[originally published on my blog, ynasmidgard dot blogspot dot com, in 2013]

Now that the final version of this game hit the electronic shelves, it is time I wrote a review of it. To be clear, I was a backer of the Kickstarter project, and I was paying much attention to the development of the game since the first beta; otherwise, I have no affiliations with the author whatsoever.

So, Arcana Rising is an urban fantasy role-playing game; it takes place in a contemporary setting to which magic has been recently brought back by Russian scientists' drilling down into Lake Vostok, apparently breaching the seal that warded the source of magic. From the first two and a half pages we get to know how the Atlanteans ruled thousands of years ago, how their kingdom fell, and how magic was locked away; then a few paragraphs about role-playing games, dice conventions, Rule No. 0, and then we get a summary of character creation.

It is worth noting that a few more paragraphs summarising the setting can be found in Chapter 13: Dungeon Mastering, along with the question "What is Urban Fantasy?" answered. I would have liked if these topics were addressed in the beginning of the book; nevertheless, these things are included but maybe at a counter-intuitive place.

Arcana Rising uses the same underlying system as Hulks & Horrors (review forthcoming), which is to say it is very familiar to players of D&D. There are the usual six stats, classes, levels, HP, and AC, etc. One perceptionally significant difference is that checks are universally of the roll-low type: stats checks need to not exceed the corresponding stats score; skill checks are made with an effectively increased stat; while attack rolls hit on a roll lower than the sum of the attacker's to-hit bonus, the defender's AC, and flat 5. Despite this difference, the game plays very much like D&D.

It is assumed that players portray the good guys (think of Buffy or Dresden) and that they are human (the last chapter includes rules for monster races). They belong to one of the seven classes:

Characters - based on their luck, Wisdom, and Intelligence - have an Education Level that grants them a few skills and restricts what Day Jobs they may choose. Day Jobs in turn grant extra skills and provide Income; for that, characters need to meet the requirements of the job and make sure their adventuring does not interfere heavily with it. The latter is handled abstractly: each Day Job has a Demand score which is checked after each session. Success indicates that the character managed to avoid being late and was generally able to do his work, while failure means his job suffered from his other life substantially. There are simple rules governing losing and applying for jobs, unemployment, part-time jobs, and freelance work.

The standard currency used in play is Astra, the currency of the planes; an Astrum coin swirls with colours of the five elements of which it is a compound, and its value is roughly that of a fast food hamburger. Equipment costs, Income, and all prices are listed in Astra for monetary exchanges are not part of the game (but for those who want it, there is a short conversion table included). In fact, it is rumoured that some banks maintain a balance in Astra.

Magic is of the spell-point variety; although Wizards cast spells of true magic and Clerics use prayers powered by their faith in the divine will, their mechanics are not substantially different. Both Wizards and Clerics are able to cast a limited number of spells/prayers that require the expenditure of Will and Faith points, respectively. Each spell and prayer has a level-dependent cost; after deciding those points from the total, a check is made (INT/Arcana for Wizards and WIS/Religion for Clerics), which determines if the casting succeeds. There is also a small chance of a mishap and a table with possible results. Spent points recover by sleep.

The individual spells are then treated by level, each having a short description. Most of these spells are your standard D&D spells, oft touched by the atmosphere of urban fantasy. There are also a few paragraphs describing cantrips, the elements, summoning, travelling between the planes, and the relationship of magic and technology.

These are followed by rules for saving throws, adventuring stuff, and combat, none of which has anything surprising. I would only like to mention what XP is awarded for (I believe reward systems are one of the defining parts of a game): killing monsters, resolving threats to the city, recovering artefacts, and acting heroically.

The next three chapters present useful advice and procedures for generating and running cities, threats, and ruins. Cities are handled abstractly; they have a list of important locations where magical creatures may dwell and treasure may lie. A city's character is further determined by what factions are present; we get a nice means of determining what kind of groups are there, how much power they possess, and how they relate to each other.

Threats are similar to cases in investigative series; somebody doing something with a purpose in mind and that is bad for others. We get procedures to determine what creature (and how many of them) poses the threat, how it surfaced, what it wants and how it tries to achieve it, plus how the different factions react to the situation.

Ruins are similar to dungeons in your standard D&D; procedures are presented to aptly name, map, and populate ruins. There are tables to determine previous functions of rooms and their contents (empty, monster, trap, challenge, artefact, or flavour), and a few paragraphs on how to involve different factions and hostile locals. The chapter concludes in describing magical artefacts in detail.

The penultimate chapter describes the Referee's duty and gives advice on a number of topics, including preparation, sandboxing, house rules, creation of new classes and spells, and on awarding XP. Lastly, it offers guidelines for converting OSR material to Arcana Rising.

The last chapter is a detailed bestiary. Monster stats are pretty self-evident, but a page is dedicated to its reading. Some of the monsters are pulled from fairy tales and folklore, while the rest - standard fantasy monsters - is given a bit more setting-specific detail (like how centaurs are nomad raiders looting and pillaging but oft hired as mercenaries, or gnolls are matriarchal creatures living in clans, originally bred by the salamanders as skirmishers in their armies). Each creature is given an origin or association with one of the elemental forces, and also a unique summoning price (for instance, goblins ask for a set of clothes, while gorgons require a head of a hero). It is interesting how much of the setting is revealed through these descriptions.

All in all, it is a great game, building off a system that provably works fine and steering it into a less explored genre. It is nice how case-based and exploration-oriented scenarios all fit the game; a little more examples would not have hurt, though: a page describing a city, another a potential threat, and few more dedicated to a small ruin.

The game is written by John S. Berry and published by his own Bedroom Wall Press (homepage and Google+ Group), and it is available on RPGNow and DrivethruRPG in both softcover and - fully bookmarked and hyperlinked - PDF.

Love this game. The mechanics are 1st Edition of the Gygax game which work fine for an RPG that is all about Dungeon Crawling or more appropriately a lost starship, space station, pod colony, science complex and ruined city crawler. While there are no starting adventures in the book (sorry to those who need everything handed to them), there are more than enough examples and charts (lots of charts) that make it easy to create an advanture which is tailored to your play group.

The only down side of this game is that there was never any follow up and the game looks to only have this one book.

Hulks and Horrors is an adequate answer to question what would B/X era Dungeons & Dragons look like if it were a scifi game.

Rules give support my own creations and worlds, but I like the default setting assumptions about galactic plague that has left ruined worlds and abandoned space ships and stations to be explored andreclaimed. It is enough worldbuilding and justification for dungeoneering, but in space.

H&H is really a hidden gem of game.

An excellent scifi OSR Variant. Play as a Pilot, Soldier, Scientist, or Psyker and delve into ancient hulks full of mutants and battledroids. Every bit as strong as Stars Without Number or White Star and in some ways better designed than either.

My one complaint to keep me from giving a 5 star review is that the 'programs' of the scientist class don't make any sense. They have battery life and 'high level programs' in a similar way to how a psyker has psychic talents and psychic energy, but for something mechanical that doesn't make sense. Even a low level scientist should be able to buy or steal high level programs and batteries. it's about as silly as saying a soldier can only use assault rifles once he reaches a certain level and has a limited number of bullets based on his level. very immersion breaking.

Other than that it's one of the strongest scifi rulesets out there. Well worth checking out

156 pages, 153 are the content. The stats are Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Page 6 & 51 has a TAAC0 (To-Hit Armour Class 0): should be THAC0?

Hulks and Horrors can be described as D&D/AD&D in space (with the THAC0).

It really is well detailed, with sections on classes (Pilot, Soldier, Psyker, Hovering Squid, Omega Reticulan, and Bearman); Psychic powers, Equipment, Weapon, Armour, Grenades, Protective Devices, Power sources, Drugs, Computerised Devices, Goods & Services. The next section continues with fleshing out your character (name, background, appearance). After that, we have Environmental hazards, Foot travel, Food & water, Experience, Combat, Spaceships, Ship combat, Exploration, The Surveyor's Guild, Generating star systems, Ruins & wrecks, Loot, Monsters (creating them as well), Dungeon Mastering, Alternate concepts, Tweaking the rules, Being a Red shirt (P145-146), Converting to and from other RPGs. I think I've covered everything. All this for free! The softback book is £13.22/$18.75. I remember purchasing a RPG system costing about £10.30/$15.99 last year, and it had nowhere NEAR anything as much as this in it's contents (rather bare actually). But H&H on the other hand, is quite 'full', and can be increased in content with items from similar systems/RPGs.

'Borrowing' other bits from other OSR RPGs should be easy to add to H&H. Well worth obtaining; you'd be daft not to.

This is a fantastic RPG. If Stars Without Number is a mix of D&D and Traveller, and White Star is D&D and Star Wars, then Hulks & Horrors is D&D meets Doctor Who and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Easy to learn, even more customizable (IMHO) than Traveller, SWN and WS.

A chilling world where evil walks in human form and it is up to the assassins of Heaven's Shadow to take out the demon spawn before they taint the world so much that the final curtain is called. The author has come up with a world in which the profession of a murderer is, instead of a deadly sin, a good thing for humanity. There is a lot of room here for the kind of gallant wetwork found in so many games, and there is ample room in this world to explore the existential horror of the life of a killer. All this and using the amazingly fast and simple rules of Mini Six version of the OpenD6 system from our old WEG games.

I have never really connected with any of the "old school" RPGs that I've come across over the last few years. I thought I kinda got it in the days of Castles & Crusades but eventually I just couldn't see the point - others could and that was fine, but it was over my head. However, there have been a few games that have piqued my interest and gotten across their purposes and systems solidly enough for even a dummy like me to grasp it. Interestingly, they tend to be more science fictional than fantasy, perhaps reflecting that I didn't connect that much to fantasy novels when I was but a boy and a beardless youth, but would chew through a H. Beam Piper story without realizing that the world was still turning and a girl may have been trying to talk to me. Sorry, Jeannie.

I backed Hulks & Horrors in its first incarnation (it was unsuccessful there), so I was thrilled to see it come across rpgnow and even more excited to see that it nailed down everything it promised.

Hulks and Horrors combines dungeon crawling with space exploration, two things which might not seem to go together at first - the advantage of dungeon crawling being a constrained environment with clear choices, and the allure of space exploration being literally infinite possibility in all directions. Yet for me, one of the drawbacks of dungeon crawling was that I couldn't envision most dungeons in some modules I played in as being real places with real functions (since that time I've come to appreciate the surreal nonsense of certain dungeons in their own right), and one of the drawbacks of space exploration games I've played has sometimes been the lack of clear objectives. Combining the two is an amazing idea because the dungeon crawl aspect gives a solid objective to all player activities, and the space exploration element puts it in a context that I can connect to.

In Hulks & Horrors, the player characters are Surveyors - basically looters and scavengers on a lawless frontier. They bring important data back to galactic civilization, but the real riches are in robbing hulks (potentially ancient starships), star pirates (piles of jewels!) and maybe even the mysterious artifacts of the Ancients. It posits a universe where the characters have primarily mercenary motivations and a situation where they can exercise that to the fullest.

Characters are disposable in this game - they're generated quickly and disposed of just as quickly. The deadly situations they will get into are almost certainly going to kill player characters, but the decidedly "old school" method of rolling 3d6 for a character's stats - each assigned in order, of course - before glancing at the list of classes to see what they qualify for, picking one, and getting going, makes it so that you can just give a battlefield promotion to some faceless member of your crew and be back playing again immediately. (The adorable "Redshirt" class, which you have to choose when you don't qualify for any of the real classes, is a great idea but it doesn't seem too likely to me that it will ever get used.)

Character abilities are very broad - even a character's equipment and tools have very broad applications. This means that players are encouraged to be creative with the uses of their abilities and tools, a key factor since actual confrontation with enemies, traps ("boy, the security systems on this thousand year old ship sure are reliableerrrrrrggghh!") and so on are very serious matters.

The simple, fast-moving system will keep the game moving along. Interestingly, the DMs section is largely dominated by random tables to assist in the creation of scenarios in different types of location and facing different sorts of monsters. The monster list is evocative, and actually tells you more about the setting perhaps than anything else, something I really appreciate since conflict with monsters that tells me something about a setting is always more interesting than just hearing a GM say it to me.

If I could pick one way to improve Hulks & Horrors, I might try to integrate more system notes and "cheat sheet" material onto the character sheet.. Because the system's so simple, there's no reason to take up so much of the character sheet with just a list of 6 numbers for stats when you could, say, have a die rolling precis or a combat flowchart or something. (But maybe that's an old school thing? Who knows.) The other suggestion I might have is to provide a sample complex or hulk for exploration. Although a random star system, uh, system has an example, there isn't one for the actual meat of play, which is the very specific facility or location that the player characters are exploring/looting.

Maybe the best thing about Hulks & Horrors is the Dungeon Mastering section (and yes it is called a Dungeon Master, get over it.) It gives a clear idea of what Hulks & Horrors play is about and what the job of the DM is. Yeah, I've been a GM for a long time, but it really helps a game a lot for me to understand where the creator is coming from.

The most remarkable section in Hulks & Horrors, unquestionably, is the "optional rules" section. While the game has been diligent about telling you how to design your own spaceships, characters, star systems, facilities and monsters, it also goes into detail on rules extensions, options and different ways that you can change the rules to fit your own style or goals of play. On the one hand, this is possible because the core system is so simple - but I also think it reflects a constant, relentless focus on customization of your game experience to your table, and it's a major asset to the game.

I'm really excited about Hulks & Horrors - I have been since that crowdfunding effort long ago. I'm almost certainly going to run it at this year's RinCon. If you want a fast-moving, action-based science fiction exploration/fighting/looting RPG, this is absolutely the one you want.

Oh, and forget the haters saying they don't like this RPG because there's no art in it, it's their loss. Wait, wait, ummm.....I mean, uh, there's no pictures in this really solid, really well-crafted RPG and I almost gave it five stars just on the basis that there were no pictures. WAIT, this keeps coming out wrong. What I mean is if you want there to be art in your RPG book, there isn't any in this one. And you have bad taste. AGH, I can't stop myself. I should probably end the review before I make more people mad.

Rules-wise I really like H&H, I think it compares favorably to Stars Without Number.

However, $15 for an artless PDF? I don't think so.

HO-LY CATS!

If you have picked up Arcana Rising and enjoyed it as thoroughly as i have, then Welcome to Neuro City is a must buy product.

Set in the future of the AR setting, a world filled with monsters, magic and high technology. Easy to read and digest prose and clear tables allow you to generate the strange world of tomorrow with the ease that only John Berry could bring to your gaming tables. If you are new to gaming or a grizzled old school DM, Neuro City and the fantastic world of Arcana Rising are sure to not only excite and enthuse but will also not break the bank.

So join me in a grand adventure, in the near future like you have not seen the likes of before.

The Good: Dayjobs are a fun way to link your character to the modern setting. Spell choices are useful and have colorful quirks. Skill system don't hobble characters growth. Clear writing and easy to follow guidelines.

The Bad: Meh to Meh art (a lot of it looks stock). Monsters feel tacked on setting, this may be a side effect of setting itself with magic returning to the world. But I sit there wondering...what is the implications of critter X in the setting and it only get's touched on. Setting could really do with a 'deeper secerets' book that fleshes out the world more...but it doesn't take much effort to take the tools given to cook up modern magic stories.

It's a fun book if you know what you are getting into. Great if you want to try something different with OSR.

Hey there! If you have not yet picked up a copy of Arcana Rising, you are missing out!

The system is very familiar if you have picked up Hulks and Horrors or have ever played in any OGL game. With a quick glance at the game any goodly DM can start an AR game with their group in short order. The system is familiar as a comfortable set of gloves for any old school DM and the changes made to create a distinct flavor of modern day with the wonders of magic are logical and intuitive.

The book is written in John Berry's normal style. It is clear and engaging peppered with wit. It covers all of the bases a good DM needs and everything a new gamer needs if this is the very first RPG book they happen upon.

The illustrations keep with the Old School RPG feel and remind me of the wonderment I felt as a teenager picking up the newest AD&D books in the 1980's.

The spells and magic hold many a surprise for any gamer. The system is both new and different without moving so far from old standards that would make it difficult to understand.

All in all I must say that AR is yet another mind blowing experience from John Berry who is quickly becoming my favorite author of all things RPG. Pick it up and I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

I really like this product. Unlike other Urban Arcana, this is set as magic is released back in to the world. The premise is that scientists have dug down to the lake under Antarctica, thus breaking a magical seal and releasing the magical waters. The reason that there has been no miracles in recent times is that the deities have backed off to maintain a balance but now they can come back - slowly. Spells and such only go to level 6 as people have to relearn how to control their new abilities.

I have only skipped through the text but I like some of the new restrictions. The Forestwalker (aka druid) has abilities that fluctuate with the seasons. Healing strength is doubled in spring while their constitution bonus increases during winter. You could probably add in the Wiccan sabbats to make things even more interesting. Power comes from sacrificing plants. You want to heal a broken leg? Touch a tree and the patient and go for it. It may kill the tree if it is too young (less than 50 years) but, hey, that's what sacrifice is all about.

Some of the items are really funny. You want to summon a Toad Lord? Then pay the price - blood from a lawyer. Good luck with that!

The diagrams are black and white and have the old look of woodcuts. No modern pictures here. Unfortunately not all the monsters in the Monsterpedia are illustrated but there are enough to muddle through.

One surprise was that the character sheet is only one page. It seems to have everything but I haven't tried to use it yet.

There is a large section on settings. At first I didn't see the point of this as the time is Today but then I saw that the presence of magic was being used to convert places to portals. Got a really deep lake? Look out for monsters coming from the Water Plane. A dormant volcano? The Fire Plane is reachable. The same for ancient cities, old graveyards and libraries of old books. That pretty much destroys Rome.

The text is fully bookmarked and easy to read in one column so you don't have to scroll up and down to read a whole page.

I really like this and intend to use it in the future.

WHAT WORKS: I love the random charts. I always love the random charts. The Redshirt option for characters that don’t qualify for a character class is great as well. I do like how the classes have been balanced for the game, instead of just doing a straight renaming of the D&D Classes. Some of the tongue in cheek effects for various pieces of loot are also great as well.

WHAT DOESN’T WORK: I’d prefer a d20 chart over a d12 chart every time. Less chance of repeating an option. The space combat rules seem like they would leave non-pilots in the cold…moreso than non-Pilots will be left out on the ground. Contested checks are just clunky (rolling higher than the opponent but under your stat).

CONCLUSION: I’m not a big fan of the older school D&Ds, and I think that’s where I wind up displeased with some of the mechanics here. That said, I actually like the premise of exploring space hulks and dead planets more than I do straight up dungeon crawls. The extensive use of random charts is always a plus, and I do like that there are multiple options for acquiring a ship. If you’re a fan of old school D&D and you want something more than a different coat of paint on it, then definitely check this out.

For the full review, please visit http://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2013/06/tommys-take-on-hulks-and-horrors-basic.html

I must say that Hulks and Horrors is a joy to read.

The universe building tables are fantastic for taking your adventures in new directions.

Character creation is a snap, the aliens are fantastic! (Who doesn't want to be a flying squid or psychic bear!), and game play is fast.

Hulks and Horrors has been one of the best game finds of the year for me.