Quote from: Armchair Gamer on November 12, 2020, 09:26:35 AM(Ansalon's diversity is interesting--for a continent smaller than Australia, it has white, black, and American Indianesque residents, with no indication of migration from elsewhere. And this has been part of the setting since 1984.)

Its a planet created and populated by gods. Evolution and genetics instantly go right out the window. And to kick off the series we have a god corrupting dragon eggs to create a new race.
Now add in a power that literally can toss a wild card into even that and anything is possible. The dwarves alone are ample example of this. One race gets split by the changestone into three wildly different races.

Quote from: Ghostmaker on November 10, 2020, 11:36:43 AM
Isn't jeet kun do (Bruce Lee's 'way of the intercepting fist') considered the ancestor for most modern MMA because of its pragmatism?

Bruce Lee is often considered the godfather of MMA even though very little is said about Jeet Kune Do. He realized a lot of what was being taught didn't work in a street fight. There's differences of opinion on when Bruce realized this, but I think it was his fight with Wong Jack Man when it went to the ground and neither knew what the fuck he was doing. There are "stories" about Bruce street-fighting as a youth, but I regard that as mostly myth or he'd have started JKD sooner.

I think oggsmash mentioned the Gracies, and yes, they were around before Bruce, but they didn't have the cultural reach Mr. Lee had.

Quote from: Rob Necronomicon on November 12, 2020, 10:31:27 AM

Quote from: oggsmash on November 12, 2020, 09:29:07 AM
A Blade is deadly wherever you are.  Period.  I would say though, the only reason I would say going to the ground is worse on the scale of deadly, is because I have eliminated the option to run.  IF you fight a person who knows what they are doing with a knife, and you have no weapon, you are up shit creek.  If you know you are doing and they do not, and they are committed in attack, you are still likely to bleed, alot.   The only upside is it is not a gun, and a person does make more power with it, stopping power (liver, kidney, heart, etc) thrusts are easier to get with full leverage (meaning standing),  So you will get cut up grappling a person with a knife....but guess what, if they have a knife and you do not, you are likley to get cut up anyway. So I agree regarding train the best you can, and most of the time I spend grappling more these days has more to do with impact being harder on the joints than what I feel if most practical for a street scenario.  Because the true reality is, the "street scenario" is extremely, extremely rare in a first world nation unless you just want to fight in bars, or you go to too many "peaceful protests".

Re. Knives, a person who 'really knows' what they are doing with a knife - Then you can pretty much kiss your ass goodbye. AKA - a two handed knife fighter. Someone who uses their 'off hand' in order to use their main hand to stab. Mind you, even a drooling drunk lunatic with absolutely no training whatsoever is still very deadly. Especially if they panic. They will go sewing machine on your ass (especially if you try and hold them).

In all honesty, to this date, I've never seen ANY system that can deal with a knife 100%. Yeah, you might very well get cut - It's about mitigating the damage by attempting to cover your vital areas. Easier said then done of course. However, there are some principals that are light years ahead of that Kratty Fu shit where they just simply pluck the knife out of the air. LOL. I'd love to see someone try that outside the Dojo against a committed knife wielder with real intent.

Running is always the best option... As I said before. Fighting is a mugs game, best reserved for the school yard and scum bags. Unfortunately, even in a 1st world country there are still plenty of violent scum who venture into nice places. I know many people who've been violent attacked in Dublin city for doing nothing more than minding their own business (some even in broad daylight with lots of folks about). And it's only going to get worse as the economy takes another nosedive with this whole pandemic thing. Shite bags have got to have their drug money.

Also, if it's part of your occupation you don't always have the option of running or walking away. For example I worked as a bouncer for three years in the UK to put myself through art college (in my twenties). I never had the option of just walking away unfortunately. Luckily we had a good team of guys.

How do you know the winners and losers in a knife fight?  The loser dies in the street.  The winner dies in the ambulance...

Quote from: Jason Coplen on November 12, 2020, 08:10:52 PM

Quote from: Ghostmaker on November 10, 2020, 11:36:43 AM
Isn't jeet kun do (Bruce Lee's 'way of the intercepting fist') considered the ancestor for most modern MMA because of its pragmatism?

Bruce Lee is often considered the godfather of MMA even though very little is said about Jeet Kune Do. He realized a lot of what was being taught didn't work in a street fight. There's differences of opinion on when Bruce realized this, but I think it was his fight with Wong Jack Man when it went to the ground and neither knew what the fuck he was doing. There are "stories" about Bruce street-fighting as a youth, but I regard that as mostly myth or he'd have started JKD sooner.

I think oggsmash mentioned the Gracies, and yes, they were around before Bruce, but they didn't have the cultural reach Mr. Lee had.

Well, the thing is, once Lee passed, JKD fell FAR by the wayside of Karate and TKD.  I read his book back in 1991 when I first got involved with martial arts, but the fact is his principles were not being followed or payed attention to at that time in my personal experience.  So I would say alot more people may know who Bruce Lee is, but none of them, other than martial arts enthusiasts who pursued reading his book felt any of that aspect of his influence.  He did actually slide some grappling into Enter the Dragon, but it seemed to have zero effect, since Judo academies survived that period (and honestly to this day) by being inside a Karate Dojo or in a community center teaching some kids for almost free.   Royce Gracie got people's attention in a way Bruce's book could not.   You would think, given the boost from Bruce, that JKD would have been a much more widespread and practiced martial art, but I think politics and puritanism sort of killed them to a degree on a national scale.  Where at the same time Karate and TKD had fewer puritanism issues.  Which is interesting, because Chuck Norris, was much more cross trained (he was a Judo Black belt before he trained Tang soo do if I remember correctly) essentially sold karate to America better than Bruce had sold JKD.  So I do not disagree more people may have known who Bruce Lee was, the Gracies putting the UFC into being had a considerably larger effect among the actual martial artists in the country than Bruce's book did, insofar as people doing something other than reading a theory.  That sort of blossomed from there and then we have modern MMA, which is sort of becoming its own thing.    Also regarding Chuck, he was training with the Machados a good while before the UFC took place, I saw a video of him doing a demo with them, I think in Germany from 90 or 91.   It may be later, but Chuck was already clearly very well trained. 

   IN the end, what happened here in America, as what sadly happens all the time, the best marketing won out.  Turns out seeing a dude actually choke people on TV, is more appealing than reading a book.

Quote from: Eirikrautha on November 12, 2020, 08:44:50 PM

Quote from: Rob Necronomicon on November 12, 2020, 10:31:27 AM

Quote from: oggsmash on November 12, 2020, 09:29:07 AM
A Blade is deadly wherever you are.  Period.  I would say though, the only reason I would say going to the ground is worse on the scale of deadly, is because I have eliminated the option to run.  IF you fight a person who knows what they are doing with a knife, and you have no weapon, you are up shit creek.  If you know you are doing and they do not, and they are committed in attack, you are still likely to bleed, alot.   The only upside is it is not a gun, and a person does make more power with it, stopping power (liver, kidney, heart, etc) thrusts are easier to get with full leverage (meaning standing),  So you will get cut up grappling a person with a knife....but guess what, if they have a knife and you do not, you are likley to get cut up anyway. So I agree regarding train the best you can, and most of the time I spend grappling more these days has more to do with impact being harder on the joints than what I feel if most practical for a street scenario.  Because the true reality is, the "street scenario" is extremely, extremely rare in a first world nation unless you just want to fight in bars, or you go to too many "peaceful protests".

Re. Knives, a person who 'really knows' what they are doing with a knife - Then you can pretty much kiss your ass goodbye. AKA - a two handed knife fighter. Someone who uses their 'off hand' in order to use their main hand to stab. Mind you, even a drooling drunk lunatic with absolutely no training whatsoever is still very deadly. Especially if they panic. They will go sewing machine on your ass (especially if you try and hold them).

In all honesty, to this date, I've never seen ANY system that can deal with a knife 100%. Yeah, you might very well get cut - It's about mitigating the damage by attempting to cover your vital areas. Easier said then done of course. However, there are some principals that are light years ahead of that Kratty Fu shit where they just simply pluck the knife out of the air. LOL. I'd love to see someone try that outside the Dojo against a committed knife wielder with real intent.

Running is always the best option... As I said before. Fighting is a mugs game, best reserved for the school yard and scum bags. Unfortunately, even in a 1st world country there are still plenty of violent scum who venture into nice places. I know many people who've been violent attacked in Dublin city for doing nothing more than minding their own business (some even in broad daylight with lots of folks about). And it's only going to get worse as the economy takes another nosedive with this whole pandemic thing. Shite bags have got to have their drug money.

Also, if it's part of your occupation you don't always have the option of running or walking away. For example I worked as a bouncer for three years in the UK to put myself through art college (in my twenties). I never had the option of just walking away unfortunately. Luckily we had a good team of guys.

How do you know the winners and losers in a knife fight?  The loser dies in the street.  The winner dies in the ambulance...

My father, who is a retired police officer who was actually shot in the line of duty when I was in the 1st grade, once told me a story regarding a call he went to.  Two guys had gotten into a somewhat drunken rage infused brawl and one had a knife, and the other I think a straight razor.  When he and the other police got there, the "winner" was walking towards the back of the establishment, they couldnt see him at first on entering, but were able to follow the string of 20' or so of his intestines wrapped around a chair leg, and he was tugging like a zombie unable to move and grunting because of the pull back as he tried to move further.  Still had his knife, dont remember what kind, as his opponent was dead, from multiple stab wounds and some severe neck slashes.  The guy did live to get in the ambulance, but as you have explained he died en route.
   Ah the stories from childhood we get to hear, and also why I do wonder why people want to enter the profession.  I think my mind was made up police was a hard pass by third grade (when my brother and I had to move out for a  month over some dude who had pals camping my parents house after killing another cop by mistake).

Scroll down near the bottom for OSR Conan.

https://www.grey-elf.com/

I always knew Conan was gay.

I mean those leather briefs basically were certain giveaway.

The Modiphius books are for sale cheap at Humble Bundle.
https://www.humblebundle.com/books/conan-modiphius-books
I'm not interested in the system, but are they worth getting for background material?

QuoteI'm not interested in the system, but are they worth getting for background material?

They went quite throughly through almost all Hyborian Era countries and lands, and despite this pitiful virtue signalling they make rather cosmetic changes.

Quote from: Pat on November 13, 2020, 10:13:02 AM
The Modiphius books are for sale cheap at Humble Bundle.
https://www.humblebundle.com/books/conan-modiphius-books
I'm not interested in the system, but are they worth getting for background material?

If you do get the Humble Bundle, bear in mind that you can designate where the money goes, and the EFF is a pretty decent charity to direct your payment towards.

I read through Conan the Wanderer - if they think that changing a few words has made the book 'woke' they're kidding themselves.  No way is it remotely woke.

Should anyone want to attack Modiphius there's plenty of ammunition (not surprising - consultants and sensitivity readers will never save you.)

It's also really not a good book from a rpg perspective (I don't know, if you want Conan Lore or something it might be ok - although it alls seems like obvioux extraploation to me).  Precious little in the way of maps - those they do have are useless - basically just illustrations - no locations detailed from a GM perspective.  They do have new rules for the 2d20 system, but that already has more player options then anyone could really need.

Quote from: Wicked Woodpecker of West on November 13, 2020, 10:53:48 AM
They went quite throughly through almost all Hyborian Era countries and lands, and despite this pitiful virtue signalling they make rather cosmetic changes.

Thanks, ended up picking up the whole thing. It's probably a good sign that Conan the Wanderer is the only book in the bundle with a "cultural sensitivity reader" in the credits, but without a single listed "writer".

Quote from: Valatar on November 13, 2020, 11:30:35 AM
If you do get the Humble Bundle, bear in mind that you can designate where the money goes, and the EFF is a pretty decent charity to direct your payment towards.

EFF is great, but the default (JDRF) is doing research on juvenile diabetes, which is worthwhile as well. (Good rating on Charity Navigator, especially when it comes to accountability/transparency.) Moved the slider a bit in their direction.

Quote from: Pat on November 13, 2020, 10:13:02 AM
The Modiphius books are for sale cheap at Humble Bundle.
https://www.humblebundle.com/books/conan-modiphius-books
I'm not interested in the system, but are they worth getting for background material?

Dammit Pat your making me want to get the books now. it's 20$ Canadian for everything hard to pass up.

QuoteThanks, ended up picking up the whole thing. It's probably a good sign that Conan the Wanderer is the only book in the bundle with a "cultural sensitivity reader" in the credits, but without a single listed "writer".

I think they made minor tweaks with fake-Asia books, but I remember Sub-Saharan Africa book to be reason third bundle of books were late due to revision. Predcitably I suppose.
Still plenty savage serpent cults out there.