- I might - keyword *might* - make an exception if you roll every stat below 8 or something like that but that's going to be case-by-case thing.
- An important note that might be easy to overlook at first - you don't calculate your starting honor until Step 11 of the character creation process! You also don't apply Charisma bonus/penalty to Comeliness (if any) until Step 9!
- Calculate Honor using final ability scores (discounting fractionals), not starting ability scores.
- If after Step 11 you're in the honor window that gives you +1 to all die rolls that also applies to the rolls you make in later steps (i.e. skill mastery rolls and HP rolls!). The same applies if you're in the window that gives you -1 penalty to all rolls.
- If a class or race gives you a skill for free it means you're getting a free skill mastery+honor die roll for it (plus of course the basic stat bonus for first roll). IF said skill has any skill prequisites you get them also, for free, at mastery level of 51% (in general if a skill you want has another as prequisite the prequisite needs to be at mastery of 51+% to qualify). Note that Knight Errants (if you somehow roll high enough to apply for one) got changed and they don't get Armorer and Weaponsmithing skill anymore.
- If you grabbed one of the class books you might find that each of them has a set of tables that allows you to roll to see how your education went - these are OPTIONAL and done after Step 9, but before Step 10. These are a wee bit complicated but sometimes the results can be worth it (When I tried to run HM before I had a Ranger/Cleric character that managed to get 300 xp for his ranger side from fighter tables, and "get bonus cleric spells as if you had 3 more Wisdom" from cleric tables"). Just remember to look over errata for these - for example the final table for magic user training was horribly busted and got re-made in the errata. Ideally, if you decide to brave these consult me over the PM - I know from experience it's easy to get lost in those tables or to overlook some modifier that's mentioned in description but not in tables so I'd prefer to look over rolls made on these.
- Remember that many tables allow you to re-roll the results at cost of 1 BP. Keep an eye out for indications of when you can do it. And of course in cease of doubt - ask.
- Every character has Language: Common 100% in addition to their racial language for free (and humans get only Common - screw regional languages, I'll have enough to track without 'em). This still counts against your limit of languages know, but you get that even if you'd normally be limited to 1 language.
- Skills relating to making a map cease to exist. I don't really see how they can be enforced hence you don't need a skill to draw a map.
- Complex Geometric Estimation skill is not necessary to get dimensions of the dungeon or other objects. Those are automatic as long as character is not in combat or otherwise stresfull situation. It still has use for in-combat tricks and might be of use for getting rough estimates in situation when you're in rush
- Sew Wounds and Sew Own Wounds cause 1d6 hits (damage as per sewing needle, use table in Combatant's Guide) per application due to stitching
- Material spell components are now tracked as <spellname> component. No more tracking guano and sulfur for fireball separately, and component for fireball from level 1 won't work for one for level 2 etc. They'll also have different costs for different levels. But why? Magic. B- MAGIC!
- Spellcasting characters start with 5 doses of neglible-cost components for each spell they have memorized at character creation, +2 for every additional instance of the spell memorized above first
- Spellcasting characters can select up to three other (different) spells - they get 5 doses of neglible-cost components for each of these
- Spells above level 1, if somehow acquired at character creation don't benefit from above cost-free component doses
- Mages get 1 component for Read Magic in addition of these
- Clerics get wooden holy/unholy symbol in addition of these
- Druids get mistletoe in addition of these
- Each time wizard learns a new spell with neglible-cost component during level up he gets number of free doses of the component as shown in table below
Spell Doses
Level
1 5
2-3 4
4-5 3
6-7 2
8 1
9 0
- This excel file (https://dl.dropbox.com/u/15336046/HM-PBF/HM%20Spells.xls) contains costs and availability for purchasing material components for spells - be it during gameplay or additional components for starting characters. Currently it encompases level 1 spells for MU, Clerics and Druids (note that Cleric and Druid spells often use Holy Symbol/Mistletoe - these are non-expendable components unless spell states otherwise and their costs is not included in above file). Other levels will be added... at later time.
- Use the following new items/items with changed cost/weight:
- Rations, Trail (1 day) 3 gp, 1 lb, 85/80/75
- Rope, Hemp (50 ft) 1 gp, 10 lb, 90/85/80
- Rope, Silk (50 ft) 10 gp, 5 lb, 70/60/50
- Blanket, Light 2 sp, 1 lb, 95/85/75
- Blanket, Winter 5 sp, 3 lb, 90/85/80
- Waterskin (1 gal) 2 gp, 5 lb, 95/90/85
- Waterskin (empty) 8 sp, 1 lb, 95/90/85
- Feed, Exotic Animal (1 day) 2 gp, 10 lb, 75/55/30
- Feed, Standard Mount (1 day) 2 sp, 10 lb, 90/70/50
- Quiver, Basic 8 sp, 1 lb, 95/85/75 (Holds 20 regular size bolts or arrows, for personalized versions ask GM about info in Hackjournal 25)
- Characters start with the following clothing (free of charge)
- Tunic (8 sp, 1 lb, 1 SP)
- Shoes, Leather, Simple (2 sp, 1/2 lb, 0 SP)
- Breeches (2 gp, 1/2 lb, 0 SP
- Belt (3 gp, * lb, 0 SP)
OR
- Robes (9 sp, 3 lb, 2 SP)
- Shoes, Leather, Simple (2 sp, 1/2 lb, 0 SP)
Costs are given for reference, weights only matter if carried in back, if worn weight gets ignored as per base rules. SP stand for Style Points, which determine how "classy" your wear is which in turn will affect your charisma in relations with NPC's... sometimes (depends on a person and situation. A peasant might not care either way about your dragonskin pants, a snot-nosed noble might find them SSStylish, while someone from different culture might see them as peasant's garb :P). A table on SP effect:
Style Charisma
Points Modifier
0-2 -2
3-4 -1
5-9 0
10-39 +1
40+ +2
If you want custom clothes to pimp yourself up poke me for more info ;P
- Use the following outfitting packages instead of the ones in PHB
A. Basic Excursion (3 Days)
- Waterskin (1 gal) x 3
- Rations, Trail (3 days)
- Sewing Needle and Thread
- Rope, Hemp - 50 ft
- Oil, Lamp (1 flask)
- Flint and Steel
- Whetstone
- Blanket, Light
15 gp, 31 lb
B. Extended Excursion (7 Days)
- Waterskin (1 gal) x 7
- Rations, Trail (7 days)
- Sewing Needle and Thread
- Rope, Hemp - 50 ft
- Oil, Lamp (1 flask)
- Flint and Steel
- Whetstone
- Blanket, Light
35 gp, 55 lb
C. Prolonged Excursion (14 Days)
- Waterskin (1 gal) x 14
- Rations, Trail (14 days)
- Sewing Needle and Thread
- Rope, Hemp - 50 ft
- Oil, Lamp (2 flasks)
- Flint and Steel
- Whetstone
- Blanket, Light
70 gp, 98 lb
D. Basic Dungeon Crawl (1 Day)
- Waterskin (1 gal)
- Rations, Trail (1 days)
- Sewing Needle and Thread
- Rope, Hemp - 50 ft
- Flint and Steel
- Whetstone
- Piton x 5
- Torch x 10
5 gp, 29.5 lb
E. Extended Dungeon Crawl (3 Days)
- Waterskin (1 gal) x 3
- Rations, Trail (3 days)
- Sewing Needle and Thread
- Rope, Hemp - 50 ft
- Flint and Steel
- Whetstone
- Piton x 10
- Torch x 20
- Oil, Lamp (2 flasks)
- Chalk
15 gp, 56 lb
F. Basic Overland Excursion (2 Days, Includes Animal Feed)
- Waterskin (1 gal) x 2
- Rations, Trail (2 days)
- Blanket, Light
- Rope, Hemp - 50 ft
- Knife
- Flint and Steel
- Whetstone
- Feed, Standard Mount (2 days)
10 gp, 44.5 lb
G. Extended Overland Excursion (7 Days, Includes Animal Feed)
- Waterskin (1 gal) x 7
- Rations, Trail (7 days)
- Blanket, Light
- Rope, Hemp - 50 ft
- Knife
- Flint and Steel
- Whetstone
- Feed, Standard Mount (7 days)
35 gp, 124.5 lb
- You need 1 gallon of water per day
- Animal feed will be tracked. For sanity's sake assume each 1 day portion of feed covers animal's water need if any also.
- Some rolls "penetrate". Penetration happens when you roll a maximum on a die and allows you to roll that die (if you roll 2d4 and they come up 1 and 4 only the second one is rolled again) and add the result -1. And if that result is maximum again you can roll it again and add it -1. This mostly applies to damage and healing rolls, but in character creation skill mastery rolls can penetrate.
- Hackmaster has a few things that are measured or dealt out once per session - mulligans for great honor, e.p. and honor rewards etc. Since there is no such thing as a session in online play I'm goign to have to resort to manually assigning boundries of sessions. In general I'm going to try to end "sessions" when your characters are in a fairly safe spot i.e. when healing up or after hauling loot back for selling. Though at times it might happen mid-game (if a lot happens in meantime) or not happen during a rest period (if not enough happens). In either case if you see something along the lines of Session Finished and start getting showered with e.p and (negative?) honor awards that'll be that.
- Coupons. Some of you might've snooped around and noticed those coupons most books have at end. Yes they are a part of the game. Yes they are there to be used. No you should not go apeshit with them. For one coupons are limited to one per player per session, with session being defined as above. For another since we don't have the coupons physically I'm going to put on some more limitation to prevent abuse - namely each player can play an uniquely named coupon only one per adventure (this being defined as a module I run) - i.e. if for example raekull plays "Heal As If You Have Troll Blood" he can't play it again (though another player could) until you finish an adventure, even if in meantime you stumble into another one. You'll be notified when I consider an adventure finished. Lastly, to remain true to Hackmaster spirit - each time one of you will play a Coupon I reserve the right to play a retaliatory coupon, before end of current session, if I so desire. Yes, GM has his own coupons. Of course this goes both ways - if I play a coupon unprovoked you get to play one (as a group, not on each) coupon without threat of retaliation. So play your coupons wisely.
- Druidical Training Tables (HJ 15, relevant only if using optional character generation training tables from Zealot's Guide)
- MonkTraining Tables (HJ 8, relevant only if using optional character generation training tables from Combatant's Guide)
- Called Shots, Critical Hits, and You (HJ 26, expanded tables for called shot modifiers and effects)
- Strength Bows (HJ 26, bows with Str bonus to damage, pricey)
- Fireing into Melee and Mayhem (HJ 24, some rules to help avoid friendly fire accidents)
- Skills, Talents and Proficiencies (HJ 23, modifiers to rules about learning skills post-character generation)
- Simpifying Friendly Fire (HJ 21, more friendly fire avoidance stuff)
- Fighter Fractionals (HJ 17, fractional increase tables for Fighter classes, relevant for level ups)
- Quivering With Delight (HJ 25, quivers and custom quivers - cost and weight of base quiver is in OP for quick lookup)
- Simplified Sibling Tables (HJ 15, makes rolling siblings less of a headache)