Castle Greyhawk - Hackmaster or d20

[ColonelHardisson]

I would buy the module for nostalgia purposes, but not the HM rulebooks. Many times I have:

picked it up in the store,
thumbed through it approvingly,
turned it over and looked on the back at the price,
picked my eyeballs back up off the floor and popped them back into their sockets,
sighed, then placed the bookback on the shelf.

I won't spend that much on a PAPER back book.

I'd rather spend that on books with 2-4 times the content of other $30 books than for hardcovers and 1/2 to 1/4 the content. Take a look at not just page count for the HackMaster books - which is pretty heft - but look at how much of the page they actually use. Those books are packed with years of reading.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

My understanding is that Hackmaster is basically AD&D with a few minor changes. So, if the module was released in dhackmaster format, shouldn't people who know Ad&D well be able to use it no problem? Would people who know AD&D need to buy HM materials?

Yeah, anyone who knows AD&D should have little trouble with HM stuff. There are a few new things added into the mix, but it's essentially AD&D.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

I'd rather spend that on books with 2-4 times the content of other $30 books than for hardcovers and 1/2 to 1/4 the content. Take a look at not just page count for the HackMaster books - which is pretty heft - but look at how much of the page they actually use. Those books are packed with years of reading.

I'd agree. The text is pretty densly packed on the pages. They fit a lot more stuff on a page than WOTC or most other publishers do.

 

[Sayburr]

No. Hackmaster is essentially retooled AD&D. I already have AD&D and a version of Castle Greyhawk I would play (Greyhawk Ruins); I could already play that if I wanted to.

Yes, HM is a retooled AD&D, but AD&D is no longer supported and HM is. But you are correct in that you should be able to easily convert any HM module to AD&D simply by taking 20 hps away from every creature.

As far as the Jokeing nature of HM, we will have to wait and see how Gary and Rob handle that part. Both as a sense of humor that matches the HM game so it is possible they might just go all out.

If you look, though, at the remakes HM has already done (B1 is the only one I have), it is done pretty well and it very playable. I understand the Slaver Series remake has been released and I am waiting for it to arrive at my game store before I decide how well I will like it, but I am excited about it. All I really know is they have taken all four of the modules and redid them as one super module, so I am not sure how different they are from the Orig.

Sorry, kinda off topic there.

 

[grodog]

* bump *

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

I'd buy it and run it with 1e rules.

 

[Sayburr]

I'd buy it and run it with 1e rules.

I am starting to think that is how most people feel.

I guess many people feel Hackmaster is too much of a 'spoof' to be a real game, but the mechanics are sound.

I guess I just thought there would be more old gamers like me excited about the release of this fabled classic that started it all and would jump at the chance to buy it, no matter what the system.

 

[Templetroll]

As far as the Jokeing nature of HM, we will have to wait and see how Gary and Rob handle that part. Both as a sense of humor that matches the HM game so it is possible they might just go all out.

If you look, though, at the remakes HM has already done (B1 is the only one I have), it is done pretty well and it very playable.

From everything I recall reading about the Gary Castle Greyhawk it was rife with humor in addition to deadly and serious encounters. He had portals to Wonderland and all sorts of other oddball things.

I have the "Quest for the Unknown" rework of the old TSR module and it was very cool and easy as pie to translate into 3e. I liked the way they fleshed out some encounters and added a neat soap opera explanation for NPC actions. It was an improved module, in my opinion.

I'll look forward to GreyHack and will likely buy that one. I would definitely buy a d20 Castle Greyhawk if there were one available, though.

 

[MerricB]

I'll definitely buy it (or rather, them) and run it with 3E rules.

I have no trouble converting 1E to 3E, even 'on the fly', so I don't see that Hackmaster will give me many troubles.

I'm still going to pick up Hackmaster, because I'm interested to see what they've done with it; I love new rules; and it'd be amusing to run a jokey campaign at some stage!

Cheers!

 

[grodog]

I guess many people feel Hackmaster is too much of a 'spoof' to be a real game, but the mechanics are sound.

Well, I can't speak for everyone Sayburr, but Hackmaster defintely gives me the impression that it's not a serious game. I'm also not a fan of the KODT comic (mostly due to its portrayal of gamers), so the humor of Hackmaster doesn't appeal to me much on that level, either.

I realize my antipathy to KODT means that I'm the exception, rather than the rule, but the association that I make between KODT and HM is another strike against me taking the game seriously as a game/system (vs. as a joke/parody game product like Hol, Slayers Guide to Female Gamers, etc., etc.).

I guess I just thought there would be more old gamers like me excited about the release of this fabled classic that started it all and would jump at the chance to buy it, no matter what the system.

Oh, I'm sure many non-HM players/fans will buy the adventure if it's marketed well. And it may well open some folks' eyes to glory that is HM. Others will just buy it for the authors and contents.

Does that really matter, in the long-run, though? A sale is a sale is a sale, right?