Character Talk

[Damien]

I've seen very little discussion on the characters everyone plays. So how about it - what's been your favourite character so far in your Conan experiences - or if you're a DM, do you have a pet NPC?


As a player: My favourite character so far was a Cimmerian Soldier (later a Cimmerian Soldier/Noble). I say Cimmerian, but he actually used Hyborian game stats. The concept I had come up with was that the Cimmerian had been a slave in Aquilonia (the game is set prior to Conan becoming King). Since he'd been ferried to Aquilonia as a very young child, he was raised Aquilonian for all intents and purposes. So the DM decided that it would be more fitting to statistically treat the character as Aquilonian, but flavour-wise would appear as a Cimmerian.

A very fun character to play - straight soldier all the way until he eventually started carving out a kingdom in Southern Nemedia with the help of a few lifelong friends - also all ex-slaves of Aquilonia. At that point I hopped into the Noble class to represent his growing leadership skills.

I really don't know quite why he's been my favourite character so far. Just was. I enjoyed the brutal, mail-clad, sword-slinger cleaving heads and helping to ruin entire armies. He may also be my favourite because he was my first ever Conan character.

Oh, and his name was Ademerus.


Anyone else want to share?

 

[SALette]

I tend to get good characterisations whenever I run this game with my old group.

Here's a link to a game I ran last year -http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=108245&page=1&pp=40

as an example.
If cross-forum posting is frowned upon here, then apologies to the moderators here in advance.

 

[The Evil DM]

I've seen very little discussion on the characters everyone plays. So how about it - what's been your favourite character so far in your Conan experiences - or if you're a DM, do you have a pet NPC?
Anyone else want to share?

I ran A GURPS Conan game a few years back and I had a recurring NPC named "Joubert the hunter" he was a Bounty hunter from Nemedia. He was the best. He was responsible for the death of one PC and one PC sidekick (on seperate occasions). He was a feared yet respected foe. with him it was all business, nothing personal. i stole the idea for the character from the villian by the same name in the movie "Three days of the Condor" "Joubert" was played by Max Von Sydow.

 

[Damien]

Oh come now, no one else is interesting in sharing their favourite characters?

 

[Belkregos]

Meet the Blue Bastard


Belkregos, aka. That Blue Bastard
Hyperorian Barbarian/Soldier

Belkregos grew up outside the safety of the great hyperborean city walls, life was a constant struggle against the bitter cold and the barbarian hordes that periodically would come and try to raid his village, the villagers were good at defending their homes they would organize and turn back the barbarians and even attack their encampment when possible but even when the barbarians where able to penetrate their defenses they would leave enough for the village to survive, Belkregos joined the village militia as soon as he could pick up a sword, but even if his village was in constant battle with the Nordic barbarians there was a grudging respect between the two peoples, it was understood that each side did what they needed to survive, life was harsh out here and there where hard choices to be made.

The Hyperborean army did not think this way, they wanted the raiding barbarians gone and the way they saw things, the village only served as a supply post for the raiding barbarians, the village was not productive enough and too far for the army to protect it properly, they ordered the villagers to move closer to the main city, assuring them they could rebuilt closer to the city and when some of the families refused, the army threatened to torched the village leaving them no choice but to move, some villagers left but some decided to defend their homes; the hyperborean army’s forces were overwhelming, Belkregos was one of the few to survive the ensuing battle but that did not mean their life was spared they still had to survive the bitter winter, with out supplies, a slow death awaited them, they were wanted by the army and could not go to the city, it seamed that they would die of starvation and hypothermia.

Those who have had to endure the northern winter know that people do not survive on their own, winter is a time to set differences aside and do what is needed to survive, at least that was the way the northern raiders traditions spoke, the northerners were hit by the Hyperborian army as well and were also struggling to survive, everybody’s effort was needed and that is what they did, they worked together to survive, after the winter broke only the strongest had survived, it was a bitter season, family and old friends were dead their homes burned to the ground.

The few northerners and militia that survived banded together to make the army pay, with nothing left to call a home they started attacking the hyperborean army’s outposts, attacking and running, luring the soldiers to traps and making example of the soldiers that would follow blindly some heartless orders to kill its own people.
It worked for a while but when the army mounted a full expedition to get rid of the raiders they decided to disband, each one would go its own way, some of them would be caught but some would get away.
Such is the way of the frozen waste, the strong would survive.

Belkregos decided to go south and eventually joined a new mercenary company that was being formed in Yezud Zamora, charged with preventing Turanian raid parties from crossing the kezankian mountains, he was one of the youngest soldiers to join but he could hold his own, and when he saw all the signs of the tricks he learned up north, now it was his company being lured in to a trap, he warned the mercenary commander but he would not listen, on the ensuing battle his company was disseminated, Belkregos took a defensive position but there was only so much he could do, more experienced men fell and he could only fight for his life, when all seamed lost there was a break and a way to escape, he took what he could, weapons and some provisions from a dead horse and made his escape, by the time he broke from the battle field, the Turanians were already celebrating their victory,
Belkregos returned to Yezud where the mercenary company first gathered but he found only indifference from his Zamoran employers and learned that this was a regular occurrence, the Zamoran officials would contract a new mercenary band and send it to a known Turanian bandit stronghold, they figure this would reduce the number of bandits and they would only have to pay the surviving mercenaries; now that the company was gone Belkregos made his way to Shadizar and now is looking for new opportunities.

 

[Bregales]

I would love to talk about characters, but I'm the GM. I'll see if any of my players on this forum wanna pick up the reigns.

In the act of shameless self-promotion - - I'll post a link to another thread where I put summaries of our adventures so far (not many, as we play half a dozen games, so we only play Conan rpg about 1ce a month), but I tried to give a sense of the character's noble and despicable natures in The Story So Far...

I'll see if any of my players wanna add to this. Now, I'm off to make some corrections to the last adventure I submitted (I have a terrible memory, so writing a review 2 months after the adventure tends to lead to mistakes. Fortnunately, my players' memories are better and they send corrections/reminders to me ).

 

[MindX]

My wife is playing a Stygian female scholar (Demonic Pact) named Maidi. Maidi, early in her career, purchased two hulking Kushite slaves that she outfitted with spear, shield and minimal armour for use as meat shields and intimidation purposes. Despite some of my best efforts to slay them, they have somehow managed to elude death again and again. In one adventure, having survived an attack against a large Turanian patrol (even scoring a devastating critical with a warspear on a charging warhorse) the slaves began speaking of abandoning thier mistress and going off to make thier own way in the world. Of course, Maidi, who was prone to wandering about at night, overheard the rebellious slaves speaking of thier intended treachery and set about to set things aright. The next night, Maidi, offering up a captured Turanian nobleman as a sacrifice to her Demonic Patron (pissing the other party members off - who were looking for a ransom) cast another Demonic Pact spell requesting a boon from her master.....Later in the story, Maidi's ploy worked as thus, the two Kushite slaves were sent into the desert night to gather scrub brush for the night's fire. While they were out, they came upon thier mistress Maidi, in sorcerous battle with a demon of the outer dark. As they witnessed the magical duel, the battered and defeated demon (of most hideous aspect and nigh to bursting with malignant, eldritch power) was brought low by the powerful Stygian sorceress, who threw the beast to the Earth, and devoured it's black, ichor covered heart in triumph! Having witnessed such a terrible sight, the two Kushites fled back to camp and abandoned all talk of leaving thier powerful mistress. Later... stories followed the party wherever they went of a Pale Goddess who walks among men and in her terrible power, slays demons of the outer dark, devouring thier hearts to fuel her endless Hunger....

Needless to say, this will make for interesting games in the future as other sorcerers and Fiends come looking for the "Goddess" to see the truth of the matter. Maidi, alas, does not yet suspect....

 

[Seeker]

Ok , player characters.

In my campaign , there is:

1) Harald. Vanir Sea Wolf (Barb 2, Pirate 2).

Raised on the northern coast, Harald was taken on longboat raids into Pictdom and Zingara by his father. Father killed during one such raid.

The last survivor of a sea battle with a navy ship off the Zingaran coast, Harald offered his sword to a passing merchant ship, the Falcon, bound for Argos.

2) Alannus. Aquilonian Officer (Noble 2 Soldier 2).

His father was a noble in Aquilonia who sided with the Nemedians during the Hour of the Dragon. Only the fact that Alannus brother, Monago, sided with Conan let the family keep the Barony. (Monago is as evil and double-dealing as their father but Alannus does not realise this).

Having a strong Chivalic Code of Honour, Alannus feels it is his duty to clear the stain on his families honour and is on a quest to do this.

After fighting in border wars vs Nemedia and Ophir, he found himself in Messantia and thinking to adventure in foreign lands, offered his services to the captain of the Falcon , meeting Harald and the the others.

3) Akano. Pictish Guide (Borderer 2, Scholar 2).

Akano was born a member of the Hawk tribe. Even as a child, he had a great affinity with nature and animals. During a vision quest, his totem, the hawk spirit, appeared to him .

Akanos stong relationship with nature made the tribal shaman jealous and he turned the tribal chief against Akano, forcing Akano to flee the Pictish Wilderness.

After acting as a guide to travellers in Aqilonia and Argos, Akano joined the crew of the Falcon.

4) Lissandra. Zamoran (Thief 2 Bandit 2)

Lissandra was an orphan, growing up in the seady streets of Shadizar. She was rescued by Iargo, the famous "Thief Master" of Shadizar, who taught her to defend herself and to steal.

She became quite succesfull. Then Iargo was betrayed to the Watch by an evil merchant/fence. Though she tried to resue him, he was killed.

Taking revenge on the merchant, she was forced to flee Shadizar with a price on her head. Hiding in the Zamoran forests, she joined a gang of bandits.

She traveled south stealing with various groups till she arrived in Argos and joined the Falcon to avoid some bounty hunters.

Now the PCs sail the Western ocean looking for adventure...............

 

[Voltumna]

My wife is playing a Stygian female scholar (Demonic Pact) named Maidi.

oooh man watchout, you will awake one night under the sacrificial knife! lol

well, i always play something else than a full fledged fighter. most of the guys in our gorup are impresive warriors, so i play something else.

my zamorian thief is 10th level now! in our previous to last session, we were cought by the enemy. so in the last session we were bound in a tent, waiting to be sacrificed in a ghastly ritual to a dark god. the bounds were hard to escape, none could pull escape artist or strenght checks, but the barbarian (belkregos in this forum) doing a feat of strenght burst his bounds, and then everyone was untied. the thief sneaked out of the tent in the enemy campgorund, soldiers everywhere, but senaked into the next tent where there were a bunch of enemy soldiers asleep. the thief picked up an axe and slaughtered everyone in the tent laying there helpless, and at disadvantage to perceive noise. he then disguised himself as a enemy soldier, gathered a bunch of weapons and got back to his friends. he then got out again to create a diversion that would give alies a chance to escape. the thief entered two or three other tents with asleep soldiers, and slayed them all in their sleep. something like 20-24 foes. it was exhilarating to roll all that dice: 3d8 form the axe, 6d6 from sneak attack as he was unarnoured. the fort dcs were impossible to make in the order of 40+ dc. but as always, the thief failed his move silently check with the very last soldier laying helplessly asleep. the bastad awakened, and started shouting for help. there was a brief combat, and the thief slayed the soldier just before help was coming through the flaps of the tent. as the thief was already disguised as a soldier he shouted: "the asassin just escaped through the bakside of the tent, search for him!" the newly arrived soldiers hesitated for a while, but the thief pulled out the bluff, and started leading them in the chase in the oppiste direction of his firends! as they run thorugh ruined streets (playing mesopotamia) he directed the soldiers to follow different paths and got rid of all of them to finally escape to his own hideaway. it was pretty neat, none of my thieves never slayed so many foes in a single game session!

 

[Voltumna]

and then all the party came back and slayed the sorcerers and their henchmen. we got back our akbitanan weapons, and are ready to dungeon crawl again in the main ziggurat. it was tough. the thief didn't shine as before as expected, trying to get near to the archsorcerer to pull a sneak attack, but we are on the path of the tomb raider again.

 

[Yogah of Yag]

Amazing stuff. Howard would have been very impressed by these tales of daring!

 

[Evil_Trevor]

So my group have staggered thier way through the black stones of kovak-re and The comming of Hanuuman, only to find themselves lost in the desert. At last they find an oasis, a small bowl like depression with a small lake of water and dense foilage. They went for a look around and litteraly fell into a tomb and came face to face with a stone snake of prestigeous size. Then they noticed that the snake had the bones of some happless adventurer trapped beneath it.

Inside the stygian-style tomb they find a goup of statues of a family however there appears to be a missing statue.

Yla, the Khitan scholor puts two and two together and takes off with most of the groups ill-gotten gains.

Voldoro, Konrad and Sioban remain. Night falls. Yla has had a small change of heart and has returned and by shouting attracts thier attention she refuses to step from the edge of the desert onto the slope leading down to the oasis. The group move up the slope and then (1d3) Voldoro (a Zingarian noble) suddenly falls and gets dragged back down the slope (I love telekenisis) Then I get Konrad (a Aesir barbarian) and then Sioban (a cimmerian female barbarian) at this point something is heard eating thier horses. I have a good hour dragging them down the slope as they struggle to make it to the top. Russtling the bushes and generaly putting the wind up them. Once they are all safley at the top of the slope they limp off accross he desert in the hope they will make it to Shem, before the water runs out.

I will be picking up the game in the new year, with three new characters to add . They will be through Shem and Argos and just reaching Messantia when the game opens.

Yla a female khitan Noble/Scholor given to sacrificing people and using Hypnotism/oriental magic, very fond of snakes.

Voldoro a Zingarian Noble/Pirate who has just returned from Shadizar with a large quantity of gold who hired the others to assist in getting his loot to Kordova.

Konrad a Aesir Barbarian/Soldier and wandering sword for hire

Sioban, A Female cimmerian Barbarian with a large sword. Not overly fond of magic. Looking for another cimmerian that left before she settled a small matter with him.

They will be getting thier first level in Nomad at the start of the next session and the new characters will have six levels divided between at least two classes.

 

[geordiekimbo]

My only character so far in Conan is:

Varkmech
Shemite Soldier aged 15 years
(Last adventure he reached level 9)
A lot has happened to this short foreigner in his few years. Little is known about his past other than what he has told his travelling companions. He is incredibly nimble, intelligent and favours ranged combat over melee.

His favoured weapon is his bow and it rarely leaves his side. His Cimmerian Barbarian companion often jokes about never wanting to cross him for fear of being riddled with arrows. Although he is most capable at range his hand to hand fighting skills are also well developed should the need arise for him to drop his bow and strike his enemies with heavy mace or poniard.

Although a soldier by trade he is an incredibly talented linguist and it is with great pride that he proclaims that he is able to converse in over ten languages. He is also a very skillful horseman and has amazed many onlookers with his skill at mounted archery (3 out of 3 arrow hits on a small target while riding his horse at a gallop).

During his adventures he is often seen writing and has begun to develop a "battle language" of hand signals and whistles to aid his fellow companions and followers. He is about to begin writing a practical journal of tactics and strategies that he has used or encountered to further understand the practicalities and nuances of warfare and fighting.

His past is mysterious and he says little about it. Although it is known that his father was a wealthy caravan merchant whom has several wives and many children. Varkmech is neither one of the youngest or the eldest in his extended family, and he has said on a few occassions that he was much loved by most of his family. He has said that he has shown talent in fighting since he was a boy, and has told his Aquilonian Noble companion that his happiest memories where of his father and he riding into the desert to hunt for game.

He started working on his father's caravan at the age of 11. Initially he would accompany the caravan guards while they hunted for food but after it was seen that he had great proficiency with bow and sword he became a guard himself.

One morning Varkmech rode into the forests to hunt while his father was lodged in a city to sell his wares, he was poisoned by a toxic plant and wandered delirious in the wilderness eventually making his way back to the city. He was nursed back to health by a priest of Ishtar. When he was well he found that his father and his caravan had long since left. He attempted to seek his families caravan but even after weeks of searching was unable to locate them.

He joined the priest on a journey to Aquilonia, however the travelling party were accosted by bandits in Corinthia and the priest killed. During the fight two foreigners joined the melee: A huge blonde Cimmerian Barbarian and a heavily armoured Aquilonian Noble. The whole of his group were killed so Varkmech asked his new friends if they would accompany him while he delivered the Priest's message to Aquilonia. During the journey the three warriors became friends and have adventured together ever since.

The group has had several new members join it of late. The three warriors freed a Cimmerian slave who fell in love with the Barbarian and has been at his side since then and seems to be curing the Cimmerian of his debauchery. Even though he is young Varkmech has attracted a group of followers who's town he helped defend from a technologically superior army of cultists. These men and boys have been trained by Varkmech to be skirmishers and be lead by him in battle. His sergeant often playfully remarks that he has a son older than Varkmech. Although they are proficient soldiers they have yet to be fully tested in battle. Very recently the Cimmerian's half brother has joined them. He is a Nordheimer barbarian with a wicked temper.

Always eager to prove himself and learn new things he often sets himself goals his companions try not to understand. He wishes to learn all aspects of war and wishes to learn about seigecraft and yearns to take part in a massive war. Varkmech has a strange dark sense of humour and often says that the ill he does now will surely visit him later. He often tells the group that they are all doomed to die ignoble deaths, and not to worry about such things as sword wounds and so on.

Varkmech has an unmerciless approach to fighting and is often seen as brutal and cold to people who are not his friends. Although he takes no delight in it, he has often viciously tortured prisoners to extract information and has no compunction against killing in cold blood. This remorseless cold streak often shows through when he taunts enemies or wishes to intimidate someone. His companions often only need simply threaten the promise of Shemite torture on opponents for them to spill the beans and divulge crucial information.

Most recently news has broken that the Cimmerian's girlfriend is pregnant. This news has delighted Varkmech who has sworn to protect woman and child should any ill befall his barbarian friend. Plans of the wedding to take place in Cimmeria have been spoken of...

(Another gaming session tonight...looking forward to it.)

 

[Belkregos]

slayed them all in their sleep. something like 20-24 foes. it was exhilarating to roll all that dice: 3d8 form the axe, 6d6 from sneak attack!

HAIL TO THE THIEF!!!!!

 

[geordiekimbo]

My characters stats are..

Varkmech
Shemite 9th Level Soldier
Age 15
Hgt 5'7"

Str 13
Dex 19
Con 14
Int 18
Wis 10
Cha 14

Reputation 15

Feats
Two Weapon Combat (free)
Mounted Combat
Point Blank Shot
Rapid Shot
Formation Combat-Skirmisher
Formation Combat-Light Cavalry
Mounted Archery
Leadership
Precise Shot
Improved Critical (Bow)
Weapon Focus (Bow)
Greater Weapon Focus (Bow)

Skills of note
Craft (Bowyer): Rank 5, Skill 9
Intimidate: Rank 11, Skill 13
Move Silently: Rank 3, Skill 9
Perform (Dance): Rank 2, Skill 4
Profession (Soldier): Rank 6, Skill 6
Ride: Rank 12, Skill 16
Search: Rank 12, Skill 16
Spot: Rank 6, Skill 8
Memorize: Rank 2, Skill 6

Languages
Aquilonian, Argossean, Cimmerian, Corinthian, Ghanatan, Hyrkanian, Iranistani, Kothic, Ophirean, Shemitish, Stygian and currently developing Varkmech Battle Tongue

Attacks
Shemite Bow: normal attacks +16/+11 or +17/+12 <30'. With rapid shot +14/+14/+9 or +15/+15/+10 <30'. Damage is 1d10+1 or 1d10+2 <100' or 1d10+3 <30'

Heavy Mace: normal attack +10/+5. Damage is 1d10+1
Poniard: Normal attack +10/+5. Damage is 1d6+1
Broadsword: Normal attack +10/+5. Damage is 1d10+1
Dagger: Normal attack +10/+5. Damage is 1d4+1

Combat manoeuvre: Double shot -3TH per arrow (roll seperately), cannot rapid fire.

Normal Equipment
Shemite Bow
Heavy Mace
Poniard
Broadsword (on horse)
Dagger
5 quivers of arrows 3 on horse, 2 carried.
A good fast riding horse, 2 other non-tried riding horses (recent loot).
Quilted Jerkin armour
Two tone signal whistle (part of his development for a battle language)
Carries most of his wealth in gemstones (800gl worth) 50gl in gold and silver
Clothing: Pantaloons, Doublet, Cloak, Sandals

Developments. Learning about siegecraft. Creating his own battle language (hand signals, clipped speech and whistles). Reading lots. Making notes in journal of tactics and understanding.

Phew. There you go..all typed up.

+(Edited for spelling)+