Pirate Party Flyerbook rules

This is a one-page ruleset for quick roleplaying games.

You want to play a pirate game, but you have no adventure at hand? You only have 2 hours so you don’t want to spend half the time learning rules and creating characters?

Then this Flyerbook is for you.

[1]

The Flyerbook rules are a translation of our German Flyerbooks [2], adapted to the World of No Dice [3].^{1 [4]} To play, you use pregenerated charactercards [5] (though there are brief character creation rules [6]). The german version [2] of these rules is intended to be used with short scenario flyers. This english version currently only includes a short pirate-starter [7] to get your creativity running.

The rules work for short one-shots as well as for long campaigns (when you add experience points) - and for non-pirate-games, too.

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Like almost everything else on this website (1w6.org) it is free licensed,^{2 [9]} so you can use, change and share it however you like, as long as you allow others to do the same with your contributions.

Have fun with Flyerbooks! —Drak [10]

How this works

The GM reads this rule-sheet. Meanwhile each player chooses a character card [5]. If you have new players, the experienced players tell them why roleplaying is cool (but keep it short!) and how it works.

Now the GM reads the character cards the players chose, while the players read the rules and organize one die (D6) for each participant.

Basics

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As ruleset the flyerbooks use the free 1d6-system.^{3 [12]} The characters have attributes, jobs, skills, edges and flaws which differenciate them from the masses. Jobs and skills have numbers (6-18). Attributes, edges and flaws only have plusses (strength) oder minusses (weakness).

Examples: Agility, Intelligence and Pride are Attributes. Carpenter is a job and hand-to-hand combat is a skill. Wealthy (+) is an edge and addicted (-) a flaw.

Task

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If you want to know, if a character succeeds in a task, you can roll a die. First you check if he has a fitting job or skill (when there are multiple, take the highest). If yes, start with its value. If not, use the fallback 3.

Then check his attributes: If he uses a skill, he gets a bonus of 1 per + in each attribute which fits the task. If he uses a job or the fallback 3, he only gets the bonus from the highest fitting attribute. If others support him with fitting skills, he gets one additional point bonus per supporter.

Now roll a D6 (six sided die). If the die shows an even number, add it to your value. If the number is uneven, substract it (this is called ±D6). If the result reaches the difficulty of the task, the character succeeds in the task (6 is routine, 9 easy, 12 challenging, 15 hard). The difference between your result and the difficulty shows how well you master the task.

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Example: Harrak wants to pick the lock of the trapdoor below the bar. He’s a seasoned thief (Job: Locksmith: 12) and quite deft (Deft +). His deftness gives him a bonus of 1 for the job, so he’s at 13. The GM decides that this lock is easy to pick (difficulty 9). Harraks player rolls a 3. 3 is uneven, so it’s substracted and Harrak reaches a 10 (13 minus 3). He accomplishes this task with a difference of 1 and the lock clicks open.

Contest

If two characters compete, both roll as for a test. The one with the higher result wins. The difference between the results shows his margin of success.

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Example: Darius and Hildy enter a drinking contest. Darius rolls on Stays Sharp (12) with a bonus from Burned Past (+) and Experienced (+). [16] Hildy uses Seasoned Sailor (12) with a bonus from Swearing, Spitting Gal (+). Hildy rolls a 4 and reaches 12 + 1 + 4 = 17. Darius rolls a 1 and gets 12 + 2 - 1 = 13. So Hildy wins with a difference of 4 and still oders pint for pint hours after Darius started hugging the ground.

Battle

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For Fighting, Charakters have weapons, armor and a wound threshold. In close combat both participants roll on a suitable value (a contest). The one with the higher result hits his enemy. On a draw the attacker hits. In ranged combat only the attacker rolls (task: difficulty given by the weapon or 12 up to 5m, 15 up to 50m, +3 for complications, -3 in a relaxed situation). If he succeeds, he hits.

The struck charakter takes an amount of damage equal to the difference of the results plus the winners weapon minus his armor. If the damage reaches his wound threshold, he takes a wound which gives him a malus of 3 on all rolls until it’s healed. A hit with a damage of 3x wound threshold means sudden incapacitation.

The normal wound threshold is between 3 and 6, weapon damage and armor between 1 (dagger / dart / cloth) und 8 (axe / rifle / plate). If one of the fighters only wants to defend, he gets a bonus of 6 but causes no damage if he hits.

For healing the player rolls once per week with a ±D6. Then he adds 1 per + in suitable attributes. If the result is at least 0, one wound heals. Strain, missing care or nursing give between -3 and +3.

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Example: Daenes (Fists 15, confident +, strong +) tries to put down a rogue Rakasha (Claws 12). Daenes player rolls a 4 and reaches 21 (15 plus 2 plus 4). The Game Master rolls a 4, with which the Rakasha gets 16 (12 plus 4). So Daenes hits her enemy with a difference of 5 points (21 minus 16) and does 6 damage (1 from her fire realm hardened knuckles). [18] The damage reaches the wound threshold of the Rakasha (5) and wounds her. Till that wound heals, the Rakasha has a malus of 3 on all rolls. She tries to escape and decides to just defend. That gives her a bonus of 6. Together with the wound she now has 15 (12-3+6). Daenes attacks again and rolls a 3, reaching 14 (15 plus 2 minus 3). The GM rolls a 1 and also reaches 14 (15 minus 1). Since Daenes attacks, she hits. But she does not cause a wound. [19] Nevertheless the Rakasha gets hit again and surrenders. She is bound and her wounds are treated. A week later she rolls for healing. The die shows a 1, which is -1, but the nursing from other prisoners gives her a bonus of 1. That suffices to reach 0 and her wound heals.

Character Cards

Characters from the world of No Dice [3]. They are intended to be printed on ordinary playing cards or similar, roughly in Din-A6 to Din-A7 format.

[20]

Harrak

Dwarven Thief
„No, I can’t do it. Well, I can try…“
Deft: +, Common Sense: +
Job: Locksmith: 12
(edges and flaws)
Flashbacks (his wife got turned to Gold): -
Weapons: Knife: 1, Axe: 4
Wound Threshold: 4

[16]

Darrius Briggans

Battle-Hardened Fighter
„I could not let you go alone now, could I?“
Burned Past: +, Experienced: +
Job: City-Guard: 9
Stays Sharp: 12, Swordfighting: 12
Responsible: -
Weapon: Sword: 4, Armor: Leather: 3
Wound Threshold: 6+3=9

Darrius’ wife burned to death in front of him when Goblins overran the town in which he worked as cityguard. After he got his revenge, he started travelling from town to town, trying to forget his past. His experiences made him hard but he decided never to let innocent people die again. If he can help it, that is…

[15]

Hildy

Pirate Captain
„No one gets left behind!“
Swearing, Spitting Gal: +, Reckless: +, Enthusiastic: +
Job: Pirate Thief: 12
Gun: 12
Trusting: -
Weapon: Pirate-Gun: 6
Wound Threshold: 4

[1]

Daenes

Inscrutable Fire-Realm Demon
„Come with me!“
Confident: +, Tough: +, Enticing: +
Job: Fire Realm Officer: 12
Ensnare and push onwards: 12
Mixed Loyalties: -
Weapon: Fire Toughened Fists: 1, Armor: Fire Toughened Skin: 1
Wound Threshold: 5+1=6

[21]

Claudette

Banished Rakasha
„Never again!“
Strong: +, Intense: +
Job: Ex-Rakasha: 9
With teeth and claws: 15
Hates slavery: -, Hunted (perfect slave): -, Humanoid shapeshift for 5 minutes: +
Weapon: Claws: 4, Armor: Fur: 2
Wound Threshold: 5+2=7

Rakasha can shapeshift into arbitrary humanoid creatures, but their shift normally only holds for about 5 minutes. To their demise, this also renders them susceptible to shapechanging magic. The legend says that their weakness was found by a mage who desperately wanted to have a child. When he was close to giving up, he found a young Rakasha and started experimenting on her. Soon he learned to transform not only her body, but also her mind, and in his desperation he created wristbands which bound her to a human shape and replaced her mind by that of a human child. After his death she kept living a human life, but when she died herself, her husband took off her shackles and her body returned to its natural form. His neighbors found him screaming in horror at the fur-covered body of his dead wife, and one of them took the shackles and sold them. Then mages began to replicate the shackles and the hunt for Rakasha began.

At the beginning of every gaming session, the game master should roll a D6. If the result is uneven, he should add a weak hunter who tries to capture the Rakasha (with abilitiies at least 3 points below those of the Rakasha). If the result is a 5, he should include a hunting party whose leader has abilities similar to the average abilities of the player characters.

Your own characters

To create your own characters, buy their attributes, skills, jobs and edges and flaws with 7 generation points. For one point you get an attribute or edge at +, a skill at 12 or a job at 9. For three points you get an attribute or edge at ++, a skill at 15 or a job at 12. Flaws with - give you 1 additional point. Weapons and protection cost 1 point per 9 of the added damage and armor (1 damage and armor is free). The standard wound threshold is 4. If you reduce it to 3, you get 1 generation point. Raising it to 5 costs one generation point. Raising it to 6 costs 3 points.

Non-Player-Characters

If you want to create a Non-Player-Character (NPCs), give him or her a name and a quote. Then just add a colorful attribute and a descriptive job or skill and you’re done.

As a rule of thumb, the jobs and skills of most NPCs should be 3 points lower than those of similar Player-Characters (PCs) - otherwise the scenario gets quite deadly.

Better use too weak NPCs than too strong ones: It takes quite some time until success gets boring, and the rules still make weaker NPCs somewhat dangerous. Even with 3 points lower skills, their chances to hit the PC in combat are about 20%, and the same goes for winning other contests.

The Scenario: Pirate-Party

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Being a Pirate is Great!

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Especially when you’re a treasure hunter!

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And transport friends as passengers!

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And one of them can cure your hangover with a snap of her fingers!

Except when something goes wrong. Or someone…

Someone…

„Relieve them. Now.“

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A voice like broken glass cuts through the haze of yesterdays feast. The next moment your hangover is gone and when you open your eyes, your gaze hits the uniforms of the royal navy.

You’re in the captains cabin, royal navy soldiers aim their rifles at you and you remember the name belonging to the voice: Captain Linda, loyal servant of the queen. Hunter of pirates.

A heartbeat later the door slams open and one more soldier comes in, dragging a bound and gagged Rakasha.

„Captain, they say these cat-people can take any shape they want. Request permission to use her freely.“

Captain Linda replies: „By the law of our queen, those Rakasha are no people and her protection does not apply to them, so I cannot bind you. But those beasts feel and I do not like pointless cruelty.“

A soldier with honors on his shoulders and on his breast cuts in: „You are right, captain, they are nothing but beasts. Even a horse feels, but we use steel spurs anyway. Captain, please give our solders your leave. They earned it.“

And another soldier without any honors on her uniform says in a hushed voice: „Please, captain. I am Tasha, I have been serving you for 8 years. But if you let them be cruel, I will leave at the next port.“

Captain Linda pauses. Then she says: „Let’s ask these pirates. I’m sure they will know ways to compensate our soldiers for their loss, if they deem those Rakasha as equals. And if not, then you can add the ex-captains law to the queens law and do as you please.“

5 Soldiers are in the room, 2 women, three men. And their captain.

[19]This is an evil start. The players can talk, or try to fight. Captain Linda is careless here: She believes her victory complete with all of the other pirates chained on the storage deck, the deepest level of the ship. But she only has 20 soldiers, and not all of them are happy to serve her.

Since the start hits hard, be sure to hold a really great party at the end of the session! Make it live up to the name Pirate Party!

The images in this post are from Mike Perry [26] and were created for the webcomic No Dice [3]. To our greatest joy, Perry allowed us to use them under the GPL! And I kinda enjoy the idea of using images from a comic named “No Dice” for a dice-based pen-and-paper roleplaying game ☺. It is also a really nice comic: Good enough to make it into the list of the webcomics I check daily. So if you like fun stories which do not shun away from controversial topics without ever losing their funny, then by all means have a look at No Dice [3]! —Drak [10] ↩ [27]
As License the Flyerbooks use the GPLv3 or later [28], which is the most widely used license for free software. More information (in german)… [29] ↩ [30]
The 1d6 system allows free choice of attributes, skills, jobs and edges and flaws. It offers compatibility with Gurps^{4 [31]} and Fudge/Fate^{5 [32]}, keeps the rules simple and leans to a rapid pulp-style. ↩ [33]
You can easily use rules, edges and flaws and equipment from Gurps. For the rules, just replace success rolls by rolls against 12. For edges and flaws, just replace costs of 10 to 20 CP by +, 20-50 by ++, 50-120 by +++. You can directly use all skill modifiers. For weapons, just replace the damage roll by the average damage. Armor and other equipment can normally be used without change. ↩ [34]
To use rules from Fudge or Fate, add 4 to success roll target numbers and multiply with 3. + and - of Attributes directly translates to + and - in 1d6. For aspects which are job descriptions, + is equal to 9, +2 to 12, +3 to 15 and so on (the Flyerbook rules have no cost for jobs, because they use pregenerated characters. In the full 1d6 rules, a job at 9 costs +, a job at 12 costs ++ and so forth - you surely see the pattern). For specializations, just triple the bonus (+6 instead of +2). ↩ [35]

Gather ye lads and lasses for a pirate party on the 11th Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Today is a day fer all ye lads and lasses. Celebrate with ye beauty and gather yer friends for a

» Pirate-Party « [36]

to enjoy the 11th

Talk Like a Pirate Day [37]!
(on September 19th)

[36]

→ read on… [38] ☺

…and if you’re in germany, go print the game [38] (print-version [39]), take it with you to your local pirate gathering [40] and spice up the last moments of the election campaign for sunday!