BASIC GAME CONCEPTS

RON & BONES is a game of pirates, ships, islands, rum and adventures where
you will discover a score of colorful characters. To play RON & BONES you need
the Tale of War miniatures, RON & BONES card decks and two eight sided dice. All
of these are included in the Ron & Bones box, so you can get started right away.
This game combines dice throw, boards and miniatures with a very intuitive and
visual system of cards that will allow you to learn quickly the game mechanics.
You will find different card sets:
- Character cards: they hold all the information you need to know about the
characters in order to play RON & BONES
-Skills, defaults and team cards: they contain the info about special skills,
physical defaults, and your pirates equipment.
- Combat cards: they are the heart and soul of the game. With them you will know
everything your pirate can do during his turn through a very intuitive
system of icons.
-Critical damage cards: they explain all the critical damage a pirate can get
during a fight

Dice Throws:

Action Zone (zac) :

To play RON & BONES two 8 sided dice are needed. In the coming sections we will
write throw 1D8 short for throwing one eight sided dice; 2D8, for 2 dices, etc.
When you throw both dices, the final result will be the addition of both dice results
(i.e. you throw 2D8 and get a 4 and a 6, the final result of this 2D8 throw is 10).
On another side, we will refer to Double when both results of the dice are the
same. i.e. Double 1 means you have got 1 on both dices. A Double 8 will indicate
you have obtained an 8 on both dices.

The Board:
The games of RON & BONES are played on carton boards divided into
squares. Inside the game box you will find your first board: the Pirate Ship board.
Lookout for more boards in upcoming boxed scenarios.

Measurements:
Sometimes you will need to measure the distance between two characters, for example, in order to calculate the maximum range of a weapon, or the
effect range of a special rule. In such cases, the distances will always be indicated in squares. It is measured using the shortest way to the target square, using
diagonals if need be. The square of origin is never to be counted in this distance;
the target square on the other hand is always included.

The 3 squares in front of the character (Front) and the 2 on each side (Sides)
make the Action Zone. Of the 9 squares around a character the three behind are
out the ZAC and called Back squares. These 3 terms will be very important all
along the game because they determine the direction in which the character
can move, defend, or attack. Besides, the different kind of actions will specify
squares inside or outside ZAC.
-Frontal: Refers to the centre square of the 3 Front. If it is indicated that
the movement or attack is frontal, that is the only square where it can be
executed.
-Rearguard: Refers to the centre square of those on the Back, that is, the
one just behind the character.
Should the squares be behind an uneven or Impassable obstacle they are
no longer considered ZAC. Even though under normal circumstances (clear terrain) they should. On the other hand, prone characters do not have an ZAC.

Facing:
The character figures will be placed inside the boards squares; they can
never occupy two squares at the same time and must always face one side of
the square. .The facing defines a characters action range (ZAC) and line of vision. The characters will lose facing when they are prone.

Sight:

In order to perform most actions, a character must see another character,

or target square. In order to see the target, it needs to be in the Vision zone of the
character, furthermore it must be possible to draw a Vision Line from the character to his intended target without obstruction.

-in this case character A can see

and be seen by pirates 1,2 and 3
as he is in the limit of the uneven
terrain and he can draw a Vision
line towards those pirates without
crossing any Impassable obstacle.
However pirate B cannot see or be
seen by pirates 1,2 and 3.

-Vision Zone : is determined by the facing of the character as depicted on

graphic 2, it is extended to infinity. Also, targets inside a characters ZAC
are always visible (Sides included).
- Vision Line: Draws an imaginary line from any corner of the square to any
corner of the target square. If this line is inside the Line of Sight and does
not cross any Impassable obstacle or any square occupied by another character, it will be a valid Vision Line and the target is valid. A line that touches
the corner of any square occupied by an Impassable obstacle or any other
character, is not be considered a Vision Line.

- In this case, character A can see

pirates 1 and 2 as it is possible to
draw a Vision line without any Impassable obstacle in the middle.
However in the case of pirates 3
and 4 the line does not provide a
vision as it touches a corner of an
Impassable obstacle.
If the Vision line crosses an uneven
terrain, the character will only be able
to see the squares of the upper levels
touching its square, that is in the limit of
the upper and lower surface. On the contrary, a character that is standing above an uneven terrain will only be able to see
those pirates in a lower square next to their square. That is, leaning on the limit..
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THE CHARACTERS
Each pirate in RON & BONES is represented by one Tale of War miniature.
Not all the pirates are equal, and this is reflected on their Character cards where
attributes, skills and armaments are indicated.

CHARACTER CARDS

Name: Name of the character.

Attributes: Each attribute has a number value or level and a description.
The higher the level the better that pirate will perform at this particular task.

Hands: The two squares in the upper part of the character card represent

the left and right hand of the character. This is where weapons and objects will
be placed to represent what the pirate is currently carrying in his hands.

- What a motley crew you have put together this time!

- What do you mean, Barracuda.
- Billy the Vermin only has one-eye.
- So have I, Have anything against one-eyed people
Have you ?.
- Of course not Captain, Id never even think so But
Peg leg Frank is lame
- Yeah, fine Barracuda, but Im also lame. Have you got
something against lame people?.
- No, absolutely not Captain. In fact, I love lames They
are really funny But Sam Hook is one-armed.
- What do you mean now, Barracuda? . Im one-armed
myself. Perhaps you have something against one-armed
people.
- No, Captain. Now that I think of it you hired a great
crew this time.
- Now youre talking! Much better Barracuda, much better.
Excerpt from Wandering Wonders of Captain John Oakleg

Special abilities and flaws: This is where you can find each pirates
special skills as well as any physical defect or psychological disorder he may
have. These game elements will be explained in detail on the Skills, defects and
equipment card that goes along with the Character cards.

Pack: It represents the sword scabbard, backpack, pouches and pockets a

pirate has to store his item, weapons and objects.
It is represented on the character card with a square where you can find the
item or equipment the character owns. Everything he is not currently carrying
in his hands at the moment. The objects features will be detailed on the Skills,
defects and equipment .

Reputatin: It represents the pirates fame and his influence over the crew.
Besides, the characters can pretend to a position within the crew that will be indicated below his image in the card, this position will award him extra skills.
At the beginning of the battle add up the reputation of all crew members; the
result is the Crews Reputation, it can play an important role in some scenarios.

The Character cards contain all necessary information about your pirates in
order to play the game. We will describe now all the different parts you can find
on them.
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Pay: On the back of the character card you can see a number printed over

a golden chest (bottom right), this is the cost in gold doubloons to hire this
pirate into your crew.

Rum: Hiring a pirate may also bear a cost in rum barrels, you will find said

number at the bottom left of the character card next to the bottle icon.

Character AttributeS
The attributes reflect a characters capacity to face different situations in
the game. This includes their skill in combat, their speed for moving and reacting, their resistance to blows and courage in battle. Each pirate has a different
level in each attribute, that makes him unique.

Seniority

Reflects the experience in combat. It is used in hand-to-hand combats (HtoH),

comparing each characters attribute level. It can also affect other game situations:
1 - Enlisted
2 - Experienced
3 - Toughened
4 - Hardened
5 - Veteran

Skill

Represents the reflexes, agility and coordination of the character. It defines

the speed at which a pirate does an action. (Action Speed).
It also determines the movement capacity of a character:
1 - Slow
2 - Clumsy
3 - Decisive
4 - Lively
5 - Agile

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Courage

Pets:

It shows the courage of a character to face edgy situations in combat. It is

used in Fortitude Checks.

All pets are placed in a part of the characters body: shoulder, head, leg
etc, which is the place where the pet always stays. The first time the character
receives a critical damage in that place, it will be ignored and the pet takes the
damage instead, and dies as a result. The specific pet rules no longer apply after

0 - Chicken
1 - Coward
2 - Daring
3 - Intrepid
4 - Daredevil
5 - Brainless

Health

Many RON & BONES characters have a pet. These will have special rules attached
to them as indicated on the character card. However the following rule applies to all:

it is dead.

Indicates the constitution and health of the character, and thus the number of wounds he can withstand in combat. When a pirate loses his last wound,
he is withdrawn from the game and considered a loss.
5 - Sickly
6 - Skinny
7 - Fibrous
8 - Solid
9 - Well-built
10 - Strong
11 - Sturdy
12 - Powerful

ITEMS
Your weapon is an extension of yourself. A pirate needs
it as much as his own liver in order to survive. Keep yours
close, hidden, waiting, because you never know when you
will need them next.
Pirates Code.

Items are the different weapons and objects in RON & BONES. They will be
represented by cardboard tokens you will find in the game box or extra material
along with pirate miniatures.
Are considered item any useful object a pirate can interact with in the
game. All item are subject to handling rules as explained further on. They can
be used for offence or defense. They vary in size and shape and may even be
used as obstacles.

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Item is divided into: Weapons, Objects and Heavy Objects.

The difference between a weapon and an object is the way it behaves
when used for attack. Weapons cause more lethal damage while objects (or
weapons used as objects) cause less or subdual damage.
Heavy objects, given their size and weight, cannot be carried in the
characters pack, they become obstacles the moment you put them down on
the floor. Moreover, characters can interact with Heavy objects as will be explained further on in the Handling rules section.
Every item has a profile describing its characteristics, including: type of attack, damage they make, and any special rules applying to them. You can read
specifics of item profile on the Skills, defects and equipment Card.

: Determines the kind of damage an item

- Damage
can cause. The icon can also have the symbols + or -, how the damage is modified when hitting with that item.
- Handling

: The icons indicate if the item must be use with one or two

hands, as indicated in the rules of Item Handling.

- Objets
: apart from using the weapons in a conventional way, they
can also be used as objects, for example hitting with the butt of a gun or with
the handle of a sword. Heavy objects will also have a number inside this icon to
state their weight.
- Special: describes if there are certain limits to the type of attacks with the item
or if any special rule applies, for example, what kind of an obstacle a heavy object becomes when put down.
You can read an items description on the Skills, defects and equipment Cards.

Item Description
- Name: Items name.
: these icons determine the kind and
- Attacks
type of attacks you can do with a particular item. Each item can be used in
different ways, this explains why you can have different attack icons. Only if
the attack icon is compatible with the action the character is undertaking
can the attack take place, as will be detailed later.
On distance attack icons a number besides each icon will tell the maximum
range of the attack (in squares) for shooting
and throwing
when
said item is used in that manner..
- Defense

: This icon shows if the item can be used to block a HtoH at-

tack. The icon can also bear the symbols + or -, this tells how the dice result
is modified when using the item to block an attack.
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Weapons as objects When using a weapon as objects always use the two
profiles below unless otherwise specified on the Skills, defects and equipment Card .

Heavy objects also have a profile common most of them.

Heavy object:

When a weapon is used as an object, use the following profile:

One handed

Open hands: As we will see further on, a character can attack without any
item in hand. Using his fists, legs or head. In this case the following profile
must be used:

Open hand
Should the weapon or object is a two handed item, use this profile:

Two handed

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Heavy items

Item handling
The items tokens of the item a pirate owns must be settled on the characters card at the players leisure before the game begins. Distributing those
as he wishes between the hand and pack squares. The placement of items
may vary during the game, either because they are lost, or thrown or removed from pack to hands or vice versa. Present location must be shown
clearly at all times during the game. Only items in the hands of a pirate can
be used for attack or defense. Should an item be two handed it will need
to occupy both hand squares on the character card.
As in real life, characters use their hands with different dexterity. Each pirate has one of the following rules for handling items:
- Right: left hand was considered the clumsy hand.
- Left: right hand was considered the clumsy hand.
- Ambidextrous: has no clumsy hand.
Attacks made with the clumsy hand will be penalized as explained later

Two handed item

They require the use of both hands to be used correctly in combat. A two
handed weapons token will be placed over both squares (left and right hand)
of the Character card. The clumsy hand rule does not apply when using a two
handed weapon.
Two-handed items can be carried with just one hand and thus occupy only
one space holder on the character card. In this case the two handed weapon
cannot be used to attack or defend; it can only be carried or dropped.

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Are specially bulky and heavy, items that follow specific rules you will find in the
advanced rules section at the end of this manual.
The movement of the characters carrying a heavy object can be hindered (see
rule). Moreover, if a heavy object is on the floor, it may interfere with line of vision and
character movement. It is treated as ground element, as will be explained later.

Disarming
During a fight a pirate can drop or loose an item he is carrying in his hands.
Some attack results will indicate what hand drops the item (left or right). Unless
specified, the following applies: If only one item is carried or a two-handed item
is carried it is dropped no matter the hand result (left or right). If two items are
carried, one in each hand an 8-sided dice is thrown: Should the result be an even
number: the pirate loses the right hands item; an odd result means he loses the
one in the left hand.
When an item is dropped, to the ground, its token is removed from the hands of the pirate on the character
card and put down on the square where this characters figure is standing. If the item is a heavy object, it is placed on a square in the ZAC of the
character who lost it. The dropped item
will remain in play on that square
until any character picks it up.
Weapons that are not heavy
items do not interfere at all
with movement or vision line.

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THE GAME BOARD

- Good morning sir Malasombra.
- Captain ...
- How?
- I said good morning Captain Malasombra.
- Ah! Going for a walk?
- No, Im going to catch a boat to go on adventures. To
hack, you know ...
- With the walker ...
- Yes, today I have woken up with a some pain of sciatica
and a huge world domination.
- Well, well, certainly will not short.
- No, Im just missing a parrot.
- A parrot?
- Yes, woman, a parrot. Of those who repeat things related
to the mutilation and sharks.
- So no more annoying you, to find a parrot around here
with a vocabulary so versatile it will not be easy.
- Okay, maybe Ill have to do with a pelican.
- Well, good hacking then.
- Im thinking I need a lady, to abduct her and stuff. So
then the army would come to rescue her and I would fight
all of them.
- With the walker ...
- It is true ... the walker would not be very practical. Ill get
the walking stick! Do not move from here, lady.

The game is played on a board divided by into a square grid. Characters move
on said grid occupying one square at any given time. Terrain elements are also present that affect the game. The fixed terrain elements are marked with colored lines
or arrows directly on the board. Mobile elements can also be added; tokens or miniatures will represent them. They follow the rules any terrain element follows when
setting on the ground.

Terrain Elements
In any scenario characters will face obstacles, uneven terrain or hindrances,
which we call Terrain Elements. Those can either help or hinder characters actions.
Terrain Elements can be bulky. They can occupy one or more squares (eg, the ships
masts, boxes, barrels, etc.) or linear if they are only a dividing line between two
squares (eg, Handrails , Walls, the guns of the pirate ship, etc.).If a Terrain Element is
bulky, the outer edges of the squares it occupies will be marked in color. Linear Terrain Elements are marked with only the dividing line between squares being drawn.
Terrain elements may impede vision line, and even movement, as we shall see later.
There are several types of terrain elements:
- Low barriers: are marked by green arrows >> on their sides. These are obstacles of equal or smaller size than a standard standing pirate miniature (like:
Barrels, Tables, Railings, etc ...); They partially interfere with line of vision, and
in order to get over or on top of them a Jump movement is necessary. No
jump movement is necessary to exit or get down said obstacles. Should a
character land on a square containing a low obstacle, he is considered on top
of the obstacle, above the main ground level. Most heavy items are considered low barriers. Their token bearing a green edge indicates this.

Excerpted from Pirate Dementia.

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-Impassable obstacles: are represented by black line on its outer side |

Those obstacles are bigger than a pirate miniature standing (walls, masts,
etc ...). These obstacles completely impede vision line and, obviously, characters cannot go through or over these obstacles.

The characters as obstacles: A pirate cannot enter a square already occupied by another pirate. Neither can he draw a line of vision through another
character, unless the other character is standing on a lower level as compared to the first.
-Hindrances: Are terrain elements represented with blue arrows >>. Hindrances do not interfere with the line of vision or movement of the characters. Nonetheless a character can trip and fall to the ground should he
enter an hindrance square backwards. (See Tripping). Dead characters
and some heavy objects are considered hindrances.

The sides of the staircase are considered low linear obstacles >>. If the staircase is more than two squares long, the highest square is considered impassable obstacle (like the top level) with respect to the lower surface.
-Hole: Usually miniatures cannot occupy squares with a hole, lest they fall
or reach there involuntarily. When a character enters a square containing a
hole he will be withdrawn from the game and is considered lost. Holes can
be jumped over just like an obstacle and, do not interfere with vision line.
Squares representing the sea are considered holes.
-Heavy objects or Obstacles that can be handled : These obstacles are represented in game with game pieces (scenic miniatures). They may change position during the game, as characters can interact with them. These obstacles
must always occupy a square and normally are seen as hindrances or low barriers, as indicated in the scenario, the profile of the object or the color of its
token in the game.

-Levels: They represent a major difference in height between two surfaces of the game board. They are represented with a red line | separating squares of different levels. The height of each playing surface is
indicated on the board with a number (Nx).
In general a Level difference means two or more character heights between two adjacent surfaces of the game. A character cannot jump up a
higher ground Level difference as it is considered impassable obstacle.
On the other hand, a character can move to a lower ground square by
jumping down (see Movement). Heights affect combat and vision line.
-Stairs: are elements that connect two different ground levels. Stair access is noted with blue arrows. Characters can move around access sides,
they are considered hindrances for all purposes >>.

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Cover
It is more difficult to hit a character behind partial or total cover than if he is
in the open. This is why obstacles can provide cover to a character sustaining an

-in this case none of the characters 1

and 2 can benefit from cover as the lines
only touch either a corner or the side of
the obstacles.

attack, making him more difficult to hit.

To determine whether a person is behind cover, the attacking player chooses
any corner from the square in which his character is standing that has a vision line
to its target. He then draws an imaginary line to every corner of the square in which
his intended target is standing. If at least one of the lines is interrupted by the presence of a low or Impassable obstacle, the target benefits from coverage.

When the attacker is adjacent

to a low barrier or obstacle, this does
not interrupt his vision line and does
not provide cover for their target since
it is considered he may lean over it to
see beyond. On the contrary the same
character will always benefit from this
low obstacle cover adjacent to him should it cross the enemys vision line.

- in this case characters 1 and

-in this case characters 1 and 2 do not

get cover because they are on a higher
level than the attacker. The low obstacles in between do not hinder the
vision line of the attacker. Pirate 3 does
not benefit from the cover either as the
attacker ignores the low obstacle adjacent to him. On the contrary pirate 4
does benefit from the cover of the low
obstacle should he be the target of attacker A as it is also adjacent to him.

2 benefit from cover, as at least

one of the lines crosses a low
or Impassable obstacle.

If a line touches the corner or is parallel

to the side of any type of obstacle,
it will not be considered broken
and the target will not have
coverage
26

If the target, or the attacker, are on different levels, low barriers (including
characters) that are at on the lowest level do not provide cover to the target
unless said obstacle is adjacent to them.

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- In this case character A is on

higher ground and ignores the
obstacles of the lower level, unless
his target is adjacent to it. Thus,
pirate 1 will not get cover because
he is not adjacent to the barrels,
while pirate 2 benefits from the
cover of the handrail as he is right
next to it.

- Yes, woman, Im short a parrot. On of those saying

things related to mutilation and sharks.
- All right, Ill leave you to it then, as finding a parrot with
such vocabulary around here will be no easy task.
- All right maybe Ill have to settle for a pelican.
- Well, good pirating then.
- Now that I think of it, I may need a lady, to abduct her
and stuff. This way, when the Armada comes to her
rescue I can fight them all.
- With the walker ...

Defensive benefits afforded by cover are detailed in the Attack section.

- Youre right ... the walker may prove a tad ill practical. Ill
get a walking stick! Bear with me and wait right here Miss
Excerpted from Pirate Dementia.

THE GAME
-- Good morning Mister Malasombra.
- Captain ...
- What?
- It is Good morning Captain Malasombra.
- All right then Going for a stroll?
- No, Im catching a boat, going on adventures. Do Pirate
things you know ...
- With the walker ?
- Yes, today I woke up with terrible back pain and craving
for world domination.
- Well, all good then, you certainly dont lack willpower.
- No, just a parrot.
- A parrot?

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Before starting to play Ron & Bones, players must agree on several points:
The scenario to play, the amount of doubloons and rum available to hire the crew,
which crew they can hire, and so on. Section Lets Play, at the end of the rulebook,
explains all these as well as it gives you a few scenarios.

The turn
In Ron & Bones a turn consists of three phases: Events, Action and Activation.
Each phase is resolved simultaneously among all players. The order of play is determined by the characters themselves. The players must finish each stage before
moving to the next.
-1 Events Phase: This phase will solve many special rules, such as the level of
Drunkenness of the Crew, unlock a dam, explosions, and many more, as indicated
in the many special rules with the characters themselves, their gear or scenarios.
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Once all special rules have been resolved, players take back all of their
combat cards used during the previous round and return them to the
respective decks of each character. Some rules force Combat Scrolls
to be played during the next turn. Should this case arise, they are not
taken back, but left on the table as an indication of what happens
next.
-2 Action phase: It is time to decide what each of your pirates will be
doing next. Players must secretly choose a Combat card from each
of his characters, and pick one of the Combat Scrolls printed on the
card, as you can only use one each turn. Separate the selected card
face down without showing it to the other players and place it properly oriented to the side of the chosen pirates character card. Once all
players have chosen one Combat Scroll for each member of his crew
members, unveil them all at once and leave them face up besides the
pirates character card that will be using it.
Remember that each combat card contains two Combat Scrolls, so
when you place them next to the character card you should orient
them correctly, since once youve turned it face up you will not be al-

score. The activation of the characters will occur in order from highest to lowest result obtained from this throw. If the tie continues, this will be repeated
until it is resolved. If a tie occurs among the characters of the same player, the
player chooses the order in which their pirate will act.
Once all actions of a Combat Scroll have been resolved, do not remove the
combat card, as it is a reminder that this pirate was active and may benefit at any time during the turn of passive rules (eg, Dodge, Block, etc...)
awarded by the Combat Scroll.
-Being stuck: During the game a pirate can be stuck for a number of reasons.
This means that the character cannot perform all of the actions
noted on his Combat Scroll In this case discard the combat card
returning it to its deck. The character loses the ability to activate
this turn if he hasnt done so already. If he was already activated, the loss of the Combat Scroll, means he cannot benefit
from the passive rules it would have awarded him normally.

lowed to change its orientation.

-3 Activation phase: Once all Combat Scrolls are unveiled, they will be activated according to the speed of action
printed on the Combat Scroll
chosen for this turn. The activation order is from highest to lowest. The
activation of each character occurs independently of the player to whom
he belongs. Combat Scrolls with a higher AS (Action Speed) will be implemented before those with lower AS. When a character is active, he must go
through the entire sequence of actions written on the card and resolve all
effects of said actions before moving to the next character.
-Tiebreaker: Sometimes the Combat Scrolls of several characters from
different crews have the same AS. To resolve the tie and know who will
be activated first, 1D8 is rolled for each character and added to their SEN
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Combat Scrolls

Each character has a certain number of combat cards. These are transferable
and can only be used with the character for which they have been designed, which
will make each member of your crew unique and irreplaceable. Each Combat card
contains two Combat Scrolls on it (see picture attached).

- When we board, Barracuda and Jaquetn will neutralize the enemy

crew, with their pistols and blunderbuss. Willy the vermin, Sam Hook
and Frank pegleg will storm them from behind taking advantage of the
chaos. Leave their captain, Jack Parrows, to me.
- But sir, you are one-eyed, one armed and limping!
- Damnit I forgot that detail Barracuda ! - said the captain his eyes
unfocused.
You are right, youd rather bring him to me then....
Excerpt from Wandering Wonders of Captain John Oakleg

Combat Scrolls
They show, with icons, the sequence of actions that the character can perform when it is activated in the game turn (move, attack, defend, etc.). And other
special rules they may benefit from once activated. When you play a Combat Scroll,
you have to resolve it completely, indicating how you make the sequence of actions. If your pirate did not choose the most appropriate Combat Scroll to ensure
his survival, he will need to run the entire sequence of events described on it nonetheless.

Row cards
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In each of Combat Scroll can be found the following:

- Name: Name of the Combat Scroll.
- Speed of action
: This number determines the moment in which the
Scroll is activated during the turn, and thus when the pirate carries out the
actions it contains.
- Passive defense
: This number represents the difficulty of hitting a
pirate when he is performing a certain action. Modify the Attack difficulty
by this number when attacking the character during the turn whether or

that can be carried out with the Combat Scroll. If there are multiple icons
simultaneously this means that you must choose one attack among the different attack possibilities offered to you, as a rule characters can only attack
once per turn. In order to resolve the attack the character needs to have in
hand the necessary weapon represented on the attack icon.
-Defense Icon (green): Indicates if the character can block or stop a HtoH attack he is the target of. The defense is a reaction, so it is only activated if the
character is the target of an attack, as detailed further on in the blocking action paragraph. This icon can have a modifier to the defense throw, in which
case the bonus will be noted next to the icon.

not the character has already been activated during the turn.
- Activation: This section contains all possible actions the character can
carry out when the Combat Scroll is activated, depicted as a series of
icons. If the Combat Scroll contains several actions, these must be conducted according to the order in which they are drawn (left to right,
top to bottom). If any one action cannot be performed due to the game
situation, it will be ignored and you move on to the next action. Some
actions are only carried out in reaction to another action of an enemy
character (eg Block), so youll have to wait for it to happen in order to

- Pirate Action Icon (purple): These icons indicate that specific actions can be
performed with this Combat Scroll. For example Handling an item, Cursing
etc. These icons usually have text explaining the specifics of the action that
can be undertaken and, if necessary, how to run said action.
-Notes (grey): Any other action, reaction or special rule benefiting the character and not covered in the above sections will be detailed here.

run this particular action.

The types of icons that can be found in the activation part of a Combat
Scroll are:
-Movement Icon (blue): This icon represents the ability to move the character once the Combat Scroll is activated. Usually this is the first action to
take place and is present on most cards. It usually imposes some modification or imposed movement (see rule: Movement).
- Attack Icons (red): The red icons represent the different types of attacks
34

35

Action: movement

ACTIONS

The Intrepids hull cracks and rolls under the waves in this moonless
night. The wind moans as the waves splash at starboard washing the
bridge to end up in a waterfall at port. Shouts can be heard on all
sides as the crew tumbles from one side to the other manning the ship
as they can to prevent a tragic ending. A sailor falls at sea, his cries cut
short by the unforgiving sea that crushes him in its jaws.
A dark and sinister silhouette of colossal proportion cuts out against
the night. It rushes the ship in a blur. Kraken ! Kraken ! the cry of
anguish leaves every man aghast. Panic overwhelms the bridge of the
Intrepid as starboard is crushed in a thunder of split timber. The ship
is raised dangerously as the planks split complaining of this harsh treatment. Sailors are flown overboard and all are grasping what they can
to save their lives.
The Intrepid splits in two after such abuse as the Kraken finally
proves to be the hull of a huge and menacing ship. As dark as its Captains soul: the Black Plague. Looking down on the drowning sailors
Methuselah the Cursed Captain savors their anguish with a smile.
Story excerpted from the Chronicles of the cursed.

36

With the movement action miniatures can move from one square to another,
change facing, jump, etc ... Each movement action is paid in Steps. The movement
icon shows the number of Steps a character can take when the Combat Scroll is used.
In addition, the number of steps may be limited to a single type of movement or can
be increased by the characters Dexterity. The +DEX note next to the movement
icon, indicates the character receives a number of bonus Steps equal to his DEX value. If the Combat Scroll contains a mandatory type of movement, only these types of
movement can be conducted and no other. Should the game situation prevent this
particular type of movement the miniature will have to remain in place.
Character movement often leads to moving from one square to another on the
game board. Always keep in mind this generic rule:
-Regardless of the number of steps a character can take, he may not move from
one specific square to another, more times than the number of basic steps provided by the Combat Scroll being used.
-Characters cannot enter or pass through squares occupied by pirates or other
Impassable obstacles when moving.
-Characters carrying a heavy object during their movement will see their movement capacity reduced one step from the total movement allowance for every
point of difference that the weight of the object has over the characters Health
(HEA).
Ex. If a Pirate with a HEA of 8 is carrying and object of weight 10 he suffers a
penalty of 2 Steps in regard of the movement capacity described on whatever
Combat Scroll he uses while carrying said object.
Should the number of steps the character can take be diminished to zero or less
by the objects weight, the character cannot move at all.

37

- You can see on this illustration every

kind of possible movement that can b
used in order to move around objects.
In case 1, 4, 5 and 6 the character needs
to jump in order to reach that square
Case 2, 3 and 7 the character cannot
move to that square.
Case 8 he needs to Dive.
Case 9 he needs to make a fall check.

retreat he must make a roll on the Tripping Table. In this case, the characters
cannot move diagonally should their movement have them cross the corner of
a square occupied by an obstacle or another character.
- Jump (2 Steps): A miniature can be moved to a front square that is occupied
or separated from him by a low barrier by making a jump. In order to do so, he
will make a roll in the Jump Table. Should there be a level difference behind
the low barrier (handrail for example), he will suffer an additional -1 penalty
for this throw and will have to endure Falling damage.
Jumping over a hole: Holes can be jumped over just as obstacles, in this case however, you will move 2 squares instead of 1. In a single movement you may not jump
over 2 hole squares or 1 hole square plus one low obstacle.

Types of movement
Unless the Combat Scroll forces restriction on the possible type of movements that can be conducted, the player can split the number of Steps his character can make between all possible movement types as he wishes.
- Turn (1 Step): Change miniature facing by 90. Your pirate executes a
quarter turn in any direction (clockwise or counter clockwise) without
moving from the square it occupies.
- Move (1 step): The character can move to one of its three Front squares
without changing his facing .The square must be free of any obstacle. The
characters can move diagonally without penalty unless it passes the corner of two obstacles (including other characters whether they are friends
or enemies). If any of the corners touches a low barrier, it can be passes
by making a jump action. In any other case the square cannot be moved
from.
- Derive (2 Steps): The miniature moves to a Lateral square without changing facing.

Moving from obstacle to obstacle. Passing or moving through one obstacle square
to another adjacent obstacle square belonging to the same or different obstacles
does not require a second roll on the Jump Table but costs 2 Steps and is considered
a single Jump (and thus requires a single Jump throw).
- Diving (1 Step): A miniature can move to a front square situated two or more
levels below where he is standing, as long as the destination square is not occupied by any character. A throw against the Jump Table is needed, once the
miniature is placed on the target square. Hey may suffer fall damage.
Thrown to the floor: In addition, this type of movement can also be used by
the character to throw himself to the ground. From then on the character is
considered prone.
- Getting up (2 Steps): A miniature that is falling on the floor can be raised
within the square in which he is, taking the facing of his choice.
- Crawl (2 Steps): prone miniature can crawl to any adjacent free of obstacles
square.

- Exit (3 Steps): The miniature can move to a back square, free of obstacles and without changing his facing. If the character is hindered in his
38

39

Tripping

Falling to the ground

Characters may trip and fall to the ground every time they move backwards crossing, entering or leaving a square containing an obstacle >>. Each
time an obstacle is crossed this way throw 1D8: Results of 1 or 2: The character trips and falls to the ground. With 3 or more nothing happens and you
can continue his actions normally. Lame characters always trip and fall down
when entering or leaving a square containing an obstacle.

Characters may be forced to fall to the ground in many situations of the game
or they can also choose to do a throwing. In either case, the pirate will be sold and
its miniature lie down face up on the square where it has fallen or been thrown. The
only Combat Scrolls that can be done from the ground are leading a movement with
enough basic steps to be able to crawl or stand up, (Take position, Quiet movement,
Crouch down) or stroll On Guard . The characters thrown on the floor do not have ZAC
and, if they are attacked, it is considered that it always produces a flank. When miniatures fall on the floor they remain an Impassable obstacle, but not disrupt the vision. A
character lying on the ground will not be visible if the vision line of the enemy is going
through a low barrier.
JUMP TABLE:
Throw 2D8 and the characters

to the roll.

2 to 7 Trips and falls to the ground. Character falls down and is considered prone
on the target square. If there is heights difference between start and target squares,
the character suffers one level of fall damage from the Fall damage Table. If he was jumping over a hole he is considered as falling down the hole and taken out of game.
8 to 11 That was tough. The characters lands on the intended square but cannot
move any further. If there is a height difference between start and target squares the
characters suffers Fall damage.
12 and more. You did it . TThe characters jumps without problems and can continue moving should he have Steps left. If there was height difference the character
subtracts one level of damage when checking for damage on the Fall Table
Double 1. Trips and falls to the floor. and suffers one wound on top of the 2 to 7
result. Should there be height difference the character broke is neck and is taken out of
game.
Double 8. Critical success. Not only does the character perfectly succeeds but he
suffers absolutely no fall damage and gets one extra step to use as he wishes.

40

41

FALL DAMAGE TABLE:

Miniatures suffer fall damage depending on the height difference between start and
target squares.

1 level of difference, No damage.

2 levels of difference Bad landing, Falls to the ground, prone
3 levels of difference Crash landing,Falls to the ground, prone and suffers 1 critical hit.
4 levels and over: Over board, The character is considered lost and taken out from the game.

ATTACK ACTION
- Sir, We did not manage to beat his crew.
- Pity.
- And we lost Peg leg Frank, Sam Hook and Willy the Vermin.
- Well that doesnt come as much of a surprise Barracuda.
- We did everything we could.
- That I have no doubt about. This explains you missing with the
blunderbuss and getting the three of them with one shot. Bingo!
Give this man a cigar .. You certainly did everything you could!
- The wind, captain, it ruined my shot.
- Solid steel against air it certainly had it fly away. This wind is
definitely unforgiving.
- Err, promise me you wont get mad at me but ... we sort of
couldnt capture Jack Parrows.
- I see.
- Captain, may I introduce you to Jack Parrows, coming of his own
volition, Im afraid he is coming to claim your ship.
- Get the pinnace ready, Barracuda. And please ... shut up
In Wandering Wonders of Captain John Oakleg

42

There are two forms of attack: Hand-to-Hand (HtoH) and Distance attacks.
In addition, every form of attack is divided into different sub kinds, depending on the weapons or objects used for the attack.
When a character performs an attack action he must choose: a target miniature, which weapon and hand(s) to attack with, and finally make a Strike
roll. In each Combat Scroll the type of attack that can be carried out is defined and, therefore, the type of weapons or objects it can be carried out
with. Should the pirate fail to have the adequate type of weapon he will
not be able to perform the attack.

Hand-to-hand attacks

There are three types of hand to hand attacks: Armed, Improvised and
Wrestle, all three share the fact that the target needs to be in an adjacent
square to the attacker and with no more than 1 height level difference between them. The Combat Icon will indicate if the weapon used in the attack
is single or double handed as well as the Target Zone it can be used in.
- Attack Zone: The Target Zone is equivalent to the Attack Zone (ZAC) but,
in this case , applied to combat. It indicates which squares can be targeted
in an attack.
may be directed to
For example, an attack conducted using this icon
any enemy character standing in the entire attackers ZAC.
On the other hand, if the attack on the Combat Scroll states this other icon
,it means the attack is limited to the frontal squares of the attackers
ZAC only.
Should the attack be directed to an ZACs side square, only the corresponding hand (closest to this side) can be used; and therefore the corresponding
weapon. Two handed weapons can be used for either side of the character.
If the HtoH attack is directed at a target that stands on top or behind an
obstacle or has height difference, it will be considered in a vantage position.
43

Once these specifics are determined you can make a Strike roll.
Armed Attack: HtoH Attacks can only be carried out with weapons bearing this icon in its description. The weapon used in this attack
determines the damage done. Armed attacks can only be blocked using
weapons that allow Blocking.
Improvise Attack: Is an attempt to strike the enemy with any item
the attacker is carrying or with the hands, fists or legs (open handed).
Should the attacker be carrying a weapon, it will not be used as such and
shall be considered an object for all damage purposes. In these types of
attacks the characters Health (HEA) can modify damage. Thus for every
2 levels of HEA difference between attacker and defender, 1 is added (or
retrieved) from the damage result; depending on whether the difference
is in favor of the attacker or defender. An Improvised attack can always be
blocked without the need to be carrying a weapon.
Wrestle Attack : Wrestling is the attempt to thrown down on the
floor or render him defenseless by pushing or grappling him, without using any weapon or object. The attacker may be carrying weapons or objects, he will just not use them for this action.
Before making the Strike roll, the Damage Table needs to be determined:
Pushing or Wrestling. The attack is resolved like any other HtoH attack but
the end result will not be damage but instead: moving the target miniature or immobilize it depending on the damage table selected.
The Strike roll is made in the same way as any other HtoH attack.
In these types of attacks, the HEA of the character may modify the damage result. For every 2 levels of difference between the attacker and defenders
HEA 1 is added or taken off the end result. Depending on whether it is in favor
of the attacker (+1) or the defender (-1).
A Wrestle Attack cannot be blocked
.
44

Distance Attacks
There are two kinds of attacks at a distance: Shooting and Throwing. Distance Attacks
can only be conducted with weapons bearing the according Icon on their description. The
target of a Distance Attack always has to be standing in a square within the Vision Zone of
the Attacker, as well as within striking distance of the weapon being used. Once these requisites are completed you can make the Strike roll.
- Distance: The maximum effective range of a weapon is indicated next to the
Icon on the weapons description. The modifiers and range are different with
every type of Distance Attacks.
Shooting attack: Can only be conducted with firing weapons and thus
with objects bearing the adequate Icon in their description. Should they successfully hit, the target will endure the amount of damage stated in their description. A firing weapon can only be used if it is loaded. All weapons are
assumed to be loaded when the game begins, unless it is specifically stated
otherwise in the scenario. Once shot, a firing weapon needs to be recharged, in
order to be shot again. By default all firing weapons are one shot unless specifically stated otherwise in their description.
Firing weapons have the following special rules:
- Point-blank: You incur a Strike difficulty of -2 when Shooting an adjacent square.
- Lost bullets: If the Strike roll is failed by more than 4 over the attack difficulty,
the square adjacent to the intended target square shall be numbered from 1
to 8 (1 being its frontal ZAC) and 1d8 be rolled. This roll indicates where the
shot actually lands. Should their be a miniature in this square (may it be friend
or foe), the bullet strikes him causing one wound and he will have to make a
Fortitude check (F9) immediately.
- Dumb! Dumb Bullet! : If the Strike Attack result is double 1, the gun explodes in
the characters face and he suffers one wound. He will also have to make a Fortitude
check (F9) immediately. (see specifics on Fortitude checks in the damage section).
45

Throwing Attack : Can only be conducted with Throwing weapons,

thus with items bearing the appropriate Icon in their description. Should
they successfully hit, the target will endure the amount of damage stated
in the weapons description. Those weapons can be thrown with one hand
unless it is specifically stated otherwise. Throwing weapons can only be
thrown once per game and, once thrown, will be taken out of the game:
-The Id rather give you a knuckle sandwich instead rule: A throwing attack cannot target an adjacent square.

BLOCKING ACTION
Its a defensive action that prevents enemys Hto H attacks. Activated
characters with an attack scroll allowing a Blocking action will be able to try to
stop successful HtoH targeting them and thus cancel them; If and only if they
have the right sort of weapon allowing them to make such parry and the attcks
comes from a square in his Defense Zone.

Defense Zone
The Defense Zone is equivalent to the ZAC but for defensive purposes
only. Only attacks launched from the squares indicated in the Icon next to the
Defense Icons on the Combat Scroll, can be successfully defended against. Thus
if the Icon is this one:
it enables your character to defend against attacks
coming from his front squares. Now if this icon
) is present, it enables your
character to defend against attacks coming from either side of him.
Your Pirate can block any and all attacks directed to him this turn, it will
only be more difficult every time he attempts a parry.
In order to Block an attack you need to overcome the Strike roll of your opponent with 2D8 applying the following modifiers:

46

BLOCKING MODIFIERS TABLE

+/-

Blocking modifier next to the weapons Icon on the item description.

+1

For using 2 items permitting a Blocking Action to parry the attack.

+1

If you are in vantage position over the attacker.

-1

For every consecutive Blocking Action conducting during this turn.

(i.e.: The first attack prevented with a Blocking Action in any given turn suffers no enalty.
The second one bears a -1 on the roll, the third -2 .. etc. until all attacks against this character have been resolved for this turn). With a successful result obtained with a double
(same value on both dices) the attacker is disarmed (and drops the item he was attacking with).

- Hey Grandpa, whats in your bag?

- Money, Aztec gold.
- Sounds nice, give it to me.
- No way.
The bully draws his sword.
- Youd rather give it to me.
The old man lifts his cane. It swaggers from Parkinson.
- You know, youre just missing a scorched ass to look perfectly
like a monkey.
- Now thats enough, Grandpa!
Says the bully readying his sword.
In a swift movement the old man strikes his opponent straight in
the eye toppling him on his back.
- And stop calling me Grandpa, Im Captain Malasombra and
this is my island Moron!
The old man walks off a street that doesnt quite look like an
island clutching a pouch containing what doesnt quite look like
Aztec gold.
Excerpt taken from Pirate Dementia.

47

PIRATE ACTION
Pirate Actions are the most varied actions you can find in the game.
Combat Scrolls will state what specific Pirate Actions can be undertaken. This is
why every Pirate Action will have an explanation note besides it, explaining in
details every specificity and rules or restrictions applying to usage of the Pirate
Action it describes.
- Voice: Some Pirate Actions have an area of effect determined by the
word voice or Icon
, with a number next to it. This number indicates the number of squares of the area of effect of the Pirate Action.
Only characters within the area of effect will be affected by the Pirate
Action, the area is calculated taking the action bearing character as
the center of the area and going a number of squares in every direction around said character. Deaf characters are immune to Voice Pirate Actions and Dumb characters can not undertake any Voice Pirate
Action.

Handle
This is one of the most versatile actions in the game. It will be indicated on the Combat Scroll with the word Handle. With this action, characters
can pickup, take or manipulate weapons and objects. They can throw them
or Fire them without need of the Firing Attack Action. It can also be used
to open or close doors, pick locks, have a swing from a bottle and basically
interact with any object in game.
With this action, unless otherwise indicated, the character may reshape
the situation of gear within its character card at any time, provided that at the
end of it, to comply with the Rules of Handling. If a person wants to undo a gear
he may drop it to the ground, remaining in the square in which it finds itself. The
gear will remain there until it is collected.
With this action, unless stated otherwise, the character can move any object
48

on his character card at any time, as long as he remains within the handling rules. Should a
character wish to dispose of an object, he can let it down on the ground. The item will then
remain on square the character was standing on until someone picks it up.
Note that the character can only undertake one of the following Handling actions per
Action (or any other Handling actions specified in the scenario or object description)
-Taking an item : A miniature can pickup any item on the floor that is lying
in the same square he is in or in his ZAC; an object that is in his Pack, move
it to from hand to Pack using one or both hands that is on the ground in his
square or in his ZAC or pack, using one hand or both hands or putting them
in the pack. If the object is a Heavy object, it can only be picked up if it is in
the characters ZAC.
- Hurling an object: You can throw any object your character is holding in his
hand at the beginning of the turn. Hurling is resolved just like a Throwing
Attack. Objects maximum range is 6 squares. Heavy objects can only be
hurled 2 squares away. The damage produced is always treated as Object
damage even if the object thrown happens to be a weapon. In this case the
weapons damage capacity will not be considered.
When hurling an object, the player can choose an empty, visible, square
and not only a square occupied by a character. But should the throw fail,
the object falls in an adjacent square to by determined with the same
method as a lost bullet with 1D8 (see rule in the Distance Attack section).
A hurled object is lost at the end of the action and taken from the game
unless otherwise specified in the scenario or object description or unless it
is a heavy object. If the object remains in game it will stay in the square it
landed on until it is picked up.
-Drinking: A character carrying a bottle, cask, or container can drink from it
with this action and determine the effects of the ingested beverage.
Many more ways to undertake the Handle Action exist. These can be founds in the
Advanced Rules Section at the end of this Rulebook or on the Combat Scrolls.
49

Offending
If the Combat Scroll includes the word Offend, it may be used to try
to scare, provoke or distract the enemy with intent of having him lose this
turns action or even that he be scared and run away. With this action you
can you can choose one (and only one) of the options detailed further on
(or any other stated in the scenario, special rules, character card or Pirate
Action) .
Most of these actions have the Voice word or Icon next to them as
well as a number. This number is the area of effect of the Offending Action
being undertaken.
: A character can Insult another character that has not been
-Insult
activated yet, trying to have him loose his action. In case of success it
also means the target of the insult will be able to attack in return.
When a character insults another, the player has to say the insult out
loud. Obviously this action cannot happen if the character is Dumb.
For this action to be effective, the target has to be within range of the
offenders voice. Characters needs to have a Line of Sight between
them and no more than one level of heights difference. Should these
requisites be validated each player rolls 1D8.
The Offender adds his COU level and subtracts his SEN level to the roll.
(1D8+COU-SEN).

adequate weapon. No matter if the Offended manages to carry out his attack
or not, he will be angry for the turn and loose any other action for the turn.
Should there be a tie in the dice rolls, the throw will be repeated until there
is a winner.
Optional rule: Colorful insult. If you make your opponent smile with a particularly colorful insult he can reward you with an extra point on your insult roll.
Be creative!
Do not deprive yourself of your right to Insult anyone any when. First of all
... Because youre a Pirate ! and second because you can distract characters
that can be potentially dangerous to your goals. But be careful of just who
youre insulting.
-Bullying / Distracting
: A character can intimidate another that has
not been activated yet, with a scream, yell or a gesture. This action targets
scaring an opposing crews character, making him loose his turn before his
Combat Scroll activates. For intimidation to be effective, the intimidated
character has to stand no more than 3 squares away from the Bully. The
Bully needs to have a line of sight to his target and have no more than one
level of height difference. If these requisites are completed, the intimated
character should make a Fortitude check (F8). The roll can be modified depending on the appearance or type of fear the Bully induces.

The Offended adds his SEN and subtracts his COU to the roll. (1D8+VET-COU).
Should the Offended get the highest result, the Offender did not succeed
in his attempt and the turn will be resolved normally.
If the Offender obtains the highest result; the Offended will attack the
Offender foaming and shouting. The Offended will thus turn to face
his Offender and move until reaching his enemy, disregarding the
Steps needed to do so but still rolling for jump if necessary. Should
he reach the Offender with this move he will then be able to make a
normal attack of his choice using whatever weapons he is currently
holding. The Offender may try to parry the attack if he is carrying the
50

51

Nothing is more fun for a pirate than to intimidate their opponents.

Its more; It is a way to make room in the heart of a rumble.

USING A COMBAT SCROLL

This is a Combat Scroll with a speed
of 7 and Passive Defense of 0
The character can move up to 2 Steps
He can than choose from any of
the 3 types of Hand to Hand Attacks the Attack Scroll describes
targeting an enemy in any of the 3
front squares of his Attack Zone.

Make the enemy fear you and the battle is already half won
.
Excerpted from the pirate code.

This is a Combat Scroll with a

speed of 10 and Passive Defense of 2
The character can make an Exit
move (and this type of movement
only) with a cost of 3 Steps.
With this Combat Scroll the
character can also try Blocking any
attack directed to him from any of
the 5 squares of his Attack Zone.

Other key words

There are many more Pirate Actions such as Vudu, pets, Tying up, Taking the
helm, etc. It can also be special rules that only Captains have. All these special or specific rules come included on the Combat Cards or Character Cards
, equipment or objects descriptions. They will all use the Pirate Action.

52

RESOLVING AN ATTACK
Once all requirements in the attack description are fulfilled, the player must determine if he manages to successfully hit and do damage to his target through a Strike roll.
Should the Strike be successful, Damage is resolved.

53

STRIKING

D ifficulty M odifiers to H to H Attacks:

Strike rolls are determined differently in Hand to Hand and Distance

attacks, as modifiers are different from one roll to the other. Even if both
Hand to Hand and Distance Strikes are resolved by rolling dices, the difficulty of the attack as well as modifiers to the roll vary from one attack to
another.
-HtoH Strike roll : In order to successfully hit your opponent, you need
to determine first the difficulty of the attack, by getting the difference
between the SENiority of the Attacker and that of the Defender. Look
for the SEN difference (positive or negative) in the following Table.
This will indicate the roll difficulty. Once you know the difficulty of
the attack, apply whatever modifiers that apply (i.e.: Clumsy Hand,
Vantage position ... etc.).
To hit your opponent, roll 2D8. If the result is equal or higher than the
attack difficuty, it is successful and Damage is resolved. (see Damage).

+1 Target is considered in Vantage position.

-2 Attacking from the side or rear squares of the target, or if target is prone.
-4 RAttacking from the Back square.
A double 8 roll always does maximum damage in the corresponding Damage
Table (see Damage), moreover, this attack cannot be Blocked.
A double 1 is always a miss.

--Rolling for Distance Strike: In order to Strike, the attack difficulty is always of 8.
Should the roll result be equal or more than the attack difficulty, duly modified
by distance and rules hereafter, with a roll of 2D8, the Strike is successful and
Damage is resolved.

+Passive Defense as indicated on the Combat Scroll used by the Defender.

+2 Attacking with the Clumsy hand.

+ SEN attacker SEN Defender.

Difficulty

+2 Attacking with the clumsy hand. .

Difficulty Modifiers to Distance Attacks:

TABLE : ATTACK DIFICULTY

SEN Diference

+Pasive Defense as indicated on the Combat Scroll used by the Defender.

-4 o more

-2, -3

-1

+1

11

10

+2, +3 +4 or more
6

+1 Target benefits from cover.

+ Distancie (see below).
-2 Point-blank (Shooting attacks only).
A double 8 roll always does maximum damage in the corresponding Damage Table
(see Damage), moreover, this attack cannot be Blocked.
A double 1 is always a miss and the Dumb! Dumb Bullet! rule applies.
Captains Aura: If a character tries to attack a Captain from a distance he shall suffer a +2 penalty to his
attack. A Captains Aura is so powerful that your hand trebles as you try and take a shot at him

54

55

- Distance shooting weapons range: Divide the maximum distance noted in the weapons description by 4. You now have 4 quarters with the
same number of squares. Each of these quarters modifies the attack
difficulty. The further the target is, the more difficult it is to hit.

1 very short distance: No modifiers apply.

damage. The Damage Level is 2 (10-8=2). Looking at the Damage Table under
cutting (for the sword) we find the amount of damage caused to the target character).
Some weapons or objects or the HEALTH of the character modify the level
of damage when used. Every modifier to damage are applied once damage is
being determined, and only in order to increase or decrease the level of damage. They are not used to modify the Attack difficulty or Strike roll

2 Short Distance: +1 to the attack difficulty.

3 Long distance: +2 to the attack difficulty. .

DAMAGE TABLE

4 Very long distance: +4 to hit.

Compares the run for Impact with the Difficulty of attack and seeks
the difference

- Throwing distance: Divide the maximum throwing distance into 2. The

first half, the squares closer to the attacker, is considered short distance.
The other half is considered long distance. The throws difficulty increases
with distance. Keep in mind you cannot throw a weapon to an adjacent
square. (see : Id rather give you a knuckle sandwich instead rule) .
Short Distance: No modifiers apply .
Long distance: +2 to the attack difficulty.

THRUSTING

CUTTING

PENETRATING

LEvel

DaMAGE:

LEvel

LEvel

WOUNDS + esp

-/
/

If you managed to hit your target, either in Hand to Hand combat

or Distance, you caused Damage to your opponent. In order to know the
amount of damage caused by the attack, take the result of your Strike roll
and deduct the difficulty of the attack from it. This will give you the level of
Damage your attack has caused. Look for the level of damage in the Damage Table below for the weapon type corresponding to the weapon you
used in the attack. You now have the amount of wounds and additional
damage you caused to your target.
(example: A character attacks with a sword and rolls a 10 on his Strike
roll, he had a difficulty of 8. This means the attack was a success and caused
56

WOUNDS + esp

PERFORATING

DaMAGE:

LEvel

WOUNDS + esp

DaMAGE
WOUNDS + esp

/
/

6+

6+

6+

6+

blunt

Damage

DaMAGE:

Pushing

WRESTLING

(+/-health)

(+/-health)

(+/-health)

LEvel

LEvel

DaMAGE:

LEVEL

DAMAGE:

WOUNDS + esp

WOUNDS + esp

-/

-/

DaMAGE:

WOUNDS + esp

-/

-/

6+

shRAPNEL
LEVEL

DAMAGE:
WOUNDS + esp

-/

3-4

5-6

6+

6+

57

In the result damage you can find the following icons. Should a damage result contain
more than one such icon, they will be solved in the order they are represented.

Wounds
: represents the number of Wounds the character looses. When a character
looses his last Wound, he is taken away from the game and considered a loss.
Critical Damage

: This means that besides the wounds, you managed to inflict

critical damage on your target (See critical damage).

: The character needs to roll a Fortitude check of the difficulty
Fortitude Check
noted besides the icon (ex: E9 for a difficulty of 9), after resolving the attack.
Thrown back

: The character is Thrown away by the attacker (see below).

Pinned down

: The character is pinned down by the attacker (see below).

- Pinned down
: If the result of damage shows that the character is pinned
down, he is rendered helpless. His SEN level is reduced by the number next
to the icon. At the beginning of the next turn, in the Events phase, the character pinning down can release his opponent so that both characters undergo their turn normally, or he can decide to keep the lock. The pinned down
character will have the opportunity to escape. In order to get away from his
opponents lock, each opponent will throw an opposed roll with 1D8 adding
their SEN and their HEA. (1D8+SEN+HEA) (Remember to subtract 2 to the SEN
of the character that is pinned down).
If the attacking character (holding down is opponent) wins, both characters remain locked for the turn and cannot be assigned Combat Scrolls this
turn. Should one of the characters be forced to move or be thrown to the
floor, pinned down or killed the pin down is immediately negated.
If the winner is the pinned down character on the other hand, both characters will undergo their turn normally.

58

- Thrown back
:The attacker moves the enemy character without changing his facing to an adjacent square away from him in a straight line. When
a character is Thrown back, you must choose, if possible, a square without
impassable objects. If during his movement, he finds a square with low
obstacles, the Thrown back character will occupy that square but fill fall
down and suffer one additional wound (and is now prone). If the landing
square rests a level below the current level the character is on, he will fall
down and will suffer additional Falling damage adding 1 to the to the normal height (add 1 to the height level before looking up the result in the
Falling Damage Table) If the move makes the character pass an Hindrance,
the character thrown back will need make a roll in the Tripping Table no
matter what facing the character had when he entered that square. If there
are no possible squares the character can be thrown back to, because there
is an impassable obstacle or because it would mean going overboard, the
character is trapped and suffers one Critical Damage instead. He will not
have to move back again even if this is what is stated in the Critical Damage
result.
- Death: When a character looses his last wound he is taken away from the
game. A Skull marker is placed where he was standing. This square is considered an hindrance from no on. Even if markers stack on this square, it will continue to be considered a hindrance (the piles height does not count).

CRITICAL DAMAGE

Who goes there! Cried the watchman.

Around him, everything is quiet again. For a moment, he thought he overheard footsteps on the bridge. The ship rocks quite a bit in the waves but
Jellyfish Jim is a seasoned sailor and he barely notices.
Darkness be damned! He mutters to the night.

59

All have heard terrible stories about sea monsters and Ghost ships than
roam these waters on moonless nights. Jellyfish believes them all.
Superstitious to the bones, he knows many of his comrades died on the Impetuous some months ago. He was there. He is the crews only survivor.
He owes his life to a pinnace he managed to free at the last minute, as the ship
was sinking. Now on board of the Octopus, he travels the same dark waters
that swallowed his mates in as moonless a night.
Another creak.
He turns around. Standing in front of him is a dark figure, engulfed in a long
coat. His angular face is so pale it reflects the light of the lamp he his holding
and it is a skull.
Jellyfish is paralyzed with terror and lets his lamps fall on the deck. Flames
spread out immediately lighting his face distorted with absolute fear.
- No soul escapes the curse of Methuselah. whispers the undead, his jaws
not moving as he speaks.
Scarce minutes afterwards, The Octopus is ablaze and the crew dives into
the sea, most of them burning already. The calcined corpse of Jellyfish Jim
remains on the deck, on his knees, in the very position he was in when the dead
spoke to him

Story excerpted from the Chronicles of the cursed.

Each player has a deck of critical damage cards that only affects his
own characters. Every time a character receives a critical blow, the player
will draw a card from his deck to determine the outcome of the critical hit.
Most of the effects of critical damage are permanent, to represent this, the
critical card will be placed besides the characters card for the remainder
of the game.

60

Critical Damage Cards

Critical damage cards are articulated in the following manner:
- General Location: Indicates which part of the body is affected by critical
damage. This is mostly used to determine if the character is affected or
immune to the blow as will be detailed later. Possible locations are: Head,
Body and Limbs.
- Specific Location: This specifies where the wound precisely is (arms, legs,
nose, belly...) These are also keywords that help determine immunity rules. If
the critical damage occurs on a limb, it will also specify if the right or left limb
is affected).
(Ex: Should critical damage affect a hand, only the hand specified on the
card (may it be right or left) will be affected. The other one remains unharmed).
61

- Instant Damage: here are indicated wounds or special rules that occur immediately after the critical damage is dealt. These can be divided
in three types: wounds, Special circumstances and Fortitude checks. If a
result bears various effects, these will be dealt according to the order in
which they appear on the critical card. (left to right).
Injuries:

, Number of extra wounds the critical card deals.

Special Circumstance:

, See Thrown over in the damage results.

, The character looses the weapon he is carrying in this location

(see loosing a weapon).

,The character falls to the ground (see Prone character rule) .

Fortitude Check:
-

If a Critical Damage card has no effect, or if its permanent effect is over, it is taken
out of the game. Should the deck be depleted during a game, unused cards will be
shuffled and reused. (Permanent effects stay as a reminder next to the character card).

Immunity to critical damage

Sometimes critical damage can be ignored for specific body areas if the
character has a piece of equipment protecting a body area, such as armor, helmet, shield or benefits from a special rule that ignores critical hits. These benefits will always appear on the character card or object description and specify
the body location (general or specific) that is immune to critical damage using
a keyword.
If a rule grants immunity to a general location, all specific locations covered in this general location are obviously covered by this immunity as well.
Ex.: If the rule grants immunity from critical damages to the Head (general
location) any and all critical damage to a specific Head location (face, nose,
eyes, ears) are avoided as well.

The number besides the Fortitude icon indi-

cates the level of difficulty against which the Fortitude check needs be rolled.
- Permanent Damage: Damage described in this section is permanent;
which means it is endured for more turns after the turn it occurred in
or for the remainder of the game. The rules and modifiers the character suffers from then onwards will be specified through the usual
icon visualization. Any rule, action, characteristic affected will have
its corresponding icon depicted along with the malus it suffers from
then on. Finally should the critical damage card bear a broken icon,
it means this type of action is no longer available to the character.
- Stun: If the permanent damage states stuns, the character is rendered helpless for the duration of the current turn as well as next turn.
This is reflected by his Combat Scrolls suffering a -2 Speed loss. This
effect ends with the end of the Stun effect on the 2nd turn.
62

63

F ORT I T U D E CHECKS
On many occasions during a game, characters need to roll Fortitude
checks as result of an attack, intimidation, etc. Every time a Fortitude check
is required, you will find the difficulty of the roll with a number next to or
written on the icon calling for the check (ex F9). Should the icon bear no
number or a Fortitude check is called for with no specific mention, always
consider the difficulty to be 9..
In order to make a Fortitude check, the player will roll 2D8 and add
the characters SEN to the result. This result of 2D8+SEN will need be equal
or greater to the difficulty in order for the Fortitude check to be successful.
Keep in mind that modifiers may apply to the roll depending on the current
status of your Pirate or from the opposing character forcing the Fortitude
check on your character.
- Subtract 1 to the result of the dice roll if the character has suffered a
number of wounds equal or over half his total Health. Also modify checks
this wounded characters imposes on targets he wants to Frighten or intimidate (Giving a +1 bonus to the roll)
Should the Fortitude check be successful, the character suffers no effect
and may continue his turn normally.
If the Fortitude check is failed, the character is useless for the remainder
of the turn.
If the difference between the roll and the difficulty level is of 2 or 3 the
character Gets away. If the difference is 4 or more the character Shivers
in fear. Finally if the roll result is double 1 (regardless of modifiers) the
character asks for Parley.
- Get away: (Fortitude check failed by 2 or 3) If the character suffers a
Get away result he will immediately back off 1 square away from the
opposing character without changing facing and without entering
an obstacle square. If moving back proves impossible the character
Shivers in fear (see below).
64

- Shiver in fear - (Fortitude check failed by 4 or more) A character shivering

in fear can only use one of the following Combat Scrolls on his next turn:
Crouch down, Take Position or On guard! The player will also have to show
the Combat Scroll he will be using for the next turn right away
- Parley: The character is so scared that he decides to surrender to the enemy. Take the miniature from the game; the character is considered a loss.
- Fearless: several in game situation can increase the COU of the character
to 5, or they can have such a high characteristic to begin with. In any case
the character is considered fearless and automatically succeeds all Fortitude checks he would normally have to roll.
Fear: Fear is an natural ability to certain characters. If a character wants to engage in HtoH combat with a character possessing this ability, he will need to
make a Fortitude check prior to the attack with the difficulty level indicated
in the special rule on this characters card. Should he fail this Fortitude check,
instead of being rendered useless, the character will have a gust of fear that will
penalize him with a +2 to his Strike roll and any ensuing Fortitude check the
character takes this turn (if an intimidation attempt follows for example)..
Example: A character with Fear/10 indicates that all Fortitude checks caused by this
character have a difficulty of 10.

Sailors! I know we spent days at sea looking for plunder!

I know we have suffered from hunger ... and thirst!
But look what Neptune gave us! Virgin white sails rape for the taking.
At my command! Get ready to quench your thirst in blood!
Captain Malasombra? Glad to see youre back, but Im afraid youre a tad
mistaken ... this is the Fish shop ... again
Excerpt taken from Pirate Dementia.
65

-Who said Id let you go John?

-The Pirate Code does Parrows, you know this as well as I do.
-Sure ... And we Pirates follow codes, all the more after you intended to
board my ship
-It was but an honest mistake, I thought you were a merchant ship!
-Right A merchant ship with her typical merchant Skull and Bones flag
-Looks, lets settle this, let my peg leg kick your baby white ass and call it
a day shall we?
-What? You miserable son or a worm!
Captain Sparrows unsheathes his sword.
Oakleg, one eyed, one legged one armed as he may be; takes advantage of
the split of a second it takes him to look at his sword to jump overboard.
Some time later
-Baracuda, you prove to be useful at last!
Says Captain Oakleg as he is fished from the sea by the biggest, hugliest but most faithful sailors that roam the seven seas: Barracuda and
Sharky.
- Make sail to this desert island over there, Im afraid we wont get much
further anyhow in this pinnace.
Excerpt taken from the journey of Capt. John the stump

SPECIAL A B ILI T IES AN D F LAWS

TCharacters may benefit from special abilities that make them
unique in the game. Whatch out for these when hire your next crewmember. These abilities are diverse, from affecting the drunkenness level of your
entire crew to particular fighting techniques or his Intimidation capacities.
These abilities will always be explained in details on the miniatures cards.

66

- Parrows ship is leaving.

- You mean our boat, Sharky. Gosh! I hate this Parrows!
- At least I saved the rum.
- Wow! Our boat is captured by Parrows but your first thought goes to saving
the rum
- Hey! I couldnt just leave it there so they could drink it all could I?
- Youre truly a genius Sharky Give me enough to drown in then.
Barracuda runs towards them is face burnt as red as a crabs ass.
- Captain! Captain! A merchant vessel! Its coming our way!
- Quick, light a fire a take off you anything giving you away as pirates.
- But Captain Sir ...
- What now, Barracuda!
- The eye patch is the easy part but what with the peg leg and hook?
Do you plan on taking those off also?
- Damn you, Barracuda! You start thinking in a moment like this?
It must be the sunburn.
- Sir ...
- The patch Im taking off, but the hook and peg leg stay.
- The boat is turning toward us Says Sharky.
- Give me that rum! If the boat doesnt pick us up just promise me a fast an clean
death. Anything but having to bear with you both stranded on this island.
- Sir, a barge is coming.
- All right then, Smile on, keep your weapons in the back
No Baracuda I meant behind you not actually IN your back!

Excerpt taken from the journey of Capt. John stump

67

Ron & Bones Covenant

Imagine a ship in high sea, slowly drifting, with the twenty most feared pirates in the seven seas aboard ... Talking! The outcome cant be good
youll think.
Now add to this the fact that the most dreaded pirate that ever existed,
that is crueler than any killer whale and less forgiving than a great white
shark, is not present.
I would personally think that nothing good is cooking.
Lets get a bit closer and look into the rear castle of this great ship, in the
Captains room, big as a dancehall, with a massive oak table bolted in its
center and maps, empty rum bottles and Spanish gold scattered all over
it. Around it stand those twenty fearsome pirates, sword at the ready,
distrust in their eyes and dices rolling on the table, clattering amongst
curses and shouts.
They would all rather use their swords and would, if it wasnt for the present of two men, each sitting at one end of the table.
Sitting at port is the infamous Captain Ronald Morris aka RON Captain elect of Corsairs. At starboard? Dreaded Captain John Adrian
Bones head of all Buccaneers.
The first watching the scene with a smile, has his legs clad in the most
expensive leather boots crossed on the table. Dressed in carmine silks,
the flaps of his hat shadowing his face, white teeth showing in its shadow.
His aristocratic features, handsome, almost fragile, make contrast with his
stare that is clearly the most devoid of compassion you shall ever cross on
land or at sea.
The latter, could not be more different. If you could add smells to the
picture, he would exude a perfect mix of rum, sweat, salt and more rum.
If you hadnt fainted from such smell you could detail the man; wiry as no
living man should be, every muscle and tendon showing on his arms and
with a face so thin that it almost looks like a skull, with blood shot eyes
staring at you.
Captain Isaiah Malasombra, that was already an old man when this event
occurred, demands silence. Glaring at the Captain to his left who, as
usual, just cheated on his dice roll.
-I dont think so young Man!
Says he spluttering with deadly precision in the other mans eye.

68

-I lost!
-This is a lie. Grunts the other man
-I scored the lowest roll.
The swishing of blades unsheathed is cut short by a booming voice.
-Silence! All of you! Says Captain Bones.
-We came to unite against our common foe Captain Methuselah! Not cackle
like cocks.
-Our friend Captain Malasombra rolled lowest, and thus it is he who shall go
in search of our enemys lair in the Sea of Mists.
-Well said! Underlines Captain Malasombra who always likes to risk his skin
that he has already old and wrinkled.
-Just a minute Bones! Interrupts Captain Ron rising from his chair. I shall
not accept that such a critical mission be left in the hands of Srucpleless
Buccaneers only.
A murmur of consent raised around him from Buccaneers glad to have been
honored with such praise by the chief of Corsairs no less.
-What do you propose then? Offers Captain Bones, magnanimous.
-One of my boys will come along. Captain Drake The Prince.
-Nooo, not The Prince. Moans Malasombra
-He is too much of a killjoy
-Sorry Malasombra but Captain Ron is right, it is better that way.
-One of each of us is perfect. And once you have located the lair of this accursed Methuselah the Sea of Mists shall fill with the sails of our ships and
the Black Plague will fall before our united might. At last.
Captain Malasombra cant help but hail to the words of Pirate Lord Bones.
Even if he feels like a ship boy again, on his first trip for gold and guts, every
time he is sent on a suicide mission.
Everything is quiet outside. The old Galion rock softly under the full moon
as a black sail approach; Black hull against dark sky, coming from the Sea of
Mists. From her ragged looks, her last maintenance must date several centuries back. Nonetheless she is fast as a bird of prey. Her canons shine like as
many teeth, but even they cant compete with the fear that inspires the crew.
Standing at the bow, scariest of all, a ghastly figure awaits eagerly a battle
worth his might.
l.

69

LETS PLAY
Gathering your Pirate Crew
Before embarking in a new adventure, you first need to gather a Pirates crew. Each pirate has a cost in doubloons, called Pay (see character card). Some pirates also have an additional cost in rum barrels should they play a vital role in the crew.
In each scenario the starting number of doubloons and rum barrels each player has to
recruit is crew are stated. Shouldnt it be the case or if a player designed the scenario,
both players need to agree on the number of doubloons and rum barrel each of them
will have to begin with. The usual relationship between doubloons and rum barrels is 75
to 1. Which means that for every 75 doubloons, 1 rum barrel should be awarded as well.
Every character you hire will diminish your amount of doubloons and/or rum barrels
until you dont have enough gold or barrels to hire any more crewmembers. Remember,
a pirate crew is useless unless it is led by a Captain. This is why this should always be the

Game setup and crew deployment

Once the mission his clear and your crew at the ready, setup the game
board in the center of the table. Place all scenography pieces as stated on
the scenario. If it is not a predesigned scenario, both players will agree on
scenography placement (putting down one element each in turns, or the
player with less figures whatever you choose).
Once the game board and scenography are in place, you need to deploy your crew. Pirates can be deployed in a number of squares marked
in the scenario as Deployment Zones. Should the scenario be player designed, players will agree on the deployment zones for each player. The
order in which players deploy their figures is also stated in the scenario, or
will have to be agreed upon between players.
(both players deploying one figure at a time in turns, or the attacking player deploying first, the the defender, or vice versa .. whatever suits you best).

first character you hire

.

Pirate crew reputation

In some scenarios, the reputation of the pirate crew will be a vital parameter to determine which side has won. To determine the crews reputation, add the reputation of all of your pirates, this is the crews reputation.
You will find the reputation value of a character on his character card. During the battle, every character you loose (taken out of the game) diminishes
the crews reputation. When a player looses 60% of his reputation, he usually concedes the game. Nonetheless this general rule doesnt always apply
and each scenario may have a specific percentage of lost reputation stated,
or even non at all in which case reputation loss will just be irrelevant.

70

Once both crews are deployed on the game board, it is time to take
all the cards that will be used during the game. The critical damage deck
should be at hand, close to the player in order not to mistake one players
deck from the other. Each player will have a character card for each miniature he controls, with characteristics and special rules. A players characters
cards will be in front of him, on his side of the game board, forming a line.
All objects a character is carrying will be on his character card. In the right
and left hand placement boxes, the items drawn at the beginning of the
game, the rest, in his pack. Behind the characters cards, place each characters deck of Combat Cards.
Now that the setup is complete, your pirates ready to plunder, it is
time to play. And may the most cunning Captain win!

71

ADVANCED RULES
Handling heavy objets or dysplacable obstacles
Heavy object bear special rules according to heir weight (represented in
their description by a number next to the icon
). Weight will determine if
the character can lift and carry the heavy object, and if he can use it to attack
and defend.
To be able to pick up or carry a heavy object, its weight must not exceed
two time a characters HEA. In order to use it in combat the weight must not
exceed the characters HEA.
Heavy object cannot be used one handed. Nonetheless they can be picked
up or carried one handed if the objects weight does not exceed half the characters HEA.
Examples:
If a pirate has 8 HEA he can pick up an object of weighting up to 16 .
This pirate of HEA 8 can only fighht with heavy objects weighing 8 or less.
If the pirate of HEA 8 carries an object weighing 4 or less, he can do this
one handed and carry something else in the other hand, includeing another heavy object of weight 4 or less.
In many scenarios characters themselves can be considered heavy objects
and their weight is equal to their HEA +2. Nonetheless they can never be used
to attack or defend. (Yes I know ... pity).
(Ex, A pirate with a HEA of 7 will have a weight of 9, if considered a heavy
object in the scenario).

72

HANDLE ACTION: Advanced ways of using this

action:
-Opening and Closing: A character can manipulate any mechanism as
stated in the scenario. For example: Opening doors or locking a chests lid.
- Stealing: A character can steal items from another pirate standing in
his frontal ZAC squares. Roll 1D8. Add 2 if the stealing attempt is made
from the target characters rear square. If the final result is 5 or more the
theft of the object that was in his pack is successful. You can never steal an
object from a characters hands. Stolen weapons or objects can be used
immediately as any other object belonging to the character.
- Exchange: A character can give an object to another character as long
as they are both standing side by side in each others AZ. Both characters
need to make the handling action in the same turn in order to complete
the exchange.
-Instinctive shot: The character can make this action if he is holding a
loaded firearm in his hand. This attack is ruled by the usual shooting
rules but will suffer a +2 difficulty.
-Reloading: You can only reload a weapon if it is the only object your character is holding in his hands at the beginning of the turn. At the end of
the turn, the weapon is considered loaded and can used be fired again
normally.
Should a weapon have the possibility to be loaded with different types of
ammunition, the type of ammunition used will have to be stated during
this Reloading action.

73

DRUNKENNESS
The toughness of life at sea opens the door to excess to forget
the pain. This is why sailors seize any occasion they have to get
drunk with their ration of rum; every single night if they can do so.
Many a Captain had to learn the hard way that he needs to single
out one sailor to be sober, on watch, at night.
Before beginning the game, select one of your sailors (that cannot be
the Captain), that will be on watch. Once this is done roll 1D8 in the Drunkenness Table, the result will affect the remainder of the crew for the duration of the game.

Hangover

Stage for 2 Players.

2 - 6 Light headed
7+

- Rum: a pirate carrying a bottle or barrel of rum can drink from it as often
as he wishes to during the game (as explained in Handle Action). Every
time rum is drunk; a new Drunkenness roll can be made for this particular
character. Should the bottle be used as a weapon, it will break in the fight
and considered lost. The character will thus no longer be able to drink
from it.

PRE-STAGES
Riot on board

DRUNKENNESS TABLE - 1D8

1

- Rum for the Crew: A player can pay an extra gold doubloon for each
member of his crew (including Captain, Watchman, or any other member exempt from the drunkenness rule) before the battle. This way you
will make sure all your pirates have lost their fear (or actually forgotten
about them) before pistols spit fire and swords are tainted in blood.

Drunk

Drunk: All characters affected have a Courage bonus of 2 (COU+2).

Hangover: Characters loose all ties. That means that their Combat Scrolls always get activated last if their AS is equal to that of opposing pirate. In the
event of a tie between two characters suffering hangover proceed normally.
Light headed: No effect.

- The Crews:
Each player has 180 or more Doubloons of gold (as the players agree) and
his correspondents rum barrels to contract to his crew. They can agree
that one of the players has not Captain, doing the rioters role, in this case
this player will receive the half of the cost of the opposite captain in doubloons of gold and rum barrels to extend his crew.
- For this stage they are advisable:
Board of Ship, 2 Barrels, 2 Booths, 4 Boxes and 2 rum bottles.

Modifiers to drunkenness roll

+1 to the roll if the Captain or the character is a Drunkard (special rule).
-1 to the roll if the Captain is abstemious.
+1 to the roll if the crew is offered rum before combat begins.

76

77

- Deploying of the crew:

In this stage, the zone of deployment is indicated in the attached drawing.

To the boarding!!

- Stage for 2 Players (attacker / defending).

Every player throws a D8. The player with the

higher result places a Barrel, a Booth and 2
Boxes in any free square of the ship and out of
any zone of deployment, then the other player
does the same.
Again the first player chooses one of the deployment zones and deploy one of his characters, later the other player places his character
in the other zone of deployment. Immediately
afterwards in this order, the players will be alternated in the deploy of the character in the
respective zones of deployment, until all characters are on the deck. Finally a Bottle is placed
on every Barrel, and the game starts.

Rumor:
Finally . They managed to climb over the Beam of port.

- Conditions for victory:

The victory is obtained reducing the Reputation of the opposite crew at the end of a turn in
60 % or less, if both obtain it simultaneously it
was considered to be a tie.
The characters of a crew who are in the Fortress
without enemies, were doubling his Reputation adding the amount to the whole reputation of his crew to calculate the victory.

First of all the Defender deploys all his terrain scoreboards and the half of
his crew in any free square of his ship. Later the attacker places his own
scoreboards of Riggings and the half of his miniatures in any free square
of his ship.
Later both the defender and the attacker following the same order, they
were deploying his remaining characters in any free square of his own
ship, but up to two squares from the enemy ship. Finally the attacker can
deploy the walkway communicating two squares of the main deck to start
playing.

- Special rules:
- Provided that one of the reasons of the riot is

- Conditions for victory:

The attacker wins at the end of any turn if he manages to have in the Fortress just miniatures from his crew. The defender has to prevent it reducing the reputation of the attacker in 60 %, but any character of the attacker
who is on the Fortress were doubling the reputation that reaches to the

the absence of rum, in this row the rule of Drunkenness will not be used.
- Bottles can be considered to be bottles of rum and the characters can drink
from them.
78

- The Crews:
Each player has 270 or more Doubloons of gold (or as the players agree)
and his correspondents Barriles of rum to contract his crew. Both crews
must possess a Captain.
- For this stage they are advisable:
2 Ship boards, 1 Barrel, 1 Booth. In addition the attacking player will have
3 scoreboards of Riggings and one of walkway.
- Deploying of the crew:
In this stage you must place both adjacent ship boards for his longer sides,
the attacker decides their orientation.

79

whole reputation of the crew on having calculated it.

- Special rules:
- The defender can use the rule deploying from the Riggings .
- The attacker can use the rule boardings .

Stage rules (the ship)

- Deploying from the Riggings:
If the stage allows this deployment, the players can leave one of his miniatures without deploying, that in addition, it will not be counting for the deployment that should be indicated in the stage.
These can enter in any phase of current event doing a throw in the table
of jump with Height 2. If he overcomes the jump with a result of he obtains It
, your character will be able to be activated normally.

- Boarding:
In the boardings the player has a few scoreboards of Riggings that will
have to be placed in any square of the main deck of his own ship and according
to be indicated in the deployment of the stage in those who should be in use.
To do a boarding, a miniature must move up to a square with a scoreboard
of Riggings and spend an additional Step to raise them, withdrawing the miniature from the board.
In the following phase of current events these miniatures must realize a
throw in the table of jump with Height 2, to boarding the enemy deck. In this
jump there can choose any free square of the half nearby board of the main
deck of the enemy Ship, of 6 maximum squares away from the scoreboard of
Rigging from where the miniature jumps. If he overcomes the jump with a result of he obtains It , the character will be able to be activated normally.

80

- Walkways:
In many stages the walkways were used for boarding from the deck of a
ship to other one or for going on to the wharf of a port. These walkways will
have to be place as be indicated in the stage. If they are placed from ship to
ship, they will be considered to be low obstacles, so it will be necessary to jump
to enter them, whereas if they communicate the wharf with a ship it will be
considered to be a stairs.

- The walkways can be knock down and eliminate them during the game
, for it any miniature can use the Pirate Action Handle (like carry a heavy object), to try to knock down it.
To eliminate the walkway,throw a D8 adding the PRT of the character, if
the result is 12 or more one will have managed to throw the walkway. With a
result of 8 in the dice the walkway wil always be eliminate from the game, and
with a result of 1 it is always trumped.
If one finds a miniature on the walkway, rest the PRT of the character
from the final result, but if even this way he manages to knock down the walkway, the character on the walkway will fall to the water and will be withdrawn
as loss of the game. In any other case nothing happen.

- Bent:
In some stages the characters can deploy bent (knocked down the miniature), they are considered to be fallen miniatures in the board, but to be able
to get up, they only needed a Step, though they will not be able to return to
stoop.

-Gunwale:
The gunwale of the ships is considered to be a low obstacle, which interferes the vision line between the decks of the ships.

81

- Capitulation:
If at the end of a turn a crew has lost
his captain, the player will lose the game
immediately. If both lose the captain in the
same turn, the game will continue up to fulfilling the conditions of victory of the stage.

Parts of the ship:

1
6

Foredeck 1
Main deck 2

Fortress (poop deck) 3

Helm 4

Door of the aftercastle 5

Door of the forecastle 6

5
3

Peep-hole of the ship 7

General area
Specific area

BE A PIRATE!
This is possibly the most important rule in this game.
What defines a true Pirate is that he never plays by the rules.
This is why you should feel free to modify them as you wish, use your
imagination and take the game where no game has gone before. A
true Pirate knows no boundaries. Change what you dont like, create
campaigns; make your crew the most feared in the 7 seas!
But most of all use the game for hat it was intended: Having fun!.

fin

82

83

He had just set foot in Port Fraud, a place he had only heard
about before. Rumors about the place, proved to be true with
every step he took. It was a peculiar place filled with the most
despicable ruffians and thieves, scum ready to sale their own
right hand for a bottle of rum and a night with a clean woman.
Seadogs and filibusters they called themselves.
Many would have walked this city in fear or at the very least
with a handkerchief in front of their nose. The smell of these
streets was nauseating. But Zadmul didnt feel fear any
longer. His instinct had led him to this pustule of humankind
where he knew he could find everything he needed and people
vile enough to undergo his strange and mysterious quest.
A good observer would have noticed that Zadmul was hiding
luxury clothes under his heavy woolen coat, foreign but of excellent quality; as well as a finely chiseled rapier. He fingered
its pommel lightly with his fingertips as if beating to a rhythm
as he walked to the main tavern on the docks. Its shape was already in sight, as well as the racket the drunkards were making
could be heard along with the fistfights at the front door.
He slid in as discretely as possible. Walking straight to one
of the barmen without looking to either side. He simply addressed the barman politely, aware of the patrons around him
and of the fact that his presence had been noticed; aking him
the center of attention.
From the look he received from the barman he knew something
was wrong. Sweat trickled from his brown and fear crept in his
eyes.
Hey you! Zadmul heard coming from behind. It was a broken, guttural voice.
The barman was ducking behind the bar and this subtle movement
86

told Zadmul it was time to turn around and show his fiercest face.

Six individuals from the lowest extraction had him surrounded.

Lowly scum with knoves and machetes their eyes unfocused from
too much drinking. The bravest of them all was pointing him with a
blunderbuss.
Nice shoes Will you give them to me? Said the filibuster with the
blunderbuss as the rest of the tavern roared in laughter.
Zadmul opened his coat, showing his beautiful clothes and his finely
adorned sword and said:
-These shoes as the rest of what you see here are mine, and will
remain mine.
-You are quite daring to come to this tavern and talk to me that way.
Answered the sailor laughing. -I doubt youre in any position to
negotiate.
-Daring? Not to the least. Answered Zadmul I came to claim a ship
and hire a crew. And be careful with firearms some say the demon
himself charges them.
A tremendous explosion rocketed the port, Zadmuls black hair
turned white and his fine clothes to rags. His flesh melt away revealing bones as the tavern was engulfed in darkness and a cry could be
heard along the docks. A huge black ship could be seen behind the
taverns greasy windows. At the ships prow a dark figure was singing
a strange chant, almost a lament.
His Master had come and would have him pay for the audacity of
defying him. The chastising of the damned was for all eternity.
.
From Chronicles of the cursed.

87

GAME TABLES

BLOCKING MODIFIERS TABLE

JUMP TABLE:
Throw 2D8 and the characters

to the roll.

+/-

Blocking modifier next to the weapons Icon on the item description.

+1

For using 2 items permitting a Blocking Action to parry the attack.

+1

If you are in vantage position over the attacker.

-1

For every consecutive Blocking Action conducting during this turn.

2 to 7 Trips and falls to the ground. Character falls down and is considered prone
on the target square. If there is heights difference between start and target squares,
the character suffers one level of fall damage from the Fall damage Table. If he was jumping over a hole he is considered as falling down the hole and taken out of game.

(i.e.: The first attack prevented with a Blocking Action in any given turn suffers no enalty.

8 to 11 That was tough. The characters lands on the intended square but cannot
move any further. If there is a height difference between start and target squares the
characters suffers Fall damage.

ing with).

12 and more. You did it . TThe characters jumps without problems and can continue moving should he have Steps left. If there was height difference the character
subtracts one level of damage when checking for damage on the Fall Table
Double 1. Trips and falls to the floor. and suffers one wound on top of the 2 to 7
result. Should there be height difference the character broke is neck and is taken out of
game.
Double 8. Critical success. Not only does the character perfectly succeeds but he

The second one bears a -1 on the roll, the third -2 .. etc. until all attacks against this character have been resolved for this turn). With a successful result obtained with a double
(same value on both dices) the attacker is disarmed (and drops the item he was attack-

TABLE : ATTACK DIFICULTY

+ SEN attacker SEN Defender.
SEN Diference
Difficulty

-4 o more

-2, -3

-1

+1

11

10

+2, +3 +4 or more
6

suffers absolutely no fall damage and gets one extra step to use as he wishes.

D ifficulty M odifiers to H to H Attacks:

+Pasive Defense as indicated on the Combat Scroll used by the Defender.

FALL DAMAGE TABLE:

+2 Attacking with the clumsy hand. .

Miniatures suffer fall damage depending on the height difference between start and
target squares.

1 level of difference, No damage.

+1 Target is considered in Vantage position.

-2 Attacking from the side or rear squares of the target, or if target is prone.

2 levels of difference Bad landing, Falls to the ground, prone

3 levels of difference Crash landing,Falls to the ground, prone and suffers 1 critical hit.
4 levels and over: Over board, The character is considered lost and taken out from the game.

-4 RAttacking from the Back square.

A double 8 roll always does maximum damage in the corresponding Damage
Table (see Damage), moreover, this attack cannot be Blocked.
A double 1 is always a miss.

88

89

Difficulty Modifiers to Distance Attacks:

+Passive Defense as indicated on the Combat Scroll used by the Defender.
+2 Attacking with the Clumsy hand.
+1 Target benefits from cover.
+ Distancie (see below).
-2 Point-blank (Shooting attacks only).
A double 8 roll always does maximum damage in the corresponding Damage Table
(see Damage), moreover, this attack cannot be Blocked.
A double 1 is always a miss and the Dumb! Dumb Bullet! rule applies.
Captains Aura: If a character tries to attack a Captain from a distance he shall suffer a +2 penalty to his
attack. A Captains Aura is so powerful that your hand trebles as you try and take a shot at him

Distance shooting modifiers

1 very short distance: No modifiers apply.
2 Short Distance: +1 to the attack difficulty.
3 Long distance: +2 to the attack difficulty. .

DAMAGE TABLE
In the result damage you can find the following icons. Should a damage result contain
more than one such icon, they will be solved in the order they are represented.

4 Very long distance: +4 to hit.

Wounds
: represents the number of Wounds the character looses. When a character
looses his last Wound, he is taken away from the game and considered a loss.

Distance throwing modifiers

Critical Damage

: This means that besides the wounds, you managed to inflict

critical damage on your target (See critical damage).

Short Distance: No modifiers apply .

Long distance: +2 to the attack difficulty.

90

: The character needs to roll a Fortitude check of the difficulty

Fortitude Check
noted besides the icon (ex: E9 for a difficulty of 9), after resolving the attack.
Thrown back

: The character is Thrown away by the attacker (see below).

Pinned down

: The character is pinned down by the attacker (see below).

91

DAMAGE TABLE

Damage: Subtract the difficulty of the attack to the result of the Strike roll
THRUSTING
LEvel

CUTTING
DaMAGE:

LEvel

PENETRATING
DaMAGE:

LEvel

PERFORATING
DaMAGE:

LEvel

DaMAGE:

-/

6+

6+

6+

6+

BLUNT

Pushing

WRESTLING

(+/-healthj)

(+/-health)

(+/-health)

lEVEL

LEvel

LEvel

DaMAGE:

DaMAGE:

SHRAPNEL

DaMAGE:

LEvel

DaMAGE:

-/

-/

-/

6+

6+

-/

- /

3-4

5-6

6+

Pirate Code:
Now you are a pirate captain , as such, you must lead and protect your
crew all along this blue world. You will have to look for treasures, plunder
ports and capture your enemies ships. But don not forget to pay some
rounds of rum in the canteen.

Special gratefulnesses:
Ron & Bones is, besides a game, a great personal illusion made reality for all of
us. Now that finally has seen the light after two years of a lot of work, we want
to be grateful for the unconditional help to all the collaborators of the project, who of a form or other one have helped to construct this ship being kept
always to our side.
We also want to be grateful very specially with Beatriz, Cova and Melina.
His patience and support, they have been many hoursand a lot of force
that you gave us.
And finally thank also all our relatives and friends, for your patience and
advices.

The content of this book as the illustrations and all those elements that intervene
in the publication of this work are a property of TALE Of WAR miniatures. The
reproduction, the partial or total extraction of this work remains finally prohibited
without the explicit assent of TALE Of WAR miniatures saving itself this one the
right to tackle legal actions against the above mentioned fraudulent actions.

Crdits:
Development: Ivn Santurio de la Uz, Jose Manuel Palomares Nuez, Saul Remis Garca, Simn Remis Garca
Original idea:
Alfredo Castell, Elas Alonso,
Jose Manuel Palomares, Pedro Nuez
Production Management:
Saul Remis Garca
Art:
Management: Pedro Nuez y Jose Manuel Palomares
Conceptual Designs: Pedro Nuez, Ivn Gil, Jose David
Lanza Cebrian, Alfonso Girldes Bermejo
Graphic design:
Grafismo: Jose David Lanza Cebrian, Simon Remis
Layout: Jose David Lanza Cebrian, Simon Remis
Game box illustration: Alfonso Girldes Bermejo
Illustrations: Pedro Nuez, Ivan Gil
Miniatures:
Sculptors: Ivan Santurio de la Uz, Simon Remis Garca, Juan
Carlos Avila Rivadas
Miniature painting: Jose Manuel Palomares Nuez,
Saul Remis Garca, Pedro Souto, Diego Esteban.
Photograph: Jose Manuel Palomares
Development and rules:
Management: Francisco Conde
Development and rules: Francisco Conde Nuez, Santos
Prieto, Gustavo Cuadrado
English traduction:
Yann Sotio
Background:
Alfredo Castello Palomares
Printed by:
Grficas APEL
C/ Galileo Galilei, 262
33392 Gijn
WEB: www.ronandbones.com
Mail: info@taleofwar.com