BUCCANEER!

A SUPPLEMENT FOR THE GAME

INSPIRED BY THE EARLY DAYS OF
BRITISH TABLETOP GAMING

Written by Greg Saunders and the Discord community

Cover art by Imad Ottallah, design Paul Bourne
Internal art by Imad Ottallah and Daniel F. Walthall, Indi Martin, Daniel
Comerci, Chamomile, Rick Hershey, Vivian Hartung
CONTENTS
Buccaneer! 4
Introduction 4
Salty dogs 5
Master Careers 6
New careers 6
Carpenter 8
Cartographer 10
Castaway 12
Dwarf Shipwright 14
Elf Outcast 16
Fisherfolk 18
Halfling Mascot 20
Marine 22
Moneylender 24
Pirate 26
Ropemaker 28
Sailor 30
Smuggler 32
Stowaway 34
Street Worker 36
Survivor 38
Waterguard 40
Whaler 42
Gunner - Advanced 44
Quartermaster - Advanced 45
Sea Witch - Advanced 46
Ship's Captain - Advanced 47
Swashbuckler - Advanced 48
Admiral - Master 49
Pirate Commodore
- Master 50
T’was Fate 51
Random tables 52
Darkness falls… 52
At the docks 52
News from overseas 54
Obscure dockside
establishments 55
Who’s who at the docks 56
Always in town... 58
Merchant Guilds 62
Seafarer Society 63
Explorer Foundation 64
What storm approaches? 66
All at sea 66
A ship approaches… 68
What's hidden in the hold? 69
A den of thieves 70
Rumours of Cursed
Sarragoh 70
Who just arrived at Cursed
Sarragoh? 71
Whose shrine is that? 73
Known smugglers 74
Famous pirates 75
Peg Limbs and the like 78
Under sail 80
New rules 81
The chart 81
Step one: Territories 82
Step two: Regions 82
Sea region random
encounters 84
Land region random
encounters 87
The ship and crew 90
Common ships 90
Creating a ship 92
Sailing 93
Boarding 94
Character actions 94
Naval combat 95
Trade and Commerce 95
Establishing a trade route 96
Investing 96
Ships in the region 98
Enchanted items of the sea 102
Terrors of the sea 105
Undersea society 106
The Merfolk 106
The Ocean’s Curse 109
Neres the tyrant 109
Corral commando 111
Merfolk pirate 113
Tidecaller 115
Gillwrestler 117
Trident priestess 119
Fang berserker 121
Servant of the Trident 123
Feral of the depths 125
New monster abilities 126
Sunlight Hatred 126
Masterful spellcaster 126
Silver weakness 126
Vampiric 126
Hive Mind 126
Harmful presence (x) 126
Bandits 127
Coral mother 127
Coral spawn 128
Dead sea god 128
Foglin 129
Kraken 129
Living echo 131
Manhunter 131
Mercenary 132
Pirate captain 132
Reavers 133
Spawn of the deep 134
Swamp beings 135
Thorn-man 135
Walking heat 136
Weeping ogre-mage 136

AWESOME DISCORD CONTRIBUTIONS

Justin Colussy-Estes, Pete D’Amica, Sampo Keskitalo, Sean
Wills, Simon Barns, Thore Hoffmann, Tomasz Ducki, Will
Swaney, Marcelo Sepulveda, Sebastián González
 BUCCANEER!
Buccaneer!
The coasts of the Kingdom
bustle with activity.
Fisherfolk claim their
catch, merchant galleys
ply trade with Far Hissain,
the Flaxen Lands and other
exotic destinations, and
pirates prowl the waters,
looking for easy targets.
Great beasts swim the
seas, some hunted for
blubber and meat, others
feared and avoided at all
costs. Great port cities rest
on the estuaries and bays,
full of folk who call the sea
as much their home as the
land. The greatest of these
is Fair Marenesse. The Port
here is an incredible sight.
All manner of ships line the
docks, jostling for position
to unload exotic goods
from far afield. The air is
thick with exotic scents
that you can almost taste,
mingled with the stink and
sweat of the stevedores. A
cacophony of sound, there
are so many languages
being spoken that they
just meld together into
indistinguishable chorus
4
of noise. It’s shoulder
to shoulder traffic, and
pickpockets weave through
the masses. The merchant
guilds set up their trade
stands throughout the
docks, always keeping an
eye on the competion... But
as always in the Kingdom,
the shadow of the war with
the Traitor still looms. Part
of the docks was burned
when the Red Knights
sacked the city. This area
hasn’t been repaired,
and few venture there.
It’s home to cutthroats,
brigands, and much worse,
or so they say.
INTRODUCTION
Buccaneer focuses on
people, places and things
connected to the sea.
Inside this volume are
new careers, tables of
inspiration, new rules and
a bestiary, all connected to
the waters that surround
the Evening Lands of
Fesselmark.
SALTY
DOGS
 NEW
Buccaneer!
CAREERS
Many folk make the sea
and the ports that connect
sea and land their home.
Some work on the great
ships that ply trade
between the Kingdom and
further afield, some serve
the infrastructure that
keeps such trade alive.
For characters who want
to show their connection
to the sea, the following
pages include a wealth of
new careers for Warlock,
each connected in some
way to the sea or the
great ports that serve it.
There are basic careers,
which are also presented
in the table opposite so
that they may be randomly
generated at character
creation, and advanced
careers for those souls
who have truly made for
themselves a life at sea.
Also included are two
master careers, using the
optional rules as presented
in the Warlock supplement
6
‘Earn Your Crust’. For the
sake of completeness, the
rules for master careers
are also included below.
MASTER
CAREERS
Master careers are an
optional way to include
very senior characters.
To enter a master career
costs five advances as
usual, but the character
must first have completed
two advanced careers by
gaining the maximum skill
levels in all their listed
skills. There is also an
equipment requirement
to enter as with advanced
careers, containing items
and awards that are
usually rather difficult to
obtain.
 Buccaneer!
To randomly select a Buccaneer basic career at
character creation, roll 3d6 and select from the three
choices presented, as shown in the table below.

Dice number Result Basic Career

! Carpenter
@ Cartographer
# Castaway
First dice............. $ Dwarf Shipwright
% Elf Outcast
^ Fisherfolk

! Halfling Mascot
@ Marine
# Moneylender
Second dice........ $ Pirate
% Ropemaker
^ Sailor

! Smuggler
@ Stowaway
# Street Worker
Third dice............ $ Survivor
% Waterguard
^ Whaler

7
 CARPENTER
Salty Dogs

Be it on land or at sea, you your constant and often

always have some work
to do. Building bridges to
connect towns, granaries
for the winter or sturdy
boats to fish, ports and
villages thrive thanks to
ignored dedication. Too
many citizens have learned
the bad way that not any
wood works well when
constructing a balcony, and
you have an eye for it.

Equipment: A good quality hammer and a box of tools,

a set of wooden planks worth the size of a table, and a
contract with a burgher.

Skills and maximum level: Appraise 10, Blunt 10,

Athletics 12, Endurance 12, Repair 12

What have you constructed?

! Sturdy beds for Madame Compassion's brothel.
@ The palisade outside the marshlands outpost.
# The stake resting at Lord Kunsany’s heart.
$ The hull of The Goblin’s Revenge, now sunk.
% The lutes for the Duke’s travelling band.
^ Your own coffin.

What do you want to build?

! Your own atelier.
@ A battle chariot.
# An underwater transport.
$ A statue from the wood of the savage lands.
% Spears for the mercenaries.
^ Whatever pays well.

8
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Salty Dogs
 CARTOGRAPHER
Salty Dogs

The roads of the land or what forbidden ruins

stretch so far that no one
can claim to have seen
them all, and those who
have reached the borders
of the known world do not
return unscathed. Still,
there is always someone
curious enough to know
how to get to the next town
lay in the mountains, and
you are happy to show
them, for a price. It is no
easy task to travel the land
and put the roads down
on paper. Because you
actually travel the land,
don't you?

Equipment: A saddlebag, a roll of parchment, ink and

pen and your collection of maps. An official statement
that certifies you as a licensed cartographer.

Skills and maximum level: Diplomacy 10, Spot 10,

History 12, Language 12, Navigation 12

Where have you been?

! Ruined Dorlem and its haunted streets.
@ The Forest of the Enchantress, you lost a friend.
# Dor-ur, the dwarven City of Bells.
$ In prison, nothing to do with cartography though.
% The College of Cartographers, burned down.
^ The sewers of the Old Capital.

What did you find there?

! An old parchment in an unknown language.
@ A fellow cartographer, impaled.
# A long lost love.
$ A hidden room, forgotten.
% A map of the moon, from a certain Hans Multer.
^ A rusted elven compass.

10
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Salty Dogs
 CASTAWAY
Salty Dogs

Those who rescued you life before seemed to

from the island were
shocked by what you
had become. Rather than
fall prey to the island’s
beasts, you became
one, a predator. Your
belong to another person.
Though you have now
rejoined society, others
find you somewhat feral,
dangerous. Whatever,
you’re a survivor.

Equipment: javelin, snares, necklace of shells, a lattice

of scars.

Skills and maximum level: Stealth 10 Swimming 10,

Athletics 12, Endurance 12, Survival 12

What dangers did you face?

! Pirates seeking buried treasure. You scared them.
@ A dragon that had your scent. You hid for days.
# The Mad Hermit. You robbed his treehouse.
$ A sharkman washed ashore. You became friends!
% Mermaids enticing you far from the shallows.
^ That rumbling mountain that eventually erupted.

What reminded you of home?

! Your journal, however mundane the entries.
@ Distant sails upon the horizon.
# Tunes from childhood, hummed at dusk.
$ Dreams, from which you awoke too soon.
% Prayers and routines. Daily rituals you observed.
^ Talking to animals you named after friends.

12
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Salty Dogs
 DWARF SHIPWRIGHT
Salty Dogs

Your bleary eyes and finest ships will bring you

calloused hands tell and your lineage. Knowing
of the long hours you that the world will gaze
spend poring over plans, with awe at what you have
crafting raw materials to fashioned drives you to
exact measurements, and work harder than your
arguing with suppliers. You peers in the guild. To be the
crave the recognition and best.
respect that building the
Equipment: Leather apron, bag of tools, scrollcase of
sketches and lists, guild membership.

Skills and maximum level: Command 10, Endurance 10,

Appraise 12, Bargain 12, Repair 12

What have you built?

! A sturdy river barge for a goblin theatre troupe
@ Grandpa’s fishing boat, he was so proud.
# The wrecked ‘Eleanor’ for the De Broekers.
$ Best to keep quiet about that pirate ship.
% A pleasure barge for a Hissaini exile.
^ ‘Tenacious’, a customs ship. They didn’t pay up!

Who are your rivals?

! Madam Jaar gets all the best contracts, why?
@ Ahmud of Piras, such sleek swift Hissaini ships.
# The Wreckers Coast collective, bland but prolific.
$ Ex-partner Sariadus, that treacherous elf!
% Frobischer & Sons, they have spies everywhere.
^ Your ex-apprentice Tobin, who stole your plans.

14
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Salty Dogs
 ELF OUTCAST
Salty Dogs

Sentenced to a life in exile by your presence, crops

from your people, you
are forbidden to walk the
forests you once called
home. Just as those you
loved turned their backs on
you, so has The Wild Wood.
The land itself is disturbed
fail and misfortune befalls
all who accompany you.
Only the sea offers no
judgement on the godless
wanderer you are. Sail on,
for a life amongst elves is
lost forever.

Equipment: Oilskin coat, a brand that marks you as

an outcast, a bag of carved trinkets, sketches and
souvenirs of your voyages, a list of all those who’ve
wronged you, a longer list of all those you’ve wronged.

Skills and maximum level: Endurance 10, Swimming 10,

Language 12, Navigation 12, see table below 12

What do your people call you?

! Kinslayer (Large blade).
@ Zealot (Persuasion).
# Usurper (Command).
$ Heretic (Incantation).
% Betrayer (Lie).
^ Tyrant (Intimidate).

What have you witnessed on your travels?

! Mutineers made to walk the plank.
@ Spiralling sea-drakes at sunrise.
# The devastation the Kraken wrought.
$ An island only visible under a pink moon.
% The primal bloodlust of starving sailors.
^ Merfolk taunting your storm-wracked ship.

16
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Salty Dogs
 FISHERFOLK
Salty Dogs

You may be fishing for seen more than fish and

money or for survival.
In any case, the sea and
rivers are your natural
home, your feet are seldom
dry and your clothes are
stained white from the salt
of the ocean. You may have
seaweed under the water,
though. Terrible and dark
things, and it was only
your skill with the net and
harpoon that made you
survive.

Equipment: A net, a harpoon, seaweed-smelling clothes

and a back basket. Fish worth one silver piece before it
rots.

Skills and maximum level: Small blade 10, Thrown 10,

Bargain 12, Survival 12, Swimming 12

What have you caught before?

! A talking octopus, but nobody believes you.
@ A floating corpse with a map in its pocket.
# The pincer of a Coral Creature, awesome!
$ The red goo of a weird mollusc, tasty!
% A floating robe with a noble sigil on it.
^ The leather covers of a disintegrated tome.

Where do you want to fish?

! The Sea of Sirens.
@ The Dead Coast.
# The Maelstrom of Dragons.
$ The Astral Archipelago.
% The Golden Pools of Mar’barak.
^ The Ocean of Ink.

18
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Salty Dogs
Salty Dogs

HALFLING MASCOT
Seafarers are a
superstitious bunch and
often require the presence
of their ship's lucky halfling
to lift their morale. So,
it’s your role to keep their
spirits up, keep them
together, and let them
believe you banish any bad
omens. Make them lucky.
Fingers crossed, for if the
luck runs out, who's first to
walk the plank?

Equipment: brightly coloured patchwork waistcoat and

breeches, fishmask, penny whistle, bag of tricks, gull
that follows you around.

Skills and maximum level: Persuasion 10, Swimming 10,

Diplomacy 12, Dodge 12, Sleight-of-Hand 12

How have you proved your worth?

! Leading the crew in song during a battle.
@ Amusing the captain’s guests with tall tales.
# Defusing a brewing mutiny with wise words.
$ Persuading the crew not to cook the cook.
% Acting as bait to lure eelfolk on deck.
^ Distracting a hobgoblin corsair.

What have your learned on your travels?

! To put up with being patted on the head.
@ Sharkmen can’t take a joke
# Keep the quartermaster sweet. Extra rations!
$ The forbidden dance of the Hissaini.
% For a small person, you’re a big target.
^ Sea witches don’t take ‘no’ for an answer.

20
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Salty Dogs
Salty Dogs

MARINE
What a way to live, long
days cramped up with
others in the sweat pit
below deck, then the action
starts. Up on deck to board
the enemy vessel. Heart-a-
pounding and praying that
you’ll make it back to your
bedroll. Until the next time.

Equipment: Cutlass, axe, leather helm and cuirass (light

armour), grappling hook and 10’ rope. One spell of your
choice if Incantation is rolled on the table below.

Skills and maximum level: Swimming 10, Thrown 10

Dodge 12, Large blade 12, see table below 12

What is your role?

! Always first across to the enemy ship (Athletics).
@ Close quarters fighting below deck (Brawling).
# Give orders and rally the troops (Command).
$ Sneak aboard ship and evade detection (Stealth).
% Patch up your fallen comrades (Medicine).
^ Be the trained spellcaster (Incantation).

Who have you fought?

! Smugglers off the Wreckers Coast.
@ The Traitor’s men in the bay of Fair Marenesse.
# Goblin gun-runners down the river Alase.
$ Freebooters in the straits of Sarragoh.
% Merfolk who crept aboard at night.
^ The undead crew of a drifting wreck.

22
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Salty Dogs
 MONEYLENDER
Salty Dogs

When money is scarce circumstance, there is

there is always a good always someone that owes
soul that can lend a hand. you something. Yes, you
We are talking, of course, are generous, but you also
about your indebtors. own a keen memory for
Although you are never those disgraceful citizens
out of gold, don’t you? At that insist on forgetting
any time, and under any your previous contracts.

Equipment: A pouch with 1d6 gold pieces, a record

book, a key to your almost empty vault. A legal ruling to
recover 2d6 gold pieces from someone on the run.

Skills and maximum level: Persuasion 10, Streetwise 10,

Appraise 12, Bargain 12, Lie 12

What have you lent money for?

! The failed expedition to the Chromatic Swamp.
@ The aero-automaton that flew away.
# The fine of the dreaded Captain Lowbrown.
$ The constant treatment for the Mayor’s ailment.
% The luxuries of the Vineyard Monastery.
^ The last volume of the collected works of Hastus.

How are they paying you back?

! In pigs and chickens.
@ In foreign coins.
# In social status.
$ In beer.
% In artworks.
^ Racketeering doesn’t count as payment.

24
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Salty Dogs
 PIRATE
Salty Dogs

You always felt the call drinking grog under a

of the open ocean. Some
fulfil their need for salty
sea air by joining the navy.
But you wanted fortune
and glory! Now here you
are, swabbing decks and
tyrant captain who likes to
talk about 'freedom'. You'll
have your fortune and
glory though, come hell or
high water.

Equipment: Ragged but functional clothes, sturdy boots,

boarding axe or grappling hook, cutlass or scimitar, and
a special item from the table below.

Skills and maximum level: Swimming 10, See table

below 10, Athletics 12, Brawling 12, Large blade 12

At sea, you could usually be found…

! Swabbing decks and hoisting sails (Endurance).
@ Keeping watch in the Crow’s Nest (Spot).
# Dealing cards and making bets (Gambling).
$ Bossing other crew members about (Intimidate).
% Stealing trinkets from the hold (Stealth). Risky!
^ Scrounging extra food and grog (Bargain).

What is marks you as a pirate?

! A wooden leg.
@ A hook hand.
# An eyepatch.
$ A larger-than-usual tricorn hat.
% A parrot.
^ A monkey.

26
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Salty Dogs
Salty Dogs

ROPEMAKER
You’ve learned the ropes, Next time someone makes
you’ve shown others the another rope joke or pun,
ropes and you’ve been you’ll finally be at the end
roped into carrying on in of your rope.
that trade time and again.

Equipment: A knife to cut rope or assailants, a pair of

gloves, 20 ft of leather rope you’ve made in your spare
time, some silk ‘borrowed’ from work.

Skills and maximum level: Appraise 10, Bargain 10,

Endurance 12, Repair 12, Small blade 12

What do you like about your job?

! The awl. Puncturing things is just enjoyable.
@ Flax. Reminds you of a loved one’s hair.
# The ropewalk. All that space is so freeing.
$ The workmates. Can’t make a good rope alone.
% A stout rope, bold and steadfast like you.
^ The money. What else is there?

Then why quit?

! The stink of buring hemp dust. Awful.
@ Callouses make you hands feel like leather.
# Trade tax is going up. Your pay is not.
$ Boss has been selling shoddy coils at full price.
% They say the Hissaini smoke their hemp...
^ A mate hung himself with one of your make.

28
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Salty Dogs
Salty Dogs

SAILOR
Only brave or desperate ships. But there are some
men and women dare that face even worse
sail the treacherous dangers in land: a death
waters of the world. Deep sentence, a life debt or
terrors, savage lands unbearable public shame.
and fierce reavers are The deep blue sea opens
an ever present menace its arms to everyone.
to merchant and military

Equipment: A smelling rope, a club, a smoking pipe, a

hammock and a souvenir from one failed voyage.

Skills and maximum level: Blunt 10, Repair 10,

Brawling 12, Endurance 12, Swimming 12

What are you running from?

! An unfair trial.
@ An obsessed past love.
# A prophecy about your death.
$ A background full of obligations.
% An unpayable debt.
^ Nothing. After a wild party, I woke up aboard.

What has life at sea cost you?

! An eye.
@ Your former title.
# Your teeth.
$ The comfy nights near a fireplace.
% Your leg.
^ Your real name.

30
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Salty Dogs
Salty Dogs

SMUGGLER
You put rare and wanted
items in the hands of
special customers, or that
is how you think of it. Sure,
sometimes the law tries to
control who can have what
and where and, because
of that, your job is so
important. For you, there
is no city wall strong
enough or trade route
with enough surveillance.
Things will find their way
to their destination even if
the route is dangerous, or
illegal.

Equipment: A dagger, a wooden box for transport, a

disguise. A list of people whom you have worked for.

Skills and maximum level: Disguise 10, Small blade 10,

Persuasion 12, Stealth 12, Streetwise 12

What have you delivered?

! A tattooed skull.
@ A legendary sword, you knew it was fake.
# A baby to his father.
$ A forbidden love letter.
% Food to the Prince. Nothing to do with his death.
^ A marvel of engineering. Broken.

Who hunts you down?

! Your former partner, who feels betrayed.
@ The boy you abandoned, your only failure.
# A client that paid you in advance.
$ Your own nightmares from that one job.
% A physician who is convinced you carry a disease.
^ A vigilante that ruins all your jobs.

32
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Salty Dogs
Salty Dogs

STOWAWAY
Who you were before
doesn't matter. You're
someone useful. At least
that's what you'll tell them.
Sure, you've been hiding
on their ship, stealing just
enough to survive, but if
they give you a chance,
they'll wonder how they
ever got this far without
you.

Equipment: Threadbare clothes, your last few copper

coins, a well-used but trusty knife.

Skills and maximum level: Small blade 10, Persuasion 10,

Disguise 12, Lie 12, Stealth 12

Why did you leave?

! To travel to far away lands…
@ To escape gambling debts. They’re hunting you...
# You snuck aboard to sleep off the ale.
$ Wanted for a crime you might have committed.
% You wanted revenge against the Captain.
^ You were hired to sabotage the ship.

Who did you leave behind?

! Your spouse and ungrateful little brats.
@ A dozen cats you’ve collected. Your babies.
# Your mother and father. You’ll send money soon.
$ Your favorite mule. Love of your life.
% The king’s guards. You didn’t steal nuthin’.
^ The Doomed Sisters of the thrice blessed.

34
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Salty Dogs

STREET WORKER
You know what you are and
no one calling you out on
the street can make you
feel bad about it. They will
all come to you in the end
and tell you things they
would tell no one else.
They think of you as an
object or at best a service.
But you do not take just
their money, but also their
secrets. Ah, well.

Equipment: Revealing clothes, perfume, soap, a nicely

hidden dagger and a bottle of something you could
afford to drink.

Skills and maximum level: Appraise 10, Disguise 10,

Endurance 12, Lie 12, Streetwise 12

Who was your best customer?

! Lord Joff, thrown into the dungeons.
@ Grasshopper, an assassin for hire.
# A traitor knight, now hanged.
$ The Lady Vaine, forever bored.
% Mercenaries of the Honest’s Chosen.
^ Who isn’t?

What secret have you learned?

! Of a plot to kill Lord Jegan.
@ Several affairs of the Lurz brothers.
# The thieves guild’s hideout.
$ A treasure of magic spells.
% Of a hidden stash of traitor gold.
^ You cannot trust anybody.

36
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Salty Dogs

SURVIVOR
You are still here. You are
still here. They tried their
best to hunt you down, take
your freedom, feed you
to the beasts or another
terrible fate. They failed.
And the important thing is:
You are still here.

Equipment: ripped clothes, manacles, a hatchet or club,

2d6 rations, a trophy from your survival.

Skills and maximum level: Stealth 10, Swim 10, Athletics

12, Endurance 12, Survival 12

Who or what have you survived?

! The ratmen from out of the sewers.
@ The hobgoblin fighting pits.
# A demon possessing and leaving you.
$ The dire wolf attack on your home.
% The dragon's breath. You of all people.
^ The shipwreck of the Marigold.

What are you looking for?

! To see my family again.
@ Revenge. They will not survive me.
# To regain or renounce my faith.
$ To confront foolish non-believers.
% The rest of my wonderful life!
^ Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

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Salty Dogs

WATERGUARD
Rescue ships in distress,
they said. Enforce the
King’s law at sea, control
the border and meet exotic
people. Sounded good in
recruitment. Now most all
you do is collect taxes and
tariffs from those exotic
people.

Equipment: Your guard-issue reinforced club, a tunic

with the King’s crest, a bull’s eye lantern for searching
dark holds and a strange pearl someone tried to bribe
you with.

Skills and maximum level: Blunt 10, Language 10,

Intimidate 12, Swimming 12, Spot 12

Where are you stationed?

! On the Gillburg. You don’t believe the eel story...
@ Fair Marenesse ‘Temple of Tolls‘.
# Waterguard headquarters, Marenesse.
$ Cape Gollers, up the Wreckers Coast.
% Fesselburg, bothering river boats ran.
^ Docks of Biskerstaf, terrible place.

What you have seen?

! Green lightning over the Scarlet Sea.
@ A Hissaini pleasure barge.
# Your superior bathing in bribes.
$ Fishmen. It was dark, but you swear!
% Palatial halls full of bumf.
^ A hold crammed with risqué dwarven literature.

40
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Salty Dogs

WHALER
Seeking out the giants of oversized forearms. Your
the sea, your whole life last voyage ended in
has been a great hunt. The disaster, as a great whale
years at sea have chewed destroyed the ship and
you up and spit you out. swallowed the crew. You
What remains is a haggled want need revenge.
husk of leathery skin and
Equipment: A harpoon, sea wrecked clothing, at least a
dozen remaining teeth, and an unhealthy obsession with
a crew-eating whale.

Skills and maximum level: Spot 10, Swimming 10,

Athletics 12, Endurance 12, Thrown 12

What keepsake do you keep close:

! The decaying foot of the captain’s parrot.
@ Behold the eye of the greatest whale!
# A holy symbol carved from whalebone.
$ A map detailing whale migrations.
% Whale oil that was blessed by the ship’s Priest.
^ A whale fat candle. Smells like old times.

What you’ve seen?

! Fish that could fly like birds.
@ An epic battle between a whale and squid.
# Faces peering up at you from beneath the sea.
$ The sea spin round and round, swallowing ships.
% The demon ship Azrael, searching for souls.
^ Not much you can remember, too much drink.

42
43
Salty Dogs
 GUNNER - ADVANCED
Salty Dogs

Prime. Sight. Fire. Sounds direction and allowing

simple enough but leading for the movement of the
your gunnery crew though enemy ship requires
that sequence repeatedly an iron will. Amidst the
under enemy fire is screaming wounded,
hard work. Making sure lurching deck and flying
everyone stays focused so splinters, you must find
the barrel doesn’t explode your target. Make every
or kick loose of its ropes shot count, or it may be
while calculating wind your last.

Note: Firing cannons requires the ‘Gunner’ career skill,

or a test of luck if you don’t have the career skill…

Required equipment: Responsibility for a cannon, two or

more crew under your command who keep the powder,
wadding and cannon balls coming, a spyglass, a bottle
of grog to steady your nerves.

Skills and maximum level: Command 14, Brawling 14,

Endurance 14, Swim 16, Repair 16, Spot 16

44
QUARTERMASTER - ADVANCED

Some people think the
captain is the most
important member of
a pirate crew - they're
wrong. You may not be the
biggest or the strongest,
but what you do requires
brains and sophistication.
Salty Dogs
Without you to divvy out
the loot and decide what
counts as everyone's fair
share, things would quickly
descend into anarchy.
You just hope the captain
appreciates that as much
as everyone else…

Required equipment: A flamboyant coat, a monocle or

eye glass for inspecting treasure, the trust of the crew.

Skills and maximum level: Command 14, Large blade 14,

Persuasion 14, Appraise 16, Bargain 16, Diplomacy 16

45
 SEAWITCH - ADVANCED
Salty Dogs

Bound to the great hidden to the common

waters, eldritch energy
flows through you during
spellcasting. Like the
mighty ocean, your depths
hold untold mysteries,
man. You travel where the
tides take you, knowing
your destiny lies far from
the land of your birth.

Required equipment: At least five spells, squid ink

tattoos, shark’s tooth necklace, briny-smelling attire
belted with seaweed.

Skills and maximum level: Survival 14, Language 14,

Medicine 14, Incantation 16, Swimming 16, Navigation 16

46
SHIP'S CAPTAIN - ADVANCED

You now have the ship and
crew to fulfil your dreams
of attaining gold and
glory upon the high seas.
From dockside tavern to
the King’s court, they will
know your name. With the
Salty Dogs
wind in your sails and an
eye for opportunity, you
will be renowned from
Fesselmark to the Flaxen
Lands. Or end up as
sharkbait.

Required equipment: A ship afloat, a crew, a trusted

compass, a leather satchel of dog-eared maps and
charts, a journal of your voyages.

Skills and maximum level: Appraise 14, Large blade 14,

Bargain 14 Command 16, Navigation 16, Intimidate 16

47
 SWASHBUCKLER - ADVANCED
Salty Dogs

As sharp as your blade, Some call it arrogance,

you intend to carve your but confidence is vital
place in history as the when you stare down your
finest sword there ever opponent knowing that for
was. Training, dedication one of you, the end is nigh.
and raw talent have No, it won’t be you. You
combined to lift you a cut have the edge.
above your competition.

Required equipment: A favoured sword made to your

requirements, a jaunty hat, fine clothes and high boots,
a cocky smile and a ready quip.

Skills and maximum level: Persuasion 14, Small blade

14, Endurance 14, Large blade 16, Dodge 16, Athletics 16

48
ADMIRAL - MASTER

For a salty old seadog
like you, it seems strange
that the navigation you
engage in nowadays is
through the stormy waters
of politics, paperwork
Salty Dogs
and Court etiquette. Duty
weighs heavy upon you but
still you hear the ocean's
call. What lies beyond the
horizon?

Required equipment: A fleet under your command,

notable victory at sea, contacts at court, a spectacular
plumed hat and an apt nickname.

Skills and maximum level: Appraise 16, History 16,

Language 16, Command 18, Diplomacy 18, Navigation 18

49
 PIRATE COMMODORE - MASTER
Salty Dogs

You are at the height of
your power, with ships
at your command and
a notoriety that would
have you lynched in any
civilised port. For now, the
captains you call upon are
outwardly loyal but you
know all too well the lure
of ambition. Should you
falter, those who now toast
your name with grog and
songs would soon plot your
downfall. Stay sharp, stay
ruthless.

Required equipment: A ragtag fleet, a base to operate

from, a stash of buried treasure and a bad reputation.

Skills and maximum level: Endurance 16, Large blade 16,

Navigation 16, Appraise 18, Command 18, Intimidate 18

50
T’WAS FATE
 RANDOM TABLES
T’was Fate

The following random honest folk. The games

tables can be used to
create occurrences and
details at the docks, at sea
or at the infamous pirate
dens that plague all good
master can use these at
any time to add colour
to their games or as an
inspiration for their own
wild imaginings.

AT THE DOCKS
Whether it be the great Biskerstaf or elsewhere,
port of Far Marenesse, all life is on show at the
the river port of Grim docks...

DARKNESS FALLS…
1. A press gang looking for “volunteers” for their next
voyage across the Red Sea. There’s a broken jaw and
busted nose for those that resist.
2. A group of drunken sailors from the Flaxen Lands.
They’re singing a majestic song honouring their fallen
god. They greet you with a warm embrace and a flask
of ale.
3. The king’s guard on the hunt for vagrants and
scoundrels. Apparently, you match the description.
4. The rattle of dice against stone catches your ear.
Several gaunt figures huddle together up ahead,
hunched over a single candle. Their skeletal fingers
clenched into fists as they wait for the next one to
roll their dice. As you approach, they look up at you
with barren eyes, and hand you the dice.

52
5. Swaggering youths, drunk and finely attired, attempt

T’was Fate
to bar your way, hurling pathetic insults. The youths
are well-connected and news of any bloodshed will
reach Count Tesse. On a successful Spot check, a
character spies a pickpocket lifting a purse from one
of the youths.
6. The ghost of Isabella de la Fonte standing on the
docks, waiting for her husband to return form a
doomed whaling expedition. She makes polite
conversation, but becomes frantic and irate when
her "condition" is pointed out.

53
T’was Fate

NEWS FROM OVERSEAS

1. The Sultan of Far Hissain is imprisoning preachers
of the Thrice-Blessed, apparently for converting the
faithful, which is heresy. Best hide your faith if you're
sailing to the desert
2. Rumours get around that a new archipelago has
been discovered with communities of blue and violet
hued goblin and hobgoblins of fair countenance and
secretive nature, surely a lot of hogwash!
3. A volcano has erupted from under the waters to the
south-east and created new land.
4. Remnants of the Traitor’s army have been spotted
on an island a few days south. The royal navy seeks
strapping (or desperate) adventurers to map the
island and bring back vital information. Secrecy is of
utmost importance, as the isle is brimming with foul
sorcery and beasts.
5. The Albatross was wrecked upon the shore a
week ago losing every man aboard. So why is its
unmistakable silhouette moving across the dark
horizon towards port and what does that mean for
those that had pillaged its wares.
6. The Purple Empire's ruling family is seeking a new
spouse for one of their daughters. Maybe she'll take
a liking to you, sailor?

54
OBSCURE DOCKSIDE

T’was Fate
ESTABLISHMENTS
Roll a 5 or 6 on a d6 to find one, then roll again to see
where you ended up.

1. Granny Deech’s Book Exchange: Swap your book for

one of the softly-spoken proprietor's choice. It may
not be what you want, but curiously, may be what you
need.
2. Ahl Bennis Advocacy: Brusque dwarf mediator likes
a challenge, grudges are his speciality. Not cheap
and reeks of grog, but he has contacts all over the
port and will drive a hard bargain for you.
3. Nets O’ Plenty: Three aged blind fisherwomen whose
tuneless singing is said to imbue the nets they weave
with special qualities. Local buyers attest to an
improvement in their daily catch.
4. Urzo’s Flophouse: Need a fleabitten bedroll and
a damp basement to sleep in, shared with other
‘guests’? Urzo asks no questions because he doesn’t
want your lies. They say he’s an ex-warlord from the
borderlands, the ‘Sword of the South’. So why is he
here?
5. The Attic: Drinking den atop a crumbling tower,
frequented by students and those wishing to rob
them. Watered-down ales with fancy names. Epic
poetry battles. Halflings with bongos. Nice.
6. Jhorindal’s: Dimly-lit tavern that boasts the finest
cuisine outside the capitol. Haughty elven staff
will turn away those wearing unsuitable attire and
armament. Shadowy cubicles make it ideal for
secretive meetings. A guarded passage leads to
Castle Marenesse.

55
 WHO’S WHO AT THE DOCKS
T’was Fate

1. Heinz Drix, Portmaster, diligently oversees dockside

activity on behalf of the Royal Imports Company and
the Bandit King.
2. Wilmott, owner of popular dockside tavern ‘The Cask
& Cutlass’. Keeps his tentacle hidden.
3. Shem, dwarf lamplighter and fog warden, mumbles a
lot. Local dwarves say he ‘knows his runes’, as some
Red Knights were horrified to discover.
4. Eliza Wray, warm-hearted necromancer, runs the
Seafarers Mission, catering to the welfare of infirm
sailors.
5. Feissal and Penk, elf and goblin wastrels, opportunist
thieves and spies for the Hissaini court.
6. Mundoloken, hedge wizard, has a bric-a-brac stall
on the quayside, likes gossip and spiced tea. Secretly
awaiting the arrival of the Black Armada.
7. Gurmukin the goblin, can conjure a wind in any sail
for a price. Travelling from port to port. Something is
chasing him…
8. “Smiley” Hanson, dealer of illicit wares and services.
He can get you anything with enough time. Prefers
favours over coins.
9. Kerlas, an elven painter, and his easel. Harbour
scenery is his current passion. His paintings seem
unusually lifelike, as if actual wind was billowing
those painted sails.
10. Gerad Strak, undercover Customs and Excise agent.
Hunting for corruption among
11. Shells, a halfling dealer in the flotsam and jetsam
that the waves bring to the shore. Known as Shells
due to his garb, adorned in many examples of that
which gives him his name, he clicks and clacks as he
goes.
12. Josef Thale of the City Guard, assigned to the
Portmaster by the Mayor. A streetwise thug who

56
 turns a blind eye to crime unless it challenges the
status quo. Then people go missing.

T’was Fate
13. The Barrelbuilder. A Marenesse character who used
to be a cooper. He's a full-time font of bawdy jokes,
nasty coughing and incoherent stories of 'back in the
day'.
14. ‘People’s Preacher’ Caspar Hoen rants daily from a
makeshift pulpit, warning there are signs the Traitor
is still amongst us. His cronies plant such evidence
to sow suspicion. Why?
15. Puffy van Vliet. A backstreet distiller whose
eyebrows are long burned off. His eye-watering
hooch is very popular on the docks, and useful for
cleaning wounds. The moonshine is also good cover
for his lucrative side line in potion cooking.
16. Beatrix of Westerlan, famed duellist, now an addict.
Usually found sprawled in a smoking den or sat
slumped on the jetty, she needs something to believe
in and fight for. Anyway, just pass the pipe.
17. Daggers. A mute mugger armed with 2 long knives,
hence the name. He lurks in the shadows in the day,
preying on out-of-towners at night. Sees everything
that goes on, but you'll have a job getting him to
share what he knows.
18. Oaquine, the Soul of the West. A supposedly elven
medium and spiritual healer. Advance payment only,
"guaranteed solutions". Their ears look sort of glued
on.
19. Morrow, affable physician who visits the
port monthly for supplies and to provide free
consultation. Those requiring special treatment are
taken to his island clinic, never to return. In human
form anyway...
20. Adrienne, a diplomat from the Flaxen Lands. She
greets all arriving ships hailing from there, and sees
off those who depart that way. To what ends, one can
only speculate.

57
 ALWAYS IN TOWN...
T’was Fate

Charlus Debusk
A fallen hero of the navy…

‘Back in my days I used to command armadas.’

‘You could learn a lot from me if you would listen for a
second!’

Description: This old veteran served in the navy for

many decades. He was a high-ranking officer until he
got dishonourably discharged.
Motivation: To become a notorious pirate and gain
revenge on his old navy crew.
Charlus was once a noble man who had a bright future
ahead of him, and he will never miss a chance to tell
you about it. He is a know-it-all who must comment on
everything that happens around him.
Secret: He got dishonourably discharged for fleeing
from an enemy, but that was not his fault but that of his
crew, as they mutinied, took control of the ship and soon
after shifted the blame to him.

Drunken Powder Master Panzo

Only misses when he is sober…

‘A bottle a day keeps the doctor away’

‘Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk’

Description: The dwarf Panzo is one of the best

cannoneers you can find, but he has to be in a constant
state of intoxication to do his job properly.
Motivation: Drink in every tavern in every port in the
world, and write a book about it
Drunken Panzo can hit a parrot with a cannonball a mile

58
away, but only when he has a few drinks in him. Maybe
the alcohol slows down the jitters in his fingers so he

T’was Fate
can aim correctly. He is a jolly person to be around but
don’t ever try to match him drink for drink.
Secret: Panzo lost his family in an accident and gets
very sad when he is sober, so that’s why he drinks.

Frast the Smile

Has a joke for every occasion…

‘Oy do you know this one?’

‘A parrot and a captain walk into a tavern…’

Description: A halfling jokester who never misses

a chance to make anyone laugh, even in the most
inappropriate situations.
Motivation: To earn enough gold to finance his way to a
wandering bard.
Frast is always the middle of the conversation. He
honestly tries to make everyone laugh with his dark
jokes and absurd stories. He wastes no opportunity to
sing a shanty, although everyone tells him he has no
talent. He feels more at home in a tavern sharing stories
then sailing on the rough seas or fighting off danger.
Secret: Frast is a firm believer of the Merfolk goddess
Derna and communicates with his head priestess via
messages in a bottle.

Laureen the Gambler

Always wants to play…

‘Why don’t we let the dice decide?’

‘Hey two silver says it will rain today. Anyone in?’

Description: She turns everything into a bet and wastes

59
T’was Fate

no opportunity to hone her skills in games of any kind.

If there is a way to cheat or gain an advantage, you bet
she knows it.
Motivation: To get good enough at gambling to win back
the soul she lost to a demon playing poker.
Laureen doesn’t go a day without winning or losing
a bet. She is no sore loser, as she sees fate as the
deciding factor in most things. Seems she’s always
shuffling her deck of probably rigged cards, encouraging
anyone to bet their hire.
Secret: Laureen is actually a ghost, that can’t enter the
afterlife as she has lost her soul to a devil.

Spooky Joe
There when you least expect him…

‘Sooooo… What are you doing right now?’

‘Fancy we meet here! Did you see that ghost?’

Description: Joe has his ears and eyes everywhere and

always seems to turn up when you least expect him.
This freaks out a lot of people.
Motivation: To know every secret, whatever it takes –
information is power.
You cannot escape Joe. Although he seems very quiet
and peaceful, he’s always skulking about in earshot
when something of importance is spoken off.
Secret: He sells the information and secrets he gets to
pirates, criminals and bounty hunters for a hefty price.

60
 T’was Fate
Marvin the Medium
Has connections…

‘Hey who is that standing beside you ?’

‘I see fortune in our future’

Description: Fluent movements and a calm aura

surround Marvin wherever he goes. Never in haste, he
makes claims about the future to all who will listen.
Motivation: Find someone to teach him the ways of real
spirit talking, so he can talk to his long-lost friend, a
friend who knew the location of buried treasure…
Marvin claims he is in contact with the outer realms and
able to talk to ghosts and see spirits. Often one can see
him talking to the air in front of him or starring in the
distance.
Secret: Marvin has no secret connection to the
supernatural and just fakes it to gather interest in his
person and for the few coins he sometimes gets from
fortune telling.

61
T’was Fate

MERCHANT GUILDS
1. Kingdom Trading Guild, the biggest guild on the
block, always looking for some muscle. It’s well
known that they keep an office at every port.
2. Summer Sea Company, the newest merchant guild
of the kingdom, their pockets run deep. The church
of the Thrice Blessed has a vested interest in the
company.
3. Merchants of the Sun, hailing from the shores
of Far Hissain they specialize in rare spices and
frankincense, though it is whispered that the
Merchants of the Sun really dabble in stolen artifacts
and forbidden magic. The guild is made up of a dozen
distrustful merchants, who have put their differences
aside in pursuit of coin.
4. Company of One Hundred Associates, dirty deeds
done dirt cheap. A conglomerate of bastards princes,
scallywags, and cut throats with more money than
sense. Financiers of get rich quick schemes, that
usually end in blood and fire.
5. Gibbs and Hallock, Posh nobles from the upper
crust of the Fair Marenesse elite. They dabble in all
manner of illicit trade under the guise of being on
the up and up.
6. The Gilvenburg Trade Guild, a small backstreet
operation quietly supplying opposing sides of local
conflicts with whatever they need, for a price. No-
one has ever been to Gilvenburg, nor is it on any
map. The Guildmaster's identity and motives are a
mystery, even to the guildmembers, who receive
their instructions via courier.

62
SEAFARER SOCIETY

Every seafarer that is
worth his salt is part of
the seafarer society. These
folks make sure there is a
proper funeral and letter
to the family for every soul
that never returns from the
sea. Every member pays
a small portion of their
wages to the society and
T’was Fate
out of this fund the society
pays for all their services
including a handful of coins
for the ones left behind.
In these troubled days it
is seen as something of
a necessity to be part of
the society, as one never
knows when the streak of
luck may end.

What job does the Society have for you?

1. A last will from a lost soul contains the location of

a treasure buried for their family. You shall retrieve
this treasure.
2. In the last few weeks a lot of sailors in port have
talked of a crimson mist that floats across the dark
blue sea and destroys every ship it touches. You
should research the mist, as this could get expensive
for the society.

63
 3. A band of merfolk has captured a bunch of sailors
and held them hostage. Free these poor souls with
T’was Fate

all measures.
4. You shall deliver the message of passing to a local
family and hand over a package with the deceased’s
belongings. The bag is heavy and contains a full ingot
of cursed gold.
5. Last night a ship void of every soul sailed into the
port as the clock struck twelve. So far no one has
dared to set foot upon it. The ships name reveals it
was considered lost eight years ago. What happened
here?
6. You shall find the pirate king and offer him a signed
peace treaty from the society. This could be a great
opportunity to make the sea safer, but many are
opposed to the idea and may try to stop you.

EXPLORER FOUNDATION

64
To go where no one has dangerous to say the least,
yet travelled is the goal of and most of the ships

the explorer foundation.
Often, they search for
brave men and women
who want to go on a ship
and sail to unknown lands
in the search for what lies
beyond the known world.
These expeditions are
T’was Fate
never make it back, but for
the ones that do there is
gold and fame. Few take up
the chance these days but
who knows, maybe you are
the lucky ones who make it
back…

Where does the next expedition head to?

1. Some explorers have brought back a compass that

consistently points in an odd direction. They want to
know where it leads.
2. The volcanic islands near Far Hissain are made
from flame and unfruitful soil, but who knows what
treasure there is to be found. Rumours of gems the
size of your fist are circulating…
3. Beyond the big bank of fog that rises over the dark
black sea at midnight near the coast. Some say it is
cursed and they are probably right.
4. To the floor of the ocean. Magicians have found a
way to enclose the ship in a bubble of air to make
underwater travel possible. So far, the spell has
always failed, but we don’t talk about that...
5. To the sea of clouds. Architects have strapped a vast
airbag to a ship, magically inflated, to ensure it can
lift off and sail amongst the clouds. Almost everyone
shakes their head at the sheer absurdity of this idea.
6. The golden sea. Rumours say there is a patch of
the ocean where the water sparkles in all colours
imaginable and the fish are transparent and can talk.
Least that’s what the drunk at the pub says.

65
 ALL AT SEA
T’was Fate

On the open sea, all havoc, and the unsettling

manner of strange sights sight of a sail on the
meet the eye, not least the horizon...
strange storms that wreck

WHAT STORM APPROACHES?

1. The Traitor’s Breath. Created by the Traitor himself
and used against the King’s navy during the war.
The storm still lingers in the Kingdom’s waters
ambushing unlucky ships. The storm appears as a
swirling mass of dark clouds in the distance clawing
its way over the waves. It quickly envelopes a ship,
snuffing out light and sound for 1d6 turns. When the
storm passes all food aboard the ship has spoiled.
2. Storm of Sorrow. When the world was young and the
stars burned brightest the Red King longed for the
love of the moon, but she rejected him as her heart
belonged to another. In a fit of rage and depression
the Red King shed a million crimson tears painting
the ocean red. The Storm of Sorrow appears at night,
casting a red tint over the moon, and drenching the
ship in crimson rain.
3. The Deep’s Embrace. The wind dies down and the
clouds flee beyond the horizon. The ship lingers in
place then slowly begins to spin as the water rotates
in a circular pattern pulling the ship to its watery
grave.
4. The Dragon’s Veil. A thick fog surrounds the ship
reducing visibility and causing panic. When the fog
finally dissipates the ship is completely off course.

66
5. Heartstone’s Hail. The Heartstone has always
despised the ocean. The waves claw at its mountains

T’was Fate
and cliffs slowly dragging away rock and stone. To
extract its revenge the Heartstone will hurl stones
down at sea in a futile attempt to bury the ocean. The
storm drops fist size hail, causing severe damage to
ships and their crew.
6. Fury of the Nine Hells. Formed when a demon or
devil enters the realm of men. Strong winds push the
nauseous sulphur clouds towards the ocean where
they murder birds in flight and douse unsuspecting
vessels with acidic rain.

67
 A SHIP APPROACHES…
T’was Fate

1. Silently emerging from heavy mists, what seems

like a relic from a distant age appears. A war galley
of fair-bearded dwarven raiders from afar plows
towards you. Commanded by world-weary Earl
Brynni Hawksong, these sea wolves have been
cursed to wander till the end of days. What is not
offered, they will take.
2. Sailing for Far Hissain, the Wayward Wench bobs
towards the characters' ship to exchange news
and warn of an impending storm. Flagship of the
Gilvenburg Trade Guild, the ship is laden with goods
from Fesselmark. Unfortunately, a dozen Ratmen
hide in the aft hold and plan to sneak aboard the
characters' ship and take command.
3. The sea vomits forth a vessel from its depths.
Wrapped in seaweed and covered in crustaceans
the ship makes its way towards you. Its crew is
composed of insatiable sharkmen commanded by the
dread pirate Von Hefflin. Around his neck rests the
Heart
4. Captain Katerina Fluber of His Majesty’s Customs &
Excise ship ‘Tenacious’ and her bumbling inspectors
seek to board and clumsily examine all cargo after
a tip-off about smuggling. Fluber will seethe with
anger and disbelief if the characters prove innocent,
vowing ‘next time…’
5. Elaina Dawnflower High Priestess of the Wild Wood
and her elvish followers on a pilgrimage to the
Tortoise Isles. Their ship was damaged in a storm
and they seek assistance and safe passage. They can
pay in coin and jewels....or perhaps an ancient map
leading to an ancient overgrown temple hidden on
the island.

68
 T’was Fate
6. A merchant ship can be seen in the distance floating
aimlessly. When approached, numerous statues of
sailors in agonizing poses clutter the deck. Down
below, the cargo hold is filled with cages. Each cage
holds a stone replica of various species of an exotic
animal. One cage appears open and littered with
chicken feathers.

WHAT'S HIDDEN IN THE HOLD?

1. The hold is empty, save for a coffin, wreathed with
ornate work. The priest who accompanies this coffin
instructs that it must be watched at all times.
2. Lying lengthways under a tarpaulin, there is a green
wooden door inlaid with archaic script in a tongue
long lost to the ears of man. Should it be fixed in a
doorway, it will open into the King's wine cellar.
3. Tobacco. Least it looks like tobacco. Fancy a smoke
while we’re here?
4. A crate containing jars of pickled organs, sealed
with wax and stamped with a Griffon crest. A note
infers they are to be delivered to Lord Rokas of
Gossenham, a noted gourmand.
5. A skeleton wrapped in old and elaborate funeral
robes lying on a thin layer of earth. Just some
mouldy old corpse, nothing more…
6. Labelled jars of grave dirt found across the kingdom.
Notably one is broken...

69
 A DEN OF
T’was Fate

THIEVES
Cursed Sarragoh, the
pirate haven, rots in the
straits that form the major
trading route between the
Kingdom and Far Hissain,
preying on vessels that
must thread their way
through the complex
archipelago of innumerable
islands, reefs and lagoons
that mar the waters.
Cursed Sarragoh is rightly
infamous as a haven for
pirates and all manner of
rogues.

RUMOURS OF CURSED
SARRAGOH
1. It is said that an ancient sea witch shrouds the isles
in mist and storms should enemy ships advance.
2. The High Table, a council of the most notorious pirate
captains, regularly meets under a truce in the port's
citadel, once an ancient temple to a forgotten god.
3. Whispers persist that Sarragoh has connections to
the Kingdom Trading Guild. Totally unproven as yet.
Who spreads these rumours and why?
4. Slain in a mutiny, the self-styled 'Pirate King'
Clawfoot Jobe haunts the isles desiring revenge.
Only then will he rest, when bloody is spilled.
5. Many who fought under the Traitor's flag fled to
Sarragoh, to join the wretched band of criminals,
deserters and exiles who call the squalid port their
home. Could the Traitor himself be hiding there,
plotting his return to Fesselmark?
6. Lord Vech's daughter recently eloped to the isles to
become a sailor's bride. Anyone who returns her to
the family will be handsomely rewarded.

70
 T’was Fate
WHO JUST ARRIVED AT CURSED
SARRAGOH?
1. Capt. Tam Brekfoot and his crew. Tam will take no
man aboard his ship who is not a halfling, perhaps
luckily as the Whispering Whale is not built to the
scale of the larger sort of fellow. Tam seeks to
replenish his crew at Cursed Sarragoh after a most
vicious series of sorties have left him short-handed.
2. Exiled sorcerer Mickolas Rootch is loudly puking
as he descends a gangplank to shore, prompting
curses from passing shiphands. His companion,
the cadaverous diviner Ernst Trapeck, casts his
professional eye over the chunks of vomit. Poking a
finger at it he exclaims ‘A most fortuitous arrival my
friend. Our success is assured, most gratifying!’
3. Hissaini corsair Lucky Zahra is straining against
her shackles as she is carried by an ogre towards
the citadel. The High Table put a price on her head
for raids against islanders under their protection.
Suddenly an arrow fells the ogre. The corsair
staggers to her feet and into an alley.
4. With broken mast and tattered sails, the Sunset
Shrike drifts into port. The Captain, ex-priest Lost
Matthias, yells 'They're coming, ring the bells!’ before
collapsing from his wounds.
5. The arrival of the goblin-crewed Perdition empties
the dockside. Hewn from treemen and captained by
Tal Sharrow, an elven magus, the ship is considered
an abomination. The Perdition is said to hold secrets
that have ensured Sharrow's success at sea and
tolerance at the High Table.

71
T’was Fate

6. The veteran crew of smuggling ship Dorothea

would normally be unloading goods and produce
in exchange for pirate booty, but the ship floats in
the harbour with no-one at the helm. A blubbery
tentacular mass is sloughing off pale skin and
thrashing about in the foreward hold, with the crew
nowhere to be seen.

72
WHOSE SHRINE IS THAT?

T’was Fate
1. Knip, the God of Shells. Variously described as an
iridescent hermit crab or a mussel that can ‘talk’ with
its valves. Its worshippers believe Knip gifts beauty,
wealth and protection. They say pressing a shell to
your ear allows you to hear its voice whispering to
you.
2. The Jagged One. Said to reside in reefs and
treacherous shoals, the Jagged One is the
embodiment of undercurrents, hidden rocks and
other veiled dangers of the sea. It is not venerated
but feared, with sailors asking it for mercy on their
passage.
3. The Sky Steward. The god of navigation by the
firmament, the Sky Steward is an incredibly
important entity to seafarers. Represented as a hand
pointing upwards, it keeps the stars, signs and other
celestial bodies in order, so as to ensure they are
always reliable for orientation.
4. She-Who-Salts. The goddess of saltwater, she is
believed to put salt into the oceans after every
rainfall. To spite the humans by making it non
potable, or to help the sea life that cannot tolerate
freshwater, no one knows. She has very few actual
followers save for a few salt farmers, but every child
along the Kingdom’s coast knows she is the reason
seawater is different.
5. The Bloated Man. A god of death at sea, most who
travel the waters mutter a prayer to the bloated man
to make their death a quick one, should death at sea
be their destiny.
6. The deep ones. Some claim that in the depths of the
ocean, dark beings dwell, all tentacles and suckers.
They even say that these things covet the surface
world. Those that believe in their coming build
shrines to appease them, when the reckoning comes.

73
T’was Fate

KNOWN SMUGGLERS
1. Hoffmann & Jakes: two garrulous wizards and a
sickly mule. They transport items of dark sorcery
abroad evading the clutches of both the priests of the
Thrice Blessed and corrupted cultists.
2. The Kausey clan: from Bleakpoole on the Wreckers
Coast, a family of three generations of tough
weather-beaten fisherfolk supply the buccaneers of
Sarragoh and fence pirate booty.
3. Dwarf Cheesemongers Union: guarded wagons of
goat’s cheese trundle down the mountains to the
ports. Bearing the dwarf Queen’s crest stating ‘By
Royal Appointment’, they are never searched.
4. The Red Rukh: a Hissaini ship that supplies the
underworld of Fair Marenesse with drugs, rare hides
and exotic meats. The crew has a long-established
arrangement with the portmaster.
5. Uncle Yockie and his bargees: goblin boatmen
carrying guns and black powder down the major
rivers and canals. They’ll supply anyone who pays,
but will double-cross the foolish.
6. ‘Eloise’: the epitome of the beautiful but brooding elf,
she smuggles people in or out of anywhere. During
the siege of Pomperburg, she helped treacherous
nobles escape the city to Far Hissain.

74
FAMOUS PIRATES

T’was Fate
1. Tessek, cabin boy on the ill-fated ‘Emmaretta’, is the
only living soul to have seen a merfolk city and lived
to tell the tale. A sadder and wiser man, he now
works as a cobbler in Tresselback.
2. Pirate Commodore ‘No-nose’ Robey founded the
pirate haven of Sarragoh. He was garrotted while
playing cards. Only Robey’s daughter knows where
his treasure is stashed. Where is she?
3. Captain ‘Mercy’ Mien took the ‘Kestrel’s Claw’
through a Hissaini blockade. Manoeuvring through
reef-strewn narrows, she eluded enemy ships with a
hold filled with the Sultan’s gold.
4. ‘Tusker’ Pugh, walrus-faced unman that once sat at
the High Table at Sarragoh. Now his ship ‘Lazy Nell’
exclusively preys on other pirates, secretly backed
by the Gilvenburg trade guild.
5. Ship’s doctor turned captain, ‘Sawbones’ Sneep of
the ‘Black Boar', has a prosthetic forearm with a
serrated blade attached. It sees brutal use both in
boarding actions and surgery.
6. Magdalene Krosse led the mutiny on the Revenue
ship ‘Sagacious’ and turned the crew to piracy. Ex-
lover of Viscount Rubrix, she plots revenge with a
shadowy cabal of insurrectionists.
7. Honest Pelle, a halfling missing both his ears, is
the unlikely captain of the ‘Pretty Lady’. Apparently
mad as the moon and vicious as a rabid dog, he
entertains his crew with his beautiful singing voice.
8. Karadus von Terbenstein, a scion of one of
Pomperburg's notable families. A naval officer
during the war against the Traitor, he defected from
the King's Navy. Some say he fought on the Traitor's
side, others variously claim he was turned mad by
his wartime experiences, decided to use the turmoil
to his own material advantage or separated from the

75
T’was Fate

chain of command to fight covert Traitor retainers in

the Navy.
9. Bertram 'Gills' Hangercoat, a halfling said to be
in league with Fishmen. He passes through their
waters freely, thus easily eluding his enemies. Who
knows what he gives those creatures in return.
10. Kaleef the Corsair commands the ‘Mirage of Mahnaz’.
Despising Fesselmark's creeping influence upon Far
Hissain, he summons Jinn from his treasured Book
of Names to help raid foreign ships.
11. Six Fingered Frayas, a rangy saltwater bitten elf who
is notable for his sixth finger that curls like a squid
tentacle. Cursed by a seawitch, he only undertakes
one journey upon each vessel, a repeated trip leads
to the sure shipwreck of that boat.
12. Urmston Getz, talented but impetuous dwarf
gunner infamous for firing a cannonball into Lord
Kelberond’s dining room from the harbour of Grim
Biskerstaf, for a laugh. Breakfast was spoilt.
13. The Purple Princess. A young pirate rumoured to hail
from the Purple Empire, she might or might not be of
royal blood (depending on whom you ask). She calls
out her prize vessels captains for single combat, for
honour and the contents of their cargo
14. Benefras. Named "The Black" or "The Sorcerer-
Pirate", this corsair is feared for his sizeable arsenal
of scrolls, giving him the power to set ablaze sails,
control the waters and other nasty surprises. He
hides his face behind a mask.
15. Gerbart Toll, the wayfinder. Founding member of the
Dignified Guild of Navigators. Prefers going out to
sea over guild paperwork and politics. Sporting a
mean left haymaker, he's pretty brawny for a scholar.

76
 T’was Fate
16. Florian Quayle, hedonist and dabbler in cults. Falling
drunkenly into the arms of a press-gang after a wild
night of debauchery, he somehow attained captaincy
of the ‘Agnes Undone’, and has led its disbelieving
crew of ruffians to surprising success. It seems the
demon Delock has plans for him.
17. Mother Ocean, an ageless sea-witch of considerable
foresight and patience, preys on merchant shipping
from ‘Jurgen’s Folly’, a seemingly crewless ship,
slow but remarkably robust. Plunder is shared
among the poorest island and coastal communities,
making the witch a heroine to some.
18. The Twin Blades, twin siblings Rosalie and Gerard
Temmenston. Both captain their own ships, their
coordinated attacks being feared far and wide. If your
lookout spots red on both starboard and port you
better hoist everything there is to hoist!
19. The Hissaini crew of the ‘Sword of Anara ‘, a ship
without a captain. Escapees from the infamous Jenta
Prison, these hardened criminals have plagued the
Pearl Coast for three years, and have sworn never to
be taken alive.
20. Elsa Von Dranck of the ‘Shady Maiden’ and her
sombre crew are thought mad by many pirates. They
only sail at night, have no fear of raging storms, and
the captain never leaves the ship. Though they take
many prisoners at sea, their captives never reach
port.

77
 PEG LIMBS AND THE LIKE
T’was Fate

Roll 1d6 to select a table, and 1d6 to select a result.

Table 3
! Cutlass blade strapped
to upper arm.
@ Steel thumb
Table 1
and forefinger
! Full wig.
replacements.
@ Tattooed eyebrows.
# Wooden fingers sewn
# Brass auricle.
to leather glove.
$ Eye patch.
$ Wooden hand, wrong
% Glass eye (weird
orientation.
colour available).
% Iron screws protruding
^ Leather nose cover
from arm.
with strap.
^ Gears to adjust elbow
angle.
Table 2
! Wooden or gold
Table 4
teeth (determine
! Skin graft covering
randomly).
burns on arm, donor
@ Hook hand.
species unknown.
# Wooden forearm and
@ Metal rod permanently
hand.
fused to where
$ Full wooden arm with
forearm used to be by
adjustable elbow
explosion or magic.
hinge.
# Thin bent steel plate
% Mechanical hand,
bolted to rib cage.
movable.
$ Rigid whale bone
^ Threaded wrist of
corset immobilizing the
metal, with set of
% spine.
different attachments.
Tight iron collar for
^ that snapped neck.
Wood-and-leather
buttocks with belt.

78
 Table 5 Table 6
Gold-rimmed metal Home-made crutch,

T’was Fate
! !
belly button. straps to shin when
@ Peg leg. knee is bent.
# Peg legs, both sides. @ Wooden foot (comes
$ Steel kneecap. with boot).
% Steel shin. # Artificial toe nails,
^ Finely crafted covered in gold leaf.
dwarven leg $ Anti-slip sole with
prosthesis with two laces.
movable knee and % Wooden big toe,
shock-absorbing nicely carved, with
ankle. calfskin sleeve fit to
foot.
^ Steel heel (with
hidden spring-loaded
blade).

79
UNDER
SAIL
 NEW RULES
These optional rules
allow the games master
to create adventures
focused on sea travel,
exploration and trade.
They are designed to
THE CHART
The first step of a sea
adventure is to create the
chart and territories to
be explored. This could
be a solo activity for the
games master that wishes
to maintain the mystery of
exploration for the players
Under Sail
be simple and intuitive,
but of course players
and games masters can
adopt a more ‘free-form’,
narrative approach to sea
adventures if they prefer.
but could also be done as
a group activity at the start
of the campaign, giving
everyone a vote over what
kind of adventure they wish
to play. An example chart
is shown below.
81
 STEP ONE: TERRITORIES
Under Sail

In a blank space (a to five land masses for

paper sheet, a graphic medium campaigns (six to
editor, a whiteboard) nine sessions), and six or
draw loosely the shape more land masses for long
of the mainland features campaigns (ten or more
that will be part of the sessions).
adventure. A good place
to start is to determine Once you have drawn
if you will be exploring the general lines, add a
an archipelago (only point where your starting
islands) or continental settlement will be. This
coasts and drawing the will be the location of the
general lines for the land frequent stopping point for
masses. We recommend resources and services
three land masses for for your crew, and not
short campaigns (three necessarily the place
to five sessions), four where the campaign starts.

STEP TWO: REGIONS

With the land masses and travelling to be the focus
your starting settlement of the campaign, divide the
set, divide the sea in chart in eight segments. If
roughly equal segments. you want your campaign to
The number of segments be heavily defined by the
will depend on how much sea routes and resources
relevance you wish to give of the characters and
to the seafaring aspect of crew, divide it in twelve
the game. If you want the segments.
sailing aspect to add some
flavour to the campaign Next, roll a number of d6
without being a hindrance, equal to the number of
divide the chart in six land and sea regions and
segments. If you want sea assign the results to each

82
of them as you please. This results in a Travel

will be the Travel Hardship
value of that region. If any
die comes up a 6, add an
additional d6 to that region.
Travel Hardship is used
when travelling and will
be explained in the Sailing
chapter.
For every region that
Under Sail
Hardship of 6 or more,
roll on the following
Sea and Land Features
tables to determine its
characteristics. You can
come up with your own
detailed features or use
the ones in the tables that
follow.

Sea features, roll 1d6

1. Drowned ruins (unnatural currents, magical aura,
low sea bottom).
2. Haunted region (ghost ship, sentient storm, forgotten
god).
3. Diseased waters (putrid sea life, sulfuric waters,
toxic seaweeds).
4. Geological obstacle (reefs, volcano, seamount).
5. Sea creature (reference the Bestiary).
6. Civilised obstacle (wizard’s lighthouse, elven raiders,
navy routes).

Land Features, roll 1d6

1. Surveilled area (military, religious, guilds).
2. High terrain (volcano, rocky crags, high cliffs).
3. Treacherous terrain (undrinkable water, ancient
traps, deadly bogs).
4. Dangerous flora (hot jungle, venomous forests,
predator vegetation).
5. Legendary creature (reference the Bestiary).
6. Rumoured hideout (criminals, mutants, cult).

83
 SEA REGION RANDOM
ENCOUNTERS
Under Sail

Generic Sea Region, roll 1d6

1. A merchant vessel who lost everything.
2. An abandoned ship, infected with the plague.
3. A half sunken statue, with engraving dedicated to
one of the gods.
4. A reaver longboat fleet.
5. A rat infestation on board.
6. A storm on the horizon, at half a day's travel.

Drowned Ruins, roll 1d6

1. A ghost ship chases your vessel.
2. An archway that is barely visible goes straight into
the hull.
3. A floating sphere of light entices the crew.
4. A stranded man at the top of a fallen pillar cries for
rescue. No wreckage is to be seen.
5. Human sized cages sit on top of the ruins. Its rotten
contents look very recent.
6. A giant squid lies trapped among the broken
masonry.

Haunted Region, roll 1d6

1. The crew dreams at night about a battle fought in
these waters. No one remembers what battle was
that.
2. A sailor throws himself to the water as he cries ‘wait
for me!’. He never comes back.
3. The sun and the moon appear with a phantom image,
making double shadows and an eerie feeling among
the sailors.
4. The crew rumours about a silhouette in the far side
of the cargo section moving crates and barrels. No
one finds anything.

84
5. A group of Drowned Ones takes over the deck. Fight!
6. A savage storm swirls around the ship. The crew

Under Sail
speaks of an offering to appease the old sea.

Diseased Waters, roll 1d6

1. Fishers aboard claim that sealife here has human
faces and horns. Will you eat that?
2. The ship's hull hisses and feebles in contact with the
seaweeds. Is that water around the powder kegs?
3. A floating corpse passes by, its flesh torn out by
monstrous crabs.
4. Barnacles had too much of these waters and are
devouring the hull itself.
5. A foul, green mist encircles the ships. The crew
appraise each other with hunger.
6. One of the crew falls heavily sick with diarrhoea. He
is the cook.

Geological obstacle, roll 1d6

1. The look out screams as coral spikes appear directly
ahead of the vessel.
2. Water boils around the ship. Is that volcanic rock
ahead of us?
3. An uncharted island appears on the horizon. Roll on
a land table to see what this is all about.
4. The seamounts ahead drive the waters in strong
currents. Brace yourselves!
5. A wooden carved buoy marks the spot of the
Madman's Abyss. Better not to dwell here for too
long.
6. Floating fragments of purple rocks float ahead. Each
fragment is covered in dead sea birds.

Sea creature, roll 1d6

1. A giant narwhal crashes into the ship's hull, ripping a
gapping hole.
2. Centipedes the size of an arm crawl to the hull and

85
Under Sail

start eating the barnacles.

3. Someone cries under the deck. A humanoid with gills
is chewing his leg. It has friends nearby.
4. A two headed albatross lands in the mast and starts
eating the sails.
5. You see one of the crew mesmerised by the waters.
Something apppeared briefly then slid beneath the
waves, now only ripples remain.
6. A giant shadow passes under the ship. Were those
hairs on its back?

Civilised obstacle, roll 1d6

1. A boarding party of 1d6 Reaver Longboats appears in
the distance.
2. A row of ships block your pass. Its colours are those
of the Dark Conclave.
3. A military ship, aflame and adrift, flies the colours
asking for help.
4. Strange lights and unnatural winds stir as you
approach the Demon Lighthouse
5. An elven ship approaches you to make business in
the middle of the sea. They carry items forbidden on
the mainland.
6. A dwarven ship approaches, its customs officer
informs you have crossed a sea frontier, apparently.
Taxes shall be paid.

86
LAND REGION RANDOM
ENCOUNTERS

Under Sail
Surveilled areas, roll 1d6
1. You stumble on the corpses of a royal patrol, their
heads dry and fragile as old paper. The rest seems
fresh.
2. A regiment of Flame Knights rides swiftly by the road
towards you, their lances high.
3. A group of 1d6 soldiers sit at the side of the road,
chatting and waiting for the rabbit over the fire.
4. Four gibbets hang at the sides of the road, rotting
carcasses inside. One of them mumbles something
to you.
5. A mercenary company closes your path. A peasant
riot has taken the territories ahead.
6. A horse passes by with its rider hanging from the
saddle. Is he still alive?

High Terrain, roll 1d6

1. The soil trembles and the ground fails beneath your
feet. It's a landslide!
2. An uncharted castle looms above your head on a
high cliff. A flock of vultures are eating something on
the higher tower.
3. You hear the screams of a man hanging from a cliff.
A chained box is attached to one of his ankles.
4. Ahead of you, a group of 3d6 miner dwarves are
trying to decipher a map. They look very disoriented,
turnin the scroll in all directions and pointing
everywhere.
5. You hear a low grunt in the sky. When you look up, a
dragon flies over your heads with a cow in its maw.
Animals are terrified and you won’t find game for the
day.
6. Weather changes unexpectedly. If it was hot now it

87
 pours; if it was cold now a shining sun appears to
warm your bones. This lasts for one day.
Under Sail

Treacherous Terrain, roll 1d6

1. A stench of rot rises all around as the soil collapses
under you. Forgotten tombs have left air where once
was earth.
2. You hear the roaring of the river near you. Trout
leap near the bank (the river floods during the night
carrying everything away).
3. A red stone stands four metres tall around the
remnants of an old road, mysterious carvings of the
moon on its surface. (Everyone staying close for
more than an hour loses 1d6 stamina).
4. You realise the cobbled ground is the façade of
an ancient building lying on its side, its doors and
windows opening to the sky as dark pits.
5. The wind whistles a beautiful tune all around you, but
there's nothing there for it to make that sound. You
might want to rest here... forever.
6. The path before you seems flooded, and a golden
glow comes from its depths. Could there be treasure
down there?

Dangerous Flora, roll 1d6

1. A corpse hangs down from a tree nearby, his ankle
wrapped by a branch with no visible knot.
2. A Sling Cactus stands in front of you, the ground
around it is cluttered with carcasses of dead
animals. You know a single thorn sells for a silver
piece.
3. Why is the leather on your boots crumbling? Surely
it is not the fault of these beautiful red flowers that
smell of iron.
4. You wave your hand to drive away the mosquitoes,
but you realise it is spores. You feel dizzy.
5. A black goo falls from height. Is that corrosion on

88
 your beautiful metal armour?
6. You smell seaweed all day. Maybe the itch inside your

Under Sail
nostrils has something to do with it.

Legendary Creature (descriptions later in this book), roll

1d6.
1. The Thorn Man, a creature of stick and branches
preying on travellers.
2. The Coral Mother, a giant crab-like creature
spawning scions in winter.
3. The Dead God, a decadent creature of the old world,
preying on guilt.
4. The Weeping Ogre-Mage, the phantom of an ogre
sorcerer mourning his lost love.
5. The Walking Heat, a weather phenomena, feeding
from the water of the living.
6. The Living Echo, an undying sound, haunting
caravans to madness.

Rumoured Hideout, roll 1d6

1. Travellers speak about a ruined castle in this
wilderness that serves as the demesne of once-
humans that have given their bodies to foul masters.
2. Tavern gossip speaks of the four witches that prey
on this land on a full moon. Four conjoined twins,
two-and-two.
3. Thieves, racketeers and worse, living in an
underground net of passages. You’ve heard the
stories about whole convoys disappearing like
ghosts.
4. Plague bearers, living in isolation, infiltrating cities
to spread their disease.
5. A village of eternal children with the wisdom of the
ages, lacking any emotion.
6. Outworldly beings, guarding a hidden gate to other
planes of existence.

89
 THE SHIP AND
Under Sail
CREW
The Treacherous Sea is
home to a vast array of
ships. Here we describe
the most common
vessels to be found. If
the players start the
campaign in possession of
a ship, the games master
COMMON SHIPS
Seevogel (the Seabird) -
Fast and manoeuvrable,
the Seevogel is the runner
of the coasts. Her shallow
keel and the option to
propel her by oars make
them the usual choice of
messengers and small
traders, who can even
travel upriver if the winds
are fair and the arms
strong. With not much
space to mount guns, her
defence depends on her
speed and the guards it
carries.
90
should decide which
ones are available given
the background of the
characters. Otherwise,
these could be vessels that
they can cross roads with
in the future.
Händler (the Merchant) -
Heavy and sturdy, the
Händler is the backbone
of most mercantile
guilds. With enough
space to carry the load
of an entire season, it
travels the coast making
profit on the way. Though
considerably smaller than
other ships, it has enough
space to accommodate
a respectable number of
soldiers, a few cannons
and powder kegs.
91
Under Sail
 Treshchina (the Breaker)
- A sailship of foreign
Under Sail
construction, she has
been seen more regularly
in recent times. With its
metal-reinforced bow and
awe-inspiring set of sails,
she carries goods from
distant lands, breaking ice
and raiders’ boats in its
way. Her deck design is
more suitable to the use
of bows and javelins, and
only few know how these
soldiers are trained.
CREATING A SHIP
When players create their
vessel, if they start with
one, they should first
choose one type of sail
from the above or make
up one themselves. Then
they should assign twenty
points between the two
ship’s statistics: Resources
and Crew.
Resources - Resources
represent all the elements
the sail and crew need to
travel and follow a route:
food, water, medicine,
tools, spare parts and
92
Reaver Longboats - From
a distance, these vessels
are frequently regarded
as nothing more than
fishing boats or transport
ships, only until your deck
is crowded with bands of
thieves slashing at your
crew. Reaver longboats are
capable of long-distance
travel, sailing in groups of
three to four and manned
by fierce warriors.
navigation instruments.
When you sail, you use
the Resources value of
your ship to determine the
maximum distance your
vessel can travel without
consequences. Resources
are only replenished in
land, be it civilised or not.
Crew - Crew represents
the strength to work
and fight of the men
and women aboard the
ship. A low Crew value
represents many of them
being demoralised, sick,
afraid or dead. The Crew
value is used in sea battle
and boarding other ships
(see Sailing), and is only
replenished in known
settlements.
When the Crew value
reaches zero by travelling,
mutiny ensues. When it
reaches zero by Boarding
actions, the crew
surrenders.
SAILING
When sailing, determine
your route in the chart
and subtract the Travel
Hardship value of each
sea and land Region from
your Resources as you
travel. For this you ignore
the Travel Hardship of
your starting Region but
consider the destination,
even if it is land. This
represents the cost of
disembarking. Because sea
routes are never straight,
ships are not allowed
to travel from corner to
corner of the Regions, and
must pass through their
lateral borders, even if only
UPGRADING
Under Sail
Characters can spend
four advances in total to
permanently upgrade the
Crew value by one. This
represents the use of their
well-earned reputation
and gold to increase the
number or quality of the
crew.
for a brief moment.
If you arrive at your
destination with zero or
more Resources you suffer
no consequences and can
replenish Resources when
in land, civilised or not.
If at any point of your
travel your Resources get
to zero, your Crew value
diminishes by one for every
extra Travel Hardship point
you couldn't pay. When at
zero Crew value, your ship
is adrift, and your fate is in
the games master's hands.
93
Under Sail

BOARDING
When two vessels start are slain, at the choice of
combat at sea and one the winners.
side decides it is time to
board the enemy, both CHARACTER
ships roll an opposed Crew
test (1d20+Crew). If one ACTIONS
side is mainly composed
of combatants trained in Boarding is a bloody affair
melee at sea and the other that boils down to the
is not, the trained side brutish, impetuous actions
gets a +5 bonus to the test.of the whole crew, and
If both sides are trained individual actions are less
there is no bonus. relevant except maybe for
strength of leadership.
The loser of the test Before rolling Crew
loses Crew equal to the tests for boarding, one
difference between the designated character can
totals rolled and a new succeed at a Command
opposed roll begins. When test to inspire the troops
one side reaches zero and gain +2 bonus for the
Crew the battle is over and roll.
the fighters surrender or

94
 NAVAL COMBAT
If your game includes
cannons or other firearms
suitable for naval
combat at a distance,
the rules for structural
damages between the
ships follow the same
sequence as boarding,
TRADE AND
COMMERCE
To establish a trade route,
first characters must
decide a settlement where
to establish their head
office and acquire enough
commercial reputation,
Acumen, to be seen as
trustworthy partners.
Acumen is a group
resource, and even if the • Personally contacting a
reputation originates in the
actions of one character, • Increasing the revenue
the Acumen acquired goes
to the whole game table. • Securing a trade route
A game group starts at
zero Acumen, and through
Under Sail
with the exception that
the difference between
the Crew tests subtracts
from Resources, not Crew.
When one ship gets to zero
Resources, it is unable
to sail and shoot, and
surrenders.
their actions grow their
prestige. Even though it
is often up to the games
master how Acumen
accumulates, here is a list
of actions that each grant
one point of Acumen.
• Striking a good
commercial deal.
partner in a new city.
of an investor.
from thieves, bad
weather or monsters.
• Bringing new goods to
95
Under Sail

the market. their home base and the

next settlement connected
A game group can acquire to it by land or sea. This
Acumen for repeated settlement now becomes a
success in a single Partner.
category, or for achieving
a new goal, but Acumen A new trade route can
can not increase more than be opened for each three
one point per session. points of Acumen allocated
If you are using the rules to a home office. This new
for Reputation from trade route must run to the
Warlock’s Compendium next settlement connected
2, whenever a character to the home office or to a
acquires Reputation for Partner settlement, thus
acts related to his or her expanding the investing
enterprise, he or she can network.
choose to allocate that
Reputation to Acumen
instead. INVESTING
At the start of a season,
ESTABLISHING a game group can invest
A TRADE money into a trade route.
At the end of a season roll
ROUTE 2d6 on the following table
to see how business went.
Whenever a group of A season lasts 3 months.
characters attains three
points of Acumen or
more, they can start one
commercial route between

96
 Under Sail
The game group can decide
to spend three points of
2-3 Players lose all
Acumen to better their
money invested.
results one step.
4-5 Players receive 1x
the amount invested.
If at any point there are
6-8 Players receive 1.5x
more trade routes than the
the amount invested.
number of Acumen needed
9-11 Players Receive 2x
to hold them, players must
the amount invested.
decide which of them are
12 Players receive 2.5x
broken. Broken trade
the amount invested.
routes must be reinstated
as any new trade route.

97
 SHIPS IN THE REGION
Under Sail

Seven ships of renowned are listed below for use in

youir campaigns. The games master can decide if they
are viable ships or merely wrecks...

Name: How the ship is known.

Faction: How the ship is aligned to the player characters

- for example ally, enemy or something else entirely.

Captain: the pseudonym of the captain of the ship.

Known for: The fame that precedes the ship.

Shipwrecks (*): If the ship is a wreck in your campaign,

how did that occur and what treeasure might it contain?

Name : Golden Bear

Faction: Adversary

Captain: Spear of the Kingdom

Known for: Never boarding a ship, but destroying them

from afar. The captain never rescues survivors.

(*) How did it sink?: Chasing a pirate ship along the

coast, the ship damaged its hull against the rocks. The
captain never gave the order to abandon the ship. The
last to see the captain alive declares that he saw him
continue to issue orders as the vessel went down..

(*) What treasure does it hide?: The map of the Last

Port, among the captain's possessions. The captain's log
shows years of obsession with this artifact.

98
Name : Lightning

Under Sail
Faction: Pirate

Captain: Scourge of the Withered Isles

Known for: After attacks, baptising the ships with fire,

commending them to a forgotten god.

(*) How did it sink?: Betrayed by a Faction. The captain

and his crew cursed the traitors before they died.

(*) What treasure does it hide?: The Doom Mark, hidden

in the captain’s possessions. If a ship escaped, the
captain used it to mark them as enemies of his forgotten
god.

Name: Victorious

Faction: Pirate

Captain: Jackal

Known for: Eating the hearts of his enemies

(*) How did it sink?: Stranded on the island of Black

Heart, pursuing the captain’s deadly enemy. A salvage
operation on this island is considered absurd by the
most experienced of sailors.

(*) What treasure does it hide?: Black Sails still flap in

the wind on the ship’s mast. They call to a new master.

99
 Name: Intrepid
Under Sail

Faction: Ally

Captain: Jolly Tom

Known for: Capturing hostile ships to add to the ‘cause’.

Hold ransoms for survivors.

(*) How did it sink?: A ship flying the captain’s own

faction’s flag attacked them from the flank. The crew
died fighting gallantly. Songs of their deeds are sung to
his day, to the disgrace of the traitors.

(*) What treasure does it hide?: Emerald Sails seek a

new romantic tragedy to inspire or reunite estranged
lovers.

Name: Golden Sun

Faction: Adversary

Captain: The Quill of the Kingdom

Known for: Writing letters to the family of those defeated

in combat. The captain is considered a scholar and poet
by his enemies.

(*) How did it sink?: A riot. Seeing himself about to lose

the ship, the first officer set the powder magazine on
fire, causing an explosion.

(*) What treasure does it hide?: The last shipment of

wine of discord. A bottle is missing.

100
Name: Dark Thunder

Under Sail
Faction: Ally

Captain: Blood Moon

Known for: Draconian Discipline, flogging and branding.

(*) How did it sink?: It’s believed to have sunk in an

ambush. The sole survivor tells of a hellish ship with a
demonic captain, who launched his own heart as if his
chest were a cannon!

(*) What treasure does it hide?: Ahab’s leg, hidden

among the ship’s provisions. An almost illegible note
reads, “..from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I
spit my last breath at thee..”

Name : Scepter

Faction: Adversary

Captain: Red Hanna

Known for: Leaving defeated ships without sails or

provisions, at the mercy of fate.

(*) How did it sink?: The appearance of Jonah’s Anchor is

documented. The logs show that, despite the signs, the
captain refused to fall into old superstitions.

(*) What treasure does it hide?: The nautical bell, Good

News. Members of the fleet say that the captain was
known to celebrate with an extra helping of rum every
time this peculiar bell rang by itself.

101
 ENCHANTED ITEMS OF THE
SEA
Under Sail

1. Double Edged Compass/Sir Roentgen’s: A compass

that can pinpoint the direction of what you most
desire or fear most. It is not possible to distinguish
between one or the other.
2. Good News: Nautical bell with hundreds of names
written on its surface. Rings once each time an
enemy inscribed on the bell dies. When ringing, the
name of an enemy is crossed out. Only the captain of
a ship can engrave a name on its surface.
3. The Last Port: A map marks where you will die, but
not how or when it will happen. People who come
into contact with this artifact spend their lives trying
to decipher the names and illustrations written on
the map. Can certain death be cheated?
4. Sailor’s Luck: A wooden bar that sticks to wood like
a magnet. Capable of supporting the weight of two
sailors. Ideal for boarding, gambling, or just survival.
Scholars say that it is a piece of the Ship of Ahab.
5. Sirens’ Lament: Potion for breathing underwater. It
lasts until dawn. Whoever consumes it will not be
able to sleep well, listening to the song of sirens
at night for the next seven years. Many spend their
lives inland after drinking it. Only a widow of a sailor
can follow the recipe successfully.
6. Doom Spear: A haunted harpoon, which, when buried
in the wood, poisons it (either with termites or naval
shipworm). It condemns ships to sinking or bridges
to collapse, though it’s not known when this will
happen. The structural damage is evident only a
few hours after the tragedy. The black metal tip was
tempered with the blood of a captain who lost his
ship.
7. Allak’s Call: The figurehead of a sunken ship (The

102
 Under Sail
Allak). With a ritual on a full moon, it can summon
ghost crew members. In return, the ghosts’ demand
services from their remaining loved ones or revenge
against their enemies. The ghosts are wise and
cunning, but the price is always high.
8. Ghost Shore: A cannonball covered in reef corals
that will sink a ship with a single hit. Only the
madman of the bleakshore lighthouse knows how
to perform the ritual to power these weapons. Ships
struck by these bullets sink with survivors.
9. Black Sails: Only the desire for revenge keeps them
moving, even when there is no favorable wind.
When the revenge is fulfilled, they stop. They must
be burned and their ashes blessed at this time

103
 to end the curse, or it will fall on another victim,
Under Sail

such cursed victims suffering fresh tragedies that

motivates them.
10. Emerald Sails: True love between two people keeps
the sails moving, but such love is doomed - the
curse dictates that any lovers who see the sails are
destined to drown together. Only staying apart are
they safe. Sanctifying the sails after lovers drown
ends the curse.
11. Windstorm: Burning these candles ensure that you
will always have a favourable wind in combat. As
such they are very valuable, and enemies are often
intimidated by displaying them. However, you can’t
run away from a fight when you possess them, and
you can’t voluntarily give them up - they must be
taken from you by force.
12. Ahab’s Leg: If you possess Ahab’s Leg, your ship
will be considered the proverbial white whale. The
cursed captain will tirelessly hunt your ship. The only
way to get rid of the curse is by gifting this hellish
item or hiding it on another ship.
13. Jonah’s Anchor: An ancient curse. It falls on
a ship’s crew. After a week of bad omens, the
anchor drops, dragging the ship into the depths,
leaving no survivors. The anchor tends to float like
flotsam, waiting to be picked up by the crew of an
unsuspecting ship. Only the sacrifice of an innocent
life can break this curse (usually the least wanted
person on a ship).
14. Wine of Discord: A cursed wine created by mistake
(or with sinister intent) from Grapes of Wrath. This
delicate wine sows discord among those who share
a bottle.

104
TERRORS OF
THE SEA
Terrors of
the Sea
THE MERFOLK
We have never conquered
the sea. Don’t let yourself
be tricked by the whispers
and loud cheers you hear
from people who have
barely stepped a foot away
from the shore.
In the dodgy taverns of the
various ports, seafarers
may proclaim to be king-
of-the-blue but every
real man who sails the
sea knows that we are
merely visitors. The sea
has always and will always
belong to the Merfolk,
those sour creatures that
dwell in the murky dark
blue depths. Their cities
built on colourful coral
reefs are said to be so
beautiful, it makes the
finest treasures look dull.
Their bodies, developed to
hunt and prey whatever
intrudes into their wet
territory, are the stuff of
nightmares. The say their
minds are as sharp are as
their teeth. Don’t mistake
106
them for an easy catch, the
ocean is their world, not
ours.
UNDERSEA
SOCIETY
Most Merfolk live in small
underwater cities, in well-
hidden locations out of the
way of the common trade
routes. The life of common
merfolk is not that different
from the tome lived on the
land above. Most strive to
support their families and
communities and suffer
under the hard rule of
the royal bloodlines that
govern their kingdoms.
Instead of the many gods
and celestial beings
worshipped above water,
the merfolk only have
one deity, who demands
their sacrifice. Derna is
their goddess, said to
have created the first
blessed water from which
everything else sprung

over the ages. The merfolk
see themselves as direct
descendants of their
goddess, their priestesses
having positions of great
power in their society. The
trident that is said to be the
Terrors of
the Sea
favourite weapon of Derna,
is also the main symbol of
worship amongst merfolk
communities. The great
temples in the centre of
their settlements are often
shaped after the weapon.

What danger are the merfolk plotting?

1. They plan to launch a surprise attack on a mysterious
the royal ship, logged to arrive in port in one week.
2. Their Tidecallers are summoning a giant wave, which
they plan to devastate the small villages along the
coastline.
3. The Priestesses of the Trident are preparing a grand
ritual to appease their goddess, who shall let the
water rise again to cover most of the land.
4. A bunch of feral merfolk from the ocean depths have
been driven out by invaders, and are now taking
control of the upper parts of the oceans to the
detriment of all who sail the seas.
5. The merfolk vessel the Ocean’s Curse is fiercer than
ever and the crew have sworn to let no ship leave
the harbour in peace. What has angered Neres their
captain?
6. A mad wizard of the merfolk has crafted a
summoning spell, designed to set loose spawns of
the deep in the vicinity of the port. Can this disaster
be stopped?

107
 Terrors of
the Sea

108
THE OCEAN’S can sink underwater and
CURSE travel the deeps, before

Terrors of
rising suddenly to launch

the Sea
Rumours of this fabled ship a surprise attack on its
can be heard at any port enemies. Sailors, pirates
of the Kingdom. They say it and merchants tremble
is crewed by some of the when they hear of this
nastiest merfolk sailors great vessel rising from
to ever sail the briny the ocean, overgrown with
seas. Stories say the ship barnacles and algae.

What rumours do you know about the Ocean’s Curse?

1. It is said that his ship is the fastest vessel that ever
sailed - so nobody can escape it.
2. The crew use foul magics to convert their prisoners
to merfolk, to serve on the Curse.
3. Their commander Neres is madly in love with a lady
on the land which he can never meet.
4. The crew consists of merfolk who cannot die, cursed
to rot forever.
5. The mermaid figurehead sometimes comes to life
and sings a deadly song that petrifies all who hear it.
6. The ship has a beating heart, and whoever destroys
it will be the next captain.

NERES THE they say he and his crew

TYRANT
As the commander of the
Ocean’s Curse, Neres is
feared by all who seek
their fortune far away
from shore. Twisted by
magic into a monstrosity,
hunt down every ship with
deadly precision and use
every advantage their
watery surroundings can
give them. They rarely take
prisoners but always leave
the youngest person alive
to spread the tale.

109
 Terrors of
the Sea

110
 Terrors of
the Sea
CORRAL COMMANDO
Type Merfolk
Actions/Round 3
Weapon/skill/damage Trident/10/2d6+4
Armour None
Adventuring Skills 8
Stamina 24
Notes Intelligent

Ability: The Corral Commando can lead merfolk in

combat. Other merfolk around the Corral Commando
gain +2 on all ability rolls.

Description: Merfolk that have been manipulated through

the strange magics of the priestesses, these beings
unlike their kin lack legs and sprout fearsome tentacles.
Leaders of merfolk troops when working underwater,
these monsters are no joke. Almost every day they lead
assaults against smaller ships. There main tactic is to
pull their enemies under water, and then to overwhelm
them with their superior fighting ability.

111
 Terrors of
the Sea

112
 Terrors of
the Sea
MERFOLK PIRATE
Type Merfolk
Actions/Round 1
Weapon/skill/damage Coral blade/8/1W6+2
Armour None
Adventuring Skills 5
Stamina 17
Notes Intelligent

Description: Many merfolk prefer to live under the sea,

but from time to time some still enter the world of
air to sail the seas in their ships. Their ability to swim
near enemy ships almost silently is a great boon in
a surprise attack. This makes them a threat even to
larger, heavily armed vessels. Their ships are full of
seaweed and other ocean creatures, as they are able to
sink beneath the waves and ‘sail’ underwater.
Many merfolk pirates work hard to disguise their
appearance, using potions supplied by their priestesses
to shrink their tails and give them a more ‘human’
appearance.

113
 Terrors of
the Sea

114
 Terrors of
the Sea
TIDECALLER
Type Merfolk
Actions/Round 1
Weapon/skill/damage Staff/5/1d6
Armour 1d6 Scale armour
Adventuring Skills 10
Stamina 18
Notes Intelligent, Spellcaster

Ability: Tidecallers can conjure and control huge masses

of water by pure thought.

Description: These magicians of the merfolk are to be

blamed for most of the storms and resulting shipwrecks
along the coast. Time and time again they capsize ships
and band together to conjure huge waves of water,
destroying whole villages along the coast. Their covens
are so feared that some villages give sacrifices to in
exhange for peace.

115
 Terrors of
the Sea

116
 Terrors of
the Sea
GILLWRESTLER
Type Merfolk
Actions/Round 1
Weapon/skill/damage Unarmed/12/1d6-1
Armour None
Adventuring Skills 5
Stamina 16
Notes Intelligent

Ability: After a successful unarmed attack, the

Gillwrestler can put the target in a chokehold,
immobilising it and inflicting 1d6 Stamina loss per round
until it gets free with a successful Athletics test.

Description: The wrestlers of the merfolk are more

dangerous then it may seem on first sight. They are
extremely skilled in hand to hand combat and try to get
a hold onto their enemies to drown them beneath the
waves.

117
 Terrors of
the Sea

118
 Terrors of
the Sea
TRIDENT PRIESTESS
Type Merfolk
Actions/Round 2
Weapon/skill/damage Trident/10/2d6+2
Armour 1d3 Religious Merfolk armour
Adventuring Skills 10
Stamina 18
Notes Intelligent , Spell Caster

Ability: The Trident Priestess can conjure lightning from

their trident, that makes the water around their enemies
boil for a few seconds, inficting 1d6 damage to any in the
water.

Description: The Trident Priestesses are in charge of

leading the worship of Derna, the heart and soul of
every merfolk city. The three serrated prongs stand for
the three pillars of life - earth, water and air. The middle
prong is always a little longer, as the sea is the most
important part.

119
 Terrors of
the Sea

120
 Terrors of
the Sea
FANG BERSERKER
Type Merfolk
Actions/Round 4
Weapon/skill/damage Claw/10/1d6+2
Armour None
Adventuring Skills 2
Stamina 26
Notes None

Ability: For every successful claw attack, the berserker

may make a free bite attack against the same target for
2d6 damage. Every time the berserker gets hit in melee,
he gets to make a free counterattack against a target in
melee range.

Description: Merfolk that have been altered by their

priestesses to become fearsome warriors, berserkers
are wild and even shunned by their own people.
Traitors and criminals are imprisoned and turned into a
berserker by being exposed to a mixture of poisonous
algae. Their resistance to pain is impressive, although
the act more like animals then thinking beings.

121
 Terrors of
the Sea

122
 Terrors of
the Sea
SERVANT OF THE TRIDENT
Type Merfolk
Actions/Round 1
Weapon/skill/damage Claw/6/1W6
Armour None
Adventuring Skills 5
Stamina 8
Notes Intelligent

Ability: A Servant of the Trident can sacrifice itself by

singing a lullaby of the deep, that immediately draws the
attention of a random large monsters from the depths
to the servant and whoever it is with, arriving in 1d6
rounds. All in the vicinity will probably get eaten.

Description: Small servants to other merfolk, Servants

of the Trident do all the dirty work the other Merfolk
don’t want to do. They are often direct servants of the
bluebloods or Priestesses of the Trident. Their most
valuable battle tactic is to sacrifice themselves to
attract the creatures of the deep.

123
 Terrors of
the Sea

124
 Terrors of
the Sea
FERAL OF THE DEPTHS
Type Merfolk
Actions/Round 2
Weapon/skill/damage Claw/14/2d6
Armour 1d6 Hardened Rubber hide
Adventuring Skills 8
Stamina 18
Notes Intelligent, Poisonous

Description: A group of merfolk that live in the depths of

the ocean. Adjusted to the survival in the darker corners
of the ocean, they are less civilized and cultured than
their counterparts living in the coral reefs. To protect
themselves from the big hunters, they have developed
poisonous glands that make them rather unattractive as
food.

125
 NEW MONSTER
Terrors of
the Sea

ABILITIES
SUNLIGHT VAMPIRIC
HATRED
The creature gains a bite
The creature needs to attack (1d6+3) and half of
succeed on an adventuring the damage dealt it regains
skill test to be able to as stamina.
act in direct sunlight,
otherwise it will stay
hidden in darkness or HIVE MIND
retreats.
Whenever a creature with
the hive mind ability makes
MASTERFUL a skill test for a dangerous
situation in proximity to
SPELLCASTER another creature of the
same type that is aware
Treat the creature’s of the danger, it adds a +4
adventuring skill at bonus for the roll.
two times the normal
level for tests involving
spellcasting.
HARMFUL
PRESENCE (X)
SILVER
Any character at close
WEAKNESS or nearby distance from
this creature receives x
If attacked by weapons damage per turn. Armour
made of silver the damage reduction to damage may
is rolled twice and the apply or not, as determined
higher value applied. by the games master.

126
BANDITS

Terrors of
the Sea
Type Civilised
Actions/round 1
Weapon/skill/damage Weapon/7/-
Armour Armour
Adventuring skills 5
Stamina 15
Notes Intelligent

Description: Thirsty for the gold of decent people,

bandits are the scourge of roads and unaware night
camps, or at least that is what they say back in town.
Truth be told, what else can you do when plague has
taken everything from you? To whom do you turn to
when war has stolen your friends? Who can lend a hand
when society has fallen? Even if unpleasant, bandits
are part of society, for better or worse, and you never
know when you could end up sharing a meal among the
despised.

CORAL MOTHER
Type Monster
Actions/round 3
Weapon/skill/damage Pincers/6/1d6
Armour 2d6 coral exoskeleton
Adventuring skills 7
Stamina 22
Notes Hive mind

Description: You've heard it more than once around the

fire, the tales of the Coral Mother. Sailors' voices break
when it is time to describe the enormous crab-like
creature, invading the deck together with its vicious
spawn, perfectly coordinated, rending flesh and wood

127
 alike. One man rescued from the shore said that a pistol
shot would bounce from its carapace, but that can't be
Terrors of

true, right?
the Sea

CORAL SPAWN
Type Monster
Actions/round 2
Weapon/skill/damage Pincers/6/1d6
Armour 2d6 coral exoskeleton
Adventuring skills 4
Stamina 10
Notes Hive mind

DEAD SEA GOD

Type Otherworldly
Actions/round 3
Weapon/skill/damage Weapon/12/-
Armour Armour
Adventuring skills 16
Stamina 50
Notes Intelligent, spell caster

Description: Divinity is not granted, and are many

esoteric powers beyond our reality that desire the
essence of what we call gods. Where do you think the
patrons of the old religions went, now that nobody
follows their tenets? The only place for them is among
mortals, hoping to regain their rightful place one day, but
condemned to fail under a crooked body and a useless
mind. Even then, a dead god poses a major threat
to mortals, for even divine decrepitude eclipses the
strength of men.

128
FOGLIN

Terrors of
Type Otherworldly

the Sea
Actions/round 1
Weapon/skill/damage Weapons/3/-
Armour None
Adventuring skills 4
Stamina 8
Notes: Flying, Aversion to Light

Aversion to Light: The foglin needs to succeed on a

adventuring skill test to be able to act if direct light is
shone upon it, otherwise it will retreat into the fog.

Description: When fog rolls along the coast in the long

dark hours before dawn, foglins take form. Birthed
by the death of goblins at sea, these vengeful undead
never venture far from the fog, but seek to drag the
unfortunate to a watery doom

KRAKEN
Type Monster
Actions/Round 4
Weapon/skill/damage Tentacle/14/3d6+5
Armour 1d6 Ancient slimy Skin
Adventuring Skills 6
Stamina 70
Notes Puppet, Regenerating

To some the kraken is a myth, a tale of horror

experienced seafarers tell new recruits to strike fear
into their hearts. Few have experienced the true horror
that is this monster and lived to tell the tale. If more

129
 people believed out the kraken is alive and real, there
would be far fewer seafarers out on the waters.
Terrors of
the Sea

How do you attract the wrath of the kraken?

1. You anger the covenant of the sea witches.
2. You are cursed with the mark of the kraken by the
merfolk blueblood.
3. The council of ruling pirate emperors decides you
are a danger to them all, and need to be stopped.
4. You sing the forbidden song ‘lullaby of the depths’
while in deep waters.
5. You don’t give half of your rum as tribute to the sea
every time you drink. The gods don’t like greed.
6. You break the heart of a mermaid who then wishes
for your doom.

130
LIVING ECHO

Terrors of
the Sea
Type Otherworldly
Actions/round 1
Weapon/skill/damage Weapon/4/-
Armour Armour
Adventuring skills 6
Stamina 14
Notes Immaterial, harmful
presence (sound 1d6)

Description: They say that, in the long-gone age of the

mountain clans, the worst crimes were punished by a
slice on the throat as your life was offered to the hill's
spirits, so they could chain you down for eternity. But
the tales tell about the strength of those souls who
fought the mountains and freed themselves, and now
roam the land in search of vengeance: to impose their
voices upon others until the end of their lives.

MANHUNTER
Type Civilised
Actions/round 1
Weapon/skill/damage Short sword/16/1d6+3
slashing
Armour Armour
Adventuring skills 10
Stamina 18
Notes Intelligent

Description: Aggressive acquisition means something

different to each Guild Master. When politics fail and
your business is on the verge of collapse, the best
solution might be to get rid of the competition but, with

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 so many eyes upon you, you need someone without
a name to do the job: enter the Manhunter. Discreet,
Terrors of

deadly and quite expensive, he might be the end of your

the Sea

problems.

MERCENARY
Type Civilised
Actions/round 1
Weapon/skill/damage Polearm/14/2d6+2 slashing
Armour Armour
Adventuring skills 8
Stamina 18
Notes Intelligent

Description: Loved until you run out of money to pay,

mercenaries are the backbone of the caravan guards
that travel to distant lands. Sure, there are real
mercenary companies and those that were cut-throats
and racketeers until yesterday and, unless you are a
seasoned warrior yourself, there is no way to tell one
from another.

PIRATE CAPTAIN
Type Humanoid
Actions/Round 2
Weapon/skill/damage Sabre/10/2d6+2
Armour 1d6 fine leather armour
Adventuring Skills 8
Stamina 17
Notes Intelligent
Ability Barrage

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Barrage: The captain can order a barrage when on

Terrors of
the Sea
board his ship. Every creature and structure in a small
area the size of a house takes 2d6 of damage.

Description: A rotten crew, a barrel of rum and a boat

is all you need to be a captain. Still a captain has to
have a tight grip on their crew or might find themselves
walking the plank soon. Many command a single ship,
while more prominent freebooters command entire
armadas.

REAVERS
Type Civilised
Actions/round 1
Weapon/skill/damage Weapons/6/-
Armour Armour
Adventuring skills 7
Stamina 18
Notes Intelligent

Description: Trade has brought wealth and renown to

coastal settlements that would otherwise remain in
oblivion. But this newly acquired fame has attracted the
eyes of those less rewarded by commerce. Outcasts,
escapees and petty warlords ravage the trade routes
aboard longboats and small sail ships. A few lucky ones
have even acquired proper galleys.

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 SPAWN OF THE DEEP
Terrors of
the Sea

Type Monster
Actions/Round: 1d6
Weapon/skill/damage Tentacle/12/4d6
Armour 2d6 unnatural Alien hide
Adventuring Skills 6
Stamina 65
Notes Ethereal, sunlight
vulnerability

Sunlight vulnerability: The Spawn of the Deep can only

stand weak sunlight, anything more bright will send it
scurrying to the depths after five rounds.

Description: The Spawn of the Deep were beings that

lived on a meteor that crashed into the sea hundreds
of years ago. Deep below, where the light never shines,
they crawl along the bottom of the ocean, feeding on
anything and everything they find. Only their intense
light sensitivity has prevented them from becoming
more of a menace.

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SWAMP BEINGS

Terrors of
Type Monster

the Sea
Actions/round 1
Weapon/skill/damage Big Fists/7/1d6
Armour 1d3 dense mud
Adventuring skills 5
Stamina 18
Notes Intelligent

Description: Feared even by the bog witches, these

silent humanoids seem to live under the mud and
debris of the wetlands. Tales tell of kidnapped travellers
disappearing under the marshes, and nobody alive
knows what hides under the viscous surface of these
creatures, but those who have escaped from their
ambushes say they are nothing but clever.

THORN-MAN
Type Monster
Actions/round 2
Weapon/skill/damage Thorns/10/1d6+1
Armour 1d6 bark
Adventuring skills 5
Stamina 22
Notes Intelligent

Description: There is a festival held at the beginning

of the autumn season to appease the Thorn-Man, a
creature made of living branches and roots, humanoid
but hollow. Tales tell of its incursions to isolated
farmsteads to strangle the inhabitants in their sleep,
unless an offering in gold is left on the first day of fall.
Nobody knows why such a creature could exist, but

135
 legends say he was once a thief-king that fell in love
with the wrong dryad.
Terrors of
the Sea

WALKING HEAT
Type Otherworldly
Actions/round 2
Weapon/skill/damage Weapon/4/-
Armour Armour
Adventuring skills 5
Stamina 14
Notes Intelligent, formless, harmful
presence (heat 1d6)

Description: Lands may seem abandoned to the mortal

eye, but sometimes nature itself awakens to conscience.
A walking heat is a mass of hot, burning air, dense
enough for the change of pressure to be palpable, but
still invisible. First thought to be a random weather
phenomena, wizards now recognize it has a certain
level of will of its own, and believe its origins to be
magical, although no one is sure.

WEEPING OGRE-MAGE
Type Otherworldly
Actions/round 1
Weapon/skill/damage Weapons/10/-
Armour Armour
Adventuring skills 5
Stamina 22
Notes Ethereal, spell-caster,
intelligent

136
 Terrors of
the Sea
Description: Far into the mountains dwelt an ogre-
mage of great skill. He lived with his companion quietly
and happily. One night, from the mountain path, a
stranger asked for hospitality as the storm raged. The
ogres allowed him in. In the middle of the night the
stranger, a greedy wizard, killed the ogre's companion
and battled the mage. Both died in the duel, and the
magical energy bound the mournful ogre-mage's spirit
to this place, forever.

137