Cape Coast Castle
“Ye and each of you are adjudged and sentenced to be carried back to the place from whence you came, from thence to the place of execution without the gates of this castle, and there within the flood marks to be hanged by the neck till you are dead, dead, dead. And the Lord have mercy on your souls.”
-Decree of the President of the Vice-Admiralty court to convicted pirates in 1722
These words, spoken at the end of the trial of Bartholomew “Black Bart” Roberts and his crew after their capture off the west coast of Africa, are characteristic of the end of many piratical careers. They also represent the likely outcome of any encounter that a pirate might have with the long arm of the law, usually represented by either Navy sailors aboard their ships or the Governors and other agents of the crown in their trading forts, the bastion of government and regulation in the wild territories of the New World. Castles need not always play such a gruesome role in a pirate campaign, however; indeed, some of the most daring acts of piracy were committed under the guns of these bastions, and occasionally within their very walls. The grandiose attacks of Drake on Panama and Morgan on Porto Bello, for example, are instances in which pirates have taken their predations directly to the local authorities and have won fortune and glory.
Of course, grandiose raids are not the most common business that could bring pirate characters to the castle. They might know a fence here to whom they could sell captured goods, or they might sneak in to spy upon the merchants and learn the intentions of captains looking to sail hence. Should they fall victim to the law, the PC’s might also find themselves trapped in the castle’s stockade, awaiting their trial before the inevitable short drop and quick stop.
History
Throughout the years there have been a number of structures that have occupied the current location of Cape Coast Castle. It is believed that the Portuguese first built a wooden trading fort there, in the time of King Henry the Navigator; after this was abandoned, the Dutch built a similar fort. The castle itself began its life as a Swedish trading fort, Carolusburg, in 1653. It served them for more than a decade before being captured twice, first by the Danish in 1663 and then by the English in 1664. At that point it was put under the auspices of the Royal Africa Company, saw extensive expansion, and soon became quite prosperous.
The chief flow of trade through the castle brought in slaves, gold and timber from west Africa, in exchange for sugar, rum and tobacco from the West Indies. The fort dealt in as many as three thousand slaves a year. To do so, the Royal Africa Company paid “ground rents” to certain local native tribes, something that was more akin to protection money than to actual rent. The chieftains of these tribes became ersatz allies of the British, providing slaves that they capture from their enemies in exchange for coin and technological goods. This alliance was never as clear-cut as it might seem, however. Indeed, it is widely believed that the Royal Africa Company sought to foster conflict between the various native tribes in order to keep them at war, thereby increasing the demand for the weapons that they could sell to the natives and to ensure a steady supply of prisoners who could be sold into slavery.
Administration
There is no one person who has control of daily activities in Cape Coast Castle; rather, different aspects of daily life are divided among different people. For example, the supercargo is in charge of the warehouse and its contents, and all of the merchants operating in the castle answer to him. Since he can claim to represent the will of the Royal African Company, he is nominally in charge of the castle.
Similarly, the military commander is in charge of his troops and any matters of defense. He also represents the long arm of British law, giving him power to arrest people for crimes, try them and assign punishments. It is he who sits in judgment at trials conducted by the Vice-Admiralty.
While the ministers can claim considerable influence over those who come to them for religious guidance, they do not have any specific authority. Their advice is frequently sought, however, and in times of war they convert the church into a makeshift hospital to treat the injuries of the wounded.
Note that the character stats provided at the end of this article are generic in nature; the details of their specific characteristics are left to the GM, to allow for characters tailored to the needs of a particular adventure or campaign.
The Grand Tour
Cape Coast Castle is situated on the western coast of the country now known as Ghana, an area that was a key location in the trade of slaves bound for the Caribbean and the Americas. Its outside whiles are made of stone some ten feet thick, having hardness 8 and 1080 hit points. They are twenty feet in height. While the interior walls are not so thick, they are still quite stout (hardness 8 and 108 hit points). Exterior doors are banded with iron and can be barred from the inside, granting them hardness 5 and 40 hit points; interior ones are made from stout wood but not reinforced (hardness 5 and 20 hit points) unless otherwise noted.
1. Main Gateway
The chief entrance to the castle, this gate opens onto the broad open area known as the Spur. From here one can gain access to the rest of the castle via the Square Tower (Area 3).
2. Outer Yard (The Spur)
This area is primarily used for drilling the soldiers who occupy the castle. It is a broad expanse covered, depending on the weather, either with open lawn or with packed earth. It also provides the first line of defense in the event that the fort is attacked; should an attacker succeed in breaching the main gateway, the defenders can fall back to the tower and catch their targets out in the open.
3. The Tower
The outer yard connects to the interior of the castle via this area. On the lower level it is open to allow the passage of wagons, although it can be sealed from the inside with iron-bound, barred doors (hardness 5 and 30 hit points; DC 25 to force open or DC 30 to pick the lock).
4. Warehouses
In contrast to the multilevel buildings that surround it, this one stands two stories in height but is not divided into floors. Rather, tall shelves line its floor, separated by walkways that grant access to their contents. The supercargo runs the warehouses with an iron will, keeping careful track of who is storing what here and how much it’s worth.
5. Warehouse Yard
This roofed area is where all cargo is kept until the supercargo has had a chance to take inventory of it, at which point it is stored in the warehouses or hauled away to be loaded aboard a ship. It can be accessed through a covered passage that runs beneath the officers’ quarters (Area 9) from the inner yard.
6. Barracks and Rooms
These rooms are reserved for the soldiers who are stationed in Cape Coast Castle; it generally boasts a complement some one hundred strong. The smaller, individual rooms located in front of the merchants’ apartments are reserved for officers, while the larger ones are designated habitation for the enlisted men. The officers have quarters that are furnished in the same manner as the apartments, while the enlisted men share a common room filled with bunks, sea chests and tables.
7. Defensive Emplacements
Along with Greehnill Pointe and the Stockade, each of these structures is used in defending Cape Coast Castle against outside attacks. The walls of these rooms are lined with old-fashioned arrow slits, ones that are now used for riflemen to lay down defensive fire.
8. Inner Yard
Just inside the tower gate is the inner yard, the hub of activity in the castle.
9. Officers’ Quarters
While not quite as spacious as the private apartments that are available to rent by the merchants who pass through the castle, these are definitely more comfortable than the barracks provided for the enlisted soldiers.
10. Private Apartments
While the contents of these rooms vary somewhat according to the tastes of their occupants, they do boast some fairly standard features. Each is furnished with a bed (naturally), a wardrobe and a writing desk, something that caters to the merchants who normally by lodging here.
11. Water Gate
Those who need quick access to the harbor can use this gate. It is not large enough to admit carts, carriages or other such vehicles, but a single rider on horse could fit through it. This gate has become known as the “door of no return” for those who are so unlucky as to be sold into slavery, as it is through here that the slaves are marched down to the waterfront to the ships waiting there for their human cargo.
12. Greenhill Pointe
Despite it’s pleasant-sounding name, this area is a focal point of human depravity and misery. It is here that one can find the entrance to the castle’s underground slave dungeon, a dank and dismal series of tunnels dug out from beneath the castle.
13. Cannon Emplacements
This line is the most strongly reinforced section of the entire castle, and boasts sixteen cannon that face out toward the nearby harbor. In the event that someone should be so bold as to attack the fort, they can be used to lay down a terrible barrage. The gunnery platform can be reached via five ladders, as it stands some twelve feet above ground level.
14. Armory
The contents of this storage building could fulfill even the wildest dreams of gun-loving scallywag. At any given time it generally boasts muskets enough to arm the castle’s entire compliment of troops—one hundred in all—along with pistols for the officers. There are fully twenty tons of powder for the cannon and six hundreds pounds of powder for the muskets and pistols, along with large quantities of shot, wadding and balls for the cannon. Needless to say, this building is kept locked at all times. It is very stoutly constructed with hardness 5 and 30 hit points; DC 25 to force open or DC 30 to pick the lock.
15. Stockade
Those prisoners who, for whatever reason, run afoul of the authorities find themselves incarcerated here. The area is divided into eleven small cells, each of which is sealed with an iron-bound door (hardness 5 and 20 hit points; DC 25 to force open or DC 30 to pick the lock).
16. Chapel
To promote the spiritual well being of the castle’s inhabitants, a pair of ministers resides here. As befits the nature of the fort, this chapel is a rather simple affair; the stone walls remain unadorned, while plain benches sit in orderly rows along the walls. The pulpit, with a short set of stairs leading up to it, and the baptismal font next to it are similarly functional.
17. Storage
This room generally holds the ministers’ vestments, the goblets and trays that are used for Holy Communion, extra copies of hymnals and the like.
18. Ministers’ Quarters
Each of these rooms is furnished with a bed, wardrobe, writing desk and chair. The ministers, being fairly humble and pious fellows, possess little of material value beyond their books.
19. Dungeons
This dank series of tunnels is the dwelling of those who are unfortunate enough to find themselves sold as slaves here. In addition to being cold and damp, they are poorly lit by torches in the walls and therefore the air is often smoky. This might be considered something of a blessing, however, as it serves somewhat to cover up the stench of the human chattel who reside here.
Inhabitants
The characters detailed here should be considered typical of those who inhabit the castle. As always, of course, the GM should feel free to add any other NPC’s who might be important to the campaign.
Commander
Warrior 7; CR 6; Size medium; HD 7d8+14; hp 49; Init +3 (+3 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (+3 Dex, +2 armor); Atk +10/+5 (2d6, short musket) or +8/+3 (1d6+1, cutlass); AL LN; SV: Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +1; Str 13, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 10.
Background: Military.
Skills: Climb +11, Intimidate +10, Jump +11, Swim +11.
Feats: Armor Proficiency (light), Far Shot, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Focus (pistol), Weapon Proficiencies (simple, martial).
Fortunes: None.
Equipment: Buff coat, short musket, cutlass, pair of pistols, spyglass, whistle.
Lieutenant
Warrior 5; CR 4; Size medium; HD 5d8+10; hp 36; Init +3 (+3 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (+3 Dex, +2 armor); Atk +8 (2d6, short musket) or +6 (1d6+1, cutlass); AL LN; SV: Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +2; Str 13, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10.
Background: Military.
Skills: Climb +7, Jump +7, Survival +7, Swim +7.
Feats: Armor Proficiency (light), Far Shot, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Proficiencies (simple, martial).
Fortunes: None.
Equipment: Buff coat, short musket, cutlass, pair of pistols.
Merchant
Expert 3; CR 2; Size medium; HD 3d6; hp 13; Init +1 (+1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 11 (+1 Dex); Atk +3 (2d4, pistol) or +1 (1d4-1, knife); AL LN; SV: Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +5; Str 8, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 15.
Background: Mercantile.
Skills: Appraise +10, Bluff +10, Diplomacy +11, Forgery +7, Intimidate +8, Knowledge: local +7, Listen +8, Sense Motive +8, Spot +8.
Feats: Persuasive, Skill Foci (Appraise, Diplomacy), Weapon Proficiency (simple).
Fortunes: None.
Equipment: Pistol, knife, ledger book, pen, ink, paper, purse of coins.
Minister
Expert 4; CR 3; Size medium; HD 4d6+4; hp 20; Init -1 (-1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 9 (-1 Dex); Atk +3 (1d3, unarmed) or +2 (ranged); AL LG; SV: Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +6; Str 10, Dex 8, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 14.
Background: Religious.
Skills: Decipher Script +8, Diplomacy +12, Gather Information +9, Heal +12, Knowledge: local +5, Knowledge: religion +11, Listen +9, Sense Motive +9, Spot +9.
Feats: Skill Foci (Diplomacy, Heal, Knowledge: religion), Weapon Proficiency (simple).
Fortunes: None.
Equipment: Vestments, scripture, religious paraphernalia.
Sergeant
Warrior 3; CR 2; Size medium; HD 3d8+6; hp 23; Init +2 (+2 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 14 (+2 Dex, +2 armor); Atk +5 (2d6, short musket) or +4 (1d6+1, cutlass); AL LN; SV: Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +2; Str 13, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10.
Background: Military.
Skills: Climb +5, Jump +5, Survival +5, Swim +5.
Feats: Armor Proficiency (light), Far Shot, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Proficiencies (simple, martial).
Fortunes: None.
Equipment: Buff coat, short musket, cutlass.
Slave Hunter
Ranger 4; CR 4; Size medium; HD 4d10+8; hp 34; Init +3 (+3 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 15 (+3 Dex, +2 buff coat); Atk +7 (2d6 or 2d4, short musket or pistol) or +6 (1d6+2, cutlass or buccaneer knife); AL CN; SV: Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +3; Str 14, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8.
Background: Native.
Skills: Heal +6, Hide +12, Listen +9, Move Silently +12, Spot +9, Survival +9, Swim +9, Use Rope +10.
Feats: Armor Proficiency (light), Endurance, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Stealthy, Track Weapon Proficiencies (simple, martial).
Fortunes: Doll’s Eyes.
Equipment: Short musket, pair of pistols, cutlass, buccaneer knife, backpack.
Soldier
Warrior 1; CR 1/2; Size medium; HD 1d8+2; hp 10; Init +2 (+2 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 14 (+2 Dex, +2 armor); Atk +3 (2d6, short musket) or +2 (1d6+1, cutlass); AL LN; SV: Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +1; Str 13, Dex 15, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 10.
Background: Military.
Skills: Climb +3, Jump +3, Survival +3, Swim +3.
Feats: Armor Proficiency (light), Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Weapon Proficiencies (simple, martial).
Fortunes: None.
Equipment: Buff coat, short musket, cutlass.
Supercargo
Expert 7; CR 6; Size medium; HD 7d6; hp 27; Init +1 (+1 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 11 (+1 Dex); Atk +6 (2d4, pistol) or +4 (1d4-1, knife); AL LN; SV: Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +7; Str 8, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 16.
Background: Mercantile.
Skills: Appraise +14, Bluff +15, Diplomacy +16, Forgery +11, Intimidate +9, Knowledge: local +11, Listen +12, Sense Motive +12, Spot +12.
Feats: Persuasive, Skill Foci (Appraise, Diplomacy), Weapon Proficiency (simple), Leadership.
Fortunes: None.
Equipment: Pistol, knife, ledger book, pen, ink, paper, purse of coins.
Using the Castle in a Pirate-Style Campaign
There are many ways in which Cape Coast Castle could become the scene of adventures in a pirate-style campaign; a few of the possibilities include:
*When word of a fabulous haul of treasure being moved through the castle reaches the PC’s, they might devise a plan to steal it.
*The PC’s, having run afoul of the law, find themselves locked away in the castle’s stockade; only through strategy, trickery and/or diplomacy can they regain their freedom.
*Alternately, a valued ally of the party has been incarcerated and it is up to them to stage a daring rescue.
*On the flip side of the coin, if the PC’s should find themselves employed as pirate hunters or as privateers, they might use Cape Coast Castle as their base of operations.
*Due to any number of curious circumstances, the PC’s require the assistance of a powerful hougan or bokor. This person, however, is busy infiltrating the castle’s slave trade so as to stage an insurrection; if the PC’s wish to secure his assistance, they may need to aid him in his plot.
*The complex relationship between the English and their native allies could provide a source of much intrigue and conflict. Should it ever be discovered that the British are fomenting discord between the native tribes, the whole situation could erupt into a war that could easily see the English forced to abandon the castle.
*Rumor has it that, back when the location was occupied by the Portuguese, one of the merchants captains—a man with connections to the royal family and to the Order of the Knights of Christ—buried some sort of treasure there. If this is true, that treasure might remain somewhere in the earth that surrounds the current castle’s slave dungeons.
Adapting the Castle for Use in High Fantasy and Other Campaigns
Perhaps the biggest question for those looking to use Cape Coast Castle in a more traditional fantasy setting is the type of business for which it would be used. While any sort of goods could be substituted for the trade in wood and gold for sugar and rum, the practice of slavery creates a much more thorny issue. If this is appropriate to the setting in question, so be it; otherwise, it might need to be eliminated entirely.
Structurally speaking, Cape Coast Castle should require little modification in order to be used in a high-fantasy setting. The line of cannon might have to be replaced with ballistae and/or catapults, depending on the technological level of the campaign.
The inhabitants of the castle, on the other hand, might require more extensive retooling or perhaps certain additions. As usual, various races could be substituted for their strictly human qualities. While the stats for the soldiers might need little change, some of their weapons and other equipment could be substituted for ones more appropriate to the particular setting. The slave hunters should be granted all of the abilities of their Ranger class, especially including their animal companions, and the ministers should be replaced by full-blown clerics. Other likely additions include some kind of arcane spellcaster.
Appendix: New Rules
New Background: Mercantile
Either through birth or your own pursuits, you have grown up in the business of trade. You might be a small-time trader in any variety of goods, a merchant captain who travels the seas, or the administrator of one of the great trading companies.
Free Skill Ranks: Appraise 2 ranks, Diplomacy 2 ranks
Bonuses and Penalties: Because other people recognize your often opportunistic nature, you receive neither bonuses nor penalties when interacting with other characters.
Contacts: Two free contacts with other merchants or with members of the local government
New Background: Military
You are a career soldier. Whether you do it out of patriotism or are simply a mercenary, armed service has been your life since you were young.
Free Skill Ranks: Survival 2 ranks
Bonuses and Penalties: You receive a +2 bonus to interaction-based skill checks with other military personnel and with members of the government, who respect your sense of discipline. On the other hand, you receive a –2 penalty to such checks when interacting with criminals and with those who might perceive you as an enemy, such as opponents in war and natives whom your government might oppress.
Contacts: Two free contacts with other members of the military or the government
New Background: Religious
You are one of those rare individuals who has chosen to pursue the pious life of a leader in your religious organization.
Free Skill Ranks: Diplomacy 2 ranks, Knowledge: religion 2 ranks
Bonuses and Penalties: You receive a +2 bonus to interaction-related skill checks when dealing with people who adhere to your religion, but suffer a –2 penalty to such checks when dealing with those who are opposed to your beliefs.
Contacts: Due to the broad influence of members of the clergy, you receive two free contacts of any type. After all, you minister to people of influence just as often as you do to the downtrodden or even criminal.
-Nate
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