Epic Characters

[Cul]

What are some of your ways of dealing with epic characters in Conan? How do you advance them?

Also, can anyone tell me of any mystical lands during the Hyborian age other than the main continet of hyboria and what sources I might look in for reference. I ask this becaus I want to place some high level characters there to adventure in while the low levels can prety much follow the Conan canan on the main continent.

 

[GregLynch]

Also, can anyone tell me of any mystical lands during the Hyborian age other than the main continet of hyboria and what sources I might look in for reference. I ask this becaus I want to place some high level characters there to adventure in while the low levels can prety much follow the Conan canan on the main continent.

In his letters, Howard wrote of a continent across the sea to the west. This was explored to some degree in Carter and deCamp's 'Conan of the Isles.' Basically, it's Conan in Central America.

 

[René]

Can there be a character more epic than Conan himself? And Conan was - according to RoK - 20th level when he was a king...

 

[Padre]

My solution - no "epic" levels. I don't let my players advance too quickly. After all - it took Conan about 40 years to gain 20th level. My idea - if my players want to play 10+ level characters - I let them start as 10th level, but ensure that their characters are old enough to justify the experience.

After you gain 20th level you are pretty old and even though the experience you earned is huge and you can still learn, your body is going to be weaker and weaker.

 

[Cul]

I am sure that Conan was a very powerful hero but how are we to know that there are not others more powerful than Conan? We only know of him (in story) because some Nemedian chronicler decided to record his story. I thought the whole point of role playing in this campaign was for our characters to be heros worthy of just the same amount of recognition as Conan. Also, didn't Conan stop being king and travel to the east for adventure? We only have his stats up to him being the King of Aquilonia. Perhaps he did make it into epic levels.

I like the Idea of Epic characters because their is always a bigger trap and more powerful demon around every corner.

 

[sbarrie]

I've contemplated a high-level adventure where the PCs are forced to flee Hyboria, and by the end they make the Western Continent habitable to humans. (After vanquishing the horrible, super-territorial Star Spawn that currently live and breed there*.)

I wouldn't use Epic rules, though. If I needed to, I'd just let someone have more than 20 total levels, but only 20 in a single class. I don't ever foresee that need, though.

*Western Star Spawn aren't canon.

 

[miracleman_jbone]

I cannot get my idiot players to switch to Conan until our current campaign ends, they'll most likely be dead soon because I'm bored with D&D. Maybe in D&D Epic works a little better due to all the magic items and stuff out there, but by 20th level my players should have some major life goal at that point. If they do not achieve it with the help of their group, or alone, whatever the case, I let them go on past 20 until it is complete, then it's time for the character to retire. Epic campaigns are too much work to prepare ahead of time when you're busy with other things. As for Conan though, I'd imagine most people would end up dead before 20th anyway, and for Epic levels, will you remove the Massive damage? How sad would it be when your level 30 character dies because he messes up a massive damage save? Does not seem very epic to me. When I do Conan, I'm doing the same as I do with D&D, finish your goal, then retire.

 

[sbarrie]

As for Conan though, I'd imagine most people would end up dead before 20th anyway, and for Epic levels, will you remove the Massive damage? How sad would it be when your level 30 character dies because he messes up a massive damage save? Does not seem very epic to me. When I do Conan, I'm doing the same as I do with D&D, finish your goal, then retire.

If your players have an interesting goal, then you, the GM, should be giving them plenty of Fate Points.

Left for Dead from Massive Damage is just the game's way of reminding you - "Hey, you're not superhuman!".

 

[miracleman_jbone]

I have taken the fate point system into my D&D games so I have much experience with them. I refuse to give them out too often as it takes danger away from encounters knowing the option to just fate out of death is floating around. I pretty much give them one for completing an important quest properly and when they roleplay well or do something unusual that deserves one. My players like melee combat way too much for my tastes. I cannot begin to list the amound of times I've had to fry them with a lone mage or cleric with save or die spells to show them how useful magic is. Isn't it sad Conan does not appeal to guys like this? They miss their magic items for whatever reason. Oh well. Back on point. I can agree to a certain extent though, if they have a good story then yes give them some points, but gotta remember, the story gets dumb if fate point after fate point gets used to keep saving characters. It is fate after all, not a guardian angel.

 

[Cul]

I cannot get my idiot players to switch to Conan until our current campaign ends, they'll most likely be dead soon because I'm bored with D&D.

I know the feeling.

The reson I started this Post is because to even get my players to switch to Conan I had to convert their 18 th level characters over form another D&D campaign. Now we are having a blast but they are going into 21st level. To me it does not seem to hard to have them advance in Epic levels by using the DM's guid. It does take a while to prepair for an adventure. I don't really use epic NPC's for the emportant encounters. I usualy convert some "Hyborian appropriate type Monster" with High hit dice and high BAB. And that is the only big thing they realy fight the whole night. Of course they still will cleave through lower level NPC's. The story is what is important after all.

Is there anyone else at all playing Conan in Epic levels?