Time flies -- especially when you're highly busy finishing up the latest edition of HârnMaster. That's right, it's almost ready for release, but there are still a few final details that need to be taken care of. We'll keep you informed on the dates of these last stages, but we're looking to finalize the PDF version for download in June, which will include bundled pre-orders of both Standard and Collector's Edition hard copies (those images to come soon).

On the upside, this gives us the opportunity of sharing with you another spotlight preview of the system. This one is about shamanism and is a response to a fan request. While shamanism was treated simply as another form of religious practice in previous HM editions, N. Robin Crossby always envisioned it as a 'grey area' between magic (the arcane) and miracles (the divine). HMK is finally addressing this idea by making shamanism a more specific type of supernatural activity. It is now the preeminent example of what is called the Astral Mysteries, practices involving out-of-body trips to the spirit world called astral journeys. Shamans usually employ the new esoteric skill Trance to reach such a state, whereupon they beseech great spirit entities for power they can later wield in the physical world.

Preview 7 consists of two primary downloads: the preview brochure containing an overview of shamanism and astral journeys (2 pages), and the first page of Kyho of the Kath, a sample shaman player character generated by Kelestia Production's Ken Snellings. The files can be downloaded from the Free Stuff→Previews section.

The first page of the sample shaman, Kyho, also introduces a new character sheet designed by graphic artist, and Hârn gamemaster, Paul Klassen. We're quite excited about his contribution and would like to share a blank version of his two-page design (included alongside the other downloads).

Let us know what you think via our forum, our Discord server, or e-mail.