Conan The RPG: Impressions + Ideas & GM Support

[Iron_Chef]

A few things:

First, thanks for pointing me to Scarlet_Blades, Iron_Chef. Nice site.

Finally, a question for all of you: What land would be the most likely to hold gladitorial games? This is one of the ideas that I'm considering as a "starting point" for my world. All of the PC's are slaves or gladiators, forced to fight until they can escape or win their freedom.

First, you're welcome! Scarlet-Blades is a great resource; check out the Hyborian Lore section for a collaboration I did with them on the Hand of Ishtar.

Second, I'm of the mind that nearly any country might host such games, but not on such a grandiose Roman Empire scale or permanent basis. For Romanesque spectacles, I'd say Koth, Nemedia, (western) Shem, Stygia, Turan, Zamora or Zingara off the top of my head. Koth is ruled by a power-mad evil king and the sorcerer Tsotha-lanti, so games make a good idea for distracting the people. For western Shem, any of the Meadow Shemite city-states might fit, but Asgalun, the largest (and closest to the coast), might be the best fit. Rival arenas could be another form of jealousy between the city-states; a good springoboard for adventure hooks. Stygia has a colisseum in a terrible Leonard Carpenter pastiche (CONAN THE GREAT?), and everyone knows they are evil and rejoice in the suffering of others. Turan is decadent and Zamora corrupt, so both make good bets as well. Nemedia is said to have a private palace arena in Robert Jordan's CONAN THE DEFENDER, which is normally reserved for feeding criminals to the wolves. Zingara is ruled by a ruthless dictator (read Karl Edward Wagner's ROAD OF KINGS) who needs to keep the people distracted.

NOTE: I've started a thread on this subject on the Mongoose Conan forum; the first response was exhaustive and answers your questions in better detail and with more Howardian authority than I have. Enjoy it here:
http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1291

 

[Iron_Chef]

FEMME FATALE CLASS (Wicked Temptress)
http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1195

I'm putting this class together for Mongoose's "Signs & Portents" magazine and am looking for constructive criticism on how to improve it or anything missing (such as equipment or class skills) that should be added. Thanks!

 

[Shonuff]

Flat-footed is DV always 10.

I think this in oncorrent. It clearly says you lose your Dex mod but not your entire DV.

I have read that some are house-ruling a DV of 10 for a deadlier game though.

Mongoose will, of course, give us the final answer.

 

[S'mon]

I think this in oncorrent. It clearly says you lose your Dex mod but not your entire DV.

I have read that some are house-ruling a DV of 10 for a deadlier game though.

Mongoose will, of course, give us the final answer.

You lose your Dodge & Parry bonuses and your Dex bonus. I don't think you lose your Shield bonus though.

 

[Remus Lupin]

My Conan arrived yesterday! I've only had a chance to skim it at this point, but I'm looking forward to trying to develop some characters.

As I said, project One is the creation of characters based on the world of Newhon for a Lankhmar campaign. Keep a look-out for Fafhrd and Mouster a la Conan.

 

[Remus Lupin]

Since the good folks at Mongoose check this thread from time to time, I'm wondering, is there any chance of a Lankhmer supplement in the future?

 

[King_Stannis]

You are the man, Iron_Chef. Thanks for your input and thanks for starting the thread at Mongoose!

 

[Shonuff]

You lose your Dodge & Parry bonuses and your Dex bonus. I don't think you lose your Shield bonus though.

After a reread, I think you're correct.

page 160 - at the end of Defense Value section "A character will lose his Dodge Bonus or Parry Bonus when caught flat-footed or when he is clinging for life on the edge of a mile-high cliff-top."

page 160 - Touch attacks and Flat-footed Defense Values "When characters are caught flat-footed, they lose all dodge and parry bonuses so their Defense Value will always be the base of 10, assuming their size is Medium."

I think what throws people off is here:

Page 161 - Flat-footed "At the start of battle, before you had a chance to act (specifically, before your fitsy regular turn in the initiative order), you are flat-footed. You cannot use your Dexterity bonus to DV (if any) while flat-footed. Some classes have the uncanny dodge extraordinary ability, which allows them to avoid losing their Dexterity bonus to DV due to being flat-footed."

Being the main paragraph dedicated to the flat-footed situation in combat, it is odd they do not again clarify the complete loss of parry and dodge bonuses. They only mention the loss of Dex bonuses to DV. --- Due to this, I've seen people incorrectly write out combat examples by allowing the characters in the example keep their dodge/parry bonuses but simply lose their Dex mods.

As for shields:

Page 147 - Shields "All shields have a shield bonus. This is added to the Defense Value of any character who is parrying (see page 160)." ----- "Also, the shield bonus is added to the Defense Value of any character who is dodging a ranged attack. This represents the relative ease of ducking behind a shield to evade missles."

Reading this, it looks as if no shield bonus is allowed to flat-footed characters since the shield bonus is only added to parrying and dodging values. Baically, I guess the character really isn't holding the shield "ready" - just like he isn't actively dodging or parrying.

Wow - flat-footed is worse than I initially thought!

I guess uncanny dodge allows a little improvement with adding the Dex mod, but that's about it.

Does this sound correct to everyone?

 

[S'mon]

Does this sound correct to everyone?

It sounds correct, albeit a bit harsh - I'd think that an arrow could bounce off someone's shield even if they were unaware of the firer, so I'm inclined to let flat-footed characters retain their shield bonus to DV, although the rules seem to deny it. As a house rule I'm having helmets add to shield bonus rather than DR, BTW.

It's definitely clear that you do lose your parry/dodge bonus when flatfooted, anyway.

 

[Iron_Chef]

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http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=12137#12137

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http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1226