Conan age 8 - what level?

[demongg]

If any of you read the monthly Conan comic (you should!) you'll know that the most recent

CONAN (2004) #15
http://www.milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=fullsize&issue=18716561177%2015

"Wolves in the Woods"

told a story from Conan's early life - age 8 I believe.


If you had players make characters like this what level do you think Conan was as represented in this comic story?
He takes on the leader of the wolf pack, which looks like a big mean winter wolf...

I'm thinking of telling a story in my PCs childhood, picking one of them to reduce their stats to this level. The other players will make equivalent level characters to fit with the main PC for this story.

any ideas on level?
I'm thinking either 1st level, or possibly using Commoner levels from D&D.

-kev-

 

[Maximo]

I would put them at lvl 1 and lower their stats according to age i.e. -4 to all stats when possible, with Int no lower than 4 (they are not animals, are they? :lol. If they seem way too pathetic, try a less severe stat reduction.

The commoner idea I heard before, but never liked it. It would be rather strange having characters with 7 commoner lvl, then starting their career as 1 lvl barbarians with worse skills

PS:I'm curious. What will you do if any character gets killed during his childhood?
I like the idea of going back in time, but need to find a satisfying solution for this trouble, as I don't want PCs get overconfident (how is the GM going to kill me at age 8 if my character is the King of Turan forty years later? and so on...)

 

[Odovacar's Ghost]

I really don't like comics (except for the online webcomic GITP). What makes this comic so much better? Is it just because it is conan? I'm just curious.

 

[demongg]

I would put them at lvl 1 and lower their stats according to age i.e. -4 to all stats when possible, with Int no lower than 4 (they are not animals, are they? :lol. If they seem way too pathetic, try a less severe stat reduction.

The commoner idea I heard before, but never liked it. It would be rather strange having characters with 7 commoner lvl, then starting their career as 1 lvl barbarians with worse skills

Hadn't thougth about lower stats for being kids... I'd probably want to say that you have maximums for being children rather than just minuses to current stats.

The reason I was liking the idea for commoner as a possiblity was that it kinda sets the mindset more than specifically being about building up to 1st level. These stats WILL NOT be for anything else but THIS time period, should I want to do another story in the past.
It also lets the PC who will become a Scholar be an Adept in early childhood.

I'll have to look at the commoners again.

I'll also look at a D20 book I have where the players play kids for ideas I think it's Grimm Fairy Tales or something... To see how they treat kid stats.

PS:I'm curious. What will you do if any character gets killed during his childhood?
I like the idea of going back in time, but need to find a satisfying solution for this trouble, as I don't want PCs get overconfident (how is the GM going to kill me at age 8 if my character is the King of Turan forty years later? and so on...)

The way I handled it in the past (described in more detail in the thread below) was to say... if you DIE - you DIE. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
I won't hold back any more than any other game - past, present, or future.

Think of it as whatever game timeline you are CURRENTLY playing in as THE present! It can all lead to things with cool foreshadowing, etc... but ultimately if the player balks at this and says - "Yes - but I can't die because I'm alive in later games" simply reply with "Are you sure that's really YOU?"
Implying that if/when you die in the past somehow, someone or something is in your place fooling your friends in the future... and when this happens then the GM figures out what's really going on and explains it for you - the next session "in the future" this PC will turn traitor or do whatever and get out of the picture for the Player to make a NEW character.

also don't ever forget LEFT FOR DEAD, this above all is the perfect answer.


Check out this thread for more of my non-linear adventure style ideas.
It helped me think through what I'm doing...

http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=7423&start=0&sid=dcde7643d28d5bcde0fe725ae454d3b0

-kev-

 

[demongg]

I really don't like comics (except for the online webcomic GITP). What makes this comic so much better? Is it just because it is conan? I'm just curious.

It's hard to explain other than IT'S GOOD...
The newest series seems to be a much closer in style and substance adaption of past Conan stories.
The art is very cool as well.

Ultimately you have to give it a chance and see for yourself.
For the most recent comic it gave me the idea to do a past childhoo story which I wouldn't have thought of before...
-kev-

 

[Hudson]

I really don't like comics (except for the online webcomic GITP). What makes this comic so much better? Is it just because it is conan? I'm just curious.

The art has a painted style and is done without outlines which gives it a very raw feel, which as you can imagine is quite suitable for Conan. I find it in step with Howard's vision, done by fans, and really it is a top notch title.

P.S I love the old Marvel stuff too. For different reasons though...