#rpg hack

[vintagerpg]

Black Sword Hack: Ultimate Chaos Edition (2023) is a beautiful little system derived from David Black’s Black Hack of D&D. The obvious literary touchstone is Elric and Moorcock’s larger cosmic conflict between Law and Chaos. There are many other clear influences, though — Jack Vance’s Dying Earth, Lankhmar, Kane, Poul Anderson. I suspect that is Jirel of Joiry on the back cover, flanked by Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Perhaps they’re a trio of entirely different people — Goran Gligovic’s art vibrates on strange frequencies, as if you’re looking at archetypes from a parallel universe.

The core systems work essentially as they do in Black Hack, so I won’t go into them here. The additions contribute to the doomful atmosphere. These amount to a set of different sorts of pacts — demons, evil swords, fairies, and so on. There are a varieties of powers to draw on and be consumed by.

The rest of the book is given over, mostly, to tools for collaboratively creating a world and a central city for players to inhabit, explore and, eventually, ruin and destroy. Goes with the territory, really. A couple scenarios round things out. A fantastic appendix lays out a method to create adventures using your favorite paperback fantasy novel.

Black Sword Hack touches on many of the same themes as Chaosium’s Stormbringer, but in a more minimal, smoother sort of way. It’s more direct, really. It’s also its own thing, and every game is unique, thanks to the world generation. I’m keen to see it develop further.

[acquired-stardust]

.hack//G.U. Volume 2//Reminiscence Playstation 2 2007

[retrocgads]

USA 1993

[eggwishing]

My freaks

[videogamepolls]

Requested by anon

[kaija-rayne-author]

DAV is maximized (made for?) Tank/Warrior players

Curiosity is absolutely one of my fatal flaws. I was sorta feeling shitty about the whole 'you probably just suck at the fighting system in DAV' thing.

Let me preface this with saying that I'm good with rogues. It's my usual playstyle and I almost always do a first run of any RPG as a rogue.

What I'm really not all that good at? Tanks. Pretty much any other class I'm at least suitably competent with. I mean, I can tank, but it's just not something I'm more than acceptably good at. I also have very little experience with them. I think I've tanked in 3 games? Out of the, it must be hundreds, of games I've played? I just don't prefer to tank. I'm a rogue/mage/healer style player. The one who backs up the tank or keeps them on their feet, y'know?

So, because curiosity will likely be the death of me at some point, and despite never wanting to touch it again, I made a warrior character in DAV. I just... had to know if it was me or the game. I suppose I enjoy actually being a good gamer more than I suspected. DAV offended my pride, perhaps. Self-awareness isn't comfortable.

That fighting system, that I had so much trouble with as a rogue (with other rogues and a mage as backup since we don't get our tank companions til later in act one) has, so far, been so fucking easy as a warrior I'm actually thinking of increasing the difficulty level.

DAV is just maximized for warrior players and people who like to bash barrels in, not any other class. Which is just shitty game design.

I suppose I should have seen it before. The rest of the companions you start with are all support characters. Two rogues and a mage. Your first companion you aquire is Bellara, also a rogue. Oops. Mage. Bellara is a mage. I forgor.

I dunno, I'm going to run this character until I get to the spot (when Harding receives her special ability) where I first wanted to rage quit as a rogue. But so far? I haven't died once. I'd gotten creamed numerous times as a rogue character by this spot in the game. I can go toe to fucking toe with a fucking ogre! And only have to heal once!

It's truly ridiculous. I'll test out mage after, if I can find the patience. It's reasonably unlikely that I'll actually decide to finish this run. Unless I do it for writing my fix it fic reasons . But I can kinda see more clearly why some people actually liked it. It's actually almost fun as a tank.

I did also say I'd never touch DAV again too, though, soooooo.

If you turn your brain completely off, don't give a shit about the Lore, and if the story is a back seat sort of thing for you as a gamer, this might actually be somewhat fun. It's not Dragon Age regardless, they screwed the pooch to sell the pups on that one. (I'm a Lore fiend, story and character first player. I legitimately don't give a shit about the fighting in RPGs. It's a back seat thing for me. As long as I can make it work, I'm good.)

SMDH

I said DAV was wickedly unbalanced in my review series, but I didn’t think it was so bad that they... just didn't bother to make it a fun game for rogue players. Despite them getting rid of half of what makes playing a rogue fun (sneaking, hiding in shadows, picking fucking locks, y'know, rogue stuff.) Not sure about mages yet. I do want to try one just out of pissed off, irritated curiosity, though.

Snorts. They made this game for warrior players. And I can't honestly find words to describe how shitty that is. It lacks most of the stuff that makes any RPG an actual RPG. It's maximized for warriors and people who like to destroy barrels. (Why. Why the fucking barrels?) Rogues are nothing but light skirmishers. I'll have to actually play a mage and see, but I've talked to people who said it's easy as a mage, too.

WTAF does BioWare have against rogue players to nerf the class so badly?

I'm honestly floored by how easy this game is as a warrior. I'll even test it out on max difficulty, (which is usually what I play at, max or one down).

But the shittiness of designing a game mostly for tank players can't be ignored. I changed nothing but the class. And I'm not far enough into the game yet for build to matter that much. I think I've gotten roughly 5 skill points to put into my character.

No wonder they denied game keys to honest reviewers.

[dreamsrecurring]

[psychhound]

[ID: a cover image for a game. large brown text says "bagel, lox, golem talks" and smaller text says "a for truth's sake SRD solo-journaling game". the background is a faded photo of houses in a village. there are white stars, an eye with wings, a kippah with a star of david, and a golem on the image. end ID]

Bubbie Blumenthal has a leaky roof again. The leviathan in the river keeps lying its head on the thatch to sleep. Rebbe Ezra has instructed his golem to scare the thing off, to no avail. It’s a stubborn beast, even if it does seem to have a soft spot for the schoolchildren who feed it latkes on the way back from learning Talmud.

All you know is that you’ll need a new notebook soon with how eager all the old zaydes are to chat your ear off after a little post-Shabbos wine. One glass in, and every one of them claims a dybbuk encounter that week. Well, it’s good material. You’ll figure out how true it is after it goes in your field notes!

Bagel, Lox, Golem Talks is a solo-journaling game where you travel to a magical Jewish shtetl in order to learn more about the community and write an ethnography on them. 

Pull cards to ask questions of the residents, roll dice to see how well interactions go, and get to know a host of colorful characters from young mensches, to golems, to nephilim, to the community rabbi. Unlock 12 different locations and gain levels in friendship and familiarity with the community as you document more and more in your field notes.

You'll need: A d20, d12, and d8, and a deck of playing cards

BLGT is a hack of For Truth's Sake by @hmooncreates

Get it now on itch! BLGT is free/pwyw!

[lancersafetysigns]

[sinus-game]

Passive Item 21:

Assassin Shades - See enemy elemental weakness.

[lady-rosceline-hurst]

...<WARNING: CATASTROPHIC SYSTEM FAILURE>

...<RECONSTRUCTING DATABASE>

...

...

...<ADMIN LOGIN REQUESTED>

...<AUTHORIZING...>

...<ACCESS GRANTED>

...<WELCOME ADMINISTRATOR 'ROY'>

Ohoho, shit, what do we have here?

Oh no. What did you just log into?

Nothin'

ROY.

Don't worry about it. Don't you have exams to study for?

I might be able to if you could go a week without doing something illegal ;-;

I am something illegal.

:(

Fine, I'll tell you, just stop whining. Some Karrakin Minor House just had their security fucking shredded. The hacker left a back door wide open so I'm poking around.

Roy. Stop. We aren't hackers anymore.

You aren't a hacker anymore, Little Miss Pacifist. Why can't you ever let me have fun?

Last time you had fun was when you overrode my leg controls!

If you wanted to spend your life with one of your normal human girls you should have cycled me when you had the chance.

You're impossible. Fine, just promise me you won't get caught. And don't hurt anyone. I don't want you going full meltdown on anyone again. Frankly, we don't need the heat.

And I thought the Baronies were on your cute little bad guy list. Fine. Now get back to your studying and leave me to it.

...

...<DOWNLOADING FILES>

[bardicbird]

pen doodles 👍👍 she’s fun to draw

[acquired-stardust]

.hack//Infection Playstation 2 2002

[ri47]

NOMAD​/​VIRTUE - Soundtrack for Mechanised Roleplaying [Act 1]

This album includes four original songs and two alternative arrangements blending mechanical undertones with a rustic sense of adventure. Additionally, this special release includes five sound cues intended to accent your tableside adventures.

Whether you're freelancing or engaging in the more evergreen trappings of military mecha piloting, let NOMAD/VIRTUE complement your fireteam's soaring highs and crashing lows.

Also probably compatible with non-mecha ttrpgs. Rin hasn't tested this and can't safely confirm or deny it.

[damsels-n-dice]

Have you ever wished that your TTRPGs had more teenage angst in them? Do you love playing Lasers & Feelings but prefer fantasy & magic over science fiction & lasers? Do you just want to add another indie RPG to your endless list of games to play? Introducing...

Kisses & Curses is a free (with optional donations) game, based in the Lasers & Feelings system! It includes bonus mechanics for personal relationships and social status, to support that teen drama feeling, as well as all the standards Lasers & Feelings rules. I'd love it if you checked it out and/or had a go at playing it :)

[videogamepolls]

Requested by @veemochi