Officers

“There were gentlemen and there were seamen in the navy of Charles the Second. But the seamen were not gentlemen: and the gentlemen were not seamen.”
Thomas Babington Macaulay

There are two types of leader in this game. One is the Captain, (referred to as the Captain regardless of actual rank or title), a breed apart. Please note that if a player is playing a Spanish Garrison Commander, or a Colonial Governor's Military Lackey, or the representative of an Official Navy, then these rules should be tailored slightly to fit.

Other leaders are here called "Officers" whatever their official status, (Quartermaster, Boatswain, One-legged Cook…etc.). As a rule of thumb, at the beginning of the game, each player should have at least one Officer figure for about every twelve crew, and the Officer figures should be pointed out to the other players. A player's Officers and indeed, the Captain, may change in the course of a game.

Aboard ship the Captain and Officer figures mostly live on or under the Quarterdeck. Swabs usually inhabit fore of the main mast. Ordinary crew can also be placed on the quarterdeck, (if there is room with all that brass), and there is nothing to stop officers or even the Captain taking the helm. Traditionally, in crisis or pursuit, the Quartermaster might take the helm.

Reputations
Captains can acquire, or be assumed to possess, Reputations that effect elements of the game. Players or the scenario can dictate whether their Captain has a reputation for being:-

• Savage. A reputation for savagery can work both ways - either inducing victims to surrender quickly, fearful of rousing the wrath of a merciless Pyrate, or exhorting them to fight with some desperation as surrender is less appealing. Before a boarding or charging action, a savage Captain can challenge a crew/stronghold/party to surrender without a fight, roll a d6:1..4 and their resolve is weak, any morale rolls have a -1 modifier but d6:5..6 and they will fight desperately, any morale rolls have a +1 modifier. Note that a reputation for savagery does not mean that a Captain has to be Ruthless in actuality - just convince any survivors that it would be in their best interests to maintain that there were no survivors. Reputations are hard to build if no one is left able to talk - or at least gesticulate wildly.
  
• Disciplinarian. A bully who rules their own crew through fear and harsh discipline. A disciplinarian can cajol or cudgel sailors to greater efforts. Roll a d6/2 when calculating MA and gain that MA, and take a Mutinous Dogs point. But if they do eventually summon up the courage to mutiny a Disciplinarian Captain must re-roll the highest dice roll of the three. A Disciplinarian may also be Savage, and never Beloved.
  
• Gallant. Victims are more inclined to seek quarter from a gallant Captain, but such a code of conduct might get in the way of the Captain's selfish interests at times. If an opponent has a reputation for gallantry then victims from the Mercantile Classes, (not military or Pyratical types), will automatically surrender when they reach their Morale Threshold. But opponents may also have the opportunity to surrender pre-emptively, in which case, the Gallant victor must both respect the life and limb of the surrenderees, leaving them at liberty and in no imminent danger 'though perchance having relieved them of any unnecessary burdens, also, should a player come up with a convincing reason why a trinket or treasure should not be lifted - especially if the current owner is of the opposite gender - (e.g. of the "Oh Brave Signor! This little Ring is the only heirloom I have of my late lamented Father!" type of reasoned argument)- then the Gallant Captain is obliged to leave it with them, or take a Mutinous Dog Point and lose their reputation for gallantry. Note that "Brave Signor! This little cargo of coffee is the only memento of my dear departed business partner that remains to me!" is unlikely to win sympathy points.
• Beloved. A Beloved Captain has won the loyalty of their crew beyond ordinary measure. They must distribute treasure as soon as practicable. But they may also retain crew when there is not enough treasure to share out - rolling 2d6 worth of "goodwill" enticements with which to pay off the crew. They also get a save against replacement if a morale check is failed. A Beloved Captain may also be Gallant, but not Savage. However, they may be taken as an "easy touch" by the wrong element so a beloved Captain discards the lowest of the three dice if mutiny does strike.
  

Players are cordially invited to devise other characteristic Reputations and apply them.

Parties, and Dissenting Parties
Groups of figures can be selected from the main Crew to carry out independent missions, (e.g. boarding party, shore party). Figures are 'organised' into a Party commanded by the Captain or an Officer. Parties act as independent units under the control of their Leaders. A party can have more than one Officer in it, but one of them is the Leader. Parties usually need leaders in order to Act.

If the Captain figure leaves a crewed ship or manned stronghold to lead an away party they must appoint one of their Officers as an Acting-Captain who is magically imbued with the charisma and authority of his gadabout chief, or, if the crew is going ashore/out en masse they could leave a guard, or everyone could go and they could just lock it up and leave it until they return, (… or leave a skeleton crew).

A Pyrate Officer's "command level" is twelve figures, i.e. a Pyrate Officer can command a party up to 12 figures, (including themselves), without problem. If a party becomes larger than twelve figures, (fifteen is considered downright unlucky … yo ho ho…(1)), then, each time the leader wants to make an initiative action, roll a dice for each extra figure beyond the command level. This represents the additional disputation and general pyratical sense of discipline. If any ones are rolled then initiative is immediately lost and passed to the left.

Note that if the other player(s) now pass then the turn is over.

Note that if members of a party become separate units as a result of being assigned duties that rely on the figure acting on its own initiative, (e.g. lookout, guard or messenger), then they no longer count toward the headcount.

Military types may show more discipline, so a veteran Sergeant of the Marines or an up and coming Midshipman of the Royal Navy might handle up to fifteen swabs without danger of dissent in the ranks e.g. command level 16.

Pyrate Captains, (and Acting-Captains), or similar high ranking types are considered capable of handling as many figures as may appear in a game. For these Masters and Commanders mutiny, (see below), is handled in a different way. In fact, it is when their command shrinks that they are in danger.

Losing one's Head
"In this country it's a good thing to kill an Admiral now and then to encourage the others."
Voltaire 1694-1778

If a morale test is failed then a pyrate leader, (or leader of similarly independent thinkers), is instantly deposed in a typical display of pyratical democracy, unless they are beloved (see below), in which case they have a save of d6:4..6. A deposed leader figure must save against two wounds (roll 2d6: 4..6 saves).

If a crew or party becomes leaderless it is effectively inactive until a new leader is chosen. Figures can fight if attacked, or shoot back if shot at, but will not move to engage, or initiate shooting. A shore party can move towards ship or stronghold.

A new leader must be found:

• The player may appoint another Officer, if present, as new leader. If it was the Captain who is now indisposed, then this Officer is now the new Captain.
  
• A Born Leader card can be played. This new leader must be a different figure than the old leader and promoted "out of the ranks".
  
• In the next Action phase, if none of the party are engaged and morale is restored or unshaken, a leaderless party will try to elect a new leader. This is an initiative action. They remain stationary and shake a D6:3..6 = a new leader has been chosen. This may be the old leader reasserting their authority. 1..2 = discussions will continue into next turn, 1 means that debate was heated and someone has been wounded in the political process, player decides who. Note: A party who has lost it's leader due to Morale Failure must rally before trying the election option.
  

When a shore, raiding, boarding etc. party returns to their ship or stronghold they are reabsorbed into the general crew under the Captain's command. The Captain will accept a new leader as the new officer if the party has had cause to make a replacement.

(1) Blackbeard's final action initially consisted of himself and fourteen others against Lt. Maynard and his twelve men.

© Baggins Wood Ltd. 2009