Beat to Quarters Corebook

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Written and Designed by Neil Gow
Art by Peter Frain
Editors: David Grundy and Andrew Watson
Playtesters: Andrew Watson, Matt Prowse, Nigel Robertson, Martin Dougherty, Shane
Mclean, Nate Zettle, Ryan Shelton, Mike Barnes, Jason Duncan, Joe Myers, Steve Ironside,
David Avery, Kerry Adam, Stephen Thompson, David Snoddy, Andrea Civiera, Tracey West
Feedback: The ever-willing denizens of the Collective Endeavour forum (www.collective-
endeavour.co.uk) and the Omnihedron Games forum (www.omnihedron.co.uk), especially
Jez Grey and Mick Red.
Dedicated to Christine, Lara, Emma and the ship’s cat Sammy
the very best crew any Captain could want!
© 2009 Omnihedron Games. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without permission of
the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for purpose of reviews. Any similarities to
characters, places, situations or institutions etc. (without the purposes of historical accuracy)
are purely coincidental.
1809 Edition - the irst printing of the game (2009)
3
Beat to Quarters
4
Beat to Quarters
War on the High Seas
On the battleields of Europe, the Emperor Napoleon marches Le Grand Armee
against anyone who stands in the way of his inexorable expansion. However, one
small island remains resolute and free; Great Britain. Whilst Napoleon may control
the land, King George has control of the sea. The oak-built ships – the so-called
Wooden Walls – patrol the seven seas ensuring that the French can never rest.
Manned by brave men who live with the constant spectre of painful death or crippling
injury, the tales of these ships are legend, and the names of their commanders live
on through history; Nelson, Collingwood, Hood, Cochrane.
Of course, the French are not the only danger to the brave British sailors. The
ledgling state of America is leading the way in innovative shipbuilding and if the
skill of their sailors ever matched the power of their frigates, they would be a potent
force. However, the British Navy may have the tiger by the proverbial tail as it
continues to harass the neutral America trading ships and ‘press’ men from them
into service.
Privateers cause a constant threat to both merchantmen and warships. These
legalised brigands carry a Letter of Marque, allowing them to act on behalf of one
nation against the interests of another. The continual harassment of these ‘man-o-
war’ adds a dangerous variable in an already explosive atmosphere.
And there are pirates! Whether they are brigands who have taken it upon themselves
to ransack and plunder the coastlines of the West Indies, strangely rigged ships from
the Far East or the fanatical gunboats of the Barbary Coast, they are not a threat to
be taken lightly.
However before a British sailor can cross swords with any of these enemies, they
have to survive being ‘pressed’ into service and the tough education upon a King’s
ship. They have to learn to obey their oficers without question, live within the
deadly rules of the Articles of War, survive on meagre rations and rancid water and
work in extremes of weather.
And why do they ight? Some ight for families back in England, some ight to escape
the horrors of poverty and disease whilst others ight because they know nothing
better. They all ight however, with the same fury, discipline and determination,
under the lag of their King, for an island they call home.
These are the sailors – the “Jolly Tars”, if you will - that sail the seas in our “Hearts
of Oak”.
These are their adventures.
5
Beat to Quarters
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]