Hunting by Jonathan Davidson is a role playing game supplement published by Columbia Games Inc. for use with Hârn and HârnMaster.
The supplement is available as a 22-page PDF from DriveThruRPG for $10.99 but was purchased at a reduced price thanks to a special discount.
The opening paragraphs explain that hunting is an essential activity on Hârn, as well as briefly looking at different types of things that can be classed as hunting and its dangers. The sidebar explains the supplement contains detailed rules for stalking and killing prey and trapping animals for fur, as well as simple rules for other types of hunting.
Types of Hunting lists different types; stalking prey for food, sport hunting, trapping for furs, sealing and whaling, capturing live beasts and vermin control. The sidebar lists various hunting skills.
Hunter Characters lists different types of hunters; huntsman, falconer, trapper, sealer/whaler and ratter, and the sidebar lists career skills for each.
Hunting Law looks at three types of law; feudal law, where the king creates “forests” – which do not have to be actual forests – for royal hunting, clan law, applied in lands dominated by Ivanians and Jarin, and Thardic law, applicable in the Thardic Republic.
The Art of Hunting starts with an overview of different types and a sidebar on typical weapons. Following this are detailed rules for different types of hunting, with sidebars covering various different game options and how they affect the result. There are rules for finding prey, stalking prey, ambushing it, trapping it, driving quarry and other things such as beating and driving prey. Finally, there are some quick rules for hunting, instead of playing it out in full, for different intended aims, and a sidebar on living off the land. Following this are species tables, showing what species are found in different habitats, and how common, or rare, they are in those habitats. There are also a few special results.
Hunting for Sport looks at how this is done for fun, divided into deer, razorback and falconry, with a sidebar giving results for social hunting; sport hunting is often done for social purposes, and these results show how successful such intentions are.
The Art of Trapping looks at those who trap animals and the fur trade, with a sidebar looking at types of traps. This looks at the process of trapping animals for fur, and the problems of overhunting, with a sidebar giving results and the frequency of species. Competition and Lifestyle looks at the problems trappers might have. They rarely clash with hunters, as they are generally after different animals, but trappers operate beyond most civilisation and engage in, sometimes fatal, rivalry with each other, as well as potentially deadly encounters with predators. A sidebar looks at what trappers might encounter, such as rivals, predators, tribesmen, Ivashu and gargun, as well as the number of traps they might set. It then looks in more detail at the fur trade, including the parts of Hârn where it is most profitable, and the largest fir market at Geldeheim. A sidebar looks at the value of pelts.
The Art of Beast Capture looks at the process of capturing wild beats and a sidebar looks at their use, such as for the Pamesani arenas run by the Order of the Octagonal Pit. It looks at capturing gargun and intelligent Ivashu for the Pamesani Games, transporting and selling wild beasts and beast fairs.
Profiting from Hunting looks at how a hunter can make money, with a sidebar looking at animal values, and the dangers and benefits of trading with tribesmen, with a sidebar looking at the price of goods and how to determine the results of such a trade.
Hunting in Review
The PDF lacks bookmarks and given the length and the number of sections, navigation is poor. The text primarily follows a single column with sidebar format, but also uses two columns and three columns, and appeared to be free of errors. There are a variety of colour and black and white illustrations. Presentation is decent.
Many Hârn supplements are largely or completely system neutral in design; this is not one of them. There are a lot of things to do with HârnMaster and its skills in the text, though there is still a decent amount of background material. Hunting is described in a way that, unless the quick hunting rules are used, is probably in greater depth than most would be willing to use. Hunting animals is essentially designed as its own game within the game, and it’s possible to completely play out what happens when hunting. Perhaps more detail than most need. Hunting can be found by clicking here.
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