a 2 JN US RESSCredits The Indie Hack First Digital Edition (August, 2016) © 2016 Slade Stolar, all rights reserved. Writing, Layout, and Publishing by Slade Stolar at scablandspress.com Artwork by herror /J. Carlos Andrés at heroru.com Direct and Indirect Help by Ron Edwards, Paul Czege, Robert Bohl, The Bakers (Meguey and D. Vincent), Chris McDowell, and (of course) David Black, David Schirduan and Ole Peder Gizever provided very useful feedback. Rules Playtesting by Thomas Novosel, Benjamin Kramer, Aaron Griffin, Dave Nearing, and Jake Sotodelvalle, Thomas, Benjamin, and Aaron played these rules with great care and a focus on making them functional and fun. Their playtest is reproduced with some modifications in the "Example Adventure" at the end. Additional Thanks This game wouldn't exist without The Threeforged RPG Design Challenge (Paul Czege), Forge Midwest (Willow Palecek, Tim Jensen, and Shari Corey), and On The Remembered Slopes (Dave Nearing). These communities pushed me to play and make new and better games, Additional thanks to all those who expressed interest in the game in its early stages: I probably wouldn't have finished it without being pulled forward by excited, curious, and encouraging GMs and players. Scorching Ron Edwards provided consulting on the main mechanic of an earlier game that got rolled into the rules of The Indie Hack. I consider this game to have been Scorced by the Gaze of Adept Press. ScoRCHED BY THE APEPT PRESS Inspirations This game would not exist without dozens of other games that I have played and shamelessly borrowed ideas from: Apocalypse World inspires the dice mechanics and the approach to light-weight, deadly, story-focussed gaming. The minimalist, hinted-at setting, game economy, and player-driven details should be familiar to players of Apocalypse World. If you want to say that this game is Powered by the Apocalypse, that's fine with me. Dungeon World inspires the relationship mechanics and the idea of cutting adventuring down to its core awesomeness. Info the Odd inspires the approach to monsters, magic items, and weirdness. ‘My Life with Master inspires the mechanics that replace alignment mechanics, namely, Masters. Swords Without Master inspires the tone mechanic in the Advanced Play section. Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, Second Edition, was my first edition of D&D. I've logged more hours with 3rd Edition (and 3.5), but AD&D2e was the beginning of an obsession, The Black Hack, of course, inspired nearly everything For further hacking... If you want to hack tis hack, please get into contact with me. Games and adventures that are based on (and require) The Indie Hack are fully encouraged However, as of writing, the images and text contained herein cannot be copied freely, Permission is granted to reproduce the page beginning "Character Sheet” (near the end of the book) for personal useThe Indie Hack What is This? The (TI) is fantasy roleplaying game that is played with pencils, paper, dice, and imagination. It takes OSR-style gaming and gives it an indie edge Indie Hack a minimalist There should be one G five players. me Master (GM) and two to Game terms are in bold upon first mention. Understanding the Mechanics Using The Indie Hack, you'll be telling stories with lots of interesting, strange, and/or frightening details. Details are properties or conditions (e.g,, the sword that you dig up in an ancient battlefield might have the details Rusty and Dull). Details are written down when they are added to a character, scene, enemy, or item. Details are crossed out when they no longer hold true (e.g., if you pay to have the old sword repaired, Rusty and Dull might be crossed out and possibly supplanted by Shiny and Sharp). Adding Details Hard details are added when rolling the dice and describe a fundamental change to some property of a person, place, or thing (eg, dealing damage, changing an object, annoying someone). In point form, note down all hard details added to a character, weapon, enemy, ete. (¢.g., when a player says "I slash it with my sword!", rolls and is over by 2, and therefore, has one hard detail to spend, add a detail like Deep incision to the monster. The player won the challenge by rolling and being over by 2; the effect of that victory is represented by a change to the monster in the form of a hard detail.) Soft details can be added more freely and make only temporary or superficial changes to the world (eg, moving around, calling out to an ally, asking a character a question). Soft details need not be written down. If granted a hard detail, you can chose to add a soft detail instead. A scene detail is a detail that changes the scenery or your tactics, ie,, things that are part of the scene, but not a property of a character or item. (e.g,, "My mace smashes the floor tile to pieces!" or "I slash at his left arm!" are scene details.) If granted a hard detail, you can chose to add a scene detail instead. For each scene, the GM will maintain a list of scene details. Details are typically negative or positive. Negative details are typically damage details, which indicate damage to a character or item. Positive details are beneficial properties (eg, Shiny and Sharp for a sword), Meeting Challenges ‘The actions of characters meeting, challenges that have risks and rewards are resolved by rolling two six-sided dice (246) with one Light Die and one Dark Die. The Light Die represents the difficulty of the challenge (and, if higher, GM detail), Tae Dark Die represents the characters heroism and prowess (and, if higher, player details) The player rolls 1 Light Die and 1 Dark Die and compares the results ‘The player always rolls both dice Use the chart below to interpret the result: ADraw Each side adds one hard detail. Over by 1. Winning side adds one hard detail but incurs one hard negative detail (e.g., counting against the capacity of their armour or weapon) added by an ally. Overby 2 Winning side adds one hard detail. Over by 3. Winning side adds one hard detail and done scene detail Overby 4 Winning side adds one hard detail and so does one ally, Over by 5+ Winning side adds two hard details.Reaching Capacity Certain details have a capacity, whichis a number of relevant negative details that must be added before the item or character is rendered out of action. (eg, All characters have a detail of the form Fallen ( /4) that indicates the number of damage details that can be added before the character falls in battle. Here, the capacity of Falen is 4) Learning about the Environment Players can roll (typically using Precise or Clever) to learn about their environment. Player details are questions about the surroundings that the GM must answer (often as scene details). GM details are unpleasant truths, signs of danger, or ill omens. Exploiting Details 1 a detail would influence the outcome of @ situation, it can be exploited to change the Light Die roll result by +1 or -L once per scene. (Put a small check mark next to an exploited detail, to be erased after the current scene) Creating Characters Generating Attribute Scores The three attributes in the game are Tough, Precise, and Clever. Base attributes can be positive or negative, and start at zero (written in square brackets as [0). First, assign [+1] to one of the attributes. Second, assign [-1] to one of the attributes. Third, assign [+1] to a random attribute by rolling one die: 12 +1 Tough 34 +41 Precise 56 41 Clever These bonnes add together: [+1] added to [+1] equals [+2]; [+1] added to [-1] equals [0]. (eg, If you assign [+1] to Tough, assign [-1] to Precise, and then roll a 2, and thus, increase Tough again, you end up with Tough [+2], Precise [-1], Clever [0].) Choosing a Class There are seven classes to choose from: Veteran, Exorcist, Hunter, Scoundrel, Elementalist, Occultst, and Outlander, Each class modifies the player's base atiribute scores as follows: Veteran Tough [+1], Precise [0], Clever [1] Exorcist Tough [+1], Precise [1], Clever [0] Hunter Tough [0], Precise [+1], Clever [1] Scoundrel Tough [-], Precise [+1], Clever [0] Elementalist Tough [0], Precise [-1], Clever [+1] Occultist Tough [-1], Precise [0], Clever [+1] Outlander Tough [0], Precise [0], Clever [0] 2g If you had Tough [+2], Precise [-1), Clever (0] and chose to play a Hunter, your final scores would be caleulated as Attribute [base valuel+{class value] like this: Tough [+2}4{0], Precise [-1}+[+1], Clever [0]+l-1}, which gives totals of Tough [+2], Precise [0], Clever [1]. Forming Relationships During character creation, each character forms a relationship with each other character. Relationships can be positive or negative. Other relationships, including some with non-player characters in the ‘world, will form during the story when having deep discussions, winning battles, ot overcoming. major obstacles in pairs or as a team, Positive example relationships: means the world fo me. __ follows a righteous path, owes me a small debt and will likely repay it fights the true enemies of the world, Negative example relationships: _—misunderstands my intentions. __ follows the wrong path. does not want my assistance. is harried by demons. Helping Others Once per scene, you can help another character. The helper rolls a Dark Die, The player receiving help chooses which die to accept. If the helper's die is not chosen, the helper forms a negative relationship with the helped character (ie., out of indignation). If the helper’s die is chosen, the helped character forms a positive relationship with the helper (ic,, out of gratitude). Living with Masters No adventurer struggles for simply selfish reasons, Each player names and briefly describes. their Masters (or Master). The Masters can be several people, a single person, natural (or supernatural) forces, a set of principles, a belief, or an ideal. Each character decides to whom (or to what) they have sworn fealty. Masters starts with two details describing their goals and/or motivations and/or methods. Further details can be added to the Masters later inthe story.Masters can sometimes be called upon to provide help (and thus, an additional Dark Die). If the character consistently disobeys the Masters or exploits their generosity, the character will be called to account. When called to account, the player has a scene in which the Masters berate the character (or the character berates herself) for failing to follow the righteous/just/penitent/corruptingjetc. path. It will be difficult to get help from the Masters after being called to account. Acts of atonement can be performed to regain the trust of the Masters. Applying Natural Aptitudes Natural Aptitudes—special talents or realms of Knowledge—can also be called upon to provide help (and thus, an additional Dark Die) once per 8-hour rest, (Place a small check mark next to the aptitude used, to be erased after the rest) Tell the GM and other players what you know and how it applies to the situation. The GM can also offer ideas that the character knows but that the player might not. e.g,, The Veteran has the Aptitude of Endurance. The players are moving through some difficult terrain, a cascading mountain chain. The player states, “I'l scout ahead, resting behind rocks to conserve my energy when the wind blows.” The GM says "Okay, sounds good; you can apply Endurance if you roll. You can get water from the small streams also.” Using Skills and Spells Each character class has two skills or spells. A guide for applying an effect or adding player details is listed with ‘each skill or spell. GM details might include being atacked by enemies, creating an effect that is too small or too large aiming a spell or attack at allie, or losing the spel or skill until your next hour rest (place a small check mark next to the spell or skill, to be erased after a rest), e.g, The Elementalist has a spell called Shifting Forms. The players are having trouble convincing a guard fo let thems have an audience with the lord. The player states, “Til show him! I'll eave and change myself into the tax- collector for abit. I rolled 2 over. I spend my detail fo look like the fax-collector. I waive my hand at the guard —very dismissively—as I walk past.” Preparing for Adventures Adventurers who make preparations are more likely to survive the perils of the world. Taking Stock New characters begin the game with 5 Jingle. When adventuring, every character takes a set of clothing, a pack, rations, fiintand-tinder, and a hand weapon (these do not cost Jingle). Jingle itself does not count toward pack or sack capacity. For reference: A peasant earns roughly 1 Jingle per week A skilled artisan or bodyguard can earn T Jingle ina day 1 Jingle would cover the cost ofa large feast for one person, or feed a person fora week on plain food, or an animal for a month on animal fed. Atoll ofa well defended road is 1 Jingle for a party. Ferry passage across 4 violent river is 1 Jingle for a party. Sea passage across an ocean costs 2 Jingle per character. A cask of fe wine or « work of fine art might be worth 2 (or 3, or more!) Jingle. Resting, Repairing, and Healing When granted details from ‘healing or rest characters convert damage details into scars (a hard detail) at the cost of one-to-one. Re-write the damage asa scar (e.g., Shallow cuts becomes Thin scars). In a town, characters can fully rest over night (remove 2 damage details and add 2 related scars) in relative safety (and luxury) for the cost of 1 Jingle each, or 3 Jingle for a room that holds 5 characters. During a journey, characters may choose to take a rough rest (lasting 8 hours). In this case, face a Clever challenge to heal (yourself or another character) or remove details that negatively affect armour. GM details will typically be complications or damage to your tools. In town, items can be fully repaired at the same cost as their rarity (Common = 1 Jingle; Scarce = 2 Jingle; Rare =3 Jingle, Unique = 4 or more Jingle). Prayer to the Child Hey there. I'm (name). I know you're pretty busy, but if you have some time, L ask you to watch over me. I know that you can see things and hear things that might come 4 hurt me, so find a woay to let me know if you see or hear them. Okay? If you want fo do a trade for your help, I can afer (gamelsong!jokeltrick) Anypoay, Thanks!tem, Rarity Capacity Notes Bz a z i z a 9 i 7 2 & 2 = 8 z 5 3 2 Scarce Dented ( /4) F & 2 a Scarce Split (/2) Pack Common Full (/6+Tough) Blacksmithing Tools Scarce Bent and Dull (/2) Tongs, hammers, bellows, bucket, etc. c ante Common Extinguished (/4) Oil is burnt over time. Rations Common Consumed (/4) Includes dried foods, cheese, bread, water, ct ‘Twine Common Snapped (/2) Damage details and items supported count toward capacity. Sack Common Full(/2+Clever) Uses one hand. Candle Common Burnt (/3) Wetness renders useless. Torch is burnt over time. Herbalists Comucopia Rare Burnt (/3) Poison, incense, healing herbs, curative roots, etc Quiver of Arrows — Common Lost (/3) Heavy Weapon Scarce Smashed (/4) & iow Scarce Warped (/3) ‘Range: very far. Two-handed (Must use two hands Longbow Rare Stiff (/4) Range: really quite far. Two-handed (Must use two hands to wield). Instrument Scarce OutofTune(/1) ‘Flute, lute, bells, horn, or drum. Writing Supplies Scarce Written (/3) Chalk, slate, ruler, pen, ink, paper, etc. Common = 1 Jingle; Scarce = 2 Jingle; Rare = 3 JingleBuying Equipment Item availability is categorized as common, scarce, rare, and unique. A character can purchase common items for 1 Jingle from wandering tinkers, ports, or markets. A character can purchase scarce items from merchants or artisans for 2 Jingle. A character can purchase rare items from collectors or highly skilled artisans for 3 Jingle. Truly unique items can be obtained from successful quests and might be worth 4 or more Jingle. Carrying Items A character without a pack or sack may carry two items, one in each hand (total: 2). A character with a pack may carry 6+Tough items and one in each hand. (otal: 8+Tough). A character with a sack may carry 2+Clever items and one in one hand (total: 3+Clever). A character with a pack and a sack may carry 6+Tough+2+Clever items and one in one hand (otal: 9eTough*+Clever). Worn items, such as clothing, armour, hats, and jewelry, do not count towards items carried, Managing Supplies Details that indicate the use (or abuse) of items will often be added during the story. These details are added either when you are over by 1 ona challenge, or when the story dictates some damage to an item Physical-type damage details count toward. the capacity of weapons and armour. Time-type details (on different scales) count toward the capacity of Rations, Candles, Lantern, ete. Note thatthe use of arrows does not immediately count toward the capacity of the Quiver of Arrows that is, although the capacity is 3, the Quiver of Arrows contains more than three arrows (eg, when over by 1 when firing a bow: You hit the enemy in the shoulder. He howls reaches up, and snaps the shaft ofthe arrow, add the negative detail Snapped arrow. If the player had been over by 2, no negative detail would be added: perhaps all fired arrows could be retrieved atter the combat)Wearing Armour ‘The protection of armour is based on its ability to convert hard damage details to the character into hhard damage details to the armour (on a one-to-one basis). Once its capacity is reached, the armour is in its damaged state and is no longer effective untill repaired, Reinforced Leather Cut to Bits ( /2) Plate Armour Dented ( /4) Large Shield Split (/2) Wearing armour totaling 4 points or above reduces Precise attribute rolls by 1 for all actions requiring good mobility (eg, climbing, stealth, swimming, dodging attacks). Additionally, wearing armour that ‘you are not proficient with applies -1 to all Dark Die roll results, Monsters might also have armour. Finding Magic Items The trouble with identifying magic items is that no two are alike: each is a work of art brought into existence by powerful magic. Each magic item grants a unique effect. Make a Clever test to guess at the magical effects of a magic item. GM details might indicate the item being activated accidentally and/or damaging its user. Moving through the World When given a turn by the GM, the player can perform all kinds of actions within the narrative that are not particularly challenging, and add as many soft details as make sense to the story. When the stakes are high, however, the dice are rolled and hard details are added to people, objects, or items. The GM or player can opt to use a soft detail instead of a hard detail, as dictated by the logic of the story. Time and Turns Timing is a fluid concept in TIH. The focus of the narrative will jump from one character to another (to another, to another, ...). The GM will direct this focus and hand out turns in some natural order as dictated by the story and the desires of the players. Movement and Distance TIH uses the following four distances: close, far, very far, and really quite far. A character can walk to far distance as a scene detail. character can run to very far distance if granted two details (ie., when over by 3 or over by 5). Characters wearing armour totaling 4 points or above or carrying a full pack must pass a Precise test to run; otherwise, they stumble, reaching only far distance. Saving Yourself Reactions to hazards in the world (e,, traps, spells, difficult climbs, stampeding horses) are made by testing one of the three attributes, When you're not sure what kind of test to make, use the following table as a guide: Precise Things that might or might not hit you: Slow or ranged enemy physical attacks, fireballs, falling rocks, lightning, most traps, projectiles, etc. GM details might be damage details or other negative detail effects (Sleep, Paralysis, Trapped by rocks, Charmed, Scorched flesh, etc). Player details will typically be soft details describing evading the danger. Prayer to the Mother ‘Mother. Lam (name). Please grant me your strength and knowledge. Grant me the power to create and to correct the world for its wrongs. Protect me from great evils and the smail evils that people allow. Guide my (artlskill magic). Tam your child and servant.Fighting Monsters Having Random Encounters When in a dangerous area, every so often, ask a random player to test Precise or Clever to notice signs of monsters nearby. Add the monster's challenge level (CL) to the Light Die. Typical player details describe gathering information about the monster's activities. Typical GM details are soft details describing the monster getting closer (after several such details, the monster arrives). If two hard details would be added by the GM, instead, the monster catches the group by surprise. Powering Monsters The power of a monster is dictated by its challenge level (CL). The CL is added to the Light Die during a challenge involving the monster, thereby reducing the player's chance of success When converting from levels in other systems, use the following table as a guide: Monster HD/level Challenge Level 12 0 (or-1 if weak) uM oO 36 4 738 42, 9 8 Monster Reactions Sometimes, the monster has other motives than killing (and likely eating) the characters. If you're not sure how the monster views the players, roll on this table: 1-2 A threat (call reinforcements or attack) 34 A nuisance (flee or harass) 56 Anally (give aid or offer a trade) Determining Who Acts First When combat begins, unless the players are ambushed or surprised, they all act first (in an order of their choosing). Thereafter, the monster retaliates, If there is any doubt as to which side is surprised, the player closest to the monster must be over on a Precise challenge to have the players act first. Time in combat is a fluid concept, and the GM will hand out turns as dictated by the narrative, However, as a general rule, do not allow the same player to roll the dice twice in a row, unless all of the players demand to see a resolution to that part of the conflict. Attacking and Defending To attack with physical weapons, a player rolls a Tough or Precise challenge. The player adds their Tough or Precise score to the Dark Die; the monster adds their CL to the Light Die. In general, players can choose to apply Tough or Precise in combat. However, certain weapons must use certain stats: Heavy Weapons must use Tough, Dueling Weapons and Ranged Weapons must use Precise. When fighting with weapons that you are not proficient with, use the lowest of Tough and Precise. When fighting without a weapon, use your lowest Attribute, When casting spells in combat, a Clever or Precise challenge is rolled, as dictated by the spell. ‘The winner applies damage and other details as described in the Meeting Challenges section above, GM wins indicate the inability of the players to defend themselves against monster attacks, and will apply damage or other negative effects to player characters. Making Ranged Attacks The range listed for bows, crossbows, and some spells is the maximum range at which they can be targeted (for example, a Longbow has a range of really quite far, but may also be fired at very far or far with no penalty). Ranged weapons can be fired at close range using the lowest of Tough or Precise When using a ranged weapon that you are not proficient with at close range, use your lowest Attribute. Banishing the Unliving When a character banishes the unliving, the number by which the roll is over indicates the number of damage details spread evenly among the monsters being banished. GM details are typically soft details indicating that the banisher has drawn the attention of the unliving Prayer to the Crone Grandmother. You know my name. You know a great many things. will burn what you ask me to burn Twill cull what you ask me fo cull will destroy what you ask me to destroy.Csr ote ue veto te eee an CRE oa ner cc seem eeccs eee et aca Scr tes If the players lose the battle or flee, anyone who has anaes If the players win the battle and tend to the fallen, Coes een ae Ld per The Three Judges are The Child, The Mother, and The Crone, Roll on the following table to determine which judge is most upset with the character: Cc Cee Pee Reuters) eee ec eg Se Oc cad Cee Oe Rn cet ae ns eee es eee Lec become Haunted by The Child/Mother/Crone Cnn ea hee aoe After repeated meetings, The Child, Mother, and cc ac ames rere Soa Roe a Rc Po cc au ee cee Cees airs Gaining Experience eee ee ee oad ee me enemies. They make friends. They make friends who Pe Ce enc friends.The Veteran You have stared into the face of death herself. Now, life holds few pleasures, and you must take up your sword again. Questions: (answer 2) What did she look like? How many years has it been? Where do you keep your sword? Who won the last great battle (and how)? Class Attributes: Tough [+1], Precise [0], Clever [-1] Natural Aptitudes: (choose 2) Tactics, Fighting Humans, Endurance Positive Details: Weapon Master (Proficient with all bows; Hand, Heavy, and Dueling Weapons; and all armour and shields) Cleave Through Foes (: ided among the enemies) Splintered Shield (Skill: Add a damage detail to a shield fo cancel all GM detai ill: If the group is outnumbered or facing a swarm, apply twice as many damage details froma single roll)The Exorcist The end is never really the end, of course. Foul creatures wish to drag you down into the pit, and you must stop them. Questions: (answer 2) Who have you lost? Where did you eventually find them? What holds the world together? What tears the world apart? Class Attributes: Tough [+1], Precise [-1], Clever (0] Natural Aptitudes: (choose 3) Endurance, Identifying Symbols, Avoiding Spells, Fighting Unliving Positive Details: Holy Weapons (Proficient with Hand and Heaoy Weapons, shields, and Chainmail Armour or lighter) Banish the Unliving (Spell: Test Clever: Number over indicates the number of monsters banished) Light of the Mother (Spell: Test Clever: Details cam be spent one-to-one to heal allies, fll a room with light, or detect monsters)The Hunter A simple life in a house by a stream is too much to ask from these shattered lands. The dogs bay from their kennels. The hunt calls. Questions: (answer 2) Who cares for the dogs in your absence? What is your favoured prey? What stalks the realm by night? What food enchants people (and how)? Class Attributes: Tough [0], Precise [#1], Clever [-1] Natural Aptitudes: (choose 3) Navigation, Stealth, Fighting Insects, Fighting Animals Positive Details: Hunting Weapons (Proficient with Hand Weapons, Dueling Weapons, all bows, and Reinforced Leather Armour or lighter) Track your Prey (Skill: Test Precise: Details can be spent to locate water, animals, or monsters) ‘Skinand Bones (Skill: Test Tough: With raw materials, details can bespent to create valuableskinsorbone weapons)The Scoundrel ‘There is much to be gained in this new economy when no trap or guard can keep you out. Questions: (answer 2) What's the next big score? What score did you fail to pull off? Whose betrayal will you remember (and what was it)? Who will remember your betrayal (and what was it)? Class Attributes: Tough [-1], Precise [+1], Clever [0] Natural Aptitudes: (choose 3) Stealth, Avoiding Traps, Identifying Symbols, Disguise Positive Details: Cruel Weapons (Proficient with—usually sharp—Hand Weapons, Dueling Weapons, Crossbows, and Reinforced Leather Armour or lighter) Pilfer (Skill: Test Clever: Details can be spent to obtain items from pockets, conceal weapons, open locks, or spring fraps) Aim Between the Ribs (Skill: Test Precise: Details can be spent one-to-one to add damage details to your next successful attack from behind during this scene)The Elementalist ‘The world is not made of singular stuff, but shifting patterns and energies. Stare deep into the flame. Become fire herself. Questions: (answer 2) What remains unchanged? How close have you come to the flame? What burns in the hearts of the people? What stone structure is built on a foundation of mud? Class Attributes: Tough [0], Precise [-1], Clever [+1] Natural Aptitudes: (choose 2) Avoiding Spells, Disguise, Fighting Abominations Positive Details: Few Weapons (Proficient with Hand Weapons and Leather Armour) Disrupt the Balance (Spel: Test Clever: Details can be spent to create or destroy a handful of fire or water, or turn a handful of stone into mud or mud into stone) Shifting Forms (Spell: Ti Details can be spent to polymorph yourself or others for several seconds)The Occultist Your journey is brief. Seething power lies buried. The cold ground enfolds us all, in the end. Questions: (answer 2) What maddening secret do you know? How many more must die? Who most wishes to see the world come to harm? Who knows your darkest secrets? Class Attributes: Tough [-1], Precise [0], Clever [+1] Natural Aptitudes: (choose 2) Stealth, Identifying Symbols, Avoiding Spells Positive Details: No Weapons (Proficient with Leather Armour) Draw Forth the Unliving (Spell: Test Clever: Number over indicates the number of monsters created from fresh corpses; lasts for the scene) Shade of the Crone (Spell: Test Precise: Details can be spent to deal damage to close or far enemies)The Outlander It’s time to leave. Questions: (answer 1 or 4) You can hear them too, can’t you (what do they say)? What lies deep beneath these hills? Where can you never go? Where must you always return? Can you hear him crying (why or why not)? What lands have the greatest bounty just beneath the surface? Class Attributes: Tough [0], Precise [0], Clever [0] Natural Aptitudes: (choose 4) Avoiding Spells, Disguise, Navigation, Fighting Abominations, Fighting Unliving, Positive Details: Precise Weapons (Proficient with Hand and Dueling Weapons, the Bow, and Chainmail Armour or lighter) Natural Scavenger (Skill: Test Clever: Details can be spent to gather herbs, ammunition, or supplies) Sound of the Child (Spell: Test Precise: Details give you sions/sounds of the area at very far range)Character Advancement The GM will let you know that you have successfully formed a new relationship, learned a new skill or spell, developed a new aptitude, increased an attribute, or increased your Fallen capacity (in order of least to most difficult/time- consuming). However, players should talk to the GM about the pacing of the story they want: If the players want to become epic heroes, advancements should be more frequent. If the players want a gritty, painful adventure, advancements should be rare. Forming New Relationships Characters can form relationships with any character (player character or non-player character) as dictated by the story. Once four relationships exist between two characters, consolidate the relationship. When consolidating, make a summary of the relationship and write it as a new relationship (positive or negative) for one character (or write one for each character). Cross out the original four relationships, Learning New Skills and Spells Skills and spells that advance should be increased in power and writien as new, separate details, New weapon and armour proficiencies can be added as skill advancements Advanced skills and spells should be more powerful than their previous versions and should be added as separate details [eg., Shifting Forms (Spell: Test Precise: Details can be spent to polymorph yourself or others for several seconds) might be advanced to ‘Material Shifts (Spell: Test Precise: Details can be spent {0 polymorph yourself or others for several minutes)] Balancing the power of skills and spells is difficult. ‘Work with the group to determine whether a skill or spell is too weak or too strong, Developing New Aptitudes When characters have trained diligently or experienced things that brought them close to death, they develop new aptitudes. Take new aptitudes based on the existing list Tactics, Endurance, Navigation, Stealth, Disguise, Identifying Symbols, Avoiding Traps, Avoiding Spells, and Fighting Enemy Type. Or take them from the expanded list: Politics, Trade, Music, and Smithing, Healing, Increasing Attributes Rarely, the character can increase an attribute by 1 The higher the attribute, the more difficult it is to increase. Obtaining attributes above [12] should be very difficult. Obtaining attributes above [+3] should be nearly impossible. Increasing Fallen Capacity Very rarely, the character's Fallen capacity can be increased by 1. The character must first have the Aptitude of Endurance or have been judged by The Crone, The Mother, or The Child (additional increases require having been judged by the other two judges or developing the Aptitude of Endurance, Advanced Play After the group has exhausted the novelty of the above rules, the following rules can be added, Bouncing Details Back Sometimes the GM or player in a given challenge does not know what detail(s) to add. In this case, bounce the detail to another player or the GM to write. If a highly player-oriented world is desired, most GM details can be bounced back to the player(3). Bargaining with Demons In their desire for power, many adventurers make pacts with vile supematural forces, Demons can always be called upon to provide help (and thus, an additional Dark Die); however, they always want something terrible in return (always write a negative relationship or add a detail that increases their power), Write Demons as per Masters, but with explicitly devious intentions and methods. Mapping Relationships The complex web of relationships that develops during the game can be difficult to recall. Draw each character and write relationships along lines connecting related characters. Mapping the World Regions have two kinds of details: features and notables, Neither should be purely positive or negative, just interesting, Features are geographical or physical. Temples, ruins, cities, towns, cliffs, forests, wastelands, rivers, bridges, and oceans are features. Notables are people that can make the characters’ lives interesting. Feared lords, influential merchants, thousand-year-old wizards, and talented artists are notables. Notables might have relationships with the characters, and notables might become enemies, allies, or new Masters.Rolling for Tone Have the player select a tone for the scene. Have the GM select a contrasting tone for the scene. Whoever is over, gets their selected tone. On a draw, the two tones are juxtaposed, eg, the players are jocular, whereas the NPCs and world are grim, or vice versa. Alternate Character Generation 1) Designed Heroes: Have players assign [+1], [-11, and [+1] any way they choose (ie., no randomness). 2) Random Heroes: Have players assign all three bonuses of [+1], [-1], and [+1] randomly, using the attribute names in the table under Generating Attribute Scores, 3) Experienced Heroes: Have players assign a [1] for cach decade of experience (max attribute: [+3)) Each decade of experience adds 3 scars. Add a new negative detail of Retired (/20) that counts scars. Reaching Milestones Character advancement can be measured in a new unit called Milestones. Milestones are gained when. consolidating relationships, overcoming, incredible odds, spending weeks training, or witnessing ‘world-changing events Milestones can be spent as follows: 1 Form anew relationship 3 Learn a new Skill or Spell, or develop a new Aptitude 4 Increase an Attribute from [-1] to [+1], oF from [0] to (+1) 5 Increase an Attribute from [+1] to [+2], increase Fallen capacity from 4 to 5, or learn a Skill or Spell from a different class. 6 Increase an Attribute from [+2] to [+3] or increase Fallen capacity from 5 to 6. Counting Arrows and Components Its possible to significantly change the feel of the game (making it more desperate and resource- focussed) by restricting the material supplies required for ranged combat and/or spells. In this case, use Quiver [Capacity: Arrows ( /6)] as it contains six arrows, which are spent one-to-one to make ranged attacks. Spells require materials from the Herbalist's Cornucopia (for the Outlander) or Flasks of Foul Liquids (for the Occultist); devise similar items for the other characters by renaming these two items. Change their capacities to ( /6). Each unit spent allows the character to cast a spell once. Rolling over by 1 means that you spend 2 units (i.e., of arrows or magical supplies) Killing the Masters If you have more positive relationships than the total numberof (negative relationships) + (evil deeds dictated by the Masters that you carried out) + (details that count toward fallen), make test (Tough for an all-out fight, Precise for an assassination, ot Clever for a betrayal), If you succeed, your Masters are destroyed. Create new Masters, If you fail, GM details include damage and tuning positive | relationships into negative relationships Hacking the Indie Hack ‘The rules presented herein are modular: any section or subsection can be modified slightly, fully re written, replaced, or removed for the purposes of a given play group. When experienced players and GMs start a new adventure, they should discuss which rules they like, dislike, and are ambivalent towards and make "house rule” modifications as necessary. The GM should ensure that the players know which rules are used as-written and which rules are modified. NotesMonsters The following section provides example monsters. All monsters are assumed to be proficient with the weapons and armour that they carry. When there are multiple CL options for the Monster, the CL is chosen by the GM. Humans Hedge Wizard/Heretic/Madman (CL 0) The Crone is watching, She wants them all DEAD! Who is the weakest among them? What foulness can you bring down on their heads? Fallen (/3) Shade of the Crone (Spell: Test Precise: Details can be spent to deal damage to close or far enemies) Dried Meats ( Rations; worth 1 Jingle) Herbalist’s Cornucopia (worth 3 Jingle) Inquisitor! Priest (CL 02) The Mother is watching, She has judged them all... How have they disappointed the Mother? What will be their punishment? Fallen (/4) Hand Weapon or Heavy Weapon Chainmail Armour (/3) Small Shield (1) Rations (worth 1 Jingle) Creep (CL 0) There is nothing as lurid as an awful truth. If you move in shadows and print secrets, there is muuch gold to be gained! What tastes do you cater to? What remains off-limits? Fallen (/3) Hand Weapon Some Mouldy Food Disgusting, Libelous Literature (worth 1 Jingle) Barbarian (CL 1-2) Our homeland is being invaded by those who do not understand our tongue or our ways. What do we hold dear that the invaders do not? Shall we retaliate or seek to learn their ways? Fallen (/5) Heavy Weapon Leather Armour (1) A Fresh Kill (Nearby; worth 1 Jingle) Blighted "By The Mother, you must help me!" (CL 0) Where did you come into contact with The Blight? How has it corrupted your body? What is your last chance for succor? Fallen (/2) Blighted (-1 to all rolls that don’t directly involve self-preservation) Clawing Grasp and Infectious Vomit (as Hand Weapon; be over on a Tough test or become Blighted yourself)Animals Baited Bear (CL 0) After months of being bitten by dogs for entertainment, these bears can become dangerous to their handlers. Thereafter, they are either killed or released into the woods. All such creatures have a learned hatred of humans. allen (/6) Claws (as Heavy Weapon) Mangy and Scarred Horse Lizard/Giant Lizard (CL. 1-2) The lizards of the southem glades are known to grow throughout their lives; if left uunculled, they can become horse lizards (so-called because they can snatch a soldier from atop his mount). Their bite is tainted by the rotting flesh of their previous meals Fallen (/5) Bite (as Heavy Weapon, “festering wound” if over by3) Cold Blooded (“Sluggish (-1 to CL)” in the late afternoon) Tattered Human Bodies (nearby meals; hand ‘weapons, shredded armour, coins worth 1 Jingle) Great White Fox (CL 0-1) The foxes of the north are known to surround slow caravans and pounce when the travelers are least ready to defend themselves. Fallen (/3) Pounce (as Hand Weapon) Bite (after attacking with Pounce; as Heavy Weapon) Pack Animals (Travel and hunt in groups of 2-4) Tattered Human Remains (Nearby meals; hand ‘weapons, shredded armour, coins worth 1 Jingle)Derren a Rta ‘Traps can be deactivated by testing Clever. Traps can be deliberately (and safely) sprung by testing Precise. GM details are typically damage details. aw Ea (CSCC yh ee ae Cee e CC nee ei) conto Sec en) - Arrow Hole (as Crossbow) I aiee4 [ae eed Com CS tn aces aan ero architects utilize locks that test the mental skills of Peo m es a een a Smeal under, other than remaining locked out.) SO MK EE) eee oC oe eng Presa} Water/Acid/Fire Trap (CL 0-1) When this trap is sprung, all characters in Ce ee eee cea ey Cea ee Cee nTSD cloud. Water does not cause damage until the room Pre canes onc e7a) ee Te Coe RO UR CCT OER CLTS cers) Rea ea Comore Cree Cu Cecio)Unliving Revenant/Hungry Corpse (CL 0) The newly created unliving are ravenous. They will eat any flesh that they can find. Fallen (/3) Bite (as Hand Weapon, “festering wound” as GM scene detail) Hungry Bones (Remains of nearby meals; coins worth 1 Jingle) Skeletal Warrior (CL 0) The older unliving are used to defend sites of importance to powerful necromancers. They rise only when certain criteria are met (as determined by the specifics of the spell that binds their souls to their bones), Shattered ( /2) Organized (Rise and attack in co-ordinated groups of 24) Hand Weapon and Shield, or Bow Skelton Cat/Yowling Bones (CL -1) It is thought that The Child raises these creatures soon after their deaths as a way to lure children into the marsh, For this reason, in most cities, the body of any cat that dies of starvation is bound in wire or twine and burned in the public square. Of course, many cats die unnoticed. Shattered ( /1) Playful and Intelligent Claws (as Hand Weapon) Spirit/Member of the Second Court (CL 1) Itis unclear whether these spectres are agents of The Mother or The Crone. Their strange calls echo among the burial mounts. Banished (/4) Forelorn Howl (as Bow) Incorporeal (Not weapons or attacks) Lich/Member of the First Court (CL 3) These fiends are driven by the pure, selfish desire to see all life bent to their wishes (or destroyed). They often appear with a sigil or talisman that acts as a nexus of foul energy. Banished ( /6) damaged by non-magical Enfeebling Touch (as Heavy Weapon, temporary -1 to Tough if over by 3) Incorporeal (Not ‘weapons or attacks) damaged by non-magical The Wealth of Many Ages (Nearby jewels, artworks, wine, and coins worth 8 Jingle)fed Abominations Sentient Ooze (CL 2) Very few adventurers have seen these creatures; however, several ancient tomes describe an army of green, glowing warriors fighting in battles for a powerful sorcerer. + Separated (/4) Thrown Acidic or Basic Globules (as Hand Weapon or Bow; ignores armour; burning, but neutralized with Lye or Acid) Highly Intelligent Unable to Speak Seductive Wisp (CL 1) The Mother cannot protect you from certain kinds of magic. These apparitions appear as beautiful humans and draw adventurers to their doom, Dissipated (/3) Incorporeal (Not weapons or attacks) damaged by non-magical Unnatural Beauty (Test Clever, GM details describe being drawn in a disadvantageous direction) Animated Statue (CL 0) Certain statues are cursed human warriors who have offended powerful forces. They often stand guard at the gardens (or tombs) of powerful Shattered ( /4) Hand Weapon and Shield Skin of Stone (as Plate Armour) Clockwork Soldier (CL. 0) The artificiers of the Eastern Wastes fought their wars in a more civilized fashion: using warriors of iron and wood, and powered by alchemy. These wars are now over. The artificers are long dead. However, some of their servants remain. Shattered (/4) Hand Weapon and Shield Automaton (unaffected by sleep, poison, and most spells)Insects (including Molluscs, and Other Pests) Grey Worm (CL.0) The Grey Worm has a massive, winding tube- like body. It digests its prey slowly, as its gut is only slightly acidic. Grey worms are known to wait for most of a party to pass and attack the last member. Fallen (/4) Maw of Arrow-head Teeth (as Heavy Weapon) “Intelligent Massive Glittering Slug (CL 1) The shells of these creatures are dazzling to behold. From a distance, they might be mistaken for large multi-coloured crystals. Fallen ( /5) ‘Acidic or Basic Tongue (as Heavy Weapon; ignores armour; burning, but neutralized with Lye or Acid) Very Slow Glittering and Ethereal (CL3 versus ranged attacks) Banana Slug (CL 0) If you can get past the texture, the taste is really quite pleasant. Fallen (/2) Very Slow Delicious (as Rations) Slime [as Grease or Glue (new items, Consumed (2), worth 1 Jingle), depending on the season] Giant Wasp Swarm (CL 0) These wasps measure three hands wide and four long. Their sting is painful, but not deadly, at least, if you can escape the swarm to get treatment. Fallen (/2) ‘Swarm ( /3) (can attack all foes in an area as Hand Weapon; gets help on rolls, meaning an addition Light Die to choose from, until 3 damage details are added) Highly Territorial Flying Flesh-eating Beetles (CL 0) These beetles were bred in city sewers to consume any large material that was disposed of They have developed a taste for the flesh of animals, even people. Recent efforts by cities to reduce their ‘numbers have proven fruitless. Fallen (/1) Swarm ( /3) (can attack all foes in an area as Hand, Weapon; gets help on rolls, meaning an addition Light Die to choose from, until 3 damage details are added) Drawn by Smells Climb Walls and Ceilings Leave No Scraps Rare Creatures of Unknown Power Chitinous Drake (CL?) Great winged beast. Crabman (CL?) Part man, part crustacean, Troll (CL?) Stone-like flesh and a hunger for meat. Pixie (CL?) Diminutive keepers of gravesitesCharacter Sheet Name: Attributes: Tough [| Precise [| C1 Clever Positive Details: Masters: Sears: Class: Aptitudes: Negative Details: Fallen (/4) Relationships Items: Jingle: Pack ( 16+Tough) Rations ( #4) Flint-and-tinder Hand WeaponExample Adventure We find our three heroes, an Outlander, a Hunter, and an Exorcist, fighting for their lives among four skeletons that are posessed by muscles made of evil mushrooms, Hunter: Darn, there are still four left? I'l start firing, at them. Rolls Precise, I got an under by 2. GM: You fire off a few arrows, some of which embed in the ground nearby, some of which imbed in the meaty mushroom parts, but none of the creatures go down. During this time, they are able to move from far to close (That's a scene detail) Exorcist: Okay, I swing at this close-up creature with my mace. Rolls Tough. Nice! Over by 4! Tl do one damage detail to this guy and give the other detail to our Hunter. Hunter: By this time, I've seen a few shots and swings. For my detail, I notice that the hip region is where they're most vulnerable, so I add that. GM: Makes sense. You've seen a bunch of these fall (or not fall, in some cases), so yeah: They'll take double damage details from shots aimed at the hip region Exorcist: I'm going to aim for that then! Rolls. Dang, Tm under by 4. GM: Oooh. So you are trying to fight them off when you notice (remember I said that this was a big battlefield?) well, two more of these creatures rise from the ground, from under the moss (Those are my two details) Outlander: We need to get out of here. I'l roll Tough to just grab these guys by the shoulder and get us out. GM: Okay. If they're fine with that. Hunter: Yup. Exorcist: Agreed. We probably can't fight six of them, Outlander: Rolls Tough. Blah, over by 1 the... Exorcist... think I lose? What does Exorcist: You don't lose anything, but you do have to swing that sword like mad! You're batting them away with the sword or something, and you ding it up, Outlander: I'm not really going to use my sword for defensive stuff. I've got my shield up, you know? ‘Mimes blocking. Exorcist: Okay, how many points does your shield have left? Outlander: You jerk. Just one. Exorcist: So, your shield. Outlander: Fine! To save your sorry hides! Leers. I take up my shield as these skeleton-mushroom hands are all raining down. I'm getting tired, and I push them away with my shield, but they grab it, and I'd rather get away than fight for my shield. I just let go of my shield. GM: That's worse than damage, but it works for me! Hunter: So we've escaped. I'll lead us far enough away that we've lost them. And that guy has to be around here somewhere... Ivir? GM: Yeah, he's called Ivir. Hunter: Ill scan the area looking for signs of a bird- hunter, like footsteps, traps, feathers, or whatever. GM: Nice, Roll it! Hunter: I'm going to use my aptitude here. Navigation. Rolls Precise. I'm only over by 3. Scene and Hard, cl i: Yup. So you can ask two questions, Hunter: Huh... Umm... I want to know if there's any trace of a person. And also... Hmm... Where that bird lives. The special bird that he's looking for. GM: Yes. There's a trail of blood just a few feet off the trail. And this is definitely the habitat of the Silver Hawk. Hunter: Right, Silver Hawk GM: You can follow the trail easily enough. A few minutes in, you find Ivir's hunting crossbow. It's been fired. I should say, "It's not loaded.” Exorcist: I'm intrigued. I'll pick it up and check it out. GM: Sure, It's got a bit of blood on the side of it. Anything more will need a roll Exorcist: Rolls Clever. Nice, 1 over. So I get my thing, but you get a thing also. I'l ask, "Where is the secret compartment located on this thing?” GM: Grins. That's a pretty leading question. But I like it! There's a small pannel in the stock of the crossbow that swings open. There's a small package that's folded into some cloth. Inside there's a polyp. from before. Outlander, tell us what these polyps look like when they've been cut off. Outlander: Haha! Gross. So they're kind-of bluish, and oblong, and with some crystal-like sharp projections. GM: Presumably that's how they eventually kill you, with these sharp points coming out and cutting your insides,Outlander: Maybe. | haven't investigated that yet. GM: You hear a slight wet cough in the distance, Someone says, "Blasted birds! You've been the death of me... By the Mother, you've been my undoing,” Exorcist: I run toward the voice. Outlander: I'l follow. Hunter: I'l take it slow and circle around a bit. Outlander: We have his weapon, anyways. Hunter: I'm still going to be cautious, Exorcist: So what does he look like? GM: He's dressed in fine hunting attire. He's got a big velvet hat with a feather in it, to keep the sun from his eyes. He's lying underneath a bird's nest, coughing pretty violently. A lot of blood is pooling on the ground below his mouth. Exorcist "Il go interrogate him. GM: Hmm. Okay. But how? Exorcist: I'l pick him up by the collar and ask him where the gold is. I really try to scare him into paying attention. GM: You're roughing him up, basically. Sounds terrible. Roll plus Tough. Exorcist: Alright. Rolls Tough. Okay... Over by 2. He's infested with these polyps, so I just shake him and he tells me to go talk to his assistant to get answers. And then he dies in my arms, Outlander: I clutch the metal insignia tightly. I say, "Odge will not be pleased. A Final Note or Two... This game is a little tricky to play. Negotiating what constitutes a good detail is a non-trivial exercise for those familiar with OSR-style gaming and story focussed gaming alike. I suggest viewing this game a set of tools, rather GM: Not pleased at all. You've murdered his boss, Hunter: It was the polyps that got him, we just. helped... 'm coming out of the bushes to see this grim scene. Exorcist: He was definitely dying of the polyps, from all that coughing up blood. Outlander: Is there anything else around? GM: Nothing obvious, but give it a roll. Outlander: Actually, Il listen to the whispers on the wind. Rolls Precise. I'm over by 4. I hear whispers that there's another road home that’s just beyond these trees. And I have to give an ally a detail. How does that work? It's my power. GM: Hmm... You go into a bit of a trance-like state while you're listening this time, You actually whisper something out loud to yourself, but you're not aware of saying it. Only one of your allies hears it, Which one? Exorcist: Pick me! Outlander: Sure! You already think I'm creepy. 1 whisper something that the Exorcist hears. GM: What gets whispered? Exorcist: I hear him say, "There is no such thing as, co-incidence. The path is clearly marked.” Hunter: What does that mean? GM: Yeah, what does that mean? Exorcist: Grins. You'll see. than a set of restrictions. Take things out. Re-write things to fit your group. Listen to the other players. My hope is that people will use this set of rules to run the modules, settings, and adventures that are already on their shelves, In short: "Take this book and run (games) with it”