Editing HackMaster (section)

==Publication history==
Kenzer & Company received many requests from fans of the comic to produce an actual ''HackMaster'' game, but initially they thought that licensing ''Dungeons & Dragons'' would be impossible. In 1999 the ''[[Dragon Magazine Archive]]'' software was published where [[Wizards of the Coast]] failed to get permission to reprint many of the original articles such as the ''Knights of the Dinner Table'' comic in the electronic media archive. A contract dispute was settled out of court, they reached an agreement about creating a derivative work, that led to K&C's publication of ''HackMaster 4th Edition'' in 2001.  As a nod to the fictional version from the comic, this first edition of ''Hackmaster'' was published as the 4th Edition.

Since its release in 2001, ''HackMaster'' has evolved into a full-fledged role-playing game, spawning over forty add-ons, supplements and game aids. Most notable products include a 32-panel gamemaster's shield, a 16-page character sheet and a 10-volume monster encyclopedia. The ''Hacklopedia of Beasts'', the ''Hackmaster'' version of the ''Monster Manual'', was next released as eight separate volumes. These books were somewhat optional as creature statistics from the 1st and 2nd edition versions of ''[[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]]'' (AD&D) were compatible with ''Hackmaster''. K&C later released the ''Hackmaster Field Manual'', which contained the more popular ''Hackmaster'' creatures in a single volume.

Whereas Wizards of the Coast overhauled the rules for 3rd edition ''D&D'', Kenzer & Company took the opposite action by revising the ''AD&D'' First and Second Edition rules (including various supplements such as 1st Edition ''Unearthed Arcana'' and ''Oriental Adventures'' and the mid-1990s ''Skills & Powers'' supplements) into a more coherent system and adding an element of parody. In part of that ability to use ''AD&D'' rules, K&C was required to maintain a higher level of humor than in the ''Knights of the Dinner Table'' comic for products that are revised from previous ''AD&D'' material.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.enworld.org/forum/3500376-post46.html|title=2007 ENWorld forums (reply by Mark Plemmons)|access-date=2009-04-22|archive-date=June 15, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615023759/http://www.enworld.org/forum/3500376-post46.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Completely original works for ''Hackmaster'' are not subject to this restriction imposed by Wizards of the Coast.

In 2002, ''HackMaster'' won the [[Origins Award]] for ''Game of the Year 2001''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.originsgames.com/awards/2001|title=2001 – Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design|access-date=2007-05-13|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070830114254/http://www.originsgames.com/awards/2001|archive-date=August 30, 2007|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The first rulebook for the new edition, '''''HackMaster Basic''''', was sent out to preorderers on June 19, 2009. HackMaster Basic was created due to Kenzer's licensing for ''AD&D'' running out. The title is a nod to the Dungeons and Dragons Basic Set, although HackMaster Basic was re-written so as to not contain any copyrighted material from Wizards of the Coast.

The game includes an official player's handbook, an alternate campaign setting changed from Garweeze Wurld to Kingdoms of Kalamar, a comprehensive, one-volume bestiary called the Hacklopedia of Beasts, and a GM's guide. Also provided are a pantheon of gods and attendant rituals and spells for the cleric class to choose from.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kenzerco.com/hackmaster/|title=HackMaster|website=www.kenzerco.com|language=en|access-date=2017-11-02}}</ref>