A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement Agrik: Herpa the Mace

Agrik: Herpa the Mace by Alun Rees is a role playing game supplement published by Columbia Games Inc. for use with Hârn and HârnMaster.

The supplement is available as an eight-page PDF from DriveThruRPG for $3.99 but was purchased at a reduced price thanks to a special offer.

The opening page explains that Hârn is home to many Agrikan orders, and the Order of Herpa the Mace is the most mystical with the ability to see the future with clarity. The order started amongst the astrologers of the Corani Empire and has since evolved, though always seems to be on the brink of greatness before being knocked back. They are influential at the Rethemi court and may finally be poised to dominate. It is in a better position generally than the Order of the Octagonal Pit, who run the Pamesani Games, the Order of the Fuming Gate and the Order of the Pillar of Fire. The sidebar has the order’s heraldry.

Origins and History details the order’s start amongst the Corani astrologers, surviving the purges that swept the empire with the aid of their lay guardians and being reorganised as the Order of Herpa the Mace in Rethem. The lay brothers are the Red Shadows of Herpa, and were granted Menekai, but the Order of Mamaka managed to take control of the Hârnic Church. The sidebar gives details on a set of scrolls that complies the names and characteristics of Agrik’s demonic servants and the Red Shadows, who press the Kubora tribesmen and Thardic border.

Current Situation gives a recap of the events that led to the schism of the Order of the Eight Demons from Herpa the Mace and the Cohorts of Gashang from the Red Shadows, which led to the then grandmaster being replaced and the rebuilding of their influence and power. The sidebar covers the current grandmaster.

Temples of the Order lists the temples, and important people at them, in Rethem and the Thardic Republic, as well as an overview of the chapels and shrines it operates.

Rituals and Practices looks at the mystical traditions of the order and their abilities at divination. The sidebar covers the almanacs every clergy records portents in, the Herpeid Meteors and the Cune’kaparas, the Peerless Champion the Agrikans believe in. This continues on the next page, which looks at the Herpan practices of demonology and the sidebar details the infernal hierarchy.

Joining the Order looks at how the order recruits new members; they are unusual in allowing honorary members of the order, which are those with appropriate – useful – intellectual skills. The sidebar covers the skills of Herpan clerics.

Ritual Invocations has invocations for the order and details on how they deal with demons.

Agrik: Herpa the Mace in Review

The PDF lacks bookmarks and, though short, has enough sections that these would have been useful. Navigation could be better. The text is either two column or single column with sidebar and appeared to be free of errors. There are a number of black and white and colour illustrations. Presentation is decent.

Unlike many Hârn supplements, this one has HârnMaster stats, though these only cover a page and a sidebar and are based on skills and spells, so should be comparatively easy to replace with another system. The Order of Herpa the Mace is rather tied in its associations with other Agrikan orders to stand on its own; for best use, all of them are really needed. With the other related supplements, it does help tie together the Agrikan orders and the areas in which they operate into a coherent whole. Agrik: Herpa the Mace is a useful supplement that can be found by clicking here.