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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Water Bob" data-source="post: 5755218" data-attributes="member: 92305">Ever heard of the E6 style of game play? (Click Here for <a href="http://www.myth-weavers.com/wiki/index.php/Epic_6" target="_blank">a Wiki on the E6 style of play.)</a> The default Conan game seems to default to what, in E6 terms, is a gritty style of play, with toes in the Heroic Fantasy pool.The default Conan game also falls in line with the writings <a href="http://www.thealexandrian.net/creations/misc/d&d-calibrating.html" target="_blank">on this web site.</a>A few notes:1. The default Conan game is actually easier on the GM because he's dealing with lower level NPCs. It's much easier to stat-out a 2nd level character than it is one of 12th level.2. The Conan RPG is stagnant, level wise. The level cap is level 20. This means that each level of experience does equate to a particular amount of experience. That's why pages 11-12 in the 2E Rulebook exist--to help the GM define what those levels mean.3. From the player's point of view, there's less guesswork as to the level of his human enemy. If PCs are attacked by bandits, the players can assume (given the level definitions) that the young looking bandits are probably level 1. The more seasoned guys are level 2. The lieutenants and right-hand-men are probably level 3 or 4. And, the bandit ambush leader is most likely level 5. If the bandits are part of a bigger gang, then the ambush leader probably answers to a higher power in the form of a level 6-7-8 Bandit Leader. And, with a Bandit Leader that high, there's a good chance the PCs have heard of him.4. As the Conan stories progressed, Conan's fame progressed. This corresponds to the game. Level 8 represents fairly well-known characters with fame or infamy that spreads a far distance.5. If the GM needs an NPC on the spot, chances are the NPC is level 1-5 unless circumstances dictate a higher level character for some reason.6. As the book says, powerful, well-known sorcerers are level 12. They really don't need to be level 20.7. Demons, demi-gods, and god-like beings (and humans of unimaginable skill, possible only in a fantasy world) are in the 15-20 level range. Unless your campaign deals with these types of beings, keep your PCs lower level so that they won't over power all of their enemies too easily.8. Follow the default rules for character attribute generation. When rolling 4d6 and dropping the lowest, arranging by taste, you will sometimes get numbers 9 or below. Make the player deal with that. That's what keeps the game gritty and Conan-ish. If all the PCs have uber stats because you went soft during character generation, you'll pay for it later having to up the default NPC (and bad guy) level.9. On average, a character should stay at 1st level for 2-3 game years. This is akin to an apprentice learning his craft. It takes time. And, the time a character stays at each level should lengthen with each increase (requireing more and more XP to advance). Think about it. Belit's Black Corsairs are 2nd level Pirates. Following my deductions here means that those pirates have up to a decade's worth of experience under their belts (the pirate began as a kid, swabbing the decks at age 15; spent 3 years learning his profession, and spent up to an additional 6 years as a seasoned professional pirate--that's what level 2 means).10. Your PCs are heroes. You want them to be better than average NPCs. So, the PCs will gain levels faster than everyday joes. But, keep PC level progression in check. If you need to increase the level of an NPC over a long amount of time, in between meetings with the PC, figure that normal characters receive an average of 1 XP per day. It takes almost 3 years for an average NPC to gain 1000 XP. So, most likely, the NPC will be the same level that the he was when he first met the PCs unless several years have passed.</blockquote>

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