[CONAN] GM's Closet for the Conan RPG

[Water Bob]

-- THE GATES OF TARANTIA, THE CAPITAL OF AQUILONIA --

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[Water Bob]

-- A CONSTITUTION CONSIDERATION --



When creating characters using the default method of 4d6, drop lowest, arrange to taste, we sometimes get on a bad rolling streak and end up with some lower than average scores. For example, I just rolled up a Cimmerian for my game, and I ended up with these totals: 14, 8, 14, 13, 11, 8. I actually ended up with a pretty interesting character (I'll post him later in the thread), but when designing him, I had some challenges.

Cimmerians are one of the few races to feature attribute modifications. They gain +2 STR but suffer +2 INT. Given this, I statted my character like this:

STR 14 +2 racial = 16
DEX 14
CON 8
INT 13 -2 racial = 11
WIS 11
CHR 7

Why'd I put the low number, with the -1 modifier, to represent the character's CON? I did this for a number of reasons. As a Barbarian, STR and DEX are quite important for his fighting and defensive skills. WIS is important to cover important skills, like Surivial. And INT is important to provide the character with skill points.

That only leaves CON and CHR, both of which are quite useful to the character. But, if I put the "8" in CON, I knew I could make up for the -1 HP penalty by giving the character the Toughness Feat. With that Feat, it's as if the character had no penalty at all. And CON only governs the Concentration skill, which I think this barbarian can live without.

Now, CON is also important to the Fort Save, which is used when Massive Damage is applied. I didn't do it, but for the character's second Feat (bonus Feat at 1st level for favored racial class), a player might consider the Great Fortitude Feat.

Later on, the character may improve CON at 4th level and again at 6th as the character's stats improve normally.

The point being: If you've got a few low scores to assign when creating a character, you might consider putting one of them into CON (as low as "8") then side-stepping the CON penalty to hit points by using the Toughness Feat.

[Water Bob]

-- MORGHUN CLANSON --



Morghun Clanson
3rd level Barbarian

Sex: Male
Age: 22
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 183 lbs.
Handedness: Right

STR: 16 (+3)
DEX: 14 (+2)
CON: 8 (-1)
INT: 11
WIS: 11
CHA: 7 (-2)

HP: 17
Fate: 3 (if used as a player character)
XP: 3,000

Parry: AC 14
Dodge: AC 14

Initiative: +4
Fort: +2
Ref: +4
Will: +4

BAB: +3
Melee: +6
Finesse: +4
Ranged: +4

Code of Honor: Barbarian

LANGUAGES: Cimmerian (native), Nordheimer, Aqualonian, Pictish, Hyperborean, Nemedian. (This character is not literate in any of these languages.)

PROFECIENCY FEATS: Simple Weapon Proficiency (All), Martial Weapon Proficiency (All), Armor Proficiency (Light), Armor Proficiency (Medium), Shield Proficiency.

BARBARIAN FEATS: Track, Two-Weapon Combat, Endurance.

1st LEVEL FEAT: Toughness.
1ST LEVEL RACIAL BONUS FEAT: Power Attack.
3RD LEVEL FEAT: Two-Handed Power Stroke*.

*This feat is found in The Barbaric Warrior supplement. It requires STR 15+ and Power Attack, and the benefit it brings to the character is that it allows double STR bonus applied to damage when using two-handed weapons (normally, 1.5 times STR bonus is used).

ABILITIES: Versatility, Bite Sword, Crimson Mist, Trap Sense.

24 class skill points: 4 - Climb, 6 - Listen, 4 - Move Silently, 4 - Survival, 6 - Intimidate

CLASS SKILLS

+11 Climb
+2/+4 Hide w/ bonus in native terrain
+6/+8 Listen w/ bonus in native terrain

+8/+10 Move Silently w/ bonus in native terrain
+6/+8 Survival w/ bonus in native terrain
-2/+0 Spot w/ bonus in native terrain

-2/-4 Bluff w/ penalty if verball based
+0 Craft (Herbal)
+0 Craft (Brewer)

-2 Handle Animal
+10 Intimidate
+3 Jump

-2 Perform
+0 Profession
+3 Swim

+2 Ride
+0 Craft (Jeweler)
+0 Craft (Tattooer)

+0 Craft (Etcher)



CROSS-CLASS SKILLS

+2 Slight of Hand
+0 Sense Motive
+0 Search

+2 Open Lock
-4 Diplomacy
+2 Knowledge (Local - Blue Foxlands of Cimmeria)

+0 Appraise
+2 Balance
-1 Concentration

+0 Craft (Alchemy)
+0 Decipher Script
+0 Disable Device

-2 Disguise
+2 Escape Artist
+0 Forgery

-2 Gather Information
+0 Heal
+2 Use Rope

+2 Tumble
+0 Knowledge (various Knowledge skills)



CLOTHING: Wears a billowy Cimmerian leine and a deer skin vest to cover his chest and soft leather trews for his legs. On his feet, he wears soft leather knee-high, wool lined, boots. Loin cloth. Thin rope belt for the loin cloth; a waist belt for the trews; and a wide, outer-belt over his leine at the waist. He wears a thin-metal hoop earring made of non-valuable metal in his left ear, and on this hoop slides two teeth--one from a wolf and one from a human. On his weapon hand, he wears a ring made of lacquered tree vine.

EQUIPMENT: Cimmerian Mantle on his shoulders. A belt pouch, empty a the moment, is attached to the wide belt that covers his leine. Also attached to this belt is a leather scabbard for his Cimmerian Dirk**. In his hands, he carries Stake, a giant war spear custom made for him by his clan's chief and weaponsmith, Finn Duncohr.

**This weapon can be found in The Dagger article of S&P issue 81.

Stake is a high quality weapon and thus receives the +1 bonus to both Armor Piercing and Hardness of the standard war spear. This is a heavy, massive weapon made of lacquered and fired Cimmerian oak hardwood. Steel coverings ornament the shaft at intervals, used as an extra step to protect the wood when deflecting blade blows. The entire weapon is decorated in Cimmerian spiral etching.



DESCRIPTION & BACKGROUND: Morghun is a tall, somewhat lanky (but well muscled) Cimmerian. He's got long, rough-cut black hair that he usually wears loose, bangs down in his eyes. The first thing you will notice about him are the swirling blue tatoos that decorate the entire right side of his face, from his forehead, down his cheek, past his chin, onto his neck and right shoulder. These tatoos are of the knotted, flowing designs popular among Cimmerians. If you look closer, you will see that he is blind in his right eye. A white, clouded orb stares back at you. The tattoos cover the multiple scars of some animal attack that must have mauled him in his youth. If Morghun grimmaces at you, you'll see that he's missing a front tooth.

Morghun is a member of the Blue Fox clan. He hails from a village at the base of the Eiglophian mountains in north-central Cimmeria. As with all warriors of his clan, he left his village at age 15 on his deasghnath (Cimmerian. Pronounced DEE-as-ga-nath). This is a ritual hunting expedition, performed alone, in which a boy leaves his clansmen and returns to them a man. This is how men become recognized as warriors in his clan.

Morghun tracked and found one of the big ice wolves in the foothills of the Eiglophians. The wolf mauled Morghun and nearly killed him, leaving him blind in his right eye and exposing his lung to the elements. But, Morghun persevered and came staggering back into the village, nearly bled to death, carrying the wolf's head.

It took almost a season for Morghun to recover. As he lied motionless, unable to move from his injuries, the cold months of the Cimmerian winter crept in and bit deeply into his chest. Spitting up blood and mucus, the wolf nearly killed him again, this time from beyond the grave.

Many believed that Morghun would never see summer. But, the lad did. Finn Duncohr, the Foxman's chieftain, declared him to be named "Clanson" as Morghun had displayed the ultimate qualtiy to which all Cimmerians aspire: He never gave up in the face of certain defeat.

Finn, a master smith, created Stake and presented it to the new warrior. Finn knew that, with one eye, the boy would have to learn to fight from a distance. Any foe that made his way close, into Morghun's guard, would have an advantage attacking from the side of Morghun's blind eye. The war spear Stake would be used to fight foes from a distance.

GM Note: Morghun's injury is reflected in his CON score. I actually rolled his hit points, and as fate would have it, I rolled low for levels 2 and 3 (he was given maximum hit points at level 1 per the game's rule). This also supports the character's injuries and physical state.

This character has been given a special -2 circumstance modifier to Spot checks while he recieves a +2 circumstance modifier to Intimidate checks due to loss of his eye and his appearance. In addition, the skill ranks applied to Intimidate have been maxed. Also, a decision was made to max out skill ranks in the Listen skill as those with a visual handicap will usually rely on their other senses to compensate.

Morghun coughs all the time. Many times, long coughing fits will result in him spitting up blood. He does not laugh for fear of breaking out into a fit, and he has become quiet. He says little, and this boosts his intimidating bearing.

Morghun's father is a leatherworker. Morghun became an etcher, producing the fine, detail work seen on some Cimmerian weapons and leather goods. After he lost his eye, Morghun first turned to jewelry making. In his left ear dangles a metal hoop that pierces two teeth. One is from the wolf that handicapped him, the other is his own front tooth pulled out of his head by that same wolf. Where his cough and eye and face always make him think of the engagement, the earring, with the teeth constantly clinking in his ear, reminds him that the encounter with the wolf was a victory.

The ring of woven tree vine that Morghun wears on his weapon hand is the first piece of jewelry he ever produced.

In times of late, Morghun has switched occupations yet again. His one eye strains from the demands of etching and creating jewelry, but he has put the skill to use tattooing his fellow clansmen. The tattoos are the same shapes that he used to etch, just on a bigger scale.

But, he found that he could not keep food on his plate by relying on tattoos. Recently, Morghun has switched occupations yet again. Since the engagement with the wolf, Morghun has experimented with brewing different concoctions to ease his cough. This has led to him becoming a brewer. His beer is his most profitable seller though its taste and quality is indifferent at best.

Of late, Morghun has picked up a taste for gambling though he has no skill in it nor does he understand much about gaming. This is why his belt pouch is empty. When Morghun gambles, he does it for the thrill. He doesn't place a high value on coin or other valuables. If he wins a coin, he's just as likely to pierce it and turn it into a necklace with a piece of cat gut then he is to spend the money.

In sum, Morghun Clanson is a tall, forboding figure. Quiet. Leering at you with his one good eye. Scratch scars and swirling tattoos covering half his face. And, that long, obviously well made war spear in his grip.

That is, until he smiles at you, his front tooth missing, proffering a leathern jack of his latest brewed beer of questionable quality.

GM Note: Though shallow on hit points, this character can be quite offensive in battle. He will strike with Stake, doing 1d10 +6 damage if he hits. He can use Power Attack to increase damage, if necessary. And, Stake is considered a finesse weapon (with an improved Armor Piercing rating of 3), should Morghun combat heavily armored foes. At the beginning or end of his turn--whichever is appropriate--he will use his 5 foot step to increase range to 10' in order to bring Stake to bear on his opponent. Morghun rarely relies on his dirk as a weapon, using more as a general knife and hunting tool.

Although I didn't give the character any armor, I sure thought about it. I would make this a game goal. This character, gaining a chain shirt, even, would go a long way towards his surivival. Something quick and immediate might be a simple leather jerkin. Some Cimmerians tend to shun armor, though. Thus, this is what I've done with this character. I'm sure he could change his outlook, the way Conan did, once he learns more of the civilized south!

[Water Bob]

-- THE RIDDLE OF STEEL --


This is a fan made document by Silas DeBoer that focuses on weapon and armor crafting in the game. A character could run a smithy using these extended rules.

THE RIDDLE OF STEEL

[Water Bob]

It's a cool game that I used to play with gusto for years.

I love the game. It captures the atmosphere of the Hyborian Age in Howard's Conan tales. It's the best version of the d20 system that I've seen, including Pathfinder.

However, we made some tweaks to the combat mechanics, particularly concerning Massive Damage rules.

I will comment about this rule in a later post, but I don't really think it needs to be changed, especially if the game is kept at a low level.

However, in the long run you experience a drawback of this change: there is not really anything for the player to aim for. In D&D you are always on the hunt for new and cooler toys and that makes for a lot of the motivation. In Conan D20, there are no such toys.

The never ending search for goodies is a fun part of D&D, but there are plenty of role playing games out there where constant item improvement is not really part of the game.

D6 Star Wars, for example. It's a hell of a game. Extremely fun. And, it doesn't have players constantly in search of +3 lightsabers and +2 Stormtrooper armor.

What happens in a Star Trek game? The exploration of the final frontier, but not constant goodie pile up. How about with Traveller? Yes, it's adventure in the far future, but not a hunt for bigger and badder equipment every scenario. I could go on, with many, many different rpgs. Top Secret/SI. The James Bond roleplaying game (which, you would think would be about goodies, but in that game, the goodies are limited by mission and must be returned to Q).

Goodies are fun in a D&D game. I like them. But, they're not a necessity for the enjoyment of every type of game, I don't think. It's up to the Game Master to keep the game interesting--to keep the players involved, no matter what type of role playing game is being played.

The Conan RPG is no different.





EDIT - I will say this, though. The GM of a Conan game can feed his players some goodies in a Conan game. There's a few items built into the game, like the superior armors: Kothian scale, Turanian mail, Zingaran leather, and Aquilonian breastplates. There's Akbitanan steel mentioned and regional weapons, like Stygian or Hykanian bows.

There's no reason why a GM couldn't come up with some others. And, it is advisable for a GM to keep regional items rare in other parts of the world. Stygian bows and Akbitanan steel should not be as easy to find as leaves on a tree.

One of the Barbaric third party supplements that I cite in this thread introduces Atlantean weapons and armor to the game, if you're not a Howard purist (who believe the Atlanteans to be nothing more than basic barbarians) and like the scene in the 1982 Conan film where Conan finds an ancient sword in an Atlantean crypt.

Any GM making up his own special equipment should be cautioned to keep an eye on game balance. Of course, Boots of Speed will not be found. But, players could come across some boots that were so well made that they give a +1 circumstance modifier to any fatigue checks made from a forced march.

The game already provides a bonus to a weapon's critical threat range if a sharpening stone is used (a task must succeed) to sharpen the weapon before use. This bonus is good only for the first attack. A GM could say that if a character oils his weapon well (task), then the bonus can be extended to the first hit (or, maybe the first three rounds or something like that).

Then, there's the circumstance bonus, which is usually a +2. The GM can find ways to provide superior equipment so that the item provides the bonus to the player.

And, let's not forget healing. There's lots of little goodies a GM can invent and put them in the game for the players to find. In one of my games, I had some barbarians guarding a fresh water spout in the ground that was so fresh that the water provided 1-2 hit points returned when swallowed (max of 1-2 hp per day). There's no reason why a GM couldn't invent bandages soaked in vinegar, allowing this application to provide 1d4 hit points on a wounded character. Just be careful not to unbalance the game with this kind of stuff.

What I'm saying here is that plenty of goodies can be inserted into the game for the players to find. It's mandatory to keep an eye on game balance (so keep the perks and buffs small), and the key is to create things that have a limited time of use (like the weapon oil suggestion above) or are used up completely when used (like the vinegar soaked bandages). In D&D, the character is constantly improving equipment. In Conan, the GM can make it so that a similar experience is had with the character constantly replacing little goodies that give him perks and buffs.

[Water Bob]

-- AGE OF CONAN CONCEPT ART --


There is some fantastic concept art out there on the net for the Age of Conan MMO. It's sitting out there, just waiting to be used in your games! Do some surfing! Use your Google-fu!

Plus, there's plenty of fan made art appropriate for the Hyborian Age. These things are perfect for inspiration. Pick a beastie and slap some stats on it, then show the pic to your players. NPCs can be created this way--fit stats to a pic you like, and you can show your players weapons they've found, how places look, etc.

Examples

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[Suteinu]

Dear Water Bob,

I have, thanks to this thread, finally taken a look at Conan d20, and am now strengthening my legs by kicking myself repeatedly for not looking at it sooner. I am a life-long admirer of Mr. Howard's works, even though I was introduced to him through de Camp (Frazetta also had a hand, of course, God bless him). Thank you for this rekindeling.

(I had a further question, but realized after I posted it that it belonged on a different thread.)

Thanks,

Choked-Up in Zamora

[Water Bob]

I have, thanks to this thread, finally taken a look at Conan d20, and am now strengthening my legs by kicking myself repeatedly for not looking at it sooner.

(skip)

Choked-Up in Zamora

Dear Choked-Up!

It is an amazing game. I've got much more to post about the game. Stay tuned to this thread!

[Water Bob]

-- DISCUSSION ON THE AVERAGE HUMAN --


Too many times I've seen a GM or a player look at a set of character stats and think the character sub-par because the character has some negative modifiers for stats below 10.

Let's look into this a little bit closer.

I think most gamers would agree that a score of 10-11 is average, representing the average human. No where in the Conan RPG does it say such, but its easy to deduce by looking at the Attribute Modifier Table. Scores below the 10-11 mark have negative modifiers while scores above the 10-11 mark have positive modifiers.

So, a strictly average human would have three 10's and three 11's in all six of the game's designated attributes.

We all know, though, from real life experience, that people are people, and that although there is an average, we all very widely when we are measured.

As far as the game goes, I think it is fair to say that average people vary as much as 10%. It's an easy number. I'm sure there are more extreme variances.

Using the 10% assumption, the average human falls within a range of stats from 6-15. This range allows for people to be 10% (+2) better in an area than the strict norm, and it allows for people to be 10% less effective in an area from their strictly normal counterparts.

I say this because players see a 6 or an 8 in a stat, and they think the penalty is really worse than it is. Someone with an INT 6 is still an average character. He's within the range. He's the C-D and occasional F student. He's 10% less likely to achieve an intelligence based throw than the strictly average person with INT 10.

Thus, I submit to you, that the average person in the Conan RPG can have a stat as low as 6 and as high as 15 and still be considered average. Any score 16+ is considered superhuman, which any score 5- is considered sub-average.

In other words, it's quite OK for a character to have stats as low as 6. This would not represent a deformed person or a retarded person. What's represented is the natural variance in human beings.

We each have our own gifts and weaknesses.

HUMAN AVERAGE ATTRIBUTE RANGE = 6 TO 15.







Luckily, the default 4d6, drop lowest, arrange to taste method of generating stats skews characters away from the sub-average, 5- numbers. It's still possible to roll a score of 3, but it's highly unlikely (99%+ chance of rolling higher than a 3).

The next time you end up with a 7 in a stat, don't penalize your character in your mind, thinking of him as greatly handicapped. Because, he's not. The character still falls within the average zone, and if you take all of stats together, most likely he's the higher side of average--maybe with one or two superhuman attributes.

3-5 STAT = Below Average

6-15 STAT = Average

16+ STAT = Above Average (to Super Human)







How far from average is your character?

To answer this, take this test. Add up the character's bonuses and penalties from his six stats. If the sum is 0, then the character is strictly average. If a positive number results, the character is above average. If a negative number results, then the character is below average.

Let's apply this test to Morghun Clanson, the NPC I posted above.

Morghun Clanson
STR: 16 (+3)
DEX: 14 (+1)
CON: 8 (-1)
INT: 11
WIS: 11
CHA: 7 (-2)

Adding up his modifiers: +3 +1 -1 +0 +0 -2 = +3.

You can say that this is an above average charater, 15% above the norm.

Looking individually at Morghun's stats, we see that his STR score is superhuman while the rest of his scores fall within the average human range.

Do this check the next time you end up with some low stats thinking your character is sub-par.

[Water Bob]

-- DISCUSSION ON WEAPON EQUIPMENT AND AVAILABILITY --



Pay heed to the Weapon and Armor availability notes provided in the 2E Core Rule Book and Tito's Trading Post. Use common sense. Give different areas of your game world a flavor by the types of weapons that are available in that region. And remember that, while in standard 3.5 D&D, a player looks forward to finding new equipment (with bigger attack and damage modifiers), a similar reward system can be simulated in the Conan RPG by keeping some weapons unavailable to the PCs until they reach a certain (geographical) point in the game.

You can simulate this in your game by not allowing every weapon in the game to be available at the game's outset. If there is something a player desires for his character, consider letting that character find the weapon later once the party has moved to the appropriate region--or maybe as a rare reward at the conclusion of an adventure. Remember, in the '82 Conan movie, how awed Conan was when he found the Atlantean sword?

For example, the crossbow should be a weapon found in the Hyborian kingdoms. This weapon would be too "fussy" for the Cimmerian smiths, thus, the weapon should be quite rare in Cimmeria. Likewise, the Cimmerian attitude towards bows is that the weapon is used for hunting, not for war. Thus, the vast majority of bows found in Cimmeria should be of the hunting bow type which do not provide a STR bonus.

On the other hand, the Hyrkanians are known for their bowmanship, and in certain regions of Hyrkania, the Hyrkanian Horn Bow should be readily available. In the deep regions of the Pictish Wilderness, away from Aquilonian influence, primitive weapons should be the norm. A western region of Stygia has not yet found the secret of steel, and, thus, arms its warriors with bronze and copper weapons (see the Primitive Weapon Quality rule).

Note the cost increase mentioned in Tito's Trading Post for rare items (where it says the cost can be 5, 10, or many more times the price given in the equipment lists). Also remember that coin is not used in all parts of the world. In some areas, that bearskin hunter's cloak may be more valuable than all the silver you carry in your pouch. In those places, barter is king.

Tito's Trading Post provides qualities for clothing and equipment. Consider that description and have the clothes and gear your PCs use wear out from time to time. An impromptu adventure could spring from the simple need to hunt a deer (using the Hunting Rules from the Fiercest book) and make new clothing from its skin (using the Crafting rules). The condition of a PC's gear can impact roleplaying situations and certain social checks. Don't nag and bore your players with this kind of stuff, though. Just throw it in when the reminder of the mundane would actually add some spice to the game, giving the players a different look at how their characters spend their lives in the game world.

Also, once a character gets a prized item, don't be afraid to take it away from him at some point. Items sometimes get lost while swimming. Weapons and armor can be subject to Sunder attacks, and without a smith or the proper equipment, may never get repaired. Use the weapon and armor repair rules (see the appropriate Feats, Skills, Equipment Chapter, and pg. 179 of the 2E rulebook). The quest to replace or repair a prized item can be a great push needed for a GM's adventure.

Various supplements bring new types of equipment to the game. The Warrior's Companion provides new items like Hyperborean Hide Armor and the Aquilonian Shieldknife. That book also provides rules for improving the stats of your weapons and armor. The Barbaric supplements provides excellent entries, such as piecemeal armor rules and fantastic section on mundane goods.

One of my favorite d20 (non-Conan) books is a hardback focusing (mostly) on real world equipment, called From Stone To Steel. That book is full of useful information that you could use in your Conan game. I highly recommend it, if you can still find a copy of this out of print book.

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In Sum, with the right approach, the GM can make equipment an important and interesting part of the game, providing in-game rewards and making his game world seem more real, all at the same time.

In other words: Don't always reply, when one of your players says that he needs a new shield, "You went to the merchant and got a new one for 3 silvers. Let's move on." Sometimes, you'll want to do that, to keep the game moving, not allowing it to get sidetracked with the uninteresting. But, also, sometimes buying that shield can lead to the most fun encounter of the night.

[Water Bob]

-- PRIMITIVE WEAPONS --


Many peoples of the Hyborian Age do not share the same level of technical knowledge as the Hyborians. After all, the Hyborians are the most advanced ethnic group on the planet during Conan's time (thus, the "Hyborian Age").

A GM can get quite creative making up new primitive weapons for use in his game. You can also allow your players to create weapons, especially when the characters are in a pinch, from things that they have available in their environment. A creative use of the rules would be to take the normal weaponsmithing procedure, using the Survival skill instead of the normal associated Craft skill.

For example: Taking a deer's antler, cutting off a piece easily held, and sharpening the point would qualify as an Improvised Dagger (see pg. 144 of the 2E Rulebook, under Improvised Weapons). As such, the character would be considered non-proficient in its use (-4 attack and -1 to Parry Defense). In addition, the weapon would be considered primitive and subject to the rules on pg. 152 and 154 of the 2E core rulebook.

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A true craftsman, such as a character with ranks in Craft (weaponsmith), could use the substandard materials (in this case, a deer's antler) to make primitive weapons using the normal weapon creation rules. Below is a picture of a dagger made by a weaponsmith, carved from a deer's antler. Note that although this weapon would not be considered an Improvised Weapon, it is still subject to the Primtive Weapon Quality rules.

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A dagger does damage via its point. For a knife, with an edge, harder materials are needed. A similar process to the above can be used to create primitive knives in the game. Of course, these would all be considered Primitive Quality weapons, subject to those special rules.

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If you've got a real world historical weapon in mind, consider the book I mention in the above post. From Stone to Steel covers almost every real-world historical era that you can think of and gives each item d20 stats! Remember, even Howard, in his Conan stories, would mix-n-match weapons, armor, and gear from different historical eras.

[Water Bob]

-- CONAN THE BARBARIAN --

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[Water Bob]

-- DISCUSSION ON CHARISMA --



As you know, a character's CHA (I also use CHR interchangeably) is a measure of the character's force of personality. It doesn't necessarily reflect how easily liked a character might be because a Marine Drill Instructor (think Full Metal Jacket) has a high CHA just as a popular Army General might. People with the power to influence others have high CHR scores. Great leaders with followers who would die for them have high Charisma ratings, but do people like Hitler and Charles Manson. All of these different types of personalities use their personal charisma in different ways with the result of influencing others around them.

The other aspect of Charisma is that a character's personal power on others will fluctuate depending on the point of view of those around him. A Cimmerian can have a very high Charisma among his clansmen, but when that barbarian ventures out of his homeland and into the civilized Hyborian lands, he is most likely to see his personal power drop dramatically.

The game needs a default point of view, though, and for the Conan RPG, that base POV must be from the Hyborian perspective. After all, many of Howard's Conan stories were set among the Hyborian peoples.

Let's talk a little more mechanically about the Charisma attribute.







A character's CHR check is important, no doubt. But, think about it. The avearge human CHR score is 10. A -2 is a standard modifier. Thus, a CHR 7 really isn't that low. If someone is just below average in personal power, they'd be reflected in the game with a -2 modifier.

I bet you know a lot of people like this in your life--people, for whatever reason, that do not particulary draw others to them. Look at that old John Hughes movie, The Breakfast Club. I bet at least some of those characters have a CHR 7 with the -2 modier, certainly the "geek" and the "wierd chick". I could see "the geek" as a CHR 8 character, with a -1 modifer, and the "wierd check" with a CHR 6 or 7...a -2 modifier.

Mathematically, a -2 modifier means that the character is only 10% less likely to achieve a throw than a normal, average person.

When I slapped that CHR 7 on that barbarian character in above post (Morghun Clanson), it seemed very appropriate, especially given the background I gave the character.

Also, remember that the six stats that defines every character in the game are, by necessity, very broad based. The CHR score reflects the characters personal power in a broad sense, on average. Certainly, the character's close friends and family members might not look at him that way. In the game, this would be reflected by circumstancial modifier (maybe a +4 or more for a close family member?).

Remember, too, the Reputation rules in the game. These rules create modifiers to a character CHR score.

So, the -2 CHR modifier for my barbarian above is really the modifier he uses with the world at large. His Reputation score could modify this inside Cimmeria. And, the GM should put circumstantial modifiers on CHR checks due to attitudes toward the character (see the Diplomacy skill). Something like this would not be outside the spirit of the Diplomacy rules:

Hostile: -4 to CHR checks.
Unfriendly: -2 to CHR checks.

Indifferent: +0 to CHR checks.

Friendly: +2 to CHR checks.
Helpful: +4 to CHR checks.







CHA FROM A POINT OF VIEW

Let's look a little closer at the CHR 7 Barbarian I created above. Let's say that he's trying to convince Finn, his clan chieftain, about this or that, and the GM has decided to figure the outcome on Morghun's CHR throw.

-2 for base CHR score.
+4 because Finn is Friendly towards the character.
+2 Allegiance (clan) bonus
+1 bonus due to Morghun's Reputaton score.
----
+5 to the CHR throw.



That's a pretty good modifier, and it reflect the relationship between Finn and Morghun. We take the base CHR modifier for the character and add to that a modifier based on who Morghun is talking to. In this case, it is Finn, who is Morghun's clan chieftain. If you read Morghun's background in his description above, you'll see that Finn and Morghun have a special relationship. Thus, the modifier is +4 because Finn is considered "Friendly" towards Morghun.

Note that the Allegiance rules are used, and since Morghun has an allegiance to his clan, that's another +2 modifier. In addition, the Reputation rules are being used, and Morghun, because of his deeds, gets a +1 modifier to CHR checks.

Morghun's base CHR 7, with its -2 base modifier, is high enough to net him a total +5 modifier when speaking with is clansman and chieftain, Finn.







CHA FROM A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW

Now, let's consider the same character, but from a different point of view. Let's say that Morghun is among the Hyborians and is trying to convince an Aquilonian city watchman to allow the barbarian entry into a town at night, after the gates have been closed. This check would be quite different from the one above.

-2 base CHR modifier
-2 because the guard is Unfriendly towards the character.
-4 circumstance modifier because the guard has been ordered not to open the gates past dusk.
+0 Allegiance because Morghun has not allegiance to this town or this guard.
+0 Reputation bonus because, using the Reputation rules, the distance modifier has reduced Morghun's Reputation bonus.
-----
-8 to CHR check.



Note how I threw in a circumstance modifier because the guard has been specifically ordered not to pen the gates past dusk. Here, Morghun has a lot going against him. His base penalty modifier becomes worse because the guard is unfriendly towards him and has orders not to open the gate on top of everything else. A -8 Charisma check is a pretty hefty penalty, but doesn't it seem quite appropriate for a typical savage (from the Aquilonian's point of view) ungainly trying to talk his way into the town after dark? I think it does.







FLUID CHA CHECKS

CHR checks should be a fluid thing, based on the situation at hand, and the game rules allow for that (even if you don't use the modifiers I suggested for NPC attitude). The above shows two widely different probable results based on a number of factors, not just the characters base CHR modifier.

Really, looking at the modifiers, CHR 6-7 and CHR 8-9 are just below average--these are those people with quirks about them that, in general, doesn't attract others. But circumstantial modifiers can even make these characters quite persuasive, because everybody has friends and family and those that they influence.

When making CHR checks, consider the character's reputation through the game's Reputation rules, and consider other modifiers, like the character's Allegiance (if he has one), how the target regards the character (my suggestion above for modifiers based on disposition as defined in the Diplomacy skill), and any circumstantial modifiers that the GM deems important to the throw.





EDIT: I use the term "Charisma check" in the above discussion, but, to be more clear, I'm talking about Charisma based checks, like Bluff and Diplomacy--even Intimidate.

See the post below on the variant modifiers to the Diplomacy check from Hyboria's Fallen.

[Water Bob]

-- DISCUSSION ON MASSIVE DAMAGE --



Much ado has been made about the Massive Damage threshold in the Conan RPG. Set at a mere 20 points of damage, some have posited that the game is broken or un-playable (or just not fun) because of this.

I beg to differ.

Here's why.





First off, if your character has at least one Fate Point, failing the Massive Damage save will most likely not kill your character because you will spend your point using the Left For Dead option. This makes player characters greatly resistant to instant death by Massive Damage as long as the character still has at least one Fate Point. The use of the Fate Point in this manner does not guarrantee the character survives, but it does greatly skew the situation in the character's favor.

Second, and contrary to what some have stated about the game, the Massive Damage threshold of 20+ points of damage is not easy to obtain without rolling a critical success (and, I think we all would agree that Massive Damage should be a possible outcome of a successful critical hit). Remember, though, even Critical Hits require a second successful check.

How can I make the claim that Massive Damage is not easy to obtain?

Let's take a closer look.





Pg. 11-12 of the 2E Core Rulebook tells us that the average character is 3rd level or less. And, I've established above an average range of stats for the average human. Let's take the highest score in each category and give that character a formidable weapon, then see how easy it is for him to score Massive Damage on a foe.

This means we'll have a 3rd level character with STR 15 (+2 damage). Characters need Feats for differing reasons, but let's max out this average character's damage by giving him Power Attack.

So, we've got a Hyborian, the dominate race in the game world, and we'll make him a 3rd level Soldier with STR 15 and Power Attack as one of his Feats. We'll give him a weapon with the highest damage in the entire game: the greatsword (which Hyborians can treat as a Martial Weapon) which does damage of 1d10 + 1d8. That's a pretty strong "average" character, given the guidelines set forth in the game and what I've commented upon above.

But, I want to use this strong character to make the point.

As a 3rd level Soldier, the character can take up to a -3 on his attack in order to gain a +3 on damage.

So....

Let's assume that this character's target...

1. Was hit by our sample character, in spite of the -3 attack penalty.

2. Was not Fighting Defensively or using Total Defense, which would make the target even harder to hit.

3. Was not wearing armor (or was wearing armor that was defeated by the character's blow and allowed 20+ points of damage to penetrate past the armor).

Those three issues, right there (hitting in spite of penalties and armor protection), in part, keep the Massive Damage rule from being abused...but, let's say that our average human character (albeit on the high side of human "average") has been successful with a hit.

What is his damage?

He averages 10 points with the greatsword, +3 points for his STR, +3 points for the Power Attack bonus. This is an average of 16 points. That's not enough to trigger Massive Damage.

Let's keep looking at this, though....

Let's say that the character hits, in spite the penalties to the attack throw. And, let's say that the character rolls higher than average damage, in spite of any armor worn by the target, scoring 20 points of damage.

In order for Massive Damage to be triggered, the target still has to fail a DC 20 Fort Save (which, I'll grant you, is likely to be failed...but there's still a chance).

Even with the Fort Save failed, it is not a guarrantee that the target dies. Player Characters have Fate Points that can be used to re-roll a failed Fort Save. So a PC with Fate Points, hit with Massive damage, can have two tries at making the Fort Save, if a Fate Point is used.

Or, as I said above, the Fate Point could be used to have the character appear dead, but actually be Left For Dead.

Even if we're talking about an NPC or a PC that is out of Fate Points, the failed Massive Damage save still does not guarantee death. A failed Fort Save is 90% likely to leave the character dying in the -1 to -9 hit point range rather than killing him outright. Thus, given the stabilization rules, the character gains a 10% chance per point above -10 to stabilize himself. If a comrade is around to help stabilize and heal the character, his chances of survival are even greater.





So, what am I saying?

I'm saying that...

1. Penalties on the attack throw make death from Massive Damage less likely.

2. Armor makes death from Massive Damage less likely.

3. The Fort Saving throw makes death from Massive Damage less likely.

4. Fate Points make death from Massive Damage less likely.

5. Many weapons in the game are not likely to produce 20+ damage points, making death from Massive Damage less likely.

6. The Stabilization rules make death from Massive Damage less likely.

7. And, rules like Fighting Defensively make death from Massive Damage less likely.

...and all a character has to do is succeed in one area. If he does, his character will not die from Massive Damage.





Many of us are influenced by the Conan RPG's parent game (3.5 D&D), but we must remember that the two are separate games with different rules in many areas.

For example, in the tradition 3.5 D&D game, a character's weapons typically become more and more powerful as the character adventures and finds better, more powerful equipment. The character levels, and his BAB increases, but also the D&D plus on his weapons increase: He may start with a normal longsword, then find a +1 weapon. Later, he finds a +2, then a +3 weapon. Sometimes, the weapons have more powers than just increasing both attack probability and the amount of damage the weapon delivers on the character's foes.

But, in Conan, once a weapon is chosen, the damage does not increase. Sure, the character's BAB increases, but the weapon's damage and probability to hit stays the same. Feats, like Power Attack, are needed to obtain extra damage, but even this is limited by the character's BAB and provides a corresponding penalty to the attack throw.

And, besides the use of Power Attack, there is little in the game to increase damage besides the occasional increase in stats (every two levels, starting at 4th, depending on the player's choice).

Therefore, in many cases (not all), Massive Damage does not really become easier to achieve as the character levels. Special abilities are needed, like superhuman STR, exotic or hard-to-find weapons, and Feats like Power Attack, to skew a weapon's damage towards scoring Massive Damage often.

Remember that as a character levels, his BAB increases, but this only increases the chance that the character will hit. It does not increase damage (so, it doesn't increase the chance of scoring 20+ points to trigger Massive Damage). Also remember that, as characters level, their ACs for Dodge and Parry also increase, making them harder to hit...while damage remains the same.

This, given all that I've said in this post, I maintain that the Massive Damage rule in Conan is fairly balanced.

[Water Bob]

-- CONAN-IZING STANDARD D&D ADVENTURES --


I'm better at editing than I am creating, and I can be inspired by the oddest things. When I started my first campaign set in Cimmeria, focusing on a clan of Cimmerian Barbarians, I spotted a low-cost copy of a 3.5 D&D scenario called Scourge of the Howling Horde. Here's how I set about "Conan-izing" the adventure.

First off, I look at the adventure as a suggestion, not something that is cut in stone. It is meant to be changed, twisted, and warped, especially since I'm using it as a starting point for a game with a different flavor. It is a base from which I will grow the actual encounters.

I like low level D&D modules because there are less fantasy elements that I have to throw away. No matter what level of Conan game I'm converting for, the low level D&D module is easier to convert than any higher level fair. Scourge is an introductory adventure meant for new 3.5 D&D GMs and 1st level characters. I can always make creatures and foes stronger, if I need to.

From the start, I liked the opening encounter with the attack on the overturned cart. Instead of a halfling merchant with elven guards, these became on old woman and orphan Cimmerian children (from a decade-long blood feud with another clan) returning to the homestead from the big village festival of summer. The attacking goblin raiders became 1st level Barbarians from the rival clan. I also cut down the number of enemies from 3 to 2 to accommodate my two (at the time) 1st level Barbarian PCs. I didn't want to kill them on their first big combat encounter.

Spoiler

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Then, I let my imagination take over. It didn't work out as it played out, but I had hopes of turning one of the Grath (the attacking Cimmerian clan--the bad guys) into a recurring nemesis. Too bad for him, my PCs made sure that he did not escape from the incident.

As the PCs approached the massacre of the children and their care taker (In true Conan gritty style, I had one of the kid's decapitated head swinging from the upturned wagon's wheel, the child's hair used to tie it to a spoke. And, the old woman was staked out on the ground with primitive javelins used to staple her hands to the ground.), two of the attackers were still among the dead and dying, doing their wretched deeds.

I was inspired by a pic on pg. 61 of Hyboria's Fiercest. I thought it would be exciting to have a chase take place among the branches of these fantastically large trees, with these limbs that actually grow into the limbs of the tree next to it, making a criss-crossed network of limbs, high off the ground. A Cimmerian, I deemed, could move for miles up in the branches of a copse of these types of trees. Though not as big, things like this actually exist on Earth today, so I didn't think it to fantastic for the Hyborian Age, and, in fact, thought it an excellent setting to remind my players that they were gaming in Earth's prehistorical past. I liked the "adventure" and pulpy "Sword & Sorcery" feel of it. Thus, Cimmerian Thicket Trees were born, and the scene at the wagon led to a heroic jump from a cliff into these amazing, branch-locked trees.

Next, I pulled out my trusty Beastiary of the Hyborian Age and chose a new monster for my PCs to encounter. I was intrigued by the Chakan and decided, in true Hyborian Age style, that they were the result of Cimmerians who never clawed their way back up from beastiality after the cataclysm. They were proto-Cimmerians, and the PC's villagers somehow knew this concept. They used the Chakans as boogey men to scare children at night, but the clan council respected the Chakan lands as that clan's territory. Though there was no contact with them, the PC's clan treated the Chakans as just another hostile clan. The Chakan territory became the Blood River Basin, a forbidden area near the PCs clanholme.

And, just to add some more pulpy Swords & Sorcery atmosphere to the area, I created a mystery where time is not constant for every person's point of view. During the chase among the branches of the thicket trees, one of the PCs fell off, to the ground. The other PC went to the central trunk and climbed down to the ground. But, it took him three days to follow the limb out to where his clansman had fallen. It was strange. He walked normally, but his senses told him he moved very little. Actually, from his perspective, the limb of the tree was unimaginably long--3 days he walked to find its end!

By that time, a Chalkan tribe had captured the fallen PC, who, in turn, traded the PC to the bad guys. I had the Chalkans display a mix of animal-like and cave-man-ish actions, keeping them in line with the many non-developed beasts that Conan has encountered (such as Thak, the ape-man). I had the bad guys trading with them. And, it wasn't until later that the PCs realized that the Chalkans seemed to be unaffected by the sorcerous time bending that occurs in thier lands. Maybe, it was speculated, the time bending has retarded the Chalkan's evolution into modern humans.

Long story short, and a few game sessions later, the one PC had rescued the other, and the two were afoot in search of the bad guys' lair.

Here, I returned to the D&D module. I figured that Cimmeria had a lot of caves and crevices. And, I also thought that most of these would lack worked stone. So, I put the two together, making another mystery for my PC's. Who worked the stone of this cavern in ancient times?

Spoiler

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The cave, in the adventure, is described as "The Howling Cave". It turns out that the wind blows through the corridors making this unearthly howl. I thought that was cool, so I kept it.

But, I threw out most of the fantastical elements and creatures featured in the adventure. The goblins and bugbear all became Grath warriors. I threw out the Dire Weasle but kept the guard dog. The Giant Spider I kept thinking that, if the PCs were captured, they'd be stripped of down to their loin cloths and thrown into its lair. This seemed very "Conan" to me, thinking of the giant snake in the '82 movie and the spider featured in The Tower of the Elephant. The Lesser Gray Ooze and the Shrieker, I threw out, but the Hobgloblin Wizard became a Hyperborean dabbler while the elite hobgloblins became Hyperborean soldiers. This added a new twist for the players--where did these foreigners come from? Why are they here?

The young black dragon became a semi-major part of the plot. I turned the thing into a demon, more man-like with reptilian features including a snake's head. Instead of squirting acid, this thing would spit out gobs of thick, sticky mucus that would slowly start to dissolve anything it landed upon. The demon is intelligent and sorcerous, and it ended up conjuring a thick, red mist that contained these man-sized whirlwinds. These small tornadoes would have arcs of electricity running through them, and when they attacked, they would simply charge their targets, running through and past their prey. This would dissolve the whirlwind (only to be reformed at a different point in the red mist) but damage the target with electrical energy as it passed. They were impossible to fight, but a smart PC could take out all of the mist by destroying (probably with fire) the mist's source--the dead Hyperborean dabbler that the demon had killed in order to use his body for the dark component needed for this spell.

The demon could also raise the slain in the traditional Hyperborean style, so as the PCs would kill their foes, they'd eventually see the same foes, still suffering from their previous fatal wounds, shambling towards the PCs, controlled by the demon.

This led to a Hollywood style escape from the cavern, through the red mist, dodging the slow moving whirlwinds (though some could fire lightning bolts at the PCs), the cavern crumbling and falling down around them, with a group of those that they had already killed scrambling after them.





From here on out, the adventure was totally taken out of my imagination based on the situation as it had played out. I never did use the encounter with the shaman or the town of Barrow's Edge (though I did use many of the character names provided in the adventure). Maybe I'll find a use for that stuff later in the campaign.

The last part of the adventure developed into an overland chase into a new area I created called the Cracked Lands. It's an extremely rough section of the Eiglophian foothills with lots of rocks, uneven ground, and skree. On top of this, I brought in Cimmeria's dangerous weather and had a storm hit the PCs worthy of a Gulf Coast hurricane.

The PCs evaded the demon in the storm and survived a flash flood. They fought Cimmerian Mantids (Beastiary pg. 46) and made their way through the Cracked Lands until they found the Diamondrun River, which would lead them north and home.

Along this path, they encountered a long lost friend--an NPC that I had planted into the story at the beginning, citing that he had left the group some 10 years before, struck with wanderlust. I wanted an NPC like this in the village--someone that could dazzle them with tales of adventures in the civilized lands.

After a final, climatic encounter with the demon and his Risen Dead (Beastiary pg. 88), I ended up with the PCs returning to the village some two weeks later, with the NPC that I wanted in the village, and the PCs hailed as heroes.

The demon, after the defeat of his Risen Dead (the PC came across what they thought was a battlefield but ended up seeing the bodies rise from the river and shore), flew off into the horizon--and I can happily use the demon, now, as a recurring bad guy.

[Water Bob]

-- STENNA'S HOMESTEAD --



In the post above, I mention Cimmerian "orphans". This thread is meant to be a "GM Helper" for Refs running games set during the Hyborian Age. If you can use this in your game, great. All of this stuff is meant for inspiration. Feel free to steal whatever you want for your own game.



Stenna

Stenna is head of one of the 9 homesteads in the Blue Fox Clan. But rather than be a shepherd or farmer, Stenna's place has become the clan "orphanage". In the harsh, rugged land of Cimmeria, orphans are common. Many Foxmen accept children from other families as their own. Finn Elder, the clan chieftain, has two adopted children, Drachena and Thrallan. This is a part of Cimmerian culture. The Clan is more important than the family, so it makes it easier to accept those that are not "blood" as if they were "blood" based on the strength of the clan.

From time to time, though, circumstances arise where children are not adopted by others. Cimmerians are very superstitious. A child, lone survivor of a family that died of the pox, might be shunned by others in the clan as a disease carrier or even seen as being cursed. This is where Stenna comes in. She accepts these hard-luck cases and provides a home for them.

People call her Stenna Goodseller. She gets the name not because she is skilled when it comes to bargaining goods but because of what she trades: children that need homes. She'll work to find a child a home, and if unsuccessful, the clan orphan will stay with her.

Stenna is in her twilight years (early 60's). She's a 9th level Commoner Trapper. That's how she survives, by trapping and trading what she catches for the goods she needs at the homestead. Stenna teaches the trade to all the children that live with her for a long period of time.

Stenna is short, about 5' 4". She's wide at the hip. There are streaks of white in her still dark hair. Her personality is "in your face", as she is always looking out for herself and her kids.

"Now, Brable John, don't ya be cheatin' me on tha salt. You fill it the lip of the bag. I'm trading good skins here for that salt, and I mean to get me bargain's worth."

Arvel has been with her longest. He's a deaf mute. But strong. And, he's fiercely loyal to Stenna. He does most of the heavy lifting and hard jobs around the homestead. Some think that Arvel is Stenna's blood child, but Stenna scoffs at this. Arvel can't speak to confirm or deny it.

Silaigne is 16 years old. He's with Stenna because his father is of the rex*. Though strong and capable, no other family will accept him do to his legacy.

*What is "the rex"? Rarely used, it's a condition where by a clansman is treated as if he never existed. People are forbidden to speak of any in the rex. They are to be completely forgotten after that person's exile. This is usually reserved for the deepest crimes against the clan, such as what the Hyborians would call treason.





Mallie Will is 4 years old. Her family died of winter fever. Only Mallie and her sister survived. She wears a tin bowl on her head as a "helmet", and she has Silaigne's old boots that are much too large for her. Those boots rise up to Mallie's knees, and her feet slip around in them inside, sometimes giving her blisters. She will never part with them, though, as these boots used to belong to Silaigne before he outgrew them. Mallie idolizes Silaigne. In fact, her name comes from the fact that "Mallie will do anything for Silaigne".

Mialee is Mallie's older sister. Age 12.





Lidda, Age 18, is the survivor of a Vanir attack. Except for her two younger brothers, her homestead was burned to the ground, her family slaughtered. Lidda and her brothers are Grath, which is the reason Stenna has been unable to find them homes--that and the fact that Stenna refuses to break them up. Whichever family takes them in, takes in all three.

Silaigne and Lidda recently lost their virginity together.

Regdar, Age 8. Lidda's brother.

Jozan, Age 5. Lidda's brother.

[Water Bob]

-- CIMMERIAN THICKET TREES --



These large trees native to Cimmeria grow 80-220 feet tall. Their trunks average 10 feet in diameter, but longer diameters are not uncommon. The tree grows a light bark on its limbs that insulates it during the harsh Cimmerian winters, but this bark easily sloughs off--usually making the tree harder to climb--revealing a birch-like white surface below.

At about 40 feet, large limbs--some 3 or 4 feet in diameter--break out radially from the tree to twist and turn in impossible directions. These heavy limbs would eventually pull themselves away from the tree's central trunk were it not for the fact that the thicket trees grow in close groves to where the limbs of one tree actually merges with the limbs of another, creating lattice-like network of limbs, the trees mutually supporting each other, throughout the entire grove. These trees are uncommon even in Cimmeria, but when encountered, a large thicket grove can take up an area of several square miles. It is usually possible to climb a thicket tree and travel a long distance just by transversing the inter-locking limbs.

The trees attract parasitic vines that root into the thicket trees sloughing bark and wrap around the lattice-work limbs. The vines are typically thick enough to be used to swing from one limb to another.

A very long breed of poisonous tree snake is sometimes mistaken for one of these vines. These strangely shaped snakes are typically 2-3 inches thick but average 40-80 feet in length. Many times, the snake will wrap its tail around the limbs of a thicket tree, hidden among the tree's vines, and dangle with its head close to the ground to catch prey. There are stories of Cimmerians traveling the limbs of a thicket grove, grabbing a vine snake by mistake in an attempt to swing to another limb, having the snake's head curl up and attack it's un-welcomed rider in mid-air.

The wood of the thicket trees is very hard and dense, supported by the minerals in the typically rocky Cimmerian soil.

The tree in the background of the pic in the spoiler section is kinda-sorta how I picture them in my mind--except several have long limbs all growing into each other. Well used paths on limbs will have the parasitic smaller vine grown broken off around the path so that the paths are marked clearly (a person can easily see where the traffic steps and which limbs are not used).

Spoiler

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[Water Bob]

-- RIPOSTE IS A HIDDEN SOLDIER ABILITY --



One of the fantastic aspects of the Conan RPG are the various Combat Maneuvers. I like how they are presented so much better than the generic, one-size-fits-all method provided in Pathfinder.

I want to draw your attention to the Riposte maneuver described on pg. 210 of the 2E rulebook. This is a powerful combat maneuver that is triggered anytime an opponent rolls so low that his total is less than half of your Parry Defense. When this happens, you get an attack of opportunity against your foe! Note that the counter attack is an Attack of Opportunity and, thus, is governed by the AoO rules. Meaning: You can only take advantage of one AoO per round unless you have the Combat Reflexes Feat and a high DEX.

For example, if your Total Parry Defense is AC 18, then you get a free attack against your foe (provided you haven't used up your allotment of AoO's for the round) every time his attack roll results in a total of 9 or less.

The rub here is that you have to be fairly high level (for this game) to use the Combat Maneuver. You need a Base Parry bonus of +4.

For most character classes, +4 base Parry is attained at level 8. For the Barbarian and Temptress classes, it's level 11. But, for the Soldier....

The Soldier class is the only class to obtain a +4 base Parry at level 6, long before any of the other classes.

Thus the Riposte, really, is a hidden Soldier class benefit.

[Water Bob]

-- RAZOR'S EDGE --



Razor's Edge is an often overlooked rule that a player can rely upon in this often magic-less game. Where, in standard D&D, bonuses are obtained usually through the use of magic, in this game, bonuses are derrived by less magical, more realisic ways.

The Razor's Edge rule can be found in the Free Companies or Tito's Trading Post books under the description of the Sharpening Stone or Sharpening Wheel. What the rule says is that, if a character takes the time to hone his blade with a fine grained stone, over an hour's time, smothing over nicks in the blade, then the weapon is given a "razor's edge".

In order to obtain the razor's edge, a DC 20 Craft (weaponsmith) skill check must be passed, one roll per hour honing the weapon. If successful, the razor's edge provides a +1 Critical Threat range for the weapon. The razor's edge is lost after it's first hit in combat.

For example, Critical Threat Range on a Broadsword is 19-20. But if the honed with a whet stone for an hour, and the check is passed, the broadsword is considered to have a razor's edge and a Critical Threat Range of 18-20 until the weapon's first hit is made in combat.





- Variant -

I think the rule, as written, is fair. I like the rule because it encourages characters to carry a sharpening stone and gives them a real in-game benefit to using the stone correctly. This rule also rewards those characters with ranks in weaponsmithing (that sometimes go wasted as the character adventures away from the forge). When dealing with large armed forces, the rule can apply to large numbers of troops, making a Sharpening Wheel an important piece of support equipment.

A variant to this rule would be to allow the razor's edge to remain on the weapon until the first Critical Threat Check is made or the combat ends. Thus, if a combat encounter ensues, and no Critical Threat Checks are made with the weapon, it is not longer considered to have a razor's edge. Or, if a check is made to see if a Critical Hit has been scored, the razor's edge expires with that first Critical Check, regardless of its success.

[Water Bob]

-- VARIANT DIPLOMACY MODIFIERS --


In the post above, where I discuss the fluidity of the Charisma check, I suggest some CHA check modifiers based on the character's relationship with the target of the check.

If you look on page 50 of Hyboria's Fallen, you'll see some Diplomacy skill check modifiers based on relationship.

The below modifies the DC of the Diplomacy check.

-10 for Intimates or those with Implicit Trust

-7/-9 for Friends and Siblings
-5/-6 for Allies or those which share an Allegiance
-2/-4 for Aquaintances with no particular history

+0 for those who have Just Met

+2/+4 for Aquaintances with negative history
+5/+6 for Outright Enemies
+7/+9 for Personal Foes

+10 for Sworn Enemy or Nemesis


The section goes on to discuss circumstantial modifiers that may also apply to the Diplomacy check.

[Water Bob]

-- HEALING IDEAS --



HEALER'S BALM AND HEALER'S PITCH

Most characters in the Conan RPG will never benefit from a healing spell or potion. Sorcerous healing is near non-existant. Therefore, any aid in recovering character hit points is usually quite important to players.

The Barbaric Treasures supplement provides two herbalistic means as aids in healing. Healer's Balm is an herbal blend that is spread over wounds to reduce scarring and promote natural healing. It's a type paste used as a Hyborian Age equivalent to a band-aid. Mechanically, the balm allows the character to heal 1 extra hit point per day of natural healing.

Healer's Pitch is used more immediately on bleeding wounds. This thick, sticky, herbal substance seals wounds and promotes blood clotting. In game terms, Healer's Pitch provides a +4 circumstance bonus to Heal check used to stabilize dying characters.

Don't forget that characters with bonus skill points gained from INT 12+ scores are allowed to put those points into a cross-class skill as if the skill were a class skill. Thus, many highly intelligent characters can improve the Heal skill as though it were a class skill.

Also remember that Healing Kits provide a +2 bonus to all Heal checks, thus a character with a healing kit and Healer's Pitch would gain a +6 bonus to any Heal check made to stabilize a downed comrade.





ACACIA

From the chapter on Herbs & Poisons in Tito's Trading Post, we see that Acacia can be used to cure 1d4 points of damage to an injured character, regardless of how the character was damaged. Other, more specific herbal cures, can be found in that chapter.

In my game, I've speculated that the Acacia juice* acts quickly as a pain killer. It can be injested or used as a topical on wounds.

*This is actually based on real life Acacia Trees and ancient medicine techniques.

The picture is a real life Acacia Tree.

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Luckily, the acacia tree grows in many regions of the world, especially in modern day Africa.

The 1d4 points regained from Acacia, plus the points regained from the Short Term Care use of the Heal skill can negate a significant amount of damage after each combat encounter.

Take the sample character Morghun Clanson that I posted upthread. A successful Short Term Care check will return 2 points, plus an average of 2 points due to the Acacia, results in 4 points being returned to the characer (a range of 3-6 points). This is about 25%--one quarter--of the character's total hit points, even with the -1 CON penalty.

n D&D terms, this is the equivalent of an average Cure Light Wounds spell, except that in the Conan game, a character can use Short Term Care after every combat engagement and Acacia for as long as the supply holds out (in other words, you're not limited by the priest's allotment of D&D spells).





FOLK HEALER

The Folk Healer Feat, on pg. 62 of The Player's Guide, and the Skill Focus Feat on the Heal skill, from the core rulebook, are two feats that can be combined to create a potent non-sorcerous, herbal healer.





VINEGAR SOAKED HEMP BANDAGES

GMs should reward creative players. Inspired by the vinegar soaked hemp bandages in the Arcania computer game, I had one player in my game suggest applying acacia to a gummy, herbal base, with all of this spread onto a hemp bandage. This way, the player would have coated, medicated bandages ready to slap on a wound.

I agreed but put a 3 day time limit on the bandages, saying that the herbal base would dry out and the crushed acacia would lose its potency. This seemed fair and acted as a measure to keep the character from making hundreds of these bandages in his off-camera time.

[Water Bob]

-- CONAN THE BARBARIAN --

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[Water Bob]

-- UNARMED ATTACKS --



The core rulebook defines the unarmed attack on page 152 of the 2E rulebook. The Barbaric Warrior supplement expands unarmed attacks to include several specific forms of attack.





10 POINTS ON UNARMED ATTACKS

1. An Unarmed Attack is: d20 + Base Attack Bonus + STR modifier. Defenders can either Dodge or Parry incoming blows.

2. If you are unarmed, and you strike at an armed foe, then you provoke an Attack of Opportunity. You do not provoke an AoO when you strike at an unarmed foe.

3. Unarmed attacks do non-lethal damage. You can do lethal damage with an unarmed strike, but to do so, you must take a -4 attack penalty.

4. You can take two Unarmed Attacks, one with each arm, if you use a Full Round Action. This is considered a two-weapon attack and subject to appropriate modifiers.

5. Unarmed strikes do damge equal to: 1d3 + STR mod. Unarmed strikes with your off-hand do damage equal to: 1d3 + half STR mod.

6. You cannot penetrate armor with your bare hands, therefore damage from Unarmed strikes is always reduced by a foe's full armor DR rating.

7. Unarmed characters cannot take Attacks of Opportunity.

8. Unarmed attacks can be Finesse Attacks.

9. Unarmed attacks made while grappling are made with a -4 attack penalty.

10. There are Feats to enhance just about every aspect of this game. Unarmed attacks are no different.





HAND WEAPONS TURN YOUR UNARMED ATTACK INTO AN ARMED ATTACK

If you wear gauntlets, you are considered armed, though you make your attack as if you were making a Punch. The same holds true for brass knuckles or exotic weapons like the bagh nakh or the katar. You can increase damage done by like strikes through upgrading armor. For example, if you add spikes to your elbow guards, you will do more damage than the standard elbow attack--and you will be considered "armed", doing lethal damage.





NONLETHAL DAMAGE

This is covered in the Combat chapter, but the basics are this: Nonlethal Damage is tracked separately from Lethal Damage. As your Hit Points go down from Lethal Damage, your starting point at zero nonlethal damage goes up as you take Nonlethal Damage. When your Nonlethal Damage equals your current Hit Points, you are staggered. Staggered means that you can only take one Standard Action or one Move Action in a round (not both, as you can normally). If your Nonlethal Damage exceeds your current hit points, then you are beaten unconscious. Nonlethal Damage heals much quicker than Lethal Damage.

DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE NONLETHAL DAMAGE! A character that has 8 hit points and 11 points of Nonlethal Damage is just as unconscious and at the mercy of his foes as a character that is dying at -3 Hit Points.

SOMETIMES, NONLETHAL DAMAGE IS THE WAY TO GO! Let's say your foe has 12 HP left but has taken 11 points of Nonlethal Damage. In this situation, 2 more points of Nonlethal Damage will down your foe where as you have to apply 13 points of Lethal Damage to down him. In this case, it may be easier to win the fight with a quick punch, risking the usual Attack of Opportunity he will get, rather than going another two or more rounds of melee combat to kill him.

[Water Bob]

-- DISCUSSION ON ARMOR and EQUIPMENT --



Let's talk a bit about armor. The protection that some types of armor provide a character in this game will make him a formidable warrior and very hard to damage because of what he wears. Armor soaks up damage, keeping the character from losing precious hit points, and it keeps the 20 damage point threshold for Massive Damage from happening. Armor is at the top of most player's equipment lists.

But, I encourage GMs to be stingy with armor (or with the means to obtain armor). I encourage this, first off, because it is true to the genre. Look at the Conan stories. Conan does wear armor, when he can, but in many stories, he's got very little equipment. Now, you can say that this is an aspect of the character, not the game's universe, but also look at the people that Conan fights. Many are unarmored as well, or, if they do wear armor, it's usually of the "Light" type. More armored foes are typically found wearing "Medium" armors. Conan, when he can afford it, will grab a mail shirt. And, note that he usually only wears the stuff when he knows he's going into a battle (and even then, not always).

Why is this?

It's realistic. Armor is heavy, restricting, hot, and uncomfortable. Plus, it's expensive. When do we see Conan in "Heavy" armor? We see that when cost is no object, as it was when he was armored to lead the battle in Black Colossus or later, in the massive combat scenes in the stories when Conan is king of Aquilonia.

Not too many foes in the Conan stories are described as wearing full plate armor, or even breastplates, for that matter. When such a foe does appear, the circumstances of the story (a massive battle) provides a reason for the foe to being wearing such.

A breastplate in this game is 2,000 sp. A set of plate armor is 6,500 sp. Both of those sums should be A LOT of money in your game. This isn't a game, like D&D, where characters go into a dungeon and come out with more loot than they can carry. Conan is forever coming close enough to unimaginable riches only to have the object of his larcenous desire slip through his fingers...because the gems turned into snakes...because he had to cut the heavy sack of coin from his waist to keep from drowning....because the fist-sized diamond was needed to trap the evil sorcerer. Remember the High Living rule from the 2E Equipment Chapter. Do what you can to keep PC's low on funds--so that they've got to save for that breastplate or maybe use their own skills to make it themselves.

This same line of thought should be applied to NPCs, too. Your typical NPC should not be wearing armor. If the NPC has a reason to be in armor, then put him in some Light stuff (Medium armor if there is reason for him to be heavily armored). Reserve Heavy Armor for the bad guy at the climax to a campaign. Use it as a reward.

And, once PCs obtain good quality equipment (this goes for weapons too), don't be afraid to damage the stuff. If a foe cannot penetrate, he might try to sunder the armor rather than using a finesse attack. Don't forget page 179 of the 2E rulebook where armor damage and repair is discussed.

Be careful what you allow beginning PCs to own as they enter a campaign. Coming straight from standard 3.5 D&D, it may not even occur to you not to allow a 1st level Soldier to have a breastplate, thinking that a 1st level D&D or Pathfinder character could obtain plate mail. I think of this the same way I think of giving a 1st level D&D character a Staff of the Magi or a +5 Holy Avenger--I most likely wouldn't allow it. A breastplate should be a reward that characters strive to obtain. These are rare items for which players should have a grand appreciation.





So, we've discussed that the heavier armors should be fairly rare in a Conan game: A GM keeps them rare by limiting the PC's ability to buy them. Keep treasure low. Don't think D&D. If the PCs kill a group of bandits and find 1d6 sp in their pockets, this should NOT BE NORMAL. In fact, this should alert the PCs that these very same bandits probably just completed a pretty good theft of a merchant's strong box on a caravan. Most of your Zuagirs and Kozaki, Picts, Vanirmen, and Barrachan Pirates should be dirt poor. Maybe one of the group has 1d6 sp, but this guy is probably the leader or the one stealing from the group. Let the PCs find a gemstone here and there. Put interesting, non-money, things into foe's pockets--like teeth that the NPC collected from his enemies, or maybe an otter pelt...a piece of a deer's antler. Page 143 of the 2E Core rulebook says many countries issue coins. So be creative. If you must allow the PC to find some coin (and they should find some from time to time--just keep it fairly rare), why not describe the rectangular copper coins with a square hole in their center that has been pierced with a string of raw hide to form a necklace around a foe's neck. That's how he keeps his money. You can say that the character found 14 square copper Nemedian drakes, and all you've really given the character is less than 2 sp worth of loot.

When away from civilized lands, don't be afraid to let your PCs barter. Conan did this all the time. "Here, I've got seven jade stones. I'll give you one for food and lodging for the week." If you look at Barbaric Treasures book, you'll see a giant list of pelts, furs, and a multitude of mundane items to use for trade. Who knows, this could lead to some extremely fun roleplaying.

Tito's Trading Post mentions that the prices for items listed in the books are base pricesfor the items where they are fairly common and supply is strong. The GM should vary these prices greatly if he deems an item short on supply or rare/exotic to the area. Factors of x5, x10, x15 or more are mentioned. Thus, finding a crossbow while trading among the Picts might be near impossible. Finding a crossbow in the markets of Zamboula might be possible, if the GM thinks a caravan carrying some has arrived, but the thing might cost 200 sp. Finding a crossbow in Belverus would be easy and cost the standard 12 sp.

As GM, always play with the prices and availability as the PCs move from place to place. It will make your game world that much more real.

Also, nickle and dime your PCs for things. Make them buy new clothing, especially if their last adventure saw them trudge through hazardous terrain in the wicked mountains, through rain and mud and rockslides. You don't have to make a big deal out of this, unless you're just in the mood to stir up a roleplaying encounter. If you feel like something like that would bog the game down, just, from time to time, have the group remove a random amount of coin for "incidentals". This will cover everything that you don't roleplay and major equipment. Or, use the High Living rule and just cut the PC's funds in half from time to time, telling the PCs how that money is used for food and lodging and clothes and new loin cloths and such.






Keep all of this in mind when the PCs encounter NPCs, too. Unless the NPC has a reason to wear armor (like guard duty), then the NPC probably won't be in armor. Guards, during their free time, won't typicaly stumble around in their armor. They'll take it off and get comfortable.

Remember the rule about sleeping in armor: pg. 155 of the 2E Core Rulebook. Fail a save and be fatigued.

Some armors can make a character fatigued, too, just by wearing the stuff for long periods of time. I think this is common sense. But, if you've got to see a rule about this, check out the optional rule on pg. 41 of Tito's Trading Post.

And, if there are going to be a lot of situations where characters who have armor aren't wearing it, the rules on pg. 157-158 of the 2E core rule book will be needed to govern how fast character can get into and out of armor when time is of the essence.







Taking all the above into account, it becomes clear that the PCs, most of the time, are going to be running into various styles of Light armor. You've got the Leather Jerkin, Mail Shirt, and Quilted Jerkin described in the 2E Core rulebook. But, look farther. You've also got other choices.

The Barbaric Warrior and Barbaric Treasures books bring you rules for mixing and matching various armor pieces withe the Piecemeal Armor Rules. Using those rules, you can have your bare chested Cimmerian come screaming through the woods, broadsword in one hand, hide shield clutched in the other, wearing horned helmet and bone shin guards--and still have this character considered to be completed unemcumbered as if he were wearing no armor but with a DR 2 (Every little bit helps--usually translates to -1 damage, every time the character is hit. It adds up.) rating for the two pieces of armor he is wearing (the shin guards and the helmet).

Look at those rules, not only for the various ways armor can be piecemealed on a character but also for the different types of armor provided.

Various articles in S&P and book bring other armor types into play. Look at the Players Guide to the Hyborian Age, Tito's Trading Post, and other various sourcebooks. The Warrior's Companion has some interesting new types.

If you've got a type of real-world armor in mind that you want to bring into the game, I suggest you look at From Stone to Steel. That book will have standard d20 stats for most types of armor known from history. You'll have to eyeball some Conan RPG-specific ratings to use the stuff in our game, but that shouldn't be too hard.





Thus, maybe you've decided that the guards employed by the Zamorian merchant wear leather jerkins. A few, the elites of the mercenary squadron, have chain mail shirts, and the Captain of the Guard wears a brigadine coat. But, once your PC Cimmerian Barbarian/Thief climbs his way into the lofty towers of the merchant's mansion and spies the barracks, these guards shouldn't be wearing any armor at all, unless they're just coming off or going on to duty. A random guard chanced in the hallway won't be wearing armor either, not unless that guard is also on duty patrolling that hallway.

This should make things more realistic; more in-line with the Conan stories and the game's universe; and more palatable for the PC Cimmerian who is wearing naught but sandles and a loin cloth.

In my first Conan game, my PCs found an amazing breastplate of the utmost quality, created in an age long since past. I made the thing an awesome discovery. The players loved it (you'd have thought I game them a +5 Holy Avenger!). But, I still hampered it. The leather straps and whatnot that helped hold the armor in place had rotted. So, the players could not use it (I only allowed them to find one breastplate!) until they got it to a qualified armor smith. At their village, there were no armorsmiths, as Cimmerian smiths are few and far between. Thus, they had to make do with what they had (I allowed a Craft Armorsmith check with a +5 to difficulty) to fix the armor, or they faced a trek south into the civilized lands of Aquilonia to find a smith to fix it for them.

My point: By keeping the item rare, I've got some very pleased, thankful players on my hands (well, one player, anyway--the one who got the breastplate). I almost got a quest out of the presentation of the armor (My players decided against the quest and ended up fixing the armor with the less talented among them in the village.) And, I've got a neat mystery injected into my story (Where did this armor come from? Who made it?)

Also remember that you can keep your PCs interested with rewards that allow them to improve their weapons and armor using the various rules in the game (see Tito's Trading Post, The Barbaric Warrior, and The Warrior's Companion, plus the relevant section in the 2E Core rulebook). This will make the players of your amorsmiths and weaponsmiths among your PCs glad that they threw precious skill points into those skills--allowing them to get tangible benefits like improving the penetration of a weapon or adding spikes to armor or a shield.







One last thought: I've seen some interesting entries on clothing. The duellist cape, from The Warrior's Companion, provides a +2 to the bluff check when attempting a feint. There are head coverings in that same book that look so fierce that the character gets a +1 bonus to Intimidate checks while wearing the hood. The Borderer's Cloak, from Barbaric Treasures, grants a +2 circumstance bonus to Hide checks.

In this tradition, my thought is to allow some heavy, thick, clothing to serve as some armor. For example, a Cimmerian wears a mantle. This is a big, thick cloak. Why not allow this cloak to serve as DR 1 armor that cannot be combined to improve DR ratings of other armor? For example, a Cimmerian wearing a mantle is consider to have DR 1 armor. If this same Cimmerian dons a helm, normally this would mean DR 2 (1 for the helm and 1 for the armor of the cloak), but because of the special rule that the DR rating of the cloak cannot improve other armor, the Cimmerian still has DR 1, with or without the helm.

This will give the character a piece of equipment with a little "umph". Not all cloaks are heavy enough to be considered DR 1 in this manner. And, you're not unbalancing the game by introducing "cloak armor" since the DR ratings don't stack.

In this manner, you can highlight the goods of different regions and what not, while at the same time giving your players some "goodies" to use in the game.

[Water Bob]

-- DISCUSSION ON THE REALITIES OF ARMOR --



Armor can be hot and restrictive, and the game illustrates this mechanically in a couple of ways. The Max DEX Bonus column on the armor chart can penalize the Dodge AC of a character. Tito's Trading Post, pg. 41, provides an optional fatigue rule for some armors when worn a long time. But, let's discuss a variant rule that you may consider for your game. It is designed for GMs who want to give the decision to wear armor--especially heavy armor--a little more weight (pun intended!).

In real life, people did not always wear the heaviest armor because (a) they could not afford it, but also because (b) the armor is restrictive, uncomfortable, heavy, and not something you'd want to wear every day like a suit of clothes.

This variant rule is meant to increase the trade off between mobility and armor protection.

But, before I discuss the variant, let me say that I think the Conan RPG does a fine job already of making that distinction. If you look at the Armor Table and the Max DEX Bonus column, the table is pretty forgiving for light, flexible armor and pretty restrictive for the heavier armors. The rule is pretty good, as it is, especially if you add in the optional fatigue rule from Tito'd Trading Post--since we're playing a heroic sword & sorcery game.

But, let's consider the average human, with a DEX 10 or DEX 11. There is no real difference to whatever type of armor he wears. Using the variant that I discuss in this post, EVERY character will be effected by the choice to wear armor or not, and a preference may be given to the lighter, more flexible armors.





- VARIANT -

Here's how the tweak works: Simply consider the Max DEX Bonus column on the armor chart to refer to the character's DEX bonus AND his character level Dodge bonus. This is just another way to customize the game to your taste, and using this tweak, players will definitely have more of a decision about wearing armor when it is available to their characters.

For example, take the 3rd level NPC that I posted earlier in the thread:

Morghun Clanson
3rd level Barbarian

Sex: Male
Age: 22
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 183 lbs.
Handedness: Right

STR: 16 (+3)
DEX: 14 (+2)
CON: 8 (-1)
INT: 11
WIS: 11
CHA: 7 (-2)

HP: 17
Fate: 3 (if used as a player character)
XP: 3,000

Parry: AC 14
Dodge: AC 14

If we use the rules by the book, wearing armor is a no brainer because this character is not affected. Let's put him in some very restrictive heavy armor: plate mail. This character can Dodge just as well as he can in plate armor as he can when just wearing a loin cloth. In fact, all characters with a DEX as high as DEX 15 are not restricted at all when wearing Plate Armor.

This obvious break in logic is what this tweak will fix in your game.

Using the tweak, Morghun cannot add more than +2 to his Dodge AC when wearing the Plate Armor, which means, he'll never be higher than Dodge AC 12 and will have to rely on his ability to Parry blows rather than Dodge them.

Doesn't that sound more realistic? The armor is heavy, and thus, he's not as able to skirt arrows that fly at him as he is when he's just wearing a loin cloth. Heavy armor makes the character more of a sitting duck--a tank, basically.

I mean, Plate Armor weights 55 lbs.! It makes sense, doesn't it, that if you wear it, you cannot Dodge as effectively?

I think so.





Can this armor penalty be mitigated by superior strength of the wearer?

Yes and no...in a round about way.

In this game, there are two defense styles: Dodge and Parry. Dodge is Dexterity based and Parry is Strength based. A character's level (his experience) gives him bonuses to either, but the bonus is not necessarily the same.

In a melee combat, a player can choose to defend himself against blows by either dodging or parrying his foe's swings. But, there are certain types of attacks that can only be dodged--those would be missile/arrow/bolt attacks, thrown weapon attacks, and sorcerous touch attacks.

Thus, using the tweak above, a character wearing heavy armor would not be as able to dodge out of the way of an incoming arrow or a hurled axe. But, if a character is hit, the armor still has its full protection ability--this is not changed with the tweak. In some cases, a character wearing heavy plate armor will be easier to hit, but the arrows will most likely bounce off the armor, do no damage to the character--this depends on the bow and the strength of the archer (and the total damage done after the hit).

Here's the basic answer to the question: With the Dodge AC impaired as suggested with the tweak, characters will rely more on their Parry defense. Thus, stronger characters will choose heavier armor, while weaker, but more agile characters, will choose lighter armor or no armor at all.

[Water Bob]

-- COMMON LEATHER ARMOR --



Leather clothing is found in all regions of the known world, and it is the most common form of protective clothing during the Hyborian Age. It is used in barbaric cultures, among the people of border regions, and even by those who live inside major Hyborian cities.

Curing is a process by which excess water is removed from hide, typically by use of salt. The leather is heavily salted then pressed into packs for a month. This process preserves the life of the skin, protecting it from spoiling.

Tanning: Since skins could often become coarse, odorous, and stiff with age, people have experimented with various oily substances, rubbing them into the hides to soften them. Eventually, it was discovered that certain kinds of tree bark contained "tannin", which is a substance we know today as tannic acid. This substance, when spread on hides, made the leather both pilable and durable. This process of manufacturing is called "tanning". Clothing fashioned from tanned leather is more comfortable and effective than that made of cured skins or layers of hides and furs. Tanned leather, during the Hyborian Age, is the basis for most types of durable heavy clothing and armor.

If you need basic hide armor in your game--just animal skins that are not cured or tanned--look to page 23 of Barbaric Treasures, where the Hide Jerkin is listed. Most of your leather armor needs, though, will be fulfilled by the Leather Jerkin entry in the Equipment chapter of the core rulebook. That represents typical tanned leather armor--usually a leather tunic and/or breeches. A leather jerkin is usually worn with wool or cotton pants, cloth kilt, or other types of leg covering--all qualifying as this type of armor.

With the Leather Jerkin commonplace, most Hyborian Age cultures turn to mail and layered armors for higher protection. But, a few cultures continue with the advancement of leather as a base material in the production of Heavy Hide. This armor consists of prepared, treated and tanned hides that could layer up to three inches thick. Sometimes lined with fawn, calf, or kid skin inside for comfort, this armor is bulky and stiff. In cold climes, fur is left on these hides allowing the armor to be as protective as winter clothing.



HEAVY HIDE
Medium Armor

Cost: 55 sp

Damage Reduction: 5
Maximum DEX Bonus: +4
Armor Check Penalty: -3

Sorcery Failure: 50%

Speed: 25 ft.
Weight: 25 lbs.

Material: Leather
Hardness: 5
Hit Points: 50



HYPERBOREAN HIDE - The people of northern Hyperborea are known to produce the most protective Hide Armor in the known world. This is a process of layering bear and mountain goat hides before soaking them in pine sap. The resulting stiff rigid leather sheets are then bent and hammered into wearable shapes that are often decorated with fur, teeth, polished wood, ivory, and the like. The game stats for this armor mirror that shown above fairly closely, but the damage reduction rating is increased to DR 6. The cost, too, is nearly three times as much as normal Heavy Hide armor. For more information, see page 47 of The Warrior's Companion.





FROM STONE TO STEEL CONVERSIONS

If you need other versions of leather armor in your game (maybe you want to customize by culture), From Stone To Steel is a fantastic resource. That book will give you stats in standard d20 format. You'll have to convert to "Conanize" that equipment. For the Cost, I suggest that you make an educated guess, comparing whatever type of armor you are creating with the closest like armor in the game.

Sorcery Failure in the Conan RPG is much higher than the standard d20 Spell Failure percentage. I suggest that you compare the Max DEX Bonus and Armor Check Penalty to other armors in the game, then make a guestimation from there. Note that metal armors always have much higher Sorcery Failure stats.

The Speed rating for the armor will either be 30 ft. or 25 ft. All Light Armors are rated at 30 ft., while Medium and Heavy Armors are rated at 25 ft.

You will ignore the Armor Bonus column, of course, since armor in the Conan RPG does not make characters harder to hit. Figuring the Damage Reduction for the armor is easy, though, since all armors in From Stone To Steel are provided with a Hardness figure and item Hit Points. The DR for the armor will be exactly or close the armor's Hardenss. Even here, though, you must compare your armor with like armors in the game because I've noticed that some armors in the book have Hardness numbers that are probably too high for DR ratings.

Max DEX Bonus and Armor Check Penalty remains the same as listed in the book.

This is the process I used to create the Heavy Hide armor that you see above, using the From Stone To Steel book.

[Water Bob]

-- ARMORED SLEEVE --





This is described in the Argos And Zingara hardback, in the gladiator section (see page 15). They are primarily used to parry blows, providing a +1 bonus to Parry AC as well as +1 Damage Reduction.

Alternatively, the Barbaric third party supplements provide partial armor rules.

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[Water Bob]

-- DEMORALIZE --



This option of the Intimidate skill is something that should be used FREQUENTLY by warriors of the Hyborian Age. It should be used early in a fight, and a character should be given bonuses on the throw due to the things the character does to enhance his intimidation by the way he looks.

As the rule states, the Demoralize option is a standard action, but the action can be an animalistic growl, a ferral look, or even a wild war cry in place of a demoralizing sentence like, "I'm going use the coils of your innards to grease my blade." This must be done inside of combat. The same types of comments and actions may of course be taken outside of combat, but it is important for game balance that an action be used for the Demoralize Other attempt.

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Conan, on his assault of Thulsa Doom's stronghold, covered himself in stripes of black woad, and this gave him a +1 modifier to his Demoralize attempts.

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- VARIANT: PATHFINDER -

If you read the rule closely (pg. 107 2E Core Rulebook), it can only be used on an opponent that you threaten. In most cases, that means that you can only demoralize someone that is 5' away from you. That's not realistic, is it? I wouldn't think so. The rule seems to only allow foes to be demoralized if you are in melee with them.

The Pathfinder version of the Demoralize Other rule is written better than the one in the Conan RPG. CLICK ON THIS LINK TO VIEW IT.

What's changed? First off, the range is increased from the character's threat range to 30 feet. That seems more like it. Second, the Conan version of the rule only lasts for one round. The Pathfinder version lasts for one round plus one round per 5 points by which the Intidate check exceeds the DC. The better you are at demoralizing, the longer the effect you have on your foe. That seems correct to me. Third, the Pathfinder version is much more clear than the Conan RPG rules on additional attempts at Demoralizing Opponents.

So, I suggest not only using the demoralize rule often (like, in every combat) of your games, but also exchanging the 2E Conan rule for the slightly altered one provided in Pathfinder.





-- CIRCUMSTANCE MODIFIERS --

I suggest allowing circumstance modifiers for intimidating garb that the character may wear. You'll see things in the rules that provide these modifiers, like Pict warpaint or the +1 modifier provided to Intimidate checks from wearing the warhood featured in The Warrior's Companion.

Because, if you've got a player with a character that looks like the below, the PC deserves a few bonus points to improve his demoralize check. Heck, I'd give this guy a +2.

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-- OPTIONAL RULE NOTES --

Now, there is an optional rule that pertains to Intimidation that appears in a couple of the supplemental game books. I think the most complete version of this Intimidate option appears on page 54 of Hyboria's Fiercest. I'm going to argue against using this optional rule it diminishes the value of the CHA attribute. If this rule is used, all the player is going to do is get more mileage out of his highest attribute, no matter what it is. Charisma is, by the game's definition, the character's force of personality...his persuasiveness...his personal magnetism. Like all the attributes, CHA covers a broad spectrum of traits about the character. Charisma isn't only personal attriveness and the character's ability to lead. It's also the character's source of his non-physical presence.

Look at page 11 of the 2E Core Rulebook. There is says that Charisma is used for checks that represent attempts to influence others. Therefore, I think that Charisma is the correct stat to use with the Intimidate skill. If Charisma is used to contain and control magical energies purely by one's force of personality, then, absolutely, CHA is the right choice for the Demoralize Other ability as it's a similar type of force the character is using when doing either. None of the other attributes suit the Demoralize Other ability better than CHA.

You, of course, are free to use or not use the cited optional rule as you see fit for your game.

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-- DISCUSSION --

How much of a modifier should I give to improve the Demoralize Other attempt? Use the Favorable Conditions rule from page 87 of the 2E Core Rulebook, but be careful not to award too much. If a character uses warpaint, give him a +1 to his Demoralize Other attempt. See the second picture above that shows Conan in the black woad. Some clothing, armor, and head coverings might warrant a +2 circumstance bonus. See third pic above with the warrior holding the spiked club.

What is the character doing when taking a standard action to Demoralize another? He's screaming a war cry at the top of his lungs. He's smiling at you once you've hit him so hard that you've knocked one of his teeth out. He's telling you what it's going to feel like when his cold steel pierces your gut.

Here's a classic example. Picture the warrior directly above. You see him hacking away murderously at your friend. That NPC goes down. Next round, the warrior turns toward you, pointing directly at you using that axe, your friend's book still fresh on its blade. Words eminate from behind that deathmask. "You're next," he says.

That's a standard action. That's a Demoralize Other attempt. Get creative!

Remember the 1982 version of Conan The Barbarian? Remember the assault on Thulsa Doom's stronghold? In the middle of a fight, Valeria stops to look at her foes while slapping her blade against her palm. In game terms, that's the character taking a standard action to attempt to Demoralize her foes. She must have rolled high, too, because in her case, the GM decided that she broke the morale of those 1st level warriors she was fighting because of instead of forging ahead with the fight, facing the demoralized penalties, the GM just decided to make them run.

Don't forget that a Demoralize Other attempt can effect several foes, all at the same time. Just as illustrated with the Valeria example above, there's no reason why multiple foes cannot be affected by the same Demoralize attempt.

For example, the skull-faced character pictured above slaps that bloody axe against his shield while emitting a demonic war cry. Using the Pathfinde rule, all within sight and 30 feet of this character should be subject to the Demoralize attempt.

That, right there, all of a sudden makes the sacrifice of a standard action worth the time taken to Demoralize foes. Successful demoralize attempts make the target shaken, which gives the foes a -2 on attack throws (among other effects). That -2 attack is the same as giving you +2 steps in AC. If you've got multiple foes, you are 2 steps higher in AC, effectively, against all demoralized foes.

That ain't half bad.

In standard D&D, spells like Protection From Evil and Bless provide characters with bonuses like this. Conan doesn't have those kinds of spells in the game. I think of little rules like Demoralize Other as the Conan RPG's way of replacing those types of spell effects.

Don't forget the Stealy Gaze feat. As mentioned above, most NPCs in the game will be 1-3 level. That means that most characters in the game will have 1-3 feats their entire lives. For a Pict to come screaming out of the jungble, bearing a wicked pointed spear, all decked out in warpaint, yelling at the top of its lungs, to engage you on the trail, he's charging and attempting to Demoralize you at the same time. The Stealy Gaze Feat makes the attempt a Free Action. This means that he can combine it with other actions, like the charge or even a standard attack. Think about this: Win initiative; catch your foe flatfooted; your foe is -2 attack you and is conisdered AC 10 during that first round. That sounds like a pretty good first attack to me!

[Water Bob]

-- DEMORALIZE AND IRON HEROES --



This is another variant rule for the Demoralize Other rule. Looking over the D&D variant Iron Heroes, I see another method for using Demoralize Other in the Conan game (as well as other ideas).

This is quoted from the [Iron Heroes Players Handbook:

INTIMIDATE


Check: You instill fear into your target, forcing him to take actions against his will or turning him into a nervous, clumsy wreck. You can use the Intimidate skill in one of two ways to
intimidate one target at a time.




Browbeat Target: You can change another’s behavior with a successful check. The result of your Intimidate check is the Difficulty Class that your target must achieve using his choice of a Will save, a base attack check, or an Intimidate check of his own. Before your target acts, he must make a check.


If he fails, he does as you order him to do. You cannot compel a person to take a dangerous, self-destructive, or plainly foolish action. For example, you could browbeat a town guard into standing back while you carry off the crown jewels, but you could not force him to attack his allies or help you with your burden. In most cases, Intimidate can force a target to take no action or to stop interfering with you. The target makes a new save or check each round and continues to do so until 1d6 minutes after you have left his presence.


If the target succeeds in his check or saves against your intimidation attempt, he may act as normal, but you can try to intimidate him again. If he beats the DC by 5 points or more, you may not make another Intimidate check against him for the rest of the encounter.


Demoralize Opponent: You can also use Intimidate to weaken an opponent’s resolve in combat. The result of your Intimidate check is the Difficulty Class that your target must
achieve using his choice of a Will save, a base attack check, or an Intimidate check of his own.


If you win, the target becomes shaken for a number of rounds equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier. A shaken character takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. You can intimidate only an opponent that you threaten in melee combat and that can see you.


Action: Intimidating an opponent is a standard action.


Special: You gain a +4 bonus on your Intimidate check for every size category that you are larger than your target. Conversely, you take a –4 penalty on your Intimidate check for every size category that you are smaller than your target. A character immune to fear can’t be intimidated, nor can nonintelligent creatures.


Synergy: If you have 5 or more ranks in Bluff, you get a +2 bonus to Intimidate checks.


Take 10/20: Trying to intimidate someone is an inherently stressful situation. You cannot take 10 or 20 with this skill.


Extended Skill Checks: You can use an extended Intimidate check to force someone slowly into subservience. You must achieve a given number of Intimidate check successes before hitting a certain number of failures. Make one check each day on consecutive days; if you miss one or more days, you suffer one automatic failure for each day missed. You must reach a number of successes equal to 5 + your target’s Charisma modifier, while getting five failures means that you cannot force him into service. You can intimidate only one person per day in this manner, spending at least four hours each day browbeating your unwilling servant. The target of this use of Intimidate can have no more than half your Hit Dice. You can have a number of unwilling servants equal to 1 + your Charisma modifier. (If this total is 0 or less, you cannot have any.) A person forced into service in this manner obeys any nondangerous commands you give him. He never risks his life or property for you.


Mass Intimidation: You can attempt to intimidate more than one person at a time. In this case, one opponent of the DM’s choice makes a single check to resist you. This result stands for everyone in the group. However, you suffer a –2 penalty to your check for each opponent beyond the first. Your DM may allow more than one person to make a check to resist you, with each checker representing a different subgroup of those you wish to intimidate. For example, while you attempt to steal the Rendergest Emerald, the town guard and a small group of thieves burst into Duke Rendergest’s vault. You use Intimidate to freeze them in place and escape up a rope leading to the roof. The DM judges that the captain of the guard will resist your check on behalf of his men, while the outlaw Tyra Redblade resists on behalf of her cronies.

You can use mass intimidation with either use of Intimidate (demoralizing or browbeating a foe).

Power Intimidate: You make a spectacular claim of power, call out your opponent’s courage, or take a risky gambit to find a foe’s secret fear. A tough or determined enemy can see through your ploy, but a weak one quakes before your power.

In return for a –5 penalty to your Intimidate check, you can increase the morale penalty you inflict by –1 or force an opponent to take an action that is against his interests (but not life threatening). For example, you could force a guard to help you carry the treasure he was supposed to protect. You can take this challenge multiple times to increase the morale penalty. In the case of compelling others to obey you, your DM may increase the penalty for particularly demanding commands. However, you can never use Intimidate to force someone to obey a life-threatening order.

[Water Bob]

-- CLOBBERED --



One variant 3.5 D&D rule, that doesn't appear in the Conan rules, describes a character as "clobbered". This is like a stun. See page 27 of the 3.5 DMG. Any time a character takes damage equal to half his hit points or more, the character is clobbered. When a character is clobbered, he can only take one Standard Action during the round. This only lasts for one turn. On the following round, the character returns to normal.

For example, Morghun Clanson, the 3rd level Barbarian I posted upthread, has 17 hit points. Anytime Morghun is hit with 8 or more points of damage from a single blow, he is considered clobbered. If he's hit on round 1, then he's clobbered on round 2, and back to normal on round 3.

Using this variant rule will make hit points a more important measure of a warrior's ability to take damage, since higher hit points means higher damage is needed to clobber the foe.

I haven't playtested this. I just think it's a neat idea. Maybe, the idea would be improved if the victim were given a save. A Fortitude Save vs. the total damage* of the blow might work well. This will keep the condition of being clobbered a more rare happening because not only does the character have to suffer a blow equal to or better than half his current hit points, but he'll get a save to prevent it.

As written, the rule penalizes low level characters. But, using the save, lower level characters aren't penalized near as much because the save is easily made. If you've got a 1st level Barbarian, he's got 10 hit points, if there is no CON modifier. That means any blow of 5+ points of damage will call for a Clobbered Check, but the check will hardly ever fail because a DC 5, or so, is easily made--and maybe automatically made if Fort Save bonuses are high enough.

I like the save for two more reasons: First, it adds a touch of realism to the abstract hit point system. Second, it makes it a bit easier for characters to become Clobbered as they lose hit points, reflecting the character getting tired from the combat.



*You could also go with the more usual DC of 10 + damage, but I think this would not serve the game as well, making the save harder, especially for lower level characters.