Pyramid Pick
The Pirate Nations
Published by Alderac Entertainment Group
Written by John Wick and Kevin Wilson
128 pages, $19.95
The Pirate Nations is the 7th Sea supplement I've been waiting for. Back when I reviewed the Player's Guide and the GM's Guide, I complained then that for a game that seemed to be based on the romantic notion of pirates sailing the high seas for gold and glory, there was very little material in the basic rules about, well, pirating. The books still looked plenty good, mind you, and had lots of good stuff, but that important element seemed to be lacking.Well, it is lacking no longer. The Pirate Nations is a supplement devoted exclusively to the life of the sea, and the many colorful brigands who have chosen to live it.
Chapter One describes three "Ports O' Call," hangouts and (mostly) neutral ground for the pirate nations. (Each pirate ship or fleet is its own nation, with its own charter, agreed to and signed by the crew, that binds them -- the ultimate democracy.) The descriptions are thorough, with lots of places good for trouble. True to the pirate tradition, most of them seem to be taverns of one kind or another . . .
Chapter Two, simply called "Pirate," is the meat of the book. Five of the most notorious pirate nations on Theah are described, and described thoroughly. Each section includes that group's history, its charter, the punishment for breaking the charter (which is always pretty severe, but for some moreso than others), its allies, . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: December 17, 1999
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