Conan and Cthulhu

[Hudson]

I have many of the Cthulhu minis and I have even managed over the years to get a hold of some Grenadier Cthulhu minis. The deep ones are great, and I have made good use of my creppy little freaks in my Conan games. I missed getting a whole pile of old Grenadiers that some guy had made into a really cool (i.e. nerdy) chess set that will shatter your mind and soul. So, maybe it was good that I got outbid.

Ia! Ia!

 

[Bregales]

Unfortunately, I had some of the Grenadier Cthulhu minis and offered them to our group before Mongoose released the Conan game products; one of our players snatched them up and then later quit our group, so I no longer have access to them Oh well. Such is life.

 

[Raven Blackwell]

Hunting Horror
”And in the air about him were great viperine creatures, which had curiously distorted heads…….supporting themselves by the aid of a black rubbery wing of singular monstrous dimensions.”
-August Dereleth, “The Lurker at the Threshold”

Gargantuan Outsider
Hit Dice: 12d10+48 [120 hp]
Initiative: +13 [+9 natural; +1 Dex; Improved Initiative]
Move: 25; Fly 40
Defensive Value: 17 [+9 natural; - 4 size; +1 Dex; Dodge Feat]
Damage Reduction: 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+22 (1)
Attack: Bite +19 melee [2d8+9; x2 critical; 8 AP] or Tail Slap +13 melee [2d4+3; x2 critical]
Full Attack: Bite +19/+14/+9 melee [2d8+9; x2 critical; 8 AP] and Tail Slap +13 melee [2d4+3; x2 critical]
Special Attacks: Enhanced Terror; Improved Grab
Special Qualities: Dark Vision; Light Sensitivity; Manifest; Outsider; Scent
Saves: Fort +12; Ref +11(2); Will +7
Abilities: Str 22; Dex 13; Con 18; Int 13; Wis 17; Cha 13
Skills: Intimidate [bully] +14; Knowledge [arcana] +6; Knowledge [outsiders] +8; Knowledge [geography] +6; Listen +9 (3); Search +6; Spot +14 (3); Survival +12
Feats: Alertness; Dodge; Fly By Attack; Improved Grapple; Improved Initiative; Lightning Reflexes; Steely Gaze: Track, Weapon Focus [bite]
Environment: Any [Native to the Outer Dark]
Organization: Solitary
Advancement: Colossal [13-18 Hit Dice]

Dark Vision: A Hunting Horror’s triple lobed eye possesses keen vision that extend far past the spectrum of light visible to humanity. As an aerial predator its range of sight is essentially line of sight- roughly five miles when on the ground, up to sub-orbital distances in flight. A Horror may discern details sufficient to discern individual Medium sized individuals at one mile. Note that a keen senses of a Horror come at a price- it is almost completely blind in sunlight. [see ‘Light Sensitivity’ below]

Enhanced Terror: The sheer size and obviously extraterrestrial nature of a Hunting Horror is exceptionally unnerving to most humans. The DC check for the Terror of the Unknown produced by a Hunting Horror is 20.

Improved Grab: Anyone struck by a Horror’s Tail Slap may then be grappled by the Horror as a free action. This does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The victim is then grappled by the Horror’s tail is usually has its arms pinned and unable to move. The Horror then usually gains altitude and continues to apply Tail Slap damage while biting the now immobile [i.e. cannot Dodge or Parry- DV is effectively 10] target with its Bite attack at will. While a victim is ensnared in Horror’s coils, the Horror cannot make a Tail Slap attack unless they release their victim. A Hunting Horror may only hold one Large sized or smaller target at a time.

Light Sensitivity: A Hunting Horror’s natural terrain in the Outer Dark. As such, it is not very well adapted to sunlit environments. When operating in a more terrestrial environment, Horrors become strictly nocturnal, finding a remote lair to hole up in during the day. If forced to operate in daylight, a Horror is effectively blind, suffering a -8 circumstance penalty to Defensive Value, attack rolls, saving throws and skill checks. In addition a Horror loses all Damage Reduction in full sunlight and suffers 1d4 point of Primal damage each round it is exposed to full sunlight. Horrors will flee for any shelter from the sunlight, even going underwater. It also cannot use its Manifest ability to return to the Outer Dark while exposed to sunlight. Massive light sources such as forest fires and lightning strikes will disorientate a Horror giving a –4 circumstance penalty to Defensive Value, attack rolls, saving throws and skill checks and reducing its Damage Reduction to 6, but it will suffer no actual damage by exposure. Bonfires, burning buildings, elemental strikes and other bright sources of light cause a Horror to suffer a –2 circumstance penalty to Defensive Value, attack rolls, saving throws and skill checks and reduce a Horror’s Damage Reduction to 9. Horror will choose to flee reoccurring bright lights and return to fight when conditions are more suitable for its needs, even using its Manifest ability to return to the Outer Dark. [see below]

Manifest: As a standard action, a Hunting Horror can either leave Earth and return to the Outer Dark or appear on Earth. In either case, the Horror manifests at its new location at the end of the round. Note that a Horror can in fact fly manually into the Outer Dark if somehow deprived of its Manifest ability, though this takes some time. A Horror cannot use their Manifest ability in full sunlight or to arrive in an area of Earth subject to direct sunlight.

Outsider: Adapted to survive in the Outer Dark Hunting Horrors have no need to eat, drink or breathe. They are immune to terrestrial poisons and diseases and cannot be the target of a Sneak Attack or be affected by critical hits.

Scent: A Hunting Horror possesses a keen olfactory sense that will alert it to the presence of creatures within 120 feet in normal conditions [240 feet if target is upwind, 60 feet if target is downwind] but not their exact location. In addition, a Horror may track by scent alone.

(1) Includes Improved Grapple Feat
(2) Includes Lightning Reflexes Feat
(3) Includes Alertness Feat

Hunting Horrors are a species of off-world demon common used by those sorcerers or Outsiders who can manage to control them. Rumored to have been created by the Fallen Power Nyarlathotep they are often found guarding artifacts and places of Power important to the Fallen spirits known as commonly as the ‘Old Ones’ . They often Manifest to deal with intruders and attempt to deal with a swiftly as possible. If driven off by combat or bright light, the Hunting Horror will eventually return to unfailing Track the intruders, waiting patiently for the most opportune time to strike. Victims usually disappear entirely, snatched up by the horror and devoured when alone and defenseless, though weak willed individuals have been known to die of sheer fright. It is rumored that the souls of all those slain are taken by the Horror to the foul being Azathoth to be devoured and forever lost, but no evidence exists to prove or disprove that fact.

A Horrors’s appearance defies normal physics. A Horror appears a black rubbery serpent approximately forty feet long with a head possessing a single triple lobed eye and a wide, triple fanged saw beneath it. It flies by the means of a single huge wing that seems to be used by the creature as a steering vane rather than a conventional wing which gives credence to speculations that the creature flies by the means of self generated psychokenetic force or by direct manipulation of the aethyr itself. The end of its body tapers into a tail supple and strong enough to act as a weapon, either by slapping opponents or seizing them in its coils and crushing them to death. Targets so held will also be bitten by the Horror if the creature has the opportunity. Alternatively, the Horror may simply achieve a good deal of altitude and drop the Grappled target.

Hunting Horrors are cunning, intelligent beings. When stalking prey they will often strike at an individual separated from others, usually executing a Fly By Attack to Grapple them with its Tail Slap attack and take them away to be swiftly destroyed. They are not suicidal and never fight to the death if it can be avoided, choosing instead to use their superior mobility to retreat, heal from their encounter and return at a later date more opportune for its needs. They are very aware of their vulnerable state in daylight and will seek cover long before planetary dawn to resume the hunt once nightfall comes.

Horrors have no understanding of human wealth, but have been known to recognize items of sorcerous power and steal them for themselves. Although they rarely understand the item well enough to use it, they are capricious and greedy creatures who simply desire the object so that no other may have it. There are legends of Horrors that have learned to utilize Sorcery themselves, but there has never been a confirmed sighting of such a creature.


Hunting Horrors are popular by high level Sorcerers capable of Summoning and Binding them to their service. Horrors are invaluable in the tracking down and slaying of a summoner’s enemies. Horrors that escape their would be ‘masters’ control though swiftly slay their summoner and often remain on Earth. They often lair in a remote inaccessible area and terrorize the landscape, decimating the local population for the sheer malicious pleasure of it. Such Horrors are likely the source of many ‘dragon’ myths as they destroy small human settlement and render the land about their lair barren and empty.

Hunting Horrors speak Daemonic and are capable of learning human languages as well, to better understand and terrorize the human population. More than one would be ‘dragon-slayer’ has been astonished to find themselves taunted in their native tongue by a Horror shortly before they become another victim to the creature’s malicious hunger.

 

[Turloigh]

I have mixed Conan and Cthulhu quite often: ... (snip)

Late addition: Svenja forgot to mention that we're not using the Conan RPG any more, but re-converted the campaign to good ol' RuneQuest (keeping only the Conan magic system). This makes conversions from "Call of Cthulhu" a lot easier.
RQ combat, CoC monsters and Conan magic (NO healing spells) are a deadly mix. Hope we return to that setting one day, dear Svenja GM?

 

[The King]

I have mixed Conan and Cthulhu quite often: ... (snip)

Late addition: Svenja forgot to mention that we're not using the Conan RPG any more, but re-converted the campaign to good ol' RuneQuest (keeping only the Conan magic system). This makes conversions from "Call of Cthulhu" a lot easier.
RQ combat, CoC monsters and Conan magic (NO healing spells) are a deadly mix. Hope we return to that setting one day, dear Svenja GM?

Can your group finish any adventures with no healing? It must be as deadly as in CoC, and probably more so because in Coc you avoid fight where in Conan you jump on any critter that appear.

 

[Turloigh]

Can your group finish any adventures with no healing? It must be as deadly as in CoC, and probably more so because in Coc you avoid fight where in Conan you jump on any critter that appear.

It was a close call, but not as hard as it sounds. Yet.
First, we didn't directly fight any Mythos creatures (so far) except the Mi-Go, who aren't that tough. Well, they are bad enough in numbers, but it could have been worse.
Second, those Mi-Go mainly used an energy blast that paralyzed but didn't kill instantly. They knocked me out with a single shot, ignoring my armour, no save allowed... but with a little help from my friends, I survived. Barely, as usual.
Third, we have an NPC scholar/sorcerer type with us who knows her First Aid skill. (She may also have a minor healing spell that I have forgotten about.)
Finally, armour helps a lot, and CoC characters usually don't have any.
Healing is a pain, though. Under RQ rules, you recover 1d3 hit points per WEEK. I usually go through victory celebrations at the minimum health required to stay awake.
(For those who have read Svenja's other posts, I'm the one who plays the Aquilonian noble).

 

[The King]

Yes I had forgotten about the armor protection. But still, if you fight a might critter armor aren't that efficient.
The best advantage is that demons and big monsters aren't intteligent in Howard setting. They can be cunny but don't possess the intelligence a man has (or demons or other monsters have in ADD).
Thus it is easy to make up a plan where the beast can't retaliate at all.

 

[Neeklus]

I'm not sure on the lacking intelligence remark. While that certainly applies to many of them others possessed very maelevolent minds. They, however, just underestimated how unstoppable an angry hillsman from Cimmeria could be.

 

[The King]

All of Howard's monsters (demons and gods) based on their crude strength and might and fight with this consideration, causing great destruction but they have no finesse nor do they even think of what they do.

 

[Raven Blackwell]

The Tomes of Utalis
Part I

Background

Mankind has not always been the master of the world. Prior to the Hyborian Age, the Atlantean Age, even the Hyperborean Age man mankind dwelt on the earth. In those time humanity existed in the shadow of other beings- the children of Set the vile snakemen known to some sages as the ‘Serpent Folk’. To the serpent folk mankind was a primitive species to hunt, use as slave labor or to sacrifice to appease their Great Father’s hunger. Primitive, unlearned, disorganized and prone to warring among themselves, humanity had no defense against the serpent folk’s powerful sorcery and alchemical creations. That it until he coming of the first wizard king- Utalis.

Physical Description

In their original state, the Tomes of Utalis were a wonder to behold. Taking the only natural substance immune corrosion, gold, Utalis crafted nine tomes from enscribed gold leaf and bound them in the same substance, Further sorcerous protection was woven in the tome’s manufacture, making it resitant to heat, physical injury and other forms of damage. Each page has the characters and pictograms inscribed directly on the page and pigments were applied to render them more distinct and readable. The pages were designed so that charcoal rubbings could easily be made, thus allowing a simple method of copying the information to another source.

Due to the extremely long amount of time between Utalis’s Age and the Hyborian Age it is unlikely that any of the nine known Tomes are intact but if they were, the pigments would be long faded, making the creation of a rubbing necessary to read the information. All the information known about the Tomes comes through later translations of part of the Tomes and a few of the original golden pages still known to exist in the great library of Luxor and the royal archives of the Khitan Empire. If any other pages were discovered or if the gods were feeling fortunate, an intact volume was located many would the sage, sorcerer or thief that would move to seize it for themselves.

General Layout

Utalis’s Tomes are a mixture of practical and mystical information. The first book is a personal history in which he accounts his life from his origins as the youngest son of an innkeeper to the founder of the first Hyborian nation. The second is a primer in the language used by Utalis’s people, which is similar enough to the Hyperborean language to suggest that Hyperborean evolved from Utalis’s language. A skilled linguist who knew Hyperborean could use this primer to reconstruct Utalis’s language to better understand the Tome.

[In game terms, the character using the book needs knowledge of the Hyberborean language, an Intelligence of at least 15 and one month study to be able to read Utalis’s language and understand the Tomes without penalty. Anyone who does not have access to this primer but does understand Hyperborean may attempt to translate the Tomes but the Gm should make a secret Decpher Script roll against DC 25 for the player for each piece of information they attempt to translate.. Success allows the information to be translated properly. Failure to make this secret roll by four or less mean the character simply fails to translate it. Failure by five or more points means that the information is translated incorrectly. Anyone without knowledge of the Hyperborean language simply has no chance of understanding the Tomes without mystical aid.]

The third tome is a beasitary, detailing common supernatural and natural threats to humanity A great deal of the information details humanity’s primary threat to its own continued existence at the time- the Serpent Folk [see below]. Though now all but extinct in the Hyborian Age it is conceivable that pockets of these beings may still survive in the remote corners of the Earth or hidden behind mystical illusion within the nations of the world to warrant. Chief of importance is a mystical phrase that weakens the mystical aura of Serpent Folk, disrupting their magic and causing them pain.

Other beings included in the beastiary are the minions of the Old Ones, who were far more numerous in Utalis’s time. All prior and future entries of Mythos creatures in this topic can be considered part of that volume.

Volume four details mundane information- from agriculture to engineering to animal husbandry. Utalis’s primary purpose in constructing this volume was to preserve information necessary to human survival. Although advanced for its time, the information in this volume is outdated in the Hyborian Age and makes this volume of more historical than practical value.

Volumes five through eight contain the information most commonly associated with the Tomes- mystical. Utalis created the first organized system of magic used by humanity and thus formed a great deal of the roots of all human sorcery. These volumes possess information on every sphere of Power know to human sorcery and it is rumored, some that humankind has forgotten. In addition to theory, specific sorcerous techniques such as spell or rituals and alchemical processes for creating magically imbued items abound.

[In game terms, the knowledge of all spells, Sorcery Feats and formulae for the construction of all non-unique magical items from both the Mongoose Conan system and Raven’s Rules of Sorcery can be located in these tomes in addition future entries in the Tomes will present new spells, Feats and items as I or anyone else interested in donating, create them]

Volume nine is perhaps the most dangerous and most sought after. In it is recorded the invocations for summoning and contacting greater entities [sometime referred to as ‘gods’] and their emissaries. Perusal of this volume shows that unlike a great number of other sorcerers, Utalis was careful in choosing what entities to ask for aid. No invocations exist for contacting fully Corrupt entities [such as the vast majority of the Mythos ‘gods’], but contact with any greater entity is risky in the extreme to the body, mind and soul. Some of the entities listed in the Tomes are mentioned in any other terrestrial source. Of all the Tomes, this is the one most sought after by those who know of it. If the entities detailed within still respond to Utalis’s rituals, who knows what vast and cosmic lore might be rediscovered?

 

[Raven Blackwell]

The Tomes of Utalis

New Entry- Volume One

Utalis’s Early Life

Utalis was born Atal, the youngest son of a innkeeper in the land of Uthar that once existed in the land of Mu. In Utalis’s time, Mu was a pleasant land of fields, woods and streams north of the stony wastes of Hatheg and the unnamed mountain beyond, where the gods were said to dwell. While most of Atal’s people were simple, provincial folk Atal was an inquisitive lad who wandered the fields and woods of the world outside his village, curious about the world around him. It was this wanderlust that lead him to discover Bazari, an old hermit who dwelt apart from the people of Uthar. It was Barzai that opened Atal’s eyes to the unseen forces of the world. Barzai, though an insular old fart at times, was no master of foul lore- what he taught Atal was the hidden beauty of the Power that animates the world and all in it.

Close to Atal’s tenth birthday, a group of strange nomadic people with strange customs passed through his home village. Though manner was strange, they were polite and reserved and offered no violence, and they were allowed to dwell for a time. For the next couple of weeks, the nights was filled with their strange music and they spoke many tales of far off lands, though how much truth was in them is anyone’s guess.

During their stay though, the youngest child of the nomads kept apart form the merriment. His parents had died recently and though the clan did not neglect him any way, he clutched a small black kitten fiercely- the last thing he had left from his family.

On the last day of the nomad’s stay in town, the young boy was distressed to find his kitten missing. Though none of the townsfolk spoke openly, all suspected a miserly couple living just out of town long known for their antipathy toward cats of killing the kitten- as they had killed many cats native to the town. While the rest of the townsfolk had returned to their homes as the nomads made preparations to leave, Atal lingered watching the nomads depart from a hidden vantage point. There he observed the young orphaned child perform a strange ritual, calling upon a entity named ‘Bast’ in a strange tongue. When he related this strange occurrence to Barzai, his mentor laughed. “Follow the cats of Uthar tonight my boy and you will see a thing worth seeing.”

That night when the fires burned low, Atal slipped from his father’s inn and pursued his father’s cats after they dashed out into the darkness. Unlike the normally individual and stealthy movements of the hunt his father cats ran rapidly together joining all the other cats of the town in a steady stream of small stealthy shapes running under the full of the moon.

After several minutes the cats all came to the middle of clearing, near the hut of the two old misers suspected of killing the little nomad child’s kitten. There among the dozens of fat and sleek cats of the village the wild ctas of the lands- cougars, mountain lions and even the panthers of the wastes mingled with their lesser cousins. The cats were gathered in a wide circle, staring intently at the center of the ring they formed. Atal hid himself some distance from the beast and watched. The cats stood silent and still, tails twitching.

As the hour midnight approached, the full moon rose to its peak and a silent tension gripped the field. A wild wind whipped the tall grass and as one, the cats great and small yowled a terrible cry to the night. At the moment of midnight, a pillar of white light descended from the full moon, filling the field with a terrible and beautiful light. From it’s midst a great winged figure emerged to Atal’s amazement. Twice taller than any man he had seen, a Being like a erect cat topped with the head of a female lion. Her tawny fur and sleek lines belied a perfection that could not have been born in his world. Her eyes were filled the terrible light that it has emerged in. The cats of the field made them prostrate before the Being, turning their bellies to Her and crying out in supplication and fear. Even Atal himself, hidden as he was, fell to his knees in shock.

Standing erect among Her worshippers, the Being howled to the sky. Each cat echoed that cry until the sky was filled with a terrible cry speaking not if the simple domestic hungers of the house cat, but of that terrible Beast all cats were bred from, that Wyld hunger that once knew humanity as nothing but prey to be devoured. The cry built up, rising ad falling until as one the cats of the field spoke with one voice, cried out with one hunger. In Atal’s village, the sleeping people dreamed terrible dreams and cried out in fear, but did not wake.

With an abrupt gesture, the Being silenced them. Every eye in that field, Atal included, gaze rapt upon Her beauty. With a terrible growl She pointed to the cottage of the misers. As one, a stream of feline grace leapt to their haunches and raced to the hut amidst the silent copse of trees. The Being stood there for a moment watching them leave. When the last of the column of felines had vanished into the trees, She strode to the column of light that lingered in the middle of the field. Just as she was about to enter it, She paused a moment, and with a mocking half smile only a cat could accomplish, looked behind her at the very spot Atal lay hidden. For a moment Atal cowered beneath that powerful gaze, but only a single moment. The Being turned, strode into the column of light and both She and the column vanished before the frightened boy’s eyes.
Atal fled the field, seeking the hut of Barzai. Barzai received him and after warming the boy by his fire and giving him a potion to calm his nerves, gave a amused laugh. “That my boy”, Barzai spoke, “was Bast- queen and Creator of all cats. Any that harm the greater or least of Her children shall in time know Her wrath- though if She told of it directly, She comes sooner.”

The next day the cats of Uthar returned to their homes strangely fattened and licking their chaps. Perplexing as this behavior, far stranger was the absence of the miserly couple suspected of killing the nomadic child’s kitten. After a day, a contingent of villagers visited the couple’s hut and returned with an odd tale. The front doors and windows had been found shattered from without and the hut a shambles- as if torn apart by wild beasts. Of the couple themselves, only well picked bones clean of all flesh had been found. After a brief questioning Atal reported to the village elders of the strange ritual performed by the cats that night in the field, but not of the appearance of Bast or the terrible cries their beloved pets gave that night, hungering for the flesh of humanity. After this story circulated through out the village, the townsfolk looked at their sleek and well groomed pets with a newfound respect and while the village of Uthar stood there was a law that no person shall ever harm a cat.

[GM’s notes- for the source of the above entry, see H.P. Lovecraft’s short story “The Cats of Uthar”]

 

[Raven Blackwell]

The Tomes of Utalis

New Entry- Volume Nine

New Entity

Bast
Queen and Mother of all Cats, Lady of the Night, Daughter of the Huntress

Bast is the Creator of all cats and their lady and queen. Though She has many consorts, She alone rules over them. Bast is rumored to be the child or grandchild of Lilith Herself, the Dark Mother of the Night.

Bast rarely concerns Herself with doings of humanity, intent only on the stewardship of Her children. Offense to Her children though will bring about eventual punishment- Bast is like Her children, often forgetful and indolent at times- but if the appropriate contact entity spell is used by a sorcerer, She will often respond quickly. Her avatar rarely acts directly in these matters, but often summons all felines within running distance to do Her bidding. Usually these summoned creatures simply dispose of those who displeased Bast by the abuse of Her children. Though a Goddess of the Hunt, She like most of Lilith’s children, will not harm a child, a pregnant woman or a truly innocent being. Like all aspects of Divinity, She has no truck with the Corrupt and their doings and will attempt to destroy any such Being She happens to encounter, though She rarely chooses to persecute such beings unless they poses a great danger to Her children.

Worship: Bast has no organized religion as humans perceive it. She is beloved and feared by Her children as their Creator, but much like the Cimmerians, they ask Her not for boons and favours. Any human attempting to worship Bast will likely politely amuse Her, but will gain no benefit. She has a soft spot in her heart for all cat lovers though. Anyone who uses the contact entity- Bast spell will likely be disappointed. Like Her children, Bast rarely comes if called, though She may choose to follow up on any reports of abuse or neglect of Her children.

What Bast’s relationship with the Pictish tribes of Panther and Wildcat, if any, is unknown.

 

[Raven Blackwell]

The Tomes of Utalis

New Entry- Volume Nine

New Creature

Bast’s Avatar
“Beauty-coolness-aloofness-philosophic repose-self sufficiency-untamed mastery-where else can we find these things with even half the perfection and completeness that mark their incarnations in the peerless and softly gliding cat?”
-H.P. Lovecraft, “Dogs and Cats”
Large Outsider
Hit Dice: 18d12+90 [216 hitpoints]
Initiative: + 25 [+11 natural; +10 Dexterity; Improved Initiative]
Move 120 feet; Climb 90 feet; Fly 60 feet
DV: Dodge 33 (1); Parry 23
DR: 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +18 / +29 (2)
Attack: Bite +26 melee (3) [3d6+10; 17-20 x2 critical; AP 9] or Claw +29 (3) melee finesse [2d6+7; 17-20 x2 critical; AP 8]
Full Attack: Bite +26/+21/+16/+11 (3) melee and two Claws +29/+24/+19/+14 melee finesse (3) [3d6+10; 17-20 x2; AP 9 critical and 2d6+7; 17-20 x2 critical; AP 8]
Special Attacks: Contagion; Improved Grab; Invoke Fear; Invoke Fury; Pounce; Primal Nature; Rake; Sneak Attack +9d6; Wheel of Death; Whirlwind Attack
Special Qualities: Avatar; Awe; Childe of Nature; Childe of Night; Dark Vision; Greater Mobility; Improved Evasion; Improved Uncanny Dodge; Indomitable; Manifest; Outsider; Queen of Felines; Scent; Shapeshifter; Telepathy; Trap Sense +6; True Death; Unconquerable; Wild Empathy
Space/Reach: 10ft/10 ft
Saves: Fort +18 (4); Ref +23 (5); Will +15 (6)
Str 25; Dex 30; Con 20; Int 25; Wis 20; Cha 25
Skills: Balance +46 (7); Bluff +27 Climb +38 (7, 10); Diplomacy +21; Disable Device +25; Hide +40 (7) (8); Intimidate + 28; Jump +40 (7, 11); Knowledge [arcana] +21; Knowledge [geography] + 22; Knowledge [local- any region] +18; Knowledge [nature] +32; Knowledge [outsiders] +28; Knowledge [planes] +22; Listen +38 (7, 9); Move Silently +40 (7,8); Search +38; Sense Motive +32; Spot +34 (7, 9); Survival +34;Swim +20 (10); Tumble +42 (7, 11)
Feats: Acrobatic; Alertness; Ambush; Archer’s Bane; Athletic; Awesome Blow; Clarity; Cleave; Cliff Climber; Combat Expertise; Combat Reflexes; Culling The Weak; Diehard; Dodge; Endurance; Fighting Madness; Great Cleave; Greater Cleave; Greater Feint; Greater Fortitude; Greater Uncanny Dodge; Fly By Attack; Improved Bull’s Rush; Improved Cleave; Improved Critical [bite]; Improved Critical [claw]; Improved Feint; Improved Grapple; Improved Overrun; Improved Power Attack; Menacing Aura; Multiattack; Power Attack; Primitive Instincts; Ride By Attack; Quick Stealth; Savage Cleave; Sense Weakness; Stealthy; Steely Gaze; Track; Weapon Focus [bite]; Weapon Focus [claw]; Wicked Savagery

Magic Attack Bonus: + 16 [+17 with spells from the Spheres of Death and Destruction or Life and Nature]

Climate/Terrain: Any
Organization: Unique

(1) Includes Dodge Feat
(2) Includes Improved Grapple Feat
(3) Includes Weapon Focus
(4) Includes Greater Fortitude Feat; Bast’s Avatar gains a +4 bonus for all Endurance checks
(5) Includes Lightning Reflexes Feat
(6) Includes Iron Will Feat; Bast’s Avatar also has a +8 racial bonus to all saving throws that attempt to control Her magically, including binding spells.
(7) Includes racial bonus
(8) Includes Stealthy Feat
(9) Includes Alertness and Clarity Feats
(10) Includes Athletic Feat
(11) Includes Acrobatic Feat

Avatar: Bast’s Avatar form is not the total of Her own being- it is a single personification of the great Forces She is composed of. Thus if one of Her Avatars is destroyed, Bast Herself suffers no great harm and can simply manifest another Avatar within a day.

Awe: Bast’s Avatar unearthly beauty produces Awe. Similar to Terror of the Unknown, those viewing Bast’s Avatar must make a DC 19 Will save or be frozen to the spot and unable to act or move for 2d6+7 rounds.

Contagion: Those wounded by Bast’s Avatars natural weapons can at Her will develop the magical disease detailed below.

Fortitude Save: DC 19
Incubation Time: One round
Damage: 1d4 points of Constitution; 1d4 points of Dexterity

Childe of Nature: As a Goddess of the Wyld; Bast is considered a Childe of Nature. Her statistics have already been altered to reflect this.

Childe of Night: As a Goddess of Night, Bast is considered a Childe of Night. Her statistics have been altered to reflect this.

Dark Vision: Bast’s Avatar can perceive all things in Her line of sight no matter how hidden by magic, darkness, cover or concealment.

Goddess of Magic: Bast’s Avatar may cast any spell without Power Point cost once per round. She casts spells as if a eighteenth level Scholar- nineteenth level for spells from the Death and Destruction or Life and Nature Sphere. Note that as a Goddess of Death, Bast’s Avatar considers undead a blasphemy and will never reanimate a corpse or command undead for Her own purposes.

Greater Mobility: Bast’s Avatar never provokes attacks of opportunity any may move up to Her full Speed as part of a Full Attack action.

Improved Grab: As a free action, Bast’s Avatar may attempt to Grapple any opponent struck by Her natural weapons without provoking an attack of opportunity. Bast’s Avatar may grapple two opponents of Medium size or smaller at once. Each opponent Grappled by Bast’s Avatar requires the use of one of Her arms, thus she cannot use a Claw attack with the arm maintaining the Grapple.

Improved Evasion: If exposed to any effect that normally allows a character to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, Bast’s Avatar takes no damage if She makes her saving throw. If She fails Her saving throw, She suffers only half damage.

Improved Uncanny Dodge: Bast’s Avatar is never considered Flat Footed for any purpose and can never lose Her Dexterity bonus from Her Dodge DV..

Indomitable: Bast’s Avatar possesses a +8 racial bonus against all attempts to control or manipulate Her by magical means, including all attempts to ]I]bind[/I] Her.

Invoke Fear: Though She normally produces an Awe effect, Bast’s Avatar may instead produce Terror of the Unknown instead if She so chooses to.

Invoke Fury: At will, Bast’s Avatar may make Herself or any feline subject to Fighting Madness for long as She wills it. Sentient felines may resist this effect if they make an opposed Will save against Her Magic Success roll, though as mentioned below this is likely to provoke an angry response from Her.

Manifest: As a standard action, Bast’s Avatar can travel from her current location to any other plane of Her choosing. She manifests at Her new location at the end of Her action

Outsider: Bast’s Avatar cannot be affected by age, disease, poison, critical hits, subject to Death by Massive Damage or be the subject of a Sneak Attack. She has no need to breathe, eat or drink- though She enjoys doing so. Bast’s Avatar is unaffected by any environmental hazard and may exist in any Terrain without penalty- even underwater or the Outer Dark.

Queen of Felines: Bast’s Avatar may communicate and command with any felines anywhere in Creation who instantly do Her bidding even at the cost of their own lives. This includes sentient feline species and shapeshifters whose animal form is that of a feline, though they may attempt a Will save against Her Magic Success Roll to resist Her commands if they wish to. Any sentient feline who resists their Creator’s commands will be harshly dealt by Her.
Bast is also aware of any information known to any cat in any world and may see through any of Her children’s senses at any time no matter where they are. In addition She may transfer any of her abilities to any feline She chooses to. She normally uses this to transfer her Regeneration ability to wounded felines, but may transfer any of Her abilities if She so chooses.. Bast’s Avatar may not use abilities currently being transfer to Her children, but instantly regains their benefit when She ceases to ‘loan’ them out.

Pounce: Bast’s Avatar may make a Full Attack if She charges.

Primal Nature: As a personification of the Primal Forces inherent to Creation, all attacks made by Bast’s Avatar are considered enchanted and may harm any creature no matter what immunities or resistance the creature possesses. In addition, Her attacks ignore all Damage Reduction of all non-Divine creatures.

Rake: Anyone Grappled by Bast’s Avatar, subject to Her charge attack or struck by both Her Claw attacks in the same round may be attacked by her rear claws as well. These attacks are identical to Her regular Claw attacks in all ways save that they may only make a single attack against their target.

Regeneration: Bast’s Avatar heals 10 hit points per round. If Her limbs or other body parts- including Her head- are severed from Her body they can be reattached if held in place for one round or regrow entirely in ten minutes.

Shapeshifter: Bast’s Avatar may appear as an Large or smaller creature at will. Changing form for her is considered a free action. As a rule though She usually prefers one of Her two natural forms.

Scent: Bast’s Avatar is aware of all creature with 1200 feet [600 downwind, 2400 upwind], though not their exact location, and may track by scent alone. Note that as detailed below Bast’s Avater is telepathically aware of all unshielded minds with five miles, making this ability redundant in most cases.

Telepathy: Bast’s Avatar is aware of and may telepathically communicate with any sentient being within five miles at will. Those attempting to shield their thoughts from Her by mystical means must succeed in an opposed Magical Success Roll against Her to avoid detection. Note that as detailed above, Bast’s Avatar is aware of all creatures with 1200 feet by scent alone.

Trap Sense: Bast’s Avatar possesses a +6 circumstance to all Reflex saves to avoid traps and a +6 circumstance bonus to her Dodge DV against attacks by traps.

True Death: As a Goddess of Death any being slain by Bast’s Avatar is forever dead and may not be saved, resurrected or reanimated by any means- including the use of Fate Points.

Unconquerable: If reduced below 0 hit points, Bast’s Avatar may still perform actions as per Her Deihard Feat but no longer takes a point of damage for performing a standard action. Furthermore She is not considered destroyed until She is at –18 hit points. Note that She still Regenerates even below 0 hit points. [see above]

Wheel of Death: Bast’s Avatar gains a bonus attack at Her highest attack bonus on any round She had no allies and at least three opponents within ten feet.

Whirlwind Attack: When performing a Full Attack action, Bast’s Avatar choose to forgo Her normal attacks and instead make one attack at full attack bonus to each opponent within Her reach [ten feet].

Wild Empathy: Like any Greater Childe of Nature, Bast can communicate and command any creature with the Animal or Vermin subtype. She usually chooses only to command Her own children though as their Creators may not approve of Her using Their children as She wills.

Skills: Like all Her children, Bast’s Avatar receives a +8 racial bonus to all Balance, Hide, Move Silently and Tumble skill checks and a +4 to all Climb, Jump, Listen and Spot skill checks. She may also Take 10 on any Climb skill check even is distracted or threatened. These bonuses have already been included in Her profile

A true personification of the Primal Forces of destruction, Bast’s Avatar is a supernatural predator with few equals. Capable of destroying virtually any being save for another greater Being’s Avatar within seconds, many individuals often underestimate Her like they do Her children. Like Her children though, Bast rarely chooses to intervene directly in matters, preferring to act through Her children or by manipulating events to suit Her purpose. Unlike many other Beings though, Bast has no long-term goals other than watching over Her children. She certainly has no interest in humanity and its petty schemes other than the manner in which it treats Her children. Woe be to the individuals whose abuse of Her children is brought to Her attention- they are likely to die a grisly death.

Bast usually appears in Her natural forms- either a gigantic feline of any kind or a 12’ tall humanoid feline. Either form may have winds as well- though is Bast’s Avatar chooses not to bear them She cannot Fly. She has in at least one reported encounter taken a human female form but usually chooses not to. In whatever form She chooses, her nature is graceful, sensuous and bears an undercurrent of hunger, danger and hypersensitive awareness to Her surroundings.

As a Goddess of the Hunt and the Wyld, in those rare times Bast’s Avatar manifests on Earth, she often hunts the wild and lonely places of the Earth for prey. As a Great Predator, she could consider humanity as Her rightful prey, though Her mischievous nature and humanity’s odd friendship with Her lesser children sometimes causes Her to simply play tricks on human being instead. Any being with Corruption or cruel to cats will bear Her wrath though. Her stealth and guile are so great that it is nearly impossible for any mortal observer to be aware of Her. A party of human beings may never even be aware that a Being of Power is nearby unless She desires them to know. [Note that She can always just turn Herself invisible by magical means if need be] If any human were lucky(?) enough to spot Her they may not enjoy their accomplishment. Bast is a fickle and jealous being and prone to reacting violently if startled or her pride [no pun intended] is hurt.

Any sorcerer with a feline familiar may find it acting oddly when in Bast Avatar’s presence, perhaps answering Her call during one of Her hunts and abandoning him or her without explanation. Canine familiars and companions will be subject to great fear and submissive behavior if Bast’s Avatar is nearby. No action can prevent it from hiding until She is gone.

Bast’s Avatar is usually accompanied by all the felines in the area from housecats to sabertooth tigers, even including sentient ones or shapeshifters with a feline form. They will do Her bidding as She wishes and defend her to the end of their lives.

Should any group of mortals engage Her in combat, She will fight back with obvious relish- She loves a good fight- calling upon all of her nearby children to assist Her and fighting with the sheer joy of conflict. If they manage to destroy Her Avatar, the group may not need fear Her vengeance- perhaps She would be impressed with their abilities and perhaps even look upon them more favorably than before. Or perhaps She would simply attempt to destroy them by subtle means or outright assault- like Her children, She is a fickle being.

It is believed that Sekhmet, the lion headed goddess of destruction referred to in Stygian lore is Bast by another name.

 

[Raven Blackwell]

Tomes of Utalis

New Entry- Volume Three

New Creature

Swarm- Cats
Tiny Animal [Swarm]
Hit Dice: 5d8 [25 hit points]
Initiative: +9 [+2 natural; +3 Dex; Improved Initative]
Speed 40; Climb 20
DV: 16 [+2 size; +3 Dex; Dodge Feat]
DR: None
Base Attack/Grapple: N/A
Attack: Swarm (1d6)
Full Attack: Swarm (1d6)
Space/Reach: 10 ft/10 ft
Special Attacks: Contagion; Distraction, Swarm
Special Qualities: Low Light Vision; Scent; Swarm
Saves: Fort +2; Ref +5; Will +2
Abilities: Str 4; Dex 17; Con 10; Int 2; Wis 14; Cha 15
Skills: Balance +12 (1); Bluff +6; Climb +8 (2); Hide +10 (3); Intimidate +1; Jump +8 ; Knowledge [local] +2; Knowledge [nature] +2; Listen +8 (4); Move Silently +12 (3); Sense Motive +6; Spot +6 (4); Survival +4; Swim +2 (2); Tumble +12 (1)
Feats: Acrobatic; Alertness; Athletic; Improved Initative; Stealthy; Track
Climate/Terrain: Any Urban or near Urban area
Organization: Usually Solitary, though large cities may be capable of having a feline population large enough for two or more Swarms
Advancement: None. Larger Swarms simply consist of more than one Swarm

(1) Includes Acrobatic Feat
(2) Includes Athletic Feat
(3) Includes Stealthy Feat
(4) Includes Alertness Feat

Contagion: The mouths and claws of Cats are often filthy. Those damaged by a Swarm may contract the following disease:

Filth Fever:
Fortitude Save: DC 13
Incubation Period: 1d3 days
Damage: 1d3 Dexterity and 1d3 Constitution

Distraction: All creatures caught up in a Cat Swarm must make a Fortitude saving throw of DC 13 or be considered ‘stunned’. [-2 to attack rolls, saving throws and skill checks]

Low Light Vision: Cats Swarms possess Low Light Vision with a range of 30 feet.

Scent: Cat Swarms are keen nosed and are aware of all creatures within 30 feet, though not of their exact position. Cat Swarms may track by Scent alone.

Swarm: As a composite Swarm of many beings, a Cat Swarm operates by different rules than singular creatures. Swarms occupy four five foot by five foot squares and may occupy a square already occupied by another creature. Any attack, physical or magical, that normally only strike a single target may only do a single point of damage to the Swarm itself. Any creature in the same area that a Swarm occupies is subject to attack- receiving 1d6 points of damage automatically a round. As Cats are agile enough to strike with precision, worn armor gives no protection unless it provides total body coverage [i.e. Full Plate with Great or Visored Helm]. Natural or supernatural DR reduces the Swarm's damage normally. Swarms are immune to mind affecting spells as they consist of many singular minds, though a sorcerer with the appropriate summon swarm spell may attempt to wrest control of the Swarm from it original summoner by means of a contested Magical Success Roll between the two beings. Attacks designed to affect an area such as flask of oil, elemental blast, etc. damage a Swarm normally. If a Swarm is reduced to zero hit points it is dispersed, not destroyed though it may not be resummoned for a full day.

Skills: All Cats possess a +8 racial bonus to Balance, Hide, Move Silently and Tumble skill checks and a +4 racial bonus to Climb, Jump, Listen and Spot checks. These bonuses have already been factored into their profile. A Cat Swarm may Take 10 on any Climb skill check even if threatened or distracted.

Although it seems somewhat comical, a Cat Swarm consisting of approximately three hundred domestic and feral cats is a credible threat to commoners and low level characters. As Cats exist as lazy solitary hunters that normally avoid conflict with human beings, Cat Swarms are created only by mystical means- usually either by use of the appropriate summon swarm spell or by the will of their Maker Herself. There are legends of certain sewers and alleys with large populations of aggressive feral cats but these are likely simply urban legends.

Cat Swarms often stealthy approach their prey and with a series of rough howls, engage them with swift fury. If they succeed in killing the one(s) designated by their controller they will disperse and return to their homes somewhat fattened and licking their chops, much to the puzzlement of their ‘owners’.

 

[Teutonic]

Hi!

An experience we made last week: We played the adventure in Cthulhu Dark Ages (I think there are two or more editions with and without the adventuere). I converted it for Conan. The original setting is Eastern Germany in the year 1000 A.D., so it is not so hard to change it to the Hyborian Age. It was nice, because it was interesting to seee the guys who expected a heroic hack & slash adventure ivolved in a mysterious murder case with not so many fights.
To change the settingf was not so hard. I changed Germans to Aquilonians, Slavs to Zingarians and the Hungarians to Picts. I placed the setting in Southern Pointan near the zingarian border.It did work well.
*Spoiler*
A problem was to make the stats for the Mi-Go. The adventure is for the chaosium CoC system, but I get at ebay the Coc D 20 with Mi-Go stats. Problem was, they had a Damage Reduction of 10, and that is to hard for a thief-based group. And it cuold be aproblem for fighter, too, in the scene where each round 7 new Mi-go arrive.
Om the other side, the Mi-Go have only 13 HP, so if you lower the DR, the fights are to easy. But I did not want to chage the stats to much, because the CoC D20 writer had a reason for it, I assume.
Another hard thing to play was the end battle in this dreaming sequence. The meaning is to lower the player`s sanity, but sanity is not on the Conan game.
But the using of of the short-term temporary insanity effects table instead of the terror of the unknown was great fun....

to sum it up, to use this adventure is fun but you have to fix a few things.

 

[René]

Hi!

An experience we made last week: We played the adventure in Cthulhu Dark Ages (I think there are two or more editions with and without the adventuere). I converted it for Conan. The original setting is Eastern Germany in the year 1000 A.D., so it is not so hard to change it to the Hyborian Age. It was nice, because it was interesting to seee the guys who expected a heroic hack & slash adventure ivolved in a mysterious murder case with not so many fights.
To change the settingf was not so hard. I changed Germans to Aquilonians, Slavs to Zingarians and the Hungarians to Picts. I placed the setting in Southern Pointan near the zingarian border.It did work well.
*Spoiler*
A problem was to make the stats for the Mi-Go. The adventure is for the chaosium CoC system, but I get at ebay the Coc D 20 with Mi-Go stats. Problem was, they had a Damage Reduction of 10, and that is to hard for a thief-based group. And it cuold be aproblem for fighter, too, in the scene where each round 7 new Mi-go arrive.
Om the other side, the Mi-Go have only 13 HP, so if you lower the DR, the fights are to easy. But I did not want to chage the stats to much, because the CoC D20 writer had a reason for it, I assume.
Another hard thing to play was the end battle in this dreaming sequence. The meaning is to lower the player`s sanity, but sanity is not on the Conan game.
But the using of of the short-term temporary insanity effects table instead of the terror of the unknown was great fun....

to sum it up, to use this adventure is fun but you have to fix a few things.

Maybe: less Sanity = more Corruption?

 

[Teutonic]

I thought about it, but you get corruption for committing evil things, not for be shocked, don`t you?

 

[René]

I thought about it, but you get corruption for committing evil things, not for be shocked, don`t you?

That depends on your view: it's unjust, but poetic that you get corrupted if you have long / close contact with weird beings - even if this contact is not voluntarily. Think of nightmares you get and who will twist your soul every night a little bit more till you are yourself weird.

But on the other I see your point, too.

 

[Philip_fry]

Hi!

An experience we made last week: We played the adventure in Cthulhu Dark Ages.

...

But the using of of the short-term temporary insanity effects table instead of the terror of the unknown was great fun....

to sum it up, to use this adventure is fun but you have to fix a few things.

Yes, it looked like you enjoyed having our fighter running away from bloody images. Luckily he made his save the time the monsters started their ambush. He lasted long enough to let the others recover from their mental problems.

It sure was fun beeing accused of murder and beating innkeepers sensless. You don´t stand a chance against a mob when caught in a room with a dead naked girl while fist-fighting the enraged father

In excuse of our behaviour the before mentioned girl was posseded by an evil beeing, tossing around our injured friend and doing other unspeakable things with and to him (if you made the spot check to notice).

The only option left was a dauntless jump out of the window (leaving all our equipment behind) and swimming through a river whre we nearly drowned. Nature sure can be your worst enemy sometimes.

Yes, it was fun.

 

[Raven Blackwell]

*** SPOILER ***

That Braun can be a nasty little girl, can't she? 8)

Raven