KjetilKverndokken Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 So What tweaks would you use to make BRP good for the Universe of Conan, regardless if its based on the original books or the 60s Sword and Sorcery comics from then to day. How to portray a Conan like character, but also be able to play a normal person. How to make Combat feel conan like. How to portray the magic in Conan. Quote Tea and Madness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samwise7 Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 Barbarians of Lemuria is an excellent free & $10 rules-lite Sword & Sorcery RPG. Perhaps that game can give you some ideas. index Barbarians of Lemuria - 1KM1KT Quote "Everything important in RPGs happens the moment you stop holding onto the rulebook with both hands." -Jeff Rients http://samwise7.yolasite.com (Art, Blog, RPG Settings, YouTube, Etc.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Vile Traveller Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 As far as magic goes, I would probably limit it to specialist practicioners (shamans, priests and sorcerers) - other than that, the sorcery rules would seem to fit reasonably well. One thing to keep in mind is to make each use of magic unique. It's rare, deadly, and usually extracts a heavy price. I don't really see the average, or even above-average, adventurer having access to any kind of spells, although the occasional magic item might turn up from time to time. Hyboria was never a "magic-happy" world like Glorantha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barliman Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 I'd agree with using sorcery. It's been a while since I read the Conan corpus, but the world has a feel of "the magic is going away," so it should be uncommon and horrific. For sword-wielding heroes and villains, I'd use the "full hit points" optional rule in BRP and allow skills to exceed 100% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KjetilKverndokken Posted August 1, 2009 Author Share Posted August 1, 2009 As far as magic goes, I would probably limit it to specialist practicioners (shamans, priests and sorcerers) - other than that, the sorcery rules would seem to fit reasonably well. One thing to keep in mind is to make each use of magic unique. It's rare, deadly, and usually extracts a heavy price. I don't really see the average, or even above-average, adventurer having access to any kind of spells, although the occasional magic item might turn up from time to time. Hyboria was never a "magic-happy" world like Glorantha. Magic in Conan is summoning demons, necromancy and gifts from alien Gods. The option to play the """evil""" side should really be there. Would it be any reason to use racial "gifts" for the different races, like Cimmerians, Aquilonians, Hyarkans, Stygians etc. Quote Tea and Madness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merak Gren Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 Any version of Stormbringer is a good start but I prefer the earlier ones. Things I would change. Full HP (CON + SIZ) Skills over 100%. Attribute Skill modifiers. Starting skill percentages: not a BRP option, but I would allow players to start new skills at 40 - 50% at lowest. Conan was forever picking up new skills and mastering them fairly easily. Additionally I'd be fairly generous with skill improvement rolls. The curve flattens out, so its good to get them up to a level were they can split attacks and do ripostes. BTW Ripostes are one of the BRP options that never made it to the BRP book. Magic will be evil and dangerous and will probably invole lots of blood sacrifice in order to generate Magic points. I would also add Hero Points as used in HeroQuest / MRQ in order to turn a failure to a success or success to critical. Finally, I would also add a Pendragon Passion or two. One would be the Characters main driving ambition. List it as a % based on a relevant attribute X 3. When in a situation where the PCs main ambition is at stake, make them roll. On a success they get +50% to any skill they use. On a critical give them. +100% to anyskill used during the time the passion is active. A second passion may be a GM derived cultural or professional one. Between these two, it will help drive the story and allow for moments of character glory. Quote Likes to sneak around 115/420 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KjetilKverndokken Posted August 1, 2009 Author Share Posted August 1, 2009 BTW Ripostes are one of the BRP options that never made it to the BRP book. Counter attacks? How would that mechanic work? Finally, I would also add a Pendragon Passion or two. One would be the Characters main driving ambition. List it as a % based on a relevant attribute X 3. When in a situation where the PCs main ambition is at stake, make them roll. On a success they get +50% to any skill they use. On a critical give them. +100% to anyskill used during the time the passion is active. A second passion may be a GM derived cultural or professional one. Between these two, it will help drive the story and allow for moments of character glory. Something akin to Beliefs (BITs) in Burning Wheel? Quote Tea and Madness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merak Gren Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 Ripostes: Yes Couter attacks. From early Stormbringer. A master with a weapon (91% or higher) can make a riposte after every successful parry. This is normally at-20% from their previous attack. There is a culumative -20% penalty for each attack after the first in a round. Additionally, I house rule that a critical parry allows a riposte. These allow a skilled swordsman to fight against 2-4 lesser skilled opponents and do some serious damage to them. Stormbringer 5th / Elric! Is slightly different. Beliefs: Yes. It can be done that way too. The Pendragon mechanic is easier to port to BRP, but the idea is used in many games. I'm all for freeform skills and abilities in BRP as in HeroQuest etc. Certainly, I now try to inject social / psychological 'skills' to my games. Another way, is to use the personality Traits. Quote Likes to sneak around 115/420 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrippyHippy Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 Seriously, how difficult could it be to convert Conan D20 to BRP? The systems aren't that dissimilar - indeed I always thought that 3rd edition D&D was as much influenced by RuneQuest as it was by older editions of D&D. We are seeing a 'Classic Fantasy' version of BRP being written on this very site - so all it requires is to take the various classes, feats and skills and develop them into the BRP language. I don't think the source material of the Conan D20 game is in anyway lacking, through the multitude of supplements it has got. On a related note, I would like to see Mongoose put out a RuneQuest version of Conan at some stage. Imagine the possibilities of mixing the pulp worlds of Howard and Lovecraft together... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KjetilKverndokken Posted August 1, 2009 Author Share Posted August 1, 2009 Seriously, how difficult could it be to convert Conan D20 to BRP? The systems aren't that dissimilar - indeed I always thought that 3rd edition D&D was as much influenced by RuneQuest as it was by older editions of D&D. We are seeing a 'Classic Fantasy' version of BRP being written on this very site - so all it requires is to take the various classes, feats and skills and develop them into the BRP language. I don't think the source material of the Conan D20 game is in anyway lacking, through the multitude of supplements it has got. On a related note, I would like to see Mongoose put out a RuneQuest version of Conan at some stage. Imagine the possibilities of mixing the pulp worlds of Howard and Lovecraft together... First of, I dont buy D20 products - So its really not an issue or a problem. Though just hearing classes and Conan in one line makes my heart weep... The mods given here seems sufficient, maybe taking a look on RQ. Quote Tea and Madness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrippyHippy Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 (edited) I'm not saying that you have to like the D20 system, or sell it to you - just that much of the setting stuff included is pretty much usable in any system (as are most games, on one level or another). What I am saying is that it isn't that difficult to convert D20 material into BRP normal operations - A Class merely becomes a Profession of sort, and so on. The complete Mongoose 'Deluxe' RuneQuest rules are downloadable on this site for free, btw, if you are interested in checking them out. Edited August 1, 2009 by TrippyHippy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KjetilKverndokken Posted August 1, 2009 Author Share Posted August 1, 2009 I'm not saying that you have to like the D20 system, or sell it to you - just that much of the setting stuff included is pretty much usable in any system (as are most games, on one level or another). What I am saying is that it isn't that difficult to convert D20 material into BRP normal operations - A Class merely becomes a Profession of sort, and so on. The complete Mongoose 'Deluxe' RuneQuest rules are downloadable on this site for free, btw, if you are interested in checking them out. I'm Using the comics, books for the setting material. I buy quite a lot of rpg books already, so I'm not going to invest that way. The question was only related to the small tweaks already in the BRP system. Going to check RQ out tomorrow then. Quote Tea and Madness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjvs Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Imagine the possibilities of mixing the pulp worlds of Howard and Lovecraft together... yeah that'll be nice. But honesty Howard's magic, dark gods and creatures are already "Lovecraftian" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rust Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 But honesty Howard's magic, dark gods and creatures are already "Lovecraftian" Yep, Howard wrote his Conan stories as his contribution to Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos, and one could therefore even consider them as a "ca- nonical" part of the mythos. Quote "Mind like parachute, function only when open." (Charlie Chan) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simlasa Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 When I've been tempted in that direction the old GURPS Conan book was useful for reference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjvs Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 I'm Using the comics, books for the setting material. I buy quite a lot of rpg books already, so I'm not going to invest that way. The question was only related to the small tweaks already in the BRP system. The comics and books are great stuff. Now to get back to the CoC / Hyboria linkage in BRP. You could look into cthulhu dark ages book. A few good things about CoC and Howard's works - the bad guys are bad and one can justly dishin' out death to magi and cultists and the magic and powers (that be) are evil, their use; dangerous and reality breaking for the participants(SAN). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vagabond Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 I would use SB 1 - 4 as the core, add in Allegiance from Elric!/SB5 but use it more like a corruption mechanic (Chaos only, with maybe specific Allegiances to particular Dark Gods). I would also judiciously use much of the Sorcery and Fetish stuff from Corum, and Traits and Passions as well. Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KjetilKverndokken Posted August 29, 2009 Author Share Posted August 29, 2009 Thanks for all the suggestion -I went for and are using MG Runequest - as it had very good expansion on a fantasy ruleset. Quote Tea and Madness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gheedon Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 I was going to play Conan using Stormbringer rules a few years ago. I bought the Conan D20 book as a reference to Hyboria, but then found that pretty much all the information was available in one form or another on the web. I didn't think I needed to tweak the Stormbringer rules a lot, but getting the background into the rules was the biggest effort: setting up professions by nation, creature stats, NPC stats, deities.... . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al. Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Fortunately the work has been done for you..... GREYCROWN's Gaming Stuff Riders: I didn't do any of this work and can take no credit. Mr Posey certainly used to haunt BRP forums but his site has been down for a while. (Hence the link above goes via wayback machine) If Stephen or the original authors object to me posting this then I will obviously remove the link. Al Quote Rule Zero: Don't be on fire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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