Trying to get to eight characters for the month, you wouldn't think that was so hard, but y'know, first couple of weeks back to work and all. Anyway.
The Game: There And Hack Again
The Publisher: Lakeside Games
Degree of Familiarity: None
Books Required: Just the one
I dunno. On the one hand, it's yet another OSR fantasy game based on The Black Hack, and reading it feels very much the same as reading By This Axe I Hack (same company, actually, so I guess that follows) or any of the those riffs on early D&D.
I will say, though, that this one at least has some cool art, and while there's not necessarily a detailed world, there's a bit of attention to tone and theme and setting in a broad sense. It spends a little too much time telling us what it's not than what it is, but I can forgive that.
I still don't know if I'd run one of these games, but I'm much more likely to try this one out. Anyway, I picked this because it's quick and I have errands to do, so let's make a dude!
I can roll 3d6 for each stat, and the book says that if I prefer a more traditional approach I could assign them in order. I'm torn. On the one hand, I don't care for random stat generation, but on the other, I don't have a concept in mind.
Ooh, you know what? I'm gonna crack open The Weird and roll for a concept! I love this book; it's moved to a permanent residence on my "currently running" shelf because I use it so much when I'm prepping The Wildsea and (formerly) Thirsty Sword Lesbians, but even D&D and sometimes Chill.
So anyway, rolling on the "Weird PC Backgrounds" table, I get...well, a few that don't make any sense or don't for this game ("three goblins in a trenchcoat trying to pass as human," which would be fun in the right game but I don't think this is it), but then this:
That's still a little out there for this game, but the book talks about how there's more of a fairy tale vibe, so I think it can work. So let's say my guy's name is Tourmaline. Tourmaline was the fourth son of a family of root farmers on the edge of the mountains (gotta figure if they're naming their kids after stones there's some stonework going on nearby). And then one day some kind of marauders rocked up and attacked the farm, Tourmaline got an arrow in the chest and fell into a crevasse...and then came back the next day, totally fine, no wounds, no magic on him, just...embarrassingly alive.
Let's assume his village didn't do the Highlander thing where they assumed the worst ("he's in league with Lucifer!" Good grief, Kate, couldn't it have just as easily been a miracle?), but everyone is sure that this means something. As such, Tourmaline is going to get pushed into adventuring, because like, he's gotta, right?
It's so tempting to make Tourmaline a halfling, but that feels really on the nose. Let's just say he's human.
There's a class called Wayfarer in this game that allows you to play a normal person "with a spark of greatness" rather than one of the standard heroic classes, and I think that's just way too perfect, so I'm gonna go with that.
OK, stats! Now I feel OK about rolling. My results are: 9, 9, 11, 16(!), 12, 7. That's not terrible, other than that last one. Let's stick that 7 into Wisdom and really lean into being a bumpkin, and let's put the 16 into Charisma so I'm really likeable bumpkin. Strength can get the 11, Constitution can get the 12, that leaves Dexterity and Intelligence at 9.
As a human, I get a +1 to any one stat and an extra boon at level one (because humans are - say it with me! - ADAPTABLE!). I'll put the bump into Dexterity.
As a wayfarer, I get base HP equal to my CON (so 12), my hit die is a d6. I get a few special perks: I'm Fate (I get advantage on Fortitude saves to survive when defeated in combat), I'm Hopeful (advantage on Will saves to resist Despair, which is perfect), I can reduce my Despair by 1 once per adventure, I'm Lucky (I can reroll once per scene with advantage), and I'm a farmer so I get advantage on farmer-related things.
And then I get three boons, because I'm a human! I'll take...ooh, there's a few that are perfect. I'll take Ancient Lineage (my STR goes up by one and I could live to be 200), Courageous (advantage on Will saves to resist fear), and Fellowship (all the other PCs get an extra point of Faith as long as I'm around).
Equipment! I get a dagger, a tinderbox, some trail rations, and a waterskin. I also get a weapon...I feel like a cudgel is fine. And then I get three common items. Let's see, I want...a cloak, some fishing gear, and a local map.
And that's it, folks! Tourmaline is about 19. He's got his mother's green eyes and his dad's brown hair, and it gets fluffy when it dries. He's definitely out of his depth with adventurers and heroes, but he's not easily intimidated - not haughty, not cocky, just...not afraid of you. He never brags about having "died," because he just doesn't remember it.
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