Npc Generator Pirates
Captain Aubrey surveyed the deck of the captured sloop. He was amazed that such well run ship could crewed by such a motley gang of men. He turned to the doctor and wondered, 'No man is born into piracy. What were these many fellows before they took up the black flag? Surely they can not all share the same story.'
These tables tell the backstory of a pirate right up until the NPC becomes a pirate. The system works as follows: for each NPC you roll on a table. The results of that roll describe the major events and what happened to your proto-pirate during a five year period of his life. Your Pirate makes an initial role to decide which table he rolls on to describe the first chapter of his life. Using a d12 you determine if you proto-pirates starts out as (1-6) Land Lubber, 7-10) a Seaside Scoundrel or (11-12) Courtier For example, I have a proto-pirate, I roll a 6. My pirate was a Land Lubber for the first chapter of his life. I roll a d12 and get another 6 and consult the Land Lubber Table.
Results:
Apprenticeship : This pirate worked a trade for this chapter of is life. As result of his new found skills he gains more options. If this is a subsequent Apprenticeship , increase the same skill or add a new skill. (Gain one trade skill, Gain 5% wealth): Next Roll LL+2, SS or SD
LL+2 means roll on the Land Lubber table and add 2 to the roll. SS means role on the seaside scoundrel table, and SD means roll on the Salty Dog Table.
Lets say I want my proto-pirate to learn some sailing skills. Thus I will roll on the Salty Dog Table (SD) for chapter 2. I roll a 4
Result:Able bodied seaman on Merchant Scow. Your Pirate's ship is attacked by foreign privateer: Roll d12 +1 for every combat skill
a. 1-4: Your pirate was captured by a foreign power, spends the rest of this chapter in a foreign prison ship: (Suffer Grievous Injury Minus 20% Attributes, Gain Foreign Language): Next Roll SD
b. 5-8: Your pirate was captured by foreign power spends rest of chapter in foreign prison ship (Gain Foreign Language): Next Roll SD
c. 9-11: You and your ship mates fend off the attackers (Gain 5% reputation, Gain one Combat Skill): Next Roll SD+1
d. 12: Your pirate distinguished himself in the defense of his ship (Gain 20% Reputation, Gain One Combat Skill): Next Roll SD+2
This chapter has a sub table, I must roll on to resolve the events of this chapter of life. I roll d12 and get a 3
1-4: Your pirate was captured by a foreign power, spends the rest of this chapter in foreign prison ship: (Suffer Grievous Injury Minus 20% Attributes, Gain Foreign Language): Next Roll SD
Attributes, Reputation and Skills: Many of these tables refer to skills, but don't worry, I am still being system independent. I assuming that a generic NPC starts out with (A) a set of skills, (B) a reputation, (C) social standing with regard to how the coin minters and law makers view him, (D) resources aka wealth, and (E) attributes. These percentages refer to changes to the basal value of these characteristics. Thus my pirate here suffers a grievous injury (peg leg, eye patch, hook etc) and loses 20% of his starting attributes.
Skills also change nonspecifically over time. Each Chapter heading adds a different skill family. The skill families are: General, Social, Survival, Combat and Trade. After each chapter the character gains a bonus to one of these skill families in addition to any bonus described in the events. For example, for every life chapter my pirate has in the Land Lubber category he will gain a bonus General Skill. For example my proto-pirate that started out a Land Lubber, gets one general skill bonus just for being a land lubber and one trade skill bonus because of his Apprenticeship. What is a general skill and what is trade skill? I don't know you decide.
The last thing your NPC will gain is contacts, allies and enemies. There are lots of 30s on the citadel: 30 Merchants, 30 Courtiers, 30 Criminals, 30 Sailors-consult these to find out what kind of people you pirate is associating with.
The final aspect of your pirate is his or her faction. The pirate has ethnicity, for example he may be English and speak English, this is his faction, but the events of the tables may change his faction.
When does he become a pirate: You can make your character a pirate after any chapter, except a SW chapter or a chapter that say 'Must Roll'. The system is built so that your proto-pirate leads rough life, but is possible that he ends up wealth Duke and it may not make a lot of sense for him to become pirate. You know what else didn't make sense: Highlander 2, but it happened.
The Chapter Tables
1) Courtiers and Courtesans (CC): When you role for you proto-pirate on this table events associated with the leadership of his country are described:
2) Land Lubber (LL): This assumes your Proto-pirate is a peasant
3) Master and Commander (MC): An officer on a sailing ship
4) Salty Dog: A common sailor
5) Seaside Scoundrel (SS): A member of port town
6) Ships Wrecked (SW): Not necessarily a result of being ship wrecked, but your proto-pirate is living in the wilderness. You may not move you character into a pirate life directly from SW chapter.
Lets return to the sample Pirate, I will call him Jim (Jean). I have decided two chapters was enough for Jean so I make him a deck hand on the pirate ship Revenge. But I also have his history:
He was born in France and worked as Tanner's apprentice for five years(Chapter 1: Land Lubber: Roll=6)
After that chapter in his life Jean joined the crew of a Merchant ship . After a year on the Merchant ship, the ship and the entire crew was taken by Spanish forces and Jim was forced to spend the next four years in Prison Hulk in Seville. There an infection claimed his right eye and caused him to loose most of his hearing. During that time Jim also learned Spanish and upon leaving prison he decide to take up a life of piracy.
(Chapter 2: Salt Dog: Roll=4, follow up Roll=3)
Thus Jim has the following set up
Attribute:
minus 20%
Skills:
Trade (Tanner), General Skill (Art: Etching), Seamanship (Rope-working)
Resources:
+5%
Reputation:
0
Social Standing
0
- You Table 1: Courtiers and Courtesans:
0) Your pirate gets accused of stealing from the Lord and spends the rest of this chapter in the dungeon: (Minus 5% physical attributes, Minus 50% Wealth, Minus 50% Standing, Gain 5% reputation): Next Roll CC-3, SD, SS or LL+3
1) Wrong side of the Coup, your pirate back the wrong horse in courtly power struggle and is forced out of court (Minus 50% standing, Minus 75% Wealth) Next Role:LL, SD or SS.
2) Pirate is implicated in a plot against the King and is forced to flee the court (Minus 100% Standing): Next Roll SD or SW
3) Your pirate gets a position as a man servant to a member of court, spend time pouring wine and moving chamber pots about: Next Roll CC or LL
4) Your Pirate's doomed affair with the spouse of powerful member of court is exposed (Gain one Enemy from courtier's list, Minus 10% Standing): Next Roll CC-2, SD, SS or LL+3
5) Your pirate gets involved in courtly rivalry and is forced to take sides (Minus 5% standing, Gain One Contact from Courtier table, Gain Two enemies from Coutrier's table): Next Roll: CC or SS
6) Insult a peer get a challenged to duel: 1d12+1 for every combat skill
a. 1-8 loss duel received grevious injury: (Minus 10% reputation, Minus 5% physical attributes): Next Roll CC, SD or SS
b. 9: Draw: Next Roll CC
c. 10-12: Win the Duel (Gain 10 Reputation, Gain one combat skill, Gain One Enemy from Courtiers): Next Roll CC
7) Get wrapped up in the court's culture of gambling: Roll 1d12
a. 1-9: Lose 100% Wealth: Next Roll LL or SD
b. 10-11: Lose 50% Wealth: Next Roll CC, SS, or LL
c. 12: Gain 150% Wealth: Next Roll CC
8) Work the Season at Court (Gain One Contact from Coutiers List, Gain an additional 5% Standing): Next Roll CC
9) Your pirate has passionate but secret love affair with a member of the court (Gain one social skill, Gain only ally among Courtiers): Next Roll CC
10) Get Appointed Diplomat! (Gain One Contact form Courtiers with a different Nationality, Gain One Language): Next Roll CC
11) Advantageous Family Marriage: You or a member of your family marries an established member of the court. (Plus an additional 20% Standing, Plus 10% Wealth): Next Roll CC
12) Gain a title! The king has bestowed favor upon you (Plus and additional 50% Standing, Plus 10% Wealth, Next Roll: CC+3 or MC+3. At least +1 on all subsequent rolls on all charts except SW
13) Access to the inner circle, your proto-pirate becomes an advisor to the King and is given a title land and influence: (Gain an additional 100% Standing, Gain two Allies from Courtiers, Gain 100% Wealth, Gain two Social Skills): Next Roll CC+3 or MC+3, and at least +1 on all subsequent rolls on all charts except SW
Table 2: Land Lubber:
Gain One General Skill per Chapter
0) Get on the wrong side of local mystic, become cursed with mental illness, and get chased out of town (Roll on the Curse Table): Next Roll LL-3, SD-4 or SW
1) Striken by the plague, lose all his wages and spend a whole year being cared for by family and/or charities (minus 5% to physical attributs): Next Roll LL
2) Hard Scrabble times lost all his land and spend most this chapter in debtors prison, Gains a contact in the crimminal : Next Roll LL -2, SD-4 or SS -2
3) 'Takes the King's shilling' and the proto-pirate gets pressed into the life of a sailor: Must Make Next Roll SD-4
4) A blight, locusts or plant disease, makes refugees of the pirate's whole community: Next Roll LL -2 or SW
5) Gets conned out his farm, his land or his wage by a bunch of high born lawyer types (Minus 50% Wealth): Next Roll LL -2, SD-4 or SW
6) Apprenticeship, you pirate worked a trade for this chapter of is life. As result of his new found skills he gains more options. If this is a subsequent Apprenticeship, increase the same skill or add a new skill. (Gain one trade skill, Gain 5% wealth): Next Roll LL+2, SS or SD
7) Ends of up owning a dirt farm, the money he gets from the sale gives this pirate more resources when takes to the seas (plus 5% to wealth): Next Roll LL
8) Joins a group of rowdy migrant workers and sometimes highway men, learns a little about fighting and a little about crime (Gain one criminal contact and one combat skill) : Next Roll LL or SS
9) Displaced by war, ends up living and working in a foreign country (shift nationality association, learn second language): Next Roll LL or SW
10) Marries up! Your pirate finds a mate with greater social standing and privilege: Next Roll LL+2 or CC -4
11) Successful Merchant: Your pirate learned to work smart not hard. (Gain one social skill, 20% Wealth, One Merchant Contact): Next Roll LL+3, SS+2, CC or SD+2
12) End up owning a successful farm: The sale of this farm prior to joining a pirate crew will be advantageous: (Gain 25% Wealth, Gain two Peasant Contacts, Gain 5% Standing): Next Roll LL+3 or CC-4
13) Gain a Title: For some reason the King has given your pirate a title and a land grant (Gain 50% wealth, Gain 100% Standing, One Courtly Contact): Next Roll LL+3 or CC +3, +1 on all subsequent rolls on all tables except SW
Table 3: Master and Commander:
Gain One Seafaring Skill and One Social Skill Per Chapter- 1-3: Ship boarded and the character puts up solid fight before being captured by pirates: (Grevious injury, Minus 20% Physical Attributes, Minus 90% Wealth): Must Start Pirate Career Now
- 4-5: Escape from pirates by throwing all cargo over board (Minus 10% Standing): Next Roll SD+3 or SS
- 6-8: Escape Pirate Ship by out sailing them and out maneuvering them (Gain 10% Reputation, Gain one additional Seafarer Skill, Gain 5% wealth): Next Roll MC, SD+3 or SS
- 9: Ship Sunk by pirates, the character ends up marooned alone: Next Roll SW
- 10-11 Ship boarded but character and crew drive them off (Gain one combat skill, Gain 5% Repuation, Gain 5% Wealth): Next Roll MC+1
- 12: Surrender Cargo: (Lose 30% Reputation, Lose 50% Wealth): Next Roll SD or MC-2
- 13: Capture Attacking Pirate Ship: (Gain one Combat Skill, Gain 30% reputation, Gain one enemy form pirates, Gain 50% wealth): Next Roll MC+2
a. >7 (Gain seafaring skill, next roll MC+2)
b. 7-2 (demoted to seaman, Next Roll SD+2)
c. 1 (Captain so furious with character's performance he maroons them on a deserted island: Next Roll SW
- 1 Ship is Sunk during combat, but crew manages to get out alive: Next Roll MC-2
- 2-3 Ship is heavily damaged and spends the rest of the chapter in port (Gain one seafaring Skill): Next MC+4
- 4-5: Ship is boarded but repulses attacker (Gain one Combat Skill): Next Roll MC+2
- 6-7: The Character is wounded by enemy sharp shooter (Suffer grevious injury, minus 20% attributes): Next Roll MC
- 8-9: Ship is captured by enemy and the character handed over as part of a prisoner exhange. Next Roll MC-3 or SS
- 10-12: Ship and Captain perform adequately: Next Roll MC
Salty Dog
Gain one seafaring Skill Per Chapter
1) Ordinary Seamen on Merchant Scow, get on the wrong side of the Boatswan, (Gain one enemy from Sailors): Next Roll SD-2 or LL
2) Ordinary Seamen on Merchant Scow, ship is caught in terrible storm: Roll d12
- 1-4 Pirate received grevious injury (Minus 20% attributes): Next Roll SD or LL
- 5-6 Pirate thrown overboard: Next Roll SW-2
- 7-8 Pirate Recieved Grevious injury in line of duty (Minus 20% Attributes, Gain 5% Reputation): Next Roll SD
- 9-11 Pirate Received Serious Injury (Minus 5% Attributes): Next Roll SD
- 12: Your Pirate Saved Ship (Gain One Seafaring Skill, Gain 5% Repuptation): Next Roll SD+3
3) Able bodied Seaman on Merchant Scow, which takes several long journeys (Gain one additional seafaring skill, Gain one Sailor Contact, Get Scurvey Minus 10% Physical Attributes): Next Roll SD+2
4) Able bodied seaman on Merchant Scow ship is attacked by foreign privateer: Roll+1 for every combat skill
- 1-4: The proto-pirate was captured by a foreign power, spends the rest of this chapter in foreign prison ship: (Suffer Grevious Injury Minus 20% Attributes, Gain Foreign Language): Next Roll SD
- 5-8: Your pirate was captured by foreign power spends rest of chapter in foreign prison ship (Gain Foreign Language): Next Roll SD
- 9-11: You and your ship mates fend off the attackers (Gain 5% reputation, Gain one Combat Skill): Next Roll SD+1
- 12: Your pirate distinguished himself in the defense of his ship (Gain 20% Reputation, Gain One Combat Skill): Next Roll SD+2
5) Ordinary Seaman on Exploratory Expedition, the crew comes across a mysterious island that was previously uncharted: Roll d12
- 1-4: Your Pirate and a group of the crew go ashore to scout the island, when they return to the beach the ship is gone: Must Make Next Roll SW
- 5-6: Island is the domainion of ancient and hostile mystic who curse your pirate and the crew: Roll on Curse Table, next roll SD
- 7: Island was burial ground for an ancient culture, your crew loots the crypts: Gain 5% wealth, Roll on Curse Table: Next roll SD
- 8-9: Island is occupied by hostile natives: Roll d12+1 for every combat skill >6=Gain One Combat Skill, <6 =suffer grievous injury (minus 20% attributes): Next Roll SD
- 10-11: Rescue ship wrecked crew (Gain Two allies in sailors)
- 12: A ancient treasure was hidden on the island, and is discovered by your crew, every sailor gets a share (Gain 10% wealth
6) Made Ship's Cook on Merchant Brig: (Gain one Trade Skill:Cooking, Gain Sailor Contact): Next Roll SD+1
7) Made Sail Master on Merchant Brig: (Gain two trade skills: Rope Use and Sail Making, Gain Sailor Contact): Next Roll SD+1
8) Made Ships Carpenter on Merchant Brig: (Gain trade skill: Carpentry, Gain Sailor Contact): Next Roll SD+1
9) Able Bodied Seaman in his Majesties Navy, become Captain of Gun Crew aboard frigate (Gain one combat skill; Gain 5% Reputation): Next Roll SD+1
10) Able Bodied Seaman in his Majesties Navy, become Captain of Gun Crew aboard frigate, Gain one combat skill, Gain 5% Reputation and roll d12+1 for every combat skill held prior to this chapter
- 1: Cannon gets loose during drill, your pirate suffers grievous injury (Minus 20% physical attributes): Next Roll SD-2
- 2-4: Your frigate is captured by a foreign power, your pirate spends the rest of this chapter on foreign prison ship (Suffer Grievous Injury, Minus 20% physical attributes, and Gain foreign language): Next Roll SD-2
- 5-7: Your pirate's frigate fights a pitched battle and captures foreign ship: (Suffer Minor Injury, Minus 5% physical attributes and Gain 5% Reputation): Next Roll SD+2
- 8-9: Your ship is commissioned as a privateer and captures several fat merchant ships: (Gain 5% reputation, Gain 10% wealth): Next Roll SD+2 or SS+2
- 10-11: Your frigate besieges, then captures and then loots a foreign town. : (Gain One additional combat skill, and Gain 10% Wealth): Next SD+2 or SS+2
- 12: Your ship played major roll in large naval engagement: (Gain One Additional Combat Skill, Gain 10% Reputation): Next Roll SD+3
11) Boatswain on a Merchant Brig that travels between several well established ports: (Gain one social skill, Gain additional Seafaring Skill, Gain 5% Reputation, Gain Two Sailor Contacts): Next Roll SD+2 or SS+2
12) Boatswain on His Majesties Frigate (Gain one social skill, Gain one Combat skill, Gain one additional seafaring skill, Gain 5% Reputation, Gain 5% Standing) roll d12
- 1: Captain of the Frigate goes mad and takes her off course, ship wrecks on strange shore: Must Make Next Roll of SW table
- 2-3: Frigate is Sunk in major naval action, the character and the surviors drift for weeks in open boats: (Gain One Sailor Ally and two Sailor Contacts): Next Roll SD-3
- 4-5: Ship Runs a ground on your character's watch: (Lose 10% Reputation) Next Roll SD-3
- 6-8: Frigate fights in minor naval action and is boarded roll d12+1 for every combat skill held before this chapter: >7 gain one combat skill <7 suffer grievous injury minus 20% physical attribute. Regardless of the outcome character's Next Roll is SD +2.
- 9: Frigate was destroyed by a powerful force of nature (a unique storm, whirlpool, great white whale, tidal wave, ice burg etc) and this character was the only one to survive. The character is still haunted by this event: Grievous Injury Minus 20% Physical Attributes, Plus 10% Reputation, Roll on Curse Table: Next Roll SD-3
- 10: Frigate is assigned to Garrison a captured port, the character is given guard duties in town (Learn Foreign language): Next Roll SD or SS+2
- 11: Frigate captures foreign Treasure Galleon carried stolen holy relics: (Gain 50% wealth and Roll on the Curse Table): Next Roll SD or SS
- 12: Your character commands the Bridge of the Frigate during a major naval engagement and leads the ship to victory: (Gain 50% Wealth, Gain 50% standing, Gain 50% reputation): Next Roll SD +4, SS+2, MC or CC
13) Boatswain on Merchant Scow, the old captain is ill and leaves ship to this pirate: (Gain 20% Wealth, Gain 5% Reputation, Gain 10% Standing): Next Roll MC
Table 4: Seaside Scoundrel
Gain One Social Skill Bonus Per Level
- 1-3 Buy a lot of worthless or counterfeit goods (lose 90% wealth, lose 10% standing and lose 10% reputation): Next Roll SS-3, LL-3 or SD
- 4-6 Take a bath on several shipments, and over pay for standard goods (Lose 40% Wealth): Next Roll SS, LL or SD
- 7: Buy a cursed item: (Gain 5% Wealth Roll on Curse Table): Next Roll SS, LL or SD
- 8-9: Hold your own in the market (Gain 5% Wealth, Gain one criminal, one merchant and one sailor contact): Next Roll SS
- 10-11: Make tidy profit by short selling and swindling your customers (Gain 20% Wealth, Gain one Merchant and One Sailor Enemy): Next Roll SS
- 12: Help a nobleman unload some cargo (Gain 5% Wealth, Gain one Courtier Contact): Next Roll SS or CC-2
- 1-2 Blackmail a member of Court: (Gain 10% wealth and Gain one enemy from Courtiers):
- 3-4: Work as an enforcer (Gain one combat skill)
- 5: You and members of the guild set up street scam where by you sell magic beans and worthless ship commissions to naïve land lubbers: (Gain one social skill, Gain one enemy from peasants)
- 6: Get involved with an altercation with rival gang: roll d12+1 for every combat skill held before this chapter >5 (Gain one combat Skill),<5 (suffer grievous injury loss 20% attributes)
- 7-8: Kidnap and Ransom a Noble: (Gain 10% wealth, Gain 10% reputation, Lose 100% standing, Gain one enemy from Courtiers list)
- 9-10: Steal the Crown Jewels, only to find them impossible to fence and the resulting infamy makes your character pariah (Lose 10% wealth, Lose 90% standing, Gain 100% Reputation)
- 11: The Character is implicated in an assassination plot and the thieves guild gives him up (Lose 100% Standing, Minus one to all further rolls)
- 12 or greater: Gets involved in a guild rivalry that goes badly, (Gain one Enemy from Criminals)
Table 5: Ship Wrecked
Gain One Survival Skill Per Chapter
Table 6: Curses
1. Its is painful to touch cold iron
2. All faces looks like the face of they that cursed your pirate, can't tell people apart by appearance
3. Every plant touched by this person dies
4. For this person gold makes a painful high pitched noise, equitable to a cat screaming, that only he can hear.
5. Maggots that turn into flies within a day manifest spontaneously on his skin
6. Cannot see women, all women are invisible to this person
7. Cannot touch blood, to touch animal or human blood is painful, the sight of blood burns the persons eyes and the smell of blood is nauseating
8. To touch steel causes the character to fall a sleep, will not wake up until no longer touching steel
9. Cannot speak above a whisper
10. Sinks like a stone, can't float or swim
11. Turns to stone the night of very full moon
12. Cannot a tell a lie
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? Responses (18)
Update: Updated some formatting.
WOW Strolen, thank you
Wow. I would add a press-gang element in there somewhere, unless i missed it, but holy crap this is useful.
had that in mind on the originally but somehow it didn't make it in, added it now and added more moves to the seafaring tracks
'Your pirate was captured by a forgein power, spends the rest of this chapter in forgein prison ship'
This made me wince. ;P Could use a spellcheck or two, other than that, very useful.
thanks bro, it is so hard to get all the error out of a piece of prose, please and double please pass on any other error you find. thanks again
Now now, no need for that kind of tone. If you don't like me helping you out, allright, I won't do so then. And, no I'm good.
I don't like the path this conversation is taking.
I didn't take axle's comments to be too accusatory. More that he fixed the issue and was requesting a comment on the actual content vs. his spelling. (From my recollection, he admitted posting this while joining the Drunk Guild). Don't correct me if I am wrong axle. ;)
The interwebs does not transfer context or the intention of the comments very well.
If that's the case, it was a misunderstanding then. And yeah, I know. people take me the wrong way all the time. It's usually safe to assume I don't mean anything bad by anything I say/type though, and if I do, I tend to be obvious about it. So, no ill feelings on my end.
Fixed it! Any other comments Gossamer?
......>_O You...'fixing' it, made it sound even more sarcastic. But let's not continue with this. And if you insist on needing my help, here's a bunch;
Insult a peer get a challenged to duel: 1d12+1 for every combat skill a. 1-8 loss duel recievd grevious injury: (Minus 10% repuation, Minus 5% physical attributes): Next Roll CC, SD or SS b. 9: Draw: Next Roll CC c. 10-12: Win the Duel (Gain 10 Repuation,
7) Get wrapped up in the court's culture of gambaling
8) Work the Social Season at Court (Gain One Contact from Coutiers List,
9) Your pirtate
11) Advantagous
Now THAT is funny!
Great Stuff!
Would you like a generator made from this? It could happen :)
really even with the conditional outcome stuff and the cumulative skills? I could give it a shot.
But by all means Valadaar....the generators are great....it was seeing them that brought me back the site after an absence, and any you are welcome to use this anyway you see fit.
V1 would be without accumulated/weighted results. Such capability is on the radar!
I love this, and I wanted it printed out so I can use it to make pirates. Likewise, some of the terminology can be changed, like swapping pirate for mercenary, and you have a generator to create a rogue's gallery to fill out a wretched hive of scum and villainy.
I like the division into chapters, so you can create fresh pirates, salty old pirates, and everything in between.
So cool. And useful. And rad. And pirates!