Second edition
- Thread starter SnowDog
- Start date
jason.richardson
Mongoose
Crap.
So, over the weekend I decided to finally give the Conan RPG a look-see and buy a few books.
Now I learn that a new edition is on the way. I should probably wait to buy the new edition, but what about the regional sourcebooks? Will the new edition also be publishing new sourcebooks too?
So, over the weekend I decided to finally give the Conan RPG a look-see and buy a few books.
Now I learn that a new edition is on the way. I should probably wait to buy the new edition, but what about the regional sourcebooks? Will the new edition also be publishing new sourcebooks too?
Looks like Planet Mongoose is doing a good job, theres some information on the progress of Conan 2nd ed.
check it out!
http://blog.mongoosepublishing.co.uk/
Conan inherits all the combat rules from d20, including all the special cases like Grapple, Trip, Bull Rush and the like. It then adds another pile of special cases on, in the form of the combat manoeuvres like Hooking Parry, Fling Aside or Pantherish Twist. In Second Edition, I'm trying to consolidate these two lists into one, so the combat chapter looks less intimidating.
The problem, though, is that the d20 moves are about ten times as complex and long-winded as the Conan moves, and the two aren't sitting well together at the moment. So, time to rephrase and rewrite and summarise and clarify - but also time to do up a second version of the combat chapter, keeping the same structure as the First Edition chapter but incorporating all the 2nd Ed changes (like more combat moves that apply to low-level characters), which we'll use as a fallback in case my editing job on version one goes awry.
At this stage of a project's development, it's like building a house of cards. You've got the basic structure in your head, but on paper it's all "see chapter XX (not done yet)" and "this will use the revised reputation rules, but I don't know what they are or how they'll work except in the vaguest possible terms" and "[FATE STUFF GOES HERE]". Ideally, cards get slotted into all these gaps before it tumbles down in a crash of metaphor...
check it out!
http://blog.mongoosepublishing.co.uk/
Conan inherits all the combat rules from d20, including all the special cases like Grapple, Trip, Bull Rush and the like. It then adds another pile of special cases on, in the form of the combat manoeuvres like Hooking Parry, Fling Aside or Pantherish Twist. In Second Edition, I'm trying to consolidate these two lists into one, so the combat chapter looks less intimidating.
The problem, though, is that the d20 moves are about ten times as complex and long-winded as the Conan moves, and the two aren't sitting well together at the moment. So, time to rephrase and rewrite and summarise and clarify - but also time to do up a second version of the combat chapter, keeping the same structure as the First Edition chapter but incorporating all the 2nd Ed changes (like more combat moves that apply to low-level characters), which we'll use as a fallback in case my editing job on version one goes awry.
At this stage of a project's development, it's like building a house of cards. You've got the basic structure in your head, but on paper it's all "see chapter XX (not done yet)" and "this will use the revised reputation rules, but I don't know what they are or how they'll work except in the vaguest possible terms" and "[FATE STUFF GOES HERE]". Ideally, cards get slotted into all these gaps before it tumbles down in a crash of metaphor...
Hmm, as long as this 2nd edition doesn't invalidate too much from the previous editions sourcebooks, then I can't wait.
I've always had a bit of a problem with a D20 system, and was quite pleased to stay well clear, until I got interested in Conan. A simplified rules basis is just what I'm after. Little things about the current rulebook irritate me. The emphasis on models being used in combat for example. With an easier, and more simplified rules system, that should be a thing of the past.
Oh, and that first introductory chapter! It has movement rates, weight tables, light and darkness, and anything else that couldn't be thrown into a different chapter heading. *shudders* Change that, and I'd probably buy it, the shameless collector that I am. :wink:
I've always had a bit of a problem with a D20 system, and was quite pleased to stay well clear, until I got interested in Conan. A simplified rules basis is just what I'm after. Little things about the current rulebook irritate me. The emphasis on models being used in combat for example. With an easier, and more simplified rules system, that should be a thing of the past.
Oh, and that first introductory chapter! It has movement rates, weight tables, light and darkness, and anything else that couldn't be thrown into a different chapter heading. *shudders* Change that, and I'd probably buy it, the shameless collector that I am. :wink:
I hope the second edition will update basics of Conan to D&D 3.5 - mainly by making differences between different action types clearer. Having standard, move, swift, immediate and free actions is much clearer than just having standard, move and free actions.
Likewise, I hope they will drop the antimagic stuff in 2nd edition, such as the highest level warding spell. It just causes more problems than it is worth and in my opininon, doesn't fit in the general style of sorcery in Conan.
Likewise, I hope they will drop the antimagic stuff in 2nd edition, such as the highest level warding spell. It just causes more problems than it is worth and in my opininon, doesn't fit in the general style of sorcery in Conan.
I hope a little revamp of the armor and weapon system, seriously, right now if we see the same weapons in d&D and conan in this game they have upped damage one dice at least, so its a more deadly game, ok, hyboria was supposed to be hard 
, but that deadly stuff makes armor so important in the survival that none wants to have a light armored warrior in my game.
Also two handed weapons are totally unbalanced, making a one handed weapon not really interesting for the player (they are powergamers, why use one handed when two handed is definitive?)
I picture conan sometimes as a light armored barbarian, mostly naked or with a mail shirt and a full plate in very rare battles kicking soldiers ass and monsters and stuff, but that doesnt work for me with this system, u cant be a half naked barbarian and kick some armored soldiers asses because reality is that u´ll be dead in the first hit u get.
, but that deadly stuff makes armor so important in the survival that none wants to have a light armored warrior in my game. Also two handed weapons are totally unbalanced, making a one handed weapon not really interesting for the player (they are powergamers, why use one handed when two handed is definitive?)
I picture conan sometimes as a light armored barbarian, mostly naked or with a mail shirt and a full plate in very rare battles kicking soldiers ass and monsters and stuff, but that doesnt work for me with this system, u cant be a half naked barbarian and kick some armored soldiers asses because reality is that u´ll be dead in the first hit u get.
tekkaman said:I hope a little revamp of the armor and weapon system, seriously, right now if we see the same weapons in d&D and conan in this game they have upped damage one dice at least, so its a more deadly game, ok, hyboria was supposed to be hard
Also two handed weapons are totally unbalanced, making a one handed weapon not really interesting for the player (they are powergamers, why use one handed when two handed is definitive?)
I picture conan sometimes as a light armored barbarian, mostly naked or with a mail shirt and a full plate in very rare battles kicking soldiers ass and monsters and stuff, but that doesnt work for me with this system, u cant be a half naked barbarian and kick some armored soldiers asses because reality is that u´ll be dead in the first hit u get.
- I also think that two-handed weapons are overpowered. In the books, Conan fights more often with one-handed weapons. Conan's strenght and instincts are more important than the weapon he uses.
- In a thread about this balance problem with two-handed figthing, someone posted this idea. With Power Attack (a feat that almost every melee fighter will take), change the damage added: instead of 0 for light weapons, 1 for one-handed and 2 for two-handed, use 0.5 for light weapons, 1 for one-handed and 1.5 for two-handed weapons. It works well for me. Also about the weapon damage: most weapons, from D&D to Conan had a one die step increase. And a few two-handed weapons like the greatsword, the bardiche and the Tulwar, two. Two solutions: 1) Lower those weapons damage from one step (I did so). 2) Increase all the other weapons damage except those few unbalanced ones (it's the deadliest solution, but it's also in-genre). I hope they will fix it, perhaps better than I did, in the second edition.
- About the armor: it is true that in this game system they are really powerful, but REH wrote more than once how they were important. I think that you should present a lot of action were armor is a problem for the characters (fighting while balancing because of the ground, on board of a ship, also a lot of jumping or climbing), so that everyone doesn't walk around in heavy armor.
- Another thought: the 20 hit points massive damage save should be kept at all cost, the game must remain dangerous and deadly, even at mid or high-levels.
