RAIDING PARTY
Tier 1 Event
A pirate ship disgorges its crew into a port town or shoreline village to loot and plunder.
Impulses: Light it on fire, overwhelm with speed and numbers, take everything that isn’t nailed down
Difficulty: 11
Potential Adversaries: Ship’s Crew (Pirate Captain, Pirate Raiders, Pirate Tough)
FEATURES
Rally the Locals - Passive: Progress Countdown (5). When the pirates first appear, activate the countdown. It ticks down when a PC succeeds on an action roll to stem the chaos and destruction of the pirate raid. When it triggers, the locals become inspired by the party’s actions and join the fight against the pirates. Each PC gains a d6 Morale Die, which they can spend to add to an action, reaction, or damage roll.
How do the pirates threaten or endanger the town besides attacking its inhabitants? What defenses can the PCs take advantage of?
Parley - Passive: On a successful Knowledge Roll, a PC knows enough pirate law to demand a parley with the Pirate Captain. Once the parley is issued, the captain pauses the combat to allow a PC to sue for peace or negotiate the terms of surrender with a Presence Roll.
Why do these pirates respect this captain enough to follow them? What do they care about more than ill-gotten booty?
“Fire the Cannons!” - Action: Spend up to 3 Fear to have the pirate ship fire its cannons into the combat. For each Fear spent, choose a point anywhere on the battlefield. Each PC within Close range of one or more of those points must make an Agility Reaction Roll. Targets who fail take 1d8+3 physical damage. Targets who succeed must mark a Stress or take half damage.
What collateral damage do these cannonballs cause? Whose lives do they wantonly endanger?
Take Captives - Reaction: When a number of pirates equal to the number of PCs in the scene are defeated, roll a d6 . On a result of 5 or 6, the pirates change tactics, capturing locals and retreating to the ship so they can ransom the captives later. Activate a Consequence Countdown (4). It ticks down when a PC makes an action roll. When it triggers, the pirates sail away with their victims.
Who do the pirates deem the best captives, and why? What do they want in exchange for the captives’ return?