7th Sea - Getting Started

Looking to Play Online?

Take a look at our Getting Started with Online Play for 7th Sea!

7^th Sea is a tabletop roleplaying game of swashbuckling and intrigue, exploration and adventure, taking place on the continent of Théah, a land of magic and mystery inspired by our own Europe.

Players take on the roles of heroes thrown into global conspiracies and sinister plots, exploring ancient ruins of a race long vanished and protecting the rightful kings and queens of Théah from murderous villains. It is a world of sharp blades and sharp wits, where a cutting retort can be just as deadly as a sword’s point.

The Heroes

In 7th Sea, every character is a Hero—an icon of Théah ready to live and die for causes that matter.

As a 7th Sea Hero, you might:

Save the Queen of Avalon from treacherous blackmail!
Thwart a dastardly assassination attempt on the Cardinal of Castille!
Raid the villainous fleets of Vodacce merchant-princes!
Free the Prince of the Sarmatian Commonwealth from a mysterious curse!

7th Sea Heroes don’t start off digging through old dungeons hoping to find a copper piece or two. No! You are trusted knight, a loyal bodyguard, or even… an adventuring queen herself.

In other words… you’re d’Artagnan, Milady de Winter, the Dread Pirate Roberts, Jack Sparrow, Julie d’Aubigney, and the Scarlet Pimpernel all rolled up in one!

The World of Théah

Each of the Nations in Théah is a unique culture, a country that prides itself on a national identity and a unique voice. There is no League of Nations in 7th Sea; each country stands alone, plotting its future as best it can in the face of dangers both internal and external. 7th Sea characters usually come from one of the eight Théan Nations:

Avalon: Green and enchanted, this union of three kingdoms has recently risen to the forefront of Théan politics under the leadership of Queen Elaine.
Castille: Headquarters of the Vaticine Church, this fertile nation was once the home of science and reason, but it has fallen under the spell of corruption and fanaticism.
Eisen: A proud yet broken land, Eisen is a nightmare brought to life by three decades of mass murder kept at bay by heroes as dangerous as the horrors lurking in the Nation’s shadows.
Montaigne: One of Théah’s most powerful nations, Montaigne leads the world in art and culture even as its Emperor crushes the populace beneath his thumb.
Sarmatian Commonwealth: Two nations bound by a single crown, the Commonwealth is a democratic monarchy where all people are equal, even kings.
Ussura: A Nation torn between traditional isolationism and an ambitious ruler who will do anything to drag his Nation into the future, no matter the cost.
Vestenmannavnjar: A Nation of raiders and warlords who conquered the world’s economy by hammering their swords and spears into coins.
Vodacce: The former cradle of civilization, Vodacce is now split between seven merchant Princes whose complex and nefarious schemes reach every corner of the world.

The System

Roll & Keep Everything

Fans of the old game will be glad to hear we still have the classic five Traits—Brawn, Finesse, Resolve, Wits, and Panache—as well as Skills to describe your character’s training and experience. However, instead of Roll and Keep your Trait, it’s now Roll and Keep Everything.

That’s right, you keep all your dice and use them to resolve risky and dangerous actions.

Raises

After you roll, you take your dice and make sets of 10. Each set is a Raise. You can use Raises to accomplish goals, overcome obstacles, and dodge consequences.

In other words, Raises make your character awesome. And as a 7th Sea Hero… you’ll have lots of Raises.

Dueling & Action

We’ve streamlined the rest of the system as well, making it faster, more dramatic and easier to learn. We made dueling possible for everyone, not just swordsmen: if you can pick up a sword, you can get yourself into a duel.

Everything about the new system is designed to get you into the action!

Want a Taste of Adventure?

Be sure to check out the 7th Sea Quickstart in our Free Stuff area! It contains the basis rules overview, a starting adventure and pre-generated characters sheets you can use to start experiencing the fun of 7th Sea roleplaying in minutes.