Using what you've got. That's what the Cimmerians do.

[Supplement Four]

It's been evident I've been snooping, investigating, trying to find something that sparks my interest for a game set in Cimmeria. I've looked at a lot of stuff with the eye towards conversion.

But now, I'm thinking of using various odds-n-ends from S&P and other official Conan sources to tie together a campaign.

Here's what I'm thinking...(everything is prone to change...in the brainstorming mode).



1. Take the Cimmerian villiage from Cities of Hyboria and use it as the PC's clan/villiage. The PCs are starting at first level, and I only have two players playing (the others are on hiatus for a bit from my Dragonlance campaign--we'll start that back up when one of the players returns from his travels).

Plus, one of my players is an ex-Marine. He'll get a kick out of his character being in a Clan called Urrogh (ooh-rah).



2. The Black Stones of Kovag-Re is a short adventure I've run before, with a different group. But, the Stonehenge-like Seven Stones that over look the Cimmerian villiage of he same name from the above book has got me to thinking...and expanding... It'd be interesting to connect them, using the additional information about them contained in the Beastiary of the Hyborian Age.



3. Using the villiage of Seven Stones as a base, I may be able to come up with something using the Saami, from S&P #41, or the Hyperborian Witchmen, from The Compendium. Plus, there's tons of monsters to throw at low level characters, not just in the Beastiary and tucked into various Conan supplements, but in S&P articles. The Bloodling, from S&P #77 is especially interesting. Maybe I can hook that up with the Stones of Kovag-Re and the old woman Oracle mentioned in Cities of Hyboria.



4. And, I like the idea of mixing in a Clan myth about a terrible animal that lurks nearby--something the PCs have heard about all their lives, told them to scare them as children. The Ice Bear, Helbjorn, form S&P #53 seems built to suit.



5. Temple of Tears, the low level adventure from S&P #53 would fit in, allowing the PCs to grow within their Clan, trusted with more responsibility as with this adventure. This may be the climax, too, to the story line started with Kovag-Re.



6. At some point, I'll want to move the campaign forward. I thinking the first, low-level half, will center around the Kovag-Re, the Seven Stones, and the old villiage hag. The characters will start the campaign at 1st level, age 15, becoming men and taking their place with the warriors at the camp fire. The first half of the campaign will focus on the journey the characters have, from boys to men, strung together by the anctient mystery of the Seven Stones--the very foundational myth of their villiage, clan, and culture.

Once that story line is complete, I'm thinking of speeding up time a few years. We saw the beginning, and now it's time to play out the end.

Part II of the campaign will see villiage destroyed, their clansmen slaughtered. And, the PC...enslaved.

This will be accomplished by playing out three adventures.



7. Red Snows is an adventure I nabbed from Thulsa's web site. I'm thinking of combining this one with Cimmerian Moons from S&P #74. That will see the villiage destroyed and the PCs driven for revenge.

In order to make this work, I need to find an opportunity for some deep role playing in Part I of the Campaign. I want the PCs caring about their Clansmen and truly pissed when they find them dead and dying.

And, if a romance with an NPC somehow develops during play, well, so much the better.



8. The end of the second part of the campaign will happen by having the PCs captured and enslaved. This second part is supposed to be a downer--like most middle tales of trilogies (Han Solo encased in carbonite). I'll play through Dead Eyes, from S&P #76.

They'll escape, and that will lead us into the third, and maybe/probably last, installment of the campaign.



9. The PCs will be about 5th level or so now. If they're higher level, that's OK. As I said, there's only two players (unless more people join as we go).

Part III of the campaign will occur by playing through Betrayer of Asgard. I haven't purchased this yet, and I've never looked at it, but the reviews are decent. From what I've read, it will serve as a dandy climax.

And, if it doesn't, I'll change it so that it does. I may even tie in the beginning, with Kovag-Re and the Seven Stones, to make the story come full circle. But, I won't know that until I read Betrayer.

 

[Supplement Four]

In short...

1. Use the villiage of Seven Stones from Cities of Hyboria as the PC's home base.

2. Part I of the Campaign uses The Black Stones of Kovag-Re and Temple of Tears.

3. Part II uses Red Snows, Cimmerian Moons, and Dead Eyes.

4. Part III uses Betrayer of Asgard.







The Evolution of a Campaign...my notes as I create this thing.

Cimmerian Notes – The Campaign Part I.

1. Eclipse of sun or moon signals the PC’s coming of age.

2. Training in the village. Use wooden weapons. Pull strokes. Half damage? Submission damage? Learn game. Slow. Get to know NPCs. The Seven Stones article has sample clansmen NPCs.

3. Hunt. Use hunt rules. Recurring wolf or bear? The Mountain Boar in the Seven Stones write up? Use the blue foxes in the hunt? Winter. Famine. A moose hit with an arrow. Arduous pursuit (tracking, no visual). A bear or a wolf pack. Recurring moose (the same one)?

4. Bartering only. Awarded weapons at age 15? After hunt? Hunting bows and spears are weapons, too. Hunt brings hunting trophies. Swords, axes etc. after the first combat.

5. Which languages do they know? Can they write? Rutcrana teaches them to read after she sees the eclipse? There can be a scene where they walk, with trepidation, up to the old witch’s shack. Typical Cimmerian superstition, but Rutcrana can be scary.

6. Background: One time, one of the PCs slept near Rutcrana’s shack, outside. He had nightmares that he remembers to this day. Whispers. Demons? Calling to him. He woke to someone’s scream, but no other in the village heard it. Was it in his head? He moved closer to the central fire, away from the shack, and he doesn’t remember dreaming anything for a turn of the sun afterwards.

7. Is Rutcrana good? I’m thinking maybe she’s neutral, somehow—the Clan doesn’t quite trust her even though they let her live among them. Her Bluff is one of her highest skills.

8. It might be interesting, during their meeting, to have Rutcrana force one of the players to go against his extreme superstition of magic. She could impart prophecy and “give” one of the PCs a “blessing” by showing him how to cast Animal Ally. I could use the dog article from S&P. Or the blue foxes. And, it might be interesting to see how the other Cimmerian PC reacts to this if the one does, indeed, embrace learning the spell.

9. Look over and learn all of Rutcrana’s abilities.

10. What is the “favor” that Rutcrana will demand of the PCs? Use this as a push into one of the adventures?

11. Did Rutcrana really come to Seven Stones because of the Stones of Kovag-Re? Is she secretly a priestess of that long dead god? Or, does she ensure that the god stays dead? Is that her due?

12. I like the idea of the PCs doing caravan runs with weapons and so forth to the other clans that buy goods from Seven Stone’s smith. This will take the PCs away from the village for long periods of time, get them out in the wilds where the adventure is, but still have them tied to the clan.

13. Maybe the Seven Stones mark a long gone temple of the Hungry God? Maybe they have directions to the Kovag-Re shrine? Maybe they’re put there to keep the Hungry God banished, and Rutcrana is charged with keeping them there to do their job?

14. Maybe Rutcrana is actually older than 100. Maybe she will never die until she finds her replacement? Is Juliana, from Kovag-Re, being groomed to be her replacement, but Juliana doesn’t know it?

15. What happens so that the Seven Stones (and Rutcrana) fail in their job? Juliana turns away from Rutcrana—Juliana has fallen in love with a man from a different Cimmerian Tribe, one that that the Clan is on bad terms with.

16. With Kovag-Re, it looks as if a Cimmerian from another, antagonistic clan has stolen Juliana. She’s, of course, really in love with the dude. The PCs are sent after her. Or, many warriors are sent in different directions. The PCs happen to find her trail.

17. Kovag-Re: There is no double cross (unless it comes from the other Clan). They could run into Vanir or Pict raiders. Or slavers from Hyperboria or the Border Kingdom (setting up the later adventures).

18. Have the PCs, during the Hunt above, or during one of their caravan trips, run into a Scout. That will provide some early action and tie into this larger force.

19. The double cross could come from the other clan. First, the PCs go to the other clan to see if Juliana is there. Oleska becomes the head clansman of the other Cimmerian clan who uses this incident unhonorably (not a true Cimmerian trait, but not every Cimmerian is stereotypical either. They’re individuals.) Or…how can I work this so that both sides think that they’re “right”, but hardheaded and going to blows over this?

20. I like the idea of the “bad guys” in Kovag-Re being another Cimmerian Clan. This lets the PCs live through the bad blood, in-fighting, and feuding we always hear about these fierce, independent clans. The village at the Pass of the Goat is yet a third, small, Cimmerian clan the PCs come into contact with.

21. Temple of Tears: The scholar needed to advise can be Rutcrana. Ansuz can be a Aesir village or a Cimmerian village? Is it the same village that ties to Kovag-Re, or another? The investigation of the grisly murders can be tied to the investigation of Juliana.

22. Temple of Tears: Gerda’s prayers were heard and answered by the Hungry God? That works well with a vampire. Combine Kovag-Re with Ollam-Onga. Different name for same God? Or both gods in the same pantheon? Since Ollam-Onga dies in a story, he’s not really a god. Maybe he’s a demon or avatar associated with the Hungry God.

23. Maybe the Aesir blame the Cimmerians, for lack of other suspects? Maybe the Aesir blame the PC’s clan, thinking the Cimmerians act in retaliation for losing Juliana or the events in Kovag-Re? Either way, it’s the cult of the Hungry God that is at the bottom of all of this. The only reason the Aesir don’t attack is that they know it’s not the Cimmerian way to kill this way…so, the PCs are allowed to investigate. But, there’s a time limit. The motive? The Hungry God feeds on blood. He devours those souls that die tragically (victims of murder). So, the Hungry God wants the Aesir and the Cimmerians to destroy each other, and the secret cult is directing things that way.

24. The PCs travel to Ansuz to trade during their caravan duties?

25. Ve Olthun is Rutcrana’s nemesis? Like Ibis and Set?

26. This might be cool, for a climax of Part I of the Campaign: The Aesir from Ansuz and the Cimmerians from Seven Stone are about to go to war. Every able bodied warrior is on the battlefield, and the two face each other, while the PCs discover that the Temple of Tears IS SECRETED BENEATH THE SEVEN STONES! The PCs race to the temple before the two clans can wipe each other out to the delight of the Hungry God! The Seven Stones guard and lock the entrance! The Kovag-Re cave is a clue that the cult is uncovering a second shrine in the area. This entire area was inhabited by devotees of the Hungry God during the time of Archeron in the south.

27. That should get us through Part I. The PCs are Cimmerians coming of age in the village of Seven Stone. An eclipse occurs on the very day, which catches the attention of Rutcrana, the village witch. Rutcrana’s secret is that she is a guardian, making sure the Hungry God continues to sleep. Unknown to her, Ve Olthun, of the Aesir, has become a priest of Kovag-Re. Murders in his own village. He’s been directed to reclaim the shrine in the Kovag-Re adventure. Unknown to him, the vampire girl, Gerda, strikes from her lair in the Temple of Tears that lies beneath the Cimmerian village.

28. The PCs will train, hunt. They’ll learn a bit about survival and the various plants in the area. They’ll become caravan riders, taking the goods from Seven Stone to the village’s trading partners. I want to set up an animal, like a wolf, that recurs through the adventure—maybe becoming a nemesis of one of the PC’s. Also, a relationship with Rutcrana will develop, after she’s seen eclipse and read the signs.

29. One of the Cimmerian women will secretly have a romance with a Cimmerian from another tribe—one that the Clan is upon a near blood fued (maybe this event will start the blood fued). When Juliana (must change that name) disappears, the clansmen go in search of her. The PCs go to Pass of the Goat, find out some info, then deduce that Juliana and her Cimmerian lover left his clan as well, attempting to find refuge with the Aesir. The PCs follow there and do the investigation, which at first leads them to the cave in Kovag-Re. But, the other-clan Cimmerians show up, and the blood fued begins (orchestrated by the Aesir priest, Ve Olthun).

30. Ve’s mechanations are found out. The PC’s clan joins with the other Cimmerian Clan, and together, blood feud or no, they march together against the Aesir. Meanwhile, the PCs, maybe through Rutcrana (who will use her “favor” if need be—it’s hard to force a Cimmerian to abandon his clan in times of war), will find and open the Temple of Tears beneath the Seven Stones and fight the vampire for the climax of Part I.

31. Skip time at some point and let the PCs get older? Where does this happen, though? It has to happen before Temple of Tears. So…do we give the PCs a level or two over that skipped time, representing their experience? Maybe limit what the PCs can do with those level (like only improving hunting, fighting skills, things like that—stuff normal to a Cimmerian clansman).

32. I like the idea of the recurring animal (why do I keep thinking of the leader of a wolf pack?) to start off as an enemy to one of the PC’s, but maybe end up saving his life (through the Animal Ally spell taught by Rutcranna?) later in the campaign.

33. Early Event Idea: On an early, or even first, caravan trip, the wagon wheel breaks on the rough trail. They’ve got precious steel swords and what not from the smith. Heavy. The PCs will have to deal with that. Closest to them is one of their destinations, the village at the Pass of the Goat in Kovag-Re. It’s a Cimmerian village. We’ll call it Glouton. The wrestling encounter will happen here. Then, they must move on to the Aesir village of Ansuz. This will make the PCs familiar with the two locations for later in the story. Maybe, along this trip, the Scout is discovered, too—foreshadowing.

34. Scene Idea: After finishing at the Temple of Tears, the PCs race to the battlefield. But, the battle is over. Bodies everywhere. They were unable to stop it. The Hungry God got is belly full of blood this day. Then—allow the PCs to go back in time a bit and play out the fight between the Cimmerians and Aesir using the mass combat system. If there are any survivors, they could be chasing down the scattered, running, enemies. It doesn’t matter who wins, the Aesir or the Cimmerians. Either way, the game is cool. Things are different. We move in a new direction in Part II. The slavers could maybe see the smoke, or take advantage of the weakened survivors. If the Aesir win, then maybe it’s Juliana, living among, that is taken.

35. The Hunt: Early in the game, use the hunting rules. To make this mean something and not be boring, remember that the village is on the barter system. Everyday, hunters are sent out for food. There are no ice boxes. Fresh food is needed (but maybe there’s a smoke house). Hunters typically keep half of what they bring back, depending on the needs of the village, what the other hunters brought back, and the season. The PCs can use the success of their hunting and fishing to buy starting equipment for themselves. Maybe start a friendly rivalry with one of the other young clansmen?

36. Need a scene, early, where the blacksmith tells the PCs about steel and how good their weapons are compared to others. Prized Cimmerian steel. Maybe when they are getting the caravan position.

37. Several holes to fill, but that’s a rough idea of how this can go. Keep it flexible—you never know in what unexpected ways the players will lead me.

 

[The Mad Minstrel]

wow!
kind of inspiring! 8)

how long / how many sessions do you think will it take (in real time)?

 

[Supplement Four]

wow!
kind of inspiring! 8)

how long / how many sessions do you think will it take (in real time)?

Dunno. I'm working it out as you watch. You can see the story coming together as I make the notes above.

Next, I'll look at Part II.

 

[Jacek]

Kind of what I'm dreaming of :wink: I'd gladly read actual-play reports if you ever write some.

By the way, do you accept suggestions (I don't know who's doing the brainstorming)?

 

[Supplement Four]

By the way, do you accept suggestions (I don't know who's doing the brainstorming)?

That's why I posted it here instead of just keeping it in my Word doc. I figured people would lend their two silvers, and I'm always open to good ideas.

Nothing is written in stone until after we've gamed through it. I could change someting on a dime if it makes for a more interesting story and more exciting game night.

 

[Jacek]

The remarks below are entirely outside of the adventures you mentioned, just some thoughts to add to the pot.


3. Winter. Famine. A moose hit with an arrow. Arduous pursuit (tracking, no visual). A bear or a wolf pack. Recurring moose (the same one)?

4. Hunting bows and spears are weapons, too. Hunt brings hunting trophies. Swords, axes etc. after the first combat.

 

[Supplement Four]

3. Winter. Famine. A moose hit with an arrow. Arduous pursuit (tracking, no visual). A bear or a wolf pack. Recurring moose (the same one)?

4. Hunting bows and spears are weapons, too. Hunt brings hunting trophies. Swords, axes etc. after the first combat.

Good thoughts! I added them above.

 

[Supplement Four]

Starting the notes for Part II of the Campaign--



Cimmerian Notes – The Campaign Part II.

1. How fast should the PCs rise in level? Once per adventure? If so, the PCs should be about 3rd level (or higher, since there are only two players) as Part II starts. I could tie in early Experience Goal awards for how well they do on Hunts, enforcing “Cimmerian” skills and boosting the PC level for later adventures.

2. Part II starts with the devastation of the local Aesir and Cimmerian villages. The village at the Pass of the Goat from Kovag-Re will have to be discovered burning—hit by slavers.

3. Have the PCs cover the battlefield and the villages for gear. They’re going to need it. During Part I of the campaign, I can be skimpy on equipment for the PCs, as they are poor, the barter system is in use, and the PCs are young, without accomplishments. When Part II starts, they can scavenge the best equipment. Get them prepared for the fight ahead.

4. What season is it? What’s the weather like? Did we live through an entire season in Part I, or just the end of one. I want the season to change with the mood as we move into the darkness of Part II.

5. Branoc, from Red Snows, can be used as a friendly NPC or maybe a rival within the clan. Hranthra must be from the Aesir village. Maybe there’s some inter-mingling, from time to time, over marriage. Maybe it’s frowned upon, but Juliana looks to Hranthar as an example.

6. Red Snows: It’s not central to the plot that this adventure be used with a Vanir Slavers. I could use it while hunting, especially with the Hunting nemesis. It could be the heart of winter when the two villages are destroyed. The PCs will need food—the slavers took it all. Instead of chasing Vanir, maybe the PCs are looking for food, tracking into the Snow Devil Pass. They could run into a Vanir patrol, though. That might be neat—playing cat-n-mouse with a larger force. They’re hungry. It’s hard to find food. And, on top of all else, the friggin’ Vanir are out there.

7. Red Snows: Better yet, use this as the first part of Cimmerian Moons. The scene with the Dead Girl is just too good to pass up—especially if I set her up early in Part I. I’ll try to get the PCs attached to her. So…the slavers are attracted to the smoke of the battle between the Aesir and the Cimmerians in Part I. They swoop in and gobble up the weakened victors. Aesir and Cimmerians are taken, plus the women and children from the village. As the PCs return from the Temple of Tears, they will find their village burnt, their women and children taken. Use the broken spear? Yes. That’s cool. At first, I’m sure that they will suspect the Aesir, but they may find some dead slavers.

8. The slavers may not be Vanir, as in Red Snows. Could be the slavers from Cimmerian Moons. Maybe the slavers are working together? No, that’s silly.

9. The Snow Apes are semi-intelligent. Less than human, but more than a dog. Play them that way and let the PC’s see it. It might prove for an interesting encounter.

10. Red Snows: It is the Vanir who take the Cimmerian survivors after the Temple of Tears. What good Cimmerian tale doesn’t have blood-thirsty Vanir in it? We’ve got feuding Cimmerians and a fairly friendly Aesir relationship that turns south. We need Vanir, too! During Vanir chase, at the empty campsite the players find, the PCs discover two sets of tracks. One is horses, going south. The other is the Vanir, on foot, going into the Snow Devil Pass. Since the PCs are on foot, they will have no choice but to follow the foot tracks into the Pass—where we play out the rest of Red Snows, sans the women. Once that’s completed, the PCs will still have to go after their women—which is where we will pick up with Cimmerian Moons.

11. Cimmerian Moons, I like how this adventure doesn’t have a “neat” ending. You go. You fight. You get the women back. Not this time. The women have already been sold to different parts of the world. This is a fantastic drive to see the PCs leave Cimmeria and venture to other parts of the world in order to rescue their clan members. I love the title, too. Heck, I may name the entire campaign “Cimmerian Moons”. It will tie in with the eclipse I have at the beginning, too. I’ll make it a lunar eclipse. Moons. Plural. There are two PCs featured in this campaign. I like it. I also like the grit of recovering the women, spoiled (not unlike Vorenius recovering his children in ROME).

12. Wintering it out. I’m thinking that the Snow Apes encounter, from Red Snows, happens in the dead of winter. The pass is sealed by the snow. It’s impassible. The PCs have to tough it out in the mountains and wait for the season to change. I would skip over this quickly in the game, but I’d also rely on some Survival and Hunting checks. Great success brings big Experience Goal rewards. This is a time I could boost up the PC’s level. Plus, this gives the bad guys time to sell the women stolen in Red Snows/Cimmerian Moons. I don’t think the players will expect this, either. They’ll be looking for more immediate closure to the plot line. It will surprise them that they didn’t “save the day” in time for the women to become unspoiled. This is a rough world we live in. I like the grit.

13. The PCs will have to find out about the Hyborians from the Border Kingdom—either by following tracks or maybe by the Vanir at the end of Red Snows. The first encounter in the Cimmerian Moons adventure will have to contain a clue of the missing Cimmerian women. Maybe one of the PCs gave the girls one of the items?

14. What if the PCs try to go for help? Another Cimmerian tribe? One of the Clan’s allies? How can I bar that from happening without making it look fake? I’ll have to always keep an eye on having an more immediate option—“If you go for the other clan, it will take days, especially on foot. You’ll lose the trail.” That may work.

15. Look to the attack on the village in Cimmerian Moons and combine that event with the same in Red Snows. Don’t forget the Bloody Spear.

16. Cimmerian Moons has the captives going in two directions. Vertos was with his Vanir mercenaries when he hit Seven Stones. The PCs, above, see the tracks split when they chase the Vanir. The second set of tracks from Seven Stones goes off towards Hyperborea. These, the PCs can follow to lead them to the Dead Eyes Adventure (and climax of Part II).

17. The Hyperborean Trading Camp will be a good fight. Maybe…there is a single set of tracks from the Cimmerian village towards the Trading Camp. The PCs follow it, doing the Dead Girl encounter from Red Snows along the way. Then, they attack the Trading Camp, but some of the Vanir raiders and Vertos get away. They track them, and Vertos splits from the Vanir. This leads to the Snow Devils encounter and wintering in the mountains. Spring thaw comes, and the PCs descend from the mountains to have the first encounter with the Hyboreans in Cimmerian Moons.

18. Note that, for the first time in their lives, the PCs will be getting money—coins. They’ve lived on the barter system in Cimmeria, but they’ll be finding coin on the dead bodies of the slavers. Keep track of how much they keep—it will be the only money they have when they go south.

19. Maybe use Ruins of Hyboria to detail the ruins mentioned in Cimmerian Moons.

20. I might need a good Keep, with keyed map and guards, for Vertos’ Keep in Brythunia.

21. Cimmerian Moons probably needs to be the last adventure of Part II. Red Snows, then Dead Eyes, then Cimmerian Moons. It proves to be a good climax with the Border Kingdom hostilities and the threads, searching for the girls, taking the PCs south. The search for the two girls will be a “push” for a long time to come.

22. I need to introduce the two twins from Cimmerian Moons early in the game—maybe have the PCs be friends with their parents. Therefore, when they are taken, the impact will be strong.

23. Dead Eyes: The PCs can be captured at the Trade Camp from Cimmerian Moons. Or, maybe just after the Snow Devil encounter? Later still? There will be plenty of opportunity for the PCs to be captured. Let it happen naturally. Organically. Don’t falsely push them into it. And, if they decide to fight to the death, which they very well might—they’re Cimmerians, after all. Then let the players feel what it is like to be the victims of the attack to subdue.

24. For some color, what about a scene where the PCs see the infamous Wheel of Pain from the Conan movie? According to the novelization, it’s in the village of Thurdvang, somewhere in Nordheim (probably in Vanaheim, though). Maybe I can make it work. Maybe I can’t. I can always relocate it to Hyperborea, too. This could be the Trade Camp! That might be cool (and I could provide pictures from the net!). It I place it in east Hyperboria, we’re golden.

25. How long will they be slaves? This can take time, too—maybe even add some years to the character’s ages. Can’t let the trail of the Cimmerian women get too cold, though. The best part of a year, tops. Plus, with the time spent in the mountains—the trail will be very cold, indeed. They’ll have to stumble upon where the women were taken, buy luck or by fate. But…maybe the other slaves will be a good source of information. Sounds like some CHR checks! Gather information!

26. Pit fighting! Yeah, we’ve got to put this in as they are slaves, too! Maybe the PCs can gain a level or so doing this (got to buff ‘em up for later). Need to be picky about what they can pick skill and feat-wise, though, since they are captives. Still, there’s no telling who the other slaves are—maybe they convince someone to teach them what they want to know. Even change a class, if they want. Sounds like more CHR checks!

27. During the slave uprising, we can play out the entire battle using the mass combat rules again.

28. Getting lost in the mountains. Use the rules about getting lost.

29. Dead Eyes will need to be played somewhere after Red Snows starts but before the end of Cimmerian Moons. Cimmerian Moons will be the climax to Part II.

 

[Supplement Four]

A few thoughts...

One player's character will be the son of the Clan Chief (elder, whatever they're called).

The other...they found. As an infant, he was found one night in the center of the Seven Stones. The clan assumes he was abandoned by a nearby clan, but this has lead to some controversey. First, no other clan has ever claimed him. But, more importantly, the question remains: What would lead a Cimmerian to abandon their young?

Maybe, if the player agrees, we can call him "Stone". He doesn't know his real name--or, even if he has a real name.

He was raised by the Clan Chief, though. And, Stone is within a few months the same age as the Chief's real son.





The first caravan trip. A broken wheel. A wood that is forbidden, but it's also the shortest route back to the village. Unearthly wolves, in a line, like the first row of an Army's phalanx, come at them, chase them. They run. Careful a wolf doesn't take one of them down!

But, the wolves only chase them so far. They stop. All of them. Circle the PCs.

What are they afraid of? Are they being controlled somehow? Did they maneuver the PCs here?

At the PCs back is an impact crater from eons ago. It's all overgrown. Vines. Trees. It's quite large. The PCs jump into it. It's an easy climb for the Cimmerians. Plus, the first jump depresses only to a man's shoulder. He can see over the rim.

But, it gradually decends. This is a large crater. There's a pool at the bottom.

At the deep end, there are caves in the side of the crater "wall". Inside: an exact replica of the Seven Stones. This is the cavern in Kovag-Re.

Deeper still into the caverns, is a door...a rune carved stone door.

Let's make that door the opening to the Temple of Tears.

Should I put it under water?





Murders. Happening with regularity. The Clan thinks it must be raiders. Vanir?

Let the PC's find a body tied to a tree. It's a horrible sight. Entrails falling out. Skin turned black. Maybe bug infested, depending on the time of year. Eyes plucked out or hanging by tissue. Maggots? Smell leads them to it.

These are the kills of the vampire from the Temple of Tears.

Establish a NPC, then have that person go missing. That could be who the PCs find.

The Chief's steel is sought after. Trade is usually brisk. But, it has fallen off this season (beause the vampire is killing travelers on the road--non-locals), and now we're going into winter. "Let's hope next season finds us stronger in trade."





What about tatoos? Clan symbol? Necklace? Brand? What?

 

[Sting52jb]

I think that these three books would be well worth reading if you plan on running a campaign in Cimmeria, there are some really good ideas, and i think the way he portrays the Cimmerian Clans is better then the Mongoose book Cimeria.

Age of Conan Hyborian Adventures: Legends of Kern; Cimmerian Rage
Age of Conan Hyborian Adventures: Legends of Kern; Blood of Wolves
Age of Conan Hyborian Adventures: Legends of Kern; Songs of Victory

 

[Supplement Four]

I think that these three books would be well worth reading if you plan on running a campaign in Cimmeria, there are some really good ideas, and i think the way he portrays the Cimmerian Clans is better then the Mongoose book Cimeria.

Thanks. I have those books but haven't read them yet. I was thinking of reading through them--I just dug them out of the Conan box tonight (I've got all the Conan novels). I've pulled JMR's Conan The Valorous and HT's Conan of Venarium, too. So, yes, I am thinking along those lines.

Thanks for the input, though! I always welcome it!

 

[Supplement Four]

Once a year to every 18 mos or so, Olaf One-Arm comes through Seven Stone with some sort of "entertainment". The clan loves it when he comes to town. He's been doing it for years. It's like the circus coming to town, but for the adults.

Last year was the first time the PCs were allowed (the PCs were aged 12-13-14 or so) watch. Olah brought a captured bear and a half dozen half starved dogs. A ring was constructed. Betting took place. The Ale flowed freely that night. And, the pit-fight with the animals was a bloody spectacle.

It has been while since Olaf has come around. The PCs, on the night they return from their first Hunt alone, come back to the village to find Olaf there.

The Clan elder comes out, with his arms wide, to greet them and ask about the hunt. And, as the PCs are about to enter man-hood, he's arranged a surprise for them. Olaf is here! And, with him, he's brought a blood-thirsty, savage Pict! (1st level).

The Clan elder has arranged for one of the PCs to fight the Pict, but not to th death. He would never volunteer anyone for such a thing. Each man must make his own decision when the choice is that grave. (But, when the fight occurs, the Pict will fight to the death--he's a slave and has nothing to lose. He wants to escape.)

The elder's motivation: One of the PCs is his son, and this is his crude method of politics among the clan. If his son wins, he's a celebrity, of sorts, with the clan. If his son loses (insistig that Olaf make the Pict understand that it is not a fight to the death), then he looks like a good father showing his son the ways of battle very early. His defeat will be an excellent lesson in life. And, the elder will be respected for that.

Either way, the elder makes out with admiration after the encounter, and his son is given a chance to prove himself to the others, since he's becoming a man soon.

 

[Supplement Four]

Once a year to every 18 mos or so, Olaf One-Arm comes through Seven Stone with some sort of "entertainment". The clan loves it when he comes to town. He's been doing it for years. It's like the circus coming to town, but for the adults.

Last year was the first time the PCs were allowed (the PCs were aged 12-13-14 or so) watch. Olah brought a captured bear and a half dozen half starved dogs. A ring was constructed. Betting took place. The Ale flowed freely that night. And, the pit-fight with the animals was a bloody spectacle.

It has been while since Olaf has come around. The PCs, on the night they return from their first Hunt alone, come back to the village to find Olaf there.

The Clan elder comes out, with his arms wide, to greet them and ask about the hunt. And, as the PCs are about to enter man-hood, he's arranged a surprise for them. Olaf is here! And, with him, he's brought a blood-thirsty, savage Pict! (1st level).

The Clan elder has arranged for one of the PCs to fight the Pict, but not to th death. He would never volunteer anyone for such a thing. Each man must make his own decision when the choice is that grave. (But, when the fight occurs, the Pict will fight to the death--he's a slave and has nothing to lose. He wants to escape.)

The elder's motivation: One of the PCs is his son, and this is his crude method of politics among the clan. If his son wins, he's a celebrity, of sorts, with the clan. If his son loses (insistig that Olaf make the Pict understand that it is not a fight to the death), then he looks like a good father showing his son the ways of battle very early. His defeat will be an excellent lesson in life. And, the elder will be respected for that.

Either way, the elder makes out with admiration after the encounter, and his son is given a chance to prove himself to the others, since he's becoming a man soon.

This will set up Olaf quite early in the campaign, in prep for Betrayer of Asgard.

 

[Big-Pinky]

Hi, i'm novice in this forum.

The post is great idea for interesting and barbaric campaign.
Already i see rivers of blood and rage impulse for my PC. :evil:

But i don't find "Red Snows".

Where can i find it?
There is no in Thulsa's web site.

 

[Supplement Four]

Hi, i'm novice in this forum.

The post is great idea for interesting and barbaric campaign.
Already i see rivers of blood and rage impulse for my PC. :evil:

If you get any ideas about this campaign for your version, please post them here. I'd like to read them.

But i don't find "Red Snows".

Where can i find it?
There is no in Thulsa's web site.

I thought I got it on Thulsa's web site, but, you're right, it's not there. I got it a long time ago from some web site--I can't tell you which, now.

It's out there, though.

 

[Supplement Four]

More thoughts...



Temple of Tears:

The rapist from Temple of Tears could be one of the PC's brother, although he is exiled and no longer part of the clan or family. The woman he raped could be an NPC that the PC's know.

It's not spoken of, and maybe he's a much older brother. The PCs could discover this during their adventures. Finding out that they're "blood" may be the only reason the exiled Cimmerian will deal with them.

Then again, maybe this Cimmerian, although exiled, is the source for their ore. He gets it from an Aesir mine. He uses their share and then sells the left over to the village of Seven Stone a few times a year.

Winter is coming. The PCs are sent to get the ore, in a wagon, before the passes are closed by the weather for the season.

Along the way, they find a body, tied to a tree, entrails hanging out. Eaten by animals.

This will be the first of the victims of the adventure--the PCs find it and report it.

Are they snowed in at the Aesir village by an early storm that no one expected? Sink or swim?

Instead of a silver wolf, let's make it a black wolf with a white paw. "White paw."

They'll see it on the road to the Aesir village.

Can we confuse the vampire girl with Atali? Maybe play a "spook-the-Cimmerians" encounter?

How far is the Aesir village from Seven Stone?

The wrestler from Kovag-Re is an Aesir warrior that challenges the PCs when they arrive.







The Aesir at Ansuz are not "good guys". They're brutal, uneasy allies with the Cimmerians. Seven Stone needs ore, and Ansuz profits from that. Every summer, the Aesir form a warband and swing south to harry the southern kingdoms just across the border. Seven Stone allows them to pass through their lands.

The PCs actions could change the balance between the Aesir and the Cimmerians. A blood fued could happen. This all depends on what happens in the game.

Show the way the Aesir treat the Thralls. You don't want to be one of their slaves, that's for sure. Think WWII Japanese POW camp, but in the snow. Nasty place. Thin bodies. One of them is blind, holding out his hand, no teeth. He wants food.

But, they're slaves. Animals have more rank than slaves. The Aesir may marvel at the PC's reaction. Then again, the Cimmerians understand slavery, although they would never become one.

If a PC dies, this would be a great place to introduce a replacement.

Maybe one of the Aesir warriors grabs one of the miserable female wretches and offers her to one of the PCs, asking he if wants a "belly warmer" for the night?

This could make for some interesting conflict during the PCs time in the Aesir village.







Set this campaign during the time of Conan's travels, not as he is King. Do this for three reasons:

1 - The players haven't read a lot of Conan, so I'm interested in taking actual Conan stories, making adventures out of them, and putting the characters through them, THEN giving the players the stories to read after the adventure is completed (they can see how Conan live through it).

2 - There's a better opportunity to throw Conan in the game for a cameo role than there would be if he was King.

3 - When Conan is King, I'm sure the relations with Cimmeria are better than they are when Conan was young. This gives the Cimmerians another enemy to fight (Aquilonian troops patroling the border, sometimes breaking over and hunting in Cimmerian lands).

 

[Supplement Four]

Notes I've given my two players, both of whom have never played a 3rd editon D&D game in their lives. AD&D 2e is what they know, so I'm sending some notes to them to prime them for the differences in game systems that they will experience.

(I've written this in terms that they will understand, coming from a 2E perspective.)





On the outside, the Conan RPG looks like D&D. We have levels. We have character classes. We have hit points. But, when we start playing, you will see that this initial impression can be deceiving. Conan uses D&D as a base, but many rules are tweaked, changed, altered--all for the better, in my opinion.

I want you to be prepared for this. You won't be playing D&D. There are different rules. You'll be playing Conan.

Let me draw your attention to a few examples:

CHARACTERISTICS

First off, there's character characteristics. In AD&D, a character needs a STR 17 to get a +1 attack and +1 damage bonus. Players always feel that, if their character is weak if he's got stats in the 10-14 range, all above average for an average human, but providing no bonuses in the game.

Conan fixes this.

AD&D takes the position that stats are basically divided into three areas: Characters with lower than average ability, which get negatives; Characters with average ability, which get no bonuses but no negatives either; and Characters with heroic abilities, which get positives. The scale is 1-18, with 18 being the maximum for humans, right? So, the bottom four numbers, Stats 3-6, usually get penalties. The large middle section is considered "average", with no penalties and no bonuses, in the 7-14 range. And, the top four numbers, Stats 15-18, get bonuses.

With Conan, there is no maximum stat. 18 is still considered the maxium that most humans will ever attain, but some people are truly exceptional and go over that number. So, the Conan RPG does not hold them back to 18. If a character attains a 19 or 20 stat, he can have that level in the Conan RPG (although it's very hard to get).

Also, in the Conan RPG, the game takes a different approach to penalties and bonuses. Average ability is stat 10-11. Anything above this GETS A BONUS. Anything below this, GETS A PENALTY.

Thus, you need a STR 17 in AD&D to get a +1 attack and +1 damage. In Conan, you only need a STR 12 to get that same bonus.

I think this is a brilliant move because it makes the truly high scores have truly high bonuses (For example, STR 17 gets a +3 attack and +3 damage), and characters with above average stats in the 12-15 range actually get a bonus in this game (where they typically got nothing in AD&D).

I think you'll find that the Conan RPG is a very well thought-out, very well put-together game. It not only fits the atmosphere of the Conan universe well, it also changes a lot of rules in the D&D game, making the game much better (in my opinion). I think (and I'm not the only one--it's also the general concensus on the net among D&D players who have played the Conan RPG) that the Conan RPG is the best version of D&D rules ever written.






In addition...the Conan RPG takes the stance that people are improving as they learn their trade. Stats are not as "written in stone" as they are in the AD&D game. You can see change a little as the character grows.

In fact, starting at 4th level, and every 4 levels there after, you get to pick one of your character's stats and improve it by one point. So, at 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th, you get to add a point to your stats.

In addition, starting at 6th level, and every 4 level thereafter, you get to raise ALL OF YOUR STATS BY ONE POINT. This happens at 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th levels.

Thus, if you had a straight average character with stats like this:

STR 10
DEX 10
CON 10
WIS 10
INT 10
CHR 10

And, you decided to focus on STR with your single point improvements, by 18th level, your character would look like this:

STR 18
DEX 14
CON 14
WIS 14
INT 14
CHR 14

Of course, you can change up the one point improvements as you get them, and chances are your beginning stats will be higher than 10. So, in the later levels, your character has the potential to grow into some pretty high stats (which much higher bonuses than you see in the AD&D game).

In order to roll stats, we'll be throwing 4d6, dropping the lowest die, to find your total. And, the player will have the opportunity to arrange stats to his taste (instead of what-you-roll-is-what-you-get), but this is a player decision that can come about due to the fates. Not every character is blessed by the fates. Hopefully, yours will be.

And, you'll be happy to know that your character will start the game at maximum hit points for a 1st level Barbarian.

You only get one character, so let't hope he survives!

Where the AD&D game is geared towards a Party, the Conan game is geared towards one or a few players. That makes it perfect for use with our two players and one GM. Also, a vast variety of character classes are not needed for the Conan game like they are in the AD&D game. We're starting the game using two 1st level Barbarian characters--and that works well (where it would a challenge in a standard AD&D game not having a thief or a magic user...or even a cleric).

I think you two guys are going to fall in love with the Conan RPG game system.

I know I did.

 

[Supplement Four]

CHARACTER BUILDING

You'll find, in Conan, characters can become individuals very easily. Not all Soldiers are the same. Not all Barbarians are the same. In AD&D, because of the class structure, all thieves are very similar to other thieves. All fighters are very similar to other fighters.

In Conan, this is not true at all.

Yes, the Conan RPG uses classes, but the way the rules work, there are different builds for different types of characters. You can customize your character to do anything you want.

For example, Conan, in his youth, became a master thief, but he was never weak in face-to-face combat like thieves in the AD&D game. As Conan is statted in the game, he never reached higher than a 1st level Thief. He's a multiclassed character: A Barbarian/Thief/Soldier. He got the Thief level so that he wouldn't have to pay double skill points for Thief skills, but then he kept leveling as a Soldier, spending his skill points in the Thief area. That way, his Climb and Move Silently kept going up, making him a great cat burgler, while he was leveling in Soldier, with the higher hit die and better combat feats. This made him a great second-story-man and a fantastic fighter at the same time.

There are so many ways to construct a character in the Conan RPG that you probably cannot conceive of them all--just like you can't put your thumb on all the different types of people in the world. Multiclassing in this game is easy. There are no stat requirements. All you have to do is have access to the correct training to go into that specific field. For example, if your Barbarian character wants to become a Soldier, then maybe joining the Shadizaar City Watch is a good option--or maybe joining the Turanian Army. Then again, if your character wants to multiclass into a Thief, all he has to do is start stealing things. It's good to find a mentor--someone who can teach you how best to pick a lock--but you can also do this on your own. It may be harder. You may fail more often. And, you may not learn the best technique for yourself, but you can do it on your own. As long as it makes sense in the game.

It's all up to you and what you experience while living in the shoes of your character and exploring the Hyborian Age.





WHAT ARE THE CORE CHARACTER CLASSES?

Barbarian - those who live in the uncivilized regions of the known world. This may be the frozen north, like Cimmerians, Vanir, or Aesir. Or, it could be in the tribal, hot south, among the Black Kingdoms. Any place that civilization hasn't touched you will find Barbarians living there. Remember that all the core character classes are broad in nature. A Cimmerian Barbarian is akin to, but different than, a Vanir Barbarian. And both of those types of Barbarains are bastly different from the Barbarains in the Black Kingdoms, just as Conan is different than Tarzan. Two 1st level Barbarians fighting each other might be two Cimmerians, a Cimmerian and a Vanir, or a Cimmerian and a Pict. All of those examples are examples of different types of Barbarians. Your character will start as a 1st level Barbarian--A Cimmerian, like Conan. Where you go from there is up to you.

Barbarians may come from almost any non-civilised land, though nomads are more common in the deserts and steppes. Likewise, they may follow almost any profession, with the exception of some of the more esoteric civilized trades. A Cimmerian might be the son of a blacksmith (as was Conan and your character), or a warrior chief. A Pict could be a young hunter or a shaman's apprentice, and an Afghuli hillman has almost certainly spent much of his life raiding Vendhya and other civilized lands.





Borderer - this is the Conan version of a ranger. Where Barbarians are not familiar with the civilized parts of the world, Borderers are, but spend most of their time in the wilderness.

Most Borderers are originally from regions that are relavitely peacful but which nonetheless have a good deal of wilderness as well as scattered farms and villages. Growing up in the relative backwaters, such as the Tauran region of Aquilonia, and the other western provinces, borderers learn the woodcraft and hardiness necessary to excel at what they do.





Noble - self explanitory, except that not all nobles are what you are thinking right now. Sure, the Dukes in Brythunia are Noble classed, but the class can also be tweaked to represent any "higher class" ruler-type character. Yes, King Yildz of Turan is a Noble class. Yes, the governer of the city of Arenjun, in Zamora is a Noble class. But, the tribes of the Black Kingdoms, down south of Stygia, although Barbarians, may also have a Noble class in their line of Tribal Chiefs.

Thus, Nobles can be bona-fide titled aristocrats or other upper-class characters such as poets or courtiers, though this is less common. All nobles begin their careers with the potential to be highly influential both locally and in their home country as a whole, though most do not achieve that potential for some time. Typically, a noble is a younger son of a landed aristocrat rather than heir.





Nomads - are found in all terrain types across the globe. Typically, this character class represents a people between Barbarians, which usually have no contact with civilization, to the Borders, which typically find their way to towns and cities for supplies. But, there are also plenty of Nomadic peoples who have zero contact with civilization.

There are two broad types of nomade: those that are born to it and those, like Conan, who spend years learning the customs to rise through nomad society. Almost all nomads come from the vast desert of Eastern Shem, the Southern Desert beyond Kush or the steppes and plains in and around Hyrkania and Turan. Born into families, clans, tribes or hordes, they are steeped in nomadic traditions, culture and superstitions all their lives. However, it is possible to become a nomad later in life. The nomad group known as the Kozaks is formed entierly of Hyborians and others from western kingdoms who were brought together as slaves by the Turanians and escaped to band together and wreak vengeance on their former captors. Likewise, the eastern Shemite nomad tribes such as the Zuagirs often choose a foreigner to lead them and an adventurer who has proved himself tough, capable and honorable may well be permitted to join them.





Pirate - the bandit that uses a ship instead of a horse. Self explanitory.

Many pirates start off as sailors. The Barcha isles are full of former Argossean merchant crew, while most of the Zingaran buccaneers were once legitimate sailors too. However, pirate ships are not too fussy as to what their recruits used to do and many a soldier or barbarian finds his way into a pirate crew. Most pirates value a man's courage and fighting ability more than they care for his seamanship, for sailors are easy enough to find. Both the pirates of the Baracha isles and those of the Vilayet sea call themselves the Red Brotherhood, perhaps pointing to a shared culture between the two groups, since so many of the Vilayet pirates are originally from the Hyborian nations.





Scholar - is a learned person--someone who can read and write and spends much of his time in search of knowledge. In the Conan RPG, there is no "Magic User" character class. In this game, if a character wants to use magic, he typically starts to research it. And, although it's not required, he'll have an easier time of mastering unholy magic if the character is a Scholar class, delving deep into hidden mysteries written in ancient tongues from times long forgotten. Remember, though, that not all Scholars are sorcerers. A character may just want to be an expert in an area, like the law, or history, or ancient weapons. Like the Sage in AD&D, the Scholar is the person who knows a lot about a particular area of study. And, since multi-classing is so easy, you could have a Mercenary commander (like Patton) who studies ancient battles and tactics. This character might be a Soldier/Noble/Scholar multiclassed character (Soldier would be his highest level; Noble because he commands the Mercenary force; and Scholar because of his time studying the way the ancient Atlaneans fought their battles).

Scholars come from any number of backgrounds but all share a thrist for knowledge and often for power. Most are reliant on a teacher of some kind, such as a higher-ranking priest, coven leader, master sorcerer, necromancer, or even some demonic entity. A few brave or foolhardy souls elect to learn their magic by their own efforts entirely. Many scholars are more mundane and never learn sorcery at all. These scholars, however, rarely adventure.





Soldier - is the typical fighter class. Use it for the City Watch, Mercenary work, Army irregular, etc.

Most soldiers join either an army or a mercenary company at a young age, sometimes as children pages or squires or servants to more experienced soldiers. These soldiers know no other life and often seem very hard and grim for thier age. Some soldiers may not have access to such a formal military background but simply come from particularly war-torn regions or raiding cultures such as Cimmeria, Asgard or Vanaheim.





Temptress - is a roleplaying class that uses manipulation to reach the character's goals. The whore that uses her sex to manipulate the warrior into doing her bidding is a Temptress class. Charm and personality are the weapons of a Temptress, instead of swords and bows. Temptresses are typically female characters, but there are male Temptors as well. An example of a male Temptor may be a priest. There is no Priest class in the Conan game (just like there not being a magic user class). But, a priest may be a Scholar or a Temptor (or a multiclass of the two), using the power of faith his believers have put in him to manipulate them into doing his bidding. The cult leader with fanatical followers is a Temptor class. Lady MacBeth types--the Queens behind the Kings who truly rules the kingdom through their control of their weak willed husbands are also Temptress classed. It's a neat class. And, Temptors/Temptresses may or may not use magic to aid them in their string-pulling puppeteering of others.

Temptresses usually come from urban settings, although some come from more rural areas. In any case, the culture around them usually oppresses women in some manner, pigeonholing them into some role. It is this limitation and oppression that births temptresses. She is a shadow cast by these cultural rules.





Thief - you know what this is. The character who makes his living by taking what others have. Just like every other class, the Thief class includes the typical thief and some very non-typical variations.

Many thieves come from the sprawling western cities in the Hyborian kingdoms or the notorious slums and backstreets of Zamora. However, not all theives are fromurban regions and the nomadic tribes of Shem, Hyrkania and other lands can also produce effective rogues, as can the barbaric lands of Cimmeria and Nordheim. Often a wanderer into the Hyborian kingdoms will find employment as a thief before moving on to other things, since anyone with a quick mind and nimble fingers can turn his hands to thievery.





ARE THERE ANY OTHER CLASSES BESIDES THE CORE CLASSES?

Yes. The Bandit, Savant, and the Martial Deciple come to mind. All of these are available in Conan supplements (that I own and can use if they become important to our game).

In addition, the Conan RPG also includes Prestige Classes. These classes are multi-class options that focus on a specific, tight class (instead of the wide core classes). Prestige classes have prerequisites (where as normal multi-classing options generally do not have requirements before entering that class).

Some examples of Prestige Classes are the Knight from Pointain (the southern region of Aquilonia); The Pit Fighter; The Duelist; The Warlord; The Wrestler. A Sorcerer of the Scarlet Circle. An Agent of the Turanian Crown. All of these classes represent specific types of characters. If you wanted to make a Paladin in the Conan game, it would be a Prestige class, with lots of pre-requisites, but with benefits for those characters who meet the requirements.





Remember that there are no demi-humans in the Conan RPG. There's no dwarves or elves or halflings. The Hyborian Age is set on Earth, during our world's long forgotten prehistoric past. The people are human, and instead of gettng bonuses and penalties for being a dwarf, as in the AD&D game, your character will get bonuses and penalties based on his race. A Cimmerian, for example, gets a bonus (among many) at the Climb skill due to his mountainous homeland. A Zamorian gets a bonus at Hide and Sneak, since that kingdom is densly packed with cities and theivery is the national pastime.





MULTICLASSING

There are several methods for customizing your character in the Conan RPG. One is the way in which you pick your character's Feats and Skills. Another is how you choose to multiclass (and this allows access to Feats and Skills not otherwise easily obtained). There are beneifts to multiclassing, and there are benefits to keeping your character as a single class (for example, a single classed character is given bonus feats not given to a multiclassed character...so there's pros and cons). You'll have to decide what's best for you. The sky is the limit in this game.

Here are some multi-classing ideas to help you understand the process of character building.

Ruffian could be a Thief/Barbarian multiclass. A Bounty Hunter might be a Thief/Border combo. A Crime Lord might be a Thief/Noble.

A Corsair could be a Pirate/Barbarian. A Treasure Hunter might be a Pirate/Borderer. A Sea Captain might be a Pirate/Noble multiclass.

A Privateer could be built using the Pirate/Soldier combo. A Smuggler could be made using the Pirate/Thief combo.

A Gypsy may be made by multiclassing in Temptress/Nomad. An Emissary could be constructed using Borderer/Noble. A Runner might be a Borderer/Nomad. And Explorer could be a Borderer/Pirate. A Guide might be a Borderer/Scholar. A Skirmisher might be a Borderer/Soldier. An Outlaw..a Borderer/Thief.

An Exile might be constructed using the Noble/Borderer combo. Think about it! A Cavalier? Noble/Nomad. How about a Professional Knight? Noble/Soldier.

A Druid could be constructed using Scholar/Borderer. A Navigator might be a Scholar/Pirate. An Occultist might be a Scholar/Thief.

A Brawler could made from Soldier/Barbarian classes. A Master Archer could be done using the Soldier/Borderer multiclass. An Assassin might be constructed using the Soldier/Thief classes.

These examples are only a few of what's possible with the game. Your imagination is the limit.



But...does a Privateer Captain have to be a Pirate/Soldier/Noble? Absolutely not. Maybe he's a Pirate/Soldier (and still captain). Then again, maybe he's a single classed Pirate. Any combo can be the captain, the the Noble career is not required for the character to be a captain.

Just build a character as it makes sense to you.

 

[Supplement Four]

MAGIC

Magic is rare in the Conan RPG. In the past, during the time of Atlantis, magic is more commonplace. But, over the eons, magic use is dying, the skill being lost in time. Since Conan's world is our real world, only in the distant past, Howard had magic slowly die out until, today, there is no magic use at all.

But magic is not wholesome. It's foul. Unnatural. Unholy. It is a perversion of nature. Almost all magic is evil.

As I said before, there is no specific magic using class. Anyone can learn to use magic. The Scholar class helps. And, there is a Dabler Feat for those characters (like Thieves) who don't want to spend their lives dedicated to learning sorcery but have picked up a trick or two.

Given the nature of magic, though, a character risks the effects of Corruption when he uses magic. Evil feeds on itself. Power corrupts. The more you mess with demons and the unholy, the tighter their grip upon you.

Unlike D&D, you won't find mages strolling through the streets of every town. You can't go to a local cleric and have him heal you up. This world is not like that.

Those who practice magic typically hide the fact that they do. And, if a sorcerer is not hiding his art, then he's probably more powerful than anyone who would challenge him and doesn't care.

Do sorcerers exist? Absolutely. But, they're scarce, and powerful, and steeped in deep, dark, unmentionable flavor.

Be warned.





GODS

As for gods in the Hyborian Age, they do not act like gods in most fantasy role playing games. They act like gods in the real world (like what the Romans or the Ancient Greeks worshipped). Humans don't see powers given from gods. They might believe it so, but that doesn't make it true.

Like real religions, the priests of the Hyborian Age have strength based on the faith of their followers.

There is no Priest class. There is no clerical magic. There are no healing spells, and you won't find bottles of extra healing laying around.

But...Alchemy does exist. And, you can find, not magical, but alchemical potions to help you heal. You can learn the healing properties of certain leaves and roots. You can make concoctions of poison or cures for sickness.

And, some priest might come along and tell you that you got over your cold, not because you drank a potion prepared by the local healer who used his Alchemy skill, but by the grace of the priest's god who blessed you.

In this sense, "magic" works with the gods, but it's all an illusion.

It depends on what your character believes.