Primeval Thule might be the Conan meets Cthulhu RPG the world needs (http://io9.com/primeval-thule-might-be-the-conan-meets-cthulhu-rpg-the-899512104)
After I read the above title I had the biggest gaming boner of my life.
After I read the beginning paragraphs though...
Spoiler
Campaign World that has to find compatibility between 4e, Pathfinder, and CoC (and 13th Age whatever that is). I just can't imagine that something like this is going to work; too many different design philosophies to build a world around. Or the converse, too much of the book devoted to conversions between the systems. How the fuck are gaming rules for sanity going to work in a world like this?
My preference for designers is to pick a system, or family of systems, and stick with that. And anyway, aside from something about character Themes(TM), this doesn't seem like an RPG so much as a campaign setting for any setting under the sun.
I do admit though, what was said about the setting has me intrigued enough to pay attention. But, please, someone take this idea and give it an OSR spin.
Quote from: JasperAK;674742Primeval Thule might be the Conan meets Cthulhu RPG the world needs (http://io9.com/primeval-thule-might-be-the-conan-meets-cthulhu-rpg-the-899512104)
After I read the above title I had the biggest gaming boner of my life.
My first thought when I read that title was "Enough talk!!!"
More like Conan meets Tentacles. Conan stories already feature "Cthulhu" pretty strong, and no surprise, considering the literary culture of "Lovecraft Circle".
Maybe in a world where Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea didn't exist.
But it does. Basically a cleaned up AD&D (actually more like the AD&D advertised in Holmes)
(http://www.swordsmen-and-sorcerers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/asshPM-e1360868519434-986x1024.jpg)
http://www.swordsmen-and-sorcerers.com/products
The only reason this seems to be getting hyped is the people behind it (ex WOTC people) and it's for Pathfinder
Quote from: Rincewind1;674749More like Conan meets Tentacles. Conan stories already feature "Cthulhu" pretty strong, and no surprise, considering the literary culture of "Lovecraft Circle".
Yeah, Robert E. Howard pretty much placed Conan slap-bang in the Mythos.
Check out this discussion of Swords & Cthulhu: World of Zhulthoom
http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=35113
I was in a playtest of this at PaizoCon. It had the sort of corrupt city-state feel you would expect for Conan-esque big cities (started as slaves in an arena), with a helping of lovecraft inspired dungeon dwellers. It also had an interesting set of "Bravery" rules to offset the unnatural fear caused by the monsters.
It seems a lot of games are trying to do this. That said, Sasquatch Studios is made up of some ex-TSR folk (including Rich Baker), and you can easily tell this is going to be a quality product worth having.
Though not in any way unique, this might be a cool S&S setting, but I don't find any of those systems very appealing nor appropriate. There's mention of a conversion document for CoC 7E by Sixtystone Press being added in pdf. Making CoC the default system would make this much more interesting, IMHO.
Oh well, the KS might not get funded anyway.
Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea.
Also, AS&SH is nominated for the ennies as best game, best production values and best product of the year.
http://ennie-awards.com/vote
When you say Conan you've already met Cthulhu, because the Mythos is all over the place in Howard's stories.
It's been done in Conan D20.
It's been done in DCC, particularly Tales of the Fallen Empire.
It's been done in AS&SH.
Because the k00l kids like one of the games it's being written for, undoubtedly this will be the brilliant thing no one's ever thought of.
Really there's no need for someone to do an OSR version, because as awfulpurple will tell us, 13th Age is OSR, but better then all that actual OSR stuff they hate.
Quote from: CRKrueger;675049When you say Conan you've already met Cthulhu, because the Mythos is all over the place in Howard's stories.
It's been done in Conan D20.
It's been done in DCC, particularly Tales of the Fallen Empire.
It's been done in AS&SH.
Because the k00l kids like one of the games it's being written for, undoubtedly this will be the brilliant thing no one's ever thought of.
Really there's no need for someone to do an OSR version, because as awfulpurple will tell us, 13th Age is OSR, but better then all that actual OSR stuff they hate.
I know, right? Admittedly, I should probably be giving this shit to the guy who wrote that post rather than creators of the game, for not knowing his REH. But well, it may be a fun Another S&S setting, who knows? As I said it's just a bit of a silly call, seeing how Cthulhu DOES meet Conan from the start.
I may finally give AS&S a try - after all this one's going to work for D&D as well, I may as well see how it works for those editions of D&D that don't cause me spasms to create an NPC from scratch.
TBH, looking at the monster art on the site, it looks more 'Conan meets D&D'.
Quote from: HombreLoboDomesticado;674924Though not in any way unique, this might be a cool S&S setting, but I don't find any of those systems very appealing nor appropriate. There's mention of a conversion document for CoC 7E by Sixtystone Press being added in pdf. Making CoC the default system would make this much more interesting, IMHO.
Oh well, the KS might not get funded anyway.
Yeah, I'm currently backing the KS because the setting sounds fun and the art is good, but I honestly don't really want the rules for
any of the core three options.
I was going to remark, as others have, that Conan already = S&S + Cthulhu Mythos, but I figured most people already knew that. Come to think of it, what would be really cool IMHO is Chaosium, or any decent CoC licensee, picking up the Conan license and doing a BRP Conan game. That way you could effortlessly mix in all your CoC material. Probably not going to happen, though.
Quote from: HombreLoboDomesticado;675479I was going to remark, as others have, that Conan already = S&S + Cthulhu Mythos, but I figured most people already knew that. Come to think of it, what would be really cool IMHO is Chaosium, or any decent CoC licensee, picking up the Conan license and doing a BRP Conan game. That way you could effortlessly mix in all your CoC material. Probably not going to happen, though.
The closest we got to getting a BRP Conan was when Mongoose planned a RuneQuest version of Conan. I don't know if there will be another chance.
I'm not sure BRP is a good fit for Conan. I'm not sure any rules system can fit Conan (since like a lot of literature, he can do anything the author wants, be strong enough to kill two frost giants at an early age, then be relatively feeble at times when plots call for it).
But overall, Howard was more of an adventure writer, his heroes almost always won against the supernatural or superior numbers. BPR works for Lovecraft, whose heroes often prevail, but only barely, or are just witnesses.
Good idea hobbled by the commitment to three different systems.
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Interesting that it's supposed to be compatible with CoC, given how radically different CoC is from Pathfinder and 4e D&D (no idea about 13th Age). I have no idea how one could create a setting that would work equally well for both CoC and 3.5/PF/4e.
Also worth noting that Thule is a nation during the REH's 'Thurian' Age (the setting for REH's "Kull" stories).
I think DCC would be a strong contender for the title description, too.
RPGPundit
They've had a late surge, and it looks like they're less than $3k from their goal with about 26 hours left. They'll fund.
Good for them!