GM Quick Reference - Swashbuckling

👤 Pirate & Sailor Names (d100)

Names for pirates, privateers, sailors, and sea dogs

1-25

Captain "Blackheart" Morgan
Anne Bonny
Quartermaster Flint
Isabella de la Cruz
"Bloody" Bill Hawkins
Grace O'Malley
Long John Silver
Catalina Cortez
"Red" Jack Rackham
Mary Read
Cutlass McGraw
Doña Elena Valdez
Barnacle Pete
Jacqueline "Storm" Dubois
One-Eye O'Brien
Carmen Santiago
Shark-Tooth Sam
Margarethe von Klaus
Bootstrap Bill
Lucia Bellini
Gunpowder Jones
Rosalind "Black Rose" Thorn
Pegleg Morrison
Arabella Swift
Cannonball Charlie

26-50

Beatrice "Cutthroat" Caine
Peg-Leg Jenkins
Celestina Drake
Rum-Runner Rick
Violetta "The Viper" Ricci
Scurvy Dan
Genevieve LaFitte
Powder Monkey Tom
Miranda "Sea Witch" Cross
Hook-Hand Harry
Angelica Navarro
Dead-Eye Dave
Seraphina Storm
Jolly Roger Blake
Constanza "Iron Lady" Ferro
Salty Dog Sullivan
Theodora "Thunderbolt" Grey
Kraken Kelly
Esmeralda Reyes
Davey Jones
Octavia "The Octopus" Orsini
Timber Tom
Francesca di Medici
Sharkbait Steve
Veronica "Venom" Vega

51-75

Commodore Blackwell
Adelina "The Siren" Santos
Ironside Isaac
Portia Pembroke
Mutiny Mike
Caterina "Catspaw" Costa
Bosun Barnes
Delphine Dupont
Ripper Roberts
Marguerite "Meg the Knife" Moreau
Sea-Dog Smith
Valentina Vargas
Gallows Jack
Adriana "Raven" Ramirez
Rope-Burn Roy
Elisabetta "The Eel" Este
Maelstrom Max
Sophia "Silvertongue" Silva
Anchor Al
Diamante "Diamond" Diaz
Whirlpool Wilson
Frederica "The Falcon" Fischer
Rigging Rick
Gabriella "The Ghost" Grimaldi
Tidewater Ted

76-100

Juliette "The Jewel" Jardine
Squall Seamus
Kassandra "The Kraken" Knox
Barnacle Bill
Lucinda "Lucky Lou" Laurent
Pistol Paul
Nicoletta "The Nightshade" Nero
Cutlass Carl
Ophelia "The Oracle" O'Connor
Hurricane Hugh
Paloma "Pale Death" Paz
Yardarm Yates
Quintessa "The Queen" Quinn
Windward Will
Rafaela "Rapier" Ruiz
Broadside Ben
Scarlett "Scourge" Sinclair
Gale-Force Garrett
Tatiana "The Tempest" Torres
Keelhaul Ken
Ursula "The Undertow" Uribe
Mariner Marcus
Vivienne "The Vortex" Villeneuve
Capstan Cooper
Xena "The Executioner" Xavier

🗣️ Port Rumors (2d10)

What sailors hear in taverns, on docks, and in harbors

2d10	Rumor
2	"Spanish galleon went down in the hurricane. Carrying Aztec gold from New Spain. Problem is - sailors swear they saw it go down in calm seas. And it was flying British colors."
3	"Ghost ship spotted near Devil's Triangle. Same ship that sank thirty years ago. Crew still aboard. Still manning stations. Don't respond to hails. Don't need wind to sail."
4	"New governor's offering pardons to pirates. Full amnesty. Too good to be true? Last three captains who accepted turned up hanged anyway. 'Clerical error' they said."
5	"Mermaid sighting off Jamaica. Singing to ships. Three vessels ran aground following the voice. Crews found alive but... changed. Won't stop humming the song."
6	"Pirate haven in the Tortugas. New captain seized control. Enforcing actual laws. Property rights. Fair trials. Pirates are terrified. Civilization's worse than navy."
7	"East India Company hiring privateers for 'special cargo runs.' Paying triple standard rate. Cargo manifest sealed. Previous crews quit mid-voyage. Those who didn't vanished."
8	"Kraken spotted in deep water. Bigger than any ship afloat. Dragged French frigate under. Three hundred hands lost. Navy says it's myth. Survivors disagree."
9	"Treasure map for sale. Previous owner died mysteriously. Five owners back, all dead. Map shows island that's not on any chart. Buyer beware. Seriously."
10	"Witch in Port Royal reading fortunes. Knows things she shouldn't. Told Morgan exactly where navy ambush would be. Morgan survived. Witch won't read for free anymore."
11	"Davy Jones' Locker is real. Captain came back from it. Says he made a deal. Won't say what he traded. Crew noticed he has no reflection in calm water."
12	"Privateer took a letter of marque from two nations simultaneously. Legally entitled to attack either fleet. Both fleets want him dead. He finds this funny."
13	"New lighthouse built on Dead Reef. Keeper won't say who hired him. Ships following the light end up somewhere else entirely. Keeper seems surprised every time."
14	"Escaped slave ship took the vessel. Crew of forty. Former captives now sailing under their own flag. Navy won't pursue officially. Unofficially, three ships tried. Two came back."
15	"Merchant captain found an island not on any chart. Took on fresh water and left. Island was gone on the return voyage. Island left something behind on his ship."
16	"Female pirate captain negotiated a truce between four rival crews. Enforcing it personally. Nobody broke it yet. Everyone's terrified to be the first."
17	"Derelict ship towed into port fully stocked, no crew, no damage, every log entry written in the same hand for six months after the crew was last confirmed alive."
18	"Captain sold her crew's souls to calm a storm. Crew is alive, healthy, and haven't aged in fifteen years. They're starting to notice. Captain won't discuss payment terms."
19	"There's a port that doesn't exist on charts where dead sailors drink and wait. Man says he visited it. Still breathing. Says the dead recognized him. He doesn't know why."
20	"The sea herself is angry. Not a storm. Not a creature. The water. Sailors who offended something old are found miles inland. No ship nearby. No explanation. The sea delivered them and left."

🔍 What's in the Cargo Hold? (2d10)

Found in captured ships, looted vessels, or smuggler holds

2d10	Item Found
2	Spanish doubloons (300). Authentic. Except they're dated 1723. It's currently 1718. Mint marks match coins that don't exist yet.
3	Chest of silks and spices. East Indies origin. Valuable. Also containing journal of previous owner. Details curse. "Do not open after midnight." It's 11:58 PM.
4	Naval charts showing safe passages through reefs. Accurate and current. Problem: they show your current location. Marked with X and "ambush here."
5	Sealed diplomatic pouch. Royal seal. Contains treaty documents. Very valuable to right buyer. Very deadly to wrong one. Can't tell which is which.
6	Barrel of rum. 50 gallons. High quality. Also containing sealed glass bottles at bottom. Messages inside. All saying "help us" in different handwriting.
7	Aztec gold idol. Solid gold. Priceless. Every previous owner died within a week. Violently. You're now the owner. Clock's ticking.
8	Weapons cache. Pistols, cutlasses, boarding pikes. All marked with skull symbol. Previous pirate crew's weapons. Previous crew all died mysteriously. Armed is good though.
9	Passenger's belongings. Noble's luggage. Fine clothes, jewelry, papers. Also letters proving noble is actually spy. For which nation? Both sides want this information.
10	Medical supplies. Laudanum, bandages, surgical tools. Valuable on frontier. Also contains unknown substance in unmarked bottles. Smells wrong. Might be valuable. Might be poison.
11	Mermaid in a barrel. Actually alive. Actually a mermaid. Previous crew was transporting her to collector. She's offering deal for freedom. Mermaids always keep their word. Right?
12	Locked strongbox. No key. No markings. Hums faintly. Previous manifest doesn't list it. Whoever loaded it isn't on the crew roster.
13	Crate of religious artifacts. Stolen from a cathedral. Church wants them back. So does someone else. The artifacts themselves don't seem to want to stay put.
14	Passenger who was not on the manifest, sealed in a cabin. Polite, well-dressed, no memory of boarding. Extremely valuable to return to their family. Family didn't know they were missing.
15	Ship's log of the vessel - but written entirely in the future tense, describing what happens after the party boards. Accurate so far. Next entry is concerning.
16	Forty unmarked crates of identical weight. Contents unknown. Buyers already waiting at destination. Buyers are not asking questions. That's the worrying part.
17	A second ship's wheel, matching the one on deck, freshly installed and recently used despite being belowdecks. Someone has been steering from below. Something has been steering from below.
18	Living coral formation growing through the hull planks. Should have sunk the ship. Isn't leaking. Grows toward anyone who approaches. Oddly warm. Possibly protective. Definitely not natural.
19	Sealed room that wasn't on the ship's plans. Inside: a fully maintained captain's cabin with personal effects, logbooks, and a hammock that's been slept in recently. Ship has had one captain for thirty years. He's alive. He has never been below this deck.
20	Nothing. Hold is completely empty, freshly scrubbed, bone dry. Ship was just taken mid-voyage, cargo was listed as verified. Crew are gone without a trace. No lifeboats missing. No blood. No sign of struggle. The hold smells faintly of the open ocean - from inside a sealed, floating ship.

🎭 NPC Personality Quirks (2d10)

Quick traits for pirates, sailors, and sea dogs

2d10	Personality Quirk
2	Superstitious to extreme. Won't sail on Friday. Knocks on wood constantly. Sees omens everywhere. Annoying but... often right about danger.
3	Former navy. Went pirate after witnessing atrocity. Still follows naval discipline. Ranks, schedules, regulations. "We're pirates, not savages."
4	Gentleman pirate. Educated. Well-mannered. Quotes Shakespeare mid-raid. "Proper behavior costs nothing." Will still kill you. Politely.
5	Sea witch. Actually has powers. Minor ones. Weather sense, curse breaking, fortune telling. Crew terrified of her. Also won't sail without her.
6	Mutineer. Overthrew three captains. Not cruel, just... particular about leadership. "Bad captains kill crews." Has trust issues. For good reason.
7	Mute. Lost tongue to navy interrogator. Communicates via signs and written notes. Best navigator on seven seas. Knows things. Can't say how.
8	Drunk. Functional drunk. Never fully sober. Never fully impaired. "Rum is food." Best shot with pistol you've ever seen. While swaying.
9	Storyteller. Knows every legend, every myth. Half are true. Problem is figuring out which half. "Let me tell you about..." Knows something useful. Eventually.
10	Former slave. Escaped bondage. Freed by pirates. Loyal to death. Will do anything for freedom. Anything. "Nobody chains me again."
11	Deserter. Left navy during battle. Coward? Or saw what was coming? Alive now, others aren't. "Smart beats brave." Runs from fights. Wins wars.
12	Cook who is also a surgeon who is also a surprisingly effective spy. Doesn't explain how these overlap. Meals are excellent. Intel is accurate. Questions are deflected.
13	Has sailed every known sea and a few unknown ones. Refuses to elaborate on the unknown ones. Maps them in private. Won't show anyone. Yet.
14	Speaks fluent Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Dutch. Claims to speak no foreign languages. Translates only when it benefits them directly.
15	Lost a ship once. Their fault. Won't take the wheel or give helm orders. Exceptional at everything else. "I'll tell you what I'd do. Just not while holding the wheel."
16	Made an actual contract with something at sea. Doesn't know what. Still pays the toll. Toll changes each time. Always has exactly what's required somehow.
17	Died at sea. Technically. Pulled back from it. Different since then. Calm in ways that unsettle others. Doesn't sleep. Doesn't say what fills the hours.
18	Claims to be a different famous pirate each time. Different name, different story, different accent. All stories check out. All names belong to documented people. All are confirmed dead.
19	Has a price on her head in six nations. The amounts don't match. The crimes listed don't match. She's read them all. Corrects the inaccuracies with cheerful precision.
20	The ship follows him. Whichever ship he's assigned to performs better than its design should allow. Cannons hit further, sails catch more wind, hull takes less damage. Three ships have gone down after he left them. He doesn't want to talk about it.

⚠️ Naval Complications (2d10)

When things are going too smoothly, roll for obstacles

2d10	Complication
2	Becalmed: Wind died completely. Dead calm. Ship motionless. Supplies running low. Destination still days away. Rowing impossible. Waiting could mean death.
3	Hurricane: Storm on horizon. Massive. Moving fast. Can't outrun it. Need to prepare or find shelter. Neither option good. Storm hitting in hours.
4	Man Overboard: Crew member fell. Strong current. Sharks circling. Save them or maintain course? Delay means missing tide. Missing tide means missing rendezvous.
5	Reef Damage: Hull struck reef. Taking on water. Can be repaired but need to beach ship. Nearest island controlled by enemies. Or worse - nobody.
6	Navy Patrol: Frigate on intercept course. Flying British colors. Outgunned. Can run but they're faster. Can fight but they're stronger. Can surrender but... gallows.
7	Sickness Aboard: Scurvy. Dysentery. Plague. Spreading through crew. Medicine low. Nearest port quarantined against exactly this. Choices bad. Options worse.
8	Mutiny Threat: Crew grumbling. Questions about treasure shares. Leadership. Direction. Not open mutiny yet. But close. Need to address it. Carefully. Violently. Somehow.
9	Rival Pirates: Another pirate ship spotted prize first. Both want it. Both claim right. Can't share. Won't back down. Fight each other or race for prize? Either way, navy's probably watching.
10	Running Aground: Tide going out. Caught in shallows. Ship grounding. Hours until next tide. Sitting duck. Visible for miles. Someone will notice. Someone always does.
11	Powder Wet: Gunpowder stores compromised. Water damage. Most powder useless. Combat capability crippled. Can't fight. Must run. Or bluff. Hope nobody calls it.
12	Dead Reckoning Failure: Navigation wrong. Not slightly wrong. Substantially wrong. Current position unknown. Charts for surrounding waters unavailable. Stars obscured. Best guess required.
13	Stowaway: Someone aboard who shouldn't be. Could be a runaway, a spy, or something stranger. Has been eating rations for days. Knows too much about the ship's route.
14	Prize Ship Sinking: Captured vessel taking on water faster than anticipated. Treasure aboard. Transferring it takes time the ship doesn't have. Priorities must be chosen. Now.
15	False Distress Signal: Ship flying distress colors. Obvious trap. But there are also clearly people in the water. Some of them are real. Hard to tell which.
16	Wanted Aboard: Crew member has a price on their head in the next port - the only port within reach. They didn't mention this. The bounty is substantial. Several crew members noticed.
17	Blockade: Destination port under naval blockade. Multiple warships. No entry without inspection. Cargo doesn't survive inspection. Neither does the crew, probably. Need another plan by morning.
18	Ghost Current: Ship pulled off course by current that charts don't show. Speed increased without wind. Heading somewhere specific. Something is guiding the ship. Crew noticed. Compass is spinning.
19	Betrayal at Sea: The buyer, contact, or ally at the destination has sold information about the ship's arrival, cargo, and route to a third party. Ambush waiting. One crew member knew and said nothing. Why is still unclear.
20	The Ship Remembers: Crew begin experiencing visions of the ship's previous voyages. Not dreams - waking visions, mid-watch, mid-storm. The ship was involved in something. The sea hasn't forgotten. Whatever happened before is catching up. It's almost here.

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