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Thread: HackRight?

  1. #1
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    Hi all.

    Just wondering if I am the only person on the face of this planet that is currently working on adapting HackMaster to fit the Birthright setting. I've always played 1st edition...with one sole exception: Birthright. Birthright was the *only* world that had so much depth and feel to it that I could ignore all the things I didn't like about 2e (which was considerable). Now that HackMaster is my game of choice (as of the last 2 years), I have started working on a "conversion" of HM stuff to fit into the BR feel. I've been using my "simple, quick and dirty" conversion notes, but am starting to get into some more serious re-working.

    Anyway, am I alone in this? Can anyone offer any suggestions?

    Oh, I have another question...but I'll start a new thread for it.
    ^_^

    Paul L. Ming

  2. #2
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    Hiya.

    Seeing as there has been no reply, I'll guess I'll assume that I am the only one here that preferes the HackMaster system over 3e (or 2e). Fair enough.

    I'll still try and post an update on my progress every now and then; new members joining and whatnot. :)

    Guess I'm off to create the hell out of it! ;)
    ^_^

    Paul L. Ming

  3. #3
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    Honestly, I know nothing about Hackmaster except that is started as a parody
    in a comic book. From what I have seen in shop shelves, it looks to be a
    parody in real life as well - but you obviously don`t think so. A short plug
    would not be out of place.


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  4. #4
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    Hiya.

    Without going too much into detail (I hope! :) )...

    HackMaster is one of the most solid rules system's I've seen (and that's a LOT of systems, btw). I've been playing it for almost 2 years now, and I have yet to see a player make a "munchkin" character; tough ass character, sure, but they all have leathal flaws that kill them within a session or two.

    The game itself is actually "two games in one". You can play it "Sanctioned", or "Unsanctioned".

    --Sanctioned: Basically, you are playing it as a pure parody. You are playing it as the Knights of the Dinner Table play it; style, attitude, the whole thing. A "funny haw haw" style of play.

    --Unsanctioned: Basically, you take the humor/parody aspects of the writing style and take it as written: A parody. It's funny to read, but not play. It's funny to read a rules system that has sentances like: "Let me say it again. And THIS time I will make it very, VERY clear. There are no contradictions in HackMaster, only 'appearent' contradictions or user error." Would you take the seriously? I don't. That's part of the fun of reading HM.

    I play Unsanctioned, by the way. As a matter of fact, at last poll, the split of total HM players is 50/50. These polls usually have somewhere around 100 to 500 participents. There are more books sold than HM Association people, however, so Unsanctioned play is probably higher (my guess).

    Rules wise, you're looking at about 18 core classes (plus another 23 from the Spell Slingers Guide; likely another 20+ from each of the futre Fighter, Thief and Cleric book; so another 60+). There are 10 races (some with subraces; like elves...Grey, high, Aquatic, Grunge, etc.).

    The rules are based heavily on 1e and 2e, but have significant additions. Honor is one. A characters Honor goes up/down based on his/her role-playing actions, which are based on his chosen class, race and alignment. Charcters who are Dishonorable, suffer a -1/-5% to ALL rolls (or +1/+5% if that would be bad), while Great Honor charcters get +1/+5%. Honor can be "purged" (reduced by 50%) in order to save your ass. There are other uses for it as well, but mainly it's a role-playing tool.

    Critical hits have effects. If you break a bone, it's broken. You need to rest or get a Cure Critical Wounds (or equivilent magic); a simple Cure Light Wounds won't cut it. Critical hits require Critical Healing. ;) Detailed, but not cumbersome once you get used to it.

    Armor degrades with use, but it can be fixed. Armor and Weapons need to be maintained or they start to deteriorate.

    A plethora of unique and cool monsters (some damn funny ones too. :) ), and with the Monster Matirix there are guidelines for manipulation/changing of monsters.

    PC's, NPC's, Monsters all have a "Hit Point Kicker". Typically it's 20 points, but size T creatures only get 10. And 'nusience creatures', dont' get any (like common rats and whatnot). PS: Don't mess with Dragons! A HM dragon would wipe the floor with a 3e dragon, in a heartbeat.

    XP is gained via combat, but a rather large chunk is gained via role-playing your character. I'd guess about 35 - 50% of your XP is gained this way.

    Skills (and there are LOTS of them) are % based.

    Talents are 'special ability' like things. A +1 bonus To Hit with Mace, for example, or maybe Less Sleep.

    Characters, when being created, have "BP's" (Build Points). The player uses these to increase stats, reroll rolls he doesn't like, buy skills, talents, etc. Characters also have actual backgrounds as part of the creation process. You will discover who your parents were, what they were like, where they lived, if they left/gave anything to you, if you have any family or clan grudges or enemies. When a level is gained, skills might increase, as do stats (each stat has a %'age associated with it; different classes gain different dice to add to that %'age. When the % is 100+, 100 is subtracted from the %, and the stat is increased by one point; ex: A fighter gets d20 increase to Str, but only d4 for Int).

    Bar none, the KenzerCo modules are some of the BEST i've ever seen! They didn't simply "convert" the old Keep on the Borderlands module, they actually managed to enhance it. There is so-o much going on behind the scenes...man. If you want a ROLE-playing game, HM is hard to beat.

    I'm sure I'm missing a few other things. If you are curious, drop on down to your local Wierd Petes (game store), and take a gander at the book. Or maybe ask to see if a demo game is going to be run (some HMGM's run demo games at their local stores every now and then). Better still, pick up a copy and read at your leasure. At the very least you will find it a fun and enjoyable read. :)

    If you want anything specific answered, just ask. Or head over to the HM boards (http://www.kenzerco.com/ and look on the left side, bottom for the link to the forums).
    ^_^

    Paul L. Ming

  5. #5
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    No. I am also working on a "conversion" to HackMaster.
    Odd that you use the same name I have been calling it :) (great minds? ;) )

    The great thing about HackMaster is that there is very little to convert. Stick a BP cost of Bloodline strength, etc, and you are basically ready to go.

    Catch ya later,
    -the Dwarf
    - the Dwarf

  6. #6
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    Hiya.

    YEAH! :) Hey...'the Dwarf'...hmmm...you're not The Foundry Dwarf, are you? (from HM boards at Kenzerco.com).

    Yeah, the 'conversion level' is pretty straight accross, but I'm trying to put more into it. I guess I'm trying to integrate HM with BR, in stead of simply creating a book that is "referenced" every now and then....did that make sense? Kinda like how Kenzer has 'redone' Keep on the Boarderlands, Against the Giants, etc.

    It sure is slow going though! But fun. :)
    ^_^

    Paul L. Ming

  7. #7
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    Originally posted by Denakhan
    YEAH! :) Hey...'the Dwarf'...hmmm...you're not The Foundry Dwarf, are you? (from HM boards at Kenzerco.com).
    Who? Me? ;)

    I started running BR back when it first came out. Just a "test game" mind you, a quick, short run game to see how to "break" the rules. About 3 or so years later I shelved the "quick test game" so other people could run (and try new systems). Still have about 3 large binders of stuff :) . (Helps being a programmer ... of sorts ;) )

    I asigned each of the Bloodline Strengths a BP value (5 for Tainted, 25 for Great), made 'em buy extra dice (BP cost varied by die type), and assigned a cost of 3BP to "Cherry Pick" Derivation. Bloodline score was determined by a start value (0,9,14,24) plus 1 die, plus any additional dice up to maximum allowable that they purchased. I let the dice penetrate up to max Bloodline Score for any particular BL Strength. I always hated that some people would get <past tense of a small metal fastener> because of bad die rolls, so for HackMaster I calculated the chance for getting a particular roll for a category, and made a roll every 3 points yield approximately the same chance as one roll per category (aka, I almost tripled the number of rolls, but decreased the chances accodingly). If you didn't roll high enough to get a power, then you would get a BP worth of stat. What stat was based on Derivation and roll. I asigned Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary stats to each derivation and rigged the chart so that about 50% of misses would yield primary, 35% Secondary, and 15% Tertiary (or there abouts ... it helps being a Mathematician, even if it is a BS :) ).
    The Social Class roll I moved to after Bloodline determination and altered the chart so that Upper Class required a 100+ roll (Bloodline Score is added to the roll, as is a bonus for family honor, number af siblings ahead of you, etc).
    The rest was basically straightforward. :)
    - the Dwarf

  8. #8
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    Ah Ha!

    D_M_Zwerg. :)

    For me, I've tried to stick with the BR element wheneve possible. If I don't/didn't have to add a new table, chart, then I didn't.

    Unlike the Sanctioned HackMaster attitude, I deffer to BR if there is a 'double up' (ex: races; a BR dwarf has the BR dwarf stuff...and then as the HM dwarf stuff; if there are crossover abilities, I use the BR version). This way, I hope, the flavour of BR overshadows the style of HM. So far, it seems to be working. Now I jsut have to get 'down and dirty' with the actual details and conversion (re: re-making all the NPC's and Cerilia specific monsters...and spells, magic items, etc.).

    As a side note, I'm trying to find a way to use the Basic D&D "War Machine" rules for handleing sieges/wars. I've always like those. A great sense of scale that is easy to manage. A bit more tweeking and I think it's perfect for a heroic-style campaign. :)
    ^_^

    Paul L. Ming

  9. #9
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    On Thu, 23 Jan 2003, Denakhan wrote:

    > As a side note, I`m trying to find a way to use the Basic D&D "War
    > Machine" rules for handling sieges/wars. I`ve always liked those. A
    > great sense of scale that is easy to manage. A bit more tweaking and
    > I think it`s perfect for a heroic-style campaign. :)

    *grin* This must be the cue for my seasonal advertisement for the BR War
    Machine rules cooked up by Solmyr, in one of whose non-Cerilian BR-rules
    PBEMs I much enjoyed playing (I was the court wizard of the realm ruler
    named under "special thanks"):

    http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Fortr.../brwarmach.html

    I have some quibbles with the precise numbers, but the idea as a whole is
    very sound. Being a "hex grids, cardboard counters and odds tables"
    wargamer at heart, I would not myself use so abstract a system for a
    tabletop campaign, but those with less interest than I in the minutiae of
    military operations might find it a useful timesaver. For a large-scale
    PBEM, I think such a tool is indispensable.


    Ryan Caveney

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  10. #10
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    I am still trying to figure out how/if the cards reflect the standard 4 weapon sytem.
    (Light infanty w. missile weapons defeats heavy infantry IFF the light infantry can avoid hand-to-hand; Heavy infantry defeats heavy cavalry on the defense IFF they are like armed or better (pikes); Heavy cavalry defeats light infantry on the attack; Light infantry defeats light cavalry on the defense IFF the light cavalry is not better armed and charges; Light cavalry w. missile weapons defeats heavy infantry IFF they avoid hand-to-hand; Light cavalry defeats heavy cavalry IFF they use missile weapons and avoid hand-to-hand)

    War Machine is better in some aspects, but only touches on the four weapon system.
    - the Dwarf

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