Finally got to try out a new RPG game system, The Black Hack. It's a very minimalist, old-school style D&D lite sort of thing. I ran a short (two hour) scenario that was just a shoot-em-up chase/combat scene.
The Black Hack is particularly well-suited for re-skinning into various genres, and several spin-off versions already exist. I've seen Cthulhu Hack, Super Hack, Blood Hack, Cat Hack, Kid Hack, Modern Hack, Pirate Hack, Zombie Hack, Bikini Hack, and Gene Hack (with a picture of Gene Hackman on the cover -- the game is a Gamma World knock-off).
This scenario was generated using the Modern Hack, sort of. I didn't use the character class templates, so really the only thing from the Modern Hack that got used was some ideas about firearms.
Because I wanted this scenario to keep moving at a fast pace, I quickly discarded the Armor Points system (I just had armor be extra hit points) and the Ammo Usage system.
For fun, I added a "benny" system where players could turn in chips to get bonuses on their rolls. I tried to award chips liberally every time they amused me. It seemed to work well. An underlying motivation for this was that I wasn't sure how the Black Hack's dice-rolling system would work in real life, so I wanted a way for the players to escape the fate of perpetually crappy dice rolls if needed. I think I like the idea, and I'll probably try it again in the future. It allows you to have mediocre or frankly lousy character attributes but still have a chance to pull off a win at a dramatic moment.
SWITCH
A group of human oligarchs are evacuating a breached bunker. There is another bunker waiting to receive them. Their transport pod train is functional, but security along the line has been disabled, so they can expect enemy attacks at any point.
(There are more PCs than players, so the idea is that they are cybernetic bodies that the players can "switch" between as free actions, thus the name of the scenario.)
- Enemies on the pods - Several of the attackers at the bunker have latched onto the rear of the train and are trying to get inside. Objective: clear the outside of the train and stop the enemy from getting inside the pods.
- Crab Cyborgs – 2 hd, 8 hp, 1d6 damage (slash or shotgun burst)
- Interception - the train automatically stops as an obstruction on the line is sensed. A squad of enemies drops from the tube onto the train. The obstruction is seen to be a cyber-T-rex.
- Cyber TRex – 8 hd, 40 hp, 12 armor points, 3d6 damage
- TriCyberTops – 8 hd, 50 hp, 14 armor points, 2d6 damage
| Character Name | Kali-4 |
| Strength | 9 |
| Intelligence | 10 |
| Wisdom | 10 |
| Dexterity | 12 |
| Constitution | 11 |
| Charisma | 8 |
| Hit Die | Level 2 – d10 |
| Hit Points | 18 |
| Attack | Pistol (x4) – Damage d4+1, Ammo usage die d10 |
| Attack | Melee unarmed (x4) – damage d4 |
| Armor | Combat Shell – 4 armor points |
| Special Abilities | Four Arms – Kali-4 can target four opponents at once with pistols, or perform up to four standard actions that would require one arm, or make up to four melee attacks, or any combination thereof |
| Character Name | Minnie |
| Strength | 10 |
| Intelligence | 10 |
| Wisdom | 10 |
| Dexterity | 10 |
| Constitution | 11 |
| Charisma | 8 |
| Hit Die | Level 2 – d10 |
| Hit Points | 18 |
| Attack | Minigun – -2 penalty to close attacks; area attack – can target all within Nearby range; Damage d8, Ammo usage die d10 |
| Attack | Melee unarmed – damage d4 |
| Armor | Combat shell – 4 armor points |
| Special Abilities | none |
| Character Name | Rambo |
| Strength | 13 |
| Intelligence | 10 |
| Wisdom | 10 |
| Dexterity | 11 |
| Constitution | 11 |
| Charisma | 8 |
| Hit Die | Level 2 – d10 |
| Hit Points | 18 |
| Attack | Assault Rifle – damage d6; Ammo usage die d10 |
| Attack | Melee KA-BAR – damage d6 |
| Armor | Enhanced Combat Shell – 6 armor points |
| Special Abilities | Can make 2 attacks/round |
| Character Name | Plink |
| Strength | 12 |
| Intelligence | 10 |
| Wisdom | 10 |
| Dexterity | 13 |
| Constitution | 11 |
| Charisma | 8 |
| Hit Die | Level 2 – d10 |
| Hit Points | 18 |
| Attack | Sniper Rifle (+1 at Far Away/Distant) – damage d10+2 – Ammo usage die d8 |
| Attack | Melee unarmed – damage d4 |
| Armor | Combat shell – 4 armor points |
| Special Abilities | Line-em-up – Gets another shot with sniper rifle if previous attack destroys an enemy (limit 3/round) |
| Character Name | BBQ |
| Strength | 10 |
| Intelligence | 10 |
| Wisdom | 10 |
| Dexterity | 11 |
| Constitution | 11 |
| Charisma | 8 |
| Hit Die | Level 2 – d10 |
| Hit Points | 18 |
| Attack | Flamethrower (area attack at Nearby range, can do area attack at Close range but takes ½ damage from the attack) – damage d8+1 – ammo usage die d6 |
| Attack | Melee unarmed – damage d4 |
| Armor | Combat shell – 4 armor points |
| Special Abilities | Can re-load flamethrower as a Move action |
| Character Name | Sarge |
| Strength | 12 |
| Intelligence | 10 |
| Wisdom | 10 |
| Dexterity | 11 |
| Constitution | 11 |
| Charisma | 8 |
| Hit Die | Level 2 – d10 |
| Hit Points | 18 |
| Attack | Pistol – damage d6+1; ammo usage die d12 |
| Attack | Frag Grenade (area attack); -1 to attack/range increment; damage d8+1; ammo usage die d8 (NO RELOADS) |
| Attack | Melee unarmed – damage d4 |
| Armor | Ablative Combat Shell – 8 armor points |
| Special Abilities | Flush ‘em Out – gets an extra standard action after a grenade attack (but cannot be another grenade attack) |
| Character Name | Toothpick |
| Strength | 14 |
| Intelligence | 10 |
| Wisdom | 10 |
| Dexterity | 11 |
| Constitution | 11 |
| Charisma | 8 |
| Hit Die | Level 2 – d10 |
| Hit Points | 18 |
| Attack | Naginata – damage d6+2 |
| Attack | Melee unarmed – damage d4 |
| Armor | Enhanced Combat Shell – 6 armor points |
| Special Abilities | Grippy feet – can travel along any surface |
| Character Name | Leatherface |
| Strength | 13 |
| Intelligence | 10 |
| Wisdom | 10 |
| Dexterity | 11 |
| Constitution | 11 |
| Charisma | 8 |
| Hit Die | Level 2 – d10 |
| Hit Points | 18 |
| Attack | Chainsaw (attacks all Close opponents) – damage d6+1 |
| Attack | Melee unarmed – damage d4 |
| Armor | Enhanced Combat Shell – 6 armor points |
| Special Abilities | Can spend 1 benny/round to get an extra Standard action |
| Character Name | Doc |
| Strength | 11 |
| Intelligence | 10 |
| Wisdom | 10 |
| Dexterity | 12 |
| Constitution | 11 |
| Charisma | 8 |
| Hit Die | Level 2 – d10 |
| Hit Points | 18 |
| Attack | Pistol – 1d6 damage – ammo usage die d10 |
| Attack | Melee unarmed – damage d4 |
| Armor | combat shell – 4 armor points |
| Special Abilities | Medic – can repair 1d6 hp/round to one adjacent friendly |
| Character Name | Keanu |
| Strength | 12 |
| Intelligence | 10 |
| Wisdom | 10 |
| Dexterity | 12 |
| Constitution | 11 |
| Charisma | 8 |
| Hit Die | Level 2 – d10 |
| Hit Points | 18 |
| Attack | Machine Pistol (dual-wield) – can attack 2/round or 1 area attack (close/nearby) – 1d6+1 damage – ammo usage die d10 |
| Attack | Melee unarmed – damage d4 |
| Armor | combat shell – 4 armor points |
| Special Abilities | Whoa – can spend 1 benny/round to negate a melee attack by a Close opponent |
| Character Name | Don Prickles |
| Strength | 12 |
| Intelligence | 10 |
| Wisdom | 10 |
| Dexterity | 11 |
| Constitution | 11 |
| Charisma | 8 |
| Hit Die | Level 2 – d10 |
| Hit Points | 18 |
| Attack | Nailgun – Damage 1d6 (ignores armor), usage die d8 |
| Attack | Unarmed Melee – damage 1d4 |
| Armor | Porcupine Armor – 8 armor points |
| Special Abilities | Porcupine Armor – does 1d8 damage melee attack; attackers who succeed or miss on a melee attack receive 1d8 damage
Hockey Puck – If a melee attack dispatches an opponent, can automatically throw the opponent into another opponent for 1d4 damage |