Pirate Hunting

Pirates engaging in illicit activity will eventually draw the attention of various Pirate Hunters. This attention is dependent both on the individual acts committed by the crew, and on their general renown (i.e. party level). As the campaign setting is infested with pirates, a party drawing the attention of a Hunter does not automatically guarantee that Hunter will immediately and personally track and intercept them. However, these hunters can certainly make the life of a pirate’s crew difficult in various ways before it comes to that.

If the party turns privateer, they may instead be targeted in Privateer Hunting, a system based on this one with some changes noted on that page.

This system depends on presenting the party with a clear map denoting three zones:

1. Colonial waters, where colonial governments exercise authority;
2. Friendly waters, where pirates largely roam free of colonial influence; and
3. Uncharted waters, which are dangerous and unexplored.

Infamy Rating

There are four renowned pirate hunters active in the campaign setting at the beginning of the campaign. Each hunter has one “home” port of call, and each one broadly represents one colonial power.

Whenever a pirate crew successfully completes any major “illegal” quest, they run the chance of increasing their Infamy rating with one or more of the Hunters. Roll 1d10 when these acts are committed in Friendly waters, and 2d10 when these acts are committed in Colonial waters. Add half the party’s level (rounded up) to any rolls made.

Each Pirate Hunter tracks a different Infamy rating. When determining which pirate hunter’s associated rating increases, make a judgement call based on that hunter’s current jurisdiction and history with the party (if any). If two or more pirate hunters could reasonably “take” the infamy increase, default to the one with the highest rating. Break ties randomly.

If a particular Hunter’s rating rises to 4, but they do not hold the party’s highest infamy rating, that rating cannot increase until they do. Once the party reaches level 11, this restriction is lifted.

The following table shows the consequences of reaching various Infamy rating thresholds with each Hunter. The “Wanted” consequence is inclusive with all following consequences.

3-4: Wanted

A party that is “wanted” at a port-of-call will find it more difficult to move freely about that port. Their likenesses (usually of dubious accuracy) are circulated among the authorities. At that port, legitimate merchants will refuse to deal with them, and grey- or black-market merchants may demand higher-than-normal markups for their goods and services.

5-7: Lieutenant Patrol

After a random encounter is rolled in colonial waters, roll another d6.

• On a 1-3, the encounter is determined normally.
• On a 4-5, if the party is within 6 hexes (90 miles) of the Hunter’s associated port-of-of call, they have an encounter with the Hunter’s Lieutenant.
• On a 6, they have an encounter with the Hunter’s Lieutenant regardless of their location.

The Lieutenant is the same level of the party, or is level 7, whichever is higher.

8-10: Lieutenant’s Hunt

Start a 1d10 clock. Reduce it by 1 for every watch spent in Friendly waters, and by 2 for every watch spent in Colonial waters. Once it reaches 0, the next time the Party rolls a random encounter they are intercepted by the Lieutenant instead.

11-13: A Personal Hunt

Start a 1d8 clock, and remove any active 1d10 Lieutenant clock. Reduce it by 1 for every watch in Uncharted or Friendly waters, and by 2 for every watch spent in Colonial Waters. Once it reaches 0, the next time the Party rolls a random encounter, they are intercepted by the Pirate Hunter instead.

The Pirate Hunter’s level is always the party’s level +2 (maximum of 20), or level 10, whichever is higher.

Rating Decay

When an Infamy Rating is less than 13, it will naturally decay to a minimum of 2 as long as the Party does not sail in Colonial waters.

Whenever an Infamy Rating increases to any value above 2 and below 13, start or reset a 1d12 Decay Clock. Reduce this clock by 1 for every watch spent in Friendly waters, and by 2 for every watch spent in Uncharted waters. When the clock reaches 0, reduce the Infamy Rating by 2. If the rating is still 3 or above, reset the Decay Clock.

Turning Privateer

Both Pirate Hunters and Hunter Lieutenants have the authority to offer an offending pirate crew the chance to Turn Privateer. If a pirate crew accepts this offer, their new patron Hunter immediately drops their infamy rating to 0, and all other Pirate Hunters drop their infamy rating to 2.

After this, the normal Pirate Hunting rules are modified to Privateer Hunting. In short, the crew:

• gains the Hunter’s native port as a safe port of call;
• gains a new NPC crewmember Ship Liason to keep an eye on them;
• is not allowed to plunder ships and settlements from the Hunter’s associated colonial power;
• can still plunder ships and settlements from other colonial powers;
• will not be targeted by other Pirate Hunters;
• may instead be targeted by one of four Privateer Hunters from the Pirate Council.

Pirate hunters, even from rival colonial powers, will not target privateers; the political influence of a privateer’s patron shields them from a good deal of reprisal at the hands of other colonial powers.

Privateer Patrons

Unlike piracy, privateers are accountable to, and patronized by, one of the Pirate Hunters in the isles. These hunters keep in contact with their privateers through an intermediary known as a Ship’s Liason—an NPC that sails with the privateers’ ship and represents the interests of the party’s patron Hunter.

While privateers may target other colonial powers in piracy, they will forfeit their privateer status if they raid settlements and merchant ships flying the colors of their patron’s colonial power.

Privateer Hunters

The system for Pirate Hunting is replicated for Privateer Hunting, with three Privateer Hunters “swapped out” for the four Pirate Hunters. The Infamy Rating system is replicated in the associated port of call for privateer hunters, with the following changes.

Lieutenant Patrol. The d6 check for a patrol occurs in Friendly waters, not Colonial waters.

Lieutenant and Personal Hunts. The clock is reduced by 1 for every watch spent in Colonial waters, and by 2 for every watch spent in Friendly waters.

Rating Decay. The clock is reduced by 1 for every watch spent in Colonial waters, and by 2 for every watch spent in Uncharted waters.