REVIEW: The Black Hack 2e

“The Black Hack” hereinafter TBH (which can be downloaded at: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/255088/the-black-hack-second-edition?affiliate_id=474082) is presented as a comprehensive, rules-light Old School fantasy roleplaying game developed by David Black. It aims to reboot the dungeon delving experiences of the 1970s for a new generation of gamers, blending original era fantasy gaming with modern game design theory. A core philosophy of TBH is the freedom to “hack” and customize the rules to suit individual preferences and needs, encouraging players to make the game their own.

Core Gameplay and Mechanics

The game is played with pencils, paper, and dice, relying heavily on the joint imaginations of the people around the table. One person acts as the Gamemaster (GM), controlling Non-Player Characters (NPCs) and Monsters, presenting the world, and adjudicating rules and events. The other players create and control Characters, embarking on daring adventures.

Key mechanics include:

Attribute Tests: Most actions with a chance of failure are resolved by testing one of a Character’s six Attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Wisdom, Intelligence, Charisma). Players roll a d20 and must roll under their Attribute score to succeed. Rolling on or above indicates failure. The GM determines which Attribute to test. The GM never rolls dice for NPC or Monster actions or negative environmental elements like traps that involve a Character; the Player always rolls.
Advantage & Disadvantage: If an action is more or less likely to happen, the GM may grant Advantage or Disadvantage. With Advantage, the Player rolls two dice and chooses the better result, while with Disadvantage, the GM chooses the result to use. This can apply to any die roll, including damage or Usage Dice.
Time and Turns: Every Creature has a Turn, allowing them to Move and perform an Action. Time is abstractly measured:
- Moments are used during combat, representing split seconds for rapid actions like attacks.
- Minutes are used for exploration and adventuring, representing longer periods for more complex actions.
- Relative Time allows the GM to scale time up to Hours (in towns) or Days (for travel/rest) while maintaining the Move and Action structure.
Movement & Distance: TBH uses abstract range bands (Close, Nearby, Faraway, Distant) to define relative positions, supporting a “theatre of the mind” style of play. Moving typically shifts a Creature one step along these range bands. Approximate real-world conversions (e.g., Close ~5 ft, Nearby ~30 ft) are provided for reference.
Combat:
- Initiative: At the start of each Moment, Players make a DEX Test; success means acting before opponents, failure means acting after.
- Attacking & Defending: Players make Attribute Tests (STR for melee, DEX for ranged) to attack or defend. If an Attack succeeds, damage dice are rolled and subtracted from the opponent’s Hit Points (HP).
- Hit Points (HP): Track physical and spiritual wear and tear. Characters and NPCs reduced to 0 HP are Out of Action (OofA), while Monsters are removed from play. Maximum HP can only increase when gaining a Level.
- Armour: Provides a pool of Armour Dice (d6s) equal to its Armour Value (AV). A Player can declare an Armour Die “Broken” to ignore all damage from a single attack. Broken Armour Dice can be recovered after a Rest by rolling above the armour’s AV, or become permanently Broken if rolling on or below. Only the highest AV counts, and shields/helmets add to the Armour Die pool.
- Hindrances: Characters can suffer conditions like Weakened (Disadvantage on all tests), Distracted (no Actions), Stuck (no Movement), or Paralyzed (no Movement or Actions).
- Out of Action (OofA): When a Character drops to 0 HP, they are OofA. If they receive aid, their Player rolls on a d6 table to determine the outcome, ranging from being knocked out to permanent maiming or death.
Limited Resources (Usage Die): Consumable items have a Usage Die (UD) (e.g., oil (UD6)). When used, the die is rolled; a result of 1-2 causes the die to downgrade to the next smallest size in a chain (e.g., d6 to d4). Rolling 1-2 on a d4 means the item is expended.
Experience & Levels: An abstract system where Characters gain “Experiences” for notable achievements, such as defeating powerful enemies, discovering dungeons, completing quests, or even failing spectacularly. To level up, a Character must “share” a number of Experiences equal to their current Level, which involves roleplaying carousing and paying a coin cost determined by d6 rolls. Leveling up typically grants Attribute increases and additional maximum HP.
Character Creation: Involves rolling 3d6 for six core Attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma), with a rule to prevent overly high starting stats. Players then choose a Class (Warrior, Thief, Cleric, or Wizard), which defines their starting HP, usable gear, and special abilities. Finally, players create a Background, a unique piece of history that provides narrative advantage once per session.
Magic & Spells: Wizards (Intelligence-based Arcane spells) and Clerics (Wisdom-based Divine Prayers) are Spellcasters. They can memorize a number of spells equal to their Level daily. Casting a spell from memory requires an Attribute Test, adding the spell’s level to the roll, with Disadvantage if it’s been cast previously in the session. Failing this test means the spell is no longer memorized. Spellcasters can also attempt to cast from books or scrolls, but with the risk of misfires and magical side effects.

GM Tools and Setting

The GM’s section offers extensive support for running the game, providing a step-by-step guide for structuring play. The GM is encouraged to deal damage to Characters based on the opponent’s Hit Die, and rules for Powerful Foes (adding HD difference to rolls) and Creature Morale (d12 test at 50% HP) are included.

TBH provides a wealth of random tables designed for both pre-planned and improvised games, allowing GMs to quickly generate:

Random Encounters.
NPCs (concepts, appearances, activities, relationships).
Overland adventure elements (hex terrain, features, settlements, taverns, quests).
Dungeon elements (dungeon type, inhabitants, entrances, rooms, traps, secret doors).
Monsters (pre-defined stat blocks, ‘Every’ Monster framework, Weirdo Monster generator).
Treasure and Magic Items.

The assumed setting for TBH is “weird fantasy swords and sorcery”. It emphasizes a “cruel & weird” and “uncaring and gritty” world where characters must be shrewd to survive. The world is persistent, and Character actions should shape it. A sample dungeon, “The Ruined Tower of Gormalong,” is included to provide an iconic first game session.