Aholibamah
Mongoose
If you could have a wish list for things that would be published or improved upon what would it be?
What do my fellow GMs wish Mongoose was producing for Conan?
- Thread starter Aholibamah
- Start date
1. I don't know if they have the rights for it but I would like some of the Kull and post-Cataclysm/pre-Hyborian age stuff, specifically info on Valusia, pre-Cataclysm Atlanteans, Acheron, "Old" Stygia", the ancient mysteries of Lemuria, etc.
I would like this for the historical setting of ancient ruins and lost relics.
2. More detailed work on Zamora, the Shadizar- City of Wickedness could have been MUCH better (the detailed map of Zamora was the best thing of the whole box set IMHO).
3. Detailed work on Hyperborea, Nemedia, Brythunia, Turan, Hyrkania, Ophir and Koth. All of the other "western" and "southern" areas are covered by previous material.
PS- there's a specific thread by Mongoose asking for what they should publish next.
I would like this for the historical setting of ancient ruins and lost relics.
2. More detailed work on Zamora, the Shadizar- City of Wickedness could have been MUCH better (the detailed map of Zamora was the best thing of the whole box set IMHO).
3. Detailed work on Hyperborea, Nemedia, Brythunia, Turan, Hyrkania, Ophir and Koth. All of the other "western" and "southern" areas are covered by previous material.
PS- there's a specific thread by Mongoose asking for what they should publish next.
I always find it odd how useless the character advice is.
The H_ series and The Player's Guide should all have *concrete* examples of how to build effective characters, level by level, completely statted out and analysis of why you would build the character that way. Instead, you get vague advice that doesn't even address basic things like how to make sure your character always inflicts more than 20 damage with a hit or how to abuse tactical movement.
Even more important is going level by level for sorcerer characters with an explanation of what impact having a 14 vs. a 16 vs. a 20 in different stats means for how you design your character. For example, "Building a PP sorcerer vs. building a MAR sorcerer - a primer." Or, "So you want to build a Hexer, here's how to make this not completely suck."
Certainly, the NPC lists you find in books are god awful designs that no rational PC would ever use.
Then, there's expanding out to parties. Where's party tactics advice? Where's "How to build a party that can handle anything." to cover building a party as a functional unit?
Sure, a lot of this is campaign dependent, but most of it is really about exploiting d20 mechanics, something I didn't have any clue about when I started playing.
On the flip side, where's the GM tactics advice? Where's "How to TPK with Man Apes 101."?
The fact of the matter is that if you are using d20 you are using a tactical wargame system and not everyone who picks this game up has come from 3.5 and learned all of the nuances of how to be effective in the system. RPG forums often see people go over character builds, and if you never publish a crunch book, then there's no particular reason to publish advice, but we have books that specifically devote sections to character building where the advice is about as meaningful as flavor text.
The H_ series and The Player's Guide should all have *concrete* examples of how to build effective characters, level by level, completely statted out and analysis of why you would build the character that way. Instead, you get vague advice that doesn't even address basic things like how to make sure your character always inflicts more than 20 damage with a hit or how to abuse tactical movement.
Even more important is going level by level for sorcerer characters with an explanation of what impact having a 14 vs. a 16 vs. a 20 in different stats means for how you design your character. For example, "Building a PP sorcerer vs. building a MAR sorcerer - a primer." Or, "So you want to build a Hexer, here's how to make this not completely suck."
Certainly, the NPC lists you find in books are god awful designs that no rational PC would ever use.
Then, there's expanding out to parties. Where's party tactics advice? Where's "How to build a party that can handle anything." to cover building a party as a functional unit?
Sure, a lot of this is campaign dependent, but most of it is really about exploiting d20 mechanics, something I didn't have any clue about when I started playing.
On the flip side, where's the GM tactics advice? Where's "How to TPK with Man Apes 101."?
The fact of the matter is that if you are using d20 you are using a tactical wargame system and not everyone who picks this game up has come from 3.5 and learned all of the nuances of how to be effective in the system. RPG forums often see people go over character builds, and if you never publish a crunch book, then there's no particular reason to publish advice, but we have books that specifically devote sections to character building where the advice is about as meaningful as flavor text.
Clovenhoof
Mongoose
Yeah. The internet forums are full of character optimization threads, but officially published material is usually rather poor in that respect.
This applies to all D20 material I know. They may blend in an uber-feat in the middle of a lot of crap but leave it to the players to figure out.
Maybe a deliberate decision?
I think WotC did that in D&D4 and received a lot of flak for it by the grognards, mainly for importing online gaming terminology like Tank, Damage Dealer etc.
Be that as it may, I think figuring that kind of stuff out for yourself is part of the fun for a lot of players.
HOWEVER, I do agree that a book titled "Player's Guide" or similar should indeed cover those topics in detailed accuracy. Nobody needs a Player's Guide to Platitudes. (As a matter of fact, I remember several D20 splats that gave absolutely IDIOTIC and counter-productive character advice.)
This applies to all D20 material I know. They may blend in an uber-feat in the middle of a lot of crap but leave it to the players to figure out.
Maybe a deliberate decision?
I think WotC did that in D&D4 and received a lot of flak for it by the grognards, mainly for importing online gaming terminology like Tank, Damage Dealer etc.
Be that as it may, I think figuring that kind of stuff out for yourself is part of the fun for a lot of players.
HOWEVER, I do agree that a book titled "Player's Guide" or similar should indeed cover those topics in detailed accuracy. Nobody needs a Player's Guide to Platitudes. (As a matter of fact, I remember several D20 splats that gave absolutely IDIOTIC and counter-productive character advice.)
Yep, the 3.5/4e rules are way too focused on game balance. I got into the Conan game because it not so hugged up on balanced encounters, rewards, and such. A role-playing game should never be more focused on the mechanics, then how a story unfolds.
I enjoy the Road of Kings book, but I never really gave a damn about all the local books - to much detail for my taste. Much like REH's writing style, I like my sourcebooks to be colourful, yet have enough detail to for the reader to fill in the blanks an intuitive way.
I think I once pointed out an idea for a book with nothing but NPCs of the Conan yarns, that is written by Vincent Darlage. But Vincent said that he once asked MGP, but The Goose said no! That is a shame, because it was his NPCs (at his site) that got me into the Conan game. His descriptions are deep and well thought out, and his hypothesizes are very interesting - like the unholy union (offspring) of Thalis and Thog.
I enjoy the Road of Kings book, but I never really gave a damn about all the local books - to much detail for my taste. Much like REH's writing style, I like my sourcebooks to be colourful, yet have enough detail to for the reader to fill in the blanks an intuitive way.
I think I once pointed out an idea for a book with nothing but NPCs of the Conan yarns, that is written by Vincent Darlage. But Vincent said that he once asked MGP, but The Goose said no! That is a shame, because it was his NPCs (at his site) that got me into the Conan game. His descriptions are deep and well thought out, and his hypothesizes are very interesting - like the unholy union (offspring) of Thalis and Thog.
rabindranath72
Mongoose
I would like a new game with a different system, built like the Pendragon RPG, where the rules model and are built on the setting, and they are not intrusive. So,
1) a fast combat system.
2) classless characters but with a few skills.
3) character advancement not regulated by artificial limits which are then broken by other rules (read: feats).
4) heroic characters from the start. Their improvement should make them simply more heroic.
5) possibly with mechanical support for the core ideas of the milieu: loyalty, honor, love, barbarism, decadence.
Perhaps I will see it in another life
1) a fast combat system.
2) classless characters but with a few skills.
3) character advancement not regulated by artificial limits which are then broken by other rules (read: feats).
4) heroic characters from the start. Their improvement should make them simply more heroic.
5) possibly with mechanical support for the core ideas of the milieu: loyalty, honor, love, barbarism, decadence.
Perhaps I will see it in another life
-A much needed Turan book
-An "Ancient Empires" book detailing Acheron, Ancient Stygia, Valusia and such...
-Regional campaign books, Across The Thunder River style....
Zeke73 wrote:
From what Matt says, it should be coming in 2010.
http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=38713
-An "Ancient Empires" book detailing Acheron, Ancient Stygia, Valusia and such...
-Regional campaign books, Across The Thunder River style....
Zeke73 wrote:
From what Matt says, it should be coming in 2010.
http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=38713
decker423 said:
You will be getting your wish, quite early in 2010!
MGBM said:
And you will be getting your wish too, in the same time frame
We'll be revealing more around November this year, especially on Vincent's 'secret project'.
Der Rote Baron
Mongoose
Vincent + Conan + "Secret Project" equals VERY GOOD NEWS!
In the meantime I welcom ethe tendency to offer adventures to the faithful customers, but high level adventures (Level 10+) would be very nice indeed.
A sone of the other guys already mentioned: I don't need more regional descriptions and geazeteers if they are not interwoven with a campaign/ adventures like the excellent "Across Thunder River"!
I second the idea of offering more information an Acheron, Valusia, Atlatis and Old Stygia - especially if it would be followed by a "KULL RPG" or sourcebook for Conan.
And, please, give us the colour back! 1st Edition is sooooo nice a book. 2nd Edition makes me cry every time I open it ...
And if you ever plan to change the system, please, "path-find" the way to heroic sword&sorcery-wileding adventurres, make it FAST, FUN & FURIOUS or put some BASIC ROLEPLAYING in it while the barbarians and sorcerors QUEST for the RUNE, but PAHLEEEZE don't kill it with dungeon-delving and dragon-slaying in the 4th way!
In the meantime I welcom ethe tendency to offer adventures to the faithful customers, but high level adventures (Level 10+) would be very nice indeed.
A sone of the other guys already mentioned: I don't need more regional descriptions and geazeteers if they are not interwoven with a campaign/ adventures like the excellent "Across Thunder River"!
I second the idea of offering more information an Acheron, Valusia, Atlatis and Old Stygia - especially if it would be followed by a "KULL RPG" or sourcebook for Conan.
And, please, give us the colour back! 1st Edition is sooooo nice a book. 2nd Edition makes me cry every time I open it ...
And if you ever plan to change the system, please, "path-find" the way to heroic sword&sorcery-wileding adventurres, make it FAST, FUN & FURIOUS or put some BASIC ROLEPLAYING in it while the barbarians and sorcerors QUEST for the RUNE, but PAHLEEEZE don't kill it with dungeon-delving and dragon-slaying in the 4th way!
You know what I would like to see as a setting for Conan, that Island that King Kong came from. I would love to see that civilization worked out completely with all the locations and monsters on that whole Island done. If one watches the last remake of King Kong, the ruins on that island were quite huge and all over the place. So that Island at one time had to have quite a civilation on it to build all that as they did.
Penn
Penn
WeakAsAKhitan
Mongoose
Is Vincent's "secret project" the Empires of the Hyborian Age mentioned on the Paizo site and elsewhere? Or is it something more secret than that?
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