Musing on Conan themes in RPGs

[Bill Zebub]

That sort of scoobie-doo-ism used to be super-common, because Fantasy wasn't taken seriously until (I so want to say 'recently,' but I must remember I'm old, and it's not the 80s anymore)... like, the 60s or 70s, there'a'bouts. Today, Fantasy is a robust, legit genre in literature and pop culture. But when REH was writing Conan, it was thought of as 'fairytales for kids' and he was exceptional in persistently writing & submitting fantasy stories - more so than contemporaries like Ashton Clarke Smith who also wrote amazing fantasy, but as often just re-jiggered it to be sci-fi if that's what the publishers demanded, or, HP Lovercraft who made his supernatural tales clearly horror, or, for that matter, somewhat later, Jack Vance, who's Dying Earth is a classic of sci-fi, and the major inspiration for D&D magic.

Man, you just ruined it for me. Like the time somebody described one of my favorite restaurants as "cafeteria food" and I just couldn't eat there anymore.

I always loved that structure of Conan stories, but now whenever I get to the denouement I'm going to picture Scooby saying "Ruh-roh" and pulling a bedsheet off the bad guy.

 

[Tony Vargas]

 

[overgeeked]

That sort of scoobie-doo-ism used to be super-common, because Fantasy wasn't taken seriously until (I so want to say 'recently,' but I must remember I'm old, and it's not the 80s anymore)... like, the 60s or 70s, there'a'bouts. Today, Fantasy is a robust, legit genre in literature and pop culture. But when REH was writing Conan, it was thought of as 'fairytales for kids' and he was exceptional in persistently writing & submitting fantasy stories - more so than contemporaries like Ashton Clarke Smith who also wrote amazing fantasy, but as often just re-jiggered it to be sci-fi if that's what the publishers demanded, or, HP Lovercraft who made his supernatural tales clearly horror, or, for that matter, somewhat later, Jack Vance, who's Dying Earth is a classic of sci-fi, and the major inspiration for D&D magic.

That's not an accurate description of Conan stories. I'm in the middle of reading them all again (for the 2nd or 3rd time) and as yet, none of them do that. There are magic-users casting spells, frost giants, ancient beings from space, straight up gods, magic swords, mutants, etc. There's no "it was just old man Jones all along" pretending to use magic to scare people.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I can't say I recalled a lot of that in Conan, myself. Not the scoobie-do reveal, nor a lot of overt magic. But I haven't really delved into the later pastiche...

 

[overgeeked]

I can't say I recalled a lot of that in Conan, myself. Not the scoobie-do reveal,

Because there isn’t any.

nor a lot of overt magic.

I’d suggest you need to read more of the stories. Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories have a fair amount of overt magic. Animal summoning, polymorph, charm person, etc.

But I haven't really delved into the later pastiche...

I wouldn’t know. In prose, I stick to Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories exclusively. I’ll read any comic book version though.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I’d suggest you need to read more of the stories. Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories have a fair amount of overt magic. Animal summoning, polymorph, charm person, etc.

I don't know what to tell you, I've read prettymuch the complete works - minus the westerns - Conan, Cormac mac Art, Bran Mak Morn, even Solomon Kane. Granted, it was well over a decade ago...

 

[Reynard]

What I feel a Conan game needs even more than Sword & Sorcery already do in general is fast paced action resolution and combat resolution.

Why do you feel that way. Howard stories go into pretty precise and gory detail about strikes and faints and such. The source material isn't particularly "fast paced" from an economy of words perspective. Why should a game be any less detailed?

 

[overgeeked]

I don't know what to tell you, I've read prettymuch the complete works - minus the westerns - Conan, Cormac mac Art, Bran Mak Morn, even Solomon Kane. Granted, it was well over a decade ago...

Then I’d suggest that’s the problem. The recent Conan RPG is based solely on Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories and it has a magic system and a supplemental book filled with magic. I’m about halfway through my re-read of the Conan stories and there’s plenty of magic.

 

[MGibster]

I wouldn’t know. In prose, I stick to Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories exclusively. I’ll read any comic book version though.

I pitched a Conan campaign to my players last year and my main influences were to be the works of Howard as well as The Savage Sword of Conan published by Marvel from 1974 through 1995. I don't remember a whole lot of Scooby style "It was old man Withers" moments, but the supernatural elements were certainly a little more subdued than what we're used to with D&D. But by D&D standards even Lord of the Rings is subdued. I might try to pitch my Conan campaign again and see where it goes. Do I use Modiphius or just do Savage Worlds?

 

[Bill Zebub]

I would distinguish between the supernatural, and "magic" in the sense of humans casting spells. There's lots of the former, but not much of the latter, and nearly always (again, except for Pelas) by evil people.