Paris-based Monolith Board Games have the license to Conan, and while in the past they’ve tucked RPGs as extras into board game Kickstarters, they’re treating the barbarian differently.
The ask was €60,000 for the Hyborian Age, with Conan on the throne and other adventurers forging their own stories. The campaign will run until the 5th of November, and €200,000 has already been pledged. You can see the current progress on the pitch page.
The Kickstarter story finds no space to discuss the rule system, but a 52-page quickstart on DriveThruRPG is entirely free.
Matt John (Tales From the Magician’s Skull), Jason Durall (RuneQuest Starter Set) and Chris “Shep” Shepperson (SLA Industries 2e) have been charged with bringing the visceral, gritty and often brutal setting to life with fast-moving rules.
The Conan Core Book plunges players into the Hyborian Age with a streamlined system designed by Matt John. The 200+ page guide equips Game Masters and players with everything needed to navigate Conan’s savage world.
The books have accessible rules, diverse character options, a bestiary of fearsome foes, and expert advice on roleplaying and mastering the system. Two ready-to-play adventures provide immediate immersion, while detailed chapters on Hyborian geography and history, including a chronology of Conan’s own exploits, enrich the setting.
- Adventure: Above all, this game is about fast and frenetic adventure, emulating the exhilarating momentum of Howard’s stories.
- Big Risk vs. Big Reward: Fortune favors the bold, they say, and gameplay is designed to encourage risk-taking, dramatic action, and immediate rewards in the form of gold and glory.
- Sword and Sorcery: This game is first and foremost a sword-and-sorcery game, that unique flavor of heroic fantasy, and adventures should revolve around opportunities for dazzling swordplay, often directed at diabolical sorcerers.
- Forward Momentum: Stories should never falter while Characters don’t know what to do, and even a loss is more a temporary setback, opening new avenues for advancement.
Backers can buy into add-ons only with a €1 pledge, and many have. The first reward tier is at €25, which gets supporters a PDF copy of the core rules and access to add-ons.
At €49, backers get the core Conan RPG rules, Tales of the Hyborian Age Volume 1 and 2, plus the GM screen and companion in PDF. There are some stretch goals.
The first physical book, the core rules, unlock at €50, stretch goals and the accompanying PDF of the book is included.
Physical copies of the core rules, both Tales of the Hyborian Age volumes, GM screen with accompanying PDF and “Wheel of Pain” dice take a pledge of €149 to unlock.
Battlemaps and an RPG mini box are added to the reward tier at €219.
Monolith Board Games estimate that the pledges will ship in August 2025.
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