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Pirate game for a large group as an adventure role play

This game was sent in by Christina.

Game idea:

The beautiful governor’s daughter Annabelle has been kidnapped by a band of terrible pirates, after they broke into her father's palace and killed all of the staff. Annabelle lived on the pirate ship until she was killed one evening by a jealous pirate’s bride. Even in death, Annabelle swore revenge, not only for herself but for the lost souls of the father’s staff.

The players must now try to waken the staff and Annabelle herself from the dead. If they are successful, Annabelle will reward them greatly!

This is a game suitable for a large group which not only requires a lot of time (approx. 3-4 hours) and material, but also lots of helping group leaders!

Game plan:

The children come together and are told a story. After the end of the story, the children are split into groups to find the kidnapped Annabelle (= a group leader). The groups swarm out into the surroundings of the camp with the task of helping Annabelle and to save the lost souls (= group leaders on the game stations). They will quickly come across some of the lost souls of the governor’s staff (--> games station). These souls want to be saved by the children.

At each station, the children must ask who the member of staff is and how he his soul can be saved. The children receive a task at each station. If the task is performed correctly, the group receives a “gift” (= different objects which helps them save another soul and a piece of a treasure map which helps them find Annabelle).

During the game the group will collect up different objects with which they can help a certain member of staff. As soon as an object has been won, they can look for the soul and save it.

Once all objects have been won and the treasure map is complete, the group can look for Annabelle and the treasure. The group who finds Annabelle and the treasure first is the winner.

Material required:

The pirate game is very complex in its preparation (and playing!), quite a lot of materials must be organised. The whole thing is worth it because even older kids will be full of eagerness!!!

It would be ideal if the group leaders think up some suitable outfits for their roles and if the kids are also somehow dressed as pirates. The group leader should also think up an elaborate version of story and Annabelle’s last hours (--> cause of death). The material for the stations must also be enough for all of the groups (because nearly all groups will visit all of the stations to get the prize). Everything you will need is described in the description of the stations.

In addition you will need a copied treasure map per group (= camp area where the game will take place) and a pen. During the game, the kids must note down on the map which stations have been visited. In this way, they will know which lost souls they have already met and where they have to go next to save the next lost soul with the correct object.

The kids receive a piece of a treasure map for each correctly saved soul on which the position where Annabelle is to be found and the way to her is marked. Obviously this map will have to be copied at the beginning and handed out to the group leaders on each station. Warning: The group leaders should only have one piece of the map e.g. the bottom left-hand corner, otherwise they will get mixed up!

The pirate story

Many years ago, as the pirates sailed throughout the seven seas, lived a beautiful woman called Annabelle. She lived with her father, the governor, in a large palace on an island. Her shining beauty put every man under her spell.

A bloodthirsty and terrible pirate chief also heard about her charm and grace. He put together the most brutal and most evil group of pirates who had ever sailed the South Seas. With his pirate troupe, he attacked the island where Annabelle lived with her father. Although the palace staff tried to protect them and the palace, they could not stop the band of pirates. The pirates killed all of the staff and even made it into Annabelle’s chamber and kidnapped her, taking her onto the pirate ship.

The pirate chief spoilt Annabelle on the ship and fulfilled all of her wishes. However an evil pirate’s bride lived on the ship. From the very first day she was jealous of Annabelle and hated her from the bottom of her heart. One evening, as the pirate chief counted his stolen treasures, the evil pirate bride went into Annabelle’s cabin. She slit her throat with a hook while Annabelle slept. As Annabelle died, she swore to get her revenge for herself against the pirate’s bride and for the lost souls of the palace staff.

Everyone who helps Annabelle to save the lost souls of the staff and to awaken Annabelle herself, will be well rewarded! It is your job to help Annabelle get revenge!

Get up and find the lost souls! Follow their instructions carefully and the treasure will be yours!

Building the game stations

Each station is ran by a group leader. If you have less group leaders than the number of stations described, you can change some stations and even leave some out. Stations can be added to the game as well.

Long John Silver
- Cause of death: He was punished by the band of pirates because he defended the governor’s palace to the bitter end. He was hanged and still wears the gallows noose around his neck.
- Task: a round of "Gordian knots"
- Reward: he has two "sausage fingers" for three-finger Joe (hotdog sausages with a almond (fingernail) stuck in it.
- Salvation: needs the knife from three-finger Joe
- Location: sports field
Cruel Kate
- Cause of death: she was killed by the pirates with a poisoned dagger.
- Task: a round of “duck’s dance”
- Reward: has sour apple rings for wrathful Roland
- Salvation: needs the antidote from Schluckspecht
- Location: behind the wash house in the woods
Störtebecker
- Cause of death: He wanted to defend the governor in his office but was killed with a slit throat.
- Task: put out a candle with a water pistol
- Reward: has the candle for the pirate princess
- Salvation: he must be sewn together again with the sewing kit from Prim Paula
- Location: next to the well
Governor Dorington
- Cause of death: he was thrown into his own dungeon and starved to death.
- Task: sing a loud Huck Adele (or the camp song)
- Reward: he has sticky tape to stick the map together
- Salvation: he needs the chocolate bar from Jack Sparrow
- Location: next to the barrier
Jack Sparrow
- Cause of death: As a punishment for being an ex-pirate who serves the governor, he was thrown to the sharks.
- Task: egg relay race (each child runs once)
- Reward: has the chocolate bar for governor Dorington
- Salvation: children must perform a dance to the music
- Location: near the kitchen
William Golding
- Cause of death: he guarded the gate to the palace and was deliberately locked in. He burnt to death when the pirates set fire to the palace.
- Task: all children must hop backwards around the camp fire
- Reward: children are squirted with water (with a bucket of water)
- Salvation: needs a bucket of water from blue-blooded Bertha
- Location: at the camp fire
Blue-blooded Bertha
- Cause of death: held the chamber door closed as the pirates wanted to storm the room and was crushed to death.
- Task: build a pyramid
- Reward: has a bucket of water for William Golding
- Salvation: the children must build a figure from mud, earth and grass which represents Bertha
- Location: at the water trough
Squinting Charlie
- Cause of death: he already had a wooden eye. The pirates poked out his good eye and he bled to death.
- Task: hunt for his eye in the sand (= painted tennis ball)
- Reward: has a vitamin drink for (= bottle of juice) for Drainpipe Donna
- Salvation: give him his eye
- Location: games place with the ship
Old Schluckspecht
- Cause of death: he drank himself to death because he was so depressed about Annabelle’s kidnapping Task: gurgle a song
- Reward: has the antidote for cruel Kate (= little bottle with green fluid)
- Salvation: children have to drink a glass of blood with him (=tomato juice)
- Location: barbecue
Prim Paula
- Cause of death: was eaten by a spider while cleaning
- Task: bring her a bunch of flowers
- Reward: has a sewing kit for Störtebecker
- Salvation: must be pulled through the spider’s web
- Location: at the edge of the rock pond
Three-finger Joe
- Cause of death: as a punishment, the pirate’s chopped off 3 fingers
- Task: look for the knife and pull it from the water
- Reward: the children receive the knife for Long John Silver
- Salvation: needs the fingers of Long John Silver
- Location: rock pond
Wrathful Roland
- Cause of death: as a chef, he ate rotten meat once he saw that the palace was lost
- Task: each child does a somersault
- Reward: has a biscuit for Annabelle
- Salvation: needs "healthy" apple rings from cruel Kate
- Location: near the barrier to the woods
Evil pirate bride
- Cause of death: she died of her self hatred once she killed Annabelle
- Task: blow up a balloon and draw the evil pirate princess’ face on it
- Reward: a hug for every child for their help
- Salvation: needs a candle from Störtebecker, to warm her cold heart
- Location: on the sports field
Drainpipe Donna
- Cause of death: she was the assistant chef to wrathful Roland and ate rotten meat with him as she noticed that the governor’s palace was lost to the pirates
- Task: banana competition
- Reward: a sweet for each child
- Salvation: needs the vitamin drink from squinting Charlie
- Location: hedge next to the huts
Annabelle
- Cause of death: Her throat was slit with a hook by an evil pirate’s bride
- Task: ….
- Reward: hands out the treasure to the winning team and others
- Salvation: needs a biscuit from wrathful Roland
- Location: lies on the treasure in a field in the fork of a road