Attributes' description
In that section follows a brief description of Attributes with, to illustrate their interpretation and utilisation, some examples taken for different Attribute Levels.
Nimbleness
Very useful to practise rock as well as rope climbing; if the jail mentioned above (well… maybe not…) is at the top of a stiff cliff, having bent the bars will bring you nothing if you do not have enough Nimbleness to climb down.
Nimbleness Level at 1 : getting on board of a boat without getting over board at the same time is a difficult task for you.Nimbleness Level at 10 : you could climb down a cliff head on if the Game Master would let you freely role-play your way. (It is however doubtful that he would go that far…)
Got a Nerve!
There we need a bit more of a description: the Nerve one has Got powers as well the charism as the courage, which are often mixed up by Pirates and can turn to stupidity in some extreme cases. It is necessary in as various situations as flirting with the Governor's daughter, being impertinent at repartee with the father of the above mentioned beauty or getting the upper hand in a Duel of Insults – see the chapter on Duels and Encounters. To make a long story short: are you a big mouth or not?
Score in Got a Nerve at 1 : you faint while ordering: « stand and deliver! »Score in Got a Nerve at 10 : you have no fear waking up a mad gorilla for the unique (indeed!) pleasure to laugh at its face.
Look
Represents the appearence of the Character; it is as good as useless to make use of the Nerve you Got with the Governor's daughter if you have less than 6 in this Attribute! Miladies, for the below examples, please indulge your devoted narrator for being a bit of a machist and adapt them for yourself at your will and taste, more refined than his…
Look Level at 1-2 : beware the nymphoman female bonobo!Look Level at 3-4 : you can hope to charm an old ugly one if you've got money.
Look Level at 5-6 : an appetising tavern-maid would likely not reject you.
Look Level 7-8 : you pass to the Governor's pretty daughter's taste, much to the displeasure of her father!
Look Level higher than 8 : I think you understood.
Constitution
Let's keep it simple, Constitution is the Character's capacity to take wounds or diseases such as swamp fever, scurvy or jail's flu… and survive!
Constitution Level at 1 : you walk and you get seasick just like that; that's just good enough to be a Landlubber!Constitution Level at 10 : even the fish served at the prison's canteen you won't have you vomit…
Dexterity
This Attribute describes how you are able with your hands; useful to trick on cards, knit or weave a willow basket.
Level of Dexterity at 1 : try to use your feet, it might work better…Level of Dexterity at 10 : you would rip off the most experienced cheaters.
Strength
If you are kept in a jail, your Strength could help breaking the chains and bend the bars (Oh yes, there it is mentioned, that prison! I wonder who read through that game booklet…).
Some items require a great physical Strength to be born or manipulated, for instance, a halberd or a long sword.
Strength Level at 1: you grew no further after the age of twelve… you were nonetheless not big at all!Strength Level at 4-6: the average Jack o' Fortune.
Strength Level at 10: « let's make friend ! ».
Cleverness
Useful to unlock secret messages and riddles which will for sure cross your road. It is up to the Game Master to choose the riddle and set the minimum Cleverness Level to solve it. Though another option is simply to let the Players break the secret code or understand the hidden message… Yeah, yeah, such odd bods will have you get zebra stripes!
Cleverness Level at 1: you are and remain quite sure that 2+2=5Cleverness Level at 10: talking with you the sphinx of Ship-Hell Island would fall into depression.
Perception
Sense of observation and sensory acuity, particularly visual and auditory, but generally speaking also olfactory and so on. Of course, a partially sighted person is not automatically deaf at the same time… but there not enough space on the Pirate's Sheet to have one Attribute per sense! Hence the Game Master shall pay attention to that point and keep a wit of… sense (what else!): thus, that Attribute represents a sensory potential or ability but a Pirate who would have deeply burnt his hands would have Mali for actions relating to the sense of touch, like searching for an object in a hole in the dark (otherwise a very dangerous operation anyway…).
Level of Perception at 1 : you are against a mole on a par in the game of the zebra hidden in a bale of hay.Level of Perception at 10 : even with a telescope on the eye would an eagle not be able to match you… At the Look-Out post you spot a lifeboat in distress from a distance of several miles.
Power
Capacity to handle magical items or to launch spells; a lot of power however doesn't make you a sorcerer: you'll always need a parchment or a book of magic spells; but also ingredients and Voodoo recipes! Power is equally and logically useful to resist against Voodoo spells and maledictions of all sorts but without some mastery of a magical craft of some sort or without a protecting amulet, it cannot provide a very effective protection.
Power in some less frequent cases is also an Attribute which represents the ability to manage stress and to concentrate (therefore its important use for everything related to the Voodoo). That is why Power can be the Attribute respectively associated to a Roll versus Command or versus Bad Wounds in some circumstances.
Power Level at 1 : you barely manage to tickle your victim with your hardly recognisable Voodoo Puppet… or is it that you even tickle yourself?!Power Level at 10 : the most complex spell books are mere childish fairy tales for you.