I kind of stopped paying attention to Modiphius' Conan after the KS. However, all but one of the chapters of the rulebook has now been released to the KS Backers. The last chapter released was the Gazetteer and it clocks in at 66 pages and gives a good indication of what to expect from the upcoming Conan the XX books.
I guess given the Conan scholars involved its not surprising that the setting lore would be good, but I also found the presentation to be great. I have really struggled with Conan RPGs in the past as they tend to present the setting in a dry way and lacking real detail. Other than the lore itself, the Modiphius Gazetteer adds some interesting elements, sich as:
- Prof John Kirowan, a modern scholar (and easter egg), looking back at the Hyborian Age as an antediluvian prehistory. This is a light touch but real adds a level of realism that is integral to Conan.
- Quotes, letters, and other IC materials from characters in the setting (who appear in the Conan stories). These is also used to give the Gazetteer an almost Howard like voice in its description at the start of each region.
- Information on campaign type that coincides with the region. The Argos and Zingara chapter has details of piracy, ship crews, sea trading etc. I also liked how each region started with a focus area, like Zamora in the "Thief" region of Zamora, Corinthia and Brythunia. The whole region is covered but the information seems presented in a way to support actual play.
- The material presented focusses on the REH stories, though there is afair amount of material added to connect and embellish that material beyond the single lense of Conan and his adventures.
It will be interested to see if they keep this up with the forthcoming books. My initial strong negative reaction to the Doom Pool has been somewhat tempered by a postive reaction to the mechanics for culture, sorcery and the bestiary, as well as the way talents were bundled up by Skill. But the Gazetteer may actually see this as doing for Conan, what TOR does for Lord of the Rings.
I blew a wad on the KS and am psyched! A lifetime REH fan and long time player of the old d20 Conan. Cannot wait!
I have doubts about the system TBH, especially the Doom Pool. And I have concerns about Modiphius's approach to KS in funding and producing so many books in such a short time. But to their credit, the rulebook, especially the setting lore, has turned out very well. If the series is completed in similar fashion, then it should be good.
So much so, it has me revisiting the system. I posted about removing the unnecessary damage dice for static damage in another thread. Also, I am pretty sure that the Doom Pool can be turned into a pure NPC Momentum pool, which is much less of an issue for me. The system otherwise is looking good. Sorcery and talents particularly impressed.
Gotta say I'm thrilled with the chunk of books coming out rather than the trickle you have to wait through for some projects. I'm a little iffy on the doom mechanic too, having played the preview a bit, but I'll reserve judgement for a while.
It might have been pointed out by someone here, but if you remove spending Doom for complications and environmental effects, it effectively becomes NPC Momentum with added simplified NPC resource management. The adversarial aspect is less than I originally expected and this change would set player expectations to something more usual too.
Definitely happy with how they've been releasing chapters for review. Way more transparency then, say, Monolith's very late Conan boardgame. Grr...
I'm not sold - or even familiar - with the 2d20 system, but the PDF Master still too good a deal to pass up, given that I'd want to read them just as reference no matter what system I use.
The bonus "Oh, and you get everything Mongoose ever did, just for lulz" was pretty nifty, too.
The Mongoose bundle made the thing a no brainer. I did a playtest, it's posted here, I think removing the buying aspect and just running with straight momentum would eliminate the narrative logic. Of course, you need to hack the system because restricting some PC actions and NPC actions to just momentum won't make sense.
I am OK with the Doom Pool for NPC momentum and resource management. As you know, I am cool with narrative elements for rules, just not ones that put the GM into an adversial role. As such, its only when the resource becomes necessary for the GM to do stuff that the GM should be able to do regardless, like adding complications and environmental effects, that I struggle.
The amount of Mongoose material is good, but I found the setting lore to be poorly presented for the most part. Modiphius seems a significant improvement in this regard.
Oh and it was your playtest post, that kept me in at a PDF level when I was otherwise out, CRK. That may have been a costly move for me as I am now considering print books :)
Quote from: darthfozzywig;921519Definitely happy with how they've been releasing chapters for review. Way more transparency then, say, Monolith's very late Conan boardgame. Grr...
Not to derail the thread, but I think Monolith has been great including in terms of transparency. They owned up early in terms of the release of funds and set and stuck with the current date for almost a year now. I guess its a matter of what you take away, and expect from, the updates.
Getting back to the lore, the sidebar on the Black Circle's tower is a good example of a piece that is informative, atmospheric, and inspiring:
QuoteFORTRESS OF THE BLACK CIRCLE
The mighty, snow-covered Himelian Mountains loom large in the midst of all the Eastern nations. They look down menacingly upon the foothill nations of Ghulistan and Kosala like ever-present granite denizens, standing in god-like judgement and permanence. Even from the depths of steaming Vendhyan forests and Khitan jungles, the white wall of Himelian majesty peaks through the canopies like a distant beacon. All Eastern peoples know and respect the "roof of the world" so high above the earth, a permanent barrier once thrust up from the Earth by the titanic continental convulsions that ripped the world asunder. They've buried a multitude of foolhardy travelers and endless secrets beneath tons of snow and ice, while shrouding mysterious magics behind veils of mist and blinding brightness. The mountain fortress of the Black Circle on Mount Yimsha fills folk with wonder and dread across the rest of the continent.
Apprentice sorcerers spend a lifetime of lifetimes in Ghulistan, on Mount Yimsha where the Black Seers sculpt their minds again and again until the original person is entirely lost: gone is the fellow who so carelessly petitioned to learn their ancient craft! Cut off in their fortress though these students are, they come to know the surrounding hill country well, wandering among its hardened peoples during pilgrimages and meditations, testing their new teachings upon them from time to time. The Master of Yimsha encourages this, so long as it is done carefully and not cruelly.
It must take a particular character of the mind or peculiarity of the consciousness to adapt to the Master of Yimsha's mastery of the universe. For that is what the Black Seers possess, a union with the primordial forces that bind the fabric of creation together and yet separate the realms of humanity and the Outer Dark. The Black Seers sense the pulse of all magic, or so it is said, and are able to twist reality — even wring it out completely at times — to pull forth the energies that fuel their ancient craft.
Jealous competitors, many of whom covet inclusion in the Black Circle but whose requests have fallen upon deaf ears, suggest that what the Seers do is not actually magic in the strictest sense, but something altogether unique and different, nothing like the spells they cast or potions they concoct. If there are two orders of sorcerous endeavor, then the Black Seers seem to be of the higher one.
Once fully initiated by its bone-chilling rituals of body and soul, the dark-robed denizens of the high plateau fortress seldom leave it. Just on occasion do they appear in the nearby villages and cities seeking recruits or send ambassadors to lofty capitals and courts, though why beings with mastery of unnatural passage should choose to walk on sandaled feet is anyone's guess. What they desire, they acquire, and what they need to know, they discover. For a hundred miles in any direction the very air crackles with their omnipresent sorcery, as witnessed by the hedge mages who complain bitterly that within their realm they leave only scraps of knowledge unused!
For all their supposed order and enormous powers, the Black Seers' means to perpetuate their order appear as varied as the mountainous peaks that surround them. Fledgling wizards have done no more than pound a fist against their massive gates to gain entrance and inclusion, while aged court mages have labored a lifetime and expired while all their royally-endorsed petitions to the Black Circle have gone completely unnoticed. Seers have appeared before travelers upon the roads or in the homes of peasants and noblemen, extending their hand and an offer of apprenticeship. Where now is the child who disappeared mysteriously from its crib in the night? Might the Black Seers have peered into its infant mind and found something there they desired?
It's very evocative, but, not necessarily anything we didn't already know. It seems like the purpose is to put forth a comprehensive view of the Hyborian Age, compiled from both original sources (the published works) as well as other sources GMs may not have, (letters and such).
However, the one thing I still am fairly certain we will not see from the Modiphius crew is the type of informed speculative extrapolations that would actually help in the day to day running of the campaign.
For example, we know Aquilonia is heavily feudal, with the various Dukes and Barons holding an immense amount of forested land as their desmense, meaning farming and economic resource expansion had to come through gaining territory. We also know that King Conan began a process of taking away some of this land, and opening it up to settlements.
What we don't know, really at all, are the names of the various Dukes or Barons (other than a couple names) and aside from a couple of key areas, and a couple of extremely sketchy maps, we really know nothing of the interior design of Aquilonia. Not even anything as simple as this:
Spoiler
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/b9/7b/04/b97b04700d842ed0ab18511646b6227a.jpg)
Whenever this topic is broached, the people at Modiphius invariably respond saying that they don't want to get to the detail level of "the annual grain output of Aquilonia" which is frankly, quite a disingenuous reply, as anyone making games should know there is a difference in detail between annual grain output and the most basic facts about a country a GM can take and run with.
In Mongoose's run, Vincent Darlage made a decision some found controversial, and decided to add information from the Pastiche writers, in an effort to provide more "official" detail, and then he did what any good game designer HAS to do, he made shit up to fill in the blanks. Now, being a Howard scholar himself, the shit he made up was perhaps more informed that what others might do, but it wasn't Howard.
As Mike Pondsmith says in that article linked in another thread, if you're taking a literary setting and turning it into a game, you have to extrapolate and fill in the blanks. Paraphrasing him "No one thinks about where the bathrooms are in Star Wars until a PC wants to hide in a bathroom."
Everything I've seen and heard from Modiphius leads me to believe they are going to deliver micro-details, useful for the running of a specific adventure (and as such could be probably used in different places/times) and not attempt to build a RPG world out of Howard's literary one.
Its a difficult line to tread.
I found the Modiphius information useful from an RPG perspective as it did add material that turned the setting lore into more useful lore for the table. This was mostly by linking material together and by expanding behind what is seen in the REH stories. A good example of this was the detail in the Mercenary, Pirate and Brigand chapters about how such groups operate.
Quote from: Skywalker;921336It will be interested to see if they keep this up with the forthcoming books.
That's our goal.
Quote from: Skywalker;921408And I have concerns about Modiphius's approach to KS in funding and producing so many books in such a short time.
Believe me, there are days when I wish we were doing it more sequential than in a big burst. It is like a cook trying to deal with a stove-top with four burners going, while you're also trying to handle prep and plating for other meals.
Quote from: CRKrueger;921758However, the one thing I still am fairly certain we will not see from the Modiphius crew is the type of informed speculative extrapolations that would actually help in the day to day running of the campaign.
...
Everything I've seen and heard from Modiphius leads me to believe they are going to deliver micro-details, useful for the running of a specific adventure (and as such could be probably used in different places/times) and not attempt to build a RPG world out of Howard's literary one.
That's news to me, and I can pass that along to the writing team.
While I will admit that I'm not fond if the "Messantia has 13,782 residents" and "Brythunia's economy is bolstered by agriculture such as wheat, rye, potatoes, and beets" style of presenting background information, the material we are producing introduces new characters, new location names, and extrapolates profoundly on the canon. The sections on the different ways of life (barbarian, thief, mercenary, pirate, brigand, scout, and king) go into some detail to describe
exactly how the day-to-day running of a campaign would work from the players' and the gamemasters' perspectives.
For example, few months ago while working on
Nameless Cults, I turned in roughly 2000 words on the cult of Mitra, including the Mysteries and how one progresses within them, which is considerably more than REH wrote about the deity. The core rulebook encounters chapter includes monsters and creatures never appearing in the stories. The gazetteer alone was full of original content.
Additionally, I get frequent emails from the REH scholars saying "is this name new or from pastiche?" and the answer is always "new" (except for one instance where it was inadvertently matching something in pastiche, which happens).
Quote from: Jason D;921830While I will admit that I'm not fond if the "Messantia has 13,782 residents" and "Brythunia's economy is bolstered by agriculture such as wheat, rye, potatoes, and beets" style of presenting background information
Here's exactly what I'm talking about Jason. Please tell me you are not seriously suggesting that this type of detail is the same level of detail as breaking Aquilonia down into something as simplistic as Northumberland, Wessex, Mercia, etc...
Not the personal households of every Baron and their income.
Not the statistics for their mistresses.
Not the 12 types of trees in Aquilonia and their relative worths by plank length.
Not Harnmanor: Aquilonia Edition.
But simply..."You know those Baronies that so much of politics and conflict in Aquilonia is based around? Here's a list of them and where they are."
You know, something other than a country at least the size of France described with an outline, two rivers and an eastern border of mountains...and that's it.
Edit: Heck, Howard's own typewriter tells us that Conan was responsible for selling the ill-gotten gains of the Tigress. He was captain of several pirate ships on the ocean and Vilayet and was a leader of Kozaks as well as Afghulis, as well as a general, captain of the guards, and ran his own mercenary company before becoming King...and then was King...all within the primary texts of Howard's books.
If you ignore giving enough Hyborian detail to actually deal with politics, economics, at multiple scales, then it's basically a "Conan game where you stop before either Conan or the PCs can attain the goals Conan did."
Quote from: Skywalker;921408I have doubts about the system TBH, especially the Doom Pool.
You could always run it in GURPS Conan, or your favorite Conan (or not) game system, no?
Quote from: Skarg;921865You could always run it in GURPS Conan, or your favorite Conan (or not) game system, no?
Totally. However, from the more I read of 2d20 Conan the more I willing to give it a try first. Not all doubts bear out in play at the table, and some are easily avoided. The Doom Pool is looking like only a small piece of the puzzle.
And if it doesn't work, I can always go back to Atlantis, as you say.
Quote from: Jason D;921830That's our goal.
Great. As said, I really enjoyed the Gazetteer chapter and its mix of information and inspiration. I am in for the full line now, so I am interested to see how it goes.
Quote from: Jason D;921830That's our goal.
Great. As said, I really enjoyed the Gazetteer chapter and its mix of information and inspiration. I am in for the full line now, so I am interested to see how it goes.
Quote from: Skarg;921865You could always run it in GURPS Conan, or your favorite Conan (or not) game system, no?
I've not been a fan of what I've seen of the 2d20 system, so I'll probably see how well the books work as setting information and then tweak Beasts and Barbarians a little to make it fit. B&B already does Conanesque swords and sorcery extremely well so it likely won't take much work.
Quote from: CRKrueger;921852Here's exactly what I'm talking about Jason. Please tell me you are not seriously suggesting that this type of detail is the same level of detail as breaking Aquilonia down into something as simplistic as Northumberland, Wessex, Mercia, etc...
I don't know what else to tell you.
We said we're going to be producing new background material based on REH's work, extrapolating from the stories (including non-Conan stories), inspired by history and REH's own inspirations.
We have released material in the form of the gazetteer that is clearly original material. You mention the stuff REH wrote about the how-tos of Conan's pirate and bandit careers, and the Gazetteer (and so-to-be-released Gamemaster chapter) describe at a high level how those function in a game setting. Additionally, we're doing entire sourcebooks devoted to a few regions and the mode of play that those regions are best suited for.
I have posted above that the REH canon-checkers are constantly pinging me asking if we're inadvertently using pastiche in our content.
Did you imagine that the gazetteer section of 112-page
Conan the Barbarian book I'm writing will only be describing the field of Wolraven?
GM Chapter is up and it seems useful for a GM of a Conan RPG. I thought the advice on running and creating adventures was top-notch.
The Carousing Phase is interesting, and is similar to the Fellowship Phase in TOR. I expect it will be a very useful tool given the episodic nature of Conan stories. I expect it will raise also the hackles here, with its suggestion of players led narrative :)
I think I can pretty clearly remove Complications, Reinforcements and Environmental Effects from Doom Pool expenditure to solve my main issues with the mechanic. The later two IMO fall clearly within the GM purview and shouldn't be limited by resource expenditure. Oddly, the one thing I would like to see added to the Doom Pool wasn't there, that of allowing antagonists to run away. Then again, its always very hard to pitch that right.
Do you need to be a backer to see the preview material?
Quote from: Warboss Squee;922365Do you need to be a backer to see the preview material?
Yes. Or a person who has ordered via Modiphius's webstore.
Quote from: Skywalker;922368Yes. Or a person who has ordered via Modiphius's webstore.
Well bugger. Hate buying books sight unseen, but I suppose that's a sign of the times, since none of the book stores in my town carry any.
Quote from: Warboss Squee;922371Well bugger. Hate buying books sight unseen, but I suppose that's a sign of the times, since none of the book stores in my town carry any.
There is a free quickstart that is pretty chunky: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/174829/Robert-E-Howards-CONAN-Roleplaying-Game-Quickstart
Quote from: Skywalker;921336I kind of stopped paying attention to Modiphius' Conan after the KS. However, all but one of the chapters of the rulebook has now been released to the KS Backers. The last chapter released was the Gazetteer and it clocks in at 66 pages and gives a good indication of what to expect from the upcoming Conan the XX books.
I guess given the Conan scholars involved its not surprising that the setting lore would be good, but I also found the presentation to be great. I have really struggled with Conan RPGs in the past as they tend to present the setting in a dry way and lacking real detail. Other than the lore itself, the Modiphius Gazetteer adds some interesting elements, sich as:
- Prof John Kirowan, a modern scholar (and easter egg), looking back at the Hyborian Age as an antediluvian prehistory. This is a light touch but real adds a level of realism that is integral to Conan.
- Quotes, letters, and other IC materials from characters in the setting (who appear in the Conan stories). These is also used to give the Gazetteer an almost Howard like voice in its description at the start of each region.
- Information on campaign type that coincides with the region. The Argos and Zingara chapter has details of piracy, ship crews, sea trading etc. I also liked how each region started with a focus area, like Zamora in the "Thief" region of Zamora, Corinthia and Brythunia. The whole region is covered but the information seems presented in a way to support actual play.
- The material presented focusses on the REH stories, though there is afair amount of material added to connect and embellish that material beyond the single lense of Conan and his adventures.
It will be interested to see if they keep this up with the forthcoming books. My initial strong negative reaction to the Doom Pool has been somewhat tempered by a postive reaction to the mechanics for culture, sorcery and the bestiary, as well as the way talents were bundled up by Skill. But the Gazetteer may actually see this as doing for Conan, what TOR does for Lord of the Rings.
Modiphius generally tends to do good work in this sort of thing.
Quote from: Jason D;921999We said we're going to be producing new background material based on REH's work, extrapolating from the stories (including non-Conan stories), inspired by history and REH's own inspirations.
Well, I admit when I'm wrong (or at least when I think I'm wrong), so let me say it, I was wrong.
Delving into the Gazetteer chapter (I had to dig up the link in my email archive), I was impressed. Some entries, sure, aren't all that more detailed than things that have come before, but I note a distinct lack of pastiche. So in other words, they take no one else's word but Howard, and then based on what additional information they can dig up from letters, personal knowledge of Howard's library and reading habits, etc, they come up with a new interpretation, hopefully a little more like what Howard might have done than a lot of the pastiche writers. I do see obvious brand new content, that will presumably get expounded upon in the various regional books.
I also think it's clever to give the Gazetteer entries a framing device of entries from The Nemedian Chronicles, as they are referenced in a Mythos book, Unaussprechlichen Kulten, which was itself a Howard invention.
So, with a Gazetteer this detailed, there's really no way to focus on specific country entries in other books without delving into new detail. In some cases everything Howard wrote about an area is already here.
The system, well it is what it is, and does what it does, you either use it or don't. But as far as the Gazetteer goes, so far you guys are doing good work. So, I was full of shit up to my eyebrows and I offer Jason an apology. It's good stuff.
Quote from: CRKrueger;926730Delving into the Gazetteer chapter (I had to dig up the link in my email archive), I was impressed. Some entries, sure, aren't all that more detailed than things that have come before, but I note a distinct lack of pastiche. So in other words, they take no one else's word but Howard, and then based on what additional information they can dig up from letters, personal knowledge of Howard's library and reading habits, etc, they come up with a new interpretation, hopefully a little more like what Howard might have done than a lot of the pastiche writers. I do see obvious brand new content, that will presumably get expounded upon in the various regional books.
Is the game worth picking up for the gazetteer alone?
Quote from: The Butcher;926745Is the game worth picking up for the gazetteer alone?
Hmm. It's currently 66 pages of setting material based only on original works, fragments and synopses, not counting stuff in other chapters like Character Creation and Magic. If you were going to run a Conan campaign, I'd say it wouldn't be a bad purchase as a research pdf even if you knew you were never using the system.
When I see this thread title I picture a gamer lying back on a couch, lava lamp in the background, piles of books and cheetos around, with half-closed eyelids, proclaiming "dude. that's some GOOD LORE".
Quote from: Jason D;921830Believe me, there are days when I wish we were doing it more sequential than in a big burst. It is like a cook trying to deal with a stove-top with four burners going, while you're also trying to handle prep and plating for other meals.
Then why do things like that?
Seriously, I've seen a number of Kickstarters now with strech goals which should really be Kickstarter projects in themselves, and I don't think these massive campaigns are good for anyone.
Quote from: CRKrueger;926730So, with a Gazetteer this detailed, there's really no way to focus on specific country entries in other books without delving into new detail. In some cases everything Howard wrote about an area is already here.
Which is what concerned me about the latter books and ultimately led to me cancelling my pledge. Because it's somewhat dishonest to claim stripping out 'pastiche' make things more authentic to R.E.H.'s vision when you're engaged in creating your own.
Quote from: Anon Adderlan;926986Which is what concerned me about the latter books and ultimately led to me cancelling my pledge. Because it's somewhat dishonest to claim stripping out 'pastiche' make things more authentic to R.E.H.'s vision when you're engaged in creating your own.
Well, the thing is, Howard wrote very little about a whole lot of the Hyborian Age before he killed himself. If you want to run a campaign with Hyboria as a detailed setting, you have to make shit up. Now, what's the difference between the Pastiche writers making shit up, and Modiphius? Well first, the line editor, Jason is kind of a amateur Howard scholar himself, reading a lot of things like Amra Magazine, etc... and they have as consultants, two A-listers when it comes to Literary Criticism of REH, and some of the writers coming up with the plots and adventures aren't Modiphius staffers, but "Howard guys" like Vincent Darlage (mentioned below).
So, specific example...one of the pastiche writers decided to name some cities in Brythunia. Well, Brythunia exists roughly in the area where Poland is now, so...here's what Pastiche can get you as city names.
Charnina - Czarnina(Polish Duck Soup)
Kelbaza - Kielbasa(Polish Sausage)
Pirogia - Pierogi(Polish Dumplings)
Potrebia - The Trebbia river is one of the tributaries of the Po river.
etc..
When Vincent Darlage, another recognized name in Howard studies, wrote stuff for Mongoose Conan, he (probably due to Mongoose) started from the baseline of all Pastiche, even slapped together, ridiculous pastiche like the names above...and built from there. Marvel, TSR, GURPS, Mongoose, every Conan game up to now has given the pastiche sources the same authority as Howard himself.
Modiphius is rewinding everything back to Howard's published writings, unpublished writings, synopses, fragments, letters, and non-Conan stories for insights into his interests and beliefs about different people in history. They are building from that point, and then having everything signed off on by two different Howard scholars to make sure nothing really stupid goes in there.
It's like something about Middle Earth written by Christopher Tolkien vs. Homer Simpson.
Continued below...
Quote from: CRKrueger;926753Hmm. It's currently 66 pages of setting material based only on original works, fragments and synopses, not counting stuff in other chapters like Character Creation and Magic. If you were going to run a Conan campaign, I'd say it wouldn't be a bad purchase as a research pdf even if you knew you were never using the system.
I backed the PDF Master level just on that assumption: not sure if I'll use the system, but the material looks like it's worth reading on its own.
..so, you may be asking, if I am such a raving Modiphius fanboy, why am I always going aggro on them? Well, I do appreciate their stance with regards to the lore of the setting.
However, my concern was that they were focused more on "Playing in a Howard Book" than "Playing in a Howard World". The use of OOC mechanics to reinforce literary genre is evidence of this. If this is true, then what they write will be more focused on supporting an episodic, "short-story" based campaign, and the world details will be focused on what is in immediate range of the characters in tabletop detail, but very little to support a campaign that would be served with a good depth of larger-scale detail. Posts on forums talking about this has been nearly always responded to in a dismissive fashion with the phrase "annual grain output of Aquilonia" used by more than one person to depict the request for details to the setting to be a demand for a Harnmanor like economic simulation. However, a simple map of Aquilonia showing the rough placement of cities, rivers, mountains, baronies (ie. the places referred to in Howard's own books)is not Phoenix Command level of sim.
Now, having read this chapter, they do include, in some areas, exactly some of the kinds of details that I was worried that they would omit. Now granted, the Gazetteer chapter is, at this point, very light on maps, and most entries are basic overview of culture, people, etc...but you really would expect that to be light in a main book.
The fact that they did dig down in the main book, leaves me hope for the specific supplements, hence the apology.
I still have yet to see decent geographical mapping, however, although the adventure did have a well-drawn area map, even if he was abstract.
So the best part of Modiphius' Conan book is the part they cut and paste from REH's books?
Shocking.
Quote from: CRKrueger;927126It's like something about Middle Earth written by Christopher Tolkien vs. Homer Simpson.
Bart would have totally pwnd Sauron.
Quote from: CRKrueger;927129..so, you may be asking, if I am such a raving Modiphius fanboy, why am I always going aggro on them? Well, I do appreciate their stance with regards to the lore of the setting.
However, my concern was that they were focused more on "Playing in a Howard Book" than "Playing in a Howard World". The use of OOC mechanics to reinforce literary genre is evidence of this. If this is true, then what they write will be more focused on supporting an episodic, "short-story" based campaign, and the world details will be focused on what is in immediate range of the characters in tabletop detail, but very little to support a campaign that would be served with a good depth of larger-scale detail. Posts on forums talking about this has been nearly always responded to in a dismissive fashion with the phrase "annual grain output of Aquilonia" used by more than one person to depict the request for details to the setting to be a demand for a Harnmanor like economic simulation. However, a simple map of Aquilonia showing the rough placement of cities, rivers, mountains, baronies (ie. the places referred to in Howard's own books)is not Phoenix Command level of sim.
Now, having read this chapter, they do include, in some areas, exactly some of the kinds of details that I was worried that they would omit. Now granted, the Gazetteer chapter is, at this point, very light on maps, and most entries are basic overview of culture, people, etc...but you really would expect that to be light in a main book.
The fact that they did dig down in the main book, leaves me hope for the specific supplements, hence the apology.
I still have yet to see decent geographical mapping, however, although the adventure did have a well-drawn area map, even if he was abstract.
Your concerns as you have detailed is EXACTLY why I won't pick the Mophy Conan books. I don't want to recreate the short stories or novella, I want to recreate playing IN that world, and the mechanics, as you state (at least from what I read and tried in the Quickstart rules) fight me against that.
The thought that in Conan there's a city named after Pierogies is hilarious.
Quote from: CRKrueger;926730But as far as the Gazetteer goes, so far you guys are doing good work. So, I was full of shit up to my eyebrows and I offer Jason an apology. It's good stuff.
Thanks, man!
A compiled PDF of the core book is out for proofing by backers. It looks to be a solid book and reasonably pretty (art is sparse but consistently good).
Just skimming the compiled pdf and I can´t seem to find any chapter about religions/gods/demons/outer dark etc. Am I missing something?
Quote from: RPGPundit;928280The thought that in Conan there's a city named after Pierogies is hilarious.
Check out a map of Europe. There are places called Hamburg, Wien, Champagne, Cheddar, etc. It's more menu than map sometimes.
The final Jewelled Thrones of the Earth is out to backers and it's also good. One adventure is clear Red Nails homage and there are six others and a few pages of story seeds. The adventures seem good with none seeming to be a dud on a skim through. The look of the book is also good too, art has a consistent feel and in plentiful, as are the maps. The book also has 30 more pages than promised.
All in all, along with the rulebook, I am very pleased and pleasantly surprised. I am now looking forward to the next four books in Wave 1 even more.
The rulebook and Jewelled Thrones of the Earth go on sale in PDF on Tuesday.
Test product pages are up on Modiphius' site:
https://www.modiphius.net/collections/conan/products/robert-e-howards-conan-roleplaying-game-core-book-pdf
https://www.modiphius.net/collections/conan/products/robert-e-howard-s-conan-jeweled-thrones-of-the-earth-adventures
You can also see the cover of Jewelled Thrones of the Earth.
And this is now out on PDF from Modiphius. It will hit DTRPG tomorrow.
Preview of Conan the Thief is up. Looks pretty good. Nice balance between a sourcebook for the relevant Conan stories and a usable RPG sourcebook for the region and campaign type.
Missed out on backing this. What do the mongoose pdfs add that the new books don't?
They provide a complete RPG and supplements whilst we wait for the new books, including convertible adventure material.
Quote from: Skywalker;950688They provide a complete RPG and supplements whilst we wait for the new books, including convertible adventure material.
Disappointed I missed the opportunity then :(
The Players Guide PDF is now up for preview. Though mostly a repeat of those parts of the rulebook that are relevant to the player, it does have some great new art including the cover.
I have to say having a svelte 140 page hardcover book with all the character stuff (except sorcery) and rules for play is a great table resource. It really shows that 2d20 isn't all that intimidating mechanically.
As a break down:
- character creation - 40 pages
- skills and talents - 40 pages
- equipment - 20 pages
- rules - 10 pages
- action scenes - 10 pages
Quote from: Skywalker;951779The Players Guide PDF is now up for preview. Though mostly a repeat of those parts of the rulebook that are relevant to the player, it does have some great new art including the cover.
I have to say having a svelte 140 page hardcover book with all the character stuff (except sorcery) and rules for play is a great table resource. It really shows that 2d20 isn't all that intimidating mechanically.
As a break down:
- character creation - 40 pages
- skills and talents - 40 pages
- equipment - 20 pages
- rules - 10 pages
- action scenes - 10 pages
Nice cheap alternative to having to buy multiple full copies for character creation and quick reference.
Got to say picked the books up on the basis of this thread and glad I did, only flicked through so far but they look and read great. Won't unfortunately be running any time soon but will keep looking forward to new releases.
The Quickstart has now been updated as well. Its pretty much the same as before, but tidied up with the changes that happened through the process of finalising the corebook.
Quote from: HorusArisen;951857Nice cheap alternative to having to buy multiple full copies for character creation and quick reference.
It is actually better than I hoped. It really helps strip back the massive rulebook and shows that the base system is pretty trim.
Quote from: Skywalker;951938The Quickstart has now been updated as well. Its pretty much the same as before, but tidied up with the changes that happened through the process of finalising the corebook.
It is actually better than I hoped. It really helps strip back the massive rulebook and shows that the base system is pretty trim.
What's your experience of the system?
Won't be running this next but curious how it plays. May run a Kull game when that comes out.
Quote from: HorusArisen;952258What's your experience of the system?
Won't be running this next but curious how it plays. May run a Kull game when that comes out.
I did a playtest here (http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?34079-Playtest-Conan-2d20-To-Race-the-Thunder&highlight=thunder) if you want to see.
Quote from: CRKrueger;952260I did a playtest here (http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?34079-Playtest-Conan-2d20-To-Race-the-Thunder&highlight=thunder) if you want to see.
Thanks reading now :)
Going to have to read again after I've had a deeper look at the book but thanks :D
Quote from: CRKrueger;952260I did a playtest here (http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?34079-Playtest-Conan-2d20-To-Race-the-Thunder&highlight=thunder) if you want to see.
That was what made me give the system a second look after I was sold off it.
Have you had a chance to compare to the complete book to the QuickStart ?
Overall a great review and the entire thread was helpful, I'm definitely picking this game line up even if just as a resource for ideas
Quote from: HorusArisen;952401Have you had a chance to compare to the complete book to the QuickStart ?
In what way? The Quickstart was updated last week to bring it in line with the corebook. They have also added some explanatory text that makes the more difficult concepts a little clear.
The adventure is not the best, but the ones in Jewelled Thrones of the Earth and the corebook are better, including one set in the Pictish Wilds.
Overall a great review and the entire thread was helpful, I'm definitely picking this game line up even if just as a resource for ideas[/QUOTE]
Quote from: Skywalker;952449In what way? The Quickstart was updated last week to bring it in line with the corebook. They have also added some explanatory text that makes the more difficult concepts a little clear.
The adventure is not the best, but the ones in Jewelled Thrones of the Earth and the corebook are better, including one set in the Pictish Wilds
That answers my question really, I looked at the QuickStart when it came out and wondered if it differed at all.
I have Jewelled Thrones of the Earth but won't run anything with this till after my planned Mythras game.
Where would you rank it as a game to run? Definitely, maybe or not at all?
I will definitely be running it. However, I haven't had enough table experience to say if it will be a regular. Regardless, the books have been a pleasure to read and good reference for Conan.
Last question I promise lol
I'm being lazy but what's out next for it and when?
http://www.modiphius.com/conan-rpg-product-line.html
Wave 1 should be all out in the next 3-6 months or so. Wave 2 should be within 12 months after that.
In other words, Rulebook, Players Guide, Jeweled Thrones of the Earth, Secrets of Skelos, Conan the Thief, Conan the Barbarian, and Conan the Mercenary are all due in the near future. Conan the Thief looks excellent from the preview and come in over 130 pages.
Quote from: Skywalker;952616http://www.modiphius.com/conan-rpg-product-line.html
Wave 1 should be all out in the next 3-6 months or so. Wave 2 should be within 12 months after that.
In other words, Rulebook, Players Guide, Jeweled Thrones of the Earth, Secrets of Skelos, Conan the Thief, Conan the Barbarian, and Conan the Mercenary are all due in the near future. Conan the Thief looks excellent from the preview and come in over 130 pages.
Looks like a great release line. Where's the thief preview?
Quote from: HorusArisen;952633Looks like a great release line. Where's the thief preview?
Are you a KS backer or purchaser of one of their KS bundles? If not, you will have to wait.
Its been released to KS backers first for editing and comments, as will the rest of the books. I would expect it be wrapped up in a few weeks and up for sale at DTRPG.
Ah no I hesitated too long. Still I'm patient and it gives me something to look forward to :D
Quote from: HorusArisen;952651Ah no I hesitated too long. Still I'm patient and it gives me something to look forward to :D
You can still get in on it, though its not cheap: https://www.modiphius.net/collections/conan/products/conan-kickstarter-300-pledge-hoard-of-yezdigerd
Quote from: Skywalker;952691You can still get in on it, though its not cheap: https://www.modiphius.net/collections/conan/products/conan-kickstarter-300-pledge-hoard-of-yezdigerd
Ouch :eek:
If they had a cheaper PDF alternative I'd go for it but I'm a travel light kinda fellow...premortgage I'd have probably just done it lol
At around 25 books, its actually a pretty good deal if you are prepared to pay the $, though they recently increased it by 33% due to Brexit's effect on the pound.
Quote from: HorusArisen;952701If they had a cheaper PDF alternative I'd go for it but I'm a travel light kinda fellow...premortgage I'd have probably just done it lol
https://www.modiphius.net/collections/conan/products/conan-kickstarter-40-pledge-pdf-master
Quote from: Skywalker;952714At around 25 books, its actually a pretty good deal if you are prepared to pay the $, though they recently increased it by 33% due to Brexit's effect on the pound.
https://www.modiphius.net/collections/conan/products/conan-kickstarter-40-pledge-pdf-master
Now that's definitely worth thinking about.
Will look at that again after work tonight.
Maps have been added to Conan the Thief. There is two regional maps and four city maps, all are of excellent quality. Focus is definitely on Zamora and Corinthia over Nemedia and Brythunia, which makes some sense though I am a big fan of Nemedia.
Players Guide is now available to the public: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/210025/Conan-Players-Guide.
It does not contain any material not in the corebook, but its a pretty awesome book for the players and much less intimidating that the full rulebook.
Man, I went full in on this project and have been regretting it, but now that I am firing up a new Hyborian Age campaign (different system of course), I am kind of looking forward to the inspirational material.
Just glancing over Pirate and a solid sourcebook, very impressed.