Whitehack: So Much More Than a Retro Clone

Whitehack is awesome. It’s so much more than a retro clone. Classes work differently to anything you’ve probably played. It has cool mechanics. It doesn’t even need to be fantasy - the author has a sci-fi setup. You could play any setting using this system.

150 pages, no pictures - just text. But it’s way easier to read than you’d think. I couldn’t get enough of it.

D6 and D20 Isn’t Limiting

You only need d6s and d20s. Half a d6 for d3. Two d6s for a d12 curve. D20 for d10 (only look at the ones digit). Two d20s for d100. With those few dice you have huge statistical probabilities.

Everything is roll-under. Every point of your stat matters.

Classes Are Interfaces

There are no traditional classes. Classes are how you interface with the game - not fighter or wizard, but different ways to interact.

The Deft: Can use positive doubles for anything relating to their vocation. Gets two attunements per slot (but can only focus on one at a time). A Swiss Army class.

The Strong: Relies on combat. Gets two free attacks per round on disengages. If they reduce an enemy to zero, they can attack another. Can extract cool things from enemies - poisons, abilities. Kill a chameleon? You can take on color-changing.

The Wise: Casts miracles using hit points. Simple things cost 1 HP. Standard costs 1d6. Massive costs 2d6. The broader your spell term, the more it costs. Specific spells cost less.

Groups Define Who You Are

Groups are broad definitions of traits, skills, contacts, or information. A group could be “wizard” or “dwarf” or “Hill Dwarf” or “Thieves Guild.”

When your group is written next to an attribute, you roll double positive (take the better of two rolls). Without a relevant group, you might roll double negative.

Your players help build your setting by defining their groups.

The Armor System Is Brilliant

AC takes up the bottom of your roll range. If your AC is 4, rolling 1-4 means you hit but bounced off armor. You can literally see how armor works.

It adds narrative to every roll: above your target means you miss, below means you hit, below AC means you clanged off their armor.

One-Time Save Against Damage

Once per battle you can save against damage to reduce it by d6. But if you fail, you’re dazed until end of next turn - no attack, only 5ft movement, enemies have advantage.

This creates real worry. Should you use it? The story generates itself.

Auctions Are Incredible

For prolonged contests (chases, extended fights), everyone rolls a d6 and hides it. Then bidding starts - you’re betting you can roll below your stat plus your hidden number.

Higher bids go first. If they fail, next highest rolls. Bid 1 and everyone fails? You win automatically.

Bluffing, hidden information, dramatic reveals. Such an elegant mechanic.

Monster Stats Are Simple

Hit Dice gives you everything. A 6 HD Basilisk has save 11 (5+6), attack value 16 (10+6), defense 5, movement 20.

Dragon: 6-12 HD, defense 5-6. Pick a color. Breath is acid/fire/ice/poison/electric. Done. All dragons in one line.

What I’d Pair It With

I wouldn’t use this for traditional dungeon crawls - that’s what Olde Swords Reign is for.

I’d use Whitehack where it’s weird. Where you want narrative input. Where you don’t need special defined classes.

Neverland by Andrew C - weird races, Lost Boys, Pirates. Players could be anything without creating special classes.

Yoon-Suin - opium dens, slug-people, crab-men. Driven by random tables. Create stuff on the fly.

It sits between traditional games and story games, with a bit more structure. The creativity comes from what you do at the table, not character creation.

Get it. Whitehack