Structure
Act I – Rumours and Blood in the Water
Act II – Pirate Havens and False Trails
Act III – Isle de Gros Garçon
Act IV – The Bluebeard Revelation
Act V – Judgment or Infamy
Each Act contains 2–4 scenarios mixing naval
encounters, land skirmishes, and social conflict.
FACTIONS
Faction Options
4
Factions
- Crown
Hunters (Royal
Navy, colonial militia, or privateers)
- Rival
Pirates (seeking
Bluebeard’s hoard or head)
- Mercenary
Free Company (ex-soldiers,
smugglers, cutthroats)
- Colonial
Agents (governor’s
men, merchants, spies)
Each faction has:
- Reputation track (Feared
/ Trusted / Hunted)
- Legal status (Outlawed /
Tolerated / Commissioned)
- Special campaign
abilities
ACT I – RUMOURS AND
BLOOD IN THE WATER
Purpose: Introduce Bluebeard as a legend,
not a target.
Key Locations
- Nassau (fracturing
pirate republic)
- Port Royal (law
returning)
- Tortuga (decaying pirate
haven)
Scenario Ideas
1.
The Burning Sloop
- The Crown faction investigates a
ship found adrift off Nassau. It's a trap. The crew were murdered and
Pirates wait for boarders.
- First clues, a shouted
warning from the Pirates leader “Bluebeard done it!”
2.
Tavern Knives
- Social scenario that
can erupt into a brawl.
- Interrogate informants,
rival crews interfere. It's an RPG scenario based around a massive
tavern brawl.
3.
Naval Skirmish: The False Flag
- Ambush at sea by
pirates pretending to be Bluebeard’s men.
- Loot or documents hint
at the Isle de Gros Garçon as Bluebeard's base.
RPG Hooks
- Witnesses contradict
each other
- Bluebeard may be a title, not a person
- Someone wants the legend
alive
ACT II – PIRATE
HAVENS AND FALSE TRAILS
Purpose: Complicate the hunt; reveal factions
protecting or exploiting the myth.
Key Locations
- Smuggler coves
- Maroon settlements
- Hidden shipyards
Scenario Ideas
4.
The Hanging of Captain Lowe
- Public execution and a
rescue attempt.
- Lowe claims he was Bluebeard—or knew
him.
5.
The Shipwright’s Secret
- Raid on a hidden
dockyard.
- Unique ships built for
shallow jungle waters.
6.
Jungle Ambush
- Land skirmish against
pirates loyal to “the Beard.”
- Discovery of
Bluebeard’s sigil carved into trees.
Campaign Mechanics
- Heat increases with
every public action
- Pirate bases become
hostile or evacuate
- Bluebeard’s agents
sabotage the Crown
ACT III – ISLE DE
GROS GARÇON (FAT BOY ISLAND)
Purpose: Central sandbox location; half dungeon, half
fortress.
The Island Itself
A low, swampy island with:
- Mangrove labyrinths
- Mosquito-infested
lagoons
- Coral reefs wrecking
ships
- Jungle-covered hills
Key Locations on
the Island
1.
The Fat King’s Anchorage
- Natural harbour guarded
by chained hulks and cannon
2.
The Slaughter Beach
- Mass graves and
execution posts
3.
The Storehouse
- Loot, enslaved
captives, gunpowder, rum
4.
The Longhouse
- Pirate council hall and
gambling den
5.
The Chapel of the Beard
- Superstitious shrine to
Bluebeard
- Masks, trophies, and
symbols
Scenarios
7.
Landing Under Fire
- Amphibious assault or
stealth insertion
8.
The Mangrove Maze
- Skirmish with
visibility rules and ambush mechanics
9.
Night of Knives
- Multiple pirate
factions turn on each other
ACT IV – THE
BLUEBEARD REVELATION
Purpose: Twist the narrative.
Possible Truths
(Choose One or Randomize)
1.
Bluebeard Is Dead
- The legend is
maintained by lieutenants
2.
Bluebeard Is Many
- A rotating mask worn by
captains
3.
Bluebeard Is a Woman
- A strategist who never
fights openly
4.
Bluebeard Is the Island
- A cult-like pirate
brotherhood
5.
Bluebeard Is One of the Crown Ifficer
- Through blackmail,
inheritance, or mistaken identity
Scenario
- The
Mask Falls
- Assassination attempt,
coup, or interrogation
- Social conflict +
skirmish
ACT V – JUDGMENT OR
INFAMY
Purpose: Resolve the campaign based on game choices.
Endgame Scenarios
- The
Burning of Gros Garçon
- Total destruction
- Escape under fire
- The
Black Pardon
- Bluebeard bargains with
the Crown
- The
Legend Continues
- Someone else dons the
beard
End States
- A Crown character becomes a feared
pirate lord
- Heroes of empire
- Outlaws hunted across
the Caribbean
- Governors quietly erase
the truth
RPG–WARGAME
INTEGRATION IDEAS
- Named
NPCs gain
traits after surviving battles
- Wounds
persist between
scenarios
- Reputation
replaces XP
- Fear
mechanics:
Bluebeard’s legend affects morale
- Masks
& Symbols as
artifacts granting bonuses
RUMOUR TABLE
Roll to gather information in ports, taverns, or among
pirates.
Roll 1d12
|
d12
|
Rumour
|
|
1
|
“Bluebeard ain’t one man.” The Beard is a title
passed between captains. If true, the next pirate unit encountered may reroll
one failed Morale test.
|
|
2
|
“Fat Boy Island eats ships.” Reefs and tides
around Isle de Gros Garçon are murder. The next naval scenario uses Dangerous
Waters or Restricted Movement for all vessels.
|
|
3
|
“The Beard pays in blood, not coin.” Crews serving
Bluebeard fight harder. Pirate Militia gain +1 Resolve in their next land
battle.
|
|
4
|
“The Governor knows more than he says.” A colonial official
is protecting Bluebeard’s trade. Officers may reroll one failed Fortitude
check in a social or interrogation scenario.
|
|
5
|
“Bluebeard marks his own.” Survivors of his
attacks bear ritual scars. The next captured pirate reveals the location of a
hidden supply cache.
|
|
6
|
“The Fat King hoards cannon.” Isle de Gros Garçon
has more artillery than expected. Add 1 extra light gun to any island defense
scenario.
|
|
7
|
“Bluebeard’s ship draws no breath.” His flagship is said
to sail without lanterns or calls. First naval engagement against Bluebeard
forces enemy crew to test Morale at −1.
|
|
8
|
“There’s a traitor in Nassau.” A pirate captain is
feeding information to the Crown. The next pirate force suffers −1 Command
for its commander.
|
|
9
|
“The Beard spares women and children.” His reputation may be
exaggerated. Crown Officer may gain +1 Reputation in the next port if they avoid
civilian casualties.
|
|
10
|
“The Beard is already dead.” The legend persists
because it must. The next time Bluebeard is “encountered,” delay the reveal
and substitute a lieutenant force.
|
|
11
|
“Fat Boy Island isn’t the only haven.” Gros Garçon is part
of a network. Roll again; the second rumour is also true.
|
|
12
|
“You’ve been asking too loudly.” Someone wants you
silenced. Trigger an immediate ambush or assassination attempt scenario.
|
BETRAYAL TABLE
Roll when:
- A commander is killed or
routed
- A unit fails a Morale
test by 3+
- A named NPC survives
three scenarios
- Lingering too long
in one port
Roll 1d10
|
d10
|
Betrayal
|
|
1
|
Sold for Rum. A unit deserts before
the next battle. Remove one Militia or Crew unit from the roster.
|
|
2
|
False Charts. Navigation
information is sabotaged. The next naval scenario begins with reduced wind
advantage or misdeployment.
|
|
3
|
A Shot in the Dark. During the next
battle, the opposing force may immediately reroll one failed Shooting attack.
|
|
4
|
The Masked Informant. An NPC secretly works
for Bluebeard. He leaks your force size and composition to the enemy. Enemy
gains +1 Command for their leader.
|
|
5
|
The Price of Mercy. A previously spared
enemy returns as a foe. Add a veteran unit to the opposing force next
scenario.
|
|
6
|
Cut of the Take. Loot goes missing.
Lose one campaign resource (powder, rum, or repairs).
|
|
7
|
The Beard’s Mark. Someone spreads fear
using Bluebeard’s symbol. All units test Morale at −1 in the first turn of
the next land battle.
|
|
8
|
Double Commissioned. A hired officer
switches sides mid-battle. One unit immediately becomes Unreliable for the
rest of the scenario.
|
|
9
|
Mutiny Brewing. Internal conflict
erupts. Before the next scenario, test Morale for each non-Veteran unit;
failures start Shaken.
|
|
10
|
The Legend Endures. Even betrayed,
Bluebeard benefits. Ignore this result — instead, roll twice on the Rumour
Table and both are true.
|
USING THESE
WITH BLOOD & PLUNDER
- Morale
& Command:
These tables deliberately target Blood
& Plunder’s command friction
- No
New Stats Required: Everything modifies existing tests
- Crown Agency: Officers can reduce Betrayal rolls by:
- Paying extra upkeep in
rum or coin
- Promoting veteran units
- Executing or pardoning
NPCs (both have consequences)
THE LIEUTENANTS OF
THE BEARD
Each lieutenant includes:
- Suggested
Officer Type (Blood & Plunder)
- Command
Style
- Special
Campaign Trait (optional,
easy to ignore)
- Narrative
Hook
1. Jacques “Red
Smile” Moreau
The Butcher of Slaughter Beach
Officer Type: Pirate Captain (Aggressive)
Preferred Troops: Pirate Crew, Militia
Command Style: Shock assaults and terror tactics
Tabletop Notes
- Always leads from the
front
- Prioritizes melee over
shooting
Campaign Trait – Bloody Example
The first time an enemy unit is destroyed in melee each game, all friendly
pirate units may reroll their next Morale test.
Hook Moreau leaves survivors on purpose — marked,
broken, and telling stories. He claims Bluebeard personally carved his teeth
red with blood.
2. Captain Esteban
Calderón
The Black Privateer
Officer Type: Freebooter or Spanish Privateer Captain
Preferred Troops: Veteran Sailors, Marines
Command Style: Disciplined fire and counter-attacks
Tabletop Notes
- Uses cover and
overlapping fields of fire
- Often appears
“unexpectedly legal”
Campaign Trait – Letters of Marque
Once per campaign, Calderón may ignore the penalties of being Outlawed in a
port.
Hook Calderón claims he still answers to a Crown —
just not the one you think. His papers are flawless… and always current.
3. “Mad” Nell
Rackham
The Widow of the Wind
Officer Type: Pirate Captain (Cunning)
Preferred Troops: Militia, Sailors
Command Style: Feints, ambushes, and sudden retreats
Tabletop Notes
- Excels in difficult
terrain and night fights
- Rarely commits fully
Campaign Trait – Vanish into Smoke
Once per scenario, one friendly unit may immediately withdraw without taking
Reaction Fire.
Hook Some swear Nell is Bluebeard
when the beard is seen braided with ribbons. Others say she knows where all the
bodies are buried — literally.
4. Pieter
“Chain-Eye” van der Voort
The Quartermaster King
Officer Type: Pirate Officer or Quartermaster
Preferred Troops: Mixed crews, armed civilians
Command Style: Control, attrition, and logistics
Tabletop Notes
- Rarely fights unless
necessary
- Keeps forces steady
under fire
Campaign Trait – Iron Discipline
Friendly units within Command Range may reroll one failed Fortitude test per
game.
Hook Chain-Eye controls supplies on Isle de Gros
Garçon. Cross him, and your powder turns to sand.
5. Father Lucien de
la Croix
The Gallows Priest
Officer Type: Unusual Character (use Militia Officer
profile)
Preferred Troops: Militia, fanatics
Command Style: Morale manipulation and fear
Tabletop Notes
- Poor fighter, powerful
influence
- Often positioned near
objectives
Campaign Trait – Absolution or Damnation
At the start of the game, choose one friendly unit: it counts as Fearless until
it takes casualties.
Hook Lucien blesses hangings and executions alike. He
insists Bluebeard is an idea, and ideas do not die.
6. “Old Iron”
Thomas Graves
Master of the Guns
Officer Type: Artillery Officer
Preferred Troops: Gun Crews, Sailors
Command Style: Area denial and defensive fire
Tabletop Notes
- Anchors defenses
- Makes island assaults
costly
Campaign Trait – Prepared Positions
One artillery piece or gun crew may begin the game Dug In or behind improved
cover.
Hook Graves lost both legs to recoil and now commands
from a chair bolted to the deck. He swears Bluebeard saved his life — at a
terrible price.
7. Iskra Vane
The Knife in the Ledger
Officer Type: Cunning Officer or Named Specialist
Preferred Troops: Small detachments, scouts
Command Style: Sabotage, assassination, betrayal
Tabletop Notes
- Rarely appears openly
- Triggers campaign events
rather than fights
Campaign Trait – Shadow Accounts
Force one opponent to reroll a successful campaign action (resupply, repair,
recruitment).
Hook Iskra keeps Bluebeard’s books. She knows who’s
paid, who’s owed, and who must die to balance the accounts.
USING LIEUTENANTS
IN CAMPAIGN Game
- Killing a
lieutenant increases
Heat but does not end the campaign
- Capturing one may
unlock:
- Maps to Gros Garçon
- Blackmail leverage
- False endings
- Promoting a lieutenant
to “Bluebeard” is a valid late-campaign twist
CROWN HUNTERS
(Royal Navy, Colonial Militia, Privateers)
These characters are officially (or semi-officially) tasked with ending the
Bluebeard threat — but all have compromises.
Captain Kenneth Hawke, RN
“The King’s Hound”
Role: Royal Navy Captain
Officer Type: Naval Officer (Aggressive or Disciplined)
Personality Cold, professional, contemptuous of
pirates and colonial governors.
Strengths
- Strong command presence
- Disciplined fire and
boarding actions
Flaw Underestimates irregular forces and local
politics.
Campaign Hook Hawke believes Bluebeard murdered his
brother years ago — whether true or not.
Major Elias Crowe
Colonial Militia Commander
Role: Militia Officer
Officer Type: Militia Officer (Cautious)
Personality Paranoid, pragmatic, deeply corruptible.
Strengths
- Knows local terrain
- Good at defensive
battles
Flaw Will abandon allies to protect his own holdings.
Campaign Hook Crowe has secretly traded with pirates
before — Bluebeard may have proof.
Lieutenant Alfred
Fairweather
Privateer and Cartographer
Role: Privateer Officer
Officer Type: Naval Lieutenant (Cunning)
Personality Sharp, sarcastic, utterly fearless at sea.
Strengths
- Superior navigation
- Ambushes and coastal
raids
Flaw Loyal only to contracts, not causes.
Campaign Hook His charts include reefs and inlets
that do not officially exist — including routes to Gros
Garçon.
Surgeon Tobias
Crane
Naval Surgeon & Interrogator
Role: Specialist / Support NPC
Officer Type: Non-combatant specialist
Personality Calm, unsettling, meticulous.
Strengths
- Keeps officers alive
- Extracts information
“humanely” (he insists)
Flaw Rumours follow him — men fear his operating
table.
Campaign Hook Crane has treated at least one of
Bluebeard’s lieutenants in the past.
RIVAL PIRATES
(Not loyal to Bluebeard — seeking profit, revenge, or the legend)
These characters muddy the waters, often fighting the Crown and Bluebeard.
Captain “Silk Jack”
Moreno
The Gentleman Pirate
Role: Pirate Captain
Officer Type: Pirate Captain (Cunning)
Personality Charming, theatrical, vicious when
crossed.
Strengths
- High morale crews
- Deception and feints
Flaw Overconfident; loves an audience.
Campaign Hook Moreno wants to kill Bluebeard
publicly and claim the legend for himself.
Maggie O’Rourke
The Powder Queen
Role: Pirate Quartermaster
Officer Type: Quartermaster
Personality Blunt, ruthless, terrifyingly competent.
Strengths
- Superior logistics
- Keeps crews supplied and
loyal
Flaw Will sell anyone out to save her stockpiles.
Campaign Hook She once supplied Isle de Gros Garçon —
and knows how to starve it.
Yusuf al-Basri
The Navigator
Role: Specialist / Officer
Officer Type: Sailor Officer
Personality Soft-spoken, observant, devout.
Strengths
- Exceptional navigation
- Night actions and
difficult waters
Flaw Avoids unnecessary violence, to a fault.
Campaign Hook Yusuf claims Bluebeard’s flagship sails
by false stars.
“Little” Bastien
Lefèvre
The Survivor
Role: Veteran Pirate
Officer Type: Veteran Crew Leader
Personality Nervous, bitter, unpredictable.
Strengths
- Knows Bluebeard’s
tactics
- Good in ambushes
Flaw Morale collapses if isolated.
Campaign Hook Bastien survived a massacre on Slaughter
Beach — and was spared on purpose.
AGENTS (GOVERNOR’S
MEN, MERCHANTS, FIXERS)
These characters pull strings, hire forces, and betray everyone.
Governor Alastair
Beckett
Colonial Governor
Role: Political Power
Officer Type: Narrative NPC
Personality Polished, cautious, ruthless behind closed
doors.
Strengths
- Controls ports and
pardons
- Can make problems
disappear
Flaw Terrified of instability more than crime.
Campaign Hook Beckett may be deliberately letting
Bluebeard survive to justify his own authority.
Samuel Pritchard
Merchant Prince
Role: Financier
Officer Type: Narrative NPC
Personality Greedy, charming, cowardly.
Strengths
- Funds expeditions
- Controls supply chains
Flaw Panics under pressure.
Campaign Hook Several of Bluebeard’s cannon were
purchased legally through Pritchard’s accounts.
Mistress Eliza Vale
Information Broker
Role: Spy Master
Officer Type: Narrative / Specialist
Personality Elegant, observant, merciless.
Strengths
- Rumours, bribes,
blackmail
- Can trigger Rumour Table
rerolls
Flaw Plays every side — including the Crown Officers.
Campaign Hook Vale knows the truth of the Bluebeard
mask — and is deciding who deserves it.
Captain Roland
Fitch
Harbour Master
Role: Port Authority
Officer Type: Militia Officer
Personality Petty, vindictive, insecure.
Strengths
- Controls inspections
- Delays or accelerates
departures
Flaw Easily bribed, easily frightened.
Campaign Hook Fitch’s records show ships entering port
that never officially left.
CAMPAIGN USE NOTES
- these cgaracters are on cards, with forces, drawn for a game
- Treat these characters
as persistent NPCs
- Killing one often
creates more problems than solutions
- Any of them could:
- Become Bluebeard
- Betray their faction
