HackMaster Association Charter
version 4.75
I.
Membership
Types
of Memberships Available
Members
register in either the HackMaster Player’s Association (HMPA)
or the HackMaster GameMaster’s Association (HMGMA), depending
on their preference and qualifications. There is a minimum age
requirement of 14 to become a sanctioned GameMaster (GM), but there
is no age restriction for players.
Different versions of the HMGMA and HMPA offer varying membership
benefits. Refer to the HMA website for details.
Character
Registration
A
member may have up to three HMA-sanctioned characters in each group
of which that player is a member. A member may register new
characters at any time by registering on the HMA web site. Newly
sanctioned characters must begin at 1st level, with a standard amount
of starting equipment and money as defined in the HackMaster
Player’s Handbook.
For the purpose of playing characters, GMs are treated as registered
players except in regards to games they are currently running. GMs
may not participate as a player in any sanctioned tournament
adventure they previously read or ran.
UPS
Points
UPS
(Universal Point Scale) points are awarded for active participation
in the HMA. UPS points are universal, meaning that there are no
specific GM UPS points or player UPS points. GMs may earn UPS points
for performing tasks on the player chart when they are acting in the
role of a player. More information on UPS points is defined below.
II.
HMA Organization
HMA
Headquarters
The
headquarters of the HMA is an undisclosed, secret underground lair
far beneath the earth. The HMA Headquarters tracks the activities of
members of the HMPA and HMGMA, including new memberships, tournament
sanctioning, sanctioned characters, chapter formation, group
formation and even home games. The HMA can be reached at:
Kenzer
and Company 511 W. Greenwood Ave Waukegan, IL 60087
phone:
1-847-662-6600 fax: 1-847-680-8950
e-mail
for general inquiries: hma(at)kenzerco.com e-mail
for tournament submissions and requests: hmatournaments (at) kenzerco.com
(see Section 400, Tournament Submissions, of the HMA Tournament
Policy)
Chapters
Chapters
are responsible for organizing HMA activities for their local gaming
groups. By electing officers and maintaining a treasury (the HMA
recommends a high tech, electronically guarded vault with cybernetic
attack dogs and laser weapons to guard all chapter funds), chapters
have the means to sponsor activities. These activities include
coordinating Local tournaments, hosting annual Chapter tournaments,
working with neighboring chapters to host Regional tournaments, and
possibly even earning the privilege of hosting the coveted National
tournament!
The HMA reserves the undisputed right to alter the coverage area of
existing chapters in order to respond to newly formed chapters.
In
order to form a chapter, you must meet the following requirements:
1. The proposed chapter must have at least three officers. Officers
must be HMA (HMGMA or HMPA) members in good standing. Officers can
be pro tempore (officers “for a time”) no longer
than 90 days. All new chapters must have regular officers installed
within 90 days of formation. All chapter officers must be willing to
provide their first and last name, and at least one e-mail address,
for public information.
2. The proposed chapter must have a minimum of three HMGMA members,
plus nine other HMA members, all in good standing.
To
remain in good standing with the HMA, each chapter must:
1. Maintain an accurate database of all its members.
2. Submit a full list of current HMA members (along with their HMA
numbers) between December 1st and December 31st of each year.
Current chapter officers must be named and listed with their full
titles and HMA numbers.
3. Run at least four tournaments each year. HMA HQ can waive this
rule on a case-by-case basis for extenuating circumstances.
4. Run a championship Chapter tournament each year.
5. Promote and recruit for the HMA.
6. Maintain a membership of at least three HMGMA members, and nine
other HMA members, all in good standing.
7. All officers must be members in good standing of the HMGMA or
HMPA, or be replaced within 30 days after losing good standing
status. Chapter presidents must maintain full membership in the HMA.
Local
Groups
Local
groups lie at the very heart of the HMA. They are the backbone of
HackMaster gaming and it is from their exploits that sagas are
written! Such legendary groups as the Knights of the Dinner Table,
the Black Hands Gaming Society, the Logan Square Assembly, Hack
University, and the Unholy Alliance, have permanently left their
footprints upon the road of high adventure. Can you too take up the
flag of valor and the banner of honor and march alongside them? Or
are you just a little wuss-monkey who brings low-fat potato chips to
the gaming table?
In
order to qualify as a local group:
1. One member must be a HMGMA GameMaster in good standing.
2. At least one other player (aside from the GM) must be an HMPA
member in good standing.
3. The group may have non-HMA members, but it may never have more
non-members than members.
4. Groups must submit a minimum of one home game report, via the HMA
web site, each month. After six months of inactivity, the group will
be removed from the HMA database. Furthermore, their group name may
be taken by another group.
HMGMA
and HMPA members may be players in any number of local groups. To
form a local group, the GM must register the group on the HMA
website.
III.
Players
All
HMPA members are ranked nationally, based on their level as a player
and any UPS (Universal Point Scale) points they earned. There are
seven levels through which a player can ascend – provided they
meet the minimum requirements for that level, and have earned enough
UPS points. Levels 6 and 7 are restricted and are available by HMA
Headquarters appointment only.
In order to advance in level, a player must contact HMA Headquarters
by e-mail (hma (at) kenzerco.com)
and petition for advancement. HQ will review the petition and, if
the player meets all the requirements for the next level, that player
will be advanced. The HMA Manager may waive certain requirements, at
his or her discretion, if the player has performed sufficient
additional services in support of the HMA.
Player
levels and their requirements are as follows. Unless otherwise
stated, participation is cumulative. For example, a prospective
level 3 player must have submitted at least six approved articles
while either a level 1 or level 2 player. The player need not have
submitted all six articles while a level 2 member.
Level 1:
Upon
joining, new HMPA members automatically reach level 1. There are no
other requirements. HMPA members should be warned that level 1
players have not been tested; they have not walked through the flames
of virtue and lofted the banner of honor. Though they are brothers,
they should receive only a minimum of responsibility until they prove
themselves.
Level 2:
UPS
point requirement: 20
A
prospective level 2 HMPA member must be a level 1 player in good
standing, and must also meet at least one of the following
requirements:
played in at least one HMA-sanctioned tournament from which results
have been properly reported to HMA HQ
organized at least one HMA-sanctioned tournament
run four or more new players through character generation in at
least two HMA-sanctioned “Learn to Hack” events
submitted at least one approved article to the HackJournal
edited (mechanics or grammatical) at least two HackJournal articles
Level 3:
UPS
point requirement: 100
A
prospective level 3 HMPA member must be a level 2 player in good
standing, and must also meet at least one of the following
requirements:
played in at least three HMA-sanctioned tournaments from which
results have been properly reported to HMA HQ
organized at least two HMA-sanctioned tournaments
run four or more new players through character generation in at
least six HMA-sanctioned “Learn to Hack” events
submitted at least six approved articles to the HackJournal
edited (mechanics or grammatical) at least eight HackJournal
articles
Level 4:
UPS
point requirement: 500
A
prospective level 4 HMPA member must be a level 3 player in good
standing, and must also meet at least two of the following
requirements:
played in at least four HMA-sanctioned tournaments, from which
results have been properly reported to HMA HQ and one of which must
have been a Regional or higher-level tournament
organized at least three HMA-sanctioned tournaments, one of which
must be a Chapter or higher-level tournament
run four or more new players through character generation in at
least eight HMA-sanctioned “Learn to Hack” events
submitted at least eight approved articles to the HackJournal
edited (mechanics or grammatical) at least sixteen HackJournal
articles
Level 5:
UPS
point requirement: 1000
A
prospective level 5 HMPA member must be a level 4 player in good
standing, and must also meet at least two of the following
requirements:
played in at least five HMA-sanctioned tournaments, from which
results have been properly reported to HMA HQ and one of which must
have been a National or higher-level tournament
organized at least four HMA-sanctioned tournaments, two of which
must be Regional or higher-level tournaments
run four or more new players through character generation in at
least ten HMA-sanctioned “Learn to Hack” events
submitted at least ten approved articles to the HackJournal
edited (mechanics or grammatical) at least twenty HackJournal
articles
Level 6:
Only
HMA HQ appoints level 6 players. There will be no more than five
level 6 players wurldwide, and they will receive Very Important
Person treatment at conventions and tournaments.
Level 7:
There
will only ever be a secret number of level 7 players wurldwide. The
details of how such players are selected and advanced are so secret
that even knowing that those details exist somewhere in some dark,
hidden place puts your life in peril! FORGET THAT YOU EVEN READ THIS
PART!
Level 8 and
above:
Levels
8 and above are reserved for Kenzer and Company staff, and are not
available to the public.
Earning
Player UPS Points
UPS
(Universal Point Scale) points are used as a means of comparing
players and GMs. Let’s face it, if being a hero was easy then
anybody could do it! There has to be some method of separating the
cheesebags and chumps from the HackMasters and heroes - and the UPS
system is how it’s done. Players earn UPS points as noted on
Table 1A: UPS Points Activities (Player). HMA
HQ may award additional points on a one-time or recurring basis for
outstanding service.
Table
1A: UPS Points Activities (Player)
Point
Awards
|
Activity
|
1
|
per
home game session run1
|
5
|
being
voted Tournament MVP (Most Valuable Player for the entire
tournament)
|
5
|
running
approved Learn To Hack character creation session for four or more
new players
|
5
|
per
submission written, accepted and approved for publication in
HackJournal
|
5
|
per
pre-generated character written, accepted and approved for the
pregen bank
|
5
|
playing
in a Local tournament
|
10
|
per
year of membership
|
10
|
write
an approved tournament round (10 pts/round for a multi-round
tournament)
|
10
|
serving
as convention organizer for a multi-round Local tournament2
|
10
|
playing
in a Chapter tournament
|
15
|
playing
in a Regional tournament
|
20
|
per
year as a Chapter officer3
|
20
|
serving
as convention organizer for a multi-round Chapter tournament2
|
20
|
playing
in a National tournament
|
20
|
winning
a National tournament
|
25
|
playing
in a Wurld tournament
|
25
|
winning
a Wurld tournament
|
30
|
serving
as convention organizer for a multi-round Regional tournament2
|
40
|
serving
as convention organizer for a multi-round National tournament2
|
1Regardless
of how many home games a player plays in, a player may only receive
one home game point per week. Only members of an approved local
group may earn these points.
2When
multiple tournaments take place at a single convention or event, the
organizer receives points for the highest-tiered tournament only.
3Chapters are responsible for e-mailing HMA
HQ (hma@kenzerco.com)
with a list of the names (and HMA numbers!) of its officers between
December 1st and December 31st of each year, or their officers will
not receive points for that year.
Becoming
a GameMaster
Eventually,
some players want to test their mettle behind a GameMaster’s
Shield. The HMA strongly encourages such activity, but becoming a GM
takes time and effort. A player cannot transfer his membership from
HMPA to HMGMA, and retain the same membership
level. All new GMs must start at level 1. A new GM may retain his
former HMPA number, but no UPS points earned as a player apply
towards HMGMA level.
There
is only one exception to this rule: if an HMPA member in good
standing has at least 20 UPS points, and meets at least one of the
requirements to become a level 2 GM, he can begin his HMGMA
membership as a level 2 GM (no higher) with 20 UPS points.
IV.
GameMasters
There’s
the elite, and then there’s the Elite. Sure, the HMA would be
nothing without its players, but the players would have nothing to do
without GameMasters. Take care, though, lest you recklessly and
thoughtlessly enter the GM’s wurld only to find it is not what
you thought. Then you would join those sad, tired souls who populate
the group of Retired GMs. Often called the Loneliest Seat of All,
that honored place behind the GameMaster Shield is at once a
sanctuary, a resource center and a final fallback position. GMs are
the final authority on their game wurlds, but that is both a blessing
and a curse.
Like players, GMs advance in level by earning UPS (Universal Point
Scale) points as well as meeting other requirements. There are seven
levels of GM, but only the first five can be reached by normal means.
HMA Headquarters appoints level 6 and 7 GMs.
Like players, a GM must contact HMA Headquarters via e-mail
(hma(at)kenzerco.com)
and petition for level advancement when meeting all the requirements
for the next level. Be warned, though! The HMA tolerates dishonor
in GMs even less than in players. The HMA Manager may decide that a
GM’s contributions to the HMA warrant advancement and waive
some of the requirements.
For example, if a GM writes several approved tournament adventures,
but is unable to travel to run tournaments, the HMA Manager may, at
his or her sole discretion, promote the GM to the next level.
GM
level requirements are as follows. Unless otherwise stated,
participation is cumulative. For example, a prospective level 3 GM
must have run at least three HMA-sanctioned tournaments as either a
level 1 or level 2 GM. The GM need not have run all three
tournaments while a level 2 GM.
Level 1:
All
new HMGMA members start as level 1 GameMasters.
Privileges:
Level 1 GMs can serve as Head GM for Local level tournaments.
Level 2:
UPS
point requirement: 20
A
prospective level 2 HMGMA member must be a level 1 GM in good
standing, and must also meet at least one of the following
requirements:
served as table GM for at least one HMA-sanctioned tournament, from
which results have been properly reported to HMA HQ
organized at least one HMA-sanctioned tournament
run four or more new players through at least two HMA-sanctioned
“Learn to Hack” events, each of at least 3-4 hours in
duration and from which results have been properly reported to HMA
HQ
submitted at least one approved article to the HackJournal
edited (mechanics or grammatical) at least two HackJournal articles
Privileges:
Level 2 GMs can serve as Head GM for Local and Chapter level
tournaments.
Level 3:
UPS
point requirement: 100
A prospective level 3 HMGMA member must be a level 2 GM in good
standing, and must have served as table GM for three HMA-sanctioned
tournament adventures from which results have been properly reported
to HMA HQ.
The
prospective member must also meet at least one of the
following requirements:
organized at least two HMA-sanctioned tournaments
run four or more new players through at least six HMA-sanctioned
“Learn to Hack” events, each of at least 3-4 hours in
duration and from which results have been properly reported to HMA
HQ
submitted at least one approved tournament rounds to the HMA
submitted at least six approved articles to the HackJournal
edited (mechanics or grammatical) at least twelve HackJournal
articles
Privileges:
Level 3 GMs can serve as Head GM for Local, Chapter, and Regional
level tournaments.
Level 4:
UPS
point requirement: 500
A
prospective level 4 HMGMA member must be a level 3 GM in good
standing, and must have served as table GM for at least four
HMA-sanctioned Local or higher-level tournament adventures and one
HMA-sanctioned Chapter or higher-level tournament adventure, from
which results have been properly reported to HMA HQ.
The
prospective member must also meet at least one of the
following requirements:
organized at least four HMA-sanctioned tournaments, one of which
must be a Chapter or higher-level tournament
run four or more new players through at least six HMA-sanctioned
“Learn to Hack” events, each of at least 3-4 hours in
duration and from which results have been properly reported to HMA
HQ
submitted at least three approved tournament rounds to the HMA
submitted at least ten approved articles to the HackJournal
edited (mechanics or grammatical) at least twenty HackJournal
articles
Privileges:
Level 4 GMs can serve as Head GM for National and lower-level
tournaments.
Level
5:
UPS
point requirement: 1000
A
prospective level 5 HMGMA member must be a level 4 GM in good
standing, and must have served as table GM for at least ten
HMA-sanctioned tournament adventures, from which results have been
properly reported to HMA HQ and at least two of which must have been
a Regional or higher-level tournament.
The
prospective member must also meet at least one of the
following requirements:
organized at least eight HMA-sanctioned tournaments, one of which
must have been a Regional or higher-level tournament
run four or more new players through at least twelve HMA-sanctioned
“Learn to Hack” events, each of at least 3-4 hours in
duration and from which results have been properly reported to HMA
HQ
submitted at least six approved tournament rounds to the HMA
submitted at least twenty approved articles to the HackJournal
edited (mechanics or grammatical) at least forty HackJournal
articles
Privileges:
Level 5 GMs can serve as Head GM for Wurld or lower-level
tournaments.
Level 6:
Level
6 GMs are appointed only by HMA HQ. There will be no more than five
level 6 GMs wurldwide, and they will receive Very Important Person
treatment at conventions and tournaments.
An intern at HMA HQ once accidentally read the Secret Internal
Document detailing how the HMA selects level 6 GMs. Donations may be
sent in his memory to the charity of your choice.
Level 7:
There
can only be a secret number of level 7 GMs wurldwide. Don’t
ask how they are selected. If the HMA revealed that information to
you, you would become insane from the very knowledge! (We have.)
Level 8 and
above:
Levels
8 and above are reserved for Kenzer and Company staff and are not
available to the public.
Earning
GM UPS Points
Sure,
it would be nice if all GMs were skilled in the art of character
death. We would love it if every last GM were a dark master of
monster creation. Sadly, that’s not how things are. To
separate the Shield Shysters from the Dungeon Doctors, we use the UPS
point system. GMs earn UPS points as noted on Table 1B: UPS
Points Activities (GM). HMA HQ may award
additional points on a one-time or recurring basis for outstanding
service.
Table
1B: UPS Points Activities (GM)
Point
Awards
|
Activity
|
1
|
per
home game session run1
|
1
|
per
significant editorial contribution to published HackJournal
article
|
5
|
serving
as GM (table or Head) at a Local tournament3
|
5
|
running
approved Learn To Hack sessions for four or more new players
|
5
|
per
submission written, accepted and approved for publication in
HackJournal
|
5
|
per
pre-generated character written, accepted and approved for the
pregen bank
|
10
|
per
year of membership
|
10
|
write
an approved tournament round (10 pts/round for a multi-round
tournament)
|
10
|
serving as
convention organizer for a multi-round Local tournament2
|
10
|
serving
as GM (table or Head) at a Chapter tournament3
|
15
|
serving
as GM (table or Head) at a Regional tournament3
|
20
|
per
year as a chapter officer4
|
20
|
serving
as GM (table or Head) at a National tournament3
|
20
|
serving
as convention organizer for a multi-round Chapter tournament2
|
25
|
serving
as GM (table or Head) at a Wurld tournament3
|
30
|
serving
as convention organizer for a multi-round Regional tournament2
|
40
|
serving
as convention organizer for a multi-round National tournament2
|
1Regardless
of how many home game sessions a GM runs, a GM may only receive one
home game point per week. Only members of an approved local group
may earn these points.
2When
multiple tournaments take place at a single convention or event, the
organizer receives points for the highest-tiered tournament only.
3If
running a multiple-round tournament, the GM receives these points per
tournament (not per round). If running multiple single-round
tournaments during one calendar day, the GM receives points for that
day’s highest-tiered single-round tournament only.
4Chapters
are responsible for e-mailing HMA HQ (hma(at)kenzerco.com)
with a list of the names and HMA numbers of its chapter members and
officers between December 1st and December 31st of each year, or
their officers will not receive points for that year.
V.
Serial Numbered Items
From
time to time, the HMA will make available certain rare and powerful
magic items. Such items receive a serial number and are tracked by
the HMA. The item name, item serial number, basic powers, and owner
of the item become public information available on the HMA web site.
Beware, dice monkeys! Falsely creating numbered magic items is
grounds for immediate expulsion from the HMA. Moreover, once you’re
expelled, the real pain begins.
Items with serial numbers may be freely given away, traded or sold at
the owner’s discretion. The owner is free to do so at cons, at
local gaming stores, or even over the Internet via online auction
sites.
Under no circumstances may a sanctioned HMA character have an
artifact or relic, unless HMA HQ awarded such an item during a
sanctioned tournament, in which case that player holds an actual
certificate for the item. If a HackMaster module published by Kenzer
and Company contains an artifact or relic, and the GM awards the item
during play, that artifact is banned from sanctioned tournaments (it
won't make the transition to “Garweeze Wurld Prime,”
where all tournaments take place). Sanctioned HMA characters may not
own multiple SNIs, although players may earn multiple SNIs over time.
See the Tournament Policy for more information on these items.
VI.
Sanctioned vs. Non-Sanctioned Play
Of
course, any self-respecting HMA members worth their salt should be
tested in as many sanctioned HMA tournaments as possible. (The only
way to become tempered is to jump into the fire.) However, since
waiting for only sanctioned tournaments to play may not always be an
option, the HMA awards UPS points to local groups for playing home
games (see the UPS point sections above).
Sanctioned
Tournament Play
Tournament
play is any official HMA tournament run by an approved HMGMA member
during a time approved by the HMA. This includes everything from
official Local tournaments at the game store down the street, to the
coveted HackMaster Wurld Championship.
Sanctioned
Local Group Play
Members
of officially sanctioned local groups earn points for playing home
games - with some restrictions. GMs and players may only earn points
for playing with a group of which they are a member. They may only
earn one home game point per week, regardless of how many they
participate in. Furthermore, no points will be awarded unless the
HMGMA member running the game properly submits a report via the HMA
web site.
Unsanctioned
Play
Any
other manner of HackMaster gaming is not recognized by the HMA.
Whatever trials, tribulations and rewards your character received in
such a shoddy, amateurish game are of no concern to us - as far as
we’re concerned, it never happened. Card-carrying HMA members
should be wary of such games. Why isn’t the group a sanctioned
HMA group? Is the GM too unskilled to be sanctioned? Is the group
ignoring the rules?
Alternatively, perhaps such an unsanctioned game is simply trying to
bring new victims into the fold. In such a case, HMA members are
encouraged to participate (while extolling the virtues of HackMaster,
the HMA and sanctioned play).
Magic
Items
Naturally,
GMs in home games are going to provide magic items. If they did not,
their players would rise up in protest. However, it is necessary to
place limits on how much magic a sanctioned HMA character may have.
Otherwise, an unscrupulous group might be tempted to cheat the
system.
In order for a character to be considered legal and HMA-sanctioned,
that character may not have more EPs worth of magic item than shown
on Table 1C: Max EP in Magic Items (Per Character Level) below.
Your GM has information on how many EPs each magic item is worth.
Characters also cannot have any single item worth more than 50% of
their max EP in magic items. Serial-numbered items count as zero EP
for the purposes of this calculation.
Note that some magic items may not be allowed in tournament play,
regardless of its EP value; see the HMA website and HMA discussion
forums for details.
Table 1C: Max EP in Magic Items (Per Character Level)
Level
|
Max
EP
|
1
|
1,000
|
2
|
2,000
|
3
|
4,000
|
4
|
6,000
|
5
|
8,000
|
6
|
10,000
|
7
|
14,000
|
8
|
18,000
|
9
|
22,000
|
10
|
26,000
|
11+
|
+4,000
EP per level
|
VII.
Tournaments
This
section has been replaced with the HMA Tournament Policy, which is
also available for download from the HMA website, currently at
http://www.kenzerco.com/hma/main/index.php.
VIII.
Online Play
Although
there is simply no substitute for sitting around a table with your
gaming group and laying waste to monsters and hoarding treasure, the
HMA recognizes that the modern age brings modern changes to our
hobby. An HMA group does not need to be located in the same
geographic area. They can register as a group and play exclusively
online, only getting together in person perhaps at larger
conventions. Online chapters have formed to promote interaction
between online players and groups, and members can even participate
in online HMA-sanctioned tournaments.
|