Pirate Battle

Pirate battles

This Militia variant is used to simulate combat between lightly and/or unarmored ship’s crews. These rules can be used in any of the battlegames presented herein, or just as something different during regular game days.

Pirate Battles move quickly, due to the close quarters and low amount of armor. It is perfectly acceptable, even encouraged, to backstab your foes in a Pirate Battle.

1. No metal armor is permitted. Otherwise, all fur, leather and improved leather is allowed, up to three points maximum.
2. No bows or crossbows are permitted. Otherwise, all thrown weapons and javelins are fair game. Archery may be permitted if the playing area is large enough, but in most Ship Battles the action is so hardcore and inyour-face that bows and arrows become little more than ground hazards. Besides, with bows in the mix, teams tend to congregate around their archers, which slows the combat down and defeats the purpose of this fastand-furious recreation.
3. Only small shields and bucklers are permitted.
4. Players who go completely unarmored and fight with only a single sword or melee daggers gain one point of Natural Armor per life. Picking up and using any other weapons (including thrown weapons of any kind) removes this bonus for the remainder of that life.
5. Humorous and pirate-themed exclamations are encouraged, (“Argh, me hearty! Ye hit like a little nancy!”) as is piratical attire. Reeves may grant faster death counts, additional (temporary) Natural armor or other minor boons to any player on the field who not only looks the part but acts the part as well.