In the last four years, I've noticed an increased frequency in regards to Storyteller and narrative type games. It might be resurgence, or my imagination… But, what I've been excited about is the sheer variety of these games; specifically, the ways in which the fundamental idea of creating story, is still being reimagined for the purpose of a role playing game.
The Indie Hack is a thin slice of this storyteller resurgence. Literally and figuratively. A slightly thicker off-shoot of David Black's streamlined old school fantasy RPG, The Black Hack; The Indie Hack trades off some of the crunch elements familiar to the OSR, for an emphasis in creating narrative elements. They say a good story is about details. In regards to The Indie Hack this is doubly so.
Every element of the narrative system relies on Details. It's up to the GM and the players to narrate Soft or Hard Details (adding conditions) to a person, place, or thing, as elements of the story. Soft Details are fluff (a consolation for the narrator/player), while Hard Details have mechanical significance, such as damage descriptors or items etc. Would you prefer to wield an axe that is “dull and dainty,” or “sharp and shiny?” The Indie Hack puts these details in the player's hands.
One way details are incorporated is through Meeting Challenges. Rolling dice for a challenge, utilizes a light sided d6 and a dark sided d6. The light d6 represents the difficulty of a challenge. The dark d6 represents the player's ability to meet the challenge. When rolled, If the light d6's result is higher (including modifiers +/- included by the GM or the character) the details are narrated by the GM. If the dark d6's result is higher, the Details are narrated by the player. A simple chart defines the degree(s) in which details are added.
With character creation players decide a character template and select from among seven fantasy type classes. Characters have three attributes: Clever, Strong, and Quick. The template for character creation creates a range between +2 to -2 for starting attributes.
The Print version I hold is an A5 (5.8 x 8.3) stapled booklet, featuring a black glossy cover with a number of full color interior illustrations. The count is 30-ish or so pages. The pages are unnumbered and neither does this version have a Table of Contents. The writing is at 6 or 7 point type (tiny), in standard double column format. Given the size of the type, it's more content than the page count indicates.
The Indie Hack scratches more than few of my personal RPG itches. The minimalist design is appealing. Getting a game going, including character creation, in-less than 15 minutes is very plausible, which also gives it GameCon or Convention appeal. It's a great in between game if you have a group comprised of a mix of Storyteller and typically D&D or Pathfinder players… (See convention point, above) I could go on, but I'm out of words… Buy it!
Disclosure: This review contains affiliate links. A print version of The Indie Hack was provided by Scablands Press free of cost, for the purpose of this review.
contributed by Jeff Duncan
The Indie Hack is a thin slice of this storyteller resurgence. Literally and figuratively. A slightly thicker off-shoot of David Black's streamlined old school fantasy RPG, The Black Hack; The Indie Hack trades off some of the crunch elements familiar to the OSR, for an emphasis in creating narrative elements. They say a good story is about details. In regards to The Indie Hack this is doubly so.
Every element of the narrative system relies on Details. It's up to the GM and the players to narrate Soft or Hard Details (adding conditions) to a person, place, or thing, as elements of the story. Soft Details are fluff (a consolation for the narrator/player), while Hard Details have mechanical significance, such as damage descriptors or items etc. Would you prefer to wield an axe that is “dull and dainty,” or “sharp and shiny?” The Indie Hack puts these details in the player's hands.
One way details are incorporated is through Meeting Challenges. Rolling dice for a challenge, utilizes a light sided d6 and a dark sided d6. The light d6 represents the difficulty of a challenge. The dark d6 represents the player's ability to meet the challenge. When rolled, If the light d6's result is higher (including modifiers +/- included by the GM or the character) the details are narrated by the GM. If the dark d6's result is higher, the Details are narrated by the player. A simple chart defines the degree(s) in which details are added.
With character creation players decide a character template and select from among seven fantasy type classes. Characters have three attributes: Clever, Strong, and Quick. The template for character creation creates a range between +2 to -2 for starting attributes.
The Print version I hold is an A5 (5.8 x 8.3) stapled booklet, featuring a black glossy cover with a number of full color interior illustrations. The count is 30-ish or so pages. The pages are unnumbered and neither does this version have a Table of Contents. The writing is at 6 or 7 point type (tiny), in standard double column format. Given the size of the type, it's more content than the page count indicates.
The Indie Hack scratches more than few of my personal RPG itches. The minimalist design is appealing. Getting a game going, including character creation, in-less than 15 minutes is very plausible, which also gives it GameCon or Convention appeal. It's a great in between game if you have a group comprised of a mix of Storyteller and typically D&D or Pathfinder players… (See convention point, above) I could go on, but I'm out of words… Buy it!
Disclosure: This review contains affiliate links. A print version of The Indie Hack was provided by Scablands Press free of cost, for the purpose of this review.
contributed by Jeff Duncan
