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Product review for         Conan the Roleplaying Game
                        Mongoose Press

“Know o prince, that between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, and the years of the rise of the Sons of Aryas, there was an Age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars – Nemedia, Ophir, Brythunia, Hyperborea. Zamora with its dark-haired women and towers of spider haunted mystery. Zingara with its chivalry. Koth that bordered on the pastoral lands of Shem. Stygia with its shadow-guarded tombs. Hyrcania whose riders wore steel and silk and gold. But the proudest kingdom of the world was Aquilonia, reigning supreme in the dreaming west. Hither cam Conan, the Cimmerian. Black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand. A thief. A reaver, a slayer. With gigantic melancholies and gigantic myrth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandaled feet.”
                                                        Robert E. Howard

Do you hear it? Listen, the drum beat. Of course you hear it. It is a low, guttural thing, pounding in the distance, heralding the coming of something lethal and powerful. It resounds in the chest, and brings the image of pounding hooves, steel by firelight, and grim fisted heroes facing certain death. Can’t make it out yet? Come a bit closer, sit by the fire, and let me tell you what it means.

The Conan roleplaying game is set in a world penned in the 1930’s by a Texan named Robert E. Howard. Howard wrote before modern fantasy, before elves and dwarves, before wizards were friendly and heroes were neutered. He wrote for the pulp fiction market, and made a fair living doing so. Howard wrote as many stories about boxing and gunfighters as he ever did about the Hyborean age, but it is the barbaric hero, Conan, who has endured. This roleplaying game is based on Howard’s stories. It does not draw inspiration from the movies starring the Governor of a western state, or the comic books depicting a thug in a loin cloth. It captures the style and feel of Conan’s world with flair, a thing that has been attempted many times over the years, but always fell short of the mark.

The Book is over 350 pages, in full color, with excellent artwork. There were 10 artists contributing to the interior, and all did a fine job portraying the gritty feel of the Hyborean Age and its inhabitants. The books is filled with countless excerpts from the stories, used to make a points or act as a form of designer’s notes and insight into why the game was set up as it is. It is easily the best looking game I have purchased for some time. It is priced at a rather steep $49.95, but delivers.

Initially the game offers up approximately 3 pages of introduction to the setting and style. This is vital, as the grim world of Conan is nothing at all like the golden wooded lands of Tolkien or his many imitators. The introduction eases the reader into the Hyborean Age slowly. More meat is offered later in the book, but this short background builds the tone that the rest of the book is based on. I am an old school Howard fan, and I found it well written, and pleasant to review.

The game stands alone under the OGL. You will not need the Players handbook to begin play, and it spends approximately 10 pages going over the nuts and bolts of how the system works. You will not find anything really new here, save the defensive stats for dodge and parry. Combat is a bit different in this land, but more on that later. The game does not really begin to shine until you turn to the third chapter, on Character Creation.

Understand one thing: there are only humans in the Hyborean Age. This is, after all, a reflection of our own world. Howard drew on real history to craft his tales, and there are no elves, or orcs, to be found. The game does, however, offer no less that 14 major races of humanity to select from, and an additional 13 variant races. If you feel the urge to play a Gunderman Pikeman, the chance if offered to you. Each race has a typical stat adjustment, in a manner much like D&D. The races also gain 2 ranks in 2 or 3 skills, that may not be in your class skill listing, to reflect that races heritage and unique culture. So a Cimmerian is skilled in Climb, for example.

The character classes are all unique to the Conan RPG. They tend to be a bit more lethal than their D&D counterparts in terms of combat prowess, and would not work well in a standard 3E game. In context they are interesting and very well done. The barbarian is a brutal killing machine, lacking in finesse (a vital feature of combat in this system), but making up for it in raw power. They can be savage foes, flying into a blood rage if they pass a will test, allowing them to leap on that cringing wizard and…well you get the idea. While similar to the D&D barbarian, this fellow is a barbarian in the “REH” mold. The classes: Barbarian, Borderer, Noble, Nomad, Pirate, Soldier, Thief, and for those who don’t feel the primal urge to use cold steel, the scholar, (who is actually the magical class of the game). Scholars are a set of classes in themselves, because the player may select a background, and a style of sorcery to use. You can indeed be a wicked servant of Set, or a bold priest of Mitra.

Combat in Conan the RPG is interesting and slightly different that D&D. Armor, for one, is used to reduce damage rather than add to armor class. A character’s defense is based on skill and statistics, not armor. All weapons have a ‘penetration” value, used to overcome armor. The finesse style of fighting is also in the game in force, and any character may elect to use dex rather than strength to modify attack provided they are using a “finesse” weapon. This means you are not forced to select the “weapon finesse:rapier” feat just to fight like a fencer. Strap a light sword to your side, twist your dashing mustache, and have at it.

The magic system is utterly unique and is true to the vision of the 1930’s pulp writer who imagined it. Magic is dangerous, mighty, and dripping with dark consequences. Entire side adventures to gather the needed tools of the trade could provide a lot of fodder for a GM who is running a Scholar based group.

The setting information offered in the book is excellent. I am a Howard fanatic, raised on the stuff. For me it was a nice stroll through memory lane. For the virgin, who thinks of the movies or comic books, this portion of the volume will be a real treat. Of course, the best way to discover the steaming jungles of Kush, or the gleaming spires of Sultanapur are to walk in them, sword in hand, with a good GM sitting across the table at you.

By Crom, that was thirsty work. I am off for a flagon of wine!

Amalric