{"id":104,"date":"2025-02-05T22:44:38","date_gmt":"2025-02-06T04:44:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluoriteguillotine.com\/blog\/?p=104"},"modified":"2025-02-05T22:44:38","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T04:44:38","slug":"the-serket-hack-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluoriteguillotine.com\/blog\/2025\/02\/05\/the-serket-hack-1\/","title":{"rendered":"The Serket Hack: 1"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I’ve got two ttrpgs I’m cooking in the oven currently. The first is a mecha rpg called Full Metal Bones<\/strong> and it’s been on the backburner while I figure out exactly how I want to differentiate it from other mecha rpgs. The second is a fantasy rpg with the working title The Serket Hack<\/strong>, which officially started development around August 2024, but was conceived earlier that year after Spencer Campbell<\/a> posted about his Gila Hack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those original posts were lost when Campbell left twitter for bluesky, but I still have my notes. The big inspiration is the concept of class progression through narrative accomplishments rather than XP or evenly-split milestones. For example, a Fighter can gain the Blade Dance<\/strong> talent once they have “trapped and tamed the wind, binding it to their scabbard”. The specifics on what this looks like are left up to the player and GM, providing a hook without dictating the method. Other talents are far less abstract, such as the Rip & Tear<\/strong> talent simply requiring the Fighter to “slay a heavily armored foe”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really like the way that this gives characters a variety of goals to accomplish, motivating players to seek out and interact with the setting. It feels very anti-lore<\/a>: the Fighter player has a reason to look for elemental sages and wind spirits alongside their main quest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This seed of progression combined with a growing sense of dissatisfaction with existing fantasy ttrpgs. I spend a lot of time and effort twisting existing systems to support character archetypes and narratives I’m actually<\/em> interested in, but it never quite fits right. The only true solution is to dig in and start building my own fantasy heartbreaker<\/a>. Some people dislike the term — either because of the original author, or because of negative connotations — but I’ve always found the idea romantic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

So what is The Serket Hack?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a game about Fighters in a fantasy world. The word “Fighter” is capitalized for a reason: the players are empowered with the ability to commit violence beyond the limits of ordinary humans. Some Fighters might dedicate themselves to a code of honor, while others might become bandits or swear fealty to a warlord. A normal human can become a Fighter by inheriting the power from a mentor or through a god bestowing a blessing. New Fighters can also be summoned into existence through ritual. While all players start as a Fighter, they may specialize into one of sixteen paths, each with unique mechanics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n