HârnMaster Third Edition
HârnMaster deluxe is the boxed set edition with 160 looseleaf pages, a pad of color character profiles, and a GM Screen.
The HârnMaster character generation system gives players a rich Hârnic experience. Characters may start the game with a wide variety of interesting occupations, and at various levels of experience.
Introductions to religious, Shek-Pvar, and Military occupations are included. Average incomes for all occupations and information about the guild system is included. Character contacts with (potentially) influential people are generated allowing players to explore relationships and advance their social standing.
HârnMaster uses a realistic interactive combat system that gives players many tactical options to control their combat destiny. The system is elegant, simple and easy to use.
The system is largely unchanged from the second edition and migration is easy. For example, the same character sheet is used. Also the Magic and Religion supplements are 100% compatible with 2nd and 3rd editions of HârnMaster.
HârnMaster 3 Mounted combat is now as an integral part of the combat system. SIZE rules are included to make combat with larger/smaller creatures more accurate.
BESTIARY
The bestiary includes articles about some unique Hârnic creatures (Ivashu, Gargun and Yelgri) as well as statistics for many other creatures.
(Originally posted by thedoctor)
Härnmaster 3e - N. Robin Crossby / Columbia games (currently a big dispute over the legal owner)
Ok so before i start i apologise for any typos rule inaccuracies and tangents that I will no doubt go off on.
Ok so Härnmaster the concept well to quote a thread who location i cannot remember “With [WOD’s] Vampire being D and D’s Role-playing in the extreme Härnmaster is D and D’s combat system on steroids.
Though this may not sound like you cup of tea hear me out for Härn has a lot more to offer than an interesting in depth combat system that punishes the overtly brave and then punishes everyone else for your mistake with a complete party wipe in a matter of rounds.
Härn is set in a medieval fantasy version of Britain (though not in shape) the majority of the game bases its self around a Feudal world with a distinct (see 98%+) human dominance (though Elves{Sindarin} and Dwarves {Khuzdul} do exist the are very rare in all but their population centres and enclaves) the land is inhabited by all the standard beasts and villains that you would expect but with a fair smattering of magic.
The system its self is based around percentile dice rolling lower than (in the case of standard attacks) and higher then (in the case of skill improvements) a known skill level.
So far as character creation is concerned it is as flexible as you would expect but the method that i have found far more entertaining is to allow the entire character generation to be decided by the dice from gender and species to sexuality social status family situation and role in society.
Character creation for a predominately novice group took us the best part of three hours but unlike d20 where I find myself just copying down stats from books Härn “char gen” was an adventure in its self with as much excitement tension and general good humour as you could wish for in the highlights of a campaign.
The combat system is at its roots 2 sets of around 3 rolls:-
On the attackers side
%ile roll to hit
%ile roll for location
varied dice for damage depending on weapon
On the defenders side they have a choice either
Dodge % in relation to agility score
Block % against shield stat
Counter attack ass attacker
this basic premise when padded out with choice of target location a wide variety of hit location mixed damage types and the ongoing system to heal up in which (in the case of the current campaign that I am part of) a player can quite easily survive an encounter but a small stab would can become infected the infection travels expands and if not caught can kill (poor guy first proper play session was killed of by an infection to the jaw (what we have taken to be lockjaw) which was spawned from a moving infection that originated in his chest).
There are some features that i am still not to sure about but most of these are based around the games interpretation of magic and in a case of amazing dice rolling on char gen physic abilities (a farmer who can project his metaphysical self and heal mysteriously).
The system is not level based but instead grants players “checks” for outstanding or critical use of skills which are collected and at the end of every in game month are traded for rolls against the stat score (this time trying to get higher than the skill) which in the case of a success increases the score by 1, this is a wonderful idea in my mind as it rewards and expands skills based upon their use and not on the players choice of that fits the bill for the party.
Thats about all i think ive missed just about everything i wanted to mention but thats life i told you ide get sidetracked
8/10 very fun questionable magic system minor engine problems
Thanks for your time and eyes
PS 3-ring binders dam there hard to find