I really love this book in so many ways. The Hackmaster 5 Player's Handbook is physically attractive, probably the best looking book I own including a few collector's editions of other titles. The leatherette cover is embossed with sword, shield and scrollwork reminiscent of nineteenth century craftsmanship. The colorful title plaque sets off the subject with a combination of old-style and heroic action. The color pages are expensive glossy paper and the whole thing weighs a ton. (Well, that is obviously an exaggeration, but it's hefty.) It's got personality (and attitude) and is complex enough to demand I pay attention to it. It rewards thoughtful play and cooperation. (The "dating" insinuation is intentional.)
The Hackmaster game line started as perhaps the first old school clone, although with a heavy dose of humor. Owing its origins to Jolly Blackburn's comic Knights of the Dinner Table (KotDT), which so accurately captures the culture of tabletop fantasy RPG that it's uncanny, Hackmaster, being the game the Knights play, was written by Kenzer & Co. with permission from WotC as a spoof of early Advanced Original Game rules. The game was called Hackmaster 4 because the Official Game (owned by WotC) was then in its third edition. Hackmaster 4 is a complete game system based on the earlier Advanced game rules with a lot of good humor mixed in.
Hackmaster 5 is the game Kenzer & Co. created to replace 4. It is a more serious presentation, although the often arrogant tone of the author is I think at least partially tongue-in-cheek. He says it is the best game out and that once you play it all other games will appear inferior by comparison. This may turn a few readers off, but hey, I think there is some truth in the boast. This game is good...really good. Unfortunately, I don't see a lot of folks playing it and I have had a hard time selling it to my regular group. There are a lot of pages in this book (401, if we are counting) and the complete system includes two additional volumes, a Gamemaster's Guide and Hacklopedia of Beasts.
The current 5th edition (there was no 1-3 editions) draws from the best that's gone before - meaning the hobby in general. In the KotDT comic, the Hackmaster game is written by mythical game designer Gary Jackson, who is credited in the Hackmaster 5 rules. I believe this is a tribute to Gary Gygax and Steve Jackson (GURPS). Hackmaster seems to combine and improve on a number of rule systems pioneered by these two.
Hackmaster uses a class and level system (like White Box), and a melee countdown (similar to GURPS). This countdown incorporates weapon speed, a variable initiative roll (d6, d8, d12, etc.), and multiple attacks in a time progression count that works without using turns. Armor and shields function in a rational manner and the attack and parry sequence that can seem tedious and a time-waste in some systems is handled with simultaneous d20 rolls by attacker and defender in Hackmaster. Spells can be deadly, but take a while to cast and can be spoiled if the caster takes damage while in the process. Movement, casting and attacking are all happening simultaneously as the countdown continues and the result can seem more like real-time action than game-play. There is a bit of a learning curve, but it all makes so much sense.
So I love this game and hardly ever get to play it (so far only at conventions). Maybe it's just too much (of a good thing). I have talked to several friends about it and even got one to play through a short demo with me, but he thought the mechanics were too complicated. So for now it looks like Hackmaster shall remain just out-of-reach (like that really attractive person that barely knows you exist). I suppose we all have games that we only dream about playing.
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