Conan will NOT be 4e'ed, folks. 4e is going to be nearly entirely different to any version of 3.x out there, Conan included. It'd be a complete rewrite from the ground up, and my guess is that's why Mongoose has plopped a big, honkin' Second Edition in our glorious laps. They undoubtedly got industry twitterings as to the direction Wizards was headed and decided to give us the best 3.x Conan there could be.
Now that's not to say that a 4e based Conan couldn't be produced ina few years time, but frankly all of the 4e stuff I've read over on the Wizards forums is a load of stink anyway. Seriously, the tid bits they've leaked will have to have HUGE reams of support and back-up rule to even MAKE SENSE. I've been at this RPG playin' hobby for thirty (count 'em kiddos; 3 and 0) years, and I was ambiguously dubious when 3.0 was looming on the horizon. I read the little 6 page pamphlet that Wizards released as a preview (basically, char-gen and combat in a real nut shell, but functional) and me and my buddies started rolling up characters right then and there, speculating and salivating over the "new D&D" we were all going to be blessed with soon.
Not so with 4e, folks. I've never read worse written rules. Seriously. This isn't just griping in the face of change, but rather total dissatisfaction with the product they're trying to sell me, in every aspect.
Characters will have 30 levels instead of 20. There are no skill ranks of points. Most feats are now Race or Class level-ups or Generics. All Combat targets either AC or Saves (like Dragon Breath targeting a charcter's REF save). It's basic game engine stuff that is being completely over-hauled. Not only is this major change happening for no apparent reason (it ain't broke, so don't fix it), but the changes made are poorly crafted.
What sort of poor craftsmanship, you ask? The elf race has been made a savage, woodland type elf only (?), and they ahve special elfy powers. The two they get to start (yes, only 2, die-hards!) is a re-roll on any missed combat roll because they are accuate folk, and the ability to afford a +1 Perception to all allies within 5 squares. First off, yes...5 squres. Apparenty there's no need to bother with pesky "feet" anymore. :roll: However, a basic game mechanic of a re-roll simply doesn't equate to "accuracy". It's just another opportunity to fail as much as it is to succeed; moreso if it's a tough hit anyway. Accuracy is achieved through bonuses in RPGs. The +1 Perception is a better clue to the skill set direction of 4e. A single "perception" instead of Listen, Search, Spot, what have you. Fine. But granting a +1 to everyone within 25 feet? Other people hear better when closer to the elf? The elf affords this to allies, but not to himself? What if there are multiple elves around; can my character end up with a +4 Perception in a party full of elves? It's called crappy writing, and Conan and Mongoose are beyond that, regardless of the flaws that 3.x has.
And this is a game due out in March.
Don't sweat it folks. Conan as it is now is here for a good, long time, as far as I'm concerned, and it looks like Mongoose has the same plans.
It's a two-edged, two-bladed sword, so to speak.
