THE MERRY MUSHMEN & FRIENDOS PRESENT

Crack!
BARELY/EXPLAINED V1.0b

COMMON RULES FOR ADVENTURE CAMPAIGNS BY KNOCK!

CC BY 4.0
 WHY THIS GAME?

Ever since the seventies the original game’s rules were a language for everyone to express
their creativity within a common framework. But recently, the Warlocks of the Seashore
and the Hasbeen Brotherhood have grown resentful of this lingua franca they don’t under-
stand. They think it slows their effort to hoard all the gold in the realms. Well, fuck’em.

Crack!
For lack of a better solution, which will surely come later, we propose this simple system.
It uses terminology and procedures strangely similar to those we already know, but that
shouldn’t draw the ire of the Licensing Tower of Evil upon us poor mushroom folk. BARELY/EXPLAINED V1.0b

CRACK! is a complete game. It is meant to support your own creations so that fans of the
original game and of its clones can use them.
Even if you don’t play CRACK! at your table, you are welcome to use it to make your cre-
ations more easily and widely usable.

Any adventure, setting, random magic hats table,

tentacley creature, or character type COMMON RULES FOR ADVENTURE CAMPAIGNS BY KNOC
K!
written in the language of CRACK!
can be understood by any of us.
That is our only goal.
We’re not trying to build a new brand or anything here, just humbly adding our two quirky
coppers to the party’s loot. We hope you will help develop this game so it can become a
reference (among others) for those of us who want to keep the old game undead and well,
and to build on its legacy.
Let’s make a CRACK! in the tower, shall we? An original game by Eric Mushdan and the Laminak Crew.
The text of these rules is released under a Creative Commons
Attribution International licence (CC BY 4.0)

Meant as a lingua franca for the adventure gaming communities, these

Precisions about the licence: you can reuse the text of the rules of this rules are incomplete by design. Ignore, change, and make up whatever you
game for anything you make and distribute commercially or not. need, taking inspiration from whatever other system you like. The golden
You cannot reuse the art. We ask the title of your products be easily distin- rule should always be: when in doubt, do it the way you usually do it.
guishable from CRACK! Use “CRACK!” (you may even find the logo on our
site if you want to use it) but please just add something like a subtitle or a Art by © Keny Widjaja
tweak to differenciate it from our “original CRACK!”.
The Citadel of Evil © Stuart Robertson
For example, “Unarcan Earthana: Player Options for CRACK!”
or “CRACK!: The Kip and the Bordello” are both alright.
Just “CRACK!” is not.
3
 THE GOLDEN
RULE SHOULD
ALWAYS BE:
WHEN IN DOUBT,
DO IT THE WAY
YOU USUALLY
DO IT.
Crack!
COMMONER JOBS - These are the main categories commoners, or jobs.
DELVE INTO DUNGEONS, RUN FROM DRAGONS
In this game, you play a character adventuring in a world prepared and portrayed by Zealot Tinykin
the Referendary (or ref for short). They set up a situation and you act on it as if you were An armoured servant of the Gods. Sort of like a gnome farmer,
there, asking questions as you go. The ref tells you what happens based on their prep, - Health Peak: d6. Get better: 75 XP jolly and of solid appetite
their knowledge of the world, and possibly a roll of the dice. - SAVE: 14, +2 at rank 5, 9, 13, etc. - Health Peak: d6. Get Better: 100 XP
- Add your rank to resist enchantments and - SAVE: 10, +2 at rank 4, 7, 10, etc.

YOU ARE A COMMONER

Whether you were born dirt poor or lost it all, you are now what people generously call
an adventurer, but we refer to you as a commoner: someone desperate enough to look for
treasure in deadly, creature infested places. You have no power in the society above, so you
are looking for it in the underworld. Roll your stats, choose a job, roll your HD, get your
gear (see p. 8) and write down your dAC and your rank (1). Come up with a funny
name, and you’re good to go!
SEVEN STATS TO DEFINE THEM ALL
You are defined by these seven stats,
ranging roughly from 1 to 20.
• STR (Superior Tendons and Ripped
abs): your raw muscular power
• INT (Indicative Neuronal Tension):
your education and mental ability, the
languages you speak (see p. 20)
• WIS (Willpower and Indexed Serious-
ness: your intuition and force of will
• DEX (Deft Experience of Xylophones):
your speed, agility, and manual precision
• CON (Coronary Obstruction Never):
your stamina and resistance to disease
and poison
• CHA (Carousing Hability Average): your
presence and leadership
• LUC (Luckily U Can): how much the stars
favour you. See LUC rule p. 11
These scores should give you an initial idea
of what your character is good at, and help
you decide what your commoner looks like
and what their job should be.
Rolling up stats. Ask the ref how to
determine them. Roll 1d20, 2d10, 3d6,
2d6+3, 4d4, or more dice and drop the
lowest, whatever works.
◆ During our playtests, a majority of
groups enjoyed using 3d6. A lot of people
prefer playing without the LUC stat for a
more gritty feel.
6 7
Stat bonuses. If you enjoy doing arith-
metics in social situations, you can pair
bonuses to high scores and penalties to low
scores. Say, a 13 in STR would grant you +1
when rolling to boop a bugbear on the nose
with your flail and an 18 would give you
+3. (That, or use a modifiers table you’re
already familiar with.) In the same manner
the ref may decide that a score or 8 or less
burdens you with a -1 modifier to rolls in
relation with the stat.
HP (HEALTH PEAK)
Health Peak is a score that represents your
lifeblood, luck, and general ability to survive.
Being wounded reduces your HP (we call that
taking damage) and at zero HP, you’re dead.
◆ Death Cheaters. Some refs have rules to
give characters a chance of survival when
they reach zero HP. We smirk at these
practices, but we do understand that not
everyone wants their game to be a blood op-
era. In any case, make sure new characters
are introduced within minutes.
You roll a die for your HP depending on your
job (see opposite). When you Get Better (see
p.13) , you get to roll another die and add it to
your Health Peak.
SAVE...
is for Shit Avoidance Value Expressed. It is
used to decide if your commoner succeeds at
avoiding shit ( see p.11). Lower is better.
trickery - You are unnoticed while hidden and immobile
- You can roll to cast out evil (like demons or - Add your rank to attacks using a sling
undead - see p. 16)
- At 2nd rank and up, you can perform mira- Scoundrel
Locksmith, burglar, crime consultant.
cles (see p. 16)
You’re useful if not very trustworthy
Dwarf - Health Peak: d4. Get Better: 60 XP
The sturdy bearded folk from fantasy and - SAVE: 13, +2 at rank 5, 9, 13, etc.
myth. Scottish accent optional. - Add your rank when attempting sneaky moves,
- Health Peak: d8. Get Better: 110 XP dirty attacks, mobility stunts, pick locks, etc.
- SAVE: 10, +2 at rank 4, 7, 10, etc. - You cannot wear armour above leather
- You can see in the dark or use shields
- You’re good at detecting hidden stonework
like passages and traps (something like 2-in Warrior
6 — see p. 10) The most desperate of commoners,
and often the first to die
Elf
- Health Peak: d8. Get Better: 100 XP
Pointy eared and immortal, no one knows
- SAVE: 14, +2 at rank 4, 7, 10, etc.
why they bother with dungeons
- Add your rank to hit OR damage roll when
- Health Peak: d6. Get Better: 200 XP
attacking creatures (choose before rolling).
- SAVE: 13, +2 at rank 4, 7, 10, etc.
- You can see in the dark and are good at hear-
Is elf really a job? No it isn’t, but all elves
ing noises
tend to do the same thing (or two things) when
- You can cast spells like a magicker, even
going on an adventure, so we’re lumping
when wearing armour
heritages with jobs for simplicity’s sake.
- You’re good at detecting secret doors (some-
More jobs. Look on the internet or in
thing like 2-in 6 — see p. 10)
KNOCK! for ideas.
Magicker
Nerds in pointy hats who can sometimes
become fearsome archmages.
- Health Peak: d4. Get Better: 125 XP .
- SAVE: 13, +2 at rank 6, 11, 16, etc.
- You can cast spells (and start with one)
- You cannot wear armour, use shields, or use
any decent weapons
Crack!
“You are what you carry” is a common saying among commoners. Do not venture into a
dungeon without a light source, some food, trinkets or booze to trade with goblins,
and of course your suit or armour and a weapon or five.
EQUIPMENT
STARTING EQUIPMENT
Your commoner starts with leather armour
or chainmail (if their job allows it), one
weapon of their choice, and one of the
following packs:
1 Serf: sling, sack, small game traps,
crowbar, half a candle, wolfbane (3 bunch-
es), crabapples (1 day)
2 Labourer: stick and bundle, shovel,
rope (15m), silver candlestick, stale bread
(2 days)
3 Farmer: folding knife, satchel, hen
in a basket, pole (3m), lard lamp, cured
ham (3 days)
4 Artisan: crossbow (12 bolts),
shoulder bag, set of tools, torches (5), stew
pasties (3 days)
5 Merchant: blunderbuss (3 shots),
handcart, tarp, lantern and oil (2 flasks),
silver whistle, travel cake (2 days)
6 Scholar: short sword, haversack,
writing kit, silver mirrors (4), hammer
and stakes (6), berry pie (1 day)
8 - Torches (10), 1gp
STARTING WEALTH
You start with the following valuables. The
ref may let you exchange some of it for
some equipment (see opposite) before the
adventure starts.
1 Farm animals worth 1d6 x 5gp
2 Stolen goods worth 1d6 x 10gp
3 A work of art worth 1d4 x 20gp
1d8 small gems worth 1d10gp
4 to have high dAC.
5 A purse with 6d6gp
6 2d6 electrum ingots
(10gp each)
EQUIPMENT LISTS...
...are a dime a dozen. Let us copy and paste one from some other game we wrote.
Yeah, we use the gold piece (gp) as the base currency. We know it’s a lot of gold, but we’ve
never been assassinated by a historian yet, so this is probably fine.
Armour - Repeating crossbow, 35gp ▶ reload d6
- Clothes (dAC 10), 1-100gp
- Leather armour (dAC 12), 10gp
after 6 shots
- Siege crossbow, 50gp ▶ 2H, reload 1,
- Chainmail (dAC 14), 25gp powerful
- Plate (dAC 16), 50gp - Sling, 2gp ▶ versatile
- Shield (+1 to dAC), 10gp - Spear, 3gp ▶ reach, thrown
- Sword, 10gp ▶ versatile
dAC is for Defensive Arbitray Calcu- - War hammer, 10gp ▶ powerful vs plate
lation (see p.10), a function of the armour
you wear. The higher the better, as it is the Weapon Qualities
number needed (normally on a d20) to hit (see also Bigger is dangerouser p.11)
you. - 2H (two-handed): roll 2d6 and keep the
Creatures (see p. 20) don’t need armour highest result
- area: hits d6 targets
◆ Some refs allow applying a common- - hasty reload: can shoot two turns in a row
er’s DEX modifier to their dAC for bet- if staying in place
ter or worse. You may want to do it too. - loud: attracts wandering creatures
- powerful: doubles the damage dealt
Weapons - reach: can be used over someone’s shoul-
- Arquebus, 50gp ▶ 2H, reload d6, der
powerful, loud - reload X: you need X turns to reload
- Axe, 5gp ▶ thrown, versatile - thrown: can attack at a range of a few
- Battle axe, 10gp ▶ 2H paces
- Blunderbuss, 40gp ▶ area, reload d6, - versatile: easily wielded in cramped
powerful, loud conditions
- Bow, 8gp ▶ versatile
- Club, 1gp ▶ versatile
- Crossbow, 25gp ▶ 2H, hasty reload, Adventuring stuff
reload 1 - Arrows or bolts (20), 2gp
- Dagger, 2gp ▶ thrown, versatile - Bottle of booze, 2-10gp
- Flail, 10gp ▶ powerful vs shields - Garlic hook, 25gp
- Greatsword, 20gp ▶ 2H - Holy symbol, 25gp
- Hand crossbow, 20gp ▶ hasty reload, - Holy water, 25gp
reload 1 - Iron spikes (10), 2gp
- Horse pistol, 40gp ▶ reload d4, powerful, - Lantern, 7gp
loud - Mule, 10gp
- Javelin, 1gp ▶ thrown, versatile - Oil, 1gp
- Longbow, 15gp ▶ 2H - Powder and bullets (10 shots), 20gp
- Mace, 10gp ▶ powerful vs mail and leather - Rations (7 days), 7gp
armour - Rope (15m), 2gp
- Polearm, 10gp ▶ 2H, reach - Specialised tools, 25gp
- Quarterstaff, 3gp ▶ reach - Tent for two, 10gp
- Rapier, 12gp ▶ +1 to dAC - Thieve’s tools, 25gp
9
Crack!
Reminder!
When in doubt, do it the way you usually do it!
THE RULES WE USE
(MOST OF THE TIME)
THE D6 RULE
This is a very handy little rule, perhaps the
only one you need to run and play this game.
When the ref isn’t sure if something is
happening, they should give it a probability
expressed in chances-in-six.
Example: Are the guards distracted by their
game of dice? Pretty likely, 4-in-6 chances that
they won’t notice the noise you’re making when
searching the next room. You’re fine if the ref
rolls 1, 2, 3, or 4. On 5 or 6, the guards come to
investigate the noise…
DOING SHIT
When you’re attempting something and the
ref doesn’t know what happens, they will ask
you to roll a die. You can use twenty-sided
dice (d20s) because they’re fun to roll. The
higher the result, the better.
Arbitrary Calculation
The ref decides on on a number to reach:
we arbitrarily call this number the Arbitrary
Calculation (AC). It should range between
10 (for average difficulty tasks) to 25 (for
nigh impossible feats). In combat, you’ll use
the defensive Arbitrary Calculation (dAC)
(see p.9) of the creature you want to poke to
death with your spear.
Roll to do shit!
If what you’re attempting is something your
character would be really good at, add your
rank to the roll. And add your stat bonus or
penalty if you use them.
By convention, “Roll vs AC 15/STR” means
you must roll 1d20, add your STR modifier,
and that you succeed on a result of 15 or
more
◆ Ref, make shit happen! Failed rolls are opportunities to describe interesting consequences
to the commoners’ actions and change the situation. “Nothing happens” is boring.
10
- Example: When Keroog the 2nd rank Dwarf is
trying to flee from the fearsome cannibalistic snow
gnomes of Valmody, she jumps on her shield and
attempts to use it as a sleigh to slide down the icy
slope. After laughing at the mental image, the ref
asks Keroog’s player to roll using her common-
er’s DEX, ruling that an AC of 14 is necessary to
succeed. Unfortunately, Keroog’s DEX of 7 comes
with a -1 modifier, and no one would say sliding on a
shield is an activity a dwarf should be good at (so no
adding 2 for her rank). But the player is lucky and
gets a 16, for a total of 15.
So the roll is a success, and Keroog escapes. But
the ref’s map indicates that at the bottom of the
slope is a dangerous crevice. The dwarf decides
to use her warhammer as breaks, sticking its
pointy end into the ice behind her. This will be a
roll modified with STR (where Keroog has 14 and
a +1 modifier to tolls) with an AC of 14, and the
ref rules that hitting something really hard with a
hammer is part of a dwarf’s skillset. So she gets
to add 2 for her level and 1 for her STR to the roll.
What could go wrong?
◆ An alternate d20 resolution mechanic:
arithmetics free rolls. Instead of rolling and
adding numbers to beat an AC, you can elect
to roll a d20 under the stat relevant to the
action. If the roll is equal to or over the score,
it’s a failure. We recommend switching to this
rule when it’s late and/or you’ve had too many
beers.
- Example: In Keroog’s sliding flight from the
snow gnomes (above), the player first needs to
roll under her commoner’s DEX of 8 (so a 7 or
less to succeed). Then, to stop her improvised
sleigh before falling into the crevice, she must roll
13 or less to be under her STR of 14.
AVOIDING SHIT THE ENOUGH! ROLL
In some situations, you will want to avoid When a creature is shaken, either because
some unpleasantness that isn’t a conse- it’s seriously wounded, or too many allies
quence of one of your rolls: a lightning are dying, the ref should roll 2d6 and
bolt cast by an evil sorcerer, the effects of a compare the result to the Motivation Level
poisonous gas, falling into a pit trap, etc. (ML) of the creature. If the result is over the
The referee will instruct you to make a roll ML, the creature or creatures stop fighting,
as described above, with an AC equal to
your SAVE. According to the circonstances,
either attempting to flee or surrendering.
Only brainless zombies and cultists high on
modifiers may apply. cheap black lotus fight to the death. (Which
can be represented with an ML of 12.)
◆ Saving trolls. You may want to make
◆ Motivation varies! We believe you can
things more complicated detailed by
(and should) change the odds of a creature
coming up with categories of dangers, and
surrendering according to the situation.
make up scales of target numbers for each
Stopping to wonder what a creature wants
job. Or, you know, find such tables in your
and why it should keep fighting is a good
favourite old game and save yourself the
habit to get into for a referendary.
headache.
Example: Our Auntie Pantxika isn’t a
fighter; her ML is 4. If she gets hit by a
KILLING SHIT sword, there is a good chance she will run
Fights are organised in turns. When an away. Unless of course she’s defending her
attack roll hits the dAC of the target, said cider orchard, in which case we estimate her
target loses 1d6 HP. They die at zero HP, ML to 10. No one threatens Auntie Pantxi-
but they will probably try to run away or ka’s apples and lives!
surrender before that.
◆ Some refs allow applying a commoner’s SPECIAL LUC RULE
STR modifier to their Attack and Damage Once per session and per rank, you can
roll in melee combat, and the DEX modi- permanently decrease your LUC score to
fier to their Attack roll in ranged combat negate the consequences of a failed roll. The
You may want to do it too. ref gets to describe how this happens — and
they will make you regret attempting the
Who goes first? If you need to decide ridiculously impossible while counting on
who acts first, have both sides roll a d6 or your luck to save you.
something.
◆ Order of events in a combat turn.
It can be useful to know what kind of
actions occur before others. You
could find a list from another game,
or you could just make rulings as
you go.
◆ Bigger is dangerouser. Differ-
ent weapons can have different
damage dice. A pocket knife
is d4 and an oversized
sword is d10, you get the
idea. Use the weapons
table you’re used to.
11
Crack!
HEALING
Field healing is slow. You recover 1d4
HP per decently quiet night. If your sleep is
interrupted too many times or if you didn’t
have a meal, you only recover 1 HP.
Settlement healing. After a full day of
rest in a safe place, with three warm meals
(five if you’re a tinykin), you recover 1d6 HP.
Any exerting activity during the day and
you’re stuck with field healing.
◆ Sharing is healing. Once per day, and if
the ref allows it, you can benefit from field
healing in but a few moments, as long as
your character shares something personal
with their companions. (Describe a flash-
back if no one’s around.)
EXPLORING DANGEROUS PLACES
Any exploration should entail some rolls
to avoid getting lost, determine if you run
into wandering creatures, if someone is
surprised when you bump into each other,
and what the creatures’ disposition is when
encountered.
It can be useful to have an idea of how
much ground you cover while exploring and
how fast you can run away from trouble (a
simple movement speed in feet or metres
per turn will suffice — use your favourite
system or just wing it).
You can also tie movement speed to how
much shit the party is carrying, a concept
sometimes called “encumbrance”. Simply
say that commoners carrying more items
than their CON score are automatically
caught up with if fleeing — or evaded if
chasing. And the opposite is true for com-
moners who drop their stuff and run. Of
course, there’s the risk of taking a wrong
turn and getting lost, or falling in a trap no on a single die gains ground. Encumbrance
one had the time to detect
You should also keep track of your basic
consumables such as torches and food. No
one likes to go hungry or have to grope their slug (1d6). But Keroog the dwarf is loaded
way out of a haunted tomb once their last
torch is used up.
12
Exploration turns. In dungeons, you can
use 10 minutes as the basic turn for explora-
tion activities. Move down a corridor, search
a room, that sort of thing can be done in one
turn. This is also handy to know when to
roll for random encounters or when a torch
needs replacing.
Exploration and encounter rolls. When
a commoner is looking for something like a
secret door, or to decide if there are any gob-
lins in the latrines when the scout pushes
the door open, use the d6 rule from page 10.
A lot of the games we play have a
procedure to determine if a ‘wandering’
creature is encountered while exploring
a dangerous location. We recommend
giving an encounter a 1-in-6 chance every
two exploration turns (or twice a day in the
wilderness). The ref can decide that a 2 on
the die means that a clue to the proximity of
a creature is encountered instead.
Having a specific list or random table for
encounters is good. Having one for each
different location is even gooder.
Wilderness exploration. Apart from
a different time scale and movement rate,
exploring the overworld isn’t much different
from delving into crypts full of creatures.
Players choose directions following land-
marks and geography rather than corridors,
encounters are less frequent and more
varied, but that’s pretty much all. Use your
common sense, roll when you don’t know
what happens, and it’ll work out fine.
◆ Chase rules using d6s. Some creatures
are notoriously faster, or slower, than the
average commoner. Be logical and give be-
tween one and three d6s to each participant
in a chase. Whoever rolls the highest result
and other factors can remove or add dice.
For example, a party of commoners would
roll the average 2d6 to escape from a giant
with the many ivory statuettes she insisted on
taking with her. If they choose to stay with her,
the party will roll 1d6. If her magicker friend
were to cast a fleeting-feet spell on his boots,
he would get to roll 3d6, likely getting ahead of
the rest of the party.
Depending on how far apart everyone is
at the start, you may decide that it takes one
or more successes in a row to reach or lose
the antagonist.
FLUNKIES
Hirelings are very useful if you can afford
them. From the link kid carrying your lan-
tern to a unit of mercenary crossbowmen,
they may save your life. Just make sure you
treat them fairly and pay on time or they’ll
go work for the orcs.
Flunkies stats, loyalty, and pay. You
can stat these characters up like the players’
commoners, or simply like creatures (see
p.20). They often have their own goals. The
referee should keep track of how they are
treated and make a roll if they think there’s
a chance they abandon their post.
The cheapest of flunkies require half a
share of the loot. The more expensive will
want a full share as well as a daily fee. Nego-
ciate, offer incentives, and roll using CHA
modifiers if the ref asks you.
GETTING BETTER (XP)
Each job requires an eXhilarating Progres-
sion total (XP) for a commoner to Get Bet-
ter. XP is awarded by the ref for actions like
recovering treasure, uncovering lost history,
or making alliances with local creatures.
To Get Better, you need to accumulate a
number of XP equal to the Get Better score
of your job (see table p. XXX) times your
current rank. For example, a 3rd rank dwarf
needs 300 XP to reach 4th rank. A 1st rank
scoundrel only needs 60 XP to get to 2nd rank.
Each time you Get Better, increase your
rank by 1 and add the roll of your Health
Peak die to your HP total.
For example, when reaching 2nd rank, the
Scoundrel from the above example would roll
a d4 and add the result to their 2 HP. If they
rolls a lucky 4, their HP becomes 6.
◆ Better Attacks. If you’re playing a long
term campaign where the commoners will
reach ranks above 6 or 7, you may want to
add bonuses to attack rolls depending on
your job and rank.
- Dwarfs, elfs, tinykins, and warriors add
+2 to attacks rolls at ranks 4, 8, 12, etc.
- Scoundrels and zealots add +2 to attacks
rolls at ranks 5, 10, 15, etc.
- Magickers add +2 to attack rolls at rank
6, 12, 18, etc.
Rank titles. Choose one to make your
commoner sound important:
Rank Title
1. Veteran, Acolyte, Apprentice,
Footpad
2. Swordmaster, Adept, Conjurer,
Cutpurse
3. Hero, Curate, Medium, Pilferer
4. Myrmidon, Vicar, Enchanter,
Burglar
5. Champion, Bishop,
Necromancer, Robber baron
6. Superhero, Lama, Wizard,
Master thief
Campaign pacing and goals. The ref
is in charge of how fast they want your
commoners to Get Better. Getting XP
should always be a challenge, whatever the
commoners’ ranks.
In any case, they should give you clear
guidelines for what kind of activity will
bring you the most XP.
◆ If they want to reproduce the old-
school gameplay, they should stick to ex-
ploring and ‘liberating’ treasure from the
wilderness and underworld as opposed
to killing creatures. In this case, they can
award 1 XP per 20gp recovered.
Getting Better with Arithmetics Free
Rolls. If you’re using the alternate resolu-
tion engine described on p. 10, you get to
add one point to one stat of your choice (but
never over 18).
13
Crack!
“Turjan robed himself with a short blue cape, tucked a blade into his belt, fitted the amulet holding Lac-
codel’s Rune to his wrist. Then he sat down and from a journal chose the spells he would take with him.
What dangers he might meet he could not know, so he selected three spells of general application: the
Excellent Prismatic Spray, Phandaal’s Mantle of Stealth, and the Spell of the Slow Hour.”
Jack Vance - The Dying Earth
IT’S MAGIC!
SPELLS
Magickers and other abracadabraic spell
casters start with one spell, kept in their
spellbook. Make up a name that sounds
cool, and agree with the ref on its effects
when you cast it.
You can only cast as many spells per day as
you have ranks, and if you have more than
that in your spellbooks, you must decide
which ones you memorise every morning.
It’s a whole thing; if we were you we’d get
the ref to use a simpler rule, or something
more intricate from their favourite fantasy
game.
Learning new spells. If you find a spell-
book (say, on someone who just died from
a steel overdose), you can learn the spells in
it. This should require a roll, or money for
kraken ink and gorgon vellum, ask the ref.
Some fancy magickers make scrolls con-
taining a one-use spell. You can also try
learning from them, but don’t cast the spell
by mistake!
But I don’t want to come up with my
own spells! Fine. That’s an easy one: use
the examples to the right. There is a much,
much longer list in KNOCK! issue 4. And
you can find spell lists everywhere on the
net, in zines and other games.
Yochai Gal made a table of d666 (216!)
one-line spells for his game Cairn. It’s called
More Spellbooks. We also must recommend
the super flavourful spell books put out by
our friends at Lost Pages.
14
Example spells
1 Attune Map
Duration: 10 minutes. The caster causes a
map they are holding to commune with
the part of reality it represents. They can
ask it one yes-or-no question per rank. The
map’s knowledge is limited to cartographical
features: it doesn’t know about occupants
or the history of the place (unless the map is
ancient, missing pieces, or otherwise special
– at the referendary’s discretion).
For the price of two questions, the caster
can point to a blank space on the map.
The room or area there appears, drawn as
accurately as the rest of the map. There is
a 3-in-6 chance that each trap, secret door,
or other hidden feature in the newly drawn
area is represented.
2 Cloak of the Chameleon
Duration: until removed. The caster grants
the power of camouflage to a single skin or
pelt. The more exotic the skin, the harder it
is to notice the wearer (or hidden area/ob-
ject) by sight or smell (the wearer makes just
as much noise as anyone else).
Some guidelines are given below. Note that
the chance of hiding is for a creature who
stays very still; it is reduced by 1 or more if
it is moving. At the ref’s discretion, a large
pelt can be used by more than one creature.
When the skin is removed, the spells ends
and the skin is destroyed.
• Hood of pigeon feathers: 1-in-6
• Ram or billy goat fleece: 2-in-6
• Stallion or bull hide: 3-in-6
• Polar bear or white tiger pelt: 4-in-6
• The skin of a tinykin scout or elf hunter:
5-in-6
• Blink dog or displacer beast fur: 6-in-6
• Lammasu or ki-rin skin: 7-in-6
3 Eldritch Surgery
The caster cuts out torn tissue, broken
bones, ruptured organs, and the like with
a putty made of dead flesh macerated in
embalming spices and quicksilver (33gp
cost per dose). The deeper the wound, the
longer the surgery: a simple cut takes a few
seconds, replacing a severed limb or fixing
punctured lungs requires an hour.
Roll as many d6s as the caster’s rank to
know how many HP are recovered. Also,
count the number of 6s rolled:
• One 6: the area healed, though devoid of
any scar, is cold, grey, and clammy.
• Two 6s: the patient makes pets and
farm animals aggressive.
• Three 6s: the healed character can only
subsist on living flesh. If they haven’t fed
in a day, they must save to avoid going
into a frenzy at the sight of blood.
• Four 6s: the healed character is consid-
ered undead for all intents and purposes.
They can be turned, damaged by holy
water, etc.
• Five or more 6s: the character becomes
a wight. A case can be made for the player
to retain control of their character, but
the referee is within their right to remove
them from the game entirely.
All these effects, save the last one, wear off
after 1d6 weeks.
4 Head over Heels
Duration: 1 hour. The target’s relationship
with the floor and ceiling is inverted; also,
their feet and hands swap purposes. Not
only are they able to use their hands to walk,
magically suspended from the ceiling, but
also they can manipulate objects with their
legs. If there is no ceiling, tree branches and
other overhead objects can be used to walk.
The spell doesn’t work if there aren’t any.
It is however very difficult for the target to
interact with the floor and ceiling normally
(just as it would be for someone else to walk
on their hands while holding a sword with
their toes).
5 Pylophony
The caster talks to a door, gate, trapdoor,
anything with a locking mechanism, and
orders it to open, close, lock or unlock. Roll
1d10 + rank:
2-3: the door reluctantly opens or closes.
Locks are operated slowly and noisily.
Traps are immediately triggered. The spell
ends.
4-5: the door agrees to lock or unlock itself,
leaving any traps or active runes in place
(hopefully someone will check for them).
The spell ends.
6-8: the door obeys and warns the caster
about any dangers on it or on the other side.
The spell lasts for an hour.
9-12: the door obeys, disarms any traps
or runes, and will act independently to
facilitate the caster’s endeavours and make
their enemies’ lives harder. The spell lasts
until sunset.
13+: the caster becomes the doorway’s
master until someone else casts this spell
on it. They decide who can go through it,
even if the door is forced or destroyed. If
the caster is not around to allow passage,
they must specify conditions (in as much
detail as they want, for the door will follow
instructions to the letter).
6 Vermin Friendship
Duration: one hour per rank
The caster is able to communicate with one
type of creature commonly considered as
vermin (insects, arachnids, some rodents,
birds, or bats, etc.). Cooperation is not
guaranteed: roll d20 + CHA modifier on
the table below. At the ref’s discretion, an
offering (of food, for example) may allow
the player to add their rank to the roll.
Initial reaction
1-6 Hostile – possible attack
7-14 Distrustful – no attack
15-19 Neutral – open to offers
20+ Friendship
15
Crack!
Example Miracles
the gods consider honourable under the
Note: Most of the spells and miracles you may find in other estimable compendiums
1 Holy Healing circumstances. For example, sneaking into
have ranks attached to them (that they sometime strangely call levels). If you use these,
A zealot who asks for someone to be healed someone’s bedroom to slit their throat while
we suggest this rule: a commoner casting a spell or miracle from a rank higher than
can give them back 1d6 HP per rankl. If the they sleep may be alright if the someone is
their own rank loses 1d4 HP, +1 per point of difference between the ranks.
gods consider the wounded as not entirely an evil necromancer. In doubt, roll a d6!
Example: a 1st rank magicker casting a 3rd rank spell loses 1d4+2 HP
deserving of the healing, they may make
the zealot lose 1 or more HP per rank. This 4 Wrath of the Gods
miracle can also cure diseases, curses, and This miracle is used to punish the evil and
other afflictions at the ref’s discretion. the unbeliever, usually in a memorable way.
MIRACLES Among other things, the wrath of the gods
Zealots (and other religious jobs if you’re Casting Out Evil. A zealot can use a can take the form of:
magic circle, holy symbol, or any other relic 2 Emergency Blessing
using them) can ask for a miracle a number 1. A swarm of insects (1 damage per turn
to drive undead and demons away. They A blessing is a lengthy ritual requiring can-
of times per day equal to their rank minus to everyone in the area)
must roll a d20, adding their rank and CHA dles, a holy altar, and hours of chanting. In
one. So zero times at first rank. Yeah, tough. 2. Vomiting toads, plagued with lice, or
modifier (with possibly the creature’s rank a pinch, a zealot can ask the gods to bless as
If the miracle is reasonable enough (to the covered with boils (one target is a social
as a negative modifier). Depending on the many allies as twice their rank. For the next
ref as well as to the gods), it happens. pariah for as many days as the caster’s
roll, either one, 1d6, or 2d6 creatures are hour, the blessed commoners get +1 to all
their rolls. In addition, the damage from a hit rank)
◆ Wait, aren’t miracles a form of spells? unable to approach the zealot and their 3. The turning of sticks into snakes (as
companions. A very high roll might even that would drop them to zero hit points can
Yes, they are. You could even call them many as the zealot’s rank)
destroy those unholy creatures! be cancelled if they wish, but the blessing
divine magic spells and keep them in a 4. Changing wine into piss (as many cups
ends for all involved.
tidy list — and if you have one already, by ◆ I know a game that uses 2d6 to do this! as 10 times the zealot’s rank)
all means, use that (see what we say about Yeah, we’ve heard of it, but we’d rather not 3 Silence of the Lamb 5. Localised floods (as many rooms or
spells on p. 14.) We recommend you keep reproduce that 2d6 table here. Honestly Everyone in the same room as the zealot areas as the caster’s rank)
the magic of the gods different enough though, it is probably easier to use than makes no noise, as long as their actions are 6. The blotting out of the sun for a day
from magicker magic. our maths-heavy system. honourable. Some discussion may happen (in a radius equal to the zealot’s rank in
between players and ref to establish what kilometres)
7. … Come up with your own!

16 17
Crack!
MAGICAL ITEMS
In a fantasy game about plundering tombs
and robbing wizards’ towers, there should
be a lot of magical items. Common stuff
includes weapons that add +1 to hit and
damage rolls, armour with a better dAC,
potions, and spell scrolls (see p. 14).
To be interesting, magical items should
have unique powers with narrow yet pow-
erful effects. We want our commoners to
be known for the items they own and the
creative ways they’ve used them to solve
problems in their adventures.
Here is a list of such items we hope will
create unexpected chaos in your games.
Most of these work once per day.
d66 Magical Items
11. Amulet of Otherworldly Magicks.
Cast a specific spell if you sacrifice a life to
a patron.
12. Avenger Spear. Can dispel magic but
wants you to fight evil.
13. Belt of the Full Belly. While you wear
this, you don’t need food. You vomit every-
thing that goes past your lips though.
14. Blade of Slaying. Powerful damage
(2d6) on one type of enemy.
15. Bleeding Heart Icon. Lay on hands to
heal someone, sacrificing 1 HP for each 2
HP healed.
16. Claws of the Ninja. Easily climb sheer
surfaces.
21. Drums of the Dead. Play for 1d6
minutes and summon as many spirits of the
people who died here.
22. Dwarven Pickaxe. Digs faster, points
towards gems, but makes you greedy.
23. Everburning Scourge. Anything hit
by this short whip has 2 chances in 6 of
catching fire.
24. Exosuit of the All-Conquering Rea-
son. Heavy armour that cannot be affected
by any magic. Neither can its bearer.
25. Feathered Cap of Elvenkind. Run
swiftly in the wilderness, add your rank
to roll trick shots with a bow. You become
haughty and also allergic to iron and silver
(1 damage per turn of contact).
18
26. Hat of the Gnomes. This red conical
hat lets you turn invisible, but you cannot
stop giggling.
31. Headband of Hearing. Your ears are
like a dog’s, but you may get distracted by
loud noises.
32. Helm of Brilliance. You always sound
smart. Once per session, ask the ref for an
answer to a question.
33. Inverted Poniard. A wound closes
around its blade: heals all missing HP, but
the handle sticks out. The poniard is slowly
pushed out over 1d3 days.
34. Invisible Kriss. This short blade can
only be seen when in contact with blood.
35. Kite of the Risky Travels. Takes up to
six people to wherever the wind blows.
36. Las-lance. 3d6 damage, overheats on
a double or triple, dealing that much dam-
age to the user.
41. Mace of Disappearance. Double dam-
age on undead or demons. If reduced to 0
HP, the creature is teleported somewhere
safe instead of taking the damage.
42. Masks of the Beast Lords. Speak
with animals of the same type. Add your
rank to reaction or influence rolls.
43. Potion Making Kit. Cumbersome and
costly, but you can make a potion at every
camp. You need a sample or the formula.
44. Prayer Beads of Martial Prowess.
Meditate and train for an hour; you get an
extra unarmed attack per turn for the rest
of the day.
45. Radioactive Robes. These sickly
green robes grant dAC 16. Anyone near
them (or in them) loses 1 HP per hour.
46. Share the Rage Pills. For 5 minutes,
add 1 to your melee damage, but your oppo-
nents do too. 2d6 pills.
51. Ring of Rotating Knowledge. An-
swers questions in exchange for important
memories.
52. Saddle of the Goat King. Turns any
mount into a giant goat.
53. Silver Eye Symbol. You can cast out
evil like a 1st rank zealot.
54. Skeleton Key. Unlocks any door, as
long as there is a dead body nearby. The
body becomes a hostile skeleton for the next
1d6 turns.
55. Speakin’ Spells. An orange electronic
book that works like a permanent scroll
for 6 spells. Its voice synthesiser can cast
independently, but choose at random from
the stored spells.
56. Targeting Computer. Affixed to a mis-
sile weapon, it lets you hit automatically for
double damage. (Batteries die on 1-in-6.)
61. Teapot of High Healing. Drinking its
tea gives back 1d6 HP after you’ve had a
pleasant conversation about the weather.
Brews enough for 1d6 cups.
62. Telescopic Bo Stick. Pole jump 12m
in any direction.
63. Wand of Power. Lets you cast a spell
for free. 2d6 charges.
64. Weapon of Skill. Has a special ma-
noeuvre you can use once per fight: parry,
feint, fast attack, powerful damage.
65. Weirdo Cat Statuette. Turn into a cat
with all your gear, except this statuette that
now looks like you and lets its bearer turn
into you.
66. Wizardly Hat of Wizardry. Stores a
random spell that you can cast normally.
There is 1 in 6 chance that the spell cast is
another random spell, which now replaces
the original one.
19
Crack!
CREATURES
This is what we call everything and everyone you encounter during your adventures. Try
and find out what they want before you attempt to kill them. These sewer goblins might
become your new best friends!
Creatures are defined thusly:
- Typical number of creatures encountered
(in brackets after its name).
- dAC and type of armour or defence
- HP, expressed as dice and their average
result, ex: 2d8 (9)
- Weapons or attacks (bonus to hit roll,
damage)
- SAVE (“S”), see p.11
- Motivation Level (see p. 11)
- Special abilities and weaknesses
- Goals and needs
For example:
Zealous Acolytes (2d6)
dAC 12 (leather), HP 1d6 (4), +0 club or kris
(1d4+1) - In a group of 6+, one acolyte can
perform miracles. Wants you to gouge an
eye out to offer it to the One-Eyed God (asks
politely at first)
Creature rank. If you need to know a
creature’s rank, it is the number of dice used
to roll their HP. For example, the rank of a
Zealous Acolyte above is 1.
All creatures can see perfectly in the dark.
Don’t ask, it’s a traditional thing.
◆ Secondary considerations:
- Creature disposition. Sometimes, you
may not know what state of mind a group
of creatures is when encountered (not
all encounter tables give motivations for
creatures). So, randomise it. Ask a char-
acter to do a roll modified by their CHA.
Or use the 2d6 table of old. Or just assign
chances-in-6 of a favourable reaction.… Or
do what you’re used to doing.
20
- Attacks, areas, distance, and the like. We
assume most creatures only attack once.
Unless they’re big or many-tentacled. If not
sure about how many targets are caught
in an area of effect, and you’re not using a
map or are otherwise confused, just make
it a random number. For example: Dragon
breath (3d12 to 2d6 targets).
Languages. Creature languages create
complexity in scenarios where parley and
bargaining is important to the commoners’
survival. Some smart or educated creatures
know Volapük, a very basic sabir used for
commerce and war.
Commoners with a positive INT modifi-
er speak an extra language per point. Use
the table below if you can’t decide.
1. Angelic (priests, servants of the gods)
2. Demonic (warlocks and the denizens of
hell dimensions)
3. Doppelgänger (spies, illusionists, skin-
changers)
4. Draconic (cultists, lizardfolk,
dragons)
5. Dwarvish (gnomes, dwarfs, golems)
6. Elvish (faery, elves, and posh
humans)
7. Goblin (hobgoblins, bugbears, orcs)
8. Medusa (ancient priests and
mythical creatures)
9. Tinykin (gnomes, cooks, pranksters)
10. Sylvan (magical woodland
creatures)
At the ref’s discretion, you may wait to
declare what language you know.
BESTIARIES
You can lift creatures from many a game that’s broadly compatible with CRACK!
A lot of them have free versions available online. We publish a bunch of them in every
issue of KNOCK!, and the blogs we list on the back cover often have creatures posts.
To start you off, here are 20 example creatures adapted from popular fantasy worlds.
You can use it this as your basic wilderness random encounters table
(use 2d10 if you’d rather have a bell curve).
20 Common Creatures
1. Purplepillar (1)
dAC 13 (rubbery hide), HP 15d8 (67), +10 bite
(2d8), +10 sting (lose 1d6 DEX), S 10,ML 10
Gigantic, burrows tunnels, swallows you on
a roll of 15+, wants to burrow in peace and
munch on dwarves.
2. Green-Black Sludges (2d10)
dAC 2 (squishy and unmoving), HP 2d10 (11),
+1 acidic touch (1d6 every turn until removed),
S 14, ML 12 - Very slow, hivemind, want to
consume and grow.
3. Gelatinous Globe (1)
dAC 11 (jelly like), HP 4d10 (22), +3 (paraly-
sis), S 12, ML 12 - Rolls around faster than
you’d expect, brainless and painless, often
carries undigested items, wants to exist and
digest.
4. Shadow Wraiths (1d8)
dAC 16 (incorporeal), HP 4d8 (18), +3 (1d6
HP and STR), S 12, ML 10 - Fly fast, undead,
immune to mundane weapons, fear holy
symbols and avoid consecrated ground,
want revenge for some forgotten slight.
5. Iron Eaters (3d6)
dAC 17 (small and armoured), HP 5d8 (22),
+4 bite (instantly rusts metal), S 12, ML 7 -
Fast, wants to eat iron based metal.
6. Ghoul Hunters (2d4)
dAC 13 (agile), HP 2d8 (9), +1 claws (1d4,
1d4) and +2 bite (paralysis), S 14, ML 9 -
Quasi-undead, want to eat dead flesh and to
live in a pantomime of human society they
reconstituted underground.
21
Crack!
7. Contagious Rats (2d12)
dAC 12 (scurrying), HP 1d4 (2), +0 bite (1d4,
save or get contaminated by various diseases),
S 14, ML 8 - Avoid fire, great swimmers,
want safe nesting grounds with food sourc-
es nearby.
8. Hungry Wolves (2d8)
dAC 12 (fast), HP 2d10 (11), +2 bite (1d6),
S 14, ML 6 - Patient hunters, swift and co-
ordinated, can be trained and bred, afraid of
fire, want food and hunting grounds.
9. Goblin Raiders (3d6)
dAC 13 (leather and mail), HP 1d6 (3),
+0 spear or axe (1d6), S 14, ML 7 - Brave
when in greater numbers, afraid of sunlight,
want riches and the respect of the Faerie
Courts.
22
10. Goblin Scouts (1d4)
dAC 12 (leather), HP 2d6 (7), +1 spear or
bow (1d6), +2 to attack and damage when
hidden, S 14, ML 5 - Run for backup, love
shiny things.
11. Jolly Bandits (2d8)
dAC 13 (mismatched armour), HP 2d4 (5),
+10 sword or mace (1d6), S 14, ML 6 - Swift
of foot, know the terrain well, good at tricks,
want your gold, a night of libations, and a
quiet life at some stage.
12. Bugbear Slavers (3d4)
dAC 14 (scale mail), HP 3d8 (14), +3 halberd
or giant club (1d8), +3 whip (1 and entangle),
+3 giant sack (captured), S 14, ML 9 - Sneaky,
vicious bullies, want a week off after making
an easy profit.
13. Lonely Golem (1)
dAC 17 (made of stone), HP 6d12 (39), +7
fists (1d10, 1d10), S 12, ML11 - Unarmed by
mundane weapons and fire, wants to follow
orders given centuries ago.
14. Tinykin Enforcers (2d4)
dAC 12 (painted leather), HP 1d6 (3), +0 short
sword (1d6), +1 sling (1d4+1), S 14, ML 7 -
Stealthy, want to follow The Bylaws of Our
Green and Pleasant Shire.
15. Faerie Horsemen (1d6+1)
dAC 17 (knight harness), HP 3d8 (13), +4
lance charge (2d10), +2 sword (1d8), S 14, ML
8 - Riding with a pack of white wolves, want
a jolly good hunt.
16. Cellar Troll (1)
dAC 15 (thick skin), HP 6d10 (33), +6 broken
bottles (1d6, 1d6), +6 bite (1d10), S 12, ML 10
Fears fire, regenerates 1d6 HP when drink-
ing booze, wants a real job in the vineyard.
17. Hillbilly Giants (1d4)
dAC 15 (fur and leather dungarees),
HP 8d10 (44),+7 giant club or trunk (every-
one close, 2d8), S 10, ML 8 - want to start a
bluegrass band.
18. Planar Tourists (1d3+1)
dAC 10/20 (force field, stops after 5 turns),
HP 4d6 (14), +3 raygun (2d6 or paralysis),
S 12, ML 6 - confusing demeanour, want
souvenirs.
19. Dragon Scholar (1)
dAC 21 (scales like steel), HP 11d8 (50), +8
claws and teeth (1d8, 1d8, 3d8), breathes fire
(10d6 or half if behind cover) but never in the
library, S 8, ML 10 - myopic AF (doesn’t
recognise anyone, needs reading glasses),
wants more first editions.
20. Squid-headed Space Sorcerer (1)
dAC 15, HP 8d8 (36), +7 Psionic blast (3d6),
+7 tentacles (no damage, brain is devoured
after 3 hits), S 10, ML 7 - various mental
powers, superiority complex, wants to rule
over everything.
TREASURE TABLE: Roll a d20 if you have no idea what value the treasure is:
1-5: vagrant (goblins, kobolds, animals)
1. carven idol, cursed? 2. 1d6 flagons of wine 3. 1d4 gp in copper 4. one shiny gold coin 5. jewellery, 5gp
6. knight’s armour, 60gp 7-12. nothing.
6-10: brigand (orcs, gnolls, buccaneers)
1. brand new sword, 10gp 2. half a treasure map 3. stolen silverware, 5gp 4. 1d8 ivory statues, 20gp each
5. 5d6 gp in a stocking 6. chest,100gp in silver 7. holy candles, 150gp 8-12. nothing
11-13: merchant (cultists, ghouls, minotaurs)
1. fancy feathered hat, 5gp 2. silver ingots, 2d6gp 3. exotic spices, 4d6gp 4. 1d4 rings, 50gp each
5. accounting books, falsified (worth a reward?) 6. 1d6 coffee sacks, 100gp each 7. gunpowder barrel, 250gp
8. gold ingots, 1d6 x 100gp 9-12. nothing
14-17: noble (wights, faerie lord, basajaun)
1. gilded breastplate, 25gp 2. rare poetry book, 40gp 3. purse, 1d10 x 10gp 4. electrum statue, 200gp
5. magic weapon, a family heirloom 6. large portrait, 300gp 7. 1d8 rubies, 100gp each 8. magic ring with arms
9. jewellery, 1,000 gp 10-12. nothing
18-19: wizard (lich, chaos priest, eye tyrant)
1. pointy hat, talking 2. components, 100gp 3. slippers, walk on smoke 4. treasure map 5. scroll, 1d4 spells
6. electrum wand, 500gp 7 case with 4 potions 8. rare magic gem, 800gp 9. spellbook, 1d6 spells
10. magic wand or staff 11-12. nothing
20: monarch (titan, dragon)
1. fancy wardrobe, 200gp 2. letters of credit, 400gp 3. property deed 4. magic horse figurine
5. bejewelled arms and armour, 500gp 6. platinum bracelets, 1,000gp 7 Sword, sentient 8. diamond 2,000gp
9. magic cloak 10. safebox, 5,000gp 11. royal jewels, 10,000gp 12. nothing
23
Crack!
7. Insect Room - Characters edging around 12. Pointing Statue - A 3m tall stone sta-
AN INTRODUCTORY ADVENTURE the narrow ledge have a 2-in-6 chance of tue stands pointing straight ahead (it’s
The core of our hobby is not based on a game system, let alone a brand. A few mates slipping down and waking up a crowd of pointing at the Secret Door). This Living
and an adventure, that’s all we really need! Expect to see more of these in the downloads voracious flying bugs (for 2d6 combat turns: Statue activates if the Wood Golem is
section of our site soon. anyone in the room suffer a loss of 2 HP per destroyed.
turn, 1 HP if in an adjacent room. Waving a • Living Stone Statue – dAC 15, HP 5d12
torch wildly halves the damage) (30), +4 fists (1d10, 1d10), S 12, ML 11
CITADEL OF EVIL by Stuart Robertson
8. Spider Lair - 4 Giant Spiders scuttle out to
attack! Within their webs is a cocoon with a
13. Forgotten Room - a skeleton sits
slumped over on a chair behind a desk.
The Citadel casts a dark shadow from its mountain. Can you find a path to the top
and rescue your kinfolk? A dungeon for 1st-3rd rank commoners. weakened Gnome inside, as well as 70 coins, Scrolls of defense vs undead, feather drop
a silver dagger and a Magic Spear. and a Treasure Map and a gold cand-
A. THE CAVES • Blessing: anyone throwing a coin in the • Giant spider - dAC 13, HP 3d8 (13), +2 bite lestick are on the desk. A locked chest
1. Entrance Cave - Illuminating this pool is granted a +1 bonus to any roll for (2d6 + poison), S 14, ML 8 - 6’ long hairy spi- contains several rare historical texts
large natural cave is the lantern from 2 1d6 turns der. Poison: SAVE or die in 1d4 turns. (value 500gp to a scholar).
Gnomes looking for their companion. 4. Fungus Garden - This room is filled with Webs: anyone in the spider’s lair has 1-in-6
• Gnome - dAC 14 (evasive), HP 1d4 (3), a wide variety of different mushrooms. chance to be caught in webs; roll vs AC12/
+0 short sword (1d4), +1 crossbow (1d6), Characters have a 2-in-6 chance of relea- STR to break free.
ML 6 – Pointy green hat, big nose, white sing hallucinogenic spores (SAVE or flee • Magic Spear - carved from the bone of an
beard in random direction for 1d4 combat turns unknown creature and engraved with red
2. Dank Tunnel - The floor is wet and harassed by illusory monsters). Eat a alien runes, +1 to attack and damage rolls vs
treacherous from water dripping from the mushroom: recover 1d6 HP + hallucina- undead
ceiling. A dank, earthy smell fills the air. tions (as above). 9. Stone Stairs - Weak characters or those in
3. Pool Room - This room is lit by a dim 5. Stincky Cave - A thick yellow mist clings heavy armour have a 2-in-6 chance of falling
red glow from 3 Glowing Scarabs on the to the ground here. Characters have a 10’ during the 100’ climb to the Crypt Level
walls. A Blessing pool contains 12 coins. 2-in-6 chance of falling in the hidden pit. above.
• Glowing Scarab - dAC 15, HP 1d4 (3), +0 6. The Well - The floor is wet and slippery.
B. THE CRYPT
short sword (1d4), +1 crossbow (1d6), S 14, Anyone looking into the pit: SAVE or slip
10- Hall of skulls - Characters must break
ML 6 - 3’ long beetle, glowing glands on to their doom! (DEX mod. may apply)
through the wall (roll AC 15/STR, or a turn’s
the carapace (cast light on 10’radius, for
work for 4 people) to enter this hallway.
1d6 days if removed)
Niches along walls hold 12 Undead Skulls
that politely answer questions about the
crypt in an ancient language

11. Dusty Catacombs - Alcoves along the

walls contain scores of skeletal remains.
Several bodies have missing heads.
A Wood Golem rattles about
keeping the place order-
ly. It only attack in
defense.
• Wood Golem
- dAC 12, 2d10
HP (11), +2 fist
(1d8), S 14,
ML 12

A B

24 25
Crack!
14. Antechamber - This room is magically
silent. The doors are heavy and require a
roll vs AC 12/STR to open.
15. Smashed Statue - the arm of this 8’ tall
statue has broken off and a bowl of (50)
coins is scattered at its feet. If anyone
touches the coins, the statue recites a
wake-up the dead spell. 2d6 skeletons
from room 11 animate and track the
commoners.
• Skeleton- dAC 12, HP 1d8 (5), +0 claws
(1d4), S 14, ML12.
16. Spiraling Stairs - the stone stairs spiral
up 100’ to the Dungeon Level above.
They end in a stone floor block, which
must be pushed aside (AC 20) to open.
C. THE DUNGEON
17. Dungeon Hallway - Torches along the
walls light this area.
18. Storage Room - This room is filled
with barrels of rotted food. 12 Rats and 4
bottles of wine can also be found.
• Rats - dAC 10 (just a rat), HD 1d2 (1), +0
bite (1d4, disease carrier on 1-in-6), S 14,
ML 5
C
26
D
19. Prison Cells - The Bugbear in room 20 the word ‘NEPO’ opens
has the key to the locked doors. Inside the door and leads to the
each cell is a Missing Villager. Mountain Walkway
20. Guard Room - 2 Hobgoblin Merce- below the Gatehouse.
naries and a Bugbear drink and play Noise or light alert the
dice games here. They have 46 coins and Main Gate’s occu-
several casks of wine. pants who fire arrows
at anyone on the path.
• Hobgoblin - dAC 13 (leather and chain),
HP 1d8+1 (5), +1 naginata or sword (1d8), 24. Wooden Staircase - Leads up to the
S 14, ML 8 - like goblins, but taller, duller, Citadel Level above.
better organised 27. Deserted Shrine - A few old candle
• Bugbear - dAC 14 (scale mail), HP 3d8 D. THE CITADEL
sand bits of crockery litter the floor.
(14), +3 halberd or giant club (1d8), S 14, 25. Mountain Walkway - This long path
Lighting a candle will grant 1d6 HP.
ML 9 - sneaky, hairy, vicious bullies leads up the side of the mountain to the
Gatehouse. The Sally Port (Room 23) is 28. Crumbling Courtyard - Two Cultists
21. Temple of the Slime Lord - Two located at the ‘X’ on the map. and a Hobgoblin Mercenary are discus-
braziers illuminate the room. A group of sing the need for more villagers.
5 Cultists preparing to lower a Villager 26. The Gatehouse - A raised drawbridge
and heavy iron bound portcullis prevent 29. Ruined Keep - The upper floors of this
into the pit and the Copper Gelatin kept
anyone from entering or leaving the building are in ruins, but the ground floor
at bay by the heat from the braziers. A
Citadel. 14 Hobgoblins fire arrows at is still intact. A wooden staircase leads
Conjurer leads this cabal.
intruders they notice in the courtyard or down to the Dungeon Level below.
• Cultist- dAC 12 (leather), HP 1d6 (4), +0 on the Mountain Walkway.
club (1d4+1), S 14, ML 8 - Bald, scrawny,
hallucinated gaze
• Conjurer - dAC 12 (silk armour), HP 3d4
(7), +1 kris (1d4 + poison: SAVE AC 13 This Commoner sheet belongs to: Crack!
CON or die), S 13, ML 10 – Skeletal old Commoner’s name: Job:
man, 2m tall, long stringy hair floating
like tentacles. Once per day: terror (SAVE Description: Rank:
or flee for 1d12 combat turns), reflected Former life: XP:
image (creates 1d4 two-dimensional
copies of the caster that disappear one STR INT WIS DEX CON CHA LUC SAVE dAC HP
by one when hit. +2 to caster’s dAC per
image).
• Copper Gelatin – dAC 11, HP 5d8 (22),
+4 touch (2d6 + acid), S 12, ML 12 – Giant,
Special Abilities & Spells:
copper amoeboid, immune to all attacks
except cold and fire. When hit, divides
into 1d6 Minor Gelatins (dAC11, HP 1d4
(2), +2 touch (1d6 + acid), ML 12). Acid:
2d6 damage per combat turn, destroys Equipment & Magic Stuff:
leather and wood in one turn.
22. Winding Passageway - This roughly
cut tunnel slopes steeply down and conti-
nues for 100’.
23. Sally Port - This heavy, magical locked
iron door is engraved with a leering face Past Successes and Memorable Disasters:
with a long tongue tied into a knot. Saying
 Crack!
BARELY/EXPLAINED V1.0b

COMMON RULES FOR ADVENTURE CAMPAIGNS BY KNOCK!

AND THAT’S
MORE OR LESS ALL…
We may change or add to some of these rules as we play with them, because tinkering
with game systems is part of the fun. We’ll also add adventures, random tables, charac-
ter jobs etc. You’ll find all this on our website or in KNOCK!
Let us know how CRACK! work for you, and do publish any additions
or modifications online (see p. 2)

ADVENTURE GAMING RESOURCES

There are many places where you can learn about our preferred play style (adventure gaming is often re-
ferred to as OSR for Old-School Renaissance). We should know, we make KNOCK! magazine to bring you the
best from the scene. Some of it is sourced from our favourite blogs, which include:

A Thousand Thousand Islands, Aboleth Overlords, Against the Wicked City, Another Hamsterish Hoard,
Bastionland, Singing Flame, Beyond Fomalhaut, Brinehouse, Box full of boxes, Captain Ahab’s Leg,
Caulkhead, Chaos Magick-user, Cavegirl’s Game Stuff, D4 Caltrops, DIY & Dragons, Dungeon Dozen,
Dungeon Master magazine, Dyson logos, Elfmaids & Octopi, Emiel Bowen, Failure Tolerated, False Machine,
Gelatinous Cube, Glass Bird Games, Goblin Punch, Graphite Prime, Grognardia, Gus L., Hack & Slash,
Highland paranormal Society, Hobgoblin, Horoscope Zine, I Cast Light, Ice & Ruin, John Grümph,
Kezie Gracie, Les Livres de l’Ours, Lost Pages, Monster Man, Mottokrosh Machinations, Necropraxis,
Old Skulling, Paths Peculiar, Permanent Cranial Damage, Prismatic Wasteland, Questing Beast,
Rise Up Comus, Roles, Rules & Roll, Skullfungus, Strange Magic, Sword and Scoundrel,
Tales of the Grotesque and Dungeonesque, Tenfootpole, The Blue Bard, The Lost Bay,
The Man with a Hammer, The Manse, Trollsmysth, Victory Fish, Wayspell, What Would Conan Do?,
White Tower, Ynas Midgard’s RPG Blog, Zenopus Archives.

Yeah, that’s a lot. Maybe start by reading David Perry’s compilation of player and referee principles,
Principia Apocrypha. On David’s download page, you’ll find a lot of useful links, including
Matt Finch’s Quick Primer for Old-School Gaming, which is another must read.