danielcoffin
Mongoose
so let's say i wanted to get into the conan rpg... what five books would you say i absolutely positively had to own?
daniel
daniel
conan rpg top five must-own books
- Thread starter danielcoffin
- Start date
1) Conan RPG - Atlantean edition
2) The Road of Kings
3) The Scrolls of Skelos
4) Across Thunder River
5) The Free Companies
I also really like Shadizar - City of Wickedness and Hyboria's Fiercest. Pirates Isles is okay but I haven't had any pirates in my group so I haven't used it much at all.
I say get them all - you will be happy with the material and quality of writing and presentation. 8)
2) The Road of Kings
3) The Scrolls of Skelos
4) Across Thunder River
5) The Free Companies
I also really like Shadizar - City of Wickedness and Hyboria's Fiercest. Pirates Isles is okay but I haven't had any pirates in my group so I haven't used it much at all.
I say get them all - you will be happy with the material and quality of writing and presentation. 8)
1)Conan RPG - Atllantean edition (though the pocket edition could work if you are really strapped for cash)
2)Road of Kings
3)Scrolls of Skelos
4)open slot
5)open slot
I really only feel that the first three are true must-haves regardless of what campaign you want to play. Road of Kings is one of the best gazeters/worldbooks I've read in a long time and I'll often say that it is a great book for anyone interested in the Hyborian age even if they aren't playing the game. And Scrolls of Skelos, besides being a darn fine product, really fills in a lot of the gaps in the magic system which is a bit bare-bones in the core rulebook.
The rest of the sourcebooks are the sort of thing that you will only need to pick up if you are playing a campaign with that sort of thing. The Free Companies and Pirate Isles are both great books but Free Companies isn't much use in a seafarring campaign...
Of course if Mongoose would ever just get around to publishing a bestiary there would only be one open slot instead of two. :?
Hope that helps.
2)Road of Kings
3)Scrolls of Skelos
4)open slot
5)open slot
I really only feel that the first three are true must-haves regardless of what campaign you want to play. Road of Kings is one of the best gazeters/worldbooks I've read in a long time and I'll often say that it is a great book for anyone interested in the Hyborian age even if they aren't playing the game. And Scrolls of Skelos, besides being a darn fine product, really fills in a lot of the gaps in the magic system which is a bit bare-bones in the core rulebook.
The rest of the sourcebooks are the sort of thing that you will only need to pick up if you are playing a campaign with that sort of thing. The Free Companies and Pirate Isles are both great books but Free Companies isn't much use in a seafarring campaign...
Of course if Mongoose would ever just get around to publishing a bestiary there would only be one open slot instead of two. :?
Hope that helps.
The King
Cosmic Mongoose
The core book and the roads of kings are of course essential. The rest depends on your games.
The scrolls of Skelos is a good book but I believe much of it could have been included in the rules book.
Pirate Isles is great because you have everything concerning sailing, the ships and the sea, whether you want to play on the coast or in the Vilayet Sea.
The scrolls of Skelos is a good book but I believe much of it could have been included in the rules book.
Pirate Isles is great because you have everything concerning sailing, the ships and the sea, whether you want to play on the coast or in the Vilayet Sea.
Vincent791
Mongoose
1) Conan RPG - Atlantean edition
2) The Road of Kings (I guess, still need to get it)
3)Aquilonia Flower of the West
4)Shadizar Box set
5)Depends of your campaign (Scrolls of Skelos, Across the Thunder...)
2) The Road of Kings (I guess, still need to get it)
3)Aquilonia Flower of the West
4)Shadizar Box set
5)Depends of your campaign (Scrolls of Skelos, Across the Thunder...)
I've put links to Mongoose's product description, wherever a book name shows up (in red):
1) Conan RPG - Atlantean edition (or Pocket Conan RPG if you're a player - it has everything but the essay explaining how the world came to be as it is in the game's age, GMing/campaign notes or creature stats for monsters, etc.)
2) The Road of Kings
3-5)Depends on your campaign
I believe that 1 & 2 are the only mandatory books you must have, and I buy everything Mongoose puts out!
For example, if you're a GM or playing a Scholar character, then you'd want to have Scrolls of Skelos. As GM I wasn't even going to use this book until one of my players got involved in some wierd sorceries. Likewise, I love Pirate Isles, think it was magnificently done, but my Saturday party has significantly avoided any bodies of water for some reason so it goes unused.
These books are magnificently written, but they deal with a specific part of the Hyborian world, one particular country, region or city:
Then there are books dealing with specific character classes and how to advance them/multiclass/build a campaign around them. For example, see my notes on Scrolls of Skelos and Pirate isles, above. Other books:
1) Conan RPG - Atlantean edition (or Pocket Conan RPG if you're a player - it has everything but the essay explaining how the world came to be as it is in the game's age, GMing/campaign notes or creature stats for monsters, etc.)
2) The Road of Kings
3-5)Depends on your campaign
I believe that 1 & 2 are the only mandatory books you must have, and I buy everything Mongoose puts out!
For example, if you're a GM or playing a Scholar character, then you'd want to have Scrolls of Skelos. As GM I wasn't even going to use this book until one of my players got involved in some wierd sorceries. Likewise, I love Pirate Isles, think it was magnificently done, but my Saturday party has significantly avoided any bodies of water for some reason so it goes unused.
These books are magnificently written, but they deal with a specific part of the Hyborian world, one particular country, region or city:
- Aquilonia: very detailed country book
- Across the Thunder: beautiful book about the westernmost parts of Aquilonia bordering the Pictish wilderness, adventures dealing with the Aquilonains and Picts. Think: Drums Along the Mohawk or Last of the Mohicans for setting and feel.
- Shadizar city box set
- Messantia city box set
- Tales of the Black Kingdom: The three scenarios in this book are designed to be run as a single campaign, but it is possible to include them as individual scenarios in a larger campaign in the Black Kingdoms.
- others forthcoming
Then there are books dealing with specific character classes and how to advance them/multiclass/build a campaign around them. For example, see my notes on Scrolls of Skelos and Pirate isles, above. Other books:
- Hyboria's Fiercest - Barbarians, Borderers and Nomads
- Hyboria's Finest - Nobles, Scholars and Soldiers
- Hyboria's Fallen - Pirates,Thieves and Temptresses
- The Free Companies: specifically book for mercenaries/army units in the game, how to make them, play them etc.
toothill man
Mongoose
so many to pick but off the top of my head would say
corebook
road of kings
tales from the black kingdom
tower of the elephant
thunder river
but am always changing my mind as their is not a dud among them :shock: 8)
corebook
road of kings
tales from the black kingdom
tower of the elephant
thunder river
but am always changing my mind as their is not a dud among them :shock: 8)
Ant
Mongoose
I agree... with Padre, not with argo.Padre said:argo said:
I disagree
Are there enough creatures in the REH canon - that aren't covered in the core rulebook - to fill a bestiary?
The better idea is to describe race/animal/monsters as appropriate within sourcebooks and scenarios. Say, snow trolls in a Hyperborea sourcebook.
If you go outside the REH canon... well, maybe you would have enough. But that wouldn't particularly interest me.
If you really need a greater diversity of non-REH creatures within your Conan campaign, there is no shortage of other d20 manuals, folios, collections, et al. Call of Cthulhu d20 would likely be the most appropriate...
Which ideas have been kicked around in the Where's Hyboria's Bestiary? thread!
Ciao,
Ant
Jumba
Mongoose
For myself, Padre and Ant, it doesn't really come down to having more creatures to choose from or more monsters to throw at the party. Its more me just wanting all of the creatures in one volume (along with normal creatures from the Hardback Atlantean Edition) so that I can leave my hadback edition at home and journey with my pocket book and a single creature book.
My need is just wanting to only carry around a few books, rather then a bunch of books with the information spread out between them. I may be in the minority. But that's my take on the matter.
Jumba
While I agree that I could care less about a book with hundreds of myriad monsters ala deedledee, I must admit that Jumba's last post makes sense (especially as I live in a city using mass transit, no car. To get to my game group I must switch between 2-5 subway lines and a ferry line; a 2-3-hour commute each way to go 12 miles each way). I've actually broken a hundred dollar briefcase I'd inherited because it was bursting at the seams with books and a binder of notes; I also had books in a duffel bag. It makes for an aweful commute. After that experience, I cut it down to 4 books (AE, ROK, HFiercest, SoS, and the GM screen & binder).
Ant
Mongoose
Jumba, Bregales, I take your points, but would you really need to take a bestiary to a gaming session? If you're running a game, couldn't you just make notes on a legal/A4 pad for all the "special" creatures you need for that adventure - far lighter than a book! - and rely on the core rulebook for any "random" encounters? Preparation can lighten the load!Bregales said:
Cordialement,
Ant
Jumba
Mongoose
Ant,
I agree with you that preparation is important. Again, my main wish for a Bestiary Book is so that I can leave my Atlantean hardcover safely at home and just carry my pocket book with me.
For the most part I actually do what you have lined out above. I make notes of any special creatures that I wish to feature that night. However, its nice to have the stats for mundane critters too when GM'ing. You never know when a camel or horse is going to be needed, or I may get an idea on the spot to throw wolves or hyenas at the party while they are traveling.
I guess I'm just real worried about keeping that 50 dollar Atlantean edition hardcover in good condition. Maybe I shouldn't be so anxious about that. Though, I have to confess, I really am.
Jumba
This is what I actually do; I type up a word document adventure ahead of time, or write in paper if I haven't prepared at least a day ahead of time. I write up whatever critters I'll be using in the regular format.Ant said:
I was agreeing with Jumba because there was one occasion where the adventure I had prepared had been voted down by the players ("Ah, we don't wanna do that, we wanna go here instead" and, thinking on my toes, I made a quick adjustment and introduced a couple of creatures I hadn't planned on using instead. Therefore, I think it could be handy, but not essential by any means. NOTE I never listed it in my top 5 books.
