Historical Pirates

Best Selling RPGs - Available Now @ DriveThruRPG.com
I went with Savage World's Pirates of the Spanish Main, and we liked it for the most part but the nautical, ship-to-ship combat seemed definitely flawed. The player's ship was invincible.

On a side note, I spent a lot of time on this crew centered game. Here are our charts for part of the crew. Players are highlighted in red. I have few more pages of gun crews and assault team.
10876
10877
10878

Allen Cheddar, Master of Sails, was a NPC ass who was plotting to stage a mutiny and take the ship. The players hated him, so mission accomplished.
 
Last edited:
I went with Savage World's Pirates of the Spanish Main, and we liked it for the most part but the nautical, ship-to-ship combat seemed definitely flawed. The player's ship was invincible.
I haven't had the chance to play Pirates of the Spanish Main, which I hope to rectify soon, but reading the ship rules did make it seem like they leave a lot to be desired. I have a whole bunch of those fold-up ships from the card game--never played the game, just wanted the ships--and those seem like they'll be really great for ambience, especially if one ship is "your" ship and you get a feel for its scale and appearance when compared to others. I also have some "Pirates in a Tube" plastic toys I might bring into play as well.

You know this thread is just Séadna Séadna's sneaky way of trying to trick me into setting up yet another PBP...
 
I haven't had the chance to play Pirates of the Spanish Main, which I hope to rectify soon, but reading the ship rules did make it seem like they leave a lot to be desired. I have a whole bunch of those fold-up ships from the card game--never played the game, just wanted the ships--and those seem like they'll be really great for ambience, especially if one ship is "your" ship and you get a feel for its scale and appearance when compared to others. I also have some "Pirates in a Tube" plastic toys I might bring into play as well.

You know this thread is just Séadna Séadna's sneaky way of trying to trick me into setting up yet another PBP...
These ships???

10879

If so, they were perfect for our game.
 
These ships???

View attachment 10879

If so, they were perfect for our game.
Yeah, I grabbed a bunch of packs at a discount store. I guess the game was out of print or unpopular or something. I got as many as they had so I could have lots of ships either for a pirate RPG, a period ship battle game, or just for fun. I must have at least 20 different ships.
 
Yeah, I grabbed a bunch of packs at a discount store. I guess the game was out of print or unpopular or something. I got as many as they had so I could have lots of ships either for a pirate RPG, a period ship battle game, or just for fun. I must have at least 20 different ships.
I did about the same thing. I think they started out with historical ships from the 1700s but then got weird. . . like ghost ships and stuff. I have a kraken, too. They are a great scale for table top gaming. I never played the game that they are actually for.
 
Actually, I should dig through my son's Legos to get some of his pirate minifigures. There is quite a variety that you can change parts on to customize. He doesn't play with them anymore but he had a pretty decent number of pirate Lego sets before he got obsessed with Minecraft and Star Wars. I find using props like these encourages players to get into the setting. It sure helps envision your character.
_2.png
3529149088_a0b31e13da_b.jpg
 
These bad boys are pretty interchangeable as well and you can get bucket loads of them off eBay:
10882
 
ICE's Run Out the Guns is great. It has a lot of detail on what the various members of the crew actually do and a very nice full color map of the Carribbean.
 
ICE's Run Out the Guns is great. It has a lot of detail on what the various members of the crew actually do and a very nice full color map of the Carribbean.
Is that an RPG or a board game? Never seen it.
 
Mongoose's Pirates of Legend is pretty good. Legend suits pirates really well, especially the swashbuckling, swordsy, shooty side. You can also lose an arm or a leg and be a proper pirate.
 
I haven't had the chance to play Pirates of the Spanish Main, which I hope to rectify soon, but reading the ship rules did make it seem like they leave a lot to be desired. I have a whole bunch of those fold-up ships from the card game--never played the game, just wanted the ships--and those seem like they'll be really great for ambience, especially if one ship is "your" ship and you get a feel for its scale and appearance when compared to others. I also have some "Pirates in a Tube" plastic toys I might bring into play as well.

You know this thread is just Séadna Séadna's sneaky way of trying to trick me into setting up yet another PBP...
Boy if only someone would run a play by post of this. But who? Really who could do it justice? Anyone have a suggestion?

Certainly not I. I know very little about the period.
 
Run Out the Guns uses a very cut down version of RMSS you pick a background and a crew position and total the bonuses. There are many useful tables. The carousing table would probably cause a stink these days.
 
Just a advanced warning if you use the Dragonships from the pirates of the Spanish Main tactical game. They look awesome but are very fragile when you put them together. Be extra careful when putting it together and don't dissemble afterwards.
 
Just a advanced warning if you use the Dragonships from the pirates of the Spanish Main tactical game. They look awesome but are very fragile when you put them together. Be extra careful when putting it together and don't dissemble afterwards.
I broke several masts on regular ships before I got the hang of it. :smile:
 
Four PbP campaigns are not enough for you:shock:?
I'm hoping to read through the basics of Pirates of the Spanish Main this week. I read an overview online but some of the explanatory text of the reviewer was vague; I'm hoping the actual game is clearer. It's probably a little more on the "heroic" side than I usually run, but I can go with a little over-the-top Pirates of the Caribbean-style fun. Just don't expect any dragons and zombies to show up.
v1.jpg
Any excuse to post a photo of Anna Friel
 
I'm hoping to read through the basics of Pirates of the Spanish Main this week. I read an overview online but some of the explanatory text of the reviewer was vague; I'm hoping the actual game is clearer. It's probably a little more on the "heroic" side than I usually run, but I can go with a little over-the-top Pirates of the Caribbean-style fun. Just don't expect any dragons and zombies to show up.

whoa hey now. A certain level of occult shenanigans is baked into both the tactical game and the RPG. You can face zombie ghost pirates as well such mundane threats as megalodons and titan crabs. If you want a purely mundane or historical Pirate game might I suggest, Ultimate Pirates and Privateers and Plunder Guide from Mystical Throne Entertainment using savage worlds system. I even prefer the cargo tables in it over the Pirates of the Spanish Main. As long as everything is thematically consistent it really isn't a big deal.
What is going to be a big deal is how your planning to handle naval combat for a group sharing one ship on a pbp, I've been mulling that one over for months now. Honestly adding supernatural elements (as well as mercantile, for that matter) might not be such a bad idea if one player monopolizes ship combat then the others have their own purviews to shine in.

On a slightly unrelated note have you watched Neebs Gaming lets play of sea of thieves? you want to see how a party interacts on ship combat or see how to incorporate supernatural foes and treasure its all there.
 
whoa hey now. A certain level of occult shenanigans is baked into both the tactical game and the RPG. You can face zombie ghost pirates as well such mundane threats as megalodons and titan crabs.
Fantasy add-ons to historical settings are outside the scope of this thread...and also outside my area of interest.
If you want a purely mundane or historical Pirate game might I suggest, Ultimate Pirates and Privateers and Plunder Guide from Mystical Throne Entertainment using savage worlds system. I even prefer the cargo tables in it over the Pirates of the Spanish Main. As long as everything is thematically consistent it really isn't a big deal.
Unfortunately I'm not buying any new game products for a looooong time due to the big bucks I had to spend on my son's braces two weeks ago...but I would definitely like to read your review of this game as historical-setting roleplaying is one of my primary interests. I'm not much into fantasy gaming.
On a slightly unrelated note have you watched Neebs Gaming lets play of sea of thieves? you want to see how a party interacts on ship combat or see how to incorporate supernatural foes and treasure its all there.
No, but I hardly watch anything as I'm more interested in novels than television or film. Is that a YouTube show? Is Sea of Thieves an RPG?
 
Fantasy add-ons to historical settings are outside the scope of this thread...and also outside my area of interest.

A little harsh and I can sympathize to a degree (just going to assume that John Wick strikes again). Reaching for my hardcopy of Prirate of the spanish main to refresh my memory right now because I never bought the pdf...

okay weirdest of the weird edges is storm chaser so nothing overt their. okay their is supernatural stuff in the gazetteer but that is left open to interpration so dogdged another bullet their. finally bestiary and we have stats for giant crab, giant electric eel, ghosts, physical ghost ships, ghost ship captain ghost ship crew, spectral ghost ship, mermaids, sea serpent.

So no wizards pirates but an open world full of things to discover which may or may not be supernatural and the stats for some really nice monsters if you want them. Less Gygaxian feel more of Howard in the Caribbean.
Unfortunately I'm not buying any new game products for a looooong time due to the big bucks I had to spend on my son's braces two weeks ago...but I would definitely like to read your review of this game as historical-setting roleplaying is one of my primary interests. I'm not much into fantasy gaming.

OOF! Okay Pirate of the Spanish Main definitely trumps Ultimate Pirates and Privateers and Plunder Guide (UPPPG) for utility. The UPPPG is a nice historical companion written by gamers stats for a wider range of ships, specific weapon load outs for specific eras, and a timeline which is nice but if you are a history buff (or have wikipedia) you already have a good handle. Honestly it was the cargo tables that caught my eye the most and thats only important if your into record keeping and economics.
No, but I hardly watch anything as I'm more interested in novels than television or film. Is that a YouTube show? Is Sea of Thieves an RPG?

Yup on Youtube. Honestly I give Neebs Gaming of Sea Of Thieves a higher recommendation then the UPPPG and it is free. Okay first a little context, Sea of thieves is a video game that was released too early and a lot of people made fun of it for being bare bones and awful. but a loyal base stood by and updates of the game have polished it dramatically. The game is you going on quests to islands to dig up treasure and sell it back at the pirate stronghold but you also have the ability to attack other pirate ships (including loading youself into a cannon to be shot on board their ship) in pvp and take their treasure. Now this might sound like almost every other PVP type game where the fun is to give other players more grief but because of the community sticking by it is much more easygoing.

Now why recommend a video game for tabletop guidance and why Neebs gaming? First how they handled keeping the game fun through the updates. fighting a giant Kraken was supposed to have been a giant boss fight but the players enjoyed so much it became a wandering monster encounter that is some wisdom all Gms should take notes on. As to why Neebs Gaming, high production values coupled with a very group improv style that I find very reminiscent of tabletop experience.
 
Yup on Youtube. Honestly I give Neebs Gaming of Sea Of Thieves a higher recommendation then the UPPPG and it is free. Okay first a little context, Sea of thieves is a video game that was released too early and a lot of people made fun of it for being bare bones and awful. but a loyal base stood by and updates of the game have polished it dramatically. The game is you going on quests to islands to dig up treasure and sell it back at the pirate stronghold but you also have the ability to attack other pirate ships (including loading youself into a cannon to be shot on board their ship) in pvp and take their treasure. Now this might sound like almost every other PVP type game where the fun is to give other players more grief but because of the community sticking by it is much more easygoing.
I love Sea of the Thieves the video game. It is one of my all time favorites. I have had more fun playing that with my brother and friends then just about any other game.
 
Banner: The best cosmic horror & Cthulhu Mythos @ DriveThruRPG.com
Back
Top