For Hârn enthusiasts, aka Hârniacs, there is an informal gathering known as HârnCon that occurs pretty much each June for experiencing games run the setting. For more about Hârn, follow this link: http://pipes-pints-and-polyhedrons.com/ ... p?f=7&t=13
Attendance at HârnCon is usually in the 12-20 range and, in recent years, is held in Kansas City. Since my interest in Hârn has grown over the last few years, I've decided to take the plunge and make the trip to KC and join the fun. Like I said earlier, its informal - no tickets and no badges. Just show up and make a donation at the lodge used for the weekend. Folks still have to make arrangements for lodging but since HârnCon is held at a lodge then some folks stay there. Several hotels are within 10 miles of the lodge so driving back-and-forth is not a problem. Food is mostly left to each person to handle on their own but there is usually a feast / dinner held on Saturday evening. This year the food will be a close approximation to what is found in the Hârnic Republic of Tharda (think Roman / Greek / Mediterranean) which just sounds fun.
Folks volunteer to run gaming events based in Hârn. Use of the HârnMaster game system is optional though I hope to participate in a game using HM. I'm considering running my Hârn based C&C adventure, Zoanthropic Benediction, on Saturday evening if enough interest is expressed. One of the players at the last GaryCon who played in my Hârn based adventure will also be at HârnCon. Check out the discussion thread here: https://www.lythia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=24038
HârnCon
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Ancalagon
- Level 8: Noble
- Posts: 1691
- Joined: December 5th, 2018, 5:42 pm
- Location: Bellevue, NE
Awright... HârnCon was a couple of weekends back. I went and checked it out so figured I'd share some observations.
Firstly, I took I-29 South to KC and for the first 100 +/- miles I felt really bad for the farmers. Both sides of the interstate were flooded to various degrees. There is no way the land can be used this year for planting. Some of the areas looked to be flooded maybe a half-mile out like lakes. Some areas reminded me of the Bay of Humboldt in northern CA. in some places, the water was about 3 feet from the road. One slip up while driving and someone could be going in the drink.
When I arrived at the Hollis Center for HârnCon I walked up on several folks grilling out. Burgers, bratwurst & hot dogs were being prepared for group consumption. I didn't think there was going to be a dinner that night so had Chick-fil-A on the way. There were about 15-16 folks present. A couple of folks walked me around for introductions, etc. People ate and I observed the crowd and interactions. A gentleman, Eric, with whom I gamed at GaryCon 2018 and 2019 arrived so we caught up on things. It was nice to see a familiar face among the new.
The Friday evening games were slated to kick off @ 5 PM but things at HârnCon (aka HârnMoot) are pretty informal and relaxed. The gaming started around 6:30 PM. There were sign up sheets for various events rather than advanced registration. By the time I arrived, the only event left was a Firefly RPG session. Not Hârn, not HârnMaster... Firefly. The adventure and game itself were fine but I was a bit disappointed to not get in on some Hârn action the first night at a HârnCon. Eric and I played and during the 4+ hour session I made 2 combat rolls. Lots of story, talking, RPing, but little in the way of combat. I wonder if all Firefly adventures are so designed.
By chance, Eric and I were at the same hotel so we grabbed breakfast the next morning. I hit a wally world and picked up a fruit tray and a 6-pack to contribute to the general consumption as I noticed no brew the night before. I sat down to a HârnMaster game and selected a pre-gen. I was one of the last to nab a PC so I played a retired gladiator who had forsaken violence after unknowingly (at the time) murdered his own father in a contest. The PC had converted to a god of peace and become a gardener and was the right hand mad of another PC at the table.
(More to come - time to go play a softball doubleheader)
Firstly, I took I-29 South to KC and for the first 100 +/- miles I felt really bad for the farmers. Both sides of the interstate were flooded to various degrees. There is no way the land can be used this year for planting. Some of the areas looked to be flooded maybe a half-mile out like lakes. Some areas reminded me of the Bay of Humboldt in northern CA. in some places, the water was about 3 feet from the road. One slip up while driving and someone could be going in the drink.
When I arrived at the Hollis Center for HârnCon I walked up on several folks grilling out. Burgers, bratwurst & hot dogs were being prepared for group consumption. I didn't think there was going to be a dinner that night so had Chick-fil-A on the way. There were about 15-16 folks present. A couple of folks walked me around for introductions, etc. People ate and I observed the crowd and interactions. A gentleman, Eric, with whom I gamed at GaryCon 2018 and 2019 arrived so we caught up on things. It was nice to see a familiar face among the new.
The Friday evening games were slated to kick off @ 5 PM but things at HârnCon (aka HârnMoot) are pretty informal and relaxed. The gaming started around 6:30 PM. There were sign up sheets for various events rather than advanced registration. By the time I arrived, the only event left was a Firefly RPG session. Not Hârn, not HârnMaster... Firefly. The adventure and game itself were fine but I was a bit disappointed to not get in on some Hârn action the first night at a HârnCon. Eric and I played and during the 4+ hour session I made 2 combat rolls. Lots of story, talking, RPing, but little in the way of combat. I wonder if all Firefly adventures are so designed.
By chance, Eric and I were at the same hotel so we grabbed breakfast the next morning. I hit a wally world and picked up a fruit tray and a 6-pack to contribute to the general consumption as I noticed no brew the night before. I sat down to a HârnMaster game and selected a pre-gen. I was one of the last to nab a PC so I played a retired gladiator who had forsaken violence after unknowingly (at the time) murdered his own father in a contest. The PC had converted to a god of peace and become a gardener and was the right hand mad of another PC at the table.
(More to come - time to go play a softball doubleheader)
“Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” - Carl Sagan
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Necron 99
- Level 8: Noble
- Posts: 2041
- Joined: December 5th, 2018, 1:43 pm
- Location: Jacksonville, FL
Haha, that sounds quite awful. Playing a game of Firefly when you're attending a convention dedicated to Harn. Ugh. Hopefully the other game you managed to get into was better. Based on the character description you mentioned, I can see how things may not go as well as planned. Looking forward to hearing the outcome.
“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
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Ancalagon
- Level 8: Noble
- Posts: 1691
- Joined: December 5th, 2018, 5:42 pm
- Location: Bellevue, NE
Back from softball and tidied up. Game time temp was in the low 90s so it was a wee warm out. Game 1 was a GREAT competitive event in which we played 2 extra innings before finally prevailing 12 to 11. We then immediately started game 2 against a fresh team. Fatigue and a few injuries (one player had an ankle issue, another a hamstring, another a groin strain) combined to reduce our offensive output so we lost that one. But what the hell, folks! Any day playing softball is better than being in the office. 
So the Saturday 9 AM HârnMaster session basically boiled down to the party infiltrating a monastery to free a couple of captives without getting us or them killed in the process. Lots of talking, planning, etc. As an ex-gladiator turned gardener (i.e. lower social class) I let those of higher social station, the merchant who employed me, a knight, and others, discuss what to do. None of the other characters asked my opinion or thoughts.
Eventually we reach the monastery and the plan was for my ex-gladiator and the knight to pretend to be in a fistfight outside the gate to allow a stealthy PC to slip over the wall and move about undetected. Some combat rolls were made and I ended up accidentally knocking the stuffing out of the knight who zagged when he should've zigged. After a few rounds things calm down and the rest of the party shows up with a forged letter of passage to allow us inside the monastery. We are provided rooms and invited to dinner that night. Lots of talking with the merchant making a deal with the Abbott to export and distribute pear brandy.
After dinner my PC goes to the monastery's gardens where a couple of acolytes are weeding. I make note of what is being grown (nothing out of the ordinary) and offer to help with the weeding so I might be able to converse and perhaps pick up some info. My PC was promptly rejected and looked upon as weird for offering to help so that pretty much shot me down. Later that evening I snuck out to the stables where our horses, wagon, and barrels were kept. One of the PCs was smuggled in via the barrels. I relayed info to the other PC and the GM allowed waaaay too much retroactive planning and discussion of the plan that never occurred prior to entering the monastery. There were many instances of this and of even dictating what some PCs said and did. Definitely not my style of GMing but it was his game so I rolled with it.
Some astrology rolls by the merchant's player allowed us to find the captives and some sneakiness combined with conveniently placed ladders allowed for climbing over the monastery walls to make the escape. I had pretty much nothing to do for most of the session. Unless any violence were to break out, was rendered pretty much useless. Oh well. I opened a brew and offered to share what I brought with anyone interested. No takers which is very odd for gaming cons I've attended. Most folks were drinking Coke Zero or something equally nasty.
So the Saturday 9 AM HârnMaster session basically boiled down to the party infiltrating a monastery to free a couple of captives without getting us or them killed in the process. Lots of talking, planning, etc. As an ex-gladiator turned gardener (i.e. lower social class) I let those of higher social station, the merchant who employed me, a knight, and others, discuss what to do. None of the other characters asked my opinion or thoughts.
Eventually we reach the monastery and the plan was for my ex-gladiator and the knight to pretend to be in a fistfight outside the gate to allow a stealthy PC to slip over the wall and move about undetected. Some combat rolls were made and I ended up accidentally knocking the stuffing out of the knight who zagged when he should've zigged. After a few rounds things calm down and the rest of the party shows up with a forged letter of passage to allow us inside the monastery. We are provided rooms and invited to dinner that night. Lots of talking with the merchant making a deal with the Abbott to export and distribute pear brandy.
After dinner my PC goes to the monastery's gardens where a couple of acolytes are weeding. I make note of what is being grown (nothing out of the ordinary) and offer to help with the weeding so I might be able to converse and perhaps pick up some info. My PC was promptly rejected and looked upon as weird for offering to help so that pretty much shot me down. Later that evening I snuck out to the stables where our horses, wagon, and barrels were kept. One of the PCs was smuggled in via the barrels. I relayed info to the other PC and the GM allowed waaaay too much retroactive planning and discussion of the plan that never occurred prior to entering the monastery. There were many instances of this and of even dictating what some PCs said and did. Definitely not my style of GMing but it was his game so I rolled with it.
Some astrology rolls by the merchant's player allowed us to find the captives and some sneakiness combined with conveniently placed ladders allowed for climbing over the monastery walls to make the escape. I had pretty much nothing to do for most of the session. Unless any violence were to break out, was rendered pretty much useless. Oh well. I opened a brew and offered to share what I brought with anyone interested. No takers which is very odd for gaming cons I've attended. Most folks were drinking Coke Zero or something equally nasty.
“Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” - Carl Sagan
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Ancalagon
- Level 8: Noble
- Posts: 1691
- Joined: December 5th, 2018, 5:42 pm
- Location: Bellevue, NE
There was about a half hour break between games so I brought in both of my 4' x 6' vinyl maps of Hârn. We unrolled them and hung them up at opposite ends of the lodge which attracted quite a bit of attention from those present, People checked them out, some conversation among attendees broke out, and one guy had everyone present gather in front of a fireplace for a group photo.
The 1 PM HârnMaster game kicked off closer to 2 PM, which was fine. This session was based in a region not too far from the one I used for my GaryCon XI adventure so I was keen to play in it and note any similarities. Turns out all of the PCs were fantasy versions of the characters from the TV show... wait for it... Firefly.
So I played the HârnMaster fantasy version of Jayne. I didn't get into Firefly so I just went with it using my wit with some crass vulgarity. Had several players laughing at my remarks. The GM had to stop for a minute to compose himself at one point. Basically we had to investigate a wizard's abode which was inside a gigantic tree. We found rooms, normal stuff, some valuables and a wood golem blocking our path into a room. My PC said something like, "I bet this wood thing is protecting silver that I want," then proceeded to attack the golem with a big damned axe. After two rounds of combat, I'd scored a level 5 Kill Crit (the max) to the neck of the golem which did not drop it and chops to a leg. Another PC inflicted a crit to the head. Another PC had the hell knocked out of him and crawled away from the fight. My Jayne PC then took a level 4 Grievous Crush Crit to the groin and immediately passed out. Lots of laughs and fun comments floated around the table over that one. That was basically the last bit of effectiveness from my PC during the game and it was over in 3 rounds.
The adventure was solid but no magic wielding PCs (wizardly or clerical) were available so I didn't have a chance to explore that aspect of HârnMaster. Combat is f'n dangerous, as it should be, so that was cool to experience. Most of my enjoyment of the session was the snarkiness and thickheadedness I infused into my PC.
(More to come...)
The 1 PM HârnMaster game kicked off closer to 2 PM, which was fine. This session was based in a region not too far from the one I used for my GaryCon XI adventure so I was keen to play in it and note any similarities. Turns out all of the PCs were fantasy versions of the characters from the TV show... wait for it... Firefly.
So I played the HârnMaster fantasy version of Jayne. I didn't get into Firefly so I just went with it using my wit with some crass vulgarity. Had several players laughing at my remarks. The GM had to stop for a minute to compose himself at one point. Basically we had to investigate a wizard's abode which was inside a gigantic tree. We found rooms, normal stuff, some valuables and a wood golem blocking our path into a room. My PC said something like, "I bet this wood thing is protecting silver that I want," then proceeded to attack the golem with a big damned axe. After two rounds of combat, I'd scored a level 5 Kill Crit (the max) to the neck of the golem which did not drop it and chops to a leg. Another PC inflicted a crit to the head. Another PC had the hell knocked out of him and crawled away from the fight. My Jayne PC then took a level 4 Grievous Crush Crit to the groin and immediately passed out. Lots of laughs and fun comments floated around the table over that one. That was basically the last bit of effectiveness from my PC during the game and it was over in 3 rounds.
The adventure was solid but no magic wielding PCs (wizardly or clerical) were available so I didn't have a chance to explore that aspect of HârnMaster. Combat is f'n dangerous, as it should be, so that was cool to experience. Most of my enjoyment of the session was the snarkiness and thickheadedness I infused into my PC.
(More to come...)
“Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” - Carl Sagan
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Ancalagon
- Level 8: Noble
- Posts: 1691
- Joined: December 5th, 2018, 5:42 pm
- Location: Bellevue, NE
O-tay! As promised...
Next was The Feast . There were 3-4 ladies working most of the day preparing the earthly equivalent to the cuisine of the Republic of Tharda found in Hârn. Think primarily of Roman Empire, Greek, and Mediterranean fare. I provided a couple of bottles of good red wine, alas Bordeaux since the Chianti I wanted was unavailable but still quite tasty. Only one person took me up on the offer to share the wine. This was a puzzling crowd of Hârniac gamers. There were 4-5 different bottles of Scotch on a counter but only 1-2 people partake and no one having wine or beer. All the cons I've attended had some folks indulging so just an oddity IMO.
The Feast had 3 courses. I don't recall everything that was served but it was all very well prepared so hats off to the ladies! From what I understand, the lady in charge is in the SCA and makes a study of ancient and medieval dishes and recipes. Things I remember eating / sampling included breads, olives, melon, quail eggs, chicken, mushrooms in sauce, Roam cheesecake (which is not like modern cheesecake), pork and I'm sure I'm forgetting others. Very good!
During dinner, one of the guys handed out cards for factions in a dinner murder mystery game or some such. Wasn't really my cup of tea because I wanted to relax and focus on the dinner and conversation rather than try to absorb rules for a new game that wasn't tripping my trigger. In the end, my faction. The Legionnaires, aligned with another faction, The Witches, to bring the game to an end. The lady sitting next to me who was in the Witch faction felt the same about the game so we cracked a few jokes and chatted.
By the time dinner wrapped up it was pushing 7:30 PM and some folks were looking to game. I was a bit fatigued as I was up until 2 AM the night before. I would've been happy to not run my session but a few folks seemed interested. So I set up my game and off we went with 5 players. One seemed a bit disappointed that C&C was rules lite and didn't offer the same tactical options as HârnMaster. Another was pleased with the archer class. The group as a whole seemed to have some fatigue influencing them so I ended up omitting some details and moving things along ina more seek-and-destroy fashion. A couple of players seemed OK with C&C's rules lite approach but I don't think it was to some others' tastes.
I packed up, said my farewells and departed for the hotel. Some folks were meeting Sunday for a "writers' gathering" but I decided to head home instead. Maybe if I had a more thorough knowledge of the Hârn setting and HârnMaster then I might have stayed and explored some possibilities.
After a couple of weeks to reflect on HârnCon, I'll say this: The people were really nice! I enjoyed my interactions with all of them. I would have liked to have more experience with Hârn and HârnMaster, particularly with priestly and Shek-Pvar (Hârn wizards) magics. HârnCon isn't a convention but more of a gathering of Hârn enthusiasts and folks who, for the most part, have known each other for some time. The term HârnMoot was used more than once to describe the annual gathering. Will I go back? Considering the drive time, hotel expense, and limited interactions with the setting and system, probably not. But I am glad I went and had the experience.
Next was The Feast . There were 3-4 ladies working most of the day preparing the earthly equivalent to the cuisine of the Republic of Tharda found in Hârn. Think primarily of Roman Empire, Greek, and Mediterranean fare. I provided a couple of bottles of good red wine, alas Bordeaux since the Chianti I wanted was unavailable but still quite tasty. Only one person took me up on the offer to share the wine. This was a puzzling crowd of Hârniac gamers. There were 4-5 different bottles of Scotch on a counter but only 1-2 people partake and no one having wine or beer. All the cons I've attended had some folks indulging so just an oddity IMO.
The Feast had 3 courses. I don't recall everything that was served but it was all very well prepared so hats off to the ladies! From what I understand, the lady in charge is in the SCA and makes a study of ancient and medieval dishes and recipes. Things I remember eating / sampling included breads, olives, melon, quail eggs, chicken, mushrooms in sauce, Roam cheesecake (which is not like modern cheesecake), pork and I'm sure I'm forgetting others. Very good!
During dinner, one of the guys handed out cards for factions in a dinner murder mystery game or some such. Wasn't really my cup of tea because I wanted to relax and focus on the dinner and conversation rather than try to absorb rules for a new game that wasn't tripping my trigger. In the end, my faction. The Legionnaires, aligned with another faction, The Witches, to bring the game to an end. The lady sitting next to me who was in the Witch faction felt the same about the game so we cracked a few jokes and chatted.
By the time dinner wrapped up it was pushing 7:30 PM and some folks were looking to game. I was a bit fatigued as I was up until 2 AM the night before. I would've been happy to not run my session but a few folks seemed interested. So I set up my game and off we went with 5 players. One seemed a bit disappointed that C&C was rules lite and didn't offer the same tactical options as HârnMaster. Another was pleased with the archer class. The group as a whole seemed to have some fatigue influencing them so I ended up omitting some details and moving things along ina more seek-and-destroy fashion. A couple of players seemed OK with C&C's rules lite approach but I don't think it was to some others' tastes.
I packed up, said my farewells and departed for the hotel. Some folks were meeting Sunday for a "writers' gathering" but I decided to head home instead. Maybe if I had a more thorough knowledge of the Hârn setting and HârnMaster then I might have stayed and explored some possibilities.
After a couple of weeks to reflect on HârnCon, I'll say this: The people were really nice! I enjoyed my interactions with all of them. I would have liked to have more experience with Hârn and HârnMaster, particularly with priestly and Shek-Pvar (Hârn wizards) magics. HârnCon isn't a convention but more of a gathering of Hârn enthusiasts and folks who, for the most part, have known each other for some time. The term HârnMoot was used more than once to describe the annual gathering. Will I go back? Considering the drive time, hotel expense, and limited interactions with the setting and system, probably not. But I am glad I went and had the experience.
“Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” - Carl Sagan
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Necron 99
- Level 8: Noble
- Posts: 2041
- Joined: December 5th, 2018, 1:43 pm
- Location: Jacksonville, FL
Dude, thanks for the info. After what you described, I would probably be hesitant to spend the effort and money to go back, too. I guess in any given year there is always the chance it would be better than experienced prior. It sounds like the best part of the weekend was mainly the food, which food is good but if I'm attending a gaming con, especially dedicated to a particular game system and setting, I'd expect to get a little more out of it. Attending and finding out that you get the chance to play in a "firefly" game, or even a Harn game with a "firefly" theme just seems all kinds of wrong.
All in all, though, as you said, it seems like it was good to try it out at least once. Hey, at least you can look forward to Gary Con. We have at least two or three conventions around this area, within a 2 hour drive, that I may try and make it to later this year or early next.
All in all, though, as you said, it seems like it was good to try it out at least once. Hey, at least you can look forward to Gary Con. We have at least two or three conventions around this area, within a 2 hour drive, that I may try and make it to later this year or early next.
“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
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Ancalagon
- Level 8: Noble
- Posts: 1691
- Joined: December 5th, 2018, 5:42 pm
- Location: Bellevue, NE
The food was great... but by 11 PM I had some serious gas going on! I don't know what ingredients might've triggered it but I'm glad I was loading up the car so I could depressurize outside.
As for GaryCon, I think I've settled on an adventure idea. I'll discuss that more in the GaryCon forum.
As for GaryCon, I think I've settled on an adventure idea. I'll discuss that more in the GaryCon forum.
“Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.” - Carl Sagan