4201-HârnPlayer
 Front cover | |
| Alternate title | HârnPlayer: A Player’s Guide to HârnWorld |
|---|---|
| Writer | N. Robin Crossby |
| Contributors | Kevin Bratager, John Frazer, Edwin King, Jennifer Mitchell, Derek Stanley |
| Artist | Eric Hotz |
| Cover artist | Eric Hotz |
| Editor | Tom Dalgliesh |
| Language | English |
| Series | HârnWorld |
| Genre | Fantasy RPG |
| Publisher | Columbia Games Inc. |
Publication date | 1994 |
| Pages | 136 pages |
A mechanics-free overview of the Hârn setting, intended as a quick reference for players. HârnPlayer is comprised of four parts. The first part, Hârnview, is an overview of the geography, politics, economics, law, religion, and history of Hârn. The second part is a Book of Common Knowledge, which covers the Hârnic legends and folklore known to most folk. the third part is a players’ Hârnic Dictionary (a “players’ version of HârnDex”) which consists of a comprehensive alphabetical reference which players can use to look things up on an ongoing basis. The fourth and final part (which is also the shortest) is “HârnSpeak”, a multi-page list of pronunciation of the unique terms and names used in Hârn. In addition, their is Tuzyn Reckoning year-long calendar which shows the major holidays and important observances of the ten major deities in the Hârnic pantheon.
From the introduction: The information provided is more than a typical player probably would know, but nothing that one should not know. No matter how much reading is done, players will still be ignorant of much that a medieval person would take for granted. A bit of extra knowledge of the world compensates in a small way and makes the game more interesting.
Publication[edit | edit source]
HârnPlayer was released in 1994, but was eventually discontinued, and is one of the few published major releases to not be updated with a newer edition. However much of the content that made up HârnPlayer, was actually repurposed from other modules and publications. The bulk of the “Book of Common Knowledge” section, were developed and first made public in either the early Hârnlore issues, or on the internet bulletin board service (BBS), “HârnLine”.
Most of the content does continue to live on in the newer editions of the various pieces which they were taken from originally.