The B/X Hack

Devlog

• v1.50: added a precise timing and ordering system
  August 02, 2026 by hyperdeath666

  1

  In this "1999 update", I added a timing and ordering system under "Casting a Spell" that should be ignored until you discover a magic interaction that needs it. For example, if you ever wondered who A... Continue reading
• v1.49: correcting hubris
  July 29, 2026 by hyperdeath666

  I swore to myself several versions ago that I was done touching Chaos magic. The interaction surface is enormous, even small changes can irreparably break things, and every effect needs to be traced c... Continue reading
• v1.47: some high-level Chaos magic changes; default spellcasting rules changes; added some missing procedures
  July 27, 2026 by hyperdeath666

  Chaos Magic: Deleted spell: Normalize. It was supposed to allow for interesting interactions between Law and Chaos but realistically it would always be ignored in favour of Concurrency and Proliferate... Continue reading
• v1.46: reaction roll updates
  July 25, 2026 by hyperdeath666

  1

  Reaction rolls frequently felt a tad too hostile in the game I'm running. Rather than make them warmer, which would be a very different game, I made them a bit more granular; the +3 modifier now range... Continue reading
• v1.45: The spell Light (level 1 Spell of Law) has been replaced with a new spell called Expectation
  July 23, 2026 by hyperdeath666

  1

  Expectation is a lot more interesting and much more thematically Law (even though Light itself is more interesting than it looks). Expectation has a high skill ceiling and rewards system mastery. My c... Continue reading
• v1.44: added wilderness pursuit rules and silver weapons to the item lists; v1.43: added saving throw conversions for NPCs that don't have listed saves.
  July 22, 2026 by hyperdeath666

  1

  See title... Continue reading
• v1.40: skipping every 6th turn during dungeon exploration is no longer automatic; v1.39: buffed Concurrency
  July 17, 2026 by hyperdeath666

  1

  The attrition die is now part of dungeon exploration: instead of automatically skipping every 6th turn, each player can choose to take the turn, but doing so risks increasing their attrition die. This... Continue reading
• v1.38: significant action economy clarifications (and some changes)
  July 10, 2026 by hyperdeath666

  2

  One-handed magic swords introduced a rules conflict I hadn't noticed (they are intended to grant extra, free attacks). Correcting this required rewriting how Actions and Turns formally work. For most... Continue reading
• v1.36: changed B/X scroll drop rate
  July 04, 2026 by hyperdeath666

  1

  Low level is more common, mid-high level is less common. In a sense this is a small change, but given how common B/X scrolls are, this potentially has a large impact on play, and this is healthier I t... Continue reading
• v1.34: scrolls now cast spells and anyone can use them; added B/X scroll conversion guide (simple)
  July 03, 2026 by hyperdeath666

  2

  Every class can now participate in the magic system, and there is a clear rule for converting scrolls from B/X treasure tables and modules into B/X Hack scrolls. New scroll rules are under "Casting a... Continue reading
• v1.28: new magic items and other magic item tweaks
  June 30, 2026 by hyperdeath666

  1

  Added maces, war hammers, longbows, and +1 arrows. Reworked spears to invite throwing them. Ward is simplified (although a bit less flavourful). Removed attribute potions and the ring. "Magic Item Exa... Continue reading
• v1.26: energy drain cannot be negated by armour; energy drain increasing attrition beyond 1d20 is instant death; changed Sentry edge cases
  June 30, 2026 by hyperdeath666

  See title... Continue reading
• v1.25: armour can now be used only once per round; simplified enemy armour conversion guidelines.
  June 29, 2026 by hyperdeath666

  1

  This makes combat deadlier for both players and enemies and enables tactical swarming (by both sides). It also means enemies can mostly be converted just by adding armour dice based on AC (bonus HP ha... Continue reading
• v1.23: tweaked chargen
  June 28, 2026 by hyperdeath666

  2

  "If no roll was at least 10 , you may start over" is now "Pick any Attribute and replace its rolled value with 12 " (and "swap any 2 Attributes" is removed). This is faster and also gives level 1 char... Continue reading
• v1.21: magic item tweaks
  June 27, 2026 by hyperdeath666

  1

  Magic shields are now more versatile. Magic one-handed swords got a new identity for +2 and +3. Other changes are mostly clarifications... Continue reading
• v1.19 (bigger update): added magic items (p.17-18). Feedback welcome and appreciated. If you like this game, rating it is also appreciated!
  June 26, 2026 by hyperdeath666

  1

  See title... Continue reading
• v1.17: changed usable weapons for Magic-User; v1.18: updated TBH monster conversion guide
  June 24, 2026 by hyperdeath666

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  #update

  v1.17: ranged weapons for Magic-Users don't work well with the enemy armour rules (too much poke) and are now explicitly forbidden. Magic-Users can now wield two-handed melee weapons to compensate a b... Continue reading
• v1.16: clarified armour rules, fixed a typo in Parametrize ("Flow" should have been "Grace").
  June 22, 2026 by hyperdeath666

  2

  #update

  See title... Continue reading