[CONAN] Same rules, different settings

[rabindranath72]

So I was thinking about using the d20 Conan rules for a different setting. The first that came to mind is based on the Bran Mak Morn tales, so it would be ancient Rome. A possible campaign could be the conquest of Britain, and the fights with the locals (Picts in particular.) I would take the races from the book and give them a more modern interpretation. Romans, as the dominant culture, would have the same stats as Hyborians. The Picts of Britain would use the Picts stats. Gauls mercenaries would have Nordheimer stats. These would be the available races for this campaign.
The most common classes would be Fighter, Barbarian, Borderer (as auxiliaries) and possibly Scholars (even spellcasters: Romans would mostly have Diviners, aka Aruspices.) Picts would instead have shamans, summoning all types of horrors from the primeval forests and lands.
From the point of view of equipment, I would exclude the Greatsword and all exotic bows. Full plate armour would be unavailable, but everything in the medium armour category should be more or less available. Anything else?

And what about other settings?

 

[Supplement Four]

I think the d20 Conan RPG rules would be useful for many warrior centric fantasy worlds. The Thurian Age at the time of Kull is a no brainer.

I think A Game of Thrones could be played using these rules. Thieves World would probably work well. Glen Cook's, The Black Company, would be a good match.

 

[Spectator]

I love the Norse/ Viking era (so slightly after your Romano-British era.
A fellow wrote up some fabulous House Rules:
http://forum.mongoosepublishing.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=23761&p=326684&hilit=norse#p326684

and some Runic Magic:
http://forum.mongoosepublishing.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=23284&p=326016&hilit=norse#p326016

I do like the Romano-British Concept and allowing the Picts to have some limited magic (probably no summoning, necromancy, Prestidigitation, and/or a few other higher level spells from Divination, Curses, nature magic, and Hypnotism (no Power word stun). I do like the Black Plague spell, scary enough and Cthulhu-esque enough to be credible.

The Romans could have Divination, Warding, and 1-2 other low level spells like entrance, and lesser ill fortune.

As for armor, Chain is as good as it gets.

Like the fellow said: ditch the greatsword and bardiche.

Racial Templates:
Romans use Hyborians
Picts use Picts (but have preferred class of Scholar and Barbarian).
Celts/ Gauls: Hyborians
Germanic Mercenaries: Use the Nordheimer template with Preferred class of Soldier and Barbarian

The tough part is incorporating women: in your "fantasy world" it is de riguer to have women running around and kicking a$$. I do like the Temptress class (ditch the sorcery, though).

 

[rabindranath72]

Nice Viking source, thanks! Though honestly I don't like to so massively house rule a game. I would probably steal the runes, or take material from RuneQuest Vikings (both the Chaosium and Mongoose versions.)

RE: the racial templates, Howard explicitly mentions the Gauls being of purely Aesir descent, so I would probably stick with the Nordheimer template. For Gaels, following Howard I would use the Cimmerian template.
RE: armour, there are examples of scaled armour (lorica squamata), and breastplates (though these would be more for decoration.) And the lorica hamata was close to a mail hauberk. So I would really exclude only plate mail, and possibly the armour combination; essentially anything above DR 6 would go.
RE: spells, I would keep the whole very in tone with the Bran Mak Morn tales, so magic would definitely be of the Cthulhoid-type.

 

[rabindranath72]

I obviously forgot about Nobles: they could easily represent the various Patricians and other aristocratic types.
I bought Cthulhu Invictus, but I have yet to read it. I think it will provide many interesting ideas.
Actually reading the Bran Mak Morn tales, it looks like they would be an excellent fit for a Call of Cthulhu game, too; what with the explicit references to the Mythos, e.g. R'lyeh, Dagon, the Nameless Gods (which in a previous edition of the Worms of the Earth manuscript was actually Cthulhu itself!)
Which again makes me think that a retooling of d20 Call of Cthulhu with d20 Conan elements might make for a good game, too.

Interesting note: Atla, the Were-Woman makes for a nice example of Spawn of Dagoth Hill 8)

 

[Spectator]

I thought Chthulu Invictus was a brilliant idea, the one big problem was that throwing dynamite or whipping out your Tommy-gun was not an option when you see ghouls advancing to your position.

I think I saw a funny sticker somewhere and it said (paraphrase)
You know you are playing Cthulu when your characters are afraid to read books and they invest all their skill points in Dodge and Sprint.

I have read invictus and it is too damned realistic, meaning, you die at the drop of the hat!

 

[rabindranath72]

I thought Chthulu Invictus was a brilliant idea, the one big problem was that throwing dynamite or whipping out your Tommy-gun was not an option when you see ghouls advancing to your position.

I think I saw a funny sticker somewhere and it said (paraphrase)
You know you are playing Cthulu when your characters are afraid to read books and they invest all their skill points in Dodge and Sprint.

I have read invictus and it is too damned realistic, meaning, you die at the drop of the hat!

That's interesting, I still haven't got a chance to read it (hopefully this week end!)
Do you think the material could be easily ported to d20 Conan in terms of rules to increase player survivability? Or lacking that, perhaps changing the rules somewhat? I have Mongoose RuneQuest II and Stormbringer 4e to mine for ideas, too.

Cheers,
Antonio

 

[Supplement Four]

IEncyclopedia Mythica

That's awesome! Thanks for posting!

You should post this in the GM Closet thread. I many GMs can find use in this site. Heck, I'm going to look at the Celtic stuff for supplementary material for my Cimmerian campaign.