General questions

[GurgleSnuff]

First off I need to know what kind of king Vilerus is. How does he govern Aquilonia. I know he's greedy and protecting the nobles. Maybe u guys can give me som pointers to wher to look up on him?

To the west: Im basing my campaign into the west. Let my players fight off some Picts first. One is a noble, another is a Bossonian which I think is necessary. Having a character who knows the terrain and the picts. And the last will be an Cimmerian. Now! How do I pull that off. Having an Cimmerian walking around in Bossonian territory? Haven't the bossoininan been defending hyboria againts raisd and attacks from them? He will be an mercenary going on a man's journey to prove himself and not return to Cimmeria before he has honored Crom and made a name for himself.

The west: How does the bossonian's protect their borders. Do the patrol it. Do the have pallisades at the border like in US where they have fences to keep illegals outside US? Or do they just patrol the along the black river and keep watch out?

Thanks if u got any

 

[VincentDarlage]

First off I need to know what kind of king Vilerus is. How does he govern Aquilonia. I know he's greedy and protecting the nobles. Maybe u guys can give me som pointers to wher to look up on him?

Don't know. He is only mentioned in one story and only his name is given. He probably ruled it like any other king.

To the west: Im basing my campaign into the west. Let my players fight off some Picts first. One is a noble, another is a Bossonian which I think is necessary. Having a character who knows the terrain and the picts. And the last will be an Cimmerian. Now! How do I pull that off. Having an Cimmerian walking around in Bossonian territory? Haven't the bossoininan been defending hyboria againts raisd and attacks from them?

I don't think that is as big a deal as you are making it. They defend against attacks, not persons.

He will be an mercenary going on a man's journey to prove himself and not return to Cimmeria before he has honored Crom and made a name for himself.

Making a name for oneself does not honour Crom. Leaving the country is actually a means of turning one's back on the clan, which really doesn't make the clan too happy. Crom doesn't even really need to be "honoured." Besides, if Cimmerians had a "man's journey" that required leaving the country, can you imagine how many Cimmerians would be out and about? Conan probably left Cimmeria because he was bored.

The west: How does the bossonian's protect their borders. Do the patrol it. Do the have pallisades at the border like in US where they have fences to keep illegals outside US? Or do they just patrol the along the black river and keep watch out?

Patrol. Have you read Across the Thunder River?

 

[Clovenhoof]

Besides, if Cimmerians had a "man's journey" that required leaving the country, can you imagine how many Cimmerians would be out and about?

But there ARE! At least in the RPG, I bet -- a Cimmerian Barbarian makes such a gread addition to any party. By Crom!

Crom doesn't even really need to be "honoured."

That's true, but when you die, you have to go before him, and he will ask you, 'What is the riddle of steel?' If you don't know it, he will cast you out of Valhalla and laugh at you.

 

[GurgleSnuff]

Im reading it while Im reading other stuff So It might be I havent covered that section yet

So a Cimmerian leaving his country is actually a traitor of sorts then? So I could make something dramatic there for the character Maybe he has to pay the prize for something his father or brother has done. Banishment, but he takes his father/brother's place...Or maybe he's just bored

 

[Majestic7]

That's true, but when you die, you have to go before him, and he will ask you, 'What is the riddle of steel?' If you don't know it, he will cast you out of Valhalla and laugh at you.

I hated the way they butchered Crom in the movie, made him in to a some sort of pseudo-Nordic god and actually made Conan pray him. Geh. The thought of having a cold son of a bitch as a god, who does nothing but pisses on you if you ask him for help is so much cooler.

 

[argo]

First off I need to know what kind of king Vilerus is. How does he govern Aquilonia. I know he's greedy and protecting the nobles. Maybe u guys can give me som pointers to wher to look up on him?

Howard wrote almost nothing about Vilerus directly. However it is strongly hinted that Conan established his kinsghip on a combination of populust appeal with the low classes and impressing a few key nobles (such as the Baron of Pontain) with his personal leadership. Given that it is fair to assume that Vilerus oppressed the low classes in favor of the nobles though it is entierly possible that he did not see himself as a villian... just that the nobility had the right to lord it over the lower classes.

The west: How does the bossonian's protect their borders. Do the patrol it. Do the have pallisades at the border like in US where they have fences to keep illegals outside US? Or do they just patrol the along the black river and keep watch out?

They have defended towns (I aways picture earthen mounds and wooden palisades for some reason) and regular patrols between the towns and along the border. All of their citizens are proficient with their longbows and are expected to defend their homes. So they basically are citizen-soldiers living in a contested border region where they have to be wary of rading parties from accross the border. Aquilonia uses them as a buffer to turn back raiders without having to commit the core military to defending the region.

 

[argo]

So a Cimmerian leaving his country is actually a traitor of sorts then? So I could make something dramatic there for the character Maybe he has to pay the prize for something his father or brother has done. Banishment, but he takes his father/brother's place...Or maybe he's just bored

Banishment is one good reason why a Cimmerian might be out in the world. However, I do not believe that simply leaving Cimmeria would be a crime per-se. IIRC Howard wrote that he imagined Conan returned to Cimmeria a few times in his life but left again each time.

The thing is, it is strongly hinted that Conan is not a typical Cimmerian. I don't have my books handy but there are a few good passages at the start of Pheonix on the Sword about Cimmerian's being, as a race, moody and sullen and just generally not interestend in the world beyond their basic, savage lives. The line is something like "I never saw a Cimmerian laugh or drink aught but water". And we all know how much Conan likes his wine, women and song! Personally it is my belief that Conan was an individual who was driven by (among other things) a strong wunderlust, which explains not only why he left Cimmeria but why he left so many other cushy set-ups over his career.

He will be an mercenary going on a man's journey to prove himself and not return to Cimmeria before he has honored Crom and made a name for himself.

As for the Crom issue, I agree that Crom does not need to be "honored" in the typical sense. However Crom does gift his people with strength at birth and so he expects them to be strong in life. While I do not believe that the Cimmerian's would have such a thing as a "traditional man's journey" I could see a scenario where a Cimmerian boasts about proving himself and then everyone expects him to follow through with it no matter what. Making empty boasts or failing to fufill your commitments is definetly not-strong.

Hope that helps.

 

[GurgleSnuff]

Now travelling time in general! Like form aquilonia to the westmarck? One week or so. Good roads and all!

 

[argo]

First, always remember that travel happens at the speed of plot. :wink: It is easy to come up with dozens of excuses why travel might happen faster or slower depending on circumstances.

That said, if you want some guidelines you can use the overland travel rules in the first chapter of the book. Just come up with a rough estimate of the distance involved and the travel/road conditions and you should be good to go.

Hope that helps.

 

[Majestic7]

Weather and season should play major roles as well. If the roads are blocked with snow or turned in to mud by a recent rainstorm, travel speeds will be considerably slower than otherwise. I actually hope that Conan had random weather table from where to roll the weather for travelling. Now I've just had to roll d20, with a certain percentage chance to have a very bad weather and a certain chance to have very good weather.

Actually, a random weather table is something I'd like to see at the second edition! It could be pretty simple, such as common terrains (swamp, desert, temperate forest, jungle etc) and season, with a few entries for each number and shortly explained gameplay effect.

 

[Faraer]

King Vilerus was, as far as we know, part of the same Aquilonian dynasty as Namedides and was probably broadly the same kind of king, though I suspect more able. He was responsible for some of the Aquilonian push into Pictland, and may have been the victor of the civil war in which Count Trocero besieged Tarantia. His name is part of Howard's VS pattern, which includes both sympathetic characters (Valannus in HD and BBR, Valerius in WSBB) and corrupt (Valerius in HD).

 

[Brass Jester]

[
Actually, a random weather table is something I'd like to see at the second edition! It could be pretty simple, such as common terrains (swamp, desert, temperate forest, jungle etc) and season, with a few entries for each number and shortly explained gameplay effect.[/quote]

Maj
This is a very simple table I use at present (for temperate lands ie: Aquilonia, Nemedia. Brythunia etc.)
I use a 12 hour day and check for change every 4 hours. a single arrow means move 1 step in that direction, a double arrow two steps etc. The first column gives the initial set up.
I've never really needed to go into more detail than this, just embellish as you need ( heavy rain in winter = driving snow if you want) 8 hours of heavy rain could mean a 50% reduction in movement, even on roads (Rem: unless you are postulating Roman-style roads in places like Aquilonia; most roads are simply well-used marked trails; easily prone to flooding. Also, there is the danger of flooded potholes; travellers in medieval Britain were known to have drowned in potholes; the nursery rhyme of Doctor Foster is based on fact!)

The Weather table can easily be adjusted to reflect other climates by just changing the row titles.


1 Heavy Rain 1 2-3 4-6
2-3 Rain 1-2 3-4 5-6
4-5 Overcast 1 2 3-4 5 6
6-7 Scattered Cloud 1-2 3-4 5-6
8-10 Clear 1-3 4-6

 

[Axerules]

The thing is, it is strongly hinted that Conan is not a typical Cimmerian. I don't have my books handy but there are a few good passages at the start of Pheonix on the Sword about Cimmerian's being, as a race, moody and sullen and just generally not interestend in the world beyond their basic, savage lives. The line is something like "I never saw a Cimmerian laugh or drink aught but water". And we all know how much Conan likes his wine, women and song! Personally it is my belief that Conan was an individual who was driven by (among other things) a strong wunderlust, which explains not only why he left Cimmeria but why he left so many other cushy set-ups over his career.

Also in PotS, it is explained that "the ways of the Aesir" (fighting all day and drinking all night) suited him better than the Cimmerian way of life. REH said in a letter that after Venarium Conan went to the north to fight with the Aesir. It seems that Conan behave more like the blond-haired barbarians than a typical Cimmerian and adopted a lot of their customs at a very young age.

 

[Spectator]

A problem with the setup of the game is that you have a the noble, the bossonian, and cimmeriian and you want them to adventure together.
I realistically don't think the Cimmerian will flock to the noble or bossonian and likewise the other way.

I think a simple plot device to have a cohesive unit might be to have the Cimmerian owe a blood debt to the noble for saving him from a cruel torture devised by the picts.

IE Cimm-barb is strapped to the tree (picts snuck up on him got luck with a natural 20 on their club attack and he's Cimmbarb is unconsciuos), can't break free, the picts are just heating up the small fire to place the dagger into with which they will torture him. The Noble and his bossonian home-boys break up the picts, scattering and slaying and then by virtue of them rescuing the cimm-barb, he is in a blood debt to them.

Easy plot bridge.

One of my pet peeves is the usual "Sygian Scholar, with Khitan Assasin, and Vendhyan Noble, with Aquilonian borderer and Kushite barbarian" adventurer party. Why are these guys waliking together, what language are they speaking, how'd they meet. I hate walking "united Nations" ads.

Some groups are meant to be hostile and that's why its conan. VANIR Hate AESIR. Nobody trusts a Zamorian. People are racist against a kushites, Khitans have great take-out. You know what I mean.

 

[Ray]

That's true, but when you die, you have to go before him, and he will ask you, 'What is the riddle of steel?' If you don't know it, he will cast you out of Valhalla and laugh at you.

You go before Crom in the afterlife, he looks at you with disinterest and asks "What is the Riddle of Steel?"

"Hmmmmmmmmm... WWCD?" *Thinks* "Called shot to the groin."

WHAT?

"Hey, even if I get cast out, I still got bragging rights for all eternity!"

 

[Clovenhoof]

Though it's kinda off-topic, Spectator has a good point; parties should not only cover the required niches (bruiser, face, etc.) but also have a plausible background.

I remember an old AD&D group where one player had a druid that was an extreme loner. It was kinda pointless. He was a good roleplayer, and he played his character well, but there was simply no frickin _reason_ why the druid should stick with the group because he was totally antisocial.

Sometimes it's good to play out their getting acquainted, sometimes - especially if the characters have similar backgrounds - it's fine to just say they already know each other when the game begins.

 

[Majestic7]

I actually go to great lengths when starting a campaign to make sure that all the characters are plausible to the starting position of the game. For example, with the current Conan campaign, I gave the players exact parameters which their characters would need to fill. All would need to be Nemedians and the type of guys who could have been serving in the army without breaking the suspension of disbelief too bad.

Of course, there are people who would say that this kind of ruling breaks the freedom of players to decide about their own characters.