Nemedian Adventurers?

J-Star

Mongoose
Someone here mentioned Nemedian Adventurer as a possible prestige class for the Conan RPG, and the rulebook mentions that Nemedian adventurers are known for carrying greatswords. I was wondering where in REH's stories is such a character mentioned or described, and how a player or gamemaster might design such a character. I'm guessing that a strong, greatsword wielding soldier might for the basis.
 
Do not have the books in front of me so this is what I think they mean.
In, Hour of the Dragon, after Conan escapes from the dungeons of Nemedia, he sees a man on horse approaching the capital city. This rider is referred to as a Nemendian Adventure. A class of second or third born noble sons who have little or no chance of inheriting their families money.
the make their way through the world as mercenaries, adventurers or wanders.

At least this is what I can remember off the top of my head.
 
Quite correct!

Here is a part of the passage the details the enounter with the Nemedian Adventurer

A dully glinting, mail-clad figure moved out of the shadows into the starlight. This was no plumed and burnished palace guardsman. It was a tall man in morion and gray chain-mail – one of the Adventurers, a class of warriors peculiar to Nemedia; men who had not attained to the wealth and position of knighthood, or had fallen from that estate; hard-bitten fighters, dedicating their lives to war and adventure. They constituted a class of their own, sometimes commanding troops, but themselves accountable to no man but the king. Conan knew that he could have been discovered by no more dangerous a foe-man.

A quick glance among the shadows convinced him that the man was alone, and he expanded his great chest slightly, digging his toes into the turf, as his thews coiled tensely.

'I was riding for Belverus on Amalric's business,' said the Adventurer, advancing warily. The starlight was a long sheen on the great two-handed sword he bore naked in his hand. 'A horse whinnied to mine from the thicket. I investigated and thought it strange a steed should be tethered here. I waited - and lo, I have caught a rare prize!'

The Adventurers lived by their swords.

'I know you,' muttered the Nemedian. 'You are Conan, king of Aquilonia. I thought I saw you die in the valley of the Valkia, but-'

Conan sprang as a dying tiger springs. Practised fighter though the Adventurer was, he did not realize the desperate quickness that lurks in barbaric sinews. He was caught off guard, his heavy sword half-lifted. Before he could either strike or parry, the king's poniard sheathed itself in his throat, above the gorget, slanting downward into his heart.


Robert E. Howard, The Hour of the Dragon
 
I'm really hesitant about introducing Prestige Classes (PrCs) to Conan, because they really took over and in a way, ruined D&D. You had to figure out your character's whole career right out the gate from level 1 based on PrC prerequisites or you got stiffed. Please don't let PrCs creep in and take over Conan! Conan's freedom to multiclass really gets rid of a lot of the need for PrCs. Maybe a few sorcerous PrCs with new sorcery styles and expanded spell lists would be all right, since sorcerers are all mysterious anyway, but I just don't see a legitimate need for mundane PrCs. The game could do with a few more REH inspired archetypal character classes, perhaps, like my Femme Fatale (plug, plug). :wink:

The Nemedian Adventurer, IMO, sounds like a multiclassed noble/soldier with a greatsword, nothing more. It just doesn't scream "PrC" to me.
 
I have to agree with the Iron Chef. There is no need to introduce an entire range of PrCs into the Conan world setting. the range and options allowed through character creation can handle just about any combination that a player wants to create.
 
The 3.0 DMG says something about PrCs being intended to provide flavor to a specific campaign and that some DMs may even reserve them for NPCs. The problem is that most PrCs were designed not as flavor classes and DM tools but as generic power classes for use by players. Of course, you sell more books that way. But it never made sense for the coherence (not to say balance) of a game.

Conan could use a very small number of PrCs for use by NPCs and an even smaller number for use by PCs. They do, in fact, if used properly, add flavor to even campaigns already as flavorful as Conan. But only Mongoose should create them and Mongoose should be very reserved about designing them.
 
As a long time Conan fan and fan of this new RPG by Mongoose, I must also throw in a "No Prestige Classes Please" Vote. In my opinion, the game just doesn't need them.
 
Shonuff said:
As a long time Conan fan and fan of this new RPG by Mongoose, I must also throw in a "No Prestige Classes Please" Vote. In my opinion, the game just doesn't need them.
Very little hope of that. Quoted from the product description of The Scrolls of Skelos:
new sorcerous feats and a sprinkling of scholarly prestige classes.

I suppose it isn't such an issue for scholars, since groups of them do tend to follow similar paths to power, and prestige classes will make it easier for a GM to mirror that. I'm not sure how I feel about prestige classes in general here, but if they're as well-reasoned as the book we already have, I'm not worried.
 
Very little hope of that. Quoted from the product description of The Scrolls of Skelos:
Quote:
new sorcerous feats and a sprinkling of scholarly prestige classes.

You can't necessarily go by the write up. The core book was at one time described as having lists of major NPCs including Conan stats for stages of his career. Mass combat was dropped late on...remember the mongoose proof reader (100% proof...hic) has yet to get his/her paws on the text of these Prestige Classes...I just hope that the errors spotted here in the core book by the great proof reading public are not going to be repeated in future books...
 
Prestige Classes add wonderful flavor (sorry, "flavour") to a game. If DMs (sorry, "GMs") chose to let players abuse them or if players simply turn the game (I've never been happy with the word "game", have you? It implies that there can be a winner and, relevant to the point I'm interupting, causes players to turn the game) into an exercise in being supermen, then that is the GMs/players faults. Not that of the system.

If PrCs fit with the world they're intended for then why not include them? I'm of the opinion that the Conan RPG isn't intended for play balance anyway and shouldn't be treated with the same frivolity that D&D is -- it's about being a part of a history lost to time.
 
BhilJhoanz said:
Prestige Classes add wonderful flavor (sorry, "flavour") to a game. If DMs (sorry, "GMs") chose to let players abuse them or if players simply turn the game (I've never been happy with the word "game", have you? It implies that there can be a winner and, relevant to the point I'm interupting, causes players to turn the game) into an exercise in being supermen, then that is the GMs/players faults. Not that of the system.

If PrCs fit with the world they're intended for then why not include them? I'm of the opinion that the Conan RPG isn't intended for play balance anyway and shouldn't be treated with the same frivolity that D&D is -- it's about being a part of a history lost to time.

Well put!
 
I would hate to be involved in anything that would lessen the joy of other Conan fans so I won't "over-push" for no PrC.

I agree that the theory of PrClasses is a good one - it has just been terribly abused in some other game settings and material. Unfortunately, the theory has not matched the reality, but I am sure others have had very positive experiences.

What I kind of dread is this:

Cimmerian Neck-breaker PrC

1. Must be Cimmerian
2. Must have a STR of blah blah
3. Must have the following unarmed combat feats: blah blah
4. Must have a BAB of + whatever.
5. Special ability - Fort save to resist breaking of neck when involved in grapple situation like this . . .
6. Other special abilities to follow.

(I know - poor example but I'm just trying to make a point. Maybe a Pit-fighter PrC would have been better.)

After reading Conan's stats in the upcoming book someone says. . .
"I think Conan's stats should be changed. Conan should have 3 levels in the Cimmerian Neck-Breaker Prestige Class because in Conan the Wanderer, he broke that giant guy's neck with his bare hands!"

-- Anyway - I'd love them to work. And I guess they (PrC) really can. But I am fearful of over abuse and the accumulation of scores of extra rules that aren't necessary and that will only slow down a game. I'd rather have books that use the rules we already have, but that give us more spells, more beasts/monsters, more setting information, and maybe good NPC's/foes/allies.

Who knows? If Mongoose does decide to go with PrC, maybe they can succeed with the practice of moderation where others have failed. Maybe they can create a select few that only add to the mystery and exciment of the Hyborian Age setting.

They've certainly sold me on their 1st Conan RPG publication.
 
PrC's can easily be replaced by Feats and a fancy "Allegiance." Feats can have pre-req's and not screw a character over from the start. I would prefer to see more core classes and higher req' feats.

jh
 
Emirikol said:
PrC's can easily be replaced by Feats and a fancy "Allegiance." Feats can have pre-req's and not screw a character over from the start. I would prefer to see more core classes and higher req' feats.

jh

WithConan's free multi-classing, more core classes would be better than PrCs, IMO.
 
Iron_Chef said:
Emirikol said:
PrC's can easily be replaced by Feats and a fancy "Allegiance." Feats can have pre-req's and not screw a character over from the start. I would prefer to see more core classes and higher req' feats.

jh

WithConan's free multi-classing, more core classes would be better than PrCs, IMO.

That's not a bad idea. Rather than have a Pictish Raider PrC that goes over the top, you could simply introduce a Raider class and make it a preferred class for Picts.

Btw, although I defended PrCs in principle, I would prefer a ban on them than see too many of them. I just think Mongoose can handle a very restricted number of them, especially some for Scholars. But I would say none is far better than too many.
 
PRCs bring with them a number of problems, among them the 'plotted PC' up to and including 'PRC' bloat in which PRCs for just about everything exist and there is little reason to pursue a core class past a certian point.

The solution to the first problem is simple: make sure that PRC abilities aren't game breaking, and give them requirements that far primarily in the roleplaying/ social field. (IE, be an unlanded Shemite Nobel, lead a band of Picts, crawl up from the void and build yourself a superhuman body.)

The second problem also has one fairly simple rule: Don't Go Overboard.
 
No no no . . . don't treat the players like children who can't be controlled (even if they are!) :D

Have 100 or 1,000 PrCs! They're choices, not requirements -- and it's exciting to have choices. A GM and his/her players can then determine what's suitable for their game, but don't censor the materials because you think it's for the community's own good! Saying don't make too many PrC's is like saying "Don't make too many flavors of Ice Cream" or "Keep your fancy Lagers, it's good ol' American Brand Beer for me!" or "Don't try to confuse me, give me my news from only one source, please".

Is it annoying to read about the killer combos that munchkins come up with and stupid declarations like "If you take Fighter past level 4 your build will suck compared to . . ."? Absolutely!

But if your campaigns have run afoul of PrC bloat -- don't blame the publishers. Look to yourselves . . .
 
Iron_Chef said:
The Nemedian Adventurer, IMO, sounds like a multiclassed noble/soldier with a greatsword, nothing more. It just doesn't scream "PrC" to me.

This was the kind of thing I was looking for. I didn't mean for this topic to start yet another debate about PrC's place in Conan. I was just looking for suggestions on how you might play a Nemedian Adventurer.
 
I see what you're saying but more isn't always better - at least not for everyone.

Like too much makeup, too much pepper, or whatever - it can be a turn off (or make you sick :)). But let's think about this . . .

I would not want to limit you but neither do I want to be forced into using material I don't want. Just like you could argue for "don't use what you don't want to - It's your game!" so could I argue "make up what you think is missing - It's your game!".

I've seen more than one GM back off from running a game because potential players were furious he/she didn't use the classes or additional rules from book X, Y, or Z. When the GM tired to explain those were optional, arguments arose that they were included in the rulebook and if the GM was using section A then why not the PrC in section B? That wasn't fair!

This really becomes a problem when all the newer content that you want to use includes all the optional rules from the other new books (like NPC or monster stats from those books that you don't have). Core rulebook owners or those that wish to keep it simple can feel left out of enjoying the new material. Maybe you don't own 2 out of the 5 books you need to understand all the feats/PrC used in the newly published book. When I want to use the new book but not the others I feel like - "What a mess!"

We all know the GM must set the tone for the game and be the final judge of what is allowed - but maybe the publishers could help by putting out books that were sensitive to both views?

For example: Some books could be dedicated to operating strictly with the CORE rule book and other publications that are devoted to optional content. -- Or maybe even better -- Maybe some sections can be labeled as such: CORE material / Optional rules material. They could even have different versions of characters using the different rules! Core book Conan with his stats and PrC Conan in a different section. Choose the one that best fits your game! Core book section or Core book plus section for selected material that needs it. It would not be a hard thing to do I think.

That way you limit no one and don't make the purists feel left out for not wanting to jump on the "more stuff" bandwagon. Sometimes those that like the rules as given want more ideas too - just not more rules.

Just to add-
Wouldn't it be nice to see countless choices available for specific players to use while running their games without forcing others to make the same choices by making "official" game content based on these dozens of optional rulebooks?

I think both views can be accommodated here with some help from the publishers.

One weakness here is that someone can argue that they want extra rules A, B, and C but not D and E. ---- Well, you can't please everyone --- But a Core rules / Optional rules approach just might be a great selling point that pleases both sides of this issue.

I know I'd be more open to picking up the new books if this were so. More great ideas for me to use without all the clutter.

Anyway - just a few thoughts.

EDIT: Sorry about that J-Star. I guess we did sort of pull this off course.
 
Shonuff said:
EDIT: Sorry about that J-Star. I guess we did sort of pull this off course.

Not a problem. It's a forum; people will say whatever they want. Me personally, I don't care if the Nemedian Adventurer is presented as a PrC or just a character type with suggested skills, feats, etc.

So far, we've got Nemedian Noble/Soldier, particularly skilled with a greatsword (weapon focus, weapon specialization, etc.)
 
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