Jump to content

The Quest Hack


simonh

Recommended Posts

I recently got into The Black Hack. I was looking for an OSR game to introduce my kids to old school dungeon crawling games and was all set to use Blueholm (the blue book was my first RPG) when I found TBH. I’m still torn between them, but Black Hack got me thinking about how to do a similar sort of thing without the levels and classes, and with a slightly more flexible system. The result should I hope be appealing to the audience here.

The Quest Hack

I tried to stay true to the stripped down ethos of The Black Hack while pivoting away from classes and levels. I’m also looking for ways to give it a hint of distinctive setting flavour, while remaining open to easy adaptation.

There is a swords and sorcery spin on TBH already called Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells, which I only discovered today having already written TQH, but it’s a lot more fiddly and still has levels and classes and hit dice. I’ve picked it up anyway and do like it, but it’s gone a bit far beyond the simplicity David Black achieved to still be the same sort of thing.

So far it’s just a Google Doc, but it’s enabled for comments. It’s reasonably complete but l’ll probably be adding in miscellaneous equipment and the consumables mechanic from TBH. Any comments or suggestions here or on the doc appreciated. 

Simon Hibbs

 

Edited by simonh
  • Like 1

Check out the Runequest Glorantha Wiki for RQ links and resources. Any updates or contributions welcome!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Question time: Should I stick with 3D6 stats, or go to allocating values of 16, 14, 12, 10, 8 and 6.

The point of this is to re-visit RPG assumptions about what attributes a game should define and how things should work. I want to have only one way to generate attribute values in the core system, but if you want to roll 3D6 that's brilliant. Go for it. Make it yours. But the provided system should be carefully considered and there for a reason.

A standard set of values means your characters are balanced from the start. Nobody can roll a horrendously bad character, or an envy-of-the-table super character. You're guaranteed to be good at 2 things, fine at 2 more and weak at 2 others. A max of 16 means that although you're very competent, there's still room for improvement so there's something to aim for.

Thoughts?

Check out the Runequest Glorantha Wiki for RQ links and resources. Any updates or contributions welcome!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do one or the other, but don't allow the option of both.

The reason for this is that some people like the randomness of dice, mainly older gamers, whereas others like some certainty. I'd drop 6 and have an 18, so you don't have any really low values, but my preference is for no really low values. Unless you are a leader, lover or bard, your lowest stat will be CHA, as the others are more important generally.

Nowadays, I am less likely to go for random characteristics, just because fixed values are easier to use and I can always train up/magically increase low values in the game.

Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. 

www.soltakss.com/index.html

Jonstown Compendium author. Find my contributions here

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for taking a look. I appreciate the feedback, I have considered these points but could use having my thoughts on this challenged.

I’m thinking that a 6 is still a 30% chance of success. That’s not bad for your lowest ability, while 16 gives you an 80% chance which is higher than many RQ or Call of Cthulhu characters start with for their best skill. In this system 18 doesn’t leave you anywhere to go. There are ways to fix that, but that’s for mods or extensions and the system should work and be reasonably balanced out of the box.

I’m open to persuasion though. It might be one of things that really need to be play tested. I can sit here theorising, but if an 18 stat doesn’t actualy cause problems at the table, why not?

The problem with Charisma is in most games it doesn’t make any difference to anything. It doesn’t materially affect interpersonal skills in either RQ or Call of Cthulhu and things like Strength and Dexterity have a big impact in all sorts of vital areas like damage bonus and initiative. But in this game, your Charisma is your interpersonal skills. A Charisma of 16 is like having 80% in all of them. I’m hoping that’s a game changer for this stat, but it does depend on the referee using it that way.

Simon Hibbs

Check out the Runequest Glorantha Wiki for RQ links and resources. Any updates or contributions welcome!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...