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By This Axe I Hack! A SWORD & SORCERY ROLEPLAYING GAME MADE USING THE BLACK HACK By This Axe I Hack! WELCOME TO A WORLD OF SWORD & SORCERY Before the dawn of recorded history, our world was a primeval landscape dotted with pockets of civilization; kingdoms, nations, and city-states surrounded by a vast and unforgiving wilderness teaming with danger and littered with the fallen ruins of an ancient empire of mighty sorcerer-lords and the remnants of older, darker civilizations. Based on David Black’s game-changing The Black Hack, By This Axe I Hack takes its cues from Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian and Kull of Atlantis, Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor Smith’s Red Sonja, Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melnibone, and Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. By This Axe I Hack includes 18 unique Character Classes (6 warriors, 6 rogues, and 6 magicians), a magic system with 120 spells tailored to the sword and sorcery genre, over 70 special features to customize your Characters, rules for modifying existing Character Classes or creating your own, a huge assortment of men and monsters to throw at your Players, a number of optional rules to help you fine tune the game to exactly your liking, and a variety of random tables to help Gamemasters create their own Lost Age. By This Axe I Hack! Writing & Layout Leonard A. Pimentel Artwork Max Dunbar Dan Smith Special Thanks David Black Peter Regan Mike Evans Playtesting & Advice Josh Hoade Samuel Khan Dave Nicolette Jeff Oberg Shane Simmons Dwayne Wallace Dedication This game is dedicated to my two barbarians, Christopher and Nicolas © 2021 Leonard A. Pimentel. The names By This Axe I Hack! and LakeSide Games and all layout are copyright © Leonard A. Pimentel 2021. All related marks and logos are trademarks of Leonard A. Pimentel. Cover art is copyright © Max Dunbar 2021. Interior art is copyright © Dan Smith 2021. All rights reserved. Inspiration Inspired by the works of Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, Michael Moorcock, Roy Thomas, Clark Ashton Smith, and Edgar Rice Burroughs, and by the iconic artwork of the great Frank Frazetta. Based on the works of Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, especially as distilled by Tom Moldvay and Dave Cook, and illuminated by Jeff Dee, David S. LaForce, Erol Otus, James Rosolf, and Bill Willingham. This game was made using The Black Hack by David Black. It also owes quite a lot to the following games and/or supplements… Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperboria by Jeffrey P. Talanian Atlantis: The Second Age by K. Scott Agnew Barbarians of Lemuria by Simon Washbourne Barbarians of the Ruined Earth by Mike Evans Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game by Chris Gonnerman Beasts & Barbarians by Umberto Pignatelli The Black Sword Hack and Extinction by Kobayashi Classic Monsters by Peter Regan Conan, Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of by Modiphius Entertainment Conan Role-Playing Game by David Cook Conan the Roleplaying Game by Ian Sturrock and Gareth Hanrahan Crypts & Things by Newt Newport The Dark Sun Boxed Set by Troy Denning, Timothy B. Brown, and Brom Elric! Dark Fantasy Roleplaying by Lynn Willis, Richard Watts, et al. Five Torches Deep by Ben Dutter and Jessica Dutter The Hercules & Xena Roleplaying Game by George Strayton Heroes of Hellas by Chris Harper The Hero’s Journey by James M. Spahn Hollow Earth Expedition by Jeff Combos, et al. Low Fantasy Gaming by Stephen J. Grodzicki Mazes & Minotaurs by Olivier Legrand The Mecha Hack by Matt Click, Michael Barker, et al. Old-School Essentials Classic Fantasy Rules Tome by Gavin Norman Player’s Guide to the World of Xoth by Morten Braten Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells by Diogo Nogueira Stars Without Number and Worlds Without Number by Kevin Crawford Stormbringer by Ken St. Andre and Steve Perrin Survive This!! Vigilante City by Eric Bloat and Josh Palmer Through Sunken Lands by John Cocking and Peter S. Williams Warriors of the Red Planet by Al Krombach and Thomas Denmark The Wasted Hack by Aaron Frost Zenobia by Paul Elliott 2. Table of Contents BY THIS AXE!................... 5 Shaman ............................. 29 What’s This? ........................ 5 Sorcerer ............................. 30 Core Mechanic ..................... 5 Warlock .............................. 31 Advantage & Disadvantage ... 5 The Price of Power .............. 32 Powerful Opponents ............. 5 Runeblades ........................ 32 Opposed Tests ..................... 6 EQUIPMENT ................... 33 Extended Tests .................... 6 Wealth................................ 33 Group Tests ......................... 6 Encumbrance ..................... 33 Search Tests ........................ 6 Usage Die ........................... 34 Failing Forward .................... 6 Relics & Artifacts ................ 34 Of Dice & Men...................... 6 COMBAT ........................ 35 CHARACTERS .................. 7 Actions ............................... 35 Roll Stats ............................. 7 Rounds .............................. 35 Choose a Class..................... 7 Surprise ............................. 35 Saves ................................... 7 Movement & Distance ......... 35 Flaws ................................... 8 Initiative ............................. 36 Resolve ................................ 8 Hit Dice .............................. 36 Experience ........................... 9 Attack & Defense ................ 36 Gaining Levels ..................... 9 Damage .............................. 37 Class Entries ..................... 10 Critical Results ................... 37 Archer ................................ 12 Two-Fisted Fighting ............ 37 Barbarian .......................... 13 Armor ................................. 38 Captain .............................. 14 Extra Attacks ..................... 38 Knight ................................ 15 All-Out Attacks ................... 38 Nomad ............................... 16 Full Defenses ..................... 38 Soldier ............................... 17 Ongoing Damage ................ 39 Assassin ............................ 19 Defeats ............................... 39 Bravo ................................. 20 Combat Maneuvers ............ 39 Native ................................ 21 Creative Descriptions ......... 39 Pirate ................................. 22 Mobs .................................. 40 Scout ................................. 23 Morale ................................ 40 Thief .................................. 24 Healing ............................... 40 Beast Lord ......................... 26 Resting ............................... 40 Druid ................................. 27 Mounts & Vehicles ............. 41 Mystic ................................ 28 Mass Combat ..................... 42 3. ADVENTURING ............... 43 THE LOST AGE .............. 85 Random Encounters .......... 43 Primer ................................ 85 Reactions ........................... 43 Locations............................ 85 Falls .................................. 43 Adventures ......................... 89 Fear ................................... 44 Menagerie........................... 93 Fire .................................... 44 Backstories ........................ 94 Languages ......................... 44 HACKS ......................... 103 Luck .................................. 44 It’s Your Game ................. 103 Poisons .............................. 45 Rolling High ..................... 103 Traps & Hazards ................ 46 Both Sides Roll ................. 103 SORCERY ....................... 47 Variable Resolve ............... 103 Practices ............................ 47 Wealth Options................. 103 Sorcery Tests ..................... 47 Enhanced Lethality .......... 104 Spell Effects ....................... 48 Lower Hit Dice .................. 104 Minions.............................. 48 Powerful Opponents ......... 104 Rituals ............................... 48 Small Weapons ................. 104 Alchemy ............................. 49 Optional Advancement ..... 105 Divination .......................... 50 Slower Advancement ........ 105 Force ................................. 51 Past Level 10 .................... 105 Herbalism .......................... 52 New Classes ..................... 106 Mesmerism ........................ 53 Special Features ............... 107 Natural Magic .................... 54 OTHER GAMES ............ 115 Necromancy ....................... 55 Resources......................... 115 Physical Laws .................... 56 Ancient History ................ 115 Summoning ....................... 57 Gonzo Weirdness .............. 115 Telepathy ........................... 58 Greek to Me ...................... 115 Transformation .................. 59 Out of the Shadows .......... 115 Transmutation ................... 60 Sword & Planet................. 116 ENEMIES ........................ 61 Sword & Sorcery ............... 116 Enemy Entries ................... 61 Honorable Mention ........... 116 Extended Damage Table ..... 62 Fear Tests .......................... 62 Men ................................... 63 Monsters ............................ 66 4. BY THIS AXE! What’s This? By This Axe I Hack (BTA) is a tabletop roleplaying game inspired by classic pulp-era tales of sword and sorcery and their contemporary spinoffs. Based on David Black’s game-changing The Black Hack, BTA takes its cues from Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian and Kull of Atlantis, Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor Smith’s

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