Jason Vey's work is good for inspiration, and I've done similar research: my few thoughts along this line, since I run in more of Thurian than Hyborian age Earth.
1. First principle is to use the AS&SH RAW above all, keeping the rules changes to a minimum.
2. After that, subtraction of things is prioritized over adding things, e.g., no Paladins, healing sorcery or healing potions.
3. Instead, Heroic Healing: characters recover one HD/level rather than just one HD each day of rest or ministrations from a Cleric or Shaman.
4. No Fate points or anything like it: HP and Saving Throws already cover such circumstances, IMHO.
5. Replace the "Secondary Skills" from AS&SH with Backgrounds, e.g. Bossonian "Archer" would replace the AS&SH standard Secondary Skill roll. The Non-Standard Task Resolution system (X-in-6 chance) is used to adjudicate things that skills and archetypes "bonuses" would accomplish. I think recording some "key words" from the Modiphius or Grey Elf works would help in adjudicating such rolls: Hyrkanians should know how to ride, shoot a bow from horseback, navigate steppes, etc.
I really haven't done an exhaustive list of things to ditch/replace, but that's my start...

Also, Hackmaster 4e, which is basically a mashup of 1st & 2nd edition AD&D, has a bunch of Conan-appropriate classes like pirate, minstrel, brigand, gladiator, and soldier.  So adding these to those in AS&SH gives a huge variety.  And many of the Modiphius classes could simply be renamed.  A borderer is just a ranger, scout, or huntsman depending upon the culture.  A Hyrkanian nomad could be a fighter or barbarian.  So I don't think it will be that daunting, except for the magic side since the systems are pretty different.  Even then I've got some ideas to work that out.

* The extra 20 hp is probably a good idea, but perhaps to generate a more weak is weak and health is healthy, the extra hp as based on Con, so a character with a Con 12 gets an extra 12 hp and one with a Con 18, get an extra 18 hp, and the weak; coughing up blood thief with Con 7, get an extra 7 hp. This is still good hit point boosts, but just an idea.

I had thought of an idea which generate hit points and luck points; this represents a dwindling of a hero's aura, their fate, karma slowly being hacked away by the hostile forces of life . LP were generated from the Wisdom score and was like an invisible buffer from damage. A player could choose to subtract the damage gain either between the both (50/50) or either by picking HP or LP. Note: only DR can protect against hp damage and LP takes longer to regenerate, perhaps 1 LP per day or week depending on GM perception of moment (the Wisdom bonus should raise the amount of LP restore, but obviously not lower it below 1).

* I do use FP  (as I still use the d20 Conan rules) as most gamers will 90% have a healer in group (though I do enjoy an adventure group with no healer, gives a certain S&S about the enterprise, but it does not last for long). A FP boost that grants an extra 5 hp to a wounded character (much like a 4.0 rule) might be a good idea...

 FP could be generated at beginning of game by the total modifiers a character gets, but this might be time consuming and just give it from his favoured attribute, so a fighter with a Str 17, would get (for example) a base 3 +2 to for Strength (only using damage modifier) for 5 FP.

I also think the sorcerer class (this does not include shamans, just typical magicians) should be more difficult to achieve, my idea was attributes like this: Dex 6, Int 13, Wis 9, Cha 9; as a S&S world is a place where magic is rare, it should be difficult to gain.

Unconsciousness does not occur till -4 hp (plus Con hit point modifier), though wounded character suffers negatives, he still conscious and able to act, the negative is -1 for each negative hp. I feel that many character just drop at -1 hp is not just, dramatic things can happen and a heroic death is better than a non-heroic death?

Well that it, hope it helps...?

 

Personally I think you could just use the classes, spells, etc. as written in a Hyborian Age campaign. I don't think Conan's view of that age was necessarily meant to encompass everything that existed.

However, if you wanted to limit the game more along the lines of what Conan actually encountered, you might consider limit spellcasting classes to illusionists, witches, priests, and shamans. That would tend to deliver the "stereotypical S&S experience" that some people seem to demand from a Hyborian Age campaign, even if I personally think it's poorly supported by the literature.

I like that Con score idea for death so maybe I'll merge mine with that and do it negative con score plus level in minutes below zero so if you're 4th level with a 15 CON, you have 19 minutes to get to zero. 
As for the spellcasters, there will be some.  Looking back through the AS&SH spell lists, the Witch and Illusionist seem pretty good.  I like the Necromancer ones in general and Druid spells aren't quite as powerful on the whole as clerics.  I may just outlaw a few spells or say screw it and allow all but the magician, cryomancer, and pyromancer, though any might be available as NPC villains.  And yeah, probably not doing the legerdemainist, etc., as PCs, but they could be cool as nemesis NPCs. 

After all, I'm not really looking to slavishly reproduce the stories, just get that S&S vibe in Hyboria and use my Modiphius books.  So I'm liking all the suggestions, everyone.

For us, the most important thing is just using a system we grasp.  So there will be some tweaks to make it more "Hyborian," but I certainly don't want to re-invent everything and change too many base AS&SH rules since that would defeat the underlying purpose.

One thing I've noticed in the past few years is that I just don't find it as easy to learn new systems and mechanics.  And it seems that many new games add tons of mechanics just to be different, rather than speed up play.  I don't want to have to look up a bunch of weapon qualities, exceptions, hit locations, etc.  There are a few cool things in the Modiphius game, like volley fire, but their books are not clearly written, that's for sure. 

Legend of the Five Rings is even worse.  I've always wanted to try the new edition out, but couldn't find local players.  So I've found a PBP game, but it took 90 minutes plus just to roll up my character!  And I'm still not sure I did it all correctly...With AS&SH I have no such concerns and it plays very fast at the table.

Well, after reading all your posts and pouring back through the AS&SH rulebook, here are a few of my preliminary decisions.

For the spell-casting classes I'm going to allow shamans, runegravers, necromancers (usually as villains), illusionists, witches, and druids (for certain cultures like Picts).  Other spellcasting classes may appear as villains/foes, most notably priests and warlocks.  Paladins are also going to be jettisoned since Cataphracts will fit the knightly bill. 

For death, PCs will be unconscious at 0 hp, but have a number of minutes equal to their level, plus constitution score to be brought back to 1, but must make a death save each minute to stay alive.  They could also spend a luck point.  Each PC will get 2-5 luck points (or fortune points) at character creation.  These can be spent to prevent death or ensure some amazing result like shooting an arrow across a chasm and hitting the guard in the throat.  But they do not replenish short of some amazing feat and grant by the fickle gods of Hyboria.  But to compensate for limited magical healing, PCs can recover half their constitution score in HP per day if active or their entire CON score if resting.  But this means a day, not taking a nap.  At max you're talking 18 HP in a day, which isn't crazy given the damage they'll likely take, especially with criticals in play.

I will probably come up with minor cultural perks for the different ethnic groups, like bonuses with certain weapons, but not sure yet.  That could complicate things too much.  Maybe I'll keep standard AS&SH rules. As far as the many Conan archetypes, I think most will map easily enough to AS&SH or Hackmaster classes.  So they could simply be titles.  Conan's Relic Hunter is really just a thief with a cooler name.  Their Bloody Right Hand archetype is obviously an assassin.  So you get the flavor without the fuss.

Initially, I will experiment with a modified form of Modiphius' Momentum & Doom pools/mechanics.  If it gets too clunky, we'll junk it, but I think it has interesting narrative potential if done right.

Thanks for the suggestions & keep them coming....

Last edited by Spider of Leng (6/10/2020 10:51 pm)

Ditto with the too many game systems to remember, must be old age...

Had brain exhaustion; missed a day...; working at more maps of Thuria...

Looks like your getting structured...

* I personally enjoy Cultural changes, helps diverse each character more, but like if you gave a Cimmerian +1 Str, do you create a negative, I personally would use -1 Cha, than -1 Int, Cimmerians are not know to good manners, if you know what I mean.

As you state, keep it simple, though I used d20 mongoose and you really get used to it and 75% of the time you know what a culture has as an ability and not need to reread the rules.

But you could keep it at one ability change:

I know you want Hyrkanians with +1 to hit with bows, and class will provide horsemanship if they are nomadic horsemen, if using catapharact, but they seem to knightly and barbarian is not easy to get. I create a Character Class, Horselord that fits Hyrkanians better... https://hyperborea.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?pid=11739#p11739 

There is also Savage Class for Picts and Black Kingdoms tribes. ​https://hyperborea.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?pid=11569#p11569

Examples:

Cimmerians +1 Str, -1 Cha. (or ignore negatives and just give +1 Str).

Northmen (Æsir, Vanir, Hyperboreans): +1 Con, -1 Wis (etc.).

Stygians, Khitans: +1 CA.

But, you know this, so be good to know your ideas as it interesting.

I feel d20 Conan is a lot of mental work, but have no choice, to convert is too much to think about, but enjoy ASS&SH limit on Levels and low magic feel (at least lower), though I prefer the spells from d20 Mongoose stuff. But my mentality is: most powerful adventures are 6th level, pushing 8th, dramatic character: 10th to extreme 12th and beyound, the very rare heroic characters, like Conan, but this should be very rare, Thoth-Amon (19th, though I have him written as 20th) and Xaltotun (20th) but other power sorcerers between 13th and 18th, etc; still that just me complaining, dedicated to D20 Conan.

Vering, so looking good, nearing the goal, it would seem...




 

Last edited by Caveman (6/12/2020 3:39 am)

Good at least you got a substitute, did not think Cataphract or Barbarian could suit Hyrkanians...

It just the attribute requirement that are quite high for Barbarian, most NPC are like 3d6 ers and to create you will be using an array for attributes?

Yeah, I when to the extreme for my Conan world for Character Classes, think it about 48 classes, but half of them much like 3.5 are NPC Classes, but just trying to create a life-style structure, so one of the classes is Beggar (much like Stormbringer games) and obviously rising through the ranks to the Noble Class.

Good list, looks fun, be good to see the end result to your work...