Despite years of playing D&D, and even answering last year's question "What RPG to you anticipate playing in 20 years?" with AD&D 2nd Edition, my favorite Fantasy RPG is Hackmaster 4th Edition.
Sure, there's a slew of people who can't get past the satirical portions (I think many of them are the same people who don't find Knights of the Dinner Table funny being role-playing is serious. Truth be told I loved 95% of the silly elements of the game, discarded the other 5% as unnecessary for my game,and love all the sub-systems included.
I revelled in a game that pixie-faeries, gnomeling, and half-ogres were all viable races. I loved the fact that hidden in the GM vs the players ranting, there's the old adage, "Anything the players can do, the GameMaster can do... better," which, if done right should dissuade the munchkins and power gamers and set things at a level both parties can agree upon.
I love the random quirks and flaws charts. I love the honor system. I adore the d10,000 critical hit tables (and a much smaller critical fumble one).
I treasure the fact that my three year weekly Hackmaster campaign (with extra episodes added in for some solo play) only had one TPK and used Basic D&D, 1st Edition AD&D, 2nd Edition AD&D, 3rd Edition D&D, Judges Guild, AEG, Dangerous Journeys, and Grenadier modules, along with the official HM adventures.
I miss it terribly, and if I can get the band back together for at least four hours, I'd pull out the monster Hackmaster GM Screen, unvelcro the flaps of the Critical Hit tables, get the Burning Trogs some revenge on a certain bunch of slavers.
Those poor slavers haven't got a chance in Hades.
I revelled in a game that pixie-faeries, gnomeling, and half-ogres were all viable races. I loved the fact that hidden in the GM vs the players ranting, there's the old adage, "Anything the players can do, the GameMaster can do... better," which, if done right should dissuade the munchkins and power gamers and set things at a level both parties can agree upon.
I love the random quirks and flaws charts. I love the honor system. I adore the d10,000 critical hit tables (and a much smaller critical fumble one).
I treasure the fact that my three year weekly Hackmaster campaign (with extra episodes added in for some solo play) only had one TPK and used Basic D&D, 1st Edition AD&D, 2nd Edition AD&D, 3rd Edition D&D, Judges Guild, AEG, Dangerous Journeys, and Grenadier modules, along with the official HM adventures.
I miss it terribly, and if I can get the band back together for at least four hours, I'd pull out the monster Hackmaster GM Screen, unvelcro the flaps of the Critical Hit tables, get the Burning Trogs some revenge on a certain bunch of slavers.
Those poor slavers haven't got a chance in Hades.
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