Conan Role-Playing Game
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![]() Conan Role-Playing Game Boxed set cover | |
Designers | Zeb Cook |
---|---|
Publishers | TSR, Inc. |
Publication | 1985 |
Genres | Sword and sorcery |
Systems | ZeFRS |
The Conan Role-Playing Game was published by TSR, Inc. in 1985.
Contents[]
This boxed game was designed for players age 10 and up contained a full-color map, a 32-page rule book, a 16-page reference guide of talents, weaknesses, and charts, and a 48-page notebook about the land of Hyboria plus two 10 sided dice.
Game mechanics[]
The game's main rules are adapted from the Marvel Super Heroes rules, a role-playing game first published by TSR in 1984 and mainly designed by Jeff Grubb, although Zeb Cook brought some help, as stated by Grubb himself.[1] The system refers D100 dice rolls to a resolution table. Mark Krawec, a member of the RPGnet community, recovered the system from the past in 2007, named it ZeFRS (Zeb's Fantasy Roleplaying System[2]) and published a free PDF document where the game mechanics had been completely expurgated from any licensed Conan material.[3][4] Two years later, in 2009, a ZeFRS paperback book was printed and distributed.[5]
Supplements[]
The series produced three adventures, each based on novels from the Conan series.
- Conan the Buccaneer
- Conan the Mercenary
- Conan Triumphant
Reception[]
Mike Dean reviewed Conan RPG for Imagine magazine, and stated that "In conclusion, this game has some interesting concepts but is lacking in certain respects, notably the magic system and the slant towards the younger gamer."[6]
Pete Tamlyn reviewed Conan for White Dwarf #69, giving it an overall rating of 7 out of 10, and stated that "It's a great shame. With a bit of care it could have been a very good product. Most of the errors are essentially cosmetic and even with them I still prefer it to AD&D."[7]
Reviews[]
- Different Worlds #45
See also[]
- Conan Unchained!
- Conan Against Darkness!
- GURPS Conan
- Conan: The Roleplaying Game
- Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of
References[]
- ^ "Secret Origins", by Jeff Grubb
- ^ Original 2007 ZeFRS PDF document as mentioned in the RPGnet website
- ^ Conan: TSR's Lost Game, a review on Conan Role-Playing Game in Hill Cantons, by Chris Kutalik
- ^ The ZeFRS system online
- ^ ZeFRS' physical edition, as mentioned in RPGnet
- ^ Dean, Mike (August 1985). "Game Reviews". Imagine (review). TSR Hobbies (UK), Ltd. (29): 43.
- ^ Kyle, Stephen (September 1985). "Open Box". White Dwarf. No. 69. Games Workshop. p. 15.
- Fantasy role-playing games
- Role-playing games based on Conan the Barbarian
- Role-playing games introduced in 1985
- TSR, Inc. games