Even though most of the “silly” elements of HackMaster 4e have been removed from 5e, there is some residual goofiness that slipped through. There is some “Garyspeak” in the Player’s Handbook that can come across as arrogant, self-righteous, and silly at times. I think this tone will turn some people off. Leather Bound Players Handbook Read/Download Well, as of this weekend, the final part of my leatherbound pledge arrived. We've also done reviews of all three core books: The Player's Handbook, Monsters. It's about what we've heard since the new Players Handbook was published. There were bound to be complaints about it, of.
Product DescriptionThis is it! The HackMaster Player s Handbook is the ultimate resource for HackMaster Players everywhere.
Inside this gorgeous 400-page leathered book you ll find everything needed to fully enjoy HackMaster. This book includes a modern set of rules steeped in old-school roots. A real-time initiative count-up combat system means you will never have to wait for your turn. The realistic, gritty set of combat rules allows for quick resolution of combat with dynamic features such as incapacitating wounds, knocking opponents back and shield breakage. An opposed roll mechanic means every die roll is exciting, and there s always a chance of success no matter how much the odds are stacked against you. The arcane magic system features the use of both spell points and levels, while each of the fourteen different clerics have a unique list of available spells that clearly differentiates these orders. There are ten races and twenty-four character classes to choose from and additional rules for honor, luck points, and quirks and flaws make HackMaster unique!
HackMaster is a game of difficult choices and the decision to excel in one area means you forgo other opportunities. You ll never have enough points to do everything you want, but the building point system, combined with quirks and flaws, ensures that no two characters will ever be alike! The combat system is where, for me, HackMaster really shines and rises above most other roleplaying games. It is truly different, innovative, exciting, quick, and deadly. Most importantly, it resolved specific problems I was having at my table-namely players 'checking out' when it was not their turn and not feeling any real sense of danger or excitement during combat.In HackMaster, combat is measured in seconds, not in units such as rounds. The GM 'counts up' beginning on second one.
Players roll for initiative (modified by relevant attributes) and this determines on which second they can first act. Lower is better/faster. Characters who are trained to react quickly, such as rangers, roll one die smaller than everyone else (e.g. D6 instead of d8). Being surprised increases the initiative die type, meaning you will stand there like a slack-jawed fool much longer, trying to figure out what is going on. This makes ambushes particularly interesting.Each creature can move a certain distance each second. This means everyone moves simultaneously each second.
At the beginning of each second count, everyone moves their miniature(s) at the same time, including the GM. So, does this get chaotic? Yes, a bit-but in a very good way. My players absolutely LOVED this aspect of the game because everyone was engaged every second and no one was waiting for their next turn. The texting and 'disengagement' I had been experiencing with D&D stopped.
Everyone was excited to move again the next second. More importantly, it felt like melee-uncontrolled, dangerous, and spontaneous. It is very easy for a character to suddenly realize that the front line is collapsing and they are now vulnerable or that the monsters are flanking them and they are trapped.
The GM determines the pace of the 'count up' so he can keep things moving and not give players a lot of time to strategize or 'count spaces.' They have to react more in 'real time' to the chaos that is happening on the battlefield. It's hard to explain, but my players exhibited much more concern, excitement, and anxiety when they didn't take carefully segregated turns where everything else was frozen in place-like a battle from Final Fantasy. 'Crap was going down' each second and they had to quickly decide what they were going to do and how they were going to react. For example, my wife's poor ranger had a huge orc barreling down on her and she was trying to decide if she could wait the 4 seconds necessary to carefully aim her arrow or if she needed to just do a less-accurate 'snap shot' before he got to her.
Candidly, now that I have experienced this type of nail-biting combat, I don't know if I could ever go back to rounds where each PC takes a separate turn while others look on. That approach just seems so boring to me now.Another thing I really enjoy about the combat system is that characters get to roll an active defense against each attack. I notice that this approach, while perhaps adding a bit of extra time, kept my players much more engaged and actively involved while being attacked. It felt much more exciting than having the DM roll against a static AC and just informing a player they have been hit.Each character can move each second and, when two opponents get within reach of each other, they can attack. The combatant with the longer 'weapon reach' gets the first attack. The combatant with the shorter weapon is able to attack the following second. If two opponents have the same weapon reach, they can attack at the same time and, yes, it is possible (although somewhat unlikely) they could kill each other simultaneously.
Once engaged in melee with a foe, each character can attack again in a number of seconds equal to their Weapon Speed. This is based on the type of weapon they are using (larger weapons take longer to swing but do more damage) and their relevant attributes and training. It is possible to specifically train (spend BP points) on attacking faster, defending better, doing more damage, etc. With each type of weapon.
To help keep track of which second a character can next attack on, our group used poker chips placed next to each miniature. So, if a PC has a weapon speed of 6, we place 6 poker chips down and remove one each 'count' so it is very easy to remember when he gets to swing again. I use a small handheld 'counter' to keep track of which second we are on. It can be easy to forget if you don't keep track somehow.Combat in HackMaster also has special combat maneuvers that help to create a very dynamic battlefield.
You can give ground, scamper back, press your attack, choose to fight more aggressively or defensively, etc. Some of these rules are clearly labeled as 'advanced' and are not necessary unless you want to add more detail and options. It is perfectly acceptable to keep things simple and to choose not use them.
The system is designed to be modular and is not disrupted by choosing not to include advanced options.A few more things that stood out were the knockback, threshold of pain, and morale rules. When a character takes enough damage, they are knocked back (and perhaps knocked down). When a PC takes more than 30% + 1% per level of his hit points in one hit, she has to make a Constitution-based check to avoid falling to the ground in pain for a certain number of seconds.
This can be quite deadly. In one combat, 3 of 5 PCs were rolling on the ground in pain during the combat. Monsters are subject to morale checks when certain conditions occur. Each monster has a Tenacity rating which indicates how willing they are to continue a fight. Many creatures, interested in preserving their hide, will run away as soon as they take any substantive damage. Others will fight to the death.
The end result of the 'real time' combat system and these types of rules (threshold of pain and morale) is that combat moves quickly and can be over quickly. No more 2-3 hour combats.
Combats are still exciting but much shorter. This is exactly what I was looking for.Overall, I am extremely pleased with HackMaster's innovative and exciting combat system. I believe it is the game's most unique and outstanding feature. It is now our gaming group's game of choice. Even if you don't plan to switch to HackMaster, you really should get the free Basic version and try playing a combat just to have the experience of something very different.
Hackmaster, love it or hate it(I love it), is contained in not just a book here. This is a massive, quality tome that you must feel in your hands to truly appreciate. Thick glossy, full color, perfect bound(book lays flat no matter where it is opened too) pages take you through what d&d should have become.
KenzerCo takes a blend of BP and class systems and carefully crafts a game that feels distinct and rises above other games as this was not thrown together to please masses, but was assembled to play coherently and in a way that keeps things different feeling(wizards and fighters do not share power mechanics), yet manages to keep them balanced. Fighters wade into battle taking and giving. Wizards powers will feel limited early on, but, wizards are supposed to be smart and know when best to use what they have at hand. Thieves are not dps machines.
They are sneaks, back stabbers, cut throats and con men. Clerics are not heal bots nor do they all have turning or command by default.
Nor do they have access to the same spells at the same levels. Cleric of desiease won't get get healing for a few levels after everyone else, clerics of the healing god get them sooner than everyone else.Biggest change: count up second system. Hate sitting around in a static battle field?
Now you can be engaged every second. Need to change targets because yours went down before your weapon speed let you attack again? You're not stuck in a static, arbitrary 'round.'
Immediately run over to another enemy and give them a whack.Yes, the levels are about half powered compared to other games. This was designed to be the beginning of a hero's career. Every desision has a consequence. Chose wisely and you will get such a feeling of completion as the game isn't handing you anything. You did the work. You took what was yours. Now head back to the tavern and tell the stories that will send you into the history books and legends of generations to come!
That, is Hackmaster. First off, before I write more about my personal experience, let me just start off with the summary, this system is awesome. Our games are more fast-paced, exciting, and the players at my table are having more fun as a result of this rule-set. I highly recommend at least giving the free HackMaster Basic (available from the Kenzerco website) a try.Our gaming group has been playing Hackmaster for a little over 6 months now, and we're pretty much hooked. We had been playing Pathfinder for several years prior, and were pretty heavily invested in all things 3.5. I really like Pathfinder, so I certainly don't want to sound overly negative on that system, however, as a GM, I had a few issues that caused me to search out a new system.1. Players were disengaging as a result of the slow paced combat, especially with higher level characters.2.
I didn't like how once you chose a class, you had essentially defined the path for your character for the rest of the campaign.3. There seemed to be a relatively short 'fun zone' between 3rd and 8th level, where the character classes are fairly balanced, and the GM can still throw interesting challenges at the party.As a result, I began researching different systems, and ultimately decided to give HackMaster a try. I had heard that it was a 'spoof' system previously, however, 5E HackMaster is the real deal. We played HM Basic for a single session, and I immediately jumped in with both feet and purchased both the Player's Handbook, as well as the Hacklopedia of Beasts. HackMaster addressed all of the concerns I outlined above, and surprised me at the strategic depth and real sense of danger the system affords.Character Creation Process - Character creation leverages a build point process, which takes more time and thought than Character Creation ever did in PF, however, it also provides a great deal of flexibility in shaping exactly how you want this character to play.
Everything is a difficult choice, if you spend BP to up an attribute score, you're potentially sacrificing the ability to purchase a talent or skill down the road. The system also advocates for pulling the average attribute scores back down to around 11, which makes the game more about building an exceptional character through adventuring and leveling up. I like this.Leveling up is similar, you follow a class progression, up your HP and attributes, and receive BP to purchase addition weapon specializations, attribute scores, talents, skills, etc. Again, it takes a little more time than other systems I've played, but affords greater tailoring by the player.
One restriction that I appreciate, is that players may not increase a skill they have not used in the previous level, smart.Combat - Combat is really where this system shines. I can't imagine returning to a turn-based system now that our group has gotten used to the 'count-up' system. Essentially, combat takes place in seconds, with every action taking a defined number of seconds to accomplish. So, the GM calls out the second, and players move, act, cast, etc. Accordingly, with every player, NPC, and monster moving at the same time.
There is no downtime, the system is fast-paced, sometimes a little frantic feeling, and above all, deadly. Players are always involved, and with the active defense die roll, each attack requires both the attacker and defender to roll, very smart. There is also a lot of 'crunch' behind the rules, allowing players to take different stances depending on their situation, creating some very interesting strategic decisions during combat.Every hit matters, if you get hit hard enough, your character may just fail a threshold of pain save, and fall over helpless in the middle of a scuffle.
If you receive a critical hit, there is a chance that your character may experience permanent damage, (I didn't used to have this limp, until I took an arrow to the knee.) Which not only makes for more realistic and hazardous fighting, but also provides a lot of good fodder for GM narrative.Magic is also much improved in my opinion. I've never been a fan of the 'you can cast 2 - 3rd level spells per day'. It just doesn't make sense to me.
HackMaster provides the magic user a specific number of spell points that can be spent on any memorized spell. I received the Players Handbook (& the HackMaster: Hacklopedia of Beasts) from my husband for my birthday. I don't have a lot of prior experience with RPGs (one solo campaign), so I'm probably not the most ideal reviewer, but what the heck. I cannot get over the level of detail required just to roll a character.
This is not a complaint, just an observation. I found it to be a long, engaging and fascinating experience.
We're getting ready to start a game with some friends, and I am SO looking forward to it. This book is excellent: tons of detail, as I've shared already, but witty and fun, too.This won't show as a verified purchase because I received it as a gift, but it did, indeed come via Amazon. HACKMASTER 5ed tabletop rpg, is just head & shoulders above D&D 5 ed. I own both systems, but it is Hackmaster i am going to play, because it is a mature game, you start as a normal person, not a super hero. You choose a class, and with a point buy system you can make your characters abilities better, or buy some cool talents and get to raise your skills(' there is 70 skills in Hackmaster '). If you like gurps roleplaying game but dont like the generic feel try this, it is 100% pure fantasy, mix d&d, warhammer and gurps and you have a succes.
Try combat in Hackmaster and all other games just seem boring and outdated. In Hackmaster you get to move every second, and you get to roll a defence against your enemy 's attack(' if the orc rolls a d20 +6 lets say the orc gets a 12. You have to roll a d20 +your defence bonus lets say you have 9 and get a 2 on the d20 thats only 11, then the orc smashes his mace in your face.' The mace is a d6 and a d8 + 4 the orc's strength if you rolled a 6 or a 8 on the dice, you get to roll again, the dice expload every time you roll Max on the dice. Lets say the orc deals 27 damage to your character. If you dont wear armor or shield your Are going to die quickly.
But shield and armor gives you a damage reduction plate armor 7 points and a medium shield 4 points. The damage you get is 16 instead of 27. In Hackmaster you get some hitpoints at every second level, what dice you get depends on your class(' barbarians d12 & rogues d6.mm.'
The Hackmaster player's handbook is just a amazing good rulebook, you dont have to flip through 8 different places to find the things you need, like in the New d&d 5 ed rulebook. The book is 400 pages hardcore.
The rule system takes some time to get used to, but it is worth the investment, because the system is fast and it will not slow down because you Are level 16. I used to play Pathfinder where the combat just snailed ahead. 160 minnutes +. In Hackmaster the same combat will take Max 20 min.
This is a Roleplaying game and if you roleplay good, you Are rewarded with Honor points, like fate points in warhammer, that you can use to get a re roll or get a bonus to your dice roll. Wizards has spellpoints they can use to pump up the spells to do more damage, reach longer, and so on, the system works much better than vancian magic, from Pathfinder. Cleric's dont get spellpoints but cast spells like in D&D, but they get some cool powers depending on what God you pray to(' some can turn undead or detect Lies. Use sneak attack's if you worship the evil god of murder'). I could go on but I better stop now, but try to take a look at Kenzer and company, you can download the basic rules for free.
I have just recently gotten into Hackmaster. There are two editions, and (as of Oct 2014) this is the most current edition. It is sometime referred to as 5e, or Hackmaster Basic.I bought the Player's Guide for both editions. I really enjoy this one the best though.
All of the great things about original Hackmaster has been refined into a really nice system. The roleplaying aspect is standard fantasy RPG.
The character building is quite similar to most D20 systems (with STR, CON, etc), with some interesting differences. Characters are made as-rolled, with 'Build Points' also given. Build Points can be used to move die rolls around, or be spent on specific skills. One of the neatest features is to add flaws to your character. This gives you bonus build points to work with, and the flaws can have an interesting influence on the nature of your character. Also, the flaws are something the GM can later exploit! (haha)Probably the biggest difference between this and other RPG's is the combat system.
Using a 'count up' system rather than a turn-based system keeps things flowing and keeps people engaged. Another good thing is that combat is resolved using opposed combat and defense rolls, rather than rolling against static Armor Class numbers. Shields and armor functions in a much more logical way than in D&D.Yes, I brought up D&D. It's the granddaddy of all RPG's, so it's hard to discuss similar RPG systems without bringing it up. Hackmaster itself started as a comedy, 'Knights of the Dinner Table'-inspired spoof of D&D, but has evolved to be an awesome game in its own right.
Nothing against D&D, but if you want to try something different or are a little annoyed with some of the direction of later D&D editions, then Hackmaster is an excellent alternative.There is one other thing worth mentioning and that is the production value of the book itself. Not only is it chock-full of great content, but the book is heavy and thick. It is hardcover with nice faux leather, and glossy, easy-to-read pages. You definitely get your money's worth.
It is built to last, and I wish more gaming books were made this way.If you get it, don't forget the 'Hacklopedia of Beasts', which is essential! Also, the 'Gamemaster's Guide' is due out soon.
It hasn't been published yet, but a pdf of the beta version is available for purchase on the publisher's website. Hopefully we will see that book out within the next couple of months.Highly recommended!
Finally read through this. The rules seem to be fundamentally the same as Hackmaster Basic, which I ran a game of for 8 months, and played in other games for about 5 months.
An obvious exception is the adding of Fatigue rules. Of course there is a LOT more material, more races, more classes, more spells, more Cleric types, cleric spell tables, etc. The spells are all organized on nice tables for the clerics, the gear section is pretty darn extensive, skills are nicely laid out, explanations seemed clearly written, etc. So a very good looking core rulebook for the players. Still not interested in running or playing it again, just not my cup of tea. For those of you who like granularity and complexity, and like good layout and organization, you may love it.I gave it 3 stars based on my personal preferences, but for quality presentation it looks to be a solid 5 stars.
Like I said above, I am not into the degree of granularity and complexity this game has, but if you are, you may become a fan. The Hacklopedia of Beasts, the monster book for this RPG is GORGEOUS! One of my favorites ever put out by any company. Hope I've helped you decide whether or not to check it out.
The HackMaster Player’s Handbook is the ultimate resource for HackMaster Players everywhere. Inside this gorgeous PDF you’ll find everything needed to fully enjoy HackMaster.This book includes a modern set of rules steeped in old-school roots. A real-time initiative count-up combat system means you will never have to wait for your turn. The realistic, gritty set of combat rules allows for quick resolution of combat with dynamic features such as incapacitating wounds, knocking opponents back and shield breakage.
An opposed roll mechanic means every die roll is exciting, and there’s always a chance of success no matter how much the odds are stacked against you. The arcane magic system features the use of both spell points and levels, while each of the fourteen different clerics have a unique list of available spells that clearly differentiates these orders. There are ten races and twenty-four character classes to choose from and additional rules for honor, luck points, and quirks and flaws make HackMaster unique!HackMaster is a game of difficult choices and the decision to excel in one area means you forgo other opportunities.
You’ll never have enough points to do everything you want, but the building point system, combined with quirks and flaws, ensures that no two characters will ever be alike! Adobe DRM-protected PDFThese eBooks are protected by Adobe's Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology. To use them, you must activate your Adobe Reader software. Click for more details.Watermarked PDFThese eBooks are digitally watermarked to signify that you are the owner. A small message is added to the bottom of each page of the document containing your name and the order number of your eBook purchase.Warning: If any books bearing your information are found being distributed illegally, then your account will be suspended and legal action may be taken against you.Here is a sample of a page from a watermarked book.