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The Basic Hack
by Greg H. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 05/10/2023 19:34:48

An unknown gem in my opinion. I've been looking for a quick bare-bones game that embodies the basics and the terminology of D&D, to run with students. There's a lot of good, modern, rules-lite games I've considered for my students (such as Tinyd6 and EZD6), and The Black Hack of course is good - but The Basic Hack exactly fulfils what I'm looking for, as an introduction to d20 gaming.

All rolls are against the six attributes, there is no skill list, but the four classes each have an advantage in a specific ability - fighter in attacks, thief in sneaking/ disarming traps, etc. Rolls are player-facing, another time-saver. Creatures have a Challenge Rating (ie HD), hit points, sometimes special abilities, thats it. Their Challenge Rating is a modifier to PC's defence rolls. All very clean and simple.

I may change the die mechanic to roll high, rather than roll under, simply to stay consistent with D&D should the players want to progress to 5e or other d20 games. But thats easy, and I could see myself running The Basic Hack as is for home pick-up games. As the previous reviewer said, its very easy to modify and customize.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
The Basic Hack
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The Basic Hack
by Adam L. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 09/25/2022 16:55:50

This game is great, I love its simplicity. I think many rules light games rely a bit on the GM having some experience and this is no different.

Its got enough about it to just sit down and get going very quickly. Its a good base to add to, you can easily make new classes, spells and little feats for the players.

Great work



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Santa vs. Santa
by Patrick H. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 12/16/2020 12:11:15

Fun times! My elves stopped a plane hijacking then went to the moon to play chess with a body double of Evil Santa. Highly recommended.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Santa vs. Santa
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Creator Reply:
Sounds like fun! Thanks for playing and for your support!
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The Basic Hack
by Michael H. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 02/01/2017 06:37:04

For me, this hits the mark. The Black Hack scores points for cleverness but this game scores for playability. The lack of the usage die and the character advancement rules are prefect.

The only omission is a section just for the new GM. For one-on-one play it's straightforward but if you're refereeing for 5 players what do you do when someone decides that they want to search for a secret door and the rest of the party say "yes, I'll do that too!" Does one person conduct the search while the other four heroes stand around whistling or does everyone throw a die? If the latter option is chosen, secret doors need not exist since they'll almost always be found. I know what I'd do but there's no advice to help the first-time GM and as this is a beginners' game, that's quite a gap.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
The Basic Hack
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The Truce 2D10
by Kris S. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/21/2016 23:10:39

With a single page A whole conflict and a town Worth hours of fun.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
The Truce 2D10
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Extra Rules 2D10
by A customer [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 02/21/2016 17:10:45

short rules about will, magic, reputation, advancement, combat extras, armor, etc.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Extra Rules 2D10
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2D10 Hero Sheet
by Michael J. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 02/10/2016 00:23:56

roomfor all you need, and shortened form of how to do things on the sheet.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
2D10 Hero Sheet
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2D10 Rpg
by Michael J. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 02/10/2016 00:21:02

Very simple one page rpg. 3 attributes, very free form, characters get to choose if and how they die.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
2D10 Rpg
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Barbarians Versus
by Daniel M. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/22/2013 01:22:03

Fun is the word here. The theme of the game is what sells it. If lighthearted barbarian hijinks sound like a good time to you then you will like this game. If not, you won't. The system hardly even enters the equation. It does its job, it is simple and it works. It doesn't do anything special and it doesn't do anything bad either. It's the kind of system that gets out of the way so that you can have fun bashing things with your barbarian.

Full review at http://bit.ly/10sWYYQ



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Barbarians Versus
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The Bandit Wizard
by Chris G. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 08/22/2006 00:00:00

This adventure is a bit different from most I read. It is designed for low leveled characters but not restricted to one system. It is an adventure with no rules associated with it. It has some generic info on foes to guide the DM but is not attached to anything mechanic wise. This of course makes it easy to use for d20 and non d20 games alike. It also makes it easy to use with many of the alternative d20 systems like Conan, Blue Rose, and the other systems that are similar to d20 but different enough to make it hard to convert things easily.

The Bandit Wizard is a PDF by Mystic ages On Line. The six page PDF is well written and clearly organized. It doe not have any book marks but does not really need any for its size.

The adventure is pretty simple and as the title suggests there is a Wizard that has become a bandit. The adventure is not totally serious so it can be played up for some laughs,. The Wizard uses illusions and some other spells to mostly trick and contain the people he is stealing from and does not actually kill them. The adventure is more for low level characters. I would guess one through three should work best but a party of higher level could still be changed by the module if the DM makes the enemies powerful enough. And with the higher level Wizard, the more tricks he has to fool and confound his prey.

The nice thing about the generic modules is also one of the biggest downfalls. There is a lot of work for the DM to do. An any and all enemy, NPCs, encounters etc that need to be defined need to be defined. The module is not long so there is not a lot of work to run the module. The spell selection for the Wizard alone can be a bit of a pain since the spells are used for such a big part of the modules set up. A creative DM can actually really make the Wizard more formidable and bake the banditry more creative with the use of the right spells.

The module has some nice ideas in it but really would have been more useful if it was longer. A six page adventure is just not that long and does not have a lot of encounters. I would stretch this out and add a few elements to it with the hop that it could fill a game session. I am not sure if the idea of a generic rules adventure work. I know d20 is the fantasy king and there are other fantasy games out there. But I would think that more people would be interested in it if it was just d20 then will be since it is open to any system. The module is one that the DM will need to work at to get it playable. And that really is not always a good thing.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Disappointing<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Disappointed<br>



Rating:
[2 of 5 Stars!]
The Bandit Wizard
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Barbarians Versus
by Greg W. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 10/09/2005 00:00:00

The North is a cold, hard land of tundra and tribesmen. The South is warmer and richer, its people softer and more civilised. When raiding season comes, the barbarian hordes sweep down across the Grey Peaks to seek out wealth and glory. But this year everything is different. The cities to the south are under attack from giant lizardmen, who ride metal beasts through the skies, spit fire from magic sticks and herd men like cattle.

But you're not going to let that stop you. You're a barbarian. Fame and fortune await the brave, the luck, and the strong. So grab your trusty axe, let loose your battle cry and make the rivers run green with alien blood.

This is the setting of Barbarians Versus, or more accurately the default setting. One of the ideas behind the game is that you can throw the barbarians (the players) up against any foe or threat you can dream up. The rules only provide material for Barbarians Versus The Vile Reptilian Invaders From Outer Space, but they're simple enough that you can easily put other backgrounds together. Barbarians Versus Nazi Zombies From Hell? Barbarians Versus Giant Killer Death Robots From The Year Five Thousand? Barbarians Versus Cthulhu? As long as there are things to fight and shiny stuff to take, it's fair game.

The mechanics behind the game are solid and well-presented. Everything uses a pool of ten-sided dice. Characters have attributes rated in dice, and equipment and other modifiers will add or subtract dice as appropriate. When you attempt a task, you roll a handful of dice and compare the total to a target number or an opposing roll. In combat, the damage is the difference between the attack roll and the defence roll. Most barbarians will also have special abilities; for example, a highly-difficult attack which will score an instant kill if it connects, or an aptitude with alien technology.

And other than a name, a clan and a few character quirks, that's pretty much it. Attributes, equipment, abilities; barbarians are quick to generate and easy to use. Just as well, really, because when your party consists entirely of blood-crazed berserkers who'll think nothing of charging a laser turret, they're going to suffer a few casualties. It's the work of a few minutes to put together a new one and rejoin the fray, and the process is helped by the text-only player handouts reprinting the character generation section and the core rules.

As should be obvious, Barbarians Versus is designed for light, loud, fun games. You could use it for serious long-term play, but it's best suited to an occasional session of good-natured violence. I can see it going down a storm at a convention, or as a break from a regular campaign. I plan to run it at a gaming society event in the next couple of weeks, and I don't often find a game I'm so keen to pick up and play right away.

The writing is a big help here. It's laugh-out-loud funny in places without detracting from the clarity of the rules or the usefulness of the advice. The game is completely up-front about what it does and how to make it work. The only place where the humour gets in the way of the function is in the drinking rules, which I found amusing but not much use for play; however, they're in an appendix and easily adjusted to taste or removed. There are also a few minor typos. There's not much art, but what's there is pretty good, and while the book is optimised for print I had no trouble reading it onscreen. The package is impressively complete, as well; the main book contains treasure tables, five sample barbarians, optional rules for advanced character generation, plot seeds, a full adventure, a character sheet and a comprehensive index, plus those handouts I mentioned earlier.

Overall, this is a well-written and professionally-produced game, and one well worth the asking price.<br><br><b>LIKED</b>: The writing and the attitude.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: More support for alternative settings would be helpful.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Barbarians Versus
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Barbarians Versus
by Mark G. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 10/07/2005 00:00:00

?Barbarians Vs? is a complete roleplaying game in 32 pages that focus on drinking, looting, killing and freeing the northlands for the yoke of ?The Vile Reptilian Invaders From Outer Space? [default setting]. It is an action oriented game that uses a ?try to use as many dice as possible? model to succeed. A game about drinking, looting and killing may not sound much like a roleplaying game and sound more like a rollplaying game but the author has taken steps to ensure your role as a barbarian is what makes the drinking, looting and killing possible.

The product is divided almost directly in half; the first portion for the players and the second portion for the games master.

The player section covers character generation with is point-based and role selective. Abilities, special abilities and equipment are all purchased with points but there are a number of aspects (clan, what your barbarian bleeds for, what your barbarian whimpers for) that are developed by the player within guidelines to flesh out the barbarian, in exchange the player gains bonus dice to attacks or penalties to action based upon what they choose. It?s is sort of a carrot model, to succeed you want to roll as many dice as possible, to get more dice act in character, be descriptive and heroic in your actions. If you say ?I attack the lizard dude in front with the kid? you don?t get many dice to succeed probably just based on your ability score, however if you state ?I charge the foul demonbeast before me, shouting ?By Cerdag?s Will? to the skies for ancestral aid, I bring Kralzic the Fiendslayer (my Axe) down toward the foul fiend in an attempt to sever it pathetic soulless head from is bloated body rescuing Jak, the miller?s son in the process.? would definitely earn you some bonus dice to combat and have a greater chance of success. Combat is simple and uses an opposed roll system (adding the d10?s takes the most time) and information is included for hit locations, subdual, disarming (knocking a weapon out of their hands, not ripping their arms off), and finding better ground.

The GM section provides details of handling bonuses and penalty. It goes into detail on fame and fortunes which provide a mechanism to have your barbarian improve their abilities and attributes and then several pages on the brugs (lizardman slaver, industrialist, conquerors from space). Sample plots and a first adventure are also included.

The cover is stunning and appropriate to the content of the product. The layout and editing are extremely well done. This is an extremely well put together and complete package. About the only strike I have against the product is that it indicates that you can find alternative settings online at their website if you don?t like ?The Vile Reptilian Invaders From Outer Space?, I could locate them on the site. <br><br><b>LIKED</b>: Carrot method of roleplay encouragement. Quick and easy to get going. Everything you need to play tomorrow is provided in 36 pages.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Some of the proposed web support couldn't be located.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Barbarians Versus
by Chris C. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 09/27/2005 00:00:00

Barbarian To-Do List:

  1. Drink Mead and Get Drunk

I think this game starts off on the right foot and keeps on going. It's very funny and well written, with great formatting and simple rules. Character creation is easy to follow and, although the author gives the option for a more serious game, I don't think he really means it. This game is meant to be fun and light hearted with lots of barbarian smashy goodness and alien lizards. He recommends watching B-movies for plot ideas and I agree.

Between the funny random barbarian facts and the simple mechanic (more dice = good) it is a fun little game. The character creation includes such steps as "What your barbarian whimpers for" and "choose your battlecry". Also included are such gems as the "Random Looting Table" and detailed drinking rules; just what every budding barbarian hero needs.<br><br><b>LIKED</b>: The fun factor can't be ignored. The simple mechanic and obvious joy in the writing. The formatting is excellent and prospective publishers might want to pick it up just for that. The dice mechanic is fitting for the genre, which is a weird thing to say, but it's true.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Nothing.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Barbarians Versus
by Mary J. J. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 05/09/2005 00:00:00

My intent as a "new" GM was to run a first and simplified campaign. When I saw Barbarians Versus advertised, I knew I had to try it.<br><br><b>LIKED</b>: I love the format and the easy step-by-step directions for characters and for Game Masters alike. The customization is just perfect for a group more devoted to roleplaying gaming.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Barbarians Versus
by Mike P. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/05/2005 00:00:00

I've been a game master for about 25 years, give or take. In those years, I've played as a gamer only when there weren't enough PC's to round out a group. Always a ref, never a player. Until this past weekend. I requested to be a PC in a one shot game, run by my brother in law, who has been watching me GM for over a decade. Not wanting him to get lost in the rules, and wanting the "Ultimate Party Game", I downloaded BARBARIANS VERSUS as our system for this birthday party game.

I have GM'd serious campaigns and also one shot Bachelor Party games...and while D&D and Rolemaster are my weapons of choice for the serious campaign...BARBARIANS VERSUS has now become my choice for any PARTY RPG. Let's face it, any game with rules for how much liquor your barbarian can drink is a party game.

Fun is the watchword here people. Just a helluva lot of fun. Our barbarian crew unleashed bloody havoc on the Brugs, and had a great time doing it.

Suggested soundtrack music - WHITE ZOMBIE, or anything with heavy guitars. <br><br><b>LIKED</b>: Easy character creation, fluid improvisational format, whimisical rules. <br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: The multiple dice - our mathematician in the group made a flowchart to replicate the same outcomes using percentile dice.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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