Where´s Hyboria´s Bestiary?

[VincentDarlage]

Just a comment, one thing I'd like to see in the Bestiary is some dinosaurs, for instance the one from the story Red Nails, or the one's out of a couple of the Soloman Kane stories, maybe find some in the Picts terrotory or in some forgotten areas in the Black Kingdoms.

The one from Red Nails is in Conan: Scrolls of Skelos (page 86-87).

A sample dinosaur in Pictland is in Conan: Across the Thunder River (page 138, Otah the Lizard God, a tyrannosaur)

 

[Wyrmsbane]

Unfortunately I don't have the SoS book, and have tried to order it from my local game store with no success, I'll have to try again.

 

[High Lord Dee]

Unfortunately I don't have the SoS book, and have tried to order it from my local game store with no success, I'll have to try again.

You can pick up the book right here on the Mongoose's site if you cannot find the Sos book.

HLD

 

[The King]

Oh, and even some "simple" animals might be covered in this style, esp. under Uses; for example, elephants for their ivory. (I'm sorry: that doesn't fit well with modern conservationist sensibilities, but I'm sure there was a trade in ivory in Hyboria.)

Use for animals is quite easy: almost all of them were use for their skins/furs, sinews, bones, teeth, claws, intestines, and other organs. The tribes shamans took some parts (heart, brains, ..) to make whatever powder and elixir they could. From this tradition comes probably the curious aphrodisiacs.

Refering to the animals for the bestiary I still affirm that they more or less already appeared. We couldn't create a bestiary just to include rabits or sush other games.
Moreover all the regional sourcebooks include new creatures native from the area (i.e. Pict wilderness, black kingdoms).
What we in fact need is more monsters or a system to create demons (like the one in Stormbringer RPG). But then again, there are always new creatures in the coming books and scenarios.

 

[Ant]

... Man, your acting like I'm asking for your money or something. I just feel a Bestiary would be cool and useful for a GM. You feel it wouldn't. That's cool. They covered a a lot of the Road of Kings material in the Core book as well but still came out with a expansion on the core material presented. The same could be said for a Bestiary. I would think 2 years into a RPG would be a good time to consolidate material and present it in a unique and intriguing format. But, since the schedule is out maybe next year. I hope they do it. As for the breakdown of creatures checkout my thread "GM Only - Bestiary Reference List". Your D & D reference makes no sense in light of that list. The fact that the Conan RPG has so many available and stated out animals/monsters/demons/templates demonstrates the appropriateness of a bestiary for the game.

I think we're talking at cross purposes, Strom.

I was just making the point that Mongoose gave us one volume with everything we needed to play rather than separate DM/PH/MM volumes. Which is not to say that there's no value in supplements that expand on topics already covered... as Road of Kings does.

I'm well aware of your "GM Only - Bestiary Reference List" - and you'll see I cited it above to rebut The King's comment, "there aren't so many animals and monsters in Conan"! What I don't see a need for in Conan is an endless succession of bestiaries: Monster Manual, Monster Manual 2, Fiend Folio, Monster Manual 3, ...

I too feel a bestiary would be cool and useful for a GM... but not if all it does is reprint stuff verbatim from the core rulebook and supplements. My epiphany was that there is a way - demonstrated by Freeport and WFRP - of adding value to a separate bestiary through extended entries for each creature.

Cordialement,
Ant

 

[Ant]

... Use for animals is quite easy: almost all of them were use for their skins/furs, sinews, bones, teeth, claws, intestines, and other organs. The tribes shamans took some parts (heart, brains, ..) to make whatever powder and elixir they could. From this tradition comes probably the curious aphrodisiacs.

Yes, but what uses exactly? What are their skins/furs, sinews, bones, teeth, claws, intestines, and other organs worth? And to whom?

... Refering to the animals for the bestiary I still affirm that they more or less already appeared. We couldn't create a bestiary just to include rabits or sush other games...

Yes, I agree: I'm not advocating that at all.

... What we in fact need is more monsters... But then again, there are always new creatures in the coming books and scenarios.

Which monsters from the Conan stories have not been covered? New monsters should probably make their first appearances in the appropriate supplements... as you say.

... or a system to create demons (like the one in Stormbringer RPG). ...

Well, that could go in a bestiary. But do we really need more demons?

Ciao,
Ant

 

[The King]

... Use for animals is quite easy: almost all of them were use for their skins/furs, sinews, bones, teeth, claws, intestines, and other organs. The tribes shamans took some parts (heart, brains, ..) to make whatever powder and elixir they could. From this tradition comes probably the curious aphrodisiacs.

Yes, but what uses exactly? What are their skins/furs, sinews, bones, teeth, claws, intestines, and other organs worth? And to whom?

In the stone age and even after that time, jewel cutting wasn't very common. Many used bones, teeth or claws for decoration (bones were also used as tools). Usually the chief, hunters and fighters used this. Some chiefs even adorned full animal hide (from bear, wolf).

Furs and hides were used for clothes, tents, etc. Do you know for instance that camel urin was used to dye tents and give them some impermeability and camel dung to light fire camp? (I think I learnt this in some Al-Qadim sourcebooks).

Intestines were used as water skins among other things.

It shouldn't be difficult to find some books on the use of animals after they were eaten. However I think many human parts were also used that way (the Celtic culture is very morbid in fact as skulls were commonly used as adornements).

Which monsters from the Conan stories have not been covered? New monsters should probably make their first appearances in the appropriate supplements... as you say.

It depends on whether you also used the pastiche works or not. My former Conan stories were touched by de Camp because they weren't available otherwise. There many ghoul-like monsters (ghouls from the forest on the Argos-Zingara borders, the servants of Bit-Yakins, Brylukas,..). The same is true from Apes.

Well, that could go in a bestiary. But do we really need more demons?
Here again it depends on what you want. But I have nothing against some demonic powers and feats, so a summoner can decide what he wants.

In the Hour of the Dragon, Xaltotun has 2 demonic servants which have no other purposes (we don't see them fight for him and it seems they are no bodyguards - hell, they didn't watch on his goods because the heart of Ahriman was stolen).

 

[Ant]

... Use for animals is quite easy: <snip/>

Yes, but what uses exactly? <snip/>

In the stone age and even after that time...

Actually I wasn't expecting you to answer that question... it was kind of rhetorical.

I meant that the bestiary should describe the particular uses in game terms of particular bits of each particular creature: e.g. (of the cuff and with no reference to Howard!), "wolverine pelts sell for 500 gp; they're especially prized in Hyrkania where they'll sell for 750 gp; damaged pelts sell for 10-50% of the price".

I would expect the same kind of detail for every creature, just where it might add some nuance to encounters.

Ciao,
Ant

 

[The King]

Then you almost wrote it. :wink: You just have to go on this way. The price of fur/skin depending on the rarity and beauty of the beast (and also how it was killed - when only one arrow was needed or if the whole tribe's hunter had to strike many axe blows to kill the enfuriated beast.

 

[Mendoza]

A sample dinosaur in Pictland is in Conan: Across the Thunder River (page 138, Otah the Lizard God, a tyrannosaur)

:shock: Wow, the history of "Otah, the lizard god" was the first Conan comic I bought! I still have it (dusty and scroll-like). It's a wonderful and simple history... I was planning to make an adventure based in that comic when my players reached the pictlands.

Another race I was waiting for with the release of "The scrolls of Skelos" were the Serpent-men. Are they included in any book?

 

[VincentDarlage]

Technically, the serpent men are King Kull villains (unless you include the de Camp pastiches). However, I did write up the Serpent Men and submitted it to S&P about six months ago or more; I have no idea if they will print it or not. I haven't heard back beyond a "thank you" when I submitted it.

 

[toothill man]

serphant men would be brilliant 8) as each source book contains the local wild life think more sourcebooks are the way not a collection of already published monsters that is a old TSR trick and it is called money for old rope.

the bits of the wolf problem is easliy solved in the coming ottos equipment guide were as their is a trade in such things that seems the best place 8)

 

[The King]

Technically, the serpent men are King Kull villains (unless you include the de Camp pastiches). However, I did write up the Serpent Men and submitted it to S&P about six months ago or more; I have no idea if they will print it or not. I haven't heard back beyond a "thank you" when I submitted it.

What do they say then when they receive from you works that is published?

 

[VincentDarlage]

Same thing, basically.

 

[Mendoza]

Technically, the serpent men are King Kull villains (unless you include the de Camp pastiches).

Yeah, but King Kull's world and Conan's world are the same world... maybe some of them have managed to survive someway. I think they are attractive villains for a game master. They are old, evil and clever reptilians, and their seneaky hability of take human forms can make the players to become paranoid.

And excuse me, but what is S&P?

 

[toothill man]

S&P is signs and portents mongooses now free inhouse magazine go to the main site and see the links the free conan stuff is in the roleplayer verson and their is alot of conan there 8)

 

[toothill man]

Yeah, but King Kull's world and Conan's world are the same world... maybe some of them have managed to survive someway. I think they are attractive villains for a game master. They are old, evil and clever reptilians, and their seneaky hability of take human forms can make the players to become paranoid.

also think they would be brilliant to use as villians in lost ruins adventures or as a surprise to those who think only in terms of set when it comes too serphants 8)

 

[The King]

Same thing, basically.

Then it is still possible to see it (perhaps in S&P with the release of the Stygian sourcebook).
Or Mongoose is waiting to have the licence for Kull. :wink:

 

[The King]

Technically, the serpent men are King Kull villains (unless you include the de Camp pastiches).

Yeah, but King Kull's world and Conan's world are the same world... maybe some of them have managed to survive someway. I think they are attractive villains for a game master. They are old, evil and clever reptilians, and their seneaky hability of take human forms can make the players to become paranoid.

And excuse me, but what is S&P?

In theory, Kull outrooted all of the serpent-men. He decided this in the shadow kingdom and there is a great connected story (I don't have the title in mind) in which he fight a gigantic serpent worshipped by many nobles and rich merchants of his court.
I am tempted to believe that the fight vs. the serpent in the 1st movie takes its inspiration from this creature.

 

[Mendoza]

S&P is signs and portents mongooses now free inhouse magazine go to the main site and see the links the free conan stuff is in the roleplayer verson and their is alot of conan there Cool

Thanks, I'll take a look .

At this moment I'm preparing an adventure in wich appears a serpent man... I'll post here the sample of my serpent men in order to know what you think about it and suggest any modifications.

Kaa namaa kaa lajerama! :lol: