Quote from: RPGPundit;1037652Important question: how much of a Conan fan is your friend really?

Did he actually read the stories?
Did he watch the movie?
Or does he just have a general notion of Conan?

Because all three of those create very different experiences.

Bingo

There are really two very different concept about Conan and the Hyborian age floating around out there because the popular image of Conan has migrated a long way from Howard's vision.  One version is the cinematic comic-book style of pop-culture, the other is the gritty horror-filled quasi-history of Howard's writing.  The Arnie movie is in the middle but leans to the former.  BoL is perfect for the comic book style (beasts and Barbarians is not too bad either).  BRP/Mythras fits Howard's weird-history extremely well.  I've run a lot of Hyborian Age stuff, and I like both styles of the setting, but I find that players come to the table with very different expectations so it is a good idea to clarify what it is that you are running.

By the way, as the GM, I think you are better off running the game that you want to run, rather than catering to your player's interests - which is kind of what this sounds like.

Quote from: mAcular Chaotic;1037888I went ahead and asked him what Conan he had read/seen and he said "all of them." I think he likes all of it. I suppose I can ask which version he likes best next.

Quote from: mAcular Chaotic;1037920OK, he says his favorite Conan is the first movie and from "red nails."

Given his tastes, I would advise you to use BoL. Accept no substitutes;)!
And yes, Red Nails is probably the closest to "movie Conan", which is what BoL is meant to emulate:D!

Quote from: AsenRG;1037971Given his tastes, I would advise you to use BoL. Accept no substitutes;)!
And yes, Red Nails is probably the closest to "movie Conan", which is what BoL is meant to emulate:D!

Are there many modules for BoL?

Haven't read the whole thread, but this is cool adventure site that would fit in with a Conan-type game, easily tweaked for the exact feel/tone you're going for:
http://fomalhaut.lfg.hu/2010/05/04/the-house-of-rogat-demazien/

Quote from: vgunn;1037974Are there many modules for BoL?

Not really. But fear not! There's several free BoL adventures for Conan (and some more geneneric ones with a touch of Lovecraft or Lieber)  over at http://www.strangestones.com/downloads/
You can find commercial versions of most of these at drivethrurpg but with all Conan references removed.

There is also this this module:
http://drivethrurpg.com/product/218667/Xothian-Legends-The-Vault-of-Yigthrahotep

But it since BoL is such a simple system it is not a big deal to convert stuff for it.

You want to run this in D&D? No problem. My first suggestion is go to a local used bookstore and pick up the first Conan book by Robert E Howard you see and read it. Immediately. Robert Jordon books are okay, but I might recommend going to a comic store and finding some old copies of Savage Sword of Conan. I am not up to date on more recent comics, sorry, though I hear the Wonder Woman team up is good. If you want to do it quick and dirty, go to TV Tropes and scroll down to the A to Z list of tropes. There's plenty of them. See if any of them give you ideas for an adventure and go with that. Maps can be found with an internet search. Really though, find a book to read. Howard's stories were not very long. You can digest quite a bit in an afternoon.

Quote from: Teodrik;1038128Not really. But fear not! There's several free BoL adventures for Conan (and some more geneneric ones with a touch of Lovecraft or Lieber)  over at http://www.strangestones.com/downloads/
You can find commercial versions of most of these at drivethrurpg but with all Conan references removed.

There is also this this module:
http://drivethrurpg.com/product/218667/Xothian-Legends-The-Vault-of-Yigthrahotep

But it since BoL is such a simple system it is not a big deal to convert stuff for it.

Nice!

If you are running BoL, and you absolutely should because it's friggen perfect for what you are trying to do, then I highly recommend http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/193705/Lemurian-Legends-The-Complete-Adventures?src=also_purchased a compilation of simple evocative and highly playable adventures.

I also second all of the Xoth stuff, especially "The Spider God's Bride."  It's written for 3e, mongoose Conan (also a great game), but the stories are great and you really can convert anything to BoL right off the cuff.  The game is that simple and intuitive - without being overly simplistic.

I will second all the suggestions for Barbarians of Lemuria.

You also have to figure out if what he wants is to play Conan (or someone at the level of Conan), or just wants to be in that world. Which is kind of like asking whether he wants to play some kind of story-game or actually wants an RPG.

Quote from: Madprofessor;1038203If you are running BoL, and you absolutely should because it's friggen perfect for what you are trying to do, then I highly recommend http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/193705/Lemurian-Legends-The-Complete-Adventures?src=also_purchased a compilation of simple evocative and highly playable adventures.

I also second all of the Xoth stuff, especially "The Spider God's Bride."  It's written for 3e, mongoose Conan (also a great game), but the stories are great and you really can convert anything to BoL right off the cuff.  The game is that simple and intuitive - without being overly simplistic.

Hey, thank you for that link! I didn't know that site:)!

Quote from: Tod13;1038207I will second all the suggestions for Barbarians of Lemuria.

As well you should;).

Quote from: RPGPundit;1038530You also have to figure out if what he wants is to play Conan (or someone at the level of Conan), or just wants to be in that world. Which is kind of like asking whether he wants to play some kind of story-game or actually wants an RPG.

And BoL easily allows both playing Conan, and playing in the world of Conan.

Quote from: Madprofessor;1037965Bingo

There are really two very different concept about Conan and the Hyborian age floating around out there because the popular image of Conan has migrated a long way from Howard's vision.  One version is the cinematic comic-book style of pop-culture, the other is the gritty horror-filled quasi-history of Howard's writing.  The Arnie movie is in the middle but leans to the former.  BoL is perfect for the comic book style (beasts and Barbarians is not too bad either).  BRP/Mythras fits Howard's weird-history extremely well.  I've run a lot of Hyborian Age stuff, and I like both styles of the setting, but I find that players come to the table with very different expectations so it is a good idea to clarify what it is that you are running.

By the way, as the GM, I think you are better off running the game that you want to run, rather than catering to your player's interests - which is kind of what this sounds like.

This is a notion I have seen a number of times, but I actually tend to disagree. Matter of interpretation I suppose. I think the Arnie film is one of the adaptations that was the furthest away from the original, with many of the comics being a much closer match. Also, I often see the controversy of the "half naked barbarian" vs "Conan wore the appropriate equipment/armor depending on the situation". But they are BOTH true to the original stories. The tendency for Conan to end up relatively bare is definitely in the Howard stories. Oh, and in case someone wonders, the half naked (or simply naked) women are there too. Still, it is true that Conan is often portrayed too much like an oiled body builder.

I have run Conan-based stories based on BRP (or rather tweaked Stormbringer, but the same options are in the BRP system), but you can't use it BRP in "gritty" mode if you ask me (if I understand the term correctly). Many of Howard's battles end in over-the-top bloodbaths. Giving the players high skill scores vs more low/average opponents worked pretty well, as well as the imaginative use of the major wound table.

Quote from: Trond;1038839This is a notion I have seen a number of times, but I actually tend to disagree. Matter of interpretation I suppose. I think the Arnie film is one of the adaptations that was the furthest away from the original, with many of the comics being a much closer match. Also, I often see the controversy of the "half naked barbarian" vs "Conan wore the appropriate equipment/armor depending on the situation". But they are BOTH true to the original stories. The tendency for Conan to end up relatively bare is definitely in the Howard stories. Oh, and in case someone wonders, the half naked (or simply naked) women are there too. Still, it is true that Conan is often portrayed too much like an oiled body builder.

Well, the problem with comics is that different artists will get different ideas, and some might default even to fully Howardian logic:).
Also, in the stories, Conan wore armour as often as he could, which was "none" when running from captivity. Hell, he sneaked around in the forest wearing chainmail!
In the movies and some comics, he is almost deliberately eschewing armour.
Some cynics would even say that this is so the viewers might look more at the sculpted form of a particular body-builder (who later got into politics). But nah, it ain't possible, at all, right:D?

QuoteI have run Conan-based stories based on BRP (or rather tweaked Stormbringer, but the same options are in the BRP system), but you can't use it BRP in "gritty" mode if you ask me (if I understand the term correctly). Many of Howard's battles end in over-the-top bloodbaths. Giving the players high skill scores vs more low/average opponents worked pretty well, as well as the imaginative use of the major wound table.

Well, I'd use Mythras instead, but that's almost the same game anyway;).
And yes, how though the PCs are is always relative to the likely opposition, which is something lots of people fail to understand.

Quote from: RPGPundit;1038530You also have to figure out if what he wants is to play Conan (or someone at the level of Conan), or just wants to be in that world. Which is kind of like asking whether he wants to play some kind of story-game or actually wants an RPG.

Quote from: AsenRG;1038805And BoL easily allows both playing Conan, and playing in the world of Conan.

I think Pundy was going for the idea that playing as Conan is a storygame, since we already know Conan survives and kicks ass, and the only question is how (and whether the treasure/girl is stolen/killed out from under his nose in the last act).

Quote from: AsenRG;1038949In the movies and some comics, he is almost deliberately eschewing armour.
Some cynics would even say that this is so the viewers might look more at the sculpted form of a particular body-builder (who later got into politics). But nah, it ain't possible, at all, right:D?

I'd say that there is also an aspect of bringing the audience along (quickly and easily). Certainly in the cinematic version, they have to (without huge amounts of exposition), telegraph to the audience that the protagonist really is a barbarian. Having the barbarian cultures eschew armor technology in favor of masculine depilatory tech is a convenient shorthand for 'this guy is at the lower tech end of his universe.'

Quote from: Willie the Duck;1038960I think Pundy was going for the idea that playing as Conan is a storygame, since we already know Conan survives and kicks ass, and the only question is how (and whether the treasure/girl is stolen/killed out from under his nose in the last act).

We know no such thing regarding Conan.

QuoteI'd say that there is also an aspect of bringing the audience along (quickly and easily). Certainly in the cinematic version, they have to (without huge amounts of exposition), telegraph to the audience that the protagonist really is a barbarian. Having the barbarian cultures eschew armor technology in favor of masculine depilatory tech is a convenient shorthand for 'this guy is at the lower tech end of his universe.'

Maybe, but all it conveys to me is "this guy's a nutcase". Also, real "barbarian societies" didn't eschew what armour they had, and often looted better armour from civilised people as soon as they could, like the Picts in Howard's history!