What if Conan leaves d20 for anotehr system?

[flatscan]

Feats should fix that problem but don't because the feats are wildly imbalanced and are organized into feat trees to where everyone takes the same ones.

This is not true at my gaming table at all. For instance, my group has 2 PCs that are multi-classed Barbarian/Soldiers. One is a Cimmerian, the other an Aesir. The Cimmerian has feats such as Power Attack and Cleave to play up the Str bonus while the Aesir took more defensive feats such as Diehard and Tough as Nails to complement the Con bonus. And those are 2 characters that by class and level features are almost identical but because of Feats, Race, and Skills have unique strengths and weaknesses. The result is they play in very distinct styles that enhance game play for everyone at the table. Also, the other 2 PCs a Hyrkanian Borderer/Thief and a Stygian Soldier/Sorcerer have wildly different Feats despite both of them favoring ranged attacks.

 

[The King]

At last I have few minutes to answer you.

Reign is a fantasy RPG based on the One Roll Engine (aka ORE), aslo used in Wild Talent.

.....

I'm sorry as my review seems akward but it's not that easy for me to describe the strenght and weakness of Reign.

As a side note, I think it is (or will soon) available in pdf, so you don't have to pay the printed book to have a look at it.

W.

Thanks a lot for your excellent description. Your review is great in that it summarizes all the essential rule mechanisms.
It seems quite interesting. And it's a good thing to support non professional works anyway.

 

[AKAmra]

I made the decision a while back that I wouldn't buy anymore d20 books just to mine for fluff. I will buy Conan RPG books again if it uses the MRQ rules.

 

[WeakAsAKhitan]

For how long does Mongoose hold the Conan license?

 

[LucaCherstich]

I'm a huge fan of Conan and what Mongoose has done with the RPG, in fact I've bought every single title released so far in the Conan RPG line, but switching systems after years of OGL products is ridiculous. Mongoose may gain some benefit from the people that want to see it converted to Runequest, but I'd rather they released Vincent Darlage's conversion as a Flaming Cobra product or something instead of converting the whole line. Of course it may be a strategic move to boost Runequest sales as well, but they'd be doing it at the cost of loyal customers (at least 5 just between me and my group).

The word "ridicolous" has never been so sweet!
You are right.

 

[KemperBoyd]

I had an after-game chat with my players after we playing Conan again after a bit of a hiatus.

We agreed on that 4th Ed. wouldn't be good for Conan, but in it's own context, it's pure genius. Clear roles in the party are what D&D has always been about, but Conan is better for games where we want flexible characters.

Also, D&D is good to run in a more tactical way, but as I run Conan, I play it fast and loose with the rules to keep combat flowing fast.

OGL D&D 3.5 isn't nearly as elegant as 4th ed, but the mongoose system is near perfect for games like Conan.

 

[Sutek]

I've just bought Pathfinder and that's what I suggest. Stick to 3.5 regardless of what the detractors say about it being passe, flawed or unweildy.

 

[Clovenhoof]

Sutek: just to clarify, do you count Pathfinder into 3.5? Or in other words, would you incorporate Pathfinder stuff into Conan or rather leave it completely alone?

 

[rabindranath72]

I'm a huge fan of Conan and what Mongoose has done with the RPG, in fact I've bought every single title released so far in the Conan RPG line, but switching systems after years of OGL products is ridiculous. Mongoose may gain some benefit from the people that want to see it converted to Runequest, but I'd rather they released Vincent Darlage's conversion as a Flaming Cobra product or something instead of converting the whole line. Of course it may be a strategic move to boost Runequest sales as well, but they'd be doing it at the cost of loyal customers (at least 5 just between me and my group).

The word "ridicolous" has never been so sweet!
You are right.

The companies survive on the "ridiculous", you know?
Things must change to be sold, that's the truth. Now, you can like the change or not, but that is what's gonna happen soon or late.
It only remains to see if the change will bring a "better" or "worse" game (terms pending on the individual's preferences). For me, "better" would be something along the lines and complexity of Savage Worlds or Castles & Crusades. "Worse"...I think it cannot get worse than it actually is. So, overall I am quite confident that things can only get "better" for me.

 

[Strom]

For how long does Mongoose hold the Conan license?

Doing the math from this post back in 2006 - I would say until 2010/2011...

msprange
Site Admin

Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 10:51 am Post subject:

We have yet to post any info on Conan for 2007 - but don't worry, funky things are coming!

We have just negotiated an extension of the Conan licence for another four years, so there is plenty of adventure to be had in Hyboria. . .
_________________
Matthew Sprange

Mongoose Publishing
http://www.mongoosepublishing.com

 

[Style]

The majority of this thread is people arguing religion.

 

[AKAmra]

Putting out a MRQ version of Conan is inevitable (IMO), the current line is fairly complete and can give years of gaming to OGL players. MRQ is a house system and MRQ Conan would increase sales for a few years.

A MRQ version of Conan allows Mongoose to recycle much of the current fluff into new books for consumers who won't buy OGL books (like me).

They could then even put out a real version of Wanderer, being a Traveller version of Conan - and make good sales to all those Traveller fans (I would buy this too, even after buying MRQ Conan).

The end result is OGL fans, MRQ (BRP) fans and Traveller fans all have books for running Conan with a preferred system and Mongoose is making money the whole time - I don't see the problem here.

 

[AKAmra]

To add to the above post, Matthew has said up-thread that Mongoose will stick with OGL for at least the next year and a half. I would hope Mongoose would concentrate on kingdom books to complete the Conan line for OGL players.

Mongoose could then put out the MRQ version and do the same, boosting sales for the in-house MRQ line and Conan at the same time.

If they eventually have Conan out in two or more systems, maybe they could do adventures containing dual stats or at least offer a conversion document.

Hyboria isn't like the Forgotten Realms, there is only so much canon to use. To continue the line after that would really be adding to the world.

 

[LucaCherstich]

To add to the above post, Matthew has said up-thread that Mongoose will stick with OGL for at least the next year and a half. I would hope Mongoose would concentrate on kingdom books to complete the Conan line for OGL players.
.

I hope so

Mongoose could then put out the MRQ version and do the same, boosting sales for the in-house MRQ line and Conan at the same time.
If they eventually have Conan out in two or more systems, maybe they could do adventures containing dual stats or at least offer a conversion document.
.

I definitevely hope not.
Dual statistics books (Rokugan until a couple of years ago) do not sell well, especially because so much space is "wasted" for the other system.

Hyboria isn't like the Forgotten Realms, there is only so much canon to use. To continue the line after that would really be adding to the world.

Yeah, but if the one who adds stuff is somebody as good as Vincent, I do not care since he knows what can or cannot be more REH-like.
I would be more un-happy if Vicent's Conan books are written fro Runequest and not D20. I would never buy a book on Turan if this comes not as d20.
But please, do Turan for d20!!!!!

The majority of this thread is people arguing religion.

Maybe you right in the sense that a discussion is impossible.
Tons of people are acritically biased againts anything which is d20, even if it is a good adaptation as Conan rpg (which improves d20 and does not lose the advantages of d20).
On the other hand d20-people like me have spent too much money and efforts and time on d20 products and cannot allow a change of a system (and buying more books).
Yeah, no discussion is possible.[/quote]

 

[Clovenhoof]

FWIW, I', always willing to look at a new system to see if it could improve my games. For the time being, Conan D20 sets the mark and every new system has to compare.

 

[Valsgarde]

I used D20 for some time but found it focusing far to much on the rules. I wonder how much of the conan supplements that consists of pure npc stats? Probably a lot.

I decided to leave D20 all together. If conan were to change system it would be great.

I'm currently looking for a new system to use.

 

[Oly]

Dual statistics books (Rokugan until a couple of years ago) do not sell well, especially because so much space is "wasted" for the other system.

I would have said a similar thing, until I considered the Delta Green reprint for CoC which includes dual stats both for CoC BRP and D20. By all accounts that I understand it sold incredibly well and the "bad blood" that exists between BRP and D20 is really rather OTT and worse than any that might exist between Conan D20 and Rune Quest.

Dual stat books can work and they can sell.

Maybe it's about content. The dual stat 7th Sea/D20 (Amazing Adventures or whatever AEG, who also published Rokugan, called the D20 incarnation) books never seemed essential. D20 players weren't going to buy it, they were swamped with choice. 7th Sea players weren't going to buy it because it added nothing.

However Delta Green positively oozes content and the dual statting simply doesn't get in the way, and I say that as a BRP CoC player who should by many accounts hate the D20 version.

I would never buy a book on Turan if this comes not as d20.

But what if the Turan book were dual stat and done in such a way that the dual statting didn't get in the way or take away anything?

Imagine a whole book of valuable fluff that at the end had two brief appendices, one for D20, one for Runequest. Would that be intolerable?

In the end Moongoose know how well fluff heavy books (such as Thunder River) sold vs. rules heavy (Hyboria's XXX books) and they'll be best placed to judge but I wouldn't be surprised if people want fluff more than pages and pages of rules.

 

[Clovenhoof]

Personal preferences in the fluff/crunch ratio change over time.
For quite a long time I myself was interested mainly in crunch, especially concerning D&D; I devoured any supplement I could get my hand on scanning for new feats or classes or whatever else I might use. You could say the Fluff had about the same status as the interviews in the Playboy magazine.

I can't quite describe what exactly made me change my mind, but it had to do with realizing the kind of absurd twink characters that can lead to, or how you can break games just by using as little as two different supplements.
For example there's a pretty absurd D&D feat combination that allows you to convert a totally harmless divination spell into an atomic bomb (up to 50.000 damage to anyone failing their save within >70 mile radius), if only you can use feats from two or three different sourcebooks that simply were never intended to go together.

The sad part is that broken stuff like that can happen even with books published by the same company, and possibly even written by the same author. Yes Mongoose I'm looking at you! Four words: Body Painting & True Professional. :evil:

FWIW, I've voted in favour of a "Core Only" doctrine for our D&D game. As the Conan GM, I have dictatorially decided that we're not using any character-related crunch from any supplement, unless I have screened and approved it beforehand, and even then I reserve the right to repeal that permission in case it shows signs of brokenness ingame.
Currently, the only supplemental rules for Conan we're using are the Wilderness rules and additional Borderer combat styles in H'Fiercest, though I also wrote a bunch of houserules, but that's a different story.

 

[warzen]

For example there's a pretty absurd D&D feat combination that allows you to convert a totally harmless divination spell into an atomic bomb (up to 50.000 damage to anyone failing their save within >70 mile radius), if only you can use feats from two or three different sourcebooks that simply were never intended to go together.

:lol:
Just to satisfy my curiosity, what is this spell ? what is the combination ?

W.

 

[LucaCherstich]

Personal preferences in the fluff/crunch ratio change over time.
For quite a long time I myself was interested mainly in crunch, especially concerning D&D; I devoured any supplement I could get my hand on scanning for new feats or classes or whatever else I might use. You could say the Fluff had about the same status as the interviews in the Playboy magazine.

I can't quite describe what exactly made me change my mind, but it had to do with realizing the kind of absurd twink characters that can lead to, or how you can break games just by using as little as two different supplements.
For example there's a pretty absurd D&D feat combination that allows you to convert a totally harmless divination spell into an atomic bomb (up to 50.000 damage to anyone failing their save within >70 mile radius), if only you can use feats from two or three different sourcebooks that simply were never intended to go together.

The sad part is that broken stuff like that can happen even with books published by the same company, and possibly even written by the same author. Yes Mongoose I'm looking at you! Four words: Body Painting & True Professional. :evil:

FWIW, I've voted in favour of a "Core Only" doctrine for our D&D game. As the Conan GM, I have dictatorially decided that we're not using any character-related crunch from any supplement, unless I have screened and approved it beforehand, and even then I reserve the right to repeal that permission in case it shows signs of brokenness ingame.
Currently, the only supplemental rules for Conan we're using are the Wilderness rules and additional Borderer combat styles in H'Fiercest, though I also wrote a bunch of houserules, but that's a different story.

In FR plays I never used anything but WoC books (if one excludes Cry Havoc by Malhavoc).
In Conan plays I never used anything but Mongoose Conan stuff.
In any case, the wide diffusion of D20 is an advantage.
Surely one has to be careful about what you choose (and I have to confess that I never liked many of Mongoose d20 produts, except Conan) but if I come to see something interesting for my games but published by another company it is certainly an advantage to choose it.
D20 supplements are A LOT, so there is good and bad, and as Clovenhoof seem to suggest, you have to be carefull aboyt what you combine with what.
But, in any case, there is a lot of choice.
On the other hand, I cannot say if Runequest has so many other products around to look...