31 Days of Character Creation #17 – Black Sword Hack

The dark fantasy world is one I haven’t really explored in any medium, but have always been curious about. Michael Moorcock, Jack Vance, and Robert E. Howard are names I’ve known since I was a kid thumbing through genre-related magazines like Wizard, Starlog, and Fangoria. But I’ve never read a word of their work. In 2025, I’m hoping to sample at least one of those writers. They certainly have fans as evidenced by Black Sword Hack, an OSR game that seeks to recreate the tone of these stories.

Here’s how Black Sword Hack is described on its official website:

Grab your sword and shield of bronze, don your demonic breastplate, and recall the spells you stole from Elfheim. You must get ready for battle, for the enemy is threatening everything and everyone you’ve ever known. The struggle between Law and Chaos is coming to an end, and reality itself is in danger. You may have to sell your soul, and perhaps even lose your life – but if the world is to disappear tomorrow, you and your companions will go to your doom knowing you fought til the bitter end.

Black Sword Hack UCE is a rules-lite tabletop roleplaying game for two to six players and one gamesmaster. It evolves from the old-school renaissance play style (sometimes known as adventure gaming), using straightfoward rules that are easy to modify, expand on, or ignore. It will let you run dark fantasy epics inspired by the works of old masters of the fantasy and science-fiction genre, including Michael Moorcock, Fritz Leiber, Karl Edward Wagner, Jack Vance, Robert E Howard, and many more.

The game eschews traditional classes in favour of backgrounds depending on the characters’ chosen origin: barbarian, civilised, or decadent. It is a quick and efficient way to build unique characters who will adventure in a world of your own design. Black Sword Hack also uses a Doom die mechanic to help push the envelope of traditional OSR lethality – at the risk of going too far and becoming doomed.

I found the simple character creation process to create an interesting character through evocative, but still vague descriptors. For instance, I rolled a d3 to choose my Origin type: barbarian, civilized, decadent. I got civilized. Then a d20 for the circumstances of my birth which gave me “Your character was born inside an invocation pentacle, near the sorcerer’s body.” Now that’s quite an inspiring sentence to start a character’s life with. Here’s what I came up with.

Arkleer’s origins are shrouded in mystery. He was born amidst the flickering light of an invocation pentacle, his first breath taken beside the lifeless body of a sorcerer who summoned him. His parentage has always been a source of speculation, and whispers follow him wherever he goes. As a child, he was raised by the grim scholar Melchior, the former apprentice of the deceased sorcerer. Melchior, a man of sharp intellect but questionable morality, sought to unravel the secrets of Arkleer’s birth, using the boy’s existence to delve deeper into forbidden knowledge. He would draw blood from the child and carve runes onto his skin.

As a young man, Arkleer sought to escape the oppressive grasp of his past by joining the Iron Talons, a fearsome legion known for its brutal campaigns. His time as a legionnaire hardened him, and he earned the respect of his peers, particularly Captain Varin, a warrior with a fatherly demeanor. Under Varin’s guidance, Arkleer honed his combat skills and developed a tactical mind. But Arkleer also seemed strange and his mentor would often pull back from letting the young soldier into his confidences.

After deserting the legion, haunted by the bloodshed and his enigmatic past, Arkleer finds himself drawn to the ancient city of Lythkaris. Rumors speak of the Eye of Yzara, a mystical artifact believed to hold the power to unlock one’s true destiny. However, Arkleer is not the only one seeking the Eye. Melchior, now a decrepit but still cunning sorcerer, has resurfaced, intent on claiming the artifact for his own nefarious purposes. Arkleer must navigate the treacherous streets and catacombs of Lythkaris as he seeks to uncover the truth about his birth.