Empires of the Hyborian age What happened to it???

[flatscan]

As far as suspension of disbelief, ducks are no worse than magic. It is just a matter of what pushes your personal button. For that matter, two weapon fighting is pretty silly. Sword and shield (or sword and board if you preffer) will win almost every time unless there is a big difference in skill level.

Yes, talking fucking ducks are far worse than magic. Tell fencers who use the Florentine style that they're being silly for using two weapons. :roll:

Sorry man, talking ducks is indefensible. There is no way that is cool. No way I'd want to play a game, read a book, watch a movie with talking ducks. Not even Howard the duck. As always, YMMV. :wink:

 

[zozotroll]

I fenced in collage, and against another fencer, sure florantine is cool. But againts my Roman aux cavalry shield, you are having a bad day. Of course, i am 50 now, and a younger guy can just jog circles around me until I can hold it up anymore, but thats different.

So talking ducks suck, how about talking cows? I always liked minotaurs myself. And rarely use ducks in my games. But I do plan on at least once attacking my current group with a pack of duck pirates.

I started to watch 300 with my wife. In less than 20 minutes she told me to shut up or stop watching. I know many loved it, but compared to the real story it was used dog food.

 

[flatscan]

I fenced in collage, and against another fencer, sure florantine is cool. But againts my Roman aux cavalry shield, you are having a bad day. Of course, i am 50 now, and a younger guy can just jog circles around me until I can hold it up anymore, but thats different.

Well, cool. But I'm not proposing a sword & sorcery game should reflect our reality. I'm not a fencer though my girlfriend was in college. And seeing 2 ppl fencing Florentine style was awesome. And in my sword & sorcery games it's a viable option.

So talking ducks suck, how about talking cows? I always liked minotaurs myself. And rarely use ducks in my games. But I do plan on at least once attacking my current group with a pack of duck pirates.

Yeah, I don't like talking cows either. There's a reason I'm playing Conan and not D&D. :wink:

Duck pirates. Geezus. Yeah...sorry. Not a game I'd want to play in. But hey, if it works for you and yours have fun!

I started to watch 300 with my wife. In less than 20 minutes she told me to shut up or stop watching. I know many loved it, but compared to the real story it was used dog food.

I'm not grokking the relevance of this statement. :?:

 

[zozotroll]

Horses for courses.

Many loved 300 and the absurd parts of it didnt bother them at all. But then, perhaps many did not know the true story. For me, there was no chance to immerse myself in the tory it was just to jaring.

So when the caribe ducks paddle up to the pirate ship, it would break the story for you. So if you where in my game I probably would not include that particular race. The group I have love different monsters, so they will be fine.

Of course all they are going to do is load grapeshot and turn them all into patte. One of the problems of how I run a game. Most things are generaly placed before the players ever start. So sometimes, they can stumble onto something they cant possibly beat. Keeps them on thier toes. But the reverse is also true, sometimes they hit something that wont even make them break thier stride.

But they dont know which is which and so have to honor the threat.

Just like ducks, not everybody like that sort of game, and scales and prunes the encounters to the party. I think you just have to let the party figure out how to handle problems in thier own way. Of course you do have the occasional surprise TPK, and the climactic fight that ends in 2 rounds.

 

[zozotroll]

I have to admit your chronicle of your game is enough for me to forgive your lack of broadmindedness concerning such minoritys as talking Ducks.

 

[PrinceYyrkoon]

Flatscan

Ive no idea why your bigest criticism of Runequest is the precence of ducks in Glorantha. It mystifies me. You can accept demonlords no problem, why? I suspect because you think they are 'cule', theyre all dangerous and stuff. Can you accept the presence of hobbits as a plot device in Lord of the Rings? A small race that has a passing connection to rabbits (the word 'hobbit' alluding to the word 'rabbit'?). Chosen to make the journey into darkness seem even more horrific? Its all about colour, man.

Ducks were originally proud warriors with a martial honour code, they displeased the gods and were cursed into, not a predictable horrific form, but a humiliating one. A form that many would mock, and, maybe, underestimate. What a fantastic curse! The gods are sentient, clever and fully rounded creatures in Glorantha.

Of course, Glorantha being one of the deepest fantasy worlds around, it describes not how the ducks were shamed by this curse, and hid themselves away, no, the ducks are nothing, if not practical. They make their own mythology, their own society out of the wreckage. Colour, you see Flatscan? Not just 200 cool-looking cardboard cutout demonlords for players to smite, one after the other in a cookie-cutter fantasy world where nothing can exist, if it is not, in some way, 'cool'.

Ducks are indefensible? Rubbish. You spout absolute tosh in this instence Flatscan.

 

[flatscan]

Ducks are indefensible? Rubbish. You spout absolute tosh in this instence Flatscan.

Just my opinion man. Even the color you describe doesn't make talking, fighting, ducks any better in my mind. Just not where my gaming interests lie. I'm all about sword & sorcery these days, but I'll play Cthulhu, Vampire: the Masquerade, Fading Suns, Cyberpunk, even D&D in very small doses. But talking ducks. That's a deal breaker for me.

 

[Sutek]

Howard the Duck was a pretty funny and cool comic book in the 1970s...

...um...


I really have no idea what you guys are talking about. (lol)

I can'say taht I ahve no place in a conventional D&D game (and definitely not a Conan game) for fighting, talking ducks. That's jsut silly. However, taling animals are a staple of mythology and so, if handeled with a spirit of magic and an appropriate level of myticism, some sort of Aslan or something could work.

Now, I've actually advocated (in the "What Should Mongoose Publish Next" section) that a great RPG could be built around the Redwall book series. It's entirely on the level of rodents, basically, so mice and badgers are good guys, while rats and foxes are bad. However, the animal nature of the characters is only realize in the sense of scale that they experience, if they have a tail it can get injured, some see very weel at night while some have better sense of smell, etc. In other words, it not entirely differnet from a dozen or so rac3es of human as presented in Conan, really.

 

[Dark Mistress]

I don't find talking ducks anymore strange than anything else really. But I wouldn't want to play in a game with them. It just hurts my head to think about them.

 

[Demetrio]

So talking, weapon wielding, social reptiles (kobolds), cats (rakasta) and fish (locathah) are fine but not talking, weapon wielding, social birds (ducks). Right. I'm glad that's clear.

Edit: How could I forget the kenku? So birds are okay after all... phew!

 

[Strom]

You guys did see this post from Matt on Planet Mongoose right?

There have been some worried people believing we are going to drop the 'D20' version of Conan like a hot potato. If this is you, we are currently working on a set of Conan books that you will go dippy for and, no, you won't need to worry about changing over to another system. Vincent Darlage is currently working on this Special Project, and we'll reveal all in the next State of the Mongoose.

Qwacking good stuff. I am a duck billed mOngoose now. 8)

 

[Supplement Four]

I think all the blood just rushed to my loins.

 

[PrinceYyrkoon]

Yeah, sorry, Flatscan! I sounded pretty angry there!

Just one more word about ducks though, indirectly, if ducks are so much of a problem to D20 guys, and Ive heard most defend D&D, how come you can all accept a monster that looks like a ceiling, or a floor? Or a giant, floating eye? Or a monster called a Black Pudding? The list could go on...

Conan, ok, its staying D20, those crazy Mongoose kids. I cant imagine what this special project could be, and I dont fancy being sprayed by Supplement Four when we all find out.

Ive seen the light recently, anyway, or should I say, Ive seen the Explorers Edition of the Savage Worlds rules recently, which probably means I never have to get angry about D20s strange rules ever again!

 

[MongooseMatt]

Just one more word about ducks though, indirectly, if ducks are so much of a problem to D20 guys, and Ive heard most defend D&D, how come you can all accept a monster that looks like a ceiling, or a floor? Or a giant, floating eye? Or a monster called a Black Pudding? The list could go on...

Conan, ok, its staying D20, those crazy Mongoose kids. I cant imagine what this special project could be,

We are putting Ducks into Conan. . .

 

[Hervé]

We are putting Ducks into Conan. . .

It could be worse: you could be putting... ELVES !!!!

yuck....

Ducks are ridiculous, that's right, but no less that about 80% of the critter races present in D&D, so where's the problem? And I don't even speak of Ewoks in Star Wars !!! (Though I've always wished to play an Ewok Sith with the name of Darth Gizmo... :wink: )

There have been some worried people believing we are going to drop the 'D20' version of Conan like a hot potato. If this is you, we are currently working on a set of Conan books that you will go dippy for and, no, you won't need to worry about changing over to another system.

Now, that's bad news... . I almost thought for a time the Hyborian world was about to have a decent rule system... We"ll have to stick to lousy D20, then, in a Dysneylike world where all barbarians rage, all thieves sneak attack, all guards are 2nd level soldiers and all pirates tie better knots when aboard a ship... Endless Feats and number crunching. That's not the future I would have foreseen for a fast paced savage S&S setting.

 

[PrinceYyrkoon]

Just one more word about ducks though, indirectly, if ducks are so much of a problem to D20 guys, and Ive heard most defend D&D, how come you can all accept a monster that looks like a ceiling, or a floor? Or a giant, floating eye? Or a monster called a Black Pudding? The list could go on...

Conan, ok, its staying D20, those crazy Mongoose kids. I cant imagine what this special project could be,

We are putting Ducks into Conan. . .

DUCK

Small Humanoid
Climate/Terrain Civilised areas, near water.
Organisation Social
Initiative +2
Senses Quack +20 Accept Humiliation +11
Languages Duck Sartarite
Dodge Defense 12
Hit Points 6 (1HD); DR 8
Saves Fort +2 Ref +2 Will +3
Speed 20ft
Melee: Quack +12 (1D6+2, 19-20/x2 critical, AP4)
Base Attack +4;; Grp +2
Special Attacks Beak
Abilities Str 8 Dex 12 Con 6 Int 12 Wis 12 Cha 6
Special Qualities Humerous Appearance
Feats Power Attack Sneak, Improved Massive Strike
Skills Wade +20 Swim +20
Possessions Bill
Advancement By character class

 

[LucaCherstich]

You guys did see this post from Matt on Planet Mongoose right?

There have been some worried people believing we are going to drop the 'D20' version of Conan like a hot potato. If this is you, we are currently working on a set of Conan books that you will go dippy for and, no, you won't need to worry about changing over to another system. Vincent Darlage is currently working on this Special Project, and we'll reveal all in the next State of the Mongoose.

Qwacking good stuff. I am a duck billed mOngoose now. 8)

Very nice to hear about it!

I hope that we will not get a Conan 3rd Edition or dual system books ("We are putting Ducks into Conan..." = A Conan RQ version????? )...
...but I'm indeed happy that we will keep the "d20 version of Conan".

 

[flatscan]

Well, as I said upthread, I'm not playing D&D, I'm playing Conan. There are no silly critters in my Conan game and nothing written on these boards will sway me otherwise. Keep your ducks in RuneQuest. I'll stay on my side of the line, you stay on yours.

But seriously, I'm glad Conan is staying with OGL for now. It's too much fun to let it slip into quackery. :lol:

 

[Demetrio]

I rather hope they do a 3rd edition. Or at least a 2.5, cleaning up some of the issues with combat (2hw etc).

And anyone thinking there aren't ducks in the Hyborian Age is quackers. You'll be saying there are no fowl of any kind next.

 

[SnowDog]

Besides, I believe ducks are part of Glorantha, not RQ...