My play group and I may try our hand at historical RPG set on galleons and exploration in the post Renaissance, Elizabethan era up to the Colonial period before the revolutions in the USA and France.
Black powder pistols, rapiers, The Three Musketeers, Count of Monte Cristo, and Pirates of the Caribbean sailing around in galleons like the Golden Hind and the original Ark Royal.
We like rules lite. I'm thinking of using Mini-6 Bare Bones Edition with sword fighting using the Dueling Blades rules for D6 style rules. But, always keep your options open.
Any good games for this you can recommend?
Interesting Idea... I've thought for years about an RPG set in the age of Enlightenment. Spent many years studying the French Revolution
and the Wars of Napoleon, and I've come up with ideas to make a game of it, but never went farther than that as the interest level is, sadly,
low to non-existent.
I'd probably try to graft GURPS onto Wooden Ships and Iron Men and Empires in Arms to create some RPG/Wargame hybrid that would surely
infuriate James Dunnigan, were he still alive. But at least all the 15mm Napoleonics I've still somehow got would get to see some use.
As an RPG, would the PC's be agents of one government or another? Soldiers? Political Thinkers and Agitators? While i love the era, the large
set piece battles don't translate well to RPG's... Though "La Revolution Francaise" from Azur Wish games tried to blend a few genres together
with players leading one faction or another during the Revolution. Only problem was that you need to know the period so well to even TRY to
play it that it'll remain unpunched on the shelf.
Flashing Blades RPG is supposed to be good.
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/585/Flashing-Blades
There was also another very specialized small game that I believe had some sort of one-player choose your adventure option. Maybe someone else can remind us.
I have never run it, but 7th Sea is a game specifically tailored to this kind of setting. Seems like it would be worth checking out.
Quote from: Zelen on April 15, 2022, 04:12:00 PM
I have never run it, but 7th Sea is a game specifically tailored to this kind of setting. Seems like it would be worth checking out.
The 2e version is pretty terrible.
Quote from: HappyDaze on April 15, 2022, 04:12:59 PM
Quote from: Zelen on April 15, 2022, 04:12:00 PM
I have never run it, but 7th Sea is a game specifically tailored to this kind of setting. Seems like it would be worth checking out.
The 2e version is pretty terrible.
What would you say went wrong with the second edition? I have no particular devotion to or hatred of the game, I'm just curious.
The name I remember from the 90's was "Run Out The Guns", I think, which was the order for a ship to open the cannon portals and extend them, preparatory to a barrage.
Pirate game set in the Caribbean, IIRC.
Also, well, GURPS had Napoleonic Sourcebook. Not a GURPS man, but 3e covered EVERYTHING.
I'm planning on using Mini-6 with Dueling Blades because I like how that add-on handles sword fighting. It is simply an opposed roll, and the margin of success determines what happens. The most basic result isn't even damage.
1-5 = loser pushed backwards in direction the winner chooses.
6-10 = a stun. Aka a skill penalty for the next turn for the loser.
11-15 = a wound. Permanent skill penalty until healed.
16+ = critical hit. Either a GM created result, or I use a chart with some pretty horrible results.
Another game I've heard of for good sword fighting is called Honor and Intrigue. I'm not sure about this game. It isn't rules lite. However, because it isn't lite this makes the sword fighting rules quite detailed. Having never played it I can't say if the game is fun or not.
Honor + Intrigue is excellent. It's the 2d6 system from Barbarians of Lemuria adjusted to a swashy-buckly setting, with a very solid swordplay system to boot. It really is excellent.
I mention this one often as was a playtester for it. But of all things Furry Pirates is a surprisingly good Historical RPG on the age of sail. Rules are at the mid-range byt relatively eay to get the basics. Remove the Disney animal people element and its a straight up historical setting with a little magic. Works great for running Pirates of the Caribbean style campaign. Or the hedge magic can be dropped.
Same goes for its predecessor. Furry Outlaws which does the Robin Hood era historical also with the disney style animals. Also easy to drop and run it straight up historic. The magic system there is more extensive though. But still easy to drop and run it magic-less.
2e D&D has an age of sail book. With a fantasy twist. Possibly 2. Also easy to drop the magic as needed. Of Ships and the Sea is the only one I have currently. But pretty sure there was at least one other.
Quote from: weirdguy564 on April 15, 2022, 02:56:30 PM
We like rules lite. I'm thinking of using Mini-6 Bare Bones Edition with sword fighting using the Dueling Blades rules for D6 style rules. But, always keep your options open.
That's what I would do. 8) For adventures, some of Paizo's Skull & Shackles AP could be adapted; I'd also recommend Monkey Isle https://www.amazon.com/dp/1078020035 as a fairly bare bones but fun mysterious island setting, I prefer it to Isle of Dread.
Savage Worlds offered Pirates of the Spanish Main (might have been a slightly different title). I don't know much about it though, as neither system nor setting are really my thing.
Speaking of Pirates of the Spanish Main. Some years ago WizKids put out a constructable minis game called Pirates of the Spanish Main.
The units are great for any high seas gaming. And it came with tiny little dice!
(https://cf.geekdo-images.com/TJUjYr0hC0FAjf15hA9WDg__imagepage/img/vxYKjMcjvj1_N1KBZxDeuv-9bIs=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic693918.jpg)
Quote from: Omega on April 16, 2022, 10:46:32 AM
Speaking of Pirates of the Spanish Main. Some years ago WizKids put out a constructable minis game called Pirates of the Spanish Main.
The units are great for any high seas gaming. And it came with tiny little dice!
(https://cf.geekdo-images.com/TJUjYr0hC0FAjf15hA9WDg__imagepage/img/vxYKjMcjvj1_N1KBZxDeuv-9bIs=/fit-in/900x600/filters:no_upscale():strip_icc()/pic693918.jpg)
IIRC, the Savage Worlds rpg of the same name included such a ship and encouraged using those mini rules for resolving naval combats.
Does anybody else remember an RPG from Yaquinto called "Pirates and Plunder"? I owned it, but it disappeared years ago. The stupid thing was, the first set of rules for it had no rules whatsoever for running ships, ship to ship combat, piracy or anything like it. It strictly covered character generation and man-to-man combat. That aside, I liked it. It was just unfinished, and they never published any other rules for it. It had a really good adventure included with it, but it was extremely railroady.
Quote from: Daddy Warpig on April 15, 2022, 08:09:12 PM
The name I remember from the 90's was "Run Out The Guns", I think, which was the order for a ship to open the cannon portals and extend them, preparatory to a barrage.
Pirate game set in the Caribbean, IIRC.
Was that based on Rolemaster, like most things from Iron Crown?
Pirates & Plunder was meh.
I'd go with 7th Sea 1st edition. As the 2nd, it was ... mechanically broken. And the setting was oddly watered down compared to 1e (no pun intended... call it 'okay' but 1e was far better).
I always liked Privateers & Gentlemen (FGU) but whether it was "the best" is another matter. Flashing Blades (which is great) has a High Seas supplement, which is also very good. Both are still available from FGU.
There was also one called Privateers & Plunder from I think FJGames? early 2000s? Was a d10/percentile based system so perked interest. But never had a chance to get a good look at.
I think the FJGaming book is Privateers & Pirates.
Quote from: Simon W on April 18, 2022, 05:42:01 AM
I always liked Privateers & Gentlemen (FGU) but whether it was "the best" is another matter. Flashing Blades (which is great) has a High Seas supplement, which is also very good. Both are still available from FGU.
Wasn't there another FGU game called "Skull & Crossbones" or "Skull & Bones" or some such? I remember looking through it when I was younger, but am fuzzy on the details.
Quote from: soundchaser on April 18, 2022, 12:23:14 PM
I think the FJGaming book is Privateers & Pirates.
You are likely right there. Its been nearly 20 years since saw it in the shelves.
Quote from: Trond on April 17, 2022, 06:09:29 PM
Quote from: Daddy Warpig on April 15, 2022, 08:09:12 PM
The name I remember from the 90's was "Run Out The Guns", I think, which was the order for a ship to open the cannon portals and extend them, preparatory to a barrage.
Pirate game set in the Caribbean, IIRC.
Was that based on Rolemaster, like most things from Iron Crown?
I would love to be able to tell you, but that amount of information was at the outer limits of my recall.
Quote from: soundchaser on April 17, 2022, 06:33:17 PMI'd go with 7th Sea 1st edition. As the 2nd, it was ... mechanically broken. And the setting was oddly watered down compared to 1e (no pun intended... call it 'okay' but 1e was far better).
7th Sea 1E was really cinematic and had this great "roll and keep" system whereby all sorts of cool stuff could happen in combat at any moment, very much like PotC or other pirate movies. 2E just seemed to try too hard to be narrative and just missed the mark somehow.
I second the motion of going with 1E 7th Sea. 8)
Quote from: Daddy Warpig on April 18, 2022, 02:33:30 PM
I would love to be able to tell you, but that amount of information was at the outer limits of my recall.
I did some digging, and it looks like the answer is "yes" it's based on Rolemaster. So I guess it must include attack tables for muskets and such.
One thing reviewers mention is that it's full of historical info on the Caribbean, and some very decent maps. Sounds interesting actually.
Quote from: Daddy Warpig on April 15, 2022, 08:09:12 PM
The name I remember from the 90's was "Run Out The Guns", I think, which was the order for a ship to open the cannon portals and extend them, preparatory to a barrage.
Pirate game set in the Caribbean, IIRC.
Also, well, GURPS had Napoleonic Sourcebook. Not a GURPS man, but 3e covered EVERYTHING.
I ran a campaign for a couple months back in 2018. Run Out the Guns is awesome but it's also got a lot of problems. One is that the combat system is awfully hard on anyone with a low Quickness score. At AT 1 you'll very likely be dead or at least out of combat before you get your first turn. Another is that nowhere in the boxed set is there a list of prices for trade goods. All these rules about trade and commerce and no base list of prices for say, a bale of cotton.
There's tons of good material in there about the period and the crew positions and ships and the map of the Caribbean is gorgeous. It's also super out of print. And, if you don't like Rolemaster, it might not be for you.
Quote from: David Johansen on April 19, 2022, 08:54:28 AM
Quote from: Daddy Warpig on April 15, 2022, 08:09:12 PM
The name I remember from the 90's was "Run Out The Guns", I think, which was the order for a ship to open the cannon portals and extend them, preparatory to a barrage.
Pirate game set in the Caribbean, IIRC.
Also, well, GURPS had Napoleonic Sourcebook. Not a GURPS man, but 3e covered EVERYTHING.
I ran a campaign for a couple months back in 2018. Run Out the Guns is awesome but it's also got a lot of problems. One is that the combat system is awfully hard on anyone with a low Quickness score. At AT 1 you'll very likely be dead or at least out of combat before you get your first turn. Another is that nowhere in the boxed set is there a list of prices for trade goods. All these rules about trade and commerce and no base list of prices for say, a bale of cotton.
There's tons of good material in there about the period and the crew positions and ships and the map of the Caribbean is gorgeous. It's also super out of print. And, if you don't like Rolemaster, it might not be for you.
Thanks!
I'm just curious; is the art in the books any good? I have found ICE to vary from horrendous to decent in this regard.
Did not Gygax and co back in the early or mid 70s do an age of sail game? Dont Give up the Ship? If I recall right it was a wargame though? But how viable would it be to plug into another system and go?
Speaking of.
Spelljammer could be adapted into an age of sail system as it was already fairly 2 dimensional.
Quote from: I on April 17, 2022, 05:40:08 PM
Does anybody else remember an RPG from Yaquinto called "Pirates and Plunder"? I owned it, but it disappeared years ago. The stupid thing was, the first set of rules for it had no rules whatsoever for running ships, ship to ship combat, piracy or anything like it. It strictly covered character generation and man-to-man combat. That aside, I liked it. It was just unfinished, and they never published any other rules for it. It had a really good adventure included with it, but it was extremely railroady.
I actually like it. Apparently, the ship rules were supposed to be in a companion book. I tried to acquire the rights to it like I did for Man, Myth & Magic, but I can't locate the author (who is co-owner), if he's even still around.
Quote from: brettmb on April 19, 2022, 11:47:22 AM
I actually like it. Apparently, the ship rules were supposed to be in a companion book. I tried to acquire the rights to it like I did for Man, Myth & Magic, but I can't locate the author (who is co-owner), if he's even still around.
I wish you had succeeded. I was looking forward to seeing the ship rules. I had several players ready with their characters already rolled up, and a scurvier, more degenerate crew of rascals ne'er sailed the Spanish Main -- one of them a surly Scottish lout, another a huge freed black slave so strong he could pick up an anvil and throw it -- I forget the rest. And I do mean they NE'ER sailed the Spanish Main because the rules for such weren't available.
Quote from: Trond on April 19, 2022, 10:34:59 AM
Thanks!
I'm just curious; is the art in the books any good? I have found ICE to vary from horrendous to decent in this regard.
I think it's passable black and white line art, possibly from a pirate coloring book. The ships are nicely drafted side views. I made a bunch of little ships out of tongue depressors and cocktail skewers.