7th sea RPG – A ‘hidden Gem’ from Chaosium

DriveThruRPG.com


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Full disclosure: This product was sent to us for an honest and objective review. No promises were made of financial remuneration, free gifts or holidays in the sunny Bahamas…….sadly.

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It has been my pleasure over recent times to have received from the good people at Chaosium a number of classic titles from the world of Table Top Roleplaying – Call of Cthulhu & RuneQuest to name but two behemoths that have come my eager way. On this occasion I wanted to try something that may have arguable gone slightly under the roleplaying radar, certainly when compared to the communities that quite rightly adore the two aforementioned games. So I was delighted when I was sent a review PDF package of a title that had particularly caught my attention when perusing my list of choices. And boy what a choice it turned out to be!

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7th Sea is a world where an order of musketeers guards the lives of the nobility, but also the virtues of honor, integrity and fraternity. It is a world of sharp blades and sharp wits, where a cutting retort can be just as deadly as a sword’s point.
It is also a world where the nobility control the most powerful force of all—sorcery. Powerful magic pulses in the hearts of the noble class, power that was given to them long ago. Some assume the forms of animals. Others rip through the fabric of reality or play with the forces of Fate itself.
The hard edge of steel coupled with the shadowy ç substance of sorcery: that is the world of 7th Sea.
The pirates of 7th Sea are united by a common cause: freedom. Freedom from the tyranny of sorcerers and kings. Freedom from the shackles of the Church of the Prophets. Freedom from greedy landowners and moneylenders. Pirates sail where they want, take what they please and live a life of freedom unknown by any other in the world of 7th Sea.
With the decline of the Church, things have become even better for pirates. Théah’s nobility hire daredevils to explore the unknown and bring back the booty they discover. Of course, if those adventurers lower their guard for even a moment, they’ll find themselves facing the threat of pirates, looking for easy prey.”

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The package of PDF goodies that came my way consisted of the following 7th Sea delights;

7th Sea: Core Rule Book (2nd Edition)

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7th Sea is a game of action and high adventure in a world of musketeers, pirates, secret societies and political intrigue. Players take the roles of heroes bent o­n thwarting the plots of knaves and villains, exploring ancient ruins and plundering the treasure fleets of tyrants. Everything a player needs is included in the pages of this book. 

A Complete New World: Players will find almost o­ne hundred pages devoted to Theah, the world of 7th Sea.

Flexible rules: 7th Sea uses a unique bidding system, giving players and Game Masters control over the mechanics of the game.

Advice for Novice and Experienced Players: If you’ve never played a roleplaying game before, or if you’re an “old school” veteran, you’ll find tons of hints and advice to help you act and interact within the world of 7th Sea.

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7th Sea: Pirate Nations

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Piracy on the Seven Seas has reached a fever pitch. The black flag poses a constant danger for merchants and navies, as unscrupulous brigands seek their fortunes. But there are more dangers afoot than pirates: beasts lurking under the waves, rumors of haunted and immortal ghost ships…and the demon named “Reis.”

This book contains 210 pages of material for 7th Sea: Second Edition including new Backgrounds, Advantages, Stories and Sorceries. It also includes five new Pirate Nations:
• Numa, the land where legends were born and never left
• La Bucca, the once-prison island turned headquarters for international intrigue
• The Atabean Islands, where the ghosts of Rahuri ancestors sail alongside native peoples
• Aragosta, home of the Brotherhood of the Coast and a pirate paradise
• Jaragua, self-liberated slave colony and home of a new Sorcery called Kap Sévi
Pirate Nations also includes new setting materials for 7th Sea featuring the Devil Jonah, the dreaded Reis and Théah’s first multinational, the Atabean Trading Company.
There be adventure aplenty in these lands,more than any one crew can hope to see in a lifetime.

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Listen, let’s get straight to the point, because 7th Sea RPG is a genuinely exciting and immersive roleplaying game that will transport players to a world of swashbuckling adventure and political intrigue. Set in a fantastical version of 17th-century Europe, the game offers a seemingly endless rich tapestry of cultures, histories, and legends that players can explore through their characters.

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The core rule book of the second edition of 7th Sea consists of 307 pages, and begins with a delightful story that serves as an introduction to a world and population that has distinct flavours of a familiar 17th century age – but at the same time, deliciously different. For a start, both books are beautifully designed – the covers are stunning and the artwork throughout is gorgeous. Throughout the book, the imagery not only supports and exemplifies the core rules of the 7th Sea Game, but also looks beautiful as a separate entity on its own with an impressive attention to swashbuckling detail that clearly shows as a labour of love from the game’s writer, John Wick. The feel for the the atmosphere is especially authentic in its attention to the detail and feel of an alternate reality age that the game echoes. In truth, If for some reason the opportunity to play the game never arose (a sad prospect if truth be told) I could have easily used the books purely for reading pleasure – they are that interesting to read and gorgeous to look at.

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One of the most impressive aspects of 7th Sea RPG is its worldbuilding. The game’s setting is meticulously crafted, drawing inspiration from real-world events, myths, and folklore to create a rich and vibrant universe that feels both familiar and fantastical. The game’s lore is presented in a clear and engaging way, with detailed descriptions of the various nations, factions, and secret societies that populate the world.

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The game mechanics themselves are relatively straightforward, using a simple dice-pool system that focuses on player skill and narrative storytelling rather than complex rules and calculations. Players can choose from a range of character archetypes, each with their own unique abilities and backgrounds, and then customize their characters further through the use of a flexible and intuitive advancement system. This makes for often pacey play and there may be some roleplayers that find the fluid nature of gameplay almost too loose in that many of the rules can appear less structured and ultra flexible when compared to some other systems that I could mention. But for me, this lack of mechanical confinement works wonderfully well once some time has been spent just ’going with the the 7th Sea flow’.

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Combat in 7th Sea RPG is fast-paced and exciting, emphasising an almost cinematic action and dramatic set-pieces over tactical minutiae. Players can engage in sword fights, ship-to-ship battles, and even sorcerous duels, each with their own unique mechanics and flavor. Non-combat encounters are just as engaging, with social interactions, investigations, and negotiations all playing important roles in the game.

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Overall, 7th Sea RPG is an excellent choice for players looking for a high-energy, swashbuckling adventure game that emphasises storytelling and player creativity. Its richly detailed world, engaging mechanics, and flexible character creation system make it a game that is sure to provide hours of entertainment for both new and experienced players alike. 7th Sea is a fun story game with less crunch than some players may be used to, which may explain why the game hasn’t as yet reached the hights of adoration that others from the Chaosium stable may have attained. Some people will love the mechanics and the swashbuckling narrative excitement, while others may feel less comfortable the story-heavy emphasis. My advice is to try it, because you may love it. I do. And if nothing else can convince you, then in the words of the writer……

In 7th Sea, you are a Hero, an icon of Théah ready to live and die for causes that matter. You bravely take on a dozen thugs with swords, knives and guns all on your own. You are the trusted knight, a loyal bodyguard or even an adventuring queen herself.
In other words—you are d’Artagnan, Milady de Winter, the Dread Pirate Roberts, Jack Sparrow, Julie d’Aubigney, and the Scarlet Pimpernel all rolled up in one!
This is a game of high adventure, mystery and action. This is a game of intrigue and romance.
This is 7th Sea.

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To be honest, they had me at Dread Pirates Roberts….

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You can access the 7th Sea Core Rule book & other 7th Sea goodies here at the DriveThruRPG link.

You can visit the Chaosium website RIGHT HERE

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