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Hackmaster: Official Player's Handbook |  | Author: The Hackmaster Development Team
Publisher: Kenzer and Company
Category: Book
List Price: $29.99
Buy Used: $15.99
as of 9/5/2010 02:28 CDT details
You Save: $14.00 (47%)
New (2) Used (13) from $15.99
Seller: rossanaf
Rating:  14 reviews
Sales Rank: 190475
Media: Paperback
Pages: 400
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.1
Dimensions (in): 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.9
ISBN: 1889182362
EAN: 9781889182360
ASIN: 1889182362
Publication Date: May 1, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
2001 Origins Awards Game of the Year!
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| Customer Reviews:
 HackMaster Basic and Advanced HackMaster March 30, 2010
Barbara A. Blackburn (Chicago)
HackMaster was a great game lot's of fun. Be aware there is a new and completely revised edition of the game now from the same publishers.
HackMaster Basic was released a few months ago. Check it out!
 An awful long way to go for a joke April 8, 2008
Phillip Harte (The Arm pit of the America)
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
Hackmaster wants to be one of 2 things, depending on how you look at it.
A Parody of 1st edition AD&D. Or. A playable RPG that returns us golden age of gaming...
In truth it is neither. It is not funny enough to be a joke, and is far to complex to be played as a game.
It is like playing 1st ed. AD&D with house rules created by some insane basement dweller who has never moved out of his parents house.
The irony is, 1st AD&D on it's own was, when compared to the current version of the game (D&D 3.5), a very simple (if nonsensical) rule set.
The rules provided by HACKMASTER are so convoluted and complex, it's hard to imagine any one old enough to appreciate the nostelgia value, would have the time to learn them. Unless they do still live in their parents basement!
It really is a shame. I really wanted to like the book as a parody, that would stir up fond memmories of lead figures, funny shaped dice, pepsi, pizza and many wasted hours of uber geekiness... which it is not. It's just 1st ed. made nearly useless with pointless rules glued on...
As a game, it borders on unplayable..... There are far too many BETTER "Old School" options out there these days....And if you really are "Jonseing" that baddly for a trip in the way back machine , I am sure
you could find PDF's of the original 1st ed books out there in cyber space...they'd be cheeper to boot!!"
Classic Hacking and Slashing with a lot of humor thrown in... August 31, 2005
Mr. Bradford Hardman (Redmond, WA United States)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is for those who have played D&D in the past and want to re-live the glory days and/or just want to slay some Orcs. Great stuff from the Kenzer team.
Old and new gamers will enjoy this book. August 9, 2005
L. Knox (California, USA)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
I have the 1st, 2nd and 3e editions of D&D/AD&D and have been playing for many years. I enjoy all of the incarnations of this game as well as other RPGs. Certainly, I have to say I am very impressed with this book.
It's not the exact same game as any of the other editions mentioned above. Although based on 1st and 2nd edition materials there is a lot of new content. You'll love the new approach to building characters and using Building Points. The skills/proficiencies/talents have received a total overhaul and really shine. Spells have been significantly altered, and while this took me by surprise, the game dynamics do seem really well balanced. There are many new PC races and more new classes than you can shake a stick at.
HackMaster is really fun, and it is certainly better crafted than many games out there today. You'll really enjoy the ideas and writing in this book regardless of which side of the D&D or RPG fence you are on.
This is a very well organized, indexed and thought out RPG. There is so much more new material and subtle changes in the game than most people are aware of. HackMaster is truly a unique game but with all the old style attention to detail and style. The support site and forums at KenzerCo (the publisher) are extremely active and have a large following.
One last thing, I have heard/read several reviews who complain about a parody aspect to these books. People who make this claim have probably only briefly paged through the PHB before putting it back on the shelf. After you make it through the first few pages, you really don't notice any obvious parody. Rather, the book is well written with a healthy dose of humor. And if you can't laugh at yourself, what are you doing playing an RPG anyway?
So, you wanna be a hero...? March 10, 2005
J. Stephens (Utica, MI, USA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
In reading Knights of the Dinner Table, from whose hallowed pages this game is spawned, one thing becomes evident; while this game may use Advanced Dungeons & Dragons as a springboard, the water at the bottom is bitterly, bitterly cold.
First, any GM worth their HackMaster GameMaster's Association certification isn't there to coddle you through a dungeon, helping you beat the big bad Swack-Iron Dragon. You don't have to imagine the enemies you're trying to beat; he (or she) is sitting right behind that GM's shield. So grab your dice and girdle your loins. It's war.
Actually, in all seriousness, this game is one of the best RPGs I've played. A lot of it is more a fun poke at AD&D than anything else, but it is a hell of a lot of fun to play. Just don't get too attatched to your charachter; you may go through a few while playing.
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