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

[Supplement Four]

You will find that the Conan RPG takes a lot of concepts from D&D and makes them "make sense".

The combat round, for example, is just a few seconds long, and every swing your character makes with his sword is represented by a dice roll. Unlike, in AD&D, where the combat round is a full minute long and your attack throw is abstract, representing several parries and strikes during that minute of combat.

Armor, in the Conan RPG, absorbs damage--it doesn't make your character harder to hit as it does in the AD&D game (in AD&D, better AC makes you harder to hit--in Conan, better AC does not effect the attack throw at all...instead, if you are hit, your armor will reduce damge).

When an enemy swings at you, you have a choice. You can attempt to Parry the blow, or you can try to move out of the way, avoiding the strike all together. When an attack throw is made, the defender decides whether he wants to parry that blow or dodge it. This is a brilliant rule change in the Conan game because, unlike in the AD&D game where wearing Plate Mail is always better than wearing Leather Armor, a character in the Conan game wearing Leather armor can be an effective face-to-face fighter because the character is great at blocking or dodging blows. In fact, the Conan game allows a leather armored character to be better in an engagement against a plate mail clad character. The fighter wearing leather armor will be much more mobile, but have trouble damaging the plate mail clad target. Yet, the plate mail clad target cannot rely on his armor for long. Eventually, it will give, be bashed in, or his opponent will find a way to slip his sword between the plates under his arm or slice through the thinner leather at his neck. In Conan, heavier armor is not always better. It depends on the individual warrior (and how the character is built).

Heavier armor makes it harder to Dodge (makes a lot of sense), so character that rely on Dodge will favor the lighter armors. But, heavier armors absorb more damage when an attacker lands a blow. Typically, those that rely on blocking most often favor heavier armor since they're not concerned with moving around.

When a character dodges, he actually moves 5 feet away or to the side of his attack on the game board. You won't see stagnant fights like we see in AD&D where two fighters hack it out for five minutes but never move. In Conan, the fights are frenzied and gritty. Deadly. But, they're also dynamic, with combatants moving all over the place.

When a character attacks, he can attempt a general type swing, just trying to hit the target and hack through any defenses. This is a normal, AD&D type of attack. But, the Conan RPG also allows a character to fight smarter. He can try to avoid an opponent's armor and try to hit him the neck or head, on the exposed parts of his arms or legs, or sink his blade into the soft flexible areas around the joints or seams of a target's armor.

In the game, this is called Finesse fighting. And, as it should be, making a Finesse attack is harder than making a normal attack. It's like making a called shot. Different armor have different modifiers for Finesse attacks, and only certain weapons can be used for this type of attack (you wouldn't be every effective using a club to hurt a target in plate mail by shoving the club under the target's arm between the chest and back plates...but a dagger would be ideal).

So, it's easier to make an finesse attack to avoid leather armor than it is to avoid plate mail. And, you need the right weapon for the job.

If you are successful with a finesse attack, scoring a hit and beating the penalty, your strike completely ignores the target's damage reduction due to his armor.

Thus, in Conan, you can make a regular strike at no penalty, and if you hit, your damage is reduced by the amount of damage reduction provided by the armor. Or, you can make a Finesse attack, which is harder to do because you are attempting to land a blow in a specific location where armor is absent or weakest. The Finesse attack is penalized because it's harder to achieve, but if you do land a strike, you beneift by doing full damage regardless of the armor the target is wearing.

Again...this makes a lot of sense.

Armor that reduces damage, not make the wearer harder to hit. Defensive moves that include blocking and dodging. Attacks that will allow you to avoid a target's armor. Effective defense without wearing armor at all (by Dodging or Blocking). These are all things that improve the D&D game, in my opinion, and show how the Conan version of the rules is superior to anything than any other version of the d20 rules.

Plus, there are tons of Combat Moves a character can learn that makes combat so much more than just "you attack, then I attack". The combat in Conan is much more visual. You'll experience being there--not just watch what happens. In Conan, combat is actually roleplayed. You describe the exact way you are making an attack, or you describe the exact way you are dodging out of the way or blocking a blow.

This makes combat scenes, like the pic blow, come alive in the layers' imagination.

"I swing my warsword over my head, bringing it down on the Vanir's neck!"

You roll your attack.

"The Vanir throws his sword up to block, the blade across his face."

The parry throw is made, failing pitifully, showing the attack was successful.

Damage is thrown...so much that the Vanir is at -13 hp.

"That mighty blow of yours knocks the Vanir's sword from his hands and slices his head from his shoulders. Your blow is strong and true."

"I smile as I watch his head tumble across the snow."






As in AD&D, hit points represent small cuts, abrasions, wounds, luck, fate, experience...all that abstract stuff that makes a warrior more effective than another. Loss of hit points means that the character takes non-critical wounds. It takes time for bruises and pulled muscles and nicks and cuts to heal. Even if stitches and salves are not needed, the body needs time to heal, and that is what is represented in Conan with hit points.

A character at exactly 0 hit points is considered Disabled, not dead or dying.

A character at -1 hit points or less is considered to have suffered a critical wound and is probably dying. Most characters in the negatives will fall down on the grownd, unable to act, busy holding their guts from escaping through the gashes in their skin. But, there are Feats that will allow a character to keep acting and fighting even if a mortal wound is recieved. Again, it depends on the character build.

You'll find that hit points are returned to the character much quicker than in the AD&D game. In AD&D, a character gets a base of 1 hit point returned if he rests an entire day. In Conan, your character gets a number of hit points equal to 3 + CON modifier + Character Level for resting the same amount of time. Thus, a 1st level AD&D character with a 17 CON can rest an entire day an get back 1 hp. The same character in Conan, resting the same amount of time, gets back 7 hit points.

I'm sure you players are loving that.

There is no clerical healing in the game, but you can increase healing rate by doing things like taking bed rest (doubles your healing points!), or have a healer look after you, or take some Alchemical potions and such.





In AD&D, common people are 0 level characters. Only adventurers have levels.

In Conan, Commoners is a character class (usually used by NPCs only). These characters move up in level just like a Soldier or a Barbarian would, except they have common skills and not many feats. In Conan, the Commoner even has a level chart, just like the main adventuring character classes. So, you could run into a 5th level Blacksmith or a 7th level weaver.

So, where as in AD&D, a blacksmith might have 1d6 hit points only (unless the blacksmith was also of another class, like a Fighter), in Conan, the Blacksmith will have hit point according to his level. A 5th level Blacksmith will have 5d4 + CON bonus hit points.

Not what you'd expect in AD&D.

For a fantasy game, the Conan RPG tends to be much more rooted in reality than the AD&D game.





Another area where the Conan RPG has taken the AD&D game and made it "make sense" is with character levels and the game world.

In AD&D, there is no level limit. Characters can get as high as they want. And, in most AD&D game worlds (not Dragonlance), the world is dynamic, leveling along with the character. This is not unlike the vanilla version of the Oblivion computer game. Remember before you put the OOO mod on it? At low level, the bandits and brigands were also low level, wearing leather armor. Then, as your character grew in level, the bandits at the bridges started wearing better armor, to a point where these bandits were all wearing the best armor--ebony and daedric and glass.

That's how the old D&D adventure modules were. A 1st level dungeon saw the City Watch be 1st level Fighters. If you layed a 10th level adventure, the City Watch probably had 6-7th level Fighters.

This is not true for the Conan RPG. The Conan RPG does for D&D what the OOO mod does for Oblivion. It makes the world not level with your character.

In Conan, the maximum level any character can achieve is level 20. This is true for every NPC, demon, bad-guy...everything in the game. Nothing is 21st level.

The first 10 levels are reserved for the "normal" world. The last 10 levels are reserved for legend (and legenary creatures). The second group of 10 levels (11-20) also makes room for multiclassing, which many characters are.

The game states that, in most campaigns, the players shouldn't encounter anyone higher than 12th level. It should be an extreme exception when that happens.

Conan, himself, turns out to be one of the few 20th level character when he is King of Aquilonia, in his late 40's and early 50's. Of course, this is the legendary Conan, and it took him all his life to get there. But, he's a multiclassed character, too. His highest level is Barbarian at 15th level. (Barbarian 15/Soldier 2/Thief 1/Pirate 2).

What this means is that, no matter which Conan adventure you are playing, and no matter which level YOUR character has attained, the world will stay the same. You can expect the City Watch guards to be the same level no matter which level your character is.

This also means that, at lower level, most NPCs will be very tough for you to fight. Keep that in mind. And, this makes a lot of sense. At 1st level, you've just begun your training. You're not as experienced as the town guard. Get a couple of levels under your belt before you go in taking on the NPC soldier on watch at the city gate.

The Conan RPG is a very, very dangerous game. You get a lot of hit points (max at 1st level, CON bonus is higher than it is in AD&D, and you heal faster than in AD&D), but weapons do a lot of damage. And, if any character lands a blow that does 30 hit points of damage, this is considered Massive Damage, and your character could die from a critical hit regardless of his hit point total (Save or die when the 30 hp damage comes).

Be smart about your conflicts. Use your brain as well as your brawn.





The Conan RPG puts some meaning to a character level. It is no longer an abstract thing as it is in the AD&D game.

As a general rule of thumb, a character should accumulate 1000 experience points per game year.

XP is not given out the same way it is in the AD&D game. XP awards are story based in the Conan RPG. Yes, your character will get some XP from combat, but more emphasis is given to roleplaying and problem solving than in the AD&D game. Playing a true "character" will get you a lot more XP than killing a horde of Picts.

XP awards are also smaller than in the AD&D game. On average, it will take a game year for a character to advance from 1st to 2nd level. Then, it will take another two years for the character to go from 2nd to 3rd level.

See the progression? Each "level" represents a year's experience. Thus, when a character reaches 3rd level, he's had 3 years experience (1 year at 1st level and 2 years at 2nd level). A 4th level character will have at least 6 years experience, on average (1 year at 1st, 2 years at 2nd, 3 years at 3rd).

Also note that the Conan RPG XP chart is very easy to figure out because it is based on these principles. Each level takes 1000 xp. So, at first level, it takes 1000 xp (about a year) to get to 2nd level. While at second level, it takes 2000 xp to get to 3rd. At 3rd, it takes 3000 more xp to get to 4th, and so on.

Take a character's total xp and divide by 1000, and you'll get the number of years, on average, the character has been in the career. Let's say a 3rd level character has 4212 xp. He's been in the career a little over 4 years. Simple, huh?

How many XP does it take to get to 5th level? Easy. You need 1000 at 1st, plus 2000 at 2nd, plus 3000 at 3rd, plus 4000 at 4th = 10,000 xp. Or, about 10 years experience in the career.

Again, that's real simple compared to AD&D.

Simple math, though, will tell you that your character will be 60 years old, if he starts at age 15, when he reaches 10th level. That's a 45 year career. So, how did Conan get to be a 20th level character at about the same age? This is where you have to remember that we're talking about an average when using the Rule of Thumb. Some people will advance faster. Some will advance slower. And, some will advance at different rates during their careers just as the soldier who is sent to do a tour in Vietnam comes away more experienced than his counterpart who spent the year in Germany. Within the universe of the game, a character who spent time on the western Aquilonian border, fighting the Picts, during his youth, may have advanced at a rapid paced compared to the average character, but in the character's middle age, he advanced at an average pace. This is how the higher levels are reached. Accelerated experience.

Player characters are meant to be heroes, therefore they will most likely advance faster than the average person, but this still may mean that it takes 3 game months, instead of 12, to go from level 1 to level 2. And, it make take a game year, instead of 3 years, to reach level 3. This just depends on the character's experiences and the players playing the character.

One thing that is beneficial to players is to use the Rule of Thumb in the game. If you see an NPC Soldier that looks to be around 20 years old, you can guess his level--or get close to it. Typically, the earliest age to start a career is age 15 (but there are exceptions). If the NPC looks to be 20, then you know he's had, at most, 5 years of experience in the career. That's 5,000 xp. So, the character is probably 3rd level.

And, because the game world is static (as discussed earlier), you can apply the rule to your fellow Cimmerians. New recruits will be young and 1st level Barbarian warrirs. A 3rd level character has about 6 years experience and is a traditional War Band member. Veterans--those with a decade of experience under their belts--have about 10 years experience and are 5th level.

Note how your characters will likely meet a lot of lower level characters, but there is a sharp decline in class population the higher the level that is considered. You'll meet a butt load of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd level characters. The number will start to decline when considering 4th, 5th, or 6th level characters. And, characters around 7th or 8th level will be people of real position and skill.

8th level typically means the character is a Champion. For example, a Cimmerian War Chief is likely to be about 8th level (with almost 30 years experience!). A 10th level character could be the Champion of the entire Clan (we're talking Spartacus, here). Or, maybe he's the Chief. Characters of around 15th level is reserved for only the highest positions. An elder Clan Chief (or the General of Turan's Army...or even the king, himself) is a 15th level character (with a lifetime of experience under his belt that must have been accelerated at some time in his life).

 

[Supplement Four]

I'm not sure if this thread is worth continuing contribution as I seem to be the only one posting in it. I'm kinda using it as an idea-file location that I'm sharing with all of you. I can just as easily keep these notes private, if the thread is bothering anyone.





Too many times, players enter a game with no background. No family. No sense of where they've come from. No wife. No kids. No past experiences. They're blank slates--a character class and a race and maybe a few details the player has thought out.

Well, I'm attempting to go the other way with the sandbox game I'm developing. My PCs need to have family, roots, and a sense of having known these people their whole lives.

So, as the game begins, I'm introducing NPCs slowly, so that the memory of them will stick.

For the first game session, here's the family members that the PCs will meet.

All ages are set at the start of the game proper, when the PCs will be 1st level barbarian characters, not the first game session (where the PCs will be aged 12 years).





Some decades agon, Fionn Duncohr and his kin founded Seven Stones Ridge, in the valley below the Eiglophian Mountains of northern and central Cimmeria. The two tents and a forge grew into a village, and that grew into a town--in fact, the largest settlement known in all the territory claimed by Clan Grath. A master smith, Fionn's work attracted trade within the clan's territory and without.

When the Nuadha troubles occurred, the Duncohr kin broke away from the Grath, forming a new clan, the Blue Fox, taking the name from sacred midnight-blue furred urros that inhabit the burrows around Seven Stones Ridge.

Our tale begins some 20-ish years later, focusing on the sons of Fionn's son.




Duncohr Kin
--------------

Fionn (Finn) - PC's grandfather. Curses the Grath for what they did to his wife.

Maeoral (May-or-al) - PC's grandmother. She died during the battles with the Grath during the time of separation.



Finn - PC's father. Master smith. Elder of Seven Stones Ridge.

Lyme (Lime) - PC's mother. No one knew she was carrying twins. None guessed it was really triplets. Branoc was born first, followed by his twin, Caelis. It was then that Padran was found. Stillborn. A dead child in the same womb as the two twins. Lyme suffered for three months, with fever, before she passed. Some say that Finn released his wife from her misery, but the only one to know the truth of that is Finn himself.

Lyme was half Aesir. Her father traded with the Nordheimers for his wife, and all connections of kin with the northrons have been lost in time.



Branoc - NPC. Age 15. Elder of the two twins. Physically powerful but not overly bright. He idolizes his uncle Eregerth and the tales he's heard of his travels among the Hyborians, though he was only five when last he saw him.

Caelis (Kay-liss)- PC. Age 15. Younger twin to Branoc. Named for one of the Titans defeated by Crom in the battle that took place here. Caelis is light haired and light eyed--some of his Aesir heritage from his mother showing through.

Padran - Stillborn triplet, brother to Branoc and Caelis.

Thrallan (Thral-len)- PC. Age 15 or 16 (precise age unknown). On a night of a bright faced moon, Fionn walked the perimeter of the town as Maeoral lay sweating, unconscious, dying. It was but a month since Branoc and Caelis were born. Fionn walked past the prachaun grul--the seven rocks that Crom hammered into the ground to serve as headstones to the Titans he had killed on this ground--to find a newborn babe, quiet as a mouse, buffeted up against the tombstone marked for the Titan Thrallan.

Finn took the babe into his own home, named him for the Titan's stone where he was found, and even though Thrallan was obviously older Finn's two other sons, considered the new babe the youngest brother to Branoc and Caelis. The mystery of Thrallan's appearance has never been solved, though the boy has grown with the true looks of Cimmerian in him--dark, almost black hair, with hazel, sometimes green, eyes.

Drachena (Dra-keen-ah)- NPC. Age 25. Just a babe of five during the time of the Grath Separation, she is the only survivor of her kin, the Grath having killed her entire family. Finn made Drachena his first child, before he had sired any by blood, and today remains his only daughter. She is sister to Branoc, Caelis, and Thrallan.

Drachena has grown to be as strong as a male clansman. Sometimes, she has been mistaken for a male by strangers to Seven Stones. She is tall, large boned, heavily muscled. She wears her pitch black hair like man would. She has no husband, no lover, and no children. She is accepted amongst the other Blue Fox warriors as one of them, and she has proven her worth more than thrice.

Drachena ran the Ras Croi alone as no others were of age. By default, she was the Ar Grais, but a leader of no one. Some of the women in the clan have teased her by calling her the Ar Grais of the womb--the leader of an empty womb.

During her deasghnath at age 15, she was discovered by Vanir raiders. They group of them raped her repeatedly and almost killed her, but Finn and his war party found them first.

She hates the Vanir with an animalistic passion not seen in most human beings.





Dael (Dale)- Finn's younger brother. Also a smith, the two of them bang out iron works in the smithy at the center of town.

Eregerth (Air-girth)- Finn's youngest brother. He left Seven Stones a decade ago to mercenary among the Hyborians. No one has seen him, nor heard tell of him, since. Branoc idolizes the stories he's heard of this particular uncle.





I've got more on the family, but this is plenty to digest at this time.

 

[Supplement Four]

The rest of the planned NPCs...



Fionn, the grandfather still lives, as detailed above. Maeoral, his wife, died two decades ago, before the PCs were born, at the hands of the Grath when the Duncohr family led the split, forming the new Urrough clan at Seven Stones Ridge.

Fionn and Maeoral had four sons, all of them still living: Finn (named for his father - Age 57), Dael (named for his mother - Age 50), Eanbotha (Age 39), and Eregerth (Age 38 ).

All but Eanbotha are detailed above.



Eanbotha (Eee-ann-both-ah)- NPC, the PC's uncle. Ean (Ian) is one of the Clan's war-chiefs. He's a strong and dangerous foe, well respected among the clan. Quiet. Very tall. A formidable warrior and a cunning war leader. He often acts with the voice of Finn in war time engagements.

He lost his wife and three young girls to the fever the year that Lyme died, Brannoc and Caelis were born, and Thrallan was found (he was 19).





EVENT to play during the campaign: Have 39 year old Eanbotha wed young, 19 year old Chianra, a member of the Ox Clan.

The Ox Clan is a very small, nomadic clan that travels the outskirts of the Hoath Plain. Their clan is dying, and their relations with the three large clans of the Hoath Plain is temperamental. In an effort to stave off extinction, the Ox Clan chief looks to merge his clan with a larger, stronger clan. This means a major culture change for the Ox clansmen, no longer nomadic, but with no spot to call home, either. But, the tribe has dwindled to such a size that the there little opposition to the change in the ancient ways.

The cursed Grath scare them, and given the terms on which the Ox lie with the Hoath, White Bulls, and Nangh clans, the Blue Foxes are the only clan in the immediate area worthy of approach.

Finn knows the Urrogh are small, and after much thought, welcomes the merger. He allows the nomadic Oxmen to travel through Urrogh territory unmolested. Relations between the two head Clansmen warms further, and the Ox are allowed to hunt on Foxmen land. Trade between the two Clans increases, as the Oxmen trade wild game and good beef for Urrogh weapons and hard-good supplies.

Throughout this courtship between clans, Eanbotha is charged with keeping his keen eye on the new Clanspeople. Together, he and Finn discuss the merger of the clans, and since Ean is the most well known face among the Oxmen, it is decided the he will take one of the Ox as his wife.

(Hey! Might as well use that Marriage section in the Cimmeria book!)

But, Ean already has spied a lass that, with just the sight of her, catches him in the throat. The Ox Chieftain agrees, and young Chianra becomes his wife, just as the Oxmen become the Blue Foxmen.

Yes...neat encounter for the PCs to live through early in their years as Cimmerians.

Yet, the relationship between the two peoples will be rocky, at first. It's a clash of cultures and the nomadic Oxmen give up their ways and adopt the sacred ways of the Blue Fox.

To quell tensions between the two clans, Finn will arrange for his two unmarried sons (two PCs Caelis and Thrallan...as Branoc marries Girdra, from the village, before the situation with the Ox) to wed two beautiful Oxmen, the daughters of the Ox Chief, Aen (the older sister to Thrallan) and Kala (and the younger to Caelis).

It will be interesting to see how the PCs deal with arranged marriage.





Brenna - NPC Age 23 is Dael's only daughter (PC's cousin). Two decades ago, as Clan Urrogh fought its way to independence from the Grath, a source of iron ore was sought to feed the Duncohr family forge. The Foxmen do not mine, and what iron ore they get, they get from bog mining or trade.

A pact was made with the Aesir of Ansuz, a small iron ore mining village in Nordheim, just on the northron side of the Eiglophians. The trade agreement was sealed by the Aesir sending young, 14 year old Hrathnar to live with the Blue Foxes and marry one of the Clan's women.

But, no Foxman family was willing to allow a marriage with an Aesir.

Brenna's mother, Britta, had run off and left Dael during the Separation crisis. Finn, at that time, had no children. Neither did Eregerth. Eanbotha was grieving for his dead family, victims of that winter's fever.

So, Dael found it his Clan duty to pledge young Brenna to Hrathnar, but as Brenna was only 3 years of age, Hrathnar would have to wait some years before he could take his bride.

Hrathnar became a member of Dael household, ran the Ras Croi, and developed into a seasoned Urrogh warrior. But, as Brenna grew in years, true love sprouted between the two. Hrathnar turned from being a warrior to a smith, apprenticed to Dael. Eight years ago, Hrathnar (Age 34 today, married at 26) and Brenna (Age 23 today, married at 15) were married, and they have a 6 year old daughter named Freya.

The arranged marriage, finally consummated, never yielded fruit in terms of trade between Seven Stones and Ansuz--the Aesir off-put by the Blue Fox Clansmen's willingness to mate with their offering, Hrathnar.

 

[Supplement Four]

Quick Reference Guide to Kin Duncohr.



The family name is Duncohr, though rarely used, as Cimmerian tradition is to use a person's first name, with or without adding the Clan name.



The Clan name is Urrogh (ooh-rah), in your native tongue. Translated, it means the: Blue Fox Clan. The Clan is named for the Cimmeria native blue fox that inhabits the foothills and scrublands around your village. In the Cimmerian tongue, the blue fox is called an urro (er-row).

The urro is a sacred animal to many Cimmerians, not just the Blue Foxmen. It is a symbol of animalistic cleverness, agility, and ferocity in battle to many Cimmerians, especially those who inhabit the foothills of the Eiglophian Mountains and those who live on the Hoath Plain. To have urro live in your clan's territory is a great sign of your clan's power and prosperity. The density of the Cimmerian blue fox is greatest in north-central Cimmeria, between the Eiglophian Mountains and the Hoath Plain. Your clanholme, Seven Stones Ridge, lies right in this area, and your clan claims the entire urro grounds.



Your village is really a town, founded by your grandfather, Fionn (another way of spelling "Finn"). He is a master smith, and so is the two eldest of his four sons, Finn and Dael. Finn is your father, the town Elder.

Seven Stones Ridge, your Clanholme, is named for the circle of seven, 40-45 foot, rune-covered stones that stand not far from the town proper. In the Cimmerian tongue, it is called the prachaun grul (prah-conn-grool). The stones have been there since time immemorial, and most say that Crom defeated seven Titans on this very sacred ground. The Clansmen of the Blue Fox tend to be larger and well-muscled, even for Cimmerians, and it is said that this is true due to the Titan blood seeping into the ground, from which the souls of all Blue Foxmen are sculpted.

The Blue Fox Clan is larger than most Cimmerian Clans but smaller than the 18 dominate Clans in the country. Seven Stones, being its only town, is quite prosperous due to the fruit of the Duncohr forge. But, the town has to trade for iron ore, some of its meat, and most of its produce and grain goods.



Your immediate family--you Kin--numbers 12 persons, including yourself (there are 9 warriors).

-- Kin Duncohr --

Fionn - Fin - Your grandfather. Still spry, and an aging master smith. Founder of your clanholme, Seven Stones Ridge.

(Maeoral - May-or-al - Your grandmother. She died 20 years ago, before you were born, during the Grath Separation.)





Finn - Age 57. Your father. Fionn's first son, and named for him by spelling his name differently. He is master of the Duncorh Forge and Seven Stones Town Elder.

(Lyme - Lime - Your mother. She died 15 years ago after giving birth to the twins Branoc and Caelis. A third child, Padran, was stillborne. No one knew Lyme was carrying twins, much less triplets. Lyme was part Aesir. Her father traded the Nordheimers on the north side of the Eiglophians for his wife. Those familial roots are lost to time.)





Dael - Dale - Age 50. Your uncle; Your father's brother. A full-time smith, shares the Duncorh Forge with Finn. Brenna, named for her mother, is Dael's only offspring. His wife, Britta, deserted him and their child during the tribulations of the Grath Separation.

Eanbotha - Eee-ann-both-ah - Age 39. Called Ean (Ian) for short, is your uncle and your father's brother. Where Finn is Clan Elder, Ean is War Chief. Ean is a strong and dangerous foe, well respected among the clan. Quiet. Very tall. He's a formidable warrior and a cunning war leader. Finn and Ean respect each other and are unstoppable when they work together, which is much more likely than not.

The first winter after the Grath Separation proved to be a time of testing for the people of Seven Stones. Ean, already a formidable warrior, lost his wife and three young girls to the fever. He was 19 years old. And he's never re-married or sired other children since.

Eregerth - Air-gert - Age 38. He's your father's youngest brother--your uncle. Seeing clanwar at age 18, Eregerth served the clan with his brothers Finn and Ean, as a warrior watching the roads and clan territory, for a decade as Seven Stones was rebuilt after the Grath Separation. But, 10 years agon, he left the clan to travel south, into the Hyborian lands, selling his skills as a mercenary. Some word of Eregerth has found its way back to the clanholme from time to time, but these mutterings may be just lips flapping in the wind. Branoc, only 5 when Eregerth left, idolizes the missing Foxman, and yearns for the day his uncle will return to his kin, with wild tales of adventure in the south. No reliable word of Eregerth has been heard of the man since he left the Seven Stones, a decade ago.





Brenna - Age 23. Your cousin, the only child of Dael, your uncle. Her story is somewhat long. During and after the Grath Separation, a source of iron ore was sought to feed the Duncohr family forge. The Foxmen do not mine, and what iron ore they get, they get from bog mining or trade.

A pact was made with the Aesir of Ansuz, a small iron ore mining village in Nordheim, just on the northron side of the Eiglophians. The trade agreement was sealed by the Aesir sending a young warrior, 14 year old Hrathnar to live with the Blue Foxes and marry one of the Clan's women.

But, no Foxman family was willing to allow a marriage with an Aesir. The task fell to the Clan's foremost family, the Duncohrs. Brenna's mother, Britta, had deserted Dael during the Separation crisis. Finn had just rescued Drachena, who was aged 5 years at the time. Eregerth was (and remains) childless, and Eanbotha was loathe to release one of his precious girl to the Aesir (though all three would die that winter, victims of the fever).

Dice were thrown, and Dael lost. With his only daughter, he pledged young Brenna to Hrathnar to fullfill his duty as Clansmen for the survival of the Clan. Brenna, though was only 3 years of age at the time. Hrathnar would have to wait some years before he could take his bride.

Hrathnar became a member of Dael's household, ran the Ras Croi, and developed into a seasoned Urrogh warrior. But, as Brenna grew in years, true love sprouted between the two. Hrathnar turned from being a warrior to a smith, apprenticed to Dael. Eight years ago (Your character was 7 years old), Hrathnar (married at 26) and Brenna (married at 15) were married. Today, Hrathnar no longer picks up the sword, but the smith's hammer, working with Dael and Finn. The Aesirman and Brenna have a 6 year old daughter named Freya.

The arranged marriage, finally consummated, never yielded fruit in terms of trade between Seven Stones and Ansuz. The yellow-haired northern neighbors were off-put by the Blue Fox Clansmen's un-willingness to mate with their offering, Hrathnar.

Today, Hrathnar is 34 and Brenna is 23. Freya is 6.





Drachena - Draw-ken-na - Age 25. She's your adopted sister, rescued by your father, Finn, after all her kin were killed during the Grath Separation. Finn made her his first child, before he had sired any by blood, and today remains his only daughter. She is sister to Branoc, Caelis, and Thrallan.

Drachena has grown to be as strong as a male clansman. Sometimes, she has been mistaken for a male by strangers to Seven Stones. She is tall, large boned, heavily muscled. She wears her pitch black hair like man would. She has no husband, no lover, and no children. She is accepted amongst the other Blue Fox warriors as one of them, and she has proven her worth more than thrice.

Drachena ran the Ras Croi alone as no others were of age. By default, she was the Ar Grais, but a leader of no one. Some of the women in the clan have teased her by calling her the Ar Grais of the womb--the leader of an empty womb.

During her deasghnath at age 15, she was discovered by Vanir raiders. The group of them raped her repeatedly and almost killed her, but Finn and his brothers found them first. None of the Vanir were spared.

Drachena hates the Vanir with an animalistic passion not seen in most human beings. She fights against other foes with almost the same intensity.





Branoc - Age 15. Your brother. Elder of the two twins. Physically powerful but not overly bright. He idolizes his uncle Eregerth and the tales he's heard of his travels among the Hyborians, though he was only five when last he saw him.

Caelis - Kay-liss - Player Character. Age 15. Younger twin to Branoc. Named for one of the Titans defeated by Crom in the battle that took place here. Caelis is light haired and light eyed--some of his Aesir heritage from his mother showing through.

(Padran - Stillborn triplet, brother to Branoc and Caelis.)

Thrallan - Thral-len - Player Character. Age 15 or 16 (precise age unknown). On a night of a bright faced moon, Fionn walked the perimeter of the town as Lyme lay sweating, unconscious, dying. It was but a month since Branoc and Caelis were born. Fionn walked past the prachaun grul--the seven rocks that Crom hammered into the ground to serve as headstones to the Titans he had killed on this ground--to find a newborn babe, quiet as a mouse, buffeted up against the tombstone marked for the Titan Thrallan.

Finn took the babe into his own home, named him for the Titan's stone where he was found, and even though Thrallan was obviously older Finn's two other sons, considered the new babe the youngest brother to Branoc and Caelis. The mystery of Thrallan's appearance has never been solved, though the boy has grown with the true looks of Cimmerian in him--dark, almost black hair, with hazel, sometimes green, eyes.

 

[Supplement Four]

Some (so far) Secret Stuff...


To understand, you must know...

The Clan has three sacred numbers: 3, 9, and 27.

3 - Represents the tri-aspects of the human soul: The Earth, the Water, and the Sky. Crom crafts your soul out of solid rock, from his mountain. This gives you the iron-will to survive and strength to conquer your enemies. But, that is only part of a man's soul, as it can be moved by softer things--just as Ben Morgh (Crom's Mountain) can be crafted by the slow steadiness of water or the harsh, superior power of wind from the sky. Love, affection, kinsmanship, honor, are all examples of soft things that can shape a man's soul.

The triskel is a spiral pattern composed of three lines often seen in Cimmerian artwork, etching, armor and weapon decoration, and tattoos. It is a design that represents the sacred 3 and all of its meanings.

Note that 3 (the sacred number) multiplied by 3 (the total number of scared numbers) leads us to the next sacred number: 9.



9 - Represents the family unit. The human soul must gestate nine months for new life to begin--nine months before the soul is allowed to feel the dirty of the earth, drink the water, and breathe the air from the sky. The average size of a Cimmerian kin is 9--there are, on average, 9 people in a family. In Cimmerian society, though, only warriors are counted. Thus, an average sized Cimmerian family is constituted by nine fighters.

There are twelve people in your kin: Your grandfather, Fionn. Finn, your father. And, his brothers, your uncles: Dael, Eregerth, and Eanbotha. Your cousin, Brenna (Daels daughter), her husband, Hrathnar, and their daughter, Freya. Then there's Finn's two adopted children, Drachena, and you, Thrallan. And there are your brothers, the twins, Branoc and Caelis.

But, if you count only the warriors, you've discovered that the family Duncohr can field 9 fighters: Your father, Finn, and his brothers, Dael, Eregerth, and Eanbotha. Brenna's husband, Hrathnar. Drachena. Yourself, Thrallan. And your brothers, Branoc and Caelis. (Fionn is too old. Brenna is not a warrior. Freya is only 6 years old.)

Note that 9 (the sacred number) multiplied by 3 (the total number of scared numbers) leads us to the next sacred number: 27.



27 - Represents the symbol of Cimmerian strength, as the typical Cimmerian war band numbers 3 families of warriors. As the average kin can field 9 fighters, the average Cimmerian war band numbers 27 warriors. Many Cimmerian clans use a base of 27 when detailing their clansmen for war.






What is hidden among the background details...

-- That Lyme carried three babies in her womb, but one was dead, replaced by Thrallan.

-- That Thrallan is most likely 3 months older than Branoc and Caelis, even though Thrallan is considered Finn's youngest child.

-- That Lyme lingered for 3 months before her death, either naturally or at Finn's hand.

-- That Thrallan's Stone is considered the third Titan's stone in the Circle of Seven Stones (the prachaun grul, in Cimmerian). Thrallan's Stone dominates Padranag's Stone, which sits next to it (for which the stillborn child Padran was named), and Thrallan's Stone is three removed from Caelis' Stone (three stones ahead of the later) so that Thrallan's Stone is almost, but not quite, in direct opposition to Caelis' Stone.

-- That the babe Thrallan was found on the night of the full moon, the 27th day of the month.

 

[Mongoose_Will]

As a non gamer and a fan of Conan its a very interesting read. Please continue with the posts.

 

[Supplement Four]

-- The History of the Blue Fox Clan --





The clans of Cimmeria are varied. Some are nomadic, and some are not. Some are near savages, disfiguring their bodies and enemy to all that they encounter, while other clans are more progressive, building villages and towns. The latter describes the Grath. As one of the 18 dominate Cimmerian clans, they hold the territory in north-central Cimmeria, from the valleys of the Eighlophian Mountains to the northern edge of the Hoath Plain.

One peculiarity of the Grath is that they don't congregate in one location. There is no single village designated as the clanholme. The Grath are spread out, across their territory. There landscape is dotted with one or two family villages. They act as a union of city-states (though none of the villages are large enough to be considered a "town"), but Grath loyalty is stronger to the Clan than to the immediate family. This holds the clan together. It makes them strong-their lands dense with population and protection.

Politically, the Grath act as a quasi-combination of feudal society and republic. A chief is elected by the councils of each Grath village. When that person can no longer perform in the position, he can step down or be challenged by another Clansman. But, it's not mortal combat that decides the outcome of the challenge as it was in the past. The Grath have grown sophisticated by using a democratic method, allowing the town elders (only--not the Clansmen) to vote for the new Chief. A simple majority wins. The Chief's village becomes the center of political activity for the Clan until a Chief from another village is selected, at which time politics follows the Chief to a new home.





The Duncohrs, as a family, were dying out. Your grandfather, Fionn, was the last left alive. Inevitably, the one-to-two family villages that comprise the Grath were dominated by one of the families. Fionn left his village and set out to find a location for a Duncohr village. With is young wife, Maeoral, he determined to repopulate the Duncohr kin.

The spot he chose is a mystical place. A circle of seven 40-45 foot, rune-covered stones marks the spot where Crom conquered a troop of seven Titans, in the time before time. Each stone is said to serve as a tombstone for each Titan. This place is referred to as the prachaun grul, in the local tongue. Here, the land is pockmarked with warrens of the Cimmerian blue fox--a good omen.

Fionn Duncohr built his family's town on a ridge overlooking the prachaun grul. The place started as a cleared spot and two tents, one for Fionn and Maeoral, the other serving as a his smithy. But, Seven Stones Ridge grew, first into solid structures, then into a village, and finally into a town.

In truth, Seven Stones became the largest population center in the entire Clan, eventually home to almost half the Grath total population.





Nuadha (New-ah-tha) was the beautiful daughter of the Grath Chieftain, twenty years ago. She was very engaging, and she found her way into the hearts of the entire Clan. The Chief used his daughter as an ambassador. Nuadha would travel to the score of Grath villages, speaking with the town elders, completing Clan business at the bidding of her father. Yet, she did more. If she saw a village would not have enough meat for the upcoming winter, she would negotiate trade from another village that had plenty. Disputes were sometimes solved by her, though she had no real authority--her Clansmen finding it easier to use her word than wait for a decision from the Chief. There was talk that Nuadha would become the first female Grath Chieftain after her father aged.

But, tragedy struck. Nuadha and her father went missing. They were never found. The Grath had lost their Chief and their probable next Chief. Speculation of all sorts were whispered throughout the villages. One of the strongest theories was that Nuadha had been abducted by the Nangh, a clan from the Hoath Plain. Their Chief had recently proposed an alliance between the Grath and the Nangh, suggesting that Nuadha become his wife to seal the agreement. But, he was refused. Another rumor said that Nuadha was captured by the vicious Nachta, the savage clan on Cimmeria's southwestern border. It was said that word of Nuadha's beauty had spread across the country, and the Nactha chief wanted her as a trophy.

There was even speculation that Nuadha's own father had killed her out of jealousy for her popularity among the Clan. But, this was quickly quelled, as the Chief was never found either.

The loss of Nuadha is a mystery that may never be solved. The even happened twenty years agon. But her loss had a grave effect on the clan, in an almost mysterious way. The clan began to digress. The Grath villages became fractious. People would carve a five leafed clover on their foreheads--the symbol that Nuadha used to mark her presence.

In Seven Stones, Nuadha was known by the name Xean (zean), which means "light" in the local tongue. A likeness of her is nailed over the fireplace in the longhouse. Before each hunt, and before any war effort, each warrior touches Xean to gain her favor while in the wilderness away from home.




Not all Grath villages were affected equally by the loss of Nuadha and her father. But, the effect was long term and noticeable. Fionn Duncohr noticed it, and he feared that all he had built for his kin would be lost. Seven Stones had become a major trading center in the northern part of Cimmeria. It was the Duncohr family holding that he had dreamed about. News arrived one day that reported an entire Grath village had committed mass suicide. When they were found, it was seen that the villagers had stacked rocks in the village center to form a five leafed clover.

It was madness.

The Grath were falling apart. Trade with outsiders began to fade. Grath clansmen began to scar themselves to mark their suffering. And, finally, Grath began raiding other Grath villages.

It was then that Fionn decided to break away from the Grath. Seven Stones was prepared for war. It was ironic that Fionn's action--to leave the Grath and form a new clan--was the one action that helped solidify the fracturing Grath. For, all the Grath, those both insane and sane, felt that the Duncohrs were opening the door that would lead to the death of the entire Clan.

Clanwar broke out. The fighting was vicious. Fionn lost his wife, Maeoral, during the conflict. He's never forgiven his ex-brethren for that. They knew who she was.

The warriors of Seven Stones prevailed. During the fighting, the Grath began comparing the Stoners to the urro--the Cimmerian blue fox--saying how ruthless but intelligent in combat they can be. The Grath respected the Stoner tactics, as the town of Seven Stones Ridge should have been crushed by the combined warriors of the entire Grath Clan. "The luck of the urro," the Grath would say, and they began calling the Stoners the "Foxmen", referring to the blue fox.

The Duncohrs adopted the name for their new Clan that consisted mainly of Duncohr kinsmen, but those from other families as well.





Today, Seven Stones Ridge serves as the clanholme of the Blue Fox Clan. Fionn is aged many years, but his son, Finn, is Town Elder, and his other son, Eanbotha, is War Chief. The only town claimed by the Blue Fox, its territory is shadowed by the remaining Grath, who continue to deteriorate.

Finn is aging now, having seen 57 seasons. But, his three sons, Branoc, Caelis, and Thrallan, have just become warriors, to carry on the Duncohr name.

It took time, but old Fionn accomplished what he set out to do.

The Blue Fox live. The Duncohrs live. And, prosperous times are ahead.

 

[Supplement Four]

Since this is my "idea" thread (everything subject to change!), I'd better keep this here:


Ras Croi (Raws - Kroy) - A very physical, endurance race held during the Beltain (Festival on May 1st - First day of Summer) for 12 year old boys, when the clan has participants. The entire clan lines the race path, cheering, urging the young warriors on. Judging the runners are Clan Elders and all Warriors. A democratic vote is cast with Elder votes counting double, and by simple majority a runner, judged on his performance, becomes a Graiis (Gry-is). Graiis are basically warriors-in-training. Cadets. A Cimmerian specialized-warrior-school, where the graiis are trained, for three years, where, at around age 15, become full fledged warriors of the clan.

Those who run the Ras Croi, but are not selected as Graiis, have no saddled with no shame, though that emotion inevitably finds its way into the hearts of the 12 year olds who must run the race again the following year.

There are occasions when the Ras Croi is run by only one participant, due to only one clan member being of sufficient age, but the judging remains the same.



Ar Grais (Are Grys) - is the winner of the Ras Croi, and he is awarded with a special position among the Graiis, serving as a psuedo chieftain among the other warriors-in-training. Throughout the training period of the next three years, the Ar Grais acts as Captain-Leader-Commander among the other boys. He is also bestowed with the right to eating first among the other Graiis, sitting closest to the fire, and having the other Graiis follow his commands. This builds leadership and respect for authority among the boys, preparing them for life as adults among their clansmen.

The Grai-mada-ra (Gry-modda-raw) - is a necklace of station worn by the Ar Grais. It is made from the forelegs of the Cimmerian Blue Fox, and it is a sacred artifact among the Blue Fox Clan. Since clan members are forbidden from killing the blue fox, bones for the necklaces (as there may be more than one Ar Grais--a year or more apart--depending on the ages of the Graiis) are collected only when a Blue Fox is found dead in the wild. When such a dead fox is found, the villiage oracle is called to the site to collect as much of the dead fox as can be salvaged.



Deasghnath (Dee-as-ga-nath) - is the final rite of the Graiis, where the young warrior, aged about 15, must make a kill on his own. The type of kill is up to the warrior, and typically results in a feared animal being taken down and returned to the villiage. But sometimes, Clan enemies or targets of a Blood Fued are used to fulfill the Deasghnath. A warrior has some input into the esteem he will recieve after undergoing the deasghnath by the target he chooses to kill. It is not unusual to see a warrior return with the heads of three wolves, but this warrior does not find his place beside that of the warrior who returns to the villiage with the head of a member from an enemy clan.



Mantle - This is a large, warm, cloak, big enough to protect the warrior in winter and when sleeping in the wild. It can be made into a hammock or a wilderness shelter. Once a warrior completes the deasghnath, he becomes a young member of the clan's protectors: its warriors. Every person in the Clan contributes to the creation of the warrior's Mantle, from those hunters who provide the fur, to those who clean and skin the dead animals, to those who actually stitch the cloak into one piece. Young and old, every clansmen's hand touches the mantle and contributes to its creation, after which, it is presented to the warrior in a ceremony in front of the entire clan.

 

[Vambelte]

S4 everything you have created so far is marvelous! I wish I could play on that campaing...

 

[Supplement Four]

S4 everything you have created so far is marvelous! I wish I could play on that campaing...

Cool. Thanks, man! I've taken stuff that Mongoose (and other sources) has given us and expanded upon it. I mean, heck, that's what support material is all about, ain't it?

The Blue Fox Clan, Seven Stones Ridge, the Prachaun Grul, and Finn are all from Cities of Hyboria. Fionn is just a name mentioned in that book.

The Grath, Nuadha, and the three sacred numbers are from the Cimmeria sourcebook.

Most of the names of the Duncohr kin, I've taken from the fan adventure Red Snows. They're supposed to be PCs for that adventure, but only names and character level are provided for those characters--no stats. So, I took them and made them into the family, creating all the background you see.

The Ras Croi was created in order to teach my players, new to the Conan RPG, the Skills System. I wanted them to learn how to use skills--the worth of certain skills to Barbarians--but do it in a way that would "mean" something to their characters.

The rest, I just read the basics in the soucebooks and made it my own by putting some meat on it. As the thread title says: Using What You've Got.

 

[Supplement Four]

Here's a thought...

What if old grandmother Maeoral really had no Cimmerian blood in her at all? I've already established that she's half Aesir--her father traded the Aesir for his wife.

What if her father, the grandfather of the PCs on their mother's side, was actually a Gunderman who had fled north to live with the barbarians, running from some trouble.

Hell, we could make him a refugee of Venarium--a survivor that never made his way back home again, south. He'd have to have dark brown hair to pass for a Cimmerian. And, the Grath Clan is perfect in that they live in one and two family villages.





Another Thought....

That Cael*, the blacksmith in the Aesir village of Ansuz, from the Temple of Tears adventure, is actually Duncohr kin. There has been some great wrong he's committed. He's been exhiled from Seven Stones and never spoken of.

The PCs don't even know he existed since he was banished either before they were born or when they were very young. The Cimmerians take their word and ways seriously, so no his name has never been mentioned.

Cael could be one of Fionn's sons--that he really had five sons instead of four. Cael would be younger than Finn but older than Dael. Or...how about being Dael's twin, since the names are so close? I like that better.

Another thought is that Cael is Lyme's brother--the only person we know so far on that side of the family. (Though I like the idea of keeping the PC's mom's family more mysterious--detail the heck out of Finn's side of the family but leave Lyme's a mystery, with just a few clues here and there.)



EDIT: *Cael - I could make one of the PC's, Caelis, named after him. Cael was named after the Titan, but Caelis was named after both. It may be interesting for the player to discover this later in the game.





Remember that Hrathnar is from Ansuz, but he's lived with the Duncohrs since he was 14 (for the last 20 years--he knows more of the Cimmerian way of life than he does the Aesir).

Maybe make a connection there.

 

[Supplement Four]

-- Outline for the first game session --







LIFE IN THE MUCK

We'll begin on the three Duncohr boys, Thrallan and the twins, Branoc and Caelis, not far from Seven Stones. Knee deep in muck, they're ripping up small islands of grass and root, upturning them, digging for small kernels of iron-ore. They're bog mining, dropping the rock-like pellets into leathern sacks that hang at their waists.

None are shirted. All have bare feet. And the twelve year old boys are excited because the Beltain begins upon the rising of tomorrow's sun. The celebration of the first day of summer means no work for a day or three--yet the boys are also anxious, as this Beltain will see them, all three, run the Ras Croi.

They all know that, within three days, there lives will change, and they will begin the journey to manhood.





Stop here and roll Stats. Roll their Fate scores. Give option to arrange to taste if a Test of Fate is successful.

Explain how stats are different than in AD&D--how a STR 12 yields the same attack bonus as a STR 17 in AD&D.

Give them an idea of how each stat is used in the game--how all are important, including CHR modifying Fate tests.

Once this is done, give each character max hit points, per the rules.





OLAV COMETH

Young Branoc looks up from the muck. "On the ridge, Olav comes," he says to the others, pointing towards the horse and covered wagon. He refers to old one-armed Olav, who'd sent a runner two days agon to announce that he would be making the festival. Sometimes old Olav made it, and sometimes he didn't. But, when he comes, he always brings something interesting and entertaining--a spectacle that the entire town enjoys.

"What will it be this year?" Branoc will say to his brothers. Shrugging his shoulders at them, he says, "I'll guess that we'll soon find out."

(Tell the players that Olav brings a simple "circus" type act to Cimmeria. He's a Hyborian, but he's welcomed among many of the Clans. He usually finds something "interesting"--never the same thing twice--then makes the rounds, earning a living by the trading with the Cimmerian towns and villages.

Note: I'm establishing Olav, from Betrayer of Asgard, very early. I want the players to be quite comfortable with him.

Note: Before Betrayer is begun, the PCs could have a previous adventure with Olav, serving as wagon guards as he travels to nearby villages. These will probably be Grath villages, so the journey may be quite interesting.

In addition, Olav could employ the PCs' hunting skills in finding him something "interesting" to take to the next village, should he loose what he takes to Seven Stones.)





Stop here and go over the Conan RPG skill system. Cover skill points and buying skills. Training. Skill bonuses provided by Race and Class.

Go over Ability checks, difficulty class, re-rolling checks, opposed throws, taking 10 and taking 20, and skill synergy.

Answer player questions as needed.

Describe allowable skills.

Allow the players to add ranks to skills, following the rules, but they do not have to allocate all points. They can save points and allocate them over the next couple of game sessions (before we begin the game proper with their characters at Age 15 as 1st level Barbarians).

Any points they do allocate, though, will be permanent. There is no going back.

Questions will come up about the Ras Croi. Explain the ritual with an emphasis of how important it is to the characters (make it important to the players).

It will be interesting to see how they allocate their points, given the importance of the race.

Also: Allow the PCs to pick Nordheimer as a bonus language, if they want. As with the skill points, they can elect not to, then add it later, while we are developing the characters over the first few sessions. Or, they can add it as a bonus language now. If they do, though, the choice is permanent.





THE THIRSTY MAN WITH NO TONGUE

Skip ahead in time to the night before the race. Olav has kept his wagon covered, and curiosity is high as to what he's brought to the Beltain.

This morning, Olav revealed what he had to the people of Seven Stones. It's an old man. A Vanir by the looks of him, but up there in his years. He doesn't say much because Olav has cut out his tongue. The one-armed rogue teased the crowd this morning by announcing an axe throwing contest using the Vanir, tied up against a pole, as the target. The contestant who throws the most cuts on the old man, without killing him, wins.

There is no love for the Vanir in this town, so anticipation of Olav's event is high. Today, warriors began throwing heats against a naked pole to win a place in line at Olav's contest on the morrow.

This night, the boys cannot sleep, for the next day is also the day of the Ras Croi. Out at night in the town, they hear laughter and see candle light from inside the buildings. Smoke flows from chimneys, even at this late hour.

They pass the animal pen near the center of town, which is now, and is usually, empty of animals because hogs and boar, cattle and sheep, and goats, are a rare sight in Seven Stones. When those animals do appear, they don't last long as the butcher is quick to put his chopper to them.

The boys can't help thinking that the same is true for him who does occupy the pen. Olav has the Vanir tied to a pole in the pen. He's roped in such a way that he stands, even if he uses none of his fatigued muscles and slumps against the harness. There is little slack in the lines. There the old man awaits the chopper, just like the pen's previous residents.

"Lllaaa-aayyy," the old man croaks when he sees the kids. "Lllaa-aaay."

If the PCs ask what he's saying, give them an INT ability check at DC 20. If a PC speaks Nordheimer, then use DC 10.

He's asking for water. The Nordheimer word for water is "Lahsaay" (Lah-say).

It will be interesting to test the players' morality with this. Watch how they act. Are they true barbarians? Or, do they pity the Vanir.

At the appropriate dramatic moment, or if the PCs try to give the Vanir some water, they will hear a cough in the dark. It's Drachena, their older sister. If no one figured out what the Vanir was saying, she'll say, "He's thirsty. Go...bring some water." But, if the PCs left and returned with water, she'll speak up from the dark, saying, "Bring that here," before the PCs are able to put the cup to the old man's lips.

Either way, Drachena will take the water and walk slowly over to the old man. He motions as if to run his tongue across his lips, but dry swallows instead, probably realizing he doesn’t have one in his mouth any longer.

Stopping a foot or three in front of the Vanir, Drachena will look, unblinkingly, into the old man's eyes. For an uncomfortable, long moment, she'll hold the old man's gaze.

Then, without emotion, without even a smile, she'll drink the water in front of him, draining the cup dry, then hand it back to the PCs and slowly walk back across the pen, finding her perch again upon the rail. There she will sit. Quiet. Unmoving. Just staring across the pen to the Vanir.

This is Drachena's introduction as a major NPC. See her background above for her motivations.





The next morning will come, and we'll run the Ras Croi, using the rules I've devised. It is likely that all PCs will finish the Ras Croi as Graiis. But, if a player gets unlucky with the d20, and a few natural "1's" are thrown, then consider not passing him--making him wait until next year to attempt the Ras Croi again. That will put an interesting dynamic between the player characters.

The PCs also have an equal chance of becoming the Ar Grais, but Branoc, the NPC, could also win the race. Either way, with either PC or Branoc as the Ar Grais, an interesting roleplaying dynamic is created among the players and their NPC brother, Branoc.

At the end of the race, their father, the town Elder, Finn, will crown the Ar Grais by placing the Grai-mada-ra over his head. This is something that the PC can be proud his character obtained, if a PC wins the race. If Branoc wins the race, then the PCs can envy him (though I'm going to play Branoc as if he loves his brothers extremely).





AXE GAMES

As the PCs are not yet warriors, they can only watch the event Olav brought for the Beltain. I'll describe, in bloody detail, how the Urrogh warriors landed their axes, cutting off a finger here, nicking the old man there--how one of Drachena's throws almost pierced his throat, but instead cut out some of the man's hair before slicing through his collar bone.

The Cimmerians let their young watch such a spectacle because it hardens them, preparing them for the world Crom has set before them. Besides, it is likely that Cimmerian young have seen worse if they're old enough to remember anything at all.

The Vanir is an enemy--a common raider into the Cimmerian lands, and as such, is worthy of no mercy. Crom would think the Blue Foxmen weak, otherwise. (I'm trying to show the players that this game is based on Howard's version of the Barbarian--real barbarians--not the heroic good guys that sometimes show up in the works of Jordan and such.)





I want to come up with a quick dicing system to roll the event. Something like d20 + character level, with a certain number resulting in a killing blow. That way, the narration of the event won't look so "pre-planned" to the players. I can even have them throw for the various warriors in the contest, skewing the results to the higher level NPCs.

It should come down to the Duncohr brothers, and maybe Drachena, too, so that the players can see their characters' NPC family in action for the first time.





TAKING OUT THE TRASH

Once the Vanir is dead, and the day begins to come to a close, the Ar Grais is given his first order. He's to take the dead Vanirman's body down, with the help of his Graiis, and drag him out into the woods. "Make sure its far enough down wind from the town, mind you!" This is past the bog, where the stream narrows and the current picks up. "The wolves may as well enjoy the Beltain as did we. And, Badh knows, the old Vanir may be more useful than just feeding the wolves and fertilizing the ground. He might still attract some game this way."

As they leave town with the body, they will see the Witch, old Rutcrana, standing just outside her door. The boys can't hear anything, but, in the dwindling light, they can see her lips moving. And her gaze never falls off of them until they can see her no more.

(Make Rutcrana creepy...mysterious. The Cimmerians are a highly superstitious people.)

This is where the 1st game session will come to a close. But, as a Cliff Hanger: Ask the players how they are moving the Vanir. Are they dragging him with rope? Carrying him in an old blanket? (If they are, this will look back for the Ar Grais as blankets are valuable.) Using a wagon? (Again, probably not, as going across the stream and getting deep into the woods would be a major hassle with the cart.)

Either give a character a Search check (again, to get the players used to rolling skill checks--make it an automatic success, but the player won't know that), or just tell the most appropriate PC that they notice something odd about the Vanir's hair. The drag through the stream soaked the body. Much of the blood is gone.

But, his hair has changed...it's lighter.

It's some sort of dye. The old man's hair really isn't red.

It's blond.

 

[Supplement Four]

Note for the above - Olav will leave on the second day (staying among the Urrogh only one night). He'll reveal the old Vanir man to the crowd on the morning of the second day, do some trading with the Clansmen, then leave by mid-day. Seven Stones isn't the only Cimmerian village that is celebrating the Beltain, and Olav makes much of his money with his trading.

Hranthnar will send an NPC ahead of Olav on one of Olav's horses (that is now lighter after trade with Seven Stones and dropping off the Vanir).

The Vanir will be tied to the pole in the animal pen before Olav leaves (which is how he got there for the scene above).





- Character Notes -

So many NPCs...I need to make them memorable and distinctive so that the players will look at them as people with personalities and not just cardboard NPCs.

Drachena has a pretty good introduction to the players in the scene above. What makes her memorable is the way she looks. She's very "manly". Plain. Lots of "Y" chromosome. Her breasts are small and seem to be an afterthought tacked onto her solid pecs. Think female body-builder--but Drachena's body is natural, not roided. Thick, short, neck. Wide shoulders--her back is a "V" shape to her waist. Large, corded thighs. Thick, dark hair. You can believe this woman can kick some arse. She's a tough one and not weak. Wrap her up in winter gear, and you can't tell her apart from the men--she's got that much bulk.

One of Drachena's highest skills is Heal--something she can teach the PCs.





Finn is a bit stereotypical. He's a 57 year old big, burly mother-of-a-northman. He's all long hair and long beard, with a barrel chest, thick arms, wide thighs, and a long waist. He's not anybody to be trifled with. And, he'd think you queer if he ever heard you use the word "trifle".

He's practical. A leader of men. Not afraid to hear the ideas of others, but strong in his conviction once he's made a decision. And, he's smart enough to use the best tool for the job.

He is quite capable of murdering Lyme if he thought he was cheating the inevitable and releasing his wife from her misery. His code is that a man does what a man has to do.





Hrathnar, the Aesir, husband of Brenna, is less the warrior-type and more the frontier merchant. While Finn and Dael focus on the actual work of the craftsmen, Hrathnar has grown into a role of running the business. His biggest obstacle is his blond hair and heritage (even though he's spent more time among the Cimmerians than among his own people. The people of Seven Stones long ago accepted him, but he does sometimes get untrusting looks when he travels to other Clans on matters of trade and business. In order to get the best deal, he often sends a surrogate--usually one of the Duncohrs--to do the long distance business. At home, Hrathnar feels he has the advantage enough to do his own negotiating.

Hrathnar and Brenna own three mountain ponies--the only horses in town. He uses them pull the trade wagon on business journeys, taking completed metal goods to bartering partners and returning with goods (such as vegetables, breads, and different meat than can be hunted around Seven Stones) needed by the town.

Finn has been pondering the idea of creating a "Cimmerian Calvary" with the three horses, but Hrathnar is not keen on the idea. Still, the Aesir does use is ponies for scouting and long-distance, quick, messaging.

Hrathnar and Brenna are both leather workers, having picked up the trade over the last five or six years. This incensed the town's master leather worker, who left the Clan about 3 years ago. Now, the two serve the town, and any leather work that Finn or Dael need done is turned over to Hrathnar and Brenna. The leather and hide business has quadrupled the business at the Duncohr Forge.

Now a seasoned businessman at age 34, Hrathnar is far sighted and done quite well for himself since being forced to leave his family and people two decades ago. He owns the tannery, the town's only horses, and a small interest in the Duncohr Forge.

If the PCs want to learn Handle Animal or Ride, Hrathnar can be their teacher. Any Blue Foxman that speaks Nordheimer can speak it better than most other Cimmerians because of Hrathnar.

Brenna, too, is quite skilled in Heal, as is Drachena.





Branoc does love his brothers deeply, and he loves Thrallan no less than his twin, Caelis. To Branoc, Thrallan might as well be blood-kin to him. Physically, Branoc takes after his father. Branoc is naturally strong and gifted with the body of a Hyborian sculpture. He's athletic. Coordinated. (STR 18, DEX 12, CON 15) But, he takes time to process things. Even in a conversation, he is prone to refain from answering a question until he thinks of the best answer. (INT 8, WIS 14) This often leads to awkward moments when conversing with Branoc. He can be quite funny, though. He's got a good, dry sense of humor, often citing the obvious with a dead-pan delivery. (CHA 12).

When role playing Branoc, focus on his speech mannerisms. Lots of thought. Slow to reply. And, use a peculiar Yoda-like pattern, but in a slow, serious, matter-of-fact voice): "On yonder hill, Olav comes." "Big is the mace that man carries."

 

[Supplement Four]

-- Running The Ras Croi --



I want the Ras Croi to be an exhilarating event for the players during their first game session. I want them to feel the ground under their feet, see their brothers pumping their arms to take the lead, squint from the sweat that's trickled into their eye.

I'm going to try to accomplish this with description and some dicing. The dicing servers two functions. First, it teaches my players the different ways that Skills can be used in the game. And, second, it will provide some uncertain competition to the race, making it fun.



The Course

It's a long track around the town proper. We'll start out next to the prachaun grul. The competitors will throw their punts as far as they can to mark their starting positions. Finn, the Town Elder, will bark, "GO!", then we'll be off to the races, literally.

The course runs over the stream at the old plank bridge, then angles towards the 10 foot shelf that rises like a small cliff out of the ground, almost straight up into the air. Once on the plateau, the runners have a choice. They can run across old Bec's Bridge, which is an old tree that has fallen across the short chasm the stream has cut into the plateau, or the runners can simply jump the chasm. It's about 15 feet across.

From there, the contestants will run to the edge of the plateau where it meets the waterfall pouring off the massive cliff to the north, and jump into the small pond below.

In the water, they swing to the shallows, simply called the "Muck" by the locals, where the boys go bog mining for their father. The muddy, swampy terrain of the Muck will slow them, until they're back on hard ground and running back to the prachaun grul.

The entire race will last for 3 laps.



-- Check Segments --

Dicing for the race is a semi-abstract process. Whatever is thrown for a contested, that sum is recorded. Thus, when Branoc is running, he'll make a STR check. Let's say that total is 16 for that throw. He rolled a 13 on the d20 and added +3 for his STR modifier.

Cael makes the same throw to see how he fared that segment. His total is 12. This means that Branoc is 4 feet out in front of Cael.

Keep a running total of the checks, like this, to see where the boys are, relative to each other. This separate between characters will be referred to below as their distance total.

There are several segments to the race, and each segment requires a check.

01. Throw (will be Run on laps 2 and 3).
02. Run
03. Run (takes the runners over the old plank bridge).

04. Run (takes the runners to the small 10' cliff).
05. Climb (up to the plateau).
06. Run (to either Bec's Bridge or the Chasm Jump, player's choice).

07. Jump. (over stream chasm).
07. Balance (over Bec's Bridge).

08. Run (takes runners to the jumping point into the pond).
09. Jump (jump down into the pond).
10. Swim (to the shallows).

11. Run (through the Muck).
12. Run
13. Run (takes runners through the center of the prachaun grul).

Return to 01 for Laps 2 and 3.





-- Ras Croi Mechanics --

Push Yourself: A character can try to push himself beyond normal limits on any check. He does this by adding a number to the throw's DC. If the check is successful, then the number is used as a modifier to increase the runner's total.

For example, Branoc is looking at a DC 10 throw. The player decides to make this a DC 12. The throw is made, resulting in a 14. This is modified to be a 16 due to the push number.



Starting Throw: The Ras Croi is begun by the contestant throwing small, spear-like implements called "punts". A punt is constructed by taking a long, conical piece of chipped rock that is tied to a pole of about 3 feet in length. There is a leather strap affixed to the opposite end of the pole. And, the pole is not tied to the rock as a spear. The pole is strapped to the side of the rock, leaving some room for a point, with the pole flaring out like the side of a "V". Picture a check-mark, and you've got the idea.

The Ras Croi runners take about three quick steps, swinging the punts in a circular motion by holding the straps and twisting their wrists. On the third step, the punts are released. They are thrown in a ballistic arc out in front of the contestant. Where ever it lands is that runner's starting point for the race.

The ritual of chunking the punt is meant to be the first lesson of the Ras Croi--that life is not fair.

Mechanic: STR check.





Run: Use DC 5 on Lap 1; DC 10 on Lap 2; DC 15 on Lap 3. This represents the greater chance of the runner tiring as the race moves on. It's a long way around to complete even a single lap.

For the Muck Run, use DC 7 - 12 - 17. The increase in difficulty represents the harder terrain.

Mechanic: CON check at various DCs.

Note that this skill check is used as both a normal check against a difficulty number and as an opposed check, since the total is being recorded against the other contestants.

On a natural 20, add 5 points to the runner's total.

On a natural 1, the runner has stumbled and may fall.

If a Fall is checked, have the runner make a Reflex Save at the same DC as the Run. Success means the runner stumbled but caught himself before tripping.

Failure means the runner fell. He must get back up and continue the race. Penalize the runner by apply a -15 to his total in the next segment (the modifier is for the distance total only). This segment, the runner's distance is 1, and next segment, the -15 modifier is applied.

If the DC is failed, it represents the runner tiring. He keeps his total, but he is considered Fatigued (-2 STR/ -2 DEX) until the end of the race. His distance total is also penalized with a -2 on every segment until the end of the race.

Becoming Fatigued can only occur once during the race, and it can be the result of a failed Run check only once during a lap. (Thus, if a Run check is failed again in the same lap, the runner is not moved up to Exhausted.)

If the DC is failed on a later lap, the runner is considered Exhausted (-6 STR/ -6 DEX) until the end of the race. Distance total is penalized with a -6 on every segment until the end of the race.





Climb: The small cliff is 10' tall but can be climbed as if it were a 5 foot distance because of the various root-hand-holds and rock-foot-steps. Clanmen tend to congregate around the base of the climbing point as it is one of the more dangerous obstacles of the Ras Croi. Remember, these are not seasoned warriors but twelve year old boys.

Mechanic: Climb/STR check at DC 10

A natural 20 on the Climb check adds +5 points to the character's distance this segment.

A failure by 4 or less means that the total distance for the first throw is forfeit and a second throw is made with -5 to distance.

A failure by 5 or more, or a natural 1, means the character fell. On a fall, the character must make a DC 10 Reflex throw or be out of the race, having hurt himself on the fall. A successful save sees the character starting the climb a second time, from the bottom, with a -20 modifier to distance (which will mostly likely reduce total distance for the race).





Balance: Runners have a choice, once they reach the plateau, of jumping across the 15' chasm or running across the fallen tree that the locals call "Bec's Bridge". If the tree-bridge is taken, a Balance check is required. Players get a choice of two DC's. DC 6 is used for those who want to take the bridge slowly and suffer a -15 distance penalty. DC 11 is used for those who wish to take the bridge in a couple of running skips.

Mechanic: Balance/DEX Check at DC 6 or DC 11.

A natural 20 on the Balance check adds +5 points to the character's distance this segment.

A failure by 4 or less means that the total distance for the first throw is forfeit and a second throw is made with -5 to distance.

A failure by 5 or more, or a natural 1, means the character fell. On a fall, the character must make a DC 10 Reflex throw to make it to the opposite side of the bridge with failure indicating that the runner fell down into the chasm, taken out of the race.





Jump: The Jump skill is used in two ways during the Ras Croi. The first jump is the leap across the 15' chasm--an attempt players may choose after climbing to the plateau.

Mechanic: Jump/STR DC 15.

If Jump is not a trained skill, then a DC 20 is needed to land on the far side of the chasm, the character on is feet. If the character does not land on his feet, then penalize distance with a -15 modifier to represent the time it takes for the boy to pick himself up an continue the race.

On a natural 20, add +5 to distance.

Fail by 4 or less, means the jumper did not make it to the far side of the chasm but has a chance to grab the edge of the far side and keep himself from falling to the bottom. Make a DC 15 Reflex save to succeed in this grab. Those making the grab use a -20 distance modifier on their next segment. Failing the save means the character falls to the bottom of the chasm and is out of the race.

Fail by 5 or more, or a natural 1, means the character falls to the bottom of the chasm and is out of the race.



The second jump is a simple leap off the plateau into the swimming pond at the bottom of the waterfall.

Mechanic: Jump/STR DC 5.

No total is added to distance on this segment.

A natural 20 adds +5 distance to the next swim segment.

A natural 1 means the character has hit a rock and is out of the race.

A failure, other than a natural 1, means that -15 must be subtracted from the distance in the next swim segment.





Swim: The Ras Croi contestants must make the short swim to the shallows on the south side of the pond.

Mechanic: Swim/STR at DC 6.

A natural 20 adds +5 to distance.

A Failure or a Natural 1 means total is forfeit and a second throw is made at -15 distance.

 

[Supplement Four]

Ar Grais (Are Grys) - is the winner of the Ras Croi, and he is awarded with a special position among the Graiis, serving as a psuedo chieftain among the other warriors-in-training. Throughout the training period of the next three years, the Ar Grais acts as Captain-Leader-Commander among the other boys. He is also bestowed with the right to eating first among the other Graiis, sitting closest to the fire, and having the other Graiis follow his commands. This builds leadership and respect for authority among the boys, preparing them for life as adults among their clansmen.

The Grai-mada-ra (Gry-modda-raw) - is a necklace of station worn by the Ar Grais. It is made from the forelegs of the Cimmerian Blue Fox, and it is a sacred artifact among the Blue Fox Clan. Since clan members are forbidden from killing the blue fox, bones for the necklaces (as there may be more than one Ar Grais--a year or more apart--depending on the ages of the Graiis) are collected only when a Blue Fox is found dead in the wild. When such a dead fox is found, the villiage oracle is called to the site to collect as much of the dead fox as can be salvaged.

Winning the Ras Croi and becoming the Ar Grais nets the player two Fate Points (under my altertative Fate system). No experience points are awarded because this experience is considered part of that needed to become 1st level (technically, the characters are not yet 1st level Barbarians and will not be for another three years).

But, the Ras Croi will be a major background achievement for the character, so Fate awards for this story point is appropriate.

Any other characters who finish the Ras Croi and become Graiis deserve one Fate point (always under my Fate system--not the vanilla system).

There is a chance that some of the player characters will not finish the race or finish but finish so poorly (the race is challenging for a 1st level character) that the Urrogh Warriors do not vote them into the Graiis.

If this happens, the boy can try the race again the following year, when his body has matured a bit more physically (the major part of what the race is meant to test), but no Fate points are awarded after the first race when the contestant is 12 years old.

 

[Supplement Four]

Alternate Fate System

(Discussed here: http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=42930&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0 )



At character generation, generate a Fate score as you do the character's abilities. Only PCs and major NPCs have Fate scores.

Test the Fates = 1d20 for FAT or less. (FAT score is modified by CHA)

Natural 20 - Always Fails
Natural 1 - Always Succeeds
There is no cap to the FAT score.

When a character's Fate is tested, some of his "luck" is "used up". Each Fate Test, successful or not, causes the character's FAT score to shrink.

A character can Test the Fates several times, but the cost increases dramatically with each Test. Some Tests, though, are only allowed once, per the GM.

Cost of the 1st Test: 1 point.
Cost of the 2nd Test: 3 points.
Cost of the 3rd Test: 7 points.
Cost of the 4th Test: 11 points.

A Test can be made even though enough points aren't available, as long as the character has at least 1 point.

For example, a character has FAT 3. He attempts to Test the Fates and fails. He now has FAT 2. He can still make a second attempt, which will cost him all his points and leave him a FAT 0.

If a character has a FAT 0 score, then no attempts at Testing the Fates can be made.

The results of a successful Test of the Fates is the same as spending as Fate Point in the vanilla game.

Fate Points are recovered, increasing the FAT score, under the alternative Heroic method outlined in the vanilla game. Fate points are also awarded when some story goals are met. Note that the GM should be a little more generous with Fate Point awards than in the vanilla game due to the increased way in which they are spent under this system. Fate awards should still hover around one or two points, but they should be awarded more than once per adventure. Awards at "chapter breaks" and during major events in the character's life re appropriate.

 

[Supplement Four]

Character Creation

This Campaign, offically called Cimmerian Blood, will use the default method for rolling abilties listed in the Conan RPG. That is: Roll 4d6, drop lowest, for each stat.

Each ability is rolled in order. Arrangement to the player's taste is not allowed.

Then, a seventh stat is thrown, also using 4d6, drop lowest. This is the characters FAT score.

Destiny Test: The player is allowed to throw a single Test of Fate at this point during character creation (at the normal cost of 1 FAT point). If successful, the player may arrange the character's six abilities to taste (but the FAT score remains as rolled, minus one point for the Test). Only one Test can be made, so if the Test is not successful, the character's abilities remain as rolled.

 

[Supplement Four]

-- The Duncohr Women --



Life has been cruel to the women in your family. Of those that have prevailed, it's mostly the men who still live. But, is that surprising? Cimmeria is an inhospitable place. Rough terrain. Horrifying weather. Freezing cold several months out of the year. Multiple preadators, especially those that use only two legs.

Your grandmother, Maeoral, died before you were born. Your mother, Lyme, died shortly after you were born. You knew neither of them.

You've got a cousin, Brenna, who is 8 years older than you, and you've got Drachena, the little girl whom your father took into his family after her family was slaughtered by the Grath during the Separation, two decades ago. Drachena is 10 years older than you are, and she's always been a bit distant. Quiet. She goes off alone alot. She trains, like a man will train, with weapons. There's a lot of anger in her.

And she wasn't the right person to be your surrogate mother. Everyone could see that.

So, the duty fell to young Brenna. Since she was 8 years old, she's wiped your arse, cleaned your nose, and made sure you had a warm skin to cover yourself at night. Even when she married Hrathnar, the Aesirman, and even when she had her own child, Freya, she never faltered from taking care of you. You've always known that she was your cousin. Secrets weren't kept from you. But, in a way, you're as much Brenna's child as your father's.

And, Finn, your father, always supported her authority, never doubting her. All those times he was away on a hunt, or raid, or trade, it was Brenna who made sure you were fed.

You've just turned 12 years old now, and you know you're about to start a journey that will take you to manhood--accepted as a warrior for the Clan.

Brenna is 20. A married woman and mother.

Drachena has seen 22 winters, and for seven years now she's been accepted among the other warriors, the only woman to find a place among them in memory.





-- The Curse of the Duncohr Women --

When you think of the women in your family, you think of Brenna, your cousin that raised you. You think of Drachena, your adopted sister who is a woman warrior among men. You think of your poor mother, Lyme, who died giving birth to you. And, you think of your grandmother, Maeoral, because your grand-da mentions her so often.

You don't think of Britta, though. She's Brenna's mother. Your uncle Dael's wife. During the troubled times of the Separation, Britta left Dael to be with another man--one of the Grath.

Dael and Brenna never speak of her, though you've seen the look on Brenna's face and know that she sometimes thinks of her.

Then, there's your other uncle's story. Ean. Today, he's the Clan War Chief, second only to your father/his brother. But, there was a time, before you were born, that 19 year old Eanbotha had a wife and three beautiful daughters. All of them were taken in the same year, in the same month, during the hard winter that hit Seven Stones the year that the Clan had won its separation from the Grath.

Some believe that there is a curse on the Duncohr women. You know this because you've heard the whispers.

Today, only one of your blood lives: Brenna. Though the bond tying Drachena to you and your family is strong, she is not the product of your father's loins.

Brenna is your only true living female relative, unless Britta still lives (and she was Duncohr by marriage only).

 

[Supplement Four]

Alternate Fate System

A method more in-line with the d20 System would be to do this:



1: Fate Points are awarded in the same was as indicated in the book.

2: The Test of Fate changes.

Test of Fate = d20 + CHR Mod + Fate Points.

This way, the number of Fate Points acts like the character's skill rank.

Roll vs. a DC of 10.

Each Test costs 1 point.

On each successive Test, increase the DC by +5.

 

[Supplement Four]

-- First Game Session Report --




Our first game session came off without a hitch. It pays to be prepared. I've got to say, it was one of the best "first game sessions" with a "new game" that I've ever had. Many times, new games start off slowly, even rocky, as the GM struggles to govern without a full command of the rules while the players try to learn the new system.

I followed the Outline you see several posts above--very closely. The new Fate system was used, and it worked perfectly. I'm very happy with it. This first game session, we focused on learning the skill system and picking some skills for the PCs. I was wrong about the estimated time, though. It didn't take 3 hrs. It took 7 hrs. But, no one was in a hurry. We were all learning, "finding" the characters, getting a grasp on the new system.

The Player Characters are starting to develop quite nicely. Already, from the first session, they're becoming individuals--not carbon copy "game men".

We had some roleplaying situations pop up. When the boy left the muck as Olav arrived, they were curious about what the northman had locked away in his covered wagon. Thrallan made a Listen check (I kept trying t throw them checks when I could--remember the focus on the night was to learn the skill system), and from the information I gave him on his check, he correctly guessed that Olav had a human stashed back there.

This played right into my GM hands with the idea in the Outline about the Vanir old man. I meant to test their morality as players and how they'd play their characters. Just before this, though, I had gone over the Barbaric Code of Honor. The players "got it", and they played the situation with the Vanir as barbarians would. As the old Vanir with no tongue mouthed for water, one of PCs just stood in front of old man tied to the pole, curious, while Thrallan went to get a cup of water--except he urinated in it. It was a juvenile thing to do, but, then again, the player was playing a 12 year old!

The scene with Drachena made its point and introduced the character well. And, we had a few moments with the PCs' father, Finn. Late in the game, Rutcrana was introduced, as described in the Outline. All of these, along with the PCs' brother, Branoc, were introduced in one way or another--and I think I did a decent job of making each one of the NPC distinct.

Running the Ras Croi was the highlight of the night, as I'd hoped it would be. I've improved the rules (a couple of times) from what you see above, and the game did exactly what I wanted it to do. It was "fun", and the players felt it, running as fast as they could around that obstacle track.

When Caelis threw the punt at the start of the race, he picked up the punt, swung as he had a million times before, took his three steps, and let the punt fly. The problem is that Caelis was nervous and got no arc on his throw. The punt went straight up in the air, then came straight back down, landing just two feet in front of him.

For those looking for such signs, it was an omen that did not bode well for young Caelis.

Branoc was strong out of the gate and led most of the race. He got into trouble on the last lap, though, which put his clear cut victory in jeapordy.

Caelis ran a strong second for most of the race, but started fading towards the end. Caelis and Thrallan started swapping places for second and third place while Branoc lead the other two from a comfortable lead.

It was on the last lap, though, at Crom's Ankle, where the Cimmerian god is said to have stood when he delivered the killing blow that killed the seven Titans in the area, laying them to rest in the ground, using the Seven Stones--the prachaun grul--as headstones. Caelis began to climb the 10' vertical ledge when his muscles gave out from exhaution.

Thrallan suffered bad luck as soon as he launched himself into the race as well. He started off at a quick pace but twisted is ankle. With a limp, he trailed almost the entire race.

Towards the end of the race, though, Branoc begame to falter. He slipped and fell several times.

Thrallan did something that few Ras Croi runners ever do. He made the jump across the chasm instead of balancing his way across the 15' crack in the ground using the fallen tree the Clan refers to as "Bec's Bridge". This immediately put him in the lead. But he fell on his run to the cliff, jumped into the pond, and swam to the shallows, only to fall again, hard, into the Muck.

The entire town went wild with approval when Thrallan made the jump. It's something that will be talked about for several years.

At the end, on the last stretch, the runners run through the prachaun grul to finish the race. Branoc pumped his way through, exhausted, with a 21 foot lead over Thrallan.

Branoc is now the Ar Grais.

Thrallan is Graiis.

And, Caelis will have to wait another year before he can attempt the Ras Croi again.





After the race, the boys enjoyed the rest of the Beltain festivities. Everyone they saw congratulated them. They could see a change in the way that they were treated. Branoc and Thrallan had passed a milestone in their lives. They were no on the road to becoming men.

Caelis was told, by his father, by almost everyone who spoke to him afterwards, that there is no shame in his performance today. There is no shame in not completing the Ras Croi. There is next year, and everyone told him that they knew he win and be the Ar Grais when next Caelis foots the race.

If there was one topic that was on everyone's breath about the race, though, it was Thrallans jump over the chasm--and the last ditch effort he made to win the race. In many ways, Thrallan has gained more respect for his daring and successful attempt than Branoc has for winning the race and becoming the Ar Grais.

Those that bet on the race found no odds with Branoc. He was always favored to win, and in that regard, he delivered.



That last part of the game--the cliffhanger I mention in the Outline--when the old Vanirman is revealed to have yellow hair, not red, played well. The "mystery" is afoot.

All of us are eager for Game Session Two.