Pyramid: Review of Hārn DE Tapestry Saga I: Web of the Widow

This article originally appeared in d20 Weekly

Hārn DE Tapestry Saga I: Web of the Widow

Published by Columbia Games

Designed by Keith Done

Color PDF, approximately 120 pages; $19.98 U.S.

To say that Columbia Games has revolutionized the fantasy adventure would be overstating the case. However, with their first Hārn DE ("Digitally Enhanced") release, Web of the Widow, they have pioneered new ground and raised the bar noticeably.

Web of the Widow is unusual in a couple of ways. The first and most obvious is the fact that it is not a book at all but a CD-ROM. Tastefully packaged in a DVD case, Web of the Widow exemplifies all that is great and not-so-great about the digital format. The obvious disadvantage to the CD-ROM is that you have to print out the adventure using Adobe's Acrobat Reader, your own paper, and your own ink. While this is a turn-off to many gamers, it does have its advantages. As the modern incarnations of Hārn are written for both the HārnMaster system and for d20, there is a lot of rule repetition, particularly regarding character stats. Since it is unlikely that many players will be using the adventure for both systems, DMs can print only the stats for the system they use, not wasting space or paper on the one they don't. Furthermore, printing the d20 and Open Gaming Licenses is optional. DMs should go through the PDF document carefully before printing, noting what pages contain superfluous information. In addition to redundant information, there are a few pages that . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.

Article publication date: July 10, 2002

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