SoBG Rules

Seas of Blood and Glory - Rules Pastebin

*Note: This list is not comprehensive and may be added to/changed over time.  Appropriate notice will be given should any rules changes occur as well as possibly grace periods and/or in-game compensation for particularly disruptive changes

---

ROLL CHART:

100 - CRIT SUCCESS - GET OUT THE HOOKERS AND SMACK IT'S TIME TO PARTY HARD!  Whatever you're doing gets done perfectly and you get something GREAT AND AMAZING.
99-90 - Great work, you get a gold star.  Not really but you do get something extra that's a little bit good.  Progress is half-finished, if it's already halfway completed or more then it's done.
89-60 - Good success - whatever you're doing gets done better than average.  More progress is made than normal.
59-30 - Success - Congratulations, you did it...I guess.
29-10 - The nothing zone - nothing happens, no progress made
9-2 - Well now ya dun goofed.  Bad stuff happens.
1 - CRIT FAIL - Welcome to hell, population YOU.

As a GM I respect sick gets and as a result if you get dubs in your rolls you'll get a +10 to all actions that turn.

You can double-up/combine actions for greater odds of success, but the rolls will be averaged.  If you get a 1 or a 100 I'll take that roll instead.

*Note that if you try to perform an action that is unfeasible or impossible considering your current circumstances (e.g. inventing nukes from rocks, building AK-47s when you have no clue what an AK-47 would even look like let alone how it would work, trying to high-five someone when you don't have any arms, etc.) that action will fail regardless of roll result, even if it's a 100.  However if that roll would result in bad stuff per the table above I'll ignore it, it'll be like the roll never happened.

Actions are 3d100 unless otherwise noted

---

COMBAT ROLLS:

Combat rolls work differently from regular rolls in that they don't rely on the roll chart but instead are opposed rolls with modifiers added on by me at the end of combat.  Here's how the process works.  People who have played Europa will note that this system is somewhat similar to Europa's but in HB form.

Step 1: The attacking player rolls 1d100 to attack.  This takes up one of his actions.  Note that you can't double-up/combine combat rolls.
Step 2: The defending player rolls 1d100 as a free action (i.e. this doesn't count towards his 3 actions per turn)
Step 3: Each player's bonuses from crew, ships, equipment and other boosts combined with situational factors and the like are added to each of these rolls (in contrast with Europa these will typically be resolved BEFORE the turn ends.  If people take too excessively long to post I will roll for them)
Step 4: The person with the higher total wins the combat.  The margin of victory will determine how many of the loser's crew die in the conflict, how many of his ships sink or are captured, and how badly fucked up he is.  Combat may take more than one round if the two sides are evenly matched, in this case continuing combat is a free action for both sides.

SPECIAL COMBAT ACTIONS: BOARDING
In order to capture a ship you'll need to board it and then deal with the crew somehow.  To board the ship, roll for combat normally.  If the attacker wins the roll, he'll be able to board the ship.  After that the attacker and defender's crew will fight (without ship bonuses) to determine the victor.  If the defender is victorious, he keeps his ship (though it may have gotten a bit damaged by that point).  If the attacker is victorious, he gains control of the ship.  If the defender has no more ships, he or she is at the attacker's mercy and may end up having to walk the plank...

SPECIAL COMBAT ACTIONS: RAMMING a.k.a. CRASHING YOUR BIG ASS WOODEN SHIP INTO ANOTHER BIG ASS WOODEN SHIP

This isn't recommended unless you're suicidal and you shout TENNO HEIKA BANZAI!!! before you do it and prepare the Titanic theme song to be played when both your ships sink.

---

TECHNOLOGY

Though this game takes place in an alternate universe, the current tech level is around the 16th-17th century.  This means that there's no gene splicing, AK-47s, computers, etc.  Steampunk is also not a thing.  Please keep this in mind when creating/playing characters.

---

HEALTH AND STATUS EFFECTS

The health tab represents your current health points.  If these reach 0, you're a dead man.  Provided you're not afflicted with anything, health points will heal naturally over time at a rate of 1 per turn as long as you're not in danger and can have time to rest.  Medical supplies such as medicine and bandages along with spells and miracles may expedite healing.

The status effects tab, on the other hand, represents any ailments or conditions that may afflict you.  For example, if you have one too many you'll be given the Drunk status, which gives a penalty to combat rolls and negotiations, or if you become ill you may end up with the Sick status which reduces your actions by 1. Other statuses exist and the things that can potentially happen to you are probably too innumerable for me to list here.  Make sure to take care of yourself though, or your ailment may become worse.

---

TRAVEL

Generally you can travel anywhere on the map and expect to get there by next turn by using an action.  However, travel to places outside the map, such as the Meridian mainland, may take longer depending on the distance.  Longer distance travel also increases the risk of being attacked by pirates, tribal raiders or sea monsters.

---

TRADE

Trade actions require an action to initiate but bartering is a free action.  You can buy/sell as many items as you like at market price from an NPC but haggling and bartering for a lower price (or higher price if you're selling) requires an action for each item.  Keep in mind that most merchants won't buy stolen goods, you'll have to find a fence to take your stolen items and plunder to.

---

SHIPS

These are the types of ships that may be acquired throughout the game.

-Tiny ship - These are canoes, rowboats, rafts and the like.  Small ships with barely any protection and no firepower whatsoever.  However, these ships can often avoid detection by larger ships easier and slip into spots that large ships can't normally reach.
Stats: 5 HP, max crew 2, min crew of 1 to operate without penalty, ATK +0 per crewmember, max storage 5
-Small ship - These are ships such as sloops and ketches.  They have a few sails but are still small and thus lack the firepower and crew housing ability of the bigger ships.  Still, they're cheap and effective enough in large enough numbers.
Stats: 10 HP, max crew 10, min crew of 5 to operate without penalty, ATK +2 per crewmember, max storage 10
-Medium ship - These are medium-sized ships such as schooners, carracks and caravels.  They are large enough to support a sizable crew as well as to house enough supplies to make the journey overseas between the New World and Meridia.  They have a more respectable level of firepower as well.
Stats: 20 HP, max crew 20, min crew of 10 to operate without penalty, ATK +4 per crewmember, max storage 20
-Large ship - These ships are the truly respectable ships that every sailor yearns for.  They're the galleons, frigates, and barques that are the go-to ships for any respectable navy.  They often have multiple gun decks which mean much greater offensive power and can house large numbers of crew and troops alike.
Stats: 40 HP, max crew 50, min crew of 25 to operate without penalty, ATK +6 per crewmember, max storage 50
-Grand ship - These ships are the largest and most imposing ships on the water.  They're the man-o'-wars, ships of the line and dread pirate ships that make up the flagships of the Colonial Powers' fleets and the very finest of their ships.  To serve on one or especially to own one is a high honor.  Their firepower, crew housing ability and storage capacities are all unrivaled and their defensive abilities are akin to fortresses floating on the waves.
Stats: 80 HP, max crew 100, min crew of 50 to operate without penalty, ATK +8 per crewmember, max storage 100

SKELETON CREW

You can still use your ships if you have at least 10% of the max crew for each ship type, but operating a ship with less than the minimum amount to operate it without any penalties will halve the ship's attack power.

STORAGE

Each ship's storage stats will affect how much you can store.  Each item has its own storage value, for example a food crate or pile of coins will take up one storage space while a giant ass golden statue will take up more.  Your personal items and crew members' equipped items do not count towards this total.  You can store legally acquired items/money in banks scattered throughout major settlements, but you may have to find a safe hideaway spot for stolen loot.  Stuff left in ships is fair game for piracy and if you're defeated by them your stuff is now theirs.

---

CREW

These are the people needed to operate your ships.  Smaller ships will require fewer people to operate, while larger ships will need more.  Crew can be recruited at the various settlements, and your current reputation with that settlement's owner will influence how many crewmembers you can recruit.  More will join if the settlement views you favorably, while less will join if the settlement hates you.  More information on reputation can be found in the section below.
By default, each crewmember will give +1 to combat rolls.  This can change if they are given equipment such as swords and the like, which mu and their strength is also modified by the attack modifier of the ship they're on.  So a crew of 20 on a medium ship equipped with crude swords (+1) would give a combat bonus of 120 (base 20 + equipment modifier 20 + ship modifier 80 = 120).  Sometimes crew can be recruited with or given tags as well such as [Veteran], [Marksman], or [Berserker] which give further modifiers.
Keep in mind that you can only have enough crewmembers (special crew included) as will fit on your ships (see max crew above for each ship's carrying capacity)

Special crewmembers can be found and recruited at various points along your journey, though they are typically not cheap.  However, they provide many special skills which can confer bonuses to related actions, and provide other essential abilities as well such as translation and the like.

---

MORALE

You and your crew are affected by morale and should pay special attention to it throughout your journey.  Morale has 11 levels, as shown below:

Blissful (+5)
	V
Overjoyed (+4)
	V
Happy (+3)
	V
Optimistic (+2)
	V
Content (+1)
	V
Neutral (+0)
	V
Discontent (-1)
	V
Pessimistic (-2)
	V
Unhappy (-3)
	V
Angry (-4)
	V
Rebellious (-5)

Having morale in the positives will mean increased productivity, meaning a +1 bonus to rolls for every step above Neutral that you get to.  However, having morale in the negatives will have the opposite effect.  Having your morale at Rebellious for more than a turn will cause some or all of your crew to mutiny, leading to a very dangerous situation for you.  Morale can be increased by paying your crew with treasures or coins, by giving them good, high quality food and drink, or by gaining glory through defeating a foe equal to or stronger than you, among other things.  In contrast morale is decreased by forcing your crew to go hungry, suffering large amounts of casualties, suffering repeated or disastrous setbacks (i.e. crit 1s), etc.  Morale will naturally gravitate back to +0 over time, both when things are positive and when things are negative (provided the conditions providing the morale changes have gone away).

---

SUPPLIES/TREASURE

Having adequate food and water will be essential on your journey to keep your crew and yourself alive.  Food and water usually comes in crates of rations of varying quality.  Each of these crates will last 5 game turns and take up 1 slot of ship storage if you want to bring it with you.  You won't need to expend food or drink if you're in a non-hostile settlement (unless certain conditions exist, e.g. famines, droughts, sieges, etc.).  Note that while you and your crew can be perfectly content eating standard rations, it's nice to buy them some nice stuff every now and then.  High-quality food and alcoholic drinks like rum and wine are a great way to boost morale if you have the money to do so.  Keep in mind that if you choose to play an Aztlan vampire you'll need blood as well.

There are other supplies as well, such as medical supplies, lumber and sailcloth for patching up damaged ships, etc.  Generally if you really need something, just go to a town with a large enough marketplace and ask around.  If the dice gods favor you, you'll probably find it.

Ammunition for cannons and other ship weapons is also necessary for your survival against hostile ships and monsters on the seas.  Like food these come in crates.  Each crate will last for 1 full combat encounter and will take up 1 unit of storage space.

You may also find rare and valuable treasures as well.  Some of these are magical artifacts that may confer bonuses, allow you to use magics or have some other handy use, while others are just golden trinkets and the like that'll sell for very high prices.  Either way consider yourself lucky if you manage to find one...

---

REPUTATION

The Reputation tab shows how the various nations/tribes/factions of the New World view you.  Having a good reputation with a faction will make it easier to recruit in settlements that the nation that owns them and allow you to negotiate better prices at marketplaces in friendly settlements.  If your reputation is good enough, a nation may also lend you support from time to time and give you nice things.  However, having a bad reputation will cause the opposite to be true.  Having sour relations will mean that no one from that town will join you and the merchants will have much more of an interest in ripping you off.  Unfriendly cities may refuse to let you dock at their ports or if they hate you enough will send out bounties for your head and attack you on sight.

The Reputation scale is as follows:

Exalted (+5)
	V
Revered (+4)
	V
Respected (+3)
	V
Trusted (+2)
	V
Friendly (+1)
	V
Neutral (+0)
	V
Wary (-1)
	V
Unfriendly (-2)
	V
Hated (-3)
	V
Hostile (-4)
	V
Reviled (-5)

You can raise reputation by completing tasks, missions and quests and generally being good and helpful.  Try asking around settlements for things you can do in places like taverns, town halls, etc.
You can lower reputation by attacking people and property of the nation/faction, by committing crimes, by being a dick in general and also by helping the enemies of that nation/faction, among other things.  This is why it's important to pay attention to the political situation that's going on.

---

SKILLS/LANGUAGES/MAGIC

Skills are various abilities that you've picked up that may prove to be useful in your journey.  Each level of a skill will give +1 to actions that are related to it.  For example,  Survival III would give a +3 bonus to scavenging for food or starting a fire if you're stranded on a desert island.  Blacksmithing II would give a +2 bonus to blacksmithing.  The maximum skill level you can learn to is +5.

While learning some skills is just a matter of practice, for other more technical skills you'll need to be taught how to do it by someone who knows how to do it.  To find these people you can ask around settlements, ask a special crew member if you have one, or even ask another player.  There may be books and tomes hidden about the world that can teach you new things as well, so be on the lookout.  Just keep in mind that if your would-be teacher is equal to or worse than you at a skill, he or she won't be able to teach you anything.

Languages are special skills acquired through your journey.  Learning new languages requires a book or tome to serve as a reference or a fluent tutor to teach you.  Note that people from Meridia learn the common language of Meridian in addition to the language of their country, so players from the Colonial Powers should be able to converse with people from colonial settlements without any problems.  However, problems will arise when trying to speak with people from the Native Powers such as the Aztlanics, Tarawaks and Onondagans.

Magic is a special skill that grants supernatural abilities.  Magic generally comes in three flavors - Solarian priestly miracles, Aztlanic dark magic and Ixtlub nature magic.  Solarian priestly miracles are your typical cleric spells that involve the holy light of the sun in things like healing and blessings and the like while Aztlanic dark magic involves things like necromancy and curses.  Ixtlub nature magic is a weaker form of shamanic magic that involves calling on the spirits of the land to help them or hurt their enemies.  All types of magic have a cost associated with using it.  Solarian miracles require spell components such as crystals and silver and the like while Aztlanic spells often require sacrifices.  Ixtlub spells require a mix of animal sacrifices and natural spell components.  Magical spells cannot be learned normally and can only be obtained through finding blessed scrolls for Solarian miracles, cursed scrolls for Aztlanic dark magic and stone spirit tablets for Ixtlub magic.  The most powerful magics are locked tightly away by both the Solarians and Aztlanics, so don't expect to find any game-breaking and world-ending spells in your quest.

In order to start with magic, keep in mind that only those faithful to the Solarian faith, be it the Praetorian Solar Congregation or Solar Reformism, can use miracles.  They must also be affiliated with the church in some way, the Church doesn't just give spells to the lay people.  For Aztlanic and Ixtlub magic you must be affiliated with Aztlan or the Ixtlub Confederation respectively somehow as they don't just give their spells away either.  The most important thing to remember is that if you want access to spells at the start of the game consult with me first BEFORE making your character, and remember that you're not going to start off with high-level spells.  As I said in the OP mary-sues who try to say they're the pope or high priest of Aztlan or whatever just to try and get high-level spells and artifacts will be thrown out of a helicopter.

---

DEATH AND INACTIVITY

Death awaits all of us, it's just a natural fact of life.  The seas of the New World are a dangerous place and dying may be more common than you think.  If you found that your character has died prematurely, your options are as follows:

If you have any surviving crew, you can play as one of them.  That character will inherit your heirloom item and a small portion of your old character's gear and loot, and any surviving ships or crew will be inherited by him/her.  Or, if you wish, you can start over with a new character, but you'll be starting fresh with new skills, a new heirloom item, and new belongings.

Inactive players will be wiped after 3 turns of no posting.  It'll be assumed that your character settles down somewhere and he/she may be interacted with as an NPC, but his/her adventuring days will be over.  I'm a slow updater so you'd have to really (not) try in order to reach the 3 turn mark.

My make-up turn policy for players who haven't reached the 3 turn mark is to give 1 make-up turn no matter how long you've been gone, so if you're gone for 2 turns you'll have a wasted action.

---

FAQ

Q: I want to play but you're already at 10 players, what should I do?
A: Your only real option is to wait for another player to go inactive.  Players will be wiped after 3 turns of inactivity so wait until that happens.  Sorry but the GM is a busy man with a job and other obligations and can't handle 50 players like he used to.

Q: Waaaaah, (insert player here) is kicking my ass!  Make him stop!
A: A good rule of thumb for any non-cooperative builder is to always assume that other players can and will fuck you over if given the opportunity.  My advice to you is to play defensively, always try to stay one step ahead whenever possible, and more importantly TRUST NO ONE.  If you don't want to follow this advice then that's on you.

Q: I have a question about something that isn't in the rules
A: Reread the rules to see if your question is answered here and then ask me in discord.  Don't bombard me with tons of dumb questions, I won't answer them

Q: Update wen?
A: Do not concern yourself with the question of when the update will come, for neither player nor onlooker may possibly know when the update will be.  Only the GM may know, and even the GM doesn't know most of the time.  Anyone who would try to tell you otherwise or who would try to tell you when the update will be, GM included, is lying.

More to come as questions arise