Hawkmoon (role-playing game)

Last updated
Hawkmoon
Science & Sorcery in Earth's Far Future
Hawkmoon, role-playing game.jpg
Illustration by Frank Brunner.
Designers Kerie Campbell-Robson
Publishers Chaosium
Publication1986;38 years ago (1986)
Genres Science fantasy
Systems Basic Role-Playing
ISBN 0-933635-31-1

Hawkmoon is a science fantasy tabletop role-playing game designed by Kerie Campbell-Robson and published by Chaosium in 1986.

Contents

Description

Hawkmoon is a science fantasy game based on Michael Moorcock's The History of the Runestaff novels. It is linked to the Stormbringer game in the "Eternal Champion" series. [1] The rules are a variation of the standard Chaosium skill-based system from Basic Role-Playing . [1] The "Players Book" (52 pages) describes Europe in the "Tragic Millennium," an age in which a loathsome magico-technic empire gradually brings the world under its control. The book also covers character creation, skills, weapons, and combat. [1] The "Science Book" (16 pages) covers the history of the Tragic Millennium, technological items, and mutations. [1] The "Gamemaster Book" (48 pages) explains how to run the game and also includes monsters and NPCs, treasures, statistics for the main characters from the novels, sample character record sheets, and two introductory miniscenarios. [1]

Publication history

Hawkmoon was designed by Kerie Campbell-Robson with a cover by Frank Brunner and was published in 1986 by Chaosium as a boxed set that included a 52-page book, a 48-page book, a 16-page book, a map, a pamphlet, and dice. [1]

One adventure was published for this edition, The Shattered Isle .

The Hawkmoon game became popular in France, where it was translated into French for the first time in 1988, and a third French edition was published in 2009. [2]

Reception

Stewart Wieck reviewed the product in the December 1986 to January 1987 issue of White Wolf. He rated it 4 points of 10 for Contents, 6 points for Complexity, 7 points for Appearance, and 8 points for both Components and Playability. He rated it overall at 6 points of 10. [3] Peter Green reviewed Hawkmoon for White Dwarf #86 saying, "There are a few problems with it, but fans of Michael Moorcock will be more than pleased to defend the Kamarg, or to battle in Londra to overthrow the Dark Empire for all time, or at least until other 'alternate realities' affect the outcome." [4]

In his 1990 book The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games , game critic Rick Swan was ambivalent about this game, commenting, "Though the game is well-written and easy to learn — perhaps the simplest of all the Chaosium games — it's not particularly exciting. There's no magic to speak of, and the monsters and other potential adversaries aren't very threatening." Swan concluded by giving the game a rating of 2.5 out of 4, saying, "Moorcock fans might enjoy this, but the world of Hawkmoon — at least as presented here — probably lacks the depth to sustain the interest of most players." [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Basic Role-Playing</i> Tabletop role-playing game system

Basic Role-Playing (BRP) is a tabletop role-playing game which originated in the RuneQuest fantasy role-playing game. Chaosium released the BRP standalone booklet in 1980 in the boxed set release of the second edition of RuneQuest. Greg Stafford and Lynn Willis are credited as the authors. Chaosium used the percentile skill-based system as the basis for most of their games, including Call of Cthulhu, Stormbringer, and Elfquest.

<i>Call of Cthulhu</i> (role-playing game) Tabletop horror role-playing game

Call of Cthulhu is a horror fiction role-playing game based on H. P. Lovecraft's story of the same name and the associated Cthulhu Mythos. The game, often abbreviated as CoC, is published by Chaosium; it was first released in 1981 and is in its seventh edition, with licensed foreign language editions available as well. Its game system is based on Chaosium's Basic Role-Playing (BRP) with additions for the horror genre. These include special rules for sanity and luck.

<i>RuneQuest</i> Fantasy tabletop role-playing game

RuneQuest is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game originally designed by Steve Perrin, Ray Turney, Steve Henderson, and Warren James, and set in Greg Stafford's mythical world of Glorantha. It was first published in 1978 by The Chaosium. Beginning in 1984, publication passed between a number of companies, including Avalon Hill, Mongoose Publishing, and The Design Mechanism, before finally returning to Chaosium in 2016. RuneQuest is notable for its system, designed around percentile dice and an early implementation of skill rules, which became the basis for numerous other games. There have been several editions of the game.

<i>Elric!</i> Tabletop role-playing game

Elric!, subtitled "Dark Fantasy Roleplaying", is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game published under license by Chaosium in 1993. Based on the Elric of Melniboné books by Michael Moorcock, this is the fifth edition of the game originally titled Stormbringer.

<i>Pendragon</i> (role-playing game) Historical fantasy tabletop role-playing game

Pendragon, or King Arthur Pendragon, is a Tabletop role-playing game (RPG) in which players take the role of knights performing chivalric deeds in the tradition of Arthurian legend. It was originally written by Greg Stafford and published by Chaosium, then was acquired by Green Knight Publishing, who in turn passed on the rights to White Wolf Publishing in 2004. White Wolf sold the game to Stewart Wieck in 2009. Wieck formed Nocturnal Media, who updated and reissued the 5th edition originally published by White Wolf. In 2018, it returned to Chaosium.

<i>Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game</i> Tabletop fantasy role-playing game

The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game is a fantasy role-playing game published by Palladium Books in 1983.

Worlds of Wonder is a multi-genre set of three role-playing games (RPGs) produced by Chaosium in 1982 that all used the Basic Role-Playing set of rules.

<i>Skyrealms of Jorune</i> Science fantasy role-playing game

Skyrealms of Jorune is a science-fantasy role-playing game that was first published in 1984 through SkyRealms Publishing. The game is set on the fictional alien planet of Jorune above which float levitating islands. The second edition was published in 1986 as a boxed set, and a third edition was published by Chessex in 1992. The computer game Alien Logic: A Skyrealms of Jorune Adventure was published in 1994. The various editions received positive reviews in game periodicals including Casus Belli, White Dwarf, White Wolf, Different Worlds, Dragon, Polyhedron, The Games Machine, and Challenge.

<i>Stormbringer</i> (role-playing game) Tabletop role-playing game

Stormbringer is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game published under license by Chaosium. Based on the Elric of Melniboné books by Michael Moorcock, the game takes its name from Elric's sword, Stormbringer. The rules are based on Chaosium's percentile-dice-based Basic Role-Playing system.

<i>Prince Valiant: The Story-Telling Game</i> Tabletop fantasy role-playing game

Prince Valiant: The Story-Telling Game is a licensed role-playing game published by Chaosium in 1989 that is based on Hal Foster's comic strip of the same name.

<i>Elfquest</i> (role-playing game) 1984 Fantasy tabletop role-playing game

Elfquest is a fantasy role-playing game published by Chaosium in 1984 that is based on Wendy and Richard Pini's Elfquest series of comics.

<i>The Price of Freedom</i> (role-playing game) 1986 Cold War role-playing game

The Price of Freedom, subtitled "Roleplaying in Occupied America", is a role-playing game published by West End Games (WEG) in 1986 that depicts the uneven struggle between Soviet occupiers and an American resistance movement.

<i>Enforcers</i> (role-playing game) 1987 superhero role-playing game

Enforcers is a near-future superhero role-playing game published by 21st Century Games in 1987.

<i>Expendables</i> (role-playing game) 1987 science fiction role-playing game

Expendables is a science fiction role-playing game published by Stellar Games in 1987 in which the players take on the roles of interstellar explorers

<i>Nobles Book</i> Arthurian tabletop role-playing game supplement

Noble's Book is a 1985 fantasy tabletop role-playing game supplement for Pendragon published by Chaosium.

<i>Griffin Island</i> (RuneQuest) Fantasy tabletop role-playing game supplement

Griffin Island is a boxed supplement for the fantasy role-playing game RuneQuest. Originally published by Chaosium in 1981 as Griffin Mountain, a set of adventures set in the world of Glorantha, this edition was published in 1986 by The Avalon Hill Game Company as part of its third edition RuneQuest rules set, and had all references to Glorantha removed. In addition to an adventure campaign, Griffin Island contained role-playing material to help gamemasters design adventures in the setting. It received several positive reviews in game periodicals of the day.

<i>Ashes to Ashes</i> (<i>Vampire: The Masquerade</i>)

Ashes to Ashes is an adventure module published in Q3 1991 by White Wolf Publishing for use with their tabletop role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade.

<i>The Grey Knight</i> Tabletop role-playing game adventure

The Grey Knight is a Arthurian tabletop role-playing adventure, written by Larry DiTillio with art by Susan Seddon Boulet, and published by Chaosium in 1986. This was the first adventure published for the award winning game Pendragon.

<i>The Shattered Isle</i> Science fantasy tabletop role-playing game supplement

The Shattered Isle: Rebels Against the Mutant Master is a science fantasy tabletop role-playing game supplement designed by Kerie Campbell-Robson, Steve Perrin, and Sandy Petersen and published by Chaosium in 1987. Designed to be used with Hawkmoon or Stormbringer, it provides new rules, background, and adventures for a campaign set in Eire.

<i>Vikings</i> (RuneQuest) 1985 Tabletop role-playing game supplement

Vikings, Nordic Roleplaying for RuneQuest is a boxed tabletop role playing game supplement, written by Greg Stafford and Sandy Petersen, with a cover by Steve Purcell. Published under license by Avalon Hill in 1985 for Chaosium's fantasy role-playing game RuneQuest.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Schick, Lawrence (1991). Heroic Worlds: A History and Guide to Role-Playing Games. Prometheus Books. pp. 274–275. ISBN   0-87975-653-5.
  2. The Hawkmoon role-playing game as described in Le Grog, a French role-playing game specialized website
  3. Wieck, Stewart (December 1987 – January 1998). "Review: Hawkmoon". White Wolf. No. 8. pp. 56–57.
  4. Green, Peter (February 1987). "Open Box". White Dwarf . No. 86. Games Workshop. pp. 2–3.
  5. Swan, Rick (1990). The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games . New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 99–100.