CONAN LIVES! Info on the new Conan RPG

[modiphius]

Why not simply drop the Threat mechanic?

It seems a good idea to me that any metagame resources should be positive for the players: action points or fortune points.

Regulating the GM and her monsters, not so hot.

Well Threat is balanced - it's good for the players - they can buy additional dice with it (which let's them do really awesome stuff), but there's a cost

Look at Fate points in Fate. To gain them you need to act up your weaknesses. They have a cost once your initial allocation is spent. We have Chronicle Points that are free that count the same way and provide Threat.

It works very well in playtests and pretty much everyone who has actually played a game enjoys it. Numerous convention demo's leave people wanting more. Now I totally understand it's not for some people - as much as Fate or Dungeon World isn't for some people, or Pathfinder or D&D isn't. You can't please everyone

 

[Water Bob]

I'm not sold. But, I am interested in looking at the video play through. When will that be posted?

 

[modiphius]

probably after Gen Con - we'll post here when it is thanks for bearing with us

 

[Water Bob]

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?

 

[JeffB]

Ever see a movie or read a booK where someone does something stupid and gets the whole group in trouble?

If you come into a system like this one with a D20/d&d mindset, there is little point, and you will never understand it or have fun with it. THREAT is a more modrrn/indie style system that models/drives the fiction/story with it's mechanics, it is not tryjng be a simulation of task resolution with mechanical balance at the forefront. It creates opportunity for a good GM to make the story more interesting. Its not there as a tool for a sadistic dm to punish people.

See DungeonWorld for a great example of a system thats been around for awhile where the mechanics drive the story ever forward, instead of being a simple pass/fail mechanic.

 

[Water Bob]

Ever see a movie or read a booK where someone does something stupid and gets the whole group in trouble?

If you come into a system like this one with a D20/d&d mindset, there is little point, and you will never understand it or have fun with it. THREAT is a more modrrn/indie style system that models/drives the fiction/story with it's mechanics, it is not tryjng be a simulation of task resolution with mechanical balance at the forefront. It creates opportunity for a good GM to make the story more interesting. Its not there as a tool for a sadistic dm to punish people.

See DungeonWorld for a great example of a system thats been around for awhile where the mechanics drive the story ever forward, instead of being a simple pass/fail mechanic.

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?

 

[JeffB]

Who says you have to add more guards?

Maybe later Conan botches a roll in a heated circumstance and the GM uses threat to add some other complication...an innocent caught in the battle...or uses it with a npc conan is fighting to increase their ferocity...

I dont like the 2d20 system, but I like threat.

As I said, if you take a D20 mindset, it will not make sense. If you take novel/movie stance you will see it as a way to add to the story in non scripted ways.

 

[Water Bob]

Who says you have to add more guards?

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

Maybe later Conan botches a roll in a heated circumstance and the GM uses threat to add some other complication...an innocent caught in the battle...or uses it with a npc conan is fighting to increase their ferocity...

I dont like the 2d20 system, but I like threat.

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.

 

[JeffB]

If you say so.

I would suggest you stick with what you like.

 

[Water Bob]

If you say so.

I would suggest you stick with what you like.

Good advice, of course.

I'd like to like this new game. I love the idea of so many experts working on it. I just can't get past the 2d20 System and that Threat mechanic.