What kind of books do you wish next for Conan 2E

[Axerules]

• 1) Regional sourcebooks and Campaigns

• 2) Short scenarios

• 3) New rules

• 999) Books full of "updated" monsters, spells, feats and so on.

 

[The King]

Folks - how old are you people? I am 41 and my group are all intheir late 30's. Between us, we have 8 children, 6 full time jobs (some of which are night shift or out of town jobs) and none of us have the time to commit to long drawn out campaigns. Short adventures allow us to do things in 1-2 sessions...Now, occasionally, I can do this with a campaign...but I very much prefer the chance to have something done quicker than that.

I am as old as you since the 13th (or should I say as young as you), but your children will also grow up and take care of themselves in the end. I am sure you'll find some way to play campaigns.

 

[Jeffreywns]

Vincent Darlage regional books for my vote. The northern realms of Nordheim, Cimmeria and Hyperborea would be cool. Not to mention Turan/Hyrkania.

 

[Arkobla Conn]

Ok, how about this:

Campaigns with "Chapters" that are short and violent

Regional Sourcebooks with 1 or 2 'Short' adventures

THEN Short Adventures??

Does that work??

 

[Yogah of Yag]

Folks - how old are you people? I am 41 and my group are all intheir late 30's. Between us, we have 8 children, 6 full time jobs (some of which are night shift or out of town jobs) and none of us have the time to commit to long drawn out campaigns. Short adventures allow us to do things in 1-2 sessions...Now, occasionally, I can do this with a campaign...but I very much prefer the chance to have something done quicker than that.

I'm right there with ya!
Pre-made modules/adventures are best, IMHO.
The only one I've got, IIRC, is Tower of the Elephant which is great, not counting the stuff from S&P.

 

[The King]

The only one I've got, IIRC, is Tower of the Elephant which is great, not counting the stuff from S&P.

Which reminds me that I wish Mongoose would release some further "Conan classic adventures".
Even if most of us do know the stories, I like the flair of them.

 

[Yogah of Yag]

The only one I've got, IIRC, is Tower of the Elephant which is great, not counting the stuff from S&P.

Which reminds me that I wish Mongoose would release some further "Conan classic adventures".
Even if most of us do know the stories, I like the flair of them.

Last year I submitted a little adventure set in Stygia, but it was rejected.
They don't want too much Conan material to crowd out their beloved RQ, B5 and SST stuff. :lol:

 

[LucaCherstich]

REGIONAL SOURCEBOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Using adventures (or campaigns) written by others is usually a bother (at least for me...).
I'm also one of those people who rarely play (real life rules!) but when I do it I like to use my own stuff.
I would like to have something more on Hyborian kingdoms other than Aquilonia (Koth!!!!!! but also Brythunia, Corinthia or Ophir), although I understand that Howard's material on the subject is not large, therefore the writers should create a lot.

 

[The King]

Bump.

 

[The King]

Bump again.

 

[Der Rote Baron]

I like to buy adventures. I'm in this hobby for the gaming part, see, and I am kinda lazy but have ALL THIS MONEY clogging the drains, keeping the doors blocked etc.

So I'd prefer to get all them Euros out of the house and buy some nice adventures with 'em - short scenarious, longer adventures, classical Conan stuff and once a year a nice campaign.

The regional sourcebooks are good - good writing, lots of background, high quality. But this is sword & sorcery, man!

I do not need or wnat to know the wedding rituals of Bossonian farmers, or the burial rites for Cimmerian chieftaisn IF that does not have anything to do with the adventure enclosed in the book.

What else am I supposed to do with this information if it is not relevant for gaming. This is not "storytelling" for failed authors who cannot get their elaborates and poems printed but adventure gaming!

 

[VincentDarlage]

What else am I supposed to do with this information if it is not relevant for gaming. This is not "storytelling" for failed authors who cannot get their elaborates and poems printed but adventure gaming!

Are you calling me a failed author? Anything with the potential for conflict has the potential for an adventure, which includes cultural mores and habits. A little cultural background creates a bit of versmilitude and sets the adventure firmly in a locale - otherwise the adventures could be taking place in any old generic area. I just don't see how calling GMs who understand this "failed authors" is useful. Not every GM who appreciates telling a story even wants to be an author.

Besides, without the funeral habits of the Asurans, what would have happened to King Conan in The Hour of the Dragon? Any cultural tidbit can be the springboard for something weird and exciting if one has imagination.

Sorry for the rant, but the "failed author" tag rather offended me. I like to place my heroic adventures firmly in the location, and understanding a culture helps me to do that. I have never written a novel and never submitted a short story for professional publication - how can anyone be a failed author if one has never even tried?

I would definitely call REH a story-teller, even though he wrote adventure stories - and he used cultural bits to locate his stories.

 

[Hervé]

Although I agree with most of Vincent's reply, it is also true that the regional sourcebooks tend to focus a bit too much on tiny details, sometimes forgeting to get a glimpse of the whole picture. But I guess it's a tendancy common to most D20 books.
No, the regional sourcebooks aren't perfect. Yes, they should host more "real gaming material" (I don't mean rules & tables, we have enough of these, thanks!).
But Vincent is by no means a "failed author".

 

[VincentDarlage]

Although I agree with most of Vincent's reply, it is also true that the regional sourcebooks tend to focus a bit too much on tiny details, sometimes forgeting to get a glimpse of the whole picture. But I guess it's a tendancy common to most D20 books.
No, the regional sourcebooks aren't perfect. Yes, they should host more "real gaming material" (I don't mean rules & tables, we have enough of these, thanks!).

And that criticism is fine. That is what helps make better sourcebooks in the future for whomever is writing them. But name-calling isn't fine. Labelling people who like cultural information and putting bits of that into their games "failed authors" is what got me riled, not the criticism of the content.

 

[Dpetroc]

Speaking as one who developed a whole adventure around the cult of Wiccan and the priests of Amalius Pluvius, detail is greatly appreciated. Yes- I could certainly have done a bit of research to discover more about ancient fertility cults etc. But if you have it in a work set in context, it makes it easier for someone like me who a) doesn't really care for canned adventures and b) doesn't have as much time to research or write as I used, to prep for games.

If you are setting a campaign or series of adventures in Argos (I have) or Stygia (I want to), Shem, Aquilonia... the regional sourcebooks are very helpful - I think if you are buying what is essentially a RPG travelogue, you should expect and want the details.

 

[Strom]

What else am I supposed to do with this information if it is not relevant for gaming. This is not "storytelling" for failed authors who cannot get their elaborates and poems printed but adventure gaming!

Are you calling me a failed author? Anything with the potential for conflict has the potential for an adventure, which includes cultural mores and habits. A little cultural background creates a bit of versmilitude and sets the adventure firmly in a locale - otherwise the adventures could be taking place in any old generic area. I just don't see how calling GMs who understand this "failed authors" is useful. Not every GM who appreciates telling a story even wants to be an author.

Besides, without the funeral habits of the Asurans, what would have happened to King Conan in The Hour of the Dragon? Any cultural tidbit can be the springboard for something weird and exciting if one has imagination.

Sorry for the rant, but the "failed author" tag rather offended me. I like to place my heroic adventures firmly in the location, and understanding a culture helps me to do that. I have never written a novel and never submitted a short story for professional publication - how can anyone be a failed author if one has never even tried?

I would definitely call REH a story-teller, even though he wrote adventure stories - and he used cultural bits to locate his stories.

Excellent post Vincent. Your source books - and others - are clearly described as detailed information for specific geographical locations on the Thurian continent and if someone doesn't want to buy them or need them then they don't have to buy them. Only in Across Thunder River, Messantia and Shadizar was an adventure included, and that was really as an extra in comparison to the amount of info provided in the book(s). I have all your source books, but, have used only bits and pieces of a few. However, I have read them all. The info is excellently written without being all "textbook" and greatly expands my understanding of that region and overall feel of the Hyborian Age. I can't recommend them enough for any GM who wants to understand the world of Conan.

So, I respect not wanting more of something you don't like but Vincent and the other authors deserve respect for the quality of their work and the effort they have put into making the Conan RPG one of the most supported games on the market. And judging from the responses on these boards, more source books are wanted. That is a reflection on the ones that have come before and the qaulity of both the presentation and the writing.

I said it before, but a Vincent Darlage Age of Conan story would be very cool, btw.

 

[Axerules]

I like the information in the regional sourcebooks. I would be disappointed if tiny details about cultures and peoples of the Hyborian Age were left out.
IMO Vincent wrote mostly good sourcebooks thus far.
They're not perfect: it would be nice if adventures were not edited out, accurate maps included and LESS REPRINTS. The two first points are not VND's but Mongoose's responsability.
Aber ich verstehe nicht, Rote Baron: if you don't want cultural informations, vote for something else in the poll and don't buy regional sourcebooks ! Buy short scenarios, Tales of the Black Kingdoms, download S&P...

I also think that the "failed author" sentence is not really nice: try to take a look at Vincent's tales on his website. They're worth the read.

 

[Der Rote Baron]

What else am I supposed to do with this information if it is not relevant for gaming. This is not "storytelling" for failed authors who cannot get their elaborates and poems printed but adventure gaming!

Are you calling me a failed author? (...)
Sorry for the rant, but the "failed author" tag rather offended me. I like to place my heroic adventures firmly in the location, and understanding a culture helps me to do that. (...)

I would definitely call REH a story-teller, even though he wrote adventure stories - and he used cultural bits to locate his stories.

Why do you think I was specifically refering to you???

I was not, in no way by the way!

Placing heroic adventures firmly in the location is exactly what I was refering to: A sourcbook introduces a certain setting, culture, religion etc. and uses it in a meaning or atmospheric way in an adventure (like a special holiday as the background or a place for a fight or what-not).

Of course, REH was a story-teller - and a very good one at that. But the difference between his stories and the CONAN RPG is that his stories are stand-alone works that you read, enjoy, re-read, but rpg are for gaming.
Of course they should be a "good read" and nothing is more awful than a rpg-product that is ill-written.

Speaking of "failed authors" was a badly chosen expression and was only used to stress my prefering of a linkage of source material and adventures like the "Across Thunder River" which I am currently gming for my group with mcuh enjoyment on both sides of the gm-screen.

And that one is - as I just checked - also written by you.

So, I certainly did NOT refer to you or anyone in particular.

 

[Vortigern]

Cultural/Societal information is my preferred type of sourcebook. Stats to go along with things that are a part of new cultural input are appreciatted as well, but secondary.

I for one abhor written adventures as anything other than inspiration and examples of how the game is intended to flow. Beyond that, I find them mostly a waste of my time in as much as I can apply them to my games.

Source material however is, in it's entirety, of immediate application IMO. It creates the backdrop of previously mentioned verisimilitude for everything else... which really is more important than anything else.

 

[VincentDarlage]

I certainly did NOT refer to you or anyone in particular.

I knew you weren't refering to me in particular - I just happened to fit the criteria you mentioned. :wink: