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Author Topic: So what do people think about HARP?  (Read 2918 times)

ColonelHardisson

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So what do people think about HARP?
« Reply #30 on: May 09, 2006, 11:46:34 AM »
Personally, I find the d20 trade-in thing silly. But HARP is really an outstanding game.
"Illegitimis non carborundum." - General Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell

4e definitely has an Old School feel. If you disagree, cool. I won't throw any hyperbole out to prove the point.

Rasyr

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So what do people think about HARP?
« Reply #31 on: May 09, 2006, 12:10:16 PM »
Quote from: ColonelHardisson
Personally, I find the d20 trade-in thing silly. But HARP is really an outstanding game.


Hey, if it gets folks to check out HARP, that is always a good thing.. :)

Plus, it gives me a chance to see products I normally would not see (like the copy of Arcana Evolved, which I would have never bought, or the two Green Ronin books we got, which I likely would have bought had I ever seen them locally).
Personal Website: Wizard's Lair
Original Author of HARP; Author of Combat Companion and many issues of HARPer's Bazaar and Express Additions. Currently authoring Novus 2e RPG

Cyberzombie

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So what do people think about HARP?
« Reply #32 on: May 09, 2006, 12:23:02 PM »
Quote from: Rasyr
Yeah, I do get around sometimes... hehe


Cool.  I love our d20 people, but I'm glad to see us broadening beyond our d20 roots.  :)

Quote from: Rasyr
My personal belief is that there is no such thing as a "perfect" game system. While some may come close, people's tastes are too varied for one system to work well for everybody.

This was taken into account when I designed HARP, and I tried  to make it as easy to customize as possible without such customizations disrupting the balance (which I have seen happen any number of times in any number of systems, including Rolemaster).


Definitely -- I'll never run out of room to tinker with rules.

I wasn't aware of the customizability of the system (though I did read the part at the beginning of the magic section about choosing a source of magic).  That's cool -- I like that in a system.

Quote from: Rasyr
Not quite as happy with that as I wanted to be. There are also other portions that I think could be better as well. Hindsight and all that....

As for the Dice Rolling mechanic, you do realize that it is almost identical to the dice rolling mechanic used by d20, don't you? Just using a different scale, and having the open-ended rolls.


Yes, and the problems I have with your mechanic are similar (though not the same) as the problems I have with d20.  :D

Quote from: Rasyr
As for combat, there are a number of different options you can select from. From a grittier combat system (Hack & Slash), to the Life Points option in the core rules, to a Damage Dice system (created at the request of der_kluge from the EN World forums - and found in HARPer's Bazaar #4) that is reminiscent of how damage in d20 is handled.


I don't think I'd ever want *grittier* combat than HARP already has.  I'm a cinematic type, myself.

Quote from: Rasyr
In the page link that I give down below, you can even find guidelines for using HARP with a d20 rather than percentile (d100) dice. And on another website -- http://www.guildcompanion.com -- you can find an article I wrote for using HARP without levels, and an article by the author of one of the best liked HARP supplements (College of Magics) on using HARP without professions.

The point is, that HARP is made especially so that you can trade out things you do not like for things that you do.


Interesting.  I'll have to check out things more in depth than I was originally planning.

Quote from: Rasyr
Well, check out http://www.harphq.com/webextras.htm for a bunch of official downloads for HARP, including the Character Creation Overview -- http://www.harphq.com/free_downloads/HARP_RevisedCharGenOverview.pdf -- which does include all of the professions. ;)

Kind of an open secret, but a lot of the material missing from HARP Lite can be found on that Web Extras page in other downloads.... hehe...


Cool.  I'm not sure that's the best financial decision on your part, but cool.  

Quote from: Rasyr
Thanks.... (now I have to hide until I can stop blushing....) :p

And don't forget about the d20 for HARP deal. If you purchase the soft cover HARP, and then send us $30 worth of products with the d20 logo on it (can be 3.0 or 3.5 - doesn't matter - they just have to be in good condition (i.e. no missing covers or pages torn out, etc.. as they are likely to be used as Game Day give-aways)) we give you back part of what you paid for it. Of course, you can send in the product first (or send in the product with a check for purchase (including shipping costs) along with note placing order when you send in the product). A number of different ways to handle it..


I think I'll end up doing that just for the novelty of it.  It may be silly, but then I'm silly, so that's okay.  :win:
 

Rasyr

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So what do people think about HARP?
« Reply #33 on: May 09, 2006, 12:30:21 PM »
Quote from: Cyberzombie

Cool.  I'm not sure that's the best financial decision on your part, but cool.  


Think of the "Penny Paint Sale" that Marian held in one episode of the tv show Happy Days......
Personal Website: Wizard's Lair
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Akrasia

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So what do people think about HARP?
« Reply #34 on: May 09, 2006, 12:32:47 PM »
Rasyr:

I have a question about the Rolemaster-to-HARP conversion you have available for download at the HARP website (http://www.harphq.com/free_downloads/Patrikka.RMtoHARPConv.pdf ).  Is it for RM2e or RMFRP/RMSS?  

It's been a number of years since I last played Rolemaster, so I couldn't tell from a quick read.

(I guess I could ask that at the ICE forums, but if you're going to be visiting here anyway ...)
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Akrasia

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So what do people think about HARP?
« Reply #35 on: May 09, 2006, 12:36:43 PM »
The reason I'm curious about the ease of RM2e-HARP conversion is that my main reason for considering HARP is the amount of good old ICE stuff I own.

Quote from: Akrasia
... The reason I am asking is that the main reason I'm tempted to give HARP a shot is that I own some very fine old ICE campaign and adventure modules with RM2 stats (assorted 'Shadow World' and 'Middle-earth' stuff)...
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Akrasia

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So what do people think about HARP?
« Reply #36 on: May 09, 2006, 12:39:11 PM »
I don't know if Rasyr already mentioned it, but there is a good recent review of HARP over at RPG.net:

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/12/12143.phtml

It's well written and comprehensive, like most reviews by Dan Davenport.
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Rasyr

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So what do people think about HARP?
« Reply #37 on: May 09, 2006, 12:50:19 PM »
Quote from: Akrasia
Rasyr:

I have a question about the Rolemaster-to-HARP conversion you have available for download at the HARP website (http://www.harphq.com/free_downloads/Patrikka.RMtoHARPConv.pdf ).  Is it for RM2e or RMFRP/RMSS?  


Taking a quick look, I would say it is for RMSS/FRP as it lists the Dabbler and Magent which are RMSS/FRP professions, not RM2 professions.

Quote from: Akrasia
The reason I'm curious about the ease of RM2e-HARP conversion is that my main reason for considering HARP is the amount of good old ICE stuff I own.


If you are willing to make a few minor adjustments on the fly, you should be able to use them pretty much as is....

Step 1: do a quick comparison of what number of ranks a character can have at each level for RM2 and HARP (2 rnks per level for the most part for RM2, and max of level *2 + 3 for HARP).  Stat bonuses in RM are higher than HARP as well. Just as a rough guesstimate, I would say giving a +50 to the RM skill bonuses should work okay to make them usable with HARP.

Step 2: Look at the armor worn, and decide what that equates to in HARP, and then add the proper bonus to their DB. (there not being an AT in HARP).

Quote from: Akrasia
I don't know if Rasyr already mentioned it, but there is a good recent review of HARP over at That big successful forum that people come to here from when they are kicked from there:

http://www.That big successful forum that people come to here from when they are kicked from there/reviews/archive/12/12143.phtml

It's well written and comprehensive, like most reviews by Dan Davenport.


I was going to mention it in my first post in this thread, but then decided not to. I was already sounding (to myself) to pendantic in that post, I didn't want to add pretentious to it as well.. hehe...
Personal Website: Wizard's Lair
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Akrasia

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So what do people think about HARP?
« Reply #38 on: May 09, 2006, 01:16:47 PM »
Quote from: Rasyr
...
If you are willing to make a few minor adjustments on the fly, you should be able to use them pretty much as is....

Step 1: do a quick comparison of what number of ranks a character can have at each level for RM2 and HARP (2 rnks per level for the most part for RM2, and max of level *2 + 3 for HARP).  Stat bonuses in RM are higher than HARP as well. Just as a rough guesstimate, I would say giving a +50 to the RM skill bonuses should work okay to make them usable with HARP.

Step 2: Look at the armor worn, and decide what that equates to in HARP, and then add the proper bonus to their DB. (there not being an AT in HARP).
...


Thanks!  :)

I'm pretty sure that you mentioned this to me before on some other board.  This time, though, I've copied and saved it for future reference.
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Rasyr

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So what do people think about HARP?
« Reply #39 on: May 09, 2006, 02:04:03 PM »
Quote from: Akrasia
Thanks!  :)

I'm pretty sure that you mentioned this to me before on some other board.  This time, though, I've copied and saved it for future reference.


Heh! Always a good idea... heheh
Personal Website: Wizard's Lair
Original Author of HARP; Author of Combat Companion and many issues of HARPer's Bazaar and Express Additions. Currently authoring Novus 2e RPG