Conan d20 doesn't play like a video game (pen and paper Diablo). The focus is on developing the characters and their innate abilities, not on acquiring magic "treasure." All characters must therefore be more self-sufficient and cautious. It makes for a smarter, more realistic style of play. However, the characters are still very powerful, and epic battles and adventures are certainly possible.
The classes are all more powerful than their D&D counterparts --- more flavorful and fun to play. The classes have to be, because the world is so much deadlier than usual, despit the absence of dracoliches and beholders, LOL. For example, The scholar class takes into account all braniacs and bookworms, from (usually non-magical) priests to mundane scholarly types to wizards. You choose which path to take. Magic will drive you into corruption and insanity quickly (especially if you are hungry for power). Wizards are shunned, feared and despised as a result or regarded with suspicion in even the best of cases, no matter how much good work they may do. History and tavern tales are strewn with the corpses of those who foolishly trusted wizards...
The only playable races are the different human races, or, for a feat, half-demons (not the D&D version, as they look human and aren't nearly as powerful). Each have distinct advantages and disadvantages built in. It is just as much fun picking a variant human race as picking an elf or dwarf (if you swing that way, LOL, I never did). IMO, it is much easier to get into the mindset of, say, a Mongol horsemen type, than a drow.
Equipment comes and goes (often in the same adventure) and being out of equipment never stops the characters from doing what they must do. In fact, it encourages them. Magic items are rare, deadly and often cursed. Most people will have nothing to with anything unnatural.
Battles are fierce and frightening (thanks to the low massive damage cap, high weapon damage and armor piercing rules)... if you can avoid a battle, you'd be smart to. Even "combat monsters" like Conan himself will avoid unnecessary battles, because anybody, no matter how powerful or insanely high level, can be instantly killed in battle by just about anyone at anytime. If you are singled out and attacked by multiple foes, they get bonuses to hit you. Monsters, while rare, are deadly and horrifying. You should often choose to run away than face even one unnatural critter.
In Conan, an adventure is considered a "success" if you live through it, regardless of how poorly you do in terms of glory or treasure (no resurrection magic except undeath). Staying alive in Conan is the main reward, and if you are clever or lucky, making some small but modest gains, either in allies, love, treasure, or personal growth. However, Conan stresses that everything is transitory, and "here today, gone tomorrow" is the rule to live by. The game hammers home the brutal fact that the only thing a character can ultimately rely upon in the world is himself... just like our world.
This is not to say that teamwork is deemphasized --- it is strongly encouraged, as many obstacles are insurmountable to the "lone wolf" adventurer, no matter how personally powerful. People will think twice before ripping off their buddies --- their "buddies" will likely slit their throat or worse if they find out. I've found that PCs often become unusually generous with their NPC and PC allies as a result. They were never so generous as this when we played D&D. Again, because the emphasis is on staying alive --- the odds of which improve the more "buddies" you have sincerely and fairly dealt with or potential trouble you have bribed off. :wink:
