Conan the Roleplaying Game

[Haffrung Helleyes]

Conan

It's the best done d20 game I've read. It does have too many typos, though.

I do think that Conan needed non-D&D rules -- the d20 magic system would destroy the feel of a Conan game. And once you take the magic system out, there's room to make Combat more realistic (IE, armor absorbing damage rather than making it harder to hit someone). So I think the choices made in the design of the Conan game are good ones.

Ken

 

[scourger]

I'll be interested to see the continued development of this game. So far, there's been a core rule book, a revised core rule book (Altnatean Edition), a GM's screen, 3 sourcebooks and one (1) 16-page pdf-only adventure. Two more sourcebooks are on the schedule. This deosn't bode weel to me. Not enough adventures, especially with a licensed product not open to third party development. I wonder how it's selling.

 

[scourger]

Double post.

 

[takyris]

So scourger, you don't like Conan because it should have used D&D classes, it changed the rules unnecessarily, and it doesn't have enough adventures?

That sort of reads like you're not the target audience. It sounds like you'd rather play a Conan-world D&D game. Or just regular D&D, for that matter.

As I said, though, I like the classes. I also like the rules. If magic gets taken out, my group is savvy enough that they're good with more coming back in. In d20 Modern, what took the place of magic for us was skills -- lots of new skill uses, lots of modifiers, etc. In Conan, it's combat. That works for me.

As for the adventures... I'm not usually the right target audience for that. I prefer to make my own adventures, and I've had unwowed experienced with the purchased modules I've used.

Just me, though.

 

[Vigilance]

For me, D&D already presents all the archetypes.

Sure, D&D presents all the archetypes present in a conan game.

However it also presents a bunch of stuff that has NO BUSINESS in a Conan game.

Let's see, all the races except human out.

Character classes: Cleric, Druid, Ranger, Paladin, Monk- out.

Spell system- 100% inappropriate.

So, except for the fact that half the book wouldnt work, you think they should have used it.

Huh.

Unless you wanted the Dark Sun approach Dragon took, with little articles about "how to work elven Paladins into Hyboria".

For my money, they had to do a new PHB, and they did a great job of it.

Chuck

 

[Vigilance]

I wonder how it's selling.

My information, which is 2nd hand to be sure, says that its one of the best-selling game franchises around at the moment.

Companies don't do much in the way of modules because a 96 page module costs the same amount of money as a 96 page sourcebook and has 20% the potential market.

Not a sound business strategy.

Modules are a marketing expense, and Id expect to see Mongoose continue to make that expense as low as possible with short, high-priced PDF adventures.

BTW- as a consumer I dont LIKE this, but as a businessman I appreciate that there isnt a whole lot of choice.

Chuck

 

[Akrasia]

Conan adventures? Try Mesopotamia!

I agree with the folks who have pointed out that the DnD magic system has NO business in Hyboria. The removal of the magic system is a big plus in my books. The magic system used in Conan is really cool -- it suits the campaingn setting extremely well.

However, I disagree with folks who have claimed that adding more options to combat in Conan was a good thing. IMO, Conan is all about "fast and furious" combat, not about determining whether doing x would provoke an attack of opportunity, yada yada yada ...

As for adventures, I agree that it would be nice if Mongoose produced more. (Though maybe some will be included in future sourcebooks? We can only hope.)

But if you want a BUNCH of cool Conan adventures, buy Necromancer's *Mesopotamia*. It includes a number of really nice adventures for characters level 5-12. Moreover, the author of Meso is a huge Conan fan, and has posted conversion notes for the *Mesopotamia* adventures here:

http://hyboria.xoth.net/adventures/mesopotamia_conversion_notes.htm

Once I get the chance to run a Conan campaign, I am *so* using these adventures!

 

[Akrasia]

Hearing about several people complaining about rules too complex, maybe an option would be to convert the classes and the magic system to the new Castle & Crusades game (a simplified D&D; see this thread ) to have a "fast and furious" Hyborian campaign?

Turanil, mon ami, you've been reading my thoughts!

In fact, since far fewer classes in C&C use magic -- e.g. the ranger, paladin, and bard do NOT cast spells in C&C -- it would actually be easy to use most C&C classes in Hyboria.

Eliminate the magic-casting classes from C&C, replace with a new "scholar" class (easy to do), and you're set.

Man -- I'm looking forward to this!

 

[MongooseMatt]

Hi guys,

Adventures are on the way for Conan!

 

[SableWyvern]

To the poster who asked how to identify the new edition: it has Atlantean Edition printed on the front cover.