Author Topic: Harper's Bazaar  (Read 1848 times)

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Offline talsharien

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Harper's Bazaar
« on: April 08, 2012, 05:18:33 PM »
Hi,

I am pretty new to HARP having played Rolemaster for about 20 years and various other Gygaxian games e.t.c.

Are there any plans to re-release the Harpers Bazaar issues as they seem to have some great content but are unavailable?

Thanks

Tal

Offline NicholasHMCaldwell

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Re: Harper's Bazaar
« Reply #1 on: April 09, 2012, 01:31:31 PM »
There are some good ideas in the Harper's Bazaars. However, the implementations were not playtested and, more importantly, are no longer wholly consistent with the enhanced HARP Fantasy core rulebook and the enhanced versions of the supplements that will follow. The plan therefore, after we have the existing big four sourcebooks published or well underway to rerelease, is that we will review HB material and some of it will, in a revised, consistent, and properly playtested format, appear in future full HARP sourcebooks.

best wishes,
Nicholas



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Publisher of Rolemaster, Spacemaster, Shadow World, Cyradon, HARP & HARP SF, and Cyberspace, with products available from www.drivethrurpg.com
Author: Mentalism Companion, GURPS Age of Napoleon, Construct Companion, College of Magics, HARP SF/HARP SF Xtreme

Offline Maelstrom

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Re: Harper's Bazaar
« Reply #2 on: April 11, 2012, 11:30:32 AM »
I would love one of those items to be the Taoist monk and the chi abilities.  HB rules leave it quite overpowered when used in conjunction with some of the martial arts fighting styles, so it would definitely need to be playtested; but the core idea is fantastic.
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Offline NicholasHMCaldwell

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Re: Harper's Bazaar
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2012, 08:51:42 AM »
I would love one of those items to be the Taoist monk and the chi abilities.  HB rules leave it quite overpowered when used in conjunction with some of the martial arts fighting styles, so it would definitely need to be playtested; but the core idea is fantastic.

We definitely want to see a proper martial arts sourcebook for HARP Fantasy, and I would expect that any proposal in that area would cover chi abilities. It might, like Martial Arts Companion for Rolemaster, look at Zen as well as Tao, and maybe even consider Shao-Lin variants a la Cory Magel's article in TGC for a Rolemaster Channeling eastern monk.

Best wishes,
Nicholas
Dr Nicholas HM Caldwell
Director, Iron Crown Enterprises Ltd
Publisher of Rolemaster, Spacemaster, Shadow World, Cyradon, HARP & HARP SF, and Cyberspace, with products available from www.drivethrurpg.com
Author: Mentalism Companion, GURPS Age of Napoleon, Construct Companion, College of Magics, HARP SF/HARP SF Xtreme

Offline talsharien

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Re: Harper's Bazaar
« Reply #4 on: April 17, 2012, 03:04:40 PM »
All sounds great thanks

Offline Witchking20k

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Re: Harper's Bazaar
« Reply #5 on: April 24, 2012, 08:02:20 AM »
Well, in theory using them would be playtesting....but, I have not ad the chance to read the newest incarnation of HARP.
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Offline GrumpyOldFart

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Re: Harper's Bazaar
« Reply #6 on: April 24, 2012, 09:01:20 AM »
Note: The following is personal opinion off the top of my head, not a demand that things be done a particular way or even a "I'm right and you're wrong."

In terms of having an "official" ongoing source of new material, I'd think the forums here would be the place to field new ideas that have yet to be playtested at all. Guild Companion would be a good spot for ideas that have been playtested among your group and are ready to be crowdsourced in playtesting so to have a fuller base of data from which to draw your conclusions and do fine tweaking.

By the time it reaches HARPer's Bazaar (and as such is under consideration to become part of "standard HARP"), a concept should be so thoroughly vetted as to have no more likelihood of problems and/or errata than the material in the core books, and perhaps even less. A particular idea may not work with the internal logic of your setting and campaign, but you can be pretty sure it works with the current RAW, or if not, with a particular set of already published optional rules that have passed the same testing process.

Of course, that's what I'd like as a GM who likes HARP. On the other hand, it might not be smart in business terms, since your "new" material has already been seen and used by a big chunk of your target market as a result of your playtesting process. Their only reason to buy it now (other than just sheer loyalty) is to have it neatly printed up instead of hen scratch on notebook paper in a binder somewhere, or a folder of spreadsheets on a flash drive.
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Offline Uriel

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Re: Harper's Bazaar
« Reply #7 on: April 24, 2012, 11:13:30 PM »
Agree 100% with Grumpy Old Fart.

I know that saying such is tantamount to treason with some folks, but my primarily Played RPG isn't HARP, but rather Pathfinder (Though, in a perfect World, my Group would be playing both...).
Paizo has really shot head and shoulders above every other game company (Even the game that they have drawn so many folks away from...) by having open play-testing, supported by extremely  interactive Forums. As much play-testing as possible gets out all of the bugs, and is always a good thing.

Uriel

Offline Turbs

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Re: Harper's Bazaar
« Reply #8 on: October 15, 2012, 02:37:44 AM »
I know that saying such is tantamount to treason with some folks, but ...

Heathen!!   ;D
however on a more constructiv note.  I find myself hoping that harpers Bazaar will be re-released.
as far as I'm concerned,  and printed ideas be they incompatible or not are always welcome by GM's
simply for the fact that they can give you a great idea for your own personal game.
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