1

A game by……..…
Written & Designed by: Petros Moros - [email protected]
Art by: @Approtis (Instagram, Twitter)
Dedicated to: Anna and Noah Moros
Version 2.6

Special thanks for consultation: Ryan Williams

Play Testers, Advisors, and Good Looking People

Anastasios Moros Matt Boulanger

Charles Capehart-Gidney Matt Endicott
David Taylor Mark Workman
Devon Rosenkoetter Michelle Montrose
Fonso Martinez Oscar Talamantes
Jacob Dechant Rachel Turner
Jared Putman Timothy Downing
Jared Sanchez William Ely
Josh Adams Victor Gordillo

Licensing: Want to use anything by TheNatOne as a framework for your game or adventure?
That’s cool and you’re cool.
You can use any rules from TheNatOne for free, simply by stating “[Your Product] is an
independent creation by [you/your company] that is based off TheNatOne’s [game name]” in
the opening pages of your product.
Art and Logos from a TheNatOne game cannot be used, except in cases when a logo is used
on the cover to declare compatibility. To use one of the logos in this manner, it must clearly
state “compatible with” directly above the logo).
Petros Moros and TheNatOne take no responsibility, legal or otherwise, for your work.
Finally, while it’s not required, I would love it if you sent me a link to your work.

Introduction - 2
3 - RedHack2e
Table of Contents
1. Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 5
Foundation - What is RedHack2e?.................................................................................... 5
The Basics..........................................................................................................................6
2. Character Creation............................................................................................................... 7
Character Advancement...................................................................................................11
3. Gear & Services..................................................................................................................12
Weapons.......................................................................................................................... 13
Armor................................................................................................................................14
Adventuring Gear............................................................................................................. 14
Hirelings & Followers........................................................................................................15
Strongholds...................................................................................................................... 16
Crafting.............................................................................................................................17
4. Gameplay Rules................................................................................................................. 19
Turn Order and Starting Combat...................................................................................... 19
Actions, Action Points, and Turns.................................................................................... 19
Encounter Difficulty.......................................................................................................... 19
Attacking & Damage.........................................................................................................20
Critical Hits and Misses.................................................................................................... 20
Saving Throws / Attribute Checks.................................................................................... 20
Damage, Trauma, and Death........................................................................................... 21
Healing & Rest................................................................................................................. 21
Morale.............................................................................................................................. 21
Luck..................................................................................................................................22
Chases............................................................................................................................. 22
Skills................................................................................................................................. 22
Additional Combat Rules..................................................................................................23
Mass Combat................................................................................................................... 25
5. Magic................................................................................................................................... 27
Spell Casting.................................................................................................................... 27
The Different Magic Traditions......................................................................................... 29
Spell List...........................................................................................................................30
6. GM’s Section.......................................................................................................................37
General Game Master (GM) Tips..................................................................................... 37
Campaign Architecture.....................................................................................................39
Critical Hit Tables..............................................................................................................41
Traps................................................................................................................................ 43
Awarding Experience....................................................................................................... 43
Starting at Level 0............................................................................................................ 44
Starting at Higher Levels.................................................................................................. 44
Appendix N (Inspirational Media)..................................................................................... 45
Hacking RedHack & Deputization.................................................................................... 46
7. Magic Items.........................................................................................................................47
8. Bestiary & Encounters.......................................................................................................52
Encounters & Monsters.................................................................................................... 52
Sample Monsters............................................................................................................. 54
9. Sample Adventure..............................................................................................................63
The Sacking of Southminster........................................................................................... 63
10. Print Outs.......................................................................................................................... 71

Introduction - 4
1. Introduction
Foundation - What is RedHack2e?
RedHack2e is a Tabletop Role-Playing Game (TTRPG) that follows these design
choices and general gameplay philosophies:

d20, Roll High: To check for success, roll a d20 and add a relevant skill bonus.
The Players try to beat an Encounter Difficulty (ED) set by the GM. Not very
original, but why fix what’s not broken?

No Classes: Players build PCs by choosing attributes, feats, and skills. Feats
replace traditional class abilities, allowing for more customization without
overwhelming players with too many smaller (seemingly pointless) choices.

Action Points (AP): PCs each get 3AP per turn, although this can be altered with
Feats, ambushes, and magic. Monsters get between 2 and 4. AP is more flexible
and easier to digest than the traditional use of different action types.

Deadly Combat: All combat is dangerous. PCs do not gain health as they level.
Damage dice explode (rolling max value on a dice causes you to reroll it and add it
to the original roll). A couple exceptional hits can drop even the beefiest of PCs.

Rules & Rulings: The rules provided are intended to provide a strong foundation
for your group to get playing. The GM, with input from the players, may need to fill
in some edge cases. Final say on rulings goes to the GM.

RPG: ‘Game’ in ’Role-Playing Game’ firmly stands its ground. Think through how to
approach an encounter, work to stack the odds in your favor, and hope the dice
gods are feeling generous.

Generic Fantasy: There isn’t a default setting. Create your own or use any one of
the high quality system agnostic or easy to convert settings that already exist. But
there is a sample adventure near the end of this book!

A Hack of some Hacks: RedHack2e was inspired by “Five Torches Deep”,

“Dungeon Crawl Classics”, “Savage Worlds”, “The Black Hack”, and “Pathfinder”.
They’re all excellent and deserve a space on your shelf!

5 - RedHack2e
The Basics
Roles and Responsibilities
One person runs the game as the Game Master (GM). The GM establishes the
setting and controls the Non-Player Characters (NPCs) and hostiles.
Everyone else plays their own individual character, a Player Character (PC). PCs
are the protagonists of the world the GM creates.
PCs, NPCs, and enemies are all referred to as characters.
When there is a gap in the rules, the players and GM are encouraged to discuss
what makes sense for the table. The final say goes to the GM.

Dice and Determining Success or Failure

Dice are used to determine outcomes. The PCs and GM will need the usual dice
set (4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 20 sided dice).
Dice rolls are expressed in ‘xdy’. x indicates the number of dice to roll, d stands for
die, and y the number of sides the dice have. For example, 2d4 means two
four-sided dice. 1d20 (or just d20) means 1 twenty-sided die.
The d20 is used to determine if an action succeeds. In almost every case, roll:
d20 + Skill Bonus
1
Encounter Difficulty (ED) is the target to meet or beat for success. The ED is set
and publicly displayed by the GM. ED defaults to 11 but can be raised or lowered
by the GM. ED is similar to DC in other games.

Edge/Snag2
The GM will tell you when you have an Edge or Snag in a situation. An Edge gives
you +d6 to your d20 roll. A Snag gives you a -d6 to your d20 roll.
A PC may have multiple Edges or Snags. Use the highest result. Example, you
have two Snags and roll a 2 and a 4. You subtract 4 from your d20 roll.
Edges and Snags cancel each other out in a one to one ratio. Example, you have 4
Edges and 2 Snags. The 2 Snags cancel out 2 of your edges, meaning you roll with
2 edges (and add the highest result to your d20 roll).

Action Point System

RedHack2e uses a three Action Point (AP) system. Some uses of AP include:
● 1AP to move 20’ ● 2AP for a complex interaction
● 1AP to make an attack ● 2AP point to use Spells
Additional rules cover penalties for multiple attacks, action to take cover, etc. See
the Gameplay Rules chapter for details.

1
Encounter Difficulty (Room Difficulty) was popularized in Index Card RPG, check it out!
2
Reflavored Boon & Bane system from Shadow of the Demon Lord, check it out!
Introduction - 6
2. Character Creation
Character creation3 starts at level one and follows these steps:
1. Assign Attributes 4. Pick HD & ID 7. Select Gear
2. Pick a Race 5. Pick Feats 8. Final Details
3. Pick a Save 6. Pick Skills

1. Assign Attribute Scores

The four Attributes define a PC’s inherent strengths and weaknesses. They are:
● Body (BODY) determines a PC’s strength and toughness. It modifies melee
attack/damage and how much can be carried. It also contributes to a PC’s HP.
● Agility (AGIL) determines a character’s precision and grace. It influences
stealth, accuracy with ranged weapons, and armor class.
● Mind (MIND) determines a character's intelligence and knowledge. It also
contributes to most spell casting traditions.
● Presence (PRES) determines a character’s ability to communicate,
understand situations, and remain calm. It is used for morale (fear) saves.
PCs start with Attribute scores of +1, +1, +0, and -1 and are assigned as desired.
At higher levels Attribute scores can be raised up to +4.

2. Pick a Race
Pick a race and record modifiers.
Race Attribute Modifiers Racial Bonus
Human +1 to Any +1 Skill Point
Dwarf +1 Mind, -1 Agility +5 Load
Elf +1 Agility, -1 Body +5’ to Move Speed
Halfling +1 Presence, -1 Mind +1 to AC
Half-Orc +1 Body, -1 Presence +5 to Max HP

3. Pick a Mastered Saving Throw

Choose one Attribute that receives a permanent edge to Saving Throws (“Saves”).
Jared chose Body, so all Body saving throws receive an edge when he rolls Body
saves. Details in the gameplay section.

4. Pick a Hit Die & Initiative Die

Pick d4, d6, d8, d10, or d12. That die will be used for both Hit Die (HD) and
Initiative Die (ID). It is a sliding scale.
● Higher HD is better; it means a PC will have more health and heal more
quickly during rest.
● Lower ID is better; it determines turn order in combat. IDs are rolled at the
start of combat, with lower numbers acting before higher numbers.

3
GMs, optional level 0 or starting at higher levels is covered in the GM’s chapter.
7 - RedHack2e
5. Pick Feats
Feats are special abilities. Each can only be taken once. Choose 2 at level 1.
Assassin: Sneak at full speed. When Faithful Disciple: Ability to use Holy
sneak attacking, deal +2d6 damage or Magic (see Magic Chapter).
target takes -2AP on their next turn. Force of Personality: Use Presence
Animal Spirit: While skin shifting, use (not Mind) with Lore for Arcane Magic.
Survival skill for AC and Attack Rolls. Flurry: Unarmed, thrown, and small
Arcane Initiate: Ability to use Arcane weapons make two attacks per AP
Magic (see Magic Chapter). (counts as one for multi-attack Snags).
Arcane Pyro: Spell Burn only deals d4 Gifted: One Attribute has cap raised to
damage; Spell Scorch deals d8. 5 (+1 to attribute not provided).
Alert: Your party rolls initiative twice Hunter: Number of times a day equal
and uses the lower results. to your Survival, designate prey (1AP).
All your attacks on prey have an edge.
Artery Slice: Crits deal x3 dice rolled.
Malice: Heal yourself equal to half the
Barrage: Your first bow attack per damage you deal. You cannot heal in
round costs 0AP. any other way (rest, potions, etc).
Beefy: +12 HP. Monk: Unarmed Attacks deal d6,
Brainy: +2 skill points. Thrown and Improvised deal d8.
Pack Rat: +15 Max Load. Use a sling
Cantrip: Learn to cast one spell. It
to hurl potions / poisons at a target and
can’t start with the word “Arcane”.
deal their effect. You can choose to
Casting roll is d20 + [PC Level].
deal 0 impact damage.
Cleave: Large Weapon kills grants a
Precise: Reroll 1s on damage rolls.
0AP attack (used in the same round).
Ranger: +10’ speed. You don’t trigger
Combo: Remove Snag penalty from Attacks of Opportunity (AoO).
second attack (still 2 Snags on 3rd).
Rage: +d4 to damage dealt and taken.
Commander: Use 1AP to grant an ally
1AP to use immediately. Rend: +d6 damage to Huge Weapons.

Deadly: Attacks are critical hits on nat Sentinel: Make AoOs with polearms
19 or 20, or if the total roll is 25+. when enemies enter your reach. The
first of these AoO per round is 0AP.
Dual Wield Master: Medium weapons
can be used for Dual Wielding. Specialist: A skill you choose gains a
permanent edge. Edge cannot be
Driven: When you miss an attack, applied to attacks or spellcasting rolls.
gain an edge on your next attack.
Stalwart: Allies with you gain +d4 to
Druidcraft: Ability to use Primal Magic all Saves (can be added to edge)
(see Magic Chapter). Tactician: 1AP, Ally gets +d4 on their
Elementalist: Imbuing a spell with an next attack (can be added to edge).
element now costs 0AP. Turtle: Removes Body requirements
Experienced: Use Mind or Presence from all armors. Gain 1 DR.
(in place of Agility) for AC. Quick Load: Reloading crossbows
Expert: Skill of choice has cap raised cost one less AP.
to 7 (skill points not provided). Vigilant: +1AP in 1st round of combat.
Character Creation - 8
6. Pick Skills
Skill points are put towards Skill Ranks. Raising a skill rank by one costs one
point. Example: Raising Lore from rank 0 to 2 costs 2 skill points (1 point to raise it
from 0 to 1, and 1 point to raise it from 1 to 2).
PCs start with 3 skill points to put towards skills, but can only raise a skill to a
max of Rank 2 at Level 1. This cap rises as PCs level.
A linked Attribute is always added to skill ranks when calculating a total skill bonus.
Example: -1 Mind and 3 Ranks in Lore grants a total of +2. The most common
linked Attributes are provided, but unique situations may require new combinations.
Skill Bonus = Ranks in Skill + Linked Attribute
Skill Table
Skill Attribute Description
Belief in the Divine. Used to bless weapons to bypass
Faith Presence Demonic and Undead Damage Reduction (DR).
Used for Holy Magic [requires Faithful Disciple Feat].
The intensity in which you approach a challenge.
Body or Governs combat ability and general physical prowess.
Ferocity
Agility Body: Melee weapons, grappling, climbing, jumping.
Agility: Ranged weapons, AC, balancing, throwing.
Knowledge of history, medicine, legends, foreign
customs, arcane magic, etc. Learn an additional
Lore Mind language per rank.
Used for Arcane Spells [requires Arcane Initiate Feat].
Noticing things through sight, sound, or smell. It also
Perception Presence
covers things like reading social cues or people.
Convince someone through words. Fast talk, lie, gather
or spread rumors (rumormonger).
Persuade Presence
Body and Mind can also sometimes be used. Body to
convince through violence, Mind through Logic.
Skill in a selected profession. Can be taken multiple
Profession: times. Occasionally Presence is more relevant.
Mind
_________ Examples: Blacksmith (Mind), Fletcher (Mind),
Alchemist (Mind), Musician (Pres).
Sneaking, hiding, misdirection, pickpocketing, picking
Stealth Agility
locks, disabling traps, using disguises, etc.
Tracking, hunting, knowledge of animals and nature,
Survival Mind and gathering additional supplies in the wilds.
Used for Primal Magic [requires Druidcraft Feat].

9 - RedHack2e
7. Select Gear
PCs start with the below. See Gear chapter for more details.
● Backpack
● 2d6 * (10 ) Starting Gold.
● 4 Rations
● A weapon of your choice (and related ammo, i.e. arrows, bolts, etc)
● Choose One:
○ Another Weapon ○ Tool Kit: The tools to do a job or
○ Light Armor (Gear Chapter) craft an item. See the Gear
○ Healing Potion: Heals 3d6 HP. Chapter, for details.

8. Final Details
These closing points will help round out your character.
● Hit Points (HP) = (Max Hit Die + Body) * 3.
○ Example: Hit Die of d10 and Body of -2 would be 24 HP ((10-2) * 3).
● Armor Class (AC) = 9 + Ferocity [Agility] skill + Armor.
○ Ferocity [Agility] means ranks in Ferocity + Agility (not Body).
● Max Load = 12 + (Body * 2).
● Base Movement Speed = 20 feet.
○ With a full 3AP of movement, a PC can move 60’ per round.
● Backstory: You’ve created your PC, now write a few sentences of backstory
to tell who they are, how they got their skills, and why they’re adventuring.
Remember to include friends, family, rivals, and enemies.
● Name: Choose your name.

Character Creation - 10
Character Advancement
PC experience is granted by attendance: 1 XP for each session attended; PCs
level up at every increment of 3 XP.
With time, the level gap between PCs may grow, but that's okay. PCs get better at
what they do, but the difference will never be massively significant. Even a smart
level 1 PC can be helpful to a party of level 9s.
Characters follow the below progression as they level up.

Skill Rank
Level XP Improvements
Max
0 -1 1 Optional rule. See ‘Level 0’’.
1 0 2 Character Creation.
2 3 2 Learn a new Feat, +1 to an Attribute score.
3 6 3 +3 skill points, Master a 2nd Saving Throw.
4 9 3 Learn a new Feat, +1 to an Attribute score.
5 12 4 +3 skill points, Save Mastery now grants 2 edges.
6 15 4 Learn a new Feat,+1 to an Attribute score.
7 18 5 +3 skill points, Master a 3rd Saving Throw.
8 21 5 Learn a new Feat, +1 to an Attribute score.
9 24 6 +3 skill points, Master the 4th Saving Throw.
Learn a new Feat, +1 to an Attribute score, Save
10 27 6
Mastery now grants 3 edges. Retirement.
Reminder: Attribute scores have a maximum of +4. Skill Ranks have maximums as
well, but those limits raise as characters level.

Retirement
Reaching level 10 can be considered a win-state. The PC can choose to continue
adventuring, but unable to gain more XP or retire with a "good" ending.
Retirement might mean building a wizard’s tower, becoming a warlord, running a
monastery, becoming a noble, running a guild, founding a town, building a fortress,
etc. If the player chooses that it’s more appropriate for the PC, it might even be a
more mundane or peaceful retirement of returning to the farm and starting a family.
Regardless, when the player is ready and chooses to have the PC retire, the PC
and DM should work together to generate a fulfilling story cap. The PC can turn into
a recurring NPC, possibly even become a major player in the world.

11 - RedHack2e
3. Gear & Services
Currency
Gold pieces (GP) is the currency of the merchants, nobility, clergy, and adventurers.
Peasants deal in silver pieces; 10 Silver to 1 Gold. Everyone trades in favors.

Load (Carrying Capacity)

Items carried are tracked by load. PCs are able to carry 12 + (Body * 2) load.
Carrying load over this amount reduces speed by 5’ for every point over max.
Each item about 10 inches or 10 lbs is considered 1 load. 1,000 gold is 1 load.
Other small miscellany can be stacked into 1 load.

Gear - 12
Weapons
Melee Weapons
Weapon Types Damage Hands Load Cost
Unarmed Attack d4 0 0 0
Punch, kick, etc. Finesse, may use Agil instead of Body as the linked Attribute.
Improvised Weapons d6 1 1 0
A rock, a bottle, a chair... Whatever is handy. Improvised, these weapons grant
a Snag to attack rolls.
Small Weapons d6 1 1 10
Daggers, Handaxes, etc. Concealable, edge to stealth to concealing.
Throwable, can be thrown with a Snag (uses Agility). Finesse, these weapons
may use Agility instead of Body as the linked Attribute.
Light Polearms d6 1 2 5
One-handed polearms, such as spears. Reach, can target creatures 10’ away.
Throwable, can be thrown (uses Agility instead of Body).
Medium Weapons d8 1 1 30
Regular sized, one-handed weapons: Swords, Axes, Hammers, etc.
Heavy Polearms d10 2 3 45
Two-handed polearms: Glaives, Pikes, etc. Reach, can hit targets 10’ away.
Large Weapons d12 2 2 60
Two-handed weapons: Greatsword, War Axe, Maul, etc.
Huge Weapons 2d6 2 4 100
Massive two-handed weapons: Zweihander, Odachi, etc. Impractical, 2AP per
attack. Sunder, Ignore DR.

Ranged Weapons
Ammo is one load, but unlimited (tracking is no fun). Ranges can be doubled by
rolling attack with a Snag. Thrown weapons have a range of 30’ + (Body * 5’).
Weapon Types Range Damage Hands Load Cost
Sling 60’ d6 1 0 3
A cup and some string. Brute Force, this weapon may use Body instead of
Agility as the linked attribute. Economical, ammo is free to find.
Thrown Weapons (x3) Thrown d6 1 1 10
Throwing knife, javelin, etc. Make do, can be used as an improvised weapon.
Concealable, edge to stealth when rolling to conceal this weapon.
Light Crossbow 50’ d6 1 1 80
A hand crossbow. Slow Reload, 1AP to reload.
Bows 150’ d8 2 1 120
Covers all bows.
Crossbow 100’ d10 2 2 150
Regular crossbow. Slow Reload, 1AP to reload.
Hefty Crossbow 150’ 3d6 2 3 200
A small ballista. Laborious Reload, 2AP to reload.

13 - RedHack2e
Armor
All PCs have armor class (AC) equal to 9 + Ferocity (modified by Agility). PCs may
wear armor and/or a shield for an AC bonus.
Example: Oscar has 1 skill rank in Ferocity and a +3 in agility. His AC would be 13
(9 + 1 + 3). With medium armor and a shield, his AC becomes 16 (13 + 2 + 1).
Armor Type AC Load Cost Notes
Heavy Armor +3 AC 5 300 Requires a Body of +4.
Medium Armor +2 AC 3 100 Requires a Body of +2 or higher.
Light Armor +1 AC 2 20 —
Shield +1 AC 1 10 Occupies 1 hand
Splintered Shield, wielder can choose to absorb 2d6 damage from one single
attack, but have their shield destroyed in the process. This can be done after
damage is rolled. Shield Bash, attacking with shield deals d4 damage.

Adventuring Gear
Sample adventuring gear is listed, but PCs can find almost anything for sale in
larger cities. It is assumed PCs have backpacks to carry their full maximum load.
Brackets [ ] represent how much load the animal can carry. A human is 10 load. A
wagon needs a horse or donkey to pull.
A dash - represents negligible load. All negligible items roll up into a single load
(within reason: 400 bells would be more than 1 Load).
Item Load Cost Item Load Cost
10 Foot Pole 2 20 Grappling Hook 1 5
Ammo 1 20 Healing Potion, heals 3d6 1 200
Animal, Donkey [15] 50 Holy Symbol / Jewelry - 50
Animal, Horse [20] 150 Keg of Beer/Wine 2 30
Animal, War Horse [20] 300 Oil, Lantern (8 Hours) 1 4
Animal, Dog [5] 25 Rations (1 Day) 1 4
Backpack - 5 Rope (50') 1 10
Basic Poison* 1 40 Sleeping Roll 1 5
Bell - 2 Spy Glass 1 100
Caltrop 1 10 Tent (4 Person) 2 10
Chain (50') 1 50 Tool Kit** 1 50
Clothes, Adventuring - 10 Torch x4 (2 hours each) 1 1
Clothes, Fancy 1 25 Wagon [40] 120
Crowbar 1 10 Vial (for potion) 1 10
Flint & Tinder 1 1
*Body save (13) to avoid or -1AP per round for 1 hour.
**Examples: Scribe's Kit, Thieve’s tools, blacksmith’s tools, Cooking Kit, etc.

Gear - 14
Hirelings & Followers
Hirelings
Hirelings are NPCs hired by the PCs but controlled by the GM.
Hirelings cost 8 GP a day, for an acceptable amount of risk. This price is doubled
on days with combat. They provide their own gear and equipment.
When PCs are looking to bring on Hirelings, a GM will decide who is available
based on the reputation of the PCs and size of the settlement.
Hirelings always roll for morale at the start of combat.
Attack
Category AC HP ID Morale Notes
Damage
Roll d4. That’s their related spell
Caster 11 4 d10 d4 0
skill (Lore, Faith, or Survival).
Basic
11 4 d12 d6 -2 They only cost 2 GP a day.
Laborer
Skilled Roll 2d4. That’s their skill bonus
11 4 d10 d6 0
Laborer in their profession.
Receives +5 to attacks. They
Mercenary 13 10 d6 d8 +2
provide their weaponry.

Followers
A Follower is a rookie adventurer that a PC has taken under their wing. Players
often choose to upgrade followers to their primary PC if their previous PC dies.
Requirements: To have followers, a PC must meet the following requirements:
● A PC must be level 5 to start having followers.
● A PC can only gain or replace one follower per level. If A PC can have up to
two followers, they can gain the first at level 3, and the second one at level 4.
If a follower dies, a replacement can join when the PC levels.
● PCs can have a number of followers equal to their Presence. A PC with +2
Presence can have two followers; A PC with 0 or less can’t have followers.
Creation and Leveling: Followers follow PC creation rules. They start at level 0
(see GM Section) and gain XP at an equal rate as the PC, meaning level 1 after
surviving the first session. They are created and played by the player.
Pay: Followers aren’t paid daily, but expect a small cut of overall party income. If
followers aren’t invited for an adventure, they aren’t paid. If a follower is
continuously not invited, or otherwise abused, they may leave permanently.
● Level 0 to 3: Followers are trainees and so only expect half of a share.
○ If the PC they’re following dies, they become full members. See below.
● Level 4+: Followers are considered full members and expect a full share.
Morale: Followers only role for morale when PCs do.

15 - RedHack2e
Strongholds
Many adventurers eventually decide to invest in a stronghold. A Stronghold
consists of various facilities within an open air courtyard surrounded by defensive
walls. They provide a place to heal, gear up, regroup, and plan.

Building a Stronghold
Facilities are how a Stronghold is customized by the PCs. Facilities can be
combined in a single, multi-room structure or can each be freestanding structures.
For ease of creation, kitchen, latrines, and the defensive walls of a fortress are
factored into the costs of the facilities. A Stronghold requires at least one barracks.
Strongholds can only be built in unclaimed or gifted territory.
Facilities of the same type can be combined into larger spaces. Two adjacent Halls
can be combined to make a larger hall that holds 48 people.

Facility Cost Notes

Archive 1,400 A collection of books. Lore checks have an edge.

Armory 1,600 Cost covers 30 sets of weapons and a mix of armors.
Barracks 1,100 Common living area for 24, with bunk beds and lockers.
Brewery 1,100 Brew or distill your own alcohol of choice.
Chapel 1,200 A place of worship for those of faith.
Dock 2,000 River or bay dock for medium sized ships.
Dungeon 1,600 Four prison cells that each comfortably hold two people.
Garden 1,600 A farm that can provide food for 24 people indefinitely.
Hall 1,400 Large open area that can fit up to 24 people.
Hospital 2,500 HP and Trauma recovery from resting is doubled.
Inn 2,500 Attracts adventurers and other travelers.
Kennel 1,100 Houses up to 8 dogs.
Market Place 5,000 Attracts exotic merchants and travelers. Requires an Inn.
Memorial 1,100 A place to commemorate fallen comrades and friends.
Sparing Room 2,000 In a month a level 0 PC character can become level 1.
Stable 1,300 Houses up to 8 horses.
Store Front 1,500 Operate a small business from this space.
Suite 500 A private, multi-room residence.
Tavern 1,200 Fully stocked bar and dining space.
Trophy Room 1,100 Houses your prized kills, alien trophies, and other prizes.
Vault 1,300 A large, secured, walk in vault to house valuables.
Warehouse - Unused areas can be freely converted into a warehouse.
Workshop 1,6000 Craft checks are made with an edge.

Gear - 16
Crafting
To craft, a PC must have at least one rank in an appropriate Professional skill.
Professions may have overlap. Example Professions: Alchemist (Potions and
Poisons), Armorsmith (all armors), Blacksmith (melee weapons and medium /
heavy armor), Bowyer (Bows and arrows), Leather worker (Light / medium armor
and saddles), weaponsmith (all weapons).
Mundane items start with a base of DC 12, 5 GP, and 1 day of work, but might be
raised/lowered given the complexity (selected by GM discretion). Some items might
require rare components in addition to gold. Failure ruins the item and materials.
A result of Nat 20 or 25+ creates a Masterwork (MW) item. Examples: MW
Weapons deal +d4 damage. MW Armor has 1 DR. MW shields absorb 4d6 damage
when splintered.

Potions and Poisons

Potions and Poisons may also be crafted as described above, but cost 20 GP.
Potions/Poisons are created in batches that produce 3 uses.
● Potions benefit the drinker. Heal 3d6 damage, remove Trauma, or give a
bonus to an attribute score, etc. Masterwork potions double the benefit.
● Poisons can be ingested or poured onto a blade and harm the inflicted.
Inflict Trauma, prevent healing from rest, lower attributes, etc. Masterwork
poisons grant Snags to the Body save to resist.
○ Poisons can be resisted with a body save. The DC is equal to the
result of the original crafting check. The save may be repeated daily.

Magic Items, Scrolls, and Spell Books

Magical Items may also be created. See Magic Items Chapter for examples.
The regular crafting rules apply, but another step happens concurrently. This step
requires a magic user (who can be a different character than the mundane
crafter) to roll the skill associated with their magic (Lore, Faith, or Survival).
An item can be both magic and masterwork.
Magic items also require a significant gold cost or dangerous adventures to
gather expensive Reagents (Arcane), Offerings (Holy), or Sacrifices (Primal).
The GM and player discuss what they’re trying to create, and if it can be created
the GM sets the DC, gold cost, and identifies specific material components. If either
of the skill rolls fail (Profession and Arcane/Holy/Primal) the materials are wasted.
Arcane Scrolls are created by an arcane spell caster casting the spell that they
want to load into a scroll (10 GP). Failing the casting roll means the scroll is ruined.
The spell is stored there until the scroll is used.
Any character can attempt to use a scroll but requires a DC 11 Lore Skill check.
Arcane Spell Books permanently teach a spell to an Arcane caster. They can be
created in the same way as scrolls, but the original creator permanently forgets
that spell. Arcane casters usually only create these at the end of their life.

17 - RedHack2e
Gameplay Rules - 18
4. Gameplay Rules
Turn Order and Starting Combat
Combat is turn-based, with one character going after another. When all characters
have had their turn, a round is completed. A round is 10 seconds.
When combat begins, everyone rolls their Initiative Die (ID). The lowest number
goes first, followed by the next lowest and so on.
In an ambush, initiative is rolled as normal but all ambushers get a bonus AP and
their attacks have an edge. Ambushees lose an AP.

Actions, Action Points, and Turns

PCs have 3 Action Points (AP) per round. Actions have AP costs associated with
them but generally the more complex an action, the more AP it takes. AP costs:
● Attack (1AP): Make an attack roll (weapon or unarmed attacks).
○ Multi-Attacks: Each additional attack per round that uses AP gets a +1
Snag (1st attack 0 Snags, 2nd attack 1 Snag, 3rd attack 2 Snags).
■ 0AP attacks (such as from Feats) ignore this rule. They don’t
have multi-attack Snags or count towards the total.
○ Focus (1AP): Give yourself an edge to your next attack.
● Move (1AP): Each AP grants a character's speed of movement (usually 20’).
Movement can be split up (e.g. move 10’, attack, move 10’).
○ Disengage (1AP): You don't provoke attacks of opportunity for the turn.
● Free Actions (0 AP): Say a short sentence, drop an item, glance around.
● Simple Interactions (1AP): Relatively quick actions. Open a door, draw a
weapon, drink a potion, climb onto a saddled horse, etc.
● Complex Interactions (2AP): Actions that require focus. Pulling out a key
and unlocking a door, reading a scroll, etc.
● Take Cover (2AP): Grants a Snag to attacks against you.
● Assist (1AP): Grant another PC an edge to an action. Only doable if it
makes sense in the narrative and they have the skill to do so (helping
persuade someone, helping craft something, lend power for a spell, etc).
AP can be spent outside of a turn using Reactions. These include assisting, using
reaction spells, and Attacks of Opportunity. These count towards AP for the round.
Example: If Ryan uses 1AP for an AoO, he’ll have 2AP left on his turn.
Characters regain AP at the end of their turn.

Encounter Difficulty
ED is the target to meet or beat for success. The ED is set by room or encounter.
When the GM does not set an ED, 11 is the default.
The GM should publicly display the ED. This speeds up gameplay immensely as
players know immediately if they succeed, instead of having to ask for confirmation.

19 - RedHack2e
Attacking & Damage
Characters add their Ferocity Skill to attack rolls. The linked attributes are listed
below. Reminder: Skills = Ranks + linked Attribute.
● Melee Weapons or Unarmed Attacks: Body.
○ Some Small Melee Weapons may use Agility instead.
● Ranged Weapons (Projectiles or Thrown Weapon): Agility.
Attacking: D20 + Skill
If your result meets or beats the target number, it hits, and damage is dealt.
Weapon damage is assigned by the weapons themselves (see gear chapter).
Damage: Weapon Damage Die
Exploding Damage Dice: When the max value of any damage dice is rolled, roll it
again and add it to the final result. Repeat as needed. Timo’s axe deals d8
damage. He rolls an 8, which explodes. He rolls the d8 again and gets a 5, for 13
total damage.
Exploding Dice extends to healing rolls (e.g. Faith Dice, resting, or healing potions).

Critical Hits and Misses

When attacking, special things happen when the d20 lands on a 1 or 20 (these are
called natural or “nat” 1 or 20).
Nat 20: Critical Hit/Success! These attempts always succeed. If it’s an attack, all
the damage dice that would be rolled are double (from all sources). Exploding
Damage Dice still applies.
Nat 1: Critical Miss/Failure! These attempts or attacks always miss / fail.

Saving Throws / Attribute Checks

In cases where a PC's chance of success is out of their direct, conscious control, a
saving throw is rolled against ED. A saving throw is linked to an Attribute.
Saving Throw = d20 + Attribute + Edge (If selected at PC creation)
Examples of each:
● Body: Physical resistance. Holding a ● Presence: Keeping cool. Both in
door closed. Resisting poison. Used social situations or in combat. Used
for death saves. for Morale (Fear) saves.
● Agility: Reaction time. Jumping out ● Mind: Will power. Resisting mind
of the way of an explosion or altering powers.
dodging falling rocks.
PCs start with one Mastered Attribute Saves. Mastery grants one to three edges
to that saving throw (depending on level). As PCs level, they unlock additional
mastered attributes saves.

Gameplay Rules - 20
Damage, Trauma, and Death
Damage is subtracted from a PC’s remaining Hit Points (HP). If a PC reaches 0 HP
they are dying. HP does not go into the negatives.
Dying: Immediately roll a Body (Death) Save .
● Nat 20+: Dying ends and the PC regains their Hit Die of HP.
● Success (Against ED): Dying ends, PC regains their Hit Die of HP, but
only has 1AP per round until they regain additional HP or combat ends.
They also gain a Trauma. Most enemies will ignore these injured PCs.
● Fail: Mortally wound. PC takes one immediate turn, even if they’ve already
had one this round. Then, they collapse and bleed out. There is no saving
them, but they may have enough energy for a few words after combat.
● Nat 1: The PC Dies.
Only level 1+ PCs have death saves. Level 0 PCs and most enemies die at 0 HP.
Trauma: PCs die at 3 levels of Trauma. In addition to a close brush with death,
Trauma is also gained from things like poison. A PC gains a Snag to all actions
for every level of Trauma. Trauma can be removed during rest or with faith dice.

Healing & Rest

Resting heals HP equal to two rolls of a PC’s Hit Die (these explode) and a level of
Trauma.
Resting takes at least 6 hours and PCs can only gain rest benefits once a day.
Some abilities that are labeled as once a day, such as from Feats and Primal / Holy
Magic, reset during a rest.

Morale
The GM can call for a morale/fear check. PCs only check for morale if a monster
has that ability. Most of the time, it’s up to the PCs to decide “nah”, and run away. If
a character makes a morale save, they are immune for the rest of the encounter.
Morale/Fear checks for the PCs is a Presence Save (against ED). If a PC fails,
they get a snag to all actions until the source of the morale/fear is eliminated or
combat is over. They remain in control of their actions.
Morale checks for NPCs / Enemies typically have an ED 11. They add their
Threat Level (TL) to morale. If they fail, NPCs gain a Snag to all actions and/or
attempt to flee. Mindless creatures (Undead) are immune to regular morale checks.
The GM may call for NPCs to make a morale roll when first blood is drawn, a key
character is incapacitated, or when their side begins to lose.

21 - RedHack2e
Luck
Luck represents fate’s fickle judgment. Luck is broken down into two
sub-categories: Good Luck and Bad Luck.
Good Luck allows players to reroll all dice of a roll. This would include both the
d20 + edges /Snags of a roll or all damage dice of a damage roll. Good Luck can
be saved and used at any moment. Good luck is earned in one of two ways:
● Awarded by the GM directly to a PC for important story moments, good
roleplay, or an exceptional joke.
● Awarded to a PC when the GM uses Bad Luck.
Bad Luck allows GM to reroll all dice of their own roll (not a player’s). The GM
can use bad luck at any point, but can only do so once per encounter. Whenever a
GM uses Bad Luck, the player most directly affected gains a Good Luck.
Good luck can’t be used on the same turn bad luck was used on, and vise-versa.

GM Tip For Good Luck: Give the players a small physical token (a coin, bead, etc)
to represent their good luck. The token is traded in when luck is used.

Chases
A chase is a Ferocity [Agility] Skill (on foot) or Survival (animal riding) Skill
competition. If one participant has a higher move speed than the other, they have
an edge (possibly multiple edges if there is a large difference).
The distance between the two characters is conceptualized as distance points.
Distance points range from 1 to 5. At the start of the chase, distance is 3 points.
The two characters each roll Ferocity/Survival. If the chaser wins, the distance
closes by one (and vise-versa). At 0 the chaser catches the target. At 6 the
pursued character gets away. Example: The chaser rolls an Ferocity of 17 and
the pursued rolls a 4. The distance closes by 1.
The characters can also perform skill checks along the way to try and close or grow
the gap. If successful, they can grant themselves edges or the other character a
Snag. Examples: 1) The chaser throws a rock at the chased; 2) The chaser cuts
through a building for a short cut; 3) The chased hides in a crowd of people.

Skills
Most often, Skill Rolls can be attempted even with 0 Ranks in a skill. -1 Mind and 0
Ranks in Lore grants a total of -1, but the PC can still try to recall knowledge.
The GM may rule that at least 1 rank is required though. A potion can’t be brewed
overnight without any ranks in Profession [Alchemist].
Note: Players only need to roll skills when there is a reasonable chance of failure.
Example: If a PC walks into a room and says "I tear the place apart" or "I look
under the rug" they automatically find the trapdoor underneath the rug. If the PC
had said "I dunno, look around" the GM would then call for a perception roll.

Gameplay Rules - 22
Additional Combat Rules
These rules are a good starting point or quick reference for your group. If the GM
is going to change any rules, there’s a good chance it will be on this list; many of
them are stand alone and easy to tweak. Examples #1: GM may decide fire hurts
and it deals 2d4 or d6 or whatever damage a round instead.
Attacks of Opportunity (AoO): If a character moves out of an enemy’s melee
range, the enemy may take a free attack using 1 Action Point.
● Reminder: AP is by round, an AoOs means less AP on their turn.
● AoOs counts towards the multi-attack Snag total in a round.
● Using magic or using a ranged weapon in melee also provokes AoO.
● Forced movement (such as the push spell) triggers AoO.
● AoOs happen simultaneously with the triggering action. A caster using a
spell on an adjacent target provokes an AoO. They could kill each other.
Blessing: A weapon can be blessed with a Faith Skill Check. Blessed Weapons
deal full damage to Demons and Undead. Blessing lasts one day. In combat,
blessing costs 1AP. Blessing doesn’t need the Faithful Disciple Feat.
Cover: Cover grants a Snag to ranged attacks targeting someone in cover.
Coup De Grâce: When attacking a helpless target, the DM may rule it an instant
kill. Example: Slicing the throat of a sleeping human would be an instant kill, not
d6 damage. Unaware, but not helpless, characters are instead surprised (see
surprise attack in the Turn Order section of this chapter).
Damage Reduction (DR): DR reduces damage from each attack by its value. If
a spell grants DR 5, all incoming attacks are reduced by 5.If an enemy attacks
twice and deals 4 damage and 6 damage, the target would only take 1 damage
(5 DR reduces 4 damage to 0 and 6 damage to 1).
Darkness/Blindness: PCs cannot see in the dark. Most monsters can see in the
dark. PCs have two Snags to attack roles, sight based perception, morale, and
most actions requiring sight. Stealth is rolled with an Edge.
Disengage: PCs/NPCs may disengage for 1AP to prevent being targeted by
AoOs for the round. This does not grant movement; AP must be used to move.
Dual Wielding: One-handed weapons can be dual wielded. When attacking,
make a single attack roll. On a hit, roll both weapons’ damage dice and use only
the highest result. A PC with two axes rolls an attack roll and hits. They then roll
both damage dice (one per weapon) and gets a 7 and 4. He uses the 7.
Exhaustion: PCs roll a Body save at 2 days without rest, and every day after
that. The ED equals (11 + days without rest). PCs gain a level of Trauma every
time they fail. A PC hasn’t slept in 48 hours. They roll a Body save (ED 13) and
fail, gaining an Trauma. At the 72 hour mark, they still haven’t slept so they have
to make another body save (ED 14), but with a Snag (from the Trauma).
Falling Damage: Characters take d6 damage for every 10 feet they fall.
Fire Damage (On Fire): PCs may use a 1AP to extinguish flames on themselves
or in a small area (5’ by 5’). Fire deals d4 damage per round.
23 - RedHack2e
Firing into Melee: When firing into melee combat and the attack misses, all
adjacent from the original target roll an Agility save. The lowest number gets hit.
If all Agility saves are over ED, the projectile misses everyone.
Flanking: When two or more attackers with melee weapons threaten the same
target, they grant each other edges to their attacks.
Grappling: Grapple is an opposed Ferocity [Body or Agility] skill check. The
winner either deals d4 damage and throws the loser 5’ or restrains them.
● Restrained: Target has 1AP per turn, move speed is 0’, and has a Snag to
actions (including escape). Escape is an opposed Ferocity check.
● Larger: Targets significantly larger cannot be grappled, but specific parts
(legs of a giant or mouth of dragon), may be partially held in place.
Jumping: Horizontal (long) jump distance equals a number of feet up to a PCs
Ferocity skill roll result. In addition, they auto-succeed on a distance up to their
Ferocity skill. A PC has an Ferocity skill of +7, and rolls a 14, resulting in 21,
meaning they made a jump of 21 feet or less. If the gap was 7 feet or less, they
wouldn’t have to roll. Vertical distance is a number of feet equal to Ferocity skill
(not roll) divided by 2. A skill of 7 means a character can jump up 3.5 feet.
Maneuvers: A PC can try anything possible during Ferocity through a maneuver.
Maneuvers are skill checks, either against ED (against the environment) or an
opposed skill check (against a target). Examples: Tripping a target would be an
opposed Ferocity check. Swinging across chandeliers would be a Ferocity check.
GM discretion, but most maneuvers are 1 Action Points.
Point Blank Shot: Firing at a target within 5 feet grants an Edge. Shooting while
next to a melee attacker still provokes an AoO.
Prone: Attacking a prone character grants an edge to melee attacks but a Snag
to ranged attacks. Prone characters have Snags to most actions, such as
non-surprise attacks (GM decides what makes sense given the situation).
Getting up costs 10’ of movement and can provoke AoO.
Reckless Attack: A PC may make a reckless attack. The PC gains an Edge on
their next attack and if it hits, it deals an extra d6 damage. For the rest of the
round, enemies gain an Edge to their attacks and +d6 damage on the PC.
Rough Terrain: When moving through rough terrain, movement speed is halved.
It takes 10’ of regular movement speed to move through 5’ of rough terrain.
Sleeping: Sleeping characters are considered helpless (see Coup de Grâce),
but may get a perception check (2 Snags) to detect someone approaching.
Sneaking: PCs move at half speed when using stealth.
Surprise Attack: A sneak attack occurs when a target is unaware of an
incoming attack, including being flanked, or any attack in an ambush round.
Sneak attacks gain an edge. The Assassin feat grants additional bonuses.
Stunned: Stunned PCs/NPCs lose an AP. Stuns can stack, causing a character
to lose multiple AP, possibly spilling into future turns. An NPC with 3AP takes 4
stun. This means they lose 3AP this round and 1 on the next.

Gameplay Rules - 24
Mass Combat
RedHack is normally played at a party scale, usually 3 to 8 PCs. As the narrative
takes shape though, battles on massive scales become impossible to avoid. There
are two easy ways to play these out:
● Narrative: The battle happens, but the story remains focused on the PCs as
they work to some objective that will help give their side a victory.
● Mass Combat Simulation, presented below, determines the outcome of
large scale batters with a few simple rolls.

Mass Combat Simulation

Step 1: Determine Factors (modifiers) for the Final Battle Roll (FBR)
Running a Mass Combat Simulation begins with a series of opposed d20 rolls,
representing the different factors of the battle and the FBR. Factors:
● Intelligence (Stealth) ● Tactics (Ferocity)
● Magic (Lore) ● Strategy (Survival)
● Leadership (Persuade) ● Morale (Faith)

For each factor, each side rolls a d20. The PC army may add a single PC’s linked
skill to the d20 roll. The GM may grant a +5 or +10 to the hostile side if they are
moderately or majorly skilled in that area.
The side with the higher result wins that factor and adds +10 to their FBR roll. If the
difference is equal/greater than 10, the winning side instead adds +20. Example: If
the PCs side wins the rolls for 5 factors, but none by a difference of 10 or higher,
then they add +50 to their FBR.
In cases where one side clearly dominates another, the GM may declare no role
is needed for that factor and the opposing side automatically gets a +20. Example:
a forced conscript army could automatically lose the morale factor.

Step 2: Size and Quality of Force

Size: If one side outnumbers the other by 2:1, the larger side adds +20 to their
FBR. If the difference is 3:1 or more, add +40 to their FBR instead.
Quality: If one side’s soldiers are clearly superior, they add +20 to their FBR. If the
advantage is incredibly significant, they add +40 instead.

Step 3: The Final Battle Roll

Once factors are determined, it’s time for the FBR. Each side rolls a d100 and adds
their bonuses from step 1 and 2. Highest number wins.
The % of units killed or injured = (100 - FBR) + d10.
The victor may choose to allow the survivors of the hostile force to flee, or they
attempt to capture prisoners or show no mercy. If so, they roll a d100 and that
percentage of hostels are captured or destroyed.

25 - RedHack2e
Magic - 26
5. Magic
Magic is a reality altering energy that flows everywhere. It is inaccessible to most
everyone except for the few who have learned to access some of that power.
Although there is only one “Magic”, three distinct traditions have been developed
to harness it, as shown in the below table.
Magic Required Linked Common
Description
Tradition Feat Skill Titles
This tradition is the oldest form of Druid
magic. It was cultivated as a means Sage
Primal Druidcraft Survival
of survival, through the practitioner's Shaman
attunement with nature. Witch
This tradition draws power directly Cleric
from the divine. It is gifted to the most Faithful Crusader
Holy Faith
faithful, but it can be taken away if Disciple Priest
they stray from the righteous path. Paladin
This tradition is the newest form of Conjurer
magic. Somewhere between art and Arcane Mage
Arcane Lore
science, it requires vigorous research Initiate Sorcerer
and experimentation to master. Wizard
The abilities of the different traditions are detailed later in this chapter.

Spell Casting
All traditions of spellcasters must roll to cast spells. A Spellcasting roll is:
Spellcasting Roll: d20 + Linked Skill (see table above)
On a result of 11+ the spell succeeds, but there are multiple magnitudes of
success depending on the result. As with other attack and skill rolls, a Nat 1 always
fails and a Nat 20 is a critical (major) success. The Magnitudes are:
Result Magnitude
≤10 or Nat 1 Spell fails to cast and the caster takes at least d4 damage.
There are sometimes other negative effects too.
11-19 Minor version of spell cast.
20-25 Moderate version of spell cast.
26+ or Nat 20 Major version of spell cast.
At the end of this chapter is a list of spells and their effects at different magnitudes.
Casting takes 2AP and grants a Snag to other actions in the same round.
Casters can attempt to cast spells as much as they’d like. There is no daily limit,
but failing to cast may damage the caster. Casters can only have one copy of a
specific spell active at a time. Attempting to cast Brand ends the previous Brand.
27 - RedHack2e
Other Casting Rules
Assisting: Casters may use 1AP to assist (give an edge) to another’s casting roll.
Caster doesn’t need to know the spell or be of the same tradition to assist, but must
know magic from a tradition to assist (Scroll or Cantrip Feat casters cannot assist).
Cones: Some spells use cone area of effects. A cone starts from the caster at a
single point, then gradually widens to X’, X’ away from the caster. X being the cone
size. A 15’ cone starts from the caster then widens to 15’, 15’ away from the caster.
Imbuing Elements: For +1AP during casting, one of the elements listed below can
be imbued into any spell that starts with the word “Arcane-” (-Beam, -Blast,
-Shards, -Storm, -Touch). Target is anyone damaged by the original spell.
● Acid: The armor of a target is weakened. DR reduced by 2.
● Lightning: The jolt stuns the target. They lose 1AP on their next turn.
● Ice: Target is partially frozen; move speed is halved on their next turn.
● Fire: Fire lingers on the target. They take d4 damage on your next turn.
Maintaining a Spell: Spells have a set duration, but they can be maintained at the
current magnitude with 1AP and by rolling a spellcasting roll when it would expire.
● On a result of Nat 1 or ≤ 10, the spell fails.
● On a result of 11+ the spell continues at the current magnitude for another
cycle of its duration. If the spell has a save, the target may repeat the save.
Freedom of Movement: A caster needs to speak and have one free hand to cast.
A caster may attempt to cast with no free hands, but takes a Snag when doing so.

Reactions: Some spells have reaction castings. A caster may cast outside of their
turn with these, but failing to cast or casting at too low a level still uses the AP.

Ritual Casting: A caster may cast a spell via an extended ritual. It takes one hour
to do so, but the caster gains two edges to casting.

Exploding Damage Die: As with all damage, spell damage dice can explode.
Sensing Spells: All Arcane Spells have a distinctive arcane scent. Areas where
great power has been expended normally doesn’t require a perception roll.
Saves: Saves against a PC’s spells are against the spellcasting result. Saves
against an NPC’s spells are against ED. Enemies add their TL to saving throws.

Spell List
1. Arcane Beam 8. Calm 15. Necromancy 22. Teleport
2. Arcane Blast 9. Counter-Spell 16. Push 23. Terraform
3. Arcane Shards 10. Flight 17. Resize 24. Time Walk
4. Arcane Storm 11. Illusion 18. Restore 25. Wall of Force
5. Arcane Touch 12. Influence 19. Sanctuary
6. Brand 13. Light 20. Shadow
7. Call Demon 14. Message 21. Telekinesis

Magic - 28
The Different Magic Traditions
Casters gain all the abilities listed under their tradition.

Arcane Magic
Spells Known: Arcane Casters know a number of spells equal to their Lore
Skill. They can choose any spells from the spell list. When their skill permanently
improves, through Mind or Rank increases, they select a new spell to learn as well.
Example: Rachel creates a new PC with Arcane Initiate feat, a Mind of +2 and 2
ranks in the Lore skill. Her PC would know 4 spells.
Spell Burn: An arcane Caster may take d6 damage to gain +1 to their casting roll.
This can be done multiple times and after the d20 has already been rolled.
Spell Scorch: An Arcane Caster may take d12 damage to cast a spell using only
1AP. This can be done multiple times (3d12 for 3 spells in a turn!).

Holy Magic
Spells Known: Brand, Calm, Counter-Spell, Light, Sanctuary.
Divine Guidance: Spellcasting rolls of Nat 1 become 2 instead.
Faith Dice: Gain Faith Dice equal to your Faith Skill per day (resets during a rest). In
combat, a max of three Faith Dice can be used per round. Faith Die are d6s and
can be used in one of two ways:
● Heal (1AP): Faith Die are used to heal damage, within touch distance. These
dice explode as damage dice would. Jared uses three Faith dice to heal himself
for 2d6 and an ally for d6. Two different targets would each cost 1AP.
○ 2 Faith Die to remove a scar, 3 to remove a Trauma, 7 to replace a limb.
● Smite (0AP): Faith Die are added to your own damage rolls (after the attack roll,
but before other damage is rolled). After hitting a target, Jared adds two faith die
to his d8 sword damage roll. Total damage rolled would be d8 + 2d6.
Repent (2AP): Once a day, targets within 60’ must roll a morale save, with a difficulty
equally 10 + your Faith Skill. Undead are not immune.

Primal Magic
Spells Known: Counter-Spell, Resize, Shadow, Terraform, and one of choice.
Animal Friend (0AP): Can speak with animals.
Weather Control (2AP): Once a day, change weather (within natural range) with a
survival check (ED or 11). Sunny to rain, rain into snow, temp changes of <20°F.
Skin Shift (1AP): A number of times a day equal to Survival Skill, transform into
any of the below forms. Each shift lasts 5 minutes, but can be ended early (1AP).
Gear can’t be used, but magic can. AC and skills remain unchanged.
● Bear: Gain DR equal to your Survival Skill. Attacks deal d12.
● Hawk: Fly at a speed of 30’. Attacks deal d6.
● Lion: Gain dark vision and an edge to perception. Attacks deal d10.
● Stag: Movement speed increases by (5’ * Survival Skill). Attack deals d8.
● Trout: Swim at a speed of 30’. Breathe underwater. Attacks deal d4.
29 - RedHack2e
Spell List
1. Arcane Beam
Arcane energy fires out from your hand in a concentrated beam.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d6 damage.
11-19 Minor 15’ line. 2d4 damage to all. Agility save to avoid damage.
20-25 Moderate 30’ line. 2d6 damage to all. Agility save to avoid damage.
26+ or Nat20 Major 60’ line. 4d6 damage to all. Agility save to avoid damage.

2. Arcane Blast
Arcane energy blasts out from your hand in a cone.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d6 damage.
11-19 Minor d8 damage to all in a 10’ cone. Agility save to avoid damage.
20-25 Moderate As Minor, but a 20’ cone and d12 damage.
26+ or Nat20 Major As Minor, but a 30’ cone and 2d12 damage.

3. Arcane Shards
Crystallized shards of your arcane power fly from you and hone in on your targets.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d6 damage.
11-19 Minor Range: 150’. Launch two shards, each dealing d4 damage.
They may have different targets. Agility save to avoid
damage.
20-25 Moderate As Minor, but you launch four shards.
26+ or Nat20 Major As Minor, but you launch six shards.

4. Arcane Storm
You conjure a tempest of arcane energy down on your enemies.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d6 damage.
11-19 Minor Range: 50’. Everything in a 10’ radius takes d6 damage.
Targets may make an Agility save to avoid damage.
20-25 Moderate As Minor, but range of 90’, 20’ radius, and d10 damage.
26+ or Nat20 Major As Minor, but range of 120’, 30’ radius, and 2d10 damage.

5. Arcane Touch
Your hands glow with pure arcane energy.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d6 damage.
11-19 Minor Range: Touch. Deal 2d8 damage to a target. This spell
doesn’t trigger Attacks of Opportunity. Agility save to avoid.
20-25 Moderate As minor, but 3d8 damage.
26+ or Nat20 Major As minor, but 4d10 damage.

Magic - 30
6. Brand
You burn your symbol into your target. Holy casters burn the symbol of their God.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d4 damage. Target is aware you tried to target them.
11-19 Minor Range: Line of sight. Duration: 24 hours. d4 damage. You
always know the direction and distance of your branded
target. Target makes a mind save to remove the brand.
20-25 Moderate As minor, but you may choose to deal no damage and have
an invisible brand, possibly leaving the target unaware of it.
Target rolls a mind save to notice and remove the brand.
26+ or Nat20 Major As moderate, but the caster may choose to inflict d4 damage
(no save) for 1AP, once a turn.

7. Call Demon
You reach into the depths of hell and drag out a Demon to serve you.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d4 damage. You summon a random Demon but you
neither command it nor can you dismiss it.
11-19 Minor You summon a Lesser Demon and for 12 hours, or until
dismissed, it must serve you. The GM controls the Demon but
it must follow the wording of your instructions (but not intent).
20-25 Moderate As minor, but you summon a Middling Demon.
26+ or Nat20 Major As minor, but you summon a Greater Demon.

8. Calm
Your aura becomes supernaturally soothing, your presence is a bastion of peace.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d4 damage. Targets become a level more hostile.
11-19 Minor Targets within 60’ become one level less hostile. Presence
save to resist. Targets that are already in combat are
immune. Levels: Hostile, Unfriendly, Neutral, Friendly, Ally
20-25 Moderate As minor, except targets become 2 levels less hostile.
26+ or Nat20 Major Sentient targets within earshot fall asleep for 3d4 hours
(damage wakes them up). Presence save to resist.

9. Counter-Spell
In reaction to another caster you sling a spell to interrupt theirs.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d4 damage. Target adds d4 to their casting roll.
11-19 Minor Range: 120’. You can cancel a Minor Magnitude spell. You
must see the target caster or their spell. If the target’s
magnitude is greater, nothing happens.
When in reaction (1AP) to a caster casting, it cancels the
spell before it can manifest.
20-25 Moderate As minor, but you cancel a Moderate Spell.
26+ or Nat20 Major As minor, but you cancel a Major Spell.

31 - RedHack2e
10. Flight
Non-corporeal wings of mist sprout from your target’s back.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d4 damage. Move speed halved for 5 minutes.
11-19 Minor Duration: 1 Hour. Range: 60’. Target can jump horizontally
(4d6 + Ferocity + 30)’ and vertically (4d6 + Ferocity)’.
As a Reaction (1AP) it instead prevents 2d6 of fall damage.
20-25 Moderate Duration: 1 Hour. Range: 60’. A Friendly target levitates up
to 30’ high, moving at their speed or a Hostile target floats
15’ up and has a move speed of 0’ (Mind save to avoid).
As a Reaction (1AP) it instead prevents 6d6 of fall damage.
26+ or Nat20 Major Duration: 1 Hour. Range: 60’. Friendly target can fly at a
speed of 60’ per move. Up to a combined TL of 20 Hostiles
targets levites 15’ and cannot move (mind save to avoid).
As a Reaction (1AP) it instead prevents fall damage.

11. Illusion
Reality is what you allow others to believe.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d4 damage. The area stinks of magic for days.
11-19 Minor Duration: 1 hour. You conjure up an exact replica of an item
you’ve seen that’s less than 1’ cubed (illusion fails if touched)
or you perfectly mimic the voice of anyone you’ve heard
speak. Mind save to spot/hear the illusions.
20-25 Moderate Duration: 4 hours. A 15’ radius illusionary scene is created,
including sound and smell (scene can be walked through but
fails if anything is interacted with) or your physical
appearance changes to match anyone you’ve seen (damage
causes illusion to fail). Mind save to spot/hear the illusions.
26+ or Nat20 Major Duration: 8 hours. A 30’ radius illusionary scene is created,
including all senses (it can be interacted with) or target’s
appearance and voice match anyone you’ve seen (damage
doesn’t cause illusion to fail). Mind Save to spot illusion.

12. Influence
Your voice is velvet, your words enthralling, your requests… undeniable.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d4 damage. Target knows you tried to enchant them.
11-19 Minor Duration: 1 Hour. Sentient target follows your last instruction
as long as it doesn’t cause them physical or significant
reputational harm. After the spell wears off, the target does
not recall being enchanted. Presence save to resist.
20-25 Moderate As minor, but duration is 4 hours and the target follows
orders even if it causes them reputational (not physical)
harm.
26+ or Nat20 Major As minor, but duration is 8 hours and the target follows
orders even if it causes them reputational or physical harm.

Magic - 32
13. Light
You play with light like a bard plays an instrument.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d4 damage. Spell is cast at the moderate level, but on
yourself. You can’t dismiss it.
11-19 Minor Duration: 4 hours. An orb of light hovers near you,
illuminating a 30’ radius. You can turn the orb off/on without
dismissing it.
20-25 Moderate Duration: 1 Hour. Target is basked in light. It takes -10 to
sneak checks and attackers have an edge when targeting it.
As a Reaction (1AP), the spell can be used to surprise an
enemy targeting you. Target gets a Snag to attack.
26+ or Nat20 Major All hostiles within 60’ are blinded for 24 hours. Body save to
avoid. Blinded creatures have a 50% miss chance.
As a Reaction (1AP), the spell can be used to surprise an
enemy targeting you or an ally. Target gets 2 Snags to
attack.

14. Message
You can telepathically communicate, leaving bystanders unaware.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d4 damage. Your message is broadcast out loud.
11-19 Minor Duration: 1 minute. You and a target within line of sight can
carry out a telepathic conversation.
20-25 Moderate Duration: 1 hour. You and up to 10 targets can carry out a
telepathic conversation. Targets must start within line of sight
but can leave line of sight once the spell is started.
26+ or Nat20 Major Duration: 4 hours. You and up to 20 targets can chat
telepathically. Target can be anyone, anywhere.

15. Necromancy
You drag a soul resentfully back to the world of the living to serve your needs.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d4 damage. Target is resurrected as a zombie and
attacks instantly (getting an ambush bonus).
11-19 Minor Dead target with intact head. Target is immobile except for
the mouth. They must answer 3 questions truthfully then the
soul returns to their afterlife and is immune to necromancy.
Mind save to resist having to answer truthfully.
20-25 Moderate Dead target becomes a near mindless zombie but keeps their
original Body score. Lost limbs and other damage is not
restored. It follows basic commands: guard, follow, carry, etc.
26+ or Nat20 Major Target with an intact head is resurrected. Wounds, rot,
discoloration, etc remain. They lose d4 levels (if this results in
a negative level, the spell fails). Another intelligent, helpless
or willing creature (Human, Orc, Elf, etc) must be sacrificed.

33 - RedHack2e
16. Push
A wave of force flings a target away from you.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d4 damage. You knock yourself back 5’ and prone.
11-19 Minor Range: 15 ft. You fling a target, less than 400 lbs, 10’ away
from your direction. They take d4 damage and are knocked
prone. Body save to avoid all effects.
20-25 Moderate Range: 15’ cone. Everyone in the cone, less than 600 lbs,
is thrown 15’ away from you. They take d4 damage and are
knocked prone. Body save to avoid all effects.
26+ or Nat20 Major Range: 15’ radius around you. All targets (you can avoid
allies) are pushed 30’ away from you, knocked prone, and
take 2d4 damage. Body save to avoid all effects.

17. Resize
You manipulate the size of your target(s).
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d4 damage. Random object grows or shrinks x4 its size.
11-19 Minor An inanimate object shrinks to 1/4 of its size (easier to hide)
or grows to x4 its size (harder to move). Precious metals and
gems are immune to this effect. If the object is held or worn,
the holder can make an Agility save to avoid size change.
Wearer is dealt d4 damage and the item is destroyed.
As reaction (1AP), enlarge a projectile (e.g. arrow) mid-flight.
Casting is rolled before attack roll. +d6 damage on a success.
20-25 Moderate Duration: 1 hour. Living target shrinks to half size (+3 AC,
-10’ speed, Snag to Ferocity skill, edge to thievery & stealth,
deals ½ melee damage) or grows to double size (-3 AC, +10’
speed, edge to Ferocity Skill, Snag to stealth, deals +d6
melee damage, 10’ reach). Agility save to avoid.
As reaction (1AP), as minor reaction but +2d6 damage.
26+ or Nat20 Major As moderate, but 3 targets shrink or grow.
As reaction (1AP), as minor reaction but +3d6 damage.

18. Restore
You roll back the clock on an item, repairing or re-energizing gear.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d4 damage. Target is destroyed, including magic items.
11-19 Minor Range: Touch. Target: one item. A mundane, broken item is
repaired. Shattered shield, cracked wheel, busted lantern.
20-25 Moderate As Minor or mundane items are refilled to max (quivers,
rations, water skin, etc) or Magic quivers regain 2d6 magic
arrows or Magic item with charges regain three charges.
26+ or Nat20 Major As Moderate or Magic quiver is completely restocked or
Magic potion / poison regains all uses or Magic Items regain
all charges or ‘single use’ magic items regain a use.

Magic - 34
19. Sanctuary
You create a magical space to protect yourself from those of ill intent.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d4 damage. Caster believes they succeeded at minor.
11-19 Minor Duration: 8 hours. You designate a 20’ radius zone. Anything
larger than a cat entering or exiting the zone triggers a loud
alarm (preventing surprise attacks). You may select as many
targets as you want that do not trigger the effect.
20-25 Moderate As Minor, but any unwelcome creatures in the zone take d4
damage per round while in the zone.
26+ or Nat20 Major A door appears in a location of your choosing, against a wall
or freestanding. The door leads to a pocket domain of your
design, no larger than 60’ in radius. The domain is empty of
provisions, equipment or furniture, but anything you leave in
this space will be available next time you cast it. The door
continues to exist in the outside world until you dismiss it. The
caster cannot dismiss it while inside the domain.

20. Shadow
Darkness envelops you. It’s more than an ally, it’s a birthright.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d4 damage. You’re outlined in a bright light for one hour.
11-19 Minor Range: 60’. Duration: 1 hour. A 15’ radius sphere fills with
shadow. Mundane light sources cannot penetrate it.
20-25 Moderate Duration: 8 hours. Your shadow remains in place after you
leave. You can see and hear from it. In shadow it is invisible.
26+ or Nat20 Major Duration: 1 Hour. Target becomes a shadow. Shadow can fit
under doorways, can climb all surfaces, is invisible in
darkness, is silent, and has +10 to stealth. Shadow can move,
but can’t take any actions except to end or extend the spell.

21. Telekinesis
You can move shit with your mind.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d4 damage. Ghostly hands grasp at you; you lose an AP.
11-19 Minor Range: 30’. Duration: 1 hour. You can move a target less
than 10 pounds. Target can switch during duration. Targets
must remain within range or be dropped. Characters holding
target may make a Body save to resist. Hitting a character
with your target deals d4 damage. Agility save to avoid.
20-25 Moderate As minor, but range is 60’, target can be up to 80 lbs, and
attacking others with your target deals 2d4 damage.
26+ or Nat20 Major As minor, but range is 60’, target can be up to 600 lbs, and
attacking others with your target deals 3d4 damage.

35 - RedHack2e
22. Teleport
You found a nifty trick: how to manipulate space.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d4 damage. You teleport (d4x5’) in a random direction
11-19 Minor Range: 30’. Teleport yourself within range and line of sight.
20-25 Moderate You teleport yourself anywhere within line of sight.
As 2AP reaction, a projectile is teleported away (0 damage).
26+ or Nat20 Major Duration: 5 minutes. You open a 10’ by 10’ portal to
anywhere within line of sight. Anything that fits can travel
through the portal. As with all spells, you can dismiss it at will.
As a 2AP reaction, a projectile is teleported back to the
original caster (damage is dealt to them instead).

23. Terraform
The earth shifts and moves at your command.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d4 damage. You sink 6” into the ground, making your
speed 0’ until you make a Body save to escape (1AP).
11-19 Minor Range: 60’. Radius: 15’. The floor cracks and becomes
jagged. Area is rough terrain (movement speed halved).
20-25 Moderate Range: 60’. Radius: 15’. The floor becomes quicksand. Area
is rough terrain and those who move through quicksand make
a body save or have 0’ speed until they escape (1AP each
attempt). Area counts as rough terrain regardless of save.
26+ or Nat20 Major As Moderate, but the floor is lava. Those who start their turn
or move through terrain take 2d6 damage.

24. Time Walk

Time speeds up or slows down at your whim.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d4 damage. A random enemy gains an AP.
11-19 Minor Range: 60’. A target gains or loses 1AP on their next turn.
20-25 Moderate Range: 60’. 2d4 targets all gain or lose 1AP.
26+ or Nat20 Major As Moderate, but caster may also reorder initiative order as
they see fit. It takes effect at the start of the next round.

25. Wall
A razor thin wall or dome of energy that crystalizes into an opaque solid.
≤10 or Nat1 Fail Take d4 damage.
11-19 Minor Duration: 1 Hour. Range: 60’. Create a continuous wall up to
20’ x 7’. The wall can have angles or be used as a bridge. It’s
semi-translucent. It has 1 HP (fails at 0 HP), but has 10 DR.
Spells of equal magnitude can’t be cast through the wall.
20-25 Moderate As Minor, but the wall is up to 40’ x 15’ and has 20 DR.
26+ or Nat20 Major As Moderate, absorbed damage is reflected back at the
attacker. If an attack destroys it, no damage is reflected.

Magic - 36
6. GM’s Section
General Game Master (GM) Tips
This section contains a barely organized list of general tips I've developed or found
useful over my years of running games.

Running RedHack
RedHack was specifically created to allow GMs to run adventures from almost any
fantasy system in a single system.
Setting: I’ve tried to keep the core rules of RedHack as setting neutral as possible,
to allow you to place it in any vaguely fantasy setting you prefer. RedHack won’t tell
you what your sword looks like, that is setting dependent, but it will tell you how
much damage it does if you hit something with it.
Using Adventure Modules: RedHack uses the Encounter Difficulty (ED) system to
allow easy conversion of most published adventures, regardless of system, to be
usable within the RedHack framework. To do so, skim the module and give each
encounter an ED (see next chapter, Encounters & Bestiary). Then stock it will
RedHack monsters or create your own (monsters have simple stat blocks).
Fights: Fewer, more meaningful fights in a session is recommended. PCs have low
HP, so telegraph hard fights early (I describe a scene and show the ED before they
engage), and leave them wiggle room to try and escape if desired.
Whittle Away: RedHack is at its best when you slowly whittle away at resources:
Magic Item Charges, HP, hirelings, etc. The longer PCs go without extended rest,
the more engaged your players will be. Survival is a strong motivator.

Mechanics - General Philosophy

● Dealing 80 damage to a 300 HP hostile is equivalent to dealing 8 damage to
a 30 HP hostile, but with more math. Large numbers are flashy, but only
interesting at a surface level.
● Having thousands of character creation options isn’t meaningful if the options
don’t really matter. Let PCs become more powerful through fewer, more
impactful decisions and in-world influence.
● Don’t worry about balanced encounters. Let the players decide what they can
handle and give them ample opportunity to avoid or escape.
○ The danger is what makes RPGs impactful. Lack of danger means PCs
have nothing to fear, which makes them act inhuman. We connect with
human (or human-like) stories.
○ This does not mean actively trying to kill PCs, only that you should allow
the real possibility of death to exist.
● Give fights a gimmick. Examples: A fire spreads 10’ every round; A ship sinks
in 4 rounds; Golf ball-sized hail hits random targets for d4 damage every
round; ED ticks up every round as the threat grows.

37 - RedHack2e
Session Planning
● Focus on your current or next session. Don’t save intricate fights or
head-spinning story twists for 17 sessions down the road. ‘Filler’ sessions are
boring; keep things moving!
● Adventure modules have a stigma in certain RPG circles, but if you haven’t
used them before you could be missing out. If nothing else, they’re great
inspiration to steal from. See Dungeon Crawl Classics, Mork Borg, and Old
School Essentials, for some true greats.
● TTRPGs aren’t the medium to share your novel. Build the skeleton of a world,
then react to the player's interactions with that world. Create situations, not
stories. Justin Alexander (thealexandrian.net) has a great series on this.
● Borrowing is the ultimate tool for giving RPGs unlimited life. Example: L.A.
Confidential isn’t a fantasy story, but the narrative of corruption of the police
force can be lifted and applied to adventure about the city guard.
● The world doesn’t wait for the PCs. Keep track of what enemy and rival
factions are up to in the background.
● Identify the tone (gritty, pulpy, etc) you want to run. Infuse that flavor into all
things, including NPCs, locations, and situations.
● Hand outs (maps, notices, messages, etc) always add immersion.
● At the end of a session, ask your players what their next move is so you can
actively plan around their closing thoughts.
● Be prepared to toss out your plans in favor of something more exciting.
● Keep opportunities to rest minimal. Chip away at the PC’s resources.

Running a Session
● Ask your players to recap the previous session. What they remember is
usually what matters to them; build off that.
● Keep your notes hidden and your dice rolls public. Rolling in the open shows
you're not pre-determining outcomes and builds trust in the game. It’s a
game, not your novel (and fudging dice makes you a coward, don’t @me).
● The players can’t read your mind, lean in favor of over describing.
● Don’t interrupt good roleplay. Let the PCs interact with each other.
● Game flow is important. If there is uncertainty about a rule, make a decision
and look it up (or create it) later.
● Be passionate, walk around the table, do voices, etc. Players replicate the
energy level you set.
● GMs run the game and gets the final say. This is to speed things up, not make
you a tyrant. Quickly discuss with the table, then decide.
● GMing is a craft, always be trying to improve your craft! For an in-depth look
at the GM craft, I recommend The Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master, Index
Card RPG, XDM X-Treme Dungeon Mastery, and So You Want To Be A
Game Master.

Magic - 38
Campaign Architecture
Many modern RPG campaigns follow long narrative arcs in which a session picks
up where the previous left off, with complete stories stretching over weeks or
months. This is a popular format, but I find it flawed for two reason:
● It is prone to unsatisfactory sessions in which very little is accomplished.
A focus on a long term story makes individual sessions less important.
● The longer the story, the more likely it is left unfinished. Few campaigns
actually last more than six months, players lose steam and things stall out.
Instead, I suggest episodic campaigns. There can be overarching goals, but each
session should have a clear, self contained story. The following methodologies
explain both how episodic campaigns work and why you might like them.

The West March Approached

West Marches is an “open table” style game. Players and PCs can drastically
change between sessions, depending on player availability and the PCs they
choose to play. Even the GMs may rotate.
This is accomplished by creating a persistent world, no matter who is running it and
which PCs show up. This works as each session is episodic and chronological.
● Episodic sessions mean all sessions start and end in a fixed safe zone.
Example safe zones include a PC bar or outpost. This means each session
can begin at an easy point, regardless of PC turnout.
● Chronological Order means sessions take place in the order that they’re
played, one after another. If session one took 3 in-game days, session two
takes place no sooner than after those 3 days.
○ It can also account for the passing of time in real life. If six days pass
between sessions, six days of in game time have also passed.
Paired with the RedHacks’s default method of XP per session, this allows for a
flexible “play when you can” style game. West Marches is great for campaigns in
which there is a very high player count or inconsistent player availability.
This is an incredibly brief overview of how a West Marches campaign is run.
For more information there is plenty of info online.

Tracking Jobs and Missions

Traditional West Marches has players show up and decide that day what they want
to work towards. I stray from the pack a bit here.
Instead, at the end of a session, ask the players what they want to accomplish. This
allows you time to prepare for the next session while allowing PCs to focus on the
story threads or objectives they care about.
I recommend that GMs keep a backup list of missions the PCs can select from,
work for hire type jobs, for weeks in which they need a narrative nudge.

39 - RedHack2e
NPCs and Factions
NPCs and Factions are GM controlled entities that the PCs interact with.
● NPCs: Non-Player Characters are individual characters controlled by the GM.
Usually those of significance are recorded. NPCs can be part of a faction
(outwardly or secretly), or they may be unaligned.
● Factions: Are groups of NPCs working towards a shared objective.
Examples: A guild, a group of mercenaries, or a gang. It might also be
something slightly more abstract, like a social movement/ideology.
The PCs have relationships with NPCs and Factions. This can change over time.
Enemies to friends, friends to enemies. If the PC’s have a positive / negative
interaction with an NPC or faction during a session, their standing can change.
Example relationship levels below. Entities can be an individual NPC or Faction.
● Ally entities will help the PCs if it’s easy or mutually beneficial.
● Friendly entities will help the PCs if it’s easy and mutually beneficial. PC
created contacts start as friendly.
● Neutral entities don’t care / know the PCs. Most entities start neutral.
● Unfriendly entities will hinder the PCs if it’s easy and beneficial.
● Hostile entities will hinder the PCs if it’s easy or beneficial.
If you feel so inclined, you can even implement a faction power system. Factions
start with 10 to 40 power, dependent on level of influence (e.g. for factions in a
human city: 10 for rival adventurers, 20 for a gang, 30 for a noble, 40 for a king).
Running missions against a faction deals d6 to 3d6 power damage (d6 for most
missions, 2d6 for difficult missions, 3d6 for suicide missions). These types of
missions should disrupt the production, services, or leadership of the faction.
Factions that aren’t attacked restore d6 power, up to their maximum.
Players should be aware though, factions are not passive entities. They will adapt
to the PC’s tactics and strike back. The more power damage a faction has, the
more desperate their defense and retaliations will be.

Share Information
Between tracking session narratives (and which PCs were present), XP/DP,
NPCs/Factions/Fronts, and available jobs, there is a lot to track. While we want our
players to be fully engrossed, daily lives and gaps between sessions makes it
difficult for anyone to remember.
To that end, it’s recommended to keep a publicly available “notebook” or wiki that
players can freely check for reminders. I use a wiki that is viewable by my players.

Magic - 40
Critical Hit Tables
For speed of gameplay, critical hits and misses have fixed results, but some groups
prefer Crit/Fumble tables. On a Crit/Fumble, roll a d20 and determine the result
through the below tables.
Another Option: Only use critical hit or miss tables when fighting ‘named’ or
significant enemies for increased drama.

Critical Miss Table

Critical misses, or fumbles, are not always popular with players. Discuss with your
table if it’s right for your group. They are silly, which some groups like, but it also
makes the PCs seem silly. It depends on the tone you want to go for.

Roll Result
1 Your fumble was catastrophic. Roll damage on yourself.
2-3 You accidentally strike an ally. Roll damage on them.
4-5 Your mistake leaves you panicked. You gain a level of Trauma.
You’ve left yourself open to a counter attack, the closest enemy
6-7
gets a single free attack.
8-9 Your armor or the closest piece of ally gear is destroyed.
10-11 Your weapon/item flies from your hand, landing d4x5’ away.
12-13 You overstep, slipping in the process. You are knocked prone.

14-15 Your pack takes a hit. One random item is destroyed.

16-17 You’re left badly positioned; the next attack on you has an Edge.
You spend a moment correcting your footing. Starting next round
18-19
your turn moves to the end of the initiative order.
Your wild miss sets you up for a surprise recovery. Your next
20
action has an Edge.

41 - RedHack2e
Critical Hit Table
Unlike the critical miss table, it is suggested that all attacks are eligible for rolls on
the critical hit table when using the critical hit table.

Roll Result
1 Deal dmg x2. Your weapon is destroyed in the process.
2 Foot shot. Target moves 10’ slower for the rest of the encounter.
3 Knockback. Target is knocked prone.
4 Butt shot. Target becomes a laughing stock to his peers and enemies.
5 Double-tap. Make an additional attack on this target.
6 Blood in the eyes. The enemy has a 50% miss chance.
Your attack leaves a 10’ radius of gore around the target. Moving through
7
the gore requires an agility save to avoid falling.
8 In the zone! Make an additional attack.
9 Toe crunch. The target cannot move for d4 rounds.
10 Enemy’s weapon is knocked out of their hands, landing d4x5’ away.
11 Knee shot. Target permanently moves at half speed.
Bowel shot. A sickening smell escapes from the wound. Everyone within
12
30 ft must make a Body Save or be nauseated for d6 rounds.
13 Throat shot. Target can no longer speak.
14 Enemy’s weapon or held item is destroyed.
15 Target is deafened for life.
16 Blinding attack. The enemy is permanently blinded.
17 Your attack blows a random limb clean off.
Gutshot. Target must use their full turn to hold their guts in or die in d4
18
rounds. This ends after a successful heal check.
Headshot. Your target’s head (or equivalent) explodes on impact and is
19
instantly killed.
Combat ascension. You land an attack so utterly perfect, you temporarily
transcend to a higher state of combat focus. Your original target is killed
20
and you continue to make attacks with an Edge until you miss or run out
of targets. Every successful hit grants +15’ of movement for the turn.

Magic - 42
Traps
Traps can include noise-making alarms, snares meant to catch thieves, and
outright damage-dealing devices. They can be countered by avoidance or disabling
(via the Thievery skill).
Deadly traps are normally hinted at in game, if PCs are paying attention. Bluntly,
don’t be a dick. Having un-telegraphed traps slows the game down to a crawl as
players get paranoid and start hitting everything with a 10 foot pole.
At a minimum, if traps aren’t telegraphed well, let the PCs have a free perception
check before triggering.
Examples of telegraphed traps: A doorway or threshold that is covered in arcane
glyphs, large slits in flooring to indicate saw blades, bolt holes in a wall opposite of
a door, or a room has heavy scorch marks.

Awarding Experience
How experience is awarded is a deeply personal choice4. The default XP tracking
method (session attendance by individual) presented earlier in RedHack was
selected for two reasons:
1. It worked best for my table. We play casually and it most directly rewards
those that attend frequently.
2. It’s not a popular method and you, the GM, will likely want to change it. This
will set the precedent for players that you can and will change the rules as
you see fit to give the best experience possible.
XP can be awarded by the individual (to reward playing) or to the entire group (if
you’re hyper concerned about balance). There are many ways to award XP. Find
one that works for you. Examples:
● Gold for XP. A starting point can be for every 1000 gold found, the PC gains
a level.
○ Variant 1: XP is only awarded for gold safely returned to town. This
makes players more anxious to defend their spoils.
○ Variant 2: XP is only awarded for gold spent. This gets the players
more interested in investing large sums into the world
○ Variant 3: XP is only awarded for gold squandered. This leans into the
swords and sorcery trope that heroes are always broke
● XP for encounters survived, such as monsters killed, traps avoided, and
puzzles solved. Good for groups focusing on high action.
● XP for milestones completed. Good for tables focused on the story.
● Level up at the conclusions of story arcs. The GM announces when the
group hits a new level, typically at the end of an adventure arc.

4
For passionate GMs
43 - RedHack2e
Starting at Level 0
Some GMs may choose to start PCs at level 0, to simulate unprepared amateurs
going on their first adventure. In this single session scenario each player creates 2
to 4 level zero PCs. Many will die, but the survivors are forged into adventurers.
Level 0 Character Generation:
● Follow Steps 1. Assign attribute scores.
● Skip Steps 2-8. Race may be picked, but racial modifiers are not added yet.
● Choose a mundane profession: Baker, farmer, tailor, fletcher, etc.
● Add Gear. The untested adventurers start with:
○ Backpack ○ Profession appropriate gear
○ Small weapon (d6 damage) ○ Clothing
● Calculate the following stats:
○ HP = 7 + Body ○ Initiative Die (ID): d12 ○ Speed = 20ft
○ AC = 9 + Agility ○ Load = 12 + (Body * 2)

Rule Tweaks for Level 0s: Gameplay remains the same except for two changes:
● Level 0 PCs do not receive a death save. 0 or less HP means death.
● Level 0 PCs have 2 Action Points (AP) per turn.

Survivors Reach Level 1: PCs that survive become level 1 adventurers, going
back to complete steps 2-9 of character creation, replacing conflicting information
with newer stats. Example: If level 0 HP was 7 and level 1 HP is 24, use 24.

Sample Level 0 Adventure Hooks:

● The town’s children are being kidnapped from their very beds. Can the PCs
stop whatever evil is afoot and save those who have already gone missing?
● The PC’s have been conscripted to investigate a newly discovered tomb.
What treasure will they find and will they surrender it to the petty lordling?
● The PC’s home is being harassed by raiders. The PC’s must lead a valiant
defense, followed by a swift counterattack to finally end the problem.

Starting at Higher Levels

This table is allow PCs to be more easily created at higher levels
Max Max Edges to
Total Skill Total Attribute Saves
Level Skill Attribute Mastered
Points Feats Bonuses Mastered
Rank Scores Saves
2 2 +4 3 3 +1 (x1) 1 1
3 3 +4 6 3 +1 (x1) 2 1
4 3 +4 6 4 +1 (x2) 2 1
5 4 +4 9 4 +1 (x2) 2 2
6 4 +4 9 5 +1 (x3) 2 2
7 5 +4 12 5 +1 (x3) 3 2
8 5 +4 12 6 +1 (x4) 3 2
9 6 +4 15 6 +1 (x4) 4 2
10 6 +4 15 7 +1 (x5) 4 3

Magic - 44
Appendix N (Inspirational Media)
RedHack was inspired by combining my favorite aspects of other TTRPGs. I’ve
listed the ones that had direct impact and a quick blurb about each. I consider this
the essential list for d20 RPG enthusiasts.
Tabletop RPGs
● Dung The OG RPG: Where the hobby was born.
● 5 Torches Deep: Purest combo of 5e and old school sentiments.
● Worlds Without Number: The holy grail of generators.
● Dungeon Crawl Classics: Zanny fun, dripping with flavor.
● The Black Hack: Compact and powerful. No wasted space.
● Savage Worlds: Not d20, but classless and open to any setting.
● Index Card RPG: An RPG and guide for speeding up your game.
● Pathfinder 2e: Action points are superior to “Move, Action, Minor”. Fight me.
Also included are other types of media for inspiration. These are in no particular
order and series names are used over individual entries.
Video Games: Films/TV:
● Dragon Age ● Lord of the Rings
● Jak and Daxter ● 300
● Final Fantasy Tactics ● Ironclad
● God of War ● Pirates of the Caribbean
● Legend of Zelda ● The Thing
● Kena Bridge of Spirits ● The Mummy (1999)
● Banished ● Gladiator
● The Witcher ● What we do in the Shadows
● Elder Scrolls ● Tucker and Dale vs Evil
● Chrono Trigger
Youtube:
Books: ● DungeonCraft
● Kings of the Wyld ● Questing Beast
● A Song of Ice and Fire ● DM It All
● The Sandman ● Seth Skorkowsky
● Lost Gods ● Bob World Builder
● Stardust ● Dave Thaumavore RPG
● Agincourt ● MonarchsFactory
● The Hobbit ● Sly Flourish
● Prince of Thorns ● Taking 20
● The First Law ● Nerdarchy
● Pillars of the Earth ● Hexed Press
● The Black Tongue Thief ● The Dungeon Coach
● The Aching God ● MCDM
● Captcorajus

45 - RedHack2e
Hacking RedHack & Deputization
RedHack is intended to provide a solid framework that should be customized.
Make it your game. If something doesn’t work, remove it. For whatever reason,
some consider rule hacks to be sacrilege. If it helps, have in writing: You are hereby
deputized as a RedHack designer and are formally allowed to change the rules.

Examples to get you going

Attribute scores: I prefer rolling for attributes, but my players don’t. As they’re the
ones playing the PCs, standard array became the “official” way presented. That
said you can still do rolling attributes, here are the rules:
Roll 4d6, drop the lowest, and add the remaining together. Repeat 3 more
times. Convert the results into a score (assign the results in order to Body,
Agility, Mind, Presence).
Roll result 3 4-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 14-15 16-17 18
Score -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4

Spells: Add spells as you see fit. Look at existing spells to get an idea of spell
failures, minor, moderate, and major effects.
Less Deadly Combat: Remove exploding damage dice or give +2HP per level.
Skills: Add custom skills as needed. Is your campaign set on a chain of islands?
Make sailing a skill or make sailing fall into the category of survival.
Races: Add (or remove) races to be appropriate. I like human centric settings, so I
tend to make humans statistically the best option by a small margin, but you may
want to correct that (possibly by removing ‘+1 to any ability score’).
For example of custom races, I created a Greek mythological list by modifying the
default races. Mostly by simply renaming a few. I only made one ability change.
● Human: +1 to any one ability score, +1 Skill Point.
● Minotaur (Prev Half-Orc): +1 to Body, +5 Max HP, -1 to Presence.
● Nymph (Prev Elf): +1 to Presence, +5’ Move Speed, -1 to Body.
● Gorgon (Mod Halfing): +1 to Agil, 1/day target loses 2AP (1AP), -1 to Mind.
● Satyr (Prev Dwarf): +1 to Mind, 2 ranks in Lore, -1 to Agil.

Feats: Adding Feats is fairly easy. Look at existing Feats for examples. Here is a
sample Feat that didn’t make it into the final game (mostly due to real estate).
● Ki Strike: You can spend 1AP to add an elemental effect to your next
unarmed attack. Only takes effect on a hit. Elemental effect options:
● Acid: Target’s DR reduced by 2.
● Lightning: Target loses 1AP on their next turn.
● Ice: Target’s move speed is halved on their next turn.
● Fire: Target takes d4 damage on your next turn.

Magic - 46
7. Magic Items
Magic Items are rare and unique. Two warriors both wielding Thunder Hammers is
exponentially less exciting than one using The Thunder Hammer while the other
wields The Bastard Ender. There should be exactly one of each magic item.
In terms of game mechanics, static numbers are boring. Magic items don’t deal
static extra damage or extra AC. An item’s real selling points are its effects.
Some Magic Items have charges or uses. Charges are the number of times it can
be used before a ‘Restore’ Spell is needed to recharge or refill (potions/poisons) it.
If a magic item has charges or uses, it generally requires 1AP to activate.

Sample Magic Items

For a random magic item roll a d8 (Category) and d10 (Specific Item). Stats use
shorthand: Damage (dx), # of Hands (xH), Load (xL).
1. Weapons.
1. Thunder Hammer: On a crit, the target is also launched d4 x 5’ away. Using
a charge, wielder can choose to launch the target on a regular hit. d10, 1H,
1L. 3 Charges.
2. Skull Splitter: Two handed sword that causes x3 damage dice rolled on
critical hits (with Artery Slice Feat, crit damage is x4). d12, 2H, 2L.
3. Light Out Spear: If a target is brought to 0 hp by the spear, they disappear
and awake in their bed the next morning. d8, 1H, 2L, Reach.
4. Tele-Knife: Throwing knife. Using a charge, deals damage and the wielder
may choose to teleport to target, have target teleport to wielder, or swap
places with target. d6, 1H, 1L, Concealable. 5 Charges.
5. Breaker: Sword that ignores DR. Using a charge, for one hour weapon
deals extra d6 damage to targets with DR. d8, 1H, 1L, Finesse. 3 Charges.
6. Berserker's Axes: Using a charge, on a killing blow the wielder heals HP
equal to damage dealt. Set of two weapons that must be dual wielded for
magic effect. d8, 1H (each), 1L (each). 5 Charges.
7. Chain Lighting: A chain whip that causes targets hit by the whip to lose
1AP on their next turn. Body save to avoid. d6, 2H, 1L, Reach.
8. Avenger: With this sword, Faith Dice used for smite become d8s, but Faith
Dice used for healing become d4s. d8, 1H, 1L
9. Arcane Sling: Using a charge, this sling can cause stones to explode on
impact. When doing so, in addition to regular attack damage all adjacent
targets make agility save or take d6 damage. d6, 1h, 1L, 60’. 5 Charges.
10. Vorpal Blade: Wielder may choose to make any attack attempt (before or
after the d20 roll) a critical hit. d8, 1H, 1L. This ability is single use, only
rechargeable with a Major Restore Spell.

47 - RedHack2e
2. Clothing & Armor
1. Amerigo’s Shield: Shield bounces back when thrown. On a hit, it deals 2d4
damage. It whispers patriotic thoughts to the wielder. +1 AC, 1H, 1L.
2. Howling Shield: Sentient shield has the soul of a masochistic and is vocal
about desires. Using a charge, attacks against you have a Snag for one
minute (it makes attackers uncomfortable). +1 AC, 1H, 1L. 5 Charges.
3. Giant’s Gloves: Using a charge, Body gets a +1 for 1 hour. 1L. 5 Charges.
4. Porcupine Cuirass: Ranged attacks have a Snag if not targeting the wearer
(while they’re living). +3 AC, 2L, uses Armor Slot, requires Body of 2+.
5. Mirror Armor: Armor with DR 3. Using a charge, for one encounter damage
reduced through DR is reflected at the attacker. +2 AC, 2L, uses Armor Slot,
requires a Body of 2+. 3 Charges.
6. Boots of Gonzalez: Using a charge, speed doubled’ for 1 hour. 5 Charges.
7. Executioner's Hood: Critical hits trigger on attacks of 22+. Snag on all
Presence based skills. 2L.
8. Iron Silk Cloak: +3 AC, 1L, uses Armor Slot, No Body Requirement.
9. Vampiric Armor: For every hit you take during a combat round, you gain +1
AC during the next round. +1 AC, 1L, uses Armor Slot, requires Body of 2+.
10. Hellfire Armor: For one encounter all within 30’ take d4 fire damage per
round (Pres save to avoid). +3 AC, 2L, Requires Body of 2+. 3 Charges.
3. Equipment.
1. Clever Rope: Rope climbs and finds a sturdy place to tie itself onto. 1L.
2. Everbright Stone: Shines twice as bright as a torch. 1L.
3. Pack o’ stuff: When worn, this pack increases max load by 5. 0L.
4. Saint’s Jaw Bone: Edge to attacks against demons and undead for 1 hour.
1L. 3 Charges.
5. Temporal Net: Using a charge, roll Ferocity [Agil] vs target’s agility save. If
the target fails, they’re transported 2d6 minutes into the future. 5 Charges.
6. Steel Horse: Statue of a horse. Using a charge, it becomes a loyal, trained
warhorse for 24 hours. 1L. 5 Charges.
7. Rage Socks: Characters with Rage Feat replace it with the Fury Feat. Fury:
“+d8 to damage dealt and +d4 taken.” Socks always feel like they’re wet. 0L.
8. Hurricane Pendant: For one hour, no Snags for multi-attacking. 5 Charges.
9. Magic Carpet: This carpet can comfortably hold 6 people and flies at a
move speed of 50’
10. Fool’s Gold: Gold coin. Using a charge, Load flips from 0 to 30, or
vise-versa. You do not need to be near coin to trigger this ability. 5 Charges
4. Books & Scrolls. These store arcane spells. Roll a d100 / 4 to determine the
spell (spells are numbered in Magic chapter). Scrolls are 0 Load, Books are 1.
1-8: Scroll: Allow any character to cast the stored spell scroll, but it requires a
DC 11 Lore Skill check to read the scroll. Roll a d6 to determine
magnitude stored (1-3 Minor, 4-5 Moderate, 6 Major). Scrolls are single
use, they implode into a puff of fire on use.
9-10: Spell Book: Teaches a random spell to a character able to arcane cast.
. Like scrolls, spell books are single use (cannot be restored).

Magic Items - 48
5. Potions & Poisons. These differ from mundane Potions and Poisons. Magic
versions have limited uses, but can be refilled with a Major Restore spell.
1. Sense: Gain +10 to perception checks for 2 hours. Dark vision. 3 uses.
2. Motivation Potion: +1 to all attributes for 1 hour. 3 uses.
3. Potion of Ice: Target is immune to Fire and Fire damage for 1 hour. 6 uses.
4. Death Ward: Target doesn’t take damage for 8 hours. At the end of the
duration, they take all accumulated damage at once. If the damage equals
twice their total HP, they’re instantly killed. 1 uses.
5. Liquid Courage5: Immune to morale/fear saves for an hour. 5 uses.
6. Leach Poison: Trauma and damage cannot be healed. Poison can only be
cured through a ritual involving 5 gold from a dragon’s horde. 1 use.
7. Bird Brain: Mind is set to -4. Poison can only be healed by a Lore (Heal)
check (ED13). Otherwise, one point of mind is restored per week. 1 use.
8. Liquid Rot: Once a week, lose HP equal to the number of weeks spent
poisoned. Antidote requires a Lore (Heal) check and two rare herbs found in
different mountain ranges. 3 uses.
9. Ultimate Acid: Destroys anything it touches, including magic items. Deals
an extra 4d4 damage if used as a poison. 1 use.
10. Ink: Target is blinded until a Lore (heal) check is made (ED13). 3 uses.
6. Rings. Only one ring can be worn at a time. Rings are 0 Load.
1. Reaction Ring: For one hour, gain an edge to all saving throws. 5 charges.
2. Lover’s Rings: Two rings. Ring holes are portals to the other. Sound, sight,
and small objects (rolled paper) travels between the set of two rings.
3. Emerald Envy: Extravagant looking ring. Goblinoids will go out of their way
to hunt the wearer. The ring doesn’t outwardly look magical.
4. Ring of Invisibility: Wearer becomes invisible for an hour. 3 charges.
5. Caster’s Ring: Choose to roll a mind save when spell casting. Success:
Edge to spell casting roll. Fail: Snag to spell casting roll.
6. Bubble: Wearer always takes half of the amount of damage they would
normally take from area of effect attacks.
7. Shielding Ring: Gain +2 AC for one encounter. 3 charges.
8. Stasis Lock: On activation, the wearer is immobilized and 0AP. They gain
DR 25. The wearer can choose to end the Stasis at any time, at which point
all damage is reflected back to attacks (Agility save to avoid, if they left the
area damage auto-misses). Receiving 26+ damage in a single attack ends
the status and no damage is reflected. 3 charges.
9. Vitality Ring: Heal 4d6 HP, remove 1 Trauma. 3 charges.
10. Final Ring: Wearer can trigger the ring to deal 10d10 damage to everything
in a 50’ radius (including the wearer, but the ring itself is immune to the
damage). Single use, only rechargeable with a Major Restore Spell.

5
Lowkey, this might just be vodka.
49 - RedHack2e
7. Quivers. A set of magical arrows or bolts (they can shift between the two).
Quivers are one load and are found with 4d6 of their magic arrows.
1. Air-Row: Arrows/Bolts launches an enemy d4 x 5’ away.
2. Fire-Away: Arrows/Bolts explode the next round and deal 2d6 damage to
the target (or whatever they hit).
3. Lightning-Bolt: Target rolls a Pres save or loses 3AP next turn.
4. Acid-Trip: Arrows/Bolts travel in a straight line for normal range of the
weapon, through cover and obstructions. Make an attack roll on everyone in
a straight line. It also ignored DR.
5. Ricoshot: After a hit, next closest character rolls an agility save. On a miss,
they take the weapon damage. Attack bounces d4 times total.
6. Homing-Missile: Ammo/Bolt attempts to correct themselves in mid-flight,
granting two edges to all attacks.
7. Shooting Rope: After a hit, user can to be pulled to target or attempt to
have the target pulled to them (Body Save to avoid).
8. Shrink-Shot: On a hit, projectile does not do damage. Instead, target rolls a
Agility save or shrinks to half size (+3 AC, -10’ speed, Snag to Ferocity Skill,
edge to thievery & stealth, deals ½ melee damage).
9. Tracking Shot: On a hit, the user knows the direction and distance to the
arrowhead. 10 minutes and a Lore (Heal) check of ED11 are needed to
remove the arrow without damage or it can be pulled immediately for 2d6.
10. Split Shot: One attack with this arrow targets two different targets. If both
hit, make body saves. If both fail, targets are pulled towards each other. If
one fails they are pulled to the one that saved. They can be used on objects.
8. Crystals. Crystalized magic energy. Each is 1 Load.
1. Arcane Crystal: Increases Lore skill by 3 until next rest. This can raise it to
above the normal skill limit of +10. 3 charges.
2. Holy Relic: Increases Faith skill by 3 until next rest. This can raise it to
above the normal skill limit of +10.. 3 charges.
3. Primal Totem: Increases Survival skill by d4 until next rest. This can raise it
to above the normal skill limit of +10. 3 charges.
4. Reality-Anchor: All spell casting has 2 Snags within 300’.
5. Blast Crystal: When activated, for one encounter any spell that starts with
“Arcane” gains “targets hit are knocked d4 x 5’ away”. 3 charges.
6. Power Crystal: Choose to automatically succeed on a spellcasting roll at
major. Single use, only rechargeable with a Major Restore Spell.
7. Yin Crystal: For one encounter, your Ferocity skill bonus (both Body and
Agility) is raised to equal your Magic skill bonus (of choice) 3 charges.
8. Yang Crystal: For one encounter, your Lore skill bonus is raised to equal
your Ferocity skill bonus (choose higher of Body or Agility) bonus. You
learn 5 random spells for the duration of effect. 3 charges.
9. Twinned Crystal: On activation, the next spell you cast has a twin of the
same magnitude also cast. You can change targets with the twin. 3 charges.
10. Phylactery Shard: Doesn’t need to be on you. If you’re about to die, you’re
instead instantly teleported to your Phylactery, and healed for 6d6+6
damage. Single use, only rechargeable with a Major Restore Spell.

Magic Items - 50
51 - RedHack2e
8. Bestiary & Encounters
Encounters & Monsters
IIf you read nothing else, read this: All combat is dangerous. PCs do not gain
health as they level and all damage dice explode (see combat chapter). A critical hit
and exceptional damage roll can kill a max leveled character in a single hit.

The Basic Factors of Building Encounters

Encounters are rarely perfectly balanced, nor should they be. Knowing when to run
is as important of a skill as knowing when to push an attack.
Encounter building has two factors: Threat Level and Encounter Difficulty.
● Threat Level (TL) is a monster’s difficulty (comparable to Hit Die (HD) for
monsters in other systems). The combined total of all monster’s TL gives
you an approximate estimation of a group of monsters’ challenge. 5 bugs of
2 TL each is a total of 10 TL.
● Encounter Difficulty (ED)6 is a single static number for the room that acts
as the target for all player rolls. Example: An encounter has an ED16: AC of
all enemies is 16, PCs have to roll a 16 to sneak, a PC’s DEX saving throw‘s
DC is 16, Monster saves vs spells is 16, etc.
TL and ED are a GMs two primary controls for building encounters. Dialing ED up
or down can dramatically increase success or failure rates.
For speed of gameplay, have enemies of the same type go on the same initiative.

Setting TL and ED
Before the encounter begins ED should be displayed where all players can see
it. This allows the PCs to make informed decisions on if they should fight or flee. It
also speeds up the game, it allows players to instantly know if they succeed or fail.
To determine your TL and ED budget, use the below formulas as a starting point.
Remember these are starting points, adjust as needed.
TL = 2 * (# of PCs)
ED = 12 + (Average PC Level)
Remember: For each ED increased by 1, the chance of PC succeeding on a roll
decreases by 5%. That’s not always a bad thing, PCs get more efficient (higher
bonuses) as they level. A group of level 9s will find ED 11 too easy and boring.
First Encounter: For a brand new group of players, consider having the first
encounter have an ED of 11 and a TL of 1 per player. Essentially, an easier combat
to ease players into the game.

6
The concept of ED originated in Index Card RPG. Check it out!
Bestiary & Encounters - 52
Building Hostiles
A Threat’s TL determines the starting point for stats.
● 8 HP per TL
● +TL to Attacks to a max of +10.
● +TL to Saves. Edge or Snag if they’re strong or weak to that save.
● +TL to Skill Checks, if it is a skill the threat would have.
● ED = TL + 9. Use the largest TL of any one enemy for an encounter.
● 30’ move speed
● 2AP for TLs 1-5, 3AP for TLs 6-9, 4AP for TLs 10+
A Hostiles’s Initiative Die (ID) and Damage Die (DD) is a sliding scale and the
same die is used for both: d4, d6, d8, d10, or d12.
● Higher DD is better, it means more damage is dealt when a hit lands.
● Lower ID is better, it means they’re more likely to act first in combat.
The above are guidelines, not rules. Examples: 1) If an enemy's whole shtick is that
they’re fast + strong, they may have different ID and DD; 2) GMs may use ED by
PC level or go by gut; 3) Chonky enemies may have 12 HP per TL.
A Hostile’s AC and PC Saves against monster abilities are determined by the ED.
All of the Enemies should also have at least one special ability. See sample
monsters for inspiration and examples.

Playing Hostiles
When controlling enemies, think of their motivation and tactics. Not all monsters
should be mindless killing machines that beeline straight for the closest PC. Even
bestial aliens have a strategy to their approach. Real-world wolves use pack
tactics, eagles dive bomb, and spiders set traps, etc.
Motivations for monsters can include hunger, feeling cornered, defending their
nests/young/territory, or expanding their hunting grounds.
Humans and intelligent aliens may have the same motives as those above, but they
may also be motivated by power, sport, or ideology. Their self preservation or
willingness to die for a cause may be lower than a mindless monster.
Control the NPCs as their motivations dictate. Examples: A range fueled minotaur
charges, a bot bounty hunter uses ambush tactics, and a low sword for hire flees
for an easier pay day when faced with any opposition.
Mechanically, low level threats have 2AP, and higher level threats have more AP.
Spread out multiple attacks among different targets, when possible; Focus firing
can bring PCs down quickly. Threats gain a Snag when using the same attack /
ability repeatedly in a turn; Using different abilities avoids the Snag.
Monsters add their TL to saves or skill rolls, give them an edge or Snag if you
think they are talented/challenged by something.

53 - RedHack2e
Building an Interesting Encounter
Having monsters sit in an empty room is incredibly dull. When designing an
encounter, think of terrain, tactics, and timers as spices. Mix them in to make
fights interesting and complex. You don’t have to use all of them all of the time.
● Terrain: Add environmental objects to break up line of sight, include
different elevations/climbable areas, include blind corners, etc.
● Tactics: Have monsters mix up their tactics. Some monsters may always
charge towards PCs, but others should ambush, take shots from afar, etc.
● Timers: Add a layer of complexity by having poison gas filling the room, a
ritual taking place in the background, a bridge collapsing, etc.

Sample Monsters
Over the next few pages are sample monsters. The ED in the stat blocks is just a
suggestion. When using a mix of monsters, it’s recommended to use the highest
ED within the group for the encounter. Movement and Attack are always 1AP.
Monsters by TL
Type Monster TL Type Monster TL
Sentient Tiny 0.25 Demon Ice Devil 4
Monstrosity Furry 0.5 Monstrosity Blink Cat 5
NPC Noble 0.5 Monstrosity HawkBear 5
Demon Imp 0.5 NPC Holy Person 5
Golbinoid Biter 0.5 Golbinoid Orc 5
Undead Zombie 0.5 Monstrosity Cockatrice 6
Monstrosity Giant Spider 1 Demon Chain Demon 6
NPC Commoner 1 Golbinoid Ursine Bugger 6
NPC Guard Dog 1 Monstrosity Sickler 7
Demon Skin Stealer 1 NPC Sorcerer 7
Golbinoid Sludge Slinger 1 Sentient Brain Devourer 7
Monstrosity Crocadog 2 Golbinoid Troll 7
Monstrosity Crabber 2 Monstrosity Golem 8
Sentient Homo-Fungi 2 Sentient Giant 8
Sentient Frog Folk 2 Wyrm Dragon 8
Wyrm Hatchling Dragon 2 Undead Wraith 8
Monstrosity Gluttonous Lump 3 Wyrm Titan Wurm 9
Monstrosity Plant Kin 3 Undead Revenant 9
NPC Assassin 3 Undead Vampire 10
Demon HellHound 3 Demon Demon Lord 10
Golbinoid Plague Bringer 3 Undead Lich 11
Monstrosity Rat Swarm 4 Wyrm Kraken 12
NPC Warrior 4 Wyrm Ancient Dragon 14
Sentient Gath 4

Bestiary & Encounters - 54

Demons come from the land of the Ice Devil, Middling Demon
damned, the plane of torment. All
Demons have the following: Descriptive Text here
● Bold: Edge to morale saves. TL 4 HP 32 ID d10
● Hellfire Aura: All within 10’ take d4 ED 13 30’ 2AP
fire damage per round (Body Save Attack (Trident): +4, d10
to avoid damage).
● Fire Immunity: Immune to fire. -Icy Breath (1AP): Targets within a 30'
● Godless: Normal weapons deal cone make a body save. On a fail,
half damage. Blessing with take d6 and movement speed is 0’
prayer (Faith skill against ED) until they make a Body Save.
bypasses this for an encounter. -Hell Froze Over (0AP): Replace fire
based descriptors for Ice in the “all
Demon Lord, Greater Demon demons” section in the intro to
demons.
A general of infernal armies and a
collector of mortal souls.
Skin Stealer, Lesser Demon
TL 10 HP 80 ID d12
ED 19 40’ 4AP Can wear the skin of anyone they kill.
Attack (Vorpal Sword): +10, 3d6 They perfectly mimic their host’s voice
damage. On crits, target is beheaded. and mannerisms.
-Damnation (2AP): Once a day, all TL 1 HP 8 ID d4
targets in 100’ make a faith check or ED 10 30’ 2AP
take d8 damage and are set on fire. Attack (Claws): +1, d4
-Infernal Presence (1AP): All targets -Skin Shift (1AP): Transform into
within 100’ make a moral save. anyone they’ve previously stolen the
form of.
Chain Demon, Middling Demon -Mirror Action (xAP): Use the same
A roiling mass of rusted chains, hooks, action (spell or attack), with the same
and blades. From somewhere within, attack, damage bonus, and AP cost
the intense heat of hellfire emanates. that another character made within the
last round.
TL 6 HP 48 ID d8
ED 15 30’ 3AP -Infiltrator (1AP): Can turn Hellfire
Attack (Chained Blades): +6, d6, 30’ Aura on or off.
On hit, the target makes a body save
or gets pulled to the Chain Demon and Imp, Lesser Demon
grappled. Body Save to escape.
When a wretched soul first transforms
into a demon, it starts as an imp. From
Hell Hound, Middling Demon there, it can climb the brutal hierarchy.
A hound of brimstone and fire. Uses TL ½ HP 4 ID d6
them to track escaped souls. ED 9 30’ 2AP
TL 3 HP 24 ID d6 Attack (Razor): +0, d6
ED 12 50’ 2AP
-Flight (1AP): Fly at move speed.
Attack (Burning Bite): +3, d6
-Unkindled (0AP): The imp does not
-Coal Hide (0AP): Non-magical or have Hellfire Aura.
blessed weapons that strike the hound
melt (becoming improvised weapons)

55 - RedHack2e
Goblinoids are bringers of disease Orc, Goblinoid
and war. They have been purged
multiple times, only to inexplicably A result of crossbreeding a goblin and
fester into existence once again. an Elf or Human. Smarter and stronger
They mate with anything. All have: than a goblin, but somehow uglier.
● Goblin Stench: Body save TL 5 HP 40 ID d8
when first entering with 30 feet ED 16 30’ 2AP
of a goblin or take a Snag to all Attack (Double Axes): +5, 2 d8s and
actions for the first round. take the higher
-Throwing Axe (1AP): (+5, d6, 30’)
Biter, Goblinoid
-Seize (1AP): Targets rolls an Agility
The lowest caste of goblin. Intelligence or Body save. If the orc wins, they
falls between that of a dog and a child, grab the weapon right out of the
but with the anger of a hunted boar. attacker’s hands and can keep it, toss
TL ½ HP 4 ID d4 it, or try and break it (d20+5 vs ED).
ED 9 30’ 2AP
Attack (Bite): +1, d4 Troll, Goblinoid
-Horde (0AP): When killed, there is a It shouldn’t be possible, we don’t even
50% chance another biter appears. want to think about the logistics, but a
Troll is a half-goblin and half-giant.
Sludge Slinger, Goblinoid Usually about 16’ tall, but very lanky.
These little green fuc guys have a TL 7 HP 56 ID d12
knack for slinging a burning, fetorous ED 14 40’ 2AP
gel right into the eyes. Attack (Wrestle): +7, d12, 10’ and
TL 1 HP 8 ID d6 Grapple (opposed Ferocity) Check.
ED 10 30’ 2AP -Beat Down (1AP): Use a currently
Attack: n/a grappled target to attack another
target in melee range (+7, d12, 10). If
-Acidic Sludge (1AP): +1, d4 attack hits, both target and grappled
damage, 60’. Body save or be blinded take the damage.
for d4 rounds. Take 1 damage a round
until fire is put out (can be stacked).
Ursine Bugger, Goblinoid
Plague Bringer, Goblinoid A cross between a goblin and a bear.
Yes, really. Someone stop these
Combine the most irresponsible, evil menaces! The fortitude of a bear, with
creature ever created and pair it with the goblin need for destruction.
untold magical potential.
TL 6 HP 48 ID d10
TL 3 HP 24 ID d10 ED 15 50’ 3AP
ED 12 30’ 2AP
Attack (Swipe): +6, d10
Attack: n/a
-Thick Hide (0AP): 5 DR.
-Spellcasting (2AP): +5 to
spellcasting. Knows the following -Mount (0AP): While on all four, can
spells: AcIDJet, Decay, Necromancy carry up to eight Biters / Sludge
Slinger / Plague Bringers, 4 Orcs, or a
-Tar Jar (1AP): +3, 30’, hits all in 10’ Troll.
radius. Body save or d4 damage and
speed reduced by half.

Bestiary & Encounters - 56

Monstrosities is a term for beasts Golem, Monstrosity
twisted by magic, intentionally or
otherwise, into… Well, monsters. The inanimate given life. Usually made
of clay, but not required. They follow
Blink Cat, Monstrosity their master’s commands to the letter.
Six-legged monstrosity that shifts TL 8 HP 48 ID d10
between this dimension and its own. ED 15 30’ 3AP
Spiked tentacles grow from its back. Attack (Punch): Punch (+6, d10)
Rage is the only emotion it knows.
-Throw Object (1AP): +4, d8, 50’
TL 5 HP 40 ID d6 -Arcane Hardening (0AP): Immune to
ED 14 40’ 2AP spell effects.
Attack (Tentacle): x2 per AP, +5, d8, 10’ -Physical Hardening (1AP): 5 DR.
-Dimensional Phasing (0AP): Attacks -Divine Spark (0AP): A random act of
against Blink Cat have a 50% miss kindness has a 10% chance of
chance (before attack is rolled). awakening the golem, making it self
-Blink (1AP): Teleport to location away and free from command. This
within 40’. No AoOs triggered. can be rolled once a day.

Cockatrice, Monstrosity HawkBear, Monstrosity

The Cockatrice is a horse-sized mix of What’s deadlier than a pissed-off, 700
Dragon and Chicken, with the pound Mama Bear? One that can fly
temperament of the former and the and dive bomb. Drop bears are real.
intelligence of the latter.
TL 5 HP 40 ID d8
TL 6 HP 48 ID d8 ED 14 40’ 2AP
ED 15 40’ 3AP Attack (Bite): +5, d8
Attack (Peck): +6, d10 -Dive Bomb (1AP): Must be flying.
-Gaze (0AP): Targeting the cockatrice Ends turn on ground level. Hits target
causes a PRES save to avoid being for 3d6, agility save to avoid.
paralyzed for d4 rounds. Avoid gaze -Fly (1AP): Can fly at move speed.
with blind fight (50% miss chance).
Monster isn’t immune to its own gaze.
Rat Swarm, Monstrosity
Gluttonous Lump, Monstrosity The swarm is a hive mind, avoiding
traps and using unique tactics, such as
An ever-shifting amorphous mass of dropping en mass from the ceiling.
ooze. Surprisingly quick. Corrosive to
organic and inorganic matter. TL 4 HP 16 ID d4
ED 13 35’ 2AP
TL 3 HP 24 ID d12
Attack (Biting Swarm): +4, d6
ED 12 20’ 2AP
-Swarm (0AP): Non-AoE attacks that
Attack: n/a
deal damage always only deal 1
-Envelop (1AP): Agility save or target damage. They take up 10’x10’ space
is enveloped. While enveloped speed -Overwhelm (1AP): Swarms don’t
is 0’, actions have Snags, and take d6 provoke AoO and can occupy the
damage a round. Body to escape. same space as an enemy. When they
-Still & Clear (0AP): Starts hidden. do, they auto-hit on attacks.
Snags on perception checks against it.

57 - RedHack2e
Crocadog, Monstrosity Plant Kin, Monstrosity
The general shape of a medium sized A shambling, vaguely humanoid mass
dog, but with green scales. Loyal to a of bark, vines, leaves, thorns, and
fault and fear is a complete stranger. roots. His friends call him Trent.
TL 2 HP 16 ID d6 TL 3 HP 24 ID d12
ED 11 30’ 2AP ED 12 30’ 2AP
Attack (Chomp): +2, d6 Attack (Thorn Spear): +3, d12, 10’
-Fearless (1AP): Immune to morale. -Root Grab (1AP): The ground within
-Loyal (0AP): If the Crocodog has 30’ of the Plant Kin becomes rough
never had a master, it can be terrain and all targets make an Agility
convinced to follow with a Persuade save or have movement speed set to
[Pres] check. If it becomes a follower 0. Body Save to break free.
(see gameplay) it has: AC of 8 + PC’s -Root Squeeze (1AP): Targets in Root
Level, attack bonus of PC's level, and Grab’s area of effect take d4 damage.
DR of PC's level. -Tree Stance (2AP): When unmoving
indistinguishable from a regular tree.
Giant Spider, Monstrosity
These arachnids are about 2’ long and Crabber Monstrosity
make themselves at home in remote 4’ tall crabs. They primarily live on the
woods and abandoned caves. ocean floor along the coasts. They
TL 1 HP 8 ID4 often raid small fishing towns.
ED 10 30’ 3AP TL 2 HP 16 ID d8
Attack: n/a ED 11 30’ 2AP
-Bite (1AP): +1, d4 damage and target Attack (Claws): x2 per AP, +2, d4
makes a body save with an edge or -Snap (1AP): Target makes an agility
receives a trauma. save or a target piece of equipment is
-Web (1AP): 30’. Target makes an cut in two by the Crabber’s claws
agility save or has move speed set to (cannot break magical items).
0’ and takes a Snag to all actions. -Ocean Walkers (0AP): Walking
Body to escape. If the target is hit with through water is not rough terrain.
web while webbed, loses all AP.
-Climb: Can climb at move speed.
Sickler, Monstrosity
Tentacle legs. Sickle-bladed arms.
Furry, Monstrosity Hangs from the ceilings of dark
A mysterious, depraved wizard keeps tunnels and slices at the unaware.
making anthropomorphised animals. TL 7 HP 56 ID d10
No one knows why. They’re repulsive, ED 16 30’ 3AP
but some find them… erotic?!
Attack (Slice): +7, 2 x d10 (use the
TL ½ HP 4 ID d12 highest result)
ED 9 30’ 2AP
-Chameleon (0AP): edge to stealth.
Attack (Slap): +1, d4
-Disassemble Skeleton (0AP): A
-Community (0AP): Two Furries, sickler, normally ~8’ tall, can stretch
even when in disguise, can identify out to ~16 feet tall when dangling from
each through eye contact alone. a ceiling, to catch targets unaware.

Bestiary & Encounters - 58

NPCs, in this case, are characters Warrior
you’ll find in “civilized” lands. Made
to easily drop in and play. Just a dude with a big weapon and a
reason to use it. Sometimes that
reason is justified, sometimes its not.
Assassin, NPC
TL 4 HP 36 ID d12
The poison in the glass, the arrow in
the back, the knife in the dark. ED 12 40’ 2AP
TL 3 HP 24 ID d4 Attack (Sword): +4, d12
ED 12 30’ 2AP -Crossbow (1AP): +4, d10, 60’
Attack (Dagger): x2 per AP, +3, d4 -Band of Brothers (0AP): When a
fellow warrior dies, warrior receives an
-Ambush (0AP): Attacking an
edge on their next attack roll.
unaware target deals an +2d4
damage.
-Shadowmeld (1AP): If line of sight is Commoner, NPC
broken, Assassin re-enters stealth. A commoner, made tough from a hard
-Poison: Make a Body save or gain a life of tilling the land, hammering
level of Trauma (effect can stack). metal, or other daily labors.
TL 1 HP 8 ID d8
Holy Person, NPC ED 10 30’ 2AP
A holy person (Priest, Kohen, Wise Attack (Improvised Club): +1, d4
Hermit, Imam, etc). Their divine -The Mob (0AP): Gain +1 to attacks
connection is unquestionable. for every other commoner attacking
TL 5 HP 40 ID d10 the target (in addition to flanking).
ED 14 30’ 2AP
Attack (Rod): +5, d6 Noble, NPC
-Calming Aura (1AP): All who can A pampered fop in dandy clothing.
hear the Cleric roll a Presence save or They usually have guards with them.
become 1 step less hostile. Hostile > TL ½ HP 4 ID d8
Unfriendly > Neutral > Friendly > Ally ED 9 30’ 2AP
-Shame (1AP): All targets who can Attack (Wimpy strike): +0, d4
hear the Cleric make a morale save.
-Do you know who I am? (1AP): PCs
within earshot make a presence save
Sorcerer, NPC or cannot target the noble for a round.
Covered in arcane tattoos, these
practitioners of dark magic empower Guard Dog, NPC
their spells with blood and misery.
A very good girl.
TL 7 HP 56 ID d10 TL 1 HP 8 ID d4
ED 16 30’ 3AP ED 10 50’ 2AP
Attack (Knife): +7, d6 Attack (Bite):+1, d6.
-Spellcasting (2AP): +10 to -WTF? (0AP): Whoever hurts the dog
spellcasting. Knows the following is a dick. Townspeople hate the PC
spells: Arcane Shards, Call Demon, and they totally shouldn’t even get
Counter-Spell, Influence, and Shadow. experience for the session.

59 - RedHack2e
Sentients of various types are Homo-Fungi, Sentient
found in the remote corners of the
world, but rarely in “civilized” lands. Humanoid Mushrooms that can easily
The various sentients tend to form be mistaken for their inanimate
their own isolated communities. cousins. Their flesh is a delicacy.
TL 2 HP 16 ID d10
Brain Devourer, Sentient
ED 11 30’ 2AP
A squid-like humanoid. Their thralls Attack (Digestive Touch): +2, d6.
are trained to infiltrate, sabotage, and Fungi heals this amount.
take over target towns.
-Sleep Spore (0AP): When a
TL 7 HP 56 ID d8
Homo-Fungi takes damage, sleep
ED 16 30’ 3AP
spores are released. All in a 15’ radius
Attack (Psychic Blast): +7, d8, 100’ must make a Body save or fall asleep.
-Enthrall (1AP): A target within 100’
makes a Presence save. On a failure,
Gath, Sentient
they are under the command of the
Brain Devourer. When the target is in Colonists or refugees from a far-off
sunlight, save can be repeated daily. plane and time. They seek isolated
Effect ends if the Brain Devourer dies. corners and bizarre components to
build an unknown device.
Giant, Sentient TL 4 HP 32 ID d8
ED 13 30’ 2AP
40’ tall hermits. Quick to be offended,
but not impossible to befriend. Collects Attack (Glass Sword): +4, d8
lore like a dragon collects gold. -Throwing Knives (1AP): x2, +4, d4.
TL 8 HP 64 ID d12 -Prescience (0AP): The Gath can see
ED 17 40’ 3AP glimpses of the most probable futures.
Once a day, they can add an edge to
Attack (Kick): +8, 10’. On hit, 2d12
an attack after they’ve rolled.
damage and target is flung 3d4 x 5’.
-Pick Up (1AP): Ferocity Skill
competition. Target has a Snag, Giant Frog Folk, Sentient
has an edge. If target loses, they’re Man sized frog people with cow sized
grappled and lifted 40’ off the ground. stomachs. They must stay moist.
-Squeeze (1AP): Grappled target TL 2 HP 16 ID d6
takes 2d6. ED 11 30’ 2AP
-Thick Skin (0AP): 5 DR Attack (Spear): +2, d6, throwable 30’
-Tongue (1AP): Target makes an
Tiny, Sentient Agility save or takes d4 damage, is
grappled, and is pulled towards Frog.
Ironically, a 3 inch cousin of the
Giants. They live in hive-like cities. -Gulp (1AP): Grappled creature
makes a Body save or is swallowed;
TL ¼ HP 1 ID d4
d6 damage on first round, d4
ED 9 20’ 2AP
thereafter. Body save to escape.
Attack (Tiny Spear): +0, 1 damage.
-Swarmers (0AP): 10 can share a
space.

Bestiary & Encounters - 60

Undead are reanimated through Vampire, Undead
vile magic and unholy prayer.
Cleansing fire, holy water, and Undead that blend into ‘living society’
decapitation is recommended. All with relative ease. Due to long “life”,
Undead have: they’re usually rich and influential.
● Unresting: Can’t be surprised. TL 10 HP 80 ID d8
● Regeneration: Undead heal ED 19 60’ 4AP
TL worth of HP every night. Attack (Claws): +10, d8
● Godless: Normal weapons
deal half damage. Blessing -Bite (1AP): Agility save or d8 damage
with prayer (Faith skill against and Mind save to determine further
ED) negates this for the party. effects: On a success, they become a
vampire themselves, on a failure they
become a thrall (unchanged, but act
Lich, Undead as if the Vampire successfully cast the
A master of blasphemous magic. In a influence spell at the dominate level).
ritual most unholy, they took their own -Sun Burn (0AP): Takes d6 damage
life to achieve eternal unlife. a round in sunlight.
TL 11 HP 88 ID d12 -Forms (1AP): Vampire can switch
ED 20 30’ 4AP between its human (No claws, ½
Attack (Necrotic Blast): +10, d12, 60’ speed, ½ HP), monstrous (default),
-Spellcasting (2AP): +14 to and gaseous (incorporeal, near
spellcasting. Known spells: Brand, invisible, no Sun Burn) forms.
Calm, Counter-Spell, Decay, Illusion,
Influence, Necromancy, Sanctuary, Wraith, Undead
Telekinesis, Teleport, Wall. A sorrowful spirit damned to haunt the
-Raise Dead (0AP): Any creature locations of cruelty and torture.
killed in their presence returns as their TL 8 HP 64 ID d10
undead thrall the next turn. Use ED 17 30’ 3AP
Zombie Stats.
Attack: n/a
-Death Proof (0AP): A Lich that is
killed reincarnates unless its (usually -Icey Wail (2AP): All within 60’ make a
hidden) Phylactery is destroyed. body save or take d10 damage.
-Incorporeal (0AP): Immune to
non-magical attacks.
Revenant, Undead
A soul, enraged by a horrid injustice, Zombie, Undead
returns to its corpse to right the wrong. Mindless husks of rotting flesh, that
They expire when justice is dealt. dash towards any meat they smell.
TL 9 HP 72 ID d8 TL ¼ HP 2 ID d12
ED 18 30’ 3AP ED 9 20’ 2AP
Attack (Rusted Weapon): x3 +9, d8. Attack (Bite): +1, d4, and Necrosis
-Righteous (0AP): A Revenant is the -Necrosis (0AP): Body save or d4
only undead that is not inherently evil unhealable damage a day. At 0 HP,
or unholy. GMs may even allow a PC they become a zombie. A Lore (heal)
to temporarily return as a Revenant check (DC22) stops the conversion.
(using PC stats with undead traits).

61 - RedHack2e
Wyrms are a force of nature, more Hatchling Dragon, Wyrm
akin to a volcano than a goblin.
They are smart and methodical, Young dragons often come in clutches
have no desire to build or create. All of 4 to 8. The real danger is the wrath
Wyrms have: of their mother if they are harmed.
● Magic Soul: Spells targeting TL 2 HP 20 ID d8
them take 2 Snags. Immunity ED 11 30’ 2AP
to Calm and Influence Spells. Attack (Bite): +2, d8.
● Primal: Immune to Fire & Cold.
● True Sight: Can’t be blinded. -Breath (1AP): Breath fire in a 20’x5’
line. 2d4 damage. Agility save to
avoid.
Ancient Dragon, Wyrm
A true Dragon, in all its terrible glory. Titan Wurm, Wyrm
Mountains sunder, oceans boil, and
kingdoms fall when a dragon comes. Big. Scary. Pink. Titan Worms tunnel
underground, eating everything in their
TL 14 HP 99 ID d12
path. Literally, not figuratively.
ED 23 60’ 4AP
TL 9 HP 76 ID d12
Attack (Claws): x2, +10, 3d6 ED 18 60’ 3AP
-Breath (2AP): Breath fire out in a 60’ Attack: n/a
x 10’ line. Deals 6d6 fire damage.
Agility save to avoid. -Overrun (1AP): Hits all targets along
its movement path (+9, d8).
-Huge (0AP): Claws, Tail, and Bite
each have a reach of 15’. Dragon itself -Iron Skin (0AP): 5 DR.
covers 15’ by 45’. -Tunneler (1AP): Can tunnel
-Unnerving (0AP): All make a morale underground at its normal speed.
save on first sight of the dragon.
-Steel Scales (0AP): 8 DR. Kraken, Wyrm
-Flight (1AP): Can fly at move speed. Called Sea Dragons by sailors. Either
the Kraken follows the hurricane, or
the hurricane follows the Kraken.
Dragon, Wyrm
TL 12 HP 99 ID d8
At this age Dragons cause the most ED 21 60’ 3AP
conflict as they leave the nest and
Attack: n/a
seek to carve out their own domain.
-Tentacles (2AP): Up to 8 different
TL 8 HP 80 ID d10
targets are targeted. +10, d8, 45’.
ED 17 40’ 3AP
-Iron Skin (0AP): 5 DR.
Attack (Claws): x2 +8, 2d6.
-Go for the Head (0AP): The Kraken
-Breath (2AP): Breath fire out a 40’ x dies if its head takes 45 damage. Each
5’ line. Deals 4d4 fire damage. Agility Tentacle has 8 health. It retreats if it
save to avoid. loses all its limbs.
-Large (0AP): Claws, Tail, and Bite -Hurricane (0AP): All within 120’ of
each have a reach of 10’. Dragon itself the Kraken roll a body save at the start
covers 10’ by 30’. of every round. Failure means being
-Iron Scales (0AP): 5 DR. blown by the wind 2d6’ in a random
-Flight (1AP): Can fly at move speed. direction and taking d6 damage.
-Swim (0AP): Swims at move speed.

Bestiary & Encounters - 62

9. Sample Adventure
The Sacking of Southminster
Adventure Intro: The Sacking of Southminster (TSoS) is an adventure intended to
kick off new campaigns or shake up the status quo of established ones. It should
take place in the town the PCs have called home, or spent some time in.
The Timer: As time passes, the raiders get more violent. Time passage is marked
each time PCs move between points of interest. Each time they do so, the
Encounter Difficulty (ED) increases by one. ED starts at 9. The starting location’s
ED is 9. The next location they travel to is ED 10. The point after that, even if it’s
returning to the first location, will have an ED of 11. The PCs need to escape
before ED gets too high for them.
Running TSoS: This adventure is for all levels. Level 1 PCs will likely rush to get
out before ED increases too much. Higher levels will be able to explore a little
more before feeling the heat.
The Geography: It’s assumed the PCs have spent time in the city and know how to
get around (e.g. they know how to get to the Docks from the Cathedral). However,
without rumors, they don't know how those areas have changed during the sacking.

Adventure Background
Southminster: A walled city built at the intersection of a major trade route and the
Red River. The city, once prosperous from trade, was brought low several months
ago when the goblins began their siege.
The Situation: The Southminster Guard have been routed. The city walls lay in
ruins. The raiders are pillaging uncontested. The city cannot be saved, it is already
lost. The PCs must escape before Southminster is razed.
The Fall: A Goblinoid horde sieged the city and, just an hour ago, broke through
the defenses when the raiders tunneled under a section of the wall and collapsed it.
From there, the horde rushed in. The town guards either fled or were slaughtered.
The Raiders: Viewed from afar, the goblin horde looks like a roiling mass of green
flesh, teeth, knives, disease, and fire. Goblins fight ruthlessly, savor cruelty, have no
sense of self preservation, climb like spiders, and there are always more of them.
They’re raiding Southminster for food and slaves. Humans meet both those needs.
The Escape: There is no fixed way to escape, PCs may come up with their own
creative ways to get out of the city. A few options include:
● Hide among the debris being tossed into the river from the docks.
● Navigate the sewers to the outer-city cesspits, in shit-covered glory.
● Sneak through the shattered gates and make a break for it.
● Suicide mission over the breached walls and through the goblin camp.
○ PCs may discover survivors in the cathedral plan to rush at ED 16.

63 - RedHack2e
Events & Enemies
Events happen at fixed points in time linked to ED passage. Example: A location in
the point crawl lists “Event ED10”. This means when ED reaches 10, the event
happens. So, if PCs move to that point and ED climbs to 10, the event happens.
Events still happen regardless of if PCs aren’t around to witness them.
Enemies, the goblin horde, have infested the city. Unless the specified location has
an event or fixed enemies, have a player roll a d20 every time they enter a
location (including returning to locations) on the default encounter table.
Default Encounter Table (Luck save):
● Nat 1: d4 Trolls, 2d4 Sludge Slingers
● <ED: 1 Plague Bringer, 1d4 Sludge Slingers, and 2d6 Biters.
● ≥ED: No hostiles
● Nat 20: A friendly NPC (from NPCs page of Bestiary) wants to join your party!
Enemy stats for most monsters are found in the “Encounters & Bestiary” chapter.
When monsters unique to the adventure appear, they’re found on page.

Rumors
Players each start with a random rumor. A successful Lore (Presence) check in
the starting area can grant one additional rumor per player. Not all rumors are true.
T = True | PT = Partial True | F = False
1. F: The Goblins love gold and will let you pass unharmed for the right price.
2. F: The city gates are being held by the guard, they offer a safe escape!
3. PT: The Mint’s guards have fled, coins and gold are just sitting there!
4. F: The Goblins snuck into through the sewers, they’re swarming down there!
5. T: The Goblins invaded because they needed mass amounts of flesh.
6. F: The counter attack is being planned at the Warehouse district.
7. F: There are boats waiting at the docks waiting to escort survivors to safety.
8. PT: The city gardens are full of wondrous healing herbs.
9. T: The goblins left the city gates open on purpose, as a trap.
10. F: The King is coming with an army to save the city! We just have to survive!
11. T: The remnants of the guard are regrouping at the cathedral.
12. F: If you swear your allegiance the goblins will accept you into their ranks.
13. T: Goblins attack anyone trying to climb the walls, it’s too exposed.
14. F: There is a Dragon patrolling the western wall!
15. PT: Warchief Gucky has been spotted on main street.
16. T: Human captives are being marched to the butcher’s district.
17. PT: The Goblins haven’t taken the armory yet!
18. T: The Red River is brown with filth and nearly backed up with trash.
19. PT: Duke Mog is trapped in his fortress, he’ll likely reward his saviors.
20. T: The goblins are calling the city gardens the “Hunting Field”.

Sample Adventure - 64
Game Master Map

Locations/Points
Fires, rubble, and an archaic, labyrinthian layout can explain the point crawl layout
to any players that ask “Why can’t I go directly to x”.
The sewer passages must be discovered. See area 16 for details

1. Hospitality District (Starting Point)

● Pubs, Taverns, Inns, Gamblers Dens, Fight Pits, and Brothels
○ Between these, PCs choose where they are at the start.
● Two points of information to convey to the players:
○ A dust cloud and new wall breach can be seen across the city.
○ Those fleeing by scaling the city walls are easily hit by arrows.
● Event ED9 (adventure start): d4+1 Biters and a Sludge Slinger attack
nearby civilians.
○ If PCs return, use the Default Encounter.

2. Armory of the Town Guard

● PCs to raid the armory of any arms, armor, or gear they want for free.
○ The trade off: Moving to the Armory “uses up” 2 ED (+1 ED to
move to armory, +1 ED to move back).
● Discoverable Magic Item: Whistler: A throwing dagger that emits a
loud whistle when thrown and can fly back to owner on command.
● Event at ED11: A squad of 2d4+2 Orcs arrive and secure the area,
taking crossbows from the armory and finding defendable positions.

65 - RedHack2e
3. Main Street
● This main road is swarming with Goblinoids.
○ They have minimal patrols in the buildings along the street;
stealthy PCs can move right on through or ambush.
● 75% chance the Warchief, Gucky, is in the area.
○ Killing him does nothing, but may give PCs a sense of revenge.
● Enemies: Main Street: d2-1 Trolls, 1 Plague Bringer, d4-1 Orcs, d4
Sludge Slingers, 3d6 Biters. Building Patrols: d4+2 Biters.
○ If the alarm is raised d4 Sludge Slingers and 2d6 Biters appear
every round after 2 rounds.

War Chief Gucky, Goblinoid

A goblin of comical proportions. At 4’ tall, stands a full head
above his peers, but is built like a particularly thick barrel.
Rumors swirl that his mother was a real pig (the animal).
TL 7 HP 56 ID d8 30’ 3AP
Attack (Bare Fisted Beat Down): x2, +7, 3d4
-Fling (1AP): Can throw any other goblin 60’. If thrown at a
target, targets make an Agility save or take d12 damage. The
thrown goblin always takes d12 damage.

4. Apartments
● 1st Visit: Roll d4 for random event.
1. Crying mother says her child is still in the apartments, goblins
are plundering the building and taking slaves. She will share a
secret way out of the city (sewers) if they save the child.
2. Crying mother says her child is still in the apartment. It’s a trap.
Inside the building are humans who will ambush and rob PCs.
3. Crying goblin mother says humans kidnapped her child. The
humans are trying to draw goblins into an ambush. If PCs save
the child, the goblin mother and child will join them.
4. Crying child says goblins killed her mother. If PCs get close, the
child stabs them. It was a goblin in disguise.
● If PCs return to apartments, roll on the default encounter table.

5. City Gates (x2)

● Goblins are trying to trick survivors through these open gates.
● Gate house has a 10’ wide and 40’ long pathway through it. When the
first PC steps past midpoint, the outer portcullis closes and boiling
oil pours out while stones begin raining down.
○ Boiling Oil hits the middle 8 spaces for
2d6 damage (Agility save to avoid).
○ Stones are thrown from murder holes (four
dropped per round: +3, d4 damage).

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 6. Cathedral
● No goblins in the area.
● Survivors are bunkered down in the Cathedral planning an escape.
● Assuming the PCs don’t intervene…
○ ED15, resistance sets off for the breach.
○ ED16, they successfully rush the patrols; no alarm is blown.
○ ED17, the majority of them are slaughtered in the goblin camp.
● Can be talked into an alternate plan with a Persuade check.

7. Breached Wall
● Stone rubble (rough terrain) is what remains of the 120’ section of wall.
○ 60’ of rubble (rough terrain) to cross to goblin camp,
○ Rubble heights vary from -30’ deep to 30’ tall at the highest.
● d4+2 Sludge Slingers patrol, stopping at the highest points.
○ If they spot anyone, they raise the alarm for the goblin camp.

8. City Garden
● The Gardens have been trampled and turned into a pasture by Wargs.
● d4+1 Wargs, and their goblin riders, stalk the grounds for survivors.
● Survival Check: To find Green Herbs that heal 4d6 HP.

Wargs, Goblinoid
Rumored to be a cross between a goblin and… a dog. Unsurprisingly
vicious, wargs hunt for sport. They begrudgingly allow goblin riders.
TL 5 HP 40 ID d6 40’ 3AP
Attack (Bite): +5, d6
-Riders (0AP): Each Warg has two riders: 1) A Biter, who will leap off the
Warg towards targets; 2) A Sludge Slinger, who will attack from Wargback.
-Ambusher (0AP): Attacks of Opportunity have Snags on the Warg. It will
split its movement to move, bite, and move again (out of melee range).

9. Duke’s Keep
● The area is safe. Bolts rain down on Goblins who approach the keep.
● Humans (and allied races) are allowed to enter the keep.
● Duke Mog intends to “go down with the ship”.
○ Goblins would swarm his location as soon as he left the keep.
○ The city was his family’s legacy, he has nothing without it.
○ He pays anyone who visits him 50 gold each to deliver a sealed
letter to the King. He also swears that each letter asks the King
to pay the first to deliver it 1,000 gold.
■ Letter contents are up to the GM.
● Event at ED19: Goblins penetrate the defenses, everyone is killed.

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10. Butcher District
● Use the Default Encounter table for enemies in the area.
● The former cattle pens have had their fences heightened and
reinforced. They now hold human slaves.
○ The goblins coral the humans into the butcheries, where they
are chopped up and their bones are fed into the sewers.
■ See Location 19, Cesspit, for more info.
● If freed, the imprisoned humans will rush down main street, causing
mass combat. GMs could use one of the suggest resolutions:
○ Use Mass Combat rules from the Gameplay chapter.
■ Goblins have a major advantage in all areas, except
Intelligence (in which both sides are equal).
○ Use the predetermined outcome:
■ 80% of humans are killed, 20% escape into the city.
■ 50% of the goblins on mainstreet are killed
■ 50% chance the War Chief is killed.
11. Mint
● No goblins here, they don’t understand the love of silver and gold.
● Opportunist humans have crowded around the gates.
○ None enter. The crowd, if asked, share that all who have
entered (hardened warriors and thugs) haven’t returned.
● Inside are a pair of Golem (under Monstrosities) guards.
○ They guard (3d6+6)*1000 gold. Reminder: 1000 gold is a load.
○ There are also about 20 bodies scattered about.
● If PCs emerge with gold, the crowd will rush them.
○ 20 Commoners attempt to rob the PCs, instigated by a leader.
■ If the leader is killed, the crowd rolls morale with Snag.
○ The rest rush past into the vault.
12. Market Plaza
● Plaza is cluttered with abandoned shopping stalls.
● Goblins are erecting a haphazard effigy of their War Chief, Gucky.
● 4 Donks, Goblin Builders, are the only goblins in the area.
○ The Donks will ignore the PCs if the PCs ignore them.
○ The Donks have a chain gang of 12 slaves assisting.
■ The slaves will plead for help.
Donks, Goblinoid
Clearly a Goblin-Dwarf hybrid species. They are lethargic until
presented with a project to work on and enter a rage if it is interrupted.
TL 4 HP 32 ID d10 60’ 2AP
Attack (Chained Hammer): +4, d6, 30’
-Chained Hook (1AP): 60’. Agility Save or be pulled towards the Donk.
Other Donks will attack this target.

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 13. Warehouse District
● PCs can choose to explore the warehouses. Roll 2d6:
○ 2: PCs hide in a warehouse as hundreds of goblins pass by. ED
increases by +1 if they wait for the horde to pass.
○ 3-5: The PCs are spotted, roll the default encounter.
○ 6-8: The PCs stumble upon an unlooted warehouse. They find
almost any mundane gear they could desire.
○ 9-11: PCs find a lock box with a deed for a semi-remote plot
of land. A note in the box mentions an abandoned fortress.
○ 12: The PCs find a crate holding a two-handed sword called
Goblin Seeker. It deals double damage (2d12) to goblins.
● PCs can choose to push on through to the next location.
○ Survival check to pass unseen, otherwise Default Encounter.
14. Docks
● 2 Donks (see area 12) are extending the docks into a bridge.
○ Across the river is a Major Goblin Camp.
○ They ignore PCs unless they or the bridge are threatened.
● An Ursine Bugger patrols the area.
○ The animal is easily distracted by food.
15. Goblin Camp
● Goblin camps are encounters with only one win state; get out.
○ Create an exit point more than 120’’ away. The PCs have to
survive crossing the camp as goblins try to isolate and kill them.
■ Reinforcements will pour in from the flanks.
● Enemies listed are for minor goblin camps. Double for major camps.
○ Starting enemies: 1 Bosser, 1 Plague Bringer, 2d4 Sludge
Slingers, and 3d6+3 Biters.

Bosser, Goblinoid
Bossers are the War Chief’s lieutenants. They bully, abuse, and
coerce the other goblins into following orders.
TL 3 HP 24 ID d6 30’ 2AP
Attack (Machete): +3, d6
-Chain of Command (1AP): Goblinoids gain an edge to attacks.

16. City Walls

● While not a proper point in the point crawl onto itself, some PCs may
attempt to scale the walls. This is intended to be discouraged.
○ The walls are extremely tall, requiring 3 consecutive checks.
■ Failure causes a long fall. 2d6 damage per level they
failed at (2d6 on first check, 6d6 on third check).
● The goblins have an edge to spot the climbers each round.
○ Once spotted, the goblins will make sport of firing arrows and
spells at them for fun. They will also raise the alarm.
● Minor goblin camps surround the city.

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17. The Red River
● The Red River is black-brown with garbage and gore.
● If Goblins spot PCs entering the river, they will use ranged attacks.
○ Goblins won’t enter the river, they hate water.
● Body save when entering the river or take a Trauma (disease).
○ Grants two edges to stealth when floating down the river.
○ Following the current eventually leads to safety.

18. Sewers
● Sewer entrances can only be found if PCs look for them.
○ All paths are through knee to waist deep sewage.
○ No goblins in the sewers, they fear water
● A Thieves Guild holds the central chamber that all paths pass through.
○ All must pay a 25 gold (each) tribute to Vito, the leader.
■ Failing to do so causes two hidden Assassins to attack.
● To leave the Sewer location, PCs make a survival check.
○ Failure means they instead pop up at an unintended exit point.
19. Cesspit
● Outside the city walls
● Before ED 14: Goblins are boiling fresh human bones to make gelatin.
○ The gelatin is being used to form an avatar for their ooze god.
○ Roll a Default Encounter if PCs engage, but goblins are
content to ignore them.
● At ED 14 and After: The ritual is complete. The Ooze Avatar has
formed, fed on the goblins, and hunts for its next meal.

Ooze Avatar , Monstrosity

Congealed gelatin created out of mass amounts of human collagen and
made sentient through ungodly goblin magic. It hungers.
TL 10 HP 80 ID d12 30’ 4AP
Attack (Spew Acid): 20’ Cone, +8, d6 damage
-Engulfing Wave (2AP): All creatures within 15’ of the Ooze Avatar
make a Body or Agility save (player choice) or be engulfed. While
engulfed move speed is 0’, all actions have Snags, and characters take
d6 damage a round. Body save to escape.
-Reform (1AP): Heals 2d6 HP.
-Shape Shift (1AP): Its default shape is a 25’ cube. It can squeeze itself
down to half an inch, to slip through tiny gaps.

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10. Print Outs
Cheat Sheet
The basic roll for all checks is .d20 + Skill Bonus + [Edge/Snag]. All checks,
except Arcane Casting, are compared to the ED. Meets or beats means success.

Quick Reference Items

Action Points: PCs get 3AP. Attacking and moving is 1AP. Arcane Casting is 2.
Armor Class (AC) = 9 + Ferocity (Agility) Skill + Armor. An enemy’s AC is the ED.
Attacking: d20 + Ferocity Skill. Use Ferocity (Body) for Melee or Ferocity (Agility)
for ranged. If an attack meets or beats AC (ED), roll damage.
Damage = Weapon Damage Die. Only roll damage if an attack hits (beats the ED).
Damage Dice explode (if max value of a die is rolled, roll again and add it).
Edges & Snags: Edge gives you +d6 to your d20 roll. Snag gives you a -d6. Edges
and Snags cancel each other out at a one to one ratio (two edges and one Snags
means you roll one edge). If you have multiple Edges or Snags, only take the
highest bonus/penalty (rolling two edges results in a 2 and 4. Add 4 to your check).
Encounter Difficulty (ED): The difficulty set by the GM for all checks (except
Arcane spell casting).
Hit Points (HP) = (Max Hit Die + Body) * 3. A PC reaching 0 HP means they are
dying (see Death & Damage in gameplay).
Initiative: All characters roll their Initiative dice. Lowest numbers go first.
Load: 12 + (Body * 2). Carrying load over this amount reduces speed by 5’ for
every point over max and forces Snags on all checks.
Movement Speed = 20ft (default) per AP. Movement can be split between actions.
Nat 20 / Nat 1: Rolling a 20 on the d20 means the roll auto-succeeds (and roll
double damage dice if attacking). Rolling a 1 on a d20 is an auto-fail.
Round / Turn / Actions: A PC’s turn consists of three action points. When all
characters have had a turn, a round is complete.
Saving Throws: d20 + Attribute Score + [Edge, if selected at PC creation].
Skill Bonus = Linked Attribute Score + Ranks in a Skill
Spell Casting = d20 + [Linked Skill] but this is not compared against ED. A Nat 1
or 1-10 Fails, 11-19 is Minor, 20-25 is Moderate, Nat 20 or 26+ is Major.
Trauma: Gain a Snag for every level of Trauma. 3 levels of Trauma kills a PC.

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Level Zero Character Sheets (x2)

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