Pike & Shotte

“	War is my homeland, My armour is my house, And fighting is my life.	”
—Soldier’s saying, 16th century

Pike & Shotte is a Savage Worlds handbook for soldiers and spies in the age of pike and shot, ca 1590-1660. It is used for The Lion and the Eagle campaign in the Thirty Years' War.

Rules

Basics

Savage Worlds Deluxe. A few Edges and Hindrances suitable for military campaigns have been added.

Skills

Guts is not used. Soldiers and civilians are used to the horrors of war. Spirit is used instead of Guts for fear tests. This is the default in Savage Worlds Deluxe, and makes conversion to Showdown! easier.

Knowledge (Battle) is useful for officers.

Blood and Guts

This setting rule allows players to spend bennies to re-roll damage.

Languages

Multiple Languages setting rule from Savage Worlds Deluxe.

Military rank

Military rank does not require an edge. This is entirely appropriate for a game where the entire party may well consist of junior officers! Instead, initial rank is determined by the War Master character based on character background. Nobles are automatically officers unless they are troopers in an elite regiment (such as the King's Musketeers). Commoners can be officers, but should have skills or edges that reflect actual military and leadership ability, such as Command or Knowledge (Battle). This is not required for nobles!

Characters can earn promotions in game. The rules for this are left to the War Master.

Hindrances

The following Hindrances are only suitable with the War Master’s consent: Elderly, Hard of Hearing (Major), Lame, One Arm, One Eye, One Leg, Outsider, Small (the army has a minimum height requirement), Wanted, and Young.

Code of Honor (Major)

Honor is very important to your character. The armored knight is a thing of the past, but his code of honor and chivalrous ideals are still alive. Anyone who considers himself a gentleman (which has more to do with perception than actual social status) is bound by this code of honor. A gentleman

• must be devout to his lord and loyal to his sovereign;
• may not suffer himself to be insulted, slandered, or mocked;
• may not allow a lady to be insulted, slandered, mocked, or mistreated;
• must be discreet in all dealings with the opposite sex or when trusted with a secret;
• must pay his debts honorably;
• must abide by his word;
• must never falter in courage or resolve;
• must carry out his duties to his fullest ability.

Note: This is the same hindrance as in the core rules, but with some setting flavor. The code of honor is defined by society and not the character. Proper ladylike behavior does not allow for adventuring in wartime, so this hindrance is not appropriate for female characters. A woman disguised as a man can of course take this hindrance!

Replacement (Minor)

From Weird Wars Rome.

Shirker (Minor)

From Weird Wars Rome.

Slow (Major)

From Weird Wars Rome.

Core Edges

The following Edges are not available to player characters (though some may become available later on): Adept, Arcane Background (Any), Champion, Holy/Unholy Warrior, Martial Artist, Mr. Fix It, Rock and Roll. Edges which list any of the above as requirements are also off-limits.

Ace

This Edge works with horses (Riding) and carriages (Driving).

New Edges

Combat Edges

Explorer

From the Pirates of the Spanish Main.

Gunsmith

From the Pirates of the Spanish Main.

Musketeer

From the Pirates of the Spanish Main.

Wall of Steel

From the Pirates of the Spanish Main.

Social Edges

Band of Brothers

From Weird Wars Rome.

Equipment

Novice characters start with $500.

Money

All prices are given in thalers ("dollars"), which are equal in value to pesos ("pieces of eight"). For items from The Savage Worlds of Solomon Kane, $100 equals £1.

Pay

Monthly pay is $50 for a private, $100 for a corporal and $200 for a lieutenant. Looting is a popular way to earn extra money!

Armor

Buff coat: A thick coat made made from oil-tanned cow hide. High quality buff coats are made from elk hide, and are sometimes decorated with gold or silver braids. Armor 1; Weight 10; Cost $100+; Notes covers arms and torso.

Curiassier Armor: This is a suit three-quarters plate armour that covers the entire upper body as well as the front half of the legs down to the knee. It is commonly used with a visored or open helmet. It is identical to a suit of full plate in game terms.

Secrete: The secrete is a metal skullcap that can be worn on the head, or sewn into a hat. Armor 2; Weight 2; Cost $50; Notes 50% chance to protecting vs head shots.

Weapons

Melee weapons are common and cheap (available at half cost or less). Black powder weapons in the rulebook are assumed to be wheellocks (snaphaunce/flintlock works the same). Matchlocks (muskets and calivers) are cheaper but have some drawbacks.

Bayonet: Proper ("socket") bayonets were not available during the pike and shot era. "Plug" bayonets were available from the 1660s. These were inserted into the barrel of the musket, which could obviously not be used as a firearm until the bayonet was removed.

Partisan: The partisan is a spear-like pole arm which has protrusions on the head that aid in parrying attacks. It's often used by officers as a badge of rank. The partisan is identical to the spear in game terms, but cost is doubled due to more ornate design.

Rifle: See rifle musket in Pirates of the Spanish Main.

External links

• Pike and shot on Wikipedia
• Thirty Years' War on Wikipedia
• Arms and armor (Swedish)