What other worlds are an easy convert to Conan's universe?

[Supplement Four]

There's a plethora of third-party 3E and 3.5E adventures out there. I was wondering which to focus upon--which makes for easy conversion to the Hyborian Age?

We already know that Thulsa's two superb offerings are excellent choices, especially if your game is around Shem. You can't go wrong with those, and Thulsa makes it so easy to convert with his conversion notes.

So...what about others?

Have you stumbled across some gritty, low magic universes that would make for easy conversion as a Conan game?

 

[Malcadon]

Only the The Spider-God's Bride - maybe Scarred Lands. It seems that most 3.x books like to use the High Fantasy rules wholesale.

 

[Phobos]

I´m working in some adventures based in Moorcock´s Corum and Elric, cause both worlds have got a very dark magic spirit and the foes are also easily convertibles =D

 

[Supplement Four]

I´m working in some adventures based in Moorcock´s Corum and Elric, cause both worlds have got a very dark magic spirit and the foes are also easily convertibles =D

Which ones?

 

[Supplement Four]

Troll Lord has put out a trilogy of modules that has caught my eye: Death in the Treklant--

1. Into the Unknown - Vakund
2. Under Dark & Misty Ground - Dzeebadg
3. Dogs of War - Felsentheim

http://www.trolllord.com/cnc/8090.html



The monsters look like they'd fit in the Hyborian Age well. I've seen a copy of the third one, and the random encounter table had things on it like elk, mammoth, bear, deer, and a few other common things. Plus, some fantasy monsters that I could see Conan going up against, like the Elothere (giant boars) or the Smiledon (a saber toothed tiger).

That's a nice, big check.

They're set in a cool/cold, mountainous location (And, I'm looking for something to use with Mongoose's Cimmeria book). Check.

They're low level (starting at 1st level with the first adventure and going upt to 5th level or so). Check.

The one I saw was for the d20 system (although the one on the web site is for the Castles & Crusades system). Easy conversion to Conan. Check.

The story is epic, about a war with a goblin tribe. The goblins can be changed to...hmmm....Vanir Raiders....Hyperborean Slavers...Picts...Gundermen from Aquilonia...heck, why not another Cimmerian tribe and have the players live through some of that famous infighting? That'd make for a cool story!

This may be the set I pick.

 

[Phobos]

I´m working in some adventures based in Moorcock´s Corum and Elric, cause both worlds have got a very dark magic spirit and the foes are also easily convertibles =D

Which ones?

In that one of Corum´s second trilogy, the pinewood men, in the Wastes over Hyperborea between the Saami, and another one of Elrik, but I must take a look and I´ll say more about that

 

[Hervé]

Phobos wrote:

I´m working in some adventures based in Moorcock´s Corum and Elric, cause both worlds have got a very dark magic spirit and the foes are also easily convertibles =D

You might want to take a look a the D20 version of Elric, which is sold for a bargain price on Chaosium site:

http://catalog.chaosium.com/product_info.php?cPath=39&products_id=60

 

[Phobos]

Phobos wrote:

I´m working in some adventures based in Moorcock´s Corum and Elric, cause both worlds have got a very dark magic spirit and the foes are also easily convertibles =D

You might want to take a look a the D20 version of Elric, which is sold for a bargain price on Chaosium site:

http://catalog.chaosium.com/product_info.php?cPath=39&products_id=60

Thanks!!!

 

[Azgulor]

1. Kingdoms of Kalamar
Categorized by some as "Greyhawk done right" (with respect to internal consistency), it's a medieval setting that assumes a lower magic/power curve than standard D&D, i.e. the setting was not developed for D&D, it was adapted to it later. I've been running my primary campaign there using the Conan rules pretty much since I purchased the Atlantean Edition.

2. Greyhawk
The political structure, cultural elements, lost empires all lend themselves to a Conan-style game. While Greyhawk can be run for high-fantasy gaming, Gygax & crew took a lot of inspiration from pulp fantasy sources. Greyhawk never went as deeply into the "Wahoo Fantasy" realm as Forgotten Realms did, and IMO, was stronger for it.

3. Scarred Lands
While written as a High Fantasy setting, this setting always leaves me with a Conan vibe or inspires games that could be dropped into a Conan game. That said, some of the high fantasy elements range for the very high end of the scale and would need to be modified/excised accordingly.

4. Thieves World
Green Ronin's Thieves' World books make for good Conan fare as well. I've used them to round out my Conan+Kalamar campaign by Conan-izing some of the classes (Assassin, savant, mage, priest, & witch) and adopting the TW spellcasting over Conan sorceror's. The result was lower fantasy than D&D, yet less restrictive than Conan RPG sorcery (purely a style choice for the setting, I love the Conan sorcery system). Conan's rules could just as easily be ported into the Thieves' World setting.

5. Golarion
Another setting in the Kalamar & Greyhawk vein. Designed/presented to support D&D-style fantasy yet inspired by pulp sources like Howard. It would be easier to modify or remove the high-fantasy elements from Golarion than say, the Scarred Lands. Golarion is rapidly becoming the "Next Setting I Must Set a Campaign In" and when I do, it'll be using the Conan RPG rules.

6. Harn
A harsh & gritty setting. A much smaller footprint than Hyboria-style world-hopping (unless you include the larger, less detailed continent) but a good fit for Conan style gaming.

7. Westeros/A Game of Thrones.
Most of the OGL version (GoO's, not GR's) can be meshed with Conan's mechanics without issue. Since the line never progressed beyond the first book the promised sorcery rules never materialized. Conan's sorcery rules are just as mysterious & dark as the magic depicted in the ASoI&F novels.

8. Birthright
An old TSR setting that's more in the vein of Westeros than Forgotten Realms. While the setting was written to support ruler-level play, it was just one facet. Traditional sword-n-sorcery adventuring abounds aplenty and with more of the racial/cultural tensions one would expect from a Conan-style game.


Finally, in a suggestion that will surely enflame the Howard purists (apologies), there's an idea that keeps kicking around in my head for a very unusual campaign. One that steals races, locales, and concepts from the Scarred Lands and Arcana Evolved's Diamond Throne setting and imports them into Conan's world.
For ex:
1. Stygia becomes a kingdom ruled by the Mohj dragon/serpent-folk. Human slaves are kept in check by the Mohj's Sibbecai enforcers. The Sibbecai are uplifted jackals/canines raised up by the Set-worshipping Mohj who stole secrets from ancient Acheron.
2. Nemedia gets a Calastia-inspired makeover.
3. Shadizar & Shelzar are mixed into a pot for maximum wickedness.
etc.

 

[Supplement Four]

1. Stygia becomes a kingdom ruled by the Mohj dragon/serpent-folk. Human slaves are kept in check by the Mohj's Sibbecai enforcers. The Sibbecai are uplifted jackals/canines raised up by the Set-worshipping Mohj who stole secrets from ancient Acheron.

Interesting. You should read Conan and the Midnight God: http://www.amazon.com/Conan-Midnight-God-Graphic-Novels/dp/1593078528/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271727965&sr=1-1

Not only does this book tie-in with the story of the Conan MMO, but it would also serve as some tasty background to your Stygia idea above. Use the tale in the book as background....except knock off the ending where Conan saves the day. Let the sorcerer win. Wham-bam, you've got your breeding pool for a Stygia that you imagine.

 

[Malcadon]

Beyond d20 games, I know a number of other settings with a strong S&S vibe:

Tékumel (World/Empire of the Petal Throne Book) is a highly unique setting, by M.A.R. Baker. This RPG setting predates even Gary Gygax's Grayhawk setting! This is a Indian/Mesoamerican/Babylonian styled fantasy world, with dark sorcery, and a sci-fi background. Being a mineral poor world, technology is mostly Copper-Age. Everything is highly decorated and ornamental, and it feels like something out of Vendhya. There are also a lot of bazaar creatures - even odder then what you see on Barsoom. The best occult-themed RPG book ever put to pen was the Book of Ebon Bindings. The whole book was laid out like a translated guidebook to the blood gods of Tékumel (the book is all fluff, no meat). This site has a lot of info on the setting.

World of Nehwon (City of Lankhmor) is Leiber's epic of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. This whole world was built around the 60's Conan cliché!

World of Minaria is from Glenn A. Rahman's hex-and-counter wargame Divine Right. Rahman used a lot of fantasy cliché - mixing elements of high fantasy and sword & sorcery, and without the influence of D&D fantasy. For a wargame of its sort, the background is detailed, with lots of scenic local and lots of empty area to make your own adventures. I have a lot of files on the setting (originally published in Dragon Mag, but put into the 25th Aniv. game) on my Scribd account. You can also find maps and other info online.

Thongor of Lemuria is Lin Carter's mix of Conan the Barbarian and John Carter of Mars. This is a world of swords and sorcery and super-science! You can find the setting in the RPG-lite Barbarians of Lemuria - the rules are awesome!

A while back, I noted an odd little game called OD&D supplement V: Carcosa. This is a bleak world of mutant dinosaurs, eldrich horrors, space aliens, oddly-colored humans, and sorcery inspired by the aforementioned Book of Ebon Bindings! Unfortunately, the spells are tided to the setting (having to runaround the map for specific things or tasks), but they are highly flavorful (if rather brutal and heavy-handed), with little or no rules to cast them - vary inspirational, if you like your magic dark! It has Alignment, but it is in no ways tided to morality. Its more based on those who what to draw forth the madness of Cthulhu and those who would fight vainly in this sort of Ragnarok battle!

 

[Jotenbjorn]

If you're willing to do the work converting 2e, I suggest Jakandor. The clash between barbarian tribesman and necromancers is classic.

 

[Supplement Four]

At the game store today, I saw a book that would work perfectly as a Conan Epic adventure. It would need very little conversion. Even the monsters used have a very "Conan" feel to them.

It's called Necropolis, written by Gary Gygax!

Click here: http://www.necromancergames.com/products.html

Look near the bottom of the page.

Also, many of the Necromancer Games adventures and supplements seem to have a good fit with the Conan universe. Look around.

I know Necropolis would work well in the southern part of the continent: Shem, the Great Eastern Desert, Khoraja, Stygia, etc.

Plus, the campaign itself, looks to be extremely well designed. Check out the awards the adventure got on the Necromancer page.

I'm going back to buy it tomorrow.

Hell, even the cover looks like something you'd see on a Conan cover. That's what drew my eye in the first place.

Oh...and it's designed for 10-18th level characters! So, if you've got a high level group, give this one a looksee.

 

[Hervé]

Necropolis is a D20 adaptation of an old Dangerous Journeys supplement. There's a lot of good ideas in it, but it still has an heavy high magic/big monsters D&D approach. Not too shabby, but not as good as I hoped it would be.

For a better choice, and still from Necromancer Games, go for Morten Braten's (aka Thulsa) Ancient Kingdom of Mesopotamia. But I bet everyone on these boards already owns this wonderful book...