AHM Hacklopedia of Beasts pictures

[KJSEvans]

Very true. Also, the monster are retro. Kobolds are not dragons, but dogs. Orcs are pig-snouted, tusked humanoids, and halflings are curly-haired, hairy-footed shorties!

But don't ask them to sing and dance. ...gawds, never ask them to sing and dance...

 

[Sonny]

They are also apparently intending to release the beta pdf of the Player's Handbook before GenCon. It is going to continue in the style of the HoB, although David Kenzer has said it will look even better.

Although I suspect it'll be a long delay between the pdf and the print edition, I love the way they are releasing their product now. It gives us an early peek at the material while also allowing us to catch errata and help them make things clearer in the text. Win-win.

I just bought the PDF last night, and it has quickly become my top Monster Manual ever. Not that it's perfect, but it's what I would like every Monster Manual to be like from now on.

Detailed, beautiful, and a great read. The yield table was a great idea as well. I'm really happy with this purchase. And I Can't wait for the actual book to be released.

If the Hackmaster Advanced Players Guide is this level of quality, I think Kenzer will have a new dedicated customer. =)

 

[griffonwing]

if memory serves, they are going to use the same technique for the PH as they did with the HoB, so if you get in early, you can help get involved with feedback to make it better!

 

[Falstaff]

if memory serves, they are going to use the same technique for the PH as they did with the HoB, so if you get in early, you can help get involved with feedback to make it better!

You're correct. In the coming weeks Kenzer & Co. will be offering the Player's Handbook for pre-order. If you pre-order you'll get access to the beta pdf of the Player's Handbook, same as they offered with the Hacklopedia pre-order. The idea and hope is that gamers will pre-order the Player's Handbook and use the information in the book in their campaign, posting questions and comments about their experience on the Kenzer & Co. HackMaster message boards. The designers would then keep these discussions in mind as they get ready to go to print with a final edition.

At least this is what I've been lead to believe by posts on the HackMaster boards by the good folks at Kenzer.

 

[KJSEvans]

You're correct. In the coming weeks Kenzer & Co. will be offering the Player's Handbook for pre-order. If you pre-order you'll get access to the beta pdf of the Player's Handbook, same as they offered with the Hacklopedia pre-order. The idea and hope is that gamers will pre-order the Player's Handbook and use the information in the book in their campaign, posting questions and comments about their experience on the Kenzer & Co. HackMaster message boards. The designers would then keep these discussions in mind as they get ready to go to print with a final edition.

At least this is what I've been lead to believe by posts on the HackMaster boards by the good folks at Kenzer.

And they really take good feedback and apply it. They responded positively toward a lot of the feedback I sent them for the HoB. I'm anxious to provide even more help on the PHB...

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

...and 39.99 for the Hob PDF.

Excuse me, $40 for a pdf?

 

[KJSEvans]

Excuse me, $40 for a pdf?

It was free with purchase of the print book until very recently.

If you buy both print and pdf in a bundle, then the pdf only costs $20.

When the PHB hits, the pdf will probably be free with purchase of the book, for probably six months or longer, incidentally.

Lastly - I'm sure that their intent is to drive sales of the hard cover. Why spend $40 for a pdf when you could have the real, glorious thing for just $20 more? totally worth it.

 

[lejanius]

Excuse me, $40 for a pdf?

This is also a basic principle of economics. Kenzer is spending X amount of dollars on hardcover books and it wishes to not only recover this amount but turn a profit.

They want to offer the hardcover and a PDF, but they don't want to kill the sales of their own hardcover book by selling the PDF for so much less that no one ever buys the hardcover.

So they have to settle on a price that is attractive to those wanting a PDF but also doesn't kill their own sales.

I think in this instance for any game company selling a $40 PDF for a $60 hardcover is reasonable (though I wouldn't buy the PDF myself given the choice of a hardcover).

If a book retails for $20, a $15 PDF is reasonable
$20 PDF for a $30 book?

I guess the real question is, what price is reasonable for a PDF that is viable but doesn't kill your own hard copy sales?

Everyone is likely to have a different answer to that one.

Just a thought

 

[KJSEvans]

Bump for the new beast release - the Devil.

One thing I'm not sure if you folks have noticed is that there's "explorer text" in every entry - i.e., a first-hand account of an encounter with the monster in question. The cleric explorer, Helena Vitira, is one of my favorites and she gives the accounting for the Devil.

(The other explorers are Greytar the Gentle, who has been Jolly's scribe for decades, Dealaan Daarmae, a roguish type, Dorran Randril, a cleric, Larzon Bayz, a badass, and "The Ravager," 'nuff said.) The different voices make for some very amusing moments in the book - there aren't very many monster manuals out there that are useful to the GM AND hilarious.