Creating a Pyrates Character

(v6.1)

Cut off from the land that bore us,
Betrayed by the land we find,
Where the brightest have gone before us,
And the dullest are mostly behind

Stand, stand to your glasses, steady
’Tis all we have left to prize:
One cup to the dead already
Hurrah for the next that dies!

—Bartholomew Dowling

A character has a mix of attributes, skills, and gifts. Attributes and skills are rated on a numeric scale. Gifts and faults (negative gifts) you either have or don’t — there is no spectrum.

So you have some idea what you’re aiming for in system terms, most dice rolls in the game add an Attribute, a Skill and the scores of two six-sided dice. You’re aiming either to beat the other fellow’s total, or a difficulty level where totals >15 are (usually) adequate successes.

If you’re not really into hand crafting your character there may be some templates at the back of the handout which just need a little personality added…

1. Attributes

The innate physical and mental properties of your character

Strength
Wits
Dexterity
Agility
Health
Charisma
Perception
Will

All start at 4. You have another four points you can add where you like here. If you want to go further you can drop some attributes to increase others, one for one. Minimum value for an attribute is 1, unless you are dead.

You can also trade 1 gift (only) into 2 attribute points.

2. Skills

Skills have no default, they start at 0. If you haven’t got a skill you must rely on your natural ability and luck. You have 10 points to spend on skills, with a maximum of score of 5 on any one skill at start.

You can trade a single attribute point into 3 skill points or single gift into 6 skill points.

If you want some esoteric skill (not everything is listed…) it may also cost you an Unusual Background gift (see 3. Gifts below).

To use a skill add it to its appropriate attribute and the roll of 2d6.

2.1 Sailing skills

Quartermaster: Ship organisation and management of stores, division of spoils.; [Wit]
Navigation: Long distance, using maps, calculations and instruments. Advisable for ocean voyages. N.B. island-to-island hopping can use Geographical Knowledge of the Caribbean.; [Wit]
Sailing Master: Giving the right orders to steer the ship, set the sails and generally make the ship do what you want it to at sea.; [Wit]
Seamanship: Knots, sails and hornpipes. Working cannon if there’s a real gunner to direct.; [Agility]
Smuggling: Relevant to small boat operations, either furtive or fast, cargo handling, making contact with suppliers and customers (“Brandy for the Parson, ’Baccy for the Clerk.” even if it isn’t quite appropriate for the Caribbean) all while keeping a sharp eye out for the Revenue. Much of this is dependent on being in familiar waters of course.; [Wit or Agility]

2.2 Combat skills

Firearms: Shooting with pistols and muskets.; [Dexterity]
Gentleman’s Weapons: Use of rapier, small sword, sabre and the like – fencing, in other words. Includes pistol both aimed (as in Firearms) and impromptu (as in Melee). Does not include common fisticuffs. You need the right social background for this.; [Agility]
Gunner: Firing the great guns, from single cannon — anything on a carriage or mounting, generally 1lb ball or more — to a full broadside. Any seaman can crew if there is an experienced gunner in command of the gun. Also covers working with bulk powder for making up charges, fuse match for setting them off…; [Strength]
Melee: Hand-to-hand fighting, bare fist, through cutlass to pistol fired in close combat – if you stand off and aim use Firearms skill.; [Strength or Dexterity]
Naval Tactics: Manoeuvring for advantage in ship-to-ship combat, within cannon-shot.; [Wit]
Land Tactics: Manoeuvring large bodies of men for tactical advantage on land. Crew-to-crew or regiment-to-regiment.; [Wit]

2.3 Social skills

Carouse: Yo-ho-ho! And a bottle of rum. Have a good time and influence people in an 'informal' setting.; [Charisma]
Etiquette: Formal social skills. Normally European.; [Charisma]
Leadership: Persuade masses of NPCs to do your bidding, usually “Follow me!”.; [Charisma]
Merchant: Valuing. Knowledge of trading patterns. Buying & selling bulk cargoes.; [Charisma or Wit]

2.4 Knowledge skills

Generally the smaller the subject the more detailed the knowledge.

Geographical: specify eg Caribbean coasts, Haiti, Port Royal etc.; [Wit]
Language: You are assumed to speak your native language appropriately to your social station. For others specify which: eg English, French, Spanish, Dutch, Pirate argot, Marron (slave argot).; [Perception]
Law: Spanish, English, French, Dutch...; [Wit]
Organisations: Knowledge of institutions, methods and personalities. Specify: e.g. Catholic Church, French Army, Spanish Navy, etc.; [Wit]
Politics: Power structures and their operation. Who has the King’s/Governor’s ear…; [Wit or Charisma]
Trade: Specify which trade: eg carpenter, smith, shipwright, barber/surgeon etc. Includes Merchant skills in the appropriate area.; [varies, but usually Strength or Dexterity]

2.5 Odds & Sods skills

Riding: Horses by default; [Agility]
Swimming: Sailors reckon that if man were meant to swim he’d have fins and that as this isn't the case swimming is an unnatural skill that just prolongs the agonies of drowning…; [Strength or Health]
Survival: Live off the land in various areas: jungle, swamp and shore are probably appropriate for the Caribbean.; [Health]

3. Gifts (& Faults)

Gifts and Faults are other traits of the character that are neither Skills nor Attributes. Sometimes they are applied as a single d6 modifier to a roll.

You can have two free gifts. Any more will require balancing faults. A typical gift would be: Sharp Sighted. A typical fault: Hard of Hearing.

Some possibilities: code of honour, drunkenness, sharp hearing, lechery, one arm/leg, hideous scarring, fine appearance, poor, ambidextrous, scruffy appearance, quick reflexes, double jointed, immunity to disease, language talent, longevity, mathematical ability, musical ability, rapid healing, toughness, unusual background.

We'll discuss the exact meaning of a gift/fault, but remember they are permanent — if you chose to be Poor as a disadvantage to your character then money and possessions will always slip through your fingers. Whereas someone of Fine Appearance reduced to rags will have clean, pressed rags…

4. Oops

Just in case you’ve forgotten something, you have 3 skill points to spend some time after your character has started play. You can keep these points as long as you like, spend them together or separately, but only on a skill you don’t have already. This will be done in a suitable lull, not in the heat of battle…