Part 1 here.
Before I begin part 2, I think it's best to explain/recap why. I think I was muddy on the point last time. Hack master 5E should be the current edition of D&D. Or rather what the current edition of D&D would be if people who liked D&D were the ones creating it. While it has beginner versions for beginner people, it pushes it's players to skill up over time, even in the full game. This is an important element of game design that's been lost in the modern era. Every game writer worries about the attention span of a 70 IQ ADHD terminally-online danger-hair pronouns-in-bio person. Hackmaster, quite frankly, doesn't want them. Both Aces & Eights and Hackmaster go out of their way to give zero shits about who is playing their game and it's ease of use to bring in newbies. They aim for solid gameplay by people who invest energy into the games.
So let's actually talk about it.
Chargen:
In the beginning, you get 40 Building Points (BPs). They are very important a little later, but aren't really used for the next couple steps. Then you roll 3d6 in order for stats, along with 1d100 in order for stats. That's right, every ability score has a percentile rating. Effectively the 3d6 rating is "number of hundreds" and you slowly increase stats over time buy buying them with... BP. But trust me you don't want to bother using those right now.
After you see your stats you can pick your race. The races are dwarf, elf, gnome, gnome titan, grel, half-elf, half-hobgoblin, half-orc, halfling, or human. They give bonuses bioessentially. Because nobody cared in the 2000s when it was designed. There is an optional race of Pixie Fairy in the back.
This is where the real game begins because you find out that buying a class costs BPs, and the price is based on your race. The Human race can buy into any class with 20 BPs. The classes are Assassin, Barbarian, Cleric, Fighter, Fighter/Mage, Fighter/Thief, Mage, Mage/Thief, Ranger, Rogue, and Thief. The multiclass system is built in, if you didn't notice. Paladins are improved versions of higher level Fighters. Cleric is actually statted out to be several classes, the Druid is within them.
Back to races, For example a dwarf. Dwarves can buy in to the Fighter class for 20 BPs, just like a human. The game allows them to buy into every class, but some are far more expensive. Some races are also restricted from some classes, for example Elves can't be Barbarians. Dwarven Barbarians, Mages, or Rangers cost a whopping 75 BPs. If you want that concept, you're gonna have to invest in to it. But you only start with 40, where do you get the other 35 to be able to pay for that class? The answer is Quirks and Flaws. The default method is randomly rolling for quirks and flaws, getting a measure of building points for the first, then 5 less for the second, 5 less than that for the third, etc. If you Cherry Pick, you get HALF what you would get for rolling randomly (then a cumulative 5 less per above). It's a d1000 table. Let's roll a few:
667 - Superstitious - 15 BP (unlucky number: 27)
928 - Pocking - 20 BP (-5) - 15BP (-1 Looks)
437 - Miserly - 30 BP (-10) - 20BP (cheap bastard)
So if I rolled these I now have 90 BPs so I can play a Dwarf Mage for 75 and spend the other 15 on cool stuff OR I can play a Dwarf Fighter for 20 and spend the other 70 on cool stuff.
This is how the game pushes some tropes more than others, but still gives a wide range of options for each race. It's brilliant because if you want to be a Dwarven Ranger or Barbarian you can do it, but because it's strongly against type it will cost extra. You have to actually WANT it.
Races all list ability adjustments, pros, cons, and preferential talent access. This further emphasizes tropes for example buying in to an attack bonus for axes and warhammers is cheaper for Dwarves than others.
TO BE CONTINUED...
