I bought the original Kingdoms of Kalamar boxed set years ago when it first came out thinking to use it for my 2nd edition AD&D game, but found it to be a bit too bland. So not wanting useless clutter, I got rid of it.

Last year when Kenzer put all their remaining D20 books on clearance, I once again picked up the Kalamar setting along with several supplements for it. And once again I found it boring. Off to the used book store it went.

Since getting HackMaster Basic and hearing how HM will be using Kalamar as it's default campaign setting, I became interested in maybe giving it one more try (yes, I am a masochist, thank you). I picked up the main book and the atlas cheap online and strangely enough, it actually works for me now. Where before it was boring, now it's rich, deep, and very much a catalyst for my imagination. What changed?

I think the main difference in my attitude towards the setting is the new HackMaster. No longer a jokesy clone of AD&D, HM is actually a rpg that tries hard to simulate the reality of a medieval fantasy world. Yep, that's right- HackMaster is serious stuff. Yeah, yeah, you can still use the crazy monsters and spells from D&D or HM4 and run around hacking your way through random dungeons, but HM could also be just as easily used to role play a serious historical setting without missing a beat or seeming out of place. This fits the attitude and design of the Kalamar setting- realistic fantasy (if I can even say such a thing).

The other major factor that I think has changed my mind about Kalamar is all the "serious" fantasy and historical fiction novels I've been reading lately. Stuff like the A Song of Ice and Fire books by Martin and the novels by Bernard Cornwell dealing with the dark ages and the hundred years war. These kinds of stories fit much better with HM and with Kalamar.

Before when I was looking at Kalamar through the lens of Dungeons & Dragons, I found it boring because I was just looking for a place with a lot of dungeons to explore and outlandish monsters to fight. Now I see it as a detailed and realistic fantasy setting that is perfect for a more serious, sandbox-type of game. And as even the D20 version I have is mostly rules neutral, I could see it being useful to gamers of a lot of different systems. GURPS, BRP, Rolemaster, and Riddle of Steel GM's would all probably see Kalamar as a great setting to use.

If you're getting ready to play HackMaster Basic, here's a great selection of tools and documents to make your life a lot easier:

• Official Character Sheet
• Alternate Character Sheet
• Fillable PDF Character Sheet
• GM Screen
• Character Creation Worksheet
• Online Character Builder
• Battlesheet Generator
• Treasure Generator

Still undecided about whether to get HackMaster Basic or not? Here's some reviews to help you make up your mind-

• Troll and Flame: HackMaster Basic - Quick Review

Is this the most happy and glorious future of RPGs? I would not be sad if so.

• The Moldy Vale: Hackmaster Basic: A Review

When I was done, I was left with an ill-equipped, ill-prepared, kinda low in some ability scores, slow as hell, damage dealing, axe and hammer wielding, doomed to death dwarven fighter known as Bain Goblincrusher. And you know, I like it like that, because when I succeed, it will be way more awesome then with a character "destined" to succeed.

• Mark Damon Hughes: RPG: Review: HackMaster Basic

Despite some flaws, I like the actual game. A quick solo test showed me that while combat isn't fast, it should be over in 15-30 minutes once you're past the "how do I attack?" stage. Skills are so much simpler, I wish the entire game was built around them, but it works. Magic doesn't suck.

• Rpg.net: review #1 of HackMaster Basic

I actually like some of the elements in HackMaster Basic, like the Count Up initiative system, but it seems to have even less options than older editions of AD&D or the HackMaster 4th Edition. Given that it's supposed to be basic, and also given that “simulation value,” I don't think I wasted my money, yet I don't think I'd actually play this game.

• Rpg.net: review #2 of HackMaster Basic

HackMaster Basic has deservingly become the roleplaying game of Conan or Cudgel, of Elric or Fafhrd. Here we have an old school adventuring game that is detail oriented, yet plays clean and quick, with simple, intuitive and clever game mechanics.

• Mediocre Tales - I like HackMaster Basic

In the end, if you own an older edition of D&D already and are completely happy with it, you might want to let this one pass. On the other hand, if your older edition has lost its spark and the current retro-clones are just a little too close to their grandparents to excite you, then HackMaster Basic might be exactly what you are looking for.

• Nuketown - Initial Thoughts about HackMaster Basic

In many ways HackMaster Basic is the anti-4E. D&D 4E is about maintaining a near-perfect balance between the classes, strict adherence to rolls, and maintaining it all through an exceptions-based rules engine. HackMaster is about randomness tempered by mechanics. You may go in with a particular character concept in mind, but you could walk away with something very different. This randomness, this unplanned evolution of the character, is very different from what we see in 4E. It's more in keeping with the old "let the dice fall where they may" mentality of early RPGs, and I found it to be refreshingly different (yet very familiar).

• Confessions of Not a Grognard Review

I do think that Hackmaster Basic is an excellent looking game based on a read through and no practical experience with it. It garners 4 out of 5 stars from my questionable perspective, loosing points only because it's not really basic at all and the amount of fiddelyness is too much for my taste.

You can now download the free Quick Start rules for HackMaster Basic! You should probably go ahead and download some character sheets while you're at it.

Update- there's now a free adventure to download as well. Now you have no excuses.

I just got my copy and started reading last night. First impressions- It's not as funny as HM 4 and I was expecting more Fraim artwork (which I really enjoy) inside, but this system is way, way better than HM 4. The KoDT combat example is pure genius! I wish the book was harcover, but I'll definitely be getting the hard cover AHM books when they come out so it's not that big a deal- especially since this book was so inexpensive.

Pre-orders for the new HackMaster Basic book are due to ship out next Monday this Friday. In the mean time, there have been several previews of what to expect-

• HackMaster preview (kodt 152).pdf
• HackMaster preview (kodt 151).pdf
• Table of Contents
• Forward by Gary Jackson
• Cover

My group playtested HackMaster for a couple of months and we had a lot of fun with it even though the rules we were using were incomplete and constantly changing. Now it's due out later next month and it's available for pre-order. If this sells anywhere near as well as A&8 did (and it will probably do much better), there's a good chance that it will sell out it's first print run quickly so I figure it's best to get it while it's hot. I'm still under an NDA so I can't really talk about it yet, but here are some places to go for more info:

• Get HackMaster Basic
• HackMaster Basic Spoilers on Kenzerco forum
• Speak of the Fifth Edition thread on rpg.net

Geocities is closing down (yet another thing Yahoo has run into the ground) and so that means my old HackMaster site, Mikeeze Wurld, will be no more. It's kind of sad as my Geocities site was my first and its where I learned to code html by hand in notepad. Oh well, nothing lasts forever I suppose but there is something I think is worth saving - Mikeeze Wurld's Monster Pit. I got a lot of fan created monsters with great illustrations from Doug Curtis who worked on the HackMaster books and I'd hate to see these disappear.