Response to Woas about HARP

[Rasyr]

Totally awesome. Thank you for writing that up for me. It answered questions I didn't even know I had. I'm reading the Revised rules on the HARP site now as well.

Again, Thanks a bunch!

Glad to answer any questions!

 

[Numion]

HARP is very flexible in this manner. You can change things to suit your style of play, and your preferences without hassle, and without having to check umpteen different things to see if it affects it as well.

This is usually used as a knock against d20 (and probably why Rasyr mentioned it), but is changing a chart really something you couldn't do in D&D? Usually the argument goes in the way that you can't remove AoOs from D&D, not that you couldn't alter .. a few numbers on a chart. So, how does this make harp special?

Now, it might also be that you could remove whole mechanics from Harp, but a single modified chart isn't a very good example.

I do agree though that Rasyr is a class act nowadays, that his venom for monte cook has somewhat lost its potency

 

[Rasyr]

This is usually used as a knock against d20 (and probably why Rasyr mentioned it), but is changing a chart really something you couldn't do in D&D? Usually the argument goes in the way that you can't remove AoOs from D&D, not that you couldn't alter .. a few numbers on a chart. So, how does this make harp special?

In designing HARP, one of my overt goals was to create an extremely flexible game. This is not a knock against d20 at all on my part. I mention HARP flexibility because that is one of the best features of HARP, IMO.

For example, you want to Rolemaster's magic system, it is a straight swap for HARP's magic system. You could even use the two side-by-side if you want.

There is a fellow on the ICE forums who is using HARP in Forgotten Realms. However, he wanted to keep the FR spells, so he did. He created a single skill per type of spell, and then allowed the learning of one spell for each rank (or something like this) and is using the spells straight from FR in his HARP game.

He also decided to do an alternate damage system. In this, he uses different size dice for damage (since HARP damage is partially determined by the weapon's size). He has also instituted multiple damage dice depending on how well the attack was. For example, if a small attack uses a d8, then a final result of 83 on the attack roll would result in 4d8 worth of damage. With every ten points of damage also inflicting one round of stun on the foe (who is able to attempt to resist being stunned). He has a few more rules to go along with this as well. But the point is that making changes to HARP is relatively easy.

Now, it might also be that you could remove whole mechanics from Harp, but a single modified chart isn't a very good example.

How about level-less? or profession-less? The Guild Companion has two articles this month about just that.
Level-less (written by me) - http://www.guildcompanion.com/scrolls/2004/nov/irregularprogression.html

Profession-less (written by Nick Caldwell, who authored College of Magics, and is currently writing a sci-fi version of HARP) -- http://www.guildcompanion.com/scrolls/2004/nov/professionlessharp.html

I am also working on an article for the Guild Companion about using HARP in a completely table-less manner. Using the standard all-or-nothing resolution to allow for the different types of rolls as well.

I do agree though that Rasyr is a class act nowadays, that his venom for monte cook has somewhat lost its potency

Not really, I just have bit more self control now.

 

[Acid_crash]

With all the downloads on the website, could we actually start playing the game with just those?

That's my question...I really like what your saying about the game, too bad the folks at WotC don't use similar things (like profession, upbringing stuff or cultural templates, etc.) in D&D.

 

[Rasyr]

as long as you didn't include spells, yeah you could almost play with the downloads on the website... hehe

And the supplement, College of Magics even includes official rules for creating new spells...

 

[Acid_crash]

as long as you didn't include spells, yeah you could almost play with the downloads on the website... hehe

And the supplement, College of Magics even includes official rules for creating new spells...

How does the spell system work then?

To bad this isn't OGL, I think it would be cool if another game system went open like d20 is.

 

[dvvega]

Acid_crash: actually WOTC did allow for all of those things, however they didn't spell it out for you.

A cultural template or a profession could very easily be modelled using the creature-template system. In this case they would be +0 ECL unless you started giving feats out by the fistful, with skills and ranks in those skills.

So you could rule that a d20 character gets two templates slapped onto them at the start (cultural and professional).

Rasyr: a simplified Rolemaster was employed for the old Middle-Earth Roleplaying game. Did you use any of that as inspiration? I must say the magic system was still cumbersome, but criticals and so forth were simplified.

 

[Rasyr]

Rasyr: a simplified Rolemaster was employed for the old Middle-Earth Roleplaying game. Did you use any of that as inspiration? I must say the magic system was still cumbersome, but criticals and so forth were simplified.

No, while I have a number of MERP modules (fantastic modules, and useful in almost any setting), I have never owned nor read the MERP rules, though I have been told that there are some similarities between the two.

 

[Rasyr]

How does the spell system work then?

Ok, first of all, spells are divided into Spheres (each profession has its own Sphere), and each Sphere is a list of individual spells that a character may learn.

Each spell is then learned as if it were a skill. With the character purchasing ranks in it. In order to cast a spell, the character must have enough power points (PP) available, and must have enough ranks in the spell.

A character may only put an amount of power points into a spell equal to the number of ranks he has. For example, a Mage wants to cast an Elemental Bolt of Fire (Firebolt). The base form of this spell does a Tiny Fire Critical, and has a range of 100' for a cost of 4 power points.

This means that the character needs a minimum of 4 skill ranks in the spell to be able to cast it. The character may scale up the size of the critical by paying an additional 2 PP per size increase. He may also scale it up in terms of range by an additional 50' for every additional 1 PP.

At first level, a character may have a maximum of 6 ranks in any given skill, so a Mage could cast the Firebolt a total of 200' and do a Tiny Fire Critical, or cast it 100' and do a Small Fire Critical.

There is a catch though. For every power point above the base cost of the spell, the mage receives a -5 to his casting roll. Thus both scaled up examples listed above are at -10 to cast.

So, if maxed out on skill ranks, and the character had a +5 bonus for both the related stats, this would give him a total bonus of 40 for casting the spell, or 30 if casting either of the scaled up options listed above. If the mage wanted to do a Tiny Fire Critical, and only give it a range of 150', then this would cost him 5 PP total, and give him a casting bonus of 35 for this spell.

In HARP, mages can also wear armor, however, the wearing of armor hampers the casting of spells, and thus requires that the caster expend more power points when casting a spell. If our Mage is wearing soft leather armor (which give a +20 to their defensive bonus), this would also require that all spells cost an extra 2 PP. In this case, the Mage would not be able to scale up the spell while wearing armor since to cast the base form would cost 6 PP (and thus require a minimum of 6 ranks in the spell). And yes, his casting bonus would be 30 while wearing the armor since it is 2 PP above the base cost of the spell.

I hope that makes sense.

To bad this isn't OGL, I think it would be cool if another game system went open like d20 is.

Several other systems have, including the Action! system. However, I personally feel that WotC was the only company (except perhaps White Wolf maybe) who had the customer base to support such a move.

Any other company that released their systems under the OGL is going to find that doing so will draw off some of their own customers without enough of a return to make it worthwhile. And since most rpg companies are already struggling (do to decreased distributor sales - which are down across the board), doing so is not really feasible.

Now, ICE has no plans on releasing HARP under the OGL. However, ICE is very willing to license the system, at what I think are very reasonable rates, and to work with licensors so that doing so does not strap them. In fact, ICE has already received several requests regarding licensing of HARP, which is very cool, I think.

 

[Acid_crash]

Ok, first of all, spells are divided into Spheres (each profession has its own Sphere), and each Sphere is a list of individual spells that a character may learn.

Each spell is then learned as if it were a skill. With the character purchasing ranks in it. In order to cast a spell, the character must have enough power points (PP) available, and must have enough ranks in the spell.

A character may only put an amount of power points into a spell equal to the number of ranks he has. For example, a Mage wants to cast an Elemental Bolt of Fire (Firebolt). The base form of this spell does a Tiny Fire Critical, and has a range of 100' for a cost of 4 power points.

This means that the character needs a minimum of 4 skill ranks in the spell to be able to cast it. The character may scale up the size of the critical by paying an additional 2 PP per size increase. He may also scale it up in terms of range by an additional 50' for every additional 1 PP.

At first level, a character may have a maximum of 6 ranks in any given skill, so a Mage could cast the Firebolt a total of 200' and do a Tiny Fire Critical, or cast it 100' and do a Small Fire Critical.

There is a catch though. For every power point above the base cost of the spell, the mage receives a -5 to his casting roll. Thus both scaled up examples listed above are at -10 to cast.

So, if maxed out on skill ranks, and the character had a +5 bonus for both the related stats, this would give him a total bonus of 40 for casting the spell, or 30 if casting either of the scaled up options listed above. If the mage wanted to do a Tiny Fire Critical, and only give it a range of 150', then this would cost him 5 PP total, and give him a casting bonus of 35 for this spell.

In HARP, mages can also wear armor, however, the wearing of armor hampers the casting of spells, and thus requires that the caster expend more power points when casting a spell. If our Mage is wearing soft leather armor (which give a +20 to their defensive bonus), this would also require that all spells cost an extra 2 PP. In this case, the Mage would not be able to scale up the spell while wearing armor since to cast the base form would cost 6 PP (and thus require a minimum of 6 ranks in the spell). And yes, his casting bonus would be 30 while wearing the armor since it is 2 PP above the base cost of the spell.

I hope that makes sense.

I really like that magic system, definately seems more streamlined and customizable to how the player wants his spells cast. Now, why can't the spells be put onto the website? huh?

You want to know what really burns me up, I have a pretty cool FLGS with the exception to special orders for books. For some reason, whenever I try to get a book special ordered (like HARP or Savage Worlds), the person who does the ordering always says they can't do it (I think he is really lazy and just doesn't want to) but I don't have any other means of getting these other games that aren't as well known. Sorry for the Rant!

Several other systems have, including the Action! system. However, I personally feel that WotC was the only company (except perhaps White Wolf maybe) who had the customer base to support such a move.

Any other company that released their systems under the OGL is going to find that doing so will draw off some of their own customers without enough of a return to make it worthwhile. And since most rpg companies are already struggling (do to decreased distributor sales - which are down across the board), doing so is not really feasible.

Now, ICE has no plans on releasing HARP under the OGL. However, ICE is very willing to license the system, at what I think are very reasonable rates, and to work with licensors so that doing so does not strap them. In fact, ICE has already received several requests regarding licensing of HARP, which is very cool, I think.

I think that is really cool also.

How well would Eberron be translated into HARP? How easy would it be to convert the new Eberron races to HARP mechanics? If it can do that, because I really like Eberron, then I think HARP would be my system of choice (but I have to go download what is available and someday buy the book).