Anyone out there play Bill Gant's Gunmaster?

[Michael Lewis]

I've been reading Harnmaster and discovered this set of rules.

[kato13]

I've looked at it at it seems like a great set of rules.

Targan is the in house expert though. Hopefully he can provide additional information.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by Michael Lewis

Anyone out there play Bill Gant's Gunmaster?

Have I ever! I'm proud to say that Bill Gant's been my friend for nearly 25 years and I was in the original play testing group for Gunmaster. In fact one of my illustrations is in the first edition of the Gunmaster rulebook.

After Gunmaster was created, every campaign I have run has used the Harnmaster/Gunmaster rules, and after I spent a year converting Twilight:2000 to Gunmaster I ran a 10 year (real time, 8 months game time) Gunmaster:2000 campaign. I've also played in or run many Harnmaster campaigns, several lasting more than a decade.

So yeah, I'd like to think I know a little bit about the Harnmaster and Gunmaster systems

[mikeo80]

Based on what you said, Targan, where could I find the rules? Is the game still in print? On Line? I appreciate any help. Real life has made my google-fu very weak tonight.

My $0.02

Mike

[Targan]

Originally Posted by mikeo80

Based on what you said, Targan, where could I find the rules? Is the game still in print? On Line? I appreciate any help. Real life has made my google-fu very weak tonight.

Gunmaster, written by Bill Gant, is a free rules addition to Harnmaster. Harnmaster is highly detailed RPG system originally designed to be used with the Harn setting (Harn is an island similar to Britain on the fictional planet Kethira). Gunmaster isn't usable without first having a copy of and understanding the Harnmaster rules. Gunmaster brings the Harnmaster system, which focusses on realistic depiction of life and combat in a middle ages setting, into the modern era.

The latest version of Gunmaster is meant for use with the Harnmaster Gold version of the Harnmaster rules. There have been a number of editions of Harnmaster over the years, made more complicated by a licensing/ownership dispute between the original creator of the system, the late great N Robin Crosby, and the games publishing company Columbia Games. Harnmaster Gold was the last edition of Harnmaster published by N Robin Crosby. It wouldn't be difficult for Gunmaster Gold to be converted to any version of Harnmaster and I'm sure Bill Gant could provide earlier versions of Gunmaster to assist with that.

All of Bill Gant's various Harnmaster house rules (including Gunmaster) can be found at WarFlail's Armoury house rules section (NOTE SECURITY WARNING see below. If you still wish to visit the site. Remove the code "REMOVEME-" from the link - KATO13 ADMIN). Harnmaster Gold can be bought from Kelestia.com, or from any fine gaming store that still has physical copies in stock.

I've never published my T2K to Gunmaster conversion but I still have the great bulk of it on hand; much of it is in various electronic formats but some of it I'd have to scan from hard copies. If anyone was serious about wanting to use my material I'd be happy to provide them with whatever I could pull together. After my last Gunmaster:2000 campaign ended I was kind of heartbroken so I haven't looked at any of it for some years.

[Michael Lewis]

I'm interested in how you do character creation. Do you have anything you could share?

I've learned the rules for harnmaster 3 and read some of gun master. I want to make a character as in twilight 2000.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by Michael Lewis

I'm interested in how you do character creation. Do you have anything you could share?

I've learned the rules for harnmaster 3 and read some of gun master. I want to make a character as in twilight 2000.

The simplest way to create a T2K-type character would be to use the Gunmaster Occupations rules.

In my T2K conversion we made things a whole lot more complicated by using a Lifepath system modified from Cyberpunk 2020 (before I converted T2K I converted the entire Cyperpunk 2020 system to Gunmaster). In my system, a character's career would be generated year by year after they left high school. Admittedly that made char gen a really long and complicated process, but it had the advantage of creating characters with very rich back stories and believable lives.

I'll upload part of my char gen rules, be aware they contain some references to Cyberpunk-game setting rules that I forgot to edit out. I'll try to find my detailed lifepath rules too and upload them when I can.

[Targan]

Also, here is the skill list we were using for my last campaign. Some skills obviously wouldn't apply in T2K as they come from the Cyberpunk 2020 setting. Also be aware that there are 2 tabs, Physical Skills etc and Combat Skills.

[Michael Lewis]

Thanks for posting this. I'll start looking at it. Do you mind if I pm you for questions?

Or would email be better?

[Targan]

Originally Posted by Michael Lewis

Thanks for posting this. I'll start looking at it. Do you mind if I pm you for questions?

Or would email be better?

Please feel free to contact me. PMs are fine but my inbox is perpetually close to full so emails might be a better option.

Originally Posted by Michael Lewis

Which version of the Cyberpunk rules did you use? It looks like there are a couple of them out there.

Secend edition (I bought everything published that I could get my hands on). Only recently became aware that they made a third edition in 2005.

[Michael Lewis]

Originally Posted by Targan

The simplest way to create a T2K-type character would be to use the Gunmaster Occupations rules.

In my T2K conversion we made things a whole lot more complicated by using a Lifepath system modified from Cyberpunk 2020 (before I converted T2K I converted the entire Cyperpunk 2020 system to Gunmaster).

Which version of the Cyberpunk rules did you use? It looks like there are a couple of them out there.