Secrets of Skelos

[LilithsThrall]

What is the status of Secrets of Skelos? Was it released in March as planned?
We're probably going to start a new Conan game soon and I'm really hoping tht the new rules for Sorcerers make the class actually playable.

[MongooseMatt]

Going to print this coming week.

[LilithsThrall]

How long does it normally take for a book between going to print and being available for purchase?
Is it two or three weeks? Two or three months?

[MongooseMatt]

Softback books, it can be as little as two weeks. For hardbacks, you are looking closer to a month.

[Belkregos]

how about availability in the U.S.?

[MongooseMatt]

It is being printed in the US, so I would say availability there will be pretty good

[Harlock]

It is being printed in the US, so I would say availability there will be pretty good

Well that's been nearly a month and not one solitary single copy to be had here in canada. The few places I can get stuff from have tried special ordering it and all say its not available. Is it just very very late or do us Canadians count for nothing?

[LilithsThrall]

It is being printed in the US, so I would say availability there will be pretty good

Well that's been nearly a month and not one solitary single copy to be had here in canada. The few places I can get stuff from have tried special ordering it and all say its not available. Is it just very very late or do us Canadians count for nothing?

I'm in the US. My store didn't get a copy until yesterday. I believe Canada usually takes a little longer than the US. Considering the books are printed in the US, it wouldn't surprise me if you didn't get your book for another week or two.

[Harlock]

I've been looking for it for 8 months!! Would've been better if mongoose had a small run of the supplements to cover the gap. I was thrilled when I first found the game. But a wait of 8 months for what is core material based on how many times its referenced in the main rulebook is a bit too long a wait. Now I'm not one for buying every supplement for any rpg but when I do, I don't expect to spend more than half a year looking for it.

Note to Mongoose staff: please don't keep letting stuff go out of print for months, it doesn't inspire confidence.

[LilithsThrall]

I've been looking for it for 8 months!! Would've been better if mongoose had a small run of the supplements to cover the gap. I was thrilled when I first found the game. But a wait of 8 months for what is core material based on how many times its referenced in the main rulebook is a bit too long a wait. Now I'm not one for buying every supplement for any rpg but when I do, I don't expect to spend more than half a year looking for it.

Note to Mongoose staff: please don't keep letting stuff go out of print for months, it doesn't inspire confidence.

Secrets of Skelos didn't go out of print. Its new material.

[The King]

Secrets of Skelos didn't go out of print. Its new material.

You'd better say: it is a reprint (update) with new material.

[Vortigern]

Anyone know of a decent review of this item?

[The King]

2nd edition isn't released yet.

[Sedric the Hero]

of course it's been released now..and I'm expecting it in the mail within a week or so...and word on how much NEW content is in it?

[Hervé]

My review of Secrets of Skelos was among the lost posts. Fortunately for those interested I saved a copy on my computer. Here it is:

Hi you all ! I just have Secrets of Skelos right into my greedy hands. I haven’t read it yet but here’s a quick review of what you’ll find inside.
The book is 192 pages, B&W, softcover for $29.95. The bestiary was 175 pages hardback for the same price. Printings problems seem to be a bad memory from the past, as the book is perfectly bound and printed, as was the Bestiary. Colour is gone for good, though… Interior art is mostly BW reprint from the original book. There some new art, but nothing really outstanding, though the Quilliams cover is a masterpiece, as always.

I- INTRODUCTION (1 page)
It’s all in the title.

II- SORCERY (44 pages)
Reprints of spells from the original book, plus lots of new stuff, including sorcery styles (Fire Magic, Frost Magic, Hedge Magic, Serpent Magic). I have still to read the spells, but most names sound cool! Serpent magic looks particularly attractive.
There’s no Mongooseshift spell, though.
Here’s the spell list:

*Cosmic Sorcery
The Time Is Right
Beyond Time & Space
Horoscope
The Hour Of Your Birth, The Hour Of Your Death
Alignment Of The Heavenly Path
Make Gate
Dictate Fate
Nothing Is Immutable
The Star Are Right

*Counterspells
Blessing Of True Steel
Master Warding

*Curses
Doom Of Doll
Shrinking Doom
Invocation Of Xuthalla

*Divination
Soothsay
Projection

*Fire Magic
Heart Of Flames
Flame Burst
Boiling Blood
Flame Ward
Inferno Heat
Incinerating Gaze
Dance Of The Flames
Beguiling Smoke
Flame Of Agni
Ropes Of Fire
Candle Of Passion
Purifying Flames
Summon Elemental
Elemental Form

*Frost Magic
Fell Of Frost
Icy Flames
Chill Touch
Become Beast
Winds Of Madness
Shape Snow
Icy Slumber
Servants Of Ice
Spirit Of The Avalanche
Command Weather
Ride The Storm

*Hedge Magic
Blessings & Curses
Sign Against Evil
Cure-All
Blight
Blessing Of The Good God
Twisting Of Tongue And Eye
Send Dreams
Love Charm

*Hypnotism
Walk Unseen
Torment
Enslave
Swell
Illusion
Boundary
Dance Of Attali
Voice Of Power
Voice Of Power, Greater

*Immortality
Witch’s Vigour
Eternal Youth
Life Drain
Unnatural Strength
Vampire Transformation
Unholy Revitalisation
Glance Of Eternity

*Nature Magic
Become Beast
Control Magical Beast
Control Monstrous Humanoid
Bones Of Life
Fruit Of Air

*Necromancy
Legions Of The Dead
Essential Salts

*Oriental Magic
Harmony Of Earth And Sky
Harmony Of Mind And Body
Walk On Clouds

*Prestidigitation
Animate Swords
Animate Statue
Magic Builder
Shake Earth

*Serpent Magic
Blessing Of Yig
Unseen Serpents
Hypnotic Gaze
Animal Ally
Snakeshift
Slither
Dread Serpent
Shed The Skin
Call The Great Snake
Curse Of Yig
Hands Of Death
Curse Of Ten Thousands Serpents

*Summonings
Vomit Horror
Travel Beyond
Banish Outsider
Bind Demon
Form Demon

III-FEATS OF SORCERY (10 pages)
28 feats, old and new, including “Cult” feats.

IV-PERMANENT SORCERY (9 pages)
Most of this chapter seems to be a reprint of the original Skelos book, although I didn’t take time to compare.

V-SORCEROUS ITEMS (9 pages)
Same as above.

VI-UNUSUAL ITEMS (15 pages)
Including silver weapons, drugs and alchemical preparations, alchemical items. Here again, most of them are reprints.

VII-CREATURES OF SORCERY (18 pages)
No real new stuff here, for what I remember
Acheronians (Race)
Animated Objects
Child Of Jhebbal Sag
Iron Shadow
Sorcerous Mummy
Lord Of The Black Circle
Servitor Spirit
Slave Of The Ring
Khosatral Khel
Ollam-Onga
Thaug
Grey Devil
Salome

VIII-THINGS THAT SHOULD NOT BE (10 pages)
Create your own aberrations. The rules existed already, but I never even bother to read them, so I can’t tell what’s new or not.

IX- TOMES OF ANCIENT LORE (11 pages)
Rules for libraries and a list of famous sorcerous tomes. Most of them look familiar.

X-RIVALS AND FOES (15 pages)
2 pages of hints on how to build a Sorcerous villain and stats and background of the most famous sorcerers of the Hyborian Age. Some samples villains are included here, too (cultists, acolytes and necromancers).

XI-CULTS AND CONSPIRACIES (24 pages)
Rules for creating and handling cults, plus a description of various cults and arcane religion. The chapter ends with some new prestige classes (Lord of the Black Circle, Master of the Black Circle, Sorcerer of the Black Circle, Master of Death).

XII-GAME MASTERING SORCERY (21 pages)
Includes:
Dealing with demons, Rules of Sorcery revisited, expanded War of Souls, buying Magic Items, Sorcerous Characters, Codes of Honour, Sorcerers in your campaign, the all-sorcerer campaign, Other Worlds and some fun lists of magical ingredients, of weird things you’ll find on a sorceror shelf, of sorcerous mood-setters and sorcerous tricks.
This chapter looks promising, It’ll probably be my first read.

XIII-INDEX (2 pages)
Although the book is part reprint, its contents seem expanded enough to make it a worthwile addition to any Conan GM’s library.

[Spectator]

Thanks LT!

[Paladin]

Got mine last week from Exodus Road. Been too busy to do more than flip through it though.
http://www.exodus-road.com/xcart/home.php?cat=541

[Diabolus]

Evil - just read the review and even though I have Scrolls I must buy it....

[bradius]

Just got miine today. From what I've seen it looks like a great addition to the collection. However, it doesn't seem to totaly replace Scrolls of Skelos. There are no Lost Women in the Secrets of Skelos.

[The King]

There are no Lost Women in the Secrets of Skelos.

It is because they were found in the 1st edition. So they aren't lost anymore.