This volume in the Mongoose Conan RPG series is a small format (trade paperback) version of the Atlantean edition of the Conan Rulebook. The rules are compatible with the original eddition of the rules, with no fundamental differences between the two editions, the main reason for the Atlantean edition being the poor editing of the first edition.
The presentation is similar to the other books in the Conan series with a narrower version of the normal page borders, the same cover art as other Conan core rulebooks and the diagrams for combat retained from the Atlantean edition of the rules. There is no internal art or the quotations from Robert E. Howard that gave flavour to the core rules. The lack of artwork is not a major loss as this is a rulebook that I need to carry and use rather than a coffee table book.
Conan and the Hyborian Age
Just in case there is anyone who hasn't heard of Conan or the Hyborian Age. It all started back in the 1930s with a writer from Texas called Robert E Howard, who created the character of Conan and published stories about him in Weird Tales magazine. He did become a popular character and was still published after Howard's untimely death, with other authors completing some story outlines and writing new original stories few of which in my opinion have ever captured the verve of Howard's writing. As well as books and magazines, Marvel comics published a comic book adaptation, notable for Barry Smith's art. And of course there were the movies with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Design and Production
Art and Design
This is a good point of the book. Chris Quilliams cover is really good and for me captures the look of Conan. The design does not waste too much space on pages which are probably about 85-90% text on average. There are diagrams to illustrate combat examples in this edition, which is an improvement from the original edition of the rules and these do make things clearer on tactical movement and combat.
Physical Production
This is a trade paperback size book with a perfect (glued) binding. I'm think this will hold up fairly well from the example of this and how my copy of the Mongoose Pocket Players Handbook has lasted despite heavy use over the last few years. There are still some annoying typos and errors in editing, but much less than the original version of the rules.
Content
What's different from the core rulebook: the Hyborian age essay by Robert Howard is omitted as is the bestiary and gazeteer. Of the three the bestiary is by far the biggest loss as the essay is printed at many other places and the gazeteer can easily be replaced by the Road of Kings book, but it is possible to adapt creatures from other D20 RPG without huge difficulties and many times Conan fights mostly human opponents.
Rules
Now the most important part, how well do the rules adapt the D20 system to get the flavour of Hyborian Age role-playing? Firstly it must be said that the normal D20 concepts of classes and levels have been retained, with the skill system and feat also being pretty standard, but different names used to give more flavour.
There are no non human player characters, which is appropriate for the setting. Classes available are largely combat oriented; there is no straight equivalent of the Cleric or the arcane spell casters, just the Scholar class. There is provision for any class to dabble in magic using the Dabbler feat.
There are a large number of subraces available for humans based on the nationality and background. In total there are 14 major races and 13 variants on these so there is no lack of variety, but generally a GM will specify which are appropriate for the adventure setting, e.g. a campaign on the Pictish border of Aquilonia is unlikely to have Stygian priest characters. Racial definitions may include characteristic adjustments, favoured and prohibited classes, background skills, bonus feats and languages.
Ability increases come for single abilities at level 4 and every 4 levels after that, with an increase to all abilities at level 6 and every 4 levels after that. This will make high level characters very unlikely to have any negative ability modifiers. Though this is more generous than most D20 games the lack of magical equipment or technological equipment means that characters need this to have an edge at higher levels.
Classes
The classes reflect the Hyborian world with few spell casters, but lots of varied combat types. The full list is:
The only class with magic abilities is the Scholar. There are no penalties for cross-classing, but by gaining levels in favoured classes characters receive bonus feats at 1, 5 and 10 levels.
Hit points are generated by die rolls + modifiers up to level 10 and after that a fixed amount, depending on class, is received. This means that higher level characters hit points will be lower than in other OGL games. The range of dice is only between D6 and D10 so the range of hit points between classes is lower than in D&D. At first level all characters gain the maximum possible hit points and given the low amounts of healing available this is necessary.
Skills and Feats
The skills and feats are one part of the system which is closest to the standard OGL rules with there just being an adjusted list of these and many feats having names changed to give more flavour. This I think is fairly successful as Fighting Madness sounds better than Rage to give an example.
Equipment and Money
Compared to D&D money is scarce - characters usually only have small amounts of case and the 'High Living' rule can be used to help dispose of any extra wealth over 50sp. The only coin types are gold and silver. Magical equipment is not easy to obtain and is not normally purchased, but would be received as part of the rewards from a successful adventure.
Most characters will tend to receive a starting kit of equipment and arms based on the sets in the rulebooks or the GM's preference, but there are price lists and starting money tables if the purchase system is preferred.
Fate Points
Characters receive fate points at first level and can at later times at the GM's discretion. These can be used for a number of purposes, probably most often to preserve a characters life as being 'left for dead', but they can also be used for a 'mighty blow' to deliver maximum damage on an attack, 'repentance' to remove corruption and 'destiny' to make minor changes to the game world.
Codes of Honour and Reputations
There is no alignment in the Conan game which reflects Howard's world, but characters can have a Code of Honour and Allegiances which affect their interaction with others. The Codes of Honour bring benefits on Will saving throws and to reputation, but require a character to act within the code or lose its benefits. I personally find this is accurate as an evocation of the Hyborian Age where Conan clearly does have a personal code of behaviour and preferable to the D&D alignment system.
Reputations are earned based on the characters behaviour and level, this being used to help determine interaction with NPC, reputation points will gradually decrease for inactive characters. Reputations are localised so being known in Aquilonia as a mighty fighter on the pictish border will count for little in Vendhya.
Combat
This is still basically D20 combat, but changed from standard D&D by there being different combat styles and rules for the effect of armour.
In combat the main differences are the use of a Defence Value rather than an Armour Class for the to hit roll, there are two types of DV, dodge based and parry based. Armour also has damage reducing qualities, with weapons having an armour piercing factor to overcome this. Finesse fighters can bypass Damage Reduction by getting an attack roll equal to or higher than the DV +DR for the target, which can make some weapons more attractive than in the basic D&D style rules.
Magic
The magic system in Conan is substantially different from the standard D&D system to reflect how sorcery is used in Howard's stories. The limit on use is based on power points rather than spells per day. Magical healing is pretty much unknown meaning that characters cannot rely on the old D&D approach of standing and taking damage whilst the cleric stands behind healing their wounds.
Power points are only received by the Scholar class or characters with the Dabbler feat. The number of points received is 4 + wisdom bonus for the Scholar and 2 + wisdom bonus if the Dabbler feat has been selected. Each spell has a cost in power points, with the limit on the amount of spells determined by a mixture of power points and spells known. Additional power points can be gained through sacrifices, energy drains, or rituals. Power points used up to the characters usual base PP can be regained by rest; each Sorcerer has a maximum number of power points.
There are special rules for magic, these are: the rule of success, rule of impermanence, rule of defence, rule of obsession, rule of the master and rule of the sorcerer’s soul. These can alter how effective magic is with the rule of success making spell casters potentially very powerful indeed as it causes a sorceror who slays an opponent by magic or combat to recieve a morale bonus to all their attack rolls (magical or combat) in the next round wth this bonus increase with the number killed in the round.
Magic use in Conan has the risk of corruption from associating with demons, with this being treated as a cumulative risk. There are other consequences of magic, these being runaway magic and insanity. The risks of using magic are linked to it often requiring dealings with demons and these can posess or take the spellcaster's soul.
There are nine styles of sorcery: Counterspells; Curses; Divination; Hypnotism; Natural Magic; Necromancy; Oriental Magic; Prestidigitation and Summoning. Each style has different spells available and a spellcaster will recieve new sorcery styles at different levels starting out with one and then adding new ones as they progress. A GM can easily add new styles if they wish. The spell lists seem reasonably consistent with the name of the style.
Compared to say D&D magic, that in the Conan game is less 'balanced', but that reflects the setting where spellcasters are rare and generally feared greatly. This does not stop them from still being greatly vulnerable to a brave man with a sword as Conan usually does defeat them even with difficulty. Sometimes of course the dark powers that the spellcasters commune with will lead them to their doom to match the setting's content.
Drugs, Poisons and Herbal Preparations are also dealt with in the section on magic including such notable items as the Apples of Derketa and the products of the various lotuses. There are various ways detailed for poisons to be delivered such as contact or inhalation and rules for each ones effects. Alchemical items are also dealt with in this section.
There is a section on religion in the Hyborian age, this has comparatively little effect in play as compared to D&D clerics are purely priests who would be the Scholar class in Conan and the gods do not intervene in Howard's stories. There can be benefits to worshippers of a god, but these are limited and the requirements of that god for their worshippers must be met. An example being followers of Set who must obey the priests and pay a tithe of 2sp/level/month to the local temple, but will recieve spells in return.
Pluses:
Negatives:
Downloads:
Character sheets and adventures are available at mongooses website. With the Signs and Portents roleplayer pdf magazine containing articles fairly regularly.
Overall
Recommended, especially for the travelling DM or a player, who won't need the bestiary. I give it a 4 for style and a 4 for content. The rules are not perfect, but I do feel that they are a good attempt to use the D20 approach for roleplaying in the Hyborian Age.
