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Message: <blockquote data-quote="scadgrad" data-source="post: 2390520" data-attributes="member: 766">I think this is a pretty telling comment. One thing about REH's Conan action sequences is that they're over and done with very quickly. Conan is a pretty straight forward opponent who usually just overpowers opponents and finishes them with but one or two strokes (one could argue that it's just because he spends so much time fighting mooks I suppose). That more than anything else defines the gritty nature of the combats. I've just finished reading the 2nd compilation of REH's original drafts and I can tell you that were I to run or play in a Conan RPG of any stripe, I'd want to see that same sense of urgency. The Paralysis by Analysis syndrome that I've seen so often in d20 just causes combats to drag to the point where those desparate struggles in the REH short stories have been overwhelmed by minutia. I just don't ever remember our boy the wild Cimmerian ever resorting to things like tripping, using a spiked chain or other wonky reach weapon silliness, tumbling to get a flank with the aid of an ally (like Conan needs an ally in HtH), sundering someone's weapon (unless he's cleaved right through it into their skull). Nope. It's pretty much move in close and plant a broadsword squarely in the enemy's chest or the like. and I don't remember the big guy ever suffering from an AoO or indeed, even worrying about one. Need to get away, just run like hell.YMMV and perhaps your group requires all of those 3.5 trappings, but the original REH materials certainly doesn't seem to indicate that anything of the sort is going on.</blockquote>

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