Hyborias Fiercest

[Voltumna]

I had the chance to peruse through this book recently, and it rocks! I didn't go through everything, but I specialy liked the expanded rules for tracking and herbalism. The feats of strenght are also great. I wonder if they can be applied to grapple checks, which seem plausible to me.

I also wonder what will be the next "classes handbook"? Will there be books covering thieves, pirates and scholars? These classes were already expanded in Skrolls of Skelos, Shadizar City of Wickedness and Pirates of the Isles, but you know players always want more books as characters always want more treasure :wink:

 

[VincentDarlage]

The next one covers Nobles, Scholars and Soldiers. The one after that covers Thieves, Pirates and a new class.

 

[Voltumna]

Thanks Vincent. A new class, and in the book of scoundrels... it makes me wonder.

Well, I wish I could see something like a jack of all trades, in the line of the traditional Bard, or even the Charlatan in the Hackmaster game system. Although you can very good do anything by multiclassing, something like this might want to have some special abilities all its own.

Maybe classes that shared thieves traits in the traditional AD&D could fit in the book as well? Like a Monk class, or Ninja? I've seen those Khitans garbed as ninjas in Conan comic books.

Maybe the Monk goes more with the Scholars, but the Scholar-Thief combination that has been suggested in the forum doesn't round it up well. Monks have some very impressive abilities, and I don't know if this kind of character appears somewhere in the Howard stories, but it sure is missed as an option. Expanded information on the eastern kingdoms would be great also.

Keep up the good work. I wonder if you laso think Conan himself is standing behind you wielding a great axe while you write? That sure made Howard write some great stories...

 

[Bregales]

Maybe the Monk goes more with the Scholars, but the Scholar-Thief combination that has been suggested in the forum doesn't round it up well. Monks have some very impressive abilities, and I don't know if this kind of character appears somewhere in the Howard stories, but it sure is missed as an option. Expanded information on the eastern kingdoms would be great also.

Yes, there were 4 very eerie Khitan monks in The Hour of the Dragon. Read the story to see how they pursue King Conan and how they fight. That's the only Howard story I can think of using martial arts exiled monks, but a great read.

 

[Padre]

I really don't think kung-fu ninja monks would fit. Conan RPG doesn't have to include everything - D&D does.

 

[The King]

The Hour of the Dragon. Read the story to see how they pursue King Conan and how they fight. That's the only Howard story I can think of using martial arts exiled monks, but a great read.

It will probably be featured in the Khitan sourcebook because these guys were adepts from a specific location. It was no generality. Thus no need to create a class for guys coming from a specific temple from a specific country.

 

[Bregales]

I really don't think kung-fu ninja monks would fit. Conan RPG doesn't have to include everything - D&D does.

Yeah, personally I agree. I was just talking about monks yesterday with my players, and I've never liked them in rpgs anyways. (Well, maybe in a game like Feng Shui, but I never got to play that game).

As a counter, I will say that this world did include just about every cultural type that Howard was aware of; he had a brilliance for making varying cultures fit in the same world. But at it's heart, the game is for adventurers, which are by definition robust, risk-taking, world-experiencing sorts. Frankly, as Zeus inferred there are enough options in this game (for players).

 

[Padre]

Yes, this is one of those things that make Conan (and some other games) special. They don't have to be generic all-in-ones.

PS. Playing a monk in D&D was kinda fun. The theme gives great roleplaying possibilities (cliche ).

 

[red_herring]

My guess is that the new class is the Temptress... the name of the third class book is "Pirates, Thieves, and Temptresses."


http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/home/detail.php?qsID=882&qsSeries=7

-RH

 

[René]

Has someone here experiences with the Temptress-book from Mongoose (not the CONAN-book, of course, but the d20 class-book)?

 

[VincentDarlage]

Has someone here experiences with the Temptress-book from Mongoose (not the CONAN-book, of course, but the d20 class-book)?

I don't own Quintessential Temptress, so I would be very much surprised if my Conan temptress was anything like the other one. My temptress attempts to replicate the likes of Tascela (of Red Nails), Salome (of A Witch Shall Be Born), Thalis (of Xuthal of the Dusk) and Scarlet O'Hara (of Gone With the Wind), none of whom are whores, but they do use seduction and intimidation to get their way, a way which discards men's notions about women to lead their own paths.

 

[René]

The tension is growing... :wink:

I'm looking forward to it!

 

[Raven Blackwell]

[deleted]

 

[greenjelly]

Whats wrong with a temptress class? :?:

Its quite fitting for a game set in the Hyborian era.

 

[Raven Blackwell]

[deleted]

 

[sanseveria]

I don't really associate the term "temptress" with "whore". Allot of the Conan stories have women in them who use their charm and looks to get the men around them to do their bidding. doesn't mean they're whores, just means they're cunning, manipulative, ambitious and maybe lazy, but whore never crossed my mind at the mention of the term temptress.

SS

 

[Tim Mercado]

sheesh. if ya don't like it, don't buy it.

Anyways, I'm looking forward to learning about the Scholar, Thief and Pirate in the coming books. See what kind of new tricks will be brought to light. Always fun! Since I've been having such a blast reading through the Conan material I have bought allready, I just ordered Hyboria's Fiercest along with the leftover stuff I haven't got my mits on yet. I love this game.

Sure wish I could play it right now...

And I definately have to agree with Sanseveria. It is not only Conan stories full of women like this, they are all over real life too. I would love to create a Female "temptress" that would antagonize, lure, manipulate, and frustrate the PC's just to put something interesting into the game other than bladed combat. I mean, it would really offset the serious and maddened machinations of some crazed stygian sorceror and provide for some meaningful, although fairly light-hearted, challenges. Speaking of, time to start writing on that before I forget it. hehe.

Lastly, TotBK looks promising....man!!! I just may have tons of craziness written up and researched well before I even can begin to GM this. Looking forward to the attempt :twisted:

Cheers from the desert, Tim

Edit: Oh, and according to all of my reading so far, if Mr. darlage is writing these supplements, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna love 'em. Damn fine work so far, Sir.

 

[slaughterj]

I don't really associate the term "temptress" with "whore". Allot of the Conan stories have women in them who use their charm and looks to get the men around them to do their bidding. doesn't mean they're whores, just means they're cunning, manipulative, ambitious and maybe lazy, but whore never crossed my mind at the mention of the term temptress.

SS

I'm with you, and not making any ASSumptions that temptress = whore. Why not make some other assumptions, like thief = scuzzy pickpocket? Or soldier = person that carries out repressive commands of an authoritarian regime? It's not that simple for other classes, so it need not be assumed such for temptress either.

Further, to the extent that a player sees the imagery in the Conan book and is repelled, then (1) that player isn't likely a good fit for Conan as it is described and meant to be, and (2) that player is likely too caught up in some Puritanical perception of nudity. But hey, everyone can have their own opinion!

 

[greenjelly]

Or more than likely he knew that shooting for the Lowest Common Denominator of T&A would more likely to get him published- which is likely Vincent's and/or Mongoose Publishing's rationale as well.

Well that is COMPLETELY unfair. REH and the pastiches had PLENTY of temptressess in them. Thats so unfair to be blaming Vincent or Mongoose for keeping to the material they are building the game from, and to say they are appealing to the lowest common denominator is also completely unfair. I dont see cheesecake shots on every Conan book, deliberately showing off a womans "assets", of course, all the shirtless Barbarians are making me feel like less of a man, naturally...

As for someone not playing because of a picture of a naked lady, well thats her right, she doesnt have to, but that doesnt mean Mongoose should completely sanitise their products.

 

[Hyborian Apeman]

Raven,

You seem like an avid player of Conan (based on the number of posts that I have read of yours). There are plenty of gaming options in the OGL/d20 universe alone, yet you choose to spend a fair amount of time playing Conan.

Why?

I would argue that that your top 10 reasons for playing Conan coincide with most of the gamers who have taken to liking Conan, and none of those reasons involve the nudity of the artwork. Why is it that you assume that including such art work is an attempt to improve sales of the game system?