Hack Journal 02

HackJournal for 4e
(ARGH Magazine)
Unofficial and Unsanctioned

Volume 2
[What in blazes does that image have to do with the articles???]
A publication of Amalgamated Research Gaming Hub

Those held to irresponsible …
Cover Illustration: Gustave Dore’s
Author(s): Bruce Carson, D. M. Zwerg, Illustration for Gargantua by François
George “Mercutio” Gordon, with Heather Rabelais, published in Oeuvres de Rabelais
O’Malley and Michael Dobson (Paris: Garnier Freres, 1873), Book I, ch.
Editor(s): <do we need those?> XXII, opposite page 69, which is in the
public domain.
Project Mangler: ……….. D. M. Zwerg
HackJournal for 4e, Unofficial and
Table of Contents Unsanctioned, is published semi-monthly
Unofficial Unsanctioned?.................1 by:
Classes Revisited.............................2 Amalgamated Research Gaming Hub
Class-Odd Games..................................2 3132 Spruce St, Racine, WI, 53403
Clerics-Odd.......................................2
Fighters-Odd.....................................4
Magic-Users......................................5 © 2020 by Amalgamated Research
Thieves..............................................7 Gaming Hub.
Burg Buildings.................................8 ADHOC is a derivative work based on
Small “Geek” Frat House.................8 HackMaster 4th Edition (HM4e).
Assayed Equipment.......................10
Clothing & Style Points.......................10 HackMaster, HackMaster 4e, HM4e, and
HackJournal, are trademarks of Kenzer
The Payoff!.....................................14
and Company and the underlying material
Spell Components................................14
is copyright © 2000-2020 Kenzer and
Amounts (from RBI-PB)................14 Company. HM4e material in this work are
Component Containers...................15 used under express permission and
RBI Spell Components - part 1.......16 license of Kenzer and Company. Kenzer
Transportation, Part 1.........................21and Company has a license and rights to
Containers & Loads........................21 use & republish any material in this
Apparatus Arcane...........................27 booklet (except for Filk or as noted)
Fliers & Skimmers...............................27 under agreement with and license from
D.M.Zwerg and Amalgamated Research
New Fliers & Levitators.................28 Gaming Hub.
Flying Devices from HM4e............32
see HM4e GMG pp.247.................33 All Rights Reserved.
Lairs Monstrous.............................34
HJ for 4e vol 2 Printing: June 2020
Size, Crits, & Kickers...........................34
Crits by Size....................................34 This book is protected under international treaties and
Kickers Re-Revisited......................35 copyright laws of the United States of America. No part
of this book may be reproduced without the express
Stats & Particulars..........................37 written consent of Amalgamated Research Gaming
Roll & Keep Stat System......................37 Hub. Permission is granted to the purchaser of this
Dropped Dice Social Class.............37 product to reproduce sections for personal use only.
Sale or trade of such reproductions is strictly
Acknowledgments..........................40 prohibited.
List of Illustrations..........................40
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places,
ARGH Projects.....................................41 spells, and so forth are either products of the authors'
HM4e Book References..................42 imagination, and any resemblance to actual persons,
Gaming in a Digital Age......................42 living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
books Mykal’s wanted a book of monsters
Editors Corner per terrain type rather than in random
Why do we call ourselves “Amalgamated volumes, but as we are reliant on public
Research Gaming Hub”? Well, “a few” years domain art for the nonce Mykal & I finally
ago Mykal, Mercutio, & I were discussing settled on “Lykam’s First Monster Hunting
starting a little company to publish some of Guide”, an A-Z guide based largely on what
these games I was creating with occasional creatures we could find art for, and using the
help from them and Mykal, who was on a proceeds to fund illustrations of monsters
pirate kick at the time, insisted on “ARGH”. from the larger monster library.. As of this
Mercutio commented that it may be a little writing that booklet is nearing completion.
difficult to just call ourselves ARGH, at Mykal was starting to edit the RBI-PB to
which Mykal said “Then make it an anagram add more snarkiness editor, and had just
for something!” It was left to me to create starting to get ready to run Little Keep at a
what it was an anagram of but we all agreed local gaming convention in April where we
“research” should be in the name because were to premiere as vendors.
that is what I was mostly doing, researching
the origins of the different spells, magic The last time I saw Mykal was on March 8th,
items, and creatures used in fantasy books & 2020. The big lug will be missed.
RPGs as well as the real world weights and -D. M. Zwerg, June 2020
definitions of equipment, even though I do
go a bit afield and use terms outside their
historic context. So “research” and “gaming” Unofficial Unsanctioned?
were obvious, and that the idea was to There has been some question as to
publish anyone’s works I bounced terms off why this magazine is labeled as
them until I got stuck on “amalgamated” as
“Unofficial & Unsanctioned”.
it sounded very cartoony yet serious. After
some time I put forth “hub” as the last word One reason is to contrast it from Kenzer
because it was the only word I could come & Company’s HackJournal which was
up with that converged rather than diverged “Official” (and basically “Sanctioned”
from what we wanted to be about, thus as well).
Amalgamated Research Gaming Hub
evolved from ARGH rather than the other Another is that it allows us to publish
way round. raw articles for commentary faster and
-D. M. Zwerg, May 9th, 2019 without the delays and huge backlog.
Also we find it funny.
Postscript from 2020:
● Unofficial Unsanctioned - open
We lost Mykal Antczak to COVID-19 on for commentary
April 14th, 2020.
● Official Unsanctioned -
When I discussed doing a monster book of recommended for home game use
only intro monsters back around September ● Unofficial Sanctioned - open for
or October 2019 and suggested the name convention use
“Neophytes First Monster Book” Mykal ● Official Sanctioned - vetted for
suggested calling it “Baby’s First Monster tournament use.
Book” and suggested making it an A-Z -D. M. Zwerg, June 15th, 2020
guide with pictures. That is the warped sense
of humor we have lost. In regards to monster
ARGH magazine 1 Unofficial Unsanctioned?

Classes Revisited Clerics-Odd
This space will be used to cover ideas for By D.M.Zwerg
new & revisited races & classes as they Clerics (generally magical healers as
come up, including additional commentary well as spokesmen for the god(s)). As
and analysis than found in both HM4e books they are the main healers and GM
and future ARGH & ADHOC booklets. looking to run a game without them
We will accept submissions as well. needs to carefully consider the
ramifications and make certain other
healing options are readily available.
Class-Odd Games
Intro by D.M.Zwerg Cleric-less Games
The other night I recall thinking about Due to the healing rules in HM4e, soon
the original role-playing game(s) and to be expanded in the Crits & Wounds
how, at first, there was no thief class. series in Heroes & Henchmen, it is
That got me thinking about maybe entirely possible to run a game with no
including a brief article in HJfor4e issue clerics whatsoever. In the upcoming
2 about running games or campaigns intermediary level book currently titled
sans one particular base class, much like “Player Patrol Book” we were planning
“Rook’s Odd” in Chess indicated to include the non-spell-casting
lacking one of the Rooks. That got me Chirurgeon class as battlefield medics
thinking about games with everyone and makers of salves. Potions become
having access to the class abilities as much more valuable and generally
well as ones with everyone playing a would have to be bought from
character of the same base class type. I alchemists or apothecaries, but most
decided to gather my own and other remedies would be slower acting and
people’s thoughts on this concept and may include side effects. Can lead to
have organized the replies below. games where alchemical remedies for
certain quirks & flaws exist as well.
Below we go over some ideas for
Class-Odd games including games Variant(s): mercenary companies and
including excluding the class entirely urban games (such as town guards) are
(Class-less), using sub-classes or two of the most likely as the former will
alternate rules to cover the abilities by typically hire Chirurgeons and the latter
other base classes (Distributed or has temples readily available at hand.
Expanded), and running games entirely Organized Play: not recommended as
made up of one class (All class). Under the ability to survive varies based on
“Variant(s)” for each we look at some skills and possession of healing
more common ways to do this as well as potions/salves.
limited versions of the options. We also
mention likely affects and playability in Distributed Clergy
organized play such as tournaments. Another method of handling clerics in a
game would be to make all characters of
any class able to act as agents for their
gods. This is similar to an "all cleric"
HJfor4e volume 2 2 Classes Revisited

game, but could require particular variants as well. Duties could range
aptitudes or traits to determine their from giving alms, teaching, healing,
potential, and may well work as a sort of cleaning, inquisitions, consecrating
dual or multi-class potential. This can holy water (etc), and even burying the
also be a way to "balance" things by dead.
denying particular otherwise popular
Competing Temples - in this type of
races from having clerics as such.
game temples are either at odds with
Organized Play: not recommended as one another or working together for
creates additional variables. the common good. One example is the
M.A.R. Barker book "Man of
All Clergy Bronze", but it could also be done as a
These could work as city or court street level urban game slowly
games, or even adventuring, especially if evolving into increased higher and
Zealots or other specialties are taken higher court politics. Competing to
into account. Some could allow Monks increase each temple’s revenues (or
& even Paladins in as types of warrior- energy if using Trait System for
clergy (I tend to think of Paladins, and clergy) could be the crux and PCs may
even standard clerics, as "warrior- well be in competition much of the
clergy", equating true clergy as more time.
skill heavy and armored/armored more
like mages for the most part). Temple Investigators - often this may
be some form of mixed game of the
Variant(s): create non-martial clerics other variants, but in any case the
that gain more spells (or full HM4e spell party are the main investigators for
capability) that also have various con- one or more temple, possibly a group
men or otherwise thief- related abilities tasked with working for the city (such
(Bard's legend-lore, Yakuza knowledge as mixed with town guard). They may
of an area, etc), courier clergy, and so be tasked with investigating hauntings
on, to increase the variety. and other incursions looking at
Temple/Monastery Game - a number keeping undead out, or even
of books cover this subject including investigating murders (as temples may
"Cadfael Mysteries" and "The Name well act as "city coroners"). May work
of the Rose". Characters could easily with mixed groups as well.
start at lower level (acolytes) and work Organized Play: works fine for some
there way up, or start at 1st level. Such groups, but often severely curtails
games could also encourage Paladins, firepower unless a Druid is included.
Holy Warriors, some sort of
"cloistered" Cleric, Friars, or if Celtic
possibly Druids & Bards and the
occasional Ranger if based outside of
a main city. Most of the adventures
would likely center around the temple
or monastery, but could involve travel
as well. Stories could include other
ARGH magazine 3 Clerics-Odd

Fighters-Odd Organized Play: depending on other
By D.M.Zwerg wth Heather O’Malley classes taken it may or may not work for
Fighters tend to make up the core of organized play.
most adventuring parties, but games Expanded Fighting
with no or all fighters can be quite a
There is one key ability to fighters that
challenge for the GM unless planned in
other classes don't typically have access
advance with specific circumstances.
to and that is weapon specialization. If a
Fighter-less Games GM were to utilize variant rules for
Most games will not be entirely fighter- weapon specialization (in an upcoming
less as there is generally a "need" for HJfor4e) then it becomes much easier to
fighters of some type, but other HM4e have distributed fighter games where
classes can cover this to a degree. Battle characters of various base classes can
Mages can wear armor and wield specialize (up to a point) and even wear
swords, Bards can wear chainmail, heavy armor.
Acrobats have Tumbling Evade, other Even without altering specialization
Thief sub-classes can wear different rules other classes can cover the lack to
armors, and finally clerics can wear a degree (see Fighter-less games above).
armor plus various Zealot classes can
even specialize in weapons. Organized Play: may or may not be
recommended for organized play
Variant(s): barring single-class games, depending if it uses variant rules.
most games deemphasizing fighters will
occur in areas where heavy armor is All Fighters
either not needed or not allowed. Examples of this include the mercenary
company, the knightly campaign, and
Pirate games - even though fighters
the monk/temple game, barbarian tribe
may be allowed the inability to wear
(usually includes NPC cleric(s)), town
heavy armor may well discourage
guard, swashbuckler game, and so on.
players from playing ordinary fighters.
But before getting into these variants I
City games - due to bans or limitations
have thought of here are some words
on carrying arms & wearing heavy
from Heather O’Malley on the subject:
armors such games may well end up
much more fighter light (if any true I've thought about running a all
fighters). warrior campaign, kind of like 13th
Warrior, where the players can have a
Courtly games - even though knights
majority of the various skills spread
may be commonplace, high courts will
out amongst themselves. With HM or
have very little need for fighters in
another game where you can get
roles that NPCs can not handle just as
healing skills, it can be somewhat
well. Thieves, clerics, and mages will
practical. I would say that if the party
tend to have more import at court and
knows that they are getting into a
players trying to run fighters may find
game like that and can prepare their
themselves bored most of the time.
skills with that in mind its not all that

difficult. An all spellslinger party superior or another, but those will
might be pretty interesting as well. All generally include the odd cleric or
cleric has a good mix of fighting and mage in the group as well and thus not
healing and magic, so that is almost be as "fighter only". Samurai games
an entry level way of playing this. tend to be more courtly than typical
Knghtly campaigns.
Variant(s): “all-fighter” games often
follow a number of standard variants. Swashbuckler game - this is distinct
from the more thief oriented pirate or
Temple games - certain classes bridge
bandit game as it takes place primarily
the gap between fighters & clerics
out of a major city. Swashbucklers
including Monk, Paladin, & Holy
could be rakes, royal guards, town
Warrior, thus allowing a bit of variety
guards, or some of the other types
even in a mercenary company or
listed, but it is called out because of
temple game. In a "pure" temple game
the weapons used and being entirely
the PCs will be Monks & Holy
fighter based but without emphasis on
Warriors, maybe with an occasional
the other trappings. Can get political at
Paladin or possibly a cleric, and the
higher levels, but mostly on the
party may start off in training and then
fringes of actual intrigue rather than
be sent off on missions for the temple.
instigating it. Due to light to no armor
Strange as it may sound, this is the
thieves can usually and easily be in
type most likely to eventually involve
mixed versions.
high politics and intrigue for an all-
fighter game. Town guard - one of the easier games
to make either all fighter or for an odd
Mercenary company - although a
mix of classes is for all PCs to be
knight may lead it mercenary
official or auxiliary members of the
companies tend to be made up of
Town Guard. Such games can have a
lower gentry if not peasants looking to
mix of street, guild, and even involve
move up in social class via fighting,
court intrigue.
and may include Chiurgeons among
the camp followers, as well as fighters Organized Play: not recommended for
commanding a variety of troop types, tournament play.
generally with lots of NPCs of lower
rank (and higher rank earlier on).
Some may allow an odd mage or Magic-Users
cleric, but the emphasis is on multiple- By D.M.Zwerg
character skirmishes & battles. Magic-Users are one of the easier
classes to exclude, but doing so alters
Knightly campaigns - may seem the entire nature of the game to a “low-
limited to knightly classes including magic” setting, and forces GMs to
Paladins & Holy Warriors as PCs, and consider creature mix much more
although underlings exist the emphasis carefully.
is on the knights and their deeds of
derring-do. An alternative is where the Mage-less Games
knights are all landed and hold for one Many low-magic games often achieve
ARGH magazine 5 Magic-Users

this by simply banning mages. This magic, such as Adventures Dark and
allows much more emphasis on fighters Deep's Mountebank class.
and thieves, but there are variants that
Variant(s):
can be more interesting than bans.
Aptitudes - again, if aptitude or
Variant(s): more interesting concepts
bloodline is the only stricture on
involve severely limiting mages in one
magic use then any character with a
or more ways rather than outright bans.
high enough aptitude can attempt to
Dramatically increasing casting times,
learn & cast spells. This can be a
making spell components much more
useful means to distribute magic.
expensive, reducing the types of magic
available, or even adding "special Specialized classes - there are a
aptitudes" to limit/cap spell level. number of classes in HM4e that
eventually gain spell-casting ability,
Increased Casting Time - by making
including Bards, certain Zealots, and
all spells take 10x longer to cast a
so on, and more classes could be
game can allow but discourage mages,
added such as the Mountebank from
yet keep magic items.
Adventures Dark and Deep.
Expensive Components - this was
Psionics - this method can be seen in
used in Tri-Tac's Stalking the Night
both the original RPG's psionics rules
Fantastic to encourage players to play
as well as in Katherine Kurtz's Deryni
"Good" mages, but in general it helped
series. I encourage all such.
keep the number of players wanting to
play mages down a bit. Organized Play: due to variances
aptitudes and others means of distributed
Aptitudes - a way to reduce mages in
magic are not recommended for
both power and number an aptitude
organized play unless standard for rules.
die could be utilized to cap the spell
level of schools or elements available All Mages
to mages, forcing players to be more Although they would seem to be
creative (especially at lower levels) flawed on the surface and somewhat
and helping curb how much mages can impractical at low levels, the specialists
dominate higher power games. & sole-practitioner classes in HM4e's
Another way to limit this would be on Spellslinger's Guide gave even low-level
par with certain psionics rules, tying magic-users so much power that the
them to bloodlines, and so forth. concept can work even in 1st level
Organized Play: not recommended for games. Having a Battle-Mage or other
tournament play above 3rd level. mage class that can wear armor helps
balance out the party a bit, and an Earth
Distributed Magic Elementalist with Entangle should never
Instead of limiting magic ways can be be underestimated. Once the party starts
introduced to allow other classes to cast gaining Fireballs an all-mage party can
magic. One method could be psionics be even more lethal than ordinary
(randomly acquired) or encouraging parties.
more specialized classes that can take

Variant(s): there are way too many to Distributed Thievery
note, but adding a Cleric, or especially a In this version EVERYONE can take
Druid, can add a lot of firepower. thief skills. In HM4e some of the skills
Organized Play: not recommended for are already available, it would just be a
lower-level play, but with the subclasses matter of moving more class skills to the
from HM4e SSG all-mage can work in skill list. This is readily accomplished in
organized play. It can be a bit hit or HM4e. The only "downside" is that the
miss, but when it works the look on the GM may have some difficulty adjusting
GMs face is priceless. trap difficulties as a character of any
level could have it at high or nonexistent
levels.
Thieves Variants: too many to mention.
By D.M.Zwerg
Thieves are the easiest class to exclude. Organized Play: unfair and
Running a game or table without thieves unrestricted, therefore this does not
does not really negatively impact the promote a level playing field for
game except for tournament play. organized play.
Thief-less Games All-Thief
in the original classic game thieves as Most all-thief games would likely be
such did not exist and all traps were urban or courtly campaigns. Emphases
analyzed via role-playing and bypassed could be street level, thief guild, spy
via use of tools and clever play. Ten-foot craft, or even a noble's court (courtiers
poles or bags of sand on a long twine could be largely looked at as thieves).
were used to detect pits or set off traps at Variants:
(hopefully) a safe distance. Picking
locks was a potential "knack" with a Street level - Thief, Bard, Acrobat,
chance on a d6 like many of the other Brigand, Pirate, Yakuza work well.
detection abilities. Dwarves and other Game could be about thievery,
races with special detection abilities confidence games, or merely surviving
were much more useful, but otherwise on the streets.
demihumans were less common due to Guild game - Thief, Ninja, & Yakuza
no multi-classing (or ingrained in the would be standard thief classes
"race"), and so on. This type of play involved, but the emphasis could be
continued in some of the earlier about trades, crafts, investigation, rival
incarnations of the game. guilds/gangs, or even dabble in
Variant(s): the typical "thief skills" assassination.
could be changed into "special saves" if Noble court - Acrobat, Assassin,
a character fouled up. Infiltrator, Monk, Minstrel, & Thief
Organized Play: this style could still would likely work best.
work in organized play. Organized Play: not recommended.
ARGH magazine 7 Thieves

staircase in the hall.
Burg Buildings
This first article in the series is a more As to why the term “Geek” frat house,
in depth explanation of one of the well, I thought I recalled a claim that the
sample buildings found in the booklet word was used to refer to “freshmen” or
“Burgs: Buildings & Properties” “first years” in some medieval text, so I
eventually to be released by pilfered it as a level title for the lowest
Amalgamated Research Gaming Hub. negative level for Magic-Users.
This section will tend to include
floorplans and details using the rules
Building costs
from HM4e’s Lord Flataroy’s Guide to Wood: 150gp
Fortifications.
Stone: 8,000gp
Small “Geek” Frat House
By D.M.Zwerg Brick: 13,400gp
The “Frat House” was used by boarding The small frat house is a 20’x25’
schools (colleges actually) for centuries: structure relatively cheaply made of
lower students sleep & dine in the hall stucco (wattle & daub) between wood
while the upper classmen or house framing timbers. The rough may be
master(s) reside above. The area below thatch, or, for higher end structures,
the Solar used to extend the hall and slate. If students are allowed to practice
serve as the screen passage for the hall. certain magics in the building then it
As in most smaller merchant houses the may be more cost effective for it to be
Solar is reached by way of a spiral
HJfor4e volume 2 8 Burg Buildings

brick or stone with a vaulted ceiling and acquiring bricks exists the cost could
a slate roof. actually be significantly lower than
stone rather than higher. Although clay
The base cost of this building would be
is cheaper, easier to mine, and more
about 90gp. This is based on a one story
readily available in most places than
20’x20’ costing 40gp and 20’x40’
quality building stone, clay must be
costing 60gp which indicates 5gp per 5’
processed to removed impurities then
of additional length of a one story
molded into bricks or tiles, dried, and
building. Further, the difference between
finally kiln fired.
a 1 story building and a 2 story building
the same size is double plus 20% more Definitions and Explanations
for the 2nd story. The 20% helps account This may be some people’s first
for the greater time & difficulty in exposure to a few of the terms so I will
elevating materials up to the 2nd story as add brief descriptions here.
well as the added cost of finding
sufficiently large & long timbers for a Solar: personal area for the owner or
2 story. The added cost of flooring is family, generally located on an upper
nd
abated to a degree by the savings in floor and more brightly lit by windows.
needing but one roof. Thus the cost of a Hall: Large, open common area.
single story 20’x25’ would be 45gp and
a full 2-story 108-110gp, but as it only Screens passage: a passage or hallway
has a partial 2nd floor and limited interior adjacent to the hall were visitors wait
walls I deemed it but 90gp, then added until conducted to another room.
10gp for a wooden staircase plus 50gp Unless a single hall medieval buildings
more for incidentals like shuttered had separate sections for different
windows. purposes with the front section primarily
Were it to be build entirely of stone with for conducting business, the hall section
a slate roof the base cost for a 1 story for common use and entertaining, and a
20’x25’ would be 2700gp, thus 5400gp service section for “servants” to work
for 2-story, 1400gp for a tile roof over a and includes the kitchen.
vaulted stone ceiling (doubled of 700gp
for area of a roof with 45deg pitch), plus
500gp for a flagstone floor & 260gp for
the 2nd. Add at least another few hundred
in incidentals such as reinforced if not
metal doors, a stone staircase, windows,
tile flooring upstairs, etc, and we start
pushing 8000gp.
Using fireproof brick instead of stone
doubles the base cost but affects none of
the additional costs and thus adds but
+5400gp.
If a cheaper means of making &
ARGH magazine 9 Small “Geek” Frat House

violating the sumptuary laws, so it is
Assayed Equipment wise to stay within the limitations.
This section is intended as a place for
looking at various pieces of equipment a In H&H and Hackmaster, this means
bit more in depth, and often in a your social class limits you in the
different way, than presented in the number of style points overall that you
HM4e PHB or H&H Player Book(s). can wear as well as the maximum
quality of each piece of visible clothing
Clothing & Style Points – obviously there is no limitation on the
By Bruce Carson braies (underpants) and similar
Hub Area Hackers – Greater Boston Area garments worn because they won’t
What should your character do when affect your honor in the normal course
your adventuring mates are leveling up of strolling about town.
in town after a grueling adventure but
you didn’t rack up enough eps to do the “Sumptuary laws were instituted as
a way for the nobility to limit the
same? Easy! Go about town in your conspicuous consumption of the
fanciest duds and conspicuously show prosperous bourgeoisie. If
off how successful you are. This can bourgeois subjects appeared to be
score you some much needed honor and as wealthy as or wealthier than the
perhaps make those leveling up just a ruling nobility, it could undermine
the nobility's presentation of
little jealous because they don’t have themselves as powerful, legitimate
time to do the same. rulers. This could call into question
Unfortunately there are some limitations their ability to control and defend
in most areas on just how fancy your their fief, and inspire traitors and
clothes can be based on your social rebels. Such laws continued to be
used for these purposes well into
class. These “sumptuary laws” were a the 17th century.”
way for the upper classes to make sure -Ribeiro, Aileen (2003). Dress and
their clothing (and possessions) were Morality.
always better than those of the lower
classes. This article will help you select the
Sumptuary Laws: "Laws made for appropriate clothing for your station and
the purpose of restraining luxury or within your budget. For a larger, more
extravagance, particularly against complete, list you should consult
inordinate expenditures for “Goods and Gear”, Chapter 4, Kenzer &
apparel, food, furniture, etc." Company.
-Black's Law Dictionary 2nd Edition
by Henry Campbell Black 1910 In addition to gaining honor, having
enough total style points (SP) can raise
You can’t just pretend to be of a higher (or lower) your reaction adjustment and
social class than you actually are – effective comeliness when dealing with
subtle cues of behavior and speech nonplayer characters and intelligent
patterns will give you away and any creatures. Even though the bonus
honor you would have gained is lost doesn’t change your charisma or
instead. You may also be arrested for comeliness, it is a quick way for
HJfor4e volume 2 10 Assayed Equipment

characters with lower stats to avoid the apparel that provides 1 or more style
worst reaction penalties. points. If you have the Maintenance
/Upkeep skill you can reduce the cost to
Style Point Modifiers just 2% of the original – and since this is
Charisma1
Total and an automatic skill, there is no chance for
Style Comelines Skill failure. For example a set of Thigh High
Points s2 Modifier Modifier3 Fur Boots of Average Quality would lose
0-2 -2 -10% 1 style point every two weeks unless
3-4 -1 -5% maintained. If they are of Superior
5-9 0 0% quality, they would lose 3 style points in
that same period. Each week you would
10-39 1 +5% have to take care of those boots either by
40+ 2 +10% paying a professional 5 gp * 0.04 = 2 sp
Stylish clothes come in many different or spend 1sp in supplies and spend a
materials and craftsmanship levels, and small amount of time to maintain them
the prices reflect the difference. GMs yourself. Finding a valet or cobbler
are free to require clothing to be cleaned could be an adventure seed all to itself,
and mended periodically so that they but if you and your GM want to get to
maintain their style points undiminished. the action faster and avoid the
Every week of wear you must pay 4% of bookkeeping, just prepay the original
the original cost to avoid losing the SP cost of item (or half that if you have the
Maintenance/Upkeep skill) and you're
Clothing Quality Price setfor a full year.
Factors
Cost SP Minimum Your social class limits you to the
Quality Multiplier Multiplier Social maximum number of SP that you can
Class
n/a show without falling prey to local
Poor 0.7 0.5 sumptuary laws. This is yet another
Aver 1.0 1.0 Middle
-age Lower reason to strive to increase your social
Class standing by
Maximum Style
Fine 2.0 2.0 Middle- gaining fame and
Middle honor. Consult Points (SP)
Class Social Class SP Limit
the chart to find
Sup- 4.0 3.0 Lower-
the maximum SLC 2
erior Upper
Class style points you LLC 5
Roy- 6.0+ 4.0 Upper- may wear. MLC 10
al Upper ULC 15
Class If you have the
Q&F “Excessive LMC 20
Multiplier number of points from any
1 (In Hackmaster) Charisma modifier adds Drooling”, each MMC 30
to the Reaction Adjustment “Table 1F: item of clothing UMC 40
Charisma”
2 (In Hackmaster) Comeliness modifier below your head LUC 60
applies when consulting “Table 1G: Effects will be worth 1 MUC 80
of Comeliness” less SP than
3 Any skill that has a Charisma as a UUC n/a
Relevant Ability receives this modifier. normal due to
ARGH magazine 11 Clothing & Style Points

Sample Garments SP Cost Wgt slobber (to a minimum of
Outf its (f irst usually free) 0 SP).
Shoddy 0 1 cp 2
Common 0 10 cp 3
“Chronic Nosebleeds” is
Fine Leather 4 7.5-16 gp 5 another flaw that the
Embroidered (f ine) 8 10-24 gp 3 clever GM can use to limit
Silk (court) 12 20-48 gp 2 ½ the honor you gain from
Clothing stylish clothes. If you
Belts & Girdles suffer a nosebleed while
Baldric 1 5 sp ½ wearing your clothing you
Belt 0 3 sp ½ must immediately pay 4
Girdle 2 3 gp ½ times the normal weekly
Sash 3 2 sp ½ maintenance or the
Boots & Shoes 1 garments will be
Caligae (warrior sandals) 1 4 sp ¼
permanently ruined.
Hard/Riding boots 4 3 gp 2½
Soft boots 0 1 gp 2 Sample Garments
Boots, fur, thigh high 4 4 gp 4
Table
Caps, Hats, & Hoods 2
Here is some sample
Common, Utilitarian 0 1 sp ¼
Fine, Formal 3 3 gp ¼
clothing and their
Hood / Liripipe 0 5 sp ¼ associated style points.
Cloaks Refer to “Goods and
Shoddy (ragged blanket) 0 8 cp 1 Gear” for a more
Poor cloth (thin/patched blanket) 0 3 sp 2 complete list.
Average (winter blanket) 2 5 sp 3
Good cloth (slightly tailored) 2 8 sp 3
Magical Garb
Fine fur 4 50 gp 6 Certain magical items are
Coats & Jackets especially valuable for
Jerkin , Laced 3 1 gp ½ gaining honor when
Surcoat 5 6 sp 4 strutting about town. For
Tabard 5 6 sp 3 one thing, they require no
Vest 1 6 sp ½ maintenance or upkeep!
Gloves (also Bracers & Greaves) 0 1 gp ½ Your GM should
Pants & Legging adjudicate how many SP
Braies 0 3 cp ½ the particular magical
Breeches 0 1 gp ½ garb is worth based on its
Hose 2 2 gp ½
described appearance.
Robes, Shirts, & Tunics 6
One item that may be
Robe, Common 2 9 sp 3
Robe, Embroidered 4 20 gp 4
overlooked is the “Rod of
Shirt, wool 0 5 cp ½ Splendor”. The garments
Tunic 1 8 sp 1 it creates are worth a
Sheathes & Scabbards whopping 80 SP, so for
Sword scabbard & hanger 1 3.5 gp 2 ½ one charge you can gain 8
with baldric 2 4 gp 3 full honor points in a
Sheath 0 3 cp 2 ½ week! And the best part is

they require no maintenance and will
last virtually forever (or until a thief
manages to steal one pearl off of them).
Just owning and holding the rod makes
the owner appear as if they are wearing Illustration: A.D. 900, French - 029 -
Costumes of All Nations (1882).jpg from
40 SP worth of clothing. wikimedia commons. Image from 1882 and
thus in the public domain.
ARGH magazine 13 Clothing & Style Points

The Payoff! Spell Components
Each week you spend wandering around Spell components are the hallmark of a
town wearing your fanciest clothing mage, and to a lesser degree a cleric.
gains you honor points. There’s no need The following pages contain just some
to interact with the scum inhabiting the of the components character may need.
area, just make yourself conspicuous. In
some cases, this may get you mugged – "Apprentices may also discover
but the honor payoff is worth it. Add up marveloussubstitute spell
the style points (SP) of all the outer components whileadventuring.
clothing you are wearing and divide by Many monsters are madeof spell
10. This is the honor you gain each components."
week. Any fractions can be retained for - Garwee Gibbons, Sage
additional weeks, but are lost as soon as
you leave that particular town.
Amounts (from RBI-PB)
There is a limit, however. After a while By D.M.Zwerg
the townsfolk get used to you and your The table below is repeated from the
clothes. Each additional week spent will Heroes & Henchmen (Really) Basic
earn you one less honor in that same Intro Players Book. Some liberties were
town to a minimum of zero (0). There taken in regards to grains & drops to
are two ways to prevent this: (1) Time, make the math simpler.
or (2) another outfit! Each week you
spend away from the town bumps the For consistency the following measures
honor you can gain up one point from are used for components:
where it was up to the maximum 1 pound = 16 ounces (1 pint)
allowed for your SPs. If you’re clever
you can setup a circuit of towns to visit 1 cup = 8 ounces (1/16 gallons)
such that each time you arrive you gain 1 ounce = 8 drachma (480 grains)
the maximum honor. The alternative is
to have a separate outfit. You must 1 teaspoon = 1/6th ounce (80 grains)
switch out more than 1∕2 the style points 1 drachma = 12 pinches (60 grains)
in your wardrobe with alternative
clothing. This can be worth more, less, 1 pennyweight = 24 grains (8 bits)
or the same number of SPs, but you’re 1 scruple = 20 grains
sure to impress the townsfolk again and
gain the maximum honor possible. 1 dash = 10 grains
1 pinch = 5 grains (6 drops)
1 bit = 3 grains
Some are units of weight and others are
units of volume. For the most part we
used teaspoons (tsp), pints (pt), and
bushels (1 bu = 64 pt) for volume.

Component Containers Snuff-box, rowan wood: larger
By D.M.Zwerg wooden snuff-boxes with over 20x the
capacity of pewter ones tend to be used
Many spells require components, and for storing components for Fireball
have minimum amounts necessary for spells, or even multiple vials or sachets
the desired affects. Before getting into of components for other spells. Their
the components themselves it behooves capacity in that regard is up to 6-8 vials
a player to determine how they plan to or 24 sachets (filled to max capacity ..
store the components and in what more if partially filled).
quantities. What follows is a list of
various containers commonly used for Weight: 5 oz empty (2,400gr)
spell components, including their size, Capacity: 1¾ cups (6,720gr / 14 oz)
cost, capacity (volume), and even weight Size: 6”x3¾”x2½”
Cost: 1 gp
(empty).
Sachet: a small bag made from a piece Vial: liquids can not be stored in sachets
so therefore they are stored in small
of paper (or fine cloth) used to hold
glass vials. These are often used for
premeasured amounts of dry and/or
when an oz or less of a substance is
powdery components. Usually made
needed, often utilizing eyedropper or a
from paper to prevent loss through the
stick to measure droplets at time of use.
weave, they are typically ingeniously
Lead glass is preferred.
folded to for a tube or bag and a stitch
used to seal the ends to prevent loss. Weight: 3 oz empty (1,440 gr)
Cloth ones require more stitching. As do Capacity: 1 oz (400 drop; 480 gr)
ones loaded nearer to max capacity. Size: 1¼” x 3¼”
Although accurately premeasured & Cost: 16 sp
premixed, they can be slower if they Box, small rowan wood: larger than a
have to be opened for use or different snuff box, containers like this can hold
ones stored in the same place. Tea bags up to almost 50 vials (much less if
are and example of a sachet. padding inserted between) or hundreds
Weight: 39 grains of sachets. Or it can be used to hold
Capacity: 3 tsp (½ oz or 240 grains) maybe 7.5 pounds of other materials.
Size: 2” x 2½”
Weight: 2 lb empty (15,360 gr)
Cost: 1 cp
Capacity: 7½ pint (57,600gr / 120 oz)
Snuff-box, small pewter: snuff-boxes Size: 6¼”x12¼”x3¼”
were used for centuries for holding Cost: 2 gp
small amounts of powders or tobacco. Ceramic Jug/Flask: ordinary fired
They were small, often ovoid shape, and clay, this provides no added magical
had a hinged lid. Used for taking insulation. Glass costs 10x as much.
pinches directly.
Weight: 2 lb empty (15,360 gr)
Weight: 1 ⅙ oz empty (560 gr) Capacity: 1 pint (7,680gr / 16 oz)
Capacity: 4 tsp (aka, 320 grains) Size: 3½” diam x 5½” tall
Size: 2”x1⅜” ovoid ¾” tall Cost: 3 cp [or 3 sp for glass]
Cost: 4 gp
ARGH magazine 15 Component Containers

RBI Spell Components - Animate Dead: although strange to
part 1 think of it in regards to premade sachets,
By D.M.Zwerg & Michael Dobson necromancers and evil clerics try to be
prepared for any eventuality. Those
Below are spell component costs and planning to create zombies out of the
weights. In Part 1 we start with pre- freshly dead often prepare sachets
made sachets for specific spells, then stuffed to capacity with just of dried
start on individual components. In Part 2 bone and write a code for the different
(next issue) we will present the large types of creatures, using the flesh and
Spell Component tables that give quick blood from the body to animate it. For
reference to potential components skeletons vials of blood would be
needed and their costs sorted by spells. carried as well.
Different components often require Sachets of Bone Dust: Cost are per ½
different storage devices. Pre-measured oz sachet (up to 48 pinches) full of a
particular dust.
dry or mostly dry components of under
half an ounce (240 grains) are generally Item Wgt/Vol Cost
stored in sachets, whereas snuff-boxes Bull or Cow 240 gr 2 cp
are common for dry components used by /Dwarf 240 gr 12 gp
the pinch (small pewter cap 320 grains). /Elf 240 gr 8 gp
/Horse 240 gr 3 cp
Vials can be used for storing exactly 1
/Halfling 240 gr 4 sp
oz of liquid or dry components, as well /Human 240 gr 3 gp
as liquids used by the drop. Rowan- /Ogre 240 gr 4 gp
wood boxes are used to store multiple /Orc 240 gr 8 sp
sachets or vials, generally in script Sachet paper 39 gr 1 cp
pouches worn at the waist (capacity is Total = 280 gr dust+1cp
two rowan wood snuff-boxes per script).
Vial of blood: Cost are per 1 oz vial (up
to 576 drops) of a particular blood.
Pre-Made Sachets Item Wgt/Vol Cost

Many dry components can be found for Bull or Cow 480 gr 1 cp
/Dwarf 480 gr 6 gp
sale in premeasured sachets (½ oz max
/Elf 480 gr 4 gp
capacity, aka 240 grains or 3 teapoons), /Horse 480 gr 2 cp
but for some it is practically a /Halfling 480 gr 2 sp
requirement. These require multiple /Human 480 gr 15 sp
pinches and bits of different /Ogre 480 gr 2 gp
components, and are listed here by spell. /Orc 480 gr 4 sp
Vial (empty) 1440 gr 16 sp
Nearly empty satchets take up at least 1 Total = 3 oz blood+16sp
tsp of space, where a max capacity one
takes up 3-4 tsps of space in a container.
Comprehend Languages: salt is
The total retail price for a prepared
mined from the ground or extracted
sachet is generally 2x-3x the cost of
from sea water, whereas soot can be
materials (retail in red).
found in any chimney.

Item Wgt/Vol Cost Fireball, Scatterblast (10sp per level):
Salt (bit) 3 gr 1/6 cp uses up to six balls for Sidewinder
Soot (pinch) 5 gr 1/32 Fireballs of a total of at least 20 grains per
cp caster level.
Sachet paper 39 gr 1 cp
Total = 49 gr 3 cp Fireball, Sidewinder (5sp per die): a
less efficient combination of bat guano &
sulfur rolled into tiny balls, just under ⅓
Continual Darkness: pitch is a semi- teaspoon per die of damage.
solid and therefore can be put in a Item Wgt/Vol Cost
sachet, but it can never be used for Guano, bat (2-3 bits) 8 gr 21 cp
anythings else. Mages that make their Sulphur 2 gr 1 cp
own sachets often prefer coal to pitch as Total per die = 10gr / ⅓tsp 5 sp
they are more easily reusable.
Item Wgt/Vol Cost Flaming Sphere: a dash of iron dust, a
Bat Fur (bit) 3 gr 15 cp pinch of sulphur, and a pinch of tallow
/ Coal (pinch) 5 gr 1/6 cp sealed into a custom sachet is the easy to
\ Pitch (drop) ⅚ gr 1/96cp
obtain standard for this spell.
Total = <47 gr 4 sp Item Wgt/Vol Cost
Iron dust (dash) 10 gr 1 cp
Dig (10 sp): miniature bucket & shovel Sulphur (pinch) 5 gr 3 cp
weighing at least 4 oz each (½ lb total). Tallow (pinch) 5 gr 1 cp
Total = 59 gr 15 cp
Fireball Spells: use a combination of
bat guano & sulfur that is either rolled
Invisibility: a bit of gum arabic and an
into a ball or formed into some other
eyelash w. sachet paper to prevent loss.
shape. Some mages prefer a light
dusting of charcoal to keep the balls Item Wgt/Vol Cost
from sticking together. One made they Eyelash -- 1 cp
are generally stored “as is” in a snuff- Gum Arabic (bit) 5 gr 2 cp
box made from pewter or rowan wood. Sachet paper 39 gr 1 cp
Total = 44 gr 8 cp
Fireball (10 sp per die): volume is
about ½ teaspoon per die of damage. Invisibility, 10ft Radius: a bit of gum
Item Wgt/Vol Cost arabic and a dozen eyelashes make up
Guano, bat (3pinch) 15gr/½ tsp 4 sp the standard satchet.
Sulphur 2 gr/0.027 1 cp Item Wgt/Vol Cost
(Charcoal dust) (3 gr) (-) 12 Eyelashes (1 gr) 6 cp
Total per die = 17gr (20) 10 sp Gum Arabic (bit) 5 gr 2 cp
Fireball, Landscraper (24sp per die): Sachet paper 39 gr 1 cp
as per normal Fireball but formed into a Total = 44 gr 2 sp
parallelpiped. Cost of components same as
ordinary Fireball, but suppliers charge Solid Fog: dried peas are a staple in dry
24sp per die for non-standard shaping. rations and hoof shavings can be
obtained from a farrier. The difficulty is
ARGH magazine 17 RBI Spell Components - part 1

in powdering them, thus the costs. Peas ounce (60/oz) for Mend Object spells.
need to be powdered split-peas.
Item Wgt/Vol Cost Carbon: easily obtainable from
Animal hoof (pinch) 5 gr 1 cp charcoal, apothecaries sell carbon it for
Peas, powder (pinch) 5 gr 1/512 1 cp per ounce for use in the Enchanted
Sachet paper 39 gr 1 cp Weapon spells. Chunks of charcoal can
Total = 49 gr 5 cp be purchased for 1 sp per 18# bushel.
Item Wgt/Vol Cost
Stoneskin: requires a pinch of both Carbon (ounce) 480gr/72tsp 1 cp
Diamond & Granite dusts, and thus sold Charcoal (bushel) 18 lb / 1bu 1 sp
in premade sachets. Cloth, black (½ cp): a small 3”x3⅔” to
Item Wgt/Vol Cost
3”x5” piece of cloth, dyed dark black is
Diamond Dust (pinch) 5 gr 16 sp
Granite Dust (pinch) 5 gr 1 cp
used for Item spells. Probably weighs
Sachet paper 39 gr 1 cp about 335 grains, but size matters more.
Total = 49 gr 5 gp Coal: used for Continual Darkness,
apothecaries sell it per 12 pinch drachma
Individual Components (stored in pewter snuff-box) or per pound.
Acid, Stomach: an 8 oz cup is needed Item Wgt/Vol Cost
for each casting of Wall of Acid spells. Coal (12 pinches) 60 grains 2 cp
Glass flasks for acid cost 1 gp due to the Coal, per pound 7,680 gr 24 sp
custom fit ground glass stopper.
Item Wgt/Vol Cost
Copper Coins: needed for the 2nd level
Stomach acid (cup) (8 oz) 4 gp Mage spell ESP, the minimum size is
w. Glass flask, full 3# (16oz) 9 gp roughly a pennyweight (pwt = 24 grains)
but any size copper coin can work. It is
Bat Fur: used for Continual Darkness believed that mages have encouraged
spells(Cleric & Mage). Only a bit is countries to mint smaller coins just to
needed, but it is cheaper to purchase it save weight (and cost).
by the ounce.
Item Wgt/Vol Cost As you can see from the examples
Bat Fur (bit) 3 grains 15 cp below, you could carry 1-2 dozen
per ounce 480 gr 12 gp smaller coins for the same weight of a
standard HM4e copper piece. Some
Bead, crystal or glass: used for mages swear larger coins provide better
costume jewelry, mages use them for reception, whereas others scoff at the
Minor Globe of Invulnerability spells. notion.
Sold individually in strands of 50, many Item Wgt/Vol
mages simply wear them as necklaces. HM4e Copper Piece (cp) 768gr / 1.13tsp
Item Wgt/Vol Pence (d), 1 oz
Cost 480gr / 0.7tsp
Bead, glass 10gr /0.05tsp Farthing, ¼ oz
6 sp 120gr / 0.18tsp
15” strand 500gr /3 tsp Drachma / Half-Farthing 60gr / 0.09tsp
25 gp
Quarter-Farthing 30gr / 0.05tsp
Burrs (1cp per oz): farm kids are more Cost: 1cp or less
than happy to pick them by the Note that if using 240 copper to the gold,
hundreds. Dealers sell them by the & one silver is 20 copper, then the Pence

would be the “standard” copper coin and a Item Wgt/Vol Cost
silver coin of 1 pwt would be worth exactly Church Dust sachet 279gr/2.3tsp 1½ cp
one Pence. Diamond Dust (oz) 480 gr 150 gp
Dirt, 48pinch sachet 279gr/2.4tsp 3 cp
Copper Wire: used for Message Granite Dust (oz) 480 gr/3.5tsp 2 sp
cantrips (Cleric & Mage). Although only Tome Dust (1 pinch) 44gr w.sachet 3 cp
a bit of wire is needed, many mages use
a bit more than a bit just to be on the Egg: the Shift Blame cantrip requires “a
safe side, especially if preparing bit of egg white” so it is up to the mage
components in the field. Copper wire is to determine what size or type of egg to
not generally sold by the bit, but rather carry. Medium chicken eggs weigh
by the piece or the spool. about 1.75 oz in the shell, of which the 1
Item Wgt/Vol Cost oz white is “technically” enough for up
Copper wire, fine (bit) 3 grains 1 cp to 160 castings (requires 1 bit per), but
per foot 288gr / 1tsp 5 sp then you are left with a lot of extra egg.
per 1# spool 7680gr/12tsp 10 gp Quail eggs only weigh about 160 grains,
Note that a “bit” is an eighth of an inch, of which 90-100 grains is white, so only
and that a foot of coiled wire could easily 30 castings, but less weight.
take up 1 tablespoon of volume (min 1 tsp) . Item Wgt/Vol Cost
Crystal Rod (12gp): a small crystal Egg, chicken (one) 840gr / 10tsp 2 cp
rod ½”-¾” diameter by at least 10”-12” Egg, quail (one) 160gr / 2tsp 6 cp
long & weighing 2.5 ounces. It is used Feather: various feathers of different
along with a bit of fur as the focus to birds are ideal for different spells, such
cast a Lightning bolt, and is not as downy feathers from chickens for
consumed, but needs to be kept safe as ifLighten Load and wing feathers from
it breaks the range drops to remaining notable fliers for Fly spells. The GM
length-2 in tens of feet. may well allow substitutions or even
Dirts & Dusts: the difference between increased effects. Feathers are typically
the two is that dirt (for Stones to sold by specific counts or by the pound.
Spiders) is collected from the ground Feathers are usually carried in small belt
and dust is carefully swept or collected pouches, one per type. Feathers
off of items or floors. The dust for Ice generally take up a volume much greater
Storm is swept off magical tomes, than their weight would seem to indicate
whereas the dust for Lower Water is as 1oz (wgt) takes up as little as 0.067
generally swept up off of church floors. pints (1.1oz vol) densely packed but up
Diamond dust is generally acquired from to 24 pints loose packed.
Item Wgt/Vol Cost
gem cutters, whereas granite dust from Feather, Chicken (55k) 1 lb/* 1 cp
quarries or stone masons. Dusts can be Crow wing (60) 480gr/** 6 cp
carried in snuff-boxes or premeasured in Duck wing (80) 480gr/** 2 cp
sachets. Dusts carefully collected from Goose wing (48) 480gr/** 12 cp
altars, royal effigies, or special tombs Pigeon wing (50) 24gr/*** 1 cp
are reputed to have additional special Volume depends on how tightly packed:
properties, but cost at least 100x as * - 1.07 pints to 383 pints (5 bushels)
much (aka, more than 2gp per pinch), ** - 1.1oz (vol) min or 0.067 to 24 pints
ARGH magazine 19 RBI Spell Components - part 1

*** - 0.6 to 21 oz (vol) or 1.32 pints max Person, whereas a pinch of iron dust per
10% increase in size is needed for
Gauze: used for Restore Movement Enlarge. Dust is also used in Flaming
spells it can be found in precut sizes Sphere. Apothecaries generally sell iron
from apothecaries or in full rolls from dust in 12 pinch sachets or by the
barbers, healers, and their suppliers. pewter-snuffbox full, whereas nails can
Item Wgt/Vol Cost be obtained from any blacksmith and
Gauze, precut 1”x36” 14 gr 1 cp most armorers.
precut 4”x4yds 224 gr 12 cp Item Wgt/Vol Cost
Iron dust (satchet) 99gr tot 2 cp
Guano (Bat): a primary component in or per ounce 320-480gr 1 cp
Fireball spells, for Continual Darkness Iron nails, 150 cnt 1#/12tsp 10 cp
spells(Cleric & Mage). Only a bit is
needed, but it is cheaper to purchase it Insects (live): a number of spells
by the ounce or even by the pound. require live insects of one sort or
Item Wgt/Vol Cost another. The biggest issue is keeping
Bat Guano (pinch) 5 grains 15cp them both alive, content, and contained.
per ounce 480gr/5tsp 13 gp Alternatively some mages create custom
per pound 7,680gr/2.4pt 200 gp cantrips to summon them as needed.
Item Wgt/Vol Cost
Gum Arabic: the “hardened” sap of a Firefly, live [Light] 12 gr/var 12 cp
specific species of plant, it can be Glowworm varies
chewed as a natural gum or used as an
eraser, the latter likely why it is a Incense: each stick weighs just under
component in Invisibility spells. It can 17 grains and burns for ¼ hour or so. A
be purchased by the bit or by the ounce hundred 8” long sticks weigh ¼ pound
Item Wgt/Vol Cost and take up about 20 cu.in.. For spell use
Gum Arabic (bit) 5 gr/0.07tsp 2 cp 1 stick needed per caster level with 4
ounce 480gr/6tsp 48 sp sticks minimum to create enough smoke.
Item Wgt/Vol Cost
Hairs, mount: used for Continual Incense sticks (dozen) 200gr/2½ 5 cp
Darkness spells(Cleric & Mage). Only a (hundred) ¼ # /20cin 4 sp
bit is needed, but it is cheaper to
purchase it by the ounce.
Item Wgt/Vol Cost
Inks: since they may be used for
Horse hair (bit) 3 grains 1 cp different spells we have included all
per ounce 480 gr 4 sp three: standard black, unspecified scroll,
Donkey hair (bit) 3 grains 2 cp and spellbook inks. Prices & wright in
per ounce 480 gr 3 sp ounces include the 1 oz capacity glass
Elephant hair (bit) 3 grains 12 cp vial and in parentheses are ink wgt/vol.
per ounce 480 gr 10 gp Item Wgt/Vol Cost
Ox hair (bit) 3 grains 1 cp Ink, Iron Gall (w. Vial) 4oz 12 cp
per ounce 480 gr 1 sp Ink, black (1oz = 576 drops) 2 sp
Pony hair (bit) 3 grains 1 cp Ink, Spellbook (1oz = 480gr) 10 gp
per ounce 480 gr 2 sp Ink, Scroll (base, nonspecialized) 50 gp
On ounce of black ink is likely sufficient for
Iron: a nail often works for Hold 300 pages. Less for scrolls & spellbooks.

Transportation, Part 1 as we define the different sizes of loads
and how various goods are stored for
In part 1 we will cover some
transport.
containers, loads, and start giving ideas
about the costs and capacities of carts, Baskets, Sacks, & Tarps
wagons, and other conveyances. Bushel Basket – whether you are
harvesting fruit from the trees or
Containers & Loads gathering grain after winnowing you
By D.M.Zwerg
generally utilize baskets, generally a
The Heroes & Henchmen (Really) peck or a bushel in size. A small peck
Basic Intro Player Book, pp.38-41, basket is about 2 gallons and close to
touched briefly on containers, their ideal for picking currents and hauling
dimensions, weight, and capacity but did through bushes, in fields, or up into
not delve far into the types of loads trees, and thus why Peter Piper picked a
different containers would typically peck of pickling peppers. If you are
carry. In discussing transportation of working a field or orchard you would
goods we will expound a bit on the likely hand a full peck basket off to
various types of containers and why another who would fill a bushel basket
specific ones are used for particular for hauling to and stowing in the cart or
loads. We have included tables for both wagon. Thus farmers taking fruits &
containers and load types in this section vegetables to a farmers market would
as we will likely make reference to both likely have a cart full of bushel baskets,
Containers Size Capacity

& Extras WGT VOL
Notes
Type Le n Wide Hgt Wgt. cw t bus hel Cost
Canvas (per sq. yard) 1# 4 sp used for tarps

Pack Saddle (mule) 1.25 2 fotmal
Baskets & Sacks
Bushel Basket 1.5 ft diam. 1 ft 4 # 0.8 1 3 sp 1 bushel
Borel Sack 2 ft 3 ft 1 # 1.7 3 1 sp
Woolsack 3 ft 4 ft 4 # 3.25 3 3 sp 2 weys
Casks (“barrels”)
Barrel 22 in diam. 29 in 65 # 2.3 4 5 sp
Hogshead 26 in diam. 36 in 110 # 4.6 6.6 1 gp
Butt cask 34 in diam. 48 in 200 # 9.1 16 2 gp
Tun cask 41 in diam. 58 in 260 # 18.3 32 5 gp
Wheels Exterior Dim ensions width is of tire
Medium spoke wheel 3 in 3 ft 25 # 3 gp 6” wide hubs
Medium plank wheel 4 in 3 ft 110 # 6 sp
Large spoke wheel 3 in 6 ft 45 # 5 gp 9” wide hubs
Large plank wheel 6 in 6 ft 600 # 1 gp
ARGH magazine 21 Containers & Loads

or tie them to a pack saddle to haul them frame with supports.
on horseback. From Manors & Manses:
Bag or Sack – borel is a coarse cloth
Knightholds (around p.26) we know that
and the possible origin of burlap (17th
most items one would carry in a bushel
century borel-lappa). Linen tow fiber,
basket (such as grain or beans) weigh
hemp, and other lower grade coarse
32-60 pounds per bushel, thus it is about
fibers were used locally for twines and
the weight a person can comfortably
cheap sack materials. Fresh sacks can
carry out in front of them. On a wagon it
hold up to 3 bushels of potatoes or even
will take up about 2 cubic feet of space
grain by weight, but due to stretch most
depending on how high the goods are
limit grain to 1-1½ cwt per sack as
piled above the top, which is not
otherwise they can “leak” too much.
atypical for hauling apples and other
Basically the limit a very strong man can
fruit & vegetables. If hauled on a pack
carry one over each shoulder.
saddle and not a fully rigid basket
capacity would tend to be lower to Woolsack – 2 weys of wool, or roughly
reduce spillage as well as due to the 350-364 pounds depending if 12.5 or 14
container contorting, thus wicker pound stones were used. 12 “sacks”
backpacks with lids and even sacks are make up a Last (24 wey) or up to 2 long
more common for hauling on animal’s tons. Likely made from a thicker double-
backs unless the saddle has an extended woven borel cloth. The limit a very
Transport Size Capacity

Types WGT VOL Notes
Type Len Wide Hgt Wgt. cw t bushel Cost
Carts (2-wheel vehicles) Interior dim ensions

Pushcart 1 2 Strike
Dog/Goat Cart 1.25
Hay Cart 12-19¼ 36 truss (Load)
Cart (2-wheel wagon) 200 19½
# 40 5 gp Load
Heavy (“wagon”) 6 f t 4 ft 1.67 ft 20 60 gp 1 ton
Wagons (4+ wheel vehicles)
2-horse 6 f t 4 ft 2.08 ft 400 # 25 40 60 gp 1.25 ton
4-horse 8 f t 4 ft 3.75 ft 500 # 60 96 125 gp 3 tons
Newcastle Chaldron 52.5
Chandron (scottish) 96 Winchester 12 quarters
London Chaldron 40
Exterior Dim ensions type People
Carriages & Coaches (carts & wagons with “shocks” for people)
Chariot, riding 100 # cart 2 45 gp 1 -horse
Coach (closed) 600 # wagon 4-6 100 gp 2 -horse
Coach, stage 700 # wagon 12+ 200 gp 4 -horse

strong man could carry, or two average taverns, inns, and other public houses.
men could drag, and typically moved via
Tun cask – all our definitions for tons
booms and a block & tackle.
and tonnage ultimately come from the
Casks tun cask. It holds as much as 8 barrels.
The standard container for transporting After barrels it is the most likely cask to
goods long distances, they come in be shipped by boat. Most heavy carts
various sizes, but since the size known can only handle a single tun cask (if
as a "barrel" tended to stay more useful designed for that) and even most wagons
we tend to call them barrels now days. can only handle 2-3 such casks.
Note: tun casks, as from that we have
Loads & Measures
"tonnage" and "tons" as units of
All of the weights and volumes here are
measure.
based on a cwt = 112 pounds. Yes, a GM
Barrels - with a capacity of 4 bushels, can just use 100 pound cwt if they wish.
almost 200 pounds, and a circumference
Bag – a sack of potatoes, about 3
of 4-5 feet, most people will not be able
bushels (180 pounds or 1-1½ cwt).
to carry a barrel over their shoulder like
they can a firkin cask, but barrels roll Cord – 128 cubic feet of firewood (4 x 4
very nicely, can be stood up on end, or x 8) and weighs 17-27 cwt seasoned.
even places on racks. Everything and CWT – one hundredweight (cwt)
anything can be put into barrels, be it equaling 8 stone; 112 pounds. About 18-
wet or dry good. Pickling is done in 20 cwt to the ton.
barrels and the pickled vegetables or
meats often shipped that way. Faggot – 120 pounds, aka the load a
professional bearer would be expected to
Butts & Hogsheads - Beers & wines be able to pack on their back. A faggot
are typically shipped in barrels, butts, can also refer to a bundle of sticks
hogsheads, or tun casks. A butt is a half carried on the back.
tun cask whereas a hogshead is smaller.
Butts, barrels, & hogsheads are common Last – 24 weys (if wool), 640 English
for moving alcohols from breweries to gallons, or 30 Polish bushels. About 2

tons, aka the limit of a wagon or Load Types
ship’s boat. Capacity
Load – cartload. Also called a Nam e Units Wgt (#)
fodder, fother, etc. The exact Stone 14
mass varied by what was being Quarter 28
carried., but usually 11-19 cwt. Hundredweight (cwt) 8 stone 112
Strike or Faggot 2 bu. 120
Usually 36 trusses of hay, 30
Ton 19.5-20 cwt 2240
fotmals of lead, or 12 weys of
Perch 24.75 cf of dry stone
wool.
Cord (4 x 4 x 8) 128 cf of firewood
Perch – 24.75 cubic feet of dry Sarpler (wool) 160 stone 2240
stone, usually 198” x 18” x 12” or Sack 26 stone 364
about 1 ton.
gallon peck bushel
Quarter – 2 stone or ¼ of a cwt. 1 gallon = 1 1⁄2 1⁄8 8
Fairly standard measure of wheat 1 bushel = 8 4 1 30-80
& grains. A Tod of wool also 1 strike = 16 8 2 100-120
weighs 2 stone.
Sack – a weight of wool or such; 350-
Protecting Goods
A number of items are used to protect
364 pounds.
people and goods from inclement
Sarpler – 160 stone (2240#) of wool. weather. What follows is a basic list and
Stone – 14 pounds. 8 stone to the cwt, some information of how they work:
and 160 stone to the (long) ton. Wool cloaks - when a book talks about
Strike – 1 hundredweight to 2 bushels, a “good cloth cloak” they generally
or about the limit of most pushcarts. mean wool. I recommend checking out
what Lindybeige (youtube personality)
Ton – long ton of 20 cwt (2240 pounds). has to say about wearing a wool cloak in
Truss – a bundle of hay or straw, the rain in his video “A point about
weighing 36# (straw), 56# (old hay cloaks”, or even just using a woolen
tightly bound), or 60# (fresh hay) much blanket as a cloak such as Mantis
less compact than a modern bale but of Outdoors (also youtube) demonstrates in
about the same amount of hay. his video “Wool Blanket Tricks”.
By now you have likely noticed some Tarps: a few yards of canvas can be
patterns, namely that various names draped (or tied down) over good to help
exist for a “cart-load” but all seem to keep them dry. If the canvas is large
range from around half a ton to slightly enough to cover the entire bed of the
over a “long” ton, that larger loads of 2- wagon with at least 6 inches to spare
3 tons exist for shipping by boat, and over each edge then eyelets or could be
that some smaller loads seem ideal for installed, or rope sewn in the edge with
back packs or push carts. gaps to act as eyelets such that the
canvas can be secured over the entire
bed. If a tarp at least 3 times wider than

the bed it used then it can be run over waterproofing leather with oil since
bend staves to form a bow-top over a ancient times (cuir bouili) so boiled
wagon bed. Green-cut 10ft poles could saddle bags should be available.
work as bow states.
Baskets: this may seem counter-intuitive
Oil cloth: a tarp painted with oil or oil- however, can baskets can be tarred on
based paint and dried to form a more the inside to make them watertight. Then
waterproof layer. It is much stiffer, tends they are typically lined with cloth.
to destroy the fabric integrity, does not Illustration on page 24: The London hay-
breath, & potentially a tad anachronistic, cart from John French Burke (1834), "ch.
but it keeps contents much drier. VII Cartage", British Husbandry, vol. 1,
Hard top: wagons built with solid Paternoster Row: Baldwin and Cradock, p.
wooden sides and tops keep goods the 164. This style of cart would lumber down
the streets loaded beyond heaping with up to
driest, but also significantly increase the 36 trusses of hay (aka, around or just under a
weight of the wagon itself. long ton).
Casks: casks tend to be water tight and
can be used to haul liquids, powders, or Illustration: Coach in the time of Charles I
even fruit (apples & whatnot). Chests, from chapter seven 17th cent. Innovations,
p.112 from Ralph Straus’s “Carriages &
crate, & boxes are also relevant, but
Coaches: Their History & Their Evolution”
usually less water tight. (1912). Shows well the difference in size
Oiled or boiled leather: as they were between front and rear wheels.

** - Class A fliers can climb at maximum move
Apparatus Arcane (aka, move straight vertically)
This is the section for magic items,
! - Movement class A, & sometimes B, can
both new and reexamined. hover and thus if winged creatures only stall
For this issue I am including the winner they can not beat their wings.
of the ARGHive Poll on requested
articles, so here are Fliers & Skimmers!
Fliers & Skimmers
By D.M.Zwerg
On Cantrip to Activate Devices From the Flying Besom to the Flying
You may note throughout the following Boat, these come in more shapes and
article that I mention using cantrip(s) to sizes than any other vessels as they do
activate magic devices. This is based in not rely on sails but rather require direct
part of an older game I was working on access to magic for propulsion.
that required a Use Magic Device
cantrip to activate devices that were The concept for these items came from
normally stated to only be usable by work on my Cosmos (d12) RPG where,
Mages (Magic-Users) and/or Clerics. having to come up with different schools
Such cantrips are a way to help reduce of magic, I used Alchemy and Rune
over-use iof some magic items. Magic as two separate schools of magic.
Once that was done all magic items had
Maneuverability from HM4e to be of one school, the other, or a
Maneuverability Class (MC) derived combination of both. A third “school”
from HM4e GMG p.163. was a derivative of Rune Magic and
Turn @ many of the other schools and was
Degrees Time to Full Degrees called Protection & Countering, which
MC /Round Speed – Stop Climb * Notes included Wards & Glyphs besides direct
A 180 1 seg 1 seg 90 ** Hover ! counterspelling. Thus the ideas rolled
around in my head and I considered
B 120 6 seg 5 seg 60 Hover ! whether items were magical due to the
materials they were made of (like
C 90 1 rnd 1 rnd 45
potions and many robes, etc), or whether
D 60 2 rnd 2 rnd 30 runes were added to them (which could
also include runes woven into clothing
E 30 4 rnd 3 rnd 15 or tooled & inlay into metal, wood,
@ - degrees of turn per round assumes moving stone, & even leather). Needless to say it
at full speed, turn at one class better if got complicated and thus it came to pass
moving at half speed but does not increase
rate or degrees of climb.
that different items that look the same
may well not function identically, such
* - creatures with wings must move at least half as a Broom of Flying (runic based) vs a
speed maximum speed or they will stall and
fall out of the sky,. Winged creatures can Besom of Flying (mostly alchemical),
only climb at half rate while moving at and likewise Flying Carpets were
between half & three-quarters speed. generally alchemical at heart whereas
Winged creatures climb at half their move flying boats were more often runic in
and dive at 2x their normal move unless
nature. Thus this article that covers just
specified otherwise.
ARGH magazine 27 Fliers & Skimmers

some of the Apparatus Arcane I Rowan wood: specifically for rudders
originally created for that game. that are intended to interact with unseen
or ethereal flows. Rowan wood is
In regards to 3” of movement = 1 mile
reputed to have anti-magic or magic
per hour, this is based on the HM4e
repelling properties.
GMG p.162 “Aerial travel”, and
maximum turns per day is based on the Silks: silk from the cocoons of flying
10 hour maximum per day mentioned insects is of particular interest for the
there and thus at 6 turns per hour the 60 construction of Carpets of Flying, with
turns used in the tables. Magical devices specially enchanted Mulberry trees &
that can be operated day & night in bushes playing an integral part in the
shifts (such as flying carpets or flying creation of the silks.
boats) can exceed 60 turns/day.
Straw: stalks of grasses or green
The alchemical version of a skimmer is branches of woody vegetation, in
the Carpet of “Flying”. The rune magic general brooms were made more often
versions may be a carpet, or more from the latter, and may well have
commonly a “Flying Boat” or “Flying leaves still attached.
Wagon”
Wood: Birch, cottonwood, and maples
Alchemical Materials (especially box elder) are also the most
Here is a short list of materials common woods used in flying boats and
appropriate for the construction of flying other flying craft.
craft. Even if the material is not grown
as an enchanted (magical spice) version
it will still tend to be used due either to
New Fliers & Levitators
convention or because it more readily Besom of Flying (besom)
allows the flow of such runic magic. EP value: 600 EP
GP values - Whole: 4,750 gp
Bark: textiles can be made from the
Control Wand only: 5,000gp
Phloem or Bast fibers in the inner layers
Replacement Straw: 144 gp
of bark. These fibers can be woven into (for 72 straws, or 2-3 gp / straw)
cordage (rope) or even woven into rugs
MC: C
or carpets, Mulberry in particular.
New Flier Analysis Capacities Metrics !
Type Cost M ove Duration ! Wgt M C GP/m i GP/#-hr GP/#-m i Note s
New HJfor4e #2
Besom of Flying 4,744 gp 42 " 7.7 turns 182 # 264.04 20.3 1.45
144 gp 42 " 7.7 turns 182 # 8.01 0.6 0.04
4,744 gp 36 " 15.4 turns 182 # 153.78 10.1 0.84
144 gp 36 " 15.4 turns 182 # 4.67 0.3 0.03
4,744 gp 24 " 30.9 turns 182 # 115.33 5.1 0.63
144 gp 24 " 30.9 turns 182 # 3.5 0.2 0.02
4,744 gp 12 " 61.7 turns 182 # 115.33 2.5 0.63
144 gp 12 " 61.7 turns 182 # 3.5 0.1 0.02
HJfor4e volume 2 28 Apparatus Arcane

HM4e Flier Analysis Capacities Metrics !
Type Cost Move Duration ! Wgt MC GP/m i GP/#-hr GP/#-m i Notes
Fly Spell 0.1 gp 18 " 6 turns B 0.02 Hands free

HM4e Potions
.. of Flying 750 gp 18 " 12 turns B 63 Hands free
.. of Levitation 400 gp 2 " 12 turns 600 # n/a 0.3 Hands free
HM4e Fliers
Anklets of Levitation 10,000 gp 24 " 60 turns 2000 # n/a 0.5 Hands free
Boots of Levitation 15,000 gp 2" 60 turns n/a Hands free
21 stone cap 15,000 gp 2" 60 turns 294 # 5.1
Boots, Winged * 20,000 gp 11 turns varies Hands free
MC - A 20,000 gp 15 " 11 turns A 2182
MC – B 20,000 gp 18 " 11 turns B 1818
MC – C 20,000 gp 21 " 11 turns C 1558
MC – D 20,000 gp 24 " 11 turns D 1364
Broom of Flying 20,000 gp 30 " 60 turns 182 # ? 200 11.0 1.1 AC 7, 18 hp
Carpet of Flying 45,000 gp 60 turns C
1 person 45,000 gp 42 " 60 turns 210 # 321 21.4 1.53
2 person 45,000 gp 36 " 60 turns 420 # 375 10.7 0.89 1 passenger
Kneepads of Levitation 15,000 gp 2" 60 turns 600 # n/a 2.5 Hands free
Rug of Welcome 35,000 gp 60 turns C as Carpet of
1 person 35,000 gp 42 " 60 turns 210 # 250 16.7 1.19 Flying, plus
2 person 35,000 gp 36 " 60 turns 420 # 292 8.3 0.69 additional
3 person 35,000 gp 30 " 60 turns 630 # 350 5.6 0.56 functions
4 person 35,000 gp 24 " 60 turns 840 # 438 4.2 0.52
Cloak of the Bat * 15,000 gp 15 " 24 turns B 750 +2 AC
* 33,000 gp 36 " 60 turns B 275 Hands free
Wings of Flying * 30,000 gp 500 # C
2 turns at speed 30,000 gp 32 " 7.5 turns 500 # 2250 48.0 4.5
3 turns at speed 30,000 gp 25 " 6.67 turns 500 # 3240 54.0 6.48
4 turns at speed 30,000 gp 18 " 6 turns 500 # 5000 60.0 10
6 turns at speed 30,000 gp 15 " 5 turns 500 # 7200 72.0 14.4
8 turns at speed 30,000 gp 12 " 4 turns 500 # 11250 90.0 22.5
New HJfor4e #2
! - duration and metrics are based on max capabilities of each item for a single day
* - winged creatures have a number of limitations for climbing & fall if one disabled
ARGH magazine 29 New Fliers & Levitators

Flying Besoms are alchemical flying The most traditional woods for a
devices utilizing a rune inscribed box Besom of Flying eis a box elder handle
elder control wand (handle/staff) to (shaft) using birch twigs as “straw”.
activate the straws (or birch twigs) and With such besoms the overt runes and
alter direction. The control wand is carvings are typically concealed under
typically guided manually by pressure & the head (straw or twigs) of the handle
balance, thus Besom is its own therefore helping to conceal the besom's
operational skill. As straws that make up magical powers.
the besom are activated parts of the
The flying properties of the besom of
straw burn out turning to dust and thus
flying and some carpets of flying is due
must occasionally be replaced. Each
to the “straw” (plant fiber for textile)
straw is good for about an hour “burn
rather than the shaft.
time” per 1 quarter (2 stone, aka 28
• Wood shaft (handle) is a control
pounds) of weight carried, or part
wand, thus have finer control, better
thereof, per 4 mph of speed, doubling
speed than most fliers
per additional 4 mph of speed, per hour
• require less effort (fatigue) as
flown. Therefore a 170# person with 60
result
pounds of gear (8.2 quarters, rounding
• much lower weight limit (usually
up to 9) will burn through 9 straws per
1 person for max speed, plus one
hour at under 4 mph, 18 per hour at 5-8
passenger max)
mph, 36 per hour at 9-12 mph, and 72
per hour at 14 mph (42” movement is
Typically guided manually by pressure,
top speed). Since where the straws are
balance and aim (from long experience,
attached affect which need to burn to
thus why a Besom is its own operation
stabilize flight when flying in gravity the
skill). Requires one of magical ability to
bottom straws burn fastest, and thus
both start it and control it throughout its
rotating the besom between flights is
flight, taking the equivalent fatigue of a
wise. If not under gravity the user can
level 1 cantrip per hour or use (or at
burn to speed then “coast” with some
least for each activation or reactivation).
riders reporting a tenth of normal straw
burn to maintain close to desired speed. Like Brooms of Flying,. Besoms are
Obviously it is inadvisable to ride limited to 30 degree upward climbs.
double except in emergencies. Rate of climb counts double as move
Besom of Flying – Straws per hour

Weight in Pounds
Speed 28 56 84 112 168 224 280 336 392 448 504 560 700 840 1120 1400 1680 1960
3"-12" 1 2 3 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 25 30 40 50 60 70
13"-24" 2 4 6 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 50 60 80 100 120 140
25"-36" 4 8 12 16 24 32 40 48 56 64 72 80 100 120 160 200 240 280
37"-42" 8 16 24 32 48 64 80 96 112 128 144 160 200 240 320 400 480 560
Quarters > 1 2 3 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 25 30 40 50 60 70

rate for straw consumption, but diving per pound-mile (GP/#-mi) at minimum
does not, at least until one tries to pullspeed below that of a standard HM4e
out. Carpet of Flying. Finally, in analyzing
the cost of a Fly spell making the lowest
A full set of replacement flight straw
cost in GP/#-mi of just the straw used
costs about 1/60th the price of the besom
equal to the GP/mi cost of the spell
handle unless home grown. Home
seemed to make sense.
grown straw may vary performance,
such as doubling burn rate per 28
pounds, lower top speed, or other Body-bag of Levitation
limiters. EP value: 250 EP
GP values: 750 gp
For GMs using the spell fatigue MC: n/a
system, Besoms also burn fatigue at 1
light per activation (including per burst Can levitate 25 pounds of weight fully
when coating), plus 1 long term per hour contained within for 48 hours before
of continuous use (1 medium per turn settling back to earth (aka 1200 pound-
for partial hour of use). They have finer hours). It will rise at 2/3rds of a mile per
control and better top speed than carpets hour until a specified height is reached
and are sometimes used in teams to lug (or half of its max duration) then sink at
cargo. the same rate after half duration to bring
it gently back down at least to the same
GP Value reasoning: I based the costs
height if not lower. Weight limit is 600
on doing some rough figuring, but
pounds (for 2 hours).
assuming replacement straws alone
would tend to cost well less than a A common use is to have the Body-bag
Potion of Flying (63 GP/mile) as it is pulled by up to a dozen homing pigeons
more burdensome to carry and deal with, from a particular healing temple in the
but the full Besom with stick would cost area (generally at a cost of 25 sp per
more (although be less cost over time), homing pigeon). Some bandits have
yet be more within budget for lower taken to shooting the pigeons pulling a
level characters than most permanent Body-bag of Levitation on the off
flying devices. Therefore I started the chance it is carrying valuable cargoes.
analysis with 9.7gp/quarter-
hour, or 0.2695 gp/straw @ Random Flier Properties
10 mph (0.2695 is for Potion Winged
of Flying for 12 turns, thus Carpet of Flying Boots
up to 1.3475 if equal cost per Wgt.
flight time) d20 Roll Size (& w gt) Cap. Spe ed M C Spe e d
normal maximum straws = 1 - 4 3’x5’ (12) 210 42 " A 15 "

72 thus 19gp to 97gp 5 4’x6’ (20) 420 36 " A 15 "
replace all. I then started 6 - 10 4’x6’ (20) 420 36 " B 18 "
playing with the Broomstick 11 4’x6’ (20) 420 36 C 21 "
(shaft) cost vs straw costs 12 - 15 5’x7’ (28) 630 30 " C 21 "
looking to keep the GP cost 16 5’x7’ (28) 630 30 " D 24 "
17 - 20 6’x9’ (44) 840 24 " D 24 "
ARGH magazine 31 New Fliers & Levitators

Body bags of levitation require Flying Devices from HM4e
“refurbishment” after every 4 hours of What follows is a brief analysis of
use by being soaked in ½ of a Potion of magic items that allow flight from the
Levitation. HM4e GameMaster’s Guide (GMG).
GP Value reasoning: I based it on the Maximum duration per day based on
cost of a Potion of Flying, and added 10 hours = 60 turns as 1 non-combat
“refurbishment” to create an ongoing turn = 10 minutes. Boots, Winged
cost (yet cheaper than the Potion), yet (GMG pp.245) specifically mention 2
create some added utility the Potion did hour duration per day, thus 12 turns, but
not quite have. since it takes 12 full hours to recharge
per hour of flight it effectively becomes
Area Rug of Levitation 11 turns per 24 hour period for sustained
EP value: 1750 EP travel. Cloak of the Bat (GMG pp.247-
GP values: 25,000 gp 248) limited to darkness, thus 24 turns
MC: n/a based on 8 hrs/day, and must 1 hour
after every hour, thus 4 hour use per day.
OK, sometimes I get weird ideas while Wings of Flying (GMG p.266) require
working on entries for other magic an hour of complete rest between flights
items. An Area Rug of Levitation is a 6ft of over 1 turn thus turns per day based
diameter rug woven from enchanted on 60 / (6 + max turns at speed) for the
cottonwood bark fibers that can levitate sake of analysis. Helm of the Dragonfly
a number of people and gear up to 840 is at (GMG p.255) just for reference.
pound maximum capacity up or down at
a rate of 2” (20ft) per round. For every Speed in miles per hour based on Broom of
halving of weight the rate of climb Flying (again GMG pp.246).
increases, up to a maximum of 16” Based on the chart you would need to
movement up/down at 105 pounds or use a Broom of Flying at least 5 “full”
less. As the device only functions for days, Winged Boots up to 50 full days,
magic-users below 1st level apprentices and Wings of Flying at least 50 full days
as young as 11 or 12 years old serve as for them to be more cost effective than
“bell hops” operating the “lift” to the Potion of Flying.
floor from which they heard a
summoning bell, as well as act as Broom of Flying
messengers between floors in a mage see HM4e GMG pp.246
university tower. EP value: 2,000 EP
GP Value reasoning: based on the EP & GP values: 20,000 gp
GP difference in Potion of Flying & MC: C ? (never specified in HM4e)
Potion of Levitation applied to a Carpet
of Flying. Brooms of Flying have a 30” base
move, but lose -1” of base movement
per every 14 pounds (1 stone) by which
it is overloaded. They can only climb /
dive as a 30 deg angle top, can be sent to

where commanded (aka, do deliveries), is that traditionally they can “hover”
and if within hearing can come to the regardless of the maneuverability class,
owner when called, indicating some and can usually ascend straight
intelligence (and thus potential Ego & vertically, albeit possibly at a much
willfulness). slower rate (aka, closer to that of
Levitation).
Carpet of Flying
see HM4e GMG pp.247 These two factors bring into focus the
EP value: 3,500 EP Carpet of Flying as a type of cargo
GP values: 45,000 gp platform that can be used to move goods
as well as the idea that curling the front
MC: C
or back corners (or edges) for propulsion
Rather than introduce a new type of & control. An odd concept then emerges
Carpet of Flying I will instead expound that the amount of cargo and size may be
on some ideas about them instead. more important to the speed &
Maneuverability of a Carpet of Flying.
First off, rug weight in pounds is based
on the weight of 23 pounds I found for a Carpets of Flying could well be a
6ft diameter by ½ inch thick jute area combination of alchemical materials
rug. Carpets or rugs with lower carrying (aka, enchanted yarns or fibers in the
capacity may well weigh less. More textiles) as well as runic patterns sewn
industrial Flying Cargo Rugs of this type or woven in the edges, and may utilize
may well have slightly lower GP prices layers or twists of combined fibers
to account for their more austere looks enchanted to Levitate or Fly.
and industrial purposes, and characters More notes on control:
of LUC or higher may suffer an Honor • some may require cantrip to activate
hit for being seen riding on one & control
“obviously for servant’s work”. Weight • others may have control “ropes” at
capacity per person was set at 210 corners for up, down and rough
pounds to account for 2 stone more than speed control (pull up for up, down
the 182# for a standard Broom of for down, and back for slower)
Flying. • likely be slower not necessarily due
One differences between Besoms & to design but due to fear of
Brooms of Flying and Carpets of Flying driver/passengers (as easy to fall off
may be due to the method(s) of control. or lose control) or due to
With “Brooms” it may be command overloading
words and/or physical balance, but with • more “fibers” likely means it can
a Rug or Carpet, as they are “designed” carry much more weight and thus
for passengers, balance is not the control “size” and “speed” could be
method meaning it must be due to direct randomized as variables
commands, be they spoken or mental, or • if a fatigue system is used carpets
possibly other control mechanisms such would almost certainly create more
as ropes manipulating the corners. of a fatigue drain than
Broom/Besoms
A second point about Rugs & Carpets
ARGH magazine 33 see HM4e GMG pp.247

Guided by use of ropes in most cases
and mental thoughts in the highest
Lairs Monstrous
quality the former often require either Although this section is usually
command words or a cantrip to start it dedicated to the people, places, & things
whereas the other requires a Mage to that players may encounter, in this issue
pilot it (and this can be as draining as a we will revisit monster (and thus also
besom of Flying even for very small PC) kickers and crits.
carpets, and larger ones even more so …
see Flying Boats).
Size, Crits, & Kickers
The Severity Roll vs Target Size chart to
the left is excerpted from our
Severity Roll vs Target Size revised Crit Chart from the GM
Medium Large Huge Shield & Crits & Wounds Booklet
4’-7’ 7’-9’ 9’-12’ 12’-15’ 15’-19’ 19’-24’ (both currently in development).
1 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-3 1-4
2 3 3 3-4 4-6 5-8
Crits by Size
By D.M.Zwerg
3 4 4-5 5-6 7-9 9-12
Inspired by a discussion with
4 5-6 6 7-8 10-12 13-16
Topher Kersting at a national
5 7 7-8 9-10 13-15 17-20
convention over a decade ago.
6 8 9 11-12 16-18 21-24
7 9-10 10-11 13-14 19-21 25-28 There are a number of factors
8 11 12 15-16 22-24 29-32 to consider when looking at
9 12 13-14 17-18 25-27 33-36 adjusting crit severity based on
10 13-14 15 19-20 28-30 37-40 size. The first is why it is
11 15 16-17 21-22 31-33 41-44 necessary in the first place, that
12 16 18 23-24 34-36 45-48 being player characters can
13 17-18 19-20 25-26 37-39 49-52 steam pile large creatures and
14 19 21 27-28 40-42 53-56 min-max their characters for
15 20 22-23 29-30 43-45 57-60 crits and thus hope to crit-kill
16 21-22 24 31-32 46-48 61-64 even the largest opponents in a
few rounds (if that long). A
17 23 25-26 33-34 49-51 65-68
second is that if an opponent is
18 24 27 35-36 52-54 69-72
twice the size of a character their
19 25-26 28-29 37-38 55-57 73-76 vital organs are twice as deeply
20 27 30 39-40 58-60 77-80 buried and thus much more
material needs to be penetrated.
21 28 31-32 41-42 61-63 81-84 Other factors exist as well, some
in the favor of the attacker, some
22 29-30 33 43-44 64-66 85-88
the defender. The bottom line
was that something needed to be
23 31 34-35 45-46 67-69 89-92 done to make it such that larger
creatures did not remain “EP
24+ 32+ 36+ 47+ 70+ 93+ Pinatas”.
At one point I considered
HJfor4e volume 2 34 Lairs Monstrous

adjusting Crit Severity Level by a set Revised Kickers Table
plus/minus based on size, but I
ultimately decided against it and sought Category Height (feet) Kicker
a slicker solution, but including below: Wee < ¼ (3in) 0 pt
HP Kicker by Height Category Very-small ¼-1½ 2 pt
Tiny 1½-3 5 pt
Size Kicker CSL Small 3-4 10 pt
<3" 0 x4 Petite 4-5 ¼ 15 pt
3"-18" 2 +16
Medium 5¼-6 ¾ 20 pt
18"-3' 5 +8
3'-4' 10 +4
Large 6¾ -9 25 pt
4'-5' 15 +1 ?K-??? 8-9½ 30 pt
5'-6'6" 20 0 Jumbo 9-12 40 pt
6'6"-9' 30 -1 Immense 12-25 80 pt
9'-12' 40 -5 Huge 25-50 200 pt
12'-25' 80 -10 Gargantuan 50-100 400 pt
25'-50' 200 -15 Enormous 100-200 800 pt
50'-100' 400 -20 Colossal 200-400 1,600 pt
100'-200' 800 -30 Brobdingnagian 400-800 4,000 pt
200'-400' 1600 -40 Astronomical 800-1600 8,000 pt
400'- 800' 4000 -50
800' -1600' 8000 -75 To start the actual analysis off let us
review what the HM4e GMG p.30 says
Ultimately I discarded the adding and
about size and kicker:
subtracting from CSL and instead
developed the Severity Roll Versus Size • Creatures of Tiny (T) size have a -3
chart on the previous page. This reduces modifier to Strength and receive
the severity much more smoothly and only a 10 hit point “kicker" instead
does not just smack them all together at of the 20 hit point “kicker” standard
the end. GMs may note that these do not for other races.
exactly correspond to the new size • Creatures of Small (S) size have a -1
categories found in the next section. modifier to Strength.
Well, works in progress are just that and • Creatures of Large (L) size have a +
with feedback things may change again. 1 modifier to Strength
• Huge (H) creatures gain a + 2 to
I encourage GMs to test out this new
Strength
table and tell us what they think.
• Gargantuan (G) creatures have a +
4.
Kickers Re-Revisited One of the things about the article in
By D.M.Zwerg HJ #17 pp.20-21 is that it presupposes
This article was inspired by the HOB the 10 hp kicker for 18” tall pixie fairies
entries on Dragons as well as Stecve and the 20 hp liker for humans is
Johansson’s article in HackJournal #17 actually correct and then applies kickers
“A Weighty Argument for Rebalancing to other HM4e races. My issue with that
HackMaster® Races”. First off, the is that looking at the cube-squares we
revised table: may note that creatures x1/2 the height
ARGH magazine 35 Kickers Re-Revisited

have x1/8th the weight but x1/4th the "Xtremely tiny", and "Zeta-scopic".
surface area. Thus my first issue with the This resulted in:
tables is that if a 61”-80” (avg 71”) tall Astronomical, Brobdingnagian, Colossal,
human weighs 146-200 pounds (avg Enormous, Gargantuan, Huge, Immense,
173) then a 19”-22” (avg 20.5”) tall Jumbo, Large, Medium, Petite, Small,
HM4e pixie-fairy should weigh but 4.2 Tiny, Uber-small(?), Very-small, Wee,
Xtremely tiny(?), Zeta-scopic
pounds (aka, 173/41.5) and the cross
section of their bones should be about
In the final chart I added a “petite”
1/12th that of a human’s. That would
size category to allow GMs to slap
indicate they should have at best a 2hp
elves, and particularly Wood Elves, with
kicker. If we look at it on the lowest end
a 15 hp kicker if they wished, and it was
(5’1”) then the weight comes out to 8.54
determined anything under 3” tall would
pounds (aka, about 1/26th) and the
get no kicker that “Wee” worked fine. I
kicker 2.25 (aka 1/8.85). That would be
still would like a size “K-” but alas.
the reality of it, but then extremely large
creatures would have tremendously huge On dragon hit points HoB 2, p.72
kickers. Therefore I looked at half the states: “A good rule of thumb is the
height to have half the kicker and ran it dragon’s length, multiplied by the
up and down the scales thus Small number of teeth.” ARGH-GM members
creatures of 3’-4’ tall would have a 10 can find dragon sizes and HPs in the
hp kicker and Tiny characters 1½’-3’ tall creatures section of the ARGHive.net.
would have 5 hp kickers, and a 40hp What follows now are some older
kicker would come in somewhere analysis included for the curious. The
between 9’-12’ tall, with 8’-9½‘ tall first includes all the weird size category
creatures (or creatures particularly more names I came up with, and the 2nd is a
massive than typical size Large), could later analysis by weight:
have a 30hp kicker. One concern with
assigning kickers to Large creatures was An older rejected table
Zeta-scopic ........... (no kicker)
to try to avoid giving Half-Ogres too
Xtremely tiny ......... (no kicker)
much of an advantage as they can hit 8’ Wowinly small ....... (1 hp kicker)
tall and 415 pounds, but if they lose any Very tiny ................ (2 hp kicker)
extra hit die at 1st level an extra 5 hp Uber small ............. (5 hp kicker)
balances out fairly well as recompense. Tiny ........................ (10 hp kicker)
Small ...................... (15 hp kicker)
New size categories Medium ................... (20 hp kicker)
As for new size categories, there are 6 Large ...................... (30 hp kicker)
letters of the alphabet before G and 3 Huge ....................... (80 hp kicker)
between H and L, so that works, but it is Gigantic ................... (200 hp kicker)
the 5 between M and S that are the Fantasticly large ...... (500 hp kicker)
killer. I mean how many different Extremely huge ....... (1,000 hp kicker)
categories of "Small" do you really Decidedly gigantic .... (2,000 hp kicker)
need, unless you start wanting to define Colossal(ly large) ..... (5,000 hp kicker)
categories below "Tiny" such as "Uber- B<??> huge ............. (10,000 hp kicker)
Amazingly gigantic ... (50,000 hp kicker)
small", "Very tiny", "Wowingly small,"
HJfor4e volume 2 36 Lairs Monstrous

Kicker by Weight my group today and we both liked
I went with 6 ¾ feet for the 20-25 hp break leaving all races the same in regards
point upon realizing that the weight given to rolling at 4d6 with the extra die
for 5’3” was under half that for 6’7”. See going to a pool of modifiers for family
chart below for more gradual changes based lineage, social class and inheritance.
on height & weight ranges. We love the idea of a PC getting a
chance at rare, different, magical
Height Weight Kicker equipment, which was mentioned in
Below 3” 0.016 lbs or less none an earlier post on Facebook.
3.25”- 7.75" 0.017-0.225 lbs 1 pt Regardless of social class. Again this
8" - 1' 0" 0.226-0.84 lbs 2 pt pool of points with the dropped d6
1' ¼" - 1' 4" 0.85-1.98 lbs 3 pt could be interesting. I see myself with
1' 4¼" - 1' 5¾" 1.99-2.70 lbs 4 pt a 4d6 roll like this. 6-4-3-2, for a 13
1' 6" - 2' 6¾" 2.71-14.1 lbs 5 pt and drop the 2. Yes I could have a 13
2' 7" - 3' 11½" 14.2-52 lbs 10 pt in said stat….or I could choose 6-3-2
4' 0" - 5' 3" 53 –126 lbs 15 pt
for an 11 and keep the 4 to go into the
5' 4" - 6' 6" 127-237 lbs 20 pt
6' 7" - 7' 8" 238-388 lbs 25 pt modifier pool. I love tweaking and
7' 9" - 8' 11" 389-608 lbs 30 pt making unique characters and the
9' 0" - 10' 0" 609-855 lbs 35 pt more options at creation the better.
10' 1" - 11' 2" 856-1,188 lbs 40 pt
Dropped Dice Social Class
By D.M.Zwerg
Stats & Particulars The following combines text on a
different way to determine social class
Roll & Keep Stat combined with Sean’s idea above. We
thank him for tipping us more insidious
System uses for dropped dice when using a 4d6
Intro by Sean Craney (w. D.M. Zwerg) stat system. It could also be used by
The (RBI) Player Book put forth a allowing a 3d6 roll (original intent).
“Gene Pool” method using 4d6 and drop The random social class system
one. Well, Sean Craney had an opinion presented in the (RBI) Player Book has
on that and, while we hope to eventually but a 1-in-20 chance of a character’s
see an entire article from him on his parents being Gentry, a knight, or better.
ideas we were pressed for time, so his In order to facilitate a higher chance of
initial comment follows: having one or more knightly characters
Not a fan of gene pool method. I/my in a group, as well as more character
group don’t tend to build our families. input and balance, we at Amalgamated
Under this system I feel I’d never Research Gaming Hub have devised
choose a human. I’d stick with dwarf new systems of doing so, which follows:
or halfling. Funny thing is I never
played a human till Hm4e, almost Choose 3 dropped dice (from stat rolls)
always dwarf or halfling during my and “spend” them of social class and
and days. I ran this by a member in basic wealth.
ARGH magazine 37 Dropped Dice Social Class

That is the basic system in a nutshell, Master of a higher craft (Master Mason),
but the interaction between the three clergy that do not have their own parish
dice can be much more convoluted. In or equivalent, or even the son of a
the following paragraphs we will look at Guildmaster. A “3” indicates a skilled
how the three dice, and their results, can craftsman, manorial miller or baker
be used to “reveal” additional details (requires Means), performer, or a person
about the character. For now we will with limited authority such as a village
largely skip the 6’s and concentrate on Reeve. A “2” indicates semi-skilled such
the lesser results. as an apprentice or the Hayward or
Woodward (Reeve’s assistants). Those
Basic Rankings with a “1” could still be a merchant or a
By and large the dice fit together like common laborer (migrant or urban).
layers of an onion, with higher numbers
pushing a character’s social class further Means: characters with Means have
outward and nobles riding on the other some form of income, be it due to work,
shell, the most vulnerable to rot. a grant, or even a stipend. A “4” either
indicates a wealthy merchant or a person
No 5’s nor 6’s = Commoners with a grant/stipend worth a bit under
Numbers below 5 indicate various that of a Knight’s Fee (often rents or
social classes, basically: tolls from a bridge or canal), or if a “4”
any 4’s = UMC in land as well a “Franklin” (rural).
Guildmasters (urban Status 4 & Means
any 3’s = MMC to ULC 4-5) and many master craftsmen &
any 2’s = MLC or LLC merchants have smaller urban land
holdings as well. A “3” in means
and all 1’s = Slave Class generally indicates a merchant of some
Odds: 64 out of 216 if rolled randomly sort, often a grosser (monger) or even a
troupe of traveling players if they do not
Land: characters with their highest stat have a 2-3 in land as well, although it
in land are either: yeoman (a4 in Land) could indicate a wealthier yeoman or
are yeomen freeholding the land, villeins villein as well. A “2” without land would
(a 3) with a copyhold, or serfs (a 2 and be a common laborer, be they urban or
only semi free). Those with a 0 in Land migrant farm laborers, as well as most
are generally townsfolk renting property rural villagers that have land but are
or migrant to semi-migrant workers such only of average wealth be they serfs,
as boardars/cottagers granted use of a villeins, or even yeomen.
house as part of an employment
arrangement or even traveling players Any 5’s = Gentry (“knights”)
making a living on their wits. There are different ways a character can
become a member of the Gentry, and
Status: characters with Status tend to
what type of holdings they may or may
have either some official standing or
not have. A character could have one or
training in a craft. A “4” indicates
more knightholds of land; be supported
somebody in a position of power such as
by income from a knight’s fee; or have
a Bailiff (rural), Alderman (urban), a
HJfor4e volume 2 38 Stats & Particulars

to work for a great lord, or a Free fortune”. A 5 on the die indicates the
Company, in exchange for support; or character is receiving the equivalent of
more than one of the above. knight’s fee of income (1200gp-2400gp
per year) from a “non-land” holding,
Odds: 61 out of 216 get at least one 5
such as tolls from a bridge, canal, river
but no 6’s if rolled randomly;
trade. Land above a “1” could indicate
152 of 216 at least one 5 or 6.
associated or separate holdings of 1/3rd of
Land (“blue”) - a 5 indicates the a mile-hex each, and may be scattered or
character holds at least one knighthold together.
and manor consisting of at least two
Status (“red”) - on a 5 the character is a
mile-hexes (see “Landed Knights”
knight beholden to some lord and is
below. The “money” die can, at player
either part of their court & retainers or a
option or GM insistence, act as a
member of a Free Company, through
multiplier on that base to indicate the
which they receive their arms, armor,
total number of mile-hexes the character
and upkeep. Positions at a noble’s court
owns divided between up to 3 different
could include training the men-at-arms
manors, or it can be used for “Land
(Master-at-Arms), charge or the stables
Options” below.
(Marshal) or falcons, seneschal, and so
Money (‘yellow”) - aka, “family forth. The higher the “Money” die the
ARGH magazine 39 Dropped Dice Social Class

more elevated the position, and “Land”
as per “Money” above.
Acknowledgments
A character with 5’s in both “Land” and
“Labor” is typically in charge of a
List of Illustrations
“Hundred” or “Hundred Court” and thus
Page 8: Example 2b – Small “Frat” House
ranked a Banneret. This is a non- was created by D. M. Zwerg using
inheritable title. AutoREALM for use in the Burg Buildings
book. Property of ARGH & D.M.Zwerg,
A character with 5’s in both “Money” used with permission.
and “Labor” is a Baronet (and likely son
of a Baronet), a title which is Page 13: A.D. 900, French - 029 - Costumes
“inheritable” as long as the money holds of All Nations (1882).JPG.jpg from
out (aka, support 30 men-at-arms, wikimedia commons.
typically at a cost of 1000gp/year), Image from 1882 and thus in the public
although the character could lead a Free domain.
Company.
Page 22: Types of Primitive Carts from p.20
Any 6’s = Peer (“nobles”) of the first chapter The Primative Vehicle of
Any 6 indicates the child of a noble, Ralph Straus’s “Carriages & Coaches: Their
and the dice indicating what (if any) History & Their Evolution” (1912).
Image from a 1912, and possibly a reprint
funding or inheritances they currently
of an even earlier work, thus in public
enjoy. The peerage is beyond the scope domain.
of this article or even the Manors &
Manses: Kniightholds booklet this Page 24: The London hay-cart from John
article was taken from. French Burke (1834), "ch. VII Cartage",
Odds: 91 out of 216 if rolled randomly. British Husbandry, vol. 1, Paternoster Row:
Baldwin and Cradock, p. 164.
Image from 1834 and thus is in the public
domain.
Page 26: Coach in the time of Charles I

from chapter seven 17th cent. Innovations,
p.112 from Ralph Straus’s “Carriages &
Coaches: Their History & Their Evolution”
(1912).
Image from a 1912, and possibly a reprint
of an even earlier work, thus in public
domain.
Page 39: Knight Cube was created by D. M.

Zwerg using AutoREALM for use in the
Manors & Manses: Knightholds book.
Property of ARGH & D.M.Zwerg, used with
permission.
HJfor4e volume 2 40 Acknowledgments

ARGH Projects Lykam's First Monster Hunting
We felt that people may want to hear what Guide: planned as an A-Z of monsters
booklets & projects we at ARGH are with pictures on one side of the page and
currently working on and that are at a stage H&H-style stat blocks, details, even little
we can talk about. Another way of putting poems opposite. Likely released as a two
this is “Coming Attractions” PDF set for booklet (stats facing pictures)
and detachable folio (opposite sides of same
Auction_God: my friend the physical page) for use like “flash cards”.
Auction_God has stepped up and gotten the
website up and running. When you see the Burgs – Buildings & Property: the
monster pages on the website know that (and first in a series of at least three booklets, this
most of everything else) was all him. one covers randomly generated buildings of
some styles common in medieval times,
“Mercutio”: my partner wrote our NDA guidance on rental and purchase prices, plus
and has been working in the background a small section on town & city layouts. Soon
approving things and providing commentary with layouts for inherited deeds!
D. M. Zwerg: Lead Designer and Project
Mangler. Other Active Projects ..
H&H RBA-GM Basics: originally
New Releases “Combat Basics” this book is under
development & rewrite.
H&H RBI-Player Book: a (really)
basic player book for Heroes & Henchmen MM2 – Wizard Manses: the 2nd in the
designed to be compatible with HM4e such series, this one covers wizard holdings. It
that the GM can run even if only he has should delve into the arcane spice &
HM4e books. component trades, maybe arcane labs &
libraries, plus academies.
HJfor4e 1-b KoboldCon Special:
or In this special I provide some very brief MM4 – Shrines & Parishes: covers
previews of equipment that can be found in new cleric classes, plus holdings from
the very soon to be released Beta edition of shrines & chapels through parishes & small
the H&H (RBI) Players Book including a bit temples. Emphasis is given to unique ways
on pigeons and, of course, kobolds (for of making money from selling indulgences,
KoboldCon). Also included a look at the stat tithes for good weather and sound crops, to
block I am toying with for the Heroes & pilgrimages to see holy relics.
Henchmen monster books. Also a small
discussion on kobolds my friend ?Tim?
wrote a few years ago. Website Update
Store is up and has downloads area.
Nearly Ready .. Whip Bin is active.
Manors & Manses - Knightholds: Monsters database established.
the 1st in a series of at least 3 booklets, this
one concentrates on knights, their land Discord server is up for gaming as
holdings, and a basic system for creating as a forums.
those holdings including land yields.
ARGH magazine 41 ARGH Projects

HM4e Book References Gaming in a Digital
Portions of this zine are based on
Kenzer & Company’s Hackmaster: The Age
The common held wisdom of many things
Role-Playing Game 4th Edition, and
medieval is nor longer only books, articles,
may include: and the members SCA, but also videos
Player’s Handbook (Jolly R. Blackburn, from web personalities. Below are the
David S. Kenzer, Brian Jelke, Steve Johansson, channels of some of our current favorites:
Barbara Blackburn)
Metatron – primarily talks armor and all
GameMaster’s Guide (Jolly R. things Roman Empire (especially soldier’s
Blackburn, Brian Jelke, Steve Johansson, David items, from footware to castles), & gaming
S. Kenzer, Noah Kolman, Don Morgan, Mark https://www.youtube.com/channel/U
Plemmons, Barbara Blackburn; with John K. CIjGKyrdT4Gja0VLO40RlOw
D’amato, Larry Granato, Glenn Harris,
Christopher Heath, Spencer Lease, Scott Modern History TV– The Knight
Luskin, James Mishler, Mark Mueller, John
series. Various medieval history, mostly
O’Neill, & D.M.Zwerg)
relating to knights, but also peasants.
Combatant’s Guide to Slaughtering https://www.youtube.com/channel/U
Foes (Don Morgan; with Barbara Blackburn, CMjlDOf0UO9wSijFqPE9wBw
Jiffy Burke, Brian Jelke, Steve Johansson,
David S. Kenzer, Noah Kolman; with Eric Scolagladitoria – a HEMA enthusiast
Englehard) who discusses and analyzes weapons
https://www.youtube.com/user/scholagla
Spellslingers’s Guide to Wurld diatoria
Domination (Jolly R. Blackburn, Brian
Jelke, Steve Johansson, David S. Kenzer, Noah Theng Thrand – tests shields, weapons,
Kolman, and Don Morgan; with Tom Darga, & armor, and tries to provide sufficient
Richard Jensen, Anthony Lowman, Mike details about his tests including thickness
Rushing, Kevin Wilson, Jedediah Gofourth) https://www.youtube.com/user/ThegnTh
rand
Zealots’s Guide to Wurld Converion
(Paul Glozeris, Brian Jelke, David Kenzer, Tod’s Worshop – this guy manufactured
Noah Kolman, Steve Johansson, Don Morgan; replica weapons as well as weapons for
with Jolly Blackburn,Norn Hancock, Josef movies. Swords, daggers, crossbows.
Zimmerman and D.M. Zwerg)
https://www.youtube.com/user/todsst
Combatant’s Guide to Slaughtering uff1
Foes (Don Morgan; with Barbara Blackburn, Townsends – technically American
Jiffy Burke, Brian Jelke, Steve Johansson,
David S. Kenzer, Noah Kolman) colonial through early 1800’s, but covers
food preparation and outdoor crafts.
Lord Flataroy’s Guide to https://www.youtube.com/user/jasto
Fortifications (Don Morgan and D.M. Zwerg) wnsendandson

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HackJournal for 4e

Unofficial and Unsanctioned

A publication of Amalgamated Research Gaming Hub

ARGH magazine 1 Unofficial Unsanctioned?

HJfor4e volume 2 2 Classes Revisited

ARGH magazine 3 Clerics-Odd

HJfor4e volume 2 4 Classes Revisited

ARGH magazine 5 Magic-Users

HJfor4e volume 2 6 Classes Revisited

ARGH magazine 7 Thieves

HJfor4e volume 2 8 Burg Buildings

ARGH magazine 9 Small “Geek” Frat House

HJfor4e volume 2 10 Assayed Equipment

ARGH magazine 11 Clothing & Style Points

HJfor4e volume 2 12 Assayed Equipment

ARGH magazine 13 Clothing & Style Points

HJfor4e volume 2 14 Assayed Equipment

ARGH magazine 15 Component Containers

Pre-Made Sachets Item Wgt/Vol Cost

HJfor4e volume 2 16 Assayed Equipment

ARGH magazine 17 RBI Spell Components - part 1

HJfor4e volume 2 18 Assayed Equipment

ARGH magazine 19 RBI Spell Components - part 1

HJfor4e volume 2 20 Assayed Equipment

Containers Size Capacity

Canvas (per sq. yard) 1# 4 sp used for tarps

ARGH magazine 21 Containers & Loads

Transport Size Capacity

Carts (2-wheel vehicles) Interior dim ensions

ARGH magazine 23 Containers & Loads

HJfor4e volume 2 24 Assayed Equipment

ARGH magazine 25 Containers & Loads

HJfor4e volume 2 26 Assayed Equipment

ARGH magazine 27 Fliers & Skimmers

HJfor4e volume 2 28 Apparatus Arcane

Fly Spell 0.1 gp 18 " 6 turns B 0.02 Hands free

ARGH magazine 29 New Fliers & Levitators

Besom of Flying – Straws per hour

HJfor4e volume 2 30 Apparatus Arcane

normal maximum straws = 1 - 4 3’x5’ (12) 210 42 " A 15 "

ARGH magazine 31 New Fliers & Levitators

HJfor4e volume 2 32 Apparatus Arcane

ARGH magazine 33 see HM4e GMG pp.247

HJfor4e volume 2 34 Lairs Monstrous

ARGH magazine 35 Kickers Re-Revisited

HJfor4e volume 2 36 Lairs Monstrous

ARGH magazine 37 Dropped Dice Social Class

HJfor4e volume 2 38 Stats & Particulars

ARGH magazine 39 Dropped Dice Social Class

Page 26: Coach in the time of Charles I

Page 39: Knight Cube was created by D. M.

HJfor4e volume 2 40 Acknowledgments

ARGH magazine 41 ARGH Projects

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