Piracy

Basic Information

Piracy is defined as an act of war committed by a non-state actor. Most commonly, we think of armed robbery on the high seas, but it can also refer to coastal raids, river piracy, and seaborne terrorism or violent attacks on the water for reasons other than financial gain, as well as border raids by bandits on land.

Piracy differs from Privateering in that the later is sanctioned by a state or government.

Those who commit piracy are known as Pirates.

See Also:

• Aircraft hijacking, aka air piracy
• Barbary pirates
• Golden Age of Piracy
• International Talk Like a Pirate Day
• Maritime security regime
• Naval warfare
• Organized Crime
• Piracy In Somalia
• Pirate
• Pirate Round
• Pirate Ship
• Pirate utopia
• Pirates versus Ninjas
• Privateering
• Spanish treasure fleet
• United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
• Women in piracy

• News: An Economic Analysis Of The Somali Pirate Business Model

Sources

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia

Game and Story Use

• Pirates can be a scourge, menace and challenge for the PCs.
  • Threat of piracy can spice up seaborne travel.
  • An amphibious raid by pirates can be a sudden surprise twist for a campaign set in a coastal region.
  • Q-Ship operations, either as a naval or privateer crew, can be a good side adventure for PCs (essentially they fit and man a ship and sail about waiting for pirates to attack). As a not particularly glamorous assignment this is ideal for a rag-tag bunch of misfits as a crew.
• Or, if strapped for cash, PCs with a fast (or well armed) vehicle can turn to piracy as a means of income.