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Pirate Code SPECIFIC RULES (By Rulebook Section) Creating Your Fleet

The document outlines specific rules for creating fleets, setting up islands and ships, and taking actions in the Pirate Code board game. Some key points include: - Players cannot have duplicate characters, ships, or other game pieces in their fleet unless captured from an opponent. - Islands must be placed 3-6 lengths apart from each other during setup. - When choosing a home island, players can decide if a Great Turtle island has its special ability or not. Other mysterious islands are treated normally. - Ships are limited to a maximum of two full actions per turn, not including free actions. Movement is resolved in segments and ramming occurs after movement is completed.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
71 views

Pirate Code SPECIFIC RULES (By Rulebook Section) Creating Your Fleet

The document outlines specific rules for creating fleets, setting up islands and ships, and taking actions in the Pirate Code board game. Some key points include: - Players cannot have duplicate characters, ships, or other game pieces in their fleet unless captured from an opponent. - Islands must be placed 3-6 lengths apart from each other during setup. - When choosing a home island, players can decide if a Great Turtle island has its special ability or not. Other mysterious islands are treated normally. - Ships are limited to a maximum of two full actions per turn, not including free actions. Movement is resolved in segments and ramming occurs after movement is completed.

Uploaded by

sploose
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as ODT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PIRATE CODE SPECIFIC RULES (By rulebook section) CREATING YOUR FLEET -Creating your fleet occurs before

the setup phase of a game. This is significant for the timing of certain abilities. -In a tournament or any other official event, all players are expected to have created their fleets prior to starting unless specifically required otherwise in the event description. The No-Duplicates Rule -A player cannot have two or more of the same character, ship, sea creature, event token, or fort in their fleet at the same time unless it is captured from an opposing player. Generic crew and equipment are not limited in this way. --Some characters have slight changes in the spelling of their names and/or different titles, but they are still considered the same character and cannot be used together unless they can be clearly identified otherwise. --Some ships have the same or similar names but completely different physical configurations (different ship types, a different number of masts, etc.); these are not considered duplicates and may be used together. --If two ships can be clearly identified as the same ship but at different points in its history they are considered duplicates and only one can be used within a fleet at any given time. -Flavor text may be used for the purposes of determining whether two game pieces are duplicates. Since this only helps determine what can be included in a fleet and does not alter how the game is actually played, it is not a contradiction of the rule stating that flavor text has no effect on game play. -If an ability or effect allows you to bring in a named crew, event token, or other game piece from outside of the game, you may choose one that was previously removed from the game or eliminated without violating the noduplicates rule, provided that both copies of that game piece are not in your fleet at the same time. -The no-duplicates rule applies to unique treasures only during setup, when placing them in the treasure pool. If an ability or effect allows you to bring in additional unique treasures, you may duplicate ones that are currently in play. SETUP Placing Islands -Each island must be placed at least 3L away from all other islands, but no more than 6L away from at least one other island. This distance is measured from the outermost edge of an island, not its center.

-The overall size of the playing area is limited only by the island placement restrictions and the total space available. --As a minimum, an area approximately 3ft x 3ft (1m x 1m) is recommended. -The maximum extents of the playing area (as designated by the edge of a table and/or a clearly marked perimeter) are considered an impassable wall that prevents all movement beyond, unless specified otherwise in an event description or by a Privateer prior to starting an event. Alternative options include but are not limited to: --Flat Earth: Any game piece that moves over the edge is permanently removed from the game. --Round Earth: Any game piece that moves over an edge is immediately placed on the opposite edge of the playing area at the same heading and may continue with any remaining movement segments. Choosing Home Islands and Placing Ships -When a Great Turtle is selected as a home island, at that time the player assigned to it may choose if its effect will function or if it will be treated as a standard island; once the game has begun it cannot be changed. -If any other Mysterious Island is chosen as a home island its effects are ignored and its treated as a standard island. -Ships cannot be placed in contact with terrain during setup. Placing Crew -A zero-point crewmember can be assigned only to a ship of its own nationality. Whether or not some other ability would allow that crew to use its abilities on another ship is irrelevant. -A zero-point crewmember may be transferred directly to another ship of the same nationality by using an explore action. The free crew transfer while docked at an island action cannot be used, because that requires a crew to be unloaded to the island before it is transferred to another ship. Placing Treasure -In games using a non-standard (40 point) build total, or in multiplayer games, players may use any mutually agreed-upon quantities and values of treasure unless specified otherwise in an event description. ACTIONS -You can give actions only during your own turn and only to members of your own fleet, unless an ability specifically allows otherwise. -During your turn, each and every member of your fleet may be given an action, if able. -If a ship is not given an action on your turn that action is lost; it cannot be given to a different member of your fleet instead and cannot be saved for a later turn.

-If an ability allows a ship to be given a second action (or two actions) on the same turn, the additional action is always applied after the ships standard action for the turn. -A ship cannot be given more than two full (non-free) actions on a single turn unless an ability clearly and specifically states that it allows more than two actions. No such ability exists. --This restriction does not apply to free actions. If an action is not explicitly stated as free in its own text or in this document, it is considered a full, non-free action and this limit applies to it. --Refer to the Useful Lists section for a list of abilities affected by this limit. -When a ship is given an action, you must completely resolve that action and all free actions directly triggered by it (such as using a Captain or Explorer, ramming, or boarding) before you can give another full action to this ship or to any other member of your fleet. -If an ability allows a ship to be given an additional full action, that action does not have to be given to the ship immediately after completing its standard action for the turn; actions may be given to other game pieces in between. MOVING -The following is a step-by-step guide to movement and turning: 1)Place one end of the appropriate movement bar (S or L) at the forward-most point (the bow) where the ships hull touches the playing surface or its baseplate. Most ships have two distinct points that qualify so either may be chosen, but once chosen that point must be used for that entire move action; you cannot switch reference points from one segment to the next. 2) Rotate the opposite end of the movement bar to the desired heading. The only limit to this turning angle is the physical shape of the ships hull; the movement bar cannot be rotated so that it would pass under or through the ships hull. Most ships are capable of turning at least 160 to either side, but the precise angle varies significantly depending on ship type. Sea creatures do not have hulls, so they have no turn limit. 3) Once the heading is chosen, pick up the ship and place it at the end of the movement bar with its bow pointing in the direction of the movement. Use the location on the bow that movement was measured from as the reference point when placing the ship at the end of the movement bar. --You are not required to use the full length of the movement bar; the ship may be placed at any location along the length of the bar. --If the ship cannot be placed at the desired point on the movement bar because an impassable object is in the way, you must choose a different heading or you must move the ship a shorter distance so that it would make contact with or stop short of that object. 4) After placing the ship, if it has not made contact with another object, repeat the above steps for any remaining movement segments that are available to the ship. --You are not required to use all available movement segments.

--Additional movement segments provided by abilities or other effects are always applied after completing all segments in the ships printed base move. -The stern turn ability provided by the Galley, Longship, and Schooner keywords is treated as an additional, final segment of movement that is applied after all other available movement segments. -The rotation ability of the Windcatcher keyword is applied before all movement segments. -Refer to the Useful Lists section for additional information on the timing of various abilities during a move action. Dock -Docking or being docked is not considered an action, but a condition or state of being that can result from an action or the use of certain abilities. If a ships bow touches or is touching an island it is docked, unless an ability specifically states otherwise. -If a ship has more than one movement segment in its base move it can move away from an island using the first segment and then re-dock with another. As long as at least one segment ends with the ship in a non-docked position, it is considered to have left the island. This is significant to certain abilities. -When a ship uses a move action to dock at an island, it must complete that entire action and all associated free actions before it can be given any other actions. Use of the transfer rule to load or unload crew and equipment as a free action is not part of a move action, so it cannot be used until that entire action (including an explore action provided by an Explorer crew or a marker) is completely resolved. This is intended to prevent crew from being unloaded before exploring, which would minimize or completely negate the effects of certain unique treasures. Ram -Ramming requires a move action; if a ships bow is moved in contact with an opposing ship by some other means, a ram does not occur. -Ramming occurs immediately after a move action has been resolved, so it applies after all movement segments and after shooting with a Captain. -Ramming requires the bow of the ship to make contact with the enemy ship. If some other part of the moving ship makes contact with the other ship instead, no ram occurs. -Ramming is not optional. If a ship moves and its bow makes contact with an opposing ship, ramming happens automatically. If you do not wish to ram, do not move your ships bow in contact with an enemy ship. -A ship can ram only one other ship with a move action, unless an ability (such as Switchblade) specifically allows it to ram more than one ship. If you move a ship so that its bow touches two or more opposing ships with a single move action, you must choose which ship to ram. -Ramming can only remove masts, so it will not sink a ship that has no masts remaining.

Pin -Pinning or being pinned is not an action, but a condition or state of being that occurs immediately after a ship rams an opposing ship. Ramming is required, unless an ability states otherwise. -You cannot pin an opposing ship by giving your ship a move action, unless an ability specifically states otherwise. -Being pinned only restricts movement; it has no effect on shooting or the use of non-movement abilities. -For timing purposes, a ship is first considered pinned after the ram has been resolved. If an ability is triggered when pinned it may be applied before or after boarding. -Once a ship has become pinned, it remains pinned until the other ship moves (or is moved) away or has no masts remaining. If the removal of a mast or other component on either ship breaks physical contact but does not satisfy one of the conditions for ending the pin, the ship remains pinned. Board -A boarding action can occur only after ramming, unless an ability specifically allows otherwise. -Only one boarding action can occur after each ram, but either player may initiate it. The player that rammed has the first opportunity to initiate; if he or she declines the rammed player may initiate it instead. If both players decline, no boarding action occurs. If the ramming player initiates a boarding, the rammed player cannot initiate a second boarding. -The results of a boarding action are applied the same regardless of which ship rammed and which player initiated the boarding; the winner steals a treasure or eliminates a crew (chosen by the player losing the item). -If the boarding rolls result in a tie, nothing happens. Neither player steals a treasure or eliminates a crew. -If one of the two standard results cannot be applied the losing player must choose the other option. For example, if the ship has no crew that can be eliminated a treasure must be stolen instead; if the ship carries no treasure or the winners ship has insufficient space to load any treasure, a crew must be eliminated instead. -An ability that provides an alternative boarding result (such as capturing a crew, eliminating all crew, or taking all treasure) overrides the losing players choice, unless the winner chooses to not use that ability. Tow -Towing may be initiated at the beginning or end of a move action. This must occur before using any abilities or effects that would damage the other ship, such as shooting or ramming. -When you tow an opposing ship, it immediately becomes a member of your fleet and may be given actions.

--You are not required to tow it back to your home island in order to gain control of the ship or its crew. --It may be given an action on the current turn, if able. -If a ship is considered derelict it can be towed, even if it is still capable of movement. -A derelict being towed by one ship must be released before it can be towed by a different ship. A towed ship may be released voluntarily at any time, or it can be released using an outside force (ability) to move the ships apart. -A ship can tow only one other ship at a time. Towing multiple ships in a chain is not allowed. -If a towed ship cannot be aligned straight behind the towing ship because some other object is in the way, the towed ship may be placed at an angle until the next time the towing ship moves and sufficient space has become available. EXPLORING -When a ship is given an explore action at a wild island, it must resolve the effects of any unique treasures on that island before any other cargo can be transferred. -Transferring treasure to or from an island always requires an explore action, unless an ability specifically allows otherwise. -Transferring cargo directly between two friendly ships always requires an explore action, unless an ability specifically allows otherwise. Only one of the ships must be given the explore action to allow a two-way transfer. You may also explore an enemy derelict in this way. -If an explore action is provided by an Explorer crew, that action ends immediately if you unload that crew. An additional explore action will be required to load treasure into the now-empty cargo space. -If an explore action is provided by an Explorer crew and that crew is eliminated or removed by a unique treasure you must still resolve the effects of any other remaining UTs before the action ends. An additional explore action will be required to load any other treasure or cargo from the island onto the ship. -When a ship docks at its home island, all treasure onboard that is worth gold must be unloaded. This happens automatically and immediately. --A facedown unique treasure that is not worth gold does not have to be unloaded at this time, but you must indicate it to the other player(s) that it is a UT. You are not required to reveal which specific UT is present. --If treasure is transferred to a ship that is already docked at its home island, it does not automatically unload. That ship must move away from the island and re-dock or it must be given an explore action targeting the home island, at which point all treasure worth gold is immediately unloaded. -You cannot load treasure from any home island, even your own, unless a rule or ability specifically allows it.

-Refer to the Useful Lists section for additional information on the timing of effects during an explore action. Unique Treasure (UT) -Unique treasure is always picked up when found, unless an ability specifically allows otherwise. -If a specific UT ability cannot be applied due to some other ability or situation, then that UT ability has no effect until circumstances change to allow it to work properly. Any other abilities of that UT still function normally. -If a UT ability states that it is loaded facedown you do not have to reveal it or load it onto your ship. A facedown UT is treated as standard treasure and takes up one cargo space until it is revealed. -UTs may be transferred between ships like standard treasure (via an explore action), and may be transferred by abilities and effects that steal, take, or trade treasure, unless an ability specifically prevents them from being unloaded or removed from a ship. -If a UT produces a gold value when loaded, that value is determined only when it is first loaded from a wild island. Transferring it to another ship will not reset that value, but all other abilities of that UT will function normally. -UTs that produce a gold value must be unloaded when a ship docks at its home island. No other face-up UT can be unloaded to any island unless an ability specifically allows otherwise. Facedown UTs may be unloaded to an island using an explore action. SHOOTING -When a ship is given a shoot action, it may fire each and every cannon available, provided that they have valid targets and clear lines of fire. -You are not required to choose all targets or roll for all cannons at the same time. You may choose a target and roll for each cannon individually. -A ship is in range if any part of the range bar touches or crosses it. Any part of a ship may be targeted, including flags, sails, oars, base plates, and blades. Objects representing fire and/or smoke are not considered parts of a ship. -A ship must have a valid target in order to be given a shoot action. Islands, terrain, and water (the playing surface) are not valid targets, unless an ability specifically allows them to be targeted. -When a ship sinks due to a hit during a shoot action, all non-unique treasure onboard is split evenly between players with any odd amount going to the attacker. If change must be made, use the highestdenomination coins possible. For example, if a sinking ship carried a single coin worth 5 gold, the attacker would receive a coin worth 3 gold and the owner of the ship would receive a coin worth 2 gold. Scuttling -Each derelict ship in your fleet may make one scuttle attempt during each of your turns.

-Once the roll has been successfully made, the ship automatically sinks at the beginning of your next turn unless towed by an opposing player. You cannot voluntarily cancel the attempt after it has been made. -A derelict ship may still be given actions after making a scuttle attempt, regardless of success. Giving it a repair action will not prevent it from sinking at the beginning of your next turn. MYSTERIOUS ISLANDS -Mysterious Islands are not considered unique. The total number of islands used in a game is the only limit to the number and specific types that may be used. -The effects of Mysterious Islands are not considered abilities, so they are unaffected by abilities that can copy, cancel, or otherwise negate the effects of other abilities. -If an island (such as Verdant Isle) allows you to exchange a treasure you load with a unique treasure from your collection, you must choose one that can be loaded by the ship. If there is insufficient cargo space for the UT to be loaded onto the ship or its ability requires it to remain on the island, you must choose something else. TERRAIN -If a ship moves or is moved into contact with terrain by any means, the terrain moves and touches a ship, or the terrain is placed under a ship, the effects of that terrain are applied normally. -If any part of a ship touches terrain at the end of any movement segment the effects of that terrain must be applied immediately. If the ship has not become derelict, wrecked, tangled, or lost, and has not been placed at another whirlpool, it may then continue with any remaining movement segments. The effect of a given terrain piece is applied only once per move action, regardless of the number of segments that may end on or in contact with it. Iceberg -Icebergs only eliminate masts and will not sink ships. -If a ship moves or is moved and touches an iceberg it must stop immediately, even if it has additional movement distance and/or movement segments remaining. The ship takes damage normally, as if the iceberg had moved. -If an iceberg moves and touches any other object, it stops moving immediately. Unless that object was an island, the iceberg may be moved again at a later time per the standard rules. -If an iceberg is already in contact with an object and the die roll would require it to move toward that object again, it does not move. If that object is a ship, it does not take additional damage. -In certain rare situations it is possible for a ship to occupy the exact same position as an iceberg. When this occurs, the ship loses one mast as normal. If the ship moves first it must move entirely off of the iceberg if possible; if the iceberg moves first, the ship remains in place and does not move with the iceberg. In either case, the ship will not take additional damage from that iceberg until they leave contact

completely and then move back into contact. Fog Bank -If an ability, action, or other effect has a fixed range, requires line of sight, affects an area, or requires direct contact between ships, it cannot be used against (or by) a ship that is lost in a fog bank. If an ability does not have one or more of those requirements, it may be used against (or by) a ship in a fog bank. -There is no limit to the number of different ships that can occupy a single fog bank. If there is insufficient space to place a ship on the terrain piece you may place a marker or token on the fog bank to represent the ship instead. -If the rolled exit point for a ship is blocked by an island or another ship, place it at the edge of the fog bank as close to the rolled number as possible; do not re-roll. If some other terrain is present, its effects apply normally. -If a ship is towing a derelict and touches a fog bank, both ships become lost immediately. When the towing ship leaves you may move the derelict behind it following the normal rules for towing. If a derelict enters a fog bank by some other means and lacks the ability to move or repair, it will remain lost indefinitely. Reef -A wreck has effectively sunk, but the ship and all cargo onboard remains in play. A wreck may be explored by other ships, but otherwise cannot be given any actions and cannot use or be targeted by any abilities or other effects. -Crew (including crew with the Marine keyword) on a wreck cannot use or be targeted by any abilities, but can be loaded by any ship that explores the wreck. -Treasure on a wreck at the end of a game does not count toward victory for any player. -A wreck is not considered part of any players fleet. Trade Current -Trade currents cannot be placed during setup; they can only be placed through the use of abilities. -A trade current cannot be placed on or in contact with any ship, island, or terrain, but otherwise has no placement restrictions aside from those imposed by the ability used for placement. -Each ship can gain only a single +S each turn, regardless of the number of different trade currents it touches or the number of move actions it is given. -There is no limit to the number of different ships that can gain the +S bonus from a specific trade current during a single turn. -A ship must be able to pass over or touch a trade current before the +S bonus can be applied. If it has insufficient movement to reach a trade current, it cannot gain the bonus even if that would provide enough movement to reach a trade current.

-The +S bonus applies only when the ship is given a move action (similar to a Helmsman). It does not apply if the ship moves or is moved due to the use of some other ability. -The +S bonus from a trade current may be applied if the ship is towing a flotilla. The Flotilla keyword only prevents the use of movement abilities provided by the ship and its crew; it has no effect on terrain. -The effect of a trade current is not considered an ability; it cannot be cancelled or copied and it may be stacked with other movement abilities, including a Helmsman. -Trade currents have no effect whatsoever on opposing ships; they are treated as open sea for the purposes of all actions, abilities, and other effects. -Abilities that ignore terrain while moving do apply to trade currents. In order to gain the movement bonus, a ship with that ability must begin its move action in contact with a trade current. Whirlpool -The use of a whirlpools effect is optional. If it is not used, no die roll is required. -In order to use a whirlpool, the ship must be placed at a different whirlpool. A ship cannot exit the same whirlpool that it entered simply to dispose of unwanted cargo. -Whirlpools only eliminate masts, treasure, and crew. They will not eliminate equipment or sink ships. -Using a whirlpool to jump to another whirlpool ends the ships entire move action. It cannot shoot (via a Captain), ram, board, or use any other effects that require a move action, until it is given another move action after exiting the second whirlpool. -When a ship uses a whirlpool it cannot be placed so that it touches any island. It may be placed so that it touches another ship, but cannot ram or tow that ship because the move action has already ended. -A derelict or a flotilla may be towed through a whirlpool. After placing the towing ship at the second whirlpool, place the derelict or flotilla in the towed position behind it. Both ships must roll for effect individually. -Unique treasures may be eliminated by a whirlpool. -Crew with the Ransom keyword cannot be eliminated by a whirlpool. WINNING THE GAME -The game ends immediately when any one of the following five conditions has been met: 1) The official time has expired and all players have completed their last turn. --If the game ends this way, each player should receive an equal number of turns. 2) A player has unloaded more than half of the games starting gold value onto his or her home island. --The gold value required to trigger this end condition is determined during setup, before the game begins. Abilities or effects that increase or decrease the actual gold value in play during the game do not change that required value.

--This end condition takes effect immediately. Once triggered, the current player cannot perform any other actions and other players do not get additional turns. --Gold in friendly forts and on ships does not count toward this end condition. 3) At the beginning of his or her own turn, a player has no possibility of giving any future move actions to any of his or her ships. --This end condition is not triggered if a players only remaining ship is pinned. --This end condition is not triggered if a players only remaining ship is in a position where it can be repaired. Repairing a ship will allow it to be given a move action on a future turn. --This end condition is not triggered if a players only remaining ship has the Eternal keyword, even if it is derelict. Eternal allows it to return home when scuttled, where it can be repaired. 4) All available gold has been unloaded to home islands. --If treasure remains on wild islands but cannot be loaded by any player due to an ability or some other effect, that gold is no longer considered available and will not prevent this end condition. 5) A stalemate is reached in which no player is willing or able to trigger any other endgame condition. --This end condition does not apply if a time limit (end condition #1) is used. -When any endgame condition is reached, players add up the total gold value of all treasure on their home islands and in their forts. The player with the most gold is considered the winner. -Gold remaining on ships and wild islands at the end of the game does not count toward victory for any player. -If both players have an equal amount of gold, the player with the most remaining units in play is the winner. --A unit is defined as any game piece that can be directly given at least one of the four primary actions (move, shoot, repair, or explore). This includes ships, sea creatures, flotillas, forts, and crew with the Marine keyword, but does not include events, equipment, treasure, or non-Marine crew. -If both players have an equal amount of gold and an equal number of units, they may use any mutually agreed-upon method to break the tie, such as masts eliminated, masts remaining, etc. -If a player completely eliminates an opposing players fleet they do not automatically win and do not automatically get any uncollected gold remaining in play. However, that will trigger endgame condition #3 at the beginning of the eliminated players turn. It is possible for the eliminated player to win the game if he or she has the most gold. -If all players agreed (prior to the game) to use the optional rule that players get to keep all treasure they collect, any unique treasure tokens collected should be accompanied by their corresponding cards. MULTIPLAYER RULES

-Multiplayer games follow all of the standard rules for the two-player game, with the following exceptions: --Treasure is not revealed when unloaded at a home island. --When a ship sinks all treasure onboard is removed from the game; it is not split between players. --End Condition #2 (more than half of the starting gold) is not used. --End Condition #3 (no future move actions) is applied differently based on the number of players: ---Three or Four players: This condition applies at the beginning of any turn in which two or more players have no possibility of giving any future move actions to any of their ships. ---More than Four players: This condition applies at the beginning of any turn in which half or more players have no possibility of giving any future move actions to any of their ships. --When any end condition is met, players reveal all treasure on their home islands, in forts, and on their ships. The revealed treasure is added up and the player with the highest gold value is declared the winner. ---Treasure on a ship that is wrecked or lost in a fog bank does not count for any player. -Abilities that refer to friendly ships or crew apply only to a players own fleet and not the fleets of his or her teammates, unless stated otherwise in the event description or agreed upon by all players prior to the game.

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