The HârnMaster 3 game system designed for use with the Hârn fantasy setting: No hit points, no levels, no classes, just realistic character development and combat.
This system is developed and distributed as "fanon", a derivative work of copyrighted material by Columbia Games Inc. and N. Robin Crossby.
Hârn is a highly-detailed fantasy setting based on 10th-12th century England and Europe, originally developed in the mid-1980s but still in active development. HârnMaster is a game system designed specifically for the Hârn setting. You can get more information about Hârn and HârnMaster at the fan site Lythia.com.
How-To Videos
See this playlist for a full set of videos demonstrating the capabilities of the HârnMaster system (many thanks to Stephen Cooper for these videos!)
Help/Discussion
For assistance with this system please join our community on Discord.
HârnMaster Principles
For those unfamiliar with HârnMaster, the following (taken from the HârnMaster Overview) provide the basic principles behind the system:
No Hit Points
HârnMaster does not use hit points. The game effect of injuries is expressed as Injury Levels which are used to penalize all physical activity and control recovery from wounds, diseases, etc. Even veteran warriors can die from one blow; be careful.
No Levels
There are no character levels in HârnMaster. Based on training and experience, characters gain new skills or become better at existing skills. They do not automatically become too powerful for the whole game world.
No Classes
Theoretically, any character can use any weapon or learn any skill. For example, nothing prevents mages or clerics from using swords. Some weapons, such as chivalric arms like the broadsword, may be prohibited to commoners in civilized regions, but these are social customs, not hard rules.
Skills and Combat
The combat system is skill-driven. The most important factor in combat is the skill with which characters use their weapons. Almost any character may become reasonably proficient with a few weapons, but not with all.
Armour
Armour protects its wearer once a strike has been landed. However, it reduces mobility, which makes the heavily-armoured character easier to strike. An armour piece protects only the body parts it covers.
FEATURES
- Character sheets for characters and creatures
- Specify attributes and character traits
- Can track skills, spells, ritual invocations, psionics, weapons, armor, injuries, and gear
- Automatic dice rolling for skill checks, magic, shock roll, weapon attack and defense, damage, healing, and more
- Roll results pushed to chat window
- Automatically updates skills level based on penalties
Related Modules
The following modules are specifically designed to work with this sytem and compliment its functionality.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Harn Friends, Foes, and Followers V1 | Provides 144 fully-described characters from Friends, Foes, and Followers V1 |
| Harn Comprehensive Price Lists | Hundreds of misc items; if its not here, you probably don't need it! |
| HârnMaster Gold | Provides support for HârnMaster Gold rules |
| Hârn Ensemble of Characters | Over a thousand characters of various types: guilded, unguilded, nobles, Shek-Pvar, clerics, Gargun, etc. |
| Harn Bestiary | Creature stats for many different denizens of Harn (and Lythia) |
| Harn Standing Bear Inn | The bustling and famous Standing Bear Inn located in Olokand, kingdom of Kaldor |
| Jedes Keep | Location details and characters for the Jedes keep in the Kingdom of Kaldor |
| Chewintin Manor | Location details for the Chewintin manor in the Kingdom of Kaldor |
| Charmic Manor (Manifest) | A moderate-sized fief in Northern Kaldor of Hârn |
| Khuzdul Outpost (Manifest) | A Khuzdul (Dwarven) Abandoned Outpost |
| Three Brothers' Barrow (Manifest) | A ready-made Jarin barrow tomb for heroes to explore |
| A Shower of Silver | An introductory murder-mystery adventure for Hârn, located around Jedes keep in the kingdom of Kaldor |
| The Bloody Raven (Manifest) | A HârnWorld Mini-adventure: On a wilderness trail, the characters discover an abandoned Khuzdul (Dwarven) outpost |
| The Bastard Bailiff (Manifest) | The bastard half brother of the Earl of Neph has been declared outlaw. Why, and who will find him, and claim the substantial reward? |
Walkthrough
For a detailed walkthrough including screenshots, visit the Foundry VTT HarnMaster System Walkthrough page.
Legal
This is an unofficial HârnFanon work. It is a derivative work from material created by Columbia Games, Inc., and N. Robin Crossby and is released for free distribution and personal use.
Hârn, HârnMaster, and HârnWorld are all © 1987-2020 N. Robin Crossby and Columbia Games Inc. Their works are available for sale on the Columbia Games Ltd website.