly thrive.
6 I see taxes as a direct and personal attack on my freedom.
d6 Flaw
1 I see morality as black and white.
Suggested Characteristics 2
Collateral damage is an acceptable consequence of a
Sons of Liberty are driven by a fierce belief in the fight for freedom.
revolutionary cause. You may have hurled tea into the I assume the worst of everyone I meet. Enemies are
3
harbor at Boston, or joined the cause after reading everywhere.
impassioned words in a revolutionary pamphlet. Whether 4 Subtlety is difficult for me.
yearning for the ideals of a new country, or from simple
loathing of the British, the Sons of Liberty have devoted If someone isn’t with us, they must be against us.
5
themselves to undermining the enemy and raising their There can be no compromises.
voices in unison to support the cause. I am fixated on the British, even if there is another
6
cause that needs my attention.
L oadout
Firearms of the 18th century are deadly weapons, but often
heavy and burdensome. Most flintlocks can only fire a
single shot, so it’s important to carry a sidearm within
reach—either secured in a brace or slung over your shoulder.
Without holstering your firearm, you’d have to drop it on the
ground in the heat of battle to reach for another weapon.
Equipping Items
In Nations & Cannons, you can only draw and stow equipped
weapons during combat. Weapons you are wielding in your
hands count as being equipped. You can equip additional
weapons by wearing certain pieces of wargear. For example,
if you wear a boot sheath or hunting pouch, you can equip a
coat pistol in addition to the musket you hold in your hands.
G renades
Handheld fuse-lit explosives, grenades are thrown weapons
with a 20 ft / 60 ft range. Each grenade specifies its blast
Blunderbuss radius, damage, effects, saving throw, and Misfire score
in its description. You can throw a grenade as a ranged
attack using your Strength modifier for the attack roll, but
do not add your Strength modifier to the damage.
When you make a ranged attack with a grenade, you
select a target point to attack. The point has an AC of 10
and gains the benefit of cover as usual, increasing to an
AC of 12 if it is behind half cover, or 15 if it is behind three-
quarters cover. If you target a point over a wall or behind
a barrier, the point is considered to have three-quarters
cover and the range of your attack is halved.
On a hit the grenade detonates centered on the target, and
Portfire Grenades each creature within the grenade’s blast radius must make a
saving throw or suffer the grenade’s effects. If you miss, the
S pecial W eapons
New weapons with special rules are described here.
Blowpipe. A blowpipe launches a small arrow, often Blowpipe
laced with poison. A blowpipe only deals 1 damage, which
isn't increased by your ability modifier, class features, or
gambits (such as Sneak Attack and hunter’s mark). If you are
hidden and use a blowpipe to attack a surprised creature
you do not give away your location, even if your attack hits.
Bolas. A Large or smaller creature hit by a bolas is
knocked prone and is unable to stand until it is freed.
A creature can use its action to make a DC 10 Strength
check, freeing itself or another creature within reach on
Bolas
a success. Dealing 5 slashing damage to the bolas (AC
10) also frees the creature without harming it, ending the
effect and destroying the bolas.
When you use an action, bonus action, or reaction to
attack with a bolas, you can make only one attack regardless
of the number of attacks you can normally make.
Cavalry Lance. You can only make attacks with a
cavalry lance while mounted. If you move at least 20 feet
toward a target before making an attack with a cavalry
lance, this weapon's damage increases by 2d4.
Katzenkopf. This firearm uses grenades as ammunition.
When you attack with a katzenkopf, you target a point within
the katzenkopf's range (beyond a grenade's thrown range).
Each grenade functions as noted in its description. Use the Katzenkopf
katzenkopf’s Misfire score when making ranged attacks. On a
misfire the grenade does not detonate, though it is expended,
and the katzenkopf cannot be used again until repaired.
54 |
C ampaign E xpenses
Tools & SuppliesItem Cost Weight
Craft
Time
On campaign, you need to pay for goods. You can craft Calligrapher's Supplies £ 1 7 lb. —
items with the tools you are proficient with, as shown on Broadsheets £ 5 — 10 days
the Tools & Supplies table. For every day of downtime you
spend Crafting, you can craft up to 10s worth of items or Cook’s Utensils 2s 8 lb. —
make 10s worth of progress on a single item. You must Hartshorn 10s — 1 day
expend raw materials equal to half the cost of the item.
Tallow 3s 1 lb. ⅓ day
Ammunition Forgery Kit £ 1, 10s 5 lb. —
Firearms can be loaded with different types of shot. Counterfeit dollars ($10) 10s — 1 day
Cartridge. Paper cartridges hold a pre-measured
Herbalism Kit 10s 3 lb. —
amount of gunpowder and shot, sealed with wax or animal
fat. It is the standard ammunition for the Continental Antitoxin (vial) £ 5 — 10 days
Army, reliable and relatively cost-effective. Poultice of healing £ 5 ½ lb. 10 days
Patch. A wad of lubricated patch around a musket
...of greater healing £ 10 ½ lb. 20 days
ball forms a tight seal inside the barrel, allowing the shot to
travel further. When using patch ammunition, double your Gunsmith's Tools £ 5 9 lb. —
firearm’s normal and long range and increase its Misfire Firearms varies varies varies
score by 1. You can only use patch ammunition with a heavy
Masterwork grip £ 15 — 30 days
firearm, such as a musket or rifle.
Hailshot. When using hailshot ammunition, your Leatherworker's Tools 10s 5 lb. —
firearm gains the scatter property, but its damage is Medium Armor / Shields varies varies varies
reduced by 1 die. For example, a brown bess musket loaded
Whalebone brace £ 20, 10s — 41 days
with hailshot deals only 1d8 damage.
If the weapon already has the scatter property, it deals Munitions Kit £ 2, 10s 10 lb. —
full damage. You can only use hailshot ammunition with a Grenades / Ordnance varies varies varies
musket or a weapon that has the scatter property.
Cartridge rounds (10) 10s 1 lb. 1 day
Accessories Hailshot rounds (5) £ 1 ½ lb. 2 days
Accessories can be attached to weapons, apparel, or sets of Patch rounds (5) £ 1 ½ lb. 2 days
clothing. Most items can only have one accessory; weapons
have a major and minor accessory slot. You can attach or Poisoner's Kit £ 5 2 lb. —
detach one accessory during a long rest, provided you are Bloodroot £ 17 — 34 days
proficient in the tools required to create it. Deadly nightshade £ 21, 10s — 43 days
Hidden Pocket (requires attunement). This accessory
can be added to any set of clothing or armor. A creature with Hellebore £ 8, 10s — 17 days
an attuned hidden pocket can equip one additional light Poison sumac £ 7, 10s — 15 days
weapon and has advantage on Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) Viper venom £ 10 — 20 days
checks made to conceal the weapon.
Masterwork Grip. This accessory replaces the grip of Wasp venom £ 2 — 4 days
any weapon. The weapon gains the masterwork property Water hemlock £ 18 — 36 days
and gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls. Widow's bite £ 5 — 10 days
Sawtooth Edge. This accessory replaces the blade
of any slashing weapon. Attacks made with this weapon Smith's Tools £ 2 8 lb. —
deal an additional 1d6 damage. Melee Weapons / Cuirass varies varies varies
Whalebone Brace (requires attunement). This Sawtooth edge £ 13 — 26 days
accessory can be added to any set of clothing or armor.
While attuned to this accessory, your Strength score is Thieves' Tools £ 2, 10s 1 lb. —
increased by 2, as is your maximum for that score. Hunting trap 10s 25 lb. 1 day
Tinker's Tools £ 5 10 lb. —
Sundries
Sutlers are stocked with a variety of supplies. Vent pick £ 1 — 2 days
Broadsheets. Large single-sheet prints of engravings, Weaver’s Tools 2s 5 lb. —
announcements, or propaganda. Each set of broadsheets Light Armor / Hunting Shirt varies varies varies
you possess promotes a specific message or argument.
Once distributed, you gain a +2 bonus on Charisma checks Hidden pocket £ 7 — 14 days
that relate to the broadsheet’s message for the next 7 days, Woodcarver's Tools 2s 5 lb. —
or until a rebuttal is distributed countering your claim. To
Thrown Weapons / Bows varies varies varies
distribute the sheets, you must spend 4 hours handing out
or posting them. You can reduce the time by 1 hour for each Snowshoes £ 2, 10s 4 lb. 5 days
creature willing to spread the word, to a minimum of 1 hour.
N ew G ambits
F irebrand G ambits R anger G ambits
Cantrips (0 Level) 3rd Level 1st Level 3rd Level
Foxfire Beyond Reproach Barbed Spike Create Tincture
Harsh Invective Create Draught Defensive Position
1st Level Ignite Fervor Dead Drop Fougasse
Code Duello Intelligence Network Entrap Logjam
Dead Drop Escalade Order Volley
Non Sequitur 4th Level Fog of War Stinkpot
Rhetoric Esprit de Corps War Paint
Tongue Lash Forestall 4th Level
Fusillade 2nd Level Flash Bomb
2nd Level To the Gallows Blowback Fusillade
Castigate Improvised Artillery
Leechcraft 5th Level Portage 5th Level
Sally Forth Eye of Reason Ricochet Ruse de Guerre
Stock and Barrel Hold the Line Ropework Summon Company
Summon Company Stock and Barrel
Chapter 5: Gambits | 61
Barbed Spike be suspicious of your actions, such as walking through
1st-level transmutation (ritual) an enemy camp or hostile town. Unless you give
onlookers a reason to doubt your identity, your disguise
Casting Time: 1 minute holds up.
Range: Touch Your disguise is impeccable, requiring a successful
Components: S, M (an iron spike worth 5s which the Intelligence (Investigation) check against your gambit
gambit consumes) save DC to be exposed. If a creature sees through your
Duration: Permanent disguise, it will accost you and become hostile. Word will
quickly spread and your cover identity will be blown,
You use a hammer to drive a large spike into the vent of a unless the creatures that saw through the disguise are
piece of artillery or the hinge of a door, chest, or hatch. A dispatched or otherwise dealt with.
spiked piece cannot fire, and a spiked hinge cannot open You can instead attempt to create an impersonation
until the spike is pried out. of a specific individual. The target of your impersonation
As an action, a creature can attempt to remove the must make a Charisma saving throw, which is modified
spike using a strong pair of pliers. The creature must by how well you know the target and the sort of material
succeed on a Strength (Blacksmith's Tools) or Strength objects you possess that are related to it. This roll is
(Carpenter's Tools) check against your gambit save DC made in secret by the GM. Regardless of the result, the
to pull the spike out. On a failure, the spike is too wedged creature is unaware that you attempted to create an
in to remove easily. Any subsequent check to remove the impersonation unless it sees you in disguise (a creature
spike takes a full minute. automatically recognizes an impersonation of itself) or
If no appropriate tools are available, a creature can is informed of your actions.
attempt a Strength (Athletics) check to remove the spike by
hand, but does so with disadvantage. If knock is cast on an Knowledge Save Modifier
object affected by barbed spike, the spike is immediately
Secondhand (you have heard of the target) +5
removed and the object can function normally.
Firsthand (you have met the target) +0
Beyond Reproach Familiar (you know the target well) –5
3rd-level illusion Material Objects Save Modifier
Casting Time: 1 hour Likeness or portrait –2
Range: Self Possession or garment –4
Components: V, M (a combination of clothing, makeup
and forged documentation worth at least £ 7 which the Official documentation stating your identity –10
gambit consumes)
Duration: Until discovered On a successful save, your impersonation does not
pass muster and creatures familiar with the target will
With an elaborate combination of forged documents, a identify you as an impostor on sight. On a failed save,
clever disguise, and a change in your poise and dialect, your impersonation is uncanny and your cover identity
you create a cover identity. You can use this cover identity functions as normal, not rousing suspicion unless you
to move about unaccosted by those that might otherwise give a creature a reason to doubt you.
62 | Chapter 5: Gambits
Blowback Duels and Consequences
2nd-level evocation To be considered legitimate, the terms of a duel must
be specified before it begins. Is the duel a mêlée, or
Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take in response to
do the participants take turns exchanging shots? Does
being in the area of effect of a grenade
it conclude once both have discharged their firearms?
Range: Self
If both still stand, can the aggrieved party demand
Components: S, M (a loaded firearm worth at least £ 1)
satisfaction to insist on another round? Is the duel to
Duration: Instantaneous
first blood, or until one party concedes? Or is the duel
à l'outrance... a duel to the death?
Reacting on instinct, you shoot at a grenade hurtling
A duel is typically between two individuals, but if
toward you, miraculously deflecting or disabling it. Make
both parties agree, the conditions could allow their
a ranged attack with a loaded firearm and compare the
seconds to participate alongside or in a challenger's
result to the attack roll made to throw the grenade. If your
stead. Should any person interfere in a duel or disobey
result is higher than the attack, you deflect the grenade back
its rules, those individual(s) are discredited and may
and it detonates centered on the creature that threw it. If you
lose their social standing, or even be arrested.
roll lower than the attack, your shot still manages to disable
Even when legally arranged, there may be a cost
the grenade, causing it to land harmlessly on the battlefield. A
for engaging in a duel. Pacifists and many common
grenade launched from a firearm or mortar cannot be
folk condemn those that would settle a dispute with
deflected, only disabled by blowback.
blood rather than words, and friends and relatives of a
If you roll a misfire, you miss your opportunity to
slain opponent may seek vengeance on their behalf.
dodge, automatically failing your Dexterity saving
throw to avoid the grenade’s initial effect.
Castigate you end your turn more than 60 feet away from the target.
2nd-level abjuration When you cast this gambit over an hour, you instead
post a public notice challenging a local public figure
Casting Time: 1 bonus action who has insulted or otherwise wronged you to a duel.
Range: 60 feet You must specify the location (must be a location where
Components: V duels are legal), conditions, and weaponry (if any) to be
Duration: 8 hours used. The target has 7 days to respond to the challenge.
If the creature refuses your challenge, it suffers 1 level of
You vociferously berate an opponent within range who exhaustion as it is ridiculed for its cowardice by the public.
has lied or misled you. The creature must have recently If the creature has a higher proficiency bonus than
attempted to deceive you or others, and be able to see, hear you, it can refuse the duel without consequence, or it can
and understand you. The creature must make a Charisma make one change to the duel's parameters. If you refuse
saving throw or be cursed with 1 level of exhaustion and this change you must forfeit the duel and suffer the level
disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws for the duration. of exhaustion as you are ridiculed instead.
The creature has disadvantage on their save if you When the day of the duel arrives, if either participant or
provide hard evidence to support your claim. any of its allies break the agreed-upon conditions, then that
participant immediately forfeits the duel. Any and all of the
Code Duello creatures who broke the agreement are disgraced and suffer
1st-level enchantment 1 level of exhaustion. They are accosted by the community
for their treachery and may face legal repercussions.
Casting Time: 1 bonus action or 1 hour Any exhaustion caused by this gambit lasts for a
Range: 60 feet number of days equal to your Charisma modifier plus your
Components: V or S, M (ink and paper) if cast over 1 hour proficiency bonus. Once you cast this gambit to challenge
Duration: Instantaneous an individual to a duel, you can’t do so again for 30 days.
Chapter 5: Gambits | 63
Draughts created by this gambit function as described message. On average, caches are checked by allied
in chapter 4, except they cannot be sold and degrade partisans once a week.
after 8 hours if not utilized. If you cast this gambit two or more times before
At Higher Levels. When cast as a 2nd level or higher completing your next long rest, or while in hostile
gambit you create an additional draught for each slot territory, there is a cumulative 25 percent chance that you
level above 1st. are unable to locate a cache.
You create a tincture of poison or medicine utilizing Using nearby wood, stone, or iron, you reinforce part
rare plants and venoms. When used to create medicine of a wall or an area of natural terrain to withstand an
the tincture functions as a Poultice of Greater Healing. oncoming artillery barrage. Select a section no longer
When used to create a poison it creates a single dose than a 15-foot-line along the outer edge of a barrier
of any of the following poisons: Bloodroot, Deadly that provides cover. You reinforce this position, lightly
Nightshade, Viper Venom, or Water Hemlock. fortifying it against artillery fire. The damage and
Tinctures created by this gambit function as remaining range of any ordnance that crosses the
described in chapter 4, except they cannot be sold and defensive position is reduced by half.
degrade after 8 hours if not utilized. If the position is struck by any ordnance, it loses its
At Higher Levels. When cast as a 4th level or higher reinforcement benefits. Until the gambit ends, you or
gambit you create an additional tincture for each slot an ally in the area can restore the reinforcement of the
level above 3rd. position by making a DC 15 Wisdom (Artisan’s Tools)
check as an action. Creatures have disadvantage on this
Dead Drop check unless they use carpenter's tools or mason’s tools.
1st-level divination If you maintain your concentration on this gambit
for its whole duration, the position gains a Fortification
Casting Time: 10 minutes Rating equal to twice your proficiency bonus, allowing it
Range: 1 mile to block the path of ordnance instead of just weakening
Components: S the blast. Every successful artillery attack made against
Duration: Instantaneous the position reduces its Fortification Rating by 1.
If left unattended for 8 hours, the position loses its
You search for a nearby cache of food and supplies Fortification Rating.
hidden by members of your cause. To locate a dead drop
you must be within a settlement, or near the outskirts. Entrap
The cache is stocked with enough rations to feed up to 1st-level transmutation (ritual)
6 creatures for one day and some additional supplies,
which cannot be sold. Roll a d12 and consult the table Casting Time: 1 minute
for the supplies. The first time you successfully locate a Range: Touch
cache, it is fully stocked. Components: S, M (a hunting trap worth at least 10s or a
firearm worth at least £ 1)
d12 Supplies Duration: Until disabled or triggered
1-2 3 lb. of tallow and £ 1 worth of ammunition
Through tinkering, and a fair bit of cunning, you can set
3-7 £ 2 worth of ammunition superior traps for your foes. Choose either a hunting trap
8-9 Two vent picks and £ 1 worth of ammunition or a firearm you are carrying. You can create a Spring-Gun
10 One poultice of healing
trap (described in chapter 4) from a firearm or secure a
hunting trap to improve its effectiveness.
11 Two portfire or one smokepot grenade(s) An improved hunting trap is nearly impossible to
12 A cryptic clue or message, determined by the GM detect, requiring a successful Intelligence (Investigation)
check against your gambit save DC to be discerned.
While at a cache you can leave a hidden message When a creature fails its Dexterity saving throw against
of 25 words or less visible to any creature loyal to your an improved hunting trap, instead of the normal effects,
cause, or a specific creature with whom you are familiar. the creature takes 1d8 piercing damage and is restrained.
Any creature who finds the cache can search the location Each failed check to free a creature caught in an
with an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your improved hunting trap deals piercing damage equal to
gambit save DC. On a success they locate your hidden your casting ability modifier to the trapped creature.
64 | Chapter 5: Gambits
gambit's duration. This effect immediately ends for
Spring-guns and Scatter a creature if it is unable to see your champion. When
A firearm with the scatter property (or a musket the gambit ends, your champion loses any remaining
loaded with hailshot ammunition) can be used in a temporary hit points from this gambit.
spring-gun trap. If the spring-gun hits the creature
that triggered it, each creature within 5 feet of the Eye of Reason
target of the trap must make a DC 13 Dexterity 5th-level abjuration
saving throw or take the same damage.
Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you cast a
second gambit that requires concentration
Environmental effects may destroy or reduce the Range: Self
potency of traps created by entrap left for longer than Components: V
24 hours. By spending 1 minute you can dismantle a Duration: Special
trap you created and recover the item used to create it.
Focusing on your most powerful convictions, you find
Escalade the inner strength to do the impossible. When you cast
1st-level transmutation eye of reason, you can maintain concentration on two
other gambits simultaneously. If you fail any Constitution
Casting Time: 1 bonus action saving throw to maintain concentration, both gambits you
Range: Self are concentrating on (as well as this gambit) immediately
Components: S, M (50 feet of rope worth at least £ 1) end. This gambit also ends if you stop concentrating on
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes either of the gambits you have already cast.
| 65
Forestall Foxfire
4th-level abjuration conjuration cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (30-foot radius) Range: 20 feet
Components: V, S Components: S, M (a vial of fungi)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute Duration: 1 minute
You imbue creatures within 30 feet who can see and You throw a handful of fungi and spores at a point within
understand you with determination to persevere. Each range, creating an eerie glow of bioluminescence. The
creature of your choice can choose to suppress one ongoing area and all objects within glow with dim light in a 10-foot
effect caused by a gambit, a condition, a disease, a poison, or radius for the duration. Any creature in the area when the
from any and all levels of exhaustion for the duration. If gambit is cast must make a Dexterity saving throw or be
the effect would cause damage, the creature doesn’t take outlined in dim light.
any damage from the effect while it is suppressed. For the duration, affected creatures have disadvantage
If you are unable to communicate with the affected on all Dexterity (Stealth) checks until they take an action
creatures (such as being made unable to speak), you to brush the glowing fungi and spores off. In addition, any
immediately lose concentration on this gambit. creature investigating an object in the area can make
Intelligence (Investigation) checks with advantage.
Fougasse
3rd-level evocation Fusillade
4th-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Touch Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Components: S, M (shovels and £ 6 worth of gunpowder, Range: Self (15-foot radius)
which the gambit consumes) Components: V, S
Duration: 24 hours Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You dig a large pit and fill it with gunpowder, shot, and Taking aim at an enemy, you call for a barrage of suppressive
debris, constructing a fougasse that can be used as a fire. The next time you hit a Large or smaller target with a
simple "mortar" or a deadly mine. Once dug, you choose ranged weapon (or a Huge or larger target with a piece of
to create a mortar (described below) or a Stone Mine trap artillery) you can forgo dealing damage to designate the
(described in chapter 4). Each additional creature with a target as your mark and force it to make a saving throw
shovel willing to help dig the pit reduces the casting time against one of the following suppressive fire effects:
by 10 minutes, to a minimum of a 10 minute casting time.
If you create a simple mortar, you designate a point • Your shot disrupts your mark’s defenses. The target
within 120 feet as the target of the mortar. You do not must make a Strength saving throw. On a failure, the
need to have line of sight to this point, but you cannot next attacker that deals damage to your mark before
change the target once the pit is dug. You can trigger the the start of your next turn can choose to reroll up to 4 of
blast as an action, raining a hail of debris and shot down their damage dice. The new result must be used.
in a 15-foot radius 60-foot-tall cylinder centered on your • You shoot at the sails, wheels, or legs of your mark. The
target point. Any creature in the blast must succeed on target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or its
a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw, taking 3d8 fire damage speed is reduced to 0, it cannot benefit from any bonus to
and 3d8 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as its speed, and it automatically fails any Dexterity ability
much damage on a successful one. checks and saving throws until the start of your next turn.
If not detonated in 24 hours, whether a trap or mortar, • You graze your mark, causing it (and its crew) to take
the fougasse becomes unusable and the components evasive action. The target must succeed on a Constitution
cannot be recovered. Foul weather may make the saving throw or lose its damage threshold and all
fougasse unusable sooner. resistances until the start of your next turn. If your
mark is a creature, it also drops prone on a failed save.
Chapter 5: Gambits
Naval Bombardments
During the American Revolution the Continental
Army was outmatched by the British in many
ways, though none more so than the strength of
the Royal Navy. British domination of the Atlantic
coast allowed them to bombard Continental
positions and even civilian targets, burning the
towns of Norfolk and Falmouth to the ground
during the early actions of the war. Until France
joined the fight in 1778, the Patriots relied
heavily on smugglers, privateers, and blockade You give a rousing speech, encouraging your companions
runners to harass British shipping and to transport and bolstering their resolve to keep fighting. The passion
desperately needed arms to American shores. in your voice transcends language. For the duration, all
friendly creatures in a 30-foot radius that possess a language
and can see and hear you can't be frightened and gain a
Harsh Invective bonus to all saving throws equal to your casting modifier.
3rd-level enchantment Until the gambit ends, you can use a bonus action
on each of your turns to allow an affected creature to
Casting Time: 1 action immediately move up to half their speed and take an
Range: 60 feet action. This action can be used to attack (one weapon
Components: V attack only), Dash, Disengage, Hide, Use an Object, or to
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute reload or repair a firearm.
Your scorn and slander wracks your opponent with pain. Ignite Fervor
Choose a creature that you can see within range that can 3nd-level abjuration
hear and understand you. That creature must make a
Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes Casting Time: 1 action
2d10 psychic damage, and has disadvantage on a saving Range: 30 feet
throw of your choice for the duration. Components: V
Until the gambit ends, you may use a bonus action on Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
each of your subsequent turns to inflict this damage again.
If the target drops to 0 hit points before this gambit ends, Your determination and zeal inspires an ally to fight
you can use a bonus action on a subsequent turn to vex a through their pain. Choose a creature you can see within
new creature. range that can hear and understand you. For the duration,
If you do not share a language with the target, it takes the creature gains resistance to damage from non-
half as much damage and has advantage on its saving throw. masterwork weapons from your choice of either melee
At Higher Levels. When you cast this gambit using a attacks or ranged attacks.
slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d10 for
each slot level above 3rd.
Optional Rule: Battle Fatigue
Hold the Line If a creature would be reduced to 0 hit points by
5th-level enchantment psychic damage, it is instead reduced to 1 hit point
and incapacitated. This represents collapsing into a
Casting Time: 1 action non-responsive state (be it shock, panic, or catatonia)
Range: Self from fear or stress. If the creature is healed or can take
Components: V, S a short rest, it can remove the incapacitated condition.
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Chapter 5: Gambits | 67
Improvised Artillery • Learn information and gossip pertaining to a specific
2nd-level transmutation local official.
• Learn tactical information about the placement of the town.
Casting Time: 10 minutes • Learn the breakdown of the town’s allegiances.
Range: Touch • Learn about local recent history.
Components: S, M (a hollowed out log and £ 3, 10s worth of • Learn the details and layout of a nearby garrison or
gunpowder and metal hoops, which the gambit consumes) army encampment.
Duration: 8 hours
Your agent will return in 8 hours with the intelligence
By reinforcing and hollowing a log you create a Makeshift you chose to collect. You can choose to gather more than
Cannon, loaded with round shot (see chapter 4 for the one piece of information as part of casting this gambit,
rules on how to fire and load artillery). If the Makeshift but doing so poses a risk to all involved. You can select
Cannon is forced to make an ability check or saving any number of pieces of information from the list above,
throw, treat all its ability scores as 10 (+0). A Makeshift but each piece of information beyond the first increases
Cannon falls apart 8 hours after creation. the chance of a negative outcome. The GM rolls a d100
and consults the following table to determine your
Makeshift Cannon agent's success.
Small Cannon (2-pound gun) — 50 lb.
d100 Effect
Armor Class: 13 (pine)
Hit Points: 25 (damage threshold 5) 1–65 The agent returns 8 hours later with the information.
Maximum Crew: 4 Your agent encounters difficulty with their mission.
Damage: 6d6 ballistic 65–75
They return in 8 hours, but have no information.
Misfire Score: 6
Range: 75/300 feet Your agent is detained by local authorities for
Damage Immunities: poison, psychic 76–85 unrelated crimes. They do not return, but no one
Available Ordnance: round shot (£ 1, 10s), wadded shot (£ 2) is the wiser of your actions in this settlement.
Your agent does not return, and is captured by
If you act as the gunner of the Makeshift Cannon, you 86–90 hostile forces who are notified of your
can use your casting modifier, instead of Intelligence, for presence in the settlement.
artillery attacks and save DCs. The Makeshift Cannon is
created with a single shot. Additional ordnance can be Your agent is detected, but not captured. They
purchased or crafted as normal. 91–95 return with the information in 8 hours, but they are
On a misfire, instead of the normal effect, the followed back to your location by your enemies.
Makeshift Cannon explodes. Every creature within 5 feet Your agent is turned by your enemies. They return
of the Makeshift Cannon must make a Dexterity saving in 8 hours with false information that may mislead
throw based on your gambit save DC. A creature takes 96–99
or endanger your party. Hostile forces are notified
3d6 ballistic damage on a failed save or half as much on of your presence in the settlement.
a success.
At Higher Levels. When you use a gambit slot of 3rd Your agent is killed, and any information they
level or higher, the Makeshift Cannon's damage increases 100+ gathered is lost. Hostile forces are on higher alert
to 9d6 and its range increases to 150/600 feet. When you for the remainder of your time in the settlement.
use a gambit slot of 5th level or higher, the Makeshift
Cannon's damage increases to 12d6 and its range increases For each additional piece of information that you send
to 300/1,200 feet. your agent to gather, the GM adds an additional 10 to the
die result. If a settlement is sympathetic to your cause,
Intelligence Network the GM subtracts 10 from the die result. If a settlement is
3rd-level divination hostile to your cause, the GM adds 10 to the result.
68 | Chapter 5: Gambits
impediment you create can be no more than 10-feet wide
Humoral Theory and cannot span more than 40 feet. The area is difficult
In the 18th century, western medicine taught terrain, and cannot be traversed by vehicles or ships
doctors that all disease was caused by an without a successful vehicle proficiency check against
imbalance of the four humors: blood, yellow bile, your gambit save DC.
black bile, and phlegm. Most treatments are Environmental effects may destroy or reduce the potency
an attempt to restore humoral balance through of a trap created by logjam left for longer than 24 hours.
bleeding, emetics to purge the body, ingested
herbs, or poultices applied to wounds and rashes. Non Sequitur
By the time of the Revolution, knowledge 1st-level enchantment
of certain American herbs—long used for their
curative properties by indigenous peoples—had Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when accosted,
been passed on to colonial doctors and healers. challenged, or hailed by a creature that you and your
companions are not fighting
Range: 30 feet
restoring its humoral balance. This can be draining to Components: V
those weak of character. Duration: Instantaneous
After the leeches are applied, the creature must make a
Constitution saving throw. You can choose whether or not You respond in an illogical way to a creature accosting,
to grant the creature advantage on this save; if you do so hailing, or challenging you. The creature and up to two
the creature is unaware of your choice. other creatures in its group that you can see and are
On a success, the creature gains a number of temporary within range must make Intelligence saving throws.
hit points equal to 2d10 + your casting ability modifier. On a failure, the targets are distracted or drawn into
These hit points last for the duration of the gambit. The an argument with their comrades, and will be surprised
creature can also make a new save against any diseases or if combat breaks out this round. You have advantage on
poisons it is afflicted with, as if it had completed a long rest. Charisma checks made against surprised creatures until
On a failure, the creature is poisoned for the duration. the end of your next turn. As normal, surprised creatures
While poisoned, the creature suffers from 2 levels of can't move or take an action, and can't take a reaction
exhaustion. until the end of their first turn.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this gambit using a If any of the targets are engaged in combat, they are
gambit slot of 3rd or 4th level, it has a greater effect. On a immune to this effect. If you do not share a language with
success, the creature gains an additional 2d10 temporary these creatures, they have advantage on their saving throw.
hit points. On a failure, the poisoned duration is increased At Higher Levels. When you cast this gambit using
to 24 hours and the exhaustion from this gambit is not a gambit slot of 2nd level or higher, you can target one
reduced by a long rest. additional creature for each slot level above 1st.
When you cast this gambit using a gambit slot of 5th
level or higher, its effect is even more potent. On a success, Order Volley
the creature gains an additional 4d10 temporary hit points. 3rd-level conjuration
On a failure, the poisoned duration is increased to 7 days and
the exhaustion from this gambit is not reduced by completing Casting Time: 1 hour
a long rest or by treating the poisoned condition. Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Logjam Duration: 8 hours, or until disrupted or triggered
3rd-level transmutation
You recruit a handful of noncombatants sympathetic to
Casting Time: 10 minutes your cause to aid you. While unwilling to risk their lives
Range: Touch in open combat, these creatures agree to fire a single
Components: S, M (an axe) volley when the time is right, and then quickly scatter.
Duration: Permanent When you cast this gambit you must specify if you want
your allies to fire a volley with bows or with muskets.
Wiping the sweat from your brow, axe in hand, you By spending 1 attack or 1 action on your turn, you
ready yourself to demonstrate your mastery over timber. can signal your allies to launch their volley at a point
Choose either an obstacle primarily constructed of within 60 feet of you. Each creature in the area of effect
wood, or a large supply of timber that you purchased or of the volley must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking
harvested worth at least £ 4. 4d6 damage on a failed save, or half as much damage
If you target an obstacle, such as a beaver dam, shipwreck, on a successful one. If you choose bows, the volley
or log boom, you clear a 40-foot cube, hacking and dragging does piercing damage in a 30-foot radius. If you choose
the debris out of the way and making the area safe to traverse. muskets, the volley does ballistic damage in a 20-foot
If you target timber, you roll out the logs to create an wide line 100 feet long—the line must begin behind cover
impediment or a Log Trap (described in chapter 4). The or some other obscuring terrain.
Chapter 5: Gambits | 69
These allies will only travel 10 miles from where they
were recruited and if traveling behind enemy lines, hostile Wet Powder
scouts may detect your allies and disrupt the volley. Behind Gunpowder is partially composed of water soluble
enemy lines, there is a cumulative 25 percent chance of saltpeter. Ammunition exposed to water is ruined,
the volley being disrupted for each casting that you (or so you must take care to protect powder from the
anyone in your party) makes during a 24-hour period. The elements. Unless you take adequate precautions,
GM makes this roll in secret when you attempt to activate half the rounds you carry are destroyed if you are
your volley. If the volley is disrupted, your allies flee and fully submerged in water, or if you are exposed to
do not give away your location even if they are captured. Heavy Precipitation for longer than 1 minute.
Portage
2nd-level conjuration (ritual)
Rhetoric
Casting Time: 1 hour 1st-level enchantment
Range: Self
Components: S Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Duration: 8 hours Range: Self
Components: V
You recall information gleaned from maps, word of Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
mouth or past experiences about a body of water you can
see. You learn if there is anywhere you can ford within 10 You focus on the cadence and diction of your words to
miles, what tide state the body of water is in, and if the best influence those around you. For the duration of
water is safe to drink. this gambit, you can make a Charisma (Performance)
If there are trees and brush around the body of water, check in place of any Charisma check you would make.
you can use them to create a makeshift raft or canoe. This Whenever you make a Charisma (Performance) check,
watercraft uses the statistics for a rowboat with half the hit treat a roll of 7 or lower on the d20 as an 8. On a d20 roll
points. You can spend additional time casting this gambit of a 1, your oration backfires and you lose concentration
to create extra watercraft. For each hour beyond the first on this gambit.
you can create one additional watercraft, up to a total
number of vehicles equal to your proficiency bonus. Once Ricochet
launched, these watercraft are only seaworthy for 8 hours, 2nd-level evocation
but can be repaired by another casting of this gambit.
While piloting a vehicle you created, you are Casting Time: 1 action
considered proficient in vehicles (water). If you already have Range: The normal range of the firearm used
proficiency, add double your proficiency bonus on checks Components: S, M (a firearm worth at least £ 1, loaded
to pilot watercraft. with cartridge or patch ammunition)
Duration: Instantaneous
You aim the weapon used in the gambit's casting and Emergency Repair (1 reaction, taken when a rope
make a ranged attack against one creature, object, or or rigging is damaged within 30 feet of you). Before the
vehicle within your weapon’s range. On a hit, the target tension is let out of the rope, you immediately move up to
suffers the attack’s normal effects and the shot ricochets your speed to the point where the rope was damaged and
toward a second target within 15 feet of your first target. splice it back together. This restores 10 + your proficiency
You do not need a clear path to the second target. bonus hit points to the rope or rigging of a ship, and
The second target does not gain benefits from cover, and prevents the rope from being severed. You can create this
must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take the effect as a ritual; if you do so the casting time becomes 10
same damage as the first target. minutes and this effect cannot restore rigging or a rope
above half of its total hit points.
Ropework
2nd-level conjuration (ritual) Ruse de Guerre
5th-level illusion
Casting Time: Special
Range: Self Casting Time: 1 hour
Components: S, M (50 feet of rope worth at least £ 1 Range: Touch
which the gambit consumes until the rope is untied) Components: V, S, M (between 5-20 assisting creatures
Duration: Instantaneous which must stay within 100 feet of you)
Duration: Concentration, up to 8 hours
You can cast this gambit in a variety of ways as described
below; each specifies a casting time indicated in parentheses. With signal fires, drums, shouts, and creative use of
At your GM’s discretion you can also use this gambit to terrain, you make a small group of creatures seem
create other remarkable effects using rope and knots. like a large, formidable force. While you maintain
To untie any of your knots created by this gambit, a concentration on this gambit, you can coordinate with
creature must succeed at a Dexterity ability check with your allies to make it appear that a large force of troops
a DC equal to your gambit save DC + 5. Rope used in the is heading in the direction you chose. You can make this
casting of this gambit has 10 hit points and an AC equal force appear to be deploying for battle, preparing for a
to your gambit save DC. Any damage from a ranged siege, or mounting a retreat.
weapon that exceeds the rope’s hit points is dealt to the Enemy commanders up to 5 miles away can attempt
tied up creature, object, or vehicle. a Wisdom (Insight) check against your gambit save DC
Hogtie (1 bonus action). With amazing speed you tie up to see through your ruse. A commander who discerns the
a creature of Large size or smaller. The creature must make a illusion for what it is can pinpoint your location based on
Strength saving throw or be restrained until the rope is untied the movements of your allies.
or broken. A prone creature has disadvantage on this save. This illusion’s strength is directly proportional to the
The creature can repeat this save as an action on its turn. number of creatures assisting in the gambit. For every
Escapist (1 bonus action). You immediately untie any five creatures beyond the first five, increase the gambit
rope or similar material (such as vines or chains) that is save DC of this gambit by 2. If a creature is observing
restraining or impeding your movement. This effect does through a spyglass, it has advantage on Wisdom checks
not consume any rope. to see through this illusion. Any creature within 50 feet of
Thief Knot (1 bonus action). This modified reef you sees through the illusion.
knot is nearly indistinguishable from a standard knot
making it useful in telling if a thief has tried to tamper Sally Forth
with the knot and then retie it. This knot can be used 2nd-level abjuration
in conjunction with other knots to secure an object,
vehicle, or even a restrained creature. A creature that Casting Time: 1 action
uses its action to examine the knot can determine that Range: 30 feet
it is tied with a thief knot with a successful Intelligence Components: V
(Investigation) check against your gambit save DC. When Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
cast as a ritual, this effect only takes 1 minute to cast.
Slungshot (1 minute). You create a makeshift flail out Shouting orders, you encourage a creature to push onward.
of rope. The slungshot is a martial melee weapon with Choose a willing creature that you can see within range
finesse that deals 1d8 bludgeoning damage. While you and that can hear and understand you. Until the gambit
have this gambit prepared (or known), you can add your ends, the creature’s speed is doubled, it gains a +2 bonus to
proficiency bonus to the damage dealt by a slungshot AC, and it has advantage on Dexterity saving throws.
(and can always equip it without using any wargear). As a reaction, you can dismiss this gambit to grant the
Slungshots are associated with thieves and murderers target an additional action. That action can be used only
and carrying one openly will attract attention of the local to Attack (one weapon attack only), Dash, Disengage,
militia or other authority. Hide, Use an Object, or to reload or repair a firearm.
Noose Snare (1 minute). You create a Noose Snare
trap (described in chapter 4). If not triggered in 24 hours,
the tension is let out rendering the snare ineffective.
Chapter 5: Gambits | 71
Stinkpot Stock and Barrel
3rd-level conjuration 2nd-level transmutation
Casting Time: 1 minute Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch Range: Touch
Components: S, M (nails, sulfur, and gunpowder) Components: S
Duration: Special Duration: 1 hour
Using foul-smelling materials and a mix of black powder, You touch a non-masterwork ranged weapon or piece of
you create a noxious grenade. Any creature can throw the artillery. It gains the masterwork property for the duration
Stinkpot Grenade using their attack bonus. The stinkpot and gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls until the gambit ends.
degrades after 8 hours if not utilized. At Higher Levels. When you cast this gambit using
a gambit slot of 3rd level or higher, you can target one
Stinkpot Grenade additional weapon or piece of artillery for each slot level
Martial Weapon (misfire 2) — 3 lb above 2nd.
Tongue Lash
1st-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V
Duration: Instantaneous
You cuss and curse at a creature of your choice within
range that can see and understand you, enraging them
and goading them to attack you. The target must make
a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 3d4
psychic damage and must immediately use its reaction, if
available, to move as far as its speed allows towards you.
The creature will take the most direct path to you that
doesn't move into obviously dangerous ground, such as a
fire or a pit, but it will provoke attacks of opportunity (if
necessary) to reach you. At the start of its next turn if the
War Paint
creature is within 5 feet of you, it must target you with at 1st-level abjuration
least one melee attack. If the creature can make multiple
Casting Time: 1 minute
attacks, it can allocate the rest of its attacks at any target
Range: Touch
as normal. On a successful save, the target takes half as
Components: S, M (paints and pigments)
much damage and doesn’t move towards you. A deafened
Duration: 1 hour
creature automatically succeeds on the save.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this gambit using
You apply paints and pigments to the face of a creature,
a gambit slot of 3rd level or higher, you can target one
as part of a ceremony or to create an intimidating visage.
additional creature. When you use a gambit slot of 5th
For the duration, the creature gains advantage on their
level or higher, you can target two additional creatures.
next attack roll and 1d6 + 2 temporary hit points.
To The Gallows At Higher Levels. When you cast this gambit using
a gambit slot of 2nd level or higher, you can target an
4th-level enchantment additional creature for each slot above 1st.
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (20-foot radius)
Components: V The Invalid Corps
Duration: Instantaneous Within the first two years of the war, the Continental
Army found itself with a plethora of older veterans
Through condemnations and threats, you instill a sense and soldiers whose injuries prevented them from
of dread into your foes. Choose a language you know. continued field service. What was to be done with
Any creature of your choice that understands the chosen these willing and capable soldiers off the battlefield?
language within a 20-foot radius centered on you must In 1777, Lewis Nicola, a veteran of the French and
make a Wisdom saving throw. A creature takes 4d10 Indian War and mayor of Philadelphia, petitioned
psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage Congress to establish an Invalid Corps. The approved
on a successful one. On a failed save, an affected creature eight companies would utilize aged or wounded
is restrained until the end of its next turn, as it struggles veterans in a variety of lighter but necessary duties,
with its own mortality and loses focus of the world including staffing garrisons, guarding munitions and
around it. supplies, serving in military hospitals, and recruiting
If a creature’s saving throw is successful, the creature and training new soldiers.
is immune to this gambit for the next 24 hours.
Chapter 5: Gambits | 73
L ist of I llustrations
Moran, Edward Percy, Battle of Bunker Hill (c. 1909)......... cover Wheatley, Francis, Return from the Market (1791)................. 40
Jones, B., Broadside soliciting recruits (c.1798).................... title Flagbearer Games, Colonial Items (2019).............................. 43
Mosler, Henry, Ring! Ring for Liberty (c.1909)........................ 44
Chapter 1: Origins pg Paul Revere's Ride (c.1942-1945) 46
Flagbearer Games, Allan McLane + Daniel Shays (2019).......... 6
Flagbearer Games, Anna Maria Lane + Peter Francisco (2019)... 7 Chapter 4: Firearms & Kit pg
Flagbearer Games, Johann Jasper + Seymour Burr (2019)......10 Winter, Ezra, The British Barrier to the West (1931-1934)........48
Flagbearer Games, David Bushnell + Pierre Gibault (2019)......12 Loutherbourg the Younger, British grenadier (c.1778)...........50
Flagbearer Games, Nonhelema + Tegahsweangalolis (2019)....14 Flagbearer Games, 18th Century Weaponry (2019)........... 52-54
Flagbearer Games, Barzillai Lew + Sally St. Clair (2019)............16
Chapter 5: Gambits pg
Chapter 2: Classes pg Pyle, Howard, Samuel Adams warning British royal governor
Wyeth, N.C., Serving Out the Weapons (1911)........................18 after the Boston Massacre (1901)........................................60
Rothermel, Peter Frederick, Patrick Henry before the Virginia DeLand, Clyde O., General Washington Firing the First Shot
House of Burgesses (1852)..................................................20 at Yorktown (c.1900-1926)....................................................62
Pyle, Howard, Watching the Fight at Bunker Hill (1901)..........22 Woodville, Richard Caton, To the Plains of Abraham (1906).......65
Yohn, F.C., Prescott at the Battle of Bunker Hill (1898)............25 Flagbearer Games, Foxfire (2019)...............................................66
Lalauze, Alphonse, British Grenadier (c.1900-1936).................. 28 Fiscer, Meyer, The Battle Between the Bon Homme Richard
Moran, Edward Percy, The First Resistance (c.1911)...............30 and the Serapis (c.1970)........................................................67
Winter, Ezra, Through Wilderness and Flood (1934)...............32 Homer, Winslow, The Portage (1897)..........................................70
Darley, F.O.C., The First Blow for Liberty (1870)......................35 Pyle, Howard, Before the trenches at Yorktown (1901)............72
Yohn, F.C., Sullivan's Island Bombarded by the British (1898)....... 73
Chapter 3: Character Options pg
Pyle, Howard, Tory Refugees (1901)....................................... 36
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