About Hârn

Map of HarnHârn is a fantasy role-playing game setting originally created and published by N. Robin Crossby and Columbia Games, Inc.

Modeled loosely on 10th-12th century Britain, Hârn is a realistic quasi-medieval setting. Its feudal kingdoms are ruled by flawed kings and scheming barons who look down upon base-born commoners. Warfare is brutal and deadly. Hierarchical churches, dominated by ambitious nobles, wield great secular power in addition to their spiritual authority. The crafts and trades are monopolized by urban guilds, who jealously guard their priveleges. Most Hârnians are serf farmers, bound to the land, totally subject to their lords.

Hârn is, nonetheless, still a fantasy setting. The typical accoutrements of fantasy RPGs are rare— but they do exist. Reclusive kingdoms of Elves and Dwarves lie in the Shava Forest and Sorkin Mountains. Savage tribesmen, vicious orcs, and bizarre monsters dwell in the wilds. The mysterious ruins of the long-vanished “Earthmasters” dot the island. Secret societies of magi, schooled in ancient and esoteric arts, exert a subtle influence over the isle's affairs of which few are aware. And a pantheon of strange gods— many mutually hostile— seek to reshape the world in their own images through the actions of their human followers.

More About Hârn

HârnWorldThe most thorough introduction to Hârn is the Hârnworld boxed set, written by N. Robin Crossby and published by Columbia Games, Inc. This product contains a beautiful poster-sized map of the island in addition to two books outlining Hârn's history, culture, politics, religion, etc., as well as providing a broad overview of Lythia, the great continent that lies to the east of Hârn, and Kethira, the planet on which Hârn is found.

HârnplayerThe book included in the Hârnplayer boxed set, also written by N. Robin Crossby and published by Columbia Games, Inc., also provides an excellent introduction to Hârn.

Peter Leitch, who maintains the e-mail-based Hârnlist, the web-based Hârnforum, and the excellent Lythia.com pages (see Links), has also penned good two-page introduction to Hârn (in PDF format).