Why You Should Be Playing HarnMaster 3.0, part 2. The Game System

 The heart of any RPG is the game engine, the mechanism by which tasks and conflicts are resolved. HarnMaster (HM from here on out) uses a percentile-based skill system for almost everything. One interesting wrinkle is that when rolling, and result ending in a 0 or 5 is a critical success or failure, resulting in a constant 5% chance of exceptional results.

Like any game system born in the eighties, the game is jargon-heavy. But with a bit of practice, it becomes intuitive. Character generation is comprehensive, with everything from your birthday, which determines your sun sign, which affects skills, to relations with your family and clan and your distance from the clan head.
 

There are a stunning thirty-two character attributes determined by random rolls, with seven Key Attributes determined by rolling 4d6 and discarding the lowest die. Most of these are physical or social things that don't affect gameplay but are essential as background material. One fun suggestion in the family generation stage is using your Session Zero to make the characters part of the same clan.
 

There are two tables for medical and mental issues, where you can gamble for a few extra attribute points against the chance of some severe problems. I like that included as an option. One word of advice; ignore random rolls on your occupation table. Parents, sure. But choose your path, and don't be afraid to pick up an occupation that isn't immediately useful in an adventuring context.
 

So, how do the skills work? Simple. The extensive skill list shows how to generate the Skill Base. For example, "Spear" is caused by figuring STR+STR+DEX/3, rounding to the nearest whole number. Certain sun signs add a +1 to this number. After that, there is an Opening Mastery Number; in this case, the Skill Base x3. So if we had a character with an STR of 13 and a DEX of 15 and no bonus, his Skill Base with the spear would be 13+13+15/3 = 13.6, raised to 14, and applying the OML we end up with a Spear skill of 42%.
 

It sounds complex, but it flows well in play with some practice. Character professions add additional skill opportunities, and as I said, most of this work is front-loaded in the character generation process.
 

The game engine is solid, easy to expand to new skills, and adaptable to new situations. It takes a little time to learn, like any game, but it hasn't needed heavy revision in forty years.
 

Next up, That Was My Favorite Spleen! Combat in HarnMaster.