Essential Tables For

Pirate Adventures
 2

COPYRIGHT © 2023 Mellow Golem Games LLC.

All rights reserved.

Written By: Peter Jewicz

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Table Of Contents 3
A Ship Is Only
As Good As her Crew..................6
Pirate Name Tables.........................................................................................6
Jobs...........................................................................................................................7
Personality............................................................................................................7
Pirate Description.............................................................................................8
Pirate/Island Adventure Hooks...............................................................9

A Ship Is a Home.......................11
Who's on The Ship? ........................................................................................12
Type of Ship + (Crew Size)..........................................................................12
Pirate Flag Designs..........................................................................................13
Current Mission...................................................................................................13
Quirk..........................................................................................................................14
Ship Names...........................................................................................,...............14
Cargo........................................................................................................................15
Ship Damage........................................................................................................15

Life On a Ship............................16
Mealtime..................................................................................................................17
Downtime Acitivities.........................................................................................18
Gone Fishing..........................................................................................................18
Common Ocean Fish........................................................................................18
Pirate Curses..........................................................................................................19
Pirate Trinkets.......................................................................................................19

On The High Seas......................20

Weather....................................................................................................................21
Encounters on The High Seas....................................................................21
Random Island ..................................................................................................22
Island Tables Cont.............................................................................................23
Random Jungle Encounter..........................................................................24
Inhabitants ............................................................................................................24
Reaction...................................................................................................................24
Inhabitants..............................................................................................................24
Pirate Treasure ...................................................................................................25
Location/Obstacles..........................................................................................25

Back At Port...............................26
Pirate Town Generators.................................................................................27
Town Names/Nicknames..............................................................................27
Mood/Theme........................................................................................................28
Shops..........................................................................................................................28
Locations ................................................................................................................29
Ruler............................................................................................................................30
Encounters in a Pirate Town .......................................................................31
A
rgh matey, grab a blade and hop aboard. There’s an endless ocean to sail, dangerous jun-
gle isles to explore, and treasure to be found. The pirate's life might be tough, but it's full of
adventure for those brave enough to live it. 4
This book was something I put together when creating a pirate/jungle campaign for my players,
and has helped me immensely in running my game. Below, you’ll find a variety of tables to help
you create pirate crews, generate ships, handle random encounters, build islands, and so much
more. Each table has details on how to use it and anything extra you might need to know to imple-
ment it into your game.

Tables are separated into, what I feel, are logical groupings. if you're looking for ship stuff, for ex-
ample, then it's all grouped up in the ships section.

The goal is to make it easier for you to run a pirate themed campaign or drop some pirate themed
content into your game. As with all of these sorts of tables, I also hope that it inspires you to add
on and come up with your own ideas.

With that out of the way, let’s jump right in. I'll see you out on the open ocean!
A Ship is only as good as her 5
Crew

Many a good ship have been ruined by their crews. You see, it’s the
crew that makes the ship, not the other way around. As they say, a
ship is nothing without her crew.”
- Reginald Took III”

C
rews are the lifeblood of any good pirate adventure. A ship is nothing without her crew;
nothing but a hulking skeleton of wood and metal aimlessly drifting or docked in some har-
bor. But, add a crew and that’s where the adventure truly begins.

In this section you’ll find random tables to help you develop a ship’s crew as well as hooks to
build your pirate themed adventure around.
Random Pirate Generator 6
Use the following tables together to create a random pirate or ship crewmember.
They can also be used individually as needed.

Pirate Name Tables

Male First Names Female First Names
D12 Name D12 Name

1 None (only last name) 1 None (only last name)

2 Stinky 2 Anne

3 Jack 3 Joy

4 Edwin 4 Ellie

5 Brock 5 Grace

6 Billy 6 Marry

7 Malloy 7 Marina

8 Markcus 8 Portia

9 Magnus 9 Augusta

10 Calico 10 Freeda

11 Henry 11 Cordelia

12 Francois 12 Bertha

Last Names
D20 Name D20 Name

1 Bronzebeard 11 Swallow

2 One’eye 12 Rotten

3 Galleon 13 Ironhand

4 Tailwhisper 14 Jack

5 Bluster 15 Cook

6 Shwarmy 16 Wall

7 Morgan 17 Reed

8 Bonny 18 Bard

9 The Finch 19 Easton

10 Ry-ans 20 Bellamy
Job 7
D12 Job D12 Job

1 lookout 7 Helmsman

2 cook 8 Bosun

3 Crewmate 9 First Mate

4 Vagrant 10 Sailing Master

5 Quartermaster 11 Cabin Boy

6 Sailor 12 Carpenter

Personality
D20 Value D20 Value

1 They seem to always be smoking 11 They have several tattoos, each has its
something. own story which they are happy to tell
anyone who will listen.

2 They are always humming some sort 12 They are a gifted storyteller and will re-
of shanty. gale those that will listen to tales from
the high seas.

3 Their face is twisted in a permanent 13 They are a stereotypical gruff sailor.

scowl and their temperament matches.

4 They're a hard worker and always have 14 While they have a tough exterior, they
something to keep them busy. also greatly care for a small pet mouse.

5 Always talking, they have an outgoing 15 They often overestimate their abilities;
personality and make friends on the it has gotten them into trouble in the
sea easily. past.

6 They have a gruff, no-nonsense atti- 16 They only feel at home on the seas and
tude. bemoan any time spent ashore.

7 They sing while they work, they only 17 They often make crude jokes which can
know a handful of songs and repeat make more civilized folks feel uncom-
them often. fortable.

8 When is the next meal is a question 18 They play a small musical instrument
that is always on their mind. which they bring out at every opportu-
nity.

9 They can often be found slacking off 19 They’re very private, they journal every
and napping in a hidden corner of the night but rarely share their feelings with
store room. the crew.

10 They always have a drink in their hand 20 They have an almost religious rever-
and, consequently, often slur their ence for the ocean and pray nightly to
words. some obscure sea goddess.
Pirate Description 8
D100 Description D100 Description

1-4 They wear a faded pair of trousers and 50-54 They wear their hair long, down past
no shirt. their shoulders and kept neat in sever-
al braids.

5-8 They’re covered in a variety of mari- 55-59 Their hair is pulled back into a messy
time Tattoos. bun and looks unwashed.

9-12 Their smile shows that they are missing 60-63 Their face and exposed skin is covered
about half of their teeth. in grime; they haven’t seen a bath in
many days.

13-16 They have a stench about them, a mix 64-67 They wear a regal looking vest over a
of seawater and sweat. well cared for white shirt and pair of
dark trousers.

17-20 They wear a dark blue coat of fine 68-71 They’re well known to don a puffy
craftsmanship. shirt.

21-24 Their skin is a dark color from constant 72-75 They wear a pair of old sea boots that
exposure to the sun. are covered in mud and grime from
years of work.

25-28 They have cracked skin from a con- 76-79 They wear a variety of shark-tooth
stant sheen of salty water. jewelry.

29-32 They are always barefoot and never 80-83 They’re often topless, preferring
wear shoes. They have tough, calloused the feel of the sun and breeze over
feet because of this. clothes.

33-36 On their head sits a large, wide- 84-87 They have a large scar across their
brimmed hat topped with the feather of face.
an exotic bird.

37-40 They make a slight jingle when they 88-91 They’re never seen without their signa-
walk due to the various pieces of jewel- ture cutlass.
ry they wear.

41-44 They wear an eye-patch over their left 92-95 They have a strong, muscular build
eye. from years of ship work.

45-49 Their head is clean shaven and shines 96-100 They’re small and crafty with a con-
brightly in the sun. stant look of mischief in their eyes.
Pirate/Island Adventure Hooks 9
Use these to create an awesome adventure or campaign.

D100 Hook

1-2 A captain is in need a of a crew.

3-4 The local government has placed a bounty on pirates.

5-6 A small fishing village is plagued by a sea hag.

7-8 A small town is looking for protection from pirates.

9-10 A merchant ship is looking for protection as it navigates dangerous seas.

11-12 A powerful but stationary storm has appeared in the seas and has lasted several weeks.

13-14 A large kingdom is looking for adventurers to help it establish a foothold in a large archipelago to the south.

15-17 Several beasts have begun praying on explorers and travelers.

19-20 Pirates are asking for a truce, what could be their reason?

21-22 A cartographer is seeking to completely map a newly discovered island group.

23-24 Several pirates have washed up dead with mysterious wounds.

25-26 A gnomish pirate crew terrorizes ships captained by taller races.

27-28 A rare tribe of sea elves has suddenly appeared and are acting violent.

29-30 A pirate crew is looking to make political inroads in an active pirate town.

31-32 The mayor of a popular town needs mercenaries to go undercover and discover the strange actions of a
powerful pirate crew.

33-34 A powerful sea creature has attacked and sunk several ships.

35-36 A powerful pirate crew is rumored to be looking for fresh blood to join their ranks, but the initiation itself is
deadly.

37-38 Kobolds have begun attacking a small garrison on a nearby island.

39-40 A powerful political figure in a pirate town has been murdered.

41-42 A woman who disappeared several years ago was seen walking across the ocean.

43-44 You’ve been hired by a ship builder to help them gather rare materials for a magically enchanted vessel.

44-45 After a week on a large ship, a headcount reveals that there is one more person onboard than when the ship
last left port.

46-47 A mysterious fog has appeared in an open area of the ocean. Any boats caught in it are found with their crew
missing but the ship otherwise untouched.

48-49 A wild storm shipwrecks the party on an uncharted island.

50-51 A large island has been discovered that is rich in minerals. The race is on to be the first to claim the valuable
find.

Table Continues of next page ->

Hooks table cont.

D100 Hook
10
52-53 Previously peaceful tribesmen on a nearby island have begun attacking any visitors.

54-55 A slaver has begun abducting tribesmen and travelers alike and selling them to the highest bidder.

56-57 A recently returned ship has brought back an unknown ooze that is spreading at an alarming rate.

58-59 Ships crewed by the undead have been spotted patrolling the seas.

60-61 A novel disease from deep in the jungle has made its way to town and threatens to kill hundreds if a
cure is not found soon.

62-63 A colony of merfolk was recently discovered, are they friend or foe?

64-65 Several pirate crews have come together under the banner of a single leader. This new kinship be-
tween pirates is a grave threat to several oceanside towns.

66-67 A hunter of rare and exotic beasts is looking for adventurers to join their expedition deep into un-
charted jungle.

68-69 Pirate crews have begun charging a toll for passage through a commonly traveled channel.

70-71 The party is hired to investigate a mysterious island known as “shipwreck isle” which has seen a large
number of ships sink near her shores.

72-73 A gnomish inverter is looking to help in building, in his words, “The world’s most advanced seafaring
vessel”.

74-75 While traveling on a ship, a bout of madness strikes the captain who believes his crew is “out to get
him”.

76-77 The legendary pirate captain “Bronzebeard” was killed over 100 years ago and his ship burned. Now,
his ship has recently been sighted again.

78-79 Pirates have begun pushing into and raiding waters that were previously safe. A local lord is unhappy
and wants to end the pirate menace once and for all.

80-81 A series of black sailed ships have begun to appear and are ruthlessly attacking merchant vessels
leaving none alive.

82-83 A massive whirlpool devours all ships that get too close. Some say it’s a portal to another realm.

84-85 Rumors swirl of an unfathomable treasure buried somewhere in a vast chain of islands.

86-87 The party is captured by a crew of pirates and must somehow escape their ship.

88-89 A small town needs to be evacuated before an impending pirate attack.

90-91 A small merchant boat is chased by a pirate and must make haste to escape.

92-93 News has come that an “undiscovered” island is the source of an infamous pirate den.

94-95 The Poisoned Berry is well known to be a rough tavern where pirates hang out and work can be
found easily

96-97 A general of some kingdom far to the north is leading an armada to capture an entire region’s worth
of small oceanside villages and pirate towns in the name of his king.

98-99 The Pirate’s Eye, a rare magical artifact, rests somewhere at the bottom of the ocean in the ship it
sank in.

100 An underwater cave system was recently discovered that appears to be unnatural in construction,
what could lay within?
 11
A Ship Is a Home

“A good ship is something special… almost magical. It’s more than

just a place to sleep”.
- Rudiger Johns

N
o good pirate adventure would be complete without a ship. Ships can take on a life of their
own, and even act as a minor character of sorts. A ship can follow a group for their entire
adventuring life, and even live on well past that. It’s no wonder captains and their crews can
often get a sort of emotional attachment to their ship.

This section focuses on ships and their cargo. Use it to quickly generate ships to populate your
seas.
Who’s On The Ship? 12
Use this table to generate the general occupants of a random ship encounter.

D6 Type

1 Pirates

2 Mechants

3 Soldiers

4 Travelers

5 Commercial Transport

6 Explorers

Type of Ship + (Crew Size)

Numbers are rough estimates and most types of ships can come in various sizes. These
numbers also tend towards averages, many ships can be successfully crewed by less.

D12 Type D12 Type

1 Sloop (60-80) 7 Barque (10-40+)

2 Ketch (15-30) 8 Galleon (50-400)

3 Brigantine (110-140) 9 Frigate (180-220)

4 Caravel (15-30) 10 Man O War (400-1000)

5 Galley (200-300) 11 Ship Of The Line (600-800)

6 Carrack (40-80) 12 Queen Anne's Revenge (270-330)

Pirate Flag Designs 13
D10 Design D10 Design

1 Skull And Crossbones 6 A raging storm

2 A Swallow 7 A silhouette of the boat

3 An arm holding a cutlass 8 A grinning skull with a gold tooth

4 The silhouette of a skeleton 9 The skull of some dangerous

ocean beast

5 A setting sun 10 An island with a single palm tree

Current Mission
This table is separated into two; one for pirates and their goals and another for other types
of ships like merchant and general travelers.

Pirate Missions Non-pirate Missions

D10 Mission D10 Mission

1 Looking for ships to plunder. 1 Delivering Goods to a port city.

2 On the trail of a rival pirate crew. 2 Transporting people from one port to
another.
3 Running from some powerful threat.
3 Trying to evade a dangerous pirate
4 On the run from the law for a recent crew.
attack.
4 On the hunt for a pirate crew that at-
5 Transporting hostages back to their tacked them in the past. They’re better
pirate lair. prepared this time.

6 Looking for revenge on someone who 5 Charting an area of the sea and any
has recently slighted them. islands it contains.

7 Heading to the location of buried trea- 6 Returning to port with rare finds from an
sure. island expedition.

8 Taking a break after a successful voy- 7 Working with a pirate crew to smuggle
age. their ill gotten gains.

9 Searching for the cure to some curse 8 Escorting another merchant ship.
that has befallen the crew.
9 Traveling to another port city to relax.
10 On a mission from some ocean god. The city is well known to have rowdy
taverns.

10 Trying to make it to a ship yard to repair

their damaged ship.
Quirk 14
A quirk is optional, but can help add some variety to the ship to make it feel unique and
different.

D20 Quirk D20 Quirk

1 The ship has a cat that is uncommonly well 11 The ship is well known for being one of the fastest
cared for. on the seas.

2 The ship is a rainbow of colors, many of the 12 The sails on the ship are a bright red color, rare due
pieces were salvaged from other ships. to the exotic nature of the dyes used to color them.

3 This crew is well known to be full of above 13 There is a stowaway on the ship that the crew is
average dancers and singers. largely unaware of.

4 The ship has a magical lantern that can dispel 14 One of the crew members is a wizard of some skill.
even the darkest of nights.

5 Everyone on the crew has a matching tattoo. 15 There’s large but cosmetic damage to the hull.
The crew keeps it as a show of pride in their past
exploits.

6 The entire crew dresses extremely well, at least 16 All of the crew speak different languages, no one
for pirates that is. knows how they are able to communicate.

7 There is a constant smell of coffee as the crew 17 The crew is entirely made up of dwarves.
constantly brews a particularly strong variety.

8 This ship is well known to have a particularly 18 The ship uses a series of wands and staves in ship-
unpleasant stench. Efforts at discerning its to-ship combat instead of cannons.
source have so far failed.

9 The ship is an all female crew. 19 In addition to the crew, the ship houses hundreds of
mice which are treated like pets.

10 None of the crew are humans or elves, they 20 The ship is carrying an unusual quantity of valuable
are all more beastly races. but hard to sell goods.

Ship Names
D10 Name D10 Name

1 The Final Call 6 Deathkiss

2 Revenge Of The Wicked 7 Waves of Change

3 St. Mary’s Redemption 8 Tide Of War

4 Mystery Of the Waves 9 The Swallow’s Roost

5 The Black Cauldron 10 Captain James’ Demise

Cargo 15
D12 Cargo D10 Cargo

1 Nothing of interest, just the general sup- 7 Several thousand gold pieces
plies and rations. worth of simple treasures and
gold.

2 Several cases of fruits like bananas. 8 A handful of prisoners taken

from a recent raid.

3 A variety of weapons and armor, mostly 9 A cache of about 2 dozen po-

of middling quality. tions of unknown effect.

4 Several lower-powered magic items 10 A large sarcophagus of unknown

discovered in an abandoned tomb. origin.

5 Several boxes of blank books and scrolls 11 Several locked trunks with un-
known contents.

6 Looted goods including fine silverware, 12 An ancient looking map that

stolen artwork, and other mundane has instructions to an unknown
items. island.

Ship Damage
Use these tables to determine random damage to a boat during or after combat or from
environmental damage. Tables are separated into minor and major depending on the ex-
tent of the damage. Use the minor table for damage where the boat is still usable. Use ma-
jor damage for situations where the boat’s ability to sail is severely limited or non-existent.

Minor Damage Major Damage

D10 Damage D10 Damage

1 Items not tied down are scattered. 1 The sails of the ship are completely
Breakables may be broken. destroyed.

2 Minor hull damage, the ship may take on 2 There is large damage to the hull and
a little water. the ship is rapidly taking on water.

3 Moderate hull damage above the water 3 One or more of the masts have col-
level. lapsed.

4 Several sailors are thrown around and 4 A large fire breaks out and quickly de-
suffer minor injuries. stroys a portion of the ship.

5 One of the sails has a small tear com- 5 The front of the hull is completely
promising vessel speed. smashed in.

6 Several pieces of cargo are damaged or 6 Much of the cargo and supplies on the
destroyed. ship are damaged or destroyed.

7 A small fire breaks on deck. 7 Several crew members are battered and
suffer major injuries.
8 A small hull allows a trickle of water to
enter the ship. 8 The deck has several large holes and is
difficult to use effectively.
9 Lots of cosmetic damage to the hull, but
not enough to compromise the integrity. 9 A large gash on the side of the ship be-
gins to gush water into the underdeck.
10 The crows nest or other lookout point is
destroyed. 10 The ship begins sinking.
 16
Life On a Ship

“The days drag on, eating the same thing, seeing the same thing. It’s
enough to drive a man mad if they’re not careful… “
- Captain Cutlass

L
ife on a ship can be monotonous and boring. Many a man have gone insane with nothing but
the ocean to keep them company and her endless horizons that capture her true vastness.

But that doesn’t mean ship life has to be a drag! The following tables detail downtime activities
and day to day ship life. Just because there isn’t a life altering threat doesn’t mean the crew can’t
have a little fun.
Mealtime 17
Using the following tables to generate food and drink for your crew. Choose 1-2 meal items
and 1 drink for a better variety.

Gobble It Up
D12 Food D12 Food

1 Biscuits 7 Citrus Fruits

2 Dried Beans 8 Roasted Beans

3 Salted Beef 9 Fresh Caught Fish

4 Stale Bread 10 Seafood Stew

5 Jerky (unknown meat) 11 Jerky Stew

6 Cooked Potatoes 12 Seafood Soup

Wash It Down
D6 Drink

1 Ale

2 Rum

3 Magical water

4 Whiskey

5 Coffee/tea

6 Water
Downtime Acitivities 18
D6 Activity D6 Activity

1 Fishing 4 Repairing/reinforcing the boat

2 Card game 5 Drinking/stories

3 Dice game 6 Napping

Gone Fishing
The perfect ship downtime activity, use this table to generate results from fishing.

D12 Result D12 Result

1 Biscuits 7 Citrus Fruits

2 Dried Beans 8 Roasted Beans

3 Salted Beef 9 Fresh Caught Fish

4 Stale Bread 10 Seafood Stew

5 Jerky (unknown meat) 11 Jerky Stew

6 Cooked Potatoes 12 Seafood Soup

Common Ocean Fish

Every setting is different, but here are some common ocean fish from our world. These can
be slotted above or used on their own

D10 Result D10 Result

1 Biscuits 6 Citrus Fruits

2 Dried Beans 7 Roasted Beans

3 Salted Beef 8 Fresh Caught Fish

4 Stale Bread 9 Seafood Stew

5 Jerky (unknown meat) 10 Jerky Stew

Pirate Curses 19
Curses are a part of pirate life, you’re bound to pick up something when plundering an an-
cient tomb. Use the following table to quickly generate a random curse for your players or
crew.

D12 Curse D12 Curse

1 Cursed to slowly turn into a squid like 7 Alcohol causes them to become ill al-
creature. most instantly.

2 Bad weather always seems to find the 8 Permanent sea sickness when out at
crew. sea.

3 Sharks and other dangerous sea life are 9 A sea hag will claim their soul when
drawn to them. they die.

4 They slowly lose the ability to enjoy all 10 They become bound to their ship and
pleasures in life. experience any damage she does.

5 Contact with saltwater causes them 11 Unless cured, the affected will turn into
great pain. a wererat on the next full moon.

6 They lose the ability to navigate the 12 Any plundered gold is quickly lost.
seas, it all feels foreign to them.

Pirate Trinkets
Use these to add flavor to the ship and her crew.

D12 Trinket D12 Trinket

1 A small shell with a pink-hue. 7 The water drenched collar of a small

land animal.

2 A jar containing a preserved sea crea- 8 A large feather from an exotic island
ture. bird.

3 An old, rusty sword said to be owned by 9 A huge bone taken from a felled jungle
some legendary pirate. beast.

4 A necklace made of shark teeth. 10 A piece of wood said to be from a pre-

vious ship.

5 A small silver locket tarnished by sea 11 A macabre handkerchief made from

water. the eye-patches of dead pirates.

6 Several small volcanic rocks. 12 A broken looking glass kept for senti-
mental purposes.
 20
On The High Seas

“But it’s those times when the doldrums give way to adventure. That’s
what makes this life worth it”
- Captain Cutlass

W
hen the downtime finally breaks and adventure takes hold; that’s what makes the pirate
life worth it. Daring chases on the high seas, weathering a harsh storm, and exploring
dense jungle islands, these are all eventualities of living the pirate life. And of course,
let’s not forget about the treasure.

The following tables detail some of the aspects of ocean life as well as islands that crews might
encounter. Use them to generate encounters and island stops for your crew.
Weather 21
D10 Weather D10 Weather

1 A bright, sunny day 6 Overcast with call waves

2 A gentle breeze and cloudy 7 A rough thunderstorm whipping

the water into a frenzy

3 A sunny day with whipping wind 8 Breezy, cold day with little sun

4 A warm rain on a sunny day 9 An Idyllic day of bright, but not

too intense, sun

5 Scattered downpours in between bouts 10 A gentle breeze on a warm,

of sun sunny day.

Encounters on The High Seas

D20 Encounter D20 Encounter

1 A rival pirate ship and her crew. 11 A large pod of whales follows
alongside the ship.

2 Lawman helmed ships prowling for 12 A school of large sharks circle

pirates. the ship waiting for an unfortu-
nate soul to fall in.

3 Several aggressive seabirds attack the 13 A fire breaks out below deck and
crew. threatens to engulf the ship.

4 Several crew members become mysteri- 14 The wind mysteriously dies

ously and rapidly sick. stranding the ship.

5 A stowaway is discovered below deck 15 A merchant ship that is eager to

after several days out at sea. trade.

6 A fierce storm seemingly comes from 16 A fleet of ships from some royal
nowhere and threatens to capsize the navy. They expect other ships to
ship. make way for them.

7 The navigator has had too much to 17 The ship comes across a large
drink but is still confident in their abili- coral reef. Unless special care is
ties. taken the risk of ship damage is
extreme.

8 The boat happens across a row boat 18 The crew spots the spire to some
with 3 severely dehydrated sailors on long sunken building in the water.
the verge of death. The rest of the structure is hid-
den in the depths.

9 A dense fog engulfs the ship, figures can 19 The ship comes too close to an
be barely made out in the darkness. island inhabited by sea giants.
The giants take offense and
begin launching boulders at the
ship.

10 The ship travels through an area of sea 20 A giant tentacle rises out of the
where the corpses of dead sailors can sea and smashes into the ship.
be seen floating just below the surface.
These wraiths attack if the ship lingers
too long.
Random Isaland Generator 22
The following tables can be used together to create a completely random island for your
crew to explore. They can also be used alone to help flavor and details to an existing island
or jungle location.

Random Island
Use these as a starting point when building a random island.

D20 Island D20 Island

1 Waterfalls Island - The island is a series of 6 Rocky Shores - The island is rock and jungle. There
gigantic mountains surrounded by lush jungle are black rocks, brown rocks, and red rocks, all hard,
and beautiful beaches. Water cascades from sharp things that protrude from the luscious greenery
every nook and cranny of the mountains, like pins. The currents around the island form a kind
providing a perpetual, cooling, mist around of whirlpool, threatening to suck ships into the jagged
the place. reef just outside its shore.

2 Maroon Island - A flat piece of sandy, barren, 7 Valuable Plant Island - Most of the islands in this part
land. Beneath the few palm trees are broken are green, and this one is too, except this one also has
bottles and old shreds of clothing. A few birds bright bursts of pink among the jungle — the flower of
meander overhead, squawking. If you wanted a famous medicinal plant, known by too many names
to maroon a man, this would be the place to to count and rumored to heal just as many ailments.
do it. Be careful of the thorns, though…

3 Bird Island - It’s an ordinary place, with the 8 Volcano Island - A gigantic volcano sits in the middle
palm trees and beaches of any other island of this island, so tall it nearly cuts through the clouds.
in the region... except for the birds. They’re Dense, misty, jungle surrounds the volcano, shaking,
five feet tall and everywhere, with a lurching, sometimes, when the earth rumbles. Sometimes, if a
heavy, step and claws sharp enough to tear a person squints enough, they can see smoke trickling
man’s throat out… which they’ve been known from the volcano's crater.
to do.

4 Misty Island - From afar, the island is con- 9 Cave Island - The first thing a person sees of the island
cealed by a perpetual fog. By the time a is the great, gray, cavern whose back arches above
person can see the coast, their ship’s hull is the jungle. It’s the beginning of a tunnel system that
already scraping across the rocks, which was branches beneath the entire island.
the fate of the score of wreckages along the
beach. The few people who have landed here
successfully often say they’ve seen a strange
creature in the woods… but no one can de-
scribe it.

5 Calm Island - Crabs skitter across the sand 10 Island of Feasts - Fruit. Wonderful, juicy, perfectly ripe
and water laps at the shore, beyond which is fruit fills the island, whose jungle is just as green as it is
a jungle of green. Deer and pigs and birds are red, yellow, and violet. It’s teeming with birds of every
all plentiful here. There seems to be a perpet- shape and size, here to mate and eat. It would be a
ual tranquility to the place, like no storm has great place to fill the pantry.
ever graced her shores.

Table Continues on next page

 23

Island Tables Cont.

D20 Island D20 Island

11 Glowing Island - By day, the island is com- 16 The Garden: This island is fairly small and relatively un-
pletely ordinary. It has jungle and birds and remarkable. The only curiosity is a well tended garden.
palm trees and crabs. By night, however, The garden has a small, decorative fence, and is clear-
the beaches and reefs of the island glow a ly cut back to keep the jungle at bay. Inside is a variety
brilliant blue, the work of some microscopic of plants, a mix between ornamental and edible. As far
creature. as who tends to it, whoever they are, they’re not on the
island.

12 Ancient Ruin Island - A large jungle island 17 The Fort: The fort is a large island that currently hosts
where burrowing scorpions are known to live… a small fort. This fort acts as an operating base for a
but the strangest thing is the ancient, stone larger nation up north who uses it as a resupply point.
structure located on it. Some explorer mea- The fort is currently run by Admiral Angor, a human
sured it once and claimed it was in the shape who claims to have some aquatic-elf blood from some
of a perfect circle, its center aligned with the long dead ancestor. He currently commands a force of
center of the island. 15 soldiers, along with a half-dozen civilians.

13 Bridge Island: 2 small islands sit side by side 18 Statue Island: This island is small, but features about
roughly 100 yards from each other. From the 2 dozen statues depicting the same man in several
water, it’s easy to notice a narrow bridge different poses. Some show him as heroic, while others
built between them. Outside of that though, it depict him as kind and caring. Around each of the
seems the island is uninhabited. Who built the statues are various small trinkets and offerings left in
bridge, and why did they build it? some sort of reverence for the figure.

14 Crater Island: A large island has a decent 19 Treasure Island: A large island is well known to be the
size lake at its center. As legend goes, a rock final resting place for Captain Risewater’s treasure.
tumbled from the heavens smashing into the It was nearly a decade ago when the treasure was
island creating the lake. It also goes on to supposedly buried there, but no one has found it yet.
say anyone that could get to the rock again That’s not for lack of trying though, it’s easy to see the
would be well reward with loot literally from hundreds of attempts that have all been made in vain.
out of this world.

15 Kobold Island: A medium sized island that is 20 Stinky Island: You can smell this island before you see
completely infested with kobolds. Even from it. It starts as a faint odor, but quickly develops into a
offshore, it’s easy to see the beasts on the wretched stench that becomes difficult to stomach.
beaches fishing. On the island the problem The island is covered in a unique species of flowers
gets even worse as dozens will rise up to that secretes the foul odor. The flowers actually have
“greet” any guests. Those that push further powerful healing properties, that is if anyone has gall
in will find a few small towns, but the real to set foot on the island.
kobold cities lies underground in their more
natural habitat.
Random Jungle Encounter 24

D20 Encounter D20 Encounter

1 Several large jungle cats stalk the party. 11 A massive spider web that stretches for dozens of feet
in all directions.

2 A group of playful monkeys steals a small 12 A small well, clearly built by a civilized hand, in the
trinket. middle of the jungle.

3 Several local tribesmen eye the party curi- 13 A small, overgrown temple to some long-forgotten
ously. god.

4 There are dozens of traps placed by some 14 Dozens of fruit bearing trees.
unknown entity.

5 A small clearing in a dense jungle completely 15 A large area of the jungle that is dotted with hundreds
devoid of plant life. of beehives.

6 A scattering of several statues each depicting 16 An area of the jungle that is completely burnt. The sur-
a different race. rounding jungle shows no signs of heat or fire.

7 A dank pool of stagnant water surely filled 17 A dwarf napping on the bank of an inland river. A fish-
with all sorts of pests and diseases. ing rod sits nearby.

8 A small cave filled with an exotic form of 18 An area of dead looking trees devoid of leaves. Several
fungi. giant stick shaped insects lay in wait to ambush the
unaware.

9 Massive swarms of insects that can be both 19 A small shack in the jungle. It looks well taken care of
harmful and massively distracting. but no one is home.

10 An abandoned camp filled with rotten food 20 Gold coins are scattered on the jungle floor. An astute
but no signs of life. eye will soon realize they are a trail and are leading
somewhere…

Inhabitants Island
Reaction Inhabitants
D6 Reaction D10 Inhabitants

1-3 Aggressive 1-5 Uninhabited

4-5 Neutral 5-7 A small tribe

6 Friendly 8-9 Several small tribes or one small village

10 Many small tribes, 1-2 small villages, or

a medium sized tow
Pirate Treasure 25
D10 Treasure D10 Treasure

1 A chest full of gold and gems worth 6 A large cache of shipment equip-
thousands. ment like sails and extra wood.

2 An empty chest - someone else was 7 Three out of four pieces of a

here first. map to the real treasure.

3 A singular magic cutlass of immense 8 A chest containing a dozen bot-

power. tles of rare and valuable wine.

4 A trove of jewelry all decorated in wor- 9 Several massive chests filled with
ship to some god. inexpensive brass jewelry.

5 Several scrolls imbued with magic runes. 10 Dozens of pieces of fine art sto-
len from merchant ships.

Treasure
Location/Obstacles
D10 Location D10 Location

1 Buried at an undisclosed location. 6 Next to illusionary treasure that

will crumble a few days later.

2 Stored deep within a cave system used 7 At the bottom of a deep pit trap.
as a hideout.

3 Guarded by several poison arrow traps. 8 In a secret vault built high up on

the side of a mountain.

4 Several skeletons that attack any who 9 At the bottom of the sea still in
try to take the treasure. the ship that carried it.

5 Cursed (roll on pirate curse table). 10 In the basement of a nondescript

building in town.
 26
Back At Port

“I love the sea, the salty spray, the warm air and the thrill of adven-
ture. It's all great. But sometimes I just want to sleep in a bed that
stays bloody still and without the company of 40 other men. “
- Sam “Sparky” Dacòn

A
fter a long trip, and many moons on the rocking ocean waves, it’s always nice to have a
few moments on dry land. A good adventure doesn’t stop once the crew sets foot on land
though. The towns and locales that pirates frequent are not often considered safe areas for
more civilized folk to come upon. Danger lurks around every corner and in every alley. But where
there’s danger there is also opportunity.

Use the following tables to help generate various pirate towns and other small villages that might
dot your ocean’s coasts or add flavor to existing ones.
Pirate Town Generators 27
Use the following few tables to quickly generate a random pirate town. They can also be
used individually to help spruce up an existing location.

Town Names/Nicknames
D20 Name D20 Name

1 The Lost Bay 11 The Steel Docks

2 Scoundrel's Haven 12 Shipmasters Haven

3 Midnight Galley 13 Saint Bachford’s

4 Richard’s Landing 14 Galatine’s Stop

5 Calamity Bay 15 The Rest Stop

6 H’auua 16 Bettensburg

7 Ummie Docks 17 The Whirlpool

8 St. Galantine’s 18 Lord’s Rest

9 New Archford 19 Bay of Towers

10 Castaways Refuge 20 Docks of Deothmyr

Mood/Theme 28
Use this table to roll for a general mood or overall theme for the pirate town. Keep the
mood in mind when creating locations and characters that live in your town.

D8 Mood D8 Mood

1 A dangerous town known for muggers, don’t 5 The town feels busy and dirty. Everyone is on their way
go out at night. Even during the day it be- to do something and grime is everywhere.
hooves oneself to keep their wits about them.

2 While not obviously dangerous, the people 6 The town feels like two distinct towns. During the day
in town keep themselves and are wary of it feels alive with lots of bustle. At night though, it’s
strangers. almost like a ghost town.

3 The town has a sense of wonder as people 7 The town feels raw and unfinished. Almost as if it's
prepare for voyages and talk of the treasures losing the battle against the nearby jungle.
that will be found flows freely.

4 The town is largely overshadowed by a larger 8 The town feels rigid and unyielding. The current ruler
town that is better positioned nearby leaving keeps everyone in line through force and fear.
this one to fall away into obscurity.

Shops
A small selection of shops that can be dropped into almost any port town or city.

D10 Shop D10 Shop

1 Pointy Things - A sword shop that sells rapiers 6 The Night’s Silence - A hidden and private shop that
and cutlasses sells a variety of toxins and poisons. They also sell thief
related gear like lockpicks. Not the place someone
would just stumble upon.

2 Supplier Of the Seas - A general store that 7 WInd In Your Sails - A sailmaker that is well known to
sells various goods for seafaring adventures; make some of the finest crafter ship sails around.
things like rope, rations, and ship repair
goods.

3 Wylor’s Shipyard - A shipmaker and ship 8 A Barrel Of Fun - A barrel and general woodworker
repair shop. They build everything from large that can craft a variety of storage containers and oth-
warships down to small rowboats. er small wooden items.

4 Meats and More - A food stuffs shop that 9 Copper Coin Trading Co. - An office for the large Cop-
specializes in cured meats and jerky, perfect per Coin merchant company. They buy and sell almost
for long ocean expeditions. everything and are also a good source for short-term,
mercenary work.

5 Gems Galore - A jeweler that buys and sells 10 The Rusty Chain - This shop is a blacksmith and metal
jewelry and gems. Well known to all purchase worker. They specialize in making anchors for ships, but
items “under the table”. also sell a variety of decent quality metal weapons and
armor.
Locations 29
Non-shop locations, perfect to build small side-quests around.

D20 Location D20 Location

1 An abandoned building that acts as a hideout for 11 The Hovels - A large area outside of the town
a pirate crew. proper that contains dozens of small shack-like
dwellings.

2 A large ship that has been converted into a 12 Ship Makers Guild - A group dedicated to building
tavern. and maintaining all manner of ships.

3 A large warehouse that is used to store goods 13 Seafarer’s Supply - A store that sells supplies
for shipment. geared towards pirates and other sea loving
people.

4 The temple to the sea. A small temple setup in 14 The Dizzy mermaid - A large tavern that has a
an old building with a shrine dedicated to some captured mermaid on display in a large tank
sea god. placed in the center of the main room.

5 A large, nondescript building that is used as a 15 The Caves - A series of caverns nearby that is
meeting place for the pirate lords who rule the used as storage for the town.
town.

6 The visitors center, a large building run by the 16 Sea God Statue - A large statue situated in the
local government that keeps a log of open work bay dedicated to a god of the sea.
in and around town.

7 Hunter’s lodge - a building decorated with a 17 Maps Galore - A cartographer that specializes in
wide range of taxidermied animals that is used mapping the surrounding ocean and islands. Has
as a rest stop and inn by hunters working in the both maps to sell and jobs to be done.
nearby jungles.

8 Timbor’s Zoo - A small zoo with 2 dozen different 18 A small otherwise plain looking building that is a
breeds of strange and exotic insects found in the gambling den for visiting pirates.
jungles surrounding town.

9 The Sea Shantiers - A small group of bards that 19 Jeremiah’s Closet - A clothing store specializing
specialize in singing sea shanties and telling epic in fancy pirate attire.
tales of seafaring.

10 A small farm just outside of town that focuses on 20 Like Clockwork - A small shop run by a gnome
long stable crops like potatoes. that builds compasses and small mechanical
clocks.
Ruler 30
Use this table to generate a ruler, mayor, or other leader for your pirate town.

D10 Result D10 Result

1 Mellisa The Wicked: A ruthless female pirate who 6 Captain Reginald III - While the ruler of the town
made her name when she successfully disposed he prefers to spend his time searching for trea-
of the former ruler and her captain. While secret- sure aboard his boat “The Sea Maiden’s Crush”.
ly not as wicked as the name might lead people He is well liked in town due to his generous
to believe, she plays into it in order to retain her nature; there is always a celebration when he
grip on the town. returns from a voyage.

2 Blood-eye - A fearsome pirate who has a per- 7 Council of 5 - A council of captains from the 5
manently red eye due to some past injury. He is most powerful pirate crews in the region.
rarely seen and that’s often for the best. Despite
being a bit older he’s still quite the force to be
reckoned with, although he tends to prefer guile
to combat to solve his problems nowadays.

3 Korlak The Butcher - Korlak is a hulking man 8 Duke Revina Of Thrugurad - Publicly the leader
standing 8 feet tall, covered in thick hair, and has is the captain of a pirate crew, but this is only
two small horns sprouting from his head. The because Duke Revina deems it to be so. She
legend is that he is half-minotaur which leads to funds the pirate crew, and helps maintain order
his appearance, although that is mere specula- through her influence and power. She prefers
tion. What is known is that he rules through fear to remain in the shadows and exert her control
and force. He has the strength and endurance of through puppet leaders while she remains safe
at least 3 men, and is quick to use that advan- leagues away in a proper civilized city.
tage when needed.

4 Samson Guile - A retired pirate with a flair for the 9 Ironhammer Clan - A small clan of dwarves, led
dramatic. He generally spends his time throwing by Runor Ironhammer, are the unofficial lords
lavish parties for important visitors and largely of the city. Their high quality craftsmanship in
lets the town run itself. weapons and armor has made them rich, and
their proclivity for battle has dissuaded any
would-be usurpers.

5 Admiral Lankford - While not the official ruler of 10 The Shadow Lord - A figure who is rarely seen
the city, the admiral is the de facto ruler due to and even less is known about. What his motives
their position as head of the town guard. They’re are is a mystery, but cross him and your death is
not above using it to further their own goals. all but guaranteed.
Encounters in a Pirate Town 31
D20 Encounter D20 Encounter

1 A disgruntled pirate approaches looking 11 A ship is offering free rides to an island

for help overthrow their captain. said to have rare minerals.

2 A tattoo artist claims to provide magi- 12 Rumors abound that a daring pirate
cally imbued tattoos. crew has found the secret to immortal-
ity.

3 The party comes across a dead pirate in 13 A slave auction has sprung up in town.
an alley.

4 A misfired cannon sends a cannonball 14 A pirate offers to sell several valuable

careening through town. and magical items at a steep discount,
but he needs them gone now.

5 A member of a well known, and feared, 15 A large piece of the town’s dock collaps-
pirate crew starts harassing the party. es into the bay for seemingly no reason.

6 A shady vendor is trying to sell maps to 16 A venerable witch doctor is forecasting

treasure, are they real? doom upon the city.

7 Late at night, the party stumbles upon 17 A goblin trader tries to hawk his wares
an unguarded, locked chest left out in of trinkets and other baubles.
the open.

8 Several rough looking pirates are out 18 A freak wave slams into the town
looking for trouble and turn their sites destroying buildings and killing dozens.
on the party. The party must now figure out how
to escape or help during the ensuing
chaos.

9 A pirating, goading the party to attack 19 A gnome is peacefully fishing off the
them, is actually a wererat. dock muttering to himself about “the big
one”.

10 The party stumbles across one of the 20 The most popular tavern in town catch-
town’s residents being armed at sword- es on fire and rapidly begins to burn
point by a wild looking pirate. down.
Magic Fit for a Pirate 32
Here are several magical items perfectly fit for a pirate campaign. Be careful introducing
some of these as they might trivialize some of the challenges of seafaring life.

D10 Item D10 Item

1 Diver’s Barrel - A barrel with an infinite 6 The Sack of Goods - provides near
(but limited daily) supply of water infinite storage for common goods like
breathing potions. rope or nails.

2 The Land Finder - A small rod of metal 7 Treasure Diviner Rod - A piece of finely
that always points towards the nearest finished driftwood that can detect metal
landmass. goods like coins buried beneath the
ground.

3 Croak’s Compass - A normal looking 8 Swindler's Dice - a nondescript pair of

compass that can be attuned to a dice that can be willed to land on what-
certain place in the world. Instead of ever the roller wishes.
pointing north it always points there.

4 Jug of Desalination - A small jug that 9 The Pirate Berry - a small berry that not
turns ocean water into drinkable liquid. only nourishes but prevents scurvy and
other jungle diseases.

5 Lotion of Sun Protection - A light colored 10 The Captains Respite - A typical looking
balm that protects the wearer from the pirate hat that is magically enchanted to
sun’s rays and magical heat to some provide enough buoyancy to carry a full
degree. grown man.