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.
I bought a lot of the Kalamar books at a 50% off sale at a local game store. I wasn’t familiar with the previous incarnation. I came to a similar conclusion. The actual adventures were hit-and-miss, but the setting itself was really nice. I even played a couple of Living Kingdoms of Kalamar adventures at a convention.
I also picked up a lot of Scarred Lands setting books at that sale. At that price, I liked it. I’m glad I didn’t pay full price.
That was the same sale where I had to use both my debit card *and* my credit card because they only allowed sales up to a certain dollar amount per card. Ouch.
Hey, Mike!! How good to see you’re still around! I have not thought about Hackmaster for years (okay, I lie, I sold some artwork), but just out of pure curiosity I searched for you and voila!! Here you are! Just wanted to say ‘hi’ and hope your family is doing well. Nice to see the “Monster Pit” still around. Makes me smile.
Hi Doug, glad to hear from you again. I definitely missed seeing your art in the new HackMaster book. That’s a pretty cool looking site you have going there. I’m definitely going to have to check out your comic.