Where I Read HârnWorld - Interlude: HârnWorld 2ndEd vs. HârnWorld 3rdEd

We're getting into Hârnic religion now, which is a change of pace so I figured I would take a moment to gather my thoughts about the new HârnWorld, especially in comparison with the earlier edition (which I also own).

I'm not sure if I ever read my 2nd Edition HârnWorld module in this level of detail. I've tried to take an objective view of the strengths and weaknesses of this module on its own, and perhaps I've tended more to the critical. I don't want to give the impression that I dislike the setting, though. Reading HârnWorld has reaffirmed that I like the setting a great deal. However, it's also reaffirmed that my love of the setting is owing to the level of fan support out there (especially at lythia.com) and to the fact that I, well, already own a lot of the Hârn material. I'm not sure I'd be so enamoured if I was coming to the setting new.


Most of what is in HârnWorld 3rd Edition (I'll call this version HW3 and the 2nd Edition HW2 for convenience) was in HW2 as well. The Hârn article itself is longer in HW3 - 54 vs. 38 pages -but this is mostly due to the addition of the single-page summaries of each kingdom, the tribal nations, and the gargun, as well as general layout changes. HW3 is unquestionably cleaner, easier to read, and has better art than its predecessor. But if you already own HW2, I wouldn't recommend getting HW3. It's the same stuff, just made a bit more accessible.

HW3, like HW2, still lacks some information that I think would be quite important for new GMs. There's no mention in either edition of the Shek-Pvar (wizards), for instance - though I suppose they're close enough to standard fantasy wizards that details might not be needed. Still, at least a brief mention of Hârnic magic, or at least how wizards fit into Hârnic society, would be welcome. There's also no mention of the Lia-Kavair (Thieves' Guild). The "non-standard" nations - Orbaal, Evael, Azadmere and Tharda - don't get much mention as far as government or political structure go. Priests and clerics, at least, will get some detail once we start on "Religion". The HârnDex includes entries for all these things, of course, but without any mention that you should reference either "Magic" or "Shek-Pvar" or "Pvarism" in HârnWorld, how are you going to know where to look for information on magic?

Overall, even for an overview we get a pretty limited insight into Hârn. Meanwhile, the HârnDex launches right into its individual, alphabetical listings of features of Hârn. We do get a bit more information once we get into the History section of HârnWorld, but even that lacks a certain "hook". It would be a welcome step, I think, to have a more rookie-friendly introduction to, not the setting itself, but playing in the setting. HârnWorld is meant to be systemless - I'm not suggesting full-on integration of a ruleset. But questions like "what level of magic is the default in Hârn" or "what kind of magical healing is there" (or indeed any healing) in the introductory material would really help Hârn rookies.

(For instance, the HârnDex includes reference to individual herbs but does not have an entry for "healing" or "medicine". There are entries for the Society of Physicians, the wizardly school of Fyvria (which has healing magic, but the entry only mentions that Fyvria includes magic of life and death and "green growing things"), and the Church of Peoni (which includes many healers) - but precious little mention of the state of the healing arts themselves, mundane or magical, in Hârn. There's no mention that, in HârnMaster at least, several priestly orders have access to healing magic. While it's assumed, no doubt, that one will simply use the healing system from the game rules of choice, some guidance on points like this would be useful. Should resurrection magic be allowed? Have Hârnic physicians and scholars developed germ theory or are we still dealing with vapours and demons? Not that vapours and demons are out of the question - it's a fantasy realm after all - but a bit of information on either how it really is in Harn, or the beliefs of Harn's inhabitants - would add some flavour and make the modules more useful.)

Now - in fairness to Columbia Games, they seem to be working on an Introduction to Harn but it's not up on their website. A formal, free, intro to Harn might answer some of my concerns.


Anyway.

HW3 lacks two articles that were in HW2. The first, Lythia, was 24 pages long and detailed the continent which Hârn sits next to. The second, Kethira, was 8 pages long and detailed the world upon which Lythia rests. Lythia doesn't seem to be available from Columbia Games, but there's a Kethira article from both Columbia Games (10 pages) and Kelestia Productions (58 pages) - the Kelestia one seems to include details on Lythia as well. I think it's a shame that we don't still get the broader picture of the world of Hârn in the HârnWorld module, but perhaps it's a result of the dispute between the two companies.

(Kelestia, by the way, seems to be working on their own HarnWorld module; it will be interesting to see how it differs from Columbia's version, though I tend to find Kelestia's greater emphasis on detail and accents a bit much, frankly. I prefer gameability to detail.)

And really, that's about it. HW3 is definitely better laid-out than HW2. It could have used a more comprehensive revamp, in my view, but the addition of greater detail on the kingdoms and cultures on Hârn was a good move. But if you have HW2, there's little point in buying HW3.

The HârnDex, meanwhile, does seem to have a bit more detail than its 2nd Edition counterpart. I'm not sure it's enough to warrant buying the 3rd Edition HârnDex (especially at $39.98 for the PDF) if you already have the 2nd Edition.

Speaking of price...

(I know, I know, I said I wouldn't deal with Columbia Games' or Kelestia Productions' business model. I recognize and freely admit I'm not an RPG insider and have zero experience in the industry. I'm speaking merely as a consumer and as a fan of the setting. Yet, here we go.)

All of that said, price remains an issue.The HarnWorld module is now $22.38, but it now comes with the Hârn map in PDF - the map PDF on its own sells for $12.98. I think it's a good move to tie the map to HârnWorld. Those of us who own Hârn material (and the map) don't need the new HârnWorld because it has so little new information, and those new to the setting will need the map.

But of course, HârnWorld itself isn't sufficient. Even in PDF format (and I'm not one who thinks PDFs should be dirt-cheap, though I do wish Columbia and Kelestia would do what some other companies do and offer hard copy + PDF bundles) you're going to need the HarnDex, which means you'll spend over sixty bucks (US) for about two hundred loose pages (plus a map). Hard copies will run you over seventy-five ($27.98 for HarnWorld and $49.98 for HarnDex).

By way of contrast, Cubicle 7 offers Keltia for $49.99 USD, and that's a 240 page hardcover + PDF.  Keltia doesn't have a map like Hârn's, of course, and certainly has less setting information (since Keltia has both game rules and setting within its pages), so perhaps it's not an entirely fair comparison. But then again, you need a rulesystem to play in Hârn, too - so that's a potential additional cost  (though you could certainly adapt a free system like FUDGE or a D&D retroclone to gaming in Harn).


In the past, I've told people that they can play Hârn with just the Hârn module (i.e. HârnWorld and HârnDex). I still think that's technically true, but my review thus far suggests to me that it would take more work than I had thought - piecing together the disparate entries in the HârnDex and cross-referencing with HârnWorld and the Hârn map - plus, of course, adapting things like religion and magic to your ruleset of choice. Even dropping Lythia and Kethira from the main module is a mis-step, I think. Lythia, at least, would be useful for the broader context in which finds itself.

The standard response back in the day was to check out Lythia.com for suggestions and advice from the Hârn fan community. That's still a great suggestion, by the way, as there's tons of great stuff on that site (even if you're just looking for ideas or resources for another medieval fantasy setting). But I'm not convinced you should have to run to the Internet to ask how to use this game setting you just bought.

And in the HârnWorld module itself, the suggestion is read the overview, then pick a kindgom module or two and run with it. Still a bit of a price issue - let's say you want to play out the conflict in the West, among Rethem, Tharda, and Kanday. If you wanted all three modules, that's another $110.00 (40 each for Rethem and Kanday, 30 for Tharda) in hard copy, about $88.00 in PDF. And that's for around 150 pages total.

How about a "Kingdoms of the West" book (or, sigh, hole-punched article, if we must) which consolidates, cleans up, and clarifies the situation amongst those three rival kingdoms?

I still think Hârn is a fine setting. I don't regret buying the Hârn materials I have, and I'm glad I never got rid of them in one of my periodic RPG shelf purges. I think for the right group, Hârn would be a great choice. (I actually hope to run an Orbaal campaign in the fairly near future.) But I'm not sure that I would still recommend - at least not unreservedly - it to someone looking for a new setting. The buy-in both in terms of money and time would be substantial, especially these days where we're spoiled for choice.

Well, that ended on a bit of a downer. Time for some opiate of the masses, I think. Next, Religion!