HârnMaster: Фантазиялық рөлдік ойын жүйесі

Role playing game

HârnMaster is a fantasy role playing game based in the fantasy world of Hârn. The system, like the world, was designed primarily by N. Robin Crossby.

Hârnmaster was published as a role playing game using the Hârn setting by Columbia Games in 1986. All previously published Hârn supplements were intended to be system independent but Columbia gauged reader interest and decided to produce a game system specifically for the Hârn setting. In the March 1989 edition of Games International (Issue #3), Jake Thornton questioned why this game had not achieved the same level of market saturation as some other role playing games, since he believed that it did just as good a job of outlining its mechanics. He did admit that the magic system was rather unexciting, but commented that "Happily the mechanics for combat are more interesting." He concluded by giving the game an average rating of 3.5 out of 5, saying, "Harnmaster is not a particularly innovative game, relying in general on tried and trusted ideas. Despite this, the clarity of writing and layout together with the sheer volume of ready made background and support material must make it an attractive alternative for those who like a wealth of detail but haven't got the time themselves." In the October 1989 edition of Dragon, Ken Rolston reviewed both HârnMaster and its first supplementary adventure, Araka Kalai, published in 1987. Rolston called HârnMaster "a comprehensive, logical, authentic 'medieval' fantasy campaign setting [with] epic scale and original concept"; he considered it "state of the art" compared to all other major competitors. Rolston's only criticism "was the absence of published examples of adventures", apparently "perceived as a virtue by Columbia Games." In considering the adventure Araka Kalai, Rolston commented that "The graphics are excellent, with color maps, abundant diagrams of locations and buildings, and appropriate, expressive illustrations of scenes, characters, and creatures. The style of presentation is clear and detailed, and is dry with an occasional droll impulse. It is well organized for reading and reference. And the campaign materials — well, they’re voluminous, historically and socially plausible, and full of dramatic fantasy adventure and thematic hooks." He felt the setting was so original that it was "more distinguished as a campaign setting than an adventure supplement" and gave it a thumbs up, saying, "This is a strongly recommended adventure setting." In Issue 13 of Arcane (December 1996), Andy Butcher reviewed the second edition of Harmaster, and thought the streamlining of the rules, with complexities shunted off into an "optional rules" section made the game "easier to learn and understand, it gives referees the chance to customise the level of detail used in their games." Butcher also liked the new three ring binder format, allowing future additions to be added to various parts of the binder. However, Butcher still felt the Harnmaster system's weakness was the lack of religion and magic, saying, "It would have been better to drop the psionic rules and campaign background sections and at least present the basics of the magic and religion rules." He concluded by giving the second edition of Harnmaster a below average rating 6 out of 10, commenting, "A detailed fantasy system that's logically structured and well designed. Unfortunately, the presentation and high quality of the writing and design don't quite make up for the lack of rules for magic and religion. If you want to run a historically based 'low fantasy' campaign, though, it could be what you're looking for."