Free Hack issue 2

 Today I'm having a quick overview of the second supporting magazine for Ganesha Games systems, Free Hack.

Which as the name implies, is free, and can be found for example on Wargames Vault.

Hailing from december 2008, the issue is 34 pages long, and starts out with the editorial and news items.  Following on this are the FAQ's for their various games, as well as an official rules change for Undead and Terror in Song of Blades and Heroes.

There is an interview next with the designer of the Song of Drums and Shako's, their Napoleonic skirmish rules.  Following on this, is a succes percentage table for Song of Blades engine, giving an idea of how much chance your rolls might have in a game.

The next article details alternative activation suggestions for both the fantasy and sci-fi game systems, to add a bit of a twist to your games, as well as an article on variable "Tough" ability for both these systems.

Ganesha ran a poetry competition in the day, and the rules of it are presented in this magazine.  We then get a new scenario to try out in Song of Blades and Heroes: The Bridge over Murky Waters, where lizardmen and wood elves face off in a 300 points game to contest a bridge.  

A chat is being held then with Daniel Mersey about the new rules coming up back in the day: Song of Arthur and Merlin, taking it to a dark age setting, and forming a mixture between historical and low fantasy.  

More Song of Drums and Shako is then presented with a scenario, as you try to steal the money from the french garrison.  A game report of this scenario them follows, giving a good look at the rules in play.

But like in issue 1, the best is perhaps saved for last, as another new army is presented for Song of Blades and Heroes: Turtles and Terrapins, build around the concept of slow and steady wins the race.

A fun issue, with a nice amount of fantasy stuff for this fantasy gamer, though nothing really spectacular stood out in this issue for me personally.  Never the less, free is free and stuff is stuff I always say!