The Zombie Hack Review

The Zombie Hack is another adaptation of The Black Hack by Bloat Games.

The pdf is 38 pages counting covers, legal text, dedications/acknowledgements, and such.

I discussed The Black Hack rules in my Vigilante Hack review, but here's another summary.

The rules are a stripped version of OD&D. There are a few new rules (such as Usage Die) and some familiar thing from modern games (Advantage/Disadvantage). Players do all of the rolling. Armor is damage reduction. This also has the Bloat Games Hack variants, such as multiple advantage and disadvantage. These are the classes: Fixer, Leader, Scavenger, Slayer, Survivalist, and Tracker. 

The enemies section of the book is full of the obvious... zombies!!! We're presented with rules for infection and 7 different types of zombies which do a great job emulating zombies from a variety of movies (such as Night of the Living Dead, 28 Days Later, and Return of the Living Dead). There's also a bonus pwyw zombie that you can grab here.  

The book ends with a short piece of in-universe fiction.

Because they are built on the same rules, you could unleash these zombies on some unsuspecting vigilantes... but that would just be mean. If you want a nice, simple set of rules to play a zombie game, The Zombie Hack is the game for you. It's simple, concise, and seems like a lot of blood fun. 

You can buy The Zombie Hack here. There's an alternate cover version too.

Z is for Zorro

I realize Zorro was set before what is considered the old west, but I think it's still appropriate for Six-Shooters & Wagons. Also, my Zorro stats are for his successor.  

Zorro

Real Name: Alejandro Muiretta 

Level 7 Vigilante

Str 15 (+1)    Int 12

Dex 16 (+1)  Wis 11

Con 13          Cha 16 (+1)

5 HD (24 HP) Save: 9 Movement: 12

AC 8 [11]

Attacks: Saber (+7 to hit, 1d6+1 dmg) or Whip (+7 to hit, 1d6+1 dmg, 20' range) 

Other: Backstab (+4 to attack and double damage vs surprised foes), 1-5 chance on a 1d6 to climb walls and cliffs without tools, hear noise behind closed doors, and forge documents, Feign Injury/Play Possum, Open Locks, Hide in Shadows, or Move Silently,  1 chance on a 1d6 to track foes in wilderness, 1-2 chance to hunt/forage for food in the wilderness, 1-2 chance on 1d6 to administer first aid

Equipment: Saber, whip

The Gunfighter (feat. Nick Offerman)

Earlier my friend Stew reminded me about this hilarious video. If you've not seen it before, do yourself a favor and check it out.

As I've mentioned before I don't like posting videos without game content. So here's an optional rule Six-Shooters and Wagons based on the video.

Quirky Characters - During character creation you can give your character a weird quirk. This may be a catch phrase you have to shout before going into a fight or the fact the you're a grown man that love dolls (like the younger Henderson brother from the video). This quirk should come into play at least once per session. You may reroll one die per session. If this roll is for a task/save/attack, you must choose to use the reroll before success is determined by the GM.

Succubus Sunday

Source

Leonardo (The Vigilante Hack)

Here's my TMNT Hack for The Vigilante Hack in action. 

Name: Leonardo

Alias: Leo

Class: Martial Artist

Level: 1

XP: 0

Hit Points: 12

STR 14

DEX 16

CON 12

INT 10

WIS 15

CHA 14

Armor: Light (2 points) - from rear attacks only

Attack Damage: 1d8/1d6 Unarmed

Special Features: Because of his life time of training with Master Splinter, Leo +1 on all Melee combat rolls. In addition, because he's a mutant turtle he can hold his breath underwater for 10 minutes, gains advantage on swim checks, is considered to have light armor when attacked from behind, and suffers disadvantage on non-intimidation social rolls. 

Weapons and Equipment: Twin Katana

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I would say he's on par with your average 1st level vigilante. Yes he's going to do well in situations involving water, but then again if he's trying to calm a citizen or talk his way out of a problem, he's going to have issues. 

Y is for Yellow Belly

Here's an optional morale rule for Six-Shooters & Wagons.

Yellow Bellied - When the posse is getting the upper hand on no-good varmints they might be able to cause their foes to turn tail and run. In groups of 5 or more, when half the number are killed, the rest must make a saving throw or flee in fear. This is done again when the group is reduced to 1/3 or its original number. You might also have a group do this if their leader is taken down in spectacular fashion (blown up, taken out with one bullet, etc).

A TMNT Hack for The Vigilante Hack

As I mentioned in my review, characters in The Vigilante Hack are supposed to be regular folks like you and me, pushed into the rolls of vigilante. The characters do not have super powers. That being said, the setting has some things out of the ordinary (just look at the sample villains). I think that you could create something a little out of the ordinary, like let's say a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, and  still fit into the world of The Vigilante Hack. Here's my little TMNT Hack for The Vigilante Hack.

A mutant turtle character is created as usual, but also has the following features. It can hold its breathe underwater for 10 minutes, gains advantage on swim-related checks, and is always considered to be wearing light armor when attacked from behind. However like regular armor, this only protects them from 2 points of damage, until they rest. Due to its appearance it suffers disadvantage on all social rolls other than intimidate.

As you can see these doesn't do anything drastic mechanically and still fits the gritty vibe of the game. You can alter this slightly to include other mutant characters to your game.

Sanctuary Asylum Review

Sanctuary Asylum is a supplement for The Vigilante Hack.

The bulk of the book discusses the titular asylum. There's a description of the asylum which has a slight continuity error with  A City Full of Sinners. The description says the asylum is near the city of Dreamsend, but according to A City Full of Sinners, Dreamsend is a neighborhood in Apollo City. This isn't a big deal and the books were written by different folks. The asylum was built in the 50's and is independent of all government support or aid. It is divided into five wards and each is unofficially ruled by a "Baron." Each of these barons gets a one page write-up (and have HD listed, like the villains of the core book).  Interestingly enough, there isn't an actual floor plan for the asylum. However, there is a nice random table to help you generate it. This is followed by a quick asylum patient generator which is super useful. Drugs are often used in the treatment of mental health and this book includes some new ones.  However, unlike the somewhat beneficial drugs of A City Full of Sinners, these "Psychochaotic Drugs" are meant to "induce sanity" and are full of nasty effects and  have no benefits. The description of the asylum ends with two short adventures.

In addition to the asylum content, the book includes more material. There's a new class, the cat burglar, which is basically Catwoman. There are also 10 pregenerated characters with artwork (which is color in the pdf and black and white in the OBS print on demand version). While these are cool, especially the new class, they seem really out of place in a book about an asylum. It feels like they're just there for padding and because they didn't have another book to go in.

I know this review is a bit more negative than my previous reviews for The Vigilante Hack, but I still loved this book and really recommend it if you're running the game. You can get Sanctuary Asylum here.

X is for X Marks the Spot

I'm cheating with this one but it's hard to find wild west things that start with X. This is from a cover of a public domain comic I found on Comic Book Plus. I don't remember what issue and to be honest, I'm too lazy to go looking for it. It's still a great picture and silly idea. So who would say "X marks the spot" in a Six-Shooters & Wagons game? Why pirate bank robbers of course!!!!

The Pirate Gang

AC 8 [11]   HD: 2+1    Attacks: Pistol (1d6, range 60') or cutlass (1d6+1) Move: 12/12 (swim) 

These spur-wearing buccaneers are a strange sight, even in the weird west. They dress and talk like pirates. Those first encountering the gang must make a saving throw or be unable to act due to the sheer bizarre nature of the group. 

A City Full of Sinners Review

A City Full of Sinners is the game master's guide for The Vigilante Hack. It's roughly the same size as the core book. While you don't need it to run a game using the hack, it's a damn fine book that's really useful.

The book starts with a discussion of city building and dice drops. This is followed by a brief description of Dreamsend, the worst neighborhood in the corrupt Apollo City. The book then presents a drop table and several pages of tables. These let you decide what buildings are in the neighborhood, then give you unique aspects of the buildings, denizens, and activities. There's also a handy little worksheet to go along with it. This is followed by an instant street gang drop table and a useful random villain generator.

The book has things for the players too. There are some nice kits that make vigilante work a lot easier. There are also rules for utility belts and additional equipment. The most important thing on this list is boomerang, because now I can alter the Archer class and make a heroic Captain Boomerang (that has trick boomerangs instead of arrows). There are also some gadget rules, which makes sense because many non-powered vigilante aren't much without their toys. These equipment rules are all optional. This is followed by vehicle rules, including things you can use to pimp your ride. The Vigilante Hack is a dark game and there's discussion of drugs, as well as some super drugs (primarily named after comic book heroes). This includes simple addiction rules. Since vigilantes are street level there's a page discussing contacts, which is a wonderful addition.

Finally there's a one page adventure for 1st level characters which is followed by a 3rd level Martial Artist that can bail the party out if they get in over their heads.

If you play The Vigilante Hack, you definitely need to pick this up. Actually if you play any gritty modern games, I think this is a useful book to have. You can grab A City Full of Sinners here.

Light City Foes: Stardust Is Available Now

To coincide with the release of Avengers: Infinity War I've released a new Light City Foes book detailing my Thanos analog for the Light City multiverse. You can pick up Light City Foes: Stardust the Super Wizard here. Like all my Light City pdfs, it's pay what you want.

Like all Light City releases, this is designed to be used with Swords & Wizardry Light and Continual Light.

W is for Wendigo

Source

Wendigo are monstrous spirits native to the Americas. They are associated with greed, the cold, hunger, and cannibalism. They are extremely dangerous and feared by all that know of their exisentce. 

The Wendigo

AC 5 [14]   HD: 5    Attacks: Claw (1d6+1) Move: 15'

Wendigo are surrounded by an supernaturally cold aura. Anyone within 10' ft of a Wendigo takes 1d3 damage on their turn. They can possess and control anyone that's eaten human flesh. Finally anyone killed by a wendigo and not devoured will rise as a ghoul. 

Defendor (2010)

Synopsis: By day Arthur holds traffic signs, but by night he is the hero, Defendor. As Defendor he prowls the streets looking for his arch nemesis, Captain Industry. While on patrol he saves a young prostitute from a corrupt cop which turns him into a fugitive from the law.

The Good:  This movie has a phenomenal cast. Harrelson does a wonderful job of portraying the determined, but unstable lead. Elias Koteas is a great bad guy and I've loved the man since the original TMNT flick. I've always got a soft spot for Kat Dennings and Sandra Oh is a great supporting character. 

The Bad: The tone of this movie shifts a lot. One minute its a bit light hearted superhero spoof, the next it's a gritty crime drama, and then it shifts to a look at the mental health care system. This can be off putting. 

Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed this movie. It's dark, but ultimately optimistic and while the tone is different, is very similar to James Gunn's Super (which came out at about the same time). 

In Your Game: 

Name: Arthur Poppington

Alias: Defendor

Class: True Vigilante

Level: 2

XP: 2

Hit Points: 10

STR 13

DEX 14

CON 16

INT 9

WIS 12

CHA 12

Armor: Light (2 points)

Attack Damage: 1d6/1d4 Unarmed

Special Features: Because of his mission to take out Captain Industry and the evil of the city, Defendor gets +1 to all attack and damage rolls against Villains.

Weapons and Equipment: Light armor, trench club, jar of wasps 

Other Weapons

Trench Club - Damage: 1d6+1 - ROF: 1 - Range: - - Ammo: - - Weight: 4 - Cost: 40

Firearms

Slingshot - Damage: 1d3 - ROF: 1 - Range: 60 - Ammo: 1 - Weight: 1 - Cost: 25

Explosives

Jar of Wasps* - Damage: Stun - ROF: 1 - Range 25 - Ammo: - - Weight: 1 - Cost: - 

*affects all in 5' square with Stun

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I know in my review I said that damage is done based on class, but that's optional. You can also do damage the old fashioned way which is why I statted out Defendor's weapons.

The Vigilante Hack Review

On it's surface, The Vigilante Hack by Bloat Games seems like just another supers game. The cover is rather plain (which a thing with The Black Hack and it's alternate versions) and features a Captain America-esque woman. However, this is not a supers game. Seriously, if you turn the book over the first sentence you'll see is "THE VIGILANTE HACK IS NOT A SUPERHERO GAME."

This isn't the Spider-Man rpg. This is the Kick-Ass rpg.

The pdf is 37 pages counting covers, legal text, dedications/acknowledgements, and such. Like The Black Hack, the rules are a stripped down and stream-lined version of original D&D with a few new rules (such as Usage Die) and some familiar thing from modern games (Advantage/Disadvantage). Other than (optionally) villain damage, the players do all the dice rolling in this game. Armor doesn't make a character hard to hit, it reduces damage. While I don't really want to use the original Black Hack to game because that's now how I want to D&D, these rule modifications make for excellent non-powered vigilante play. There are a few different ways to play the game. For example, damage can be determined by class or by weapon. Also, there is a nice house rule about advantage and disadvantage. 

You might be wondering about characters in this game. As mentioned they're regular folks that have no powers. They can choose from several classes though. Here are those classes (with comic book examples). 

• Archer - Green Arrow
• Dark Avenger - Batman
• Martial Artist - Elektra 
• Mercenary - Deathstroke
• Protégé - Robin
• True Vigilante - Kick-Ass

The book then gives a page of goons, mooks, and thugs with relevant stats. Because of the simplicity of the system these are super light. After this we get some named villains. These are presented with HD, backstories, weapons of choice, and other useful info. A few have other abilities and one or two are something more (or less than human). These villains feel like Batman villains and that works just fine.

I've yet to play the game, but it seems like a lot of fun. I'm imagining my campaign setting borrowing from many different sources. While the characters will be in an original city (or perhaps the city mentioned in the gamemaster supplement), they won't be the only costumed vigilantes in the world. My city will exist along with Gotham, Bludhaven, and Star City. Plus I'm seeing vigilantes like Daredevil, Casey Jones, and Kick-Ass all existing in the world's version of NYC. Frank Castle's roams America and The Boondock Saints are probably in Boston (or prison given the end of the second film). 

You can purchase The Vigilante Hack here.

V is for Vampire

Rudolph Sevarian

First Appearance: Tales of Horror #13 (October 1954)

AC 5 [14]     HD: 5   Attacks:  Pistol (1d6, range 60') or Slam (1d6) or Bite (1d3, see below)   Special: see below    Move: 15

Rudolph Sevarian is a Hungarian vampire who traveled to the American west because the people their were unfamiliar with vampires and their inherent weaknesses. Even if reduced to 0 HP, he will regain 1 HP a round unless the damage was done by silver, fire, sunlight, blessed items, or magic. He takes 10 damage every round they are in direct sunlight. Unless decapitated, anyone killed by Rudolph's bite will rise as a vampire the next night.

U is for Undead Nightmare

Undead Nightmare is the best Weird West video game out there. Honestly, I wish it wasn't a stand alone expansion. I would play a full length game like this, especially if they added other supernatural creatures.

The Fresh Dead

AC 9 [10]   HD: 1    Attacks: Bite (1d3) Move: 12' Special: Anyone bitten by a fresh dead must make a saving throw. If they fail they will die and become one of the fresh dead in 1d3 minutes. A head shot will instantly kill the zombie.

Bruisers

AC 9 [10]   HD: 4    Attacks: Acid Spittle (1d6, range 20') or Bite (1d3) Move: 9' Special: Ayone bitten by a retcher must make a saving throw. If they fail they will die and become one of the fresh dead in 1d3 minutes. A head shot will instantly kill the zombie.

Retcher

AC 9 [10]   HD: 3    Attacks: Flail (1d6+special) or Bite (1d3) Move: 9' Special: Anyone hit by a flailing bruiser must make a successful saving throw or be knocked to the ground. In addition, anyone bitten by a bruiser must make a saving throw. If they fail they will die and become one of the fresh dead in 1d3 minutes. A head shot will instantly kill the zombie.

Bolter

AC 8 [11]   HD: 2+1    Attacks: Claw (1d6) or Bite (1d3) Move: 15' Special: Anyone bitten by a bolter must make a saving throw. If they fail they will die and become one of the fresh dead in 1d3 minutes. A head shot will instantly kill the zombie.

Casey Jones and Kick-Ass Dance Off

A silly follow up to this post.

Here's another Vigilante Hack character: 

Name: Arnold Bernid "Casey" Jones

Alias: Casey Jones

Class: Martial Artist

Level: 3

XP: 3

Hit Points: 21

STR 16

DEX 14

CON 16

INT 10

WIS 11

CHA 12

Armor: Light (2 points)

Attack Damage: 1d8/1d6 Unarmed

Special Features: The sports loving vigilante receives +1 on all Melee combat rolls.

Weapons and Equipment: Light armor (Hockey mask and pads), hockey stick, baseball bat