Variant Rules

Variant Rules

James Siebert created the following variant rules for Pirate Wars, with the exception of Peter Pan, which was the brainchild of Doug Mikkelson.

Initial Placement of Ships and Bases

Set-up will be in the open. Roll for placement sequence following the rules of initiative. Place one base or fortress or ship at a time. Figures are placed on the ships according to ship description and bases as the player sees fit.

Figures

A figure shortage has prompted changes in the number of crew visible on deck aboard a ship. In general, have enough figures for sailing, cannons, first mate, and captain and if a crewman dies then he must come from the pool of crewman berthed below deck, the excess crew listed on the ship description sheet. The crew should be listed on the ship data sheet and marked off when casualties occur. For example, if a ship requires 30 figures, use all the figures you may have available for those on deck; the rest of the crew (listed on your ship data sheet) are below deck.

Tasks

IMPORTANT: Figures cannot reload cannons, musket, pistols if they have moved in the same turn.

Example: A cannon crew is killed. A replacement cannon crew cannot move to the cannon and reload it. They can only move to the cannon this turn and will reload the cannon next turn.

Heroic, Exotic, Stupendous, Insane Actions

These are special rolls for extraordinary actions taken in times of duress, insanity, or any other appropriate excuse.

All the following tasks listed assume that all figures required to complete the task will have their action available to complete that task. You must decide ahead of time what your figures next action will be, and declare figure actions for your opponent. If you do not want your opponent to know what you are planning, write down what a specific figure or group of figures will be doing, and tell your opponent you have written down orders for your figures. Once the Task phase of the round begins then reveal your actions to your opponent.

Example of an insane, hidden Task: Your ship has taken heavy damage during a boarding action, and you are counterattacking. One of your figures, carrying dynamite, swings over to the opponent's ship, using one action and finishes that figure's task phase. During the next task phase, providing the crewman survives, that figure can then attempt to light the dynamite and throw it into the powder magazine. To do this the crewman must roll a 5 or better on a d6 and that ends his task phase. But wait, he didn't declare when the dynamite would explode, bwah ha ha ha.... the first pirate to swing into the upper atmosphere.

Since players can think of some weird, exotic, death defying actions, the GM decides what rolls are appropriate for a particular action. Players can have input on a GM’s decision by pleading their case but the GM’s decision must be final.

Tasks and Costs

Crew Task	Cost
Moving cannon side to side on ship	2 figures/1 turn
Load/unload cannon from dock or ship to launch	4 figures/1 turn
Reloading cannon	1 figure/2 turns 2 figures/1 turn
Aim and fire cannon	1 figure/1 turn
Move up to 24 dots	1 turn
Swim up to 8 dots	1 turn
Scale wall of fortress (must start turn at base of fortress)	1 turn
Move treasure chest or barrel	2 figures/1 turn
Grapple	1 figure/1 turn
Disengage Grapple	1 figure/1 turn
Sailing	1 figure/turn per SF moved
Sailing (changing speeds by stowing, resetting sails)	2 figures/turn per SF changed
Resetting sails that are lost to damage	2 figures/turn per SF repaired
Drop anchor	1 figure/1 turn
Raise anchor	4 figures/1 turn
Deploy launch	2 figures/1 turn
Board launch	1 turn
Dock or beach a launch	1 figure/1 turn, but all figures can still fire muskets and pistols

Task Modifiers

Crew Task	Modifier
Fire musket at fortress to hit figure	-2
Fire at figure climbing wall	+1
Fire at figure in building	-2
Fire at figure in cover (cargo, barrels, parapets, etc.)	-1

Resetting Sails

Resetting sails is a special case because the original 1 crew per SF (sail factor) and one at the helm must be in place plus the two extra figures to reset one SF. The limit for resetting sails is 2 per turn provided the ship has the HF to support the sails. A ship cannot reset sails above the remaining HF if the ship is damaged.

Ship Repair

To repair ships at a base or fortress, the latter must have the following: a dock, a boom and tackle (i.e. crane). Repair operations take a long time and considerable manpower. The main effort of repair is to allow a badly damaged ship a chance of survival. Usually a ship in a harbor will have the protection of the fortress or cannon emplacements to provide defense, but can still be easily sunk for treasure points.

Each HF repaired requires 2 turns and 10 figures. Fewer figures available means a longer repair time: 3 turns with 8 figures, 4 turns with 6 figures and 5 turns with only 4 figures.

The cost is expensive because ship repair is difficult at best, but will allow a badly damaged ship a fighting chance to finish the game.

Launches

There is 1 launch for every 8 figures aboard a ship.

Launches can be used to transport treasure, figures, cannon, extra sails and supplies, or to escape from grounded ships.

Launch cannot depart beach or dock until the turn after the last figure boarded it.

A Launch may hold 7 figures. A treasure chest or barrel counts as 2 figures, a cannon counts as 4.

Fortresses

Delivery of captured treasure and rum to a fortress or base can be used to lighten a ship’s load so that they can go out marauding again. The base or fortress must be manned in order to guard any treasure, cannon, guns, or rum stored at that location. No automatic sentries will be posted. The number of figures used to man a fortress is up to the owning player.

Movement along a string of forts or bases must be provided by a boat, rope bridge, or land connection. The standard fort construction rules will be used. Other than that the possibilities are unlimited.

New Creaturs

Normally the referee will be in charge of all creatures except parrots and monkeys.

Octopus

All of the commotion above the waves can bring dreaded creatures from the briny deep. Every turn, a random roll of 1 on d6 is made to see if the dreaded giant octopus appears. If so, rolls are then made for location of appearance: 1d6 for base direction and 1d6 for distance, and roll 1d6 to determine random if a victim is close by the point of appearance. The octopus moves quickly at 56 dots towards its random victim or group of ships and can change targets during the next random victim roll. When in the vicinity of a group of ships, roll for random attack.

The octopus will wrap itself around the rudder of a random ship causing that ship to drift with the wind. Only cutting off 3 tentacles with successful spear, axe, or sword attacks can drive off the octopus. Once the octopus is gone, the rudder is undamaged and functions normally. If an octopus loses 4 tentacles in one turn then the poor beast will glide back into the sea to nurse its wounds and wait for another day. The octopus can be killed by one hit from cannon fire or an experienced whaler with a spear. Muskets and pistols do not hurt the octopus. The octopus is not without defenses; every turn that a figure or figures is near, the octopus can attack with 2 tentacles at a target number of 3 to grab a victim for his/her dining pleasure. If a suckered figure still has an action, as a last great act of defiance, the figure using a weapon listed above can attack the tentacle holding the figure to free himself. If the figure misses he becomes crunch and munch.

Manta Ray

Manta Rays are usually benign. They swim in the shallows of the reefs and bays and ignore swimmers, but sailors finding themselves in shark infested water can hitch a ride on a passing ray on a roll of 2 on a d6 to grab on. Roll 1 on a d6 to see if rays are in the vicinity, 1d6 for the number of rays and a d6 to determine direction. The lucky sailor just has to be within 12 dots of the ray and they can catch a ride to the shallows near an island, atoll, or other landmass. The ray always goes to the shallows and then returns to sea.

Sharks

White sharks can eat two sailors a turn. Roll normally for appearance, then 1 on a d6 to see if there is a white shark in the group. Only one white shark per group.

Sawtooth sharks can cut tow lines, nets, launches, and sailors in half. Same appearance rules as for white sharks.

Dolphins

Dolphins will sometimes drive sharks away from sailors in the water. Dolphins love to ride the bow waves of ships so they will automatically be next to ships, but you must roll to see if the dolphins will drive off the sharks, 2 on a d6. Roll a 1d6 for the number of dolphins.

Dolphins and Manta Rays are nice but do not depend on them because there will always be more sharks and more sharks and more sharks. So, the moral of the story is: Do not fall into the water.

Parrots

Parrots can fly into an opponent captain or crewmen face causing the opponent to be at -1 to all abilities including morale checks.

Monkeys

Monkeys are cool. Monkeys can do almost anything. In previous events, monkeys have been fired out of cannons to attack the opposing captain with a pistol, or swung onto the aft deck to kill the helmsman with a sword and then steer the boat into a rock. During boarding, a monkey was sent to blow up the powder magazine of the opposing boat. It succeeded, but much to my enjoyment, it blew up the other boat as well and everyone was eaten by sharks. In an ironic twist of fate the monkey survived by riding to safety on a dolphin's back (Hey, they're not stupid.)

Peter Pan

Peter Pan is a major annoyance, no self respecting monkey will listen to him and shoot him first. As Peter enjoys harassing both Pirates and the established Imperials. He will fly from rigging to rigging on a random ship each turn.

While he is on a ship's rigging, all actions (firing, etc) are done at a (-1) modifier as his distracting presence makes it difficult for the sailors to concentrate.

Peter Pan is unaffected by any actions taken by the occupants of the ship he is currently aboard. (Except, perhaps, Monkeys...) Peter can only be eliminated by a critical hit from a cannon ball aimed directly at him. Thus, he can only be hit by another ship. If he is on an enemy ship, firing at him has no chance of doing damage to your enemy. If he is on a friendly ship, however, he will position himself to make it more likely that you might do damage to your friends if you miss! This will make it more difficult to decide to actually fire at him and represents his ability to avoid fire and do the most damage in the process.

One extra victory point for eliminating Peter Pan in a game.

Tournament Rules

The objective of the tournament is to collect treasure, capture ships and bases, and capture prisoners (captains, first mates, provincial governors and their lovely daughters).

The top four players from each round will advance to the final round. There will be individual winners from each round as well as the final round.

One boat per player.

Players that use islands for treasure storage and protection are encouraged.

Players are limited to one large base or three small ones. Large bases would be considered similar to the Eldorado Fortress, Rock Island Refuge, and the small bases would be similar to Sabre Island or Pirates Ambush.

Each tournament player’s ship, islands, bases, and crew will start over each session. Scoring will be based on capturing treasure and ships, sinking ships, and ransom value for hostages. The unit of measurement will be treasure points. The players with the highest number or treasure points will advance to the final round.

Scoring

Rum barrels and treasure chests count as one treasure point each

Sinking ships

Large ships- BSB, SES, RBR: two treasure points

Small ships- RR, CC, Caribbean Clipper: one point

Capturing ships

	Large ships- BSB, SES, RBR: four treasure points
	Small ships- RR, CC, Caribbean Clipper: two points

Capturing a fortress counts as four points

Ransom for hostages

Provincial governor 2 points

Governor’s daughter or Marquis 1 point

Variant Rules

LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site.The material on this page is based upon a game developed by Stephen W. Gabriel. Pirate Wars modifications © 1999 James Seibert. Peter Pan character and rules addition © 1999 Doug Mikkelson.