D&D players, tell me about your HARP games

[Turanil]

Well, I just have read a HARP review, and then downloaded the free lite version. Now, I am curious to know about that game in relation to D&D.

So, to those of you who play both games, tell me about it:

-- Does it play faster and easier than D&D 3.5?
-- Can you create characters much different from D&D archetypes (say, what about a fighter in HARP, as compared to a fighter in D&D)?
-- Does magic feel really different?
-- In what setting do you use HARP?
-- Overall, do just the game mechanics change but it's still a fantasy world of elves, dwarves, fighters, clerics, and mages? Or does it really change the experience of play?
-- any other question you may think of and want to answer?

Thanks.

 

[Rasyr]

Those are some very good questions! I would definitely be interested in hearing the answers as well!

(yes, greywulf, this means YOU).

 

[der_kluge]

Was that my review?
here: http://www.enworld.org/reviews.php?do=review&reviewid=2442472

-- Does it play faster and easier than D&D 3.5?

I think this is largely up to the GM. Combat seems to take a bit longer, but then, it's also a bit deadlier, so it kind of balances out. I think the trick in HARP is to just avoid combat altogether. Where D&D kind of encourages it. That's my impression.


-- Can you create characters much different from D&D archetypes (say, what about a fighter in HARP, as compared to a fighter in D&D)?

Absolutely. This is the big strength of HARP, IMHO. I can make a cleric whose an adept woodsman and archer (in fact, I did for a playtest I ran). You can make all kinds of different rogues and thieves, and since a spellcaster really has to focus on being good at just a handful of spells to be effective, the combinations of different kinds of spellcasters is nearly limitless. You can also make fighters who can cast a few spells, or give thieves a few ranks in a knock (the equivalent). I absolutely love this aspect of HARP.


-- Does magic feel really different?

Ultimately, I don't think so. A spell is a spell. They are different enough from D&D spells to create a new feel, though. But once you get used to them, I think, it's not unlike D&D.


-- In what setting do you use HARP?

I see HARP as working best in a low magic, gritty, realistic setting. ICE is coming out with Cyradon, but I don't know very much about it. A setting like Eberron or Forgotten Realms just wouldn't work very well with HARP. I just don't think those settings are very compatible with HARP's feel.


-- Overall, do just the game mechanics change but it's still a fantasy world of elves, dwarves, fighters, clerics, and mages? Or does it really change the experience of play?

I think in subtle ways it can change the experience. I think because it removes the archetypes more, everyone can have something to contribute to every encounter. There's less distinction between the classes, so it feels more realistic in terms of attributing more persona to the characters. They're not just - Bob the barbarian - the characters become harder to typecast, I think. Also, there are some different spells that you can do subtle things with, so you can create slightly different effects. Magic, overall, seems more powerful, but less common.

-- any other question you may think of and want to answer?

HARP also doesn't use miniatiures, but I suppose you could use them, but you'd have to come up with some simple house rules to do so. But then, HARP is not D&D, so it's arguable that, depending on your gaming style, you might prefer not using them.

 

[GrayPumpkin]

While I've owned HARP for a while I'm just now starting to play, so I'll try to answer though this does come from a newbie.

Combat time seems to take about the same time though it might be quicker once I'm more used to the rules. I hesitate to use the word "realistic" when talking about a game but it does give more of an approximation of reality than DnD, it's gritty and deadly and something turn to as a last resort. In Harp a single lowly goblin, which are not nearly as lowly as goblins in D20, can put down a high level character with a lucky hit, so you can’t get too cocky or you wind up dead.

As already mentioned character creation is one of HARP's strongest points, you have lot of flexibility with regards to what you can do with a character.

The magic system is different, more flexible in a lot of ways but I agree with der Kluge in the end magic is magic it just has a more low magic approach.

Right now I'm using the Wilderlands and I'm highly anticipating the release Wilderlands of High Fantasy Boxed Set from Necromancer Games. It's a gritty world that makes a good fit for HARP.

Like der Kluge said it's a lot more Low Magic, think more Lhankmar than Forgotten Realms.

 

[Norin_Elyndel]

I have been playing HARP since the system has been released in late 2003, As far as how it plays vs. D&D 3.5. Combat is far more dangerous and thus more exciting and since experience points are not awarded for combat but for achieving story goals, unnecassary combat is to be avoided.

Combat in General

HARP emphasizes defense, we do not use the HARP core rules for combat but we do utilize the HAck & Slash expansion as we like crunchier and more descriptive critical hits which can end a fight in a hurry. I would say that combat in HARP is about as long in D&D between evenly matched opponents, in a battle where the fights are lopsided it is relatively quick.

HARP's character creation system is far and away superior to any other system that I have had the chance to play (AD&D 1, AD&D 2, Champions, Shadowrun, GURPS, D&D 3/3.5, Earthdawn) With the wide variety of options available to a person it is highly unlikely that your character will resemble any one else's unless it is by design.

Magic

Let me admit my bias here right away, I love magic, I prefer to play characters that can utilize spells. Having said that let me admit that I strongly dislike the 3/3.5, AD&D2/AD&D1 spell systems where you have to preselect your spells for the day and are limited how many times you can cast them depends on how many times you prepare the spell slots. I prefer spellcasters in the vein of Raymond Fiest and David Eddings where your learning and imagination determine how you cna use your spell energies. HARP is closer to this ideal, it uses a mana point system to determine how often you can cast spells, and a skill based system where you buy ranks in a spell, the more ranks you buy the more potent a version of that spell you can cast and the better at using that spell you are. The only weakness in the spell system is that are some very obvious gaps in the spells that have been released for the spell system, which is not a problem if you are willing to write them up, the optional college of magics supplement has complete spell creation rules.

If you have any other questions please visit the HARP community bulletin boards where a very active and passionate community will be glad to answer your questions patiently @ www.harphq.com and click on the community tag on the left side and select the forums tag.

I hope that helped answer some of your questions.

 

[cblackthorne]

One of the strengths of HARP is that if you look at two 10th level fighters, they will not be the same. Depending on the player that is running them, they will have different attack capabilities, defense, skills, and resistance rolls. In D20 two 10th level fighters have the same To hit bonuses, defense, and class skills.

HARP differs in that is allows you to customize your character to the "image" in your head.

 

[Rasyr]

Hey greywulf! Has the medication worn off yet? I want to hear about how your recent HARP game went!!

 

[Crothian]

-- Does it play faster and easier than D&D 3.5?

Not for us, but we were just learning HARP so hard to say once one gets more used to the rules.

-- Can you create characters much different from D&D archetypes (say, what about a fighter in HARP, as compared to a fighter in D&D)?

Totally. Character creation is a lot more flexible.

-- Does magic feel really different?

It doesn't just feel different, it is different.

-- In what setting do you use HARP?

We just had a generic fantasy setting to try the game out.

 

[Rasyr]

-- Does it play faster and easier than D&D 3.5?

Not for us, but we were just learning HARP so hard to say once one gets more used to the rules.

So, while learnign to play, was it slower? Or about the same speed? More detail would be appreciated.

 

[Crothian]

So, while learnign to play, was it slower? Or about the same speed? More detail would be appreciated.

For use it was slower learning HARP then d20, but we all grew up on D&D so d20 was not as new as HARP was. HARP we had to look up a lot of rules and the many modifiers in the game.