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Message: <blockquote data-quote="hong" data-source="post: 1298175" data-attributes="member: 537">So anyway, getting back to the "Why Conan?" question, the following quotes from the Ninja HERO sourcebook (of all places) come to mind:Now take out the references to crimefighting and martial arts, and you have a good summary on the mindset of an American Viewpoint pulp action adventure. Offhand, I can't remember the last action movie, of whatever time period, that didn't feature a hero who bucks the system. The viewpoint is all about a celebration of individualism, as opposed to abstract ideals like "king and country", or "the greater good", or "the glory of God" or whatever.I'm also reminded of what a sportswriter said about the difference between Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, back when Tyson was world champion. Ali was the greatest, and that was something Tyson would never be. Instead, he was the baddest. If he inspired anyone, it was because of his ruthlessness and fighting skill, not because he'd adopted any cause. (Whether or not you agree with these labels, it's not a bad one-word summary of what their public personas are about.)People who want to play Conan don't want to be the greatest. They don't want any sort of morality or abstract cause restraining their actions. They just want to be the baddest. And RPGs, being basically a vehicle for power fantasies for most people, are an excellent way of indulging that wish.Personally, I think you can be both the greatest _and_ the baddest. But then I've never been that enamoured of baby oil.</blockquote>

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