CHARACTER CREATION SOURCES:

Transcription

1 Rob s 7 th Sea House Rules CHARACTER CREATION SOURCES: The only sourcebooks in play during character creation are the following: 7 th Sea Player s Guide Avalon Castille Eisen Montaigne Ussura Vendel/Vesten Vodacce Pirate Nations Swordsman s Guild If you have the appropriate membership, the apropos Secret Society book will be made available to you. Any player may read any of the above books - and are encouraged to, particularly your Nation Sourcebook - but I explicitly ask players NOT to read the secret society books and the GM s Guide if you have not already done so. FLUFF AND METAPLOT: Players should consider the basic fluff for the gameworld "in play". That is, stuff on the level of; Avalon is ruled by Elaine, Eisen has been broken up by a Vaticine/Objectionist religious war, the Vaticine Inquisition exists and is not happy with scientists, and so forth. I reserve the right to make a large number of changes to the details of the gameworld for a more interesting play experience. If you think something is *clearly* stupid (not the existence of magic at all, for example, but perhaps the prohibition from the Swordsman's Guild book on members of the Swordsman's Guild being allowed to duel each other under any circumstances), I'm probably in agreement, so it's not going to count. As the metaplot of 7th Sea essentially becomes "Call of Cthulhu in 17th Century Europe", the major metaplot clues - if known or recognized - should not be thought strictly canon. We are running a semi-historical swashbuckling game, not Scooby- Doo and the Three Musketeers. If you have a question about whether a specific bit of fluff is relevant to this game, please ask ASAP. The answer may include variations on, "yes", "no", or "I don't know yet".

2 CHARACTER CREATION HOUSE RULES 7 th Sea normally gives you 100 Hero Points to build a PC, and doesn t limit you at all how to spend it. I have found that this is not even close to a sufficient amount of HP to build even a marginally competent character (rolling 3k2 against TNs of is ludicrous), and that in the absence of some guidelines on how the HP is spent, one often ends up with PCs in the same group with wildly differential power levels. Therefore, you will receive FAR more HP than normal, but you re going to be more limited in how it is spent. Each character receives several pools to spend on certain aspects of their character. You can increase the number of points available in each pool with points from a separate pool of free points. If you do not use all the points available in the pool, you may move excess points to the free pool at a 3/2 ratio (every 3 points or portion thereof - you move gets you two free points). This conversion keeps players from simply dumping all of their points into the free pool and making of a mockery of the whole process. If a rule or process is not mentioned here, it functions exactly as it does within the 7th Sea Players Guide (such as the Nationality Bonus to Traits, or the Linguist Advantage). 1) NATIONALITY: Each player must select a Nationality (Avalon, Castille, Eisen, Montainge, Ussura, Vendel, Vesten, Vodacce). Even players who plan to play nationless pirates must have a bloodline running from one of these sources. Your Nationality will determine several things, including a bonus Trait Point, which Sorcery Schools you may access, which Swordsman Schools are cheap for you, and availability of certain Advantages. 2) TRAITS: Each Trait starts at 1 dot. You receive 48 HP to purchase Traits each dot in a Trait costs 8 points. Each character receives a single bonus Trait dot based on their Nationality (which costs nothing). No Trait may be higher than 4 at the end of character creation. 3) LARGE PURCHASES: This covers major, character-defining stuff such as Sorcery, Swordsman Schools, Dracheneisen, Empathic Healing, Man of Will, and so forth. Prices are as listed within the 7SPG or the various sourcebooks. As a general rule, if a book lists a purchase as 15+ HP, it falls under this. Each character receives 20 HP to make Large Purchases; it is quite likely that if you wish to make a Large Purchase, you will have to complement these points with free points. The following Swordsman Schools are permitted (a lack of an * denotes a non-guild school; instead of free Swordsmans Guild membership you receive 1 additional dot in a school knack): Any: Rogers (always costs 25 HP regardless of your Nationality) Avalon: Andrews*, Donovan*, Goodfellow, MacDonald*, Robertson*; Castille: Aldana*, Gallegos*, Soldano*, Torres*, Zepeda; Eisen: Drexel*, Durchsetzenburg*, Eisenfaust*, Hopken, Posen*, Steil, Unawendbar; Montaigne: Boucher, Gaulle, Rois et Reines, Tout Pres, Valroux*; Ussura: Bogatyr*, Buslayevich Vendel: Snedig*, Swanson; Rasmussen Vestenmannavjar: Halfdansseon, Kjemper*, Leegstra*, Siggursdottir; Vodacce: Ambrogia*, Bernoulli*, Lucani*, Villanova*. A Swordsman School from your Nationality costs 25 HP. A Swordsman School from outside your Nationality costs 35 HP. You may not start with more than 1 Swordsman School. Purchasing a Swordsman School grants you the Advantage, "Membership - Swordsman's Guild" at no cost, the listed Skills under that school (and a free rank in each of that Skill's Basic Knacks), and 7 ranks to distribute between the four School Knacks. As with all Knacks, these are capped at a rating of 3 during character creation.

3 The following Sorcery Styles are permitted: Avalon: Glamour; Druid Castille: El Fuego Aldentro Montaigne: Porte Ussura: Pyeryem Vendel: Astrologer; Sympathetic Healer Vestenmannavjar: Laerdom; Sympathetic Healer Vodacce: see below Vodacce have two "magics". The first is Sorte Magic, the art of controlling fate. This magic is not available to PCs (primarily due to the logistic burden involved). The second is Brewing - the art of creating potions and poisons. This Sorcery does not work like other Sorceries; see "Gameplay Changes", below. You may generally only select a Sorcery Style from your Nationality (note that Eisen have no Sorcery Style). Purchasing Sorcery grants you varying benefits depending on the level of Sorcery selected: -Full-blooded: You receive the Apprentice Ability listed under your Sorcery, and 7 points to distribute between your Sorcery Knacks. Your Sorcery Knacks have a cap of 3 ranks during character creation, and are capped at Rank 6 during gameplay. -Half-blooded: You receive the Apprentice Ability listed under your Sorcery, and 4 points to distribute between your Sorcery Knacks. Your Sorcery Knacks have a cap of 3 ranks during character creation, and are capped at Rank 4 during gameplay. -Twice-blooded: You receive the Apprentice Ability listed under your Sorcery, and 3 points to distribute between your Sorcery Knacks. You ALSO choose another Nationality's Sorcery Style, receive the Apprentice Ability listed under that Sorcery, and 3 points to distribute between that Sorcery's Knacks. Your Sorcery Knacks have a cap of 3 ranks during character creation, and are capped at Rank 3 during gameplay. For purposes of illustration, note that with both Swordsman Schools and Sorcery Styles, you receive Adept Ability when four of your School/Style Knacks reach rank 4, and your receive the Master Ability when four (for Swordsmen) or five (for Sorcerers) of your School/Style Knacks reach Rank 5. Yes, this means that Half-blooded Sorcerers can only ever reach Adept status, and Twice-blooded can only ever reach Apprentice level. Finally, the rules for Dracheneisen from the 7th Sea Players Guide are replaced with the (sane) rules in Eisen pages Additionally, Dracheneisen allows you to ignore a number of hits from Brute Squads equal to the number of Kept Dice subtracted from damage rolls. Called Shots to ignore Drachenisen require an additional two Raises above and beyond the normal Called Shot rules. The benefits offered by Nobility level are changed to the following: -Full Nobility (40 HP): You gain 20 points to purchase Dracheneisen and modifications. -Partial Nobility (20 HP): You gain 12 points to purchase Dracheneisen and modifications. -Minor Nobility (10 HP): You gain 6 points to purchase Dracheneisen and modifications. 4) SKILL AND KNACKS Each player receives 20 HP to purchase Skills and Basic Knacks. Each Skill (which includes 1 rank in ALL basic Knacks listed under the Skill) costs 2 HP. Each rank in a Basic Knack costs 1 HP. If you receive the same Knack from two different Skills (etc), you do NOT get to add the "free ranks" together. Each player also receives 10 HP to purchase Advanced Knacks (these points MAY NOT be spent on anything else, nor transferred to free points). Each rank in an Advanced Knack costs 2 HP. Swordsman and Sorcery Knacks are Advanced Knacks and may be purchased with these points.

4 Characters MAY purchase single ranks of both Basic and Advanced Knacks without having purchased the associated Skill. These purchases cost 2 HP plus the Knack Rank being purchased for Basic Knacks, and 3 HP plus the Knack Rank being purchased for Advanced Knacks. Note that this includes Swordsman Skills (anyone can learn to Riposte, etc), but it does not include Sorcery Knacks; you must have spend HP on Sorcery to purchase Sorcery Knacks at all. The normal cap for Knacks at character creation is 3. 5) BACKGROUNDS Players have a pool of 0 points with which to purchase Backgrounds (ie, Backgrounds must be purchased with Free points). Backgrounds will generate their rating (from 1-3) in "bonus XP" during a Story where the background element makes a significant appearance. No character may purchase more than 3 Backgrounds. 6) ADVANTAGES Players receive a pool of 8 HP with which to purchase Advantages. Dracheneisen is not considered an Advantage, but rather a Large Purchase, and so these points may not be used to purchase it. Additionally, a few Advantages are tweaked: -Bought Weapon (Vendel): This may not be used to purchase Sidhe weaponry. -Castillian Blade (Castille): As we are not tracking home provinces, the discount on Castillian Blades for one's home province is removed. -Castillian Education: Change to grant free literacy in any language the Hero can speak, in addition to its normal benefits. -Evil Reputation (Pirate Nations): This Advantage is removed. - Faith: You need to write up a very convincing background. No, I won't tell you what it does. Have faith. -Languages: Thean is equivalent to Latin; a lot of people read and write in it, but very few are conversant in it. There is no lingua franca. I highly recommend that everyone in the group have the ability to understand one another. -Lightning Reflexes (Swordsman's Guild): This Advantage is removed. -Left-handed: May be purchased at listed cost, but only by Vodacce characters (anyone may be left-handed, but the Vodacce do it better than most). -Linguist: The Advantage is removed. -MacCodrum Heritage (Avalon): This Advantage is removed. -Membership: Lords's Hand (Vodacce): This Advantage is removed. -Membership: Secret Society: Only the following Secret Societies are available: -Explorer s Society, Knights of the Rose & Cross, Invisible College -Miracle Worker (Castille): This Advantage is removed. -Nibelung (Eisen): This Advantage may not be taken at Character Creation. -Reputation: This Advantage is added and available for all characters. Any character can buy up to 30 points of Reputation in 10-point increments. The first 10 points purchased will cost 2 HP. The next 10 cost 3 HP. The last 10 cost 5 HP. -Roving Don (Castille): This Advantage is removed. -Sidhe Weapon (Avalon): This Advantage is not available during Character Creation. -Specialty: This Advantage is removed (redundant - see #4: Skills & Knacks). -Twisted Blade (Vodacce): The cost of this Advantage is 2+(2xDestiny Dice). -Extra NPC Advantages: Any Advantage from any sourcebook (notably Vendel/Vesten, Eisen, and Vodacce) which grants you direct control over an additional character (usually a Henchman) is not allowed at character creation. 7) ARCANA EVERY PC has an Arcana. You have 3 options in regards to these: -1: You may SELECT a positive Arcana (Virtue) from the list in the 7 th Sea Players Guide. You will also receive an Advanced Knack of some appropriate sort (as chosen by the GM) to support this Arcana. This option costs 10 of your FREE

5 Points. -2: You may SELECT any two Negative Arcana (Hubris) from the 7 th Sea Players Guide. The GM will choose one of these two as befits your character description. You will also find that a single rank in an Advanced Knack (again, as chosen by the GM) has deserted you after character creation. This option will gain you 10 additional FREE points. -3: By taking this option, you gain the ability to spend 3 HP from your Advantage or Free Pools, and may generate a Destiny Spread as listed in your Nationality sourcebook (again, a permanent Drama Die reduction allows a reroll on the Destiny Spread), gaining both the listed Hubris and Virtue. You do not have to take a Destiny Spread, but this is the ONLY way to access that mechanic. 8) FREE POINTS Each Player gets 25 Free Points to spend however they wish (subject to caps and Nationality limits). 9) FINISHING TOUCHES Starting Equipment, Wealth and Income Characters start with three months of income, a set of clothes, and a single weapon (or pair of weapons, in the case of 2-weapon Swordsman Schools). The total value of your initial set of clothes should not exceed your monthly income, this isn't a hard and fast rule just a recommendation, but be prepared to explain why your scullery maid has a silk gown! Monthly income is zero unless you purchase one of the advantages which give you an income (some depend on the number of HP spent on the advantage): Commission (Army): 8/month (2 HP), 20g/month (4 HP), 50g/month (6 HP), 75g/month (8HP). Commission (Navy): 10g/month (2 HP), 25g/month (4 HP), 60g/month (6 HP), 90g/month (8HP). Merchant Guild: Roll your rank in your professional knack in dice, keep 2, each month. Noble: 500g/month (10 HP). Patron: 10g/month (2 HP), 20g/month (3 HP), 40g/month (4 HP), 80g/month (6 HP), or 160g/month (8 HP). A Merchant Guild Member's starting wealth is based on three separate rolls of Xk2, where X is your professional knack. These dice may explode. If you did not purchase any of the above advantages, you can choose to be a Servant, and earn your highest ranked basic Servant knack each month. For example, if your highest rank is 2, you get 2g/month. You also start with 10 times this amount (instead of just 3 times). If you did not purchase any of the above advantages, you can choose to be a noncommissioned Sailor, and take three times your highest ranked Sailor Advanced Knack for starting savings. For example, if your highest rank is 2, you get 10 guilder to start. If you have no other source of income you start with 1k1 guilder; this die cannot "explode". Note that you do not normally spend money on food, shelter, or to maintain property. Those are assumed to be paid for. The listed income is extra money. Drama Dice Each player has a pool of Drama Dice equal to 1+ the mathematical Average of their Traits. Drama Dice remaining at the end of a session DO NOT translate into additional XP. (Also note that Drama Dice were errata'd so that they can only be added to "Actions", not "any roll". No, you can't fire two pistols for 5k4 and then dump DD directly into the Damage Roll.) YOUR CHARACTER NEED NOT BE A "GOOD GUY", BUT MUST BE ABLE TO PEACEABLY FUNCTION AS A PART OF THE GROUP!

6 GAMEPLAY CHANGES Active Defense A Hero's Active Defense is figured as: (Wits+1)+(Passive Defense Knack) k (Wits+1). Free Raises to Defense Knacks (for example, from a Swordsman Ability) apply only to appropriate Active Defense attempts. Aging Middle Age does not start until age 30. Contested Rolls To clarify, during a contested roll (such as during Repartee), there are four possible outcomes. If nobody makes their TN, nobody succeeds at their action. If the target makes his TN and the PC fails, the target wins. If visa versa, the PC wins. If they both make their TNs, whoever rolled higher wins. Dracheneisen The rules for Dracheneisen from the 7th Sea Players Guide are replaced with the (sane) rules in Eisen pages 93-95, though the armor benefits per cost have changed. See chart, below. Additionally, Dracheneisen allows you to ignore a number of hits from Brute Squads equal to the number of Kept Dice subtracted from damage rolls. Called Shots to ignore Drachenisen are NOT affected by Dracheneisen's bonus to Passive TN. Dracheneisen does NOT grant a bonus to your Passive TN when someone is attempting to grapple you, though it does provide that bonus when someone tries to injure you in a grapple. Finally, the benefits offered by Nobility level are changed to the following: -Full Nobility (40 HP): You gain 20 points to purchase Dracheneisen and modifications. -Partial Nobility (20 HP): You gain 12 points to purchase Dracheneisen and modifications. -Minor Nobility (10 HP): You gain 6 points to purchase Dracheneisen and modifications UPDATED DRACHENEISEN TABLE Item Max Quantity Armor Bonus Point Cost Effect Arm Guard Armor Boot Armor Breastplate Armor Buckler k1 Buckler, +1k0 when making Buckler Attacks Gauntlet Armor Helm Armor Leg Guard Armor Panzerhand Armor, plus modifications Easier Sorcery A Sorcerer may use an Apprentice or Adept-level sorcery knack once per day without spending a Drama Die for every 4 ranks (or portion thereof) he has in that knack. If the knack would gain a Drama Die (whether by RAW or via award), it instead does not. Fear Ratings PC generated Fear Ratings are capped at Rank 3 without the use of magical assistance (ie, the use of a Sorcery or Shamanism Knack or Ability, or the use of a magical item). Flesh Wounds Flesh Wounds are resisted by Resolve Checks, not Brawn checks.

7 Gaining XP XP will be gained at a much lower rate than standard 7 th Sea, as starting character level is so much higher (roughly equivalent to having received 150 XP already). Your 1 st spent Drama Die of a session will always grant you +1 XP. Backgrounds will give bonus XP equal to their rating (a 2-point background gives +2 XP during a story where the background element shows up). Grapples A PCs TN in a grapple is 5*(Grapple Ranks x 5). A target can only be grappled by a single other person (or 1 Brute Squad). Anyone attacking into the grapple hits the grapple on a TN of 5, but randomizes which target is actually struck. Held Actions Held Actions do not disappear at the end of a Round. However, you may only Hold a number of Actions equal to your Wits Trait. Interrupt Actions and Priority You may not take an Interrupt action to interrupt an Interrupt action. You may never go more than two actions into "action debt" to generate an Interrupt Action. Passive Defense A hero's Passive Defense is figured as: 10+(Defense Rank*5). However, any effect that, per the rules, would reduce a Hero's Passive Defense to 5 (such as being knocked prone or being Pommel Strike'd), still reduces it to 5. Note that Free Raises to Defense Knacks (for example, from a Swordsman Ability) do not apply to Passive Defense. Passive Defense Order -If you are holding a weapon, you may always Parry with it, unless a specific environmental condition overrides it. Note that you cannot Parry bullets, even with a shield. -You may use Footwork as a defense at any time, unless a specific environmental condition overrides it. -You must use an environmental Defense (Swimming, Climbing, Balance, etc) if the GM tells you. Simply being in ankle-deep water doesn't force you to use the Swimming Knack, and simply being on the deck of a ship doesn't force you to use Balance. Standing on a yardarm 70 feet up or on the deck of a ship pitching in 30-foot seas, however, would likely mean you'd be using Balance as your Defense Knack, even if you're holding a sword. Rogers Swordsman School The Apprentice Ability is changed. The new text should read: "You gain +5 to your Passive TN to be hit and a free Raise to all Active Defense attempts while aboard a ship. Additionally, you learn two Pirate Tricks, or one Pirate Trick and one Rank in an additional Swordsman Knack of your choice from the 7th Sea Players Guide." Vodacce Brewing Sorcery This Sorcery works differently than all others. Each potion or poison (hereafter, "potion") you wish to create is its own Knack and must be learned and paid for separately. Only the highest 5 count towards Adept or Master status. Brewing a potion requires a Wits+Knack roll against the potion's listed TN. Each ingredient you skip adds a +10 penalty to the TN. Each brewing attempt takes 30 minutes. After an attempt is failed, you must spend a Drama Die in order to make another attempt at brewing any potion at all within the next 24 hours. Drama Dice may not be spent to add dice to a Brewing Roll. note that all potions brewed under this Sorcery are magical in nature. There are other consumables (notable poisons) which are non-magic and can be refined by anyone (such as arsenic). All poisons in the GM's Guide are non-magical. A person may be affected by only 1 potion at a time, with the most recent taking precedence. Potion effects last for one Act unless the product thereof wouldn't make sense (wounds don't reappear from being healed at the end of an Act...). A potion may not raise an otherwise human target's Trait above a 7, nor lower it below a 0. Potions applied to nonhumans may react differently (usually 2 over their normal Trait maximum). -Apprentice Ability: You may create potions up to a total TN of 20.

8 -Journeyman Ability: You may create potions up to total TN of 30. By taking a +5 penalty to the TN, you may increase or decrease the Trait modification of a potion by +1 or -1. By taking a +10 penalty to the TN, you may force the target to make a Raise on their Resolve check to avoid the effects of a poison. -Master Ability: You may create any listed potion. By taking a +10 penalty to the TN (not cumulative with the Journeyman Ability), you may increase or decrease the Trait modification of a potion by +2 or -2. By making 2 Raises on the Brewing attempt, you create 2 doses instead of 1. -Application of Potions and Poisons -Elixirs and antidotes must be drunk -Balms must be rubbed on the skin -Oils and Philters may be drunk or applied (poured on) to a weapon (taking effect if a DW is dealt) -Powders, Fumes, Dusts, and Mists must be inhaled (or ingested, if noted as such).

9 POTIONS Potion Name TN Ingredients Effects Antidote Philter 20 A spider Nullify the effects of one poison Cooling Balm 15 Fresh Leaf from an Oak Tree Makes the target immune to hot weather damage Dust of Irritation 15 A pinch of pepper Target has fits of sneezing and itching. Suffers -5 to all rolls. Dust of Petrification 40 A stone from a riverbed not yet worn smooth Elixir of Good Fortune 30 Foot from a black rabbit Elixir of Tongues 25 Elixir of Messalina 15 Songbird feather Elixir of Warmth 20 Fumes of Slumber 20 Pinch of Sand. Pinch of white ash from a fire no more than a day old Gilead's Whisper (Elixir) 25 White Silk Glove Baby's Balm 15 A drop of fresh milk Glasswater (Balm) 30 A snake's shed skin Healing Balm 25 A scab from your body Love's Scented Oil 15 A dozen red roses Oil of Clumsiness 25 Oil of Dullness 25 An Albatross foot and down from a fledgling hawk A powdered Mule's hood and 3 worker ants Target takes on a stonelike appearance and gains +3k0 on Wound checks. They add +2 to the Phase result of each Action Die (but Initiative Score doesn't change). Target gains a number of Luck Dice equal to the brewer's Mastery Level. These can be used as Drama Dice to modify rolls. You can understand and speak any native Thean Language. Literacy is not gained. Target feels lustful. Gain a +5 on Seduction and Charm attempts vs this target (+5 per Raise made by the Brewer) Make the person immune to damage from cold weather. Target makes a contested roll of Resolve vs the Brewer's Wits+this knack. If the target loses they sleep until the end of the Act and cannot be woken. Disguises all signs of sorcery the target may have. Effect is cancelled if target actively uses sorcery. The target has a 9 in 10 chance of pregnancy at the next opportunity (if female; no effect on males). The person may reshape their appearance at will, but cannot change size, nor clothing. They must remain a member of their species and cannot gain abilities (flight, etc). This may affect Advantages. Heals all flesh wounds on the target, plus 1 Dramatic Wound. Target gains +5 on Seduction and Charm attempts outside of combat. Lowers target's Finesse by 1 (modified as above) Lowers target's Wits by 1 (as above) A handful of moss and a Oil of Sloth 25 powdered clamshell Lowers target's Panache by 1 (as above) Oil of Weakness 25 A Mouse's Tail and 3 eggshells Lowers target's Resolve by 1 (as above) Philter of Champions 25 A used fencing glove Philter of Grace 25 Philter of Intelligence 25 Philter of Quickness 25 Philter of Stamina 25 Philter of Strength 25 A sparrow feather and a serpent's tooth Owl's Feather and a handful of fox fur A fish's scales and the forelegs of a praying mantis An old tree root and a ground turtleshell. Powdered bullhorn and the claw of a bear Powder of the Buffoon 25 A handful of dirt Raises target's Attack (fencing, heavy weapons, knife, or unarmed) by 1 (modified as per Mastery Ability, above). Raises target's Finesse by 1 (as above) Raises target's Wits by 1 (as above) Raises target's Panache by 1 (as above) Raises target's Resolve by 1 (as above) Raises target's Brawn by 1 (as above) Lowers target's Attack (etc, as per Philter of Champions in reverse).

10 POISONS Poison Name TN Ingredients Effects Crimson Thinner (elixir) 20 A drop of pure water Target takes 1k1 wounds for every Dramatic Wound currently active on the 4th phase after application. Blind Thorns (liquid spray) 25 Rose stem Target suffers visibility penalties as though in Dim Lighting every phase for 6 hours. Witchflesh (elixir) 45 Mandrake roots Target suffers 15 Flesh Wounds every round for 10 rounds. Woundwort (elixir) 35 Swamp Algae Target suffers 1 Dramatic Wound after 1 hour has passed. He suffers further Dramatic Wounds at hours 2, 4, 8, and 16. Deathmyst (elixir or inhaled) 45 A cup of water from at least 50 feet deep in the sea. The target suffers drowning penalties, and continues to drown until cured, brought above the clouds, or dead. For +2 Raises, this potion can be made gaseous and stored in a container. Trembling Moss (ingested powder) 25 Legion's Caress (elixir) 40 Moss growing on the south side of a stone or tree Blood of a condemned man, moss from a gallows, 1 dose each of arsenic, hemlock, and an apple. Nightmare Powder 20 A dried and powdered spider Locklimb (oil or elixir) 30 Rust from a weapon Target loses 1 kept die from all Finesse checks, starting 1 hour after ingestion, and lasting 12 hours. Target loses 1 Dramatic Wound immediately, then 1 every month until dead. There is no known cure. Target gains the Cowardly Hubris for 1 hour. If the target already has the Cowardly Hubris, he cannot contest the GM's activation of the Hubris for 1 hour. Target's dice do not explode (as if Crippled) for 10 rounds, starting the Phase after application.

11 NAVAL COMBAT Shipboard combat has been totally revised from the standard (and totally inadequate) 7th Sea rules. Ship Statistics Each Vessel has seven basic statistics, though one is used twice. Each statistic is rated on a scale from 1 to 10, this being representative of the number of dice rolled and kept when testing that particular statistic. Hull The Hull of the ship is representative of the craft's overall size and resistance to damage. The Hull forms the basis of many other statistics, or acts as a limiter of those statistics. A high Hull statistic is desirable because for many actions, a bigger ship is a better ship. Sails The Sails of the ship represent her Movement Speed. A ship has a number of Movement Points (MP) equal to 1 plus the ship's Sails statistic. A ship has a maximum Sail Rating equal to 12 minus the ship's Hull Rating. A high Sails statistic is desirable because a faster ship has more options in combat, is capable of reaching port quickly, and is harder to board and attack. Rudder The Rudder on a ship is representative of the ship's maneuverability. This statistic not only includes the effects of the ship's actual Rudder, but also includes several smaller sails intended more to assist in turning rather than primarily to assist in generating speed. A high Rudder is desirable because a ship's ability to maneuver controls how it can bring its guns to bear during combat, how well it avoids nautical hazards or enemy fire, and how easily it can attempt a boarding action. Broadside (Left and Right) The Broadside statistic on a ship represents the mass of cannon trained to the sides of the ship. It is tracked separately for the Port and Starboard (Left and Right, respectively) side during combat (a ship may have several guns on one side of the vessel out of action and thus a lower rating), though a ship at full repair must always have both values be equal. A high Broadside rating is desirable for what are likely obvious reasons. Chase Guns Chase Guns are a series of smaller weapons which can be fired from the front of the ship. These are largely intended to be fired into a target's rigging for the purpose of breaking away masts and yards, destroying sails, and slowing down the enemy. The Chase Gun Rating is always equal to half of the vessel's starting Broadside Rating. Chase Guns are the only weapons on the ship capable of using the specialty ammunition "chain shot". Crew The Crew statistic represents the relative population of the ship's crew. A ship must have at least half its Hull statistic in Crew Rating to function in naval combat. A ship can carry up to its Hull Rating in Crew in total (additional Crew may be carried, but take up Cargo slots on a 1 to 1 basis, and do not add to the Crew Rating when making Crew Rolls, but will immediately replace losses instead - a Crew 4 ship carrying 1 extra Crew will still roll 4 dice when firing guns after taking a Crew Critical). During Boarding Actions, the more Crew a ship possesses, the greater and higher-rating the number of Brute Squads it is able to bring to bear on the enemy. A high Crew Rating is desirable simply to run and fight the ship. Cargo The Cargo statistic represents how much valuable Cargo a ship is capable of carrying. A ship is considered to always carry at 3 months of food, water, and consumables for its Hull Rating in Crew without the use of any Cargo Slots. Cargo Slots are above and beyond these mundanities. Cargo Slots, representing essentially "empty space" on a ship, are subject to quick and easy modification by the crew (usually whether to carry more guns or not). A ship has a number of Cargo Slots equal to Half the Hull Rating (rounded up), plus the Hull Rating, minus the Broadside Rating of the ship. A ship with a Hull Rating greater than 2 will also add 2 Cargo Slots above and beyond this number.

12 Combat Turn Sequence 1) Initiative Determination 2) Plot Movement 3) Declare Targets 4) Carry out movement 5) Weapons Fire 6) Resolve Damage 7) Boarding Actions 8) Hero/Villain Action Phase 1) Initiative Determination Each ship rolls its Initiative Dice to determine its Initiative Score. A ship's Initiative Dice are equal to 11-Hull Rating. A ship keeps a number of Initiative Dice equal to its commanding officer's Panache Trait (assume 3 if no other information is given). Sum up the total result to determine the ship's Initiative Score for that round. The Captain may spend his personal Drama Dice to modify this roll as per the standard Drama Dice rules. If two ships have the same initiative score, the ship with the smaller Hull Rating "wins" initiative over the larger. Of both ships are the same size, randomly determine which wins. Ships that are unaware combat is about to start does not get an initiative score, but must carry out movement the very first thing during Step 4, and may not act at all during Step 3. Once a unit on the board has fired (even if not at a noncombat ship), a non-combat ship may elect to roll initiative during the next combat round. 2) Plot Movement Ship movement is plotted out simultaneously, and "blind". That is, ships are not aware the movement an enemy vessel is going to make while they are plotting their own movement. Movement options are as follows: -Forward Movement: It costs 1 MP to enter a new hex. -Normal Turns: It costs 2 MP to turn 1 hexside. A ship that must move at least 1 hex in a straight line before turning if its Hull Rating is 1-4, must move at least 2 hexes in a straight line before turning if its Hull Rating is 5-8, and must move 3 hexes in a straight line before turning it its Hull Rating is A Normal Turn will turn the ship 60 degrees to either right or left (1 hexside). -Come to a New Heading: This is a movement option which allows a ship to turn more than 1 hexside. The ship must declare a Come to a New Heading attempt during Step 2, and must continue to plot movement as though the attempt succeeds. This is a Rudder Check, and the TopMaster may spend personal Drama Dice on the attempt. The target number for a CtaNH attempt is 5+5*Hull Rating, plus the twice number of hexes entered to that point in the turn (not including the hex in which CtaNH is attempted). A ship does NOT have to enter a minimum number of hexes in a straight line before a CtaNH is attempted. If a ship fails the CtaNH attempt, the ship rotates 1 hexside in the direction of the turn attempt, and ends its movement for the turn in that hex. In any case, a CtaNH attempt costs either 3 MP, or all available MP for the ship that round (whichever is lower). -Evasive Movement: A ship may spend 3 MP and attempt to avoid enemy fire though odd maneuvers. This is a Rudder Check that may only be made if no other Rudder Check is made during plotted movement. Evasive movement must be the first thing declared during movement plotting. Evasive Movement has a TN of 10+5* half the ship's Hull Rating (rounded down). If successful, the ship gains an additional +10 Passive Defense, but suffers a +15 penalty on its own shooting attempts. If unsuccessful, the ship spends 3 MP but gains no benefit. Evasive Movement may only be attempted once per round. -All Stop: A ship may always decline to move, or may declare it ceases its movement during a turn. -Reverse Movement: A ship may spend its entire MP stock to move 1 hex directly backward. This cannot be combined with Come to a New Heading or Evasive Movement. -Boarding Action: A ship may declare it is attempting to grapple an enemy vessel and engage in a boarding action. Se the Boarding Action rules in Step 7, below.

13 -Ramming: A ship may only declare a ram if it has successfully used Come to a New Heading to take initiative over a lower-initiative ship, or if the target ship cannot enter a new hex this turn. To ram, a ship must move at least 2 hexes in a straight line and retain a single MP in "reserve" (representing entering the target ship's hex). The ramming attempt ends the ramming ship's movement that turn. Ramming takes place during Weapons Fire, but after all weapon to-hit and damage rolls have been made. 3) Declare Targets After movement is plotted, each vessel must declare up to two targets it wishes to engage during that round. This is a public declaration. 4) Carry Out Movement After Targets are Declared, all vessels carry out their pre-plotted movement in order of initiative, from lowest Initiative Score to Highest Initiative Score. If a Target you have declared moves on a lower Initiative Score than you, you may, during your Movement, attempt a Come to a New Heading check at any point during your pre-plotted movement (figuring the TN as normal). If you succeed, you do not turn, you do not spend the 3 MP associated with a CtaNH attempt, and you receive the remainder of your MP (less however many you've spent during your pre-plotted movement) to move as you wish for the rest of the turn. If you fail this Come to a New Heading check, you must carry out your movement as pre-plotted. 5) Weapons Fire A ship may only fire on a vessel which it has declared as a target during Step 3. In general, ship guns have a short range of 7 hexes, and a long range of 15 hexes. Chase guns have a short range of 5 hexes and a long range of 10 hexes. ALL FIRING AND DAMAGE RESOLUTION IS SIMULTANEOUS IN EFFECT. Firing Arcs Ship's Guns have limited envelopes in which they can engage an enemy vessel. See images below: To-hit Roll A firing vessel rolls its Crew Rating, keeping 1/2 the Crew Rating (rounded down, minimum 1) plus the Master Gunners Wits Trait (assume 2 if no other information is given). The Master Gunner may spend his own Drama Dice on this check. Remember, extra Crew carried in Cargo Slots DO NOT add to the Crew Rating, but only replace losses from Critical Hits. Ships are relatively easy to hit, given calm conditions. A Ship's Passive Defense is equal to 25 minus the ship's Hull Rating. There is no Active Defense for a ship. Modifiers to this value are as follows: Long Range: +10 Target is Evading: +10 High Seas and weather: +5 to +15, seas and sky depending Darkness: +5 (twilight), +10 (full dark) Looking into the sun: +10 (only available within 1 hour of dawn or dusk, direction dependent) 6) Damage Damage Roll An attack which hits rolls the appropriate Broadside or Chase Gun Rating, keeping the appropriate Broadside or Chase Gun Rating (a port side broadside attack with a Rating 7 gun will roll 7k7 for damage); this is the Damage Roll. Any attack damage does damage to the target ship in the form of Superficial Damage. Each time a ship takes Superficial Damage, the target rolls its Hull Rating, and keeps 1+half its Hull Rating (round down) to resist this damage; this is the Armor Roll. If the Armor Roll has a higher result than the Superficial Damage total suffered by the ship (not just from that single attack), no further effect is dealt. For every 10 points the Armor Roll fails by (or portion thereof), 1 Critical Hit is dealt to the target vessel. After Critical Hits are figured, all Superficial Damage is wiped out and the damage process starts again.

14 Critical Hits Each Critical Hit a target suffers will reduce a single Statistic on the target vessel by 1. For each Critical hit as ship suffers, the Crew Statistic has a 25% chance of being reduced by 1 as well. The Defender chooses which Traits are reduced. A ship will begin to sink once the Hull Trait reaches zero or it has suffered a total number of Critical Hits equal or greater to double its Hull Rating. A ship takes a number of minutes equal to its Hull Rating to sink. PC actions may stop a ship from sinking, as adjucated by the GM. -A ship with a zero Sails Trait may not move. -A ship with a zero Rudder Trait may not turn in any way. -A ship with a zero Broadside Trait may not fire in that direction. -A ship with a zero Chase Guns Trait may not fire Chase Guns. -A ship with a zero Cargo Trait has had its payload destroyed. -A ship with a zero Crew Trait may not take action, except to resist being boarded. A ship with a Crew Trait equal to half or less of its Hull Rating may move OR fire in a round, not both. In addition, any checks the ship must make (except Hull check to avoid damage) are at a -2k2 penalty. Called Shots Called Shots allow a firing vessel to deliberately aim at specific parts of the target ship, guaranteeing damage against specific Traits. Called shots require the Master Gunner to make raises to hit (each Raise is a +5 penalty that must be declared prior to the attack roll). -Called Shot Against Hull: Requires 2 Raises, may be performed from any direction. -Called Shot Against Sails: Requires 2 Raises, may be performed from any direction. -Called Shot Against Rudder: Requires 4 Raises, unless firing through the Aft Hexside, in which case it requires 3 Raises. -Called Shot Against Broadside: Requires 1 Raise, must be performed from the appropriate Broadside. -Called Shot Against Chase Guns: Requires 3 Raises, must be performed from any direction except through the Aft Hexside. A successful Called Shot means that the first Critical Hit dealt from that attack will automatically deal 1 point of damage to the Trait attacked. Additional Critical Hits are left to the distribution of the defender, as normal. A missed Called Shot misses the target entirely, and no damage is dealt. Ramming Resolution After all weapons fire attacks have been made, any rams will resolve. A Ram attempt is a Rudder check (and therefore a Ramming ship may not use Evasive Movement). The TN on the check is 10+5*target's current Rudder rating. A Ramming ship deals (Hull Rating keep Hull Rating) to the target vessel. The target vessel deals (Half Hull Rating keep Half Hull Rating) to the ramming vessel. Every hex beyond 2 moved in a straight line before the ships make contact adds +1k1 to both target and ramming ship's damage rolls. Ramming a ship through its aft hexside subtracts -3k3 damage from the roll. Rams cannot make called shots. Ram damage is resisted exactly like gunfire. A Ramming Ship may declare a Boarding Action immediately following a successful ram as long as it has dealt at least 1 Critical hit to the other ship. The TN to establish the Boarding Action is increased by 10. In addition, there are only 2 rounds of 7th Sea-scale combat before the next Naval Combat Turn, instead of 6, on board the ramming and rammed ships. This makes it far more likely that the defending ship will be able to open fire at point-blank range against the ramming ship. Separating from a Rammed ship requires a Rudder check at TN 10 (therefore the ship may not use Evasive Movement that round). Only one ship may ram another ship. Other ships which attempt to ram a vessel involved in a ram will automatically end their movement adjacent to the target ship. 8) Boarding Actions Since the usual goal isn't to actually sink a vessel, but to damage it sufficiently that it may be boarded and the cargo carried captured, many naval combats result in a boarding action. Any ship can attempt to board any other ship as long as it moves adjacent to the target along the broadside arcs. The boarding ship must then survive the Weapons Fire Steps, and may then attempt to establish a grapple with the enemy ship.

15 Establishing a grapple with an enemy ship is a Rudder Check, with a TN equal to 10. Each hex both the target and boarding ship have entered this turn adds a +2 to the TN. Additionally, Any High Seas penalty suffered in the Weapons Fire Steps will also apply to the boarding TN. If the roll is failed, the grapple is simply not established and both ships may move freely the next turn. If the roll succeeds, the grapple is established. A boarding action can be run via standard 7th Sea Combat Rules, or can be abstracted on the chart below. <chart> If standard 7th Sea Combat rules are used for boarding, there are 6 full Turns of 7th Sea Combat before another Naval Combat Turn begins. Each Crew Point from a ship involved in a boarding action grants the ship two Rating 2 Brute Squads, or it can sacrifice its next Naval Combat Turn completely and gain three Rating 2 Brute Squads per point of Crew (which means it will be unable to fire into the grappling ship). Military vessels will produce the same number of Brute Squads, but they will generally be Rating 3-4. Additionally, a boarded ship will have at least 3 Lieutenants (the ship's officers) available to resist the boarding action. While the GM controls when and under what circumstances a ship's crew may surrender in a boarding action, in general, a crew will not surrender as long as at least one ship's officer remains conscious, or until they have suffered 50% casualties (7% for military vessels) among the Brute Squads. Unless one ship was at an All Stop (or incapable of movement) when the Boarding Action began, both ships will remain adjacent and move 1 hex directly forward for each Naval Combat Turn of the Boarding Action. Ships in a Boarding Action may not otherwise move or maneuver until the Boarding Action is complete. Ships involved in a Boarding Action may fire, but only into each other. Ships outside a Boarding Action may NOT fire into a Boarding Action, period. 9) Hero/Villain Actions For each turn of Naval Combat, Heroes, Villains, or Lieutenants (hereafter, PC) on board vessels can take miscellaneous actions. This is a single, meaningful action that may affect the naval combat turn. While the scope of these actions is beyond these rules to fully encapsulate, here are some examples: -Patch up the Crew: A PC may attempt to use a valid medical Knack (not Quack) to get wounded Crew members back into action. This is a medical Knack Check with a TN starting at 20. Every two Raises made by the PC will restore 1 Crew to the ship. -Exhort for Effort: A PC may attempt to command or cajole the crew into better performance. The PC must make an appropriate Knack check for what he is trying to accomplish (note, this is different than using the skill in question; the Gunnery Knack won't help the gunners reload faster). Some give and take between the player and GM is expected. As a rule, for every 2 Raises the PC makes, he will give 1 free Raise to the Crew to accomplish that task during the next Naval Combat Round. This cannot be used during a Boarding Action. Ship Statistics Ship construction is a matter of give and take. A large hull presents many capabilities, but a large, heavy vessel will necessarily be slow and less maneuverable. The various ship sizes have been abstracted into the following classifications. Each classification has a range of allowable Ship Traits. Ship Trait Ranges Ship Class Hull Range Sail Range Rudder Range Broadside Range Launch 1 2 to 3 8 to 10 1 Sloop 2 to 3 8 to 10 8 to 10 1 to 2 Brig 4 to 5 6 to 9 5 to 8 3 to 6 Frigate 6 to 8 4 to 7 3 to 7 4 to 8 Galleon 8 to 10 2 to 4 1 to 4 2 to 4 Man O War 9 to 10 2 to 3 3 to 5 8 to 10 Schooners do not exist yet, but will be generally similar to a Brig with inherent free Raises to Rudder Checks

16 Ship Quirks Ship Quirks are a method to make ships more unique. There are between 1 and 3 levels of each ship quirk. In general, ship quirks may be added to a ship through a significant effort of the Heroes, but Master-Crafted Quirks remain outside the reach of player agency; they are intended as story or quest rewards and not "everyday" upgrades. Armored Rudder Chain - A steel housing for the rudder chain leading from the rudder to the ship's wheel that serves to shield it from damage. In gameplay, the first critical hit (whether from a Called Shot or damage assigned by the defender) to the Rudder Trait is ignored. It takes 48 hours in a port (not simply at anchor) and 250G worth of materials to repair the housing before this Quirk can be used again. Carrondades - Lightweight and easy-to-maneuver guns, notable for their short barrel length. These are far easier to adjust laterally than a traditional ship's long gun. Carronades grant a Free Raise to hit another ship as long as the target is at short range. However, this Free Raise may only be used when firing at an enemy "in general"; it may not be used when making Called Shots or making Raises for extra damage. Chain Shot 1 - Two cannon balls lashed together with a heavy chain to catch and snap a ship's rigging. Chain Shot adds 1 Free Raise to make a Called Shot against a ship's Sails Trait. Chain Shot 2 - Chain shot with a longer chain and particularly well-balanced. Rating 2 Chain Shot adds 2 Free Raises to make a Called Shot against a ship's Sails Trait. Crew Bunks - Actual collapsible beds for all individual crew members instead of the traditional "hammocks hung from the ribs of the ship and shared between crew members". This luxury will immeasurably improve the morale of the crew. When defending a ship against a Boarding Action, a ship with Crew Bunks increases the rating of all Crew Brute Squads generated by 1. Additionally, ships with this Quirk are significantly less likely to mutiny. This upgrade will permanently remove a Cargo Slot. Iron Hull Banding 1 - Strips of iron riveted to the hull to deflect incoming fire. Rating 1 Hull Banding adds 1 Unkept die to Hull Checks to resist Broadside or Chase Gun damage (as long as a Called Shot was not made to any location but the Hull). However, Hull Banding subtracts 1 Unkept Die from all Rudder checks. Iron Hull Banding 2 - As with Rating 1 Hull Banding, but their greater weight adds 2 Unkept Dice to Hull Checks and subtracts both 1 Unkept die from Rudder Checks and reduces the effective Sail Rating of the ship by 1. Master-crafted Hull Banding - Perforated and lightness and composited for strength, Master-crafted Hull Banding adds 2 Unkept Dice to Hull Checks in the same manner as other Hull Banding, but imposes no penalties on Rudder Checks or the Sail Trait. Note that Master-Crafted Hull Banding is incredibly time-consuming to fit onto a ship, taking between six months and a year to apply. Ram - A Ram is a beak of iron and wood attached under the bow of a ship to allow for greater damage when two ships collide. A standard Ram adds 2 unkept dice to the Ramming damage your ship deals to a target. Master-crafted Ram - A well-made ram better able to absorb the shock of the attack. It adds 2 unkept dice to the Ramming damage your ship deals to a target, and also subtracts one Kept die from the damage dealt to your ship in return. Secondary Rudders - Usually two smaller rudders on each aft corner of the vessel, connected by a highly complex linkage system to the primary rudder chain, intended to make the ship more maneuverable. Adds 2 Unkept Dice to any Rudder Checks the ship makes. However, the first critical hit (whether from a Called Shot or damage assigned by the defender) to the Rudder Trait counts automatically disables this system until repaired. Repairing this Trait takes 96 hours in a port (not simply at anchor) and 1,000G worth of materials. This Quirk may not be combined with Armored Rudder Chain. Master-crafted Secondary Rudders - Exactly as Secondary Rudders, but the second critical hit to the Rudder Trait will disable the system, not the first. Silken Sails 1 - An extremely expensive upgrade, this replaces the twill sails on a ship's mainmast with much tighterwoven silk, thus catching the wind more effectively. As long as all masts on a ship mount Silken Sails, the ship gains +1 MP each Turn. Silken Sails 1 will provide all needed sails for a 1 or 2-mast ship. Silken Sails 2 - Silken Sails 1 will provide all needed sails for a 3-mast ship. Silken Sails 3 - Silken Sails 3 will provide all needed sails for a 4 or 5-mast ship. Swagified Ship 1 - A series of visually-impressive modifications to a ship that make it look more impressive to onlookers. Swagified Ship grants a +1k0 bonus to most positive social checks against parties who would be impressed by such