I enjoy reading. Reading is the hobby I engage in more often than gaming or anything else. I especially like to read fantasy novels and fantasy roleplaying games and their support material. Therefore the "Old School Renaissance" (OSR) has been a source of great enjoyment for me. The OSR has produced many interesting blogs, rule books and supplements, many are free downloads. I have found all are full of thoughtful ideas and the kind of DIY, innovative creativity that characterize the early days of this hobby. Much of the same can be said for the indie game scene. One recent discovery is Christian Mehrstam's "Whitehack", which combines some elements of both.
According to gamer legend (or as best as I can figure out) Whitehack is a "hack" of White Box as it is reinterpreted in Swords & Wizardry Whitebox edition. Whitehack, like Swords & Wizardry is based on the d20 "alternate" combat system of White Box, but alters the way much of the mechanics work. For starters in Whitehack one usually rolls two d20's together and takes the higher or lower score much like in the 5th Edition rules for advantage/disadvantage in a "roll high under" mechanic. Like Swords & Wizardry, Whitehack uses a single Saving Throw value. Both games use the OGL making sharing ideas freely a lot easier.
Whitehack uses the familiar six attributes rolled for using 3d6 each. The basic character classes are the Strong, the Deft and the Wise, so named to emphasize each class's key attribute. Groups are a feature of character that includes race, vocation and affiliation, each is written next to an attribute and each can give a mechanical benefit (roll two d20's and take the higher) to a roll for success against that attribute. Vocations include what we often think of as class names such as Barbarian or Paladin. Combing vocation with Whitehack's class system allows a Strong Paladin or a Wise Paladin, etc. Being a neo-OSR game, death seems likely, but there is a provision to finish out the session in "ghost form" and it is suggested there are ways to come back from the dead, but this may involve an adventure into the shadow.
Magic spell casting is called "working miracles" and is the specialty of the Wise. The exact nature of such "miracles" is somewhat free-form and requires the referee and player to discuss the desired outcome, cost to cast in terms of hit points and risks involved in failure if any. A saving throw number may be assigned by the referee based on this discussion. Miracles can be modified by certain conditions such as using a ritual, drugs or spell ingredients. There is some advice on how to set hit point costs for working certain miracles, but ultimately this is up to the referee. Whitehack therefore helps the referee determine how prevalent magic will be in the campaign.
Mr. Mehrstam includes a novel mechanic he calls "the auction" that can be used to adjudicate the outcome of things such as a discussion attempting to persuade NPCs, pushing through a potential combat area without actually fighting, or an extended contest. Each participant rolls a secret d6 then makes bids to roll higher than the bid, but under their attribute plus the d6 score. Narrative accompanies each round of bidding. The participants then attempt to roll success starting with the highest bidder and proceeding until someone succeeds.
Whitehack packs a lot into it's 64 pages and is a complete game with bestiary, world setting and two adventures. White Curse is a rather dark and grim setting where years ago the forces of good destroyed the evil baddie who bled out his evil infecting the land and laying a curse on all who dwell there. The evil lives on in the shadow (the Black) and perpetual winter (the White) of the curse. Civilization is under siege as the snow and cold drive people into the remaining cities and the wilderness is overrun with monsters and "the Twisted" - those corrupted by the curse. The curse also makes people greedy and cruel, further sowing the seeds of their destruction. Unto this world step the "Watchers" or good ones, to oppose the "Witch Cult" who worship the fallen baddie. I like dark and gritty settings and White Curse reminds me, in a pleasant way, of the work of Zak Smith ("Vornheim" and "A Red and Pleasant Land") and Robert Schwalb ("Shadow of the Demon Lord") and 13th Age (Rob Heinsoo and Jonathan Tweet).
Reading is the best advice I know for the referee. Reading new rule systems can broaden one's understanding of rule principles and expose the referee to many innovative ways of handling situations that arise at the game table. Reading game supplements for any system can broaden the referee's repertoire of plots, monster ideas, ingenious traps and unique locations, all of which can be re-skinned for use in the campaign. Reading of blogs and articles on game design and refereeing itself can add to one's skills as well and help the referee better realize how to achieve the goals he/she has for the campaign. General fantasy stories and novels can assist the referee in developing tone, atmosphere, and suspense and expose one to both the roots of the hobby and some new ideas that can inspire the referee's imagination and may be useful to draw upon when designing one's own campaign. One aspect of good improvisation is having a wealth of ideas stored in the memory banks from which to draw on at a moments notice.
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