D&D 3E/3.5 Hackmaster and D&D 3E

[Geoffrey]

I have all the HackMaster books published so far, and I am eagerly awaiting the release of the 8th (and last) Hacklopedia of Beasts.

I plan on starting a HackMaster campaign this summer. Col. Hardisson is right about possible system collapse if all the rules are used. This is what I'm going to do:

Essentially run HackMaster as OAD&D with the additional:
1. character races
2. character classes
3. monsters
4. spells
5. magic items

I'm not going to use honor, quirks, flaws, skills, social background, etc. I don't like that sort of stuff in my D&D games (and HackMaster is nothing if not D&D). The "official" way to make a HackMaster character takes forever. This is annoying to me, especially considering how often PCs will be killed in HackMaster. Also, I like to be able to just list an NPC's race, class, and level. I don't like big lists of skills, quirks, and such.

Anyway, HackMaster is a great game! It's like OAD&D on steroids. I can hardly wait to start my campaign!

 

[WSmith]

Geoffrey, I am thinking almost exactly what you are thinking. I had some trouble rolling up a character last night, see this thread: http://pub39.ezboard.com/fnecromancergamesfrm26.showMessage?topicID=71.topic, Granted it was my 1st HM chargen attempt, but it just seems too much for my liking. I do agree that there is a ton of stuff in the HM PHB that is a gold mine for OAD&D/1e.

So I agree with what you said here:

I'm not going to use honor, quirks, flaws, skills, social background, etc. I don't like that sort of stuff in my D&D games (and HackMaster is nothing if not D&D). The "official" way to make a HackMaster character takes forever. This is annoying to me, especially considering how often PCs will be killed in HackMaster. Also, I like to be able to just list an NPC's race, class, and level. I don't like big lists of skills, quirks, and such.

One concern I have is that, Honor seems so intergrated into the HM system , that you couldn't just use it, and nothing else. I like th concept, of being able to burn Honor to reroll, or do something like the dragon/closed door example. The character background, quirks and flaws, and skills, and BPs seem a little too dependant on each other the tinker with. So, I will probably do something similar to what you are going to.

Also, I prefer 1e BEFORE the NWPs, (UA, DSG, WSG) came out. So, loosing this skills would no great loss to me. I always used the generic ability test, for example INT for things like knowledge, and give a bouns of 2 if the character had secondary skills releated to the check.

But, after reading the PHB, I am sorry I ever blew it off as a joke. It is a great read, one of the easiest RPG rulebooks I have ever read.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Yeah, the PHB is great, but, in my opinion, the Game Master's Guide is one of the best RPG books I've ever bought, period. All kinds of stuff that could be used in just about any D&D game, regardless of edition, from the Smartass Smackdown Table to random generation of...just about anything. Well, not exactly, but stuff like taverns and rumors and, yes, dungeons, including all the dungeon dressing stuff from the 1e DMG, and more. In tandem with the 3e DMG, the GMG is as close to perfection as you get in a RPG book.

 

[mmadsen]

Armor and Shield hit-point regression

Is that a system for damaging equipment?

20 hit-point kicker and penetration damage

What's that?

Social Class, Order of Birth, Quality of Parent, etc.

Reminds me of Chivalry & Sorcery and Pendragon.

I think all of these could be great in a 3e game if you wanted to try them out. If you do, let me know what you think!

Why not put out a d20 supplement full of these optional rules?

 

[Tsyr]

To answer a couple of your questions...

The 20 hit point kicker is a Hackmaster convention to make fights last longer at lower levels (no more 1-hit-dead type stuff at level 1). Basicly all characters start out with an extra 20 hp.

Damage penetration is sorta like a critical hit... if you do max damage, you can do more damage besides. Sorta hard to explain. It's sorta the counter-balance to the kicker.

As for putting out a d20 supplement... Eh, not sure some of them would work. The Character Building rules would be right out, for example, and many of the other rules hing off that.

 

[mmadsen]

The 20 hit point kicker is a Hackmaster convention to make fights last longer at lower levels (no more 1-hit-dead type stuff at level 1). Basicly all characters start out with an extra 20 hp.

Interesting, a Wound/Vitality system acheives much the same thing, if a bit indirectly, by starting everyone with Con hit points.

 

[Tsyr]

Well yes, but remember... Hackmaster is still essentialy 1E/2E. A wound/vitality system just wouldn't be good for Hackmaster.