Hârn - The Most Medieval of Campaign Settings

A forum for discussing RPG systems, supplements, and settings.
Post Reply
User avatar
Ancalagon
Level 8: Noble
Level 8: Noble
Posts: 1732
Joined: December 5th, 2018, 5:42 pm
Location: Bellevue, NE

Post June 19th, 2022, 12:23 am

Since the HârnMaster RPG is mentioned more than once elsewhere on the 3Ps, I figured I'd go ahead and start a thread for more focused discussion.

Here is an unboxing of HârnMaster 3rd Edition and examination of what comes in the box from Columbia Games.


Another unboxing with a flip through of the contents with more time spent on the GM screen.


Here is a very old (2003) review of HârnMaster in text format.
https://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9258.phtml

Here is a good discussion covering many aspects of HârnMaster.
https://www.rpgpub.com/threads/the-one- ... ster.2363/

Watching and reading all this has me tempted to try playing around with character creation and running through a combat. Don't know if I will but this is a really good system! 8-)
“Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” - Carl Sagan
Top
User avatar
Ancalagon
Level 8: Noble
Level 8: Noble
Posts: 1732
Joined: December 5th, 2018, 5:42 pm
Location: Bellevue, NE

Post June 24th, 2022, 1:31 am

Here is a link that goes into chapters in the HarnMaster rules.

https://writeups.letsyouandhimfight.com ... ng-system/
“Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” - Carl Sagan
Top
User avatar
Ancalagon
Level 8: Noble
Level 8: Noble
Posts: 1732
Joined: December 5th, 2018, 5:42 pm
Location: Bellevue, NE

Post July 28th, 2022, 11:06 pm

Here is a review of several aspects of the HM3 core rules.



I will point out one mistake the speaker makes in the presentation. A critical success on a skill roll is not "doubles" (11, 22, 33, etc.) under the skill rating. A critical success is a roll under the skill rating that is divisible by 5. Conversely, a critical failure is any number over the skill rating that is divisible by 5.

I love this approach! The more proficient a character becomes with a skill, the better odds of scoring a critical success and the lesser odds of a critical failure. Makes sense, no? 8-)

This sword fight from Rob Roy is, IMO, a good example of the HM3 combat system.



There are many blocks and dodges by the combatants.

MacGregor suffers multiple Minor wounds. You can see the cumulative effects of injury penalties eating away at MacGregor's fighting ability as opposed to simply reducing hit points with no other effects a la D&D, C&C, DCC, etc.

Archie suffers a Killing wound at the end and falls dead.

Great fight scene!
“Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” - Carl Sagan
Top
User avatar
Necron 99
Level 8: Noble
Level 8: Noble
Posts: 2092
Joined: December 5th, 2018, 1:43 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

Post July 29th, 2022, 10:09 am

Hmmm. This brings up a valid criticism of d20 styled RPGs, in regards to damage and death, but I don't want to clutter the HM thread with discussion of d20 systems, so I'll make a new post.
“He found himself wondering at times, especially in the autumn, about the wild lands, and strange visions of mountains that he had never seen came into his dreams.” - Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien
Top
User avatar
Ancalagon
Level 8: Noble
Level 8: Noble
Posts: 1732
Joined: December 5th, 2018, 5:42 pm
Location: Bellevue, NE

Post July 31st, 2022, 8:59 pm

Necron 99 wrote: ↑July 29th, 2022, 10:09 am Hmmm. This brings up a valid criticism of d20 styled RPGs, in regards to damage and death, but I don't want to clutter the HM thread with discussion of d20 systems, so I'll make a new post.
My C&C house rules address this so I'll chime in on the new post.
“Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” - Carl Sagan
Top
User avatar
Ancalagon
Level 8: Noble
Level 8: Noble
Posts: 1732
Joined: December 5th, 2018, 5:42 pm
Location: Bellevue, NE

Post October 25th, 2022, 8:45 pm

Castle Archon posted a video about the Viking themed region of Menglana.

“Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” - Carl Sagan
Top
User avatar
Necron 99
Level 8: Noble
Level 8: Noble
Posts: 2092
Joined: December 5th, 2018, 1:43 pm
Location: Jacksonville, FL

Post October 26th, 2022, 6:37 am

I saw that vid floating around on YT, need to make some time to watch it.
“He found himself wondering at times, especially in the autumn, about the wild lands, and strange visions of mountains that he had never seen came into his dreams.” - Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien
Top
User avatar
Ancalagon
Level 8: Noble
Level 8: Noble
Posts: 1732
Joined: December 5th, 2018, 5:42 pm
Location: Bellevue, NE

Post October 27th, 2022, 8:34 pm

Ancalagon wrote: ↑April 21st, 2022, 7:00 pm Awright! The Kingdom of Rethem hardcover KS launched today. Yes, I've already backed it. 8-)
Rethem arrived today. Awww yeah. 8-)

I believe the next kingdom in line for the hardback treatment will be Orbaal.
“Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” - Carl Sagan
Top
User avatar
Ancalagon
Level 8: Noble
Level 8: Noble
Posts: 1732
Joined: December 5th, 2018, 5:42 pm
Location: Bellevue, NE

Post November 21st, 2022, 5:34 pm

A bit late on this but better late than never!

The Kingdom of Orbaal hardback KS is in it's last 24 hours. It is fully funded!


Orbaal is a Viking themed region...
“Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” - Carl Sagan
Top
User avatar
Ancalagon
Level 8: Noble
Level 8: Noble
Posts: 1732
Joined: December 5th, 2018, 5:42 pm
Location: Bellevue, NE

Post December 26th, 2022, 7:57 pm

Here is another review of the HM3 Core rules.

Very good with only one thing I'll point out: the reviewer mistakenly states that crits and fumbles in HM3 occur when doubles are rolled on % dice when the fact is that the % roll must be evenly divisible by 5 (10, 15, 20, 75, 80, 85, etc.) to be a crit of fumble depending on the (modified) value of the skill in question.



Listening to this review made me want to work up a one-shot, historically themed (no magic, no psionics) scenario to demo at a convention at some point down the road..... Aaaaand now that I'm thinking about it, I recall a MML session from Origins in 2010+/- that me and Cap'n Blood played wherein we ran the Scots from early on in Braveheart in the village encounter with the English soldiers.



The English were better armed and armored that the Scots but they were also outnumbered. In some instances in the fight scene, the Scots had 2 to 1 and even 3 to 1 on some English soldiers. I think this encounter would be perfect to demo HM3. Would anyone have interest in developing this with me some time down the road? ;) 8-)
“Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” - Carl Sagan
Top
Post Reply

Return to “Role-Playing Games”