Whitehack
Fourth EditionCore Mechanic
Roll d20 under your attribute to succeed; the face value of a success indicates quality. Positive double rolls (roll 2d20, pick best) and negative double rolls (pick worst) replace flat modifiers. Characters are defined by Groups — species, vocations, and affiliations — which grant advantage on relevant tasks. The Wise class casts miracles by spending HP, with effects triangulated by their groups and wordings.
Best For
Experienced players who want a concise, elegant OSR system that rewards creative play — where freeform character groups replace rigid skill lists and miracles are flexible but costly.
Highlights
Concise yet deep (~136 pages), Groups system replaces both skills and feats, compatible with old-school modules from 1974 onward, Auction mechanic adds tension to extended contests, miracles system rewards creative description, four editions of refinement
Considerations
Dense writing requires careful reading — not a quick-start game, assumes familiarity with old-school play, no bestiary or setting included, rare classes may feel underdeveloped