Pirate Code of Honour?

[Clovenhoof]

Hi Peeps,

is there any official publication of a Pirate Code of Honour?
If so, what does it say?

I have a player here that wants to have an honourable Pirate, but the Civilized CoH is out of the question and Barbaric would be a bit weird cuz she's a Zingaran.

 

[Sven]

Hm, as far as I remember there is no code of honour for pirates.

I would suggest the rogue code of honour (honour among thieves). It is in Signs and Portents 13

 

[Jeffreywns]

There's the "Honour Among Thieves" code found in Hyboria's Fallen, and the Ship's Charter's from Pirate Isles could be used for racial guidelines if you dont think the first feels right.

 

[Ichabod]

I found the proliferation of codes to be ridiculous. The original concept seems to be cheapened. That ordinary people have codes as is suggested in any place where a region/city is suggested to be populated mostly by honorables seems to make it nothing special.

Meanwhile, a lot of the newer codes are simply professional ethics. As a lawyer, I have a code of honor - member of the bar. As a real estate salesperson, I have a code of honor - real estate licensee. As a soul-sucking, demon-f*ing, virgin-plucking highwayman, I have a code of honor - meet you ... *honorably* ... on the open road/path to hell.

Barbaric has the problem of being out of flavor (in name) for civilized sorts even though it better describes adventurer sensibilities and civilized has the problem of being too socially rigid, but they seem to get at the idea of having a standard of behavior outside of the norm. Likely, can just drop "barbaric" from barbaric code of honor and boom shakalaka - done.

 

[Clovenhoof]

I agree that not every little sideline should have its specific CoH. Particularly not such a watered-down one like the S&P "Honour among Thieves".
A CoH grants a huge bonus, and thus it should impose some very real boundaries on a character's behaviour, forcing you to take risks that a dishonourable character could easily avoid.

I guess the BCoH could be changed slightly to fit as Pirate CoH, although I totally agree that probably only a minority of Pirates will be honourable.

 

[Krushnak]

just make a mix between barbaric and civilised with some of the more typical pirate code 'myths' from real life. things like must always parley if an enemy calls for it. it does say that the barbaric code is spedifically done with cimmerians in mind and that a nordheimir's code would look different.

 

[Sutek]

They're in Pirate Isles but they're expanded so that many codes by which Pirates exists are collected into Charters. It depends on the pirating band which codes they deem important undfer their charter, so while there is no single "Pirate Code of Honor" there are many codes that govern pirate behavious and honor, but one ship migh tnot hold certain code in as high esteem as another ship.

Some codes govern how crew members can challenge for rank on board. There's a code that prohibits challenging for rank altogether. There are codes for allocating plunder amongst the crew and codes for when the fly colors or to sink an enemy ship or let them go.

It all starts on p117 of Pirate Isles. :wink:

 

[sbarrie]

I've always felt that lesser codes of honour, like Thieves' Code or Pirates' Code, should exist, but give smaller bonuses.

That way an honourable thief would be more tempted to break their code when the situation demanded it.

 

[Demetrio]

A Thieves Code should probably only give a bonus when involved with other thieves, a Pirate Code bonus only when affecting other pirates. Making these lesser codes situation specific rathe rthan give a blanket bonus so long as they are followed would be better I think. Basically because these codes are not 'innate' like the barbarian's code, nor generally acceptable to society like chivalry but entirely designed to smooth relations between rogues.

Thus an 'honourable' pirate gets +2 to Diplomacy, Intimidate, Bluff, Sense Motive etc when dealing with other pirates and similarly a thief when dealing with other thieves, simulating the 'moral upper hand' gained by the character with the code. As a non-thief will be distinctly unimpressed by 'honour among thieves', the bonus should not apply.