The OSR News - July 12, 2016 - A Tekumel/Black Hack Edition

Brett Slocum has released something I needed.
Ok, something I didn't know I wanted, at the very least.

The Petal Hack by Brett Slocum. Featuring art by Mark Allen and cartography by Dyson Logos. Weird Realm Games. Available in PDF for Free. 64 pages.

Tékumel is a place with the politics and intrigue of the Roman Empire, the religions of ancient India and pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, the magic of the Arabian Nights, the monsters and demons of the Cthulhu mythos, plus ancient ruins containing the technology of a good space opera thrown in just to keep things interesting.

The Petal Hack strips the rules down to a minimum so you can focus on character and setting.

Experience the exotic adventure of Tékumel.

Now, I've got a reprint of Empire of the Petal Throne, which I picked up from Tia's House of Games. I've also got a reproduction of the world maps from Swords & Glory 1. The EPT reprint only has a small, black and white city map and didn't come with the cool looking maps from the original box set. The S&G world map reprints, well kinda suck. Low quality. Just so you know.

Still I already had what I needed to run the setting. But, I never really felt like making that particular leap. You often hear people say, that EPT isn't very accessible. That's usually chalked up to the richness of the setting. I never really saw it as a daunting task, just one that would require a lot of work and sorting out, to pull off. Also, I'm not really a fan of the EPT take on the D&D game system. All in all, I just never really felt like digging into it, deep enough to make sense of it all.

Enter The Petal Hack. I have no idea how true to the original material, or comparatively comprehensive, this thing is. Brett seems to know an awful lot about Tekumel, though. So, I suspect it's straight up as all hell. Just streamlined, and retooled for TBH.

And he makes it all seem so... accessible.

The Petal Hack contains your basic info on the setting, a map, intro adventure, some random tables, etc. Stuff on clans, gods, history and whatnot. All set to the Black Hack Rules. Or, some version of them. I haven't read the original BH and I don't know what sort of tweaks Brett may have made.

It all looks smooth as Nayari's thighs, though.

A Few More Hacks Before We Go

The Space Hack by Kirt A. Dankmyer. Art by Lorc. Ivanhoe Unbound games. Available in PDF for .95 cents. 14 pages.

The Space Hack 

READY FOR BLASTOFF RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX 

The Space Hack takes the kickass OSR game The Black Hack and adapts it for science fiction! 

The Space Hack adds Starship Combat rules to The Black Hack without slowing down its streamlined core, launching the original 1970s fantasy role-playing game INTO THE STATOSPHERE and BEYOND! 

Choose between three science fiction classes: The Soldier, the Scoundrel, and the Psychic. Fight science fiction monsters and races, such as the Honorable Warrior Alien, Replicants, Sand Worms, Void Lords, Atomic Lizards AND MORE! 

This is a complete game! The Black Hack is not required, tho I encourage everyone to purchase the excellent parent game. 

Everything you need to start your science fiction adventure is here, in a ruleset that fits in a single 16-page booklet! 

The Rad-Hack by Karl Stjernberg. Available in PDF for $6.66. 34 pages.

The Rad-Hack is a fully illustrated, tabletop role-playing game, based on the highly popular OSR game "The Black Hack". The Rad-Hack is set in a weird, post apocalyptic future where Mutants, Robots, Psionics and Humans team up against the dangers of the wasteland in search of Tech, Slugs and Adventure!

The Rad-Hack features: 

• Over 40 illustrations of dinosaurs, weapons, vehicles, mutants, robots and more! 
• A quick and simple ruleset, enabling you to run all your favorite modules set in post-apocalyptic settings in no time!
• Option to play as a Human, Mutant, Robot or Psionic!
• 20 Mutations, 20 Robot Modules, 20 Human Professions and 20 PSI-Powers!
• 32 Monsters! Everything from Cannibals and Cryo Wasps to the terrifying Titanic Slugworm!
• Rules for radiation exposure, driving (and crashing) vehicles, High Tech Weapons, Taking (and getting addicted to) Drugs, Ordering robots around, and more!
• Maps (hex and local map) of Rad-World!
• Hand drawn Character Sheet!
• Coated in slime! 

The Hex Hack - A Sandbox Campaign by John R Davis, Dr Mike Galer. Art by Jonny Gray. Available in PDF for $3.50. 48 pages.

The Hex Hack 

A Role-Playing Supplement for Sandbox Adventurers!! 

For use with the Black Hack and other OSR games

Out in the wilds is the answer.
Whatever terror or despair plagues your lands, the dreams and portent point to the solution being out there.
Over hill and stream, through tunnel and crag, the salvation of all our people lies just beyond the next hex. Or the one after that.

The great unknown awaits.

The Hex Hack contains nearly 350 unique entries to add to your adventures into the wilds. It contains a starter table to begin your campaign, and a final table to end on a epic note. In between your daring heroes will find:

• d20 trees that look somewhat suspicious.
• d20 things in a cultists lair.
• d20 places a creature calls home.
• d12 wicked humanoids.
• d20 rival explorers.
• d12 uses of a usage dice.....including a ring of wishes!
• and many other things to find 'out there'. 

The Hex Hack also features a number of illustrations and some basic drawn hexes with more things to encounter. 

Welcome to the ‘The Hex Hack’. I hope you brought spare socks.

The Penny Black by John R. Davis. Dogs Dinner Games. Available in PDF for PWYW. 12 pages.

Penny Black 

A Role-Playing Game Supplement for The Jack Hack 

Developed by John R Davis 

(Dogs Dinner Games)

Based on The Black Hack by David Black

Cold Steel, and Colder heart. A reign of Terror is about to begin that will test the hearts and souls of all fellows, be they foul or fair.

Welcome to the Penny Black