Kenzer joins fantasy Old-School at RPGnow

Daniel Proctor · Post by **Daniel Proctor** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 3:21 pm

Hey all just thought you might be interested in this...

http://www.rpgnow.com/default.php?cPath=_1_14_2253&

Kenzer released a Hackmaster module in the fantasy Old-School section. Kinda interesting.

Also, there is a new module for OSRIC by a new publisher...

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php? ... SourceCode

rogatny · Post by **rogatny** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 4:20 pm

I'd completely stopped paying attention to HM. Is this their first "Kalamaster" release?

T. Foster · Post by **T. Foster** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 4:46 pm

If KenzerCo's smart (and I've seen no evidence to date that they are

) they could use OSRIC as a way to get out from under WotC's restrictive license without having to completely rewrite Core Hackmaster (and alienate whatever little remains of their audience). I wonder if this "new look" release is an indication of thinking in that direction going on at KCo (also -- and I may be reading too much into this -- it seems significant that this is the first HM product I know of in ages that's actual original material by Jolly Blackburn and not an amateur/fanboy retread of some late-1E/2E thing that already sucked the first time around ("Hackjammer," I'm looking in your direction...)).

Ermanaric · Post by **Ermanaric** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 5:01 pm

Ya, but what about Robinloft, oh you just gotta love that one.

tried checking out Magique's games but it seems that their site isn't up to par

WSmith · Post by **WSmith** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 7:45 pm

Well, what about this?

http://stores.lulu.com/sjohansson

Some slightly more interesting than usual events unfolding from Kenzer Co.

I think someone, might just be waking up and smelling the mead.

Daniel Proctor · Post by **Daniel Proctor** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 9:31 pm

To tell you the truth I have a fondness for Kenzer Co. They are just guys who loved 1e and kept it alive in their own way (modified of course).

But, I never could get too into their stuff because I just never found the whole humor aspect of it quite as "cute" as some other people. At least, it gets old after a while. I really do "get it" as far as the humor, but it's like a joke that gets told over and over and then it's just not funny anymore.

T. Foster · Post by **T. Foster** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 11:02 pm

The Hackmaster Players Handbook is actually quite good -- a funny tribute/parody that actually manages to capture a little bit of the same sense of wonder you felt upon first reading the AD&D PH as a kid -- the language, the baroque rules, the sense of a much bigger world beyond the book -- but I think making it into an actual game was a huge mistake, and turning it into the second coming of 2E at the behest of its fans (by and large the very same fans who helped drive TSR into the ground, let's not forget) was an even bigger one.

Wes · Post by **Wes** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 9:20 am

Daniel Proctor wrote:To tell you the truth I have a fondness for Kenzer Co. They are just guys who loved 1e and kept it alive in their own way (modified of course).

Wurd! I have to agree. I put them in the same bucket with Goodman Games and a few other smaller companies that are keen on "Old School". They even agreeed to let me create an OOP section of their forums - and have participated in those type discussions.

That, and I love the attitude element of Hackmaster. Great game IMHO. I would love to see them lose the paraody elements and get out from under WoTC's thumb. I've posted regarding OSRIC over there are few times, but didn't get much of a response from the staff.

Of course, I hang out over there (on the fourms) quite a bit and have met the guys so I'm a little biased. But they have always been super freindly towards me and seem to really have passion for what they do.

Looks like they've also discovered POD - that's cool AFAIAC.

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 4:22 pm

Yeah, I have to admit I have a similar fondness for KenzerCo. It would be great to see them to make use of OSRIC.

xyanthon · Post by **xyanthon** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 5:27 pm

I've never really looked at any of Kenzer's stuff. The humor part always kind of made me balk. However, I am intrigued by the City of Brass book they put out. I understand it was written by Rob Kuntz? Does anyone know if it is worth checking out? I've always had a fascintation with the City of Brass (perhaps stemming from the 1e DMG cover).

T. Foster · Post by **T. Foster** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 6:02 pm

xyanthon wrote:I've never really looked at any of Kenzer's stuff. The humor part always kind of made me balk. However, I am intrigued by the City of Brass book they put out. I understand it was written by Rob Kuntz? Does anyone know if it is worth checking out? I've always had a fascintation with the City of Brass (perhaps stemming from the 1e DMG cover).

Rob Kuntz turned in an initial draft which was "completed" by a group of freelancers without any further input from Rob, so the final book is maybe 25% RJK, 75% the other guys. This was a very sore point at the time of release, as Rob was still working on his version and had no idea KenzerCo had farmed the book out (there are two sides to the story, of course, and KenzerCo's is that Rob had already missed several deadlines and they had no confidence he'd ever get the book done so they had to do something -- I believe he also had no phone # or email and was thus effectively incommunicato for at least some of this time).

The released book is honestly pretty bad, especially in comparison to what Rob was building up on his website (which, alas, will never be released in that form, though I believe one of Rob's (many) pending projects is to extract and recycle some of this material into a "Beyond the City of Brass" book/series). I'd only recommend picking it up if you can find it for well below its original cover-price and are willing to mine it for ideas rather than using it as-is.

xyanthon · Post by **xyanthon** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 10:21 pm

Thanks for the info. I think I'll save it for a bargain bin purchase and wait for Necromancer Games Boxed set then.

thedungeondelver · Post by **thedungeondelver** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:04 pm

I'll be the dissenter - I've no love for Hackmaster.

HAY GUYZ OLD D-N-D HAS LOTS OF RULES LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Post by **Falconer** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 12:54 am

I believe I heard Rob is in negotiation with Kenzer to buy back the rights to his City of Brass stuff?

The "real" Rob Kuntz City of Brass is right up at the top of the list of gaming products I'd love to see in my lifetime, second only to as many original maps and manuscripts from Castle Greyhawk and El Raja Key and the City of Greyhawk and the Temple of Elemental Evil as I can get my hands on. Regards.

T. Foster · Post by **T. Foster** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 1:02 am

Falconer wrote:I believe I heard Rob is in negotiation with Kenzer to buy back the rights to his City of Brass stuff?

The "real" Rob Kuntz City of Brass is right up at the top of the list of gaming products I'd love to see in my lifetime, second only to as many original maps and manuscripts from Castle Greyhawk and El Raja Key and the City of Greyhawk and the Temple of Elemental Evil as I can get my hands on. Regards.

I haven't been keeping up on RJK-news, so I hadn't heard this, but if true that's great news! The way he was describing CoB at the time (even considering allowances for overselling) sounded fantastic, and KenzerCo's book didn't even come near to doing the concept justice.