The Official Publication of the HackMaster Association

Those Held Responsible... page articles (or larger) to be printed once or twice a year. One
Project Manager: ....................................... Steve Johansson article woul just be new spells, another magic items, and so forth.
Layout: …….................................................. D. M. Zwerg We are also looking into the concept of official spell licenses.
Head Editor: ........................................... Steve De Chellis Heather O’Malley has volunteered to head those projects up. We
are also looking into group editing first to try and get article turn-
Assistant Editors: ........................................ Chuck Boswell
around down to around two months. If it pans out Joe Tolman will
............................................. Steve Willett be “the guy” answerable to the Head Editor is the first edits are
............................... Donald W. MacVittie late. That leads us to who the new Head Editor will be. Donny
.......................................... Joe Stevenson Gordon (blatant_beast on the K&C Forums) will head up the
................................................ Brad Todd HackJournal editorial volunteers. He is a good guy,is a profesional,
........................................ R. T. Berryman and I have gamed with his brother for years. I expect things to start
........................................... Jason Zavoda moving rapidly in the upcomming months.
....................................... Benjamin Pierce -D. M. Zwerg
.................................................... Face777 HMA Manager
(and person guilty for any and all delays due to layout, etc)
To Be Found Herein...
HackJournal Articles
Armor Repair Spells ............................................................ 3 The HackJournal needs Waylands material, art work, "A Day in
The Shadowblades...................…......................................... 5 the Life" stories, magic items, adventures or anything that could be
Varturus Academy of Magic ...…………............................ 7 a help to players or gamemasters all have a home in the
Castle Maps: Pentfire Castle ...…………............................ 8 HackJournal.
Rustlers of the Night: Pickerberry Bush ............................. 9 To submit something to the HackJournal, whether it is Waylands
Seasickness Rules .............................................................. 11 related or not, follow a few simple steps:
Acts of Desperation ………….......................................... 13 Step One: Examine the HackJournal Submission Guidelines.
Talents for the Active Caster ............................................. 14 These are available on the HMA site. Just login to that site at
http://www.kenzerco.com/hma/main/index.php and click on the
link under Resources.
From the Editor's Desk
Step Two: Write your article in Microsoft Word (.DOC) or Rich
Hello all. Just wanted to mention that this will be the last edition
Text Format (RTF), or save your artwork in .TIF or .JPG formats
of HackJournal with Steve DeChellis as Head Editor and Document
(at 300 dpi resolution).
Manager. This is not a commentary on his abilities, in fact he has
Step Three: Send and email to Foundry Dwarf, the HackJournal
revelotiunized the process with a new document handling system
Editor in Chief (hackjournalg@kenzerco.com) with "[HJ] <article
he has created, but rather due to additional pressures on his time as
name>" in the subject line. If it concerns the Waylands, include
he has taken on the monumental tasks of revising the Kenzer &
that in the subject line as well.
Company Web Site, running the Kenzer & Company Forums, and
Step Four: Include your name, HMA number, e-mail address and
so forth. He is even setting things up for multiple programmers to
a brief description of the submission in the text of the article itself.
work on the HMA Website (which is in dire need of a revision)
Step Five: Work on new ideas for articles as your submission is
Steve has done an excellent job in times of very low article
processed. It may take a while for your submission to be approved
submission rates. I think we have almost as many articles in this
and formatted for the HackJournal. And with all of the HJ
issue as we have had submissions so far this year, which makes this
Assistant Editors now, it shouldn't be too long before you hear
a good time to plug for more article submissions!
something back.
.Next thing I wanted to mention is that as of this issue I have added
a new “feature” … a castle map on page 8! I think this will help fill
HackJournal out a bit more as will a number of other ideas we are HackJournal Submission Guidelines
working on implementing. One idea is having a person in charge of Submission guidelines can be found on the HMA Website
“drumming up” interest and collecting individual submissions http://www.kenzerco.com/hma/main/index.php
(such as new spells, magic items, equipment, and so forth) into two

http://www.kenzerco.com/
HackJournal is published quarterly by: Submissions for publication in Submissions sent by postal mail should be addressed to
Kenzer and Company, future issues of HackJournal the address shown at left. Electronic and e-mail
511 W. Greenwood Ave., should be sent to: submissions are strongly preferred as we cannot assume
Waukegan, IL 60087-5102 hackjournal@kenzerco.com responsibility for the care and feeding of any carrier
pigeons, kobold messengers, et.

© Copyright 2005, Kenzer and Company, All Rights Reserved

With respect to trademarks: HackMaster is a registered trademark of Kenzer and Company. The HackMaster logo, HackJournal logo, Hacklopedia of
Beasts, the Kenzer and Company logo, Knights of the Dinner Table, KoDT, Hard Eight Enterprises, GameMaster's Workshop, All Things Magical,
Player's Advantage, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Rustlers of the Night, War Stories, From the Armchair of the Arch-Mage, A Day in the Life,
www.kenzerco.com and all prominent characters and likeness thereof are trademarks of Kenzer and Company. © Copyright 2005, Kenzer and
Company, All Rights Reserved

HackJournal ISSUE 4.14 page # 2

 Mage’s Advantage

Armor Repair Spells

By Bruce Carson HMGMA MA-1-00933-02, Andy “Battle Mage Bob” Fuellemann HMPA MA-1-01928-04 and
Troy “Mooch” Runkel HMPA MA-1-1925-04

Bob and Mooch’s Armor Repair, aka “Bondo Spell”

(Alteration) Bob and Mooch’s Leather Armor Repair
Level: 3 (Alteration)
Range: Touch Components: V,S,M Level: 2
Duration: Until dispelled Casting Time: 1 turn Range: Touch Components: V,S,M
Area of Effect: 1 Item Saving Throw: None Duration: Until dispelled Casting Time: 1 turn
Area of Effect: 1 Item Saving Throw: None
By means of this spell, the caster is able to effect crude
repairs to damaged metallic armor. The specific types of By means of this spell the caster is able to repair
armor that can be repaired are: Banded, Brigandine, Bronze damaged leather armor. The specific types of armor
Plate Mail, Field Plate, Full Plate, Plate Mail, Scale Mail, and that can be repaired are: Hide, Leather, Padded, and
Splint Mail. Additionally, this spell is only effective when
Studded Leather. The spell repairs 1D3 Armor Hit
applied to non-magical armor constructed from ordinary steel
or bronze. The spell repairs 1D4 armor hit points for each Points for each level of experience of the caster. If
level of experience of the caster. examined closely, repaired armor will appear to be
Armor subject to this spell will have rough and splotchy patched in a rough manner. The patches remain until the
gray patches over the areas that have been repaired. Even if spell is dispelled or a leather-worker removes them. A
the repaired armor hit points are subsequently destroyed in leather worker will need 10% more time to repair a suit
combat, the tell-tale signs of a ghetto repair job remain. These of armor that has been patched with this spell due to the
cosmetic defects last until the spell is dispelled or an armorer effort of removing the tallow and pinesap. Even if the
grinds and polishes them out (a process that will set you back repaired spaces are again destroyed in combat, the
half as much as actually repairing the armor. For example, a patchy appearance remains.
suit of full plate is repaired by means of this spell for 10 hp.
Whether or not those points are subsequently destroyed in
combat, when the armor is taken in to be properly repaired the The wearer will have a 50% chance per day of
armorer will charge 500 gp to scrape and buff out the patch [in someone noticing the patching. Any person wearing the
the process removing all hp the patch restored]. Only then will repaired armor in public has a 50% chance to lose 2
he be able to properly repair the armor.) temporal Honor per day.
The maximum number of armor hit points that were
patched at any given time determines the difficulty a skilled Multiple Armor Repair spells can be used on the
armorer will have removing the patchy gray material. An same suit of armor to repair exceptionally heavy
additional amount of time equal to 10% + 2% per hit point damage without any additional penalties. Repaired
will be required. Armor Hit Points are always destroyed first in combat.
Multiple Armor Repair spells can be used on the same suit
Whenever a repaired box is hit there is a 50% chance
of armor to mend exceptionally heavy damage, however since
the spell cannot substitute for the underlying structural that another repaired Hit Point of damage will be
integrity of the armor, no more than 1/3 of the total armor hit suffered. If a second Armor Hit Point is dealt, there is a
points can be bondoed at any given time with the use of this 50% chance of a third Armor Hit Point being destroyed,
spell. In addition, the repaired portions of the armor are more and so on.
fragile – every hit that would normally cause one armor hit
point of damage actually damages two armor hit points that If a dispel magic targeted at the wearer is successful
were repaired with this spell (though it only absorbs 1 hp of the beneficial effects of the spell are eliminated. Even
potential damage). The repaired sections of the armor are though the patching can still be noticed, all repaired
always destroyed first. Armor Hit Points are immediately lost.
If a dispel magic targeted at the wearer is successful the
beneficial effects of the spell are eliminated. Even though the
gray patches are still visible, all repaired armor hit points are The material components for this spell are a small bit
immediately destroyed. of matching leather, tallow and some pinesap that are
Any person wearing bondoed armor and associating with consumed in the casting. A small heated trowel (not
NPCs of lower middle class or higher social standing will consumed) must be used to apply the mixture. Heating
suffer the loss of two points of temporal honor per day. the trowel prior to casting the spell takes an additional
The material components for this spell are a small bit of round. Wearing the armor while it is being repaired is
clay and some pinesap that are consumed in the casting. A not recommended.
small trowel (not consumed) must be used to apply the
mixture.

HackJournal ISSUE 4.14 page # 3

 Waylands: Organizations

New Secret Society: The Shadowblades

By Chuck Boswell HMGMA #IL-2-00766-02

Name of Members: Shadowblades on the other side were killed. Some others fled to other
nations, and the rest saw which way the wind was blowing
Class Restriction: Illusionist/Thief and joined with Crandok.

Location: Midland caves in the Gnome Alliance of the When it became apparent that the war would not end
Waylands quickly, the Shadowblade leadership decided to concentrate
on external affairs – many amongst the Shadowblades
History: When the Gnome Titans came from the main worried that with the nation weakened as a result of the
continent to the Waylands, the gnomes that had resided civil war, other nations would take advantage and consider
there were awestruck by the prowess and ferocity of the attacking the Alliance. The Shadowblades once again
militant newcomers. The Church of Pangrus sought to dispatched operatives into foreign countries and had them
conscript the native gnomes and gnomelings into the army, disseminate disinformation regarding the strength of the
but the army commanders refused to mix their Titan Alliance, while making sure no one considered plans to
brigades with lowly common gnomes. Some of these invade.
gnomes, however, showed a knack for reconnaissance
work: they possessed both stealth and considerable skill When at last the war ended, the Shadowblades once again
with illusion. The Church Hierarchy decided to officially joined the Church of Pangrus, and they were once again
create a “covert operations” branch to the military and made whole. However, the Shadowblades now possessed
began the search for the most talented candidates to more autonomy than they had when they were first created.
comprise this new elite reconnaissance division. The Shadowblades now report only to the ShadowMaster,
and he keeps his operatives’ identities secret even to the
The Church of Pangrus dubbed the members of the new Church Hierarchy.
covert ops division “The Shadowblades” – the Church
thought of them as a dagger in the dark, striking from the Purpose: To gather intelligence for the Church of Pangrus
shadows those who attempted to undermine Pangrus’ will. and the Gnome Alliance about their enemies…and allies.
However, the Shadowblades were not trained to be
combatants, nor were they (often) used as assassins. The Master of the Organization: The current ShadowMaster,
Church wanted operatives that could infiltrate enemy as the leader of the Shadowblades is called, is a gnomeling
organizations, ferreting out secrets and information that the by the name of Percy Tumblebottom. Almost no one
Church prized. So the Shadowblades learned how to outside of the Shadowblades knows that Percy is the
disguise themselves, both physically and magically. They ShadowMaster, and that’s the way he prefers it. He spends
became experts in foreign languages, and learned the a great deal of time in the Capital, Grunsch, and is an
customs of foreign countries so they could blend in. They advisor to the President, although most who look on him
also became experts in deciphering and breaking codes. assume he’s a minor functionary. The rest of the time he
But most importantly, they became experts at being resides in the Shadowblade headquarters, hidden inside
invisible. It wasn’t long before the Shadowblades were deep caves in the Midlands. Percy does not look it, but he
deployed into nearly every nation of the Waylands, acting is one of the most powerful and dangerous men on all of
as intelligence for the Church of Pangrus. Garweeze Wurld. In addition to his duties as the head of
the Shadowblades, Percy Tumblebottom is a member of the
When the War of the Midlands began, there was a schism Circle of Sequestered Magicks, although due to his myriad
amongst the Shadowblades, much like there had been responsibilities he seldom sits in on COSM meetings.
within the Church itself. Some Shadowblades allied with
Lord Blennheim and House Topaz; the others allied with Alignment: Shadowblades cannot be any Lawful or
The High Command. The younger, more impressionable Chaotic Evil.
Shadowblades (who vastly outnumbered the rest) sided Symbol: The silhouette of a dagger inside a dark gray
with the High Command. ShadowMaster Crandok and circle.
most of the Shadowblade leadership sided with House
Topaz (as they were completely aware of the resources of Days of Import: The 9th Day of Yurn’Sa, the Day of
Lord Blennheim and wanted their cut of diamonds from the Remembrance, which honors those troops and
mines.) Crandok and his Shadowblade allies were able to Shadowblades which were killed during the Great
conceal from the Shadowblades operatives within the High Campaign during the War of the Midlands. The only other
Command a massive mercenary army that had been important days are the convocation ceremonies for new
purchased by House Topaz using Lord Blennheim’s wealth. Shadowblades, though these are irregular and kept secret.
When the battle of Algore was joined, Crandok and his men
sought out the other Shadowblades and began to cut them Uniform/Society Markings: Shadowblades attempt to
down, one by one. In the end, many of the Shadowblades blend in, or even be invisible, whenever possible, so they

HackJournal ISSUE 4.14 page # 5

 Waylands: Organizations

bear no markings whatsoever. At headquarters,

Shadowblades all wear black robes. There are no marks of • at 2nd level, the Shadowblade’s caster-affecting
rank, as interaction between shadowblades is rare and often illusion spells (i.e. Change Self) are saved against
shadowblades only know their immediate superior with an additional penalty of -2
• at 4th level, the Shadowblade can cast Change Self
Special Gestures/Movements: Shadowblades do not greet as a 2nd-level spell; it functions in turns instead of
each other openly, but acknowledge each other with tiny rounds.
variances in the stresses of syllables upon meeting. • At 6th level, the Shadowblade’s alignment cannot
be detected by magical means.
Advancement: Shadowblades are judged based on the • At 8th level, the Shadowblade can cast Change Self
quality of the information they supply headquarters and as a 3rd-level spell; it functions in hours instead of
how expeditiously they accomplish particular tasks they are rounds, and can increase/decrease the size of caster
assigned. The ShadowMaster issues all promotions, by 2 feet.
sometimes based on need (the death of a Shadowblade) and • At 10th level, an invisible Shadowblade can no
sometimes based on accomplishments. There are no longer be detected by observation.
official ranks, but there is an unwritten hierarchy based on • At 12th level, an invisible Shadowblade cannot be
the importance of the assignment (the highest ranking detected by life detection abilities and magic
Shadowblade other than the ShadowMaster is the one (Pixie-Fairies, Undead, etc.)
assigned to Talionshire, the Alliance’s main ally.) • At 14th level, an invisible Shadowblade cannot be
detected by normal detection or even magical
Members: The Shadowblade hierarchy, oftentimes means. Even Detect Invisibility spells will not
without the would-be member’s knowledge, handpicks work. (Can only be observed by powerful magic
Shadowblade candidates. The Shadowblades always keep items such as a Gem of Seeing, etc.)
an eye out for someone who possesses the skill at stealth • At 16th level, an invisible Shadowblade’s sounds
and magic and has the intelligence to become a covert are also masked by the illusion. No sound coming
operative. Once selected, the initiation process is terribly from him, including speech (and therefore verbal
long: the prospective Shadowblade is subjected to dozens components) will be perceived by sentient beings.
of psychological tests to determine the strength of his • At 18th level, the Shadowblade can turn invisible at
regard for the Alliance and the Church of Pangrus, as well will as a spell-like ability.
as his ability to withstand heavy interrogation. Both
gnomes (excluding gnome titans) and gnomelings are Note: Shadowblades joining the order after level two must
capable of becoming Shadowblades, although gnomelings first train to receive any abilities normally obtained at
seem to have a particular knack for it. There have been earlier levels. Each ability requires a week of training
some discussions about bringing some humans into the under the tutelage of another shadowblade.
Shadowblades, but until the Pangrite hierarchy approves of
it, the Shadowblades will remain a gnome-only Drawbacks: The art of the Shadowblade demands extreme
organization. caution; Shadowblades cannot Spell-Jack. Furthermore,
their dedication to illusion is so great that they can never
STPs: Slip Away into Shadows (bonus), Intelligence learn spells from schools other than Illusion, Divination,
Gathering (bonus), Stealthy Movement (bonus), Disguise Enchantment/Charm, and Alteration, and learn all non-
(bonus), Language: Modern, Reading/Writing, Culture illusion spells at an additional -20% penalty. Anyone
(race specific), Customs and Etiquette, Military: Battle joining the order who already knows any abjuration spells
Sense, Glean Information, Forgery, Camouflage, Local cannot learn any of the special powers of a shadowblade
History, Maintain Self-discipline, Read Lips, Skilled Liar, until they have removed those spells from their spellbook.
Tracking, Trailing.
Friends/Allies: No official Friends or Allies, although
Weapons Favored: Dagger and Hand Crossbow friends of the Church of Pangrus are unofficially treated as
such.
Armor Favored: None (Phantom Armor)
Foes/Enemies: None officially, although enemies of the
Ability Restrictions: Intelligence 17, Dexterity 17, Church of Pangrus are unofficially treated as such.
Wisdom 13, Charisma 13
Sayings: “Victory goes to the side whose intelligence is
Powers: Shadowblades gain the following benefits as they most accurate” – “We are everywhere, but nowhere” – “A
rise in level (note: they must train under a Shadowblade Shadowblade could steal Gilead’s Helm, and none would
tutor in order to gain the ability) be the wiser.”

HackJournal ISSUE 4.14 page # 6

 Mage’s Advantage

Varturus Academy of Magic: Spell Theory Class, 3rd year

By Chris Stogdill, HMGMA ID-2-01339-03

but it cuts off your peripheral vision and makes you

nearsighted. Now class, take a look at the special hooded
lanterns we’ve set up on the demonstration table. These
lanterns replicate the appearance of magical energies.
Notice how some seem to glow brightly while others seem
rather faint. The strength of the magical fields surrounding
items observed during a Detect Magic spell determines how
bright the items appear. It is possible to detect these fields
even if the item is blocked from normal view by a thick
obstruction. An inch of metal or a foot of stone will
effectively block these fields from view.”

“A very common mistake for new graduates, especially

those lucky enough to sign on to an adventuring party, is to
have their group dump all their findings into a large pile.
We will use these same lanterns to replicate that effort.
Notice that when we group the lanterns closely you can
only see the light from the brightest lantern. The same
occurs with the spell. Stronger magical fields can mask the
presence of weaker fields. I’ve always wondered how
many magical items have gone undetected this way.”

“Detect Magic lasts for at least a couple of minutes

under normal circumstances, even for young
Prestidigitators. Spread those items out and look around.
You can scan a 60 degree arc of 10’ by 60’ in one minute’s
time. Any faster, and your vision will black out, almost as
if what you see can’t keep up with how fast your head is
“Today’s lesson in Spell Theory will be on the 1st level moving. The experience isn’t a pleasant one and
spell Detect Magic. I know, I know, many of you would fortunately we cannot duplicate the effect with these
rather learn about how fireballs work, but Detect Magic is goggles. Another aspect of the spell the goggles won’t
a very valuable spell for an aspiring young mage. You show is that you may be able to determine the specialty
should consider yourselves fortunate if your mentor school of magic that your item is enchanted with. The
chooses to bestow you with this spell before sending you out ability to do so becomes more prevalent as the user grows
into the world. The path to fame and glory is paved with in power, with the sensation most often described as a
riches and power. Detect Magic can help get you all the specific color for each school of magic. For reasons
riches and power you need.” unknown, the specific color-school combination varies
between individuals and is observable even in those who
“Now that I’ve piqued your interest, I’ll tell you why have been blinded or are normally color-blind.”
this spell is so desirable and a little bit about how it works.
The ability to detect magical energies may very well help “Obviously I feel that this is an essential spell for every
you distinguish between powerful and ordinary items, but it magic-user’s repertoire, but most of you are subject to your
may also save your life by putting a little coin in you pocket mentor’s whims as to starting spells. I encourage those of
when you need it most. Quite a few of your instructors, you who do not learn Detect Magic at the onset of your
myself included, divined magical energies for food during career to do so as soon as possible. You never know when
the lean years after school.” it might be needed.”
“It is hard to accurately describe the effects of the Detect “That’s all for today class. Next time the lecture will be
Magic spell, but we’ve come up with some training aids to over another 1st level divination spell. Any guesses?
make things a bit easier. In the boxes before you, go ahead Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? All right then, remember to
and open them now, you’ll find a set of dark goggles. Put bring in a personal item from home for when we go over the
them on and look around. You’ll notice that the world has Identify spell.”
become a muted black and white, what we like to call
“grayscale”, and that you all now have tunnel vision.
Detect Magic not only causes you to lose your color vision,

HackJournal ISSUE 4.14 page # 7

 2 Story
Tower

alk
Catw

2 Story 3 Story Postern

Tower Inner Tower
Courtyard
Road

Barrack Temple
House
Gate

Stores
Bell Tower
Stores (2 Story)

Stable
Court Keep
(2 Story)
House

Ca
Gate

tw
alk
3 story Courtyard
Tower

Blacksmith

2 Story 2 Story Catwalk

Pav

Tower Tower
ed R

3 Story
oad

Tower

53 Paved Road (1 mile): 1590 wk, 7950 gp

1 Great Stone Building: 300 wk, 10000 gp
2 Raised Dirt Road: 20 wk, 100 gp
1 Blacksmith Furnace: 10 wk, 550 gp Pentfire Castle
3 Large Stone Building: 432 wk, 13500 gp 1 Postern: 5 wk, 100 gp
1 Small Stone Building: 64 wk, 2000 gp 2 Stone Stair: 10 wk, 100 gp (Large Castle)
2 Large Gatehouse: 5760 wk, 99000 gp 3 Spiral Stone Staircase: 30 wk, 600 gp
1 Large Square Tower: 1080 wk, 18000 gp 4 Steel Portcullis: 12 wk, 2000 gp
3 Small Square Tower: 840 wk, 21000 gp 1 Large Bell: 5 wk, 500 gp
4 Medium Square Tower: 3360 wk, 56000 gp
4 Small Round Tower: 1400 wk, 24000 gp
80 Stone Wall: 2400 wk, 40000 gp
60 Catwalk: 60 wk, 600 gp 20,326 weeks, 343,291 gp
60 Machicolation: 1380 wk, 21840 gp N
25 Stone Buttress: 50 wk, 375 gp
100 Flagstone Floor: 200 wks, 10000 gp
100 Flagstone Roof: 200 wk, 10000 gp Pentfire Castle was built for one purpose only:
130 Merlon: 130 wk, 780 gp Defend theeastern flank of Crown Peak Pass
120 Embrasure Shutter: 120 wk, 360 gp from any who come from the south along the
20 Murder Hole: 20 wk, 200 gp Melet Way. Its sister, Hardscrabble Castle,
136 Arrow Slits: 136 wk, 136 gp
defends the western flank. Beyond the Pass Scale
14 Iron Door: 42 wk, 1400 gp
20 Wooden Door: 20 wk lies the rich farmland of the Fangarians. 0 14 m
8 Pillar: 24 wk, 400 gp
16 Well: 160 wk, 1600 gp 0 50 ft
 Rustlers of the Night

Pickerberry Bush
By By Charles Brown HMGMA MA-1-01384-03
Pickerberry Bush exchange for their life - though they are liable to take a
AKA: Pilfer Shrub few new items while doing so.
HackFactor 1/HD
EP Value 30/HD Habitat/Society: These bushes tend to grow in clusters
Climate/Terrain Forest, Any (occasionally referred to as "guilds" by obnoxious
individuals aware of their nature). Other than their limited
Frequency Rare mobility and penchant for kleptomania, there is nothing to
Organization Pack (Guild?) differentiate them from other shrubbery, at least in a social
Activity Cycle Any sense.
Diet Photosynthesis
Intelligence Animal (1) Ecology: These bushes were bred by a druid driven insane
Alignment Neutral after being the target of thieves every time he entered a
No. Appearing 2-16 city for supplies; this was his response. If one of these
Size S (Up to 3 cu. Ft.) bushes gets behind or to the flank of an unsuspecting
Movement 3 target, it attempts to pick the pocket of that target; each
Psionic Ability Nil bush has a skill of (75+HD)% in the Pick Pockets Thief
Attack/Defense Modes Nil skill. If successful, the bush stows whatever it takes inside
of its hollow trunk and then returns to its dormant state.
Morale Timid Each bush can store up to 5 pounds of loot per Hit Die.
Armor Class 3 There are reports that a gray elf thief attempted to cultivate
No. of Attacks 1d4 these plants, both to protect her home and to sell to the
Damage/Attack 1d4-1 (each) local thieves’ guild. This plan was abandoned after she
Special Attacks Theft returned home following an extended dungeon crawl to
Special Defenses n/a discover that not only had her hedge row vanished, but
Magic Resistance Standard along with it everything inside her home that had not been
Hit Dice 2-5 nailed down (and a few things that had been) was missing
as well…
Appearance: Except on close examination, the Except as noted above, they perform the same ecological
Pickerberry Bush looks identical to a common Juniper functions as does more traditional shrubbery. They just
Bush. A closer look, however, reveals that the berries that tend to be a little more obnoxious about it.
grow on these shrubs come in unusual clusters of five, and
that each bush has a set number (2-5) of such clusters. Yield:
Upon closer examination, these clusters are found Medical: A tea may be brewed from their seeds which
resemble a humanoid hand. A Druid has a chance of tastes vile but is a purgative, granting a second save
recognizing such plants on sight equal to his or her level against poisons in a person who has already failed one.
x10; a Ranger has half that chance. Spell Components: The hand cluster may be used in any
of the Zarba's Hand spells; this increases the duration of
Combat: If confronted by threat of harm or violence, a the spell, but adds 5% to the mishap chance, and has a
pickerberry bush will first attempt to “play dead,” and 25% chance of granting the spell-created appendage the
ignore the attacker. If actually damaged, it attempts to ability to Pick Pockets (75%) and the Kleptomaniac
flee, but having a movement rate of 3, it rarely ever gets Quirk…
very far. If cornered, the bush attacks with a flurry of Hide/Trophy Items: Nil
blows from its “arms” - 1d4 branches randomly (re-roll Treasure: Incidental
each round) flail against the target, each inflicting 1d4-1 Other: These fragrant shrubs make a nice addition to any
points of damage (1d4+1 vs. T, 1d4 vs. S, 1d4-2 vs. L or landscaping endeavor. At least until they decide to steal
larger foes). everything and wander off. A particularly gullible
If communicated with in some manner, Pilfer Shrubs nobleman may shell out up to 20 GP per viable seed
will always agree to turn over any stolen goods in cluster; the average pilfer shrub contains two seed clusters
per Hit Die.

HackJournal ISSUE 4.14 page # 9

HackJournal ISSUE 4.14 page # 10
 GameMaster’s Workshop

Hurlmaster: Seasickness rules for HackMaster 4th Edition

By Jan Monk HMGMA #UK-2-00943-02
Whilst the GameMaster's Guide discusses many aspects and begins to feel queasy. Assuming the ship maintains it's
of the perils of waterborne travel for hapless player Speed Tingar will need to roll a 4 or less (Constitution
characters, there is one circumstance common to real life minus speed or 9-5) on a twenty sided die to avoid entering
that I (as a sufferer) find conspicuous by it's absence ... stage 2 once the duration of stage 1 has expired.
seasickness! This came to my attention as I prepped the Characters with appropriate skills such as healing,
details of a month long sea journey for my group, two of herbalism and alchemy can ease the condition in the same
whom were playing dwarves ... a race not noted for their manner as they can affect a disease (p 23). The Cure
love of the sea. As the single most realistic role-playing Disease spell will also work as described on that page.
game ever devised by man there is a definite need for rules Clerics and Zealots of Marlog, Gawd of Sailors and
on the subject. Fortunately that man left us the foundations Sailing count as double their normal level for this purpose
for those rules ... one of the "secrets of 4th edition" hinted (similar to Clerics of Nudor and Gazzar-Kree, p23) when
at in his posthumous Introduction to the PHB (we miss ya attempting to cure seasickness aboard a ship under sail,
GJ!). All page and table references below refer to the they count their normal level on a ship under oars.
GMG, except where noted. Followers of Marlog have also developed a new spell to
The GMG contains extensive rules and guidelines on combat the condition. Scrolls carrying this spell provide a
sea-borne adventures (p 164) and sickness (p 22), all that comfortable income for the church.
remained was for a GM with a vested interest in the
subject (yours truly) to bring the principle together. Alleviate Seasickness
Seasickness can be considered a "General Affliction" with (Alteration, followers of Marlog only)
the effects and duration listed, obviously the condition is Reversible
not a disease per se so no character can become a carrier. Level: 1 Sphere: Healing
"Mal-de-mer" is a result of circumstance rather than Range: Touch Components: V,S,M
contagion; thus the Virulence Roll is replaced by a Duration: Instantaneous Casting Time: 1 round
percentage chance of suffering seasickness at any given Area of Effect: 1 Creature Saving Throw: Special
time. It is left to the GM's discretion when seasickness The caster can relieve the effects of seasickness in an
should be checked for, as a rule of thumb the first time the individual with this spell. The spell allows the target to
ship ventures into the open sea or changes in the prevailing immediately make a Constitution check as if the current
weather conditions (p 165) are suitable instances. stage of seasickness had expired, with a Virulence Factor
The Base Chance is a function of the speed of the ship equal to the vessel's current Speed less the caster's level
the character is embarked upon and the weather (note that when cast by a high level Sea Dawg this penalty
conditions: simply multiply the vessel's current mph Speed can become a bonus). If the sufferer passed the check their
(table 12G) by the prevailing Wind Force (table 12K). seasickness is reduced one stage in effect. If they fail
Each character's roll against this percentage is modified however, they immediately enter the next higher stage. No
according to their Constitution, with those that fail entering saving throw is necessary for this use of the spell.
stage 1 (p 24). The Virulence Factor is equal to the current Followers of Marlog can also use the reverse of the spell,
Speed of the vessel, note that this means slowing the ship Cause Seasickness to attempt to hinder enemies at sea. The
can ease the suffering. Obviously some races will be more caster must succeed at a touch attack, and victims may
susceptible to seasickness than others, particularly attempt a saving throw versus spell to avoid the effects. If
subterranean beings such as dwarves, gnomes and their they fail they must make an immediate seasickness check,
kin, etc. These landlubbers (GM's discretion) count all the Base Chance is increased by a percentage equal to the
Virulence Factors as double the vessel's Speed. Note that it caster's level with those who fail either entering stage 1 of
is entirely possible for a sufferer on a long sea journey to seasickness or advancing to the next higher stage if they
die due to seasickness, though this more due to side effects are already suffering.
such as being unable to eat and keep food down than the The material component is the caster's holy symbol and
ravages of a particular disease. Once a character suffering a piece of fresh seaweed.
seasickness is back on dry land the duration of each stage
of seasickness is reduced to a mere twenty-four hours. Whenever a character suffering seasickness rolls a
For example, we will assume that Tingar the thief natural "20" when attempting to save against fatigue as
recovered fully from his illustrative bone disease in the described in stage 1, he vomits uncontrollably for a
GMG and has gone on a cruise to celebrate! He has bought number of rounds equal to the amount he failed the save
passage aboard a small merchant ship bound for the Port by. In combat he will count as "stunned" and any melee
City of Linnard and a strong breeze has suddenly blown opponents to his front (figure 8.1, p 96) must save versus
up, giving the GM cause to check for seasickness. The ship breath weapon to avoid being blinded for 1d4 rounds.
is travelling at 5 mph and the Wind Force is 14, thus Finally, characters suffering from seasickness are
Tingar's Base Chance of suffering is 70% (5x14). His subject to a -1 penalty per stage of seasickness to Cabin
Constitution of 9 accords him a -10% bonus to resisting Fever checks (p 165).
the effects of seasickness (reducing the chance to 60%),
unfortunately for poor Tingar he rolls a 46, enters stage 1 Bon Voyage!

HackJournal ISSUE 4.14 page # 11

 HackMaster Products

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HackJournal ISSUE 4.14 page # 12

 Player’s Advantage

Acts of Desperation: Throwing Improvised Ranged Weapons.

By Jeff Hric HMGMA #OH-1-00777-02

In every character’s life there comes a time when it Range (30 feet) respectively. The modifier to hit varies by
seems the Gawds (or the dice) themselves have conspired the size of the weapon, compared to the size of the creature
against him. For some strange reason you find yourself in throwing it. No creature can throw a weapon that is more
the position of having to throw a weapon that was never than one size category larger than they are. All normal
meant to be thrown. Perhaps your comrade just broke his non-proficiency penalties, or specialization bonuses to
weapon, or maybe your feet are stuck in quicksand, but for attack apply. All modifiers to hit are provided on the
whatever reason your life, or that of a friend, depends on Range Modifier Table.
this completely unorthodox attack. Well it’s your own
fault. We have a name for adventurers who don’t have a
plan for every situation. Dead Adventurers! Well, since
it’s your only chance to live, you turn to your GM and say,
“I throw my battle axe.” GREAT, now you’re committed
did you even think about this at all? How far can you
throw it? What kind of to-hit modifiers are we talking
about? Neither did I until the situation arose.

Improvised Ranged Weapons

An Improvised Ranged Weapon is any crafted weapon
or item not intended for thrown ranged attacks that is then
thrown. So while a rock would fall under the normal
ranged attack rules, a chair, long sword, or unconscious
Halfling would be considered an Improvised Ranged
Weapon. The following rules are not intended to be only
an alternate attack form, but also a means of throwing an
unarmed comrade a weapon.

Damage Adjustment
While it is entirely possible for the weapon to fly true,
and strike with all the deadly force it was crafted to Rate of Fire
deliver, it is far more likely to inflict Glancing or Light Like the to hit modifier, the Rate of Fire for improvised
damage rather than a Full Damage strike. For each ranged weapons is based on weapon size vs. thrower size.
successful hit with an Improvised ranged weapon roll a d6. Only one attack per round can be made with a weapon in
A result of 1 or 2 indicates a Light Hit (1/4 damage rolled), the attackers size category. An additional attack can be
a result of a 3 or 4 indicates a Glancing Hit (1/2 damage made every other round for every size category the weapon
rolled), and 5 or 6 indicates a Full Hit (Normal Damage). is smaller than the thrower. Weapons one size category
Throwing a weapon to an ally can be nearly as dangerous larger can only be thrown every other round. In this case a
if they are unable to catch it. As long as the catching Human, size (M), could throw: one two handed sword
character makes a Dex Check, no damage will be incurred. every other round, one long sword every round, one short
Should he miss his Dex. Check, the damage he takes will sword this round and two the next, or a pair of Petite
also be based on the quality of the hit as determined by a Rapiers in one round. A detailed breakdown of the ROF
d6 roll. If you were throwing the weapon to an ally, a light for all size categories is provided on the ROF of
hit indicates full damage unless a Dex Check –2 is made Improvised Ranged Weapons Table.
by the character attempting to catch the weapon. A
Glancing hit indicates half damage unless a Dex Check –1 ROF of Improvised Ranged Weapons Table
is made by the character attempting to catch the weapon.
A Full hit indicates quarter damage unless a Dex Check is Size of Size of Weapon
made by the character attempting to catch the weapon. All Thrower T S M L H G
this assumes you actually hit your target, as normal rules T 1/1 1/2 N/A N/A N/A N/A
for firing into melee apply. S 3/2 1/1 1/2 N/A N/A N/A
M 2/1 3/2 1/1 1/2 N/A N/A
Range Limits L 5/2 2/1 3/2 1/1 1/2 N/A
To simplify matters weapons that do not have a range H 3/1 5/2 2/1 3/2 1/1 1/2
listed in the PHB or other official HackMaster product fall G 4/1 3/1 5/2 2/1 3/2 1/1
under these rules. Missile weapon ammunition, except Aerodynamics & Ammunition
sling stones, falls into this category if thrown. Range None of the items on this chart were made to fly
limits are always Short (10feet) /Medium (20 feet) /Long through the air with any kind of accuracy. In fact, if any of

HackJournal ISSUE 4.14 page # 13

 Player’s Advantage

these weapons were redesigned to provide aerodynamic developmental process, with a total loss of the previously
stability they would become equally ineffective for melee invested assets. If reading the previous long-winded
use. That said, if a PC wishes to employ the immense sentences was not enough deterrent, then they deserve the
team of engineers and craftsmen necessary to even attempt fleecing they’re about to receive.
such a project.... that is completely up to them. The GM is Even if this unorthodox use of weaponry is employed in
expected to apply appropriate Skill check modifiers during combat, it is highly unlikely that the thrower will have
the development process. Creation of an aerodynamic anything but an extremely limited ammunition supply. Of
long sword or almost any other such weapon demands that coarse if you wish to fling the contents of a weapon rack at
the smith ignore almost every rule of good weapon your enemies like a little wussy that’s up to you. Just keep
smithing he has ever learned. Skill check modifiers of in mind real heroes only resort to such tactics in extreme
–85 to –115 are recommended for this process. Most circumstances.
weapon smiths will simply deem the job impossible.
Should success actually occur, The resulting weapon will Effects on Honor
have ranges of Short 10 feet, Medium 20 feet, and Long 30 It should be noted that the use of Improvised Ranged
feet, with the standard attack modifiers for any other Weapons can range from stupidity to cowardice to
ranged weapon. If employed in melee the new weapon desperation to gallant heroics, and should be treated as
will have an automatic –5 to hit and damage due to the such for purposes of determining Honor. The
horrible balance and general instability of the weapon. recommended honor swing for this type of attack is from
The new weapon will be vastly different from the original, –3 to +3, depending on the circumstances. However for
requiring a different weapon proficiency. Failure at any exceptionally selfless or selfish acts, Game Master
point in the developmental process should indicate a discretion is advised.
design flaw forcing a complete restart of the

Range Modifier Table

Size of Size of Weapon, Short (10 yrds) /Medium (20 yrds) /Long Range (30 yrds)*
Thrower T S M L H G
T -3/-5/-8 -4/-6/-9 N/A N/A N/A N/A
S -2/-4/-7 -3/-5/-8 -4/-6/-9 N/A N/A N/A
M -2/-4/-7 -2/-4/-7 -3/-5/-8 -4/-6/-9 N/A N/A
L -2/-4/-7 -2/-4/-7 -2/-4/-7 -3/-5/-8 -4/-6/-9 N/A
H -2/-4/-7 -2/-4/-7 -2/-4/-7 -2/-4/-7 -3/-5/-8 -4/-6/-9
G -2/-4/-7 -2/-4/-7 -2/-4/-7 -2/-4/-7 -2/-4/-7 -3/-5/-8
*Axes of any kind are treated as one size category smaller for attack modifier purposes due to their inherent aerodynamics.

Talents for the Active Spell Caster Mobile Casting (10)

By Topher Kersting HMGMA TN-3-01344-03 [Any race, Any spell casting class]
A spell caster with this talent can move prior to casting a
Joe Reimers HMGMA IN-3-00395-02
spell in that same round. This would allow a spell caster to
and Kevin Trudeau HMGMA IL-3-00529-02
move to get the visual contact needed to cast a Magic
Missile spell, for example. Using this talent adds a 1%
chance of Spell Mishap per segment of motion.
One of the biggest problems for your average spell caster
is time management. Very often precious seconds are
wasted while a magic-user moves to get visual contact Quick Recovery (10)
with an enemy so that he can cast his Magic Missile. Or [Any race, Any spell casting class]
This talent reduces the recovery time for spell casters from
perhaps the party cleric needs to move closer to an injured
5 segments to 3 segments. A spell caster intending to use
fighter to provide much-needed healing. How many times
this talent must declare this before the spell is cast, as the
have you seen a spell caster sitting around catching his
breath when he really needed to be preparing his next talent depends on the caster altering his casting technique.
This talent cannot be used simultaneously with Quick
spell? The following talents address these issues.
Casting, and use of the talent adds a 1% chance of Spell
Mishap per segment of casting time of the spell.

HackJournal ISSUE 4.14 page # 14