The Inside Scoop on Gaming

The fantasy world of Harn is one of the most realistic and detailed available, so it is only fitting that the rule system to go with it should be the same. But what’s good in a game world is not necessarily good in a rule-system, where other factors such as speed and playability come in. Having dismissed the 1st edition HarnMaster rules as too complicated some years ago (despite being a great fan of Harn), I approached the second edition with some trepidation - and was pleasantly surprised.

The basic system using 12 stats (ranging from 3-18) and percentile skills (much the same as RuneQuest) is more or less the same as 1st edition rules. The difference comes in the detail. The rules have been streamlined and simplified, so that many of the c omplications of the first edition are now optional rules; these are described in sidebars, with a tick-box for the GM to mark the ones which take his fancy.

The rules are very clear and well laid-out in a series of loose-leaf chapters in a ring-binder. The character generation system, though not quick, and reasonably complex, is explained step by step in a way which some other systems could do well to emulate . A mixture of random chance and choice, it generates everything from stats to family background and star-sign. Players can raise their randomly generated stats by rolling on mental and physical problem tables, which makes for interesting character foible s. The family background too can add plot hooks, if tied in with the rich background of their home town. If a character has been fostered after his parents were killed, the next question has to be who killed them and why?

Characters have a choice of character types based on the type of characters who would be likely to go adventuring in a medieval society. A list of required skills for each is supplied, then players get to choose others from a list of general skills. Chara cter types include knights and mercenaries, hunters, harpers, weaponcrafters and the like. Mages and Clerics are to be covered in future supplements (the first of which, HarnMaster Magic, was published recently). If you don’t like these, there are lists o f less “adventurous” characters, such as charcoalers and innkeepers.

Combat is based on individual wounds rather than hit points. Attacker and defender cross-reference rolls on a table (there are 2, for Melee and Missile Attacks) to find out damage, if any, then a roll is made to see where the damage was done. The result i s written down, and will usually mean something like “a nine inch gash in your thigh”, enough to make the most hardened warrior squeam a little. Each wound adds to the Universal Penalty, a number subtracted from all your skills, so that the more injured y ou are, the worse you function. Coupled with the fact that healing is slow, and may lead to gangrene and infection on a fumbled healing roll, and you can see that combat is a nasty, deadly business. If you want a game with a lot of combat, this is not for you; but for a realistic medieval game, it’s perfect. Its interesting to see normally gung-ho players go to great lengths to talk themselves out of a fight because they’ve suddenly gained a great respect for sharp pointy thin! gs.

Also included in the rules are extensive random encounter tables for Harn, which throw up very specific encounters based on the environment and time of day. I don’t normally like random tables, but these don’t just throw up a random monster, but an entire plot thread - serf escaping the law, landslide, cleric inquisiting after heretics, etc. The treasure tables I find rather fiddly and unnecessary, but there are some weird and wonderful magical items in there too.

My main grouch about the rules is that they are not complete. Magic, Religion, Bestiary and Military are still to come, and there is an occasional need to look something up in another Harn supplement. But as long as you don’t mind playing a low-magic camp aign (easy to do in Harn), you’ll be fine with what’s here. Of course, you'’ll need at least the HarnWorld supplement to learn about the world; this is less of a problem at the moment, since Columbia Games are giving it away free (check out http://www.colu mbiagames.com).

Style: 4 (Classy and well done)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

HarnMaster 2nd Edition
Author: N. Robin Crossby Category: game Company/Publisher: Columbia Games Inc. Page count: 128 ISBN: 0-920711-47-2 Playtest Review by Ken Walton on 10/15/97. Genre tags: none	The fantasy world of Harn is one of the most realistic and detailed available, so it is only fitting that the rule system to go with it should be the same. But what’s good in a game world is not necessarily good in a rule-system, where other factors such as speed and playability come in. Having dismissed the 1st edition HarnMaster rules as too complicated some years ago (despite being a great fan of Harn), I approached the second edition with some trepidation - and was pleasantly surprised. The basic system using 12 stats (ranging from 3-18) and percentile skills (much the same as RuneQuest) is more or less the same as 1st edition rules. The difference comes in the detail. The rules have been streamlined and simplified, so that many of the c omplications of the first edition are now optional rules; these are described in sidebars, with a tick-box for the GM to mark the ones which take his fancy. The rules are very clear and well laid-out in a series of loose-leaf chapters in a ring-binder. The character generation system, though not quick, and reasonably complex, is explained step by step in a way which some other systems could do well to emulate . A mixture of random chance and choice, it generates everything from stats to family background and star-sign. Players can raise their randomly generated stats by rolling on mental and physical problem tables, which makes for interesting character foible s. The family background too can add plot hooks, if tied in with the rich background of their home town. If a character has been fostered after his parents were killed, the next question has to be who killed them and why? Characters have a choice of character types based on the type of characters who would be likely to go adventuring in a medieval society. A list of required skills for each is supplied, then players get to choose others from a list of general skills. Chara cter types include knights and mercenaries, hunters, harpers, weaponcrafters and the like. Mages and Clerics are to be covered in future supplements (the first of which, HarnMaster Magic, was published recently). If you don’t like these, there are lists o f less “adventurous” characters, such as charcoalers and innkeepers. Combat is based on individual wounds rather than hit points. Attacker and defender cross-reference rolls on a table (there are 2, for Melee and Missile Attacks) to find out damage, if any, then a roll is made to see where the damage was done. The result i s written down, and will usually mean something like “a nine inch gash in your thigh”, enough to make the most hardened warrior squeam a little. Each wound adds to the Universal Penalty, a number subtracted from all your skills, so that the more injured y ou are, the worse you function. Coupled with the fact that healing is slow, and may lead to gangrene and infection on a fumbled healing roll, and you can see that combat is a nasty, deadly business. If you want a game with a lot of combat, this is not for you; but for a realistic medieval game, it’s perfect. Its interesting to see normally gung-ho players go to great lengths to talk themselves out of a fight because they’ve suddenly gained a great respect for sharp pointy thin! gs. Also included in the rules are extensive random encounter tables for Harn, which throw up very specific encounters based on the environment and time of day. I don’t normally like random tables, but these don’t just throw up a random monster, but an entire plot thread - serf escaping the law, landslide, cleric inquisiting after heretics, etc. The treasure tables I find rather fiddly and unnecessary, but there are some weird and wonderful magical items in there too. My main grouch about the rules is that they are not complete. Magic, Religion, Bestiary and Military are still to come, and there is an occasional need to look something up in another Harn supplement. But as long as you don’t mind playing a low-magic camp aign (easy to do in Harn), you’ll be fine with what’s here. Of course, you'’ll need at least the HarnWorld supplement to learn about the world; this is less of a problem at the moment, since Columbia Games are giving it away free (check out http://www.colu mbiagames.com). Style: 4 (Classy and well done) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

HarnMaster 2nd Edition