TEXT: 1
  Issue Four, Issue Five
  Fall 
  
  2
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  15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE
   Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.  Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Bruce R. Cordell, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson
  Seas of Blood Copyright 2001, Mongoose Publishing,
  Fading Suns: D20 Copyright 2001, Holistic Designs, Inc.
  Skull & Bones Copyright 2003, Green Ronin Publishing, Authors Ian Sturrock, T.S. Luikart and Gareth-Michael Skarka
  A Dozen Sailing Ship Enhancements copyright ©2005 Philip Reed, published by Ronin Arts – www.roninarts.com. 
  Buccaneers & Bokor, Issue 5 copyright ©2005 Adamant Entertainment
  W
  elcome to the fifth issue of Buccaneers & 
  Bokor. Yes, we’ve been plagued by delays 
  since the launch of the ezine, but we hope that 
  you’ve found the issues worth the wait.  
   
  In this issue, we’ve got the second installment of 
  the Governor’s Prize adventure series, a system for gener-
  ating NPC Contacts, an article on Rum & Drunkeness, a 
  list of a dozen magical items, and more.
   
  The planned article covering the settlements of 
  the Spanish Main ran into some difficulties (in fact, it was 
  the main reason for our delay), and so has been re-sched-
  uled for Issue 6, coming in early 2006 (We mean it this time!).
   
  We’re always looking for more material to feature in Buccaneers & Bokor,  so if 
  you’re a writer or an artist with some pirate in ya, feel free to drop us a line via the email 
  address over there on the right.  We’d be right happy to hear from ye!
  Gareth-Michael Skarka
  Adamant Entertainment
  Buccaneers & Bokor is published in 
  electronic format quarterly by:
   Adamant Entertainment.
  3415 Morning Dove Circle
  Lawrence KS, 60049
  Information about future issues, sales, 
  and subscriptions can be found at our 
  website: 
  http://www.adamantentertainment.com
  If you are interested in submit-
  ting material for a future issue of 
  Buccaneers & Bokor, please contact 
  the Editor-in-Chief via email at 
  gms@adamantentertainment.com
  Buccaneeers & Bokor, v1 #5
  ©2005, Adamant Entertainment
  100 % Open Content
  
  3
  ARCANE ANCHOR 
  Appearance: This heavy anchor stands over five 
  feet tall, is a deep bronze in color, and amazingly 
  lightweight. The most surprising feature of this 
  anchor is that it is without a rope or, for that matter, 
  any means of fastening a rope to it. Strange writing 
  can be found on both sides of the anchor. 
  Appraise Information: DC 18. These magical 
  anchors function without a rope and are highly 
  prized by captains and shipʼs owners that manage to 
  acquire them. The writing reads, simply, “stop the 
  ship,” in a long-forgotten tongue.
  Value:351 Doubloons, 2 Pieces of Eight (11,250 gp)
  Special Rules: This magical anchor is tied to its 
  ship by an arcane energy field – the anchor and ship 
  may never be separated by more than 1,000 feet. The 
  anchor must be registered to a ship, a complex ritual 
  involving a spellcaster of at least tenth level and five 
  hours. Asecond ritual, requiring half the time, sepa-
  rates the anchor from its chosen ship. Only the spell-
  caster that originally registered the anchor to a ship 
  may separate it. 
  BOWSPRIT OF WAR 
  Appearance: This length of wood is mounted to the 
  prow of a ship and extends significantly forward of 
  the shipʼs main hull. The bowsprit is primarily used to 
  anchor the shipʼs forestays. This particular bowsprit is 
  painted blue and made of a durable, heavy wood. The 
  tip is wrapped in dark, black metal. 
  Appraise Information: DC 15. The symbol of a 
  shield engraved into the metal of the bowsprit identi-
  What follows are twelve different magical items for 
  use with ships.  These items use the rules for ships 
  presented in Skull & Bones (or Corsair). 
  Animated Oars
  Appearance: These wooden oars are black in color 
  and ringed with bright, metallic strips at about the 
  level at which they would be gripped when rowing.
    
  Appraise Information: DC 16. These magical oars, 
  once locked into place on a small or tiny ship, imme-
  diately activate.  
  Value: 312 Doubloons, 2 Pieces of Eight (10,000 gp.)
   
  Special Rules:Upon someone speaking the com-
  mand word, the oars spring to life and the ship begins 
  to move without  any physical effort. The oars fol-
  low the commands of the individual that is closest to 
  them at any time and will stop, start, slow, or speed 
  up depending on spoken orders. The ship gains no 
  increase in speed or ability. 
  A Dozen Nautical Magic Items
  By Philip Reed
  
  4
  fies it as a piece of the Santa Carla, a galleon that was 
  destroyed in battle over 100 years ago. Legends and 
  tall tales today tell of the ghostly  Santa Carla still 
  sailing the sea route between the Spanish Main and 
  Spain, stopping to assist those under attack by pirates. 
  Careful study and research (requiring 2 weeks) reveals 
  this item to be an actual component of the lost Santa 
  Carla– this is a valuable collectible. 
  Value: 825 Doubloons (26,400 gp.) 
  Special Rules: The bowsprit of war, once mounted 
  on a ship of medium size or larger, provides that ship 
  with a +4 to ramming attacks and increases the shipʼs 
  effective size by one for purposes of determining ram 
  damage. Colossal ships outfitted with a bowsprit of 
  war inflict double damage. Additionally, the bowsprit 
  of war prevents ships from locking together – the 
  ships are assumed to instantly break free of the ram. 
  ENCHANTED 
  CANNONBALL 
  Appearance: This particular cannonball looks like 
  any other cannonball – itʼs a large metal sphere made 
  of iron. The only indication that something may be 
  different about this particular cannonball is the deeply 
  engraved arrow that has been carefully painted white. 
  Appraise Information: DC 14. It is not an uncom-
  mon practice for spellcasters in coastal cities to craft 
  magical cannonballs. Though expensive, many a 
  shipʼs captain has found it useful to have a small 
  cache of enchanted cannonballs on board – just in 
  case. After all, you can never be too sure of what 
  youʼll encounter while sailing the open ocean. 
  Value:Varies by degree of enhancement. 
  Special Rules: Enchanted cannonballs are avail-
  able with enhancements ranging from +1 to +5. 
  Additionally, any effect that can normally be applied 
  to arrows, crossbow bolts, or other types of ammuni-
  tion may also be applied to cannonballs. Enchanted 
  cannonballs are constructed by use of the Craft Arms 
  and Armor feat.
  FEARGUARD-SHAPED 
  FIGUREHEAD 
  Appearance: This massive, wooden figurehead 
  – carved to resemble the upper torso, head, and out-
  stretched arms of a hooded humanoid bearing a giant 
  sword – is designed to be mounted on the prow of a 
  ship. Many ships of medium size or larger mount a 
  figurehead – the carved sculptures are seen as a mark 
  of wealth and, for some sailors, a good luck charm. 
  Appraise Information: DC 16. This particular fig-
  urehead has been carved to resemble a fear guard, an 
  evil incorporeal undead that relies on fear and strength 
  to protect areas of intense evil. Figureheads such as 
  this one were common aboard the fleet of the Bokor 
  Pirate Captain Legoma, a flotilla of pirate vessels 
  under the sway of an evil spellcaster. Legomaʼs fleet 
  ravaged the Caribbean for decades before they were 
  wiped out by a powerful – some say divine-forced 
  – storm. These figureheads are valuable to collectors 
  and few of them exist today (most are somewhere at 
  the bottom of the ocean, still mounted to the lost ships 
  of Legomaʼs fleet. 
  Value: 7500 Doubloons (240,000 gp. )
  Special Rules: This minor artifact envelops the ship 
  to which it is attached in a field of evil that functions 
  as per the unholy aura spell. Some figureheads – not 
  this one, though – are so heavy and bulky that they 
  detract from the shipʼs speed and maneuverability.  
  
  5
  GUNWALE OF 
  DEFLECTION 
  Appearance: This single, wooden plank is designed 
  to be affixed to the top planking of a sailing ship (the 
  shipʼs gunwale). This “whale” is painted orange and is 
  neatly cut.  
  Appraise Information: DC 15. As ship-to-ship com-
  bat became more common, spellcasters were called 
  in to assist in protecting the ship a crew from harm. 
  The gunwale of deflection, while a simple idea by 
  the standards of most magic items, became extremely 
  useful as cannon were introduced to combat at sea.  
  Value: 781 Doubloons, 1 Piece of Eight (25,000 gp.) 
  Special Rules: Just one gunwale of deflection mount-
  ed to the ship protects everyone on the ship from 
  ranged attacks directed from that side of the ship. 
  Everyone so protected gains a +5 enhancement bonus 
  to AC against ranged attacks that are fired at the pro-
  tected side of the ship. A ship may mount a gunwale 
  of protection on each side. There likely exist gun-
  waleʼs that offer a lower enhancement bonus – such 
  items would, of course, cost less. 
  KEEL OF 
  UNEARTHLY 
  STRENGTH 
  Appearance: This massive beam of wood is fash-
  ioned for use as the keel of a sailing ship. The keel is 
  the single beam upon which a shipʼs hull is built. This 
  particular keel is average in appearance.  
  Appraise Information: DC 15. This keel is an 
  enchanted beam. Magical keels are not unusual 
  amongst the larger, more experienced sailing cultures 
  and many ships are constructed around an enchanted 
  keel. 
  Value: 2,250 Doubloons (72,000 gp. )
  Special Rules: The keel of unearthly strength increas-
  es a shipʼs Structure Dice and Hardness by 25% 
  (round up). Additionally, the shipʼs AC is increased 
  by 2. A keel of unearthly strength must be built to the 
  specific measurements of the ship it is designed for. A 
  keel of unearthly strength, once used in the construc-
  tion of a ship, is permanently bonded to that shipʼs 
  hull. Attempting to remove the keel from the ship and 
  construct a new ship completely eradicates the keelʼs 
  enchantment. 
   
  LIVING MAST 
  AND SAIL 
  Appearance: This towering mainmast, resembling 
  a tree more than a typical shipʼs mast, is covered 
  with dozens of branch-like yardarms and a massive, 
  leaf-like sail. Upon closer examination the mast is a 
  tree, the roots extending through the shipʼs hull and 
  stretching into the waters beneath.  
  Appraise Information: DC 20. A living mast has 
  never been found by itself and every attempt to sepa-
  rate one from its ship has led to the death of the mast. 
  The mast, yardarms, sails, and rigging are all living 
  and, surprisingly, the mast remains healthy and alive 
  as long as the roots are in water (fresh or saltwater 
  makes no difference). 
  Value: 2,063 Doubloons (66,000 gp.)
  Special Rules:The speed and maneuverability of a 
  ship equipped with a living mast are increased by 
  25% (round up). It is said that some living masts 
  – and the ships to which they are attached – are a type 
  of treant that has chosen to take to the sea in search 
  of adventure. Such tales have never been proven but, 
  if true, could lead to an interesting adventure during 
  which the player characters partner with a treant ship 
  to right some horrible wrong. 
  
  6
  RESILIENT HULL 
  Appearance: Except for a perfectly white plank, the 
  shipʼs hull appears perfectly normal. 
  Appraise Information: DC 15. The white plank on 
  the shipʼs hull has been enhanced with an instantly 
  activating delay sinking spell (see box). This is a 
  popular enchantment with captainʼs that do not have 
  the funds to keep a spellcaster employed at all times. 
  Value: 142 Doubloons (4,550 gp. )
  Special Rules: The instant the shipʼs structure reaches 
  zero the effects of delay sinking(see box) kick in, 
  though the spellʼs duration is doubled. The resilient 
  hull plank is good for only a single activation and 
  must be replaced once used. 
  SAILS OF SPEED 
  Appearance: This massive sailcloth is completely 
  average in appearance. It is decorated with a large, red 
  star on both sides. 
  Appraise Information: DC 15. This sail is bless and 
  enchanted.  Perhaps a fragment of a saintʼs robe is 
  sewn into the lining, or maybe the whole thing was 
  sewn together by a Hougan...the method doesnʼt mat-
  ter.  As far as magical items go, this one is fairly com-
  mon.
  Value:  280 Doubloons (9,000 gp.)
  Special Rules:A sailing ship – no matter its num-
  ber of sails – that replaces at least one sail with this 
  magic item has its speed increased by 10 ft. Aship that 
  mounts multipleʼs of this type of sail gains no extra 
  benefit. 
  SELF-REPAIRING 
  SAILS 
  Appearance: This sailcloth is made of a thick, heavy 
  material that resists attempts to harm it with any 
  weapon short of an enchanted one. The sailcloth has 
  no marks or distinguishing features. 
  Appraise Information:DC 16. This sail is a type of 
  magic item found in areas in which magic is still in 
  heavy use. The sail, when damaged, will slowly repair 
  the damage. A self-repairing sail will continue to exe-
  cute repairs until the shipʼs speed is reduced to 25% at 
  which point the enchantment is destroyed and the sail 
  must be completely replaced. 
  Value: 235 Doubloons (7,500 gp.) 
  Special Rules:Any damage to sails is repaired by the 
  magical sails. Repairs – completely automatic and not 
  requiring any outside intervention – require one min-
  ute per foot of speed lost to damage.  
  Delay Sinking 
  Abjuration 
  Level: Bok/Sor/Wiz 7 
  Components:V, S, M 
  Casting Time:1 action 
  Range:Touch 
  Targets:One ship touched 
  Duration:1 hour/level 
  Saving Throw:None 
  Spell Resistance:Yes 
   
  You are able to call up invisible barriers of 
  arcane force that effectively plug holes in the 
  hull of a sinking ship for a short period of time. 
  Crewmen are then able to effect longer-lasting 
  repairs in the hope that their ship might safely 
  reach port. Aship under the effect of this spell 
  stops sinking for the duration of the casting, 
  at which time, if no repairs have been made, it 
  begins to sink again.
  
  7
  TRUSTED WHEEL 
  Appearance: This heavy, 80” shipʼs wheel is care-
  fully crafted and in perfect condition. The ends of the 
  wheelʼs spokes are perfectly polished and wrapped in 
  strips of black leather. Ornamentation – consisting of 
  strips of silver and twenty black gemstones – com-
  plete the wheelʼs elegant appearance. 
  Appraise Information: DC 18. This atypical wheel is 
  of the type usually constructed for only the wealthiest 
  of nobles. The wheel may be mounted in place of any 
  regular shipʼs wheel on a sailing ship of medium size 
  or larger. 
  Value: 3,125 Doubloons (100,000 gp. )
  Special Rules: The ship automatically gains the 
  feat, Godʼs Favor (see box), without the need of a 
  cleric. The shipʼs saving throw is equal to that of the 
  spellcaster that crafted the particular trusted wheel. 
  Additionally, all Profession (sailing) checks made by 
  anyone currently using the wheel gain a +4 enhance-
  ment bonus. 
  Godʼs Favor [Ship] 
  The ship is magically defended. 
  Prerequisite: A Cleric in the crew, performing 
  regular rituals on board. 
  Benefit: The ship itself gains the ability to roll 
  Saving Throws against magical attacks. The 
  shipʼs saving throw is equal to that of the shipʼs 
  Cleric. 
  
  8
  A widow, whom the characters have rescued, offers to 
  pay handsomely for safe transport back to Hispaniola. 
  Her prize is a valuable necklace – and a promise of 
  information about the location of the chest to which a 
  skeleton key belongs.
  T
  his is intended as an introductory Skull & 
  Bones adventure for characters of 2st or 3rd 
  level.  The characters must have possession of 
  their own ship.  Stats for the Fortune, an appropriate 
  ship, are provided if needed, along with its crew (see 
  Appendix A, at the end of the adventure).
  Though “A Widow, a Necklace, and a Skeleton Key” 
  is intended as part of the “Governorʼs Prize” series, it 
  is not necessary to play each of the parts of the series, 
  though they should be played in order if possible.
  [BACKGROUND]
  Prior to the start of this adventure, there are a few 
  story elements of which the Game Master should be 
  aware.  Some of these do not specifically affect the 
  course of this adventure, but affect the series as a 
  whole, and the Game Master should be aware of what 
  has transpired already, and what is to come.
  If “A Widow, a Necklace and a Skeleton Key” is 
  being played as part of the “Governorʼs Prize” series, 
  the characters are fleeing Port Royal, having escaped 
  the False Governorʼs ambush.  Note that the Player 
  Characters are NOT aware that James Galloway is 
  not the true Governor of Jamaica – in fact, Galloway 
  is impersonating the true Governor, William 
  Haverford.  Galloway assumes that the PCs have in 
  their possession a valuable journal from the wreck of 
  A Widow 
      A Necklace 
  and a Skeleton Key
  GP-2
  Part Two of the
  
  9
  the Scarborough, a ship they should have brought 
  back to Port Royal in the prior adventure.  
  Most likely, the Player Characters know something is 
  going on between the ʻGovernorʼ and the owner of the 
  Scarborough, a pirate named Albert de Montblanc.  
  Galloway wants this journal as he believes the infor-
  mation therein would reveal his true identity and ruin 
  his scam.
  In salvaging the Scarborough, the PCs found a 
  Widow aboard, Julia Muere.  In addition to the 
  Widow, the PCs also found an ornate Skeleton 
  Key, which did not fit any chest or door aboard the 
  Scarborough.  Upon learning that the PCs were leav-
  ing Port Royal, Muere offered to pay the PCs to take 
  her to St. Domingue (the French side of Hispaniola) 
  in exchange for a valuable pearl necklace and infor-
  mation about the chest to which the skeleton key 
  belongs.
  If “A Widow, a Necklace, and a Skeleton Key” is 
  being played as a standalone adventure, the PCs have 
  just left Port Royal, Jamaica, having picked up a 
  wealthy passenger (the Widow). She has offered to 
  pay them with a valuable pearl necklace upon arriv-
  ing in St. Domingue.  In addition, she hands the PCs 
  a Skeleton Key that allegedly belongs to a chest full 
  of treasure, but she isnʼt exactly sure about the chestʼs 
  location.  The Widow says her nephew knows all 
  about it, and he is at home in St. Domingue.
  [SETTING & SCOPE]: “A Widow, a Necklace, and 
  a Skeleton Key” is set in the Caribbean, in and around 
  Hispaniola, during the time period from 1670 – 1690.  
  It does not contain historical figures or references, so 
  the Game Master has some room with which to work 
  in an ongoing game.
  Characters start in Port Royal, Jamaica, and will go 
  to Hispaniola in an effort to return the Widow to her 
  home (an learn more about this mysterious key).  The 
  adventure begins in late April.
  The majority of the action in this adventure takes 
  place in St. Domingue, the French side of the island 
  of Hispaniola.  A coastal map of the French colonies 
  of St. Domingue is provided as part of this adventure 
  (on the following page).  Having a bit of historical 
  knowledge of St. Domingue might add some nice 
  touches to running the adventure, but everything that 
  you absolutely need to know has been included in the 
  text below.
  Having French-speaking characters in the party would 
  be helpful, but it is not essential.
  [ADJUSTING THE ADVENTURE]: “A Widow, 
  a Necklace, and a Skeleton Key” is intended for 
  4 Player Characters of 1st level, with no access to 
  magic.  If you want, you can modify the adventure 
  to suit higher-level characters, or to add magical ele-
  ments to the adventure.
  Scaling for higher-level characters is not diffi-
  cult.  The easiest way to accomplish this is simply 
  to increase the number of opponents in the combat 
  encounters.  You can also choose to have the PCs 
  fight Soliere in the final encounter rather than agents 
  of Albert de Montblanc (this last option should only 
  be used if the characters are at least 3rd level).
  There isnʼt much opportunity to add elements of 
  magic into this particular adventure.  The stat block 
  for Soliere Archambeau lists options to give him a 
  few magical trinkets.  Another possibility is to give 
  Grodin six skeletons or zombies as helpers rather than 
  the men listed in the encounter.  See the Core Rules 
  for the stats for skeletons and zombies.  Finally, you 
  can choose for Christophe Muere to be a dabbler in 
  voodoo, and he can reward the PCs with a few heal-
  ing potions (or other kinds, at your discretion) at the 
  end of the adventure.
  
  10
  The Island of Hispanola
  (The French Colony of St. Domingue makes up the Western Half of the Island)
  
  11
  [THE HOOK]: At the beginning of “A Widow, a 
  Necklace, and a Skeleton Key”, the Player Characters 
  are leaving Port Royal, Jamaica.  If the characters 
  have played through “Salvage Rights”, they can use 
  the same ship from that adventure.  Otherwise, if 
  this is their first adventure together, assume they all 
  know each other.  The PCs start the adventure travel-
  ing in their own ship, and thus must be able to work 
  together to a certain degree.  It is important that one 
  of the Player Characters be designated as Captain, 
  and owns the ship.  Other than that, the other PCs can 
  serve as officers, or have whatever role you choose.
  Assume that the PCs have a ship of some kind (a 
  sample ship, the Fortune, is provided in Appendix 
  A, along with crew), and have enough supplies for 
  a month.  The PCs have just signed a green crew 
  who have not worked together before.  If the char-
  acters have completed “A Widow, a Necklace, and a 
  Skeleton Key”, they should have the same crew.  You 
  can allow the PCs to acquire additional crew, but this 
  will be difficult in Port Royal, as the PCs are wanted 
  men and will have little time to hire on crewmen.  
  There should be opportunities to hire on crewmen 
  once the PCs reach St. Domingue.
  If this is the PCsʼ first adventure, and youʼre not sure 
  how to bring a ship into the PCsʼ possession, try one 
  of the following:
  • 
  One of the PCs had a relative (father, uncle, 
  grandfather, older brother) or close friend 
  to the family who was a pirate, and has just 
  retired (or died) and left the ship to the char-
  acter in question.  If you use this option, make 
  sure the PCʼs family is in the Caribbean, and 
  that this fits with the characterʼs Background.
  • 
  The characters all served together aboard a 
  ship that had a mutiny.  A great battle took 
  place on board, and there were few survivors, 
  and among these were the PCs.  One of the 
  PCs was named Captain, and they sailed back 
  to Port Royal to hire on more crew (most were 
  killed in the mutiny).
  • 
  As a result of a miscommunication, one of the 
  characters was challenged to a duel.  The chal-
  lenger, a pirate, believes this character to have 
  insulted him gravely.  This insult can be any-
  thing you choose, from insulting his family, 
  or a lady in his presence, or even his ship!  In 
  any event, the character defeats the pirate who 
  is forced to give over his ship to the character, 
  but the pirate retains his own crew.  This pirate 
  could serve as an Enemy for this character if 
  applicable.
  • 
  One of the characters, a clever (and appar-
  ently lucky) gambler, has won a small ship in 
  a game of chance.  The Captain giving up the 
  ship is not at all pleased, and may serve as an 
  Enemy for that character if applicable.
  If the Player Characters have completed “Salvage 
  Rights”, the first adventure in the “Governorʼs Prize” 
  series, the characters have all the incentive they need 
  to take the widow, Julia Muere, to her home in St. 
  Domingue.  After all, she is willing to pay well for the 
  transport, and the PCs need to leave Port Royal any-
  way!
  Should “A Widow, a Necklace, and a Skeleton Key” 
  be run as a standalone adventure, the GM should 
  come up with a good reason why the PCs are leaving 
  Port Royal.  Note that the problems with the False 
  Governor of Jamaica are not an essential part of this 
  adventure, so you donʼt need to find a way to work 
  that in.  The most important elements are taking the 
  Widow to Hispaniola and her offering information 
  on the Skeleton Key.  You can choose for the Widow 
  to give the key to one of the PCs, or perhaps they 
  already had it in their possession prior to agreeing to 
  transport Mrs. Muere to Hispaniola.
  Though “A Widow, a Necklace, and a Skeleton 
  Key” is intended to be run as the second part of the 
  “Governorʼs Prize” series, it can also be run as a 
  standalone adventure.  Slight adjustments should be 
  made at the end if this is the case (see Conclusion, 
  below).
  
  12
  [SWAY & THE CREW]:  As “A Widow, a 
  Necklace, and a Skeleton Key” begins, the Player 
  Characters have a crew they have either just hired 
  on, or who have been with the PCs for a very short 
  time.  Make sure to take this short service time into 
  consideration when it comes time to make any Sway 
  checks.  This adventure should not take an inordinate 
  amount of time, but make sure to keep track of Sway, 
  especially if you are considering running the rest of 
  the series with the same characters.  
  A great deal of “A Widow, a Necklace, and a 
  Skeleton Key” takes place on land, so feel free to 
  ignore the effects of Sway for this adventure.  You 
  will want to track Sway, however, if you are plan-
  ning to continue with the “Governorʼs Prize” series, 
  as the next installment in the series, “Never Make a 
  Deal with a Pirate”, takes place mostly at sea.
  See p. 71-74 in Skull & Bones for more information 
  on tracking Sway and making Sway checks.  
  [ENCOUNTERS]
  There are five encounters in “A Widow, a Necklace, 
  and a Skeleton Key”.  The Map will help you get 
  your bearings as to where these encounters take place.
  The Player Characters begin “A Widow, a Necklace, 
  and a Skeleton Key” in Port Royal.  If this adven-
  ture is being run as the second installment of the 
  “Governorʼs Prize” series, the PCs are on the run 
  from Port Royal.  If this adventure is not being run as 
  part of the series, the characters have just agreed to 
  take the Widow home to Hispaniola.
  TO HISPANIOLA [EL 2 or 0]: 
  In this encounter, the Player Characters travel across 
  the Windward Passage, from Port Royal, Jamaica, 
  into the Bay of Gonaives and St. Domingue beyond.  
  At your option, you may include an encounter with 
  a lightly-armed merchant vessel, with an opportu-
  nity for the PCs to pick up some booty and see some 
  action.
  The encounter with the Breeze, an English schooner, 
  is completely optional, and has no bearing on the rest 
  of the adventure.
  Keep track of the weather conditions as the PCs 
  travel from Port Royal to St. Domingue.  See Skull 
  & Bones, pp. 108-112, for more information on sail-
  ing and wind conditions.  The total distance between 
  Port Royal and St. Domingue is approximately 250 
  miles, and with normal winds, the journey should take 
  between three to five days.  If you wish to have more 
  intensity and have the PCs get more involved in the 
  sailing process, see below.
  Included on page 10 is a 17th century Spanish Map 
  of St. Domingue.  Use this as a reference for yourself, 
  and feel free to hand it out to your players, as there is 
  no adventure-specific information on the map.
  Julia Muere, the Widow from Hispaniola, 
  approaches you just as your vessel has cast 
  off from Port Royal.  “I am so pleased that 
  you agreed to take me home,” she says.  
  “Finding reliable transport is very difficult, 
  especially for one without hard currency 
  such as myself.”
  “As we agreed, I will pay for this gener-
  ous transport both with a pearl necklace and 
  some information, both of which should 
  prove valuable.  My estate is located just 
  outside the French colony of Gonaives in St. 
  Domingue, the French side of the island of 
  Hispaniola.  I assume that you have a map of 
  some kind showing Hispaniola and that you 
  can find it, for I am no navigator.”
  “I shall return to the cabin you have provid-
  ed for me,” she adds.  “Please let me know 
  if there is any change in the weather, for I so 
  despise the cold.”
  With that, Mrs. Muere takes her leave of 
  you.
  
  13
  SHIP: THE BREEZE
  English Schooner (Medium Merchantman)
  Draft: 1.5 fathoms
  Structure Dice: 4d8 (Max 18 sp, Current 16 sp)
  Hardness: 5
  Maneuverability: -2
  Speed: 120 ft./12 knots
  Turn Rate: 4
  AC: 8
  Weapons Fore: Demi-Culverin x2
  Weapons Aft: Demi-Culverin x2
  Weapons Broadside: Culverin x10
  Damage: Demi-Culverin 1d4, Culverin 2d4
  Special Qualities: None
  Crew: 50
  Passengers: 20
  Cargo: 100 Tons
  Built in England, this venerable merchant vessel has 
  not seen much in the way of piracy, and has been con-
  sidered lucky in that regard.  The Breeze has served in 
  Asia, as well as Western Africa, and has now come to 
  the Caribbean for what is likely its final tour of duty 
  before being retired.  Her captain, Miles Brookes, has 
  owned the Breeze for more than a decade.
  CREW OF THE BREEZE (CF)
  Class: Commoner
  Level: 1
  Crew Size: 54
  Crew Wounds: 54
  Attacks: Belaying Pin +0, Dirk +0
  Damage: Belaying Pin 1d6, Dirk 1d4
  AC: 10
  Saves: Fort +0, Ref +0, Will –1
  Seamanship: +0
  Feats: Obedient
  Crew Quality: Average
  If you wish to add a bit more intrigue to the journey 
  and involve the PCs in dealing with varying winds 
  and the weather, start with Day One at Port Royal, 
  Jamaica, and refer to the following chart (these 
  weather effects only apply to the trip from Jamaica 
  to Hispaniola; there is another chart for the Bay of 
  Gonaives in a subsequent encounter):
  Day 
  Wind Spd/Direction  
  Weather*
  1 
  Moderate (15/5) SW  
  None
  2 
  Moderate (14/5) SW  
  Light Rain, Cold
  3 
  Moderate (13/4) S 
   
  Light Rain, Cold
  4 
  Light (12/4) S   
   
  Fog
  5 
  Light (10/3) S  
   
  None
  6 
  Light (9/3) SW 
   
  None
  7 
  Light (9/3) SE  
   
  Light Rain
  8 
  Light (8/3) S  
   
  Light Rain, Fog
  * Make sure to take into account rain and fog effects 
  for sighting purposes.
  Allow any characters with the Knowledge (sea lore) 
  skill to attempt a skill check at the beginning of the 
  journey.  Refer to Skull & Bones, p. 22, for more 
  information on the use of this skill.
  If you wish to add a combat encounter, use the fol-
  lowing.  The Breeze, an English merchantman, is car-
  rying a load of sugar from Port de Paix, St. Domingue 
  to Port Royal.  The PCs can encounter the Breeze at 
  any point during their journey to Hispaniola.  
  
  14
  NPC: CAPTAIN MILES BROOKES
  [Sdg 4]
  [Medium Humanoid]
  Hit Dice: 4d10+8 (33 hp)
  Initiative: +1
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Armor Class: 13 (touch 11, flat-footed 12)
  Base Attack/Grapple: +4, Grapple +5
  Attack: Melee +5 (1d6+1, Cutlass) or Ranged +6 
  (1d12, Blunderbuss Pistol) 
  Full Attack: Melee +5 (1d6+1, Cutlass) or Ranged +6 
  (1d12, Blunderbuss Pistol)
  Space/Reach: 5x5, 5ʼ
  Special Attacks: Close Quarters +1
  Special Qualities: Favored Ship – English Ships 
  (bonuses included below)
  Saves: Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +2
  Abilities: Str 12, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 
  15
  Skills: Climb +8, Craft (carpentry) +5, Diplomacy 
  +5, Gather Information +5, Intimidate +5, Jump +4, 
  Knowledge (geography) +7, Knowledge (navigation) 
  +7, Knowledge (sea lore) ++9, Listen +3, Profession 
  (sailor) +12, Spot +3, Swim +6, Use Rope +5.
  Languages: English, Spanish.
  Feats: Dodge (from Sea Dog), Great Fortitude, 
  Mobility (from Sea Dog), Point Blank Shot, Port 
  Savvy (bonuses included above).
  Background: Seaman
  Fortunes: Been Round, Enlightened (from 
  Sea Dog).
  Fame: 5
  Challenge Rating: 4
  Treasure: As described in encounter list-
  ing.
  Alignment: Neutral Good
  Equipment: Masterwork Blunderbuss 
  Pistol, Buff Coat, Cutlass, Gentlemanʼs 
  Outfit, Gentryʼs Wig, Pocket Pistol, 300 
  Dbl.
  Captain Miles Brookes, son of a wealthy 
  merchant family, has been living on the 
  sea for many years.  Once a member of the 
  Royal Navy, Brookes retired a few years 
  back and has been working for a number 
  of merchant companies ever since.  Capt. 
  Brookes is no coward, but he is also a real-
  ist, and will not do battle with a heavily armed pirate 
  ship without the advantages being heavily in his favor. 
  He responds well to diplomacy, but not to overt vio-
  lence.
  Make sure to take into account any sighting modifiers 
  (the weather effects for each day of travel are listed 
  above).  See Skull & Bones, pp. 114-119, for rules to 
  resolve sea combat.  The captain of the Breeze, Miles 
  Brookes, will not surrender without a fight, but is not 
  willing to sink his ship in order to save his cargo.  If 
  the PCs are somewhat honorable in their approach, 
  Capt. Brookes may even hand over his cargo without 
  much of a fight.
  The Breeze has the following cargo of interest to 
  pirates: 800 doubloons, eight African slaves (total 
  value between 1,000 and 2,000 dbl), and 8 tons of 
  sugar (total value between 2,500 and 3,500 dbl).  The 
  ship also has supplies, enough for 24 daysʼ worth of 
  travel.  In terms of pressing crew, the PCs can either 
  attempt a Diplomacy check or use the Intimidate 
  skill to add to their crew.  With a DC 20 Diplomacy 
  check, the PCs can add 20 men to their crew.  A DC 
  15 Intimidate check will also add 20 men to the crew.  
  The PCs must choose one course of action or the 
  other; they cannot use both Diplomacy and Intimidate 
  to add to take crew from the Breeze. 
  
  15
  Whether or not you decide to include the Breeze and 
  the opportunity for combat and booty, the encounter 
  ends when the PCs arrive at Gonaives, a small French 
  colony and the site of Ms. Muereʼs estate.
  THE ESTATE AT GONAIVES 
  [EL 0]:  
  The Player Characters arrive at Gonaives, a small 
  French colony on the French side of Hispaniola.  
  Unless you have a strong reason not to do so, have 
  the PCsʼ ship arrive during the day, or at least prior to 
  sundown.  Refer to the Map of St. Domingue for more 
  information about the location of Gonaives (it appears 
  in the northwestern quadrant of Hispanola, and on this 
  early map is spelled Guanives).  
  A DC 15 Knowledge (sea lore) check reveals that 
  Gonaives is neither hostile nor friendly to pirates, and 
  doesnʼt have an especially strong reputation one way 
  or the other in that regard.
  Assuming the PCs dock at Gonaives, they will nei-
  ther be hassled nor questioned about their intentions.  
  They note that most of the inhabitants seem to be 
  either farmers or slaves (some of these slaves seem to 
  have an awful lot of freedom).  There is a token mili-
  tia here at Gonaives, but nothing threatening.  
  If the PCs decided to bring the Breeze into Gonaives 
  (if they encountered it in the previous encounter and 
  decided to capture her), this will raise some questions.  
  Be prepared to deal with this situation, but donʼt let it 
  take over the adventure.  A well-placed bribe here or 
  there should calm the local authorities; they are very 
  corrupt and used to dealing with pirates.
  Have the PCs decide whether or not they will travel 
  with Ms. Muere to her estate, or if perhaps only a few 
  of them will go along.  If any of the PCs go to the 
  estate, read the following boxed text.  
  Ms. Muere emerges from her cabin as your ship 
  enters the Bay of Gonaives.  Your crewmen 
  announce that the harbor of Gonaives has been 
  sighted, and you rush to get a glimpse.  
  The Bay of Gonaives is bowl-shaped and deep, 
  with a relatively narrow mouth.  While it is not 
  difficult to maneuver your vessel into the bay, you 
  can see where it would be hazardous for more than 
  a few ships to pass into or out of the bay at once.
  Gonaives is typical of the small agrarian colonies 
  setup around Hispaniola to take advantage of the 
  bountiful sugar crop on the island.  There is a small 
  stone fort set alongside the harbor, and you count 
  half a dozen cannon pointed towards the bay, with 
  the French flag flying above the fort.
  “Ahh… home,” Ms. Muere says, sniffing the sea 
  breeze.  “You will find Gonaives a friendly place.  
  No need for violence.  Once we have docked, I will 
  hire a coach to take me to the estate.  You are wel-
  come to accompany me if you wish.  Otherwise, I 
  will return and deliver to you the necklace I prom-
  ised.”   
  It is a bumpy coach ride from Gonaives into the 
  hills outside the French colony.  You pass a num-
  ber of sugar plantations along the way to a soli-
  tary hill overlooking the Bay of Gonaives.  It is a 
  breathtaking view from here, and you can easily 
  see why this was one of the first estates built in 
  the area when the colony was established.
  The estate, called Paix de Doux, is smaller than 
  what you had expected, about half a square 
  mile in total size.  It doesnʼt seem to have been 
  designed for any sort of agricultural undertaking, 
  as the grounds are nearly all part of the hill upon 
  which the estate is situated.
  Ms. Muere invites you inside the main house, 
  where she is astonished to find that the place 
  seems to have been robbed!  Items normally 
  shelved are all along the floor, and everything 
  is in disarray!  The servants explain that they 
  arrived to find the main house in this condition 
  just this morning, but did not see anyone coming 
  or going.
  The widow rushes through the house, apparently 
  trying to take stock of what is missing, leaving 
  the rest of you to your own devices for the time 
  being.
  
  16
  The PCs can feel free to do their own investigation 
  of the house if they wish.  Most of the items they 
  find are somewhat valuable, but are more of a senti-
  mental value to the Muere family, and there wouldnʼt 
  be much call for these items on the open market.  If 
  there are any larcenous characters that feel the need 
  to pocket a few trinkets, these trinkets can be sold for 
  around 50 Dbl.
  If the PCs really want to look around, give them 
  Search checks (DC 20).  Anyone that is successful 
  notices that nothing seems to be broken, and it all 
  seems a bit planned.  Whomever robbed the place 
  was pretty careful, and nothing, even those items on 
  the floor, are damaged or soiled in any way.  There 
  are certain rooms that are completely intact as well, 
  which is odd for a robbery.
  Muere explains that Soliere, a crime lord, runs 
  all of the illicit activities within the French town 
  of Leogane, located to the south  (On the pro-
  vided map, it is given the Spanish name of Goava).  
  Christophe, her nephew, knows the location of Albert 
  de Montblancʼs chest (to which the skeleton key 
  belongs).  Muere had planned to convince Christophe 
  to help the PCs, but now, he is gone.
  The widow will certainly explain to the PCs how to 
  get to Leogane if they donʼt know or donʼt have a 
  map.  She says that Soliere is the main crime boss 
  in Leogane, and there are rumors that he has all of 
  the town officials on his payroll, so he basically runs 
  Leogane.  If Christophe has gone to Leogane, Ms. 
  Muere reasons that he has done so because he wishes 
  to hide from Montblancʼs men, and to rejoin Soliereʼs 
  operations in Leogane.
  Should the PCs point out that the robbery seems 
  staged, Ms. Muere will be relieved, and explains that 
  Christophe probably did that in case Montblancʼs men 
  came looking for him.  She admits not really knowing 
  why else the robbery would seem staged.
  Finally, if the PCs indicate they are going to try to 
  find Christophe, Ms. Muere will give them a note that 
  will help the PCs convince the wayward nephew to 
  aid them.
  If all of the PCs decided to remain in the colony of 
  Gonaives, Ms. Muere returns within an hour with the 
  necklace and some unsettling news.  Read the follow-
  ing boxed text.
  It isnʼt more than an hour before the widowʼs 
  coach returns to the colony.  She emerges quickly 
  and seeks out your group.  Ms. Muere is flushed 
  and upset.
  “My friends,” she says with despair in her voice.  
  “The estate, it has been ransacked.  Someone has 
  robbed us!  And my nephew… he is not there.   
  My poor Christophe!”
  Muere sits down and continues.  “You see, it 
  was Christophe who served aboard that pirate 
  Montblancʼs ship, and it is he who knows about 
  The widow returns from upstairs a little less 
  upset, but still flushed.  “At least the thieves did 
  not find my secret cache of valuables,” she says.  
  “Here is the pearl necklace you were promised,” 
  she says, handing the item to the nearest of you.  
  “I thank you for your service and transporting 
  me home.  I only wish Christophe was here.  My 
  nephew, he knows the location of the treasure 
  chest to which that skeleton key belongs.  But he 
  is gone.”
  Ms. Muere produces a note scrawled on linen 
  paper. 
   “He left this note inside my secret storage,” she 
  explains.  “My nephew, Christope, he served 
  with that awful pirate, Albert de Montblanc.  The 
  pirate and his minions are after poor Christophe 
  now, and he has gone to Leogane to hide.  I only 
  wish he wasnʼt going to Leogane.  Soliere runs 
  that place, and Christophe has worked for that 
  crime lord enough.  I was hoping my nephew 
  would make new friends, and a better life for 
  himself, but it appears he is going back to his old 
  ways.”
  
  17
  that skeleton key.  I was to convince Christophe to 
  tell you the location of the chest to which that key 
  belongs.  But now, he is gone!”
  “Fortunately, my secret cache of valuables was not 
  found,” she continues.  “Here is the pearl necklace 
  you were promised in exchange for my passage, 
  and I thank you for your service.  I only wish 
  Christophe was here.  He has gone to Leogane, to 
  serve that crime lord again.  He left me a note.”
  Muere gives the PCs some background information 
  on the crime lord Soliere, based in Leogane, a French 
  town to the south.  Christophe Muere has worked for 
  Soliere in the past, and according to the note left at 
  his auntʼs estate, Christophe has returned to Leogane 
  to seek employment with Soliere.
  The widow explains that Soliere basically runs the 
  Leogane underground, and is involved in any number 
  of criminal activities there.  Christophe has gone there 
  because he fears that Albert de Montblanc is after 
  him.  Ms. Muere warns that Montblanc may indeed be 
  following Christophe, for her nephew knows the loca-
  tion of the pirateʼs chest.
  If the PCs indicate they are going to try to find 
  Christophe, Ms. Muere will give them a note that will 
  help the PCs convince the wayward nephew to aid 
  them.
  LEOGANE [EL 2 or 0]: 
  The Player Characters travel south to Leogane, one of 
  the largest of the French settlements in St. Domingue.  
  It is at most a day and a half trip from Gonaives to 
  Leogane (see map--remember, on the map it is given 
  the Spanish name Goava).  There are no planned 
  encounters along the way to Leogane from Gonaives, 
  but if you wish, you can have the PCs encounter the 
  Breeze from the encounter above (if you havenʼt 
  already used it).
  Leogane is a much larger settlement than Gonaives.  
  It is regular stop for both pirates and merchant 
  ships, and is a main center of the sugar trade in St. 
  Domingue.  The docks are sufficient for any size ship, 
  including Ships of the Line and other warships.  The 
  harbor is a busy place, making travel into or out of 
  Leogane hazardous and time-consuming.
  The people of Leogane speak French, but a large per-
  centage of them also speak another language.  Treat 
  each NPC as having a 35% chance each to know 
  one of the following languages: Dutch, English, or 
  Spanish.  The language barrier is not an important 
  part of this adventure, so feel free to handwave the 
  language issues if you donʼt want to deal with it. 
  You find the town of Leogane to be nearly 
  the equal of other major ports, such as Santo 
  Domingo, Port Royal, and the like.  It is a large, 
  sprawling settlement, and rows and rows of small 
  buildings abutting the waterfront, with dozens of 
  piers jutting into the harbor like teeth.  You spot 
  a large stone fort in the distance, overlooking the 
  city.  You canʼt quite see the fort well enough to 
  tell its armaments, but you can see the French flag 
  flying above the walls.
  After docking (and a paltry sum paid to the har-
  bormaster as a docking fee), you are on your 
  own recognizance.  Leogane is a busy place, with 
  merchants, pirates, and prostitutes mingling freely 
  along the waterfront.  There are dozens of small 
  shops and taverns situated perfectly to service 
  seafaring visitors to Leogane.  In particular, you 
  spot a tavern, the Gens Plaisants dʼOrleans (the 
  Pleasant People of Orleans), which seems to be 
  the center of attention.
  
  18
  At this point, the PCs need to decide how they want 
  to try to find Christophe Muere.  The widow Julia 
  mentioned Soliere the crime lord as a possibility, so 
  thatʼs pretty much the main lead the PCs can try to 
  pursue.  Or they can try to find Christophe Muere 
  without involving Soliere.
  They will likely try to use skills such as Gather 
  Information, Knowledge (local), Knowledge (street-
  wise), or the like to aid in this investigation.  Allow as 
  much or as little of the following clues to be revealed, 
  based on how quickly you would like this part of the 
  adventure to play out.  There are also rumors and 
  clues to be had at the tavern, assuming the PCs decide 
  to go inside.
  Information 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Skill Check (DC)
  Christophe Muere is in Leogane and has been for a few days. 
   
  Gather Info (15)
  Muere has been known to work for Soliere.  
   
   
   
  Any (15)
  Soliere is the de facto ruler of the Leogane underworld. 
   
   
  Any (15)
  Christophe Muere has started working for Soliere again. 
   
   
  Gather Info (20)
  Soliere has most of the criminals in Leogane on his payroll. 
   
  Any (20)
  The pirate Albert de Montblanc was seen in Leogane recently. 
   
  Gather Info (20)
  Albert de Montblanc is looking for Christophe Muere. 
   
   
  Gather Info (20)
  Soliere has most of the city officials on his payroll.  
   
   
  Any (25)
  The Ville du Sucre Bienfaisant hotel is Soliereʼs base of operations. 
  Any (25)
  The Gens Plaisants dʼOrleans tavern is a raucous, 
  busy place, full of pirates, seamen of various stripes 
  and nationalities, and merchants worn out after long 
  sea journeys.  There is any number of seedy indi-
  viduals here, and the PCs should be careful not to 
  stand out too much or draw attention to themselves 
  if they want their investigations to go smoothly.  On 
  the other hand, if you want things to get ugly, by all 
  means do so.
  If you wish to add a combat scene, this would be an 
  excellent place to do so.  It will have nothing to do 
  with the plot of this adventure (unless you want it to 
  – see below), but is a good way to keep players inter-
  ested, especially those who find investigation boring.  
  The PCs should be able to win – or at least escape 
  – without coming to too much harm.
  If there is a combat encounter, it is EL 2.  This means 
  there should be more opponents than PCs, but about 
  the same level.  Use the following stats for tavern 
  thugs if you wish, and include a number of combat-
  ants equal to the number of PCs plus three.
  NPC: TAVERN THUG
  [Com 2]
  [Medium Humanoid]
  Hit Dice: 2d4 (8hp)
  Initiative: +0
  Speed: 30ʼ
  Armor Class: 10 (flat-footed 10, touch 10)
  Base Attack/Grapple: +1, Grapple +2
  Attacks: +2 melee (1d8+1, broadsword) or +1 ranged 
  (1d12, blunderbuss pistol)
  Full Attack: +2 melee (1d8+1, masterwork broad-
  sword) or +1 ranged (1d12, blunderbuss pistol)
  Space/Reach: 5x5, 5ʼ
  Special Attacks: None
  Special Qualities: None
  Saves: Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +1
  
  19
  Abilities: Str 12, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 
  10
  Skills: Jump +2, Listen +2, Spot +2, Swim +2, Use 
  Rope +1.
  Feats: Great Fortitude, Toughness. 
  Background: Scum
  Fortunes: None.
  Challenge Rating: 1
  Treasure: See Below
  Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
  Equipment: Broadsword, Blunderbuss Pistol, 20 
  Power/Shot for Blunderbuss Pistol, 3 Dirks, and 20 
  doubloons.
  Whether or not you decide to add a combat scene 
  here, mentioning Soliereʼs name is dangerous.  Many 
  people in the tavern are either on his payroll or fear 
  the crime lord for whatever reason.  If you wish, 
  allow the PCs a Gather Information check (DC 20) 
  to learn this information without drawing too much 
  unwanted attention.
  If the PCs are too brazen about using Soliereʼs name 
  or asking questions, either about the crime lord or 
  Christophe Muere, a few individuals within the tavern 
  will take notice.  Soliere has sent spies into the vari-
  ous taverns around Leogane to watch for Albert de 
  Montblancʼs men, and these spies, hearing the PCs 
  asking about Muere and/or Soliere may assume that 
  the PCs are with Montblanc.
  Soliere is intent on protecting Muere, and will seek 
  to kill or at least dissuade Albert de Montblancʼs men 
  from harassing the young man.  These spies (there 
  should be one for each of the PCs at least, more if 
  you wish) will find an appropriate time to approach 
  the PCs.  If you decide to have a bar brawl, the spies 
  approach following the fight.  The spies say they are 
  associated with Soliere and state that Soliere would 
  like to meet with the PCs and their ʻbossʼ.  The PCs 
  can either play along or claim ignorance, but in either 
  case, the spies will give the PCs the location of the 
  Marchand de Gruyere, a store not far from the tav-
  ern, where Soliere will meet with them within the 
  hour
  If you wish to add a combat scene to this encounter, 
  and want this combat to have something to do with 
  the plot, hereʼs an idea.  Assuming that the PCs are a 
  little too talkative and are asking too many questions 
  about Soliere, a group of ruffians attacks the PCs, 
  thinking that the PCs are spies for the French navy or 
  are pirates bent on causing Soliere trouble.  The spies 
  (see above) will watch this fight to see how the PCs 
  handle themselves.  When the PCs are victorious, the 
  spies will still approach the PCs about meeting with 
  Soliere, but it will instead be an offer of employment.  
  This is completely false, of course.  The spies are still 
  under the impression that the PCs are with Albert de 
  Montblanc.
  If the PCs decide not to go to the tavern (what kind 
  of pirates are they, anyway?), a small group of spies 
  in Soliereʼs employ takes notice of them asking 
  questions about their boss, Christophe Muere, and 
  Leogane, and these spies assume that the PCs are 
  with Albert de Montblanc.  The spies have been sent 
  to find Montblancʼs men, whom Soliere thinks are in 
  Leogane looking for Christophe Muere.
  The spies will find an appropriate time to approach 
  the PCs, and then announce that they are with Soliere.  
  They go on to explain that Soliere has long admired 
  the PCsʼ boss, and that he wishes to meet with the 
  PCs.  The spies will give the PCs the location of the 
  Marchand de Gruyere, a store not far from the tav-
  ern, where Soliere will meet with them within the 
  hour
  The PCs may claim not to know anything about a 
  ʻbossʼ, or they might even figure out that this is a case 
  of mistaken identity.  In any event, the spies cannot 
  really be convinced that the PCs are not with Albert 
  de Montblanc without very good evidence to the con-
  trary, which the PCs likely do not have.
   
  Note that this encounter will take as long as you 
  choose.  If you want the investigative portion of the 
  adventure to go longer, stretch out the scenes, and 
  give out the clues infrequently, or make the clues 
  harder to come by.  At the end, in some way, the 
  PCs should be convinced to go to the Marchand de 
  Gruyere within the hour to meet with Soliere.
  
  20
  A CASE OF MISTAKEN 
  IDENTITY [EL 1]: 
  The Player Characters should be on their way to the 
  docks in front of the Marchand de Gruyere.  It 
  should be nightfall once they arrive.  If the PCs donʼt 
  show up for this encounter, see below.  Otherwise, 
  the PCs find the place devoid of people, which is odd 
  given how busy they have found the Leogane water-
  front to be thus far.    
  A dozen armed men pop out from behind the 
  crates and the storefront, brandishing their swords 
  in your direction.  One of the men, dressed in a 
  buff coat, and wearing a pair of fine pistols at his 
  belt, approaches you.
  “Foul pirates,” he says.  “Soliere has sent me to 
  speak with you.  Now that we have your atten-
  tion…  Soliere believes you are here to cause him 
  some trouble, or more specifically, trouble to one 
  of his men.  We cannot abide this, you see.”
  He approaches a little closer, taking stock of each 
  of you in turn.  “The stories appear to be true.  
  Albert de Montblanc must truly be getting his 
  men from the bottom of the barrel to look at the 
  lot of you.”
  The man gestures towards the dozen or so armed 
  men pointing cutlasses in your direction.  “You 
  can see that we have you surrounded.  There is no 
  escape.  We could just kill you and be done with 
  it, but Soliere wishes to offer you an option.  Turn 
  on your employer and join Soliere, and you will 
  be freed, but only after you answer a few ques-
  tions.”
  It is just after dark.  You have arrived at the 
  waterfront outside the Marchand de Gruyere, a 
  merchant shop specializing in maritime goods 
  such as navigation instruments, logbooks, and the 
  like.  Normally, you would expect this place to 
  be jumping with activity, but for some reason, it 
  is strangely quiet.  Almost as if…
  There are stacks of crates piled up around the shop 
  and the dockside, and plenty of cover should some-
  one need it (hint, hint). 
  Soliere has set aside this area to ambush Albert de 
  Montblancʼs men, whom he presumes the PCs to 
  be.  As such, Soliere (who did not personally come 
  to watch the ambush) has sent a dozen men, led by 
  Grodin, to capture or kill the PCs at this ambush site.  
  
  21
  NPC: JEAN-MARC GRODIN
  [Ftr 3, Rog 1]
  [Medium Humanoid]
  Hit Dice: 3d10+6 & 1d6+2 (31 hp)
  Initiative: +2
  Speed: 30 ft.
  Armor Class: 14 (touch 12, flat-footed 12)
  Base Attack/Grapple: +3, Grapple +5
  Attack: Melee +6 (1d6+2, Cutlass) or Ranged +6 
  (2d4, MW Pistol) 
  Full Attack: Melee +6 (1d6+2, Cutlass) or Ranged 
  +4/+4 (2d4 ea, Pair of MW Pistols)
  Space/Reach: 5x5, 5ʼ
  Special Attacks: Sneak Attack +1d6
  Special Qualities: Trapfinding +1
  Saves: Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +2
  Abilities: Str 15, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 
  12
  Skills: Climb +5, Hide +4, Intimidate +3, Jump +5, 
  Move Silently +4, Sense Motive +7, Swim +5.
  Languages: English, French.
  Feats: Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Two-Weapon 
  Fighting, Weapon Focus - Cutlass.
  Background: Indentured Servant
  Fortunes: Enlightened
  Fame: 6
  Challenge Rating: 4
  Treasure: See below.
  Alignment: Neutral Evil
  Equipment: Pair of Masterwork Pistols, Buff Coat, 
  Cutlass, Simple Silk Overcoat, Pocket Pistol, 500 Dbl.
  Jean-Marc Grodin, known simply as Grodin to his 
  friends, is a rational and analytical man who happens 
  to be one of Soliereʼs lieutenants.  Before turning to a 
  life of crime, Grodin was an indentured servant, and 
  this is how he made his way from his native France to 
  the New World.  In his indentured servitude, Grodin 
  worked for Charles Muere in and around the French 
  colony Gonaives, to the north of Leogane.  Charles 
  and his wife, Julia, freed all of their indentured ser-
  vants once the construction of their estate outside 
  Gonaives was complete, but Grodin stayed on a for 
  a few more years.  During that time, Charles Muere 
  died, and Grodin and Julia Muere became close 
  friends for a time.
  NPC: SOLIEREʼS MEN
  [Exp 2]
  [Medium Humanoid]
  Hit Dice: 2d6 (7hp)
  Initiative: +0
  Speed: 30ʼ
  Armor Class: 13 (flat-footed 12, touch 11)
  Base Attack/Grapple: +1, Grapple +2
  Attacks: +2 melee (1d6+1, cutlass) or +2 ranged 
  (2d4, pistol)
  Full Attack: +2 melee (1d6+1, cutlass) or +2 ranged 
  (2d4, pistol)
  Space/Reach: 5x5, 5ʼ
  Special Attacks: None
  Special Qualities: None
  Saves: Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +3
  Abilities: Str 12, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 
  10
  Skills: Bluff +5, Climb +5, Hide +6, Jump +5, 
  Knowledge (Leogane) +6, Move Silently +6, Search 
  +5, Sense Motive +4, Sleight of Hand +5, Swim +5.
  Feats: Dodge, Point Blank Shot. 
  Background: Scum
  Fortunes: None.
  Challenge Rating: 1
  Treasure: See Below
  Alignment: Neutral Evil
  Equipment: Buff Coat, Cutlass, Pistol, 20 Power/
  Shot for Pistol, Dirk, and 28 doubloons.
  The PCs have a number of options at this point.  They 
  can choose to fight (in which case you will need 
  to recalculate the EL for this encounter).  Fighting 
  is likely to be a death sentence, so there are other 
  options.  Among these are to agree to go along with 
  Grodin and his men to see Soliere, or to try to con-
  vince Grodin that the PCs are not with Albert de 
  Montblanc.
  If the PCs agree to go along with Grodin to see 
  Soliere, he will first attempt to discern whether the 
  PCs are being totally honest in their intentions.  Have 
  the PCs make Bluff checks, opposed by Grodinʼs 
  Sense Motive check, to see whether Grodin believes 
  they are with Albert de Montblanc and that they 
  intend to cooperate.  This will only cause problems if 
  Grodinʼs Sense Motive check beats a Bluff check by 
  10 or more.  
  
  22
  In this case, Grodin orders the PCs put in chains 
  and immediately brought before Soliere.  Otherwise, 
  Grodin and the armed men take the PCs to the Ville 
  du Sucre Bienfaisant and the final encounter.
  If the PCs try to convince Grodin they are not with 
  Albert de Montblanc, there are a couple of obstacles 
  to overcome.  
  First, Grodin has already been told they are with 
  Montblanc, so the assumption is there on his part that 
  any denial on the PCsʼ part means they are trying to 
  get out of punishment, death, etc.  But the PCs do 
  have one ace up their sleeves.  It just so happens that 
  Grodin knows Julia Muere from past dealings, and 
  recognizes Ms. Muereʼs handwriting.  If the PCs show 
  Grodin the note she wrote (the one intended to con-
  vince Christophe to help the PCs), he will realize that 
  they are likely being truthful.  
  A Diplomacy check (DC 25, going from Unfriendly to 
  Friendly, with a +5 bonus to the check based on Ms. 
  Muereʼs letter) will convince Grodin that the PCs are 
  legitimately looking for Christophe Muere and are not 
  with Montblanc.  
  The PCs can choose to aid another (see the Core 
  Rules for adjudicating the use of aid another) in order 
  to increase the likelihood of convincing Grodin. 
  Convincing Soliere is another matter, but at least it 
  improves the PCsʼ situation in the next encounter.
  If for some reason the PCs donʼt fall for Soliereʼs 
  ambush, which is certainly reasonable, allow them to 
  wander around and do some more investigation until 
  nightfall, without gaining any more ground.  If they 
  hang around the waterfront enough, use the above 
  material, altering it to fit the PCsʼ situation.  If the 
  PCs rent hotel rooms or spend time around some 
  other prominent building, have Grodin and his men 
  ambush the PCs outside that building.
  ACQUIRING THE MAP 
  [EL 2 or 0]: 
  In this final encounter, the Player Characters come 
  face to face with Soliere, master of the Leogane 
  underworld.  Soliere can be found at the hotel known 
  as the Ville du Sucre Bienfaisant (City of Bountiful 
  Sugar).  This hotel, which Soliere owns, serves as the 
  de facto headquarters of the Leogane underworld.  It 
  is of French colonial architecture and design, and the 
  PCs will find the hotel to be finely appointed and 
  decorated in the Old World style.  Read the players 
  the following description of the place.
  The Ville du Sucre Bienfaisant is a symbol of 
  Old World charm in an otherwise unremarkable 
  section of the French colony of Leogane.  The 
  three-story hotel is appointed with iron faux bal-
  conies, filigreed gates, and fine wood paneling.  
  All the signs of money and wealth are here, not 
  the easily acquired sort of wealth one might find 
  at the bottom of a pirateʼs treasure chest, but old 
  money, the sort that passes from generation to 
  generation.
  You see a pair of armed guards at the entrance to 
  the Ville du Sucre Bienfaisant.  Dressed in tab-
  ards bearing the sign of some wealthy noble or 
  another, one might almost believe they are royal 
  guards.  The guards have access to muskets, and 
  also have cutlasses at the belt.
  There are multiple ways that the PCs can get to this 
  final encounter.  Below are detailed the most likely of 
  these.
  The simplest and most straightforward way to get to 
  Soliere is to follow clues given out in the Leogane 
  encounter (see above).  If you choose to avoid the 
  ambush encounter with Soliereʼs men, you can let the 
  PCs know of the location of Soliereʼs hotel and skip 
  ahead to this encounter to end the adventure.
  If you have run the encounter with Grodin (whether 
  at the waterfront or another location in Leogane), the 
  PCs will be taken to see Soliere, but it is the way in 
  
  23
  which they are brought before Soliere that makes a 
  difference.  
  If there was a combat, and the PCs lost (which is like-
  ly), Grodin will bring any survivors before Soliere for 
  questioning.  If the PCs went along with the assump-
  tion that they are agents for Albert de Montblanc, and 
  are willing to switch sides, the PCs will be in chains.  
  If the PCs were able to convince Grodin that they are 
  not with Montblanc, but are legitimately looking for 
  Christophe Muere, the PCs will be brought peaceably, 
  and with Grodinʼs support.
  Should the PCs be the guests of Grodin, whether in 
  chains or not, read the following:
  If the PCs are not here as “guests” of Grodin (in one 
  form or another), they will find that there are two 
  entrances on the ground level.  The guards watch the 
  main entrance, a pair of ornate double doors.  A back 
  entrance, leading into the kitchen, is currently locked 
  (Open Locks DC 20, Break DC 18).  
  All windows on the ground floor are locked (Open 
  Locks DC 15, Break DC 16).  Windows above the 
  ground floor may be locked (50% chance for any win-
  dow).  Getting past the guards is not going to be easy 
  without a fight.  Use the following stats for Soliereʼs 
  men:  
  NPC: SOLIEREʼS MEN
  [Exp 2]
  [Medium Humanoid]
  Hit Dice: 2d6 (7hp)
  Initiative: +0
  Speed: 30ʼ
  Armor Class: 13 (flat-footed 12, touch 11)
  Base Attack/Grapple: +1, Grapple +2
  Attacks: +2 melee (1d6+1, cutlass) or +2 ranged 
  (2d6, short musket)
  Full Attack: +2 melee (1d6+1, cutlass) or +2 ranged 
  (2d6, short musket)
  Space/Reach: 5x5, 5ʼ
  Special Attacks: None
  Special Qualities: None
  Saves: Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +3
  Abilities: Str 12, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 
  10
  Skills: Bluff +5, Climb +5, Hide +6, Jump +5, 
  Knowledge (Leogane) +6, Move Silently +6, Search 
  +5, Sense Motive +4, Sleight of Hand +5, Swim +5.
  Feats: Dodge, Point Blank Shot. 
  Background: Scum
  Fortunes: None.
  Challenge Rating: 1
  Treasure: See Below
  Alignment: Neutral Evil
  Equipment: Buff Coat, Cutlass, Short Musketl, 20 
  Power/Shot for Musket, Dirk, and 33 doubloons.
  Otherwise, the men will use Sense Motive to resist 
  any Bluff checks or the like with any attempt on the 
  PCsʼ part to talk their way inside.
  In any event, no matter how the PCs get inside, they 
  will quickly discover that Soliere is hosting a party 
  Grodin, your “escort”, leads you to the pair of 
  double doors and straight to the guards.  These 
  guards do not flinch at Grodinʼs approach, and do 
  not even put a hand to their weapons.
  “Good evening, gentlemen,” Grodin says to the 
  guards in French.  They nod.  “We have business 
  with Monsieur Soliere.  Please let us pass.”
  The guards, without response, open the grand 
  double doors and allow entry.  They take inven-
  tory of who is being brought inside, but offer no 
  comment.
  Once inside, you find yourselves inside an opu-
  lent main reception area.  You see a desk where 
  clerks might assign rooms and operate the hotel, 
  though there is no one there now.  You hear some 
  sort of merriment taking place in a nearby room.  
  From the sounds of it, there may be a party of 
  some kind going on.  
  
  24
  for thirty or so of his closest friends and associ-
  ates.  Change the circumstances as needed if the 
  PCs for some reason decide to arrive at the Ville du 
  Sucre Bienfaisant.  No matter how the PCs manage 
  to arrive at the party, their weapons will have been 
  removed before this scene.
  When seen, or if the PCs are with Grodin, the PCs 
  will be “invited” to join the party.  Read the follow-
  ing:
  NPC: SOLIERE ARCHAMBEAU
  [Rog 6, Buc 2]
  [Medium Humanoid]
  Hit Dice: 6d6 + 2d8 +16 (42hp)
  Initiative: +3
  Speed: 30ʼ
  Armor Class: 15 (flat-footed 15, touch 13)
  Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+1, Grapple +7
  Attacks: +8 melee (1d8+1, masterwork broadsword) 
  or +10 ranged (1d12, blunderbuss pistol)
  Full Attack: +8/+3 melee (1d8+1, masterwork broad-
  sword) or +10 ranged (1d12, blunderbuss pistol)
  Space/Reach: 5x5, 5ʼ
  Special Attacks: Sneak Attack +3d6
  Special Qualities: Expert Pilot, Evasion, Survivor, 
  Trapfinding, Trap Sense +2, Uncanny Dodge
  Saves: Fort +7, Ref +8, Will +3
  You find a large ballroom, complete with a band 
  of merry musicians playing atop a fine wooden 
  stage.  There must be at least twenty or so par-
  tygoers in this room, most of them male and 
  dressed at least as well as you are.  Women of 
  questionable character are also seen here, enter-
  taining the male party guests.
  As you are brought inside, a bearded man, spry, 
  and dressed in a buff coat, with a pair of pistols 
  at his belt, smiles and welcomes you to the occa-
  sion.
  “Gentlemen,” he says.  “Welcome to the Ville du 
  Sucre Bienfaisant.  I am Soliere, your host.”  At 
  this point, several armed men gather around.  “We 
  donʼt wish any harm to come to you, but as you 
  can understand, we must be careful with these 
  matters.”
  Abilities: Str 13, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 
  15
  Skills: Appraise +3, Bluff +11, Diplomacy +7, 
  Disguise +4, Escape Artist +8, Gather Information 
  +11, Hide +13, Intimidate +10, Knowledge (Local) 
  +10, Knowledge (Navigation) +6, Languages (Carib, 
  Dutch, English, French – Native, Spanish), Listen +8, 
  Move Silently +13, Open Locks +7, Search +6, Sense 
  Motive +5, Spot +8, Survival +5, Tumble +8.
  Feats: Combat Expertise, Improved Feint, Point 
  Blank Shot, Weapon Display, Weapon Focus – 
  Broadsword. 
  Background: Indentured Servant
  Fortunes: Booty (MW Broadsword), Deadeye, 
  Seasick, Vice (Natives).
  Challenge Rating: 8
  Treasure: See Below
  Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
  
  25
  Equipment: Buff Coat, Masterwork Broadsword, 
  Blunderbuss Pistol, 20 Power/Shot for Blunderbuss 
  Pistol, 3 Dirks, Various Keys, Set of Lockpicks, 200 
  doubloons, Gold and Ruby Ring worth 250 dou-
  bloons, treasure map.
  Soliere Archambeau was born into poverty in 
  the small town of Limoges, the son of a potter.  
  Archambeauʼs father was injured in the line of work 
  and because he could no longer work, the fam-
  ily could not repay some rather substantial debts.  
  They were eventually forced to give the two eldest 
  Archambeau sons, Marcel and Soliere, to the local 
  landlord to forgive the debt.
  Marcel and Soliere toiled as servants in the house 
  of the local lord until they were teenagers.  At this 
  time, the brothers were split up, each of them handed 
  off to separate debtors of the landlord, who, like the 
  Archambeau household, had found himself unable to 
  pay some outstanding debts.
  Traded into the service of Lord Robert de Gagne, 
  Soliere served aboard a merchant ship.  Lord de 
  Gagne, who was involved in maritime trade with the 
  French colonies of the Caribbean, owned several plan-
  tations on Hispaniola.  Soliere quickly learned that he 
  did not like life at sea, though he could do little at the 
  time to change his circumstances.  As his tour of duty 
  aboard Lord de Gagneʼs ships continued, his seasick-
  ness got worse and worse, until Soliere was no longer 
  allowed to work above deck.
  Archambeau made an important friend working in 
  the cookʼs galley.  The head cook, a former inden-
  tured servant himself, taught Soliere the finer points 
  of making the most of his time aboard ship, and even 
  showed the boy a few tricks involving lockpicking 
  and stealth.
  During the height of the summer months, Lord de 
  Gagneʼs ship, the Mercy, left St. Martin for points 
  west.  Before a day had passed, pirates captured the 
  vessel, and demanded not only valuables, but also 
  crewmen.  Soliere saw this as an opportunity to 
  escape the bonds of servitude and gladly agreed to 
  sign the piratesʼ charter.
  Now serving as a gunner aboard the Strange Journey, 
  under a pirate known as Admiral James Book, Soliere 
  sailed the length and breadth of the Caribbean, and 
  even spent some time around the slave coasts of 
  Africa.  But Soliereʼs seasickness returned, and once 
  again in the West Indies, Soliere fled the pirate ship at 
  the port of Leogane.
  Unlike many of his fellow pirates, Soliere dreamed of 
  a life on land, a life of leisure and wealth, and saved 
  his coins when he could to make this dream happen.  
  Archambeau was lucky enough to survive Admiral 
  James Bookʼs more profitable escapades, and had 
  enough coins to try to eke out a respectable existence 
  in Leogane.  He bought a foundering spice trading 
  shop and began to work on a plan to expand the busi-
  ness.
  Soliere found it difficult to deal with the bureaucracy 
  involved in running a business that depended so heav-
  ily on maritime trade, and was often tempted to cut 
  corners to make a profit.  Soliere quickly realized that 
  life as an honest businessman was not for him, and 
  the young man started to make deals with the criminal 
  underground of Leogane in order to both increase his 
  own profits and grow a customer base.
  Acting as a fence for stolen merchandise, as well 
  as the sale of illicit goods, Soliereʼs status amongst 
  his fellow criminals rose quickly, and it wasnʼt long 
  before Archambeau was challenging the local bosses 
  for supreme power in the small French colony.  
  Following a small turf war, Soliere ran the other boss-
  es out of town and became the sole leader of a rather 
  large criminal enterprise in Leogane.
  Soliere is recognized and respected as the main 
  underworld power in Leogane, and likely in all of St. 
  Domingue.  He runs not only a highly profitable fence 
  business, but also a prostitution ring, a fortune telling 
  scam, several illegal gambling operations, and even 
  keeps a small group of burglars at his beck and call.  
  Soliere, now with more than a decadeʼs experience 
  in the Leogane underworld, acts as a mentor to his 
  young criminal operatives.  He has grown to such 
  a place of prominence in Leogane that he regularly 
  meets with the Governor and is able to get his men 
  freed from jail without too much trouble.
  Over the years, Soliere has dropped his surname, 
  going only by his first name.  His notoriety in 
  
  26
  Leogane and throughout St. Domingue is such that 
  everyone in his circles knows of Soliere.  
  Having recently had the opportunity to work with a 
  number of Awawak natives in and around Leogane, 
  Soliere has grown to appreciate and love the tribes, 
  especially their women.  If he has a weakness, it is 
  that he loves native women perhaps a bit too much.  
  Soliere is a sucker for a pretty native girl, and this 
  weakness can be used to get closer to the crime lord.
  Magic Option:
  If you are using magic in your campaign, add the fol-
  lowing wanga to Archambeauʼs equipment list:
  Shield, CL 9, 4 charges.
  Magic Weapon, CL 9, 4 charges 
  Note: Soliere Archambeau is an excellent NPC 
  Contact for a Player Character with a criminal back-
  ground.  His influence and power is such that he 
  would count as two NPC Contacts.
  Adapting Soliere for your campaign, he can be placed 
  in any medium-sized colony of any nationality with-
  out too much trouble.  He can be used as a local crime 
  lord, or can even serve a smaller role as the leader of 
  a band of local thieves.
  The next bit will depend on the circumstances sur-
  rounding the PCsʼ arrival here at the hotel.  
  If Grodin brought them to see Soliere for the pur-
  poses of speaking with Christophe Muere, Soliere will 
  demand proof.  If the letter from Julia Muere is shown 
  to Soliere, he will remark that it is interesting, but that 
  he still has suspicions about the PCs, and that he has a 
  test for them to prove their worthiness.  
  If the PCs were brought in under the auspices of being 
  agents of Albert de Montblanc, Soliere will tell them 
  that he has a test for them to prove their worth (simi-
  lar to the above).  Finally, if the PCs were captured 
  (either by Grodin or while trying to sneak around the 
  hotel), Soliere offers them a chance to earn their free-
  dom.
  “You see, gentlemen,” Soliere continues, “I have 
  a rather large problem on my hands.  The noto-
  rious pirate, Albert de Montblanc, he has been 
  threatening one of my good friends, and that, I 
  cannot abide.  Therefore, you will serve me a dual 
  purpose.”
  At this point, six men are brought into the room 
  in chains, which are unlocked and set aside, and 
  the men are given cutlasses.  Your own melee 
  weapons are returned to you at the same time.
  “I have managed to capture these men hired by 
  Montblanc,” Soliere says.  “Eliminate them for 
  me now, and you will have proven your worth.”
  The PCs must fight six agents of Albert de 
  Montblanc.  Assume that the ballroom is 40ʼx40ʼ, 
  and the partygoers will clear a wide space for the 
  fight to take place.  None of the partygoers will get 
  involve unless attacked.  If anyone tries to escape, 
  Soliere has eight armed men in this room, and they 
  will be ordered to kill any escapees.
  NPC: DE MONTBLANCʼS AGENTS
  [Exp 2]
  [Medium Humanoid]
  Hit Dice: 2d6 (8hp)
  Initiative: +0
  Speed: 30ʼ
  Armor Class: 13 (flat-footed 12, touch 11)
  Base Attack/Grapple: +1, Grapple +2
  Attacks: +2 melee (1d6+1, cutlass) 
  Full Attack: +2 melee (1d6+1, cutlass) 
  Space/Reach: 5x5, 5ʼ
  Special Attacks: None
  Special Qualities: None
  Saves: Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +3
  Abilities: Str 12, Dex 13, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 10, 
  Cha 10
  Skills: Bluff +5, Climb +5, Hide +6, Jump +5, 
  Knowledge (Leogane) +6, Move Silently +6, Search 
  +5, Sense Motive +4, Sleight of Hand +5, Swim +5.
  Feats: Dodge, Point Blank Shot. 
  Background: Scum
  Fortunes: None.
  
  27
  Challenge Rating: 1
  Treasure: See Below
  Alignment: Neutral Evil
  Equipment: Buff Coat, Cutlass, 
  Winning this fight, as the PCs should (you may need 
  to adjust the number of opponents if the PCs number 
  more or less than four), the PCs will find themselves 
  in a new set of circumstances.  In any event, they 
  will have earned Soliereʼs trust, and that is important 
  should the PCs ever need his help while in Leogane in 
  the future.
  If the PCs were here to see Christophe Muere, Soliere 
  will now allow that.  If the PCs were here to join 
  Soliereʼs gang, they will be invited into the fold (and 
  they can freely speak with Christophe Muere at a later 
  time).  If the PCs were captured, Soliere will offer 
  them their freedom.  At this point, the PCs can try to 
  bargain for a chance to see Muere (Diplomacy DC 20 
  to do so, and the PCs can aid another).
  Soliere will award the PCs 500 dbl for the entertain-
  ment, and wish them well (unless they are joining his 
  gang, in which case he welcomes them to the fold).
  CONCLUSION:  
  If you are playing “A Widow, a Necklace, and a 
  Skeleton Key” as part of the “Governorʼs Prize” 
  series, read on.  Otherwise, skip this section and see 
  the next.
  Christophe Muere is still a little rattled from being 
  chased around Hispaniola by Albert de Montblanc 
  and his men.  Muere tells the PCs he once served with 
  Montblanc aboard his pirate ship, the Scarborough.  
  While aboard the Scarborough, Muere overheard the 
  French pirate talking about making a deal with the 
  Governor of Port Royal.  He goes on to tell the PCs 
  that Montblanc took the Scarborough from Port Royal 
  to Hellʼs Cove, a well-known pirate hideout on the 
  Yucatan, and left some sort of important captive with 
  someone there.  
  Muere thinks the man Montblanc dealt with in Hellʼs 
  Cove was named “Bullhead”.  Apparently, Montblanc 
  made some kind of deal with 
  this “Bullhead”, and gave 
  him a chest of gold coins 
  in exchange for watching 
  the prisoner.  The catch: 
  Montblanc held the key, 
  which the PCs now have in 
  their possession.
  In true pirate fashion, Muere 
  learned that “Bullhead” 
  was due to double-cross 
  Montblanc, but Christophe 
  kept this information to him-
  self, as Muere was planning 
  to leave the French pirateʼs 
  employ anyway.  
  Christophe has a map show-
  ing the location of Hellʼs 
  Cove, and will gladly give it 
  to the PCs.  If asked, Muere 
  says he has no idea about the 
  Journal Montblanc kept.
  
  28
  This is the impetus for Part Three of the “Governorʼs 
  Prize” series, entitled, “Never Make a Deal with a 
  Pirate.”  The PCs should be preparing to sail to the 
  Yucatan, to find Hellʼs Cove, the pirate hideout indi-
  cated on Muereʼs map.
  If you are NOT playing “A Widow, a Necklace, and 
  a Skeleton Key” as part of the “Governorʼs Prize” 
  series, you will need to come up with a motivating 
  factor for your next adventure based on the outcome 
  of this one.  
  A possibility is that Christophe Muere gives the PCs 
  a treasure map instead of a map to Hellʼs Cove.  He 
  could also provide other information, contacts, what-
  ever, that may lead into the next adventure in your 
  campaign.
  Of course, if the PCs have joined Soliereʼs gang, they 
  are not required to stay.  Soliere will be angered at 
  them leaving unless it is on good terms; decide for 
  yourself and your campaign if this at all matters to 
  you.  If the PCs manage to keep on good terms with 
  Soliere, and/or they promise to return to serve Soliere 
  in the future, award each of them a Fame Point for 
  joining the gang.
  Awarding Experience
  Below are suggestions on how you might award expe-
  rience for this adventure.  Feel free to modify this in 
  any way you like to suit your game.  Remember to 
  change these values if there are more or less than 4 
  players (this alters the EL listed above), or if you have 
  added anything significant to the adventure.
  To Hispaniola:  If you have the PCs run into the 
  Breeze and they decide to attack/board, etc., this is an 
  EL 2 encounter, and should be worth a total of 600xp 
  for any participants.  Otherwise, there is no xp award 
  for this encounter.
  The Estate at Gonaives:  No xp award for this 
  encounter.
  Leogane: If there is a combat scene, it should be an 
  EL 2 encounter, and should be worth a total of 600xp 
  for any participants.  Getting invited to the Marchand 
  de Gruyere is worth a total of 300xp for any partici-
  pants.
  Case of Mistaken Identity:  Being taken to Soliere 
  is worth a total of 300xp for any participants, no mat-
  ter how the PCs manage to be taken there.  If the PCs 
  decide to fight, you need to recalculate the EL and 
  award xp appropriately.
  Acquiring the Map: Defeating the agents of Albert 
  de Montblanc is worth a total of 600xp for any par-
  ticipants.  If somehow the PCs donʼt fight the agents 
  of Montblanc, but still manage to accomplish the goal 
  of the encounter, award the same xp as a story award.
  Story Award: This is optional.  Award an additional 
  100-250 xp for each character whose player did an 
  outstanding job of roleplaying, planning, or executing 
  the goals of the adventure.
  
  29
  Awarding Fame
  Refer to Table 8-2 in Skull & Bones for rules 
  on awarding Fame Points.  There arenʼt many 
  opportunities to award Fame in “A Widow, a 
  Necklace, and a Skeleton Key”.  Here are some 
  possibilities, separated by Encounter:
  To Hispaniola:  Possibly 1 for sparing an enemy 
  crew, if applicable.
  The Estate at Hispaniola:  None
  Leogane: Possibly 1 for performing an impossible 
  stunt in front of 25+ witnesses or 1 for surviving a 
  potentially fatal event, assuming there is a combat.
  Case of Mistaken Identity:  None
  Acquiring the Map: Possibly 1 for joining Soliereʼs 
  gang.
  Dividing the Plunder
  Note that, in this adventure, the NPC Crew isnʼt heav-
  ily involved in the action.  Only use the method below 
  to divide plunder gained through shipboard actions.
  The standard agreement that is easiest to calculate 
  is to use the following concepts.  First, lump all the 
  booty into one pile and give it a monetary value, 
  even if itʼs not been sold.  Next, subtract any fees for 
  repairs needed for the ship, as well as restocking sup-
  plies.  Finally, the remainder is to be divided amongst 
  the crew and officers (anyone eligible – see p. 96-
  100 of Skull & Bones for more information on who 
  onboard would be eligible for a share).
  Assume that each of the Player Characters receives 2 
  shares.  If for some reason a Player Character would 
  not receive 2 shares, adjust the following formula 
  accordingly.  There may be NPCs onboard who also 
  receive multiple shares, so make sure to add them 
  to the total number in the formula.  Calculate each 
  share as such: (Remaining Booty) / (Total Number of 
  Shares).  The result is how much an individual share 
  is worth.  For characters that receive more than one 
  share, or fractional shares, use this as a base.
  Characters that receive goods and items in lieu of 
  coins must ʻpayʼ for the value of that item from their 
  share.  If the good or item is worth more than the 
  value of their total share(s), the character must either 
  pay the remainder from his or her pockets, or sell the 
  item in question.
  Example: There are four Player Characters (each 
  receiving 2 shares), an NPC Navigator (2 shares), 
  and 40 crewmen (each receiving 1 share).  The pirates 
  have a total booty after repairs and supplies of 6,000 
  doubloons.  There is a total of 50 shares, so each 
  individual share is worth (6,000 / 50) 120 doubloons.  
  Each crewman receives this as his share, while the 
  Navigator and the PCs each receive 240 doubloons.   
  
  30
  APPENDIX A: 
  SAMPLE SHIP & CREW: 
   If the PCs do not already have a ship and crew, here 
  are stats for the Fortune, a sloop, and her very green 
  crew.  As above, note that these crewmen have just 
  been signed on, so any Sway rolls should take that 
  into consideration for this adventure.
  SHIP: THE FORTUNE
  English Sloop (Medium Warship)
  Draft: 2 fathoms
  Structure Dice: 4d10 (24 sp)
  Hardness: 5
  Maneuverability: 0
  Speed: 130 ft./13 knots
  Turn Rate: 4
  AC: 10
  Weapons Fore: None
  Weapons Aft: Culverin x2
  Weapons Broadside: Culverin x8
  Damage: Culverin 2d4
  Special Qualities: None
  Crew: 50
  Passengers: 10
  Cargo: 80 Tons
  The Fortune is a tad stouter than other sloops found 
  in common use.  She was once part of an escort group 
  that traveled with African slave ships making the 
  Middle Passage, but following a pirate attack on the 
  slave ship she was guarding, the Fortune found herself 
  in the hands of Jean-Marc Boulanger, a French pirate.  
  She has since changed hands many times, but is still 
  in good condition.
  CREW OF THE FORTUNE (CF)
  Class: Commoner
  Level: 1
  Crew Size: 40
  Crew Wounds: 40
  Attacks: Belaying Pin +0, Dirk +0
  Damage: Belaying Pin 1d6, Dirk 1d4
  AC: 10
  Saves: Fort +0, Ref +0, Will –1
  Seamanship: +0
  Feats: None
  Crew Quality: Rabble
  Note that, because the number of crew members (40) 
  is less than the minimum crew numbers required for 
  the Fortune (50), all actions taken for the Fortune are 
  at –1.(End Boxed Text)
  Because the characters are low-level, and have a 
  rabble crew, they would not get very far without some 
  NPC help onboard.  Here is an NPC Navigator you 
  can add to the crew to help the PCs get where theyʼre 
  trying to go.
  NPC: Bart Langstone: 
  Sdg 2/Exp2; CR 3; Med Humanoid; HD 2d10+2, 
  2d6+2; hp 22; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 12; touch 10; 
  flat-footed 12; Base Atk +3; Grp +3; Atk +3 melee 
  (1d6, Smallsword) or +3 ranged (2d4, Pistol); Full 
  Atk +3 melee (1d6, Smallsword) or +3 ranged (2d4, 
  Pistol); Space/Reach 5 ft./5 ft.; SA none; SQ none; 
  AL NG; SV Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +4; Str 10, Dex 11, 
  Con 12, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 10; Fame 3; Sway Base 
  2, Current –8 (at start of adventure).
  Skills: Bluff +2. Climb +5, Craft – Carpentry 
  +3, Knowledge – Geography +7, Knowledge – 
  Navigation +11, Knowledge – Sea Lore +8, Listen +3, 
  Profession – Sailor +5, Sleight of Hand +3, Spot +3, 
  Swim +6, Use Rope +5.
  Feats: Athletic, Deft Hands, Skill Focus – Knowledge 
  (Navigation).
  Possessions: Buff Coat, Dirk, Flask of Scotch 
  Whiskey, Navigatorʼs Instruments, Pistol, 
  Pocketwatch, Smallsword, Tradesmanʼs Outfit.
  Langstone, as a Warrant Officer and Expert Crewman 
  aboard ship, is paid a salary of 25 dbl per month (this 
  comes from the Captainʼs coffers, not the shipʼs), and 
  expects 2 shares of any booty discovered.  If these 
  conditions are not met, Langstone will abandon the 
  PCs at first opportunity.
  
  31
  S
  ometimes, you just need to know if your char-
  acter is drunk.  Letʼs face it – weʼve all been 
  there.  Your character is celebrating after yet 
  another successful venture, and just wants to unwind, 
  drink some rum, and grope the ladies.  
  What follows is an alternate resolution system 
  designed to gauge whether your character has had one 
  too many, and presents rules to cover the effects and 
  how long they last.  This optional resolution system 
  supercedes the rules for drinking found on p. 68 of the 
  Skull & Bones rulebook.
  Of Rum
  & 
  Drunkenness
  By    Rory   G  MacLeod
  System Basics
  This system assigns a Potency value to each alcoholic 
  drink, with a rating of between 0 (not very potent) to 
  5 or more (extremely potent).  For drinks not found 
  within the charts below, feel free to assign your own 
  Potency values, using those presented below as a 
  guide.
  The system compares the Potency of the drink in 
  question to the characterʼs Constitution modifier.  If 
  a characterʼs Constitution modifier is less than the 
  
  32
  adjusted Potency, a Fortitude save is attempted.  If 
  successful, the character remains Sober, but Lit (a 
  condition between total sobriety and drunkenness).
  As the character drinks, each additional drink beyond 
  the first adds to the base Potency.  Thus, as the char-
  acter drinks, there is a greater chance to become 
  Drunk.  To determine when a new Fortitude save 
  should be attempted, add one to the Potency for every 
  drink beyond the first.  When the adjusted Potency 
  is higher than the characterʼs Constitution modifier, 
  a Fortitude save must be attempted.  The DC for this 
  save is based on the drink (see below).  Failing this 
  save means the character is now Drunk.
  A Lit character will likely continue to drink.  
  Characters in this state must attempt a Will Save DC 
  10 to resist continued drinking.  Add 1 to this DC for 
  every alcoholic drink taken beyond the first.  When a 
  character becomes Drunk, the DC is lowered to a base 
  of 5, with the same modifiers for the total of drinks 
  taken.
  Characters with the Whiskey Johnny fortune add any 
  modifiers from that fortune to any found below.  The 
  Will Save to refrain from drinking applies only when 
  initially confronted with the opportunity to drink alco-
  hol, and not any of the saves listed below.  At his or 
  her option, the GM could assign modifiers to some 
  of the saves below for characters with the Whiskey 
  Johnny fortune.
  At the GMʼs option, bonuses from the Endurance feat 
  may be added to any Fortitude saves to resist drunk-
  enness.
  Mixing Drink Types
  Characters will often try different drinks, and of 
  course, the drinks listed below have different Potency 
  ratings and base Fortitude Save DCs for determining 
  drunkenness.  To deal with a situation where a char-
  acter tries drinks of different types, continue track-
  ing the adjusted Potency as normal, but use the most 
  recent drink as the base.
  For example, a character with a Constitution modifier 
  of +1 starts off the evening with three Stout Lagers 
  (base Potency 1, base Fort Save DC 13) for a total 
  adjusted Potency of 3, which is two higher than the 
  characterʼs Con modifier.  Somehow, the character 
  avoids becoming Drunk, and continues with a Local 
  Rum (base Potency 3, Fort Save DC 14), for a new 
  adjusted Potency of 6 and must now attempt a Fort 
  Save DC 14 or become Drunk.
  The Conditions
  This system uses three conditions: Sober (is not under 
  the influence), Lit (not drunk, but has had alcohol), 
  and Drunk (has had too many drinks).
  Sober – No modifiers.  A character taking an alcohol-
  ic drink of any kind becomes Lit (see below).  Under 
  the optional rules for resistance (see above), certain 
  characters may remain Sober for multiple drinks.
  Lit – Character takes a –1 penalty to all skill checks, 
  and a –1 penalty to Wisdom.  These penalties last 
  until the character is once again Sober.  When the 
  character drinks and fails a Fortitude save to resist 
  drunkenness, the characterʼs condition changes to 
  Drunk (see below).
  Drunk – Character takes an additional –1 penalty to 
  skill checks and to the Wisdom score, and also takes 
  a –2 penalty to ability checks, Reflex and Willpower 
  saves, and attack rolls.  The character cannot take 
  actions that require a great deal of concentration, 
  such as casting or maintaining spells (though magic 
  items can be used).  A character remains Drunk until a 
  period of (Current Adjusted Potency – Con Modifier) 
  hours passes, minimum of one hour, after the final 
  alcoholic drink is taken.  After this period, the charac-
  ter becomes Sober.
  Nursing It
  Characters may choose to drink more slowly to avoid 
  becoming Drunk.  To do this, the character must 
  not drink more than once during a one-hour period.  
  Drinking in this manner keeps the character in the Lit 
  state, and the character does not need to attempt any 
  Fortitude saves to resist drunkenness.  Continue to 
  track the adjusted Potency anyway, but subtract one 
  
  33
  from the score for every hour between drinks.  If the 
  adjusted Potency drops to 0, the character becomes 
  Sober. 
  Even though a character may be ʻnursing itʼ, a Will 
  save is still required following a drink (only if the 
  character is Lit – see below for options regarding tol-
  erance).  Failing this save means the character takes 
  another drink anyway, and is subject to the normal 
  rules.
  Pirate Characters
  Because pirates and other sailors are more prone to 
  drink, and thus have a superior tolerance for alcohol, 
  at his or her option, the GM may provide these 
  characters with bonuses to reflect these charactersʼ 
  resistance to the effects of drink.
  Under this variant, characters gain a bonus to their 
  Constitution score for the purposes of determining 
  when to attempt a Fortitude save to resist drunken-
  ness.  This adjusted Constitution scoreʼs modifier also 
  applies to the Fortitude save itself.  In addition, the 
  character does not become Lit until after a number of 
  drinks equal to the adjusted Constitution modifier.
  The character receives a bonus equal to the number of 
  total levels in any of the following classes: Barbarian, 
  Buccaneer, Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Sea Dog, 
  Shantyman, Sea Officer (PrC), or Warrant Officer 
  (PrC).  The GM may decide to add other classes to 
  this list as he or she sees fit. 
  Optional Drunk Variants
  Under this variant system, which is completely 
  optional, a character chooses a Drunk Type (see 
  below).  It is often the case that a Drunk characterʼs 
  personality completely changes when under the influ-
  ence of alcohol.  When choosing one of these eight 
  options for your character, you should select one that 
  is markedly different than the characterʼs normal per-
  sonality.
  When the character becomes Drunk, add the follow-
  ing modifiers to the characterʼs actions.  Note that 
  these penalties are in addition to any from the stan-
  dard Drunk condition.
  Angry Drunk – Character is argumentative, bitter, 
  and ready for a fight.  Any perceived insult could start 
  an argument, and an argument with this sort of Drunk 
  is sure to lead to a fight.  Character must attempt a 
  Will Save DC 15 to avoid combat under these condi-
  tions.
  Depressed Drunk – Character is morose and brood-
  ing, his or her thoughts concentrated on all of the bad 
  things theyʼve done, regrets they have, and the like.  
  These Drunks are unlikely to get involved in anything 
  positive while in this state, and take the following 
  penalties: -4 to Initiative, -2 to Charisma, and –2 to 
  Attack and Damage rolls.
  Happy Drunk – Character is humorous, bright, and 
  positive, sometimes too much so for other Drunks 
  to take – Happy Drunks do not get along well with 
  Depressed Drunks.  These Drunks do not readily take 
  any violent actions, do not quickly react to negative 
  situations, and take the following penalties: -4 to 
  Initiative and –2 to Attack and Damage rolls.
  Insightful Drunk – Character seems to gain an 
  insight into things he or she would normally have 
  no knowledge of or interest in.  On the other hand, 
  the characterʼs senses are dulled to a point of near-
  uselessness.  The character may attempt untrained 
  Knowledge checks in this state (the GM is free to give 
  out misinformation as a result of these checks), and 
  gains a +1 bonus to any Knowledge checks for which 
  the character has ranks.  In addition, the character 
  takes a –2 penalty to Listen, Search, Sense Motive, 
  and Spot checks.
  Paranoid Drunk – Character thinks people are out to 
  get him or her.  While there could often be a rational 
  explanation for this feeling, in this case, the character 
  is merely imagining things.  If the Paranoid Drunk 
  encounters anyone asking questions or taking any 
  notice at all in the Drunkʼs behavior, the Paranoid 
  Drunk will either flee or start a fight (characterʼs 
  choice or roll randomly).  Resisting this behavior 
  requires a Will Save DC 15.
  Quiet Drunk – Character is quiet and reserved, pre-
  ferring not to speak with anyone or even respond 
  
  34
  to outside stimuli.  He or she takes a –2 penalty to 
  Charisma, an additional –2 penalty to any Charisma-
  based skill checks, and cannot cast spells with a ver-
  bal component, nor invoke any magic items with a 
  command word.  The character is so quiet, however, 
  that he or she gains a +1 bonus to Listen and Move 
  Silently checks.
  Sleepy Drunk – Character gets very tired when under 
  the influence of alcohol.  When Drunk, this character 
  must attempt a Will Save DC 15 to stay awake.  For 
  every drink taken after becoming Drunk, add 1 to the 
  DC.  If the character fails the Will Save, he or she 
  falls asleep, but can be awakened by another character 
  using a move action.  The sleeping Drunk then gets 
  a new Will Save DC 15 to awaken.  A Sleepy Drunk 
  who is awakened is under the Fatigued condition (see 
  the Core Rules) until Sober.
  Talkative Drunk – Character really starts talk-
  ing when Drunk, and simply cannot keep his or 
  her mouth shut when in the presence of others (or 
  sometimes even when alone).  The Talkative Drunk 
  takes a –4 penalty to Sense Motive checks made to 
  resist Bluff attempts, and takes a –2 penalty to all 
  Charisma-based skill checks with the exception of 
  Bluff, to which the Drunk instead gains a +1 bonus.  
  The character must make a Will Save DC 15 to resist 
  revealing secret information when in this state.  The 
  player can decide exactly which secret information, if 
  any, is revealed.
  The Drink Chart
  Drink  
   
   
   
   
  Base Potency 
   
  Base Fort Save DC
  Bitter Ale 
   
   
   
   
   
  1 
   
   
   
  10
  Blush Wine (favorite of the nobility) 
   
  0 
   
   
   
  8
  Bourbon (from France) 
   
   
   
  3 
   
   
   
  13
  Brandy 
   
   
   
   
   
  2 
   
   
   
  13
  Champagne (from the Old World)  
   
  1 
   
   
   
  11
  Deadeye Lager (very potent lager)  
   
  3 
   
   
   
  14
  Dutch Gin (sharp-tasting liquor) 
   
   
  1 
   
   
   
  10
  Import Red Wine (from the Old World) 
   
  1 
   
   
   
  10
  Import White Wine (from the Old World)  
  1 
   
   
   
  11
  Kill Devil (a rum punch) 
   
   
   
  1 
   
   
   
  10
  Local Red Wine 
   
   
   
   
  0 
   
   
   
  9
  Local Rum 
   
   
   
   
   
  3 
   
   
   
  14
  Local White Wine 
   
   
   
   
  0 
   
   
   
  10
  Port Wine 
   
   
   
   
   
  1 
   
   
   
  11
  Rumfistian (see the Skull & Bones rules)  
  5 
   
   
   
  15
  Scotch Whiskey 
   
   
   
   
  3 
   
   
   
  14
  Special Reserve Rum 
   
   
   
  4 
   
   
   
  15
  Special Reserve Wine 
   
   
   
  1 
   
   
   
  11
  Stout Lager  
   
   
   
   
  1 
   
   
   
  13
  Tequila 
   
   
   
   
   
  3 
   
   
   
  15
  Vodka (from Russia)  
   
   
   
  4 
   
   
   
  15
  Poutine (from Ireland) 
   
   
   
  4 
   
   
   
  15
  
  35
  New Skill:
  ALCOHOL TOLERANCE 
  [CON; TRAINED ONLY]
  At the GMʼs option, this could be a class skill 
  for the following classes:  Barbarian, Buccaneer, 
  Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Sea Dog, Shantyman, Sea 
  Officer (PrC), or Warrant Officer (PrC).
  Check: You can make a skill check in place of 
  a Fortitude save to resist drunkenness.  This 
  does not apply to any Will saves made when 
  Lit or Drunk, only to Fortitude saves resist-
  ing drunkenness.
  Action: Using Alcohol Tolerance is a reaction 
  and takes no time.
  Try Again: No. You cannot try again once you have 
  failed the check to resist drunkenness.
  Synergy: If you have 5 ranks in Craft (brewing), you 
  gain a +2 bonus on Alcohol Tolerance checks.  If you 
  have 5 ranks in Alcohol Tolerance, you gain a +2 
  bonus on Craft (brewing) checks.
  Special: You do not become Lit until after a number 
  of drinks equal to your ranks in this skill, and do not 
  need to attempt a skill check to resist drunkenness 
  until the adjusted Potency exceeds your skill 
  ranks.
  It is not recommended to allow both 
  this skill and the optional rule that 
  gives bonuses to resist drunken-
  ness from class levels.
  
  36
   
   
   
   
   
    By   Rory   G  MacLeod
  W
  hether it be from a drought of creativity 
  or merely a need for quickness, there will 
  come a time in your Skull & Bones game 
  when you need to randomly generate NPC Contacts 
  for your Player Characters.  The following charts 
  allow you to do just that.  All you need is a d20 and a 
  Background for the Player Character in question.
  Your characterʼs Charisma modifier (if any) and your 
  Background dictate the number of category of NPC 
  Contacts he or she starts play with.  Refer to the Skull 
  & Bones rules, pp. 27-29 for more information on 
  NPC Contacts.  The following charts are categorized 
  into those associated with Backgrounds; for those 
  NPC Contacts that come from a Charisma modifier, 
  you can choose whichever category you like and roll 
  from there.
  Note that some NPC Contacts  (marked with an 
  asterix) count as two because of either their influence 
  or typical utility within a pirate campaign.  The GM 
  may rule that certain NPC Contacts listed below are 
  more or less valuable than whatʼs listed based on his 
  or her campaign.
  Additionally, these charts can also be used to generate 
  any sort of NPC for your game.  Simply choose a cat-
  egory and roll.  Sometimes, thatʼs all the inspiration 
  you need!
  Colonist
  1 
  Midwife.  Former nun who left the convent 
  after a rumored scandal.
  2 
  Chandler and soap-maker.  Known to be a 
  drunk with a loose tongue.
  3 
  Trader in rare goods.  Buys native Carib 
  artifacts for sale in the Old World.
  4 
  Appraiser and coin-changer.  Expert in 
  evaluating jewelry and art.
  5 
  Cooper.  Makes and delivers barrels and con-
  tainers for many local merchants.
  6 
  Owner of a large sugar plantation.  Retired 
  warship captain. (*)
  7 
  Barber.  Illegitimate son of a former gover-
  nor who gives a great shave.
  8 
  Writer.  Keeps a journal of political and 
  piratical activity for publication back home.
  9 
  Officer in local militia.  Lost his wife and 
  son in a recent accident. (*)
  10 
  Gunsmith.  Expert in the manufacture and 
  repair of firearms, and a jokester. (*)
  11 
  Owner of a popular pub.  A great source of 
  both information and rumors.  (*)
  12 
  Expert shipwright.  Gives heavily discount-
  ed repairs to his friends. (*)
  13 
  Slave master on corn plantation.  Nasty 
  reputation, including rape and torture.
  14 
  Spice trader.  Buys native spices and horti-
  culture for sale in the Old World.
  15 
  Catholic priest.  Came to the Caribbean as a 
  missionary, decided to stay.
  16 
  Harbormaster.  This old salt was a sea cap-
  tain for more than 30 years.  (*)
  17 
  Barrister.  Has a reputation of successfully 
  defending pirates.  (*)
  18 
  Proprietor of a large shipping company.  
  Rumored to dabble in voodoo. (*)
  19 
  Brewer.  Specializes in various types of rum 
  using rare spices.
  20 
  Butcherʼs wife.  Hears a lot of gossip from 
  other merchantsʼ wives.
  
  37
   Upper Class
  1 
  Earl.  Rumored to have an interest in voodoo 
  and native culture.
  2 
  Fencing master.  Landless noble who teach-
  es fencing to a select crowd.
  3 
  Countess.  Rules half of an island with strate-
  gic importance.
  4 
  Retired admiral.  Once the undisputed lead-
  er of the royal navy, still longs for the sea.
  5 
  Abbot.  Leader of a local monastery.
  6 
  Governor.  A recent appointee with more 
  than his fair share of baggage. (*)
  7 
  Sailing instructor.  Retired naval lieutenant 
  who teaches the finer points of seamanship. (*)
  8 
  Royal explorer.  Though inexperienced, he 
  gets around, and knows more than you might think.
  9 
  Marchioness.  Owns a half dozen merchant 
  ships transporting goods to and from the New 
  World.
  10 
  Magistrate.  Remains in power despite ram-
  pant rumors of improprieties. (*)
  11 
  Wealthy creditor.  Owner of a large mer-
  chant bank and strict Protestant.
  12 
  Governorʼs daughter.  Single and on the 
  prowl – watch out boys!
  13 
  Royal cartographer.  Map-maker for the 
  nobility and wealthy. (*)
  14 
  Prince.  Fancies himself a pirate hunter, but 
  has more bravado than brains.
  15 
  Baroness.  Known to have quite a collection 
  of maritime maps. (*)
  16 
  Stage performer.  Gets around to many 
  noble courts.
  17 
  Minor noble and landowner. Owns several 
  plantations and local businesses.
  18 
  King (or Queen).  Your family has close ties 
  to the royals.  (*)
  19 
  Cardinal.  Catholic leader of the local region. 
  (1)
  20 
  Governorʼs Aide.  Responsible for writing 
  letters of marque and other documents. (*)
   Indentured Servant
  1 
  Governess.  Works for a wealthy merchant 
  with a large family. (*)
  2 
  Stage performer.  Gets around to many 
  noble courts.
  3 
  Dressmaker.  Serves the wealthy by tailoring 
  and making fineries.
  4 
  Militia officer.  Former servant who earned 
  his freedom and joined the local militia. (*)
  5 
  House-painter.  Also known to paint public 
  buildings and such, not very talkative.
  6 
  Governorʼs butler.  You and he once served 
  on the same ship. (*)
  7 
  Tutor.  Teaches the children of the very 
  wealthy, and a good source of historical knowledge 
  and languages. (*)
  8 
  Barristerʼs aide.  Assistant to a prominent 
  local barrister.
  9 
  Lumberjack.  Quite knowledgeable about 
  the regionʼs woodlands.
  10 
  Messenger.  Used to deliver messages and 
  packages between the wealthy. (*)
  11 
  Coachman.  Personal driver for an important 
  noble.
  12 
  Herdsman.  Works the fields for a local 
  noble, and rumored to be having ʻrelationsʼ with the 
  nobleʼs wife.
  13 
  Groom.  Personal servant to a minor noble.
  14 
  Catholic priest.  Former fellow servant who 
  earned his freedom and joined the seminary.
  15 
  Beggar.  This old salt was once a servant, 
  and hears much on the streets.
  16 
  Executioner.  This unpleasant fellow sure 
  knows how to turn heads.
  17 
  Governorʼs aide.  Former servant who has 
  worked his way up to a low-level aide to the gover-
  nor. (1)
  18 
  Shipboard navigator.  Formerly a grounds-
  keeper with your master (or former master). (*)
  19 
  Artist.  Of some note, this artist was once an 
  indentured servant.
  20 
  Pirate captain.  Once served under your 
  master (or former master). (*)
  
  38
   Tribal
  1 
  Tribal warrior.  Prominent warrior in your 
  tribe or an allied one.
  2 
  Weapons-maker.  Man responsible for mak-
  ing tribal weapons and armor (if any).
  3 
  Trader with the white man.  This man is 
  responsible for contact with foreigners.
  4 
  Chiefʼs son.  First-born son of the chief (of 
  your tribe or an allied tribe).
  5 
  Gatherer.  One of the women who gather 
  fruits, vegetables, and other items from the local 
  area.
  6 
  Medicine man.  He is of your former tribe, 
  and considers you like a son. (*)
  7 
  Tribal scout.  Knows the lay of the land, and 
  its creatures and dangers. (*)
  8-13 Entire Tribe.  You are less integrated with 
  colonial society.  See the special rules on p. 28 of 
  Skull & Bones.
  14 
  War leader.  One of the most important men 
  of your tribe. (*)
  15 
  Chiefʼs wife.  Influential among the women 
  of your tribe.
  16 
  Tribal elder. Oldest man in the tribe, very 
  knowledgeable. (*)
  17 
  Local farmer.  Not a member of the tribe, 
  but a man with valuable resources nonetheless.
  18 
  Tribal chief.  Head of an allied tribe, located 
  near your own tribe. (*)
  19 
  Foreign trader.  Man who comes to visit the 
  tribe for trade.
  20 
  Hunter.  Leads men on the hunt, and very 
  knowledgeable about the wilderness. (*)
   Sailor or Seaman
  1 
  Cook.  Successfully served aboard many 
  ships of note.
  2 
  Translator.  Knows most of the languages of 
  the Caribbean, and many Old World languages as 
  well. (*)(1)
  3 
  Messenger.  He really gets around, every-
  where from the lowest social ranks to the highest.
  4 
  Purserʼs mate.  You and he go way back; 
  you were both pressed on the same day.
  5 
  Chaplain.  The voice of reason and spiritual-
  ity aboard one of your former ships.
  6 
  Ship captain.  He helped you get your bear-
  ings and is generous with advice. (1)(*)
  7 
  Cannoneer.  Maker of large shipboard can-
  nons.  Never had a misfire… yet! (1)
  8 
  Carpenter.  Makes all the necessary ship-
  board repairs, and some unnecessary ones.
  9 
  Barmaid.  Works the busiest tavern in one 
  of the busiest ports in the Caribbean.  If she had the 
  time, she could tell you tales…
  10 
  Shantyman. Known to tell a few tall tales, 
  but is well traveled.  (*)
  11 
  Retired navigator.  Used to be one of the 
  best on the sea, now runs a shop in a busy port city. 
  (1)(2)
  12 
  Owner of fishing fleet.  Rumored to have 
  ties to the governor.  (1)(*)
  13 
  Bosun.  Former Royal Navy petty officer 
  who now sells his skills to the highest bidder. (1)
  14 
  Bodyguard.  Hired to guard important per-
  sonages.  No sense of humor. (1)
  15 
  Marine.  One of many soldiers hired to serve 
  as arms aboard ship.
  16 
  Harbormaster.  Runs one of the busiest 
  ports on the Spanish Main.  (*)
  17 
  Artist.  Often hired to decorate fancy ships of 
  the line, and to paint portraits.
  18 
  Gunnerʼs mate.  A former cook, he took you 
  under his wing to show you the finer points of gun-
  nery. (*)
  19 
  Dock worker.  Used to serve on ships, but 
  now unloads them.  And heʼs not happy about it.
  20 
  Expert shipwright.  Gives heavily discount-
  ed repairs to his friends. (*)
  (1):  This is not appropriate for the Pressed Man background, 
  but works fine for the Seaman background.
  
  39
   Underworld
  1 
  Pirate captain.  Not quite notorious enough 
  to be dangerous to himself or others.
  2 
  Burglar.  Specialist in breaking and entering.  
  Has a fondness for amethysts.
  3 
  Poacher.  Collects furs and sells them ille-
  gally on the black market.
  4 
  Torturer.  Delights in causing pain.  Very 
  knowledgeable on anatomy, and what to twist to 
  really get his subject to talk.
  5 
  Bishopʼs aide.  Open to all sorts of ʻarrange-
  mentsʼ that benefit his pocket.
  6 
  Racketeer.  Runs a number of shady scams 
  along the waterfront. (*)
  7 
  Magistrateʼs wife.  Her reputation as a lady 
  of high morals is more than outweighed by her 
  reputation as a ʻlady about townʼ.
  8 
  Fence.  Knows what to buy and how to sell 
  it.  A veritable encyclopedia of local prices for black 
  market items. (*)
  9 
  Militiaman.  On the take with the local crime 
  boss.
  10 
  Beggar.  Typical font of rumors and informa-
  tion.  Used to be somebody, now heʼs found on the 
  street corner. (*)
  11 
  Prostitute.  A member of the oldest profes-
  sion and darned good at it.
  12 
  Owner of a small island.  Runs a haven for 
  pirates and smugglers.
  13 
  Tattoo artist.  Plies his trade in a small shop 
  off the beaten path.
  14 
  Spy.  Keeps her eyes and ears open.  Often 
  serves multiple masters at the same time. (*)
  15 
  Gunsmith.  Able to make or acquire any sort 
  of firearms, even masterwork items. (*)
  16 
  Moneylender.  Crooked as they come, he 
  preys on the weak and desperate.
  17 
  Street musician.  Plays songs for loose 
  change, but really makes money selling information 
  to his shady friends.
  18 
  Smuggler boss.  Knows how to get around 
  the law, since he is a former naval captain himself. 
  (*)
  19 
  Barrister.  Has a reputation as someone who 
  can get just about anyone freed from prison. (*)
  20 
  Barkeep.  Hears everything about everyone, 
  and can be counted on to sell this information to the 
  highest bidder. (*)
   Buccaneer or Pirate
  1 
  Expert shipwright.  Former pirate who 
  has taken up a somewhat more respectable career.  
  Rumored to have a soft spot for pirates. (*)
  2 
  Barkeep.  Hears everything about everyone, 
  and can be counted on to sell this information to the 
  highest bidder. (*)
  3 
  Assassin.  Paid killer with refined skills and 
  questionable morals.
  4 
  Shantyman.  Sings sea shanties and tells tall 
  tales – great to have along for the longer trips across 
  the Caribbean.
  5 
  Bandit.  Member of a group of scoundrels 
  who pester local merchants.
  6 
  Pirate captain.  Sails aboard a vessel notori-
  ous for piracy on the high seas. (*)
  7 
  Scout.  Local guide who can show you the 
  best places to bury treasure – or find buried trea-
  sure.
  8 
  Carpenter.  Retired militiaman who has 
  taken up a trade, only to be pressed into service 
  aboard a pirate ship.
  9 
  Fence.  Can get rid of your booty and get you 
  a decent piece of coin in exchange. (*)
  10 
  Trader in rare goods.  Buys native Carib 
  artifacts for sale in the Old World.
  11 
  Traveling priest.  Thinks he can reform 
  pirates.  No success so far.
  12 
  Smuggler.  Knows the best places to hide 
  and where to get the good stuff. (*)
  13 
  Bokor.  Strange fellow with a penchant for 
  the occult. (1)
  14 
  Expert gunner.  Formerly of the Royal 
  Navy, he now works for the highest bidder. (*)
  15 
  Corrupt naval officer.  With a heart as black 
  as they come, he will accept payments to let pirates 
  escape his grasp. (*)
  16 
  Navigator.  Pressed into pirate service long 
  ago, and has adjusted to the life. (*)
  17 
  Cook.  Learned his trade after being pressed 
  into pirate service.
  18 
  Buccaneer leader.  Rules a small gang of 
  rough and tumble buccaneers who tend to harass 
  overland trade. (*)
  19 
  Prostitute.  Known to service the Governor 
  himself, as well as lowly pirates.
  20 
  Tribal war leader.  Member of a local tribe, 
  willing to help a pirate – for a price.
  
  40
   Slave or Former Slave
  1 
  Navigator.  Former slave who has learned 
  the ways of charts and maps.  Sells his services to 
  pirates and mercenaries. (*)
  2 
  Governorʼs valet.  Slave who works in the 
  Governorʼs mansion and has access to interesting 
  information. (*)
  3 
  Local guide.  Escaped slave who has lived in 
  the wilds a long time, and can be hired to show the 
  way.
  4 
  Mercenary.  Former slave who has parlayed 
  his combat skills into a paying job.
  5 
  Buccaneer.  Scoundrel and wanted man who 
  was long ago a slave.
  6 
  Pirate captain.  Former slave who now runs 
  his own pirate ship. (*)
  7 
  African art dealer.  Buys and sells art from 
  the Dark Continent.
  8 
  Corn plantation owner.  Owns slaves, but 
  treats them well.
  9 
  Former slaver.  Used to capture and sell 
  slaves, now works to help freed slaves.
  10 
  Sympathetic slavemaster.  Was once your 
  superior, but now sees you as a friend and ally.
  11 
  Militiaman.  Son of a slave owner who 
  secretly wants slaves to be freed.
  12 
  Traveling musician.  Freed slave who trav-
  els the Caribbean singing native songs of Africa, as 
  well as sea shanties heʼs recently picked up.
  13 
  Missionary.  Formerly of Africa, this mis-
  sionary has a soft spot for slaves, and is willing to 
  help all in need.
  14 
  Translator.  Speaks the languages of Africa 
  and Europe.  Wants to help slaves to escape. (*)
  15 
  Wealthy landowner.  Merchant and landlord 
  with a fancy for slaves. (*)
  16 
  Knifesmith.  Former slave who creates 
  knives and swords of fine quality.
  17 
  Horse groomsman.  Works on a nobleʼs 
  estate, caring for and raising horses.
  18 
  Rebel leader.  Organizer of an active rebel-
  lion against slave owners. (*)
  19 
  Bokor.  African native in touch with the spir-
  its. (*)
  20 
  Slave ship captain.  Runs slaves from Africa 
  to the Caribbean. (*)
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Buccaneers & Bokor/Buccaneers & Bokor 005.pdf