Buccaneer Base – Pool of Radiance

This guide will help you navigate the Buccaneer Base in Pool of Radiance.

Buccaneer Base Map

Area Note

Your goal in the buccaneer base is to rescue the young heir to the house of Bivant. There are a few ways to do this. You can buy the heir from the buccaneer captain (#7) for something like 75% of your money and jewels, you can sneak in and rescue the heir from the slave pen (#4), you can create a distraction by letting loose the animals in the pens (#5) and then rescue the heir, or you can fight your way through the buccaneers and claim the entire base, including the heir. Since the buccaneers, and especially the buccaneer captain, have good loot, violence is probably the best (if most difficult) way to go.

1 – Merchants’ Camp Area

When you enter the buccaneer base, you’ll be escorted to this location. It is safe to rest here.

2 – Barracks

If you attack the guards here, you’ll have to face five waves of attacks. The attacks are comprised of buccaneers and fighters — and probably the captain (#7) if you haven’t killed him yet — but if you can defeat them then you’ll take over the base and free the slaves.

The guards drop a lot of loot, like long swords +1 and chain mail +1, but it’s probably not anything you need at this point in the game. It’s far easier to skip fighting the guards.

3 – Guard Tower

See #2.

4 – Slave Pen

At the edge of the pen you’ll notice a boy with a heart-shaped birthmark. He’s the heir to the house of Bivant. A “sleazy fat merchant” will comment on how much the boy might be worth. If you want, you can punch the merchant and then fight his guards (six buccaneers), but nothing will come of the encounter.

At the gate to the slave pen you’ll meet a couple of guards. You can try to sneak past them, but this has never worked for us. Instead, you can fight them, and then enter the pen and rescue the boy.

On your way out of the base, you’ll have to face at least one attack, and possibly three, but these attacks won’t come consecutively, and so you’ll have time to cast spells and save in between.

5 – Animal Pen

If you release the animals (at the gate to the pen), then they’ll create all sorts of confusion inside the camp, and you’ll be able to enter the slave pen (#4) and rescue the boy there. Then you’ll just have to fight one group of buccaneers on your way out of the camp.

6 – Seedy Man

The seedy man will offer to sell you a pass to the captain for 125 platinum pieces. If you buy the pass, then you’ll be able to enter the captain’s quarters (#7).

7 – Captain’s Quarters

Outside of the captain’s quarters, you’ll encounter some guards. If you buy a pass from the seedy man (#6), then they’ll let you inside. Otherwise, you’ll have to fight them to get past (you won’t be able to bribe them). However, if you fight them, then all of the buccaneers in the base will turn hostile and attack, and you won’t be able to talk to the captain.

If you reach the captain peacefully, then you’ll be able to buy the heir from him. The cost is quite high (something like 75% of your money and jewels), so you might want to just fight him instead.

If you fight the captain, you won’t alert the guards outside, but the captain is tough (110 hit points and -6 ac), so you should prepare your party beforehand. If you kill the captain, then you’ll find plate mail +3, a long sword +4, and a shield +2.

Exits:

A. Gate to the Wilderness.