Anyone have any experience with or play tips from Hackmaster Basic? Another player & DM in our group wants to run it. After rolling my stats, I'm a little underwhelmed. As a long time reader of Knights of the Dinner Table, I want to try it; but it seems like a lot of work for little reward. I'm in no hurry to stop my Gamma World game, but I sense the other players are intrigued by the character min/maxing. Any insights are appreciated.
So, Hackmaster Basic?
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pming
Legend
Hiya.
As a long time HM4e DM I pre-ordered my HMb book. I was rather hyped about it, having seen little tid-bits via the HackJournels (free if you are a member of the HackMaster Association...which I am). I was keen on seeing the number of skills reduced to something more managable. I also liked how they handled time in combat, and how everyone could increase in weapon skill (but fighters just did it mo-bedda). Theres actually a lot of little things I like about it.
However...
Everytime I mentioned it to my group, the end result was the same: "Why play Hackmaster Basic when we can just play the real thing... Hackmaster 4e?". And there you have it. We have decided to just wait until Hackmaster Advanced (although I think they're thinking about just calling it "Hackmaster").
As for the monster book ("Hacklopedia of Beasts"), I pre-ordered that the first day it was announced! Sure, cost me $85, but I got the beta PDF and it looks SO-O-O sweet! *drool*
As a long time HM4e DM I pre-ordered my HMb book. I was rather hyped about it, having seen little tid-bits via the HackJournels (free if you are a member of the HackMaster Association...which I am). I was keen on seeing the number of skills reduced to something more managable. I also liked how they handled time in combat, and how everyone could increase in weapon skill (but fighters just did it mo-bedda). Theres actually a lot of little things I like about it.
However...
Everytime I mentioned it to my group, the end result was the same: "Why play Hackmaster Basic when we can just play the real thing... Hackmaster 4e?". And there you have it. We have decided to just wait until Hackmaster Advanced (although I think they're thinking about just calling it "Hackmaster").
As for the monster book ("Hacklopedia of Beasts"), I pre-ordered that the first day it was announced! Sure, cost me $85, but I got the beta PDF and it looks SO-O-O sweet! *drool*
Well, the pre-game emails have taken a bad turn. The upshot is that all the players--me included--feel that their characters are underpowered, just from rolling stats; and the DM actually wants that kind of game. It has made me realize that old school D&D gaming to me does not mean tactics & strategy, but that is exactly what it means to the others in my group. I'm just not good at that type of play, and I believe that the game as we play it rewards extreme caution while punishing the risk-takers whose characters eventually die forcing the players to come back with relatively underpowered replacements--thereby reinforcing the cautious-play loop. That dynamic probably explains why I don't favor that game, and why I am now less excited about this HMB game. I think it is salvagable, but I am not sure it is worth my effort to play against type.
I just hope all this doesn't wreck my current game, too. I am not feeling the love right now. Any help is appreciated.
I just hope all this doesn't wreck my current game, too. I am not feeling the love right now. Any help is appreciated.
Treebore
First Post
HMb IS underpowered in comparison to other RPG's. It is best to think of them as being "half levels" in comparison to other games. So when you create your PC it is much like a half level character, so when you reach 4th level in HMb you'll be more like a second level PC in other D&D type games.
So yes, you are under powered, intentionally so. But for HMb, you "just right".
So yes, you are under powered, intentionally so. But for HMb, you "just right".
thedungeondelver
Adventurer
HACKMASTER Basic is a terrible mess. I don't say that as someone who doesn't like HACKMASTER - I don't, but that's beside the point. I approached it as a new RPG, I didn't look on it as "Well this had better be as good as AD&D 'or else'." Rather, I genuinely wanted to like it.
When your character creation system makes me throw the book across the room in disgust you have done something fundamentally wrong in the way you wrote your character creation rules. And your game in general.
There may be good stuff there, but the measure of an RPG is how well you can convey to someone how the personage in the game they're about to play is constructed. HACKMASTER Basic does this extremely poorly. To the point of irritating me into not wanting to bother with it, at all. So whatever good stuff might be in there is just crap, brothers.
It is the SUCKER-PUNCH of RPG books: I'd like to like it, but it's an incoherent mess.
I actually find the game to be surprisingly easy to play. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to create a character the first time, but once you know what you are doing, character gen is about a 20 to 30 minute affair. (Honestly - you roll up your stats, pick your race, figure out your class, and start divying up your Build Points between talents, proficiencies, and skills. How is that hard to do?)
When I first started playing the game, I found the most intimidating aspect to be the "count system." The game isn't played in a series of turns. Rather, you play real time, second by second, which means that your character can - and should - do things every single second. This takes a bit of getting used to, compared to the mentality of waiting your turn and moving. This is extremely appealing, especially for a game in which you have a LOT of players. There is constant movement in the battle, which means that players are constantly involved.
As a GM, you need to put the responsibility on the players to keep track of their characters. Although they can move every second, they are limited by their weapon speed in terms of when they can attack. But once you get the count system figured out, it really flows.
Anyway, I really love the game. I find it hard to play other games now, and I'm extremely, ridiculously stoked for the HoB to reach my doors.
When I first started playing the game, I found the most intimidating aspect to be the "count system." The game isn't played in a series of turns. Rather, you play real time, second by second, which means that your character can - and should - do things every single second. This takes a bit of getting used to, compared to the mentality of waiting your turn and moving. This is extremely appealing, especially for a game in which you have a LOT of players. There is constant movement in the battle, which means that players are constantly involved.
As a GM, you need to put the responsibility on the players to keep track of their characters. Although they can move every second, they are limited by their weapon speed in terms of when they can attack. But once you get the count system figured out, it really flows.
Anyway, I really love the game. I find it hard to play other games now, and I'm extremely, ridiculously stoked for the HoB to reach my doors.
JoeGKushner
Adventurer
Is there a poster of that cover?
mach1.9pants
Hero
OK I get you don't like it but why? Give us some examples. I found the PC generation to be very quick, easy and a nice mix of old school random with a pinch of new school balance and flexibility.
And the count system, whilst seemingly fiddly, is quick easy and very very engaging in actual play.
mach1.9pants
Hero
Double post
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