Herman the Handiman is a carpenter living in the Forest of Kyrandia. He found the bridge broken and asked Brandon to help him some planks to fix it. Brandon gave him the saw he found under Kallak's table. Herman is then seen to the north of the cave sawing a tree. When Brandon returns to the cave, the tree is sawed off, and the bridge is repaired. Herman then remembers that he forgot to return Brandon's saw to him and leaves.
Brandon can try traverse the stream by walking on the rope, and Herman will try to dissuade him. If Brandon insists, he will fall to his death.
Later, Herman is enchanted by Malcolm and kept in Castle Kyrandia, blocking Brandon from entering a room, and sawing him in half if he attempts to come closer. The spell also causes his skin to turn green and his eyes red. Brandon neutralises Herman by using the healing gem on his Amulet.
According to a letter you can steam open in the second game, Herman retained the green coloured complexion, even after Malcolms defeat, and also had a nasty habit of constantly waving the saw. This drove his wife, Josephine nuts, and she moved to her mother's house. Herman also lost his job as maintenance man, and became a cheese cutter instead. By the third game Hermans affliction has been cured completely and he looks and acts as he did before Malcolms spell was cast. He has also changed jobs again, first acting as the local sheriff, and later running a pawn shop.