Conan The RPG: Impressions + Ideas & GM Support

[MongoosePaul]

From the Meadow Shemite entry - page 31

'Most adventuring Shemites from the western meadow cities are mercenary soldiers, rather than desert nomads.'

That's the reason for them having soldier rather than Nomad as their eastern cousins. You can, of course add it in as an option.

On the language aspect, Zamora is a melting pot of cultures, so Zamorans have a greater opportunity to pick up other languages. I didn't want to get rules down to the minutiae of certain tribes having different skills etc to others but I'd allow a character from the Zuagir tribe to have Zamoran as they're the widest travelled.

 

[Michael Tree]

NEW! I've just noticed that hit dice only go up through 10th level; after that, classes get a fixed number of measley hit points (1-2, based on class, no more CON bonus). This is a throwback to 1e AD&D, but a welcome change in grounding Conan more toward reality, while still allowing for action-packed combats. The Toughness feat adds +1 hp/level, through 10th level, then quits.

Interesting. How does that work with multiclassing? Does the character get full HP for only his first 10 character levels, and then gets the fixed number/level after that? Is there a way for the character to get his 10 hit dice from his 10 'best' class level HD, as some people have suggested for Epic level BAB in D&D?

 

[Iron_Chef]

Interesting. How does that work with multiclassing? Does the character get full HP for only his first 10 character levels, and then gets the fixed number/level after that? Is there a way for the character to get his 10 hit dice from his 10 'best' class level HD, as some people have suggested for Epic level BAB in D&D?

You only get it for your first ten character levels, regardless of multiclassing.

 

[Iron_Chef]

Okay, I've read the sorcery section; I think I've found an error.

Prestidigitation sorcery style's first spell, Conjuring, has a prerequisite of Sleight of Hand 4 ranks, yet this skill is not on the Scholar list. The book says The Black Ring of Stygia teaches this sorcery style and spell at 2nd level to their acolytes, but unless these acolytes already have several levels in thief (doubtful, since they recruit from their land's noble class, not the bottom of the social ladder), or unless the acolytes magically have known they should be dumping skill points on a cross class skill they probably have no other use for, they could not possibly meet the prerequisites to learn this spell, which must be learned before any others in the sorcery style.

 

[Iron_Chef]

More errors:

Spellcraft is mentioned in the Knowledge (Arcana) skill's synergy bonus section, but not listed as a skill choice.

Also, Perform (Ritual) is listed as a background skill for Stygians, yet there is no such subskill listed or explained under the Perform skill. Of what value is Perform (Ritual)? It does not apear as a prerequisite to any spell. What should replace it for Stygians if it is worthless and an error?

 

[Ruland]

[
After reading Iron Chef's points of criticism and MongoosePaul's answers on the Mongoose Forum I ordered the Conan RPG. Heck, I'm a collector of anything Conan and Howard! One mistake on the map, though, downloadable from Mongoose's website - as Zamora's capital, Arenjun should be in Zamora, not in Turan. And I think Conan's world is a bit small as depicted on that map. Isn't this world supposed to be the whole of Eurasian and African continents back then, some 12.000 kilometers across? In the extended German edition of GURPS Conan there is a map depicting the world in these dimensions ... I like that better, although the Mongoose Hyboria is beautifully made and more to the usual Fantasy world dimensions ...

 

[Iron_Chef]

[
After reading Iron Chef's points of criticism and MongoosePaul's answers on the Mongoose Forum I ordered the Conan RPG. Heck, I'm a collector of anything Conan and Howard! One mistake on the map, though, downloadable from Mongoose's website - as Zamora's capital, Arenjun should be in Zamora, not in Turan. And I think Conan's world is a bit small as depicted on that map. Isn't this world supposed to be the whole of Eurasian and African continents back then, some 12.000 kilometers across? In the extended German edition of GURPS Conan there is a map depicting the world in these dimensions ... I like that better, although the Mongoose Hyboria is beautifully made and more to the usual Fantasy world dimensions ...

The Shemite city of Akbitan is also misplaced in Corinthia on the book map; this is corrected on the download version, but Arenjun is still misplaced outside the political borders of Zamora... Shadizar The Wicked is Zamora's capital city and seat of the King, not Arenjun. Arenjun is the "thieves'" capital and Yezud is the "religious" capital, seat of the faith of the Spider God Zath.

 

[Broccli_Head]

so how does the Conan d20 book work as a Gazeteer of Conan's Hyboria say compared to the old GURPS Conan?

I do not think I would use the d20 rules (preferring TROS or HERO 5th), especially with all the gliches I hear coming out.

Is it worth just getting the book for the Hyborian Age info?

 

[Teflon Billy]

so how does the Conan d20 book work as a Gazeteer of Conan's Hyboria say compared to the old GURPS Conan?

It would have to absolutely kill to improve on the gazeteer in GURPS Conan.

 

[Krieg]

Amazon, despite the pre-order discount, has still not shipped my damn book.

According to Amazon my copy shipped today!

Hopefully the floodgates have opened...