Cutlass Character Flaws

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King Cups: Player expects others to pay for his drinks. He oscillates between feigning his forgetfulness to pay to demanding others show him the courtesy.
Queen Cups: Player can only drink superior brews and wines. He will become offended and pouty faced, when anyone else consumes as his beverages of choice are not obtainable.
Knight Cups: Player can not function, while sober. He will have a great tolerance for alcohol, so the penalty lies in those times when he must act in the absence, stone cold sober.
Knave Cups: Player is obsessed with buying drinks for ladies, especially ones attended by their suitors.
Ten Cups: Player hides and hoards liquor, so as never to run out. As ship’s master he will even restrict or deny the crew their rations, shortly out to sea, when he believes his medicine may run dry.
Nine Cups: Player insists on buying drinks or sharing his flask with all he meets. He spends money as fast as he makes it; he constantly starts celebrating. He’s fun, but frivolous. His personality is so infectious, that he gets others to overindulge.
Eight Cups: Player tells sorrowful tales and remembers past tragedy while drinking. The more he consumes, the more maudlin he becomes. He scares the servitors, describing all manner of grievous injury and mishap. As a minimum, he ruins everyone’s fun.
Seven Cups: Player is an angry drunk. He can act responsibly, but from the first mug his personality turns surly. His companions will, over time, wish to shun his company if the mood is celebratory.
Six Cups: Player, while drinking, constantly feels like he’s been cheated or poisoned. His drink was watered, his glass was not filled, his beverage was spoiled, someone tried to kill him. Even during the Epilog, when there is cause to celebrate, he will be bad company, usually starting brawls.
Five Cups: Player is accustomed to becoming black-out drunk, unable to recall any of the previous evening’s events should he cross a threshold of intoxication.
This will not happen every time, nor will every event result in Digression X. But, the result happens more often in Phase C or god help them all, the Epilog.
Four Cups: Player can not hold his spirits. He will quickly doze off or vomit even after half a cup. He suffers terrible hangovers and swears off ales – the very thought of which makes him ill. He won’t stay temperate for long, though.
Three Cups: For every drink his companions have, this player must have three. He has no special tolerance and will almost assuredly be penalized the next event after any bender.
Two Cups: Player is constantly drinking from the wrong cup. This normally would be a non-started, so add an affinity for chaw, bad oral hygiene, a drooling backwash or flaky whiskers, etc. “Who used my boot drying by the fire as a spittoon?”
Ace Cups: Player refuses to drink while on assignment, during a mission for a Patron. He will even limit his actions in the Epilog. Since part of play is conniving in social situations, this man’s sobriety often becomes an issue. He arouses suspicions and makes confidences uneasy. “Why won’t he have a drink with me?” Apologizing for sobriety typically offends most pyrates.

King Rods: Player expects others to pay for his bawdy women and trollops. He oscillates between feigning his forgetfulness to bring a purse, to demanding others show him charity.
Queen Rods: Player only finds noble women and chaste women desirable. He will become offended and puritanical, when anyone else indulges their carnal desires.
Knight Rods: Player is oversexed and must have fresh partners daily. Apply at the PG or R-rating as your players find amusing. For my Errol Flynn inspired episodes, a kiss suffices. (Wiki Hays Code.) A penalty must apply, when he must take action during any prolonged abstinence.
Knave Rods: Player is obsessed with unobtainable married women.
Ten Rods: Player travels with a mistress which he hides among the crew or company. The woman may change from adventure to adventure, but upon discovery, when the jig is up, he continues at a penalty. The secrecy of the affair is what he craves.
Nine Rods: Player has lust well above a common pyrate. He will not settle for a single encounter at the brothel. He often is unable to ride a horse, following his more amorous endeavors.
Eight Rods: Player likes to talk about former girls and conquests in the company of new lovers. He may even be moody and confess to infidelities or lost loves. He drives away even tarts, making them feel unwanted and unappreciated. As a minimum, he drives up the price on everyone’s evening.
Seven Rods: Player can keep no secret whilst among the fairer sect. He must boast about his travels, and the objectives he’s currently after. Note, Cutlass often implies a sailing voyage will have many ports of call along the way that generate no events. The enemy should have no trouble knowing the players’ plans, unless they work hard to keep this man back on the watch (and blue-balled).
Six Rods: Player is sadistic with women. The group must temper this, but he probably has raped or strangled (R-rated), ravaged or slapped (PG-rated). During every Epilog, he produces a victim, so that in a follow-on mission he should not retrace his steps. He will of course deny everything, and say his enemies plot against him.
Five Rods: Player is impudent and heedless in his affairs, often passing out after copulation. He is frequently robbed of purse and gear. “I need to buy some boots.” In Phase A, he has been known to miss appointments and delay departures.
Four Rods: Player is extremely embarrassed around women, tongue tied or clumsy. He will quickly excuse himself, unable to perform his skills or duties if espied by a lady. He is prone to awkward discomfort in the pantaloons if any gal shows him affections.
Three Rods: Player is unlucky in love. He’s constantly being cuckold, or even unknowingly being used by mistresses to get revenge on their husbands and lovers.
The most innocent of encounters brings strife and accusation. When returning from a year’s voyage at sea, the man often finds he has more children than when he left.
Two Rods: Player has multiple wives, at least two. The women, obviously, do not know one another.
Ace Rods: Player believes he can seduce anyone. Worse, he believes he understands women to a superior degree. The others may even trust his boasts, until he proves himself inept more than a few times. Then, it becomes a good joke to push him into dangerous attempts at seduction.

King Coins: Player expects the best staterooms and the first selection from any treasure. He oscillates between feigning his forgetfulness as to whose turn it is to have the better, to demanding others show him reward for his skill set.
Queen Coins: Player treats everyone as a servant. He is prone to tip, stingy and insulting, to close companions. He’s a pompous ass, and ought to be told such.
Yet, he also lavishes gifts on others when he’s flush with coins.
Knight Coins: Player is frivolous and wastes his own treasure. Even when he knows the value of an item, he gets carried away by the back-story and the salesmanship of others. He’s not prone to overpay for say provisions. What he’ll do is pay too much for a certain spice or liquor or satin shirt. He should have double as hard a progression up the social ranks, cause he can’t truly manage his own affairs.
Knave Coins: Player is always filching things that don’t belong to him. The items usually have no great value. Yet if the item is a valued keepsake of another, it becomes almost an obsession to steal.
Ten Coins: Player hides and hoards his coin. He won’t part with any of it. As ship’s master he will not so much graft as pinch every penny, buy and equip the substandard. He will bury stashes of his gains everywhere he goes. Would be pretty handy, except even under duress, he would rather die then lose his treasures.
Nine Coins: Player has greed well above a common pyrate. He will not leave treasure behind, and would carry such over that of an injured comrade.
Eight Coins: Player is constantly talking about bygone eras and past adventures, all of which should have left him settled down as a baron. He may not have even exaggerated. His stories make it sound like he was the only survivor on many an epic adventure. Some sailors find this spinning of yarns pleasant, but most find it suspicious. He will even get people envious and plotting theft or kidnap. “I told you that chest of pearls was lost overboard.”
Seven Coins: Player is easy to bribe and unable to keep his secrets. Given a chance, he will spill the beans. He may not, probably won’t, switch sides. But he does take a small reward and ensures the enemy and Rival know the Patron’s objectives. The players must work hard to keep this man away from foreign agents.
Six Coins: Player constantly feels he is being swindled and overcharged, gouged for everyday items. He often refuses to re-supply, because he doesn’t trust the locals.
Even during the Epilog, when there is opportunity to stand-down, he will be create supply problems.
Five Coins: Player hates to waste ammo. He will even opt to engage my sword, even when a firearm would prove safer. If employed as a ship’s master, he will not allow the crew to train with explosives. He will insist on melee weapons, even rationing the shot of snipers. Do not believe this penalty can be circumvented by a crossbowman or longbowman. There, the fletching feathers are seen as too beautiful to fire. “Just threaten the man – he doesn’t know your musket is empty.”
Four Coins: Player is prone to losing objects. He keeps hold of the main things, his sword and pistol. But, he may have only half a pouch of shot or can’t find his hat from day to day.
He’s not the party member which should ever be entrusted with a mission essential document or doodad.
Three Coins: Player is unlucky in gambling wagers which should be a calculation of odds. Even when skilled, he will know the bets are too his advantage, but he will be cheated by the fates. Over time he will learn not to gamble, and instead advise others. This too is off-putting. “Hey, why don’t you stop jabbering at me and risk your own money.”
Two Coins: Player has many, many dependents. He is in debt for family relations world over. He may be faithful to a single wife, yet his sons are not. He must pay a significant portion of all he earns to provide fro his ever enlarging brood. These dependent may force him to greater risk and criminality, so his clan survives.
Ace Coins: Player believes he is protected by a saint, even when he breaks the law. He will take far more chance than necessary. He’s not afraid to steal from anyone.
He seeks to profit in any manner by hook or by crook. “My dear grandy looks after me.” Truly, he’s a scoundrel.

King Swords: Player expects others to fight his battles. He is not always prone to make offensive comments. But when he does, he expects all to come to his aid.
He should tend to select defensive and command actions in most combat tables, unless facing the enemy leader or rival. Mere minions are not worth his talents.
Queen Swords: Player hates riding in a slow vessel, Cog or Large Galleon. During calm he easily goes stir crazy and starts arguments. His need for speed makes him boast of his ability to set a sail and find a gale. When he commands a ship, he won’t stay in close convoy. He must prove he’s fastest.
Knight Swords: Player can not function, unless his life is truly in peril. He will roll a single die for all task resolutions outside of combat, unless there is the possibility of vicious wound.
Knave Swords: Player believes his skill with firearms is beyond the pale. He does not shun the blade, but given a chance he will accept any and all challenges for wager or blood, that involve marksmanship. If so skilled, this will also apply to ship’s gunnery.
Ten Swords: Player is a backstabber. He secretly delights in harm. He has no empathy for life. He’s a true sociopath, often of such extreme love of exsanguinations, that he acts like a psychopath. As always, temper this to your group. A thrill in fighting is the PG version of a love of carnage.
Nine Swords: Player loves the duel and is easily offended, even more so than any pyrate ought to be. He will fight for his honor with any and all. “A man fights for what he lacks the most.”
Eight Swords: Player is always threatening others, even his friends. He may be able to substantiate these claims, but more often he brags about allegiances, which have expired. He may think he’s part of an ancient order of assassins. But even if that’s true, he has no means of contacting them. He will often brag of how much of a fiend his father was in the old days of yore. Someone someday might call his bluff and beat the bully out of him.
Seven Swords: Player is prone to monologue and boast of his plans. Given a chance, he will taunt an enemy, regardless of who’s listening. The players must work hard to keep no one significant from escaping their battles. This should not mean they leave a trail of death; just not let any enemy escape without a drubbing.
Six Swords: Player sees enemies everywhere. He feels like he’s being watched or those around him plot murder. He doesn’t react well with strangers; he often accuses his friends of betrayal. Even during the Epilog, when there is cause to relax, he will add to the danger by agitating.
Five Swords: Player enjoys a friendly brawl, one in which he usually ends up unconscious. He will be none the worse for wear, but he’s often unable to recall any of the previous evening’s events, even those leading up to the bare knuckle exchange. Let’s face it, the players all tend to fight. So, many of these exchanges do not prompt consequence nor Ignoble check. Yet the situation may become more critical in the Climax Challenges, when a plan is totally ruined or becomes improvisation after this player gets into a tiff and then can’t recall what he’s done or was suppose to do. “That’s when Ignobles get checked.”
Four Swords: Player is never prepared for battle. His scabbard isn’t oiled. His pistol’s wadding and powder are loose. His shoes are untied; he just left his post to take a leak. Especially in Phase B, the player will skip his actions when first prompted. He might not be taken by surprise. He just isn’t as quick to react as the rest of the players.
Three Swords: Player increases the enemies encountered. Justify this any way you want. The result is more important. After the number of enemies are set, add two extra. The player is not specifically the target of these extra guards, constables, minions, retainers, soldiers, batsmen, whatever,…, but his presence makes all combat a little worse. Since Cutlass is a game where parity is usually desired, the players may find that this extra oomph of the enemy shall persuade the player to roll a new character.
Two Swords: Player believes he has a secret sword attack. (Swaggering Technique “Z” for Zero.) In any personal duel of significance, against an opponent with a name, the player must fight his urge to use his secret attack. This could be an Out of the Ordinary roll, but only if the duel goes longer than a half D8 actions. Too confusing? Let the Ref decide. If the player ever decides to use his Swaggering “Z,” he falls with a vicious wound, self inflicted. “Gonna happen sometime, maybe best to get it out of the way earlier than later.” Even after the action occurs and causes this failure, the player is not safe. He never truly loses his confidence in “Z,” and will return to it with similar catastrophic result. (Just not as often, maybe only in named opponent duels lasting longer than half D8 plus one, plus two, etc. growing as each time it fails.)
Ace Swords: Player believes he has a singular great ability performing a game or skill. Worse, he believes he can make any wager to support his claim. The others may even trust his boasts, until he proves himself inept more than a few times. Then, it becomes a good joke to push him into dangerous attempts at wagers or acts. “I have walked hands free on masts my entire life.”

Magician: Player is obsessed with charms and superstitions, believing any yarn he hears. He will pay for amulets said to ward away pistol shots, or seek relics reputed to be held by Christ.
High Priestess: Player may never injure a woman, even when facing death. Allow him special actions, like Wrestling Moves but not Hilt Punch, to restrain a combative fem fatale. He may even stay the hand of any of his companions who act aggressively to a lady. He is overly gullible to requests by conniving females.
Empress: Player was a student at an academy at the same time as other more prestigious pupils, princes, generals and scholars. He will meet many a former classmate and benefactor from that affiliation. Not all these people will be like KNIGHT events, some will ask for help like inverted QUEENS. Also to make things square, the school itself will have detractors, which will also be encountered. “I hate Oxford plebs.”
Emperor: Player may never refuse a request or order from a high lord, above social fourteen, regardless of their country of origin. Even at war, the privilege of rank is respected. Some men just revere their social betters to their own damnation. He will lay aside his arms and surrender if so ordered. Best to avoid these supreme masters of the paper-world and let another attend court in proxy.
Pope: Player may never refuse a request or order from the clergy. He will even lay aside his arms and surrender if so ordered, though notorious characters may instead be fled.
Lovers: The player is having an affair, of course. The woman should be important and becomes a detriment in every third mission attempted. The affair is a well known secret, so her enemies or her husband’s loyalists will become part of play opposed to the player and his goals. Once the player calls off the affair, he then faces her wrath. Is there any end? Well, death of character is one possibility. “Now go kill his friends!”
Chariot: A card of messengers and travel, so lets add a phobia. Horses? Water? Loud Noises? Almost anything cripples the character from time to time. Let the player select from a list off Wiki. The more esoteric and bizarre the fear, the less likely it enters play. But, then also the more debilitating when it does occur. A fear of spiders may prevent the player from taking action a single event each mission sequence. A fear of the storms, should prevent the player from using sea voyages as a setting once every half D8 missions. Aquaphobia means he loses Swimmer (ugly) and will not regain such. Role-play the rest.
Justice: Player turns gallant and chivalrous. He suffers a game limitation on selecting further skills. The Ref must approve of any additions to his repertoire. All must lean philosophical in nature, e.g. Gentry, Equestrian, Armorer, Solicitor, typically of the Noble background. He may not select skills of a purely combative nature, e.g. Brawler, Pugilist, Pistoleer. This card cancels the influence of events Force and Temperance. Inverted: Player has warrants. He is sought, not always for crimes but maybe as a witness. He will be hunted either way, by those seeking justice or those trying to prevent his testimony. Decide nothing here, at this flip. The Ref will add details through play. The player may not recall his crime or know why a writ holds his name. He will soon enough, though he may also be hunted for his entire life thereafter.
Hermit: Player is an outcast from a secret society or is hunted by his own family members. His past actions are worthy of execution. Do not describe the deeds; suffice it to say, they were unspeakable. The Referee may wish to build a back story and slowly introduce it to the player and his team mates; yes, let the player as well slowly hear what he did prior to his tales in Cutlass. “No, don’t go there, please; anything but that!”
Force: Player turns animalistic and barbaric. He suffers a game limitation on selecting further skills. The Ref must approve of any additions to his repertoire. All must be combat intensive, e.g. Fencer, Pistoleer, Brawler, typically of the Soldier background. He may not select skills of a professional nature, e.g. Captain, Armourer, Gentry. This card cancels the influence of event Temperance.
Hanged Man: Player never fell stricken during a terrible plague, while few others survived. He will be thought of as a witch or shunned as a carrier, if this becomes known. Why would it? Often someone else in the party will mention it, while boasting or intoxicated. Not all secrets are our own. The player has fear of his friends, the ones he confided in, during a moment of weakness.
Death: Player received a terrible wound as a young man. He recovered, but the rehabilitation altered his fighting style or the physicality of the way he performs his skills. Even being left-handed was something many commoners felt was satanic. Ref and player must come to an agreement on how to present this malady for good, bad or merely background color.
Temperance: Player has a change of heart toward learning. He suffers a game limitation on selecting further skills. The Ref must approve of any additions to his repertoire. All must be artistic in nature, e.g. Architect, Physician, Goldsmith, typically of the Noble background. He may not select skills which are combat intensive, e.g. Acrobat, Pugilist, Spy. This card cancels the influence of event Force.
Devil: Player is an atheist or a demonist. (He may choose, since either means burning should he be discovered.) In times of stress, he will either berate people for calling upon God or himself offer a prayer to the unholy. In time he will be shunned or cast out. Truly only other player characters would keep his company if his cosmological views become known.
Tower: Player escaped house arrest. Many a princeling was placed in a tower and eventually met the knife. The player should state his age at release, but how he escaped is entirely left to the Referee. Very young aged, the player may remain ignorant of friends or foes, thinking his past life was a dream. At an age above four, he will recall his banishment, but not the reason. He might have been a bastard, been part of a conquered state, been usurped, been thought incompetent. Introduce his back story though chance meetings. The player may even discover he made the choice to leave a sheltered life. You perhaps took an amnesiatic blow in my fall.
Star: Player may erase a prior limitation produced by game events or the results of these tables. The star acts as a cleaning element. Your former enemy is gone. A significant emotional event has changed you. Maybe not for the better, but certainly for good.
Moon: Player bears a birthmark, scar or facial feature that is identical to a lost child of a notorious pyrate. This could gain him favor but often brings peril, depending upon who he crosses paths. In time, the pyrate himself will seek out the player for tarnishing his own reputation.
Sun: No matter where the character is at in his level progression, he advances up one toward Swashbuckler. Take all benefits immediately for the new title. Start over with a new set of Ignobles. The Sun is always a good event.
World: Player’s father, mother, brother or clan is notorious. Since guilt by association is the norm, the offenses of this familiar relation are inherited by the player.
Judgment: Player is thought to be dead. He travels with a fresh identity. He may be fleeing family obligations or debt. He often committed atrocity, but is no longer hunted. If his background is known, and some will recognize him, he will be blackmailed into missions and forced to abandon his companions from time to time. I can’t go into that town.”
Fool: Player was told by his mother or a trusted servant that he is heir to a throne. The story is laughable by all. Predictors and encounters might support this claim. But, the whole is nonsense. Or is it?”


Yours,