hackmaster

[nsruf]

The big problem I always had with Hackmaster is the absolutly rediculous amouts of work that the DM has to put into it, from tracking the most insignificant of alignment violations to two or three hours it may take to roll up a fully statted NPC. I mean even rolling on the percentage chance for every barmaid that the PC with the Male Pattern Baldness flaw encounters to determine if she finds him more or less attractive takes time.

I haven't played it yet, but promised some people to run a HM game for fun. And what I gather from reading the books so far, the above hits the nail on the head: there is an enormous amount of bookkeeping and tracking of minutiae involved for the GM. Less so for the players.

Plus, the rules are disorganized in that the Players Guide contains incomplete information, and the GM's guide expands on that - sometimes even in different places. This is in part due to the player vs. GM attitude fostered by the game, but it is also terribly inconvenient for the GM. My current understanding of the rules is a mess and I would probably need 30 min looking up the definite answer to a straightforward question.

So far, HM looks definitely un-fun to me, mechanics-wise. I know I could dump any over-the-top rules and customize the game to my tastes, but since the only reason I picked it up in the first place is the parody value, this would make the effort pretty meaningless. If I just wanted to run a decent, reasonably smooth fantasy game, I would stay with d20.

 

[Dirt]

Plus, the rules are disorganized in that the Players Guide contains incomplete information, and the GM's guide expands on that - sometimes even in different places. This is in part due to the player vs. GM attitude fostered by the game, but it is also terribly inconvenient for the GM. My current understanding of the rules is a mess and I would probably need 30 min looking up the definite answer to a straightforward question.

I think the "incomplete information" that you mentioned was purposeful. The player vs. GM attitude aside (which was part of the "parody"), I think they were trying to recreate the nostalgia. My fond memories of playing D&D so many years ago included, as a player, not knowing every item in the book and every rule.

As for the rules, you're right - they could definitely use better organization. I can't count the number of times that I've had to flip through both the PHB and the GMG looking for a rule (and not knowing which one would contain it).

 

[Mark Plemmons]

All good comments (even the ones I didn't agree with)!!!

I'd definitely suggest you do a little lurking or posting at the HackMaster discussion forums.

Go to http://www.kenzerco.com/forums/ubbthreads.php and scroll down to select the HM boards.