While Howard presents demons and things that wander the outer dark, he's not as forthcoming with the deities of the Hyborian age. With every appearance of something godlike, he gives you some sort of "out' to argue that maybe it's not. The oracle said to place her kingdom in the hands of the first ...

Regardless of the "proof" of the American Indian influence on the Picts during the Hyborian Age, I am definitely not the only one who prefers the influence of the ancient Britian Picts rather than those from America. What exactly are you trying to say? That you prefer to pitch Hyborian Age Picts as...

Technically, there weren't any Picts in pre-roman Britain.

With Howard's Picts, the presence of animal totems, Native American style names and the absence of severed heads points strongly to Indians

But they are alchemical items

You say that as if its a fact. The OP is talking about sorcery from the books, and in the books they are described as magic, cast by a wizard (or wizards) the distinction between "Alchemy" and magic is an arbitrary one.

Except those aren't spells - they are alchemical items Neither are used by anyone else, ever. They look a lot like spells to me: with material components in the first case, and we have no idea how it was done in the second. If they were alchemical items, everyone would be using them! At the very le...

Anbd to a certain extain, "traditional" RPG direct damage spell don't fall into the Conan Universe. In all of REH books when sorcery was used it either fell into the Charm/Hypnosis, Summonning, Necromancy category. So dammage was always a secondary effect to the spell. Anbd to a certain extain, "tr...

I think its always good to actually quote a bit of Howard to ground debates like this: He cursed himself for his refusal of their offer, even while his stubborn manhood revolted at the thought, and he knew that were he taken forth and given another chance, his reply would be the same. He would not s...

I have some trouble with weapon speed rules: principally that they add complexity for little reward, and that they get the whole thing backwards. This version finesses the first problem very nicely! Kudos. It falls head first into the second. Anti-Kudos. When a weapon hits someone, two things determ...

I think you should be wary about introducing too many dice rolls into combat on a routine basis. You are alright with the ones that crop up when attack=defense because that will happen pretty rarely but if you are rolling a d6 for every attack to decide what the defence will be, for example, that wi...

For an idea of the epicness you are being invited to, go here and view the action!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nialldubh/ ... /lightbox/

The most simulationist game as opposed to "extremely complicated and even less realistic" (See Rolemaster) is Riddle of Steel. Caveat, I found it a bit TOO realistic for game continuity. I won't try to describe the system in a board post, but lets just say that those people who think Rolemaster or W...

Do you think its possible to flank a foe in one-on-one combat?

No, and the example you quote is a blatant exploit of the successive movment system, and a prime example of why d20 games abandoned facing.

I wouldn't get too focussed on how a weapon is used. Weapons are much more flexible objects than many roleplaying games seem to believe: as Niall syas, spear techniques already include use of the shaft and butt. That d8 damage does not necessarily mean you've stabbed someone with the tip, at any rat...

The main purpose of parry and dodge is to intorduce some weaknesses into a character. There are occasions when you can't dodge: confined spaces for example. there are occasions when you can't parry: missiles, large attacks for example. It allows people to use tactics that overcome the enemey's strng...

No. Its a slightly different take on Draconic lore, one fiddled with by the God Learners according to the EWF.

I can't see any Monks not needing meditation!

Traditionally celtic clans were pretty "socialistic" they did view the clan as a large family, so resources were spread around Mmm. Depends which Celts and when, but usually all surplus went to the clan chief or king and he decided who got it all. Craftsmen and warriors were maintained by him. Mind...

Conan is not a fool by any means, and by the later parts of his career he has learnt a lot. He can trace the Sign of Jhebbal Sag, who once ruled all animals. Maybe he learnt about the extinct animals from the same source.

But then, "Hyboria" as a name for land defines only a small cluster of kingdoms, Quite a large cluster of kingdoms, actually, and the dominant culture of the age at least in the west. And, since we have no idea what area the reference refers to, that could be the group of kingdoms they are talking ...

Hitpoints make no sense. The only way they make even handwavey sense is if you assume that they represent "Fate" or "Chi" or whatever makes heroes heroes. They don't represent actually taking physical damage. A way I have run it is to abolish the whole going to negative hit points, and rule that whe...