This article extends and replaces a previous one on the Threshold of Pain rule of Hackmaster, published a couple of years ago in the early days of No Dice Unrolled. Why did I write it? Simple: in those days I was running a Hackmaster campaign and it reached a point where it was full of fighting! The three Redbeard dwarf brothers and their companions had begun heading north to free the dwarven community of Coldhall, overrun by a tribe of orcs. A starting point to tell one of the mechanics I like most about the fascinating Hackmaster system!
Hackmaster and the Threshold of Pain
The concept is that every creature has a pain tolerance limit beyond which it cannot take damage and remaining active and standing. Regardless of health conditions. Hackmaster‘s system is a D&D inspired d20 system, so many aspects are understandable to anyone who knows the world’s most famous RPG. The base reasoning is that a character with, for example, 50 hit points (henceforth hp) who takes 1 hp damage 20 times is never be in danger of collapsing to the ground. The same character could have a different fate if he loses 15 hp all at one time.
It makes sense and is easily understandable. Yet a D&D player would prefer to take 15 hp of damage and be at 35 hp, while a Hackmaster player would sign up to be able to choose to take “only” 1 damage at a time, even being at only 30 hp.
Let’s see how the theory is applied. To understand the Threshold of Pain rule, remember that, in Hackmaster (unlike D&D), armor does not increase the likelihood of being missed (indeed, it often reduces it), but it reduces the damage taken. It’s ablative. That’s why I like Hackmaster: It’s a plausible and intuitive game, although it may seem a little crunchy at first. For example, the rules for shields start from the assumption that those who have a shield try to use it to intercept the opponent’s weapon and therefore do not serve to increase the Armor Class, but if you like we can talk about that another time. Let’s go back to the Threshold of Pain.
The Hackmaster Rule of the Threshold of Pain
For most player characters, the Hackmaster Threshold of Pain is 30% hp + 1% per level. Our 50 hp character above, assuming he is sixth level, would have a Threshold of Pain of 18 hit points. When a character (but it works for every creature) takes more damage than its Threshold of Pain, the player must roll a d20 and roll under half its Constitution score or be overcome by pain. Is it the first hit? Or is it the lucky critical of a dying kobold? *shrug* Maybe a tile fell on its head. If the Constitution test (called the Trauma Check) is unsuccessful, it falls down
It must stay on the ground, suffering in pain, for a full 5 seconds (in Hackmaster there are no rounds, you calculate the time that passes in seconds), multiplied by [(the actual roll result) – (the roll it needed to pass the check)] . Let’s go back to our 50 hp friend. Let’s give him a generous 16 Constitution score and assume he has suffered 20 points of damage, net of the reductions. Ouch! Now, with a d20 he must roll 8 or less or the pain must prevail. If he rolls a 12, for example, he is left lying on the ground suffering, unable to do anything for 20 seconds: [(actual roll of 12) – (target number 8)] = 4; 4 x 5 seconds = 20. That’s an eternity in a fight.
D&D is for boys, Hackmaster is for Men
If I’m looking for a hard, heartless game where tactics and dice decide my character’s fate, then I choose Hackmaster without a thought. It has so many rules that provide more realistic results than many popular fantasy systems, making it both tactical and interesting. But, players must accept that the fights are very dangerous. I’ve seen my group of adventurers afraid of facing a bunch of goblins. They did it carefully, never taking anything for granted. And they enjoyed incredibly being able to put them on the run.
In Hackmaster this is also due to the Threshold of Pain rule. But is it so easy to land on the ground? Do you take so much damage? Not always, otherwise it would be a game of slaughter, but it can happen. As in reality, certain things don’t happen often, but when they do they are very dangerous. Many systems most devoted to making 15-year-olds ready to fight gods within 5 adventures ignore this aspect. And that’s okay, for that kind of game and that kind of story. Well, Hackmaster isn’t that kind of game. Getting to fifth level is almost a dream but, when it happens, it is a huge satisfaction..
The Threshold of Pain also applies positively. A couple of well-aimed hits and you can overturn the outcome of a fight. With a lot of luck, even a dangerous boss-fight can be resolved in a single blow. What do you say? Does it take away the taste? Go and tell it to the corpses of the adventurers whose bodies pave the way to the final battle!
What Other Rules of Hackmaster Makes The Threshold of Pain Present of Dangerous at Every Level
The mortality rate in an RPG can often be very high in the early levels, when the characters have less fortitude. Then, as levels go by, it is more and more difficult to instill in players the fear of losing their characters at any moment, the risk. To understand Hackmaster‘s Threshold of Pain well, consider some other aspects of this game:
- Dice explode, more or less. With a battle axe that inflicts 4d3 damage, every “3” is rerolled. The result can be 4, but also 20 just as easily.
- Characteristics in character’s creation are rolled purely on 3d6. No discount. They can be improved, but a 14 in Constitution is already a pretty solid result.
- Shields are useful only on the side they are equipped, and defending from rear attacks is very difficult. Fighting against 4 kobolds is challenging even with some levels under your belt.
- If a creature falls down after failing a Trauma Check, another creature can execute a Coup-de-Grace in 10 seconds or less (Assassins in 2). Farewell, cruel world!
Summing Up
Those were just a few examples of how Hackmaster works and of the Threshold of Pain. It certainly won’t please everyone, and it isn’t necessarily the best rule to make a fight realistic. First of all, it must be used in the right game. The game in which it’s used must be consciously chosen by the players for its characteristics. It requires a few more calculations, a little more attention, but it pays off in verisimilitude and positive tension. Given these premises, if you are looking for a game in which the fights are difficult, deadly and unpredictable, without putting the result completely in the hands of the dice, I highly recommend trying Hackmaster. Even if its retro graphics do still show bikini chainmail!
I ran it for a long time with a group that really enjoyed it. Even today, I’m sure most of them would quit any other campaigns if I announce a new one of Hackmaster. As a Game Master, I can tell you that it isn’t a system for new GMs to try to handle immediately, because there are many aspects to manage at the same time. It takes some time for players to learn it. But when you get into the rhythm, you fly. Every second counts, every move matters, every detail can make a difference. You fight with the feeling of always being dangerous and always being in danger and the heart and brain remain glued to the game table.