Brom's Cover Art For Modiphius' Upcoming CONAN RPG

Voted the 4th most anticipated roleplaying game of 2016, Modiphius' Robert E Howard’s CONAN Roleplaying game - Adventures In An Age Undreamed Of is based on the company's own 2d20 system. Brom is a name you may recognise from Dark Sun and other D&D settings, as well as the covers of novels from the likes of Moorcock. He's a pretty big deal in the world of fantasy art. Apparently, Modiphius had trouble getting Brom for this cover - he was unavailable when they first approached him, but circumstances have brought his schedule in line with the game's 2016 release date, and so we now have a cover to ogle at!

 

[Dargrimm]

This is by far my most anticipated game of the year!

 

[Will Doyle]

Yeah, I'm hugely looking forward to this game.

 

[NotZenon]

for the most part it looks good, but whats with his face? Doesn't really look like a human face IMO.

 

[KFC]

Whatever. 2D20 system sucks, so probably will pass by as with d20 Conan...

 

[jacleg05]

I like the feel of the cover for the game. My only complaint is Conan's body looks more like a fitness model more than a barbarian. Then again, I am a Frazetta fan boy. Looking forward to the game though.

 

[Water Bob]

I'm in the "2D20 is a horrible game system, but that's a damn fine cover" boat.

Good looking game.

Wish the publishers would have done a better job with the game mechanics. They're way too "meta-game" oriented for me.

 

[mrm1138]

Wish the publishers would have done a better job with the game mechanics. They're way too "meta-game" oriented for me.

Could you provide some details, please? I'm not familiar with the system, so I'm honestly curious how meta-gamey it is.

 

[Salamandyr]

I have no idea about the game, but I wish 5e's cover looked like that.

 

[Desh-Rae-Halra]

I'm in the "2D20 is a horrible game system, but that's a damn fine cover" boat.

Good looking game.

Wish the publishers would have done a better job with the game mechanics. They're way too "meta-game" oriented for me.

I'm in the same camp as mrm1138. Can you say more about the system?

 

[Water Bob]

Could you provide some details, please? I'm not familiar with the system, so I'm honestly curious how meta-gamey it is.

The play-test rules are available for download, the last time I checked. But, to answer your question in simplest terms: a player can have his character be "heroic" by buying extra dice to throw on a task. Whether successful or not, the cost of these extra dice (that makes it easier to succeed at hard tasks) is in points paid to the Game Master. An early suggestion was to use buttons to represents these points the players spent, where the GM would collect them and keep them in a jar on the table. As the players spent more and more points so that their characters could accomplish hard tasks or pull off "heroic" maneuvers, the tension at the table is supposed to rise as the players see that jar of buttons grow in number.

The GM can, at any time he wants, use the points (the buttons), to increase the abilities of foes (give them special maneuvers and such) or "buy" additional foes to add to an encounter--or even add other obstacles, like a poison needle trap on a locked chest.

Basically, the more heroic the players tend to be, the more ammo a GM has to make things more difficult for the characters to succeed.



There are several long-time gamers (me included) who roll our eyes at this gimmicky system. The mechanics were written by the same person who authored the FFG Star Wars game. But, that game has a meta-game aspect to it in something called The Force. The 2d20 rules were written originally for Modiphius' Mutant Chronicles game, but that game, also, has a meta-game aspect to it similar to The Force in Star Wars. Modiphius has decided that this 2d20 system will be altered and sandwiched into every game it publishes, using 2d20 as their House System. What the company has failed to recognize is that the system does not work well with game universes where there is no Force-like meta-game aspect.

Conan's Hyborian Age is an universe that does not mesh well with this type of game mechanic. Why should Conan face more numerous and better foes at the climax of an adventure just because he was heroic in an early scene of the adventure?

Or, better yet, why should Conan fight more numerous, more powerful foes and have to overcome more obstacles in the middle of the adventure because one of his companions, who is no longer with Conan, attempted to be heroic two days ago in another town? Because that's how the meta-game point system works. A player in one game session could constantly try to be heroic, piling up the points in the button jar, and the GM can wait to use those points three game sessions later, when the players are in a totally different part of the story, and the player who generated most of the button points didn't even show up for the current session.

Yes, the system is way too Meta-gamey, in my opinion, and not a good choice for Howard's Hyborian Age at all.

I've heard that even some of the game's writers don't like the system either, but they've got not choice. They've got to use the system as it is Modiphius' House System.

As good looking as that cover is, I'm going to have to pass on the game.