Conan - Book of Skelos - ozgunuslu93 Flip PDF | AnyFlip * This book of skelos mentions Mesmerism as a school of magic in the conan universe, i think from this school of magic, sorcerers in this game can achieve direct combat magic, you could cause illusions to appear that damages the targets mind which then causes damage to the targets health points, powers like fear effects, and also the ability to compel a target to serve you (That would mean you could capture a thrall without physical combat, rather using your mind to compel the target. The mesmerist can also use their power to resist temperature, and underwater breathing. These abilityâs could be put on your hot-bar to attack instantly.
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I like the idea of taking control of npcâs in such a way. I envision two ways this works. At the first level for a burlap pouch it sends a wave that temporarily controls an enemy. Letâs say for 2 minutes they act as an ally of yours. The second level for a cloth pouch the wave would knock out the target so you can bring them back to your preferred method of breaking either the wheel or gibbet.
Although I would prefer if we have some form of arcane wheel of pain. Maybe strap them into a chair facing a chunk of blood crystal with a stream of corruption going into their eyes like in the Dark Crystal until they break and are released. bonus points if they look all corrupted by the process.
that âbook of skelosâ you linked to is someone shoehorning the conan setting into dungeons & dragons game mechanics.
i have no issue with expanding sorcery, but in my opinion combat magic has no place in the setting, atleast from the howard stories and pastiches. sorcerers chill out in the background and pull strings, invoke evil entities, and f#$k stuff up from the shadows. hyborian sorcery doesnât have âschools of magicâ like DnD.
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I checked to see if it was authorized its signed, has name robert e howard and hes picture its copyrighted and owned. The exiled lands is not canon.
(âBut beside their Mesmerism and flying abilityâ
you are right, exiled lands is not canon. so funcom could in theory incorporate anything into CE. iâd prefer if they kept it as close to the low fantasy sword & sorcery spirit as possible, which means no battlemage elf wizard BS. but itâs up to funcom to interpret howardian lore for the game, not me. i was just giving my opinion.
Hi Ragnar
Iâm of a similar mind to you when it comes to sorcery. Correct me if Iâm wrong but I donât recall any Howard stories being written from a sorcerers point of view. The game as it stands already breaks up magic into schools such as necromancy, demonology, illusion and elementalism. Adding mesmerism to control and befuddle the mind feels very Howardian to me.
I will never agree with throwing fireballs and lightning bolts. But the idea of overpowering an opponents mind and controlling their bodies feels right to me.
I think the trick should be that magic is subtle so that someone who doubts can come up with a non-arcane way to explain what magic does.
" That Wizard canât really sense where to dig for the gold vein. They already knew ahead of time and are just trying to trick us"
May set be with you 
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Funcom owns the Conan IP, they decide what is canon.
As far as I know, they have neither stated that the Exiled Lands was nor was not canon.
They call it Thaumaturgy.
The five current schools are Divination, Necromancy, Demonology, Illusion, and Thaumaturgy.
I stand corrected, Thaumaturgy.
I donât see a reason why mesmerism couldnât be added to our list of spells. Controlling and attacking the mind of a victim feels like Howardian sorcery to me.
May Set be with you
I donât really think a new school would be necessary. Iâd just put mind control under Illusion.
I have searched for proof of this mind control and i read that thulsa doom was able to control conans mind so you carnt get any more proof then that mind control as a direct attack and for capturing thralls should be a thing in the game because thulsa doom used it.
Several points here -
1 - Thulsa Doom is a character in the film, not REHâs Conan stories (iirc, he is the enemy of Kull of Valusia, and never has any connection to Conan outside of the film).
2 - Thoth-Amon is the mighty sorceror that Conan comes up against in some REH stories - he is always a devastatingly powerful threat, beyond anything else Conan has faced, because he is (most of the time*) the most powerful sorceror alive.
3 - A sourcebook written for an RPG is not the same as information that comes from the stories. It doesnât matter if it has a picture of REH on the book, that still doesnât mean he had anything to do with writing it (D&D was first published in 1974. REH died in 1936.). By the very nature of trying to adapt the material into a form that can make sense for D&D, major changes have to be made. The first major change being the idea that there are lots of magic-users running about, being adventurers and being power-balanced to match up with other adventurers. That is not how sorcery works in REHâs books. Sorcery in Conan is evil, eldritch and far more powerful than mere mortals.
4) Using Thoth Amon or Thulsa Doom as examples of what players should be able to do completely ignores the point that each of these two is, in the context of their proper time, the most powerful individual on the planet (and generally presented as also the most evil).
5) There are no âschools of magicâ in Conan - that is an artificial division created for the sake of making sorcery work better (game balance) in D&D and to make it fit better within that games existing systems.
6) Sorcerors in Conan are not specialist âDemonologistsâ or âNecromancersâ or âDivinersâ etc - they are Sorcerors who use sorcerous powers, which may include a range of things that people might decide to put under one or other of those headings, but they are not limited to focusing on a particular specialisation.
7) If you really want mind-control as a direct attack and way to get thralls - maybe check out Soulmask, since that seems to be pretty much the whole of that gameâs gimmick.
(*Thoth Amon does temporarily have to go into hiding for a few years after he is separated from the Serpent Ring of Set by a coalition of his rivals - but once he regains his ring he swiftly takes back his power.)
There are instances of mind-control used by sorcerors in the Conan canon, but these tend to require extreme concentration for the sorceror. Any distraction tends to break the effect and lead to the sorceror getting a sharp piece of steel rammed through them.
There are also specific problems that apply within the context of Conan Exiles - the player character is supposed to be a weaker sorceror than Mek-Kamosis (among other things, we donât stay alive after our heads are cut off). Mek-Kamosis is a weaker sorceror than Thoth-Amon, so using him (or Thulsa Doom) as âproofâ that players should be able to use mind-control direct attacks ignores the power levels of those involved.
Game-balance - mind control attacks would need to be added with extreme care, because that would be an extremely powerful ability that would be very difficult to correctly balance aainst other aspects of the game.
Finally thereâs just the Funcom points -
a) as @Tephra pointed out, Funcom is the official arbiter at this point of what is or is not canon.
b) Funcom is unlikely to do something like this because it would require a lot of new âunder the hoodâ system changes in order to make the mechanics work. Plus a lot of effort to even begin to balance it against the rest of the game (which is why current game sorcery is mostly about travel and summoned creatures - comparatively simple to implement and balance, and not for example divination).
c) would you really be confident that Funcom could implement something so complex as mind-control without messing something else up? Even if they could somehow balance it correctly, rather than starting by making it massively OP and then reflexively nerfing it to make it worse than useless, I certainly donât have any trust that they could do so without causing major damage somewhere.
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The exiled lands are not canon therefore arguing against powers Thulsa doom or thoth amon had does not matter, it still is in the conan universe in a sense that it was in the movie, i donât think the enjoyment of the game has to be held back because of some arbitrary pedantic sentiment, rather we should take the best of all sources of conan lore canon or otherwise.
Well the mind effects such as mesmerism would be a status effect such as bleed, sunder etc, it would do x effect at range one example fear could make target move slower on a timer before you could use it again., funcom added corruption perks to the attribute tree so they have added powers before so i can see them being able to do that. In terms of balance you have 50% less health and stamina so the balance of power is actually on the non sorcerer side.
You could also capture thrall npc using the same mind control which would be no different then having a zombie or demon or npc thrall following you, which is already in the game. This would be very useful because no matter where you are you can control a beast or human npc which fits nicely with authority spec.
You could but as long as the application is instant and more direct you should not have to call up the stones to use this. rather the powers would be on a timer and on your quickbar to limit and balance its use. So you could use mind control as your âweaponâ
You didnt write out the complete statement Tephra wrote only the part you wanted.
Wait - youâre seriously going to accuse me of cherry picking (for supporting a statement made by Tephra, with the implication that I supported the entire statement) while apparently failing to understand the statement yourself in two consecutive comments -
These are two different statements, in case you are having difficulty understanding that. Also, on the subject of cherry-picking - you havenât responded to a majority of the points I made, so I guess you are only selecting the bits you want?
So letâs be a little clearer - I donât care in the slightest whether mind control gets added to the game or not, I was responding to the terrible falacious arguments you were using in support of your request and to try to dismiss people that disagreed with you.
You began the thread merely by referencing ideas you had seen in a D&D sourcebook - absolutely fine - âI saw âaâ and thought it would be cool for this gameâ - a perfectly reasonable sentiment. But, after having it explained to you that a D&D sourcebok is not necessarily a great indicator of what should or should not be added to a Conan game, you doubled down and turned it into an âappeal to authorityâ -
Either through ignorance or dishonesty, you try to imply here that this sourcebook had something to do with REH - I later debunked that point by explaining that REH died 40 years before D&D first edition existed, let alone this sourcebook.
You then made the statement that âExiled Lands isnât canonâ. That is not actually true either. As weâve gone over, Funcom owns the IP (so Funcom decides what is canon or isnât) - âFuncom has not stated that the Exiled Lands are canonâ is not the same as âFuncom has stated that the Exiled Lands are not canonâ. In fact, the way these things normally work, additions made by the IP holder are typically assumed to be canon unless stated otherwise, so the Exiled Lands are more likely canon than your D&D sourcebook, not that that should matter anyway (Iâll get back to the point about canon to clarify my actual position about it, since all I am arguing here is that you are using bad arguments).
You then went for -
This is a terrible argument on multiple levels, which is the primary issue I was initially responding to. You combine appeal to authority with using a non-canon source to âproveâ that something is canon. And you base this on something you âreadâ about a film character in situations that REH never used that character in.
Then why are you basing your arguments on your failed attempts to insist that a D&D sourcebook (and what you âreadâ about a film character) are canon? Are you having fun moving those goalposts around?
Time to be clear about my views on âcanonâ - enjoy whatever version of canon you prefer. Even if Funcom (as the IP holder) makes some actual statement that X is or is not âcanonâ, you or I do not have to accept that at all. Canon is a largely meaningless concept. The REH purists will only accept exactly the stories REH wrote. Others are happy to include the other books by other authors, some accept the comics, some accept the film. Some just make it all up in their own head. All of these positions are perfectly valid, just donât try to use non-canon sources as authorities to support your argument (theyâre fine as illustrations of what you like/mean, they just arenât a form of âproofâ). If you want to view this D&D sourcebook as canon, you are free to do so, it just doesnât work as âproofâ of your argument.
As I said, I donât care if mind-control is or is not added, Iâm just concerned with the bad arguments you used in support of it. Try something better - try suggesting how âcoolâ you think the idea could be, try suggesting ways that you think it could work and be balanced in the game. Your more recent attempts are better; they could do with more detail, but they at least attempt to suggest some ways in which it could work. Try also to think of ways that you could make your idea seem like an appealing fit to be added - not just as a game-mechanic, but to fit with the flavour of CE.
To help out, Iâll even suggest the following -
The dark figure stretched out its hand, tattered shreds of dark cloth hanging from its arm; the baleful light in its eyes seemingly boring into the warriorâs soul. His mouth suddenly dry with fear, the warrior struggled to draw his blade, but his body would not properly respond, his own muscles resisting his will. Within his mind he could hear the sorcerorâs rasping voice telling him it was pointless to resist, that his soul now belonged to this dark figure in front of him. Like a caged animal he threw himself against the bars of his mind, striving to break through by pure force of rage, but his body made no response at all.
âGoodâ, the sorceror whispered, ânow followâ.
Trapped within his mind, the warrior could only watch in horror as his body fell in line and he followed his new master to whatever fate would be in store.
(No, this is not âcanonâ, nor is it supposed to be. This is me taking a couple of moments to think about presenting the sort of mind-control you are talking about in a lore-friendly fashion.)
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So knowing that Funcom decides what is canon you decide to tell me that a source book is not a good indicator.
Iâm sure a signiture and the image of an author has merit to I.P ownership. It says Robert E howard related logos characters, names, likenesses are trademarks of Robert E Howard properties Inc. All rights reserved.
Because the story of Thulsa doom and Conan all must belong to the I.P holder, which is Funcom and they decide, which makes my idea and source of information a valid one.
Also Skelos the character is Canon he is first mentioned in âQueen of the black Coastâ (1932 Jul/Aug) written by robert e howard, even if you dont agree to the source of infornation im choosing Skelos the character was in fact written by robert e howard, also the iron bound book of skelos was created by the same character, so also the book of skelos is in the writing of robert e howard.
Yes, thatâs right. Well done. A sourcebook written by a third party, for a different IP (D&D) incorporating elements licensed from Funcom (the IP holder) is not the same as a statement from Funcom that something is canon. Not sure why this is difficult for you to grasp.
And Iâm sure the person whose photo and signature it is being DEAD for at least half a century before the sourcebook is produced shows exactly what that âmeritâ you claim is worth. Flat statement - D&D is owned by Wizards of the Coast, which in turn is owned by Hasbro. The license for the Conan IP is owned by Funcom, which in turn is owned by Tencent. Do you see how none of those are the same companies?
Incorrect - Funcom does not own the rights to the 1980s Dino DeLaurentis film. Those rights remain with the studio and distributor (and director, producer etc). Thulsa Doom (as you keep using him) is a film character, not a book character. I do not know if Funcom also owns the rights to Kull of Valusia (the REH character in whose stories Thulsa Doom appears), but I doubt it, as they make no direct use of them.
Yes. I have agreed this point several times over.
Also a point I have agreed already. Your idea is fine. Taking your inspiration from a D&D sourcebook is fine. Trying to claim that the existence of that D&D sourcebook makes the things it says âcanonâ, as you have done repeatedly, is not fine. a) it is the logical fallacy of âAppeal to authorityâ and b) it is an appeal to a false authority, since you have been shown repeatedly that D&D is a different IP.
You are the one who has repeatedly tried to claim that random peices of extraneous information somehow âproveâ your argument. They donât. There is nothing wrong with being inspired by them, but you canât then also use them as the âproofâ that your idea works. What you are doing is equivalent to someone saying âhey, the Infinity Gauntlet is a cool idea, Funcom should add that to the gameâ and when people suggest that it doesnât fit the setting they just tell them âInfinity Gauntlet is in Marvelâs cinematic universe, Marvel also produced Conan comics therefore that proves the Inifnity Gauntlet should existâ. It doesnât matter if the idea is good or bad - terrible circular reasoning is not a good ay to support any idea.
Anyway, youâve made it clear you have no intention of actually reading or responding to points made (though youâre happy to accuse others of cherry picking, without even understanding the context), so I see no point in continuing to debate with you.
As I have made clear repeatedly - I donât care one way or the other about your idea, Iâd just like to see you try actually arguing in support of it, rather than trying to dismiss objections with false appeals to authority. Just try actually arguing for mind-control on its own merits. If you canât come up with those merits, then it probably isnât all that good of an ideaâŠ
EIther way, I wonât be bothering to respond to you again, so you can have the last word and strut about like the proverbial chess-playing pigeon.
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i dont want combat magic. i dont want funcom to start implementing decisions made for a tabletop RPG system, having a mind control spell in your hotbar today could very well lead to a magic missile in your hotbar tomorrow.
canon be damned, âintellectual property ownersâ (what a f#$&*ing joke that anyone but the original author can own an idea. a joke written by disney and sonny bono.) be damned. pastiches, movies, reboots, et al be damned.
i want sorcery to be mysterious, dangerous, and rare. like it was in the REH stories.
this is not what you want, and so we disagree.
we donât need to make logic pretzels to one-up each other. this is just a video game.
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Thulsa doom does appear in robert e howards story "delcardes Catâ submitted in 1928, published in 1967 he was created as an antagonist for the character Kull of Atlantis.
PROOF!
Apparently I canât just ignore you yet - this is the perfect example of your continuous bad faith arguing:
You keep trying to move those goalposts - do you find them heavy?
The only thing you are proving is your lack of basic reading comprehension.
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