Review of the HackMaster GameMaster's Guide
It's almost impossible to do justice to the HackMaster GameMaster's Guide, even in a fairly long review. There is simply too much stuff crammed into its 368 pages to cover it all. The best way to describe it is simply as a 1st Edition Dungeon Master's Guide on steroids. Of course, if you don’t care for 1st Edition AD&D or the old DMG then HackMaster might not be the game for you. If you are a real game, however, then by all means read on.
Chapter 1: Player Character Creation
This chapter starts off by reminding the GM that the one and only true method for generating ability scores is to roll 3d6 once for each ability in order. Whiney players just need to get over it. The only exception to this rule is the famous "Gene Pool Method" of creating characters that are the offspring of PCs or NPCs.
The coolest part of this chapter for me was the Mentor/Protégé system. The mentor/protégé system allows a PC to funnel experience points to an NPC so that in the event of his death, he can activate that NPC as a new character so that he doesn't have to start over from first level. This is an incredibly neat idea, which I bet will find its way into many a 3E campaign as a house rule.
This chapter also contains detailed rules for diseases, as well as detailed rules for eight diseases unique to Garweeze World. I liked the fact that diseases get a saving throw versus Cure Disease based on their virulence factor, which is modified by the level of the cleric or paladin who is trying to cure it. This makes diseases a much nastier threat than in the old days when you could just cast Cure Disease and forget it.
Chapter 2: Player Character Races and Classes
This chapter starts off by admonishing the GM to stick to the rules regarding the restriction of character classes to certain races. To quote the text, "If the only special advantage humans have is give to all races, who would want to play a human?" A similar admonishment is given to stick to racial level restrictions.
Rounding out the chapter are the rules for the four HackClasses that characters may qualify for once they have reached at least 20th level (22nd level for multi-classed demi-humans).
Chapter 3: Character Priors and Particulars
This chapter gives the GM some excellent rules for dealing with characters that have a high social class as part of their background. "That's right Bob, your character's father was the Prince Duke of Umber. Unfortunately he was a terrible despot that treated the peasants horribly and taxed them nearly to death. Would you care to meet your subjects now?"
This chapter also provides rules for climbing the social ladder (improving a character's social class), as well as generating clans and family bloodlines.
Chapter 4: Alignment, Honor, Fame
This chapter provides an overview of alignment, as well as guidelines for using the Alignment Graph for charting a character's alignment.
The big item that most HackMaster GMs have been clamoring for, however, is the rules for the awarding honor and this section does not disappoint. You get detailed rules and tables for honor awards, as well as extensive information on group and clan honor.
Chapter 5: Quirks and Flaws
So, your players really loaded up on those quirks and flaws to max out their build points? Well this chapter tells you exactly how to punish the bastards for their greed. Additional detail is provided for the GM on many of the quirks and flaws so that he may better torture the PC with them.
Chapter 6: Skills, Talents and Proficiencies
This chapter contains tables for modifying a character's chance to use his skills. It also presents a list of skill sets (groups of related skills) that the GM can optionally allow players to purchase with Build Points. It's rounded out with a set of runes that the GM can introduce into his campaign (remember the old runes from the World of Greyhawk folder?).
Chapter 7: Magic and Spell Use
This chapter presents loads of practical stuff, including tables for the acquisition of magic-user spells, further explanation and advise for adjudicating illusions (as well as a number of other spells) and of course the all-important Spell Mishap Table.
The Spell Mishap Table is a hoot and the poor magic-user that has to roll a d10,000 on it can end up suffering everything from leprosy to being permanently polymorphed into a monkey.
Chapter 8: Combat: The Art of Hack
All GMs should carefully read this essential chapter. It contains all the tables you will need for running combat, including the Attack Matrices, Saving Throw Tables, Assassination Table and of course the Critical Hit Tables.
Critical Hits occur only a roll of natural 20 (of course) and are resolved by rolling a d10,000 on one of three tables based on whether the weapon's type is hacking, crushing or puncturing. The critical hit results can be quite detailed and the tables remind me of the ones in my old Rolemaster books.
Chapter 9: GameMaster Essentials
This short chapter provides information and rules on various and sundry topics like the detection of invisible creatures, resolving climbing attempts, energy drain and falling damage. Old-timers who have read Dragon magazine for years will appreciate the fact that the system for falling damage was "found to be accurate with a 95% confidence level".
Chapter 10: GameMaster Procedures
This is another short chapter that contains more advice and information for the GM, including advice for integrating experienced characters into an existing campaign, interpreting wishes and rules for starvation and dehydration.
The highlight of the chapter is The HackMaster Smartass Smackdown Table and I won't detail the secrets of it here lest any HackMaster players happen to be reading this review. Suffice it to say, however, that players should be happy the GM doesn't use the version from Third Edition HackMaster!
I got a real chuckle out of the "Overusing Dice" section. It says, "Sometimes too much random determination can even be bad for the whole campaign!" Very funny stuff indeed.
Chapter 11: Non-Player Characters
The rules for NPCs are something that all HackMaster GMs have been slavering for and this chapter presents them in all their glory. You get rules for Hirelings, Followers, Henchmen, Cronies and Sidekicks. You also get tables for determining an NPC's appearance and personality, as well as of course the Underling Rebellion Table. Is the tavern wench the PC is accosting honest? Does she have an interest in horticulture. Just a few rolls on the tables in this chapter and you will know.
Chapter 12: The Adventure
This chapter includes the rules for overland movement, as well as sections for adventures in the air and on (and under) the water. You also get tables for generating tavern and bartender names (real timesavers for the average GM) and rules for intoxication.
Chapter 13: Money and Treasure
This chapter has the Treasure Tables for use with the Treasure Types from the monster entries in the Hacklopedias. It also contains advice for separating characters from their ill gotten gains (taxes anyone?), as well as familiar tables for determining the value of gems and jewelry.
Chapter 14: Experience, Schools and Training
This chapter contains tables for various individual experience point awards, as well as the rules and tables for the training characters will go through to level up and hone their skills.
Chapter 15: The Ongoing Campaign
This chapter contains an extensive section on crime and punishment, including tables for the punishments that might be handed out for a variety of criminal infractions. Committing bestiality might only get your character banished in a remote village, but he could very well be tortured to death for it in the big city.
Chapter 16: Goods and Services
This chapter is chock full of tables. You get tables for determining a horse's quality and traits. Does he dislike elves? Is he a chronic fence rubber? You also get tables for the various poison classes and acid types.
Chapter 17: Magical Research
This chapter has all the rules the GM will need for resolving a character's attempts at creating new spells or magic items. A table is also provided with the suggested ingredients for various potions.
Appendix A: Magical Item Tables
This appendix contains the tables for the random determination of magic items. The tables also contain the gold piece and experience point awards for the various items.
Appendix B: Magical Item Descriptions
This thick section describes the various magic items (and artifacts) that the players might get their grubby little hands on. Everything from the Ankle Bracelet of Gender Bending to the HackMaster Class Swords is described in full. Of course, this is HackMaster and, as the Ankle Bracelet suggests, there are quite a few items that are sure to give you a chuckle (or a groan).
Appendix C: Random Monster Encounter Tables
This appendix has yet another set of tables for using your d10,000. In addition to the outdoor encounter tables, a subterranean/dungeon encounter table is included. I was disappointed, however, to see that unlike the tables in the 1st Edition DMG, it is not divided into dungeon levels.
Appendix D: Special Creature Encounters
This appendix has tables for summoned and conjured creatures, as well as tables for astral and ethereal encounters.
Appendix E: Traps, Tricks and Dungeon Dressing
In a nod to the 1st edition DMG, this appendix has tables for determining everything from dungeon odors to the furnishings you might find in a torture chamber.
Appendix F: Random Environment Generation
In another nod to the 1st edition DMG, this appendix has tables for complete random dungeon generation - hurrah! It also has tables for randomly generating wilderness terrain and castle inhabitants. Some ideas are just too good to every go away.
Appendix G: Garweeze World - A Primer
This appendix has a map of a small corner of Garweeze World (which was previously included in an issue of KODT), as well as some general info about Garweeze World and its moons.
Appendix H - J
The GMG is rounded out several forms and worksheets, a glossary and a comprehensive appendix.
I have undoubtedly skimmed or omitted many things in this review. It's such a big book that you really need to pick one up for yourself and leaf through it to get an idea of just how much work the designers did.
I am immensely pleased with the GameMaster's Guide. While this IS HackMaster and the book does contain quite a bit of humorous and silly stuff, it is also a real RPG and the game designers treat it as such. I just wish I had a copy back in '79.
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