Post originally by Jay Triplett at 2003-04-29 18:48:54
Converted from Phorums BB System

Thank you for all of your comments. I was trying to think of how to word this section well and I could not have done better than to have various players who have played Harn write in with their various experiences playing it. In my original version I did mention parries, blocks, and dodges, but when I edited it, I forgot to put them back in. Thanks for mentioning it.

As far as realism goes, I feel that HarnMaster is realistic because of its fine detail. I started roleplaying with RoleMaster and I definitely agree that HarnMaster is much faster. It is not as fast as, say, the Silhouette system which offers less detail, but more speed, or as RuneQuest which also offers quite a bit of and more speed. When our group decided to play HarnMaster we were looking for a middle of the road between detail and speed to get as much realism as possible. I have never played the Riddle of Steel so I cannot comment on that. However, I can say that our battles never took longer than a D&D Third Edition battle would take. Also, I forgot to mention that battles don't tend to drag out, because injuries can be serious and lethal in HarnMaster. I hope all of this information will help those who are trying to decide whether or not to purchase the game. I want to say that our group all enjoyed playing HarnMaster and we played it for about 3 years before our group split up. I think it is an excellent RPG with a well thought out mechanic...including battle. I felt as if I was actually out on the battlefield, it is so detailed and responsive. I did want prospective buyers to know about all of the dice rolls involved, though. Some people are looking for a system that is really quick and unfettered with detail, because that action is what makes the battle real for them. I hope I encouraged players who are on the fence to buy the product, because I really am impressed with HarnMaster. Good job to N.Robin Crosby and everyone who has worked to put HarnMaster together.