The Whack Hack
A downloadable zine
The Whack Hack is a classic heartbreaker zine that doesn't reinvent the wheel rules-wise. It's a distilled take on the percentile system, perfect for playing cosmic horror, investigation, noir, and modern one-shots. I've used this stripped-down version of the classic d100 system for nearly 8 years with minimal changes, consistently delivering fun and intense stories at my table.
This is an ashcan version, meaning it hasn't undergone thorough editing or test printing, so expect some inconsistencies and mistakes. However, the rules have been extensively playtested, with only a few exceptions.
Additionally, it showcases some of the short comics I've recently created, which I hope will ignite your imagination and inspire exciting adventures.
Purchase
In order to download this zine you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $1 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
I'd really love to see a character sheet laid out for this eventually. It's a little tough to imagine an easily-legible reference for 9 characteristics, each at 1x/3x/5x... that's a lot of numbers!
Noted! Thanks for the feedback!
Purchased, downloaded and read. A couple of quick questions…
Page 5 - Experience section - how many points does the player get to improve their selected Characteristic score if they roll higher than the current percentage?
Page 12 - weapon damage. Since weapon damage is partially tied to one’s skill level, it seems impossible to kill a human-level opponent with a single shot if one’s skill is low, or even if you’re highly skilled but have to make the shot at Extreme difficulty level (i.e., sniper). It also precludes a lucky shot scenario where an unskilled person accidentally discharges a weapon and kills somebody nearby. Thoughts on this?
Thanks!
Hi Mograg!
Thank you so much for the support and feedback.
When spending experience points, if a player rolls higher than their character's current percentage (extreme), that skill increases by 1 point.
Regarding weapon damage: Hit points are typically low (averaging 10.5), so it usually takes about two to three regular blows/shots to eliminate a character. However, you are absolutely correct: following the rules as written, it's very difficult to kill a character in a single blow/shot. The player would need to roll well and score a critical hit to double the damage.
In my games, I don't even require a roll if a character is shooting or slashing another at point-blank with the target at their mercy and the intent to kill. As for accidental discharge, I would probably use the Luck skill.
I'll definitely give this some thought and see if an increase in the damage bonus of the weapons is a good idea.
Again, thanks a lot for the help!
Chema
Purchased and downloaded last evening. Hope to give it a read over this Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S.A. I'm always looking for the "better mousetrap" in terms of minimalist-inspired d100 rules systems, especially when it comes to cosmic horror investigations.
really enjoyed the rules and the comics are great and really add flavor. Please expand on skills that are tied to multiple characteristics. Also is am I reading it right that mental fortitude can’t be recovered?
Thanks a lot for your support and feedback, Joe. I will add clarifications for those in the next update!