Particle_Man
Explorer
I received a free review copy of the following adventure. I do not own any other Hackmaster materials, and so will be reviewing it out of context, but here goes:
Review: Quest for the Unknown. Hackmaster Adventure B1. By Kenzer and Company.
Adapted by Brian Jelke, Steve Johansson and David S. Kenzer from an old B1 adventure module of Basic Dungeons and Dragons. It frightens me that I am old enough to remember when the original was new. But enough about me.
Minor spoiler warnings. Also, as I do not have the rulebooks to this game, I may be making judgements that are explainable within the context of the game. Still here? Ok.
If one goes to see the movie "The Scorpion King", one should not expect an art film. Similarly, when reviewing a Hackmaster adventure, one should pay attention to the "hack" in the name. This game has an intense focus on hack and slash roleplay, coupled with Nostalgia for 1st edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. As said on page 42 of this particular adventure, "don't get carried away and turn this into some kind of thespian gathering." Realism is never emphasized at the expense of the fun of a simple dungeon crawl. Kenzer & Co. is capable of putting out very highly detailed and realistic gaming materials (witness the Kingdoms of Kalamar setting and adventures), but that isn't what is being advertized here.
So what do we have? It is an introductory adventure for Hackmaster. For those familiar with AD&D, there will be a lot of familiar elements, but there are enough changes that one should pay attention if one is adapting this adventure into another setting. For one thing, all the monsters have a LOT of hit points for "wimpy" orcs, etc, TWENTY more than their AD&D equivalents. (There are other creatures, but I do not want to spoil the adventure for those who have not read it). That seems to make it tough for players in the game, especially in an introductory adventure. One hit will not mean one kill. Presumably, those with the Hackmaster Player's Guide and Game Master's Guide have detailed rules on how the characters are similarly "powered up" to deal with these creatures. As I do not have those books, I will not dwell on this point.
What the module does well is give advice to the Game Master on how to run a game of Hackmaster. There is also a nice list of tips for Players. These could be useful for any Hackmaster adventure, and, indeed, many of them would apply to gaming in general, once one filters out the Hackmaster bias. For instance, the admonition not to take too much time because the GM might get bored or annoyed and start sending in more wandering monsters seems more applicable to Hackmaster than to other fantasy games (at least I HOPE that is the case), but it does get annoying in any game when the players are simply wasting time.
It is an adventure of exploring a somewhat abandoned keep, and the tunnels underneath it. There are opportunities to loot, but there is also some foreshadowing of the possibility of the owners of the keep returning to reclaim what the adventurers acquire (whether this will happen is a risk the players have to take – certainly the RUMOUR is that the keep's rulers have died...). Thus there are consequences for what the players do, even in a hack and slash game like this one.
There is a bias towards humour, and a more adversarial relationship between Game Master and Players than one might be used to. The "tough love" ethos of Hackmaster basically punishes players who forget to list all their equipment, screw up when mapping, waste time, bicker or who make stupid mistakes. On the other hand, it does encourage players to work with each other. Basically, if they don't they die that much sooner.
This adventure has some nice touches. I like the Legend table of rumours for individual players. I like the illustrations of the monsters. And the almost didactic instructions to the GM remind me of advice that it would have been nice to have had when I ran my first adventure, mumble-mumble years ago. The pages for players can be removed, and permission is given to xerox them for personal use if one wishes to keep the adventure together. The maps are easy to figure out, even without the legend for the symbols (apparently in the Player's Handbook).
The adventure has some neutral touches. There are some anachronisms placed for humour's sake, which presumably works for a Hackmaster game but might not be one's cup of tea. There is a backstory of sorts which the players can find clues to (and they get Experience Points for finding these clues, much to my amazement. I guess the game is not ALL about killing monsters and gaining treasure). And there are some jokes put in that only one who reads the adventure will get. I guess that is good for the GMs, but it seems a bit odd that the players (or at least honest players that don't peek at the adventure) have no chance to hear about some of it (unless the GM simply tells them after the adventure is over, out of game).
There are some things I am not too thrilled with. Very early in the game, there is a Magic Mouth that tries pickup lines on the female characters (if there are any). Frankly, that is indicative of an adolescent bias that I try to discourage in gaming. Also, the picture on the front of the adventure acts as a spoiler for one of the dangers found inside. Thus the GM would have to hide the adventure from the players and hope that the players have not even seen the cover in a game store. Furthermore, while it is in the spirit of Hackmaster for the GM to punish players that are foolish or greedy, one of the punishments takes an hour to kick in, and the players very likely will not know why they are being punished, since presumably they will have done many things in the hour between. That seems to be crossing the line into unfairness to the players. They should at least know WHY they are suffering. Finally, although there are admonitions to players to not waste time, there are also numerous rooms designed to confuse players and, you guessed it, make them waste time. But this may be an example of the adversarial relationship between the GM and Players typified by Hackmaster; perhaps it is ok when the GM is making them waste time, and not when the Players are doing it. So I will leave judgement on this last point to those who have the rulebooks to Hackmaster.
So my judgement overall? If you have already bought the Hackmaster Player's Guide and Game Master's Guide, then I would recommend this module, especially if you are a beginning Game Master. It does what it sets out to do: present an introductory adventure for Hackmaster. I would also commend it for its nostalgia value, for those who remember the Basic Dungeons and Dragons adventure it is based on, or even remembers 1st ed. AD&D or Basic and Expert D&D in general. It does capture that look that those modules had.
I would hesitate before converting it for other game systems – even D&D. While the mechanics would not be hard to switch over, the feel of the module is a bit too tied into the adolescent mindset for me to recommend it above the numerous other adventures out there. Hell, there are numerous adventures by Kenzer & Company itself (the Kalamar ones) that would transport better if one is looking for a serious adventure for one's game. On the other hand, if all one wanted was a beer and pretzels one-shot, then with a bit of tweaking this might fit the bill.
So, if you are a Hackmaster GM, new to Gming, I recommend it highly.
If you are a more experienced Hackmaster GM, or just someone who likes nostalgia pieces, I recommend it fairly highly.
If you are a more experienced Hackmaster GM, or just someone who likes nostalgia pieces, I recommend it fairly highly.
If you are running a non-hackmaster game, and just want a quick and cheezy adventure, I recommend it somewhat highly.
If you are running a non-hackmaster game, and want a serious adventure, I do not recommend it.
If you are a Hackmaster PLAYER, I absolutely prohibit it! As stated on page two, "it's cheating".
All of this is my own opinion, of course. YMMV.
Review: Quest for the Unknown. Hackmaster Adventure B1. By Kenzer and Company.
Adapted by Brian Jelke, Steve Johansson and David S. Kenzer from an old B1 adventure module of Basic Dungeons and Dragons. It frightens me that I am old enough to remember when the original was new. But enough about me.
Minor spoiler warnings. Also, as I do not have the rulebooks to this game, I may be making judgements that are explainable within the context of the game. Still here? Ok.
If one goes to see the movie "The Scorpion King", one should not expect an art film. Similarly, when reviewing a Hackmaster adventure, one should pay attention to the "hack" in the name. This game has an intense focus on hack and slash roleplay, coupled with Nostalgia for 1st edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. As said on page 42 of this particular adventure, "don't get carried away and turn this into some kind of thespian gathering." Realism is never emphasized at the expense of the fun of a simple dungeon crawl. Kenzer & Co. is capable of putting out very highly detailed and realistic gaming materials (witness the Kingdoms of Kalamar setting and adventures), but that isn't what is being advertized here.
So what do we have? It is an introductory adventure for Hackmaster. For those familiar with AD&D, there will be a lot of familiar elements, but there are enough changes that one should pay attention if one is adapting this adventure into another setting. For one thing, all the monsters have a LOT of hit points for "wimpy" orcs, etc, TWENTY more than their AD&D equivalents. (There are other creatures, but I do not want to spoil the adventure for those who have not read it). That seems to make it tough for players in the game, especially in an introductory adventure. One hit will not mean one kill. Presumably, those with the Hackmaster Player's Guide and Game Master's Guide have detailed rules on how the characters are similarly "powered up" to deal with these creatures. As I do not have those books, I will not dwell on this point.
What the module does well is give advice to the Game Master on how to run a game of Hackmaster. There is also a nice list of tips for Players. These could be useful for any Hackmaster adventure, and, indeed, many of them would apply to gaming in general, once one filters out the Hackmaster bias. For instance, the admonition not to take too much time because the GM might get bored or annoyed and start sending in more wandering monsters seems more applicable to Hackmaster than to other fantasy games (at least I HOPE that is the case), but it does get annoying in any game when the players are simply wasting time.
It is an adventure of exploring a somewhat abandoned keep, and the tunnels underneath it. There are opportunities to loot, but there is also some foreshadowing of the possibility of the owners of the keep returning to reclaim what the adventurers acquire (whether this will happen is a risk the players have to take – certainly the RUMOUR is that the keep's rulers have died...). Thus there are consequences for what the players do, even in a hack and slash game like this one.
There is a bias towards humour, and a more adversarial relationship between Game Master and Players than one might be used to. The "tough love" ethos of Hackmaster basically punishes players who forget to list all their equipment, screw up when mapping, waste time, bicker or who make stupid mistakes. On the other hand, it does encourage players to work with each other. Basically, if they don't they die that much sooner.
This adventure has some nice touches. I like the Legend table of rumours for individual players. I like the illustrations of the monsters. And the almost didactic instructions to the GM remind me of advice that it would have been nice to have had when I ran my first adventure, mumble-mumble years ago. The pages for players can be removed, and permission is given to xerox them for personal use if one wishes to keep the adventure together. The maps are easy to figure out, even without the legend for the symbols (apparently in the Player's Handbook).
The adventure has some neutral touches. There are some anachronisms placed for humour's sake, which presumably works for a Hackmaster game but might not be one's cup of tea. There is a backstory of sorts which the players can find clues to (and they get Experience Points for finding these clues, much to my amazement. I guess the game is not ALL about killing monsters and gaining treasure). And there are some jokes put in that only one who reads the adventure will get. I guess that is good for the GMs, but it seems a bit odd that the players (or at least honest players that don't peek at the adventure) have no chance to hear about some of it (unless the GM simply tells them after the adventure is over, out of game).
There are some things I am not too thrilled with. Very early in the game, there is a Magic Mouth that tries pickup lines on the female characters (if there are any). Frankly, that is indicative of an adolescent bias that I try to discourage in gaming. Also, the picture on the front of the adventure acts as a spoiler for one of the dangers found inside. Thus the GM would have to hide the adventure from the players and hope that the players have not even seen the cover in a game store. Furthermore, while it is in the spirit of Hackmaster for the GM to punish players that are foolish or greedy, one of the punishments takes an hour to kick in, and the players very likely will not know why they are being punished, since presumably they will have done many things in the hour between. That seems to be crossing the line into unfairness to the players. They should at least know WHY they are suffering. Finally, although there are admonitions to players to not waste time, there are also numerous rooms designed to confuse players and, you guessed it, make them waste time. But this may be an example of the adversarial relationship between the GM and Players typified by Hackmaster; perhaps it is ok when the GM is making them waste time, and not when the Players are doing it. So I will leave judgement on this last point to those who have the rulebooks to Hackmaster.
So my judgement overall? If you have already bought the Hackmaster Player's Guide and Game Master's Guide, then I would recommend this module, especially if you are a beginning Game Master. It does what it sets out to do: present an introductory adventure for Hackmaster. I would also commend it for its nostalgia value, for those who remember the Basic Dungeons and Dragons adventure it is based on, or even remembers 1st ed. AD&D or Basic and Expert D&D in general. It does capture that look that those modules had.
I would hesitate before converting it for other game systems – even D&D. While the mechanics would not be hard to switch over, the feel of the module is a bit too tied into the adolescent mindset for me to recommend it above the numerous other adventures out there. Hell, there are numerous adventures by Kenzer & Company itself (the Kalamar ones) that would transport better if one is looking for a serious adventure for one's game. On the other hand, if all one wanted was a beer and pretzels one-shot, then with a bit of tweaking this might fit the bill.
So, if you are a Hackmaster GM, new to Gming, I recommend it highly.
If you are a more experienced Hackmaster GM, or just someone who likes nostalgia pieces, I recommend it fairly highly.
If you are a more experienced Hackmaster GM, or just someone who likes nostalgia pieces, I recommend it fairly highly.
If you are running a non-hackmaster game, and just want a quick and cheezy adventure, I recommend it somewhat highly.
If you are running a non-hackmaster game, and want a serious adventure, I do not recommend it.
If you are a Hackmaster PLAYER, I absolutely prohibit it! As stated on page two, "it's cheating".
All of this is my own opinion, of course. YMMV.
Last edited:
