Black Sword Hack (Merry Mushmen) Core Rulebook (HighRes) 00wpCL PDF

A game by Kobayashi

BLACK SWORD HACK Ult imate Chaos Edit ion Old School Dark Fantasy

THE MERRY MUSHMEN

“There is no Truth but that of Eternal struggle.” Michael Moorco*ck, The Weird of the White Wolf

Thanks to Olivier and Eric for helping me turning this game into a better one. Thanks to William “Bill” King for his books and his foreword. Many thanks to David Black for creating and sharing THE BLACK HACK, there would be no Black Sword Hack without him.

THE MERRY MUSHMEN

BLACK SWORD HACK Ultimate Chaos Edit ion

Old School Dark Fantasy

Written by Alexandre ‘Kobayashi’ Jeannette Art Goran Gligović Editor Éric Nieudan Layout Olivier Revenu Proofreading Sarah Grove Special Guests Evlyn Moreau, Rob Matthews

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB MADE BY HUMANS

Published by The Merry Mushmen & Kamchatka Publishing 103 Chemin de Nin, 64240 Urt - FRANCE www.themerrymushmen.com Printed in Euskadi - February 2023

Most of the text of this game is under a Creative Commons license (CC-BY-4.0). The System Reference Document at https://www.themerrymushmen.com/ressources-tmm/ contains the material you can reuse freely. Please check it out before copying text from this book! The art is © Goran Gligović and the maps are © Rob Matthews (p. 62-69) and © Evlyn Moreau (p. 101).

Foreword

long time ago, in a game club far away –OK–1977, Edinburgh, Scotland, as a newly enrolled university student, I first encountered Dungeons and Dragons. These days we think of those three brown booklets in a white box as the very quintessence of Old School but back then they were something astonishingly new, a concept so radical that it changed the gaming world, and eventually infiltrated the far corners of popular culture, from fiction to computer games to movies and TV. Gaming is so omnipresent now, it’s hard to imagine a time when it was not. But that time existed. I lived through it. The world was different back then. Star Wars was released in 1977 but did not reach Scotland until 1978. The World Wide Web was the stuff of science fiction or it would have been had not hard SF been more concerned with space travel than computer tech. You picked stuff up through word of mouth, in the wargame and RPG clubs and little fanzines sold over the counter in the Science Fiction Bookshop. All of those things we think of as signifiers of early D&D were still in the future. There were no modules. There was no B/X. The rules were not terribly clear and had been published piecemeal in a patchwork of supplements such as Greyhawk and Eldritch Wizardry. Every single campaign I

06 – Black Sword Hack –

played in was different, as GM’s tinkered with the rules to reflect their visions or just to plug the many, many gaps and inconsistencies. In Scotland, and probably throughout the world, gaming culture varied from city to city, under the influence of different groups and their interpretations of the rules. You could see this in the APAs like Alarums and Excursions which I picked up a few copies of at Dragonmeet in London and read and reread. In that pre-Internet age, these collected minizines felt like transmissions from another star, the thoughts of gamers in the faraway lands of California and Boston and Washington DC. You could see the novelty of it all in Dave Hargrave’s Arduin and the sheer weirdness of the D&D competitors that had started to emerge such as first edition Runequest. All of this was the product of hundreds of creative people encountering what was then a totally new outlet for their creativity. Was it a game? A storytelling system? An exercise in world building? It was a combination of all of these and more. I can remember being mind-blown in the parlance of the times. Here was a chance to live inside a fantasy world, many different ones in fact. And this was a very big thing in the days before MMOs and games consoles with near realistic levels of graphics. This was the door to Narnia I had been looking for all my life.

These days in Old School Renaissance circles there is a tendency to identify OSR play with certain tropes. XP for gold, high lethality, emergent storytelling. And those things were certainly there, but the thing that remains with me to this day is that feeling of being able to visit other worlds. To live an alternate life in the sort of places I had been reading about back then and could take part in only as a passenger inside a work of fiction. That was an enormous innovation. Fantasy as a genre was much smaller. It had not ossified into a huge industry with numerous sub-genres, many of which reflect the influence of gaming and gamers. It was pulpier and far more individualistic. Every book felt different and this was in a time when it was still possible to keep up with most of what was released in the genre. I was a kid from a small town in Scotland and I had read pretty much everything in Appendix N by the time that came out. Looking back at that 70s RPG explosion, I think of its almost contemporary phenomenon, Punk, and its street level creativity. All of the zines distributed by friends in clubs and the bands starting up in bedsits, a democratising reaction to the megabands and stadium rock that had emerged in the same epoch. The OSR is something similar but more recent. The thing I liked most about it was the creativity, the weirdness, the sense of

thousands of individuals expressing their own vision. For me it was never about retroclones, or megadungeons or sticking it to the storygamers. It was about all of the strange and wonderful new stuff I could suddenly get my hands on which bore no resemblance to the pasteurised, hom*ogenised coffee table books that the modern fantasy gaming industry produces. Which brings me to the book you hold in your hands. It is a great example of what I am talking about. I am a huge fan of The Black Hack and Koyabashi has produced some superb variants on it. The ﬁrst edition was one of the best I have read. It claimed to be sword and sorcery of the Moorco*ck/ Leiber/Karl Edward Wagner sort, and it was, but not by slavish imitation of the worlds and style of those writers. Instead it provided you with a toolkit to build worlds of your own in that genre. I loved it and I was impressed by the game design chops of its creator. The ﬁrst edition was one of my favourite works of modern game design and I am excited to see what can be done with this new version.

Bill King,

Prague, 2022.

– Black Sword Hack – 07

oomed princes, cunning vagabonds and greedy mercenaries try to survive and prevail in a world torn apart by Law and Chaos. Those who survive the trials of their humble beginnings may soon find themselves at the centre of this struggle. Will they usher the dawn of a new age? Give the last push to a world on the brink of oblivion? Or simply make the best of a dying world as long as they can? Black Sword Hack is a dark fantasy roleplaying game; inspired by (but not limited to) the works of R.E. Howard, Michael Moorco*ck, Karl Edward Wagner's Kane series, Fritz Lieber's Lankhmar and Jack Vance's Dying Earth books. These inspirations are merely a starting point for the gamemaster. The game gives them the tools to build their own cosmic battlefield, drawing from every source they deem appropriate. Players should have free rein to explore that world in any way they want: there is no campaign arc here, each sessions should be built on the ruins of the last, letting the characters carve their own fate in the conflict between Law and Chaos. From a system standpoint it is a stand-alone game that uses The Black Hack 2nd Edition rules as a foundation.. This means swift action resolution, fast and deadly combat, and a system where players roll the dice 99% of the time, letting the GM focus on the consequences of the characters' actions. Black Sword Hack adds the following: characters defined by their origins and not constrained by a class, free to grow in any way they want. You'll also find a sorcery system that will corrupt even the best intentioned players who think they can use sorcery for "good" .

08 – Black Sword Hack –

Table of Contents Rules 12 Combat 16 Character Creation 20 Equipment 26 Experience 30 Dark Pacts 32 Demonic Pacts (34), Spirit Alliances (36), Sorcery (38), Fairie Ties (42), Twisted Science (44), Rune Weapons (46)

Bestiary 48 Create Your World 58 Create Your City 72 Traveler Tales 76 Adventure: Dark Seeds 78 Adventure: Slayers of the Blood God 81 Heimdallir, Port of the North 86 Appendices 89 Running the Game (90), Advices from the Great Old Ones (92), Black Sord for the Lone Adventurer (94), Bibliograpgy & Plot Generator (96), The Dark God's Oracle (98), Cosmic Usage Dice (99), Friendly NPCs (99), Evlyn's World (100), Impossible Creatures (102), Strange Planes (103), Names by Origin (104)

Character Sheets 106 Glossary 108 10 – Black Sword Hack –

Rules Turns To make sure everyone at the table has a chance to speak, the game uses Turns. At the table, a Turn is the time needed for a character to move and act, it simply refers to that moment you say to a player: "it's your turn, what do you do?". In game time, a Turn may represent a few moments (during combat), a few minutes (while exploring a house), a few hours (exploring a city) or even a few days (travelling to another city). Regardless, the game is always played in Turns WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? Suppose the action takes place in a bustling city, as a GM you simply ask each player, one after another, what they wish to do during their turn. As a group, you decide that in this situation, a Turn is half a day. ONE TURN, TWO ACTIONS To make sure no player hogs the spotlight, a character can move and take one action during their turn. The action's complexity (and the distance covered with a move) depends on the length of the Turn as established by the GM (moments, minutes, hours; etc.).

12 – Black Sword Hack –

HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES: • “I want to do some shopping.” Here they have their move (going to the shops) and their action (shopping). If the character just wants to resupply, they can go to several shops, if it's more involved (looking for speciﬁc and rare item or having something custom made) they can only do one shop. Then go to the next player! • “I’d like to do some research.” Here you'll have to ask the player to be a bit more speciﬁc: what kind of information do they seek and where? If they answer "I want to learn about the nearby ruins and so I'll ask around in taverns and make a trip to the local library", you'll have to say "Well, spending times with drunks or studying books requires some time, that would be two actions and you can only have one: taverns or library, what will it be?". This helps players prioritise what their character wants or needs to do. If you're playing online, this is a life-saver as it avoids players cutting each other off. As any rule in this game, see it as a guideline: players should still talk between themselves to come up with crazy plans. Think of Turns as a metronome that only the GM can hear and helps pace the session.

The Attribute Tests When a character wants to do something that has a chance to fail, the player makes an attribute test by rolling a d20. The attributes description on p.10 will tell you which one to use depending on the situation. • The roll is under the attribute: the character succeeds. • The roll is on or over the attribute: the character fails or succeeds at a cost.

WHAT IS SUCCEEDING AT A COST? This is meant as a way to avoid a game to avoid a game stalling simply because of a failed roll. Here are a few examples tied to specific situations: - Stealth: “You manage to stay hidden but leave traces of your passage behind you.” - Study: “You find the information you seek but attract unwanted attention” or “The information is incomplete and points to an unexpected direction.” - Climbing: “You don't fall off the cliff, but you lose your sword” (or another important item). - Survival: “You find water and food but the quality is so bad you don't get the benefits of a full or short rest. You're not starving though...” - Influence: “Your target interlocutor agrees with you but asks for more...” (more money, more information, more time, whatever fits the situation). CRITICAL SUCCESS AND FAILURE No matter what the circ*mstances are: • A roll of 1 is always a critical success • A roll of 20 is always a critical failure For attack rolls, a critical success means the character does maximum damage and adds another damage die on top. Whatever the roll, a critical failure means you have to roll your Doom die immediately.

THREAT LEVEL When a roll affects an NPC or creature (intimidation, inﬂuence, combat, etc.), and their level is higher than the character's, the player must add the level difference to the roll. GROUP TEST In a group effort, if half the characters succeed at their attribute test, the whole group does. This is useful when all characters try to be stealthy (Dexterity test) or need to push forward while crossing across a mountain pass (Constitution test); in short, use this rule whenever the characters are doing the same thing and are able to help each other.

Advantage and disadvantage Having Advantage or Disadvantage on a roll means that you roll two dice: • Advantage allows the Player to choose which result to use. • Disadvantage means the GM chooses the result to use. - For the GM: use this rule to reflect bad or good conditions that can influence an attribute test or a roll, this might be a strained relationship (you try to bribe a guard that dislikes you for example) or having the right tools for the job. - For the player: try to create situations where your character can get Advantage: find a better position, help another character, offer a bribe, etc. Advantage and Disadvantage can apply to all die rolls: attribute tests, damage rolls, and any Usage die (see below). If a roll happens to have both Advantage and Disadvantage, they cancel each other (no matter how many Advantages and Disadvantages you have). – Black Sword Hack – 13

Usage Die (Ud)

Distances

Some things in the game are represented by a Usage die (Ud) to model the fact that they are available in limited quantities. In Black Sword Hack we like to use this mechanic to represent mostly abstract resources: such as inﬂuence, debts, etc. The Usage die should be seen as a "push your luck" mechanic. It can grant you some advantages but it can also blow up in your face at the worst possible moment. Some games use this mechanic to manage concrete resources like rations, or arrows. Not so in Black Sword Hack. Counting 20 arrows is not rocket science nor is recording the use of a week's worth of rations. A Usage die should represent something important, not the content of one's backpack. When a resource is used, you roll its Usage die; a result of 1 or 2 means the Usage die is downgraded to the next smallest die:

Black Sword Hack uses four ranges: Close, Nearby, Far away, and Distant. Moving one range requires one move. Depending on the length of a Turn, the actual distance covered by the character will vary, for example in combat:

Ud20>Ud12>Ud10>Ud8>Ud6>Ud4 When you roll a 1 or 2 on a Ud4, the resource is depleted. As a guide the average number of uses until the die is depleted for each Ud is as follows: Ud20(30), Ud12(20), Ud10(14), Ud8(9), Ud6(5), Ud4(2).

AN EXAMPLE: During the campaign, the GM thinks that an NPC, a mercenary, owes a debt to one of the player characters who saved their life. The GM decides to represent this debt as a d6 Usage die. What does this mean? Each time the PC asks the mercenary for help, they roll the debt Ud6. Once the die is depleted, the mercenary will consider their debt paid and will no longer help the character for free.

14 – Black Sword Hack –

FOR EXAMPLE IN COMBAT: Close • 1,50m • 1 square Nearby • 10m • 6 squares Faraway • 20m • 12 squares Distant • Beyond 20m Outside of combat, measuring distances can be important in situations like chases.

FOR EXAMPLE: - Hadidja the Swift pursues her target on the rooftops of the Jade city. The target is Far away, meaning Hadidja has to cover two range bands to get close to her target (from Far away to Nearby, and then from Nearby to Close). The GM simply asks Hadidja's player to make Dexterity tests. Once they get two successes Hadidja catches up with her target but if she gets two failures ﬁrst, the target runs away. - Our band of heroes have entered an underground necropolis. The GM decides that the tomb the characters are looking for is Distant, so it takes three moves to reach it (from Distant to Far away, from Far away to Nearby, and then from Nearby to Close). How long should each Turn last? The GM wants the necropolis to be pretty big, so they go for a half-hour Turn length. Their choice is based on the average speed of a walking human (5km/3 miles per hour). TURNS AND DISTANCES Using Turns with distances will help you keep track of the passage of time. Even using an overland map, always make sure the players know how long a journey can

Perception When characters are actively looking for something, they ﬁnd it. If the time taken to ﬁnd it is a factor, ask for an INT test.

Doom Once they decide to go adventuring, the characters bring the attention of Law and Chaos on themselves. This is represented by the Doom die. Each time a character goes beyond their limits and tempts fate, they must roll their Doom die: the forces of Law and Chaos can, and will, turn the tide one way or another. The Doom die is is a Usage die; when it is depleted, the character has brought doom upon themselves. In game terms the Doom die is usually rolled when a character: • Takes the same action twice during a combat Turn (roll before making the test)*. • Uses a Gift that requires it. • Gets a critical failure on an attribute test. The Doom die returns to its maximum after the character has taken a long rest. Players can choose to "call on Doom" Doom": roll Doom and subtract the result from an attribute test. The Doom die automatically degrades. No Doom die anymore? You can't use actions requiring you roll it. Once the Doom die is depleted depleted, the character is considered Doomed. All their attribute tests and damage rolls are made with Disadvantage until the character can take a long rest.

– Black Sword Hack – 15

*If the action already requires a Doom roll, this one is made with Disadvantage.

take. As a rule of thumb, characters travel at 5km (3 miles) per hour when walking, 55 km (35 miles) per day on horseback, 200km (120 miles) per day on a sailing ship. These numbers assume good travel conditions (roads or trails, wind, etc.). Divide them by two otherwise (off-road travel, rain, rough sea...).

Combat Blood and Souls!

First and foremost, the players roll all the dice in combat: when monsters attack, they simply roll to defend. INITIATIVE At the beginning of a combat, every player makes a WIS test. Those who succeed act before the opposition (monsters and enemy NPCs), starting with the player seated at the left side of the GM. The rest acts after the opposition, once again, in a clockwise fashion. • A critical success on the initiative roll means you get three actions instead of two on your ﬁrst turn. • A critical failure on the initiative roll means you only get one action instead of two on your ﬁrst turn. WHAT CAN YOU DO? During their turn, your character can take two actions (move, attack, use something, cast a spell, etc.). Don't forget you must roll your Doom die if you take the same action twice . ATTACKING • Using a melee weapon: make a STR test. • Using a ranged weapon: make a DEX test. A successful attack deals damage (you roll your damage die). A critical success deals maximum damage, and you add another damage die on top of that. 16 – Black Sword Hack –

DEFENDING Defending is done during the enemy's turn; it doesn't count against the twoaction limit you get during your own turn. You can defend as many times as you need during your turn. • Parrying: make a STR test • Dodging: make a DEX test Note: The character must be holding something to be able to parry. Ranged attacks can only be dodged. A failed defence roll means you take damage. A critical failure means your armour is ignored. THREAT LEVEL If an opponent’s level is higher than the character’s level, the player adds the difference between the two levels to the d20 when making any attribute tests to attack (if the character's level is higher, no modiﬁer is applied). WEAPONS AND DAMAGE Characters are trained ﬁghters: the damage they cause with any weapon is the same (normally 1d6). Their unarmed damage is 1d4. These may change with Backgrounds (p. 24) and Gifts (p.31). ARMOUR The armour's protection rating is subtracted from the incoming damage (which can be reduced to zero).

SHIELDS Shields give you Advantage to your defence tests when parrying. At the GM's discretion, they may let you use your DEX to defend against arrows. A critical failure means the shield is broken. TWO-HANDED WEAPONS These weapons give you Advantage to their damage rolls. ATTACK EFFECT If you want to add an effect to your attack, say so before you make your attribute test and then make a Doom roll. NPCs don't have access to weapon effects. • Break: you break your opponent's weapon (or a piece of equipment). • Brutal: add the Doom die's result to the damage you inflict. • Disarm: you do no damage but your target is disarmed. • Entangle: you do no damage, all attacks against the target during this Turn are done with Advantage. • Flurry: inflict regular damage and immediately get an additional attack. • Pin down: inflict regular damage and your target cannot move this Turn. • Sacrifice: inflict double damage (triple if your attack is a critical hit) but your weapon breaks. • Shove: you do no damage but push your opponent (to the ground, overboard, etc.). • Sweep: damage everyone Close to you (friend and foe). • Vicious: inflict regular and ongoing damage (Ud4). ONGOING DAMAGE Things like acid, poison, or fire deal ongoing damage. Roll for damage using a Usage die (generally Ud4 or Ud6) each Turn until the die is depleted. There should always be ways to stop the damage, like jump in water to douse the flames or apply anti-venom unguent. 18 – Black Sword Hack –

HIT POINTS When a monster's or NPC's hit points reach 0, they are dead. At 0 hit points a character is Helpless, unable to do anything except talk feebly. Once the ﬁght is over (or the character is dragged to a safe place), the player rolls a d6:

Helpless (d6) 1. Scratched: the character is good to go except for a new scar. 2. Missed: one random piece of equipment is destroyed. 3. Impaired: Disadvantage on DEX tests for the rest of the session. 4. Injured: Disadvantage on all attribute tests for the rest of the session. 5. Butchered: lose 1 point of (roll a d6): 1-3: STR, 4-6: DEX permanently. 6. Killed: create a new character (of the same level). A surviving character (results 1 to 5) immediately gets d4 HP back.

Recovery As soon as they opted for a life of violence, characters have shown an unnatural capacity to heal. It is said that the powers of Law and Chaos tend to favour those who ﬁt into their plans. Anyone witnessing the PCs' unnatural healing grows suspicious of them. People associated with the powers that be usually bring bad luck and death with them... In game terms, it simply means player characters recover HP by taking a short rest or a long rest. Everyone else needs medical attention and several weeks of bed rest. • Short rests can be taken anywhere: they last 1 hour, characters recover a number of hit points equal to half their CON score (rounded down). A character can take one short rest per day. • Long rests can only be taken in safe environments: they lasts 6 hours, and characters recover all their hit points. Their

Doom dice are fully restored as well. Some backgrounds and gifts may require a long rest to refresh. This is mentioned in their description (see p.24 and 31). What counts as a safe environment is up to the GM. It is usually a settlement of some kind with some degree of provided comfort. A campsite in the wilderness, where night attacks or interruptions are a possibility, is never a safe environment. You shouldn't expect to have long rests while in the wild.

Combat Example Let us join two level 1 heroes, Morgelt and Akem as they face four cultists who don’t seem to be open to negotiation. GM_Make your wisdom rolls! Morgelt_Success! Akem_I must be doomed: 20! GM_Ok you’ll only get one action on this ﬁrst round. Morgelt you go ﬁrst what do you do? Morgelt_I charge them! Do I get a bonus? GM_You’re too close, roll your attack. They're level 1 so you add 1 to your attack roll. Morgelt_Success! I roll for damage...6! GM_Ok this cultist bites the dust, how did you do it? Morgelt_Uh, I guess I just crushed his head with my mace. GM_Now it’s my turn, one of the cultists tries to stab you, how do you defend: parry or dodge? Morgelt_Parry and it’s a success! GM_Akem, two cultists go for you, how do you defend? Morgelt_I dodge, my Strength score is crap. GM_Ok roll twice [one against each cultists] Once again, you get +1 to the roll [as the cultists are level 2]. Akem_One success and one failure... GM_One of the cultists successfully stabs you, you lose 3 HP. Akem it’s your turn,

you only get one action this time because of your crappy initiative roll. Akem_Yeah I rolled a 1! That’s called karma, I stab this guy in the face! GM_Your damage die is a d6 so you do 6 points of damage plus another d6 but don’t bother because 6 is enough to kill this guy. New round of combat, Morgelt, you’re up! Morgelt_I attack twice so I have to roll my Doom die first yes? GM_Exactly. You attack the same cultist twice? Morgelt_No, one attack is against the cultist attacking me the other one is against the one that is still attacking Akem if he’s close enough. GM_Yeah I guess you can [the GM thinks it’s not unreasonable and it makes the fight more dynamic]. Morgelt_First my Doom die: I rolled a 4, I’m fine, I roll my two attacks: two successes, I roll damage I get a 1 and a 5. GM_You only scratched the one facing you but killed the other one. It’s his turn, he’s attacking you. Morgelt_I roll a parry and, fail, crap. GM_You take 3 points of damage. Akem it’s your turn. Akem_Hey! We’re both attacking this guy, don’t I get an advantage? GM_Well, no, you didn’t get a disadvantage when they were attacking you? Akem_Fair enough. I roll to attack and it’s a success! I roll damage: 4! GM_Okay he was already down 1 HP so you killed him. Akem_This is our first fight and I already lost 30% of my HP... Are you sure we should go on? Morgelt_Next time there will be more of them and they’ll be waiting for us, we push forward. I have some healing balms in my rucksack. Akem_*Sigh* .

– Black Sword Hack – 19

Character Creation Creating a character is a three-step process: the player rolls their character's attributes, picks an origin and ﬁnally chooses backgrounds.

Attributes A character is made of six attributes.

• STRENGTH (STR)

Raw physical power. Use STR to... Bash skulls, parry, perform feats of brawn. • DEXTERITY (DEX) Deftness and agility. Use DEX to... Shoot people in the face, dodge, ride, pick locks. • CONSTITUTION (CON) The body's capacity to resist physical stress. Use CON when... Resisting fatigue, poison, or diseases, etc.

• INTELLIGENCE (INT)

The ability to apply one's knowledge to the situation at hand. Use INT when... Deciphering a dusty tome, looking for an enemy's weakness or the exit to a maze.

• WISDOM (WIS)

Steadiness in a stressful situation. Use WIS for... Initiative, overcoming fear, and resisting mental stress.

• CHARISMA (CHA)

A measure of a character's ability to inﬂuence others. Use CHA to... Persuade or intimidate NPCs.

ROLLING ATTRIBUTES Roll 2d6 for each attribute in order and note its score using the table below: 2-3 8 20 – Black Sword Hack –

4-5 9

6-7 10

8-9 11

10-11 12

12 13

Character Creation

Origin Pick one of the following origins for your character: Barbarian, Civilized, or Decadent. We use these words loosely, the way they were in pulp novels: a barbarian hero may value honour and courage but might easily succumb to violence and superstition. A character coming from a civilized culture can cherish knowledge and progress but also be quick to deem others inferior or primitive. Decadent adventurers come from a doomed society, which could make them gloomy and miserable or carefree, just happy to survive another day. A character's origin is meant to springboard your imagination, not to turn your character into a cliché. BIRTH BARBARIAN Your character was born (roll a d20)... 1 ...in a slave camp. 2 ...on an island just before the invaders came. 3 ...during your clan's last raid. 4 ...in an invading army's camp before you were kidnapped. 5 ...under the harsh sun, in the territory of a desert tribe. 6 ...in the hut of a banished druid. 7 ...in a stone circle shunned by your people. 8 ...among your Pict brothers and sisters after a bloody battle. 9 ...aboard a longship ﬁlled with Northern raiders. 10 ...nine months after a foreign mercenary married your mother. 11 ...while the rest of the Iron Horde was attacking a caravan. 12 ...in a civilized kingdom, but you were traded as a hostage. 13 ...in a cave network ruled by strange insectoid creatures. 14 ...in a palace, soon after raided by your adoptive tribe. 15 ...on the night your clan burned the Empire's capital. 16 ...in a forest clearing, denounced by the druids as a dark omen. 17 ...on the last ship of a seafaring clan. 18 ...inside a wicker statue about to be burned. 19 ...on the foreign ship bringing your family back home. 20 ...in the middle of a battle against your conquerors. 22 – Black Sword Hack –

BIRTH CIVILIZED Your character was born (roll a d20)... 1 ...in the city's worst slums. 2 ...in the shadows of a theocracy. 3 ...aboard a plague ship, somehow the only survivor. 4 ...in a bustling mining town. 5 ...during an expedition searching for a mythical city. 6 ...On the street, as your family was fleeing revolutionary forces. 7 ...in a foreign land after your parents' ship got wrecked. 8 ...inside an invocation pentacle, near the sorcerer's body. 9 ...on the prison island where the monarch's political opponents are sent. 10 ...on the day the king was beheaded by your father. 11 ...aboard a ship sent to find a new maritime route. 12 ...in a military academy where your parents were teaching. 13 ...in a fortress later burned by your family's enemies. 14 ...in the biggest mansion of the city's merchant quarter. 15 ...in the middle of a mercenary camp. 16 ...in a secluded religious community. 17 ...in the dilapidated manor of your ruined family. 18 ...in an isolated farm on the frontier. 19 ...in the richest palace of the Caliphate. 20 ...in a hideout for the assassin's guild. BIRTH DECADENT Your character was born (roll a d20)... 1 ...in a jewelled tower, symbol of a corrupt empire. 2 ...in the barracks of the slave soldiers. 3 ...in a disreputable brothel of the City of Thieves. 4 ...in the poppy fields owned by the Court's greatest sorcerer. 5 ...in the necropolis where you were raised by ghosts. 6 ...in a museum, as part of the permanent exhibition. 7 ...in the ruins of a crystal palace. 8 ...inside a monstrous creature killed by your adoptive parents. 9 ...as a vessel for the soul of a dying noble. The ritual failed. 10 ...in the last city of a dying species. 11 ...covered with the blood of your own people after a failed invocation. 12 ...in the arena's champion quarters. 13 ...in the servants quarters of a vampire's tower. 14 ...below the Empress's palace, among her slaves. 15 ...in the dessicated gardens of a dying desert city. 16 ...on a tropical island, just as it was beginning to sink. 17 ...in an asylum deep within the Forbidden City. 18 ...in the laboratory of the alchemist you called Father. 19 ...at the top of a pyramid of red obsidian. 20 ...in a hurricane summoned by your mother. – Black Sword Hack – 23

Backgrounds Pick three backgrounds: two tied to your origin and another one from any list. You cannot take two backgrounds described as unique. Backgrounds raise one of your attributes and have mechanical effects; they can also help define your character's motivations, potential allies and enemies, etc. BARBARIAN • Berserker (unique): When you go berserk, add a d6 to the damage you deal. The damage you receive is divided by 2. Your rage stops when you roll a 1 on the d6. You need a long rest to be able to go berserk again. +1 STR. • Chieftain: You can use Strength instead of Charisma when trying to intimidate someone. + 1 STR • Herbalist: You can create d6 doses of healing balm (each one restores d6 + Level HP), hallucinogenic drugs, or poison (d6 damage per dose). You need a long rest close to nature to replenish your stock. +1 INT • Hunter: In combat your first arrow always hits, and you add your level to its damage. +1 DEX • Raider: When you get a critical success on an attack roll, you inflict damage equal to your Strength score (no need to roll the damage). +1 STR • Scout: You get Advantage on your Initiative rolls. +1 WIS • Shaman: You have made a pact with two spirits (see p.29). +1 WIS • Storyteller: You always know d4 interesting things about objects, places, or people (one roll per session). While you tell a story, your audience doesn't notice what happens Nearby. +1 CHA. • Survivor: It takes you d6 minutes to find something that can be used as a knife or club. +1 CON. • Wildling: You can take a long rest anywhere, regardless of the situation. +1 CON. CIVILIZED • Bodyguard: If you use an action to protect a Close character during your turn, you absorb any damage from attacks against them, but you divide it by two (rounded up). +1 CON 24 – Black Sword Hack –

• Bookworm: You can substitute any attribute test with an INT test (explain how and why your knowledge helps you). Replenishes after a long rest. +1 INT • Diplomat: You know two additional languages (see p.25) and can make yourself understood by anyone willing to do so. If all you do is talk you can act first at the beginning of any combat Turn. +1 CHA • Inventor (unique): You know how to build two scientific marvels (see p.35). +1 INT. • Legionnaire: You are used to fighting in groups. Three times per session, a Nearby ally can re-roll a failed dodge, parry, or attack roll. +1 STR • Sophist: You can make someone believe a blatant lie if you succeed at a CHA test. The "effect" lasts one hour. +1 CHA • Street urchin: Get Advantage on actions involving stealth, pick-pocketing, eavesdropping, and streetwise. +1 DEX. • Surgeon: Make an INT test when attending someone with 0 HP. They roll a d4 on the Helpless table instead of a d6 if you succeed. +1 INT • Sword master: You can use DEX instead of STR when making a melee attacks with one-handed bladed weapons. +1 DEX DECADENT • Assassin (unique): Your first attack against an unaware target is an automatic hit that deals damage equal to your Dexterity score. +1 DEX • Changeling: You were abducted as a baby and raised by very different folk. Choose two faerie ties (see p. 42). +1 CHA • Forbidden knowledge: You start the game with 4 randomly selected spells (see p.31). +1 INT • Pit-fighter: Your unarmed damage is equal to your weapon damage. +1 STR • Snake blood: You're immune to poisons and venoms. +1 CON • Vicious: Your weapon damage die is now d8 (d6 unarmed). +1 STR • Warlock: You have a pact with two demons (see p.25). +1 CHA

Don’t leave without... HIT POINTS Your hit points (HP) total is equal to your CON score. DOOM All characters start with Ud6 as their Doom die. WEAPON AND UNARMED DAMAGE Characters start with d6 weapon damage and d4 unarmed damage. STARTING EQUIPMENT Characters usually begin their adventures with a set of clothes, a few coins depending on their origin, and two weapons.

LANGUAGES All characters probably speak Thyrenian and another language tied to their origin. Discuss this with the GM. - Alashan... .an corrupt empire mired in corruption - Amaric... .the Caliphate - Askavian.... a dusty, crumbling empire - Chalidim.... the desert tribes - Duhuang.... the Forbidden City and the Eastern Principalities - Jurka... .the Iron Horde - Naruan.... the Golden Archipelago - Pictish.... Picts from the highlands - Thyrenian.... the Merchant league - Urgic.... Northern raiders

• Barbarian origin:: 25 coins • Civilized origin:: 50 coins • Decadent:: 100 coins For your two weapons roll two d10 on the tables on page 20. Roll once on the table tied to your origin and once on the table of your choice. A result of 0 (or 10) means no weapon with that roll.

– Black Sword Hack – 25

Equipment Cost of living At the beginning of each adventure, characters lose a number of coins equal to their CON. This represents their daily expenses between two adventures. If your character couldn't or wouldn't pay, they can either have taken a job or loan (roll on one of the tables below) Who lent you the money? 1. a noble 2. a painter 3. a mercenary 4. a merchant 5. a scientist 6. an assassin 7. a foreign spy 8. a smuggler 9. the local hermit 10. a religious ﬁgure 11. the thieves’ guild 12. you found the money on a corpse you chanced upon 13. a sorcerer 14. a circus owner 15. an ambassador 16. an innkeeper 17. an errant knight 18. the local arena’s owner 19. a bounty hunter 20. a demon in disguise 26 – Black Sword Hack –

Which job did you accept? Roll on each table. 1. ﬁnd 2. follow 3. steal 4. scare 5. hurt 6. guard 1. a corrupt 2. a wanted 3. a rebel 4. a famous 5. an unfaithful 6. an ambitious 1. noble 2. merchant 3. thief 4. mercenary 5. poet 6. inquisitor

Price List WHY VARIABLE PRICE? Some items may be rare or plentiful according to the place you ﬁnd yourself in or the state of the economy. Instead of modelling all these variables with numerous game mechanics we opted for a simpler rule: want to buy something? Roll to know how much it's going to cost you. As always the GM is encouraged to make a ruling if a price doesn't make sense (or even better, come up with an interesting explanation!). D6 COINS A night at the tavern A hearty meal Backpack Clothes (peasant)* Grappling hook Mirror Oil ﬂask Parchment, ink and quill Rations (per day) Rope Scrolls Waterskin Whistle Wooden stakes

D6 x 10 COINS D6 x 100 COINS Boots Cart or wagon Caltrops Gem Clothes (noble)* Horse Crowbar Medium armour Drugs and poisons Metal weapons Holy water (sword, battle axe...) Lantern Light armour Musical instrument Saddle bags Shovel, pick, etc. Simple weapons Spyglass Tent Waterproof case * The main difference between peasant and noble clothes are the colours. Nobles and rich merchants can afford all sorts of cloth while peasants are usually dressed in white, gray, or brown clothes. Wearing raven black or bright colours means you have money. Beware!

Poisons & Drugs Here is a bunch of poisons, herbs and drugs listed according to their effects. Prices should vary between d6x10 and d6x100 depending on context. • Anaesthetics (Succeed at a CON test or fall asleep), Witchdrop, Snowseed • Death (Succeed at a CON test or die) Blackseal, Nooseberries • Hallucinations (Succeed at a CON test or lose touch) Prophet's thistle, Dragonweed

• Healing (heal d6 HP) King's laurel, Angel tail • Pain (Succeed at a CON test or have Disadvantage on all rolls) Trollbark, Blood ash • Stimulant (get the beneﬁts of a short rest) Hawkleaf, Steel seeds • Weakness (Disadvantage on all physical rolls) Spider cress, Plague root

At the GM's discretion, high or low quality drugs can affect the CON test (Disadvantage for high quality drugs, Advantage for cheap ones). Low quality costs d6x10 coins, high quality costs d6x100 coins. 28 – Black Sword Hack –

Weapons BARBARIAN WEAPONS 1. Bone bow* 2. Chakram 3. Claymore* 4. Hunting knife 5. Iwisa 6. Spear* 7. Nomad scimitar 8. Raider’s great axe* 9. Warhammer

CIVILIZED WEAPONS 1. Cestus 2. Dagger 3. Engraved longbow* 4. Executioner's cleaver* 5. Flail 6. Katana 7. Legion gladius 8. Rapier 9. Pilgrilm’s staff*

DECADENT WEAPONS 1. Blood metal sickle 2. Crossbow* 3. Inquisitor's long sword* 4. Maul 5. Razor whip 6. Rusted harpoon 7. Scythe* 8. Shiv 9. Serrated sword

*Two-handed weapons give Advantage on damage rolls.

Armour & Shields Suits of armour come with a protection rating: this number is subtracted from most damage the character receives in combat. Light Protection 1 Hide, leather, gambeson... This kind of protection can be found everywhere for cheap. Medium Protection 2 Breastplate, lorica, studded leather, ring armour, brigandine, chain mail... These are usually issued to soldiers and warriors, you won't ﬁnd them on a market stall. You're free to take them from dead enemies though.

Heavy Protection 3 Full plate armour Usually tailored to a specific individual. It is very unlikely the characters will ever acquire this type of armour unless they find themselves on a battlefield. Shields You get Advantage when rolling to Parry. On a critical failure your shield is broken.

– Black Sword Hack – 29

Experience Each time a character survives an adventure, they gain a story: write down the title of the adventure on your character sheet (or make one up). Characters gain a level once they have a number of stories equal to their current level. The maximum level a character can reach is 10. LEVEL & ASSOCIATED BENEFITS 2. +1 to an attribute (maximum score is 18), +1 HP 3. Gain a gift, +1 HP 4. +1 to two attributes (maximum score is 18), +1 HP 5. Gain a gift, +1 HP 6. +1 to an attribute (maximum score is 18), +1 HP 7. Gain a gift, +1 HP 8. +1 to two attributes (maximum score is 18), +1 HP 9. Gain a gift, +1 HP 10. Your Doom die is now a Ud8 TOO SLOW? You can certainly run a faster paced campaign. Consider each session as a chapter from a character's story. Give each chapter a title and proceed as above.

30 – Black Sword Hack –

Gifts Each Gift can only be taken once. Gifts can come from the powers of Balance, Chaos, or Law. A time may come when these choices affect your character... The GM will ﬁnd more information about this in the Endgame section (p.70). GIFTS OF BALANCE

GIFTS OF CHAOS

GIFTS OF LAW

Fortress of the mind get Advantage on your attribute tests when resisting spells.

Armour of scars You reduce the damage you receive taken by 1 when you're not wearing any armour.

Battle hardened In combat, you get a critical success on an unmodiﬁed roll of 1 to 3.

Meditation Your Doom die replenishes after a short rest.

Bloodlust Upgrade your damage die by one size.

Second wind Regain a number of HP equal to your level once per day, even in combat.

Dark revelation Make your Torn Veil rolls with Advantage (see p. 38).

Spirit alliance Get Advantage when summoning a speciﬁc spirit (see p. 36).

Dubious friendships Make your Demon's revenge rolls with Advantage (see p.34).

Survivor’s luck Once per game session, ignore all damage done by an attack but lose a weapon in the process.

Paranoid You have Advantage on your initiative tests.

Resourceful Replenish a Usage die (except Doom) once per session without needing a rest. Riddle of steel One of your weapons now inﬂicts d12 damage but if you get a 1 on its damage roll, it breaks. Tough as nails If you survived after rolling on the Helpless table, add your level to the HP you get back. Will to live You get Advantage when you roll on the Helpless table.

– Black Sword Hack – 31

32 – Black Sword Hack –

& OTHER VILENESS Signing a pact with immortal creatures made of deviousness, rage and hate? You're welcome to try. Such bargains tend to blur the line between master and servant. Whatever your original intentions, working with demons and practicing magic means you'll be serving Chaos in the end. Use Responsibly The game gives you rules for sorcery, demon pacts, spirit alliances, faerie ties, and twisted science. This doesn't mean you have to include them all! Choosing only a couple will make your campaign more strongly themed. Some powers may also be mastered by NPCs only (sorcery jumps to mind here). And of course, ask your players if they have preferences!

– Black Sword Hack – 33

Demonic Pacts Characters with the Warlock background have two demons at their service (choose their types overleaf). Demons are associated with Chaos but have no trouble serving someone aligned with Law or Balance.

INVOKING A DEMON POWER Roll your Doom die, with Disadvantage if it isn't the ﬁrst time you summon a demon today (this resets after a long rest). If the Doom Usage die is depleted while invoking a demon, roll on the Demon's revenge table below. Additionally, if the Doom die rolls a 1, there is a side effect (detailed in the demon's description).

DEMON’S REVENGE (D6) 1. You cannot invoke this demon until the next sunrise 2. The demon steals one of your possessions 3. The demon destroys a weapon belonging to one of your allies 4. The demon pays itself in blood: lose d6 HP 5. Broken pact: you cannot invoke this particular demon ever again 6. The demon appears and inﬂicts you 3d6 damage before wandering off. The pact is broken (as above) DEMON MANIFESTATION As a rule, demons are never seen, as they don't need to appear physically to inﬂuence their targets. Demonic magic is insidious, drawing its strength from the weaknesses of its victims. The name of the summoned demon must be clearly spoken by the warlock. 34 – Black Sword Hack –

CREATING A NEW PACT It is of course possible for a character to form a pact with a demon during play. It always should be arduous and the result of a dangerous adventure or quest. How to find the demon you seek 1. By killing its master, a prominent figure in this town 2. In a well, posing as a divining spirit, spreading awful rumours 3. In the queen's secret jewel cabinet 4. Hidden inside a map, on the shelves of a forgotten library 5. Inside a small gem owned by a clueless noble 6. In a cup used by a cult to drug their acolytes 7. In the memories of an amnesiac Chaos priest 8. In the broken sword of a banished Templar 9. Trapped in the wedding ring of an undying king 10. In a cryptic tome, sealed by another demon 11. In the breastplate of a dead knight left on a battlefield 12. Inside a stone circle, ready to serve whoever can best it in a duel. 13. Haunting the castle where its last master was murdered 14. Enslaved by a powerful oracle

15. In a heathen relic that releases it once per month 16. Carved into the gravestone of an emperor 17. Inside the only toy owned by an orphan 18. In the liver of the Inquisitor it is possessing 19. Hidden in its castle, on a nightmarish demonic plane 20. In the mouth of a dead dragon, guarded by superstitious locals DEMON TYPES Abyss - The target becomes monstrous, misshapen, or disﬁgured; an object of fear and disgust for the next d6 hours. On a roll of 1 the effect is permanent. Envy - The target tries to take a speciﬁc object of your choosing that is in its sight, by force if necessary. On a roll of 1, the object is a piece of your equipment. Fear - You learn your target's deepest fear. On a roll of 1, the they learn your deepest fear as well. Greed - Creates 4d6 fake coins that will revert to their natural state (beans, rocks, whatever you had on hand) within one hour. On a roll of 1, the demon steals 4d6 coins from you (or your allies) as well. Hate - Your target verbally abuses someone of your choosing for d6 minutes. On a roll of 1, you shout insults at your target as well.

Isolation - No one seems to care about the target: it can't be heard or seen for d6 hours. On a roll of 1 the you cannot see them either. Gluttony - Your target attacks (randomly selected) people and tries to eat them. It stops when they have eaten 2d6 HP worth of people. On a roll of 1, the target wants to eat you. Nightmare - The target loses sleep for the night: all attribute tests made against them have Advantage on the following day. On a roll of 1, anger takes over and tests against the target are made with Disadvantage instead. Oblivion - The target disappears from everyone's memories for the next d6 hours. On a roll of 1, the demon steals one Background from you as well. You will recover it after a long rest. Ruin - Breaks a piece of equipment which can be up to the size of a cart. On a roll of 1, a piece of your own gear breaks as well. Sloth - The target falls asleep. On a roll of 1, they never wake up. Suspicion - Choose someone in sight as the object of your target's suspicions. On a roll of 1 you become the centre of the target's attention. Wrath - The target becomes berserk and attacks everyone in sight, seeking to inﬂict pain rather than kill. On a roll of 1, you are affected as well.

FREE-FORM DEMONISM GMs should be open to players using demon invocation in a more open-ended way, using the above effects as mere guidelines. They should just keep the following principles in mind: demons reinforce or exacerbate the worst traits of their targets. The tricky part is coming up with a backlash when the player gets 1 on the Doom roll. As a baseline, the effects of the demon's inﬂuence become permanent (especially for innocuous powers) or they affect the warlock as well (well suited for offensive powers). Demon names (d20) 1. Beleth - 2. Abaddon - 3. Ulshedra - 4. Marduk - 5. Raum - 6. Halphas - 7. Ashurban 8. Ordog - 9. Charun - 10. Surgat - 11. Ahriman - 12. Wissigo - 13. Furcas - 14. Keldim 15. Gorgo - 16. Rahab - 17. Gaki - 18. Samnu - 19. Namtar - 20. Baalberith – Black Sword Hack – 35

Spirit Alliances The spirit world is one parallel to our own: demons don't exist there. Spirits represent the raw power of nature: animals, storms, savagery... They're not aligned with any speciﬁc power. You can ﬁnd Law, Balance, and Chaos in nature. Characters who have the Shaman background have two spirits at their service. Choose them from the list below.

CALLING A SPIRIT Roll your Doom die, with Disadvantage if it isn't the ﬁrst time you summon a spirit today (this resets after a long rest). Spirit use is more open-ended than any other type of powers. Each spirit has its own guidelines; the goal is to help players make good use of their powers without going overboard. SPIRIT TYPES Ancestor spirit The wise counsel of an ancestor gives you Advantage to one attribute test. You must possess an object that belonged to the ancestor to be able to summon them. On a roll of 1 the ancestor disapproves of your action and gives you Disadvantage instead. Animal lord spirit All animal species have an animal lord: a being representing all the qualities that animal possesses See them as the "ultimate" version of an animal. The animal lord's subjects come to your help (but do not risk 36 – Black Sword Hack –

their lives doing so) or stop attacking you. On a roll of 1 the animals flee (or attack you if they are predators). Disease spirit The target is plagued with a non-lethal but debilitating disease, forcing them to be bedridden until a proper cure is found. On a roll of 1 the disease is contagious. Fire spirit An existing fire can be manipulated: doubled in size, given any shape or form, moved around, etc. It can inflict d6 damage (and then d6 ongoing damage). A roll of 20 means you are burned as well. A roll of 1 makes the target fire die. Forest spirit This spirit can help you find your way, food, water, or shelter when you're in a forest (or jungle or whatever wild environment you have in your campaign).

It can also summon plants that will hinder your enemies (Advantage on attribute tests against them for one turn). A roll of 1 means the spirit makes sure you have a miserable time: no short or long rest for the next two days. Hunger spirit The target immediately searches for food and water and will not stop until it has eaten a full meal. A roll of 1 means the shaman is affected as well. Pain spirit Causing pain that prevents the target from acting for one Turn is a common use of this spirit. A roll of 1 means the shaman is afflicted at the same time. River spirit Water must be present and, as with a fire spirit, it can be manipulated in many ways: doubled in size, shaped, moved around, etc. On a roll of 1, the target body of water disappears. Wind spirit This spirit can be invoked to extinguish flames, dissipate toxic fumes, or even force humanoids to the ground. A result of 1 has the opposite effect: flames are fanned, toxic fumes move towards the shaman, etc. SACRIFICING A SPIRIT ALLIANCE A shaman can choose to sacrifice its relationship with a spirit to be granted a huge effect: create a firestorm, create a hurricane, summon a beast lord themselves. As a consequence, the shaman will be shunned by spirits of this type and denied any further alliances.

CREATING A NEW PACT If you encounter or summon a spirit, you can attempt to bind it. There will always be a price. What price does the spirit ask for? 1. Destroy another spirit 2. Bind the spirit to your main weapon. 3. Destroy a speciﬁc building (windmill, dam, sawmill...) 4. 5.

Make a pilgrimage in the spirit world Bring the corpse of a shaman to hallowed grounds

6. 7.

Free it from another alliance Permanently lose 1 hit point to seal the alliance

Renounce an alliance with another spirit Imprison another spirit

9. 10. Use it to kill a cult leader 11. Stop a creature that feeds on spirits 12. Let it feed on the enemies you kill 13. Close a gate to the spirit world 14. Follow a speciﬁc rule (don't eat meat, wear red, no alcohol, etc.) 15. Stop a disease spreading through the spirit world 16. Free an animal used as a pet by the local ruler 17. Let it possess your body for one day 18. Sacriﬁce your best weapon to seal the alliance 19. Give away d6x100 coins to seal the alliance 20. Find and kill a corrupted shaman – Black Sword Hack – 37

Sorcery

Sorcery is Chaos using humans as conduits and letting them think they're in control. Of course, bending reality to your will has a price, but you are ready to let others pay it for you. Characters with the Forbidden knowledge background start with 4 randomly selected spells. Roll d100 on the list below.

Casting a Spell Make an INT test. If the spell was already cast on the same day, roll with Disadvantage. A failure means the spell cannot be cast before the character has taken a long rest. On a critical failure, roll on the Torn Veil table: Torn Veil (d6) 1. You cannot cast spells until the next sunrise 2. The spell's energy ravages your body: loose d6 HP 3. You provoke an explosion of arcane energy, causing d6 damage to anyone Nearby 4. Your body pays the price of your hubris: permanently lose 1 HP 5. Your mind is shattered by the magical energies: permanently lose 1 point of INT 6. A tentacled monstrosity appears and takes you to another plane RANGE AND DURATION Unless otherwise stated in its description, you must be able to see the spell's target. Spells that don't have a duration stated in their description end at the next dawn. HOW MANY SPELLS CAN I LEARN? You can learn a number of spells equal to your INT score. 38 – Black Sword Hack –

Spell List 1-2. Acid blood: You can turn 3 HP worth of your blood into acid. Does d6 damage or dissolves an item the size of a small book. 3-5. Animate mirror: You can animate your own reflection in a mirror. It will attack anyone that passes near it (d6 damage). Lasts until dispelled or the mirror is destroyed. 6-7. Blood mark: You can mark one of your possessions with your blood, permanently losing 1 hit point. You always know where the item is. If it is destroyed, of the mark is erased, your HP comes back. 8-10. Call the Id: You summon an invisible creature made of anger. it can remove a physical obstacle or inflict 2d6 damage before disappearing. 11-12. Curse of the mute: The target cannot speak. On a spellcasting roll of 1, the affliction is permanent. 13-14. Darkness: d6 target(s) are blinded for d6 minutes. 15-17. Dead man's map: The blood of a dead creature draws a map that indicates the rough location of the murderer. 18-20. Deafening scream: A horrendous scream paralyses everyone hearing it for a few seconds. Children and animals die. 21-22. Demon's breath: All light sources in the same room as you are extinguished.

A fire also starts in another room of the building. 23-24. Dream guardian: Animates a doll, puppet, or stuffed animal that stands guard while you sleep. It screams if it sees someone you haven't designated as friendly. The spell does not work during the day. 25-27. Dream message: Send a message to someone you know through a dream. The target has to be asleep, but no line of sight is required. 28-29. Fading memories: The target forgets all interactions with you in the last d6 hours (or years on a roll of 1). 30-31. Feather crash: The target survives an otherwise deadly fall. All their equipment is destroyed. 32-34. Feeding the fire: Make an existing flame burst by feeding it with your anger. Inflicts d6 damage to all Nearby targets. 35-36. Fireflies: You call forth a swarm of fireflies that give as much light as a torch. They disappear at the slightest sign of violence. 37-38. Fleabag: Assume the form of a dog until sunset or sunrise (whichever comes first). You cannot end the spell early. Your abilities and HP are the same and you can bite for unarmed damage. You can't talk but you can bark. 39-41. Ghost pains: The victim feels like they have lost something very important and believe the caster can give it back. 42-43. Gloomy Lullaby: Your target loses consciousness. A result of 1 on the spellcasting roll means the target will not wake up. 44-46. Greedy hand: One item the targets holds in its hand flies to yours. On a casting roll of 1, the object is destroyed. 47-48. Guiding rat: When underground, summon a rat that guides you to the nearest exit. It must be fed d4 hit points worth of of blood to do so. 49-51. Hellhound: Turns a regular dog into a raging killing machine (Attack 11, 40 – Black Sword Hack –

Dodge 11, d6 damage, 10 HP). It dies at the end of the ﬁght whatever happens. 52-53. Impotent arrows: All projectiles hitting the target of the spell during the next turn do no damage. On a spellcasting result of 1, your allies' projectiles are also harmless. 54-56. Inquisition: the target must be tied up. It is submitted to intense pain. It will answer d4 questions. The GM rolls the dice. If the caster asks more questions than the number rolled, the victim dies. 57-58. Iron ghost: Makes a weapon no larger than a sword invisible. The spell ends when the weapon is used. If the weapon does not injure anyone on the turn it is drawn, you lose d6 HP. 59-61. Murmurs: The target hears strange voices whispering in their hears, revealing their darkest secrets. 62-63. Never-ending music: The target hears a repetitive tune in their head. All rolls against them are made with Advantage. 64-66. Poisonous projectile: You make a projectile or thrown weapon deadly. The victim dies in d6 minute(s). 67-68. Portal: You create a portal to a place you already know. You end up totally naked on the other side. Other people must roll a d6 if they follow you: on a 6, they disappear… 69-70. Red trap: Make a small pool of your own blood (loosing 2 HP until the spell is cancelled). Anyone stepping in the pool cannot move further. 71-72. Rotten fumes: Get Advantage on all tests made against those Nearby the target (human or object). The target is unaffected. Lasts d6 minutes. 73-75. Serpent bones: The target’s body becomes boneless, allowing them to escape any bonds or to squeeze into tight passages. Lasts d6 minutes. 76-77. Sharing the pain: You transfer a loss of HP caused by a wound to a companion. 78-79. Soundkiller: All sounds Nearby

are muffled. the spell lasts 2d6 minutes and follows you around. 80-82. Soul-eater: You literally chomp on your target’s soul. They lose consciousness, or die if you get a 1 on your spellcasting roll. 83-85. Spontaneous combustion: Your target bursts into flames and suffers continuous damage (d4). If you roll a 1 on the spellcasting roll, everyone present bursts into flames. 86-87. Steal life: You steal d6 HP from a target you can touch. Your own HP cannot go beyond their maximum. 88-90.Tongue thief: You can speak up to six words through the mouth of your target. 91-92. Unnatural speed: The target can move to a Far distance on their Turn. On a 1, a randomly selected piece of the target's equipment is destroyed. 93-95. War drums: The target is experiencing all the horrors of war. Roll a d6: on 1-4 the target panics, on a 5-6 they go berserk. 96-97. Wine of death: the spell affects a jug or cup of wine you touch. Those who drink this wine quickly start looking for a fight. A result of 1 on the casting roll means the drinkers try to kill each other. 98-100. Withering: Your target has the strength and vitality of a 90-year old for the next d6 hours.

Finding and Learning New Spells Spells are tools of power, sorcerers don't leave them lying around. Finding a new spell is an adventure in and of itself. Once you have the spell's formula, the item it is mystically bonded to, or a mentor to teach it to you, make an INT roll. A failure means you have to find another version of the spell and a critical failure means you can never learn this specific spell. Where is that spell? 1. In the hands of an entombed queen waiting to be awoken. 2. Hidden in a treasure map that leads to a trap. 3. Engraved on the bones of an everliving mummy. 4. In a block of ice, inside a long forgotten city waiting to rise again. 5. In the hideout of a bloodthirsty gang. 6. In an underwater temple guarded by ghost sharks. 7. In the bag of a sorcerer's apprentice who murdered their master. 8. Half of the spell was sent to you with an invitation to a distant castle. 9. In a bookshop located in a besieged city. 10. On a sacrificial blade owned by a remorseful priest. 11. In the hold of a pirate ship with the rest of the loot. 12. In the hands of a skeleton, the latest victim of the Fanged Forest. 13. A voice in your head says "Spill a friend's blood on a black stone slab". 14. Engraved on top of a pillar said to reach to the heavens. 15. Encoded in the text of a lost play that turns its audience into monsters. 16. Tattooed on the backs of its conceptor's three children. 17. In the cellar of a retired inquisitor. 18. Hidden inside your mind, revealed when you're down to 0 HP. 19. Hidden in a painting that gives nightmares to most people. 20. On a moon, near the wreck of a strange ship. – Black Sword Hack – 41

Faerie Ties The Changeling background lets players choose two ties with the realms of Faerie. New ties can be made during play at the GM's discretion.

Barrow wisdom You learned some rudimentary necromancy. You can speak with the dead, provided either their body or soul is nearby. The dead are rarely cooperative. They may demand a price, but you can also attempt to force them to do something or answer a question (WIS test required, decrease your Doom die). Cauldron of gold You own a magical gold bezant (worth 100 coins) that always ﬁnds its way back to your purse after 1d8 dawns. It is part of a treasure of immense value towards which it could lead you, if only you knew the right charm... 42 – Black Sword Hack –

Changeling knowledge As a human adopted by the fey, you learned all about (choose two): hunting and tracking, history and myth, courtly manners and intrigue, philosophy and metaphysics, strategy and tactics, metallurgy and mining, or some other subject (with the GM’s approval). Roll with Advantage when making a test relevant to your area of expertise. Cold iron weapon You inherited, stole, or otherwise came into the possession of a legendary blade. It has a name and a legend, perhaps also a dark prophecy. It deals an extra d6 damage to all denizens of faerie. Doomed to greatness Once per day, you can roll your Doom die with Advantage. After you do so, it takes 1d3 long rests to go back to its maximum. Dwarf deceit You get Advantage when lying or sneaking with the intention to do harm. Elfin secret You learned how to (choose): speak to birds, make plants obey a one-word command, become invisible to mortals, enthral a lover, divine one’s most secret desire, make (nonaggressive) mortals tremble with fear. If you use this secret more than once per day, roll your Doom. Silversmith sorcerer Your master taught you how to weave spells into your jewellery. Roll for two spells from page 40. You know how to bind them to one of your creations at the cost of 1d6 x 100 coins and 3d6 days of work. The bearer of one of your items can cast the spell as if they were a sorcerer. Skinwalker You know the spells needed to turn into an animal while wearing a specially prepared pelt. You can own two of these pelts at any time. Trollish ruggedness Add +1 to the protection of any type of armour you wear. True faith You know how to fight the fey with fire, faith, and iron. Roll your Doom die to dispel one magical effect of fey origin. Witchsight You can see through the veil that hides the realms of faerie. Elves, trolls, and other magical beings are always visible to you. You may be able to see magical auras and detect illusions with a successful WIS roll. – Black Sword Hack – 43

Twisted Science Human ingenuity can produce wonderful gadgets and terrifying weapons. A character with the Inventor background can make the world a better place or burn it to the ground.

Building a Marvel Your character makes gadgets and other devices using invention points. You get as many invention points as your INT score at the beginning of the week. The cost of each marvel is indicated in brackets after its name. You must have access to a wellequipped workshop to build a marvel. Your invention points reset at the beginning of each week. MAINTENANCE Substract half the cost of your gadgets that are still active from the invention points you get each week. The good news is you don't need a workshop to do maintenance work. GADGET COST You also need some materials to build your gadgets. As a rule of thumb, each marvel requires 20 coins worth of materials per invention point required. Same goes for the maintenance... USAGE DIE Unless they are single use items, your creations come with a Ud6. Roll it after each use (or after a ﬁght for weapons). 44 – Black Sword Hack –

Twisted Science Marvels - Acid spray [2]: an enemy's weapon damage die automatically degrades one step. - Blood-tinted spyglass [4]: the user can see any living being (with blood in their veins), even those hiding behind cover or in darkness. - Bomb [4] [Single-use]: d8 damage to anyone Nearby. A critical failure means the bomb explodes near you. - Firelance [6]: as the name implies, a ranged weapon that spits ﬁre at your enemies. Add d4 ongoing damage to a successful attack. - Freezing warhammer [6]: freezes any non-living matter it hits. Frozen objects are easy to shatter. On a roll of 20, when using the warhammer, the wielder suffers d6 frost damage and the hammer is destroyed. - Gas mask [2]: you'll excuse us if we don't follow the traditions of RPG writing and don't feel the need to always state the obvious: you know what a gas mask does. - Hallucinogenic gas [4] [Single-use]: indoors only. Roll a d6 for every person in the room, 1-2: relaxed state making the

target easy to influence, 3-5: vivid dreams, making users oblivious to anything happening around them 6: nightmarish visions, lots of panicking and screaming. - Image crystal [4]: a small crystal that projects a human-sized (or smaller) image of your choosing. The image must be decided when you build the crystal. - Metal Owl [4]:: an owl automaton that can follow simple orders (up to six words). It has 4 HP and can distract a foe but cannot attack. - Prosthetic limb [10]:: no Usage die needed. Works as the original. Can be sacrificed to negate the damage from one attack. - Resurrection shot [4] [Single-use]: the target doesn't have to roll on the Helpless table (page 18) but needs to roll a d20. On a result of 20, they die (probably in a gruesome way). - Sleep box [4]:: a music box that plunges every living creature hearing its melody into a trance. The Usage die roll tells you how long the effect lasts (in minutes). - Targeting monocle [4]: lets you ignore any penalties on your ranged attack rolls (including those related to your target's level). - Terror gas grenade [2] [Single-use]: roll a d6 for all NPCs breathing it. 1-4: they flee in terror, 5-6: they go berserk and add d4 to their damage. - Truth serum [4] [Single-use]: once injected with the serum, they tell everything they know. Roll a d20. On a result of 15-20, the NPC dies before they can speak.

Creating New Objects Steampunk novels, movies and animes are a great source of twisted science gadgets. Take 19th century and early 20th century items then add a dash of madness: X-ray googles, two-way radios communicating with the dead, trench lightning gun, ﬂashbang marbles, etc.

– Black Sword Hack – 45

Runic Weapons Runic weapons are very powerful and extremely dangerous. They should be extremely rare, probably no more than two in your whole campaign world. These sentient weapons relish the pain they inﬂict to others but enjoy the suffering of their wielder even more. From the above, it should be obvious that runic weapons are usually associated with Chaos, though exceptions may exist in your world. Legends say that runic weapons are the result of the fusion of a blade and its wielder, often a champion

of Chaos, Law, or Balance. Followers of Law and Balance usually dislike the idea of becoming immortal, even in such a way. A runic weapon has an Intelligence score (rolled the same way it is for characters, see p.10). The GM makes an INT test for the weapon at the beginning of each session. If successful, the weapon will kill the character if they ever become helpless during that session. At the GM's discretion, the weapon can take the life of an important NPC instead.

The... of... (roll on each column) 1. Warhammer 2. Rapier 3. Bastard sword 4. Cleaver 5. Lance 6. Scimitar 7. Dagger 8. Long sword 9. Axe 10.Naginata 11. Flail 12 Scythe

1. Eternal 2. Devouring 3. Bringer 4. Decaying 5. Silent 6. Flaying 7. Hunter 8. Withering 9. Past 10. Splitting 11. Everlasting 12. Last

1. Soul 2. Oblivion 3. Skull 4. Winter 5. Crow 6. Shadow 7. Death 8. Storm 9. Horde 10. Light 11. Dust 12. Curse

Example: I roll 3, 8 and 10. Behold the Bastard Sword of Withering Light! (Or Witherlight, or the Witherer of Light...) 46 – Black Sword Hack –

Runic Weapons Properties A runic weapon can talk to its wielder through telepathy. The GM can do it but if the table agrees, a player can play the role of another's weapon. Players cannot "act" with the weapon in any way but they can speak to the wielder now and then. The goal is to make sure the weapon has a personality that contributes to the story, not to make your friends' lives miserable. The weapon inﬂicts damage equal to one of the wielder's attribute, which gives a hint about the weapon's personality. (d6) 1. STR (brutal, always calling for action) 2. DEX (vicious, often mocking the wielder) 3. CON (patient, treating the wielder as a child) 4. INT (cunning and distrustful, encouraging suspicion) 5. WIS (judgemental, always second guessing the wielder’s decisions) 6. CHA (prideful, pushing the wielder to be more ambitious)

The weapon seems to be made of.... (d12) 1. Bone 2. Obsidian 3. Quicksilver 4. Rusted metal 5. Engraved steel 6. Cold iron

7. Glass 8. Shell 9. Bronze 10. Stone 11. Coral 12. Mix two results

When an enemy is killed the weapon... (roll or pick according to the weapon’s name) 1. Devours their soul 2. Absorb their memories 3. Grants d6 HP back to the wielder 4. Turns their body to ashes 5. Their face appears as a tattoo on the wielder's body 6. Makes their body explode messily

The weapon can be found... 1. in the dead hand of a king 2 in the ashes of a funeral pyre 3. hidden in a monastery 4. in the hands of a young thief 5. inside a shipwreck 6. in the dreams of a poet 7. in the tomb of a priest

8. on a plague ship 9. in a forgotten asylum 10. on a ﬂoating island 11. in a monster’s belly 12. on the moon 13. inside a maelstrom 14. in a buried necropolis

15. in a secret library 16. in one’s own nightmares 17. at the emperor’s side 18. on a haunted battleﬁeld 19. in the forge of dead gods 20. in a forbidden museum

– Black Sword Hack – 47

Bestiary Antagonists are presented as follows: their name and level, a short description, traits or ) they can take on their Turn. If an technical peculiarities, and actions (marked with action can be avoided or stopped with an attribute test, the attribute is written in bracket next to the action's name. The number listed after is the damage if the test is failed. The GM is free to improvise actions as needed. A disarmed peasant can punch (if angry enough), a first born soldier can attempt to trip or shove a character when fighting on a narrow bridge, a giant boar can gore if it doesn't have enough room to charge, etc. The damage should fit with the other actions presented. Enemies get one action and one move each turn. They can't use the same action twice.

NPC Stats On The Fly The following table tells the GM how much damage an average NPC of a speciﬁc level should be able to take (HP column) and dish out (damage column). Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

HP 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Damage 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

ARMOURED OPPONENTS To avoid unnecessary arithmetics, simply add a few HP: 2 (light armour), 3 (medium armour) or 4 (Full plate or equivalent). VULNERABILITY & RESISTANCE A vulnerability means attackers get Advantage on their damage roll while resistance means they get Disadvantage on damage. Popular choices include ﬁre, frost, lightning, Chaotic or Lawful attackers, etc. ENEMY MORALE Aside from the most die-hard fanatic, human antagonists will surrender or ﬂee if they have less than 3 HP left or if they lose half of their forces. Same goes if the characters use runic weapons, magic, demons, or spirits against unsuspecting foes (and this may affect the characters' reputation as well). See also Appendix X

48 – Black Sword Hack –

ABERRATION [LVL 8] These horrors were created by the scientists and sorcerers of ancient civilizations. Designed for wars lost long ago, they still roam the world in search of prey – or maybe it is peace? - Terrifying: Characters seeing the aberration for the first time must roll Doom Acid spit (DEX): Destroys a point of armour or inflicts 10 damage to an unarmoured opponent Grab and squeeze (DEX): Suffer 5 damage each Turn until free (STR test) ANGRY PEASANT [LVL 1] You don't know when you're going to end up at the wrong end of a pitchfork held by a fearful farmer. Once at 0 HP, assume the mob flees. Pitchfork (DEX or STR) 3 Torch (DEX) ongoing damage BLIND HUNTERS Children are taken (or bought) by vicious cult members who remove their eyes and pump them full of drugs for years, training them to become the ultimate hunters. Blind hunters will always find you. Vulnerability: sound-based attacks [LVL 3] The sniffer's role is to distract you while the killer does the dirty work. Distract (WIS): target suffers Disadvantage during its next Turn Two short-swords (DEX or STR): 6 Flee:: Moves twice this turn Flee • SNIFFER

[LVL 4] As the name implies, this individual has one very speciﬁc goal in mind that doesn't leave much space for negotiations. True arrow (DEX) 8 , ignores armour Poisoned blades (DEX or STR) 6 + Ud4 ongoing damage Flee:: Moves twice this turn Flee

DEMONS Demons range from minor servants tempting mortals to the dukes and queens of Hellworlds. They all have unique abilities linked to their types (see p. 34), inclinations, and demesnes. [LVL 3 to 6] When a demon escapes its summoner's control, it wanders the world looking for victims until recalled by its masters or summoned again. Temptation (WIS): use an ability from p. 35 Possess (WIS): take control of a human body until a WIS test is successful (causes 5 damage when leaving) Corrupt ﬂesh (CON): 6 to 9 • INCORPOREAL DEMONS

[LVL 7 to 10] Very rarely, a demon can possess the body of a powerful creature or particularly suitable person, making it a formidable killing machine and potent user of magic. Soon though, the body will break under the stress. A demon can also be encountered in its physical form when one visits a plane of Chaos. Talons, teeth, etc (DEX or STR): 10 to 15 Infernal weapon (DEX or STR): 5 to 10. If hit, INT test needed or become enslaved to the demon's will until the roll is succesful At least one magical attack (DEX): affects all non-demons Nearby for damage according to level. Think ﬁrestorm, rain of rusty nails, swarm of ﬂying worms, etc. • INCARNATED DEMONS

EATERS OF THE DEAD Some remote tribes think they gain power by eating people's ﬂesh. Their shamans tend to prove this is true, which is a bit disturbing.

• KILLER

50 – Black Sword Hack –

[LVL 2] For this warrior you're not a person, you're a meal. Crude weapon (DEX or STR) 6 Just a scratch: once per ﬁght the Vulture halves the damage (round down) taken this Turn • VULTURE

[LVL 4] The spiritual leader of the tribe but not always the smartest one. Shamans are fanatics. Evil eye: a target suffers Disadvantage during its next Turn Puny knife (DEX or STR) 3 Insect swarm (WIS): ongoing damage • SHAMAN

[LVL 4] For the tribe's leader, the survival of the community takes precedence over everything else, including the shaman's authority. Crush (DEX or STR): 7 Blade fodder: fodder: summons d4 Vultures that show up in d4 Turns Fury (DEX or STR): once per ﬁght, attack everyone Close • CHIEF

FIRST BORN At the time humans crawled out of their caves, the First Born (as they call themselves) were ruling the world. Most of their technology is based on the use and control of insects. [LVL 3 ] Disciplined and well trained, most First Born soldiers wait for the day they will conquer the world again. Electric lance (DEX or STR): ranged, 7 Katana (DEX or STR): 7 • FIRST BORN SOLDIER

• FIRST BORN INSECT MASTER [LVL 2]

The insect masters take care of everything in the last cities of the First Born, from medical treatment to waste management, using a wide variety of bugs of all sizes. Healing swarm (DEX): restores d6 HP to all Nearby First Born Giant wasp (DEX): 5 Tracker (WIS): a tiny bug allows the insect master to ﬁnd you as long as you're within 10 kilometres

[LVL 5] The lords and ladies of the First Born are a divided lot. Three factions are currently at odds: those who wish to remain hidden, those who want to join the outside world, and ﬁnally those who ache to rule the world again. Katana death dance (DEX or STR): 8, attacks all Nearby characters Insect juice: once per ﬁght, the lord recovers d6 HP Web bomb (DEX): a target is stuck until it succeeds at a STR test • FIRST BORN LORD

DESICCATED DRAGON [LVL 10] Scholars believe dragons are a thing of the past, but incredibly old ones can still be found. They do not care for riches, honour, or ﬂattery. Dragons who have been alive for this many millenia are only interested in complex mind games. Dimwits and bores are quickly turned to ashes. Gas (DEX) 14 + ongoing damage Wings flap (DEX): fall on your ass, no move next turn Suggestion (WIS): attack a Close ally Resistance: mundane weapons GHOST LEGIONNAIRES Ancient wars have left many souls hungry for revenge or atonement. Soldiers who died in an ambush before they could prove their worth, entire legions obliterated in a pointless battle. In some cases, whole armies can sometimes be encountered (or summoned!). Resistance: Ghost Legionnaires are incorporeal. Attacks ignore armour; Ghost Legionnaires are also immune to mundane damage. They can only be harmed in the moonlight. The GM may come up with variants: for example weapons bathed in blood, or tied to the souls of ghost legion victims. – Black Sword Hack – 51

[LVL 2] The standard bearer of the legionnaires. The Legion’s standard bearer, the aquilifer is usually heavily defended by the troops. Summon ghosts: d4 Legionnaires appear in d4 Turns Gladius (DEX or STR): 6 Deafening scream (CON): roll Doom • AQUILIFER

[LVL 4] Perhaps the angriest of the ghosts, centurions were denied fortune and glory when they were alive. - Tactician: While Legionnaires are Nearby, they inﬂict 1 damage even if the target parries or dodges successfully Charge! One Legionnaire moves twice and attack during its Turn Battle axe (DEX or STR): 7 • CENTURION

[LVL 2] The ghostly existence of a Legionnaire is sustained by resentment and hate, but if you can offer them glory and a worthy cause at last... Pilum (STR or DEX): 6 Shield push (DEX or STR): fall prone, no move next Turn • LEGIONNAIRE

GIANT BEASTS Mundane animals can sometimes be possessed by angry spirits or devious demons that grant them enormous power. They may also be created by sorcerers or spontaneously appear as a reaction to intense (or magical) pain and fear. [LVL 4] The raw power of bears makes them a regular choice for a sorcerer seeking to kill a speciﬁc individual. Hug (DEX): 7 every round until a successful DEX roll is made Maul (DEX or STR): 7

• GIANT BEAR

[LVL 5] The summoning of a giant boar can only have one purpose: total destruction. Spirits

• GIANT BOAR

52 – Black Sword Hack –

use them to destroy settlements encroaching on their territory. Sorcerers create them to wreak havoc on their enemies, and demons possess them to have some gory fun. - Relentless: When at 0 hit points, it comes back with 1 HP on a roll of 5-6 on a d6 No refuge: Breaks down any door, wall, or barricade in d4 Turns Charge (DEX): 8 [LVL 5] Crocodiles are sometimes possessed by the souls of a long disappeared species. They seek to protect the ruins of their civilisation, unaware that their world is long gone. - Lightning fast: Move twice before a bite Bite (STR or DEX): 8

• GIANT CROCODILE

• GIANT SCORPION [LVL 4] These creatures are generally guarding a place or object. They will ﬁght to the death to prevent intruders and thieves from trespassing. Pincer (DEX): 7 damage every Turn for 1d6 Turns (poison) Sting (DEX) 5 + Ud4 ongoing damage (poison) • GIANT SERPENT [LVL 4] Great sovereigns once used these foul creatures as pets, feeding them with those who dared to oppose their authority. Giant serpents have lost most of their masters but not their appetite. Hypnotise (WIS): You cannot attack the serpent directly Grab (DEX): no damage, but you are in its mouth Swallow (STR): 6 every Turn after a Grab

[LVL 5] Giant sharks generally appear when their habitat is threatened. - Lightning fast: Move twice before a Jaws attack Jaws (DEX or STR) 6 (a target reaching 0 hit points is immediately devoured)

• GIANT SHARK

• GIANT SPIDER [LVL 3] Giant spiders often have specific objectives: find an object or a person and bring it back to its master. They usually avoid fights, seeking to accomplish their mission. Venomous bite (DEX): 3 + Ud6 ongoing damage Web (DEX): The target is paralysed for d4 Turns

[LVL 5] Giant wolves are used by spirits to protect remote places that serve as portals to the spirit world. Bite (STR or DEX): 8 Pounce (STR or DEX): Fall on your ass, no move next turn Howling (WIS): roll Doom

• GIANT WOLF

GOLEMS Created by sorcerers or communities as guardians. Many a ruin is still guarded by these silent warriors. • BLADE GOLEM LVL 5] Made from blades found on a battleﬁeld, held together by blood and hate. They do not stop until the enemy is chopped to bits. Slice and dice (DEX or STR): 9 Absorb weapon (STR): Lose weapon in hand and the golem gets 1 HP back Resistance: bladed weapons • FLESH GOLEM [LVL 3] A hodgepodge of rotting body parts, the stench of the ﬂesh golem is enough to make a goat puke. Gas (CON): The target suffers Disadvantage during its next Turn Bursting ganglion (DEX): You are covered in pus and gore. Roll Doom Punch (DEX or STR): 6

[LVL 7] These golems were made of houses and watchtowers parts. Standing 20 meters tall they leave nothing of trespassers but a greasy mark on their stone hands. Stomp (DEX): 10 Throw debris (DEX) ranged: 8 Regenerate: recovers d6 HP using debris around it Vulnerability: ﬁre • HOUSE GOLEM

HOLLO OLLOW MONKS HOLLOW When pushed too far, mortification of the flesh can destroy the mind of the faithful, leaving them open to things from beyond... These creatures have organized themselves as a religious order, always seeking new recruits. • NOVICE [LVL 2] Mostly lower beings used as cannon fodder by their elders. - Relentless: When at 0 hit points, comes back with 1 HP on a roll of 5-6 on a d6 Rusty daggers (DEX or STR): 5 Sacrifice (DEX): The Novice explodes, causing 10 damage to anyone Close – Black Sword Hack – 53

[LVL 4] The Abbot usually rules over a monastery and is the most likely to ﬁght the characters. Go there! A monk under the abbot’s command can move twice and attack during its Turn Mace (DEX or STR): 6 Get up! A monk recovers d6 hit points

• ABBOT

• ARCHIMANDRITE [LVL 6] This piece of work reigns over multiple monasteries and intends to create even more. Army of ﬂesh: Any monk Close to the Archimandrite falling to 0 hit points gets back up with 1 HP if the GM rolls 5 or 6 on a d6 Meat shields: Damage meant for the Archimandrite hurts another Close monk Chain whip (DEX or STR): 9

LIVING STATUES Unlike golems, living statues are almost never created by a sorcerer. They are receptacles for spirits, demons, or beings from another dimension. Resistance: Bladed weapons and arrow [LVL 6] The angels are beings from another dimension that enter the world each time a work of art is destroyed. They seek those responsible to turn them into work of art (though very twisted ones, using the victim's blood, skin and viscera as raw material). Strangle (DEX): 9 every Turn until one of the angel's arms is broken (inﬂict 10 damage with one attack or bring the angel down to 0 HP) Wings of stone: Angels use their wings to protect themselves, Disadvantage on attack rolls for the Turn • ANGEL

• ANIMAL [LVL 3 to 6] Animal statues are sometimes possessed by the spirit of a slain beast. This statue seeks revenge against the hunters who killed it and will not stop until at least one of them dies. Natural weapon (DEX or STR): 6 to 9 Trample (DEX) 6 to 9 54 – Black Sword Hack –

• HERO

[LVL 7] Infusing a hero’s statue with magic is a long and costly process, making them very rare. Some have killed their creators and now explore the world, desperately trying to ﬁnd a way to become human. Heroic weapon (DEX or STR): 10 MERCENARIES Killing, maiming, and looting turned out to be legitimate activities at the end of the world. • ARCHER

[LVL 2] As the name implies, they'd rather pick you out from a distance. Shoot (DEX): 5 Fleet-footed: Moves twice this turn Knife attack (DEX or STR): 3 • HIRED BLADE

[LVL 3] Mercenaries won't ﬁght to the death, no matter the pay. Claymore (STR): 6 Warband (DEX or STR): If other mercenaries are present, take ongoing damage • CAPTAIN

[LVL 5] Part soldier, part businessman, the captain is open to negotiations as long as the money ﬂows. - Commander: While mercenaries are Nearby, they inﬂict 1 damage even if the target parries or dodges successfully Sword slash (DEX or STR): 7 Healing balm: The captain recovers d6 hit points

PRIMORDIALS Creatures born when the world was young can still be found in the margins of adventurers' maps. • ARACHKNIFE [LVL 3] Chitin covered abominations stalking on eight bladed legs. The arachknives ﬂee as soon as one of them is killed. Grab (DEX): The arachknife immobilises you until you make a STR test, letting the others damage you automatically Bite (DEX): 5 Claws (DEX or STR): 6 • CRIMSON MAW [LVL 6] The ultimate apex predator will wreak havoc on any group of adventurers. This 10-foot tall eyeless mountain of ﬂesh only a circular maw full of razor-sharp teeth. Its leathery skin is covered in bio-luminescent circular patterns that hypnotise its prey. Characters should have the opportunity to see the beast coming for them as it's not particularly sneaky. Hypnotise (WIS): Anyone looking at the Maw cannot move Stomp (DEX): 9 Devour (DEX): The Maw eats you alive, take 6 damage each turn

QUEEN OF THE DEAD [LVL 7] A sorceress that made a pact with Death itself, but immortality was just the beginning though. Which power will the dead choose to serve: Chaos, Law, or Balance? Frightening presence (once per fight): Everyone seeing the Queen must roll Doom Gut-wrenching scream (WIS): roll Doom Scythe (DEX or STR): 10 Resistance: Bladed weapons and arrows SERPENT PEOPLE Claiming to be the first civilisation that sculpted the world out of Chaos, the serpent people are Law's oldest servants. Most of them wait for the end in of the world in hibernation. A few remain behind, ready to fight to their last breath. [LVL 3] These fierce warriors are Law's most dedicated forces. They will fight to the death against anything or anyone they perceive as an agent of Chaos. Katana (DEX or STR) 6 Poisonous spit (DEX): Blinded for d4 Turns

• GUARDIAN

• INQUISITOR [LVL 4] Tasked with ﬁnding the agents of Chaos, Inquisitors are gifted with psychic powers to track the enemies of Order. Mind probe (WIS): A successful mind probe tells the Inquisitor which power the target serves Fire whip (DEX): 7. The inquisitor lashes with a tongue of ﬂame appearing in their hand

– Black Sword Hack – 55

SKELETONS Undead that "survive" long enough lose their ﬂesh, sinews, and tendons. All that is left is bone and cunning forged through years of combat. • GIANT SKELETON [LVL 7] The last vestige of an extinct species, giant skeletons stand 3 meters tall, their bones carved with incantations in a defunct language. Battle axe sweep (DEX or STR): 8 to all Nearby enemies Kick (DEX): 6 and end up prone Nearby Hurled rock (DEX): 7

• SKELETON WARRIOR [LVL 3] These ancient soldiers might still recognize a symbol of their kingdom or tribe, which may stop their attacks. - Relentless: Once at 0 HP, comes back with 1 HP on a roll of 5-6 an a d6 Scimitar (DEX or STR): 6 Bag of bones (STR): Your weapon is stuck in the skeleton until you succeed at a STR test

SORCERERS The pursuit of forbidden knowledge always comes with a heavy price. Paying that price means you have no qualms about hurting or killing other living being to reach your goals. [LVL 6] Masters of the dead usually seek to gain enough power to rule over the Queen of the dead. None have succeeded thus far. Skeleton crew: Summons d6 skeleton warriors. They turn to dust after 10 minutes Poisoned blade (DEX or STR): 5 + Ud6 ongoing damage Teleport: When things get too dangerous, the Necromancer teleports up to Far away

• NECROMANCER

[LVL 7] Steel and sorcery make for a very potent foe. Many adventurers won't survive a ﬁght against a shadow knight. Shadow blade (DEX or STR): 10, ignores armour Shadow tendrils (DEX): Disarms a Close attacker Lightning (DEX), ranged: 5, ignores armour.

• SHADOW KNIGHT

[LVL 1 to 3] Studying magic is never a cakewalk. Most of those who persist often end up old, poor, and bitter in a lonely and drafty tower. The most determined sometimes sell their meager powers to a band of rufﬁans or mercenaries at their own peril. Flea you fools!* You're covered in ﬂeas and suffer a Disadvantage on your rolls for d4 rounds Vicious stab (DEX) (DEX): 4 to 6 + Ud4 ongoing damage (poison)

FAILED CONJURER

56 – Black Sword Hack –

*or come up witn any crappy magic power

What Do You Find On The Corpse? This is a game about taking part in the conflict between Law and Chaos, and looting corpses shouldn't become a habit. On most humanoid characters you'll find: d6 coins (even wealthy merchants keep their money at home). Gems usually have a value of d6x100 coins, same goes for most valuables (from silverware to a fine painting). A treasure chest can contain d6x100 coins. If you need something a bit more interesting, simply roll two d12s on the tables below, the first roll will tell you what you find, the second one where it will lead you. No need to roll for every corpse the PCs find (or make). You find... 1 a skeleton key 2 a letter written in a dead language 3 a cemetery map 4 a cracked crystal ball 5 a scytale 6 a dying homunculus 7 an ivory flute 8 a safe passage letter 9 a pouch of dried purple lotus 10 a bone spyglass 11 an engraved skull 12 a royal signet Leading to... 1 a monster. 2 a runic weapon 3 a rare object 4 a prisoner 5 another dimension 6 information 7 a forgotten palace 8 a lost valley 9 a wise man 10 a missing parent 11 a floating island 12 a ghost library

WEAPONS AND ARMOUR Armour is usually ruined during combat. If it's still intact, the player and the GM both roll a d6, if they get the same number the armour suits the character. BUTCHER JOB On other creatures, characters ready to get dirty can ﬁnd: d6 body parts worth d6x10 coins each (LVL 5 creatures or lower) or d6x100 coins (LVL 6 creatures or higher). Body parts 1 Tooth 2 Eye 3 Liver 4 Gland (venom, sweat...) 5 Horn 6 Tongue 7 Heart 8 Bile or other ﬂuid 9 Brain 10 Strange gem or object that shouldn’t be here Who wants it? (you may roll several times) 1 a dark sorcerer 2 a white mage 3 a rejected lover 4 the Queen's physician 5 the Crown Prince 6 cultists of Dagon 7 the thieves guild 8 a wealthy widower 9 a heretic thaumaturge 10 a demon in a cage

– Black Sword Hack – 57

Create Your World Each group playing Black Sword Hack creates its own setting. This chapter contains the tool to help you build the worlds you will destroy.

58 – Black Sword Hack –

Law and Chaos in Your World At the centre of it all is the struggle between the forces of Law and Chaos. Thanks to decades of arguments over the nature and relevance of alignment in fantasy games, or simply the reading of Poul Anderson and Michael Moorco*ck's books, you know as well as we do that these two don't stand for good and evil. A society dominated by Order could be characterized as stable and well-organised, but these same qualities can make it repressive, stagnant, and rigid. A society dominated by Chaos can be seen as dynamic, diverse, and thriving but also be subject to vast inequalities, internal strife, and an unhealthy appetite for conquest. Is the main antagonist tied to the forces of Order? 1. A dying Empress floating in a vat of regenerative fluids 2. A network of brains enclosed in runic bronze casings 3. The Silent Council, made of linked psychics 4. A long-awaited messiah of unimaginable power 5. The spirit of an ancient king, changing bodies every century 6. An artificial lifeform, devoid of human feelings Or is the villain serving Chaos? 1. A desiccated warlock sustained by dark energies 2. A nature spirit eager to end the spread of civilization 3. An ancient monarch brought back from the dead 4. A pool of intelligent protoplasm created by a forbidden experiment 5. The leader of a rag-tag army known as the Hunger Horde 6. A former Champion of Order When it comes to describe the villain’s forces, there's no need for subtlety. They'll be the characters main enemies, or at least a looming threat: patrolling city streets, hunting down dissidents, and the subject of scary bedtime stories. What do Law’s troops look like? 1. Golden legions named after the emperor's children 2. The Order of Truth, their armour adorned with sacred writings 3. The Martyrs, self-mutilated knights eager to spill blood 4. The Sun Hussars and their firelances (see p. 44) 5. An army of automatons built to look like grim angels 6. The Tattooed Janissaries, bearing on their skin the names of those they killed Behold the mighty armies of Chaos! 1. The Flailed Footmen and their transparent skin 2. The Arachnid Legion and their scorpion platemail 3. The Howling Phalanxes and their breastplates made of screaming human faces 4. A host of bio-engineered monsters 5. Death battalions, made of desperate convicts 6. The Bone Beasts, skeletons of known and unknown creatures 60 – Black Sword Hack –

The Struggle Now it's time to define who is resisting, who is collaborating, and who has the luxury to do neither. The character creation chapter hints at a few political entities: use them to loosely define your setting and add your own. Some of your players will also come up with interesting ideas for their character's origin. Make (or reuse) a blank map and write down the name of each nation or region you plan to use initially, paying attention to geographical borders and the relationships these dictate. The rest can always come up later. Take a blank map and note the name of each place as you see fit: Forbidden City • Mercenary bands • Amber Enclave •Golden Archipelago Northern Raiders • Merchant League • Flotsam Kingdom • Eastern Principalities Pict Territories • Iron Horde • Land of the Black Pyramids • Grey Spires Dominion The last city of a dying species • City of Thieves • Theocracy • Dust Empire Then, you can determine the political situation of some of the nations (five or six) and their attitude towards Law and Chaos by rolling a d6 on these tables: Political situation (d6) Lost or forgotten Declining Divided Corrupt Thriving Warmongering

1 2 3 4 5 6

Attitude (d6) Allied to Law Favourable to Law Neutral Neutral Favourable to Chaos Allied to Chaos

The End Is Nigh On top of the struggle between Law and Chaos, the world may suffer from one of the following calamities. What kind of political unbalance will these lead to? Using them solely to ramp up the body count and offer a few cheap thrills might be a waste of your time. Natural disaster (d10) Hurricanes and storms Earthquakes and tsunamis Ice age Drought Unending rain and ﬂoods Asteroid impact(s) Volcanic eruptions Blight(s) Reality failure Rise of seal levels

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Plague (d10) Kills most of the livestock Kills mostly children Kills mostly elders Causes horrible mutations Kills mostly men Kills mostly women Turns people into murderers Turns animals into monsters Causes blindness Kills indiscriminately

Political event (d12) 1. Civil war 2. Slave uprising 3. Piracy and raids 4. Succession war 5. Religious crusade 6. Conquest 7. Religious war 8. Conquered country rebellion 9. Regime change 10. Counterfeit money 11. Invasion 12. Isolation – Black Sword Hack – 61

Regional Adventure Seeds Here you'll ﬁnd a list of events the characters could get involved in as well as a few questions that will help deﬁne your world.

FORBIDDEN CITY Why is the city forbidden? Are the reasons religious or political? Both? Is the City quarantined? 1}- There is a way to enter the Forbidden City via the spirit world. A spirit guide must be found to lead the way. Also, the portal leads into the City's distant past, when it was the capital of a ruthless empire. 2}- A vast army secretly plans to conquer the Forbidden City and the heroes hear of it. What will they do with this information? 3}- All noble families must send their ﬁrstborn to work as a scribe in the Forbidden City. Some refuse and hire adventurers to bring their child back. 4}- An angel appears above the city, proclaiming it will be destroyed in one moon. Finding more about this angel will be generously rewarded (the right to enter the City or even citizenship). 5}- The Forbidden City grants citizenship to anyone bringing a unique grimoire. 6}- The true master of the City dies, and a replacement must be found quickly without the authorities ﬁnding out. Hiring outsiders will help keep things discreet.

MERCENARY BANDS Is there room for freelancers or is the business fully controlled by large companies? Which companies stand out? 1}- Signing up for mercenary work while drunk was a bad idea. Especially when one is surrounded and about to get crushed by the opposing army. 2}- A new mercenary band made of automatons shows up, offering to work cheaply. Where does it come from and who leads it? Worried mercenary captains want to know. 3}- To reach a position of power and wealth, a mercenary captain sells out their warband. Survivors seek revenge. 4}- Some villagers approach the characters to hire them. The job is to protect the village against mercenary raids. If you have seven players, it's even better. 5}- Mercenaries decide to create an independent state. This doesn't go too well with the neighbours, though some already plot to use this to their advantage. 6}- The campaign's main antagonist decides to disband and ban all companies. But mercenaries won't go down without a ﬁght.

AMBER ENCLAVE When did the enclave appear? Why doesn't anyone invade it? 1}- It is said the Amber enclave was created by beings from another dimension. Many scholars would pay well for any information on the subject. 2}- A sorcerer took refuge here to experiment with opening a portal to the future, hoping to escape the world's end and ﬁnd whatever is next. 3}- A fugitive hunted by the enclave's enforcers tells a wild story: one of the enclave's portals keeps growing at an alarming rate after an experiment gone wrong. It threatens to engulf the whole country. Ways to stop it include killing the portal's creator and/or going through it. 4}- The golden apgarian: a plant with extraordinary healing abilities (it replaces lost limbs with moss and wood) grows only in the Amber enclave. It is guarded by nature spirits who ask for payment (see the spirits table on p.37). 5}- One of the enclave's rulers has been kidnapped by a neighbouring country. Mercenaries are needed to bring them back. 6}- Scholars think the Amber enclave hides many portals leading to many places in the world. The Amber enclave's rulers allow their use in exchange for some service.

GOLDEN ARCHIPELAGO Is the Golden Archipelago made of islands floating in the sky instead of an ocean? What unites the islands? Do they call it like this because it is so wealthy? 1}- A relic from a past civilization, the Silac Umbar, is hidden in the archipelago. It is said that it can change a specific event in its bearer’s past. 2}- A storm threatens to engulf the whole archipelago. A new island appears, stopping the storm but immediately unleashing dragons to conquer the region. 3}- A cult turns the crews of lost ships into loathsome human-insect hybrids to dig into the island their ancient god is imprisoned in. 4}- Once a year, a fog engulfs one of the islands, allowing the living to speak with the dead. The characters will be visited by old enemies and lost friends. 5}- During a thunderstorm, the characters’ ship is struck by lightning: they're now out of phase and appear as ghosts, becoming the target of every undead spirit. To return to their world the PCs have to find the witch who summoned the storm in the first place. 6}- One of the islands is home to a creature that absorbs the life of those who try to live on it. It's starting to suck the life of neighbouring islands as well. Finding a way to stop this will lead the heroes to confront the mighty vampiric spirit that possesses the island.

NORTHERN RAIDERS Do they use ships? Airships? Submarines? Do they only attack at night, and why? Are there places they never attack for unknown reasons? 1}- Prisoners get the following choice: be sold as slave or become a raider. Picking the second option means pledging one’s life to a mysterious sea goddess. Break the vow and your lungs slowly ﬁll with sea water. 2}- A Raider has visions of a golden city on the other side of the ocean. She seeks volunteers to mount an expedition. These dreams are a plea for help from a dying civilisation. 3}- Past victims of the raiders appear on ghost ships and hunt them down. The characters can try to ﬁnd a way to lift the curse or prevent the raiders from doing so. 4}- A Raider chieftain has been captured and sits in a cell waiting for her execution. It's time to break her out of the biggest prison ever built, Mörk Fängelse! 5}- The campaign's main antagonist is trying to rally the Northern Raiders to its cause. Preventing such an alliance might be a good idea. 6}- Each year, Raider captains compete in a tournament. The winner takes the leadership of the Raiders for one year.

MERCHANT LEAGUE The beating heart of the world's commerce. Competition is fierce and leads to large amounts of political manoeuvring and backstabbing. How does the League protect its members? Demonic ships? Contracts sealed with sorcery? Cursed cargo for everyone but the owner? 1}- A trio of old pirates vowed to take revenge against a Merchant League privateer. They need agents in the League to plan their attack. 2}- Any merchant excluded by the League's council loses all property rights: anyone can steal from them, whether it's a ship or a box of silverware. This keeps most merchants in line but has led to many bloody ’acquisitions’. 3}- A ruined merchant got his revenge: suddenly, gold eating imps are invading the League's capital. Stopping the imps means finding a way to banish a powerful greed demon. 4}- A merchant House is gaining influence inside the League's council. This is thanks to a corrupt haruspice working for the cult that took over the House. Their goal is to summon their god with the largest offering of gold ever seen. 5}- Fake coins appear all over the League's markets. The coins can be traced to the campaign's main villain. This could lead to the League's ruin in a matter of weeks. 6}- One of the characters inherit the title of Honourable Merchant from a distant relation, granting them a place at the League's council. What could go wrong?

FLOTSAM KINGDOM Is it floating in the air? On a sea of ice? Is there a myth around the kingdom's creation, tales of the first Castaway? Who were the first inhabitants, escaped prisoners and slaves? People banished from their land? 1}- The Kingdom's divers explore the depths to find valuable objects from past civilisations. One of them has found the entrance to a vast submerged city. The heroes are the first to learn about this. 2}- The Kingdom is often raided by pirates led by the king's sister. At the same time a small group of scholars, divers, and dockers wants to get rid of both and create a Flotsam Republic. 3}- The campaign's main antagonist wants to annex the Flotsam Kingdom. Why would they go out of their way to conquer a floating nation? 4}- A leviathan asks for human sacrifices or it will destroy the Kingdom. There's probably a way to find its lair and banish it. 5}- Someone the characters are seeking has taken refuge in the Flotsam Kingdom. Nobody here likes strangers asking questions, unless they prove themselves to be trustworthy. Freeing workers from the king’s underwater dungeon would be a good start. 6}- The Kingdom's security depends on driftwood golems. The ritual to control them has just been stolen. Whoever acquires it will have the Flotsam Kingdom's fate in their hands.

EASTERN PRINCIPALITIES A land of gothic horror, an analogue to China's Warring Kingdoms, or a mix of both. What are vampires like in your world? 1}- Each Principality was ruled by a vampire until a family of monster hunters managed to kill most of them. Principalities still run by vampires seek revenge to this day. 2}- Each Principality maintains its own standing army. To face the cost, part of these troops have been working as mercenaries abroad for a long time. Some captains grab the power has soon as they return. 3}- A constant state of war causes regular food shortages. Smuggling grain and venison has become a lucrative business. 4}- A scholar has found a way to make human blood poisonous to vampires. She's relentlessly tracked by the vampire princes. All she needs is the blood of the ﬁrst vampire to devise her potion. From then, it will spread as a disease that only kills vampires. 5}- A monastic order knows the location of the ﬁrst vampire. A number of monks each know one piece of the puzzle, and all must be found to get there. 6}- A vampire sorcerer manages to temporarily mask the sun over the Principalities, leading to a brutal war of conquest of the human towns. Finding the sorcerer and killing them is the only way to prevent the blood suckers to take control of the region.

PICT TERRITORIES Why are they also called the Unconquered Lands? How did the Picts manage to repel all invaders so far? Have they made a pact with a particular power? Are they the land's best warriors? 1}- Undertaking a difﬁcult spirit quest grants the survivor the authority to unite all the tribes. Failing the quest means death. 2}- A sacred relic, the spear of Alpia, was stolen by the campaign's main antagonist. Finding the relic will reveal the treason of one of the Pict tribes. 3}- An old burial mound was recently pillaged by a group of foreign historians. Unknown to the clan is the fact that these objects can lead to a necropolis where the ﬁrst king of the Picts was buried. 4}- Spirits across the Pict territories cease to serve shamans. The spirit world has been invaded by corrupted beings from another world. 5}- Pict farmers can cultivate supposedly barren lands. This is thanks to an ancient pact with Chaos. What would happen if the Picts decided to join the forces of Law? 6}- As punishment, Pict shamans, transform criminals into animals and let hunters go after them. Once you recover your human form, the hunt is over.

IRON HORDE What mounts does the Horde use? Was there a unifying figure to create the Horde? Does its people wish to settle down? Does it cause frictions among clans ? 1}- A fact unknown to outsiders is that Iron Horde mounts (whether they're horses, griffin, or drakes) are of human intelligence. Each mount chooses its rider. Sometimes they pick outsiders for a specific quest. 2}- Vanquished enemies have used powerful magic to create the Horde’s undead counterpart. This could lead to the end of the Iron Horde. 3}- The Iron Horde sends spies and saboteurs to prepare the invasion of well-defended cities. They often hire outsiders for this kind of work. 4}- The Great Khan's daughter has run away, hoping to explore the world. She'll probably cross the characters' path. 5}- In the middle of the Iron Horde’s territory is a bottomless pit in which traitors are thrown as punishment. The pit leads to an underground sea that flows into different planes, leading to many a strange place. 6}- The Eastern Principalities want to join forces with the Iron Horde to open a second front against the campaign's antagonist. Traitors on both sides need the alliance to fail.

LAND OF THE BLACK PYRAMIDS The existence of the pyramids shows their creators were one of the most advanced civilisations (at least on a technical level) in the world. Why didn't they conquer the rest of the world? Did they try and fail? Are they a still thriving culture or a dying one? 1}- A gladiator revolt takes over the Seventh Pyramid, leading to slave revolts across the land. 2}- The world's largest library is in the Fifth Pyramid. The answer to most questions can be found here, for a price: a spell, a spirit alliance, or a demonic pact. Bargains made here cannot be broken. 3}- The ruins of the Tenth Pyramid have just been discovered. No one knows it is full of plague demons eager to spread around the world. Stopping them will require the help of other spirits. 4}- The infernal scribes of the Third Pyramid can erase someone's name from recent history. Everyone forgets having ever met this person, except those present during the ceremony. This is sometimes used as punishment by the Architects. 5}- An ancient sect guards the First Pyramid, said to contain the demon who almost destroyed the world. An enterprising group of thieves has just entered the place... 6}- There are rumours of an inversed pyramid built underground leading to a future, desolate version of the world. The place contains clues that might help avoid this cataclysmic fate.

GREY SPIRES DOMINION What is the spires’ origin? Were they built by a long-forgotten civilisation? Were their creators even human? Are they still able to build new spires or was that knowledge lost? 1}- The Abyss, where the poorest and more desperate live, is a good place to hide from one’s enemies. 2}- The highest Spires rise above the clouds. The rich and powerful live there, protected by their raven guards: soldiers wearing armour that lets them fly. 3}- Many gangs rule the Abyss, fighting over every resource (the Undying Moles deal in water, the Rust Hammers deal in weapons, etc.). If you need anything in the Abyss, you'll have to talk to a gang leader. 4}- The Grey Spires are built on top of mining complexes. Your campaign's main antagonist has found a way to collapse the mine, toppling the spires. Will the characters stop this plot, or help with it? 5}- Each Spire is controlled by a different noble family. This makes for a hotbed of political backstabbing that smart outsiders could exploit. 6}- After a Grey Spire noble is murdered, the authorities plan to flood the Abyss, drowning everyone living there as an example for others.

LAST CITY OF A DYING SPECIES Why are they dying? Are they resigned, or trying to save themselves? If both, who will the characters chose to join, and for what price? 1}- The City's Heart is dying. It must be replaced by the heart of a leviathan, or everything will crumble to dust. Hunting parties are sent throughout the world, none has come back yet. 2}- The City's inhabitants relive their glorious past in vivid, drug induced dreams. Visiting a House of Dreams can be dangerous, and many have succumbed from the nightmares of their own past. 3}- A small faction within the City has found a way to transfer minds into human bodies. To avoid extinction, they need to get their hands on as many hosts as they can. Unknown to them, the process slowly turns the hosts into mindless monsters. 4}- As punishment for major crimes, the souls of criminals are infused into weapons. One of the character’s patrons seeks to retrieve a weapon containing her son’s soul. It's in the hands of the City's First General. 5}- No one in the City knows about an ancient doomsday machine hidden at the centre of the world. It still has the power to destroy everything, and many would do anything to reach it, should the secret be unearthed. 6}- There is a way to save the dying species, or at least its history and memory. This cure is hidden in the antagonist’s capital.

68 – Black Sword Hack –

CITY OF THIEVES How is order maintained in such a place? Does each member make a sacred oath to protect the City? Is that a tightly knit community, with an "us against the world” view, or a den of iniquity where only traitors and bullies thrive? Do the Adjudicators, the demonists sealing all contracts between thieves, have an ulterior motive? 1}- The City has no standing army. When it's invaded by your campaign's main antagonist, its inhabitants wage a brutal guerrilla... 2}- A cursed mirror was brought to the City. It produces doubles of anyone looking into it. Stopping the process would require stepping through the mirror and vanquish the demons controlling an inverse world. 3}- A newcomer known as the Dream Thief is stealing memories. They're a highly paid mercenary whose real identity is unknown. 4}- A possessed killer hunts down the members of a demon trafficking ring. At first, the murders look like random killings perpetrated by a madman. 5}- The heroes are tasked to steal paintings by Ernst Crivelli. Each of his famous diptychs works as a two-way portal Three pairs are in existence, but some say a secret master painting can lead to any of them. 6}- A never-ending storm is drowning the City. Finding the spirit responsible for this will take the characters to the City’s reflection in the spirit world, where strange, ghostly guilds vie for power.

DUST EMPIRE In what kind of desert does it survive? Ash, sand, salt, rocks? Is it on its last legs, or a conquering power? 1}- One of the many volcanoes found in the empire explodes, plunging the land into ashy darkness. Undead demons take this opportunity to seize power. 2}- The Empire's water reserves are spiked with a drug that keeps the population docile. A traitor in the Imperial Guard wants the characters to smuggle proof of this out of the Empire. 3}- Independent tribes still resist the Emperor's rule. Cunning elders created a prophecy about a leader that would unite the tribes. It is a puppet they want, not a saviour. 4}- One of the last dragons is imprisoned beneath the Empire's capital, yearning for revenge. 5}- Surviving a three-day pilgrimage in the hottest part of the empire, with no water or protection, grants a pardon from the Emperor for any and all crimes. 6}- As a last resort, the Dust Empire can summon a tidal wave of sand that engulfs a threatening neighbour, turning the whole region into a desert. They will summon it soon… unless someone offers them a better solution.

Maps by Rob Matthews

THEOCRACY Is this a land of repression, superstition, and ignorance? Or the last refuge of art and knowledge? How many factions exist within the Church? What are their goals: conquest, isolation, puriﬁcation? 1}- A group of monks approach a character, saying they're the reincarnation of a famous saint. Honour and fortune await, as well as many enemies... 2}- The Church's High Archon is accused of corruption, beginning a secret but brutal war of succession. Outsiders with loose morals and sharp blades are in high demand. 3}- The Theocracy searches for sacred relics everywhere, granting generous rewards to those who can ﬁnd them. However, a sect within the Church seeks to destroy those relics, for they harbour too much power. 4}- A young woman performs miracles all over the Theocracy, spreading the word that the Church has become corrupt. More and more people gather around her, and the old regime fears a revolt. 5}- A being calling itself the Last Cherubim appears above the Theocracy's capital and orders a great crusade against the neighbouring nations. Finding out the creature's true nature might stop this madness. 6}- A popular pilgrimage has the faithful cross the continent on foot. They're always in need of bodyguards.

What About Balance? True Balance only exists in a secluded location, far away from the struggle, obviously refusing to take part in it. Its role is merely to offer a temporary refuge to the characters. It should almost always appear ancient, forgotten, or decaying, reﬂecting the state of the world and the end of Balance. Balance stronghold (d6) 1. A hidden monastery 2. A city ﬂoating in the air 3. A decaying fortress that can only be reached in dreams 4. An underground refuge, built by an advanced civilisation 5. A caravan, endlessly travelling the world 6. A simple looking tavern with doors connecting to every part of the world

The End Game Your campaign may end with the characters having to side with Law or Chaos. If that's the case, characters lose all gifts and powers associated with the power they choose to ﬁght. If characters take different sides, let them duke it out. And if your players choose to let kings, queens, and emperors decide the fate of the world, they should still have to deal with the consequences. Many fantasy settings are stuck in a status quo. Rulers can be killed but new ones take their places. The world is meant to be saved or at least preserved. This shouldn't be the case in a Black Sword Hack campaign: kingdoms and empires will disappear, and the world itself is not safe. The setting at the beginning and at the end of a campaign shouldn't be the same. Whether the characters are agents of that change is for the players to decide.

Traveler Tales Use these rules to inspire events during the characters’ travels. Don't treat them as ellipses: each journey can lead the players to an unexpected adventure. And that is the whole point: by not letting travel interfere with what you or the players have in mind, you are depriving yourself of the strange and wonderful developments you wouldn't have devised otherwise. HOW LONG IS THE TRIP? If you don't have a precise map yet or wish to create it as you go, use the following values: d4+3 days to reach the nearest city, d4 days to reach the closest town, or one day to reach the next village. WHAT HAPPENS DURING THE JOURNEY? The world is never empty, each journey will lead to an encounter (it doesn't need to be a violent one!). Simply make two rolls for the whole journey: One to learn the event's theme and one to determine its subject. THEME 1 Aggression 2 Exchange 3 Discovery 4 Revelation 5 Pursuit 6 Lost 7 Isolation 8 Death 9 Escape 10 Change

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SUBJECT 1. Antagonist 2. Animal 3. Hermit 4. Spirit 5. Potentate 6. Demon 7. Explorer 8. Merchant 9. Caves 10. Messenger 11. Ruins

12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

Cult Community Ghost Outlaws Artists Soldiers Sorcerer Vagrant Natural disaster

Examples: As they are crossing the desert towards the Grey Oasis, what kind of event will the heroes face? I roll a 3 (Discovery) and a 15 (Outlaws). As no violence is assumed (yet), I might say that the characters discover the hideout of a band of desert raiders. That was easy, let’s try again: a 1 (aggression) and a 17 (soldiers). The easiest way to interpret this would be to let the PCs fight a bunch of soldiers but that's a bit boring (unless the players are itching for a fight). The heroes could witness an attack by deserters on an oasis, unless they’re the ones being attacked? This is a bit better, as it lets the players choose their course of action instead of forcing a fight on them.

Of Ships and the Sea As far as these rules are concerned, a ship can be a sky galleon, a deep-sea leviathan, or a transdimensional pyramid. A ship is deﬁned by its number of masts, from one to three. You can replace masts with "blood crystals, reactor cores, or whatever ﬁts your setting. And by its crew,, represented by a score from 8-13 (you can roll d6+7). TRAVEL The captain makes an INT test. If the ship has more than one mast, the test is made with Advantage. A success means the travel time is unchanged A critical success means the travel time is divided by two A failure means the travel time is doubled A critical failure means the ship faces the perils of the sea Perils of the sea 1. Storm: Minor damage to the ship, one day to repair 2. Pirates! One ship with two masts and a small crew (5) 3. Overboard: Part of the crew is lost (-1 to the crew rating) 4. Reavers! One ship with three masts and a large crew (6) 5. Tempest: Major damage (a week to repair) and the ship loses its way 6. Shipwreck: The ship sinks, characters awake on an island Once the peril is resolved, the captain needs to roll again.

COMBAT The players roll a d20 for each mast the ship has. Each roll below the Crew's score is a success. Successes can be spent as follows: - one success to destroy one enemy mast - two successes to attempt a boarding action - three successes to distance an enemy ship If none or the rolls are a success, the players have to choose one of the following consequences: - the ship is loses one mast - the crew score decreases by 1 - the ship is boarded BOARDING ACTION Whether it’s offensive or defensive, you can resolve a boarding action one of two ways: • Character centred: each character takes an action that helps boarding or defending. If half the characters succeed, the action is a success. For each character who failed, the crew score is reduced by 1. • Crew centred: the players make a crew test:a success means the party is successful but it loses a few men (decrease the crew score by 1). - a critical success means the enemy ship is swiftly captured with no casualties on your side - a failure means the boarding party is repelled (or the ship is taken depending on which side the characters are). The crew loses 1 point. - a critical failure means the same as above but lose 2 crew points instead. – Black Sword Hack – 77

Adventure:

dark seeds This adventure is meant to kickstart your campaign. It gives your players threads to follow as they wish. It will also allow your table to set the tone: will the heroes work for the greater good or out of self-interest?

How does it start?

You wake up inside the ruins of a temple, you're naked and covered in blood. With you is a ﬂayed corpse, standing. They make a gesture and your gear and clothes appear on the ground. The body then speaks: "You have served your sentence and the memories of your crime were erased, as requested." The ﬁgure turns into a red mist and disappears through the cracks in the roof.

What do the characters know?

Only what was established during character creation, the rest is a blur. They do remember each other’s faces (let the players describe their characters) and have the feeling they can trust each other. GM note: is this happening in a desert? A tundra? A dark forest? That's up to you! Place this adventure wherever you want on your world map.

What’s outside?

The ruins of a city. Behind the temple is a massive tower made of some strange green metal. Its name comes back to the characters: the Redemption Spire. As soon as they step out though, they hear someone shout: "Fresh meat from the Spire!", the cry comes from a small 78 – Black Sword Hack –

warband (twice the number of PCs). They wear makeshift armour and carry various weapons, bows, claymores, war hammers. Roll for initiative! • THE RAIDERS [LVL 1] 5 HP two with bows, the rest with melee weapons (3 damage). They try to ﬂee as soon as half of them are down. One of them carries a map (opposite – give a copy to the players). They also carry water and some dried meat (the equivalent of a day's ration). Any prisoners can describe each place on the map and can take the PCs to their hideout (lying about their numbers: "you got all of us here")..

IF THE CHARACTERS ARE OVERWHELMED

Two hooded ﬁgures kill half the raiders with their bows and disappear. These are watchers from the Retribution Company. Some people want to take revenge on the penitents and pay the Company to keep watch on those the Redemption Spire spits out.

What happens next?

The characters have the map. They’re free to go wherever they please. The rest of the adventure will depend on the players’ decisions.

Raiders' map

THE WASTES There's no way humans can survive the wastes (it might be due to scorching heat, freezing cold, or any environmental or magical condition, depending on the region). REDEMPTION SPIRE The tower doesn't have any doors. Its walls are abundantly decorated with strange creatures, unknown characters, and other markings. Touching it requires a WIS test. On a success, the character has a vision of their body being torn apart by beings made of ﬂesh and metal, and on a failure they lose 1 HP (2 for a critical failure). RUINS All that remains of the city are a few buildings and the temple the heroes woke up in. Besides the ravages of time, the town bears the traces of a ﬁerce battle: huge claws have defaced some buildings, parts of the

streets are vitriﬁed by unimaginable heat. There's nothing to be found in the ruins, scavengers and scholars have long taken anything of interest. There are however two watchers lingering here: they're not aggressive and gladly explain their task: some people wish to take revenge on those from the Spire and want to be warned as soon as someone is released. If the characters ask if someone is looking for them, the watchers say they're not allowed to answer. (If the PCs manage to get the answer anyway, they'll learn that a man named Narvas bears them great interest – see the captains quarters below). • Watchers [LVL 3] Claymore (STR): 6 Warband (DEX or STR): If other watchers are present, take ongoing damage

Tharkus, raiders leader

– Black Sword Hack – 79

THE HIDEOUT The hideout is located inside a shipwreck. The ship seems to have crashed on top of a hill (and if there's no body of water around, it's even better). Once the characters get closer they'll notice the ship has been patched up quite recently.

WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?

The raiders are led by a woman named Tharsus. Her plan is to get the ﬂying ship repaired, recruit a crew, and go back to her life as a sky pirate (or a space pirate, you decide!). Four raiders are still here: one is a lookout, the other three are below decks, working on the ship's demonic engine. Whether they learn this depends on their approach. Though a character with the right background will ﬁgure out what the raiders are trying to achieve: they still lack a few materials that need to be bought in the nearest city (and of course, they're quite pricey). Let's call the missing piece... An orichalcum gyroscope? • THARKUS, RAIDERS LEADER [LVL 3] Blood-stained axe (STR or DEX) 6 dmg Cannon fodder (DEX or STR) if other raiders are present, take ongoing damage.

WHAT’S IN THE CAPTAIN’S QUARTERS?

• The upper half of a humanoid made of ﬂesh and steel (looking like the ones in the Spire’s vision). It only has one remaining function: to tell the raiders when penitents are being released from the tower. If asked questions, it can partake with this bit of information: the heroes arrived at the Redemption Spire exactly one year ago. Another person was with them: a man who looked like a monk, named Narvas. (This is left deliberately vague so you can

use Narvas as you see ﬁt, perhaps in relation with the characters' past). • d100 coins. • A collection of weapons (roll a few times on the weapons table on page 29). THE VILLAGE OF FLOWERS When the characters arrive, they ﬁnd all the villagers dead, as well as a number of soldiers. They all seem to have been torn apart by wild beasts.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Hannon the alchemist has produced a new variety of black lotus with an unexpected side effect: once the user falls asleep, their nightmares appear as monstrous creatures that kill everyone in sight. A few villagers tried the new drug, and unwittingly unleashed murderous nightmares on their people. Two villagers are still alive, Lazalla and Garam, who both took the lotus and slept through the massacre. They're in shock, having no clue of what really happened, and will try to eat more lotus as soon as they can. If the characters are still around when these two fall asleep, the monsters will return. • Two nightmare spiders [LVL 3] Sting (DEX) 6 dmg. Killing Lazalla and Garam makes the spiders disappear. What can the characters find in the village? d50 coins and ten sacks full of dried black lotus, the village's latest harvest. You can imagine what will happen if these are sold in a big city... Though the PCs can earn 200 coins per sack before all goes to hell the next night.

Wrapping Things Up

A good way to end the session is when the characters leave for the nearest town. They probably want to follow a particular lead or answer a question: Why did they go to the Redemption Spire? Who was this Narvas who went with them? Do they want to help Tharkus rebuild her ﬂying pirate ship? What do they do with the black lotus they found? 80 – Black Sword Hack –

Adventure:

Slayers of the Blood God This adventure is designed as a more straightforward affair and can be played in two hours with reasonably pro-active players. The heroes are sent after a mercenary captain, Rackhmoor Melioc, to stop him from using a dangerous ritual.

– Black Sword Hack – 81

Captain Rackhmoor and the Pool of Blood Rackhmoor Melioc a mercenary captain, captured a sorcerer during one of his campaigns. Bargaining for his life the sorcerer offered Rackhmoor a way to lead an ever growing army of obedient soldiers that would never ask for pay or food, only blood for the Blood God's army! He tattooed the ritual on Rackhmoor's body, ensuring that the ritual could never be stolen from him and the Blood God warriors could never hurt him. Rackhmoor used the blood of his former soldiers to create a blood pool from which the Slayers of the Blood God emerged. To replace lost soldiers, Rackhmoor simply adds the blood of volunteers to the pool to create new ones. The sorcerer hid a small detail from him. Once one thousand Blood warriors are created, they become the First legion of the Blood God, tasked with creating ten more legions before cleansing the world of all life, turning it into a sea of blood from which a new life will emerge.

The Meeting

GM note: this is meant to be played as a ﬂashback. Be clear about the fact that each player gets to ask one question but no more. You can be a bit more lenient if you don't have time constraints. The heroes recall their meeting with the Karst Brome Society*. The meeting took place at night in a noble's house. A tall gaunt woman sitting in a poorly lit study greeted them and briefed them on their mission. At moments it seemed her eyes where glowing red but it was simply the reﬂection of a candle in her eyes. Probably... She speaks slowly and calmly: "There's a book, quite important for our society. It's kept away from prying eyes as its contents can be... Misused. We learned that a mercenary captain has acquired a copy of

some pages from that book. He used them to build his army. He must be stopped. Find these pages, bring them back here or destroy them.".

REWARD Each hero received 50 coins and was promised 200 more if they bring the pages back, or 100 If they choose to destroy them. As you have guessed, bringing back the pages means bringing Rackhmoor to the society and destroying the pages means... Well you don't need a picture, do you?

CLUES The Karst Brom society offers the following information: • their target is Rackhmoor Melioc, a mercenary captain leading the Slayers of the Blood God company. • Rackhmoor's mercenary company lives in a fortress known as Samin Toras. • There's a village nearby.

Rust

SMALL MINING VILLAGE Rust is home to a hundred villagers, all working in a small iron mine, that allows the production of the red metal the Slayers of the Blood God are famous for. A lot of wide-eyed teenagers come to the fortress to join the company. Rackhmoor pays a handsome fee to their families in exchange for a new "recruit". Many villagers wonder what the soldiers eat. The fortress cook only buys enough food for two to ﬁve people. Many say the slayers are cannibals that eat their enemies. No slayer comes to the village tavern, they only leave the fortress to go on a campaign. There's a well inside the fortress, it draws water from a spring that can be entered from one of the mines if you're not afraid of cramped spaces. Heroes will need to pay up 50 coins to get this information

* if you want to use them again, the Karst Brome society is a covenant of vampire scholars aligned with Law. Immortality suits those who seek knowledge as it's a never ending task. It also makes sure you want to avoid the end of the world as much as any mortal.

and 50 more to get a miner guiding them to the source. A hero with a noble or military background knows that these fortresses usually have at least one escape tunnel. The exit is located in the village's temple (which receives generous donations from Rackhmoor).

Samin Toras

FORTRESS OF THE SLAYERS The main inspiration for Rackhmoor’s fortress is Kerak castle in Jordan. You can ﬁnd a lot of pictures online to give you a feel for the place. An old castle that bears the scars of centuries old battles, made of a kind of red stone that gives it an ominous look at dusk and dawn, as though blood was seeping from its every wall. There are always half a dozen Blood Warriors manning the ramparts. Motionless ﬁgures standing guard, they only stir if someone tries to break into the castle or the alarm is sounded. The double doors of rusted steel only open when the company marches in or out. They have a postern and a peephole in case of visitors. Four Slayers are here at all times, close to a gong of red metal.

IN THE FORTRESS Infiltration and Stealth meter Each time a character fails a DEX test or does something that can obviously reveal their presence they roll a d6 and subtract the result from the party's Stealth Meter. If you have three players or less, the group's Stealth Meter is equal to the highest Dexterity score in the group. If you have four players or more, add the lowest Dexterity score. If the Stealth Meter drops to 0, the fortress goes on high alert: the Blood Warriors (all hundred of them!) awaken until they're ordered by Rackhmoor to stand down. Blood God visions Any character dealing in magic (sorcery, demon pacts or spirit alliances) will have a vision of impending doom: a blood red sea under a red sky with thousands of corpses ﬂoating around, as far as the eye can see. ons. Their barrack is guarded day and night by two Blood Warriors. Two of the volunteers are starting to have serious doubts about their career choice and might join the heroes if given enough evidence (they will be sacriﬁced tonight).

1. THE BARRACKS - The Slayers here are standing, motionless, in their red armour. They don't react to anything except being wounded, which immediately awakens all the warriors. One smaller barrack is currently occupied by four volunteers that want to join the ranks of the Blood God’s army. They wear white robes and don't have access to any weap-

2. THE STABLES - The company's horses are made the same way as the Blood Warriors: they’re born from the blood of a slaughtered horse. They stand in the stables, clad in rust red armour, waiting for Rackhmoor’s order to awaken. 3. RACKHMOOR’S TOWER LEVEL 1 KITCHEN AND COOK’S ROOM

Marton the cook prepares Rackhmoor’s meals, along with food for the volunteers when there are any. He regularly leaves the fortress to buy supplies in Rust and sleeps in a small room near the kitchen. He helped Rackhmoor drug his soldiers so he

Captain Rackhmoor

– Black Sword Hack – 83

• RACKHMOOR MELIOC - LVL 4] 20 HP, Sword (DEX or STR) 7 dmg. Though disturbed, Rackhmoor is still a mercenary captain, quite capable of killing fools who make the mistake of attacking him head on. Always following him is Devourer, a massive war hound that keeps running away during ﬁghts. The dog's a coward but Rackhmoor loves him nonetheless. Rackhmoor can control his Slayers with his thoughts. If he’s unconscious, they ﬁrst try to retrieve him (following his trail relentlessly if he's taken away) and then kill all intruders in the fortress.

TALKING WITH RACKHMOOR

If the heroes are immediately perceived as threatening, reaching out to Rackhmoor proves impossible. He tries to subdue the characters so he can use all their precious blood to create more Blood Warriors (but he will settle for however much isn't spilled if he has to kill them). Characters who attempt to reason with him may very well see the proud captain break: the visions sent by the Blood God are slowly eating away at his sanity. He listens to any proposition to free him from the nightmares. A character may be able to entice a powerful spirit or demon to help here, but they make it clear that it means making an enemy of the Blood God. The Karst Brome society would agree to remove the ritual without killing him, ﬂaying the skin off his torso and back before burning it. Roll a d6. 1-3: Rackhmoor dies; 4: he goes stark raving mad from the pain; 5-6: he is shaken but alive and sane. He will probably vow to spend the rest of his life hunting down all practitioners of magic. • BLOOD WARRIOR - [LVL 2] 10 HP, Sword or axe (DEX or STR) 4 dmg. Also known as the Slayers of the Blood God, these soldiers are statuesque, cold-skinned hoplites clad in armour the colour of rust. They only respond to Rackhmoor and are able to follow sequences such as “guard this room, sound the alert, attack intruders” or “kill every able-bodied adult in the city” but improvisation is not their strong suit. They have one weak point: their “heart”, a small rock of congealed blood. To strike it a PC needs to either roll a critical success, or succeed at an attack with Disadvantage.This kills the warrior instantly. A single attack dealing 10 or more damage also kills a Slayer. Finally, burning Rackhmoor immediately destroys all Blood Warriors (and pisses off the Blood God, but who's counting?).

could slice their throats and create the Red Pool. Marton doesn’t want to know what happened that night, or what has been happening since. He has very little work for generous pay. The screams of his master at night do disturb his sleep though.

LEVEL 2 RACKHMOOR’S STUDY

The place is a mess: maps, journals, contracts are piled up everywhere. This is where the heroes ﬁnd Rackhmoor during the day, preparing for his next campaign. A ten-minute search will unearth Rackhmoor’s diary. The last few entries talk of the sorcerer's capture and the very last one is just the words: “What have I done?” with multiple blood stains.

LEVEL 3 RACKHMOOR’S BEDROOM

If the heroes get here at night, roll a d6, there are always 4 Blood Warriors standing guard outside his room. If the heroes come during the day, roll a d6. 1-3: Rackhmoor is here; 4-6: he’s at the Red Pool. If they come during the night, the captain is here. Roll a d6. 1-3: he's sleeping fitfully; 4-6: his nightmares are keeping him awake. The Blood God is sending him horrific visions of the future as he’s close to inadvertently creating the first legion. Note that if he's threatened, Rackhmoor can call on his Slayers with a thought.

UPPER LEVELS

This part of Samin Toras is in utter ruins. Light-footed characters might still be able to hide there. A fall would mean a broken leg at the very least (2d6 damage).

4.THE RED POOL

In the vaulted catacombs of the old fortress, along with larders and prisoner cells, was a temple to an elemental spirit lord. The fountain where ritual ablutions and drownings took place is now a large reservoir of blood, scarlet and undulating, almost like a miniature sea. Here, volunteers to the Blood God's army get their throats slit. As their blood feeds the Red Pool, a new Slayer emerges from

the pool, armed and armoured. Two other Blood Warriors help the new-born to their feet.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE HEROES GET THERE... Roll a d6.

• 1-3: the temple is empty except for the Pool. Everyone must make a Wisdom test: - critical success: the hero has a vision of the sacrifice ceremony as a spectator - success: the character experiences a sacrifice as the executioner, Rackhmoor himself - failure: the PC lives through the sacrifice as the victim, rts pa m an unknown hand a er th wielding the knife To - critical failure: as above but the 1 vision is so vivid that the character takes d4 damage

• 4-6: the heroes arrive as a sacriﬁce is underway. Attacking immediately raises the alarm as the Slayers respond to Rackhmoor’s psychic orders. For each new Blood Warrior created, roll a d6. On a 6, it was the thousandth. The ﬁrst Legion of the Blood Good is now complete. It escapes Rackhmoor's control and starts slaughtering as many people as it can, creating new Red Pools as it conquers and slaughters its way across the land. Congrats! Your campaign world has now a new major threat.

WELL

To the mine

AR TY R OU

Tower's stairs

To the underground and the Red Pool Empty cells

the rs to nnel i a t S e tu p esca

3 Empty cellar

4 To the village's temple

Epilogue

Some questions remain unanswered. Feel free to answer them in further adventures: who was the sorcerer who gave the ritual to Rackhmmor? What further horrors does the Book of the Blood God contain? Who might want to take it from the Karst Brome Society? – Black Sword Hack – 85

A CITY TO BURN

Heimdallir

Port of the North The northernmost port of the land, Heimdallir is subject to cold winds and hot tempers, short days and long winters. This is not a bustling frontier town or a wealthy port of commerce. This is the end of the line, the place you go to hide from your enemies, your family, or the gods. An extinct civilisation built Heimdallir to resist the harsh climate of the North: most of its dwellings are underground. The city is lit by luminescent algae ﬂoating in glass containers and following a day and night cycle. The harbour is underground as well, its maw shaped entrance carved into the cliff.

THE WRITING ON THE WALL Every inch of the city is covered in an ancient writing no one has been able to decipher so far. Looking at these writings for too long brings a sense of unease, as if unseen ghosts were caressing one’s brain through their skull. No Heimdaller wants to talk about this, especially with newcomers. LAW AND ORDER IN HEIMDALLIR There's no city guard or watch in Heimdallir, you're supposed to take care of yourself and protect your kin. It works pretty well as the population is a tight-knit community, brought together by work, 86 – Black Sword Hack –

family ties, and alcohol. Fights erupt from time to time but are broken up before weapons come out. If caught, you're expected to pay for destroyed or stolen property, including animals and people. If your crime is serious enough, you're cast out in the tundra with buta knife to hunt and a wolf pelt to keep you warm. THE THULE PEOPLE Outside Heimdallir, the tundra is inhabited by tribes calling themselves the Thule people. They sometimes come to trade furs and meat. They're mostly ignored by the city inhabitants who consider them savages.

City Quarters THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE Whales are brought from the port and butchered, every last piece used in one way or another: oil, meat, even alcohol. It's a good place to hide if you can bear the stench. This place (and the whalers) employs most of Heimdallir's population. People asking questions are not welcome here and will soon have their ﬁrst taste of the Northern hospitality. Places: The House of Blood (butcher's guild), the Oil Lamp (tavern). THE FORGE Heimdallir's weapon makers are well known throughout the realms: a lot of pirates, plunderers, and mercenaries favour the city's emblematic battle axes. Sturdy, reliable and plentiful. After the whaling industry, the Forge is the second employer in Heimdallir. Places: The Seven Fires (the workers' favourite tavern), the Blade Chamber (for bulk sales). THE PILLARS The city council and wealthiest inhabitants all live in this area. It's a large cave (hundreds of meters in every direction) with three pillars in its centre. Inside these are carved the luxurious dwellings of the rich, reaching up to the surface. Hired muscle provides some order here; citizens are more valued than outsiders whose loyalty is always in question. Finding work here usually means taking care of something considered too dirty or dangerous by the locals. Places: The Needle (city council), the Whale Pillar, the Steel Pillar.

THE HEART This the city's main marketplace. Oddly quiet during the winter but full of activity when the port is open (see The Jaw below). Most taverns are found here as well as the bulk of population. The Heart is a vast cavern with houses built on the walls as well as on the floor. This is the most welcoming place for new arrivals. People here are used to foreigners asking for work, directions, or the whereabouts of "that distant relative". Of course, answers are sold, not given… and a bad attitude will soon be known throughout the city. Taverns: The Salty Grave, the Whale's Lament, the Red Deck. THE PIT Mercenaries, pit fighters, fugitives, and other unsavoury types make their home in the Pit. The rest of Heimdallir's population comes for the fights in the quarter's arenas (most are in the backroom of a musty tavern, some are in the ruins of an ancient temple). This is the oldest part of Heimdallir. Some places are haunted, and it is said that dead gods still linger here, their thirst for blood attracting the violent and the demented. The passages here are cramped,and most buildings are located at different heights, with stairs and ladders in every direction. Places: The Mush (Heimdallir’s most violent arena), the Red Stag (tavern). THE JAW The city's port is blocked by ice three months of the year. Exports are mainly spirits, whale meat, and oil as well as the Forge's battle axes. Imports are food, luxury goods, and desperate individuals. Places: Warehouses made of whale bones, the High-Up, an old ship used as the harbour master's office, the Gate of Oblivion (the temple where the dead are thrown into the sea). – Black Sword Hack – 87

People of Heimdallir Jabulani, Docker Jabulani is a beast of burden but a bit on the "slow" side when it comes to intellectual pursuits. Jabulani sees who and what comes out of the ships entering Heimdallir. He has a photographic memory and draws everything that piques his interest. He’s more than happy to share his many drawings with people who don't treat him like an idiot. Anton, Drug dealer Lack of light, decent food, or cultural stimulation makes Heimdallir a rather gloomy place, which is good for Anton's business. He's the man with a finger in every pie and friends in every place. He always has some odd job for strangers in need of information. Ilsa, Pit-fighter Ilsa could have had a brilliant career down south as a gladiator, but she's too violent, too mad, and too stubborn to fit in a civilised arena. As she never loses, money gained from bets is slowly dwindling. Guilem, Whalers’ guild representative Don't talk about Law or Chaos, right or wrong. Gold makes the world go round, and Guilem is here to ensure the coins keep flowing. If you're good for business you're his friend. Otherwise, you're a nuisance. Guilem spent twenty years on a whaler so don't expect a pencil pusher. Giorgi, Mercenary This mountain of a man doesn't talk very much, but pay him the right amount (we're talking d6x100 coins) and he will tear your enemies apart. He knows a good deal about other mercenaries as well. Cybil, Sailor Working mainly on whalers, Cybil has seen her share of Northern lights and whale blood. She knows every captain and sailor that call Heimdallir their home. Alcohol and drugs will make her talk. Until she remembers what she saw on the night she decided to never set foot on a whaler again. Magda, Surgeon Magda was a physician for the richest families of the Merchant League until she made one little mistake. She's expensive, very discreet and will probably hate you and treat you like garbage like she does everyone else. 88 – Black Sword Hack –

Heraklia, Tavern owner Rumours insist that Heraklia was once a queen on a remote southern island. She may not have the looks but she definitely has the authority (and the hired muscle) to run her tavern like a small kingdom. Don't ask about the khopesh hanging on the wall. Kaisa, Beast lord In her true form, Kaisa is a giant polar bear. She came to Heimdallir to study humanity in the shape of a Thule woman. Depending on her findings she might call her brethren and tear the place and its people apart, or go further south to learn more (if she finds the right companions). THE CIRCLE is what this handful of wannabe sorcerers call themselves. Ovonë the Witch has apprenticed with an actual witch after she was rescued from a shipwreck by a Thule tribe. Her secret and well-funded group of blue-robed ritualists is on a quest for power; they will buy any information about ancient sorcery. The Circle have recently been careless, and rumours have been circulating about them. Recently, all potential witnesses have died of a wasting disease. Kaisa has had dealings with them but hasn't revealed her true nature. THE RED FINGERS. FINGERS At the Butchers' Guild is a man with more ambition than anyone. Patrus Longios was once a mariner with no prospects in life. Through business acumen and ruthlessness, he is now one of the wealthiest traders of Heimdallir. Unfortunately, his outsider origin has stalled his rise. For months now, he has been planning a coup with likeminded people, mostly rich, well integrated, yet frustrated strangers like Heraklia. THE FUR SMUGGLERS. Not every trader enjoys the hard work of whaling and butchering. Some prefer more profitable (and mostly illegal) merchandise like drugs, poison, or sorcerous reagents – no fur, the name is a joke. The bulk of the smuggling is done on the whalers, sometimes inside the meat itself. This well-organised group has greased too many palms to support a change in government; they are actively undermining the Red Fingers. Anton is one of their main contacts in Heimdallir.

Appendices – Black Sword Hack – 89

Appendix I

Running the game Here are a few tips to help you prepare and run your games smoothly.

Prepping the game: before the session When creating your world, you have to make some choices regarding sorcery, demons, spirits, and weird science. Only some of these elements should be present in your setting, or at least restricted to specific factions (only mad sorcerers use spells, only the evil empire uses weird science, etc.). If your characters hunt demons with firelances while summoning spirits and casting spells, that may sound fun for a while but it's not what the Black Sword Hack was designed for. The line between dark fantasy and dark gonzo is thin, and we would advise not to cross it. This means telling your players that there will be some limitations to the kind of characters they can play so they're able to experience a dark fantasy campaign in the classical sense of the term. When getting ready for the next game, think about what the characters did and write down if they left some unfinished business, or attracted the wrong kind of attention. Maybe the players had some plans for the next session. Refrain from coming with a way to counter these plans. Clever and imaginative players should see their schemes bear fruit. It doesn't mean it should be easy though, so make them fight for it. On the practical side of things, make sure you know the players' characters: write down their names and backgrounds. Know where they stand regarding the campaign's main antagonist. After that, make a list of names specific to where your session takes place (you can draw them from the lists on page 104). Really, this will save your life. Don’t go overboard though: twelve names (with a mix of genders) and you’re good to go. 90 – Black Sword Hack –

Running the game: during the session As you probably know, role-playing games are mainly a conversation between the GM and the players. This conversation is driven by questions asked on both sides. Players ask questions to... ...help them make a decision ("Does this guy seem trustworthy?") ...get Advantage over an enemy ("Is there a chandelier in room?") ...immerse themselves in the game world ("Why is this city in ruins?") Although you’re here to give them answers, as a GM you also have to ask questions: - To learn what the players want ("Why do you seek an alchemist?") - To understand what their characters do ("Do you want to bribe or intimidate the guard?") Some of these questions are answered by the game system (“Your attack roll failed and now you’re hurt”), others by your GM notes (“Yes, there is a smith in the village”) but you'll have to improvise the rest. Which is great: it means your players are being creative, leading you to unexpected places. Therefore, your answers should help the players make decisions ("That guy looks shifty"), get Advantage over their enemies ("You could try to lure your enemy beneath the chandelier") or immerse themselves in the game world ("The city was destroyed by the neighbouring kingdom"). In short, your answers should keep them involved.

Creating NPCs on the fly Non-player characters are everybody the players can interact with. Sometimes, your players will want to meet someone you hadn’t thought of. Don't panic, you have all the clues you need: the character's occupation ("Is there an alchemist in town?") and the information or help they might give ("They could make a sleep potion for us"). Their location can be easily derived from their occupation ("Alchemists' laboratories are usually well hidden"). The only things you have to come with are 1) a name, 2) a physical or mental trait. 1) is already taken care of (remember that list of names?) and 2) is easy if you take notes while reading sword & sorcery books or watching movies. Otherwise, just go with the ﬁrst idea that comes to mind. It might feel obvious to you, but we guarantee that if your players don't think it's an original, unexpected idea (which they might, because the ﬁrst thing that comes to your mind isn't obvious to people with different minds) they will enjoy the continuity in sword & sorcery tone.

Running combat Combat situations are problems that need to be solved in a limited time. That time is represented by the characters' hit points. If that gauge reaches 0, they fail (and die). "Solving" a fight should bring information ("you find a map on one the corpses"), supplies ("you find rations"), or new relationships ("the prisoners you freed want to help you"). The low amounts of HP the characters and monsters possess ensure combat encounters are short and brutal affairs. Nonetheless, if its isn't over by the end of the third round, some-

thing should happen: the battlefield changes (fire, rain, enemy movement, etc.), reinforcements appear, bystanders turn up, the enemy changes somehow (they're afraid or turn into monsters), etc. Make sure NPCs and monsters have motivations (even as simple as "hunger" or "greed"). Only fanatics fight to the death, and these should be few and far between.

Running the game: after the session The session may be over, but your work isn't. There are two things you should be doing at the end of every game: 1) Award XP to the characters. They need to grow to face what's coming. 2) Take notes! This is one of the few ironclad rules we’d like to enforce. These notes will help you create your next adventure. Make sure you keep track of: - The characters’ successes and failures in pursuing their objectives. - The characters' finds: clues, enchanted items, weird science gizmos, etc. - The characters' next move: what do they plan to do? - NPCs’ attitudes towards the characters when relevant. - The NPCs you had to create on the fly: you never know when you might need them again. Keep these notes in a way that’s entertaining to you: grab images from the net, draw some doodles (it might be an NPC or simply a scene from your last game), add some maps... It doesn't have to look nice but it has to be fun, find the medium and method that suits you. – Black Sword Hack – 91

Appendix II

Advice from the Great Old Ones These illustrious storytellers may never have played a roleplaying game in their lives, yet we can learn a lot from them…

R.E Howard “...he had learned the jargon while a corsair.” Let characters learn languages and even talents if it ﬁts the narrative. Do not mistake the experience and advancement rules (or any rules!) for the Book of Law. “There is always a way, if the desire be coupled with courage.” Always let the players follow through with their most crazed plans. Sometimes they will work!

Michael Moorco*ck “In an imperfect world the mysteries were always without solution and that was why there was always a great choice of solutions.” As a GM, throw a lot of problems at your players but don't ever come up with premade solutions for them. “Farewell, friend. I was a thousand times more evil than thou!” There will always be things way more malevolent and powerful than the characters. “Gods are for children, for little, fearful people” Do gods exist in your setting? Who cares. Faith does exist though, which makes churches, priests, and fanatics a great source of adventures for your game. “Death is the promise we’re all born with, sir. A good death is better than a poor one.” As a player, your goal isn't to have your character survive. It is to ﬁnd a meaningful death for them.

92 – Black Sword Hack –

Fritz Leiber “We have searched the wide world over and not found forgetfulness.” No matter where the characters go, their past will always ﬁnd them. “None can use black magic without straining the soul to the uttermost—and staining it into the bargain.” The rules make sure a sorcerer character will become a monster unless they cease to use their powers. Any sorcerer the characters meet is a potential enemy down the line. “Sorcerers don’t have mothers!” Don't waste too much time on NPC backstories. Like the characters, they live and die in the present. “We bow to no man’s ultimate command, dance to no wizard’s drumming, join no mob, hark to no wildering hate-call. “ Black Sword Hack is not a mission-based game. Characters shouldn't wait for patrons to give them work. In the end they should only work for themselves and what they believe in. “...the Mouser making an impossibly long-looking lunge for one so small, and went between two scales of the bravo’s armored jerkin and between his ribs and through his heart “ Keep combat encounters short but be sure to describe ﬁnal blows evocatively. Asking players to describe them is even better (but remember that not everyone is comfortable with being put on the spot).

Fred Saberhagen “But even the best luck is no good until it’s used, and we must ﬁnd the right way to use it.” Risk-averse players will try to avoid using their Doom die. Don't force them to use it, the game will make sure they do. “Technology! How can any man who means to keep his sanity go far in such an art?” Whether it's sorcery, spirits, or weird science, all practitioners the characters meet will, at best, have a screw loose – and at worst be evil lunatics.

Joe Abercrombie “Rules are for children. This is war, and in war the only crime is to lose.” Don't pull punches when playing antagonists. Fight dirty and strike hard so the characters learn to do exactly the same. “Sometimes it doesn’t matter too much what choice you make, as long as you make it quick and stick to it.” Things should move forward. Don't let the characters get comfortable for too long. Always start a session in the middle of a situation, not at a tavern or shopping in a safe town. “History is littered with dead good men.” The good guys don't always win in the end. Nobody said the characters were the good guys though.

Poul Anderson “Our own age is not one which can afford to call its ancestors savage.” The world is violent; there's war, intrigue, and crime everywhere. Everyone has a story full of blood and grief to tell. “Somewhere in the boundlessness of reality, anything you can imagine must actually exist!” No idea is too crazy or far-fetched; this is a game of imagination, so let yours run wild. Some things will stick while others will wither away. It doesn't matter as long as you keep pushing the game forward. “This business of Chaos versus Law, for example, turned out to be more than religious dogma. It was a practical fact of existence, here.” Chaos and Law exist through their servants and those are very dedicated. The characters should always be able to ﬁnd clues indicating that they stumbled on one or the other's plans. “So: between his home world and this, some connection existed. Not only the astronomy and geography showed parallels, the very details of history did.” History books are full of great stories, characters, factions, plots. Steal as much as you can from them. They're often cheaper than roleplaying games books too.

– Black Sword Hack – 93

Appendix III

TOOLS FOR ALL GMS

Black Sword Hack for the Lone Adventurer

All the tools we present here can be used by GMs for their regular games. So even if you're not into solo roleplaying, keep reading!

This isn’t just a game Playing Black Sword Hack solo is a great experience for

both players and GMs. It's not a lesser version of the game, or a clutch for GMs deprived of players. It's an exercise in pure creativity that will develop your improvisation muscles. Imagination is a skill, these rules are you weapon master. Nothing can be too absurd, too far-fetched or too crazy. You have no audience but yourself. You can make mistakes, experiment with new things without anyone looking over your shoulder. Be kind, be open-minded, and these qualities will follow you to the gaming table once your personal adventures are over.

1 - Find a title

The best way to learn is to start doing it. Grab a pen and a sheet of paper or notebook, and give a title to your adventures. Look at your RPG or books collection, mix and match words until something sounds right, meaning be damned. Here are a few examples (or roll a d8): 1. The Dark Fate of the Wind Howlers 2. This Axe is Mine, an Executioner's Tale 3. Devious Drusk, King of the Wasteland 4. Five Swords Against the Blood God 5. Night of the Bladespawns 6. The Twisted Destiny of the Scarlet Princess 7 Oksana: Thief, Gladiator, Queen 8. Trials and Tribulations of a Former Chaos Priest

2 - Create a character

Now go back to page 10 and create a character. No, not later; do it now or you'll never do it. Trust the dice, do not re-roll, use what you're given. Don't try to make the character ﬁt the title above or your own preconceptions. Tread new paths lest you want your mind to wither.

3 - Create your world

Simply place the names of each nation as you see ﬁt. You don't have to draw anything, you just need a rough idea of where they all are relative to each other. Roll a d6 on your 94 – Black Sword Hack –

map: the adventure starts here, use the result to select your prologue (see below).

4 - Prologue

How does your adventure start? For your ﬁrst adventure we'll help you kickstart your campaign. Use the result of the d6 you dropped on your map to learn how this all begins: 1. You just got out of your cell in your father's castle... 2. You wake on a beach, the image of your brother pushing you off a cliff still vivid in your mind... 3. You hide in the sewers as your city burns, you hear footsteps approaching... 4. Someone's banging at your door, there's a dead body in your bed and a blade in your hand... 5. Your bounty took refuge in forbidden ruins; you reach them at sunset... 6. The card reader told you you'll die in a week, killed by a headless monster. Now what do you do?

5 - Now play!

Act as your character would. When dice and rules are needed, use them; when you have a question, ask the Dark Gods' Oracle (see p.98). There's not much more to it. There's no "right" way to do this: you're right as long as you're engaged and want to know what happens to your character

Pacing

Play a scene, encounter, or ﬁght – anything that keeps you engaged. Once you've reached a conclusion, move on. Maybe you'll run a trek through the jungle in agonizing detail, hoping that your hero reaches civilization before succumbing to the fever, or maybe you'll resolve it with one roll because your character has more important matters to attend to.

Trust your instincts

Never listen to thoughts telling you what your story should be like. Just run it. Don't second guess yourself, the power of solo roleplaying is that it frees you of any preconception you (or your players) might have about what an RPG session should be. If the Oracle gives you an answer that keeps you guessing for more than 10 seconds, roll again or go where your instinct tells you to. You may be wrong, but mistakes are the only way to learn and improve. NPCs There's usually no need to roll on any table to create an NPC. You're in a village? You'll meet farmers, a tavern owner, a traveling merchant, a hunter... Same goes in a city. The only thing you need is a list of names. If you're looking for something oddly speciﬁc (an inquisitor, your bounty, a weapon master...), ask the Oracle! Only deﬁne the NPCs your hero is interacting with. Make a Charisma roll to determine an NPC’s attitude towards you if it is unclear.

NPC attitude (CHA)

• Critical failure: Openly hostile; doesn't want anything to do with you, or attacks at once. • Failure: Lazy, unhelpful, or irritated; simply wants to end their interaction with you as soon as possible. • Success: The NPC is open, talkative, or simply sympathetic to you. • Critical success: They feel connected to you ("I see you're a veteran like me...") and will help above and beyond what you ask of them.

Enemies and monsters

Don't try to balance encounters, just respect the logic of the world. Enemies try to surprise and outnumber you. Monsters are dangerous. There are two principles that must guide your combat encounters: firstly, people don't want to die, and seeing that someone is armed can be enough to prevent a fight. Secondly, fleeing is always an option. If your character dies at the hands of highwaymen because you didn't want to give them your money, that's your choice, not a bug in the game..

Picking up a monster

If you need to know who's guarding those ruins, just roll a d10: 1. Aberration 2. Blind hunters 3. Eaters of the dead 4. Desiccated dragon 5. First Born 6. Ghost Legionnaires 7. Giant animals 8. Golems or living statues 9. Hollow monks 10. Primordials 11. Serpent people 12. Skeletons

Companions

Black Sword Hack is simple enough to let you run several characters through a solo campaign. Create them as you would any character, picking Origins and Backgrounds that ﬁt and switching attribute scores as needed. Companions also provide replacement heroes if your main character bites the dust or lets you tell spin-off stories if you feel like a change of pace or atmosphere.

Character death

You can create a new character and move on, but you can also play this character as they ﬁnd themselves in the netherworld, desperately looking for a way back to the world of the living.. – Black Sword Hack – 95

Appendix IV

Bibliography (in alphabetical order) LITERATURE The First Law and Shattered Sea trilogies by Joe Abercrombie • Three Hearts and ThreeLions and The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson • The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart by Jesse Bullington • Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon • Everything by Robert E. Howard. Yes, I mean everything • Elephants and Corpses by Kameron Hurley • The Gotrek & Felix series by William King • The Lankhmar series by Fritz Leiber • The Elric, Hawkmoon, Corum, and Erekosë series by Michael Moorco*ck • The Empire of the East series by Fred Saberhagen • Disfavored Hero by Jessica Amanda Salmonson • Nifft the Lean by Michael Shea • Raum by Carl Sherrel • We are All Legends by Darrel Schweitzer • The Dying Earth books by Jack Vance • The Kane series by Karl Edward Wagner • The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe COMICS Mazeworld by Alan Grant and Arthur Ranson • Berserk by Kentaro Miura • Tales of Telguuth by Steve Moore and many artists • Bone by Jeff Smith • The Quest for the Time Bird by Serge le Tendre and Régis Loisel

Appendix V

By Eric Nieudan

Your favourite sword & sorcery book is a plot generator • Find a novel or short story you like. • Open the book at random and stab at the page with your finger. - Write down the first name or noun you come across. - Flip to another random page and find a verb, using the same method. - Repeat the process for another noun or name. • Is this sentence enough, or do you need something for the characters to do? - You can look for an action verb or a word suggesting a goal. - You can also ask yourself and the book questions like: Who?* What? Where? Why? How? until you have enough ideas for a possible plot. • Drop the characters into an interesting situation. Roll on the random tables in this book if you can’t think of anything. • When questions arise, fill in the blanks: - Using random tables. - Or asking the players for details pertaining to their characters. * Characters can be lifted as they are, or tweaked by asking the book: "How are they different?"

OPTIONS • You can use more than one book. Randomise them for each step of the process if you like, or swap books in the middle of things. • And yes, you can use an RPG sourcebook, but why would you? 96 – Black Sword Hack –

Appendix VI

The Dark Gods' Oracle When to use the Oracle?

The purpose of this procedure is to drive your character's story in unpredictable directions, to keep you on your toes. The Oracle brings danger, unexpected friendships, shocking treason... It isn't here to tell you if you can buy a sword in the city – but if you want to know if a secret society sells vampire-slayer swords, you might want to roll the die.

Asking the right questions

This is more of an art than a science, and you'll learn by experimenting. The question must be framed as a yes-or-no question and both answers must keep the story moving… so don't back yourself into a corner. This is a useful skill to develop for a GM.

Asking the question

1. Hell no!

2. No

Roll a d6, the answer is... 3. No but... 4. Yes but...

5. Yes

6. Hell yes!

Refining things up a bit

Are there things likely to inﬂuence the answer? If so, consider the probability of a positive answer: - Don’t think so: roll 3 dice and keep the lowest - Unlikely: roll 2 dice and keep the lowest. - Who knows? roll one die. - Probably: roll 2 dice and keep the highest. - Deﬁnitely: roll 3 dice and keep the highest.

Rolling doubles

An unexpected event occurs! Is it positive or negative for the protagonist? 11 Very negative

22 Negative

33 Negative but...

44 Positive but... 55 Positive

66 Positive and...

Roll d66 twice to learn about the theme and subject of the event. THEME 41. Revenge 42. Greed 43. Isolation 44. Preservation 45. Loss 46. Rebirth

11. Death 12. Treachery 13. Inﬁltration 14. Desperation 15. Instability 16. Suspicion

21. Escape 22. Fear 23. Hunt 24. Division 25. Falsehood 26. Celebration

31. Conquest 32. Friendship 33. Love 34. Sacriﬁce 35. Decay 36. Exile

11. Army 12. Church 13. Ghost 14. Nobility 15. Otherworldly 16. Plague

21. Omen 22. Ally 23. Family 24. Wizard 25. Guild 26. Architect

31. Crusaders 32. Vagrant 33. Rival 34. Artifact 35. Messenger 36. Inquisitors

51. Oppression 52. Destruction 53. Ignorance 54. Puriﬁcation 55. Scarcity 56. Quest

61. Stagnation 62. Redemption 63. Failure 64. Help 65. Corruption 66. Rebellion

SUBJECT

98 – Black Sword Hack –

41. Ruins 42. Knowledge 43. Cave 44. Dream 45. Hamlet 46. Outlaws

51. Healers 52. Cult 53. Guardian 54. Settlers 55. Monument 56. Food

61. Judges 62. Storm 63. Demon 64. Court 65. Theater 66. Assassins

By Evlyn Moreau

Appendix VII

Cosmic Usage Dice Black Sword Hack is about the end of the world, and you may need some sort of pacing mechanic to trigger the last chapter of its saga. You could establish that the characters reaching level 10 triggers the end but let’s try something that follows the ﬁction and the characters’ actions.

Law and Chaos both have a Cosmic usage die

• They could both start at d8 but you can also start with an unbalanced world. • If a Cosmic Usage die goes under d4 or above d12, it triggers the end of the world. • When both cosmic dice are equal, the Cosmic Balance is in equilibrium.

At the end of an advenutre

• Roll the Usage die of the defeated or hindered side: on a result of 1-2, its Cosmic die is downgraded. - The defeat was extra hurtful (the death of a champion, etc.): roll with Disadvantage. - The loss was minimal: roll with Advantage. • Roll the usage die of the winning side: on the maximum result it is stepped up to the next highest die size.

- The win is exalted or glorious: roll with Advantage. - The win is minimal: roll with Disadvantage. When Chaos and Law ﬁght without the intervention of the player characters: roll their usage dice, the higher result wins. A 1 or 2 means a disaster (downgrade the Ud as usual). So aligned player characters can cause the end of the world by crushing the opposition (depleting its Usage die) or by being too successful (bringing their side’s Cosmic die over d12).

Optional rule: cosmic momentum

• When your side’s Cosmic die increases, your Doom die is stepped up for the duration of the next adventure. • For characters aligned with Balance, this happens when both Cosmic dice are the same. By Eric Nieudan

Appendix VIII

Friendly NPCs in combat: the Allies' Oracle Black Sword Hack doesn’t really let you use heroes’ allies in combat. You can of course stat them up like a PC and have someone roll for them but should it prove too much work, we recommend this adaption of the oracle opposite. Roll a die for each NPC fighting on the characters’ side. • 1-2: they are wounded and lose d6 hit points • 3-4: they are hit (losing d6 HP) but also attack the enemy successfully, inflicting d6 damage • 5+: they attack successfully and inflict d6 damage If the character has special abilities, use the result to decide how well they work (okay on 3-4, well on 5+).

The die you roll on the Allies' Oracle depends on the level difference between the NPC and who or what they’re ﬁghting. NPC level < Opponent level: roll d4 NPC level = Opponent level: roll d6 NPC level > Opponent level: roll d8 The above assumes the equals symbol (=) is a rough estimation: you should roll a d6 if the difference in levels is 1, even sometimes 2. Circ*mstances, weaponry, motivation, etc. can also impact the die type. Use your best judgment and agree with the players.

Appendix IX By Evlyn Moreau

Evlyn’s World This world was built by Evlyn Moreau and shared on her blog after the release of Black Sword Hack 1st Edition. We thought it would be a great example for you to draw on and get inspired by – especially since she doesn’t follow the procedure as written!

What attracted me to Black Sword Hack is that instead of proposing you should play in one of the worlds from the novels it is inspired by, the game helps you craft your own doomed world, and lets your players save or destroy it. I think that this is the best way to write an RPG about a work of ﬁction: give the group the tools to craft their own setting inspired by the tropes and elements of the original works. This way the campaign is not constrained by the canon, and it doesn’t feel like you are playing in someone else’s campaign world, treading around a story that was already told. A big part of the fun was the creation of our doomed world. We used the random tables provided in the book but instead of just the GM (me) rolling on them, I asked the players to in turn roll two dice, choosing the result they liked best. This way we were able to create the world collectively. I feel like this a great way to emotionally involve the players in the world they will save or lead to its doom!

100 – Black Sword Hack –

THE WORLD The forces of Order are championed by a network of brains enclosed in engraved bronze casings. Their troops are an army of automatons made in the image of angels. The world suffers from earthquakes and tsunamis. The Balance’s stronghold is a refuge built underground by an advanced civilisation. NATIONS The Nothern Raiders are declining and favourable to Chaos. The Dust Empire is warmongering and allied with Law. The last city of a dying species is divided and favourable to Chaos. The Grey Spire Dominion is declining and favourable to Law. The Land of the Black Pyramid is declining and favours diplomatic solutions. THE RUNIC WEAPONS The Rapier of the Devouring Horde is brutal and eager to call for action. It inflicts the STR of its wielder as damage. It is made of quicksilver and transfers d6 HP to it wielder whenever it takes a life. It can be found on the Moon! The Long Sword of Splitting Death is silent and uncaring about its wielder. It inflicts the WIS of its wielder as damage. It is made of rusted metal and stone. When it kills, it absorbs memories. It can be found on a floating Island.

– Black Sword Hack – 101

Appendix X

By Eric Nieudan

Impossible Creatures It is a well known fact that you can never have too many monsters. So here's a way to create a hundred more!

The monster is a hideous mix of... A man or woman An ape or bear A horse or cow An eagle or crow A lion or panther

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

A goat or elk A shark or eel A snake or lizard An armadillo or porcupine A wolf or hound

and... a spider or scorpion a co*ckroach or centipeded a child a snail or slug a bat or moth

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

a butterly or dragonﬂy a lamprey or leech a carnivorous vine or orchid a classical statue an octopus or jellyﬁsh

(optional) even weirder, it is made of... purple slime mould mother-of-pearl a kind of bendcrystal rusty gears and nails kinetic or sonic energy

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

golden light acidic ﬂesh smoking coals solidiﬁed nightmares sinew and eyeballs

and it is looking for... shelter from the weather victims to drain of their psychic energy blood, the younger the better a carrion to drag back to its pups a player character’s liver 102 – Black Sword Hack –

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

a portal back to its world release from its miserable life a moment of peace and beauty gold and gems the soul of a deceased friend

Appendix XI

Strange Planes Dimension hopping via sorcery, portals, or weird machines is a theme in a lot of the sword & sorcery Black Sword Hack seeks to emulate. You may want to run whole sessions in some strange hell, or just have the characters break into a warlock's private world by mistake. Here are a couple tables to inspire you.

Where Does The Portal Lead? 1. One day into your own past. What will you change? 2. To a desert world where might makes right and writing is forbidden 3. To a new continent bearing the remains of a past civilisation 4. In the middle of a battle, having to pick a side pretty damn fast 5. On another planet and in the bodies of some of its denizens 6. In the kitchen of the world's most secure fortress 7. In the middle of a demon prince's sacrificial wedding 8. In the dream of a Great Old One. You'e better be gone when it wakes 9. In a collapsed underground city. Full of riches, angry spirits, and undead guards 10. In a far future dominated by clockwork automatons 11. In a world that will die in just one day. Enough to save it or find a way home 12. In a military camp just before it is raided by an unknown enemy 13. On a prison planet guarded by three-eyed lizard folk 14. Inside a pentagram, surrounded by dumbfounded cultists 15. On the bridge of a sailing ship heading for a black hole in the sky 16. In a seemingly infinite library. Assist the librarian so they can help you go home 17. In an underwater city under attack by intelligent jellyfish 18. Inside the belly of a beast that already swallowed a city 19. Inside another world's moon, home to an insectoid civilisation 20. In the palace of a dying Chaos lord

What Do You Need To Get Back? 1. A ritual tattooed on the back of a penitent knight 2. A key hidden in a grimoire protected by ancient magic 3. A pelt made from the hide of a hellhound 4. A runic weapon held by a Champion of Balance 5. There is no way to go back. You must travel to another world 6. To have a specific prayer written all over your body with the blood of a priest 7. A piece of music played by a talented musician 8. A deck of tarot cards willingly given to you by a demon 9. An oath to save a specific individual 10. A time travel ritual so you can stop yourself from going in the first place 11. Only a young child can open the portal. They are worshipped as a god 12. To destroy a crown that once belonged to an immortal queen – Black Sword Hack – 103

Appendix XII By Eric Nieudan

Names by origin You can choose one of these for each of your nations (and write its name so you won't forget). We've included the real world origin for each list; you can can look for more names online if all the characters in the list die before the world ends. For the nations one or more characters are from, you should of course choose with your players. (Manx) Nation: Coobragh, Otes, Mylchreest, Austeyn, Gawne, Dolen, Otnel, Connaghyn, Burscogh, Sayle, Hugen, Aystogh, Cubbon, Nessa, Cretney, Bahee, Huchon, Ainle, Crebbin, Ratyn, Margaid, Parre, Lathom, Moirrey (Samoan) Nation: Iakopo, Asiata, Lotulelei, Akeakami, Leapai, Ioelu, Fuima Papani, Mataio, Pelesa, Rangi, Latu, Savea, Ofo, Lofi po, Tupuasa, Malaitai, Telila, Kenese, Fili, Etena, Leniu, Malie, Fanene, Tava'esina, Arihi, Tilo, Niu (Norwegian) Nation: Roe, Backe, Torbjørn, Dahl, Oddmund, Treschow, Nored, Geir, Fjelde, Kai, Stava, Steenrod, Gjermund, Aarhus, Overbey, Kile, Eline, Kvam, Torhild, Aalberg, Balke, Ungeborg, Solbakyen, Varvik, Skogstad, Fiske (Oromo) Nation: Bilisummaa, Caaltu, Dinqisee, Nabira, Elellaan, Faaya, Faantoli, Sifi , Dawwi, Filan, Ayyantu, Ibsaa, Gammadaa, Firomsaa, Galgaloo, Eba, Keeysan, Demiksa, Caala, Bultum, Fileera, Saartu, Bilisse, Lelise, Lalistu, Bohaarsa, Iree, Salbaan, Birraasaa (Basque) Nation: Etcheberry, Hirigoyen, Elissalde, Garigorta, Urrutia, Errazu, Chipirenna, Inarra-Iraegui, Hiriart, Salaberry, Eneko, Ibanarte, Ameztoy, Jauriberry, Mizquiroz, Harosteguy, Bernaola, Ciluaga, Fullaondo, Ondarza, Rosagaray, Tellaburu, Zubiagirre (Mongol) Nation: Agar, Rina, Arslan, Suren, Bayan, Sanaa, Ganbaatar, Gantulga, Khulan, Naragerel, Munkhtsgtseg, Dölgöö, Chingis, Bilgüün, Oghul, Gÿük, Chuluunbat, Zorigt, Amarjagal, Chinzorig, Togtokh, Gongor, Dorjsuren, Altai, Oidov, Gombojav (made up fantasy) Nation: Bh'osh, Arheash, D'heig, Glaetrul-Obefi th, Wwolhieh, Svel'fi os, Zelhoh, Org'shidloftha, Sshorfi lla, Uhyat, Ltaukr'dord, Ylisvalf, Grobrelf, Vbrifilr, Esgorman, Öerkmeg, Khirkirnhuk, Hyasaungo A.K.A... Adding a nickname on the fly to an NPC, either during the game or when creating your adventure, is an easy way to come up with ideas for developing and interpreting them, or to give them an unexpected backstory. Nickname lists are easy to make. The Graceless, Two beards, the Killing Machine, Blue Belly, the Moon Child, the Giggling Killer, the Unwise, Starwatcher, Cruddy, the Inflexible, Many Tongues, the Duteous, the Questionable, Bad Fortune, the Half Great, He Who Listens, the Barbarous, No Horse, the Silent Devourer, Smallpox, the Night Beast, the Skullmonger, Godslayer, the Chewer, She Who Dances For No One, the Shadow Maker, the Painful, the Pale Sinner, the Greenish, One Tooth, the Absurdist, the Chronicler, the Unscrupulous, Demonbane, the Indomitable, the Pain Dealer, Wülf Hair, the Silver Squirrel, the Purple Usurper, the Slavemaker, the Sceptic, the Uncrowned, the Dark Rambler, the Soulless, the Golden, the Unafraid, the Creaky Marauder, the Eternal Loser, the Subjugator, Non-Dead, the Star King, the Inscrutable, the Glatisant, Three Eyes, the Walking Dread, Kingmaker, the Holy Mumbler, He Who Loves The Dead, Dogface, the Rationalist, the Ethereal Cannibal, The Wind Wanderer, She Who Comes From Below...

Doo D

Name Origin Background Gifts

str int

Level

Equipment

dex wis con cha

Stories & Dark Secrets

Doom Die

Damage Die

Hit Points Unarmed

Name Origin Background

Level

Gifts

Level

Gifts

str

str int

int

Equipment

dex

Equipment

dex wis

wis

con

con cha

Doom Die

Max

cha

Damage Die

Hit Points Unarmed

Doom Die Max

Damage Die

Hit Points Unarmed

Max

Name

Gifts

Origin Level Background

str Equipment Armour Weapons Miscellaneous

Stories

int & Dark Secrets dex wis con cha

Damage Die unarmed

Doom Die

Hit Points current

max

Glossary Advantage: Players roll two d20s and choose which result to keep. Attribute test: When a character tries to do something that has a chance of failure, the player makes an attribute test by rolling a d20. Rolling below the attribute means the character succeeds. Rolling on or above the attribute means the character fails or that things escalate. Character or hero: A character controlled by a player. Charisma (CHA): A measure of a character's ability to inﬂuence others. Close: Usually 1,50 metre or 1 square. Constitution (CON): The body's capacity to resist physical stress, pain, disease, etc. Critical failure: Getting a natural 20 on an attribute roll is a critical failure, forcing the player to make a Doom roll. Critical success: Getting a natural 1 on an attribute roll is a critical success. In combat this means the character does maximum damage and adds another damage die. Damage die: The amount of damage a character inﬂicts in combat. Normally 1d6 (1d4 when unarmed). Dexterity (DEX): A character's deftness and agility. Disadvantage: The player rolls two d20s and keeps the worst result. Distant: Beyond 20m (12 squares), the farthest range in the game. Doom: Some actions bring the world closer to its end, triggering the use of the Doom usage die. Doomed: Once their Doom die is deplet108 – Black Sword Hack –

ed, a character suffers Disadvantage on all attribute tests. Far away: Usually 20m or 12 squares. Helpless: A character that has no HP left, making the player roll on the Helpless table (p. 18). HP: Hit points, a rough measure of the character's health, luck, and will to live. Intelligence (INT): A character's ability to apply their knowledge to the situation at hand. Long rest: A rest that takes 6 hours. Characters recover all their HP, and Doom gets back to its maximum die size. Morale test: NPCs losing half their allies or their leader must make a Morale test: the GM rolls a d12, if the result is equal or superior to the highest level in the NPC group, they run away. Nearby: Usually 10m or 6 squares. NPC: A non-player character, usually controlled by the GM. Ongoing damage: Expressed as a Usage die. Victims take damage each Turn until the die degrades. Short rest: Lasts 1 hour. Characters recover a number of HP equal to half their CON score (rounded down). A character can take one short rest per day. Strength (STR): A character's raw physical power. Turn: The time needed for a character to move and act. The duration of a Turn varies according to the situation. Usage die (Ud): A die used to represent ﬁnite resources. When a resource is used roll its Usage die, a result of 1-2 means it is downgraded to the next smallest die.

The System Reference Document of Black Sword Hack (itals) is released under a CC-BY 4.0 license. Find it at https://www.themerrymushmen.com/ressources-tmm/

“If life is illusion, then I am no less an illusion, and being thus, the illusion is real to me. I live, I burn with life, I love, I slay, and am content.” Robert E. Howard, Queen of the Black Coast

BLACK SWORD HACK

BY THE MERRY MUSHMEN

MbH

Before the Rings had a Lord, Fantasy had other heroes. Thieves, gladiators, kings... LAW and CHAOS were battling over human souls And heroes rose and fell... Build a world, Watch it burn

MADE BY HUMANS

Black Sword Hack (Merry Mushmen) Core Rulebook (HighRes) 00wpCL PDF - PDFCOFFEE.COM (2024)