''Hârn'' is a folio written by
N. Robin Crossby and published by
Columbia Games
Columbia Games is one of the oldest manufacturers of board wargames, and has also produced the '' Hârn'' role-playing game as well as various card games and collectible card games. Their wargames are notable for using small wooden or plastic blo ...
in 1983. This first introduced the fantasy role-playing game setting of
Hârn
Hârn is a campaign setting for fantasy role-playing games, designed by N. Robin Crossby and published by Columbia Games since 1983.
In 1998 Crossby founded Kelestia Productions (KP), an electronic publishing e-company. KP and CGI now independe ...
.
Contents
''Hârn'' is the first product produced about Hârn, an island on the planet Kethira about three times the size of Great Britain.
The contents include
* "Hârnview", a 32-page book containing a general overview the island's background, history, religion, economics and culture.
* "Hârndex": a 64-page encyclopedia containing indexed information about the island.
* a 22" x 34" colour map of the island
Hârn is a low-fantasy setting with a minimum of magic, broadly based on Norman England, with some fantasy elements provided by dwarves, elves and orcs.
A rules system was not included in this set — gamemasters were expected to adapt the Hârn campaign to an existing rules system of the time such as ''
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' or ''
RuneQuest
''RuneQuest'' (commonly abbreviated as RQ) is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game originally designed by Steve Perrin, Ray Turney, Steve Henderson (game designer), Steve Henderson, and Warren James, and set in Greg Stafford's mythical world of ...
''. Later Hârn products would use a rules system called ''
HârnMaster
''HârnMaster'' is a fantasy role-playing game based in the fantasy world of Hârn. The system, like the world, was designed primarily by N. Robin Crossby.
History
''Hârnmaster'', the Hârn RPG, was published by Columbia Games in 1986. All ''Hà ...
''.
Publication history
''Hârn Regional Module'' was written by N. Robin Crossby, who also drew the map. The set was enclosed in a folder and published by
Columbia Games
Columbia Games is one of the oldest manufacturers of board wargames, and has also produced the '' Hârn'' role-playing game as well as various card games and collectible card games. Their wargames are notable for using small wooden or plastic blo ...
in 1983. A 2nd edition was published in 1985 as a
boxed set
A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit.
Music
Artists and bands ...
.
Reception
In the September 1983 edition of ''
Dragon
A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
'' (Issue 77),
Roger E. Moore
Roger E. Moore (born July 11, 1955, in Winchester, Kentucky) is a designer of role-playing games. He is best known for his long-running tenure as editor of '' Dragon'' magazine and was the founding editor of ''Dungeon'' magazine.
Early life
Mo ...
was impressed by the enclosed map, calling it "beautiful. If you are a fan of fantasy cartography, the map makes a wonderful addition to one's collection." Due to the lack of ready-made adventures or adventure hooks, Moore recommended the game system for experienced
gamemasters "who don't mind using a largely pre-fabricated universe", but warned "It is not a good idea to purchase ''Harn'' if you like to extensively alter game material unless you don't mind spending money." He concluded with a recommendation, saying, "''Harn'' should be more than sufficient for mosy gaming needs
..It could be better, but it is very good."
In the August 1984 edition of ''
White Dwarf
A white dwarf is a stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very dense: its mass is comparable to the Sun's, while its volume is comparable to the Earth's. A white dwarf's faint luminosity comes fro ...
'' (Issue #56), Simon Farrell thought that ''Hârn'' "is a useful aid to almost any
fantasy role-playing game
A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal ...
," but he warned players that there was little information about non-human characters, the setting had very little magic, and statistics for
non-player characters were not included. For those reasons, he gave it a below-average overall rating of 6 out of 10.
Reviews
*''
Fantasy Gamer
''The Space Gamer'' was a magazine dedicated to the subject of science fiction and fantasy board games and tabletop role-playing games. It quickly grew in importance and was an important and influential magazine in its subject matter from the la ...
'' (Issue 4 - Feb 1984)
References
{{reflist
Hârn supplements
Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1983