A WORLD OF ENDLESS WATER… NooneknowshowmanyyearshavepassedsincetheGreatFloodswepttheancients and their sprawling kingdoms beneath the waves. Those whosurvived, clinging to their battered ships and floating debris, lashed theirmakeshift vessels to one another to create the first of the atolls, the loneremainingbastionsofsocietyupontheendlesswatersoftheWyldSea.Drylandremainsanenticingmyth,astorykeptalivebydeepseatradersdrivenmad by themerciless sun or thosewith a fragmented knowing of the past.Remnantsoftheancients’technologycanbefoundeverywhere.Someofitevenworks,butmostofthesetreasuresarebroken,malfunctioning,orcompletelyinscrutable.Relicsoncefashionedforthe landfindnewusesatsea,recycledandrepurposedbyanewgenerationoftinkerersandsurvivors.

GreatelementalpowerseepsthroughtheseafloortopermeatetheWyldSeawithenergy.Thosewhopossessthetalentforitcalluponthewyldcurrentstobendrealitytotheirwill.Thesameforcehastwistedandchangedthecreaturesof the sea, allowing some to grow to impossible sizes or develop unnaturalabilities.Ancientartifactssurgetolifewheninfusedwithwyldenergy,grantingunimaginablepowertowhoeverpossessesthem.Dottingthesea’svastexpansearetheatolls,artificialislandsofwhatpassesforcivilization.Thepeoplelivingtheresustainthemselvesonfishingandpreciousgardens cultivated from the timeof their ancestors.Merchants, raiders, andrestlesswandersventureoutfromtheatollsinamotleyassortmentofvessels.Some ships are powered by the wind, while others utilize ancient enginesdrivenbythesun,corrodingpowercells,orblackfuelpumpedupfromtheseafloor.Beyondthesightoftheatolls,piratesrulethewaves.TheyroamtheWyldSeainmurderous,raveningpacks, fallingupontheweakandthevulnerable.Buteventhepirateskeepclearofthegreatgalleysoftheseatraders,impossiblylarge vessels that have circled the globe longer than anyone living canremember. They keep goods moving between the atolls and bring news ofeventsfromthousandsofleaguesaway.Livingapart from the surfaceworld, farbeneath thecrashingwavesare themer-folk.Athomeinthedepthsandabletobreathwateraseasilyasair,theymaketheirhomesinthedrownedruinsontheseafloor.Onrareoccasions,theyventure to the surface to barter away remarkable artifacts from thewaterytombofalostcivilization.Butnoonemakesadealwiththemer-folklightly.Though theymay appear to ask for little in return for their rare finds, thebargainalwaysseemstoworkoutintheirfavor.Mostpeoplearecontenttoliveanddieinthesameplacewheretheywereborn,the same as their parents before them and their parents before them. Butsomethingaboutyouisdifferent.Youyearntofeelthewinduponyourfaceasyour ship races across openwater, to experience the rush of fearwhen thestorm’swavesthreatentoswallowyouwhole,tohearthethunderofcannonfireandtheclashingofsteelasyousailintobattle.ThetimehascometoleavethecomfortandsafetyofyourhomeandtestyourworthagainstthemightandmysteryoftheWyldSea.

CHARACTER ROLES The core of everyWyld Sea character is their Role,which provides a roughoutlineoftheirprofessionandcapabilities.CharactersmightcometotheirRolefrom a variety of origins, but broadly speaking each Role fulfills a specificfunctioninonatypicalshipcrew.Mariner Daringexplorersandfearlessadventurers,Marinersseektheirfortunesuponthehighseas.PlayaMarinerifyouwanttowanttomantheriggingorenginesofyourshiptodobattleagainsttheelements.Purser Partfinancier,partcraftsmen,Purserskeepgoodsintheholdandtheshipintopsailingcondition.PlayaPurserifyouwanttobarterandnegotiateforthebestdealswhileworkingtorepairandimproveyourvessel.

Rakehell Rogues,scoundrels,andopportunists,Rakehellsrelishthejoyofthemomentandthethrillofthelongcon.PlayaRakehellifyouwanttostealandseduceyourwaytowealth,fame,andpoliticalpower.Reaver Viciouswarriors of thehigh seas,Reavers takewhat theywant and givenoquarter.PlayaReaverifyouwantheartheroarofcannonsandturnthesearedwiththebloodofyourenemies.Surgeon Doctors, counselors, and naturalists, Surgeons look to the crew’s physicalhealthandmentalwellbeing.PlayaSurgeonifyouwanttofacedownmankind’soldestenemy,death,whilepushingtheboundariesofscientificknowledge.Drymann Wieldingtheprimalforcesofcreation,Drymennarebothvaluedandfearedfortheir sorcerouspower.PlayaDrymann if youwant to channel theuntamedenergyoftheWyldSeaandbendtheelementstoyourwill.

CHARACTER ORIGINS Everycharacterhasadefinedoriginthatindicateswhattheyknowabouttheworldandinformstheirviewofit.

Nexus Thelargestknownatoll,Nexusisanchoredatthecenteroftheknownworld.Comprised of dozens of smaller settlements that tied themselves togethercenturiesago,Nexusisamassive,sprawlingriotofcultureandcommerce.Allchartsandmapsbasetheirdirectionsandcoordinatesinrelationtothelocationof Nexus. Defended by a fleet of militia ships, the grand atoll is said to beimpenetrablebyhostileforces.Ramshackle As the most infamous of the Wyld Sea’s pirate atolls, Ramshackle is afreefloatingcollectionofshipsthatisconstantlychangingasraiderscomeandgo.Nooneknowswhoisinchargeorwhodecideswheretheatollwillgonext.Itisaraucous,lawlessplacewhereanyvicecanbehadfortherightprice.

Shell Astationaryatollbuiltinsideanancient,domedstructuretetheredtotheseafloor by dozens of steel cables. Untrusting of outsiders, Shell containsmoreintact relics and technology from the ancients than any other settlement.Powerful weaponry protects the atoll from attack, and few residents everventurebeyondthesafetyofitsgreatdome.Emporia WhilenotnearlyaslargeasNexus,Emporiaisalmostasimportantasacenteroftrade,commerce,andculture.AseriesofmightyenginesallowtheatolltotravelquicklyfromoneendoftheWyldSeatotheother.ThesightofEmporiacoming over the horizon is often the most exciting thing that happens forseveralyearsinmanyisolatedatolls.MerchantshipsdispatchedfromEmporiaaregivenspecialtrackingdevicesthatallowthemtofindtheatollnomatterwhereit’slocated.Armada A great fleet ofmetalwarships, Armada typically travels as a singular unit,breaking individual ships off to perform various tasks or carry out attacks.Whenthetimecomes,however,theatollcanseparateintoitscomponentpartstooverwhelmitsenemies.Aggressiveandmilitaristic,theGrandAdmiralsofArmada are determined to impose law and order upon the disparatesettlementsoftheWyldSea.Atoll HundredsofsmallatollsarescatteredacrossthevastexpanseoftheWyldSea.Somearelargesettlementsofhundredsoreventhousandsofpeople.Othersconsistofnomorethanafewfamiliesandaclusterofshipsthatarenolongerseaworthyontheirown.Peoplefromisolatedatollshaveseenverylittleoftheworldandmaynotevenbeawarethatothercommunitiesexist.Shipborn Inadditiontoatollers,therearesomepeoplewholiveandthriveuponthesea,far from the relative stability and comfort of permanent settlements. Theshipbornwerebornandraisedatsea,perhapsaboardaseatradergalleyoronaraidervessel.Theyareuncomfortableonthesolidgroundofanatollandoftenlackbasicsocialskills.

Character Backgrounds WyldSeaassumesthatcharacterspracticedatradeoroccupiedaspecificroleintheirrespectivesocietiespriortotheirnewlifeasanadventurer.WhileRoledetermineswhattheydoasamemberofthecrew,theirBackgroundinformstheirhistoryandtraining.EachRolehasthreepossibleBackgroundsplayersmaychoosefrom.Laborer Themajorityofatollresidentsaremanuallaborersofsomesort.Somelaborersareformallytrainedcraftsmen,butothershavelittleeducationbeyondfirst-hand experience. Generally poor and place-bound, laborers are both thebackboneoftheWyldSea’seconomyanditsmostpoliticallypowerlessclass.Most laborerswork themselves todeath to sustain aborderline subsistenceexistence.Thebravefewthatwalkawayfromthatlifesometimesfindgreaterfreedomandprosperity,butthedecisionmostoftenleadstoalifeofpoverty,crime,anddeath.

Merchant TheWyldSea is aplaceofopportunityunlikeanyother.Vast fortuneshavebeenwon,andlost,bydaringtradesmenwillingtotakerisks.Merchantshavecometodominatethemaritimeeconomy,transportinggoodsfromoneatolltoanother and stockpiling materials to manufacture new products. Somemerchantsareindependent,operatingahandfulofshipsortradehouses,whileothershavejoinedtogethertoformpowerfultradecompaniesthatcanhandletheincreasinglyravenousatolldemandforrawmaterials.Mystic Spiritualityremainsaprominentaspectofsocietyandpoliticsinthewakeofthe Great Flood. A diverse array of mystics serve as the primary religiousfiguresinatollsandshipsacrosstheworld.Someclaimtocommunewithspiritsoftheseaandtheskywhileotherslooktotheancientsandtheirbrokenrelicsforguidance.MysticsareoftenhighlyattunedtothepowerfulenergiesoftheWyldSea,allowing themtoexperiencevisionsorevenspeakwith thedead.Althoughgenerallyadmiredbyatollresidents,influentialmysticsoftenposeanimplicitthreattothelegitimacyandpoweroflocalpoliticalauthorities.

OfficialAtolllifeandinter-settlementtradewouldnotbepossiblewithoutthelegionsof people working behind the scenes to record the flow of wealth and thepassageof law.Eventhesimplematterofsettingsail fromaportrequiresagreat deal of preparation: supplies must be purchased, sailors paid, futureearnings divided, rations apportioned, and so forth. It is the official’s job toknowtheinsandoutsoffinancialledgers,understandthelocallawsatvariousports of call, and even serve as a diplomat/negotiator for his employers.Officialsareconcentratedinatollsastheyaregenerallyemployedbythestateand wealthy merchants, but any well-run ship will undoubtedly have oneaboardaswell.Performer Lifeatsea israrelyromanticandexciting.Whilesailorsdowhattheycantoalleviatetheirprolongedstretchesofboredom,mostofthemspendtheirtimelooking forward to the entertainment available at their next port of call.Professionalperformershelpsailorstoforgettheirhardshipswithboisteroussongsandcaptivating talesofadventure.Skilled insong,dance,and theater,performersusuallybandtogetherinatroupe,butsometravelfromporttoport,oftenpayingfortheirpassagebyputtingonashowforaship’screw.Lifeatseaishardandoftenshort;agoodperformercankeepacrew’sspiritshighinthefaceofthedangerstheyfaceonadailybasis.Shipcaptainsalsofindthattheirsocial skills make them an asset to negotiations. Once a crew develops anaffectionforaperformer,theywillbeloathtosetsailwithoutthemaboard.Rogue Somepeoplejustdon’tlikebeingtoldwhattodo.Whentheybreaktherulestoomany timesorkeep findingotherways toget into trouble, roguesmuststrikeoutontheirownandfindawaytosurvive.Roguescomefromallwalksoflifeandcanbefoundineveryportandintheholdofeveryship.Manysailundertheblackflagofpiracy,butallareboundtogetherbyasharedcontemptforthepowerfulintereststhatseektocontroltheseathroughruleoflawandtrade.Mostrogueswereoncemerchantsailorsorimpressedmilitiamemberswhochosetosailfortheirownprofitandinterests.Theyliveonthefringeofatollsociety,carefullyavoidingtheauthoritiesthatwouldseethemshackledand hanged. In some cases, however, rogues findways tomake themselvesusefultothosesameauthorities.

Seahand Althoughsomeatollsareself-sufficient,manyofthemdependuponextensivetradingnetworkstokeepasteadysupplyoffoodandotheressentialmaterials.SeahandsarethemenandwomenwhobravethedangersoftheWyldSeatokeepthosenetworksconnected.Recruitedatayoungage,seahandshaveanintuitive, almost spiritual connection to the sea. They can sense a stormapproachingorcatchacurrentwhenspeed isof theessence.Althoughmostseahandssailundertheflagofanatoll,othersspendtheirentirelivesatsea,eitheraboardthegreatseagalleysthatcircletheglobeorinthecompanyofraiderswhoneverstayinoneplaceforlong.

Seeker Whowere the ancients?Whatwas the purpose of their relics?Whydid theGreatFloodhappen?Isdrylandtrulyamyth?Theseekerhasspenttheirwholelifeaskingthesequestions.Theyarethefirsttoasksailorsabouttheirtravelsandspendcountlesshoursscrutinizingthefewrecordsandartifactstheiratollpossesses.Oftenwell-versedinlongforgottenlanguages,seekersarequicktodiscernhowancienttechnologyfunctionsandbuildnewtoolsandmachineryoutofseeminglyuselessscrap.Theirobsessionwiththepastsometimesgetsthem in trouble with atoll authorities who don’t appreciate their incessantcuriosity.Soldier WhethertheyservedinapoorlyorganizedatollmilitiaorinthehighlytrainedranksoftheArmadafleet,soldiershavelittletroublefindingworkinaworldwhere the threat of violence is so prevalent. Atoll militias are filled withsoldiers,but that’shardly theonlyplacewheretheycanbe found.Merchantshipsregularlyhiremercenariestohelpprotecttheircargofrompirates,manyofwhommayshareasimilarmartialbackground.Formoresolidarysoldiers,bountyhuntingcanbealucrativeprofession.Theirtrainingmaynotalwaysbeextensive, but they have enough experience to handle multiple types ofweaponsandknowhowtohandlethemselvesinafight.

Ships of the Wyld SeaNotwoshipsupontheWyldSeaareidentical.Shipstypicallyfallintooneoftwobasiccategories.TheyareeitherheavilymodifiedandcenturiesoldrelicsthathavechangedhandscountlesstimessincetheGreatFloodorrecentlyfashionedhodge-podgesofscrapthatissomehowseaworthy.Inveryrareinstances,awell-preservedshipoftheancientsmightbeencountered,butmostsuchvesselsaredismissedasrumorsandfolktales.Thevastmajorityofshipsarefashionedfrommetalorvarioustypesofplastic.ThesearetheonlymaterialsthathaveenduredfromthetimebeforetheGreatFlood.Whilethereareafewatollsthatcultivatesmalltrees,theycanseldomproduceenoughwoodtomanufactureanentireship.Eveniftheycould,thewoodwouldneedtobereplacedfartooquicklyduetorotshipworms.Woodensailmasts,however,arereasonablycommonsights.

OnecommonfeatureofshipsupontheWyldSeaistheirimprovisednature.Thescarcityofmaterialsmeansshipwrightshavehadtobeunusuallycreativewhenitcomestomakingrepairs.Twoshipsofsimilarbasicdesignwilloftenhavequitedifferentcharacteristicsduetomodificationsmadeoverthecenturies.Sometimes,repairshavecompromisedsomeaspectoftheship’sperformanceinexchangeforkeepingitseaworthy.Inaworldcoveredbywater,keepingavesselafloatalwaysoutweighsallotherconsiderations.Owningaship isan importantmarkofstatusbecause itrepresents freedomandtheabilitytoprovideforoneself.Shipsareacommonsightinthewaterssurrounding known atolls, but they are expensive and difficult to obtain.Familiespassshipsdownfromonegenerationtothenextandwordofashipbecomingavailableforanyreasonisamajoroccasioninanysettlement.Someof the larger atolls “manufacture” ships, but this work is really more of acomplexretrofittingandrestoration.

Campaign Types

PlayersinWyldSeaassumetheroleofcharactersventuringbeyondtheplaceof their birth to seek their fortuneupondangerouswaters of theWyld Sea.Whileplayershaveagreatdealoffreedomwhenbuildingtheircharacters,theyshouldconsiderwhattypeofcampaignthattheywouldliketorun.Agreeingonthistopicaheadoftimeallowsplayerstodesigncharacterswhocomplimentoneanother.Generally,WyldSeacampaignsbegininoneoffourcategories:1:RaiderCampaign: The characters in a raider campaign are opportunistswhoprefer to solve their problemswith violence.Although they aremainlyconcernedwithsurvivalandaccumulatingwealth,theytendtospendtheirill-gottengainsasquicklyastheyacquirethemandareconstantlyontherunfrombountyhuntersandatollmilitias(aswellasother,morepowerfulraiders).Thelifeoftheraiderisfast-paced,exciting,andbloody.Althoughsomeraiderswilleventually gather enough wealth and power to retire comfortably in somedistantatollorevenstarttheirownsettlement,mostofthemwillendupdead.2:MerchantCampaign:Playerswhowanttooperateontherightsideofthelaw may favor a merchant campaign. This campaign style assumes thatcharacters have a base of operations at an established atoll and regularlythroughouttheWyldSeainsearchofnewtradeopportunitiesortotransportgoods between settlements. If they demonstrate a talent for procuring raregoodandnegotiatingfavorableterms,thecharactersmayestablishtheirownmerchantventureandexpandtheirinfluenceintonewmarketsindistantportsofcall.Atypicalmerchantcampaignwillfocusonacquiringgoodsfromvarioussources,negotiatingcontractswithpotentialbuyers,andprotectingshipmentsfrommerchantattacksatsea.3:MilitiaCampaign: TheWyld Sea is a dangerousplace.That’swhy largeratolls maintain small militia fleets to defend their territorial waters. In themilitiacampaign,playersoperateasrecruits(orconscripts)inthesemakeshiftnavalforces.MostoftheirtimewillbespentprotectingtheiratollfromharmorsailingtheWyldSeaonspecialmissionstorootoutpotentialdangersbefore

theyhaveanopportunitytoposeathreattotheirhome.Insomecases,theymayevenbecalledupontogotowaragainstrivalatolls.4: Exploration Campaign: Perhaps the most open-ended campaign style,explorationcampaigns focusonvoyagesofdiscovery.Althoughchartsof theWyldSeaexist, theyare fragmentedandoften inaccurate.There is alwaysaneed for brave mariners to seek out distant atolls and identify dangerouswatersorcurrents.Someexplorersspendtheirwholelivessearchingfordryland,whileothersareobsessedwithdredgingupsecrets(andriches)fromthesea floor.Explorationcampaignsare ideal forplayerswanting to investigatemysterious locales and uncover the truth behind the tales passed along bysuperstitioussailors.Although the four campaign styles are quite distinct, there is no reason forplayers to feel constrainedby them.Circumstances changequicklyupon theWyldSea’stempestuouswaters,andcharacterswantedforpiracyonemonthcouldfindthemselvesbeinghiredtosupportamilitiafleetthenext.Alengthycampaigncouldeasilyinvolveelementsofallfourstyles.

A roleplaying game of high seas adventure in a world

of endless water.

Coming soon from Last Redoubt Games.

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