[CONAN] GM's Closet

[Supplement Four]

FROM STONE TO STEEL


Besides the equipment section in the main rulebook, there's the Tito's Trading Post book. Various supplements bring new types of equipment to the game. The Warrior's Companion provides new items like Hyperborean Hide Armor and the Aquilonian Shieldknife. That book also provides rules for improving the stats of your weapons and armor. The Barbaric supplements provides excellent entries, such as piecemeal armor rules and fantastic section on mundane goods.

One of my favorite d20 (non-Conan) books is a hardback focusing (mostly) on real world equipment, called From Stone To Steel. That book is full of useful information that you could use in your Conan game. I highly recommend it, if you can still find a copy of this out of print book.

 

[Supplement Four]

ARGOS ROLEPLAYING NOTES - CHASTITY



A woman's honor, in Argos, most often relates to her chastity, and chastity is more a state of mind and perception by others than it is anything else. A woman who dresses outside of conservative taste, or even speaks boldly among men and strangers, can easily be considered non-chaste, even though she may be completely loyal to her husband. On the other hand, a wife who discretely sleeps around, without getting caught, an appears from all angles to be true can, indeed, be considered chaste.

In other words, chastity falls into the province of roleplaying in the game. Chaste women who are free with their wit and/or hold frank discussions with men may be perceived to be unchaste. These women disgrace themselves in the in the eyes of others, regardless of their true sexual nature. If a woman is raped, she can retain her chastity by maintaining a calm, conservative, lady-like demeanor. If the raped woman dressed provocatively, society may hold the opinion that she deserved what she got--that she advertised for it--and therefore is not chaste.

Use these notes when portraying Argossean women, especially nobles, in the game.



MECHANICS

Besides roleplaying, there can be a mechanical benefit to female characters who are perceived as chaste. For every 5 ranks in Performance (Chastity), the character will net a +1 synergy bonus to Diplomacy. In other words, spend points to obtain 5 ranks in Performance (Chastity) and gain the benefit of 7 points (5 spent on Diplomacy, if it is a class skill, and 2 free points for the Diplomacy synergy bonus). Spend 5 to get the benefit of 7, plus the benefit when the Diplomacy it is rolled by itself.

In other words, women who are respected do better diplomatically.

And, in the Hyborian Age, the power that women can obtain is not in the strength of their sword arm. It is in the power that they have over men to do their bidding.

 

[Supplement Four]

ARGOS - SWIM



Coastal Argossians have two special uses of the Swim skill. They can Pierce The Waves, which, mechanically, is a method to deprive defensive bonuses from creatures wading or partially submerged when attacked from land. This can also be used to reduce the Total Cover bonus for a submerged creature to Partial Cover status.

Secondly, coastal Argossians can Cliff Dive using the skill. A character with 5 or more ranks in Jump gains a +2 Synergy bonus when cliff diving.

 

[Supplement Four]

DRIVEN TO WIN

This is a Feat many Argosseans take. I spotlight it because there are few bonuses in the game that lead to attack bonuses. With this Feat, the character can use is WILpower saving throw bonus instead of his STRength or DEXterity bonus on his attack throws. A character can improve his WIL save bonus by also taking the Iron Will Feat.

 

[Supplement Four]

ARGOS - TRIDENT & NET


The trident and net, used as weapons, originated among the fishermen of the coast of Argos. Game stats and a few Feats to enhance their use is included in the Argos And Zingara sourcebook. Available for Borderers is the Argossean Trident Combat Style.

 

[Supplement Four]

RUNNING GAMES IN ARGOS


This is a list of quick notes aimed at helping a GM run games in the kingdom of Argos.



ARGOS, THE MARITIME KINGDOM

-- Hyborian kingdom. Many natural sea ports. About 7 million people today. Grew out of the ashes of Acheron that fell 3,000 years ago. Lots of ruins. Settled by the Bori tribes. Very cosmopolitan, and the Hyborian blood is becoming so diluted that many scholars do not consider the kingdom to be a Hyborian nation any longer.

-- Much of the 2011 movie, Conan The Barbarian, is set in coastal Zingara, Messantia and other spots in Argos, and northeastern Shem. The film can serve a depictions of terrain and such.

-- Known for master seamen, crafty pirates, and powerful merchantmen.

-- Large cities dominate the coast. Messantia, the capital, is the largest. Cities bustle with trade, both by sea and land. People are extremely cosmopolitan and liberal.

-- Interior Argos is populated by traditional, feudal folk. Conservative values. Farmers, craftsmen, and laborers. Fields and villages. Baronies. Well maintained roads lined with trees. Peaceful, friendly people, even toward strangers. Almost every town has an inn. Common to see merchants with trade goods on the roads. Long caravans on the wide trade roads.

-- Extremely wealthy kingdom. Often hires mercenaries to fight its wars. Keeps multiple small soldier units as opposed to large armies.

-- Thick with spies, diplomats, and assassins that engage in intrigue and subterfuge within Argos itself and other kingdoms.

 

[Supplement Four]

RUNNING GAMES IN ARGOS II



ARGOSSEAN HONOR AND REPUTATION

-- Argosseans are built from Hyborian stock, though their blood is so tainted with that of outside races that there is Hyborian Variant background racial info in the main rulebook.

-- As Hyborians, the Argosseans subscribe to the Civilized Code of Honor as described in the game. It is not enough to privately hold the code but to be seen by others as holding the opinions of the code.

-- Reputation is more important to Argosseans than to most racial types. An Argossean's self worth is built around what others think of him. Not of what he truly is. Not what he does in private. But of what others perceive him to be, right or wrongly. Social death can lead to bankruptcy and ostracism among other rather unpleasant conditions.

-- Argosseans don't look inward to understand themselves but toward others to determine the opinion they should hold of themselves.

-- What Argosseans do in private may be totally different from their public faces.

-- Many Argosseans become braggarts in their efforts to be envied by others. Some Argosseans are too arrogant for such actions, so they hire others to brag about them.

-- Personal honor is an all-important issue. Insults can lead quickly to duels.

-- Gossip and news spreads quickly.

-- REPUTATION ADJUSTED RULE: The normal rule for losing one point of Reputation per three consecutive months without a Reputation change is suspended. Instead, if an Argossean goes two consecutive months without a Reputation change then the character loses two Reputation points.

-- ALLEGIANCE ADJUSTED RULE: An allegiance in Argos creates an empathetic bond with others of the same allegiance. Characters gain a +2 circumstance bonus on CHA based skill checks when dealing with someone of the same allegiance.

-- Argosseans are very proud of their kingdom. They are loyal to lord and nation.

-- There are no charities in Argos. No orphanages. And, there are fewer beggars than the kingdom's contemporaries. This is because Argosseans are tight with their coin purses and loathe to part with wealth to those who do not work for it. Even when it comes time to tithe to the church, Argosseans are tight fisted.

-- The feudal system is dying in Argos. It remains strong in the interior but is seemingly non-existent in parts of the Coastal Towns.

-- Written contracts count for little in rural Argos although they hold the strength of law among Coastal Argosseans.

-- Most of the rural and coastal lower class Argosseans are illiterate. An oath taken in front of peers is popular among these people. These oaths are taken more seriously than public law.

-- Vendettas are common to evolve into never-ending blood wars.

-- The people of central Argos through to Messantia have strong ties with southern Aquilonia as the original Bori tribes hail from that part of the world. They spread south, through the mountains, to the sea.

 

[The King]

Thus I suppose you are playing a campaign in Argos at the moment.

 

[Supplement Four]

Thus I suppose you are playing a campaign in Argos at the moment.

Yep. And, throwing up my notes to help other GMs who might play there.

 

[Supplement Four]

THE SCARRED LANDS



Speaking of other game worlds that are easy to convert to Mongoose Conan, check out the Scarred Lands stuff. There's lots of supplements and adventures, and that game universe draws heavily on ancient Greek mythology, which fits well in certain parts of the Hyborian Age, especially Argos and Corinthia. But, it can also be suitable for Ophir, Koth, even Aquilonia or Nemedia.

The Scarred Lands tends to be a bit high magic, but I always throw out the stuff that doesn't fit well in Conan's world. Lots of concepts and adventure situations do fit the game, and the god/Titan stuff is easily transferred to a Conan cult.

The Scarred Lands has been written for different game editions. The game setting has been re-imagined for 5th edition, but it is still in print for Pathfinder, which, as you know, is a very easy conversion to Mongoose Conan.

 

[The King]

Would you recommend any Scarred Lands adventures for Conan?

 

[Supplement Four]

Would you recommend any Scarred Lands adventures for Conan?

Isn't that what I just said in the above post?

 

[The King]

I mean one or several adventures (modules) in particular, like may be the Lost Tomb of Kruk-Ma-Kali.

 

[Supplement Four]

I mean one or several adventures (modules) in particular, like may be the Lost Tomb of Kruk-Ma-Kali.

OH! Gotcha.

The set that I have that I think will work well with Conan, after Conanizing it, is the Serpent Amphora Cycle.

Prequel: Serpent Amphora (a free short adventure available at DriveThurRPG).

Trilogy Part 1: Serpent in the Fold

Trilogy Part 2: The Serpent and the Septer

Trilogy Part 3: The Serpent Citadel

They're written for 3rd Edition D&D, so they are easy to covert mechanically. The game world is based heavily on ancient Greek mythology, so that can be easily Conan-ized. You'll have to take out the high-magic stuff, of course, and mold it to the flavor of the Hyborian Age.

The Serpent Amphora, itself, reminds me of the cask in Howard's story, The God in the Bowl. The "serpent" theme easily translates to Set, of course. There are organizations in the adventure that could easily be translated to an ancient knighthood from Nemedia or Aquilonia. Parts of it seem to me to fit well in the Hyborian Age--I think The Border Kingdom or Brythunia--maybe even Gunderland. With another tweak, a mercenary company could be used instead of an ancient order of knights. The mythology and sorcery in the adventures seem to me easy to translate into a cult and a witches and a powerful sorcerer.

It would take some work and imagination, like any conversion, but I think there's a lot there to make an excellent Hyborian Age adventure out of the set (pardon the pun!).

 

[Supplement Four]

MYTHRAS


Another game world that I think would make for a good conversion to Conan is Mythras, especially for adventures set in Hyborian kingdoms (Argos and Corinthia--since those are ancient Greek flared kingdoms).

For those that don't know, Mythras is the new name for RuneQuest 6. I guess it's RQ 6.5.

You don't want the rules. It's the adventures that you are after, of course.

The Book of Quests looks like it would make for a good conversion to Conan.

 

[Supplement Four]

MYTHRAS


Another game world that I think would make for a good conversion to Conan is Mythras, especially for adventures set in Hyborian kingdoms (Argos and Corinthia--since those are ancient Greek flared kingdoms).

For those that don't know, Mythras is the new name for RuneQuest 6. I guess it's RQ 6.5.

You don't want the rules. It's the adventures that you are after, of course.

The Book of Quests looks like it would make for a good conversion to Conan.

 

[Supplement Four]

KHAKUN SHRUGS

This looks to me like a good adventure waiting to be converted to the Hyborian Age.

Here's the blurb:

The silver mines at New Seppesh have been reopened, 20 years after the Seng barbarians brought carnage to the region. Colonists from the Taskan Empire have made new homes and the area around the Khakun Mountain prospers.

But recently the mountain shrugged - a vast movement threatening new destruction. Michel Tob, the local Tarsen priest is assembling an expedition to propitiate the slumbering mountain; but at what cost?

Khakun Shrugs is a Thennla scenario for Mythras, set in the Taskan Empire. Access to Thennla, The Taskan Empire or Shores of Korantia will be useful.

I haven't read through this adventure, but just this had raised my eyebrow. Silver mines. Barbarians. Colonists. Mountains. Sounds like a great adventure for the Pictish Wilderness, huh? Or, maybe make the mentioned Barbarians be Desert Nomads and set the adventure near one of the mountain ranges of Koth, Khoraja, or Khauran. You've got a priest, too--so select an appropriate Hyborian Age god.

 

[Supplement Four]

XAMOXIS' CLEANSING

Here's another Mythras adventure that I think would make a good Conan adventure. The blurb says:

Upriver from Meeros, Dianthe Kalos and her wealthy family controls the small city of Tithys. Recently, Dianthe has come into knowledge of the whereabouts of the fabled treasure known as The Cleansing. She is looking for keen adventurers to retrieve it for her.

But she is not the only one interested in The Cleansing: a vengeful goddess, a warband of panthotaurs seeking retirbution, and a sinister cult of shaman-assassins also want it. The race is on to uncover the mysteries of the Flooded Temple and secure this powerful magic item - or die trying...

I bet this one would fit well in Argos, Aquilonia, or Nemedia. The shaman-assassins? I'm in! The panthotaurs? Lots of choices with them. Make them something normal--Nemedian cultists. Make them a cabal of shape-shifters. Or, maybe make them the last of a dying species from ancient Acheron.

The magic item? You'll have to Hyborian Age this carefully. Remember, sorcery is rare and usually evil in Conan's time. But, "The Cleansing" does sound intriguing.

 

[Supplement Four]

MYTHIC BRITIAN LOGRES

This is a setting supplement for the Mythras RPG, so it's not that helpful for a GM running a Conan game. But, if there are any adventures ever written for this setting, they'd probably be worth a look. Historical settings are very easily translated to the Hyborian Age.

 

[Supplement Four]

PRIMEVAL THULE



Another game that can be mined for Conan adventures is Primeval Thule. On the one hand, the setting uses non-humans, so those will have to be converted to humans (probably of different races). But, on this hand, the game has a Pathfnder version, which makes mechanics an easy conversion.

One of the main influences for Primeval Thule is Robert E. Howard's Conan and Kull stories. Atlantis is part of the game world. So, the tone and atmosphere of the adventures should fit will in a Hyborian Age game.

Here are two adventures to consider.

A ghostly ship on the Sea of Mists, a frozen wreck in the Thousand Teeth, and the legend of a mad archmage who defied the icy doom of Nimoth—this is the tale of the forgotten Tower of Viondor. An Atlantean wizard of unparalleled inventiveness, the legendary Viondor refused to abandon his home when the glaciers surrounded his stronghold. The archmage and his tower were swallowed by the ice . . . or were they? Now, two centuries after Viondor was last seen, a map leading to his refuge from the eternal winter of Nimoth has been found in the bony clutches of a long-dead sea reaver. What secrets of power and magnificent treasures lie waiting there for the hand bold enough to seize them?

Sounds to me like this one might be set up north, in Vanaheim. An Atlantean wizard? Hell, keep that. Instead of two centuries, old Viondor was last seen during Kull's lifetime! His stronghold was iced over during the Great Cataclysm!

Once every dozen generations, the Yellow Moon rises over Thule. This rare alignment is sacred to the cryptic god known as “the King of the Stars” and its delusional followers, the Golden Ones. Most people believe that this wandering cult is made up of addled fools and harmless dreamers and addled fools. But now Night of the Yellow Moon draws near again, and the time is at hand for the Golden Ones to earn their god’s favor by converting or killing all in their path. For the “King of the Stars” is none other than Hastur the Unspeakable, and the heroes must put an end to the cultists’ rampage before they invoke unimaginable catastrophe!

Going by the cover, I think I might look to set this one in Vendyha or Kosala.