Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Interview: Runehammer Games

 

I have had the great opportunity to correspond with the owner of Runehammer Games on various topics and I was honored to be able to set up this interview. I am excited about this because it is the first interview on this blog and I hope it will not be the last. 

Runehammer Games is the producer of the Index Card RPG, Viking Death Squad, Alfheim novels, podcasts, and all kinds of other gaming goodness. 

Without further ado, we shall begin...

 

Me: Go ahead and introduce yourself.

Mr. Hank: My name is Brandish Gilhelm / Hankerin Ferinale. I'm the creator of Runehammer. I do artwork, writing, game design and more to manifest all of Runehammer's role playing goodies.

Me: How and when did you get first into gaming?
 
Mr. Hank: It was 1987 or so. I had Rifts and Turtles in Time by Paladium. We started hacking those together, discovered GURPS, and created  our first true homebrew called LIVING WEAPON. In a few years, we found out about D&D and Fantasy Hero. I had a legendary GM in high school named Dave who showed me the true wonders the hobby could include. Never looked back!

Me: What are some of your favorite early gaming memories?
 
Mr. Hank: Ha! Too many! I had a character named Jack Van Danicker. He had a goats hoof hilt on his sword that slowly turned him into a goat. In his final phase, almost losing all human thoughts, he was disintegrated trying to defend his allies from our final foe: an evil wizard collecting souls in an enormous gem. It was epic.
 
 

Me: What inspired you to start designing the Index Card RPG?
 
Mr. Hank: As GM year after year after year, I lived and died by index cards. It's just how I did everything, even terrain. With a sharpie and cards I could do anything. I had a group in about 2011 who wanted to try something new, so I homebrewed a system that really celebrated the cards. While at conventions for work I would make all these fun sharpie cards and it just clicked.

Me: Can you explain your initial design process?
 
Mr. Hank: For me it all starts with being a  fan. I get psyched about something and latch on like a dog with a bone. I 'see' into whatever it may be, thinking 'man, this could go all kinds of places!' then I just struggle to jot down as many ideas as I can. Then I start cleaning it up, writing it properly, and talking with friends about the core ideas. 90% of things I try get tossed. When ideas just flow, though, and my little cabal is feeling the flow... I can finish given time. So, in short: total chaos lol.

Me: What was/is your goal for Index Card RPG?
 
Mr. Hank: I wanted to make a meaningful contribution to this hobby. Something that faced the challenges of a for-real weekly GM head on. I wanted to stand up, rock solid, for all the GMs out there adrift in the options and the myths and the bad advice. I also just wanted to share my methods with everyone as a fan of the hobby in general. I've been a game design professional for years and years, so I also wanted to break free of employment and be independent!
 

Me: What is your favorite aspect of Index Card RPG?
 
Mr. Hank: Probably the friendly voice of it. There is a weird vein in some RPG products that sort of 'talk down' to the reader. I don't like that at all. The voice in ICRPG just feels like hanging out, being honest. I'm proud of that.
 
 

Me: The Index Card RPG has recently been released in a new Master Edition, what are the changes between 2nd edition and the new Master Edition?
 
Mr. Hank: Heheh this one. There are numerous forum threads and long comment chains about this. Basically it aggregates and revises the 3 main books that comprised 2e. Lots of new art, cleaner layouts, a few classes swapped out or revamped. Basically just processing the 'playtest' of over 10,000 readers worldwide.

Me: Speaking of the Master Edition, it is being distributed by Modiphius. How did that partnership come about?
 
Mr. Hank: Ha! Crazy. This guy Chris just hits me up. Mind you, I get dozens and dozens of messages every day. "Hey ICRPG is super dope, you do commissions?" "YEah sure," "Oh also, if you ever want to get into retail, hit me back." So we get to talking, turns out is teh FOUNDER of Modiphius just directly talking to me, offering a huge publishing and distro partnership. "Let's do it."

Me: You also have another game being distributed by Modiphius called Viking Death Squad. Can you tell me about this game?
 
Mr. Hank: It's various materials speak well for it, youtube reviews and such are coming up now too. It started as an idea to make a one-shot from a Black Sabbath song back in 2017. Undead vikings take on Lucifer, huge iron coffins fall from space.. normal stuff.
 


Me: What is the system that powers the Viking Death Squad? How does it play out?
 
Mr. Hank: It's a D6 dice pool jam, roll-over mechanics and 'hit' type mechanics similar to a hybrid of WEG STAR WARS and SHADOWRUN 2e. It uses 6D6, has no HP, just armor. It plays very very fast and terribly deadly, but with a lot of fun heavy metal tones.
 
 
 

Me: Outside of your own games, what is your favorite RPG? Why?
 
Mr. Hank: Oh wow... brutal question. Probably D&D2e or Fantasy Hero. Maybe GURPS Conan. Hell, Ars Magica was awesome too. Then there's Torchbearer... what was the question? lol

Me: What are some of your favorite genres to play in?
 
Mr. Hank: Everything but post apoc or modern. I don't feel like modern settings provide any escape. Fantasy is supreme.

Me: Who do you enjoy working with in the industry? 
 
Mr. Hank: All the unknowns. I like it underground, and I only play with friends. I'm a big authenticity guy, so keeping it close is key.

Me: Do you have any favorite dice? If so, what are they?
 
Mr. Hank: Chessex yellows, Hand mades by @monomakes and the Norse Foundry stuff.

Me: What advice can you give about people working on their own games? 
 
Mr. Hank: Just do it, be yourself, work harder than anyone you know, let your freak flag fly to the max, and work on D&D stuff in public. Best way to meet like minded weirdos. If you're the smartest guy in the room, find a new room.

Me: What advice would you give for new Game Master's picking up Index Card RPG for the first time? New Players? 
 
Mr. Hank: Let go of linear progression in all ways. Hell, let go of everything... take ICRPG for what it is, not as a derivative of something else.
 

Me: How has the pandemic affected your gaming style?
 
Mr. Hank: Too much online play! Online is key for distant homies, but not all the time. Shoo pandemic! SHOO!

Me: Are you working on anything new? If so, what?
 
Mr. Hank: I am currently building a book called HARD SUIT.. a crazy world for ICRPG. I'm always doing other doo-dads, like a piece called MANIFESTO... it's a fun 'how to think' opus for deep-minded GMs. Ask me next week, I might say something else lol

Me: What is one of your best gaming experiences? 
 
Mr. Hank: Oh man. College Tiamat battle, my recent OSE campaign, watching the old Scotty videos, drawing people's characters while we play...
 

Me: If someone would like to work with Runehammer games or use your system in their own creation, what is the processes for both?
 
Mr. Hank: Email me. Every case is different and I work closely with all kinds of folks.

Me: Is there anything else you would like to share?
 
Mr. Hank: The best path, imho, to great RPG hobby life is being an honorable, kind, generous, energetic, attentive friend. If you can do that, the rest just happens!
 

Well that is the end of the interview, though there is so many more topics we could discuss and endless details we can go into. I cannot recommend enough getting your hands on Index Card RPG or Viking Death Squad. Index Card RPG has changed the way I look at roleplaying games, the design of them, and playing them for the better. 
 
Below are all the important links: 
 
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