CONAN LIVES! Info on the new Conan RPG

[CoreyHaim8myDog]

Suboati and Akiro would not appear in the current Conan game. It's REH as canon and whatever is made up in that vein.

 

[Water Bob]

Suboati and Akiro would not appear in the current Conan game. It's REH as canon and whatever is made up in that vein.

They would if a player made them as characters!

And, I do understand that the game will be based only what REH wrote and what the game's producer's make up, using their own estimation "what is" and "what is not" appropriate for Howard's version of Conan's world.

In the end, it will be just another set of opinions on what Howard would want.

 

[CoreyHaim8myDog]

They would if a player made them as characters!

And, I do understand that the game will be based only what REH wrote and what the game's producer's make up, using their own estimation "what is" and "what is not" appropriate for Howard's version of Conan's world.

In the end, it will be just another set of opinions on what Howard would want.

Well, we have the experts on the case. So, it should be about as faitful as one can get without necromancy.

 

[Water Bob]

Well, we have the experts on the case. So, it should be about as faitful as one can get without necromancy.

C'mon. I don't mean to argue with you, and, indeed, I am glad that so many informed people are working on the game.

But, if you're talking about making up new stuff--what you think Howard would approve--you're still just making up new stuff, just like any comics writer, pastiche writer, roleplaying game writer, screenwriter, or any other person who has added to the Hyborian Age since Howard's death.

Yeah, I get it. You've got experts making informed, educated guesses with new material. I think that's fantastic.

It's still just an opinion, though, just like anybody else's opinion.

 

[CoreyHaim8myDog]

C'mon. I don't mean to argue with you, and, indeed, I am glad that so many informed people are working on the game.

But, if you're talking about making up new stuff--what you think Howard would approve--you're still just making up new stuff, just like any comics writer, pastiche writer, roleplaying game writer, screenwriter, or any other person who has added to the Hyborian Age since Howard's death.

Yeah, I get it. You've got experts making informed, educated guesses with new material. I think that's fantastic.

It's still just an opinion, though, just like anybody else's opinion.

Well, sure we are. Like I said, without necromancy, there isn't much more we can do, but we are trying to avoid the pitfalls of past pastiche. I think that's the best anyone can do playing in somebody else's garden. Hopefully, it all comes out of a deep love for REH's version of Conan. I don't think Conan has gotten that treatment in RPGs yet. So, we're aiming high. Hope you wind up liking it.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

Because the one guy is fighting hard--he's just taking risks when he fights. It doesn't mean that Conan is being loud and attracting attention. He's grim and quiet. But, when he swings, he's ruthless and savage (in game terms, spending extra dice to fight that way, and increasing the Threat Pool when he fails).

Originally, the GM had two guards watching that back cave entrance, but now, since the Threat Pool is higher, the GM can spend those points to increase the number of guards that the players have to fight.

The characters really did nothing to attract more attention--yet, because of the savage nature of one, there are more enemies to fight.

How does it even make sense?

Well, I don't know the rules, but according to your description the Threat Pool increases whenever Conan fails his attack. He attacks a guard, fails and the guard can react. Would the guard quietly wait for Conan's next blow or would he start yelling for help?

For me, this makes perfect sense, assuming that we're playing in a gamist situation where more guards may arrive from wherever.

 

[Water Bob]

Well, sure we are. Liek I said, without necromancy, there isn't much more we can do, but we are trying to avoid the pitfalls of past pastiche. I think that's the best anyone can do playing in somebody else's garden. Hopefully, it all comes out of a deep love for REH's version of Conan. I don't think Conan has gotten that treatment in RPGs yet. So, we're aiming high. Hope you wind up liking it.

I'll probably never get a chance to enjoy other aspects of the game because of the game's mechanics (I really despise the 2d20 System), but if that were not so, I'd surely be interested in what you guys put out.

 

[Water Bob]

Well, I don't know the rules, but according to your description the Threat Pool increases whenever Conan fails his attack. He attacks a guard, fails and the guard can react. Would the guard quietly wait for Conan's next blow or would he start yelling for help?

For me, this makes perfect sense, assuming that we're playing in a gamist situation where more guards may arrive from wherever.

What happens is this: Player is allowed to throw more dice when making a task. The more successes he has, the better he does on the task. But, there is a chance the he rolls bad enough to add points to the Threat Pool, too.

The Threat Pool grows, for the group. It is suggested that buttons are placed into a jar. The GameMaster can spend the points in the Threat Pool to add extra obstacles to the party or a player, whenever he wants.

So, in effect, Conan could build up the Threat Pool single handed, and Subotai could pay for it with a complication he encounters in a completely unrelated part of the adventure.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

What happens is this: Player is allowed to throw more dice when making a task. The more successes he has, the better he does on the task. But, there is a chance the he rolls bad enough to add points to the Threat Pool, too.

The Threat Pool grows, for the group. It is suggested that buttons are placed into a jar. The GameMaster can spend the points in the Threat Pool to add extra obstacles to the party or a player, whenever he wants.

So, in effect, Conan could build up the Threat Pool single handed, and Subotai could pay for it with a complication he encounters in a completely unrelated part of the adventure.

So the system is prone to bad GMing? If your Subtai tries to open a lock later on and this lock suddenly has a poison needle payed by from the increased threat pool, I'd agree with you. But in the context of a single scene the mechanism makes sense to me.

 

[modiphius]

About that Threat Point mechanic I dislike so much in this game....

I had a thought that has turned into a question. When players take risks (which means roll more dice), the risk of generating Threat Points increases. What happens when one player is single-handedly generating a lot of Threat Points for the group but his actions aren't something that would, with all rationalization, be something that should put the entire group in danger?

For example, what if, on all his attack throws, a player always takes extra dice on his attack?

Isn't that another problem with this mechanic? One guy is risky and beserker-like with his attacks, but the Threat Pool is building because of this one guy's actions, putting the entire group in more danger?

Well the Threat can be spent directed at the character generating the Threat. But also this is the point if you're spending a lot of Threat, it's a balance. If guards are going down because of a player buying loads of dice it pays back - you don't know how or when, but it's coming.

Here's a good, hard example showing why I don't think the mechanic is a good one, but also asking why you do think it is a good one. I posted this on another forum, but it works here, too.

The Situation

You are in a team that includes Conan, Valeria, Subotai, and Akiro, and you are infiltrating Thulsa Doom's Mountain using the caves near the gorge towards the north face. Everybody is being cautious, not taking any risks, except for Conan. Conan hates Thulsa Doom. And, he's in there swinging hard and dispatching enemies with extreme prejudice.

Because the one guy is fighting hard--he's just taking risks when he fights. It doesn't mean that Conan is being loud and attracting attention. He's grim and quiet. But, when he swings, he's ruthless and savage (in game terms, spending extra dice to fight that way, and increasing the Threat Pool when he fails).

Originally, the GM had two guards watching that back cave entrance, but now, since the Threat Pool is higher, the GM can spend those points to increase the number of guards that the players have to fight. Why is that a good rule?

The characters really did nothing to attract more attention--yet, because of the savage nature of one, there are more enemies to fight.

How does it even make sense?

It doesn't have to be guards, it might be more physical challenges or traps for Conan or the others - Threat should be spent focused on those creating it to be thematic, but as a group if they're letting one guy cause them problems, then they're basically watching one guy play the game and copping out - and they should suffer the consequences. If players take too long working out what to do, take some Threat, they'll soon act.

Also if you were GM'ing D&D, and one player was smashing guards left right and centre would you not bring in more challenges to balance things out? Or do you let them cruise through and finish the game with a feeling of dissatisfaction that it was too easy? The Threat system makes it really easy to balance things, you don't have to learn the balance which can take GM's a long time, it's simple and there in the rules.

It can be extra guards...or something else. Still wouldn't make sense.

Even that doesn't make sense. Conan is fierce outside when entering the cave and happens to add some Threat. Then, he pays for it later with some complication not even related to his fight outside.

Or worse...

Conan is fierce outside when entering the cave and happens to add some Threat. Then, SOME OTHER CHARACTER pays for it later with some complication not even related to his fight outside.I think its a horrible mechanic.

Or what about this....
The players see the Threat Point total rise, and they decide to start playing very cautiously, not taking any chances, not rolling extra dice for anything.
They do this not for a good, in-game reason. They do it for an artificial game reason--simply because the Threat Point total is high and they don't want to give the GM any more ammunition to make more obstacles for the group!
It's a horrible, meta-game mechanic.

If another player is paying for it, that could be identical to a D&D situation where a GM gives loads of problems to a player who isn't causing all the commotion - would you do it as a GM? No, so it's not sensible to do it a player in 2d20 either. This is common sense and will be discussed in Gming advice. It's not different to any other RPG where you don't penalise players for something they haven't done. Remember you can spend the Threat exactly as you like and when you like. No one is forcing you to spend it on this player or that.

If players become to cautious seeing the Threat points rise they probably shouldn't be playing an RPG - we're here to have adventures with brave heroes. If you're worried about a few bad monsters coming through a door maybe you should back home? Again we teach players about enjoying the thrills of rising Threat, cool stuff is about to happen, monsters, challenges and other 'bad' things are dramatic and fun - that's what we're here to do, and if it feels like the GM is punishing you with Threat then a) he's probably the wrong GM and b) he can do exactly the same thing with D&D and abuse the amount of encounters

What happens is this: Player is allowed to throw more dice when making a task. The more successes he has, the better he does on the task. But, there is a chance the he rolls bad enough to add points to the Threat Pool, too.
The Threat Pool grows, for the group. It is suggested that buttons are placed into a jar. The GameMaster can spend the points in the Threat Pool to add extra obstacles to the party or a player, whenever he wants.
So, in effect, Conan could build up the Threat Pool single handed, and Subotai could pay for it with a complication he encounters in a completely unrelated part of the adventure.

Again would you do this in a game of Pathfinder, 13th Age or D&D? Why should another player pay for the success of another player? Use your common sense as a GM and use the Threat when it's relevant, when it's fun, etc.

Again remember Threat is there to drive drama and make fun stuff happen - new challenges, new stories, new dangers and creatures are what we're here to explore and fight. If a GM is abusing it, find a new GM, the Threat system gives you a simple mechanic for balancing it out between player success and failure. No one forces a GM to spend Threat, he or she should be spending it to help contribute to a great story.