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Robert E. Howards CONAN Roleplaying Game Quickstart

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Robert E. Howards CONAN Roleplaying Game Quickstart

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Modiphius

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This free Conan Roleplaying Game Quickstart gives you an introduction to the 2d20 system, a short adventure, 7 pre-generated characters and an overview of the world of Conan and the Hyborian Age

Modiphius Presents Conan

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF CONAN! This time, called the Hyborian Age, is an era of great antiquity and renewal, brutality as well as beauty. Kingdoms rise amidst the remains of bygone lands, places that were themselves swept away in cataclysmic upheaval. Forgotten secrets of sorcery, ancient artifacts, and devices of strange science lurk undiscovered in moldering ruins within the walls of lost cities, to be discovered by the daring or the unwary. Gods have flourished and been forgotten, but the great black vale of eternity remains, and within this outer dark are cosmic horrors of a scale unimaginable, their evil beyond all comprehension. Humanity has crawled back from mere savagery time and again, and nations stand ready to rage across the map, sweeping away civilization once more in a tide of blood and iron.

ROBERT E. HOWARD’S CONAN: ADVENTURES IN AN AGE UNDREAMED OF is a brand new roleplaying game based on the incredible character of Conan and of the Hyborian age.

The game line features one of the biggest line ups of major artists ever for a roleplaying game. Each book is a beautiful high quality hard cover book featuring a major commissioned cover art by one of the legendary names we have assembled along with truly authentic and evocative content by industry veterans and newcomers...

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...all under the watchful eye of world-renowned Conan experts and scholars including Jeffrey Shanks, Patrice Louinet and Mark Finn, working together to bring you the most authentic Conan roleplaying experience yet, focusing exclusively on Robert E. Howard’s original stories.

The core rulebook for Robert E. Howard’s Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of is a 368 page full colour hardcover book containing everything you’ll need to adventure in the world of Robert E. Howard’s hero, Conan. It is based entirely on the canonical Conan stories, and uses the 2D20 system developed by Modiphius and used in Mutant Chronicles 3rd Edition, Infinity, John Carter Warlord of Mars and other fine games. This tome presents character generation, the game’s rules, and a wealth of source material, including cultures, geography, religions, magic, gods, monsters, gamemastering advice, adventure seeds, and much more. This work has been developed by an all-star writing team, with close involvement by respected Robert E. Howard authorities, and is illustrated by world-renowned Conan artists.

All the supplements will also be in beautiful full colour hardback and describe the world in additional detail, presenting different styles of play from the phases of Conan’s saga... Thief, Barbarian, Mercenary, Pirate, the Unknown East, Brigand, Kingdoms of the South, Scout... and King. Other books will explore sorcery, monsters and demons, nameless cults, secret societies and fighting orders, distant lands, ancient ruins, and lost cities. The game line will be supported with a wide range of ready-to-play adventures and campaigns spanning the breadth of Conan’s world.

"You have, no doubt, heard tell of Conan... the barbarian who stole a kingdom with his red-stained sword-hand and crowned himself in iron... but the Hyborian Age knew many heroes... and Their tales are yet to be told..."

The 2d20 system is a dynamic, narrative system, designed to produce varied and interesting results from dramatic and action-packed situations. Characters roll two d20s, attempting to roll as low as possible on each one – the more dice that roll low, the more successes the character scores.You can download the Quickstart complete with introductory rules, adventure and pre-generated characters from DriveThruRPG to get a taste from Thursday this week.

Tasks will require one or more successes to be successful, and any successes scored beyond that minimum become Momentum, which can be spent to achieve a variety of advantageous effects. However, this can come at a cost: characters who wish to succeed can push their luck, rolling extra d20s to boost their chances of success and the Momentum they generate. However, each extra d20 comes from the character’s resources – such as stocks of arrows – or adds to a pool of Doom that represents all the things that can go wrong in an adventure, which the GM can spend to complicate adventures and scenarios and make the characters’ lives interesting.

THE GREATEST EVER LINE-UP OF ARTISTS FOR A ROLEPLAYING GAME: We have one of the greatest line ups ever for a roleplaying game including many legendary artists who have assembled for this grand task!

Brom (Dark Sun, Magic: The Gathering, Alternity, Forgotten Realms, Planescape, Deadlands)
Sanjulian (Conan Ace Paperbacks, Vampirella, Eerie, Creepy)
Carl Critchlow (Batman/Judge Dredd, Anderson: Psi Division)
Simon Bisley (Slaine, Lobo, Batman and Heavy Metal, Conan the Savage and Conan the Avenger)
Paolo Parente (Dark Horse, Dust, Rackham, Magic: The Gathering, Mutant Chronicles, Monolith's Conan, Lord of the Rings RPG)
Aleksi Briclot (Mage, Vampire, C.O.P.S., Conan: Road of Kings)
Val Mayerik (Marvel's Conan the Barbarian and the Savage Sword of Conan, Brak the Barbarian, Throngor, The Living Mummy, Man-Thing and Eeerie, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay)
Daren Bader (Magic The Gathering, World of Warcraft, Pathfinder RPG, Art Director for Rockstar San Diego on Red Dead Redemption)
Liam Sharp (Judge Dredd, X-Men, Hulk & Spider-Man for Marvel, Superman & Batman for DC Comics and Spawn: The Dark Ages for Todd McFarlane, Fran Frazetta's Death Dealer, Red Sonja: One More Day)
Mark Schultz (The Coming of Conan, Xenozoic Tales, Prince Valiant)
Tim Truman (Dark Horse Conan, Grimjack, Jonah Hex)
Phroilan Gardner (Age of Conan, World of Warcraft)
Alex Horley (Blizzard, Heavy Metal, Magic: The Gathering)
Tomas Giorello (Conan The Cimmerian, King Conan, 2013 Robert E. Howard Foundation Award for Artistic Achievement)
Esteban Maroto (Conan Ace paperback illustrations, Savage Sword of Conan, Red Sonja, Eerie, Creepy and Vampirella)
Tom Grindberg (Conan, Savage Sword of Conan, Conan Saga, Judge Dredd, ERB's Back to the Stone Age)
Jose Villarrubia, one of the top colorists in the business (various Dark Horse Conan titles including the award-winning King Conan, Alan Moore's Promethea, Dynamite's Red Sonja, and many more)
Giogio Baroni (Dust Adventures, Achtung! Cthulhu)
Jose Esteras (Conan Roleplaying Game, Infinity Roleplaying Game, Airfix Battles)
PLUS: Jorge Barrero, Josh Hass & Michael Syrigos

Modiphius has scored a leading team of Hyborian Age scribes to chronicle these adventures including

Timothy Brown (designer of the Dark Sun setting for Dungeons & Dragons)
Jeffrey Shanks (award-winning Robert E. Howard scholar and essayist Conan Meets the Academy, REH: Two-Gun Raconteur, Critical Insights: Pulp Fiction, The Dark Man: The Journal of REH Studies, Zombies from the Pulps!),
Jason Durall (Basic Roleplaying, Serenity, The Laundry, Achtung! Cthulhu, World War Cthulhu, A Game of Thrones RPG, The Lord of the Rings RPG, Supernatural, Silver Age Sentinels, Amber Diceless Roleplaying, and Lords of Gossamer & Shadow)
Mark Finn (Blood and Thunder: The Life and Art of Robert E. Howard, The Barbaric Triumph, The Dark Man: The Journal of REH Studies)
Vincent Darlage (Conan d20, Member of the Robert E. Howard United Press Association)
Kevin Ross (writer, editor, and contributor to Cthulhu by Gaslight, Dead Reckonings, Escape from Innsmouth, H.P. Lovecraft’s Kingsport, Dwellers in Shadow, New Tales of the Miskatonic Valley, Call of Cthulhu Investigator’s Companion, The Dreaming Stone, and more)
Chris Lites (Dust Adventures, Fragged Empire, Paizo, Savage Worlds, Omni, Slate)
Lou Agresta (editor, developer, and designer of Razor Coast and Heart of the Razor)
Scott Oden (best-selling author of Men of Bronze, Memnon, and The Lion of Cairo)
Jeb Boyt (contributor to Blue Rose, Thrilling Tales, and other projects with Green Ronin, Adamant Entertainment, and Goodman Games)
Jesse Scoble (author and contributor to Marvel Heroic Roleplaying, A Game of Thrones Roleplaying Game, Dreaming Cities, A Song of Ice & Fire Roleplaying, Silver Age Sentinels, and many others, and writer for computer games such as Armored Warfare, City of Heroes, and Wizard101)
Sam Johnson (author and contributor to Miskatonic University 2nd edition, No Man’s Land, A Resection of Time, Dwellers in Shadow, Basic Roleplaying, The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game, Star Trek: Planets of the UFP, and computer games such asShadowbane, The Elder Scrolls Online, and Pirate101)
Mark Carroll (contributor to 7th Sea and World's Largest Dungeon, Green Ronin's Mutants & Masterminds, and Modiphius' John Carter Warlord of Mars)
Anne Toole (contributor to Steamscapes: Asia and Rocket Age, and computer games such as The Witcher and Wizard101)
Jennifer Baughman (contributor to World's Largest Dungeon, 7th Sea and John Carter Warlord of Mars)
Miri Weaver (designer and developer on the Fallen Earth, Dexter, and Saturday Morning RPG CRPGs)
Richard August (contributor to Small Mercy and Codex Infernus)
Steffie de Vaan (contributor to Chill 3rd Edition, Promethean the Created 2nd Edition, Changeling the Lost 2nd Edition, Cavaliers of Mars, and Vampire: The Dark Ages 20th Anniversary Edition),
Other writers include Elle Goff and Rachael Cruz with more still to be announced.
Sally Christensen (Cortex Hackers Guide, Firefly RPG, Leverage Companions, Marvel Heroic) steps up as Line Editor to keep the rabble writing proper.
Michal E. Cross our in-house designer will be handling the gorgeous layout fresh from completing the massive range of stunning Achtung! Cthulhu books.

Two leading scholars are helping ensure we stays true to the original stories;

Jeffrey Shanks, award-winning Robert E. Howard scholar and essayist (The Unique Legacy of Weird Tales, Conan Meets the Academy, REH: Two-Gun Raconteur, Critical Insights: Pulp Fiction, The Dark Man: The Journal of REH Studies, Zombies from the Pulps!) is approving all content, ensuring it remains true to Howard's vision.

Patrice Louinet, well known for his expertise and seal of approval for the Conan board game by Monolith, will be working alongside Jeffrey Shanks to ensure the Conan roleplaying game is of the highest standard. Patrice was Editor of the definitive, three-volume Conan series (from Del Rey Books (US), Wandering Star (UK) and Bragelonne (France). Awarded Lifetime Achievement award from the Howard Foundation (USA, 2014) and the Special Award from the Imaginales (France, 2012).

"Tread the jeweled thrones of the earth or die in towers of spider-haunted mystery. Crom cares not!"

Conan by Crom! [BUNDLE]

$165.26

$360.38

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Reviews (22)

Discussions (19)

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Christopher R September 12, 2017 7:03 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Ah I found it. I was expecting a bold statement declaring a 4 person party or something but it looks like the encounter difficulties are stated in each encounter summary. Cool beans.

Christopher R September 12, 2017 6:26 pm UTC

PURCHASER

What is the ideal party size for the quick start adventure? I've looked around and have not come up with an answer.

Michael Wevanne S January 11, 2017 3:31 pm UTC

PURCHASER

When this game will be launch here in Drivethru?

Christian B November 27, 2016 11:44 am UTC

PURCHASER

I had to prepare a demo using QSR. Didn't have time to look at pregen characters.
When we started playing I see that TN was calculated using Attribut+Focus, when at page 12 we read that TN is Expertise+Attribute!!
Have I missed something?

Douglas B November 27, 2016 2:46 pm UTC

PURCHASER

I think all the pregen characters have Focus = Expertise for simplicity, with the result that the sum of Attribute + Expertise is the same as the sum of Attribute + Focus. Characters created using the full rules may have different Expertise and Focus ratings in a skill.

Rowdy S May 09, 2016 12:42 am UTC

PURCHASER

Hummmmm...... Just downloaded the Quick Start rules and looking forward to all the supplemental material. Not sure about the "2d20" system, though. We'll give it a try and if nothing else, we'll convert it to something else (Dungeon World/ Grim World come to mind).

Douglas B May 09, 2016 1:49 pm UTC

PURCHASER

I'd be interested to hear what you think after trying it; my group really enjoyed the game once we saw it in action.

Paxton K April 24, 2016 10:03 am UTC

PURCHASER

I play tested the starting adventure using two sets of rules.
2D20 lost to First Fable in every category.
Can not wait to purchase the game book. Incredible artists and I love the opinions of "Howard Scholars". Considering pursuing a degree myself, do you recommend Kaplan or Phoenix university? Which is better with "between when the oceans drank Atlantis" archaeology?
Chris B. do not ever ask people to "link" revues of "your system". Low class and more importantly, link is not needed. 1974 D&D with a new mechanic that seems undesirable. The DM holds the cards, sir. No need to hand him some.
When you guys were searching for a name, I commented that "undreamed of" would stand.
I did not say it should.
"Undreamed" is correct.

Glenn F March 29, 2016 12:33 pm UTC

PURCHASER

I had a number of niggles and a couple of doubts about the use of the 2d20 system after reading the quickstart. I then played it for 12 hours with a very experienced roleplay group whose combined tabletop rpg experience comes in at just over 90 years.

We played the quickstart with the aim of 'breaking the system'. There were a number of simulationist players, 4 larpers, as well as 2 with real combat experience - both modern and medieval re-enactment. So please understand we were seeing things through the eyes of experience. The system had to prove itself to us, not the other way around.

We nearly all predicted the Doom rules would be the most likley failing in the system - some of us thought it was 'too narrative' and not perhaps fitting the Conan we grew up with, some thought it would be a meta-gamers paradise for abuses.

However, this turned out to be entirely wrong.

Let me say that again - we were WRONG.

Yes there were minor issues with the Soak...See more rules, the Stun effect and the reach of Shields. But once I posted this to the game designers some of these things got fixed - who got kudos for listening, frankly... and some got explained further to us. In some cases we hadn't quite grasped the counterbalances in the system, or there were other parts of the system outside of the quickstart rules that balanced these we were naturally unaware of. A change to the rules and some explanation later - both rapidly forthcoming from Chris and team, and all of these niggles were dealt with.

The system plays very well I have to say. Doom is neither a stick with which to punish players nor a straight-jacket for the GM as some seem to be claiming. I can see that a punitive style of GM might decide to use them thusly, but that would their the GMs failing, not the systems. Any GM can bork a game by whatever means is available to them behind the GM screen. That is not to say any ruels system that 'allows' it is somehow fatally flawed.

I am sure that there will be fully fleshed-out GM guidance on appropriate uses for those who want to see it in the Core Rules. For those of us a little longer in the RPG-tooth, such things are self-evident.

Tabletop RPGs are an interactive storytelling game... and like all stories need an escalating sense of challenge and threat leading to a climax where it gets resolved one way or the other.

Doom will, I can assure you, work well when used like this by any GM who approaches their use in this way. Someone using it as a stick to beat players has entirely missed the point, and those concluding that the mechanic inevitably encourages such behaviour needs to spend a Fortune Point on a common sense roll...

We have never used a Doom-like system before and after the mechanics were worked out (which do indeed play better than they read in these quickstart rules), we had a great time with them. There seemed to be just the right balance of concern about a build-up of 'Doom', and a 'let's rock!' damn-the-consequences use of Doom to get those extra dice when the cards fell badly for the PCs.

Nobody thought them heavy handed or inappropriate, and nobody got 'bored' with them, or ever entirely disregarded them. Much to our surprise, we enjoyed their use and the mechanic as a whole.

You will too, should you care to put aside any misgivings you might have, if any...

Eivind S March 31, 2016 7:04 am UTC

PURCHASER

Well, to each his own. I think this game will work well for those who enjoy counters and a lot of system driven rewards and penalties. Some of us, after having played the game multiple times, didn't enjoy it as much, and I find it interesting that those who did enjoy it won't accept our experience as valid. It's not all black or white; we can in fact have different opinions and both be right at the same time. I gladly accept that you had the time of your life, and rated this as the best possible system with a perfect score of 5/5 in your review. Good on you!

Anyway, we won't know how good this system really is before we see the final product. What we do know, however, is that it will be BIG, but that's something else completely.

Glenn F April 19, 2016 8:43 am UTC

PURCHASER

Actually I didn't say that other people's opinions are 'invalid'.

If you take the time to look at the two reviewers who scored the system a '1', there is no evidence they played, and indeed there is evidence from the language used by one, that they didn't play.

If you don't like the idea of a rules mechanic, like the 'Doom' points my friends and I thought might be the point of failure in the system, then you shouldn't be writing Reviews (the clue is in the name) without having played. It's like a movie critic scoring a movie '1' having not watched it...

You at least took the time to play it. I reserve no criticism for your opinion of the system. You tried it, and you didn't like it. But you tried it...

If you want to critique someone's approach to the reviews here, perhaps point out someone scoring a '1' without having played is far worse than someone having scored it a '5' after having played it?

Eivind S April 24, 2016 9:10 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Everybody should play it before reviewing, of course. I assume they have, and like you never said "invalid", they never said they didn't play it. That should be that then, shouldn't it...;)

Chuck H March 14, 2016 3:20 am UTC

PURCHASER

I had some doubts about the rule system when I first read it, but the playtest I just finished with my normal Pathfinder group put down about as many fears as it did Picts. The first combat was kind of painful, but once we all got the rules down, combat flowed quickly and everyone had a good time. In particular, the ebb and flow of the Momentum system really made the game; my players celebrated grabbing two or three Momentum after good rolls and then dumping a handful of Momentum tokens onto a damage roll much more than crits in our normal Pathfinder game.

That said, I've got a few rules questions before we play the second half of the adventure next weekend. First, what happens when you run out of Vigor? You obviously take a Wound, but does the Vigor stat reset? If not, what is the mechanic for taking more Wounds besides doing more than four points of damage?

Under the description for the Parrying quality on page 28, it says "A character wielding one or more Parrying weapons reduces...See more

Eivind S March 14, 2016 9:29 pm UTC

PURCHASER

The defence reactions from the players give Doom; 1 for the first, 2 for the second, and so on. You probably should have had more Doom points in your pool...:)

As to damage, the system is a bit complicated. You always substract damage remaining after soak from STRESS, if there is any stress left. You do 1 HARM whenever you do 5 or more damage, reguardless of whether you have reduced STRESS to 0 or not. You do 1 HARM whenever you reduce STRESS to 0. You do 1 HARM whenever you damage someone who already has 0 STRESS. You do 2 HARM if you BOTH reduce the opponent's stress to 0 AND do 5 or more damage (ofter soak, of course). I would also guess that you do 2 HARM whenever you do 5 or more damage to an enemy AND he has no STRESS remaining, but it doesn't really say so explicitly anywhere.

Chuck H March 16, 2016 5:18 am UTC

PURCHASER

So likewise my NPCs should have been paying Doom for each Defensive Action?

Those damage rules make sense; so once you're out of Stress, things get bloody fast.

Thank you for the clarifications. I appreciate your time.

Eivind S March 16, 2016 6:02 am UTC

PURCHASER

Yes. It says that you can reverse the flow that way.

Eivind S March 11, 2016 8:27 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Ok, so me and my group dedicated a couple of hours more to exploring this system (see my first comment below). I have played tabletop RPGs for about 22 years, and began reading Conan stories even a couple of years before I started playing, so this had everything going for it as far as my background is concerned.

This time around we had fewer problems with errors and cryptic wording in the rules themselves, even though there are still some places we had to stop/discuss/make up some rules on the spot. One example is the Grappling Rule. It does not say when the ensnared creature can make the attempt to escape, or whether if it's a free, minor or ordinary action to do so. Further, in the same rule, the last half of the description is extremely cumbersome, and partly indecipherable.

Ok, enough about the duct tape moments, I trust that these will be straightened out before the release of the core book. Let's look at a more troubling aspect, and a core part of the system mechanics; the doom...See more

David T March 13, 2016 4:02 pm UTC

PURCHASER

How did your players "lose respect" for Doom points, when 3 of them fully restored the enemies Vigor?
Even with restored Vigor, an enemy can still take Wounds, which are ultimately what you need to win a combat anyway.
Were your players using their Fortune Points?
Grappling seems pretty self explanatory: "An ensnared target is unable to move
or take action except to attempt an Acrobatics or
Athletics test equal to the number of Effects rolled."
What were you finding difficult about it?

Eivind S March 14, 2016 5:27 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Well, as I said, the players are more or less forced to give Doom points to be able to hit the opponents. Even though this is of course not the case in every encounter, it at least seems to hold true where the opponents are not weak, and the players have a disadvantage (like "darkness" in the quickstart scenario). That quickly resulted in me having more than enough points, despite the players initially being reluctant to give them to me. And there is little difference from the players perspective whether I have 15 or 30 Doom points at any given time. They have to focus on winning the battle at hand, give whatever doom the think necessary to reach that objective, and can't strategize about what will happen 2 encounters down the road. All told; they lost respect for doom points. This happened...

Yeah, they had their fortune points, and that gave them equal opportunity to heal themselves and so on. That, of course, only added to the potential length of an already too lengthy battle scene. The...See more

David T March 18, 2016 2:44 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Fortune Points can also be used instead of Doom to hit difficult opponents. Getting 2 automatic successes with 1 Fortune Point really helps. Also, where was all the Momentum going if players were spending so much Doom for so many dice all the time? I've run 5 games so far (plus many in playtesting), and I've seldom had 15 and never had 30 Doom at once. (I'm not trying to be argumentative, I'm just saying that your experience with Doom is certainly not true for all groups.)

The Grappling rule isn't really that hard. Exploit -1 Difficulty, weapon ensnaring the target can only attack the target (which only makes sense really). Maybe it's the wording?

Eivind S March 18, 2016 6:42 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Yeah, it might have been some random thing, I won't rule out the possibility. Only had two players that last session, maybe that made a difference. I don't know. As to the grappling rule (again), we ended up using your interpretation. I agree that the wording is extremely cumbersome, which was one of my points, with an unclear subject reference in the second sentence (exploit isn't weapon sensitive, applies to first attack regardless).

Anyway, the annoyances are cumulative, and they add up. "Reach and Guard" are found under "Ranged Combat" (eventually), but (only) seem to apply to Melee attacks. I could go on, but we have a different experience of this system, and probably disagree on some fundamental level as to what constitutes a sound and fast paced combat system, so I'll leave it at that.

Elwood D March 01, 2016 3:54 am UTC

PURCHASER

Based upon the v3.5. The layout seems well enough - it is not excellent, but nor does it detract. Not a big fan of the fonting as it seems a bit less clear that several other recent publications. Very big fan of the source material and I was pleased with most of the references and hints that have been seen on the kickstarter.

I must say that I am absolutely not a fan of the 2d20 system. Have done several play-throughs with the sample characters and the flow of the game is very halting and jarring. Its like someone saw Fate, AW/DW, Risus, Savage World (hate die progression systems, but the rest of it is okay) and other slick narrative systems and said, "This needs more Pathfinder in it." Cutting out the heart and joy of flowing narrative systems and bolting unto it crunchy tables, special conditions, etc.

Kind of like a some terrible marriage between Fate and Cortex+.

David T February 28, 2016 2:33 am UTC

PURCHASER

Remember when Robert E Howard wrote how Conan wasn't high enough level in his Thief Class to climb the Tower of the Elephant? And how he took 27 HP damage from Thak? Yeah, neither do I, but if you want some old school Conan game go play Mongoose's version. If you want a great Conan game that really brings the world of the stories to life play this game.

Paxton K April 24, 2016 10:18 am UTC

PURCHASER

Mongoose managed to do Conan.
People seem to be having trouble with the very basic mechanics of the 2D20 write up.
I realize it is a preview; but they listed a very impressive list of system designers.
FYI, I think all the published Conan games gave him a chance to climb the tower...

Frank W February 26, 2016 2:10 am UTC

PURCHASER

When I first saw the play test docs for this system I wasn't impressed, but I must say this game seems to be growing on me and I now a backer on the Kickstarter. Nice job!

Ole S February 25, 2016 7:46 am UTC

PURCHASER

I totally agree with the last two comments. The setting is great, and I like how you are focusing on Howard's Conan and Howard's world, but I hate the 2d20 rules. I think your "fine tuning" of the rules should involve a huge bonfire!

There is no doubt that you are all talented people and you are putting in a lot of effort to make this something really great, I just don't see that ever happening if you decide to stick with the 2d10-system. I guarantee that this game will bomb if you don't change the rule system. Yes, people are going to buy it because of the Hyborian backdrop and cool artwork, but they will not play it for long. You'll probably going to have to release some kind of Savage World's version or something to keep the punters happy. Why not just scrap the rules and start all over? It's going to pay off in the end...

This old school setting needs an old school system!

Chris B February 29, 2016 6:20 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

Sorry to hear you don't like the system Ole S - plenty of people do, we're releasing more guides on playing and it's much like Fate - in the beginning people had to read the rules several times to get it, but it placed so easily. 2d20 is already being worked on for 3 more major games coming out over the next couple of years, so it's not going away. Did you get a chance to play the system or just read it?

Paxton K April 24, 2016 10:23 am UTC

PURCHASER

"Already being worked on" for the next couple of years.
Really?
It may not dangle a participle.
Again...
And those games may be very good...

Allen O July 15, 2016 2:00 am UTC

PURCHASER

Grammar Nazi..If you don't like the game, don't buy it.

Kenneth B February 25, 2016 2:32 am UTC

PURCHASER

The 2d20 System is not appealing at all. Way too meta-game. I like everything I see about this game except for the 2d20 System, and for that reason, I won't purchase it. You guys should publish using a better game system. Conan shouldn't have to pay for his heroics (when he spends Doom points) later (when the GM uses spent Doom points to improve NPC abilities and create obstacles for the players). Conan is about the individual, his strong sword arm, and the will to face one's enemies. There is no overwhelming Force, like there is in Star Wars, or Dark Symmetry, like there is in Mutant Chronicles that effect's Conan's world. The 2d20 System is a bad match between mechanics and game world.

Chris B February 29, 2016 6:22 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

He can still be heroic without using Doom Points - that's just if you REALLY want to push your luck. What is stopping you being heroic without them?

Kenneth B March 03, 2016 2:13 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Your comment would lead one to believe that the game can be played without using Doom Points and Momentum, when, in reality, the game is centered around a system where the players must spend Doom Points to succeed. Anytime a character needs to exceed his natural abilities to overcome great obstacles, he spends Doom Points. So, when he is heroic in that manner, he's spending Doom Points.

And, anytime Doom Points are spent, the Ref has ammo to make encounters harder for the players. Therefore, being heroic NOW is punished LATER.

That system does not fit Conan's world at all. Conan should be able to pull off incredible, heroic feats wihtout his universe getting more difficult later.

That Doom Point System just kills the game.

And, it's so entwined in the rule system that there is no way I can see to play the game without using it. It would be akin to taking character levels out of a D&D game. D&D rules can't be easily tweaked to do that--It just can't...See more

Chris B March 03, 2016 3:30 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

Well I only mentioned Doom not Momentum. Momentum is the core of the system. Where D&D gives you a success, fail or Critical, 2d20 let's you quickly see a measure of success - and let's you spend those successes on increased effects. Better still it doesn't have massive lists of spends, you can make up what you want to do with your momentum. Characters can do amazing things without spending Doom - they're not first level characters but start with a lot of competency. In our adventure we played last night only once did someone buy a dice with Doom.

"The Ref has ammo to make encounters harder for the players. Therefore, being heroic NOW is punished LATER." This is where I think you're seeing it wrong though. It's not about the GM making it harder or punishing players. Often you end up with Doom in the pool because the player has bought dice or rolled badly. You're not forced to spend that but the point IS to spend it to make things more interesting for the players. In D&D do you make...See more

Kenneth B March 04, 2016 12:18 am UTC

PURCHASER

I'm assuming you've played D&D before. The system can be graded with a measure of success. I have a supplement for Mongoose's Conan RPG that uses graded success and failure. If your target is 10, then 15 is a better measure of success. 20 and 25 are higher measures. So, the 2d20 does not add something different in that respect.

I'll also note that the Mongoose Conan RPG uses Fate Points--points that do similar things for characters as buying Doom Points and Momentum in the 2d20 System. The difference is a Mongoose Conan character does not have to pay for using Fate Points later in the game. A character spending Fate is not answered by giving the Ref ammo to make obstacles harder later on in the adventure. And, therefore, Mongoose's d20 based game is a much better fit that the 2d20 system.

"You're not forced to spend that but the point IS to spend it to make things more interesting for the players."

The Ref can and and should make things interesting for...See more

Stefan L March 11, 2016 4:54 pm UTC

PURCHASER

I agree - and I actually tried the system with a group of friends. It was not fun as the rules did just not lend themselves well to enjoying a role-playing game of Conan. Too complicated, to "number-crunching".

Chris B March 11, 2016 5:25 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

D&D d20 'can' be graded but you have to divide your total by 5's - not much but still some maths involved especially if it's not a simple target number like 10 or 15, with 2d20 you can quickly see how many successes you rolled as part of the core system - it's simply each dice = or under your target number. You have to make d20 'more' complex to get the same effect.

A 2d20 ref gets to make the character's lives even more interesting using doom spends AND the system balances itself automatically against more powerful players (rolling more dice which can generate more doom). But I think you're missing the point this is just a fun system, not everyone likes every fun system as it breaks their view of how things should be done. There is no one way things should be done - check all those different RPG's that people like to argue about so much.

Big question though - have you tried actually playing the system - many who had similar feelings changes their minds. Of course it's not for everyone,...See more

Kenneth B March 11, 2016 11:09 pm UTC

PURCHASER

D&D d20 can be graded in a number of ways. The 5 point increments is just the most common way. A person could use single points, if he wants. The five point categories are convenient and common. And, there's not a lot of math to determine quality. Certainly no division is needed. If your target is 10, and you roll 17, then it's pretty doggone easy to see that you've rolled a category better than what is needed (10-14 = success; 15-19 = one extra success category). Any unbiased person looking at either this or the 2d20 System would comment that the two systems handle success grades differently, but each system is no better or more time consuming than the other. It takes about as much time to compare one or more d20 to a number as it does a single d20 roll in 5 point increments over a target.

"A 2d20 ref gets to make the character's lives even more interesting using doom spends AND the system balances itself automatically against more powerful players (rolling more dice...See more which can generate more doom)."

Let me show you another area where the 2d20 System fails: The Doom Pool is high because the players have racked up a several Doom Points by buying extra dice to overcome obstacles earlier in the adventure.

Now, the characters are in a safe place--a place where the Ref wants to encourage a feeling of safety. What I'm talking about can be seen in an encounter area from the old Basic D&D X4 adventure series, Master of the Desert Nomads. This makes for a great example showing one of the weaknesses of the 2d20 System. In that adventure, there is an Abbey that the players visit. The players are meant to think the place is a refuge--a sanctuary for rest and recuperation. But, the place is really Evil, and when the players least expect it, the evil monks spring their trap.

Take a situation like that happening in a Conan game. The Ref wants to encourage the players to feel safe at a church of Mitra (what they think is a church of Mitra). But, the damn Doom Point total is high. By the very fact that the Doom Point total being that high, the players will always be watchful, knowing the Ref has all those points to spend at any time.

In this manner, the Doom Pool spoils the entire effect that the Ref is trying to create.

Have I played this System? No. I tried. I read it and studied it and learned it. Then, I brought it in front of my group of players and not a single one of them--guys who love Conan and love playing the Mongoose game--wanted to spend time learning it, doing a play-through to learn the rules. Our game time is too valuable spending it on playing with game rules we've read and already know we don't like.

As i've said before, the game rules just don't fit Conan universe at all.

There's too many issues with these rules.

I suspect, after more people play the game, you'll find that more and more will dislike the ruleset. Just Googling it, I see that there are already several people out there who do not like the system.

Chris B March 13, 2016 7:47 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

In all likelihood the GM will have spent those points in the action scene they were in before - the system checks and balances easily. If the players were buying lots of dice to beef themselves up the GM would have been spending them. It's an example of how you haven't played the system to see how this plays out in reality. Even if for some reason the GM didn't spend the points they're just sitting there.

The player's know this is a dangerous world. Anything can happen. Do you really think hardened adventurers every really relax? Just like soldiers back from a war they're on trigger nerves. Yes you want the player's to relax but that's not the reality. The actual character's might relax a little but they KNOW danger is around the corner so the doom pool is a reminder of what is to come, maybe now, maybe later. These aren't people living in 21st century West Coast USA, they're in a dangerously brutal and unforgiving world where they know a moment's rest can be broken by extreme violence.
...See more

Kenneth B March 13, 2016 8:45 pm UTC

PURCHASER

"In all likelihood the GM will have spent those points in the action scene they were in before...."

"The player's know this is a dangerous world. Anything can happen. Do you really think hardened adventurers every really relax...."

C'mon, man. This is a real mis-direction to the problem I presented, and say stuff like this is no real answer. I don't know the Infinity game universe, but I understand why the system is more accepted with Mutant Chronicles. The Doom Points in that game represent the influence of Dark Symmetry. It makes some sense. But, there is no force like that in the Conan game world.

When Conan pulls off a super-human feat (he generates Doom Points), there should be no Answer to that in the form of complications or greater obstacles later. If Conan generates Doom when he climbs the Elephant Tower, that act shouldn't be answered later in the adventure (I know...you'll say that the Doom Conan created "purchased" the Giant...See more

Kenneth B March 14, 2016 1:21 am UTC

PURCHASER

Chris,

In almost every aspect, you've got a pretty damn cool game here. It's just that the 2d20 System is awful and doesn't match Conan's Hyborian Age very well (which is a problem for a game that is supposed to be closer to what Howard intended than what any other rpg had done before).

I've done a lot of googling, wondering--after our recent discussion--if I was the only one. I'm not. There are A LOT of gamers out there who do not like the 2d20 System.

I also see you, or several of the other Modiphius people, on various forums, arguing with with posters, trying to convince them that the system really is a good one...if the people would just try it.

I ask you: How much time do you and your Modiphius mates spend defending the 2d20 System?

It seems like you spend a great deal of time in that endeavor. It should tell you something.

Andy E March 14, 2016 7:42 am UTC

PURCHASER

"There are A LOT of gamers out there who do not like the 2d20 System."

To be fair you can find a lot of gamers to dislike any system, it's not really a valid argument. Can you name one system which has received unanimous praise?

There are a multitude of different systems out there each catering to different tastes, and it's impossible to please everyone. Some would like to see a D20/D&D-like Conan, I would've been gutted if that wasn't the case and wouldn't have backed.

Chris B March 14, 2016 12:13 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

@Kenneth firstly if you're going to say this on our product page I expect you to back it up with evidence - a link please? "I've also heard--though I've not spoken to anyone directly--that even some of the people working on the game don't like the system. That they were forced to use the system because it's the Modiphius House System."
- Seriously get your facts straight if you're going to say something like that.

This doesn't make sense: "If Conan generates Doom when he climbs the Elephant Tower, that act shouldn't be answered later in the adventure (I know...you'll say that the Doom Conan created "purchased" the Giant Spider that the barbarian fights at the top of the tower.) It makes no sense in this world."
- you just gave an example of Doom being used - yet try to say it makes no sense, when Howard wrote that exact scene. We're not creating the Force here, it's a game mechanic to allow the GM to balance players actions. Conan constantly faces adversity...See more - Doom reflects that process and can be used by the GM to create story - it's not there to punish players, it's there as a resource for GM's to use as they wish. You don't have to have any cause and effect spend of Doom. The GM can save it for the right moment as they wish.

Kenneth it looks like you're trying as hard as possible to convince yourself it's not a great system. Try also googling people who like the system - you'll find plenty more. If i want I can google all the people who hate 5th edition. Doesn't make it a bad system - there's always plenty of people out there who like to use forums as soapboxes to explain why you're doing it all wrong. They tend to be louder than the one's who are simply getting on and playing the game. I could list all out great reviews if you like - if we were getting bad reviews and no one wanted to back the kickstarter it would be one thing, but that's not the case. Come on the Kickstarter page https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/modiphius/robert-e-howards-conan-roleplaying-game and check all the people who are loving the system and enjoying what it does.

You don't have to describe effects on the dice - we encourage you to roleplay and describe what you're doing with extra successes rather than look through a long list of spends and figure out a use for those points. Sure we have some basic spends but I want people to say - "I'm going to grab the outcrop, swing up and smash my way through the first line of guards to stop them attacking the old man" instead of spending 10 minutes working out which point spends are most optimal for a 5 success result. Kenneth I don't know what kind of roleplaying you like but for me we're trying to encourage cinematic storytelling. If you want to simply hit with a d20 and roll damage you have D&D and Mongoose's d20. If you want to be able to do much more interesting stuff - like to use your example. "I swung and chopped his head off, then caught the head and threw it at the rest of the bandits before shouting 'I'll have your heads next!" this this is what 2d20 allows. I just spent the spare momentum to catch the head and take a second action to threaten his gang hoping I'll scare a couple of them off with a Resolve attack.

When a character rolls a complication you aren't forced to create something - you can simply take 2 doom.

Surely Life is too short to spend time searching just for people who dislike a game online? Wouldn't it be better when you're faced with people who like something you dislike to discover why people like it? Instead you seem intent to prove your point rather than be open to discovering something.

Kenneth B March 14, 2016 11:16 pm UTC

PURCHASER

OK, let's take a more positive, constructive angle on this. What is it that I do not like (and I find that most people don't like) about the rule system? It's the Doom Pool. It's the players generating points now, giving those points to the Ref so that he can use them later in ways against the characters.

That line of thought is all sorts of wrong when it comes to the Hyborian Age.

But, what would fit?

What about having an optional system where any Doom generated must be spent immediately? THAT would make a lot more sense. And, you'd remove the meta-game aspect of the rule system. No more Doom Pool.

How would it work?

This is just off the top of my head, but it's a starting point: Momentum, like Doom Points, must be spent immediately, on the task that generated them. If in combat, then the Momentum grants them the same things that Momentum is given in the game right now. A character can achieve a special effect, roll a second attack, add...See more Momentum to damage. But, Momentum is never saved. When it is generated, it is used right then. It would be akin to rolling a critical hit in d20 games, but with a choice of outcomes for that special roll.

Likewise, Doom Points are never kept. A player could roll extra dice on any task that he wants, but the risk of failure gets higher. Instead of generating Doom, the Critical Failure number gets higher. If a player chooses to roll one extra die on a task, then Critical Failures happen (on all three dice thrown) on a roll of 19-20. If two extra dice are used, then Critical Failure happens on a roll of 18-19-20. If three extra dice are used (the maximum), then Critical Failure Happens on 17-18-19-20 (which would be a pretty high chance when rolling five dice).

Maybe the math doesn't make sense on that (Critical Failure happens to often) but something could be used like this. Maybe, with each extra die used, then the Success Number goes down by one point. Thus, if a character succeeds on a 7 or less and Focus is 2, then rolling one extra dice means success is reduced to 6 and Focus to 1. Two extra dice means success on 5 and no Focus. Three extra dice means Success on 4.

Or, how about Doom Points being generated on X number when extra dice is thrown. And, if Doom is generated, then it must be used by the Ref right then. If in combat, the Doom Points would give the enemy Momentum to use for and extra attack or some other effect.

The idea is to use the Points as soon as generated. This makes a lot more sense for a game set in the Conan world. If you risk, your consequences of that task are higher, but you've got a better chance at success.

If you guys could come up with an alternative rule similar to this, then I'd be on board with the game.

As written, the Doom Pool just kills the game for me and my players. A change like this would be a huge step in the right direction.

I bet a lot of players with complaints about the game would like to see an alternative like this.

Kenneth R March 23, 2016 8:28 am UTC

PURCHASER

The biggest system to date that is the most popular is Wizards of the Coast Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. There is the answer to your question about the most popular game system to date. On the other hand I'm very excited to try a new system. Thus 2D20 system with Doom reminds me alot of 5E''s Fate points or Luck points or plot points, hero points. I'm not going to pick a fight but honestly if anyone us going to be that close minded then just pass this great opportunity up. I am willing to bet that eventually you will regret it sooner then later.

Paxton K April 24, 2016 10:31 am UTC

PURCHASER

DM: The guy who makes the story.
He doesn't add an orc per Doom point...
If he has half a brain, the number of orcs is a formula based on the characters and the players.
DM Zen: Knowing good orc number. Knowing bad orc number.

Paxton K April 24, 2016 10:33 am UTC

PURCHASER

Divide by 5?
Link it please ;)

Paxton K April 24, 2016 10:41 am UTC

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Kenneth during play testing before the release of this, they had plenty of criticism. They decided 2D20. Cool, their game.
If you weren't part of those conversations, you would be relieved they went with 2D20.

A guy in full plate armor tumbles. It causes little hindrance...

Cartwheels in full plate is like sword swallowing to me...
Both are possible...

Eivind S February 24, 2016 10:20 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Ok, so I was just going to play through the Quickstart to see if the 2d20 system was something for me and my group. I had never played any other 2d20 games, so that has to be taken into account.

What happened is that we were pretty quickly bogged down by the rules and explanations in the Quickstart. Our first little discussion was about the "volley" rule; we just couldn't figure out what "not using up" and "spending a shot meant", given that the ammunition was described as "1 load of arrows". Is "load" and "shot" the same? Ok, minor one there perhaps.

In the "surprise" description I'm pretty sure you mean the "winning party" in the last paragraph. Also, does everyone included have to spend fortune/give doom, or just one of the players? Ok, that was another minor one.

What really got us, were the soak rules. Adelstan was just so much tougher than the rest! A shield 3 and a Parry 2 + 3 armor gave...See more

Nathan D February 24, 2016 10:46 pm UTC

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Lead developer here:

"Load" and "Shot" are synonymous in mechanical terms. In essence, if your ranged weapon has Volley, you don't run out of ammo normally (you're assumed to be careful with your arrows), but can use up a portion of them to get a bonus. If the ranged weapon doesn't have Volley, you use up a shot with each attack (this includes throwing your melee weapons, though you technically have infinite Improvised Attacks, as the Thrown part of that represents picking up a rock or other small object and throwing it).

The precise matter of weapon and armour balance is something we're looking at, using feedback from the quickstart to give us more data to work with, so the versions as seen in the quickstart are "as intended", but only so far as those are the versions we're trying out right now. The feedback is useful, though, for helping fine-tune this for the rulebook.

Further rules queries, particularly if you want an answer quickly, can...See more

Chris B February 29, 2016 6:23 pm UTC

PUBLISHER

Hi don't worry that's been resolved in the new 3.5 version that you can download

Eivind S March 01, 2016 1:13 pm UTC

PURCHASER

Nice! That kind of responsiveness certainly makes me want to give it a second chance. I will post a new feedback after trying it out!