CONAN Is Finally Here!

After appearing three years running in the 10 Most Anticipated RPGs of the Year list, it seems that Conan's streak has come to and end - because Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of has been released! You can get it right now from Modiphius' web store, and will be able to get it elsewhere from tomorrow. PDF only, for the moment. You can also grab a book of six adventures, Jewelled Thrones of the Earth. Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed of is based on Modiphius' own 2d20 system (which also powers their upcoming Star Trek Adventures game). The book is now available for review in the reviews area.

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[Morrus]

There is a full quickstart for Conan 2d20 available here: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/174829/Robert-E-Howards-CONAN-Roleplaying-Game-Quickstart

If you have played FFG's Star Wars, the destiny pool is the closest parallel I have seen.

Effectively, the GM starts with a number of Doom Points which, for the most part, are spent like Momentum for NPCs (Momentum being the PCs "bennies"). The only two novel aspects are:

1. PCs can spend Momentum they don't have by adding Doom Points.

2. Doom Points can also be spent on a few "story twist" like effects, such as adding in extra opponents, creating an environmental effect etc.

For the most part, it acts like a single benny pool which streamlines the GM's resource management really well. It also allows the PCs to double down to get what they want at the cost of upping the stakes of the situation as a result. These are both good results IMO.

The main issue is with #2. By adding a cost to certain things a GM can normally do, it creates an expectation that the GM shouldn't do them without spending the cost. As said, its easy enough to ignore the spends for #2 and use the system as written.

Oh. Pretty standard fare. Why is it so controversial?

Also sounds very easy to just not use.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

I think that's an exaggeration. I strongly dislike Fate primarily for the Fate point mechanic, but the Doom Pool is a far cry from such a mechanic. In Conan 2d20, there is a much more robust traditional system sitting alongside Doom, than there is in Fate with Fate points. Doom is pretty much akin to bennies that appear in Savage Worlds, Conan d20 etc. Yes, there are similarities and its cool that this will make the game less appealing if you don't like the former, but to simply dismiss the whole RPG because you don't like the Fate point mechanic seems a disproportionate response.

Maybe I'm understating the degree to which I hate Fate points and every similar form of meta-game resource, including those in Savage Worlds and 3.5 Eberron, but I consider any game with a meta-game resource to be completely unsuitable for the style of play which drives me to an RPG instead of a video game. And given that there's a wide range of games out there to play, and that the easiest game to find a table for doesn't use that sort of mechanic, I have no compelling reason to cross that line.

If this was 1980, and there were only a handful of games to choose from, I might want to give it a chance. Since this is 2017, and I have hundreds of games to choose from, it's easier to dismiss things for small reasons. (Not that I consider this a small reason, I mean; but even if it was easy to ignore the rule, I'd still be better off playing one of the myriad games which didn't ask me to make such changes.)

 

[Skywalker]

Oh. Pretty standard fare. Why is it so controversial?

Also sounds very easy to just not use.

Its controversial as it does breach a line that many people hold dear. Requiring the GM to have a resource to do something that they would normally be allowed to do is seen as unnecessarily limiting, especially given the GM's already difficult task. So, I totally get why something that smells like that on a sniff test gets a strong reaction.

Its also not easy to ignore. The Doom Pool is a central mechanic. For example, active defences add Doom. Taking it out would be hard work.

Where I think people go awry is that though the Doom Pool may not be easily removed, the 2-3 most offensive Doom spends can be. As said, once you remove adding reinforcements, splitting the group, and environmental effects, the Doom Pool is pretty much the GM's bennies for NPCs.

Its a shame that Modiphius is so afraid of criticism of its design that they can't include this kind of discussion in the corebook. It wouldn't take more than a sidebar to keep most people happy.

 

[Skywalker]

Maybe I'm understating the degree to which I hate Fate points and every similar form of meta-game resource, including those in Savage Worlds and 3.5 Eberron, but I consider any game with a meta-game resource to be completely unsuitable for the style of play which drives me to an RPG instead of a video game. And given that there's a wide range of games out there to play, and that the easiest game to find a table for doesn't use that sort of mechanic, I have no compelling reason to cross that line.

Cool. If you have zero tolerance for any form of bennies, then Conan 2d20 isn't for you.

These kinds of resources are more common than not these days (starting with WFRP1e in the mid-80s) and even appear in the last two editions of D&D. Its cool if its not for you, but I don't think its surprising that Modiphius exploring this area of RPG design.

 

[Patrick McGill]

That's pretty exciting! Also, you can apparently get a PDF of the game with the Conan:Exiles video game if you get the Barbarian Edition.

 

[unnatural 20]

I guess I don't understand the controversy either. I've read both sides of the argument. I guess I'll just jot it down to some preferring a mechanic that others do not.

 

[Skywalker]

I guess I'll just jot it down to some preferring a mechanic that others do not.

That's pretty much it, multiplied by the internet

 

[unnatural 20]

I'm trying not to break it down as simply "your die rolling method sucks compared to mine!". Maybe I will understand more once I get to sit down with the rulebook.

 

[Water Bob]

The artwork is a mixture of scantily-clad muscle-bound barbarians and some fur-covered ones

I do quite like the art they're using on the books.

 

[Water Bob]

Modiphius, I feel, are releasing a higher quality product then Mongoose did but they are both very different from eachother and both fine games in my eyes.

In what way? I sure don't see it in the mechanics. Are you talking about the art and presentation?

Could somebody quickly summarise the Doom Points? I'm not familiar with the system.

Your target number on a task is to roll lower than Skill + Attribute. You roll a number of d20 dice. Each one that rolls under your target is a "Success".

Difficulty is measured in Successes. You need 1 Success for something easy. You need 2 successes for something of standard difficulty. And so on.

You get 2 d20 dice to start with.

There is a way to gain extra successes by rolling really low (rolling lower than your target number and a focus number), so one d20 dice can roll up to two successes.





MOMENTUM: If you roll more Successes than are needed, then you can keep these extra Successes as Momentum Points. You can use Momentum Points to buy extra dice or effects in the game, later on, on later rolls.



DOOM: Another way to get extra dice to roll is to purchase DOOM points. For example, you need to climb up a wall that is very hard to climb. It will take three successes to reach the top, and there is a good chance that you'll fall to your death.

You start with your 2d20 dice, but the chances of rolling three success on 2 dice is slim. You want some insurance. You pay 2 points of DOOM to the GM. In return, he gives you an extra two dice. Now, you have 4d20 dice to make the climb--rolling them, looking for three successes.

The GM keeps these DOOM points and saves them for a point in the game where he wants to use them to buff up his NPCs, activate monsters that normally wouldn't be activated, or generally make obstacles harder for the players.

In the example, the GM might immediately use the two DOOM points he just got from the climbing PC to use with the NPC that is chasing him. He uses the two DOOM points to add two dice to the NPCs climb--so that the NPC has a better chance, like the player character, to make it up the cliff.

Or...the GM might keep the DOOM points, letting them build, so that he has a lot of ammo to use during the climax of the adventure that happens four game sessions later.

It's up to the GM on how to use the DOOM points. He can keep 'em or use 'em as he sees fit to keep the game "dramatic".