Making a Pirate
You need five ability scores, a class, some gear, and a reason people remember your name.
Roll your abilities
Roll 3d6 for each of the five abilities and read the modifier off the table. The sum is never used again — only the modifier matters.
| 3d6 | 3-4 | 5-6 | 7-8 | 9-12 | 13-14 | 15-16 | 17-18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modifier | -3 | -2 | -1 | ±0 | +1 | +2 | +3 |
Abilities can never go below -3 or above +6.
- STRENGTH — crush, lift, strike, grapple.
- AGILITY — defend, balance, swim, flee.
- PRESENCE — smarts, ranged weapons, perceive, charm.
- TOUGHNESS — drink grog, hold your breath, survive falling.
- SPIRIT — willpower, using relics, casting rituals.
Pick a class
Roll a d6, or a d8 to include the two optional classes — or take no class at all and be a Landlubber, who rolls 4d6 and drops the lowest in exchange for having no features.
| Class | Abilities | HP | Luck |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brute | Str +1, Tou +1, Pre -1, Spi -1 | Tou + d12 | d2 |
| Rapscallion | Agi +2, Str -1, Tou -1 | Tou + d8 | d2 |
| Buccaneer | Pre +2, Agi -1, Spi -1 | Tou + d8 | d3 |
| Swashbuckler | Str +1, Agi +1, Pre -1, Spi -1 | Tou + d10 | d2 |
| Zealot | Spi +2, Agi -1, Tou -1 | Tou + d8 | d4 |
| Sorcerer | Spi +2, Str -1, Tou -1 | Tou + d8 | d4 |
| Haunted Soul | By second class | By second class | d2 |
| Tall Tale | By second class | By second class | d4 |
The Brute hits things and cannot use rituals. The Rapscallion steals, stabs from behind, and needs a deck of cards. The Buccaneer shoots better than anyone and reloads in half the time. The Swashbuckler duels with style and insults. The Zealot prays and something answers. The Sorcerer is frail, powerful, and ruined by cold iron — which is awkward on a ship held together with nails.
Haunted Soul and Tall Tale are optional: you are dead, cursed, half-fish, or a genuinely intelligent monkey, and you roll a second class on top.
You never start with less than 1 HP.
Roll your story
Then roll a container, cheap gear, fancy gear, a weapon, clothing, and a hat — and the four things that make you a person: a distinctive flaw, a physical trademark, an idiosyncrasy, an unfortunate incident, and a thing of importance.
The unfortunate incident is not decoration. "You betrayed former crewmates, now they hunt you" is a plot the GM will use.
Name your pirate last, once you know what they are.