Originally posted at: http://diehardgamefan.com/2014/05/22/tabletop-review-pirates-dragons/

Hey look! I’m FINALLY getting around to review it. What can I say – April and May have been busy month for me reviewing-wise. Still, I finally got a chance to look finish my thoughts on this weight tome from Cakebread and Walton, so let’s get into it.

Pirates & Dragons was a successful Kickstarter back in October of 2013. While the first attempt failed, the second succeeded and a 114 gamers invested in the system. While I was not one of them, I did decide to pick it up upon release. This is partly because there hasn’t been a dearth of new games/systems like the past two years and partly because other reviews have enjoyed Cakebread and Walton products. Chuck Platt for example adored their, Abney Park’s Steamship Pirates while both Lowell Francis and Matt Faul enjoyed Clockwork and Chivalry (First and Second Edition respectfully). I felt it was my turn to give Cakebread and Walton a try. What I found was an interesting game that, while not my favorite new game of 2014, was definitely worth the time and energy to both read and try.

Pirates and Dragons uses the Renaissance system. Now I haven’t played anything using those mechanics so I can’t compare the P&D rules with the core ones, so please don’t be looking for that in this review. One thing that I can state is a bit of strangeness that caught my eye almost immediately. You’ll see the third page of the PDF (second page in the physical copy) has the Wizards of the Coast OGL. However, the system used in Pirates & Dragons is Chaosium’s Basic Role Playing. I’m a little confused and perplexed why the play note to WotC but not the company that actually owns and controls the system P&D (and thus Renassiance) is based on. Just look at the character creation process. It’s ripped right out of BRP (Or Call of Cthulhu if you prefer). The stats, how they are rolled, professions, skill points and everything else aren’t based off d20 mechanics. I did a word search on the entire PDF for “Chaosium” and nothing came up, which is interesting and although potentially legally shady. Ah well, that’s more publishers to duke it out about. At least you know the groundwork for the game is based off one of the best systems ever, right?

Chapter One of Pirates & Dragons talks about the games setting. Here you’ll find quick summaries about all the factions in the Dragon Isles (where the game takes place). The world is set up similar to our own with the Dragon Isles appearing to be in the equivalent of the Caribbean. The main ocean the game takes place in is the Adalantic and on the eastern side of said Adalantic is the continent of Uropa. Yep. Different factions include Islanders, Dragon Tribes (islanders ruled by a dragon), the Uropans, Pirates and of course, Dragons. The game isn’t low fantasy considering there is magic and dragons, but it’s definitely not high fantasy either, as things are somewhat grounded in the real world and there aren’t a ton of fantasy races running around. It’s just humans and dragons for the most part.

Chapter Two is “Characters” and its here where we get the BRP style character creation system mentioned earlier. Here’s also where you start to get specific lingo for the game. The person running it is the GM. Characters are Adventurers. So on and so forth. Starting skills are done slightly different from BRP. Instead of set values per skill to which you add bonus points, in Pirates & Dragons all the core skills are determined by a specific stat times or plus a multiplier. So Ranged Combat is INT+DEX while Influence is CHAx2. You then pick your profession and culture which gives you further bonus points. There are a lot less skills than in BRP and it is worth noting only Islanders start off with a Magic attribute (MAG) where most BRP games use POW for Magic. Finally you pick a talent which makes your character stand out a bit more, and then you’re done. It’s a pretty fast and easy character system.

Chapter Three is “Skills” and here is where we start to get into mechanics. Skill tests are rolled via d100 (again similar to BRP). Equal or less to your characters rating in the skill and you succeed. If you roll over, you fail. Again, pretty cut and dry. The game also included Doubloons which are similar to Savage Worlds‘ “bennies” or the XP method in Numenera. Doubloons are super useful as they can give characters automatic successes. However, one doubloon in each game is actually a cursed one and instead of giving an automatic success, it is an automatic failure. This is a cute system actually, although unless the GM is paying close attention, it will be easy for players to peak and see which is the cursed doubloon and thus keep away from it.

Chapter 4 is “Combat” and you get things like initiative, distance modifiers, how to attack, parry and so on. Like BRP, you roll a d100 and if you roll equal or less than the skill you are using, you succeed. However the opponent has a chance to dodge or parry, but only once a round. There are various combat maneuvers to give the system a bit of depth, but it’s pretty simple over all, and I mean that in a good way. Pirates & Dragons should be a very easy system to learn, allowing gamers of all skill levels to just jump right in and have fun.

“Rules and Systems” is the name of Chapter Five and it’s more mechanics ahoy with this one. Do you want rules for travel speeds? It’s in here. Need mechanics for how weather effects skills? It’s in here. Want to know what darkness does to perception tests? It is in here. This is obviously the most rules heavy part of the book, as well as the driest and dullest, but when aren’t these things true for a RPG? Fatigue, fear, falling, poisons, encumbrance and all the usual rigmarole can be found here. Just be aware there isn’t any set order for this section. It’s a bit chaotic and can be hard to find the bits of mechanics you are looking for the first few times through the book. Trust me when I say the index is your friend with this one. This is also the chapter where you learn how Adventurers advance. You actually get XP (called Improvement Points here) instead of the usual BRP advancement system where you get a chance to improve any skill used in the previous adventure. Here you earn a few Improvement Points per game and then can spend each point on a chance to improve a skill. You then roll your d100. If you go over your current rating, you get 1d4+1 points added to your skill. If you get under or equal your rating, you get a single point added. It’s also worth noting that skills do not have a set maximum, so you could keep spending points on a skill you have at 100, only to raise it a single point each time. With perseverance and a lot of sessions, you too can get that skill up to 150 (although it might showcase you as certifiably insane).

Chapter Six is “Ships and Crews.” This is pretty much what you would expect. There is a long list of different types of ships followed by a chart showcasing the stats for said ships. There’s a also a short list of upgrades and a host of combat rules for naval vessels. What’s here is very interesting, but also a bit chaotic. The chapter could be easily re-arranged for better flow as well as putting things in a more logical or intuitive order. The chapter ends with various ways (legal or otherwise) to obtain a ship and/or crew. Because some ships can have hundreds of crew people, this is also where you will find rules for large scale combat between crewmen.

Chapter Seven is “Equipment.” It’s worth noting that Silver Ducats are the primary coin in the game and instead of the old 10: 1 ratio that exists in most fantasy RPGs, you’ll find 20 Silver Ducats equals a single gold one. This chapter has everything you will ever need for your characters and then some. Clothing, general home items, food, weapons, even animals or prosthetics are in this chapter for you. You’ll also see two “Dragon Artifacts” mentioned quickly in the chapter, but most eyes will pass over them as the weapons and respective charts for killing implements follow immediately after.

Chapter Eight is “Magic,” and remember, only Islander character start with the ability to cast spells. There are two types of magic – Island Magic, which is basically white magic cross with shamanistic style spell casting, and Dragon Magic, which is black, foul necromantic type stuff. The rules are mostly the same, but a character can only cast one form of magic or the other – NEVER both. So be aware of that. Dragon Magic will almost always be used by evil NPCs while Adventurers will pretty much only have Island Magic unless you are playing a game of evil dragon worshippers. It’s also worth noting that there is no Magic in the east aka Uropa…even if the book has a typo and calls that the West. This is the chapter where you learn how MAG works such as the number of spells one can cast per day and how one learns new spells. There are eighteen pages of spells to close out the chapter. Some have descriptions as short as a paragraph while others are half a page long. Regardless, these spells should keep PCs and GMs busy for some time. Who knows? If the game is successful, maybe we will see a supplement for new spells. The chapter ends with Adalantan Magic Items and it’s simply a list and decription of magic items PCs might come across in their game. The chapter also suggests they shouldn’t be sold ala D&D and that cursed items are very rare indeed. Most of the items provided here are combat oriented. It’s a pretty short and sweet chapter.

Chapter Nine is “Cultures,” and it’s a deeper, more fleshed out version of Chapter One. You get the history of the known world and the nations (including pirates and dragons) currently engaging in intrigue within the Dragon Isles. This chapter is perhaps my favorite in the book as you really get to know all the nations in the game. I walked away from this chapter feeling Pirates & Dragons is basically a nautical D&D mixed with BRP and of course, 7th Sea. There are no secrets or GM only tidbits to be had here. It’s just a straight up, extremely informative look at the fantasy world that Pirates & Dragons takes place in. Everyone will find a particular group that they will especially love. In my case, it was the dragons. There are some fantastic takes on the old tropes here.

Chapter Ten is the Gazetteer and it gives a list of islands in the area along with a description of each. If you’re looking for a full map of the Dragon Isles, you’ll want to go back to Chapter One for that. The information here is extremely brief with each island only getting a paragraph or two at the most. The exceptions are Paradis, Safehaven and Nieuw Brugge, which gets a full page of content devoted to them. It’s a very sparse and underwhelming chapter. In some ways, it is the opposite of the previous chapter.

Chapter Eleven is “Creatures” and this is the equivalent of the game’s Monster Manual. Now the creatures in here aren’t going to be orcs or hobgoblins. Nor are their wights or death knights. These are all creatures that fit the game’s theme and atmosphere. For example, you have a Aspidochelone, which is a turtle so large, vegetation has begun to grow on its shell, making it resemble an island. Now the game does have Cyclops, ghouls and Insect people, so those of you used to more D&D style monsters have options here. Otherwise, expect to see an Island style Lich (who is somewhat different from the version we are used to in RPGs), Krakens and even south/central American style mummies. Perhaps my favorite creature in the section is the Monkey Bat, although the fowl mouthed parrot comes close.

Our final chapter in the collection is “Games Master” and this is obvious for GM eyes only. So don’t look players, or you’ll get spoilers. In truth, all that is here in this chapter is the usual GM tips and tricks every core rulebook gives you. It’s advice on how to run a game and keep it fun. There are a few adventure seeds to be had too. There are seven pretty generic seeds here, but they are meant to help you learn how to create adventures for the game, rather than dazzle you with their complexity and/or originality. The chapter ends with a list of NPCs and…that’s the book my friends. Well, aside from characters sheets and an index.

So overall I liked Pirates & Dragons. it probably won’t ever be a game I play regularly and it certainly won’t replace options like 7th Sea in my collection, but I enjoyed it for what it was. The game isn’t perfect by any means, and there is definitely room for improvement, but what first edition core rulebook can’t you say that about? I think that a pirate/fantasy hybrid is probably a niche title at best, and also one that could already be done by other systems so I’m not sure how big of a market there is or will be for Pirates & Dragons. That said, the world is nicely fleshed out and I do hope to see some further supplements for the game. I’m definitely glad I got to spend time with Pirates & Dragons and although it’s a pretty expensive PDF compared to other options out there, if you’re looking for a pirate oriented mid-fantasy RPG, this is your best (only?) option that I’ve seen so far.

Pirates & Dragons is perhaps one of the most honestly named RPGs I know of.

In a nutshell, it's a rather well-written game with fairly extensive mechanics that will appeal to those that enjoy more substantial games rather than narrative ones. The Artwork is pretty good and evocative of the setting, which is more realistic than it is fantastic. There's plenty of opportunities to get in trouble in the game, and there are hefty swashbuckling rules to mirror dynamic combat and more than it's fair share of fumbles.

I would recommend Pirates & Dragons to those looking for a pirate game that has a stronger adherence to "realism" as opposed to fantasy, despite the presence of dragons. That said, those looking for lighter games might find themselves looking at a ruleset that is perhaps a little too crunchy for their tastes.

Overall, would definitely recommend this to those looking for something new in the Pirate genre of gaming.

Just got my copy of this through and WOW ! A great addition to the P&D line up from Cakebread & Walton. Floorplans are done by DramaScape who are what I consider to be the leaders in this field.

In total there are 77 pages (YES !!! SEVENTY SEVEN !!!)

First there is the cover showing the ship in all its (non-zombie) glory , a page of credits and then a page of stats for the vessel as a standard Corvette and as zombied one. Next are instructions on how to construct the plans and then there are the plans themselves available in square, hex or overlay-free format.

Excellent quality as would be expected with lovely detail. Five Stars !

I would love to see a few additional ships in this format. Maybe a Brigantine and Frigate or possibly a first to third rate Man o War ???

Fantastic map of the PIRATES & DRAGONS world. The definition is superb and is of an unequalled quality. Recommended "MUST HAVE" for any player/GM of the game.

Well, I have been quite looking forward to this since it was first announced and happily backed the Kickstarter to see it come to fruition. So, what is the actual end result and was it worth my money ?

The very quick answer to these questions are : Mighty fine and Hell yes !

The longer answer is here but first I must state that this review is based on the PDF and not the Printed Product as the latter hasn't yet arrived with me but is due oh so very soon and I decided to write this up now:

FIRST IMPRESSION : The Art is, like all Cakebread and Walton products excellent. They really have some great artists onboard (no pun intended... well, ok maybe a small one) who really create excellent visuals. This cover is so evocative and wants to really draw you in. The choice of font is good too and the layout adds rather than detracts from the feel of the product. The page count means this is one hefty tome too coming in at 349 pages (actually 347 less cover and the blank last page). So, all good so far.

THE RULES : The rules are a tweaked version of RENAISSANCE DELUXE also by Cakebread & Walton . The system is based on the D100 percentile rules that will be oh so familiar to players of Runequest, Call of Cthulhu and a stack of other games meaning most roleplayers will have a good grasp of the mechanics from the first read. For anyone new to gaming the D100 system is one of the easiest rulesets to pick up and understand which makes this (and the other Cakebread & Walton Renaissance Series games) a good starting point and also good for kids as well as adults. I really like the inclusion of Talents which works really well and Doubloons which are basically like "Bennies" from Savage Worlds and allow extreme cinematic Swashbuckling actions to be made by the players. The addition of a "Black Spot" on the back of one of these bennies really adds to it . Draw that one and you will have a really bad day :). I hope that C&W somehow make these available as a physical product at some stage as that would be a truly awesome addition.

THE SETTING : Now, the Setting. Well, let's face it THIS is what the game is about. The best way to describe it is to think 7th Sea combined with D&D, Deadlands and Pirates of the Caribbean all rolled into one with an additional multitude of ideas and thoughts as well. P&D is set on an Earthlike world around what would be our mid 18th Century but with magic and fantasy permeating it for good measure. Just one part of the world is covered: A Caribbeanesque sea and lands full of mystery and adventure. As you would expect from the title both Pirates and Dragons play quite a large part in the setting. The Dragons have made this part of the world their own. Evidence exists of a once mighty Draconic Empire on a closeby continent but for whatever reasons the remains of this empire are little more than crumbling ruins. The simple fact is that dragons are now here, in the isles along with their associated wealth due to their love of gold. Mix in some external powers entering the islands not dissimilar to the Western Powers of 18th Century Earth, local tribes, an insectoid race and the Pirates and you have a hotbed of intrigue and danger with lots of swashbuckling.

OVERALL : The book is well written and is a credit to Messers Cakebread and Walton. Long may they keep up their purveying of fine games ! There is also some good support coming for the setting and I suspect the next few years will see some real expansion of this world. I would love to see more fiction about it and also further sourcebooks as well as Doubloons ! I have just scratched the surface of the product here to give an overview. Buy it , read it, play it and enjoy it !

With an interesting twist on the Steampunk genre, setting it in the far future after a slow apocalypse, Airship Pirates is a fun light weight system, good for those who enjoy telling grand stories. It's doubley fun if you're a fan of Abney Park, as the game's universe bases itself upon the lyrics from their songs.

I do find the combat system a little clunky at times, especially with the need to roll initiative each combat round, but if players and game master agree, this can easily be streamlined with a house rule to only roll once for a combat encounter... though this change can be particularly crippling, as winning initiative does also convey a dice bonus. The use of dice pools and exploding dice will make this sytem feel familiar to those who played a lot of White Wolf.

The Hardback copy of Renaissance Deluxe arrived today and this review is based on this version of it.

This is the first Print on Demand from CAKEBREAD & WALTON since they decided to leave the Cubicle 7 stable and make their own way in the world.

First things first : It was well packed in a cardboard sleeve which ensured no damage in transit. A big plus to start with

Second thing that stuck out was the quality of the product : The binding is excellent as is the quality of the paper used and the clarity of the print itself. It actually feels good to hold it in my hands. I am confident that the book will survive many gaming hours at the table as well as being carried and transported around. Much kudos to the printers - Lightning Source based in Milton Keynes UK.

I also need to comment on the speed of printing and delivery. I collected the book from the Post Office today (Saturday) but the card for it advising of attempted delivery had arrived on the previous Tuesday. That means that the order would have arrived on the 6th day rather that the expected 14 days. Now, that is FAST !

Now a list of the contents but before I start on this section I do need to state that I do actually write Adventures and Supplements for this system and regard it as one of the most flexible and easy to use D100 systems on the market. So far I have used it as a base to write Cthulhu Mythos, Heroic Fantasy and Historical Adventures set in the French Indian War.

The book consists of an introduction, 12 Chapters plus a very comprehensive Index.

Introduction : This is what it says. It provides background as to what a RPG is but does give some thoughts on how to use the rules in a variety of settings and historical periods which means that, unlike many such commentaries in other games, it is useful and worth reading even by experienced gamers. It also includes a handy glossary of terms used.

Chapter One : Character Generation. What it says - How to create your Adventurer set out in a logical and ordered step by step way which refers you to other parts of the book as required. It also includes a great way of connecting the Characters together and giving them a base reason as to how they know each other via a useful Connections & Events table.

Chapter Two : Professions. A list of 26 (yes ! 26 !) different careers to choose from covering the Dark Ages through to the Victorian era.

Chapter Three : Factions. Now, I really like Factions. These are social, political and religious ideals that the Character may belong to. These really help with fleshing out the Character but also provides extra options and some great hooks for the games master. A variety of generic, customisable, factions are presented along with four fully fleshed out examples.

Chapter Four : Skills. Skills are split into Common which everyone has to some degree and Advanced which require some level of training or expertise. The lists are comprehensive, without being overly specialised and allow the creation of well balanced characters that can positively contribute to a game session.

Chapter Five : Combat. Comprehensive rules for ranged and melee combat. The chapter is written in such a way that you can include or leave out what you want resulting in either a quite complex system including hit locations etc. , a fast and furious ruleset or something in between. It works and works well but just be warned - Like most D100 combat systems, it can be very deadly. Just make sure the odds are in your favour before launching into a fight ! The Combat Reference Sheet on page 61 is well worth copying and keeping close to hand.

Chapter Six : Rules and Systems. This covers all non-combat activity and has a stack of optional rules covering aging, vehicles and encumbrance. Like all the other sections it is easy to read, logically set out and comprehensive.

Chapter Seven : Equipment. The currency used is the old English pounds, shillings and pence which some may find confusing at first but when equated to the D&D copper, silver, electrum, etc method you soon get used to it. The lists and descriptions are well researched and pretty much complete covering clothing, services, melee , firearms, armour, etc.

Chapter Eight : Alchemy. This is an example of a magic system for the game including spells, potions and familiars which is easily adaptable and expanded upon.

Chapter Nine : Witchcraft. Another magic system with its own distinct flavour and further options complete with spells.

Chapter Ten : Bestiary. 14 pages of natural, un-natural, fantasy creatures and races. Using this as a base you can create Elf, Dwarf, Orc, etc. characters rather than the standard human ones. The artwork provides some interesting images of goblins and orcs in historical dress which fires the imagination as to pseudo-historical fantasy worlds (French Orcs, German Elves, Dutch Goblins anyone ?)

Chapter Eleven : Sanity. A set of optional rules for the inclusion of sanity in the Renaissance game. This opens up the way for dark fantasy and horror themes, including Lovecraft's Cthulhu lore, to be effectively added into a more traditional setting.

Chapter Twelve : Games Matering. A superbly written chapter on game worlds and adventures as well as thoughts on how to run a Renaissance game. My only complaint about the whole book really is I would have liked to have seen more covered here as Ken and Peter obviously have a wealth of experience on the subject. I am hoping that a Gamesmasters Guide is released at sometime in the future as a standalone product.

Overall : A great product and very recommended in the hardback format. I still have the paperback version of the rules from their Cubicle 7 days and that will certainly continue to see use as well but this hardback will be reserved at the table for me and will provide many hours of reference and reading. My best RPG acquisition of the year for the writing and quality (As a pointer this list includes: Traveller 5th, Achtung Cthulhu !, Rocket Age, Swords And Wizardry, DCC Core Rules and The Dark Eye RPG amongst others).

The first printing of this was a little sparse, and I'm happy to see it's been updated with an atmospheric interior layout. Upon reading it, there is a massive potential for highly intriguing investigation within this setting. The Lovecraftian elements have been done a lot before, but are well illustrated and fit into the grimy London setting pretty well. In fact, the 18th Century seems quite an overlooked era for Cthulhu gaming generally, and sets up a strong 'Bow Street Runner' (protocops) hook that is very useable. The London maps and personalities are well researched, and in all, this is a very good supplemental game for the (excellent) Renaissance rules.

Firstly let me start by saying i've recently done some freelance work for the guys at Cakebread & Walton using this rule system, however, this should not detract from my view of the game itself.

Renaissance is one of those games that, if you are like me, makes your imagination runs wild with possibilities. The rules are based around the standard d100 methodology that is familair to anybody that has played Call of Cthulhu, Legend and some of the iterations of Runequest. Simple and elegant the game is very much what you make it.

Ive run games of James Bondesque espionage set in the English Civil War, Cthulhu type mysteries in Tudor England and even used the rules for my own freelance work in the French & Indian Wars campaign im running.

A warning to those who intend to play the game though. It can be very lethal but this does ensure the players really start to think about consequences before firing that musket or drawing that sword !

I would strongly recommend this game system to anybody and everybody who wants to break away from the more traditional fantasy and sci-fi games. It use of the real world setting enables GM's to pilalge history for story ideas and the simplicity of the rules enables the story to come to life.

Celtic adventure continues with this great sequel to "The Wolves of the Coast". This time the brave warriors of Erin must face quite a different threat: something straight from the realms where REH's and HPL's nightmares intersect. As before, great story and fun background writeups. Top shelf and waiting for more.

This adventure really made me look through my bookshelf for Robert E. Howard's Tigers of the Sea. It's a pleasure to read and fun to run; and it shows how adaptable and enjoyable d100 mechanics is in its Renaissance incarnation. Top shelf.

An original military adventure which makes great use of the Renaissance ruleset. It's got unforgiving nature, fascinating historical conflict and an opportunity for the players to execute a special forces op in the French and Indian War. Another one in a series of great adventures I've recently discovered. Top shelf.

This was a great romp through ancient Celtic times when the Sea and land were fraught with peril.The storyline with the Viking Raiders was great and left more options to play instead of just a "One off" game! The group had a fun time with it and the pre-gen characters fit perfectly in the scenario. This was a 5/5 rated game set for us! Great job guys!

I had my advance group run this awhile back and we had a blast with it! Do not be fooled by the setting, this can and almost became a TPK! Everyone in my advance group are Military Veterans and it was an awesome time had by all! Well written and the weapon charts were well thought out for the time period.The pre-gen characters were spot-on and the storyline flowed well.Many thanks to Adrian and Roger for a great night of gaming,and of course to our friends at Cakebread and Walton, great setting!

I thought this was a neat little adventure. I will use it in my 14th century game with a little twicking.

I have a situation coming up at some point where the players will be part of a galley crew in the Med

Thanks