Director’s Briefing – December 2019

 
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Welcome
 
To the one hundred-and-second Briefing and final scheduled Briefing of 2019.
 
 
Dragonmeet 2019
 
Colin, John and I attended Dragonmeet in force, with some support from my family in the setup and takedown phases of the event. We attended and so did Haalkitaine in both hardcover and softcover editions. We sold many books and much use was made of the new handheld payment device. Colin talked to artists, both established and new. I spoke to freelance writers, both established and new, and to a fan who was up for running a game demo next Dragonmeet. The three of us also chatted about how we can improve our presence at gaming conventions more generally and we think we have a potential solution.
 
 
Shadow World
 
In chatting to people new to the systems and worlds of ICE at Dragonmeet, it nagged at me that we had all these lovely HARP products and all these lovely Shadow World books but the two did not intersect. Now granted Cyradon will return for HARP and other settings for HARP will arise, and Rolemaster and Shadow World maintain their symbiotic relationship, but it really is time we made it easy for HARP fans to tap into the wonders of Shadow World. With Subterfuge and Bestiary now at artwork stage, Beyond the Veil in an advanced stage, and the mechanics-heavy chapters of Something Wicked Something Wondrous equally advanced, HARP finally has all the muscles for Shadow World.
 
In the first instance, I would like to see the creation of a HARP Handbook for Shadow World. I don’t mean a Master Atlas, but a system handbook that details the additional professions, races, creatures, etc., the extra rules needed to effectively run HARP in Shadow World, and conversion guidance from Rolemaster stats to HARP. In the second instance, we might consider producing HARP stat blocks for existing Shadow World sourcebooks but we would not be reworking those existing Shadow World sourcebooks. In the third instance, we would in due course be able to add a HARP stats appendix to future Shadow World sourcebooks.
 
What do I think might be in a HARP Handbook for Shadow World? Not necessarily in this order –
 
1. Mapping Rolemaster’s stats to HARP stats
2. A Professions chapter which would both map Rolemaster professions to existing HARP professions and probably include new Loremaster and Navigator professions
3. A Races chapter providing writeups for as many playable Shadow World races as possible
4. Guidance on choosing Cultures for Shadow World with some possibility of additional cultures beyond those available in HARP Fantasy and Folkways
5. Mapping Rolemaster skills to HARP skills
6. Providing any additional talents required to support the Shadow World races
7. New Spell Spheres for Loremaster and Navigator and any additional spells deemed necessary to reflect special Shadow World needs
8. Customising the Cleric to match the religions of Kulthea
9. Herbs and Poisons converted in terms of effects from Rolemaster to Shadow World
10. Treasure conversions of standard Shadow World magical items (such as power point multipliers which already are toned down for RMSS)
11. Creatures specific to Shadow World which are not in HARP Fantasy or HARP Bestiary
12. Rules for handling Shadow World special circumstances such as Navigator travel and Flowstorms.
13. And doubtless other things that I have missed!
 
Anyone interested in writing or helping to write the Handbook? If so, please get in touch via our forum.
 
 
HARP Fantasy and HARP SF
 
Lots of lovely artwork has arrived for HARP Subterfuge with more still to come in. More art is underway for HARP Garden of Rain and HARP Bestiary as well. Currently HARP Subterfuge is leading in terms of most art already completed.
 
I am halfway through my editing sweep of HARP Beyond the Veil.
 
My queue is still HARP Beyond the Veil, Cyradon, Priest-King and RMU.
 
 
Until next time
 
As the next scheduled Briefing will be in the new year, all that remains for me to do is wish you a very Merry Christmas (or other holiday of your choice).
 
Best wishes,
Nicholas
 
Director, Iron Crown Enterprises Ltd
 
 
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