The Hunt for Bluebeard (1715)

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

10. 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

11. The Burning of Gros Garçon

• Total destruction
• Escape under fire

12. The Black Pardon

• Bluebeard bargains with the Crown

13. 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