"Pirate Nations" is the second supplement for 7th Sea, second edition, to have been located in Italy by Need Games. Released in Modena 2018 for those who craved it in Italian, the manual represents a unicum as regards the necklace of the second edition of 7th Sea. This uniqueness is explained by the fact that the other supplements so far released followed a spatial continuity, proposing neighboring or concentrated nations in a certain continent, while "Pirate Nations" follows more the theme of the sea. As we will discuss later, the proposed settings can be very close or many leagues away.
After treating the first volume of Nations of Théah andEmpire of the Crescent, we come to talk about pirates!
A note from John Wick
A very appreciable note from the author of the game, John Wick, is excellent for explaining the concept of Hero in 7Th Sea, especially where the figure would appear gray. Can someone who steals and kills be called a hero? Could Robin Hood be a positive figure if he kept his earnings to himself? We let the author speak
There are two truths about pirates: romantic and historical. Pirates really put freedom above all else. They had truly turned their ships into floating democracies and lived without rulers or god. They signed papers where they vowed to protect each other and serve the ship and the captain above all else. They were also thieves and murderers. Yes, this is the historical reality.
John Wick, "Pirate Nations"
In 7Th Sea, however, the romanticism of historical accuracy counts more and pirate nations lean more in this direction: they are devoted to freedom, to fight unjust laws and the worst Evil imaginable. They are adventurers in a world that desperately needs rebels, smugglers and people who break the rules.
This is only a small fragment of John Wick's intervention, which can be found in the face of the index, but it is probably the best to give the mood to the adventure. Pirates populate the collective imagination and, in Théah, also the seas.
Structure of the manual
"Pirate Nations" consists of 208 pages and only two macro chapters. This choice should not surprise us, although we could easily decide to act differently, since they are chapters that are divided into: setting and rules. In this way it is very easy to find the information, as you can divide the manual almost in half. For those who fear numerous rules, there is no need to fear, the setting detaches the second chapter by over forty pages.
The first chapter: "Ports of call"
In
Although the manual is titled "Pirate Nations", the first chapter opens with the description of a group of islands which, in the past of 7th Sea, represented real superpowers. We are of course talking about Numa, an archipelago that winks at our Greece and that could easily act as a setting in itself. Leafing through the pages you are invested in the history and philosophy of these islands, allowing us for a moment to bear us of its glorious past. Like Greece, unfortunately or fortunately, Numa also has a history of invasions and strong rebellions. His people are proud and indomitable while chasing Kleos, something absolutely impalpable and difficult to understand by foreigners but which, for a Numa inhabitant, often means more than life itself.
The Bucca
The first time I read about La Bucca I remembered the terrible castle of If described by the words of Edmond Dantes in the Count of Montecristo: a prison for the most violent criminals of Théah and political prisoners. The history of La Bucca could easily be summarized in: the dust cannot be hidden forever under the carpet. Born as a prison island of Castille, where to lock up the criminals who had committed the most heinous crimes, over time it was also used by other nations for political prisoners that nobody wanted to make martyrs.
Bringing together Théah's most dangerous men with great thinkers or politicians did not play the game of nations at all in the long run. Guided by a masked woman, the prisoners took La Bucca without shedding blood on a winter morning. From that day on, with difficulty, diplomacy and politics, it has held up as a free and independent port.
The Atabean Sea and Lobster
The Atabean Sea is something that comes much closer to our idea of pirates: sunny beaches, palm trees, crystal clear and warm sea where you can mirror yourself. We are in the 7th Sea counterpart of the Caribbean Sea, of course, and like all the pirate stories that mirror each other, we need a Tortuga.
Lobster and the Pirate Republic arose out of need, like the history of the brand, but in a short time it became something more. Several pirates found themselves crushed between a continent that did not want them, the individual nations that hunted them and the Atabean Commercial Company that was slowly swallowing the pirate world ship after ship. The Brotherhood of the Coast, born from the union of criminals and pirates, proved in a very short time an implacable fleet capable of driving out any opponent. Lobster became the home of this unusual democracy. Every ship has the right to one vote and although many think that this republic is weak and addicted, nobody has the power to challenge it in the open sea.
The second chapter
As previously announced, the second part of the "Pirate Nations" manual focuses on the single Hero that we are going to interpret. Again, variety and surprises are not lacking, as we will find new witchcraft, duel styles, maritime backgrounds and secret societies. The effort made is admirable, since if for other countries some things were more or less simple, in this case the author gave us some truly admirable finds.
In this section we also find expanded rules for the crew, ship management and the fight against sea monsters. If you thought the Kraken was a fearsome being, you haven't hunted the White Whale yet!
Who is it recommended for?
"Pirate Nations" is recommended for all pirate lovers and for those who want to give a much more maritime tone to their 7th Sea adventures. Between monsters, backgrounds, duels in the waves and agreements with the devil, if you are lovers of adventures between the seas this supplement is for you.
You can find it safely on place by NeedGames.
