I ordered the hard covers of all the HARP books, here some images I wanted to share. The quality is spectacular, I'm very impressed.
(http://www.10nw-web.com/tc/h1.jpg)
(http://www.10nw-web.com/tc/h2.jpg)
(http://www.10nw-web.com/tc/h3.jpg)
(http://www.10nw-web.com/tc/h4.jpg)
(http://www.10nw-web.com/tc/h5.jpg)
(http://www.10nw-web.com/tc/h6.jpg)
(http://www.10nw-web.com/tc/h7.jpg)
(http://www.10nw-web.com/tc/h8.jpg)
(http://www.10nw-web.com/tc/h18.jpg)
(http://www.10nw-web.com/tc/h9.jpg)
And a couple more... :-)
(http://www.10nw-web.com/tc/h10.jpg)
(http://www.10nw-web.com/tc/h11.jpg)
(http://www.10nw-web.com/tc/h12.jpg)
(http://www.10nw-web.com/tc/h13.jpg)
(http://www.10nw-web.com/tc/h14.jpg)
(http://www.10nw-web.com/tc/h15.jpg)
(http://www.10nw-web.com/tc/h16.jpg)
(http://www.10nw-web.com/tc/h17.jpg)
That IS some gorgeous artwork. I can't believe that I haven't heard of this game before. Thanks for sharing!
(I don't suppose that I could beg for you to post some of those artists' names eh? :o)
I've been somewhat confused about HARP. I know it came out a few years ago, then went away, then ICE did some weird stuff, and now it's back, or something?
Is the current version a new edition, or reprint of the original version from a few years ago?
And does it relate to RM/MERP somehow?
Quote from: Herne's Son;804452And does it relate to RM/MERP somehow?
HARP is basically a more streamlined and setting-neutral take on the Rolemaster/MERP system. It might differ in some details, but the core of the rules are bascially the same.
The story goes:
There was this dude working with the people who own the rights to ICE and their games. They were not happy and went in another direction (Guild Companion Publications) who now works with the people who own ICE. It's like a complicated shadow company thing, but it's not really important.
The game came out circa 2004, then was later revised. The books you're looking at are the revised editions (HARP Fantasy). The Sci-Fi books are the newest iteration and what inspired the revised fantasy edition.
Artists is a long list;
HARP Fantasy
HARP Fantasy New Interior Art: Maria Duffield, Raymond
Gaustadnes, Rick Hansen, Craig John
Original HARP Interior Art: Toren "MacBin" Atkinson,
Peter Bergting, David Bezzina, Matt Foster, Eric Hotz, Mike
Jackson, Jeff Laubenstein, Pat Ann Lewis, Larry MacDougall,
Jennifer Meyer, Colin Throm, Kieran Yanner;
Cover Art: Ciruelo: "Fafner";
HARP Martial Law
HARP Martial Law New Interior Art: Maria Duffield,
Raymond Gaustadnes, Rick Hansen;
Cover Art: James Ryman;
Original Interior Art: Toren "MacBin" Atkinson,
David Bezzina, John Dollar, Eric Hotz, Mike Jackson,
Jeff Laubenstein, Pat Ann Lewis, Larry MacDougall,
Colin Throm;
HARP College of Magics
HARP College of Magics New Interior Art: Maria Duffield,
Raymond Gaustadnes, Rick Hansen, Dan O'Donnell;
Cover Art: Jim Nelson;
Original Interior Art: Toren Atkinson, Peter Bergting,
David Bezzina, Joel Biske, John Dollar, Mike Jackson, Jeff
Laubenstein, Pat Ann Lewis, Larry MacDougall, Jennifer
Myer, Colin Throm; Keirston Vande Kraats;
HARP Sci-Fi
Interior Artwork: Rick Hansen and Craig John
Cover Artwork: Joel Lovell
HARP Sci-Fi Extreme
Interior Artwork: Maria Duffield, Rick Hansen, Joel Lovell
Cover Artwork: Joel Lovell
Thank you for taking the time to post all those names. i'm going to look them up. I really like that art: It makes me feel nostalgic for some reason.
Quote from: Herne's Son;804452And does it relate to RM/MERP somehow?
The story I recall was it started development as a basic/intro product for Rolemaster, but morphed into a stand-alone game by the time it was completed. The Rolemaster heritage is still very clear, but its a lot more streamlined than you would expect from hearing that.
It looks like a good game, but I never got to test drive it - just no interest in my gaming circle the first time around. I still wouldn't mind doing something with it, but I have an embarrassment of riches now for games to choose from, and its never quite gotten to the top of the list.
Thanks for the pictures, those books like really hight quality.
A quick question:
Once upon a time HARP was my "Holy-Grail" RPG. We played it for most of a year before shelving it due to feeling that the power curve was too steep. We wanted to spend more time as unlikely adventurers growing in skill when in fact we felt whip-lashed from incompetent n00bs to uber powerful Godletts.
Do you think that issue was addressed in the revision?
Nice:). Are those POD?
Quote from: Piestrio;804515Thanks for the pictures, those books like really hight quality.
A quick question:
Once upon a time HARP was my "Holy-Grail" RPG. We played it for most of a year before shelving it due to feeling that the power curve was too steep. We wanted to spend more time as unlikely adventurers growing in skill when in fact we felt whip-lashed from incompetent n00bs to uber powerful Godletts.
Do you think that issue was addressed in the revision?
I don't know. It read to me like there is a natural "power cap" based on the cost of skills naturally getting "more expensive" (less % per point). Also, the flat 50 development points per level is important. I loathe the DP by stat method (seems very silly for a game of this nature). If I wanted people to hang "low" for longer, I would just award less DP per level (I think they discuss that as an option).
Also, in the "revised" notes they discuss some things that lead me to believe "balance" was addressed. I will post that text for you to peruse.
Quote from: RunningLaser;804520Nice:). Are those POD?
They are. From OBS (lightning Source IIRC).
HARP Revised changes: (from the book pg. 7)
So for those who are already fans of HARP, here is what has changed:
- The Professions have been rebalanced in terms of their professional abilities
- Flat 50 Development Points is the default for calculating Development Points
- Races have been better balanced in terms of stat bonuses, some racial abilities have been revised, and Humans now get Skill Flexibility (the ability to make a single skill in a NonFavored category Favored)
- Blood Talents have been rebalanced in terms of Development Point cost
- The Mandatory Subskills rule has been incorporated from HARP SF
- Four new Influence skills have been added from HARP SF
- New talents have been added from HARP SF and Development Point costs of existing Talents have been properly balanced
- The use of Spell Adders and Power Point Adders has been clarified
- Clarifications and improvements have been made to the rules for Light & Vision, Fighting Blind, Asphyxiation and Holding Breath, Drowning and Stat Loss
- Life Points have been removed and the Stun rules made consistent with HARP SF
- All of the spells have had their base costs and scaling options made consistent with the revised spell creation system (to be published in the enhanced College of Magics) and descriptions have been clarified in specific cases
- Herb and poison prices have been rationalized
- A new monster creation system has been used to rework the monster collection with some monsters being replaced with new creatures
- Several magic items have had their effects adjusted
- The guidance on customizing clerics and magic users has been revised to better fit with the rules given in the enhanced College of Magics and future envisaged sourcebooks.
- The Language Table and associated rules have been made consistent with HARP SF
- The “Non-Adventuring Professions” have been removed – these will return in a future sourcebook in the form suitable for PCs
Whether you are an aficionado of HARP or a newcomer to the game, I sincerely hope that you will enjoy playing and gamemastering HARP Fantasy as much as I have.
—Nicholas HM Caldwell
Martial Law changes: (from book pg. 5)
Editor's Notes
Significant portions of the original Martial Law material made its way into the 2004 192-page edition of HARP. In updating Martial Law into this enhanced version, we have tried to ensure that this Martial Law edition is consistent with both HARP Fantasy and HARP SF and have added some new material and lots of great new art.
The change list is as follows:
- Flying and Influence skills made consistent with both HARP Fantasy and HARP SF;
- Intuition talent removed, while Swashbuckler and Toughness talents made consistent with both HARP Fantasy and HARP SF;
- Underwater Combat and Maritime Combat updated to be consistent with HARP SF;
- Costs for superior and magical materials have been adjusted
- Damage Adjustment by Armor is now an optional rule;
- The sample characters have been updated for consistency with HARP Fantasy;
- New sample characters have been added for the Cleric, Harper, Mage and Thief professions.
Enjoy Martial Law
— Nicholas HM Caldwell
College of Magics changes: (from pg. 5 in the book)
Editor's Note
This is an enhanced version of the original College of Magics, which incorporates feedback from years of actual play. For aficionados of the game, the changes between the original 2004 edition and this version are as follows:
- The Necromancer's Favored categories were rebalanced
- Minor modifications to the Song, Music and Trance casting styles
- Significant revisions to the spell creation system, namely addition of new Aspects and deletion of some duplicate Aspects, costs of Attributes now varies according to the spell type (Elemental, Attack or Utility), simpler and cheaper costing system for spells with multiple effects, PP costs for scaling options also now varies according to the spell type making Utility spells more effective for fewer PP, and some scaling options have been recosted
- The Development Point costs of the new talents were rebalanced with the Potency talent and Inner Strength talents being rewritten
- A rule for variable RR and OB bonus from potions, runes, and circles has been added
- Alchemy, Charmcraft and Ritual Magic were revised to conform to the revised spell creation system
- The monetary costs for making Alchemy and Charmcraft items were rebalanced
- All spells were revised to conform to the revised spell creation system
- The set of Clean, Dry and Repair cantrips have been revised with some deleted and new cantrips added
Not a system I'm a big fan of, but the art and format certainly looks nice.
Nice looking books. I've been meaning to pick up the HARP SF hardcovers.