The Hyborian "Ranger" and "Paladin"

[J-Star]

This is not an attempt to recreate the D&D classes in the Conan RPG, but rather a look at the character concepts and how they might fit into the game and the Hyborian setting.

I don't have to say much about the Ranger because it's pretty easy to duplicate: add a few levels of Scholar to a Borderer and take the Nature Magic sorcery style and you have your warrior-woodsman with animal companions and the ability to talk to the animals. In the Hyborian Age though, such a character wouldn't be part of society like D&D's heroic Ranger, but a mysterious loner like Zelata from The Hour of the Dragon.

For a Paladin-like character, both in concept and game terms, I turn to the chapter on Mitra in Faith and Fervor. Considering how Mitra was originally a soldier's god in Aquilonia, you could create an Aquilonian Soldier with a high Int and Wis and knowledge of the mysteries of Mitra. Add a few feats like Iron Will, Demon Killer, and Dabbler (Counterspells) - if not a few levels of Scholar - and you have an interesting character will abilities well-suited for battling the forces of Set and other demonic entities. Ranks in the Heal skill, or even levels in the Healer class from S&P, would complete the picture.

Personally, I think a Mitraic Soldier-priest built with the rules in Faith and Fervor makes for a much more interesting character than the overblown D&D Paladin derived from the stories about the knights of King Arthur or Charlemagne!

 

[Malcadon]

When I think of a Hyborian Paladin, I think of Solomon Kane. I often describe Kane (to the younger 3.5-4e fans) as a hard-ass Paladin who's "Lay on Hands" is a slap to the face, and "Smite Evil" is a swift boot to the ass!!!

I would see a Paladin in the Hyborian Age as a Warrior-type with a strong sense of personal honour that is not as "might-makes-right" as Barbaric Honour, nor as "obedient" as Civilized Honour. Naturally they have that drive to defend the weak and protect the innocent, but it would not come with any supernatural or cosmic powers as a given. Such a character should have Heroic Sacrifice as an ability no mater what class they are (I personally have that available to any player of a high-level warrior-class, who wish to "retire" their character).

 

[J-Star]

When I think of a Hyborian Paladin, I think of Solomon Kane. I often describe Kane

So true!

I would see a Paladin in the Hyborian Age as a Warrior-type with a strong sense of personal honour that is not as "might-makes-right" as Barbaric Honour, nor as "obedient" as Civilized Honour.

I also would have liked to see a more "middle ground" code of honor in the game, though I think the "Civilized" code is mostly OK for the Mitraic warrior-priest archtype. A Solomon Kane-like character would need a different code of honor though.

 

[Hervé]

The multiclassing options of Hyboria's Finest might be a good guide for your Hyborian Paladin, with variants like the Professional Knight (Noble/Soldier), the Temple Warder (Scholar/soldier) or the Contemplative (Soldier/Scholar). That is in terms of game mechanics. For the rest, the idea of a Hyborian Paladin is just making me sick.

As for the Ranger, don't we have the Borderer already to fit that role?

 

[J-Star]

The multiclassing options of Hyboria's Finest might be a good guide for your Hyborian Paladin, with variants like the Professional Knight (Noble/Soldier), the Temple Warder (Scholar/soldier) or the Contemplative (Soldier/Scholar). That is in terms of game mechanics. For the rest, the idea of a Hyborian Paladin is just making me sick.

There's no need to get queasy here... no one is talking about importing the D&D Paladin into the Conan RPG, or even recreating it. My original point was that if you use the Mystery rules found in Faith & Fervour and apply them to, say, an Aquilonian Soldier, you can create a very interesting (IMHO) Mitraic Soldier-priest... and with a few levels of Scholar or the Dabbler feat and a few other feats, you have a character that, while vastly different from the D&D Paladin, has a role in the Hyborian Age not unlike the role of the Paladin in D&D... a warrior devoted to his god, and through such devotion gains advantages when battling demons and other enemies of his god.

As for the Ranger, don't we have the Borderer already to fit that role?

Yes we do. I was simply pointing out, as others have before, that by adding a few Scholar levels and the Nature Magic style, it becomes surprisingly easy to create a character resembling the D&D Ranger.

These are two popular archtypes in RPG's in general, and I thought it was worth taking a look at the broad concepts behind them and seeing what kinds of interesting characters could be created in the Conan RPG.

 

[Hervé]

Hyboria's Fiercest has rules options for the Guide (Borderer/Scholar) and Finest has the Druid (Scholar/Borderer). , As the Conan game encourages multiclassing, these books are a great help. By combining the Core Classes you have access to a wide range of possibilities, thus making the addition of new Core Classes needless.

 

[J-Star]

I don't think anyone said anything about new core classes. I know I didn't.