HackMaster
 Player's Handbook cover | |
| Designers | Jolly R. Blackburn, David Kenzer, et al. |
|---|---|
| Publishers | Kenzer & Company |
| Publication | 2001 |
| Genres | Parody, fantasy |
| Systems | Custom |
| Derived from the Knights of the Dinner Table comic strip | |
HackMaster is a role-playing game produced by Kenzer & Company. It started out as a fictional game, a parody of Dungeons & Dragons played by the characters of the Knights of the Dinner Table comic strip by Jolly R. Blackburn. The characters in the comic play HackMaster 3rd Edition, and it has been hinted the name of the game was changed for copyright reasons.
Kenzer & Company received many requests from fans of the comic to produce an actual HackMaster game, but initially they thought that licensing Dungeons & Dragons would be impossible. However, when they asked Wizards of the Coast about creating a derivative work, they reached an agreement that lead in 2001 to the publication of HackMaster 4th Edition, sometimes ironically referred to as the most realistic and complete set of role-playing rules in existence.
K&C is speculated to have acquired the rights to produce HackMaster after the Dragon Magazine Archive software was published where Wizards of the Coast failed to get permission to reprint many of the original articles such as the Knight of the Dinner Table comic in the electronic media archive. A lawsuit settled out of court and K&C started producing HackMaster afterwards. In part of that ability to use AD&D rules, K&C is required to maintain a higher (or lower depending on what you find humorous) level of humor than in the Knights of the Dinner Table comic for products that are revised from previous AD&D material. Whole orginial works for Hackmaster are not subject to this limited imposed by Wizards of the Coast.
Where as Wizards of the Coast overhauled the rules for 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons, Kenzer & Company took the opposite action by revising the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons First and Second Edition rules (including various supplements such as 1E Unearthed Arcana, 1E Oriental Adventures and the mid-90's Skills & Powers supplements) into a more coherent system and adding a element of parody. HackMaster has a fan community, the HackMaster Association, which organizes HackMaster events at large and small conventions throughout the world (primarily in the U.S. and United Kingdom based on the present membership).
There was a certain amount of fan rebellion and loss of interest in the product by some gamers when Kenzerco revealed that the Hacklopedia of Beasts would be released in 8 separate volumes, costing $19.99 each. These books were somewhat optional as creature statistics from the 1st and 2nd edition versions of AD&D were compatible with Hackmaster. Kenzerco later released the Hackmaster Field Guide, which contained the more popular Hackmaster creatures in a single volume. Critics of the system often cite that the system no way resembles the wacky, rules-lawyering system that is presented in the comics and that the game is full of sophomoric humor instead of being a brilliant parody. [citation needed] In spite of this, HackMaster has a small but very loyal following. While many game stores do not even carry this product, the pockets of fans of this game have a level of loyalty to the game rarely seen in the modern RPG industry.
Since its release in 2001, HackMaster has evolved into a fully-fledged role-playing game, spawning a plethora of over forty add-ons, supplements and game aids. Most notable products include a 32-panel gamemaster's shield, a 16-page character sheet and a 10-volume monster encyclopedia.
In 2002, HackMaster won the Origins Award for Game of the Year 2001.
HMPA and HMGMA
Governed by the HMPA (Hackmaster Players Association) and HMGMA (Hackmaster Game Master's Association), they ensure that any tournament level characters and players abide by the rules, and have no unfair advantages. Likewise they ensure that their sanctioned GMs strive to ensure that players may enjoy themselves in environments free of prejudice, alienation, and favoritism. The HMPA/HMGA also has a system to allow players to have their home game characters to be used in santactioned convention tournaments.
Other uses
HackMaster is also a noted piece of software for the Palm OS that allows extra software (usually that manages the low-level hardware), such as software to enable desk accessories to be run on the operating system, which is normally not possible.
The Hackmaster +12 known as Ravager is also a powerful magical sword used by El Ravager of the characters in Knights of the Dinner Table.
External links
- Official HackMaster site
- The Ladies of Hack - The Official website of The Ladies of Hack, a suborganization of the Hackmaster Association for the support of women gamers.
- Fan-made flash animations based on the Knights of the Dinner Table comics
- Mikeeze Wurld - HackMaster Fan Site