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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jdrakeh" data-source="post: 4067203" data-attributes="member: 13892">I think that trying to convert the HarnMaster rules to Standard d20 ala D&D is a fruitless endeavor. Having recently read the HarnMaster adventure 100 Bushels of Rye, I think it illustrates beautifully the divide between world assumptions that both systems make at the mechanical level. In 100 Bushels of Rye, a single Troll is fearsome enough to have been worshipped as a demon for decades by a tribe of savage warriors, shut down operations at a local mine, and terrorize a feudal Manor and its village very effectively. A single, solitary, humanoid monster. When was the last time that a single primitive humanoid in D&D was possessed of that much awesome power? Never. That's when. Harn (the setting) simply has some default assumptions that don't parse well with Standard d20 mechanically. HarnMaster was specifically designed to represent these assumptions mechanically. Naturally, you can use D&D to play in Harn but unless you're implementing a large number of house rules, what you'll end up with will look more like D&D with Harn place names than anything resembling HarnWorld as-written (IME, anyhow). In HarnWorld, things like disease are a real threat, monsters are so ultra-rare that one of them can terroize an entire countryside, and (unless things are played very safe) any men or women who actively seek out large, dark, cavern systems full of monsters aren't going to live very long. The HarnWorld mechanics reflect these realities of the setting, whereas Standard d20 is pretty much at the opposite end of the spectrum (that said, Grim Tales works well with all of the lethality options cranked up).Earlier editions of D&D might work a bit better but the default classes don't really fit (Clerics are the biggest issue, as most priests in HarnWorld aren't the spell-wielding, martial, badasses of D&D) and eternally escalating HPs are problematic. Honestly, I think that each of the earlier D&D editions comes complete with its own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to representing HarnWorld as-written, though it seems that either OD&D (1974) or AD&D 2e may require the least tweaking (that's a snap value judgement BTW, not a thoroughly researched theory).</blockquote>

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