So I guess from my previous post regarding Hackmaster that no one is interested? I've just received my copy of Hackmaster Basic and I must say this is an awesome system. It's a very simple system (in my opinion) even though it might look intimidating at first.
For instance :
Skills are based on percentile dice with a character having a skill listed from 0 to 100% (obviously the higher the percentage, the more training a character has in that skill) and skill checks are a simple d% roll with rolling under your skill being a success and rolling over being a fail. (modifiers changing how difficult a check is by adding or subtracting from the roll)
There is a nice and simple quirks and flaws system built in that allows for some interesting role playing opportunities.
Combat is the most interesting part of the system. No rounds or turns or stuff like that, combat takes place with a continuous "tick" system with each tick representing a second in game time. Combat is such that it's very dynamic even allowing more than one pc/npc to act on the same tick, making combat way more fun and keeping players full attention during a combat instead of them having to wait their turn before they can have a go. (Read the combat example on www.kenzerco.com under the Hackmaster Basic section to get an idea of how it works)
Another thing I really like is that armour and shields work the way they should. With armour and shields actually absorbing damage rather than making you harder to hit (and in some cases armour will actually make you easier to hit due to bulkiness, weight, etc. The trade off being a far superior damage resistance)
Speaking of taking damage, there is also a Pain check, where if you take more than a certain amount of damage (determined by your threshold of pain) in a single hit, you have to roll to save from doubling up in pain and losing your actions for the next so many seconds while you writhe around on the floor clutching at your wound and whining for your mommy. ;)
Yes, like every system out there it has it's flaws, and since this is a first printing there are a few glaring omissions and errors. Also the basic set takes a character from 1st to 5th level only, but Advanced Hackmaster will continue where basic left off by expanding on the rules. Basic is just that, a basic system which will be expanded upon, but allow you to continue to play your character as is in Advanced without the need for any conversions.
Oh, and check out the dice section in the book too. There's a whole 10 pages (perhaps a bit much, but a very fun read non the less) dedicated to dice and how to look after your dice, how to prime your dice to make them lucky, and even techniques on how to roll the dice to get the best results.
So, would anyone be interesting in seeing the game and possibly play-testing it? I'd love to get more guys interested as this system in my opinion is the best I've come across since the good old AD&D days. :)