Playtest review of Tales of the Black Kingdoms
- Thread starter thulsa
- Start date
toothill man
Mongoose
thank you for the link 8)
swinebread
Mongoose
Trodax said:
That cover is used in Conan: The Ultimate Guide to the World's Most Savage Barbarian! In the South of Stygia section of course.
http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=20938
Thulsa, I love your website. I think youand Vincent had so much to do to get the CONAN RPG in the minds of the corporate folks to allow them to publish it.
Keep doing more reviews!
One question; I've been toying with the idea of running the Conan system with the DnD magic system; I have used your spell lists and magic limitations on your website, however I noticed you allowed your Conan (dnd) sorerors access to some pretty flashy spells such as Lightning bolt, chain Lightning, and Magic Missile, Why?
Has anyone else tried what I m doing with the cross-pollinazation of Magic? I am against the DnD flashy stuff and I think the most my sorceror sould do would be a 'freezing sphere', shocking grasp' or 'cone of cold' in terms of offensive capabilities.
Just a thought.
Keep doing more reviews!
One question; I've been toying with the idea of running the Conan system with the DnD magic system; I have used your spell lists and magic limitations on your website, however I noticed you allowed your Conan (dnd) sorerors access to some pretty flashy spells such as Lightning bolt, chain Lightning, and Magic Missile, Why?
Has anyone else tried what I m doing with the cross-pollinazation of Magic? I am against the DnD flashy stuff and I think the most my sorceror sould do would be a 'freezing sphere', shocking grasp' or 'cone of cold' in terms of offensive capabilities.
Just a thought.
I have acquired LOTS of alternate source material from The Net, related to Black Kingdoms stuff ...
I downloaded most of it from hyboria.xoth.net and the other 'common' Conan/ REH sites. This has given Me a rough compilation of background source material that pretty much covers all of the topmost Black Kingdoms States, as well as the mixed Southern section. I have a lovely detailed map containing sub-areas of Hush, from the Styx down to Amazonia (!). I like MAPS, and I'm pleased to see detailed expansions within each new Mongoose module/expansion. I usually upgrade the map up to a larger size, recolour it, laminate and mount it on hard card for My Players to see during a game.
So far my "research file" contains : Kush map, The Lost Magic of Hyboria by Ric K. Rodriguez (thankx Eric)(this has the 'Spear of Ajujo' and 'The Claw of Onn'Rar' within ...), Raven Blackwell's "Dekerta's Laughter" Spell (from Raven's Sorcery excellent contributions), REHs Conan Continental Maps (article) listing on The Southern Continent, The Lands of Stygia and Beyond, by Dale Ripke, and several useful artticles, Conan NPC,s and items of suitable interest related to the "X-cities" and artifacts (green fire stones), Lotus,etc.
I am facinated by the proximity of the native locations and the ancient Xuthal/ Xochotl. Shades of "Red Nails", etc.
Anyone made any other Discoveries or useful background source material for cooking up Scenarios ? I loved Tales of the Black Kingdoms, and look forward to getting some of the new text additions (So far I've only got Aquilonia - but I'm drooling for Stygia ...)
PS: I'm thinking of trying to write a high-level Conan ruin/ underground city module based upon the discovery of Python, the ancient Stygian fabled city ... (Unless Vincent has already beaten Me to it within the Stygia sourcebook ?).
I downloaded most of it from hyboria.xoth.net and the other 'common' Conan/ REH sites. This has given Me a rough compilation of background source material that pretty much covers all of the topmost Black Kingdoms States, as well as the mixed Southern section. I have a lovely detailed map containing sub-areas of Hush, from the Styx down to Amazonia (!). I like MAPS, and I'm pleased to see detailed expansions within each new Mongoose module/expansion. I usually upgrade the map up to a larger size, recolour it, laminate and mount it on hard card for My Players to see during a game.
So far my "research file" contains : Kush map, The Lost Magic of Hyboria by Ric K. Rodriguez (thankx Eric)(this has the 'Spear of Ajujo' and 'The Claw of Onn'Rar' within ...), Raven Blackwell's "Dekerta's Laughter" Spell (from Raven's Sorcery excellent contributions), REHs Conan Continental Maps (article) listing on The Southern Continent, The Lands of Stygia and Beyond, by Dale Ripke, and several useful artticles, Conan NPC,s and items of suitable interest related to the "X-cities" and artifacts (green fire stones), Lotus,etc.
I am facinated by the proximity of the native locations and the ancient Xuthal/ Xochotl. Shades of "Red Nails", etc.
Anyone made any other Discoveries or useful background source material for cooking up Scenarios ? I loved Tales of the Black Kingdoms, and look forward to getting some of the new text additions (So far I've only got Aquilonia - but I'm drooling for Stygia ...)
PS: I'm thinking of trying to write a high-level Conan ruin/ underground city module based upon the discovery of Python, the ancient Stygian fabled city ... (Unless Vincent has already beaten Me to it within the Stygia sourcebook ?).
VincentDarlage
Mongoose
LokiOne said:
Well, considering that Python's ruins are located in Nemedia (or possibly Aquilonia), no, it is not mentioned in the Stygia sourcebook.
Python was the captial of Acheron, which was located in the area now occupied by the Hyborians. It is unlikely that Acheron would have put its purple-towered capital in a kingdom other than Acheron, so it can't be in Stygia. That would be like France putting its capital city in Spain.
Although not in the Stygia sourcebook, there is a short entry on it in Ruins of Hyboria (page 36-37).
Spectator said:
Thank you!
Spectator said:
There is a remark at the bottom of that page ( http://hyboria.xoth.net/sorcery/spell_list_wizard.htm#missing-spells ) that mentions that I "left magic missile and lightning bolt [on the list] to retain some arcane firepower".
However, that list was compiled way back before the Conan RPG was published. If I were to revise that list again now it would have been somewhat different (yes, I would remove magic missile and lightning bolt), and there would have been a mix of cleric and druid spells in there as well.
Running a Conan game with the D&D magic system should be doable as long as you carefully select the available spells, and perhaps change some of the mechanics for more flavor. I believe Uncle Bear once wrote some sort of crossbreed between the standard D&D magic system and the one found in Grim Tales by Bad Axe Games. You might want to search around for that.
- thulsa
The King
Cosmic Mongoose
They did try with Napoleon it seems.VincentDarlage said:
But considering the royal links there it might also have been the case naturally (like the same reason which started the 100-years war between Britain and France).
Anyway ruins of Acheron (or rather the place) are mentioned in the Hour of the Dragon as Xaltotun is also doing his reasearch there (though nothing is said of what he might have found).
Well .... Maybe time for some 'research' on the location then. Thanks to THe King for posting a useful and polite reply .... :shock:
Hey Vincent - chill out dude - we're not talking real Historical Research here. Maybe you could try addressing the Respondents within this Forum with a little courtesy and sensitivity (?). Although I have a nice bookshelf row of 26yo Conan novels by various authors (About 80% REH), I haven't re-read any of them lately. Don't apply for work in Mongoose's PR Department ....
The City's location was supposed to be a tad mysterious and virtually impossible to locate. I like writing adventures based upon areas that are'nt well fleshed out. However - I must say that my fictional 'expertise' does firmly rest within the World of Tekumel universe by the esteemed Prof. M.A.R. Barker (Thank's Phil).
Maybe now I can reopen one of my old Conan novels (Hour of the Dragon) and have a 'look-see' about what was written. What a scenario it might make though .... Maybe the culmination of a very obsessive Sorceror's pursuits (PC or NPC). Certainly a high-level "Ball-breaker".
Anyone else Out There with any Acheronian Expertise (Re: Python ?). PS: for the record - Did I say that Python WAS in Stygia (?). I'll have to do some 'digging' ... (literally!)
Hey Vincent - chill out dude - we're not talking real Historical Research here. Maybe you could try addressing the Respondents within this Forum with a little courtesy and sensitivity (?). Although I have a nice bookshelf row of 26yo Conan novels by various authors (About 80% REH), I haven't re-read any of them lately. Don't apply for work in Mongoose's PR Department ....
The City's location was supposed to be a tad mysterious and virtually impossible to locate. I like writing adventures based upon areas that are'nt well fleshed out. However - I must say that my fictional 'expertise' does firmly rest within the World of Tekumel universe by the esteemed Prof. M.A.R. Barker (Thank's Phil).
Maybe now I can reopen one of my old Conan novels (Hour of the Dragon) and have a 'look-see' about what was written. What a scenario it might make though .... Maybe the culmination of a very obsessive Sorceror's pursuits (PC or NPC). Certainly a high-level "Ball-breaker".
Anyone else Out There with any Acheronian Expertise (Re: Python ?). PS: for the record - Did I say that Python WAS in Stygia (?). I'll have to do some 'digging' ... (literally!)
LokiOne said:
I don't see that he was insensitive or incourteous. You bragged about the extent of your research material, then you mislabeled the culture of a city.
You hinted it might be in the Stygia book, so Vincent stated no, it is not. Then he explained why it is not in that book, then listed where more information could be found.
LokiOne said:
You said it was a "Stygian" city, then implied the city could likely be found in the Stygia sourcebook... One might infer you thought it was located in Stygia. You tell us - where did you think it was located when you wrote your first post?
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