Talk:7th Sea (role-playing game)

Publishing date
I don't believe that the Publication date of 1999 is correct. I quit role-playing (for a short period) in late 1998. I ran a long (at least three months) campaign of 7th Sea in the summer months, which at the latest would be 1998. I also recall buying the books in a local hobbystore many months before then, and the inference made by the store owner was that they (along with several sourcebooks) had been available for some time.
 * Having checked my copies of the GM Guide and Player Guide of 7th Sea, the copyright and trademark notice reads 1999 in the GM's guide and 1999-2000. Both are second printings dating to February 2000.

I don't think this Kevin Wilson is an Australian singer..
I don't think the Kevin Wilson responsible for 7th Sea is the same as the Australian singer who is linked to in this article... I don't know enough how to change articles to fix it, but thought it was worth noting

Unsupported author references
The sentence is wrong. Since Dumas lived in the 1800s, and Malory in the 1400s, I feel pretty comfortable removing the reference to the authors.
 * The 7th Sea RPG is set in a world that draws direct influence from the literature of 1600's Europe, such as Mallory (sp) and Dumas pere.

Saintclaire: While the dates are certainly not current with the 17th Century setting of the world, the game is in fact based on authors such as Mallory (Avalon grail cycle) and Dumas (Court of the Sun King, Musketeers). The world of Theah brings together places and times in Europe that did not actually exist together in real history.
 * How about if you (or I, if you want) change it to remove the reference to "1600's literature", and instead say exactly what you have said above concerning the two authors? Ccady 00:16, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

Potential Bias
Saintclaire: I am slightly concerned that parts of the page have a definate opinion and bias (mostly against d20 and aspects of the metaplot) that are not really fitting for an encylopaedia entry. I would alter it, but with my involvement directly in 7th Sea it could be argued that I may put a different source of bias into the work.
 * This is an obscure enough page (sorry) that as long as you stick to facts, I doubt people will complain if the facts come from you. If you want to remove unsubstantiated opinion, I am certainly not going to complain. Ccady 00:16, 3 December 2006 (UTC)
 * Agreed. A general refelction of bias against D20 won't be uncommon from any editor who remembers Seventh Sea :)  Mathiastck 21:21, 27 January 2007 (UTC)

Many players lost faith in the game...
I wish there was a way we could get a citation for that. I know I for one thought the game had died when it went d20, and later when I saw books with both d20 and Roll and Keep I didn't buy them because I didn't want to pay for the extra d20 pages. I felt like I would be paying twice as much than the book was worth. d20 players probably felt the same way about the Roll and Keep parts of the book. The game (for me) took on a very GURPS feel (and I never liked GURPS) once those extra pages were added.

A friend of mine bought me a copy of Swashbuckling Adventures (Knowing I like(d) 7th Sea) and I didn't like the d20 system at all for the game. I wish we could find a source, because I believe the statement is true. I wonder now, and believe it is possible that incorporating the d20 system is what killed the game..?

Unsourced material
Article has been tagged for needing sources long-term. Feel free to reinsert the below material with appropriate references. DonIago (talk) 12:46, 10 May 2022 (UTC)

{| class="mw-collapsible  " style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left; border: 1px solid silver; margin: 0.2em auto auto; width:100%; clear: both; padding: 1px;" ! style="background-color: #F0F2F5; font-size:87%; padding:0.2em 0.3em; text-align: left; " | Publications == Publications == There are two editions, the first edition published in 1999, and the second edition in 2016
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 * 7th Sea Player's Guide: The basic core rulebook for the game. It contains information on character creation and the basic rules system.
 * 7th Sea Game Master's Guide: The second basic core book. Much of the book is information on the world that is superseded by the nation books. However it does also have a selection of rules systems for the Game Master, such as chases and poisons.
 * 7th Sea Game Master's Screen: A gamemaster's screen and an adventure called 'The Lady's Favour', which is the first part of the 'Erebus Cross' series of adventures.
 * 7th Sea Compendium:This book was a free supplement designed to fill in the gap between the first and second printing of the two core rulebooks. The second printing contained quite a few additions, which are provided here for those with the first printing.

The Nation Books
Each of these books details a particular nation, expanding the culture and potential characters to be found there. There is also a lot of detail on the various non-player characters (NPCs) that can be found in the country as well as their secrets.


 * The Pirate Nations: Details the selection of pirate captains roaming the seven seas. This was the first book to go out of print, but mainly because the information in this book is superseded and repeated in Waves of Blood.
 * Avalon: This country is much like England. It has a strong 'Arthurian' feel and the land is also populated with strange creatures of the Fay.
 * Montaigne: 7th Sea's version of pre-revolutionary France. It includes detail on the noble families and life in the corrupt courts of the time of the Sun King.
 * Eisen: The mud soaked and war scarred version of Germany during the Thirty Years' War is detailed here. It also contains a wide selection of new sword schools.
 * Castille: This country is much like Spain during the Reconquista and ruled by a boy-king. The book contains additional information on the Vaticine church and the lost Fire sorcerers.
 * Vodacce: This Venetian/Italian group of city republics was the original basis for 7th Sea. Politics and poison are the order of the day here; this book expands on the rules for poison and Sorte.
 * Ussura: One of the most often forgotten countries, Ussura is much like feudal Russia. The politics and areas of this vast country are detailed here along with expanded notes on Pyerem shapechanger sorcery.
 * Vendel/Vesten: Although this group of islands is technically one country it is ruled by two cultures. The Vendel are much like the Dutch traders of the Renaissance or the Hanseatic League, and they live next door to the old guard of Nordic Vikings. The tensions between the two groups are fully detailed here.

Secret society books
7th Sea is also full of secret societies. Each of these books expands the information found in the Gamesmaster's book and adds several new abilities and schools for player characters.


 * The Knights of the Rose and Cross: This order of knights is based heavily on the Templars, mixed with the flair of The Three Musketeers.
 * Rilasciare: An order of revolutionaries in several different shapes and sizes.
 * Die Kreuzritter: A secret order of knights that were supposedly destroyed several hundred years ago. Their powers of shadow weaving and the secrets they have unearthed are detailed here.
 * The Invisible College: While the church used to encourage scientific experimentation, the rise of the Inquisition has put a stop to it. This book for the order of underground scientists contains detailed rules for crafting and conceiving new inventions.
 * Los Vagos: One man can make a difference. The mysterious Zorro-like figure of the vagabond El Vago has more than a few assistants. His order of spies and helpers is expanded upon in this book.
 * Sophia's Daughters: This secret order of women seem to know more about the world than anyone else. In this book their secret sorceries and Sidhe connections are laid bare.

Adventures and campaigns
There are a few published adventures and one large city campaign. The Erebus Cross campaign is a campaign that takes the characters across the whole of the world of Théah. It is published in three parts. Each of the books of the Erebus Cross also contain information on the Explorer's Society.


 * Scoundrel's Folly: The Erebus Cross Part 2 takes the characters to an island full of monsters.
 * The Arrow of Heaven: The Erebus Cross Part 3 takes the characters to a final showdown in Vodacce.
 * Mightier than the Sword: 2 unconnected adventures can be found here. One involves a violinist in Montaigne, the other a voyage across the sea following clues from novels.
 * Tangled Strands: This mini-campaign takes place over four adventures. Each is designed to slot between other adventures or be run one after the other.
 * Freiburg: This huge boxed set contains complete detail on the city of Freiburg. It covers all manner of areas and characters across the city. Included in the box is also a campaign of several adventures called Hammer and Tongs.
 * Villain's Kit: This book rather defies categorisation. It was very expensive as it included membership to the now-defunct 7th Sea fan society "NOM". However the book itself is quite useful containing essays on creating villains and a short adventure.

The Blue Books
When the nation and secret society books had been completed, AEG redesigned the cover style of the game line. These blue books are still designed for the Roll and Keep system but don't follow any form of series like the others.


 * Crescent Empire: This book is for the Arabian area of the game world and details the four nations there in much the same way as the nation books.
 * Waves of Blood: This book brings the card game plotline and detail in line with the RPG with a complete history of the card game's storylines. It also updates and repeats all the information in The Pirate Nations.
 * The Montaigne Revolution: Not just for Montaigne, this "7th Sea Almanac" details the game's meta-plot for the year 1668. It includes the Montaigne revolution, but also the changes in Vodacce and the smaller plots from all the other countries.
 * The Church of the Prophets: This book offers information on all the forms of Christianity in 7th Sea. It includes the Vaticine (Catholic) church and its schism with the Objectionists (Protestants). It also details the Ussuran faith.
 * Swordsman's Guild: This book on duelling and the guild contains a wide array of new sword schools. It also details several important NPCs and the history and agenda of the Swordsman's Guild.

Swashbuckling adventures
AEG added d20 system statistics to the later books of the 7th Sea line in an attempt to increase its popularity. The first three releases were pure d20 books to bring d20 players up to speed. The line then continued with dual statistics for both rule systems.


 * Swashbuckling Adventures: The d20 core book detailing the basic world of Théah and the various character classes and new feats available.
 * Heroes, Villains and Monsters: The second pure d20 release, an NPC book detailing many of the previously noted NPCs in d20 format as well as several monsters from the world of Théah.
 * Swashbuckling Arcana: The third and final pure d20 release details the various sorceries and magics available in Théah.
 * Islands of Gold: The Midnight Archipelago: This book details the general area of the Midnight Archipelago and offers extensive detail on a few of the various islands.
 * Explorer's Society: This secret society book for a not very secret society is much like the other secret society books.
 * Strongholds and Hideouts: This book is a collection of areas to be found around Théah. Some are mystical (such as Lawrence Lugh's temple in Avalon) and others are quite mundane (such as the Rye Grim hideout in Montaigne).
 * Cathay, Jewel of the East: Another nation book, much like the Crescent Empire. The Chinese lands of Cathay are detailed here.
 * Ships and Sea Battles: This book concentrates of everything Waves of Blood missed. There is less emphasis on pirates, more on harbours and trading.
 * The Sidhe Book of Nightmares: A complete book on the Sidhe, including new creatures and even Sidhe as player characters.
 * Knights & Musketeers: This book is a collection of new and previously mentioned knightly orders, from the Montaigne Musketeers to the Knights of Elaine to the O'Bannon's guards.
 * Rapier's Edge: This final printed book for the line is a collection of adventures for every nation and society. It also includes detail on the meta-plot timeline up to 1675.

Second Edition

 * 7th Sea (2016): Core rulebook set in the nations of Théah.
 * Pirate Nations (2016): New seafaring rules and places to visit in the Caribbean-themed Midnight Archipelago.
 * Heroes and Villains (2016): Collection of 40 heroes and 40 villains to use as NPCs or pre-generated player characters.
 * Nations of Théah Volume 1 (2016): Details Avalon, Castille, Montaigne and Vestenmennavenjar.
 * Nations of Théah Volume 2 (2016): Details Eisen, The Sarmatian Commonwealth, Ussura and Vodacce.
 * Crescent Empire (2017): Introduces a new setting, the Middle-Eastern-themed Crescent Empire with five new nations: Anatol Ayh, Ashur, Persis, Sarmion, and the 8th Sea.
 * The New World (2017): Introduces a new setting, the Mesoamerican-themed Aztlan Empire with three new nations: The Nahuacan Alliance, the TzakK'an, and the Kuraq.
 * Lands of Gold and Fire (2017): Introduces a new setting, the African-themed nations of Ifri: Aksum, Khemet, Maghreb, Manden Kurufaba, and Mbey.
 * Secret Societies (2020): Further details the secret societies from the core book.
 * Cities of Faith and Wonder (2022): City building guide with chapters on several important cities in the setting.
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