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Page 1: Tsr - 7014 - Ad&d - Conan Rpg Boxed Set
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Game Design: David CookEditor: Anne C Gray, Mike Breault

Graphic Designer: Ruth HoycrIllustrator: Jeff Easley

Logo Designer: Jeff EasleyCover: Jeff Butler

©1985 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION and the TSR logo are trademarks of TSR, Inc.

Conan and the distinctive likeness thereof are trademarks of Conan Properties, Inc.

Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd.Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributers.

Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR UK Ltd.

This adventure is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorizeduse of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc.

TSR, Inc.POB 756Lake Geneva.WI 53147

TSR UK Ltd.The Mill, Rathmore RoadCambridge CB14ADUnited Kingdom

ISBN 394-87664-4TSR1300

PRINTED IN USA

TSR, Inc.PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION™

©1985 Conan Properties, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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C O N A N ®

ROLE-PLAYING GAME

RULE BOOK

INTRODUCTION - The World of Conan 2

Enemies and foesTypes of CombatThe Combat TurnDefendingMissile CombatGetting Hurt

MOVEMENT

Types of MovementMovementTraveling

DANGERS AND PERILS

MAGIC

Who Can Use MagicObtaining Magical AbilityTypes of MagicMagical Talent RatingMagical Resistance

LIVlNG IN HYBORIA

MoneyExpensesEmploymentNPCs

IMPROVEMENT AND ULTIMATE GOALS

MoneyFame and GloryExpertiseExcitementCodes of Honor

REFEREEING ADVENTURES IN HYBORIA

CREATING HYBORIAN ADVENTURES

Tower of the Elephant

666

101010

12

121213

11

FallingFireDrowningPoison

15151516

17

1717181818

19

19191920

22

2222222323

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AN ADVENTURE IN THE WORLD OF HYBORIA 2828

What is Role Playing?Your Character

COMBAT

22

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INTRODUCTION The World of ConanWhat is Role Playing?How many times have you played copsand robbers with friends? Remember theexcitement of a tense shootout in front ofthe bank? Did you make it to the getawaycar in one piece?

Well, when you're playing cops androbbers, you are role playing. That is, youare pretending to be someone else.

Have you ever had a conversation likethis?:

"I got you!""Did not! You missed me by a

mile!"

Arguments like this occur when you donot have any rules to role play with.

In a role-playing game, you can beanyone you want to be. Perhaps you wantto be J. Edgar Hoover, or maybe JohnDillinger is more your style. The gameprovides rules, so that you know what"you" (the person you're pretending tobe) can do. If you are J. Edgar Hoover, allthe power of the FBI is at your disposal. Ifyou play John Dillinger, you are a desper-ate criminal and killer with all sorts ofpeople out to get you.

Now, imagine that shootout outside thebank.

No, you don't have to point fingers andyell "Bang, bang!" Instead, you picturethe scene in your mind, and decide whatyou are going to do.

Say, for example, that Dillinger isshooting his way out and J. Edgar is tryingto stop him. In a role-playing game, youroll dice every time you act, like shootingat a bank robber, that has a chance ofmissing. Your opponent's actions—is heducking for cover or charging straight atyou? increase or decrease your chance ofsuccess. Instead of shouting "I got you!" aquick look at the dice tells if your bulletfound its mark. Were you fast enough?Was your aim true? These questions areanswered by a "referee"—a person whogauges the flow of the game and helpsregulate what happens. He remains neu-tral during the game and does not "takesides." The fantastic world of role playingreleases your imagination to make yourgames exciting and realistic.

What is in This Box

* A 32-page rule book;* A 48-page notebook of information

about the lands of Hyboria;* A 16-page booklet of talents and

weaknesses, charts and tables;* A full-color map of Hyboria;* Two ten-sided dice.

How to Use the Dice

Playing the CONAN® Role-Playing Gameinvolves making decisions, choosingbetween the available options. Some ofthe actions you take are successful, othershave only a chance for success. Do you feellucky?

The gamebox contains two dice. Eachhas 10 sides, numbered from 1 to 10. Youcan use the dice to roll numbers from 1-10, 2-20, etc., or to generate a "percen-tile" result, a number from 1-100.

When the rules say "roll 1d10," you rollone 10-sided die and the result is a num-ber between 1 and 10 (0 - 10).

When the rules say "roll 2d10," you rolltwo 10-sided dice and add the numberstogether. The result is a number between2 and 20. For example, if you roll a 10 onone die and a 3 on the other, the result is13. You do the same with three, four, ormore dice if the rules say "roll 3d10,""roll 4d10," or more.

When the rules tell you to roll d100("percentile dice"), roll two 10-sided dice,but this time don't add the numbers. "Youwant a result between 1 and 100. Let onedie be the tens digit (1 - 10, 2 = 20,3 — 30, etc.), and the other die be the onesdigit. So if you roll a 2 on the first die anda 9 on the second, the result is 29. If youroll a 0 and a 6, you get 06 (or just 6). Ifyou roll a 0 and a 0, the result is 100.

Occasionally the rules ask you to rolld10 + 5. In this case, roll 3d10 normallyand add 5 to the total. If you roll a 1, a 6,and a 7, you add these to get 14 and thenadd 5 for a total of 19.

Your characterTo play the CONAN Role-Playing Game,you must have a character, an imaginaryperson whose actions you control. Since

you, a player, make the choices for thischaracter, the character is called a playercharacter (PC). You determine everythingyour character does.

The referee controls the actions of manydifferent characters in the game. Since theplayers have no control over these charac-ters, they are called non-player characters(NPCs).

Talents

To play, you have to know your character'stalents—his physical abilities, knowledge,and skills. These talents determine thefeats your character is capable of and howlikely he is to succeed at them. Sometalents are innate—abilities your characterwas born with. Other talents are learnedthrough study and practice. As you playthe game, your character can learn newtalents or improve ones he or she alreadyhas.

When you create your character, youchoose the talents he or she has and howgood he or she is with each talent. This isindicated by a number following the nameof the talent. The higher the number, themore skilled the character is with thattalent.

Talent pools

Talents are grouped into talent pools. Thetalents in each talent pool are related. Thesix Talent Pools are:

Prowess: All of your character's physicalabilities (other than fighting) are groupedinto this pool. Strength, movement,swimming, and climbing are some Prowesstalents.

Fighting: This pool consists of all thecombat abilities of your character, includ-ing the different weapon proficiencies,wrestling, and brawling.

Endurance: These talents indicate howmuch punishment your character can take.Talents such as stamina, damage endur-ance, and poison endurance are included

Knowledge: Your character must studythese talents in order to use them. TheKnowledge Pool includes spells, engineer-ing, reading, writing, and languages.

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Perception: This pool contains talents thatrequire both training and natural ability.Such talents as shadowing, pocket picking,and animal training are included here.

Insight: These talents all require inbornability. Some Insight talents are naturalmagic, poetry, and telepathy.

Not having the talent chat governs anaction doesn't mean that you can'tattempt the action; it only means thatyour chance of success isn't as high as thatof someone who has the talent. Supposethat Conan has the Sword Fighting Talent,but not the Halberd Fighting Talent. Hecan still fight with a halberd, but he is notas proficient with it as he is with a sword.

Creating your character

Your character has a background, a historyof his life prior to adventuring. Thisincludes information about his parents,his homeland, and what he did as ayouth. These things affect the appearanceand abilities of your character and shouldbe recorded as a story, not just a few linesof facts. To enjoy your character to thefullest, you should also record his lateradventures as a story.

Naming your character

First, decide if your character is male orfemale. Then give him or her a name.Hyborian names are seldom more thanone word. You can make up any name youlike.

Birthplace

Decide where your character was born.This affects the appearance of your charac-ter and any special knowledge he or shemight have. Conan was born in Cimme-ria, and thus is tall, dark-haired, brown-skinned, and gray-eyed. Cimmerians arealso renowned as fighters.

Your character's birthplace must be oneof the following lands:

COUNTRY

AQUILONIAARGOSASGARD

BOSSONIAN MARCHESBRYTHUNIACIMMERIACORINTHIAGUNDERLANDHYRKANIAN STEPPESIRANISTANKHITAIKOTHKUSHNEMEDIAOPHIRPICTLANDPOITAINSHEMSTYGIATURANVANAHEIMZAMORAZINGARA

These are the only countries a PC canchoose as a birthplace, though not all thelands of the Hyborian world are given.NPCs, however, can come from any landof Hyboria.

The birthplace you choose is the home-land of your character's father. Your char-acter's mother doesn't have to be from thesame land as his father.

After choosing your character's home-land, read the Racial Description for thatland in the Campaign Book. If you choosea different homeland for your mother,read that Racial Description also. TheRacial Descriptions give you a generalguideline for your character's appearance.Thus Conan, born in Cimmeria, is tall,gray-eyed, and brown-skinned, while acharacter born in Stygia would be tall,dusky, and sharp-featured. You canchange or add to the description as youwish.

Your character automatically speaks thelanguage of his homeland.

PARENTS

The next step is to name your character'sfather and mother. The names are totallyup to you. Often, in Hyboria, fathers andsons have the same or similar names. Aftergiving the parents names, select an occu-pation for the father. You can choose anynon-magical talent from the list of talents

given later in this section. This choiceaffects the abilities of your character (seeCHOOSING TALENTS), so choose care-fully! Although there are no restrictionson your choice, consider the homeland ofthe father. It is unlikely that Cimmeria, aland-locked country, would have muchneed of men trained in sailing. Cimmeri-ans, noted for their combative natures, arelikely to be warriors by trade.

You're now ready to fill in a CharacterFolio. Record your character's sex, name,homeland, parents, parents' occupations,and any other information you want tokeep. For example, a PC from Stygiamight have a Folio like this:

Khestsas, of Stygia, the son of Khestthe Boatman and the slave Myrliasof Brythunia. Khestsas grew tall,lean, and blonde-haired.

This description lists his name, his home-land, his parents' names and occupations,and his general appearance (a combinationof Stygian and Brythunian traits).

CHOOSING TALENTS

After you have chosen the background ofyour character's parents and his homeland,you must choose your character's talents.These represent his pre-adventuring expe-riences and studies.

Your character starts with 35 points tospend on talents. You can spend yourpoints on any talents you want, with thefollowing restrictions.

1) You cannot start the game with morethan 5 points in any one talent.

2) You must have at least 1 talent fromeach Talent Pool.

3) You must spend at least 1 point onyour father's talent.

You can increase the number of pointsavailable for talents by selecting weak-nesses. A weakness is a flaw in your char-acter's personality or physical abilities. Itprevents him from performing certainactions and may occasionally force himinto actions that are not in his best inter-ests. Choosing a weakness means you mustplay your character according to the dic-tates of that weakness. Be prepared to face

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the consequences!The advantage to choosing a weakness is

that for each weakness taken, your charac-ter receives 5 extra points to spend ontalents. You are not required to take anyweaknesses.

The weaknesses listed below are theonly ones a PC may choose. Some weak-nesses restrict the choice of talents for yourcharacter. These restricted talents are alsolisted below.

Weakness Restricted Talents

Animal HandlingClimbing

Swimming, Sailing

Accident prone*Color blind*Fear of animalsFear of heightsFear of magicFear of waterFoppish*Gambler*Glutton*Miserly*Night blind*Rash*Taciturn*Tone DeafWeakness to drink*Weakness to women/men*

* A complete explanation of this weakness canbe found in the Reference Guide,

When you are done, your character's Foliowill look much like the one already com-pleted for Conan.

INITIAL CHARACTER TALENTS

Prowess Fighting

Minstrel

AcrobaticAnimal

reflexes

ClimbingMovementStrengthSwimmingThrowing

BrawlingWeapon (from Weapon

list)Wrestling

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Endurance KnowledgeDamage Arcane languagesMagic BlacksmithPoison CarpentryStamina GoldsmithWill Herbalism

Language (choose language)LockpickingLoreNavigationReading/Writing (choose

language)SailingSiege craftSurvival (jungle, desert)Trapping

Perception InsightAnimal handlingMedicineMinstrelObservationPocket pickingTracking

Animal sensesDanger senseDirectional senseHypnotismMagic sensePersonal magnetismTelepathyWeather sense

CREATING NEW TALENTS

The preceding list of talents is not every-thing a character might Know. While theusefulness of unlisted talents is limited,you may want your character to have someunusual ability. Explain the talent to thereferee and ask if he will allow it. He willdecide if the talent is something yourcharacter could learn. He will also decidethe Talent Pool to which it belongs.

An unlisted talent is treated like anyother talent. You must spend points togive it a rating from 1 to 5. You may alsoincrease your rating in that talent as youwould in any other.

For example, perhaps you want yourcharacter, Khestsas of Stygia, to have atalent in brewing, You tell the referee thatBrewing Talent gives Khestsas basic knowl-edge about the methods of brewing andthe ability to recognize the ingredients ofvarious drinks by taste. The referee decidesthis is a talent Khestsas could learn andthat Brewing Talent belongs in the Knowl-edge Talent Pool. You can add this talentto the Knowledge Talent Pool and spendfrom 1 to 5 points to give Khestsas a rat-ing in brewing. In the story section ofKhestsas's Character Folio, you couldnote:

Khestsas of Stygia learned brewingas an apprentice in a meadhall.

GENERAL TALENT SCORES

After you have chosen all the talents foryour character, you must find his GeneralScore for each Talent Pool. Add the ratingsfor all talents in the Talent Pool, thendivide by 10, dropping all fractions. Theresult is the General Score for that TalentPool. Do this for all 6 Talent Pools.

The General Score becomes your charac-ter's rating for every talent in which(within that Talent Pool) he does not havea rating. The General Score is used when-ever your character tries to do somethingthat is not one of his listed talents.

Conan wants to try to read Khitai,something he does not have a talent for.His rating for this attempt is equal to hisGeneral Score for the Knowledge Pool.

General Scores can be increased duringplay, so don't worry if your character'sGeneral Scores are low at first.

STARTING EQUIPMENT

The last step in creating your character ischoosing the equipment he starts outwith. As you play your equipment list willchange, so it is best to write this informa-tion on your Character Folio in pencil.

To equip your character, choose oneitem from each column below:

Column 1 Column 2 Column 3

Horse, saddle

Chainmailshirt

Quiltedleather

Any 100' ropeweapon & grapple

& bridle

2 weeks offood

Dirk

Cloak armor

Saddlebags 5 Gold Luna

Steel Bronze cuirasshelmet

Your character is now ready for his firstadventure in the dangerous and wild landsof Hyboria. But before he leaves to findhis fame and fortune, you will want todetermine how well he fights. This isexplained in the Combat section.

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THE COMBATmissile weapon if an enemy is attackinghim via melee.

Using talent pools

Whenever your character tries to strikesomeone, you must know his FightingTalent rating for that weapon. If he has arating for that weapon, use that rating orhis General Fighting rating, whichever ishigher. If your character does not have arating with the weapon, the rating is theGeneral Fighting rating.

Khestsas of Stygia has a General Fight-ing rating of 2 and a Dirk Fighting ratingof 7. If Khestsas attacks his enemy with adirk, he uses the 7 (Dirk Fighting). If hetries to wrestle his enemy to the ground,he uses the 2, since he has no talent ratingfor Wrestling.

How to hit

Though every battle is different, the proc-ess of determining whether a character hitshis target is the same for all melee andmissile combat.

To see if your character hits, you needthe dice and the Resolution Table. Findyour character's talent rating with hisweapon. The referee will tell you theMovement or General Prowess Talentrating of your opponent (this representshis ability to avoid your blow). Subtractthis number from your Fighting Talentrating. The result is the combat differen-tial. Find the combat differential on theDifferential row of the Resolution Table.Beneath this number is the column youcheck when you roll the dice.

Now roll the dice to get a number from1 to 100. Find the result on the propercolumn of the Resolution Table. The com-bination of the number and the columnindicates whether your character succeedsat his action and how well he does.

If your character gets a white result onthe Resolution Table, he fails at whateveraction he tried. If the result is green, yourcharacter succeeds, but just barely. If theresult is yellow, he succeeds and doesaverage. An orange result means he issuccessful and does well. A red resultmeans that he succeeds and doesextremely well.

"It was dark in the alley, but Conanglimpsed a fierce, bearded face and thegleam of steel in a lifted hand, even as heavoided the blow with a twist of his body.The knife ripped his tunic and glancedalong the shirt of light chain mail he worebeneath it."

The Flame Knife

It is a time for steel and heroic deeds. Foryour character to survive in the world ofHyboria, he must know how to fight andfight well. His survival in these cruel andmysterious lands depends on it. Whoknows when an assassin might strike fromthe night, bandits spring from trees, or anevil wizard test your character's steel!

Enemies and foesYour character will face two types of NPCsin combat—Enemies and Foes.

Enemies are the most common oppo-nents your character will meet. Enemiesare soldiers, hired assassins, guardsmen,sailors, and the like—men who are fight-ers, but who do not live by the sword theway your character does. Your character issuperior to Enemies and has certain advan-tages over them in combat.

Foes are your peers—characters as pow-erful, and as daring, as your own. Beyondyour own talents, you do not have anyspecial advantages over these NPCs.

Types of combatThere are three types of combat in theConan Role-Playing Game—melee, mis-sile, and magic. Melee and missile combatare explained in this section; see the magicsection.

Melee occurs whenever a character fightswith either his bare hands or a non-projec-tile weapon. Only those opponents withinhis reach, or within the reach of hisweapon, may be attacked in melee.

Missile combat occurs whenever a char-acter uses a weapon that leaves his hands.He may fire an arrow, throw an axe or adagger, or push a rock down onto hisenemies. The result of missile combatdepends on his aim and how quick hisopponents are. A character cannot use a

This procedure is reversed when anopponent is trying to strike at your charac-ter. Your character's Movement or GeneralProwess Talent rating is subtracted fromhis opponent's weapon talent rating. Thereferee then rolls the dice and checks theresult against the Resolution Table.

The combat turnNow that you know how to hit an enemy,it is important to know the order in whichevents happen. If your character and hisopponent are slashing away at each other,who gets to slash first?

Combat in the Conan Role-PlayingGame is divided into 5-second CombatTurns. A character requires one combatturn to accomplish one action and readyhimself for the next. These 5-second com-bat turns are the basic units of GameTime—the measure of the passage of timein the world of Hyboria. Game time dif-fers from real time (the time it takes youto do something in our world). SupposeConan tips over a table, grabs up hissword, smashes a lamp, and strikes at anenemy in the darkness. This takes Conanfour Combat Turns (20 seconds) of gametime. In the real world, however, it takesyou much longer to determine how wellConan performs these actions. You mustroll dice, check tables, and wait for thereferee to decide what Conan's opponentsdo.

Steps in the combat turn

The combat turn is divided into steps tohelp you keep track of what's happening.Not all of the given steps are done everycombat turn. Some are used only duringthe first turn or under special circum-stances.

1) Is anyone caught off guard?

2) What are you going to do?

3) Who goes first?

4) Action!

5) Repeat Step 4 until all characters haveacted.

6) Repeat Steps 2 through 5, as necessary.

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Repeat these steps until combat is over.Combat ends with the defeat or surrenderof your character's opponents, or thedeath or surrender of your character.

Keeping on your guard

" 'Arrest that man!' " the magistratecried, pointing at the bronze-thewedbarbarian in the corner. The guardsmenstepped forward, drawing their swordsfrom their scabbards. With a pantherishleap, Conan sprang from the table, hissword whistling in an arc over his head.Sparks flashed as he beat down the bladeof the first soldier. With a quick thrust hedrove in under the man's guard. Whip-ping his blade around he caught a secondman in the shoulder before the blade hadcleared the scabbard. The other guards-men fell back, panicked at the lightningspeed of the Cimmerian."

In any fight, the speed of the combatantshas an important effect on the outcome.At the start of any combat, the side thatacts faster is going to have an advantage.

Whenever a battle begins, there is achance for each party to be caught offguard, to be surprised. It is important toknow who gets those extra few seconds toreact, your character or his opponents.

You must check to see if your characteris on his guard at the start of any combatand anytime a new character enters into acombat.

To determine which side has the advan-tage in combat, roll percentile dice andconsult the Resolution Table columnunder your character's Animal Reflexes orGeneral Prowess rating. If the result iswhite, you gain no advantage. If the resultis green, you gain 1 advantage; yellow, 2advantages; orange, 3 advantages; andred, 4 advantages.

Meanwhile, the referee has found thecorresponding ratings and die rolls foryour opponents. Once you both have anumber from the Resolution Table, sub-tract the smaller from the larger. This isthe number of free combat turns the sidewith the larger advantage takes before theother side can react.

In a small fight, each character checksseparately to see if he is on his guard andcompares his result to that of his oppo-nent. Whoever has the greater advantagegets a number of free combat turns equalto the difference between the advantages.Conan has found his advantage to be a 4;his opponent has a 2. Almaric (Conan'scompanion) has an advantage of 2 whilehis opponent has a 1. Conan receives 2free combat turns before his opponent canact; Almaric receives 1 free turn on hisopponent.

When there are a great number of char-acters on one or both sides use the bestAnimal Reflexes or General Prowess ratingof each side to determine the advantagefor the whole side.

Again, rolling to see if each character ison guard is done only at the beginning ofa battle or when a new combatant entersthe fray from an unexpected direction.Only those attacked by the new combatantmust check their reactions.

What are you going to do?

Each combat turn (with the exception ofthe initial turn when the "oil guard"check is made) begins with the playersstating their actions for the turn and thereferee stating the actions of their oppo-nents.

In a combat, there are many things yourcharacter could do—more than can belisted. However, most actions fall into oneof the following categories:

Fight: Fighting includes slashing, stab-bing, punching, pummelling, wrestling,kicking, biting, clubbing, and otherwisetrying to hurt your opponent. When yourcharacter fights, you must state whom heis attacking and the part of their body heis aiming for.

Defend: Your character can take manyactions to defend himself from attack. Hecan parry with his sword, roll out of theway of a blow, block a punch, etc. Yourcharacter can only defend against oneattack per turn and must state how he isdefending.

Move: Your character may want to moveduring combat. He can run, crawl, swim,

etc. You must say how and where he ismoving.

Cast A Spell: Some characters can usespells in combat. Their players mustdecide the spell to be cast and the target.

Wait: There will be times when you wantto delay acting until a certain situationoccurs. When you choose to wait, explainto the referee what you are waiting for.You can then try to act first. Conanwatches the stranger, waiting for him todraw his sword. If the stranger attempts toattack, then Conan leaps into action andmay be able to strike first.

The actions listed above are just a few ofthose available to your character. Thechoices are many, limited only by thesituation and your character's abilities.

Who goes first?After everyone states their actions, youmust determine who acts first, second, etc.Roll 1d10 and add your character's AnimalReflexes, Movement, or General Prowessrating, whichever is higher. Then add theInitiative Bonus of the weapon he is wield-ing. (This number, found on the WeaponChart, can be either positive or negative,and takes into account the effects ofweapon length.) If your character isdefending, waiting, or otherwise actingnon-aggressively, he does not need to rolla die.

In a small skirmish, each player rolls adie and adds modifiers for his character. Ifthere are a large number of characters oneach side, roll d10 for each group and addthe best Animal Reflexes, Movement, orGeneral Prowess rating in the group. Inthis case, do not add any weapon InitiativeBonus, unless all the characters on thatside are using the same weapon.

Once the modified die rolls have beenfound for both sides, the characters act inorder from highest modified die roll tolowest. Do this for every combat turn untilthe battle is resolved.

When a character decides to defend, hedoes not roll a die because his action willoccur when his enemy attacks him. Afterall. he cannot defend from an attack untilit occurs.

When your character decides to wait, he

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does so until the awaited situationdevelops, then he tries to act first. Whenyour character wants to act, he finds theResolution Table column corresponding tohis Animal Reflexes or General Prowessrating and then rolls percentile dice. If thedie roll falls within the white range, theopponent acts first. Any other resultmeans that your character acts first.

For example, Conan waits until thestranger reaches for his sword. Conanwants to act before the stranger can attackhim. Conan's Animal Reflexes rating is a10 and the die roll is 19- Conan is success-ful! He whips his blade out and slashes atthe stranger. If the die roll had indicatedfailure, the stranger would have attackedfirst.

Every time your character waits, thentries to act before an opponent does, youmust check to see if he can attack theother first. If Conan waits for a characterto act and fails to act first, he must checkagain if he wants to try to attack a secondenemy. With bad luck it is possible that awaiting character will not be able to actuntil the end of the combat turn!

For example, Conan, having dispatchedtwo guardsmen, turns to face the remain-ing two. He decides to slash at the head ofthe nearest one. The guard tries to parrythe blow. The other guard lunges, hissword aiming for Conan's unprotectedside. The magistrate waits. He will run ifConan defeats his opponents. One guardon the floor tries to crawl out of the waywhile the other plays dead. Conan's playerrolls a 2 and adds Conan's AnimalReflexes fating of 10 for a total of 12. Theattacking guard rolls a 6 and adds hisMovement Rating of 5 for a total of 11.Both he and Conan are using swords (Ini-tiative Bonus of 0). The defending guarddoes not roll since he is trying to parryConan's attack. The magistrate does notroll since he is waiting to see what hap-pens. The guards on the floor do not needto roll, since their actions do not affect theother characters.

Multiple actions

Occasionally your character will find him-self in a tight place or in a big hurry, and

will want to attempt more than one actionin a combat turn. To do this, youannounce at the start of the combat turnthat you are going to try Multiple Actions.Also, tell the referee the order in whichyou are attempting the actions.

The first action is checked for normally.When your character attempts the secondaction, you must check the ResolutionTable. Locate the Resolution Table columnthat matches his Animal Reflexes or Gen-eral Prowess rating. Roll percentile dice. Ifthe die roll is in the red range, your char-acter can take the extra action. Any otherresult means he cannot take the secondaction. If the second actions fails, thecharacter is at -3 for all Resolution checksfor the rest of the turn and for the nextturn.

Foes can choose to take multipleactions, Enemies cannot.

Melee

Melee occurs whenever an opponent iswithin reach of your weapon (other thanprojectile). Within reach is defined asoccupying an adjacent space. In thediagram below, a character in space A isadjacent to characters in any spacemarked B.

B

B

B

B

B

B

B

B

When you make a melee attack, you mustdeclare your Aiming Point. This is thepan of the enemy's body you are trying tohit. There are 7 aiming points—head,right arm, left arm, chest, gut, right leg,and left leg.

Aiming points must be chosen accord-ing to the situation. In normal situations(both characters standing), your charactercan hit any point of his opponent's body.When one opponent is mounted and theother is not, the mounted character can

only aim for the head, chest, and arms ofhis opponent, unless his weapon has apositive Initiative Bonus. The unmountedcharacter can only aim for the rider's leg,gut, arms, and chest, unless his weaponhas a positive Initiative Bonus.

There are also situations where yourcharacter cannot hit a part of his opponentbecause it is protected. Only one leg of aman on horseback can be hit—the legfacing his opponent. The other leg isprotected by the horse's body. When thesesituations arise, use common sense todecide what your character can do.

Other types of melee

". ..and the Cimmerian found himselffighting for his life against huge blackhands that darted for his throat."

The Treasure of Tranicos

Your character will not always be fortunateenough to have a weapon to fight with. Attimes he will have to punch, wrestle, bashwith his shield, or fight with whatever is athand. These types of combat are explainedbelow.

Brawling: This consists of punching, kick-ing and otherwise using your fists and feetin a fight. Punching someone in the armsor legs doesn't do much damage, so mostof your blows should be aimed at thehead, chest and gut. Brawling does 2fewer points of damage, and has differentSpecific Wounds, than weapon combat.

Wrestling: Any character can wrestle,although trained wrestlers are much betterthan those who are untrained. When yourcharacter wrestles, you must describe theaction he is attempting. Then roll percen-tile dice and check the result on the Reso-lution Table column under the attacker'smodified Wrestling talent or GeneralFighting rating (modified by subtractingthe defender's Movement rating). Theattack succeeds on any result but white.Only a red result, however, does damageto the defender; 1 point plus the attacker'sStrength Bonus.

For example, Conan, hiding behindsome baskets, wants to yank the legs outfrom under the bandit standing nearby.

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Conan's player subtracts the guard's Move-merit rating of 1 from Conan's Wrestlingrating of 5. Thus the column under thenumber 4 will be consulted on the Resolu-tion Table. The player rolls a 13, a redresult. With a quick, clean jerk Conanslams the guard to the ground! Unpre-pared for the savagery of the attack, theguard fails hard, slamming his head onthe flagstones for 3 points of damage:

Rushing and Bashing: There are timeswhen it is wiser to run away chat to standand fight against hopeless odds. Usuallythis means moving during your part of thecombat turn. However, if opponents arebetween your character and the exit, hemust rush them. A rush enables yourcharacter to attack his opponents by thesimplest, most direct method—putting hishead down and running at them full tilt.To rush, you must state where your charac-ter is going. Perhaps your character rushestoward a doorway, or into a group of men.Your character rushes in a straight linefrom his present position to his destina-tion. Any character in this line or whocrosses it during the turn, is automaticallyrushed.

The Resolution Table column, used toresolve rushing combat is determined bysubtracting the opponent's Movement

Talent (or General Prowess) rating fromyour character's Movement Talent (orGeneral Prowess) rating. Then roll percen-tile dice. If the result is white, the rushfails and your character is knocked to thefloor. If the result is green, yellow, ororange, the rush pushes your opponentaside and your character can continue inthe same direction. However, the rushedcharacter can still take normal actions andmay strike at you as you pass. If the resultis red, your character knocks his opponentdown and continues on his way. Thedowned character cannot take any actionin that round. A rush never does damage.

A form of the rush is the shield bash.There are two types of shield bashes. Oneconsists of rushing at an opponent, usingyour shield to push the character down.This shield bash is resolved according tothe rules for rushing. The second type ofshield bash is to swing your shield at anopponent standing beside you. In thisinstance, subtract the opponent's Move-ment or General Prowess rating from yourcharacter's General Fighting rating. Theresulting number is the column consultedon the Resolution Table after rolling per-centile dice. The opponent is knockeddown only on a red result, Again, nodamage is done.

Weapons of Desperation: There will betimes when your character must fight withwhatever item he can grab quickly—mugs,chairs, branches, torches, etc. These itemsare treated like normal weapons—a branchstrikes as a club, for example. It is thereferee's job to decide an equivalentweapon for any object your character triesto wield. The weapon descriptions listequivalents for these items of desperation.

Fighting with Two Weapons: Characterswho have Zingarian Fighting Talent canfight with two weapons at once. Only one-handed weapons can: be used (no bills ortwo-handed swords, for example). Com-mon combinations are sword and dirk,sword and cloak, or sword and sword.

When fighting with two weapons, thecharacter picks an action for eachweapon—either attack or defend. The firstattack (the player's choice) is made accord-ing to the initiative roll, the second attackoccurs at the end of the round. If a charac-ter is both attacking and defending, theattack automatically occurs at the end ofthe round. Fighting with two weapons isnot a Multiple Action and so the rulesconcerning Multiple actions do not apply.However, there is a penalty applied to thesecond attack (see Combat modifiers).

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Knock-outs: Your character's friend goesberserk, slashing madly at anyone withinreach! You have to stop him, but youdon't want to kill him—what do you do?Avoiding his blade, you deliver an upper-cut to his jaw, hoping to knock him cold.

When you want to knock an opponentunconscious, instead of killing or wound-ing him, you must announce this inten-tion. Then make a normal attack. If theresult is red, you successfully knock youropponent out. If the dice roll indicatesany other color, the attack has no effect. Acharacter knocked unconscious remainsout for 1-10 minutes (12-120 combatturns).

DefendingWhen you choose to defend, you areattempting to avoid injury. However,stating that you are going to defendagainst a bandit swinging a two-handedsword and actually doing so are two differ-ent matters. Can you get your blade up intime? Will he anticipate your move andmake a feint to draw you out of position?Will his sheer might and fury beat yourblade aside? These factors, and manymore, all figure into the success of yourdefense.

To resolve a defense action, the attackermust first roll to see if his character hitsthe target. If the swing misses, nothingmore needs to be done. The defendingcharacter's skill or the attacker's clumsinesshas made the defense pointless. However,if the attacker hits his target, the defendermust check to see how effective hisdefense was. The defending player findsthe Resolution Table column correspond-ing to his Fighting Talent rating with thedefending weapon. He rolls percentiledice and checks against the Table. If theresult is white, his character was not ableto stop the blow. If the result is green, 1damage point is blocked. If the result isyellow, 2 damage points are blocked.Three damage points are blocked on anorange result and 4 damage points areblocked on a red result. These points aresubtracted from the amount of damagethe attack would otherwise do.

You should note that characters who

have a Strength Bonus or who are using aweapon that gives a Combat Bonus cannotbe completely defended against. Theshock of the blow or the type of weaponthey wield is enough to hurt your charac-ter, if only a little.

Missile combatMissile combat can only happen betweencharacters who are not adjacent to eachother and only if one of them has aweapon he can shoot, throw, hurl, orotherwise propel to the target.

All missile weapons have short, mediumand long ranges. Range is the maximumnumber effect the weapon can travel andstill have a certain effect. In the ConanRole-Playing Game, ranges are given asthe distance in feet the weapon can travel.On the Weapons Lists, ranges for weaponsare given as follows:

Short bow 50/110/200

The numbers are given in actual feet forShort Range. The number that follows thefirst slash is for Medium Range; the last isfor Long Range.

To find the range a character is from anopponent, count the number of squaresfrom the character to his opponent by theshortest possible path. Do not count thecharacter's square, but do count his oppo-nent's square. This number is the range insquares. To calculate the distance in feet,multiply the range in squares by 5.

Aiming and missile combat

When engaging in missile combat, yourcharacter is not required to pick an Aim-ing Point on his opponent. Wind, move-ment of the target, and other factors makegreat accuracy difficult. Simply announcewhich enemy you are attacking. If theattack is successful, roll percentile dice andconsult the Random Hit Location Table.The Table tells where your missile strikesyour opponent.

There will be times, however, when youwant your character to aim at a specificpoint. You announce which point he isaiming for and resolve the attack likenormal combat. However, the attack isonly successful if the dice roll is in the red

range of the column on the ResolutionTable. Any other result indicates that youmissed the target entirely.

Cover

As in melee, there are times when part ofan opponent's body cannot be hit by amissile weapon because it is behind cover.

A character has cover when he is hidingbehind a rock, peering around a corner, orotherwise protecting part of his bodybehind a solid object.

Unlike melee combat, the location of ahit in missile combat is determined ran-domly. If the point indicated by the Ran-dom Hit Location Table is behind cover,the missile strikes the object and the char-acter takes no damage.

Combat modifiers

"Then he was writhing on the glass stepswith fold after slimy fold knotting abouthim, twisting, crushing, killing him. Hisright arm was still free, but he could getno purchase to strike a killing blow, andhe knew one blow must suffice."

The Devil in Iron

Not every combat occurs under ideal con-ditions. It may be dark, the floor may beslippery, the space cramped, your characterbadly wounded, etc.

Combat Modifiers reflect the difficultiesof fighting under less-than-ideal condi-tions and change the chances of success foran attack. All combat modifiers causecolumn shifts on the Resolution Table. Amodifier in favor of the attacker shifts theapplicable column to the right on thetable. A modifier favorable to thedefender shifts the column to the left.There is no limit to the number of modi-fiers that can be applied to a single attack.

A complete listing of the modifiers isgiven on the Combat Modifiers Chartfound on page 10 in the rule book. Beloware explanations of some of the modifiers.

Fallen/Lower Position: Any time a charac-ter is significantly lower than his oppo-nent, this modifier comes into effect. Itaffects situations when your character isknocked to the ground, attacked by amounted opponent, attacked by an oppo-

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nent on a wall, or any other time there is aheight difference.

Obscured: Whenever an opponent isbehind or inside an object, or just hard tosee, he is obscured. Such situationsinclude hiding in the branches of a tree,attacking through a curtain or drape, orfighting in dense fog or smoke.

Range Modifiers: When you fire a missileweapon at a target, there may be a modi-fier because of the distance. If the target isat the medium or long range for theweapon, use the appropriate modifier.

Getting hurt"Then the dark figures flooded over thebreastworks and closed in a storm of flail-ing axes, stabbing knives, and rippingfangs."

Beyond the Black River

Every time your character is hit by anopponent, there is a good chance he will

become injured. Injuries are recorded intwo ways, as Specific Wounds and as a lossof points from your Damage Talent rating.

When a character scores a hit in thegreen, yellow, or orange range, he does 1,2, or 3 points of damage, respectively. Theamount of damage can be increased ordecreased because of Strength Bonus,Weapon Bonus, Armor, and Defending.

When a character scores a hit in the redrange, he does 4 points of damage and hasa chance of causing a Specific Wound. The4 points damage can be increased ordecreased by the modifiers and actions

mentioned above.A Specific Wound affects the pan of the

target's body your character was aimingfor. The effects range from killing youropponent to stunning him to disabling alimb. The effects of each Specific Woundare listed on the Specific Wound Chart.

Weapon BonusesCertain weapons have a Weapon Bonus, apositive or negative number that modifiesthe damage done by a weapon. This mod-ifier is found on the Equipment Chart.The Weapon Bonus is the number ofdamage points added to or subtracted

from any successful hit. Thus, if a charac-ter with a knife, which has a WeaponBonus of -1, scores a green hit (1 damagepoint), the Weapon Bonus reduces thedamage to 0, and no damage is done bythe hit.

Strength Bonuses

Characters with good Strength Talentratings can do extra damage in a fight. Acharacter gains a bonus of +1 damagepoint for every 10 points of Strength Tal-ent. The Strength Bonus is only added formelee (including wrestling, brawling,rushing, bashing, etc.).

Armor and Shields

Because your character can easily be hurt,he usually wears armor for extra protec-tion. There is a drawback—armor is heavyand slows you down. And once you slowdown, you become easier to hit.

Armor is obtained in pieces. Your char-acter may have a breastplate, greaves, anda shield or he may have a helmet and achainmail tunic, or any other combinationof pieces. Each piece protects a certainarea—a breastplate covers the chest (butnot the back), greaves protect part of thelegs, and so on. The area protected byeach piece of armor is listed on the Equip-ment Chart.

Armor protects your character by reduc-ing the damage received from a successful

hit. The number of points stopped byeach piece is listed on the EquipmentChart.

Normally your character can only haveone piece of armor protecting a single areaof his body. However, some pieces (likegreaves) only protect a part of an area.These pieces can be used in combinationwith others that protect a different port ofthe same area. When pieces are used incombination, add the protection rating ofthe pieces together to find the number ofdamage points stopped.

For example, Conan dresses for battle.First he dons his studded skin (whichcovers his gut and thighs). Then he strapson his greaves (which protect his shins)and breastplate (which covers his chest).Setting his helmet in place, he is now

ready for combat. His armor will stop 2damage points to his legs (greaves 1 + skirt1), 1 damage point to his gut (skirt), 2damage points to his chest (bronze breast-plate), and 2 damage points to his head(bronze helmet).

Shields stop damage in the same man-ner as armor. If a character carries a shieldon his left arm, he can use it to protect hisleft leg, gut, chest, left arm, and head,but not his right arm or leg. A shield canonly block one attack per combat turn.When used to block an attack, the shield'sprotection is combined with the protectionof the armor covering the Aiming Point.

As mentioned above, wearing all thisarmor slows a character down. The Equip-ment Chart lists the number of points tobe subtracted from your character's Move-ment Talent rating. If a character does nothave die Movement Talent, subtract onefrom his General Prowess rating. Notethat these subtractions may result in nega-tive numbers. The modified MovementTalent or General Prowess rating is usedwhen determining whether your characteris hit in an attack.

Damage Points

Whenever a character is hit and takesdamage from an attack, subtract the dam-age points from his current Damage Talentrating. As long as this rating is a positivenumber, it only affects the character whenhe has to make a check that involves hisDamage Talent rating.

When a character's Damage Talentrating reaches 0 he does not instantly fallover dead. In fact, the Damage Talentrating can become negative without stop-ping your character. However, every time acharacter with a Damage Talent rating of 0or less takes additional damage, he mustcheck against his current Damage Talentrating (including the damage points justtaken) to see if he survives. Locate theResolution Table column that matchesyour character's current Damage Talent

rating (0 or a negative number). Rollpercentile dice and consult the table. Ifthe result is in the red range, your charac-ter remains alive and conscious. If theresult is green, yellow, or orange, yourcharacter falls unconscious and will revive

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1-10 hours later. If the result is white,your character dies instantly.

When an Enemy's Damage Talent rat-ing is reduced to 0, he automatically fallsunconscious. A Foe reacts to damage inthe same manner as a player character.

Specific WoundsWhenever a character scores a hit in thered range, he causes 4 points of damageand has a chance to cause a SpecificWound. This chance is never affected bydefending, armor, shield, strength bonus,or weapon The Specific Wound Chart (inthe Reference Guide) lists the types ofSpecific Wounds a character can suffer, thetalent checked against to determine if thewound occurs, and the effects of thewound. To sec if the character suffers aSpecific Wound, use his rating for thetalent listed on the chart to locate thecolumn on die Resolution Table. If thecharacter does not have the talent listed,use his General Score for that Talent Fool.Roll percentile dice. If the dice roll indi-cates failure (i.e., in the white range), the

character suffers a Specific Wound. If thedice roll falls within any other area, hedoes not suffer the Specific Wound andtakes only the 4 damage points. Thesedamage points can be modified bybonuses, defending, armor, and shields.

If your character suffers a SpecificWound, write down the nature of thewound on your Character Folio and whenthe wound occurred (either by the adven-ture or the date in the game world). Yourcharacter will be affected by that SpecificWound until it heals. Certain SpecificWounds may affect a character long afterthey're healed.

When a character scores a SpecificWound on an Enemy, the Specific Woundoccurs automatically. A Foe is allowed acheck to see if he can avoid the SpecificWound.

Healing

Once a character is hurt, it is a good ideafor him to heal his wounds and bruisesbefore adventuring any more. He can healby rest and attention to his wounds, or in

rare cases he might have magical aid torestore his health (don't count on this typeof help very often in the Hyborianworld!).

The rate at which a character healsdepends on his level of activity. For everyday he rests he will heal a number ofdamage points equal to his GeneralEndurance rating plus 1. This will givehim at least 1 damage point back everyday. If he is active, fighting or running orotherwise exerting himself, he heals only 1point per day. Resting means that a char-acter has not done anything particularlystrenuous that day. He must stay awayfrom hard activities (fighting, sprinting,climbing, etc.), have adequate food, andadequate sleep (at least 8 hours per day).However, a character can still travel and dominor chores while resting. Resting doesnot mean he is laid up in bed for theentire day!

At the end of each day, add the numberof Damage Points healed back to yourcharacter's Damage Talent rating. A char-acter can never heal more Damage Pointsthan his total Damage rating.

MOVEMENT

"Conan dodged around a corner to putobstacles between himself and the slug.He raced down a narrow zig-zag street,then around another corner. He was lost inthe maze of streets, he knew; but themain thing was to keep turning corners soas not to give his pursuer another clearshot at him."

The Hall of the Dead

In the struggle to keep your characteralive, his movement abilities are almost asimportant as his fighting prowess. Afterall, discretion (running away) is sometimesthe better part of valor. Even the mightyConan does not stand and fight in a hope-less situation. If the odds are against your

character and there is an escape route, takeit!

Types of movementMovement involves more than just walk-ing, loping, and sprinting. It includes allthe ways a character might try to get fromone place to another. Movement is dividedinto Movement and Travel.

Movement occurs during combat orwhen exploring a small area. This is shortdistance motion, occuring over a few com-bat turns or minutes.

Travel occurs when a character wants tocross expanses of land or water. Travel isused for long distance movement, over

periods of days or weeks.The types of Movement and Travel and

the talents that relate to each are listedbelow.

MovementCrawling, Walking, Jogging, and Sprint-ing: Movement is the talent that deter-mines how fast a character performs theabove actions. Any character can crawl,walk, or run (under normal circum-stances). Since crawling and walking aresimple tasks, there is no need to check forsuccess or endurance. You jog to coverlong distances quickly. Sprinting, all-outrunning for a short duration, is usually

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easy but can be made difficult bycircumstances.

Climbing: Not all player characters canclimb, especially the climbs that usuallyface heroes in Hyboria—up mountainfaces, smooth walls, craggy cliffs, andother dangerous surfaces. Climbing talentdetermines a character's ability to climb.

Swimming: Again, not everyone in theworld of Hyboria knows how to swim.Many people (like desert raiders) havenever seen large bodies of water. A charac-ter's ability to swim is measured by hisSwimming talent.

Acrobatics: The Acrobatic talent governsthose actions involving agility, timing, andhand-eye coordination. Vaulting over awall, walking a tightrope, and swingingfrom the rigging of a ship are all acrobaticactions.

TravelingWalking: Occasionally a character willhave to walk great distances, having nofaster means of transportation than hisfeet. Although it is slow, a character canhike at a steady pace for hundreds ofmiles. His Movement talent determineshow far he can walk in a day.

Animals: Traveling long distances on landis faster and easier when riding. How fastyou can travel depends on the animal youride. Horses, camels, oxen, and ponies alltravel at different speeds. Your AnimalHandling talent doesn't affect the ani-mal's speed, but comes into play at crucialtimes (see the Movement and Animalssection in this book).

Boats and Sailing: Sailing is the bestmethod for traveling long distances overwater. Sailing and Navigation talents areimportant when operating a sea-goingvessel.

There are undoubtedly many other waysfor a character to travel. If Conan is sweptup by a giant bird and carried to itsmountain nest, he has traveled, althoughnot by the most comfortable or safest ofmeans! When these situations occur, thereferee may be guided by the rules in thissection.

How Fast Can I Move?

Your character's speed depends on hisMovement talent rating or his GeneralProwess rating, whichever is greater. Thetable below shows the movement rates forCrawling, Walking, Slow Run, and Sprint.

CHARACTER MOVEMENT TABLETalent Rating Crawl Walk Jog Sprint

# = The distance in feet your character canmove in 1 Combat Turn.

[#] = The distance in feet your character canmove in one minute.

P = This type of movement is not allowed.

When Do I Get Tired?

Your character may be able to run fast,but he can't run forever. The limit to howlong he can run is given by his StaminaTalent rating or General Endurance rating,whichever is greater.

Crawling and Walking: A character doesnot get fatigued when walking or crawl-ing. He may move at the rates listed abovefor as long as he cares to (although sleepperiods, 8 hours out of every 24, are stillrequired).

Jogging: Jogging, faster than a walk butslower than an all-out run, is the pace acharacter sets to cover long distances. Hemay jog for a number of hours equal tothe greater of his Stamina or GeneralEndurance ratings. If your character has arating of 0 in both categories, he can jogfor only 1 hour. After jogging, a charactermust rest for 1 hour, then may continue totravel by walking. Your character can jogonly once per day.

Sprinting: A character can move at a fast

sprint for a number of minutes equal tohis Stamina or General Endurance rating.If your character has ratings of 0, he cansprint for 1 minute. At the end of anysprint, a character must rest for 30 min-utes.

Movement and Animals

The travel statistics for animals table(found in the Reference Guide) lists theirwalking and sprinting speeds. The rulesfor character endurance also apply to ani-mals.

Animals, however, are not always coop-erative . Sometimes it takes skill to get ahorse, mule, or ox to obey your com-mands. Whenever a character attempts toget a mount to do something unusual—leap a fence, rear, charge a massed enemy,or obey in battle, he must make a. Resolu-tion check.

For this Resolution check, your AnimalHandling or General Perception ratingdetermines the column consulted on theResolution Table. Now roll the dice. If theresult is white, your character has lostcontrol of the animal (it bolts, throws yourcharacter). If the result is green, yourcharacter remains in control, but cannotget the animal to do what he wants. If theresult is any other color, the animal obeys.

Climbing

All characters can attempt to climb Someclimbs are easy—low branching trees,boulder-strewn slopes, and low walls, forexample. This type of climbing requiresno check to see if your character succeeds.If the referee thinks the climb is simple,success is automatic.

On the other hand, some climbs arevery difficult. It takes skill, knowledge,and the proper equipment to climb craggymountains or several stories of a building.Not every character can scale these formi-dable objects.

Climbing can be done either assisted orunassisted. An assisted climb employsropes, pitons, and other gear. An unas-sisted climb uses just the character's rawmuscle power and skill.

When faced with a difficult climb, onlycharacters with Climbing Talent can

13

-10 or less-9 to -8-7 to -5-1 to -3-2 to 01 to 34 to 67 to 1011 to 1314 to 1718 to 2122 to 2520 to 2930

1[10]2[25]2[25]2[25]3[35]3[35]3[35]3[35]4[50]4[50]4[50]5[50]5[50]5[50]

P5[50]5[50]5[50]5[50]5[50]10[100]0[100]10[100]10[100]10[100]10[100115[150]15[150]

PPP10[200]10[100]15[150]15[150]20[250]20[250]20[250]25[300]25[300]25[300]30[350]

PPPP5[150]20[250]5[300]30[350]5[400]30[500]45[550]50[600]55[650]60[700]

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attempt it unassisted. Characters withoutClimbing Talent must have the assistanceof ropes, at least.

Characters can climb at the rate of 5plus their Climbing rating in feet percombat turn. However, no character canclimb faster than 20 feet per turn.

There is always a chance your characterwill fall. Check for this once for every 100feet you climb. If the climb is less than100 feet, check when your characterreaches the halfway point and when hereaches the top. Thus at least two fallchecks will be made on every climb.

To make the check, find the column onthe Resolution Table that matches thegreater of your character's Climbing orGeneral Prowess ratings. (The surface he isclimbing will shift this column to the leftor right, as explained below.) Then rollthe dice and consult the Resolution Table.If the result is white, your character falls.Any other result indicates that he is safe.

The column shifts for climbing are asfollows:

LopingRoughGlacier or iceSmooth stoneOverhang

+ 2 columns+ 1 column-1 column-2 columns-3 columns

A "+" means a shift to the right. A "-" means ashift to the left.

When your character falls, he does notnecessarily fall all the way to the bottom.He may fall that far, but there is a chancethat he can stop his fall before that. Ifyour character is climbing a sheer surface(wall, tower, smooth cliff, etc.), he willfall to the bottom.

A fall of more than 100 feet usuallyresults in death (see falling in the Dangersand Perils section of this book.) If yourcharacter is climbing a surface with out-croppings to break his fall (an irregularcirri, a wall with balconies or awnings),roll 1d10 and multiply the result by 10 todetermine the number of feet your charac-ter falls. If the result is equal to or greaterthan the distance your character hasclimbed, he hits the bottom.

To determine how much damage yourcharacter takes from a fall, see Falling inthe Dangers and Perils section of thisbook.

Swimming

Only characters with Swimming talent canswim effectively. Characters who do nothave Swimming Talent cannot swim anygreat distance. Their swimming ability islimited to keeping their heads above waterand dog-paddling to a nearby object (theshore, a boat, or a floating piece of wreck-age).

A character with Swimming Talent canswim at speeds given by the CharacterMovement Table, using his SwimmingTalent rating to find the proper row. Therules for swimming long distances are thesame as normal movement except that theWalking speed is used tor long swimsrequiring hours and Jogging speed canonly be maintained for a few minutes. Aswimmer cannot move faster than Joggingspeed.

It is possible for any character to drown,although it is much less likely for thosewith Swimming Talent. Drowning rulesare explained in the Dangers and Perilssection.

Acrobatic Movements

Acrobatic movements require more skillthan just putting one foot in front of the

other. They require strength, flexibility,coordination, and talent. They are alsosomewhat risky—your character may trip,fall on his head, or lose his balance. Thereferee will decide whether an action isacrobatic. (A good guideline is to think ofthe moves made by today's gymnasts).Acrobatic actions are not automaticallysuccessful. Any time your characterattempts an acrobatic move (a runningvault, tightrope walk, swinging from apole, etc.), you must check to see if hesucceeds.

Locate the Resolution Table columnunder your Acrobatic Talent or GeneralProwess rating, whichever is greater. Roll

the dice and make a normal Resolutioncheck. A white result indicates that yourcharacter fails in mid-move and falls flaton his face (or whatever is appropriate).Any other result indicates success.

Traveling Long Distances

When your character covers long distances(from country to country or even farther),you use the rules for traveling. UnlikeMovement, which is measured in feet,Traveling is measured in miles per day oftraveling.

When traveling use the Hyborian WorldMap provided with the game. To find thedistance from one point to another, mea-sure the distance on the map with a ruler.At the bottom of the map is a scale barthat converts this distance in inches intomiles of the map. Using this, you can findthe miles between any two points on themap.

The Movement Rating of the characterdetermines how far the character can movein a day. Each point of the MovementRating is equal to miles of movement. Theexact distance that can be covered with asingle point of the Movement Ratingvaries with the type of ground the charac-ter is trying to cross. Thus, a man cantravel 3 miles through clear terrain on oneMovement point, but can only cover 1/3of a mile through the mountains on thesame movement point. The MovementChart in the Reference Guide lists thediffering costs to move through differenttypes of terrain.

Animals move by the same system.However, when an animal is carrying arider, it can only use 2 / 3 of its points fortraveling. When the animal is pulling achariot or wagon, it can only use 1/2 itspoints for traveling.

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DANGERS AND PERILS"He turned toward the arch—with appall-ing suddenness the seemingly solid flagssplintered and gave way beneath his feet.Even as he fell he spread wide his armsand caught the edges of the aperture thatgaped beneath him. The edges crumbledoff under his clutching fingers. Down intoutter darkness he shot, into black icy waterthat gripped him and whirled him awaywith breathless speed."

Jewels of Gwahlur

Your character frequently will face dangerand death from other characters. Still,such a life can quickly become dull andpredictable, allowing the best adventurerto become complacent. Fate has a remedyin the many hidden dangers and unpre-dictable perils that can befall your charac-ter. Who knows when your fingers mightslip off that wet ledge? Perhaps the junglefruit you just ate is poisonous. Will thebeam snap as you cross the chasm or theburning roof collapse before you can getoutside? These and other perils await asyou travel in the lands of Hyboria.

FallingWhenever your character slips whileclimbing, is kicked off a ledge, leaps froma height, or otherwise falls a distance of 10feet or more, there is a chance that he willbe injured. The chance increases as thedistance fallen increases.

To determine if your character is hurt ina fall, determine the distance fallen (infeet) and subtract 10 from it, The result-ing number is the column used on theResolution Table. Determining damage isdone the same way as for a normal attack.A white result means that there is nodamage. If the result is green, yellow, ororange, your character suffers the numberof points of damage indicated on thechart.

If the result is red, roll 1d10 and referto the Random Hit Location Table for apossible Specific Wound and apply theresult as you would in combat.

The damage from a fall, unlike thatresulting from combat, is fully absorbedby the character, with no protection fromhis armor.

If your character suffers damage in a

fall, he will be stunned for a number ofcombat turns equal to the distance fallendivided by 10. A stunned character maytake no actions. If Conan falls 30 feet andsuffers damage, he will be stunned for 3turns, unable to take any action until thefourth turn after the fall.

If your character falls from more than100 feet onto a hard surface, he is auto-matically killed. Falling into water, deepsnowbanks, or other yielding surfacescauses less damage and thus your charactercan fall from more than 100 feet and stillhave a chance of survival. The refereemust handle these situations.

by the fire. Listed below are the ratings fordifferent types of fires.

Candle or small lamp -5Torch or lantern 0Small fire or burning curtain 5 to 8Large fire or burning beam 10 to 14Bonfire or burning building 15 to 20Volcanic or magical fire 25 to 30

The fire rating is needed to find thecolumn consulted on the Resolution Table.If a burning beam falls on a character, thebeam is "attacking." Subtract the charac-ter's Movement rating from the rating forthe burning beam to determine the

FireA boiling inferno surrounds your charac-ter, blocking all but one distant exit. Ashe springs forward in a dash to safety, ablazing beam drops from above in ashower of red sparks. Will your characterget hurt? If so, how badly?

Whenever a character is in a situationlike the one above, there is a good chancethat he will be scorched and damaged bythe flames. To determine how badly acharacter could be hurt, the referee mustknow the rating of the fire. This rating issimilar to talent ratings. It is a measure ofthe degree of heat and smoke generated

column consulted for damage, then rollpercentile dice.

Damage and Specific Wounds from fireare the same as from combat, except thatall armor has a Protection rating of 1against fire.

DrowningThe undertow sucks at the feet of yourcharacter, pulling him under. Chain mailhampers his movement as he tries tothrash his way to the surface. Can he gethis head above water before he drowns?

To determine if your character is able toswim successfully, you must make a Swim-

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ming check. Circumstances that usuallyrequire a check include:

Being thrown, dropped, or plungedinto water without warning.

Diving into water from a heightgreater than 20 feet.

Attempting to swim while wearingarmor.

The first turn of swimming in waterwith a rating of 10 or more.

Every turn while swimming in waterwith a rating of 25 or more.

To make a Swimming check, calculate thecharacter's modified Swimming talent

rating and the rating of the water. Thecharacter's modified Swimming rating isequal to his normal Swimming ratingminus twice the Movement modifier forany armor. (This may result in a negativenumber.) The rating of the water is knownby the referee. Normal water ratings arelisted below:

Still, calm water 0Slow stream, sewer, or calm ocean 5Strong current or icy water 10Rapids or ocean swells 15Whitewater or windy ocean 25Waterfall, whirlpool, or stormy

sea 35Ocean whirlpool 40Hurricane at sea 50

To make the Swimming check, subtractthe water's rating from the character'smodified Swimming rating. This deter-mines the proper column on the Resolu-tion Table. A white result indicatesfailure, any other result, success. If thecharacter fails, he has swallowed water andchoked on it, suffering the loss of 1 pointfrom his Damage Endurance rating.

Points lost because of swallowing wateraffect a character in the same way, andtake the same amount of time to heal, aspoints lost in combat.

Sometimes, a character must hold hisbreath to survive or escape a peril. Buthow long can he do this? He can hold hisbreath for a number of combat turnsequal to 6 plus his Stamina or GeneralEndurance rating. Thus, if your characterhas a Stamina rating of 8, he can hold hisbreath for 14 combat turns before hebegins to take damage. He receives 1point of damage for every turn beyond hislimit that he does not breathe.

Poison"But this reptile was venomous; he sawthe great fangs, a foot long, curved likescimitars From them dripped a colorlessliquid that he instinctively knew wasdeath."

The Scarlet Citadel

Of all the hidden dangers and perils yourcharacter faces, poison is perhaps the mostinsidious. It can be disguised or unno-ticed, it works silently, and can weaken orkill your character without warning.

Poison has three ratings—a Venomrating, a Wound rating, and a Durationrating. The Venom rating is the strengthof the poison. The Wound rating is thenumber of Damage points the poison cancause. The Duration rating indicates thenumber of turns before the poison takeseffect.

When your character is poisoned, youmust check to see if he resists the effects ofthe poison. Subtract the Venom ratingfrom your character's Poison Endurance orGeneral Resistance rating. This is thecolumn used on the Resolution Table tocheck the result of the dice roll. If the

result is white, the poison has full effect.A green or yellow result reduces the poi-son's Wound rating by 1 or 3, respectively.An orange result means that the poisondoes only 1 point of Damage, and a redresult means that the poison has no effect.

The poison's Wound rating, modifiedby the character's resistance, is the numberof points lost from the character's Damagerating.

A viper has bitten your character! Youcheck for poison resistance and receive agreen result, Thus the poison, which has aWound rating of 8, only does 7 Damagepoints to your character. If the resistanceresult had been yellow, the poison wouldhave done 5 Damage points.

Finally, the Duration rating indicatesthe length of time before the poison takeseffect. Poisons are seldom instantaneous—the venom must work its way to a vitalorgan before it takes effect. If a characterhas not obtained an antidote or curebefore the time limit indicated, the poisoncauses the Wound rating listed. If thecharacter obtains an antidote before thattime, he prevents the poison from takingeffect.

Some typical poisons are listed below:

Spider (tarantula, etc.)RattlesnakeViperCurare

6/5/6 hrs.10/8/2 hrs.13/15/1hr.15/20/5 min.

Explanation: Venom rating/Wound rat-ing/Duration rating

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MAGIC

" 'I journeyed in Zamora, in Vendhya, in Stygia,and among the haunted jungles of Khital. I readthe iron-bound books of Skelos, and talked with

unseen creatures in deep wells, and facelessshapes in black reeking jungles. I obtained a

glimpse of your sarcophagus in thedemon-haunted crypts below the black,

giant-walled temple of Set in the hinterlands ofStygia, and I learned the arts that would bring

back life to your shriveled corpse.' "Conan the Conqueror

Magic! Of all the skills, crafts, and arts ofHyboria, magic is the most cunning. Itrequires much patience and dedication onthe pan of the student. Shrouded in mys-tery and hidden lore, magic gives its stu-dents great power, but at a perilous price.Of all the paths of knowledge, it is theway most dangerous to follow.

Who Can Use MagicAlthough magical skills are available toany character, not every character has orwants magical skills. Magicians, sorcerers,wizards, and shamans are all rare in Hybo-ria. It takes a particular temperament tolearn the secrets of long-forgotten lore.Characters who seriously seek magicalpower must be patient, studious, strong ofheart, and willing to devote long periodsto darkened chambers and grim readingwhile their friends travel and adventure inthe outside world. Also, there are otherprices to pay for power—prices that can

limit a character's abilities. And last,magic is dangerous. Only perfect informa-tion and understanding can guaranteesuccess, but crucial knowledge is often lostin the mists of time.

Although your player character can be amagician in the CONAN® Role-PlayingGame, you should consider carefullybefore deciding to pursue this route. Inaddition to all the drawbacks and dangersmentioned above, Hyborians think ofmagicians as evil or, at best, inhuman.Don't expect to make many friends as amagician.

Obtaining MagicalAbilityUnlike other talents, magical talents can-not simply be selected and immediatelyemployed by a character. Instead, he mustmeet preconditions and pay special pricesbefore he can even select a magical talent.Choosing a magical talent just indicates

that your character has an aptitude forthat type of magic. Your character muststill find and study a spell before he cancast it.

Prerequisites: Certain magical talentsrequire other talents as prerequisites. Thisgives the magician the background andtraining he needs to learn the new talent.It is much like the learning you do inschool—before you can understand calcu-lus, you need to know arithmetic andalgebra. Otherwise calculus is incompre-hensible. The Magic talent descriptions inthe Reference Guide list the prerequisites,if any, for each talent.

Stndy: As mentioned above, study isnecessary to learn a magical talent. Afterall, such deep knowledge does not leapunbidden into a character's mind. Hemust spend long hours bent over manu-scripts, poring over minute inscriptions,and practicing his new skills before he canhope to use them effectively. The amount

of study time is given in the talentdescriptions and differs for each talentyour character is trying to learn. To learn atalent, a character must spend the listedamount of game time doing nothing butstudying. He may travel and adventureduring his studies, but time spent onthese activities does not count toward hisstudy time.

Khesthas is studying the magical talentof Mind Control. He must study sixmonths before he can employ this talent.After three months of study he travelsfrom Tarantia (in Aquilonia) to Zamora,to consult certain rare books. The journeytakes one month. When he arrives inZamora, he still must study for three moremonths before he can use the talent.

Obsession: When a character earns hisfirst magical talent he also automaticallyreceives the Obsession talent, recordedunder his Insight Talent Pool. It has abeginning rating of 1. Whenever thecharacter gains a new magical talent orspell, his Obsession rating increases by 1.Also, every time the character uses certainmagical items, his Obsession ratingincreases by 1 or more points. The exactamount is listed under each item.

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Obsession affects a character by makinghim desire more magical power, no matterwhat the cost. Anytime your character isfaced with the temptation to obtain moremagic, you must make a check against hisObsession rating. The rating determinesthe column consulted on the ResolutionTable after the dice roll. If the result isanything but red, your character resists. Ifthe result is red, your character succumbsto the obsession. He must do whatever isnecessary to gain the magical power.

Obsession may force a character to dosomething that is against the desires of theplayer. If the player finds a way to satisfyhis obsession without hurting others, hemay do so. The character cannot ignorethe obsession.

Obsession talent may not be chosen bya character, nor may he increase it withtalent points gained on an adventure.

Special Costs: Magic is not without itsspecial risks and costs. Payment cannot bein money or gems, it is always somethingmore personal. This is the price one paysfor magical power, it cannot be avoided.Each talent description indicates any spe-cial cost for learning the talent. If there isa cost, choose one of the weaknesses listedbelow and apply it to your characterimmediately.

MAGICAL WEAKNESSES

Animal aversionDisfigurementDistrustedEndurance lossMadnessNocturnal

Specific Spells

When a character learns a magical talent,he immediately gains some minor abili-ties, He does not, however, know all the

powers and functions of that talent. Togain the full powers of the talent, thecharacter must seek out and research spe-cific spells. Each spell is an individual bitof knowledge. The clues and formula for aspell may be scattered throughout theworld, requiring much time, patience,and travel to assemble the elements of thespell. The spell may also require special

materials before it can be completed.In the CONAN Role-Playing Game,

there are no lists of spells for your charac-ter to learn. Instead, each magical talentlists the activities it encompasses. You andthe referee create the specific spells withinthe talent. Describe the spell you want tothe referee. He will decide what you mustlearn or gather to cast that spell (the talentdescriptions offer guidelines). Your charac-ter must find the knowledge or itemsneeded. During the course of an adven-ture, the referee may give clues about anexisting spell. Your character must thenfind the spell to learn any more about it.

For example, Khestsas has studiedAlchemy Talent. The referee tells Khest-sas's player that Khestsas found a referenceto the Dust of Blinding while reading afragment of the Books of Skelos. Khestsasdecides to learn this spell. His only clue is

the Books of Skelos, so he travels (andadventures) to Vendhya where the refereetold him he could find a complete copy.Once there, he finds the formula for mak-ing the dust. Khestsas now knows how tomake the dust and this can be noted onhis character sheet. But he still needs the

ingredients—lotus powder from the landsof Khitai. Now he must travel there toobtain the powder. Once he has every-thing he needs, he can create the Dust ofBlinding.

Sorcerers must resign themselves tohard, solitary lives!

Types of MagicThere are many different types of magicthat exist in Hyboria. They differ in prep-aration, rituals, effects, and cost to themagician. The different types of magic arelisted below; each is explained fully in theReference Guide.

AlchemyInformationMind ControlNatural MagicPhysical LawsSummoningTransformation

Magical TalentRatingsWhen a character gains a magical talent,he can assign it talent points as he wouldany other talent. As the character earnstalent points (through adventures) he canincrease his magical talent rating asdesired. The magical talent rating comesinto play whenever he attempts a spellwithin that talent.

For example, Khestsas has finallylearned Mind Control talent and has givenit a talent rating of 8. He also learned hisfirst spell within this talent—the creationof visual illusions. When he casts thisspell, it has a rating of 8.

Magic ResistanceWhenever a magic spell is cast, or a magi-

cal item is employed, the target of theattack has a chance to resist. To make theattack, subtract the Magic Endurance orGeneral Endurance rating of the targetfrom the rating of the spell. This deter-mines the column consulted on the Reso-lution Table. Roll the dice and check the

result. If it is white, the attack fails andthe spell (or item) has no effect. Any otherresult indicates that the attack succeedswith the desired effect.

Khestsas casts his visual illusion spellagainst a warrior with a General Endur-ance of 5. Subtract this from the spell'srating of 8. The result, 3, indicates theResolution Table column to check the diceroll against.

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LIVING IN HYBORIA"I'll head east, to seek a mercenary post in Turan. They say KingYildiz is hiring fighters to whip his raggle-taggle horde into a realarmy. Why not come with me, lad? You're cut out for a soldier.' "

The Hall of the Dead

By now you know how to fight, move, usemagic, and survive the many dangers ofHyboria. But you still need to learn someimportant details concerning earningmoney, paying expenses, non-player char-acters and how not to offend them, andother useful facts. These are important toyour character and to good role playing.Paying attention to the small detailsmakes all the difference between enjoy-able role-playing and just wanderingaround, hacking and slashing.

MoneyLike the modern world, Hyboria does nothave a universal monetary standard. Eachland has its own coinage. Jewels and jewe-lery are sometimes traded and used asmoney.

However, there are major differencesbetween modem economics and those ofHyboria. Today, rates of exchange are setand agreed upon. You know how much adollar is worth in another country. This isnot true in Hyboria. The value of a coin orgem changes from city to city and evenfrom merchant to merchant within a city.\bur character knows the general worth ofthe local coinage, but how much it willbuy depends on how well he haggles with

the merchant.The most common coin in Hyboria is

the Aquilonian luna. It is acceptable ten-der in most countries. There are gold,silver, and bronze lunas. Generally, a goldluna is worth 10 silver lunas, each ofwhich is worth 100 bronze lunas. Mostother countries use coins similar in sizeand weight to the luna.

Jewels range in value from semi-pre-cious (low value) to extremely valuable.The Jewel Table in the Reference Guidelists various types of gems and theirapproximate value.

When you deal with a merchant, don'talways expect to obtain the desired item or

service at the price you want. Haggling is a

way of life to most merchants. Your char-acter must haggle to receive better priceswhen making large purchases. Buying ahorse or a new set of armor involves seri-ous negotiation. Small purchases, how-ever, are at fairly standard prices that allowfor little or no haggling. If your characterwants a drink or a loaf of bread, for exam-ple, the merchant is likely to ask a setprice.

When you referee, use the followingguidelines for haggling and dealing. First,decide the lowest price for which the mer-chant will sell the item. Next, decide theprice the merchant would like to receive.Increase this price by 5 to 10 times toestablish the merchant's opening offer. Ifthe player buys at this price the merchantwon't complain, but usually the playercomes back with a (much lower) counter-offer and the haggling will commence.Remember that you are playing the part ofa salesman. You can moan and complainabout how you are being robbed, throw ina piece of good-looking junk as a specialdeal, and lie (within reason). As a mer-chant, you want to do two things—makethe sale and, sometimes, maintain y o u rreputation. Use haggling and dealing toenliven the role playing.

ExpensesBecause your character often has to hagglefor items, he should have an idea of thegoing prices of common items. Then hewill have a good chance of knowingwhether he is getting a deal or gettingcheated. Some common services and itemsare listed below. The average prices ofweapons and armor are listed on theEquipment Charts.

EmploymentJobs are useful. They earn money for yourcharacter. However, most jobs are a prob-lem—they limit your character's actions.

Blacksmiths just do not leave one day on a5,000 mile trip. Clerks seldom slay evilpriests in their temples. Therefore, mostPCs are not employed in normal profes-sions.

Player characters are adventures—theytravel, they do battle, they get hurt. Theycan be extremely wealthy one day andbroke the next. They may also have workone day and be unemployed the next.Fortunately for your character, getting ajob in Hyboria is quite a different matterfrom getting a job in the real world.

A good adventurer creates his ownwork. Your character, because he risks hislife for glory and excitement, can get workthat is much different from that of thenormal person. The quality (and quantity)of that work depends on the Fame of yourcharacter. The more renowned he is, thebetter the position he can demand. Belowis a list of the types of work a PC might beable to find. The three groupings arebased on the Fame talent rating (see Fameand Glory in the Improvement and Ulti-mate Goals section of this book)

Little Fame (Fame talent rating of 0 to 10)

BodyguardCaravan guardCommon soldier or sergeantMember of a bandit campModerate Fame (Fame talent rating of 11 to 25)

Army captainBandit leaderCaravan masterChief or Hetman of a tribeSpecial Envoy to a Prince of King

Great Fame (Fame talent rating of 26 or more)

GeneralHigh PriestRoyal Councillor

In addition to regular jobs, characters areoften hired to perform special missions.These missions are one-time jobs, usuallyhighly dangerous, illegal, and (sometimes)well-paying. This type of work often

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AVERAGE COSTS OF GOODS AND SERVICES

Clothes:BootsCloak,

heavyornamental

Robe or dress,fancyplain

SandalsShirt or trousers,

coarse clothcottonlinenleathersilk

Winter fur robe

1-10 Gold Luna

1-5 Silver Luna1-5 Gold Luna

10-100 Gold Luna1-5 Silver Luna1-2 Silver Luna

50-100 Bronze Luna1-2 Silver Luna

5-10 Silver Luna1-5 Gold Luna5-10 Gold Luna10-20 Gold Luna

Drinks (by the flagon)Homemade fermented grains or fruitsStale vinegary beerFlat, sour wineCommon wineMeadSharp, good wineKyrossian wine

1-5 Bronze Luna2-10 Bronze Luna5-10 Bronze Luna10-50 Bronze Luna50-100 Bronze Luna1-3 Silver Luna5-20 Silver Luna

Food:Greasy, foul slopsBland, typicalHearty, goodSumptuousdinnerRegal banquet

1-5 Bronze Luna10-20 Bronze Luna50-100 Bronze Luna

10-20 Silver Luna10-50 Gold Luna

Lodging (by day):Ratty, lice-ridden flopspaceShared room or bedClean roomQuality room and good serviceTwo room suitePersonal lodgings

Miscellaneous Items:One day's rations

(smoked sausage,jerky, driedfruits, driedbeans, bread)

Saddle and bridleStabling (per night)Wool Blanket

1-5 Bronze Luna10-15 Bronze Luna50-100 Bronze Luna4-10 Silver Luna20-50 Silver Luna1-5 Gold Luna

1-3 Silver Luna1-10 Gold Luna1-10 Bronze Luna1-5 Silver Luna

develops into an adventure. Conan maybe hired to recover the Heart of Ahrimanor perhaps to find the kidnapped son of alocal priest. His adventure involves thecompletion of his mission.

A character can also present himself asan expert or master in a given skill. If yourcharacter has a high Sword Talent rating,for example, he could become a Sword-master at a minor court, teaching othershis art. A character must have a talentrating of at least 20 before others willaccept him as an instructor.

Finally, a character can also be self-employed. This often occurs after he hasgained information about something thatwill profit him. For example, your charac-ter may have heard that the ruins ofLarsha hide a fabulous treasure that noman has yet found. In fact, many havegone there and never returned. What achallenge for a bold and daring swords-man!

Remember, adventures will not alwaysfall into your lap. For your character tostay alive, you must be prepared to go outand do a little Hyborian "job-hunting!"

Dealing With NPCs" 'I don't know! I know nothing!' Pro-mero's voice became hysterical. 'I hadnothing to do with it—' "

'Make him talk, Dionus,' snappedDemetrio. Dionus grunted and nodded toone of his men who, grinning savagely,moved toward the two captives."

The God in the Bowl

A great deal of your character's time isspent dealing with other characters,whether with words or swords. When theother character is a player character, hisplayer decides what he says and does. Ifthe other character is a non-player charac-ter, however, the referee decides how hereacts. This is not always easy. The refereeplays the parts of many people during thecourse of an adventure, and sometimes itis difficult for him to remember how hewants a character to react. Also your char-acter may talk to someone the refereesimply has not prepared for. Imagine thatConan is sitting in a tavern and wants tolearn some information about the notori-

ous despot of the city. He turns to a tablecompanion and starts asking questions.This NPC is not in the referee's notes.How does this character react? Is he help-ful and friendly? Is he afraid to speak outagainst his hated ruler? Is he fiercely loyalto the despot? To find out, the refereemakes a Reaction Check.

For the referee to make a ReactionCheck, you must state exactly what yourcharacter is doing—is his hand on hissword hilt (a threatening gesture) or is heholding up a shiny coin (bribery—afriendly gesture). Furthermore, you haveto speak for your character. It's not roleplaying if you say "I'm going to ask himabout Karas, the ruler of the city." Like anactor, you must speak the lines of yourcharacter. "Say there, friend, I'm new toyour city and would be greatly pleased ifyou could tell me something of it andabout Karas. Here, let me buy you adrink. I've heard horrible things abouthim. Are they really true?" By carefullyplanning your actions, you help the ref-eree decide what happens.

There are two ways for the referee to

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determine an NPC's reaction. First heListens to what the player character saysand does. Many times this tells him howthe NPC reacts. In the above example, thePC is friendly, even generous. It is veryreasonable for the NPC to respond in anequally friendly manner. After all, he isgetting a free drink for his trouble! If aplayer character shouts angrily at an NPCand draws his sword, the NPC would notreact in a friendly manner.

If the referee can't decide how the NPCreacts, he makes a Reaction Check on theResolution Table. Find the column on thetable that matches the PC's Fame talent orGeneral Perception rating, whichever isgreater. The column is then modified bythe NPC Reaction Modifiers Chart. Thesemodifiers differ from other modifiers inthat their use depends very much on thejudgment of the referee. He is free tochange the modifier if he believes that itdoes not accurately reflect the circum-stances of the situation. Once the propercolumn on the Resolution Table is decidedon, roll the dice and check the result. Thefollowing table gives the range of reactionsbased on different situations.

A friendly situation occurs when theNPC is predisposed to like the playercharacter. A neutral situation occurs whenthe NPC neither likes nor dislikes theplayer character. Hostile situations occurwhen the NPC definitely does not like ortrust the PC. A dangerous situation is onewhere the player character has asked theNPC to do or say something that involvesrisk on his part.

A thief has just taken Conan's purse! Asthe mangy little character darts for thedoor of the tavern, Conan stands androars, "STOP THAT THIEF!" The refereemakes a Reaction Check for an NPCstanding near the door. The situation isdangerous, since the thief is wielding aknife. The result is red—the NPC dives atthe thief trying to tackle him! If Conanhad said, "Drinks for the man who stopsthat thief!" the NPC would have acted ona red or orange (bribable) result.

The referee should always rememberthat if he does not agree with the result ofa Reaction Check, throw it out and substi-tute a more suitable reaction.

REACTION RESULT TABLE

COLORResult Friendly

SITUATIONNeutral Hostile Dangerous

WhiteGreenYellowOrangeRed

AbruptNeutralNeutralHelpfulGenerous

IgnoresAbruptAnswersAnswersHelpful

FightsRefusalUnfriendlyUnfriendlySuspicious

RunsRefusalRefusalReward or BribeHelpful

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IMPROVEMENT AND ULTIMATE GOALS" 'I did not dream far enough, Prospero. When King Numedides

lay dead at my feet and I tore the crown from his gory head and setit on my own, I had reached the ultimate border of my dreams. Ihad prepared myself to take the crown, not to hold it. In the oldfree days all I wanted was a sharp sword and a straight path to my

enemies. Now no paths are straight and my sword is useless.' "The Phoenix and the Sword

Now your character knows how to fight,use magic, move, and basically stay alivein the world of Hyboria. But what moti-vates him to risk his life every day? Whatare his goals?

Everyone has goals—you have goals inyour life. Perhaps you want to make itthrough that next exam, or get throughcollege, or find a good job, or makeenough money to live happily. However,the ordinary person's goals don't involverisking life and limb for uncertainrewards. The motivations of player charac-ters are strong enough to make them riskall. To enjoy role playing, you shouldknow why your character risks his life.Player character motivations are not pro-vided by the rules; they are choices youmust make about your character. Bychoosing motives, you lend more life andexcitement to your role playing sessions.

To help you chose goals, a few commonones are listed below. Some goals, Fameand Expertise, for example, have rules.With other goals the driving force mustcome from you.

MoneyMost characters need money for food andlodging, equipment, and entertainment.It also helps when dealing with othercharacters, for bribes and such. But moneyusually isn't the primary motivation forplayer characters, it just makes life more

comfortable.

Fame and GloryIn Hyboria, a person's deeds are muchmore important than his wealth. Perform-ing heroic deeds earns a reputation for acharacter that affects how others treat him.

He may be known for being heroic andsteadfast, grim and savage, cunning andclever, or dark and dangerous. The reputa-tion he earns depends on his feats andhow he accomplishes them.

Your character's reputation is measuredby his Fame Talent rating. Unlike othertalents, you cannot choose Fame as a Tal-ent. Likewise, you cannot choose to addTalent Points to it. The Fame Talent andits rating points can only he given by thereferee. They are part of your reward fornotable deeds.

The following guidelines are usedawarding Fame Talent points.

1. The deed must be of a heroic orextraordinary nature.

2. The deed must be done either in thepresence of witnesses or in such a waythat others know who accomplished thedeed. No Fame can be gained if youcan't prove your character was responsi-ble.

3. The deed must be dangerous to yourcharacter.

The following are some typical situationsthat will earn Fame Points.

Earn 1 Fame Point

Item's Fame RatingObtaining a special magic or treasure

item.

Particularly powerful or notable monstersand valuable items have a Fame rating.This rating indicates how well-known ordangerous the thing is. By defeating the

monster or gaining the item, your charac-ter earns its Fame rating. In addition, thereferee can give Fame Points for otherdeeds that are particularly noteworthy.Every talent your character has with arating of 20 to 29 earns him 1 Fame point.When a talent increases from the 20s to 30or more, an extra Fame point is given.

You can also lose points from your Famerating. Below are some of the actions thatcan cause you to lose fame.

Lose 1 Fame Point

Acts of notable cowardice.Acts of notable stupidity.Being made to look like a fool.Betraying friends or underlings for

personal gain.Leading the losing side in a major

battle.

Losing to an opponent with lower Genera]Talent Pool ratings.

An act of cowardice is one where youabandon your friends or those who trustyou, with no other reason but fear for yourown safety. Characters who have the weak-ness Cowardice must work hard to over-come this penalty to their Fame.

ExpertiseFor some characters, the desire to be thebest at what they do is a strong motivator.A fencing expert hones his skills tobecome the best fencer in the world. Aguide has to spend lots of time in

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Acts of bravado that place your character'slife at risk.

Defeating an opponent with higherGeneral Scores.

Leading the victorious side in a majorbattle.

Notable savagery.Per Talent rating of 20 to 29.Per Talent rating of 30.Notable acts of mercy.Tricking a major NPC.

Monster's Fame RatingDefeating an infamous monster.

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the woods to be the best tracker and guidearound. By using your talents in an adven-ture, you can improve those talents andadd new ones.

As with Fame Points, the referee awardsyour character talent points at the end ofeach adventure. These points representlearning during the adventure. The num-ber of points your character receivesdepends on his actions and how well heperformed them.

For simply going on an adventure, yourcharacter earns 1 talent point, no matterwhat else happens. He may, however, earnmore talent points by using his talents.The chart below lists the talent pointawards that can be given.

Action Talent Points.

Minor use of talent 1Avg. use of talent 2Major use of talent 5Succeeding at an action

in which your characterdoes not have a talent 2

Minor use is defined as only using thegiven talent once or twice during thecourse of the adventure. Major use is whenyour character uses that particular talent alot—slashing with his sword through 100corsairs before fighting the evil wizardwould be major use of the Sword FightingTalent.

No matter how hard a character tries,there is only so much he can learn orimprove at a time. Therefore, a charactercan earn no more than 10 talent points ina single adventure.

With the talent points your characterearns, you can increase existing talentratings or add new talents to your charac-ter's Talent Pools. If you want to increase atalent, you can raise the talent rating by 1for every Talent Point you spend. It costs 5talent points to add a new talent to yourcharacter's sheet. The new talent startswith a rating of 1.

The referee may place a limit on thetalents your character can add. After all,your character must have had the opportu-nity to study a talent, else how could hehave learned it? If you have been adven-

turing in the desert, don't expect to addthe Swimming Talent (or increase it if youalready have it). Where would you prac-tice swimming while in the desert? Everytime you plan to spend talent points, youmust inform the referee. He will decide ifyour recent actions would allow you to addor improve that talent.

ExcitementSome people simply enjoy doing danger-ous things. If you ask a stuntman why hetakes chances, his only reason may be thatit is exciting, likewise, many explorers,mercenaries, and daredevils live for theexcitement in life. In the Hyborian world,this motive is not unusual. Conan cer-tainly does not enjoy a boring life.

Pan of the excitement of Hyborian lifeis its unpredictability. Your character maybe merrily sauntering down the road onemoment and in dire peril the next. Butwith a little luck, he will be able to pullthrough. This is handled by Luck Points inthe Conan Role-Playing Game.

A luck point allows your character to dothe impossible, make that all-importantattack, or save himself from certain death.It is a special way to break the rules.

At the cost of 1 luck point you can doany of the following things:

Reroll one die roll that your character hasmade.

Reduce the level of damage your charactersuffers from an attack by one category.A red damage result would becomeorange, etc.

Your character can attempt an action thatonly an incredibly lucky person might beable to do. You locate the ResolutionTable equal to the Luck Points you arespending and roll the dice. If the result isred, your character succeeds. For example,Conan and his companions are trapped ina meadhall, flames all around them. Theroof is about to collapse. Conan tries tocatch an unfired beam to hold up theroot. He expends 3 luck points and suc-ceeds! He wedges the beam in place,halting the roofs collapse long enough forhim and his companions to escape.

When your character is created, the

referee secretly rolls 1d10. This gives thenumber of luck points your characterbegins the game with. As you spend thepoints, they are subtracted from thisamount. Once they are used, they are lost.But you can earn new luck points. Thesenew points are secretly added to yourcharacter's total by the referee. Luckpoints are earned for the following:

Good role-playing: You can earn 1 pointper adventure for good role-playing. Didyou contribute to the adventure and makeit fun for everyone, including the referee?Did you play your character well? If so,you might earn a luck point.

Originality: When you have been particu-larly clever or have tried to do somethingdaring and truly heroic, the gods of for-tune may smie upon you. The referee maydecide to grant 1 luck point for everyclever or heroic deed.

Remember, the granting of luck points isup to the referee. Arguing with him aboutthese points is neither fun nor in the spiritof the game.

Codes of HonorThere is one other thing that makes aheroic character different from most otherpeople—a code of honor. This code, con-sisting of principles and morals that thecharacter follows, adds a great deal to theheroic feel of the character Conan has acode of honor. He doesn't abandon help-less women and friends. He stays true tohis word unless double-crossed. Hedoesn't kill innocents if he can help it. Hefights evil if given the chance. These prin-ciples help in deciding his actions andplans.

Nothing can force you to have or followa code of honor for your character. How-ever, if you want your character to actheroic, it is good to devise a code ofhonor. Will he desert party members?Will he steal from friends? What makeshim different from the bad guys? Remem-ber, your character is a hero in the goodand positive sense of the word. How canhe be a good guy if he behaves just likethe villains?

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REFEREEING ADVENTURES IN HYBORIAAs referee, you are the controlling force inthe CONAN Role-Playing Game. You arethe player who must make the decisionsthat affect player characters, guide theadventure, play the parts of the NPCs,and describe what is happening. Withoutyou, the other players have a very hardtime playing the game. This section willhelp you be prepared for some commonsituations that arise when you decide toplay.

Being PreparedBefore you can even start to play, youmust be prepared. By being prepared, youcan make your sessions much more enjoy-able for everyone involved.

Before you and your friends sit down toplay, you must have an adventure forthem to play. Without a prepared adven-ture (or an outline of an adventure), yourplayer characters have nothing to do. Toget you started, a short adventure, TheTower of The Elephant, is included in thisrule book. Read this adventure before youplay. Be sure you understand what is tohappen in the adventure. What are thegoals of different NPCs? How do the mapsfit together? What are the sights, sounds,and smells the characters will encounter?What rules are used? By reading theadventure and making occasional notes,you should have an understanding of whatis supposed to happen in the adventure.

After reading the adventure, you andyour friends will meet for your first sessionof play. In this first session, do not besurprised or upset if your group does notplay very much of the adventure. Afterall, your players must create characters andlearn what these characters can do. In thefirst session, this will take some time. Inlater sessions, as everyone becomes morefamiliar with the rules and procedures ofthe game, it will take much less time.However, in the first session, be preparedto explain different rules carefully to yourplayers. It is likely that you are the onlyperson who has read the rules through.Your players will be looking to you forguidance and instruction when they createtheir characters.

The following are other steps you can

take for your first and later adventuresthat will prepare you for play.

1) Ready the area in which you choose toplay. There should be chairs, dice,paper, and pencils for everyone. Youare the host of this "party." The successof the party depends on your prepara-tions for your guests.

2) Read your adventure through beforebeginning play. If you are using anadventure prepared by TSR, Inc., besure you understand what happens andwhat you are supposed to do. If you areusing an adventure you have created,make sure you know what you want tohave happen.

3) If you are using any props (such as theTSR, Inc. CONAN miniatures), besure you have those handy. It's irritat-ing when, in the middle of an excitingchase, you must stop and dig up aminiature or prop out of another room.Other props to have ready includecharacter sheets, papers with clues foryour characters, etc.

4) Know how long you can play in a sin-gle session. If you can only play forthree hours, be prepared to halt theadventure at the end of that time. Thisdoes not mean the adventure is over. Itmeans that all the action is put on holduntil the next time your friends andyou can meet to play. Obviously, youdon't want to stop in the middle of anexciting fight. Good times to put anadventure aside are when your playersare making plans for the next step,beginning a long overland journey, orhave reached a part of their goal.Then, when you meet again, you canpick up the action where you left off,your minds fresh and ready for moreexcitement.

Running AdventuresWhen you actually run an adventure,there are several tricks and strategies youcan use to make the game faster and morefun for you and everyone.

Know the Rules: As referee, you must

know the rules of the game to play.Although it helps to have the other play-ers know the rules, they can manage with-out. You can tell them what they need toknow and what they should do as youplay. However, if you don't know therules, the game will fall apart.

However, there are a fair number ofrules included in the CONAN Role-Playing Game. Until you have had morepractice, don't be surprised if you can'tremember every detail. Therefore, whenyou begin play, you should know thebasks of the rules and where to find theanswers to questions.

At the beginning, you should knowhow to create a character, how to run afight, and how to check for the reaction ofan NPC. Don't be afraid to look in therule book for the answer to a particularquestion. As you referee more and moresessions, you will discover that you look atthe rules less and less. Your confidence inwhat you know and what you are doingincreases. Eventually, you might evenreach the point where you can make yourown new rules.

Wing It: Nonetheless, no matter how wellyou know the rules, there are going to besituations that the rules do not discuss.You are right in the middle of a savagebattle and one of your players announcesan action that is totally unexpected. Whatdo you do?

First, do not say, "No, you can't dothat! It's not in the rules." If you do, yourplayer will be disappointed and unhappy.After all, the idea of the game is to havefun. Part of the fun for the players isbeing inventive and clever—trying to findways to astound you and outwit the situa-tion you have created. Don't punish theplayer with the rules.

The second thing to avoid is panic. Justbecause there are no rules in the rule bookdoesn't mean you can't make up a rule.Listen to what your player wants to do.Then decide how hard the action wouldbe. Remember, the player characters arenot normal people—they are heroes. Theycan do more than the ordinary person.Still, there are impossible actions, even forheroes. Conan can't leap off the 1,000-

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Foot cliff, spread his arms and gently floatto the ground. He will fall like a stone.However, the player might have Conanmake a rude parachute from a large blan-ket. The chances that it will work are slim,but the character does get a chance.

Finally, actions that aren't covered bythe rules actually are covered by the rules.Almost any action a character does, nomatter how impossible, can be based onhis Talent Pool ratings. Conan wants touse the blanket as a parachute and leap offthe cliff? This sounds like a feat of incredi-ble Prowess (Can he hold on? Can he keepthe parachute open?). Make a ResolutionCheck against his General Prowess rat-ing—only a red result succeeds. You caneven shift the column down several placesfor the sheer difficulty of the act.

There is also a last resort you can use. Ifyou cannot decide which Talent Pool touse for a character's action, you can allowthem to make a Resolution Check on thelowest column of the Resolution Table.Again, only a red result should succeed.The impossible can and does happen fromtime to time!

Be Descriptive: You, in your part as ref-eree, are a storyteller and actor. Everythingthe players get out of the game dependson what you put into it. You must oftenbe their eyes and ears. Compare the fol-lowing two passages.

"The guy on your left takes a swingat your chest. He rolls a hit. Youtake 3 points of damage. The otherguard tries to tackle you andmisses."

OR

"The guard standing at your leftside raises his axe in a roundhouseswing and manages to tear a gashthrough your breastplate for 3points of damage. As he is recover-ing from his swing, the burly guardacross the table dives at you, knock-ing the mugs aside with a clatter.You dodge his grasp and he shootspast you and crashes into the tablebeyond. Turning, he shakes hishead, grunts and gets ready to grabyou again."

Both of these describe the same scene.Which is more exciting? Which gives youa better picture of what is going on? Asyou tell your characters what happens tothem, remember to be colorful. Remem-ber that player characters have eyes, ears,and noses. All these senses can be used tocreate a vivid picture of the action.

Being descriptive also means that youshould be an actor when playing the partsof NPCs. Don't be afraid to have funwhen you pretend to be someone else.Beggars plead and whine, thieves boast,villains gloat, and maidens are almost

always seductive and helpless. Play theseparts for fun. As a referee, your job shouldnot be boring and dull. You deserve tohave as much fun as the other players.

Have Fun: This is the ultimate goal of thegame. You don't play games to be gloomy,overworked, dismal, unhappy, or bur-dened in detail. You play games to laugh,smile, be creative, and escape from theworries of your normal life. The biggestand most important rule of all is—HAVEFUN.

Problems

No matter how well you prepare and howwell you run a game, there are alwaysgoing to be some problems that arise. Youdeal with people, and people create prob-lems that sometimes can't be avoided.The following- are some typical things youmight have to face.

That Didn't Happen: Sometimes a playerin your game will refuse to accept thingsthat happen to his character. He will insistthat the last blow could not have hit himor that, of course, his character knew someobscure detail (that he couldn't haveknown). On one hand you must try to befair to this person. Sometimes they areright. On the other hand, you must alsobe firm. You are the ultimate boss. Solong as you try to play fair, your playerswill listen to you and respect you. How-ever, if a player absolutely refuses to

accept your judgment (especially when theother players think you are right), there islittle you can do. The only, and best,solution is to not play with that person

again. Do not allow one person to ruin thefun for everyone else.

Character Death: No one likes to have hischaracter die in the game, but, especiallyin the CONAN Role-Playing Game, char-acters will die. Still, you should try to beas fair and nice about it as possible. Don'tgloat over the death of a character; it onlymakes the player feel bad. If the characteris in a hopeless situation, give him at leastsome slight, slight chance of escaping. Hewill fail, but by getting that last chance,he will feel better. If a character dies inthe middle of an adventure, get thatplayer to immediately create a new charac-ter. When he is ready, introduce thatcharacter into the game as quickly as possi-ble.

There are other times when a playercharacter dies and you don't want him to.You and another player are starting a one-on-one adventure, you as referee and yourfriend as Conan. Two minutes into theadventure, you roll a hit that will killConan. Obviously, if Conan dies now,there won't be much of an adventure. Sonow is a time to use your power as referee.You can change that dice roll so it doesn'tkill Conan. It may hurt him badly orknock him unconscious, but he is stillalive. If you do this, it's a wise idea not tolet your players know, otherwise they willexpect it from you all the time. They willdecide their characters are immortal. Thisleads to them doing unwise things andgetting angry when their characters arekilled doing these things.

Arguments: There are not many people inthe world who think an argument is funand relaxing. For most of us, argumentsare unpleasant. Avoid them wheneverpossible. However, this does not mean youshould roll over and play dead when acharacter disagrees with you. Listen towhat the person has to say and then makeyour decision. Sometimes the player mayhave a good point that you did not con-sider-

Some players will argue about every-thing, though. They are trying to intimi-date you so that everything goes their way.These people must learn to accept thegood with the bad. Remember that you

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are the referee and your decision is final.Don't let one person ruin the fun foreveryone else.

Feuds: Arguments between players oftenlead to feuds. The players may be angrywith each other for something that hasnothing to do with the game. Once play-ing the game, however, it is easy for aplayer to get his revenge by hurting the

other's player character. When actions likethis happen, and it is obvious that peopleare not having fun, stop the game for amoment. Explain to the feuding panicsthat they will do much better to cooper-ate. Point out that the other players arenot having fun because of them. Thencontinue the game, giving them a chanceto work together.

If the feud continues, use your NPCvillains to show them the consequences oftheir feud. Their group will be dividedand uncooperative. Well-organized villainscan easily take advantage of this situation.

If you are angry with a player, don'ttake it out on him through the game. Ifyou do, then you are not being fair.

CREATING HYBORIAN ADVENTURESTo play the CONAN Role-Playing Game,you must have an adventure for the playercharacters to take part in. So where dothey come from? You have two choices.First, TSR Inc. produces adventures for usewith the CONAN Role-Playing Game.These adventures are normally available atmost hobby stores. Each ready-to-playadventure contains maps, ready-madeplayer characters, and complete descrip-tions of all events, places, and NPCs theplayer characters would normallyencounter.

Second, you can create your own adven-tures. When you create your own adven-tures do, you use your own imaginationand ideas, which makes your game differ-ent and special.

What Makes a GoodAdventure?Before creating your own adventure, ithelps to know what makes an adventurefun and exciting to play. Although somethings you may have no control over (howinvolved your players become), there aremany things you can do to ensure a goodtime.

Establish a Goal: Players like to knowwhat they are supposed to accomplish. Ifthe adventure clearly states or gives themsome type of goal at the start they willquickly become involved in the fun. Thegoal may change during the adventure asthey learn more, but they will still knowwhat they are to do.

Include Variety: An adventure where the

same thing happens all the time quicklybecomes dull. If the characters have aswordfight everytime they meet the badguys, swordfights will quickly becomeboring. If they fight all the time and neverhave to talk or think, fighting will becomeboring.

Plan your adventure to make the charac-ters use a variety of skills. They might:have a fight, have to talk their way out oftrouble, think and plan an ambush, usequick wits and luck to escape a trap, trackdown a contact and get information fromhim, or have a quiet break where littlehappens.

Stick to a Theme: The adventure shouldrelate to one topic. If the characters arehired to recover a stolen object, many oftheir encounters will be with thieves andbandits. They may have to travel acrossthe desert on the trail of a caravan that iscarrying the stolen item. They could thenencounter a desert tribe that has plun-dered the caravan. All these encountersrelate to the theme. In the same adven-ture they could meet a pack of deserthyenas, be robbed by one of the thievesfrom whom they are getting information,etc.

Although these encounters do not helpthem find the stolen object, they do relateto what is going on around them. On theother hand, if for no reason they met amonster in the desert, they are going towonder what the monster was doing in theadventure.

Control the Pacing: It is important to runthe adventure at the right pace, not toodeadly, but not too boring. As you make

your adventure, think about the chancesof success for the characters. Will thisencounter really injure them? If so, youmay want to make the next encountersimple.

Be Novel: Don't be afraid to create some-thing new for your player characters—anunusual magical item, a special treasure,or a unique NPC. This is exciting. How-ever, be ready for the consequences whenyour characters finally possess the item.

Know Your Group: After you have playedfor a while, you will learn what types ofthings your players like to do and whatthey do not like to do. Since you wantthem to have fun, let their likes and dis-likes guide your design. However, don'talways do the same types of things.

Steps to Creatingan Adventure1. Pick a Goal: Decide what you wantyour player characters to do. Will they tryto steal a fabulous item? Are they tryingto rescue a maiden from a secret cult? Arethey just out for plunder and glory? Whenyou select a goal, bear in mind what yourplayer characters are capable of. For theirfirst few adventures, don't give themtremendous tasks. Keep the goal simple.As they improve, you can increase theimportance of the goal.

2. Select a Setting: Will it be a desertadventure? Then the setting will deal withdesert bandits, caravans, oases, and sand.The easiest way to select a setting is tostart at the place the last adventure ended.

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If this is where you want the adventure totake place, then use it as the setting. Ifyou want the adventure to take placesomewhere else, then at least part of theadventure must be spent getting to thenew location.

Conan and crew have just finished anadventure in the Stygian city of Khemi.You decide the next adventure (trackingdown a stolen princess) will take place inthe cold wastelands of Hyperboria. Obvi-ously, the first part of the adventure willlead the characters on a merry chase norththrough Shem and Nemedia

Once you have chosen a setting, you canbegin to think about the types of thingsthe characters will encounter. In the pre-vious example, the characters could meetStygian priests, snake-demons, Shemiteslavers, merchant caravans, Nemedianpolice, Aquilonian spies, and Hyperborianraiders.

3. Create Important NPCs: Every goodadventure needs a good villain, and theworld of Hyboria has no shortage of foulwizards, grasping merchants, lecherousnobles, and deceitful thieves to choosefrom.

Start your NPC collection by creating apowerful villain for your adventure (if theadventure calls for a powerful villain).Next create his henchmen and hirelings,the people that do much of his dirty work.Third, create any NPCs who have informa-tion the characters can use. Finally, addany people who might actually assist theplayer characters. Give each of these peo-ple a little personality—a short note thatwill help you role play the NPC. Is hegreedy? Always smiles? Jealous? Writedown as much information as you need torole play the encounter.

4. Plan the Major Encounters: For theadventure to start, continue, and finish,your player characters must have certainencounters, whether it be to gain informa-tion or defeat their foes. Decide the gen-eral location of each encounter, pick theNPCs that will be present, and prepareany maps that are needed. It is not crucialthat the encounter be located in any par-ticular place.

Conan and company need to obtain

information on the route of the slavecaravan. You decide that they can get thisinformation from a thief in one of thecities of Nemedia. The thief is at an innand will start the encounter by trying torob one of the player characters. It is notimportant to know which city in Nemediaor which inn the encounter occurs at.When the characters arrive at an inn inNemedia, the encounter occurs. Thisallows you to control the pacing of theadventure.

Since the encounter does occur at aninn, though, it helps to draw a map of the

place. When you are finished with it, donot throw the map away. Instead, attach asheet of paper to it. On this paper, notethe name of the inn, the city it is in, andany other details you created during thecourse of the adventure (the innkeeper'sname, NPCs that might be found there,etc.). By keeping this information, youwill gradually build the detail and infor-mation you need for future adventures.

5. Create Other Encounters: Rememberthat variety gives excitement to youradventure. Plan a few minor encountersthat you can use to test the mettle of yourplayer characters. These minor encountersmay or may not relate to the goal of theadventure you are designing. Otherencounters may be with wild animals ormonsters, bandits, colorful rogues andeven silly situations. These encounterskeep your players from getting bored, Youcan introduce them into the adventure asyou see fit—again, remember the pace ofthe adventure. Don't throw away anyencounter you do not use in the adven-ture—you can always use it later.

6. Play the Adventure: Start your charac-ters on the path to their goal. Remember,they may not do what you planned. Per-haps they miss a clue or decide to go chas-ing off after something else. This is pan ofthe play and you should be ready tochange your adventure to meet theirdesires. Nothing you design will be perfectthe first time, so be ready to change.

CampaignsA campaign is a series of adventures that

all take place in the same world, using thesame background, NPCs, and locations.Thus, by playing with the Conan charac-ters in the world of Hyboria, you are creat-ing a Hyborian campaign.

A campaign links together the adven-tures of the player characters in the game.These adventures can be linked in manyways—by time, by place, and by goals.

When you link adventures by time, anadventure occurs immediately after thelast. One week ago (in game time), Conancompleted an adventure. Now a week haspassed and a new adventure begins. It'slocation is no more than one week's travelfrom the previous adventure. Conan willhave the same statistics (wounds andequipment) that he had one week ago,plus whatever he has managed to heal inthat time.

Adventures linked by place all occur inthe same area. This is usually a small arealike a town or small kingdom. Within thisarea there are many different things thecharacters could do. This allows you thechance to fully detail a small area of theHyborian world.

Adventures linked by a common goalare like major epics. The characters startthe campaign trying to achieve some goal.However, before they can reach their goal,they have many different adventures thatrelate to their goal. Thus, a goal of rescu-ing the kidnapped princess might becomeseveral adventures as they travel across theworld, encountering dangerous foes in oneland after another.

Most often, campaigns are a combina-tion of all of the above. You and the play-ers must keep track of some basicinformation—how much time passes andwhere each character is at a given time.The adventures that form a campaign maynot always be played by the same group ofplayer characters. Conan may travel withone group for a while, then the next timeyou meet, a different set of players joinsConan (or another character) for a differ-ent adventure.

Campaign play has some advantagesover unrelated adventures. It gives theplayer characters a past, a background thatthey can draw upon. They can go back toplaces they have been before, get informa-

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tion and equipment from NPCs theyknow. You can use previous adventures asthe starting points for new ones. Perhapsthat powerful villain that escaped themhas returned to get his revenge. Or maybea lord they helped calls upon them for aidagain.

The biggest disadvantage of such acampaign is that someone must keep trackof all the information. However, this workcan be divided among you and your play-ers. You should keep track of the locationsof things and the important NPCs who arenot friendly to the player characters. The

player characters can remember the namesof NPCs who have helped them in thepast and the names of places they can goto get different things they need. By work-ing together, the job becomes much easierfor everyone.

AN ADVENTUREIN THE WORLD OF HYBORIA

Tower of the ElephantThis adventure is taken from the R. E.

Howard story of the same name andduplicates the events of the story. Theadventure is for one-on-one play, you asreferee and one player as Conan. If yourplayer is familiar with the story told in"The Tower of the Elephant," you mayfind it more exciting if you make somechanges in the events. By doing so, youcan trick the player who thinks he knowseverything that will happen.

Start this adventure by reading itthrough to yourself. When you are readyto play, give your player the Conan Char-acter Folio and then read the Player Infor-

mation section aloud to him.

Player InformationYou are Conan. A strapping youth of 17,you have come a long way from your Cim-merian homelands to arrive at Arenjun inthe land of Zamora. Arenjun! Notoriousthroughout the civilized world as "TheCity of Thieves." It is a city where any-thing can he bought or stolen for a price.It seems a good place to make your nameand your fortune.

Of all the places in Arenjun, there isonly one that has stood fast against thearts of the greatest thieves of the world —The Tower of the Elephant. It is said tohouse great treasures, hut all who havetried to wrest its secrets have disappeared.Little is known of the tower —perhaps ifyou learn more, you can succeed where allothers have failed!

For that purpose you have come to theMaul, the most lawless and dangerous

corner of Arenjun. In its twisting streetsand sordid wineshops, you listen and wait,hoping to learn more about the Tower ofthe Elephant.

Referee's InformationThe remaining sections of the adventureare divided into boxed and unboxed text.When the text is boxed, read the informa-tion in the box to the player at the propertime—when the event occurs, when thecharacter arrives at the proper place, etc. Ifthe text is unboxed, read the informationto yourself. It describes what happens tothe player character, how NPCs react,what the character can learn, and thestatistics for any NPCs and monsters theplayer character meets. The player canlearn some of this information, providedhe does something to learn it (look in thechest, open the door, etc.).

1. An Inn at the Maul

The adventure begins as Conan enters atavern of the maul. Use the Tavern Mapon page 32.

The Maul is a lawless and dangerousplace. Here thieves and cutthroats of alllands gather to tell their exploits, maketheir secret deals, spend their ill-gottengains, and settle their differences withsteel. A well-placed coin or two ensuresthat no guardsman notices a groan inan alley, a bright gem changing hands,a slave trade in the street, or the clashof steel.

You have come to Zytores, a notoriusmeeting place of thieves and

scoundrels. The place is buzzing withexcitement tonight. Zamorian thievesfinger daggers, a giant blonde Hyper-borian leans on his broad sword, aBrythunian wench slaps an overly holdGunderman mercenary, a Shemitecounterfeiter slobbers drunkenly in hiscup! The smoky haze of grilled meatand incense fills the air with a sweetstench. There are no empty tables, butthere are benches to sit on.

Show the player the Tavern Map and allowhim to choose a place for Conan to sit.Once he is seated, a seductive servingwench sidles up to him and tries to gethim to buy a drink. If he agrees, she slith-ers off through the crowd to fetch hisorder. If he refuses, she plops herself in hislap and persuades harder. If he stillrefuses, she stands and angrily stormsaway. The NPCs at Conan's table laughand jeer at the outland barbarian and hisstrange tastes.

Continue to describe the activitiesaround Conan—bets on arm-wrestling, abelching fat man beside him, a knifethrowing contest in the corner of theroom, etc. Take the opportunities to pointout the differences between Conan's naivebarbarianism and the more worldly waysof the civilized folk around him. Don't beafraid to make taunting insults about the"big, stupid barbarian."

As Conan sits at the table, he hears ahalf-drunken voice above the crowd. "Bythe gods, I'll show you how to stealwomen! A count of Ophir has promisedme good silver for her and I'll have her

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over the border by dawn," blusters a fatKothian slaver as he swills down a tankardof wine. Wiping the oily wine from hisblubbery lips, he continues, "Why, I,dressed as a beggar, spent months in thecities of Brythunia looking for a wench ofthe better classes. Such form! Such face!Her figure alone is one that the lords ofShem would trade for the secret of theElephant's Tower!"

Conan can accost the slaver on the spotif he desires, or he can wait and do noth-ing. If he does nothing, the slaver con-tinues to boast. After a point no one paysany attention to him. He does mentionthe Tower several more times, implyingthat he knows something about it.

If Conan accosts the Kothian in thetavern, the man, filled with his suddenself-importance, ridiculingly instructs theyoung barbarian in proper manners. TheKothian is first hostile and then fearful,upon closely examining his opponent.However, he considers himself a formida-ble thief and bravo and is not to be trifledwith.

At some point during Conan's stay inthe tavern, he accidentally insults an NPC.If he attempts to question the Kothian,the man takes offense at something Conansays. Otherwise, he steps on someone'sfoot, spills a drink, or does somethingequally unfortunate. The end result is thatConan is challenged to a sword duel. Usethe following statistics for Conan's oppo-

nent.

Prowess Fighting Endurance

General 4 General 4 General 6Strength 14 Sword 10 Damage 12Movement 8 Dirk 12

Weapon: broadsword, dirkArmor: none

No one risks their life to stop the duel. Aspace is cleared in the center of the tavernfor the fight and the other customersstand around the edges, making bets onthe outcome. While in the tavern, Conancan learn the following information aboutthe tower:

The Tower of the Elephant is in theTemple section of town. It is the

home of Yara the priest, who isfeared by all because he is a greatand evil sorcerer. But hidden in theTower is the Elephant's Heart, agreat jewel that is the secret of Yara'smagic.

The tower is in a garden in whichthere are no human guards. Thetower is 150 feet high and smooth asglass. The rim is jeweled. There areguardsmen in its base and the jewelis somewhere above them.

2. The Tower

When Conan gains the information heneeds, begin this part of the adventurejust outside the grounds of the tower. Usethe Tower Maps on page 32.

If the player does not want to attemptthe theft immediately, let him learn (froman NPC thief) that another is going tomake an attempt tonight. The oddsmakersof the maul are giving this other thiefgood odds for success. If Conan still doesnot want to continue the adventure, donot force him. Stop the play until you cancreate a scenario that matches what Conanwants to do. The thief fails and the jewelremains in the tower until Conan (oranother player character) decides to stealit.

1. Outer Wall: A 10-foot-high wall sur-rounds the entire compound. In the spacebetween the outer and inner wall is apath. The base of the inner wall isobscured by thick bushes. One guardnormally patrols this area. However, onthis night, he has been slain by Taurus ofNemedia.

Make a secret check for Conan againsthis General Perception rating. If success-ful, he notices the guard's body on theedge of the path. Another check isrequired to see if Conan notices Taurus inthe bushes along the inner wall. If success-ful, Conan is able to sneak up on the thiefand cover him with his weapon before theother is aware of his presence. If the checkfails, Taurus spots Conan. A description ofTaurus can be found in the NPC section ofthe World Book.

During this encounter, if Taurus hastime to tell that Conan is not a guard, he

does not attack. He fights if attacked, buthis main objective is silence. He does notwant to alert the guards in the tower.Since it will help him reach his goal, hegladly makes a truce with Conan whilethey both try to rob the tower.

2. Inner Wall: This wall is 15 feet high.On the other side is the garden. From thetop of the wall, the characters can get afairly good view of the garden, althoughat night it is shrouded in darkness.

3. Garden: The garden is orderly, neat,and well-tended. It also appeals to beuninhabited. At night it is very difficult tosee further than five feet. Paths windthrough the beds of exotic flowers thatbloom at night and fill the air with hon-eyed scents. Trees with fleshy leaves droopover the paths. Only the titter of batsbreaks the silence.

Roaming the garden are eight lions.They never roar or make any noise morethan padding through the bushes. Thereis a 50% chance that one lion is encoun-tered for every five minutes spent in thegarden.

4. Tower The tower rises straight and tallinto the moonlight. Its surface is notmarred by openings of any type. Thedoors and windows that do exist on thetower are cunningly fitted to make theminvisible from the outside. Furthermore,these doors can only be opened fromwithin. The tower is 150 feet high.Around the top is a jeweled rim. A grap-pling hook holds on this rim if a successfulhit roll is made. Characters attempting toclimb the tower suffer a -4 column shifton all Resolution Checks.

The characters are not able to find anyentry into the tower from the groundlevel.

The roof of the tower is flat. A trapdoorset in the roof opens onto a stairwaydown.

5. Treasure Room: The topmost room ofthe tower is Yara's treasure room. It is aglittering room, strewn with gems. Thewalls and floor are crusted with sparklingstones of great value. Chests, half-open,are heaped along the walls, spilling con-tents of great value. The room appears to

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Lions

Gen. Prowess 4Strength 75

Movement 15

Gen. Fight 3Claws 20Bite 15

Gen. Endurance 4Damage 20

Poison 5

Giant venomous spider

Gen. Prowess 3Strength 6Movement 20

Gen. Fighting 1Bite 10

Gen. Endurance 3Damage 5Poison 30

be devoid of life. On the opposite side ofthe chamber is a door.

Hidden in the center of the ceiling is agiant venomous spider. When someoneenters the room, the doors swing shut andthe spider attacks. The spider attacks firstby trying to leap down from the ceilingonto the back of its victim. It then bites toinject its poison. If it fails three attemptsto catch and bite its victim, it tries to snareit in its sticky web. The spider fights untilkilled.

Once the spider is killed, the charactercan pry open either door.

6. The Thing From Yag: The door to thisroom is an elaborately worked piece ofivory. It is very heavy, but a character canopen the door by throwing his weightagainst it. The chamber inside is large andopulently furnished. The roof is a goldendome from which the light seems to come.The walls are jade and showing under-neath the rugs that cover the floor aresmooth sections of glistening ivory. Abrazier sits in the center of the room,filling the air with exotically perfumedincense. Behind the brazier is a grotesquegreen stone statue. It is carved like a manreclining on a marble couch, except thatits head is that of no man. Too large for aman, the head resembles that of an ele-phant.

The creature on the couch is actuallyone of the Elder Beings from the planetYag. It is blind, but can still sense theapproach of others. When the characterenters the room, it stirs slightly and thenspeaks in a sad, hopeless voice, "Whatnow would you have me do, Yara? Whatdooms am I to inflict? Or have you cometo have your sport with torturing me

again?" It is obvious the creature is blind.If the character does not flee or attack

the creature, it attempts to rise. The char-acter is then able to see that it is chainedto its couch and that its body shows thesigns of past tortures. It is a pitiable crea-ture. Now visible behind the creature is asmall altar that holds a large round, redgem—the Elephant's Heart.

If the creature learns that the characteris not Yara, it becomes quite friendly, evenjoyful. If allowed to touch the characterwith its trunk, it is able to tell of the char-acter's recent past. It continues to describeits own life—how it arrived here from Yagin eons past. It describes the kingdoms itsaw rise and fall through the ages and howit tried to help humanity on its upwardclimb by becoming the god of somekindly junglefolk.

Then it becomes sadder and bitter as ittells how it taught Yara its knowledge,hoping he would use it for good. But Yaragrew stronger and greedier, until heimprisoned the creature and forced it onthe rack to tell its darkest secrets. It endsits soliliquy by asking the character to doit one service before it is too late.

The Elder Being wants the character toredeem it for its sins. To do this, it pointsto the round crimson jewel on the altarbehind it. It instructs the character tostrike it dead and cut out its heart. Theblood from this must flow over the stone.Once this is done, the character mustquickly take the Elephant's Heart to Yara'schamber and present it as a gift fromYogah. Then he should flee quickly, lesthe be caught in the fate that is meant forYara.

The character is under no compulsion todo any of these actions. If he wishes, hecan take the Elephant's Heart and flee. If

he leaves the Elder Being alive, Yara forcesit to locate the character within 24 hours.Yara personally appears to deal with thethief and recover the gem. If the creatureis slain, Yara manages to learn the identityof the thief. Thereafter, the character hasan implacable enemy in Yara. Wheneverpossible and as often as necessary, Yaraattacks the character attempting to regainthe Heart and slay the character. And thisdeath will not be pleasant, if Yara has hisway.

7. Yara's Chamber: This chamber is deco-rated entirely in precious stones and jetblack woods. Meditating on a dais on theopposite side of the room is Yara. He isinstantly aware of any character who entersthe room. A description of Yara can befound in the NPC section of the WorldBook.

If the character follows Yogah's instruc-tions (see room 6), nothing will happen tohim. Yara recoils in horror before thepresented jewel. Then, before the eyes ofthe character, he begins to shrink in size.He is drawn to the gem as if it were amagnet, until he disappears inside it.There in the gem the character sees bothYara and Yogah, as Yogah finally extractshis revenge. The tower begins to shudderand crumble. The character must fleequickly before the structure collapsesabout him.

If the character does not have the Heartor does not follow Yogah's instructions,Yara attacks. He casts a spell that, if suc-cessful, reduces the character to ash. Hedoes this until either the character flees ordies. If the character flees, Yara's gloatinglaugh follows him out of the compound.Yara then exacts his revenge on the charac-ter as explained in Room 6.

Detailing the TowerThis adventure does not detail all thefloors, rooms, and NPCs that can befound in Yara's tower. As your first try atdesigning an adventure, you might wantto expand the information given here,adding new maps and characters. Thereare underground caverns, fabulous trea-sures, and hideous demons that might befound.

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TAVERN MAP

Game Design ©1985 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.©1985 Conan Properties, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

SECRET DOOR

BENCH

PATH

BUSH

TREE

DOOR

PILLAR

STAIRS

DAIS

THRONE

BRAZER

PEDESTAL

TOWER MAPS

1 SQUARE = 5 FEET

GARDEN MAPNOTE: All Remaining sectionsof the garden are identical.

DOOR

STAIRS

FIREPLACE

PILLAR

1 SQUARE = 5 FEET

4 TOWER

UP AND DOWN

UP AND DOWNDOWN

UP TO ROOF

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INDEX

A

D

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

Aiming pointsArmor and shields

Birthplace, character's countryBrawling

ClimbingCodes of HonorCombat

Combat TurnHow to hitMagic combatMultiple actionsMelee combatMissile combatModifiersTypesUsing talent poolsWho goes firstWith two weapons

Combat differentialCombat turnsCoats, goods and servicesCreating adventures

Damage pointsDangers and Perils

FallingFireDrowningPoison

DefendingDrowningDuration rating (poison)

EmploymentEndurance talentEnemiesEquipment, startingExpensesExpertise

FallingFameFame ratingFighting talentFireFoes

General talent scoresGoals

Healing

Insight talent

8,1011

38

1323666688

1010667966

2026

111515151516101516

192,5

65

1922

152222

2,4156

522

12

3,5

K

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

V

W

Knock-outsKnowledge talent

MagicObsession talentResistanceSpecial costsStudyTypesWeaknesses

Magic combatMeleeMissile combatMissile rangeMoneyMovement

And animalsClimbingLong DistancesSpeedSwimmingTypesTraveling

Name, character'sNPCs

Obsession talent

Parents, character'sPerception talentPoison

Duration ratingVenom ratingWound rating

Prowess talent

RefereeingRushing and bashing

Specific woundsSpeed, characterStrength bonusesSwimming

Talent PoolsTalent scores, generalTalentsTraveling

Venom rating (poison)

WeaknessesWeaknesses, magicalWeapon bonusesWound rating (poison)Wrestling

102,5

17171818171818

81010

19,221213131413141213

320

17

33,516161616

2,4

249

12131114

253

13

16

41811168

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C O N A N ®

ROLE-PLAYING GAME

REFERENCE GUIDEby

DAVID COOK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TALENTS AND WEAKNESSES

CHARTS AND TABLES 10Random Hit Location TableCombat Modifiers ChartResolution TableEquipment ListSpecific Wound ChartJewel TablePrincipal Hyborian LanguagesTalent List

1010111214141415

Editor: Anne C. GrayGraphic Designer: Ruth Hoyer

Game Design ©1985 TSR. Inc. All Rights Reserved.©1985 Conan Properties, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Conan and the distinctive likeness thereof are trademarks of Conan Properties. Inc.

PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION and the TSR logo are trademarks of TSR. Inc.

Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc., and in Canadaby Random House of Canada. Ltd.

Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributers.Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR UK Ltd.

This adventure is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Anyreproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is

prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc.

TSR, Inc.POB 756Lake Geneva,WI 53147

TSR UK Ltd.The Mill, Rathmore RoadCambridge CB14ADUnited Kingdom

TSR, Inc.PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION™

PRINTED IN USA

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TALENTS AND WEAKNESSSESThis booklet lists and describes the specifictalents and weaknesses that are used in theCONAN® Role-Playing Game. This book-let is to be used as a reference and guidebefore and during play.

The talents and weaknesses have beenarranged alphabetically. The Pool in whichthe talent belongs is listed, along with anyprerequisites that may be required (if amagical talent), a description of the tal-ent, and any special rules about how thetalent is used. Where the rules for use ofthe talent have already been explained,you ate given a reference to these pages.

When you create your character,improve him, or play an NPC, you shoulduse this section as a reference. When youpick a talent, read the description of thetalent and make any notes you wish abouthow the talent is used so you are ready toapply the talent during play.

Weaknesses are not assigned to a partic-ular Talent Pool. Weaknesses affect manyareas of play for your character. Theseweaknesses should be noted under thecolumn Weaknesses on your CharacterFolio. Remember that for every weaknessyou assume you receive 10 points to spendon talents.

Talent and WeaknessDescriptions

Accident Prone (Weakness)Your character is cursed by continual inci-dents of bad luck. Things tend to happenwhen your character does not want themto happen. Whenever an Accident Pronecharacter rolls a 99-00 on a Resolutioncheck, something unfortunate has hap-pened to him. In combat his weapon maybreak, he may slip on the wet floor, etc.Others may misunderstand him, or hemay unknowingly say something insultingto a person. When using magic, he maysay the spell incorrectly or spill crucialingredients at the wrong time.

The referee decides the exact accidentthat occurs. However, the accident cannotactually kill your character. Thus, the roofcould not collapse, crushing your charac-ter. However, a beam could fall, knockinghim off his feet or pinning him for a time.

Acrobatics (Talent)Talent Pool: ProwessCharacters with Acrobatics Talent arenimble and trained in vaulting, tumbling,tightrope walking, etc. Any time yourcharacter tries an acrobatic action, he canuse his Acrobatics rating for the Resolu-tion check.

Alchemy (Talent)Talent Pool: KnowledgePrerequisite; Arcane Languages, Herbal-ismAlchemy is a magical talent. It enablesyour character to prepare mysterious andmagical powders, potions, metals, andgases. Alchemy requires three months ofstudy and the selection of one MagicalWeakness. Typical preparations that canbe made with the Alchemy Talent include:

SimpleLotus powdersLove potionsSleeping draughts

ModerateKnockout gasPoison gasAntidotes

HardHealing elixirInsanity potions

Animal Aversion (Weakness)Characters with this weakness have an auraof unwholesomeness or evil that can berecognized by animals and those withAnimal Senses Talent. Horses becomeskittish and easily spooked, dogs growl,and other animals become hostile or easilyscared when your character is around. Theaura only affects creatures within 10 feetof your character.

Characters with Animal Senses have abad feeling about your character thatreduces all Reaction checks by twocolumns when dealing with that character.If your character has or wants the AnimalHandling or Natural Magic Talents, hecannot have the Animal Aversion Weak-ness.

Animal Handling (Talent)Talent Pool: PerceptionYour character is trained at handling andtraining animals. Any time your charactermust make a check that involves animals,he uses his Animal Handling ratinginstead of his General Perception rating.Also, if your character obtains a new-bornanimal and spends at least one year train-ing the creature, he can train it to obeysimple set commands. Your character canstill adventure during the training time, solong as the creature accompanies him onany long journeys. Animal Handling is aprerequisite of the Natural Magic Talent.

Animal Reflexes (Talent)Talent Pool: ProwessYour character has amazing cat-likereflexes. For the effects of this talent, seeCombat ( p. 6, rule book ).

Animal Senses (Talent)Talent Pool: InsightYour character has abnormally sharpsenses, either through his upbringing orhis own savage nature. He has an auto-matic +1 on advantage (a 3 advantagebecomes a 4). He sleeps lightly and canawaken fully alert at a moment's notice.He notices characters with the AnimalAversion weakness. Characters with Track-ing, Trapping, or Danger Sense Talent andAnimal Senses gain a +2 column shift onchecks for these talents.

Arcane Languages (Talent)Talent Pool: KnowledgeThis talent enables your character tobecome familiar with the forgottentongues of Hyboria. Almost all texts aboutmagic and ancient history are written inarcane languages. When your characterattempts to read such a book, he makes aResolution check using his Arcane Lan-guages rating to determine if he under-stands the writing.

A white result is failure. The coloredresults indicate varying degrees of under-standing. Green means slight comprehen-sion and red, full understanding.

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Arcane languages is an important pre-requisite to all magical talents.

Blacksmith (Talent)Talent Pool: KnowledgeCharacters with Blacksmith Talent can tryto make or repair most metal items,including armor and weapons, Your char-acter is not skillful enough to make orrepair artistic items or work with preciousmetals. He must also have the correct toolsto do the work. If your character has thistalent, he can recognize and estimate thequality of all non-precious metals, particu-larly iron and steel.

Brawling (Talent)Talent Pool: FightingYour character is adept at general barroom fighting using fists, bottles, chairs,etc. See Combat ( p. 6, rule book ), forthe use of this talent.

Carpentry (Talent)Talent Pool: KnowledgeYour character is a skilled woodworker.With tools and materials he can try tobuild wooden items, from chairs to ships.Success is determined by a Resolutioncheck against your character's CarpentryRating.

The referee can place time requirementson the construction of any item. For exam-ple, a group of workmen need from threeto six months to build a ship, Your charac-ter can also recognize different types ofwoods and where they come from.

Climbing (Talent)Talent Pool: ProwessYour character is skilled in climbing alltypes of surfaces. See Climbing (p. 13,rule book).

Color Blind (Weakness)Your character cannot tell different colorsapart. This weakness has no rating. Itaffects your character in some role playingsituations.

Damage (Talent)Talent Pool: (Endurance)Damage is the physical measure of howmany injuries your character can takebefore he dies. For a complete explana-tion, see Combat (pp. 6, rule book).

Danger Sense (Talent)Talent Pool: InsightYour character has the uncanny ability tointuitively know when some threat exists.Any time your character is secretly threat-ened (either by a person, monster, ortrap), the referee makes a Resolutioncheck for your character, using his DangerSense rating to find the column. If thecheck is successful, the referee tells him,"Something is wrong." Danger Sensenever gives precise information, but givesthe character a moment's warning. If thecharacter also has Animal Senses, hereceives a +2 column shift on the Resolu-tion check.

Directional Sense (Talent)Talent Pool: InsightThrough an innate sense of the Earth'smagnetic field or psychic understanding,your character can try to sense the direc-tion to the North Pole. If your charactermakes a successful Resolution checkagainst his Directional Sense rating, hemay use the power.

Disfigurement (Weakness)This weakness means that your character ispermanently scarred or crippled in someway. It is often the cost of magical power.Disfigurements that occur to powerfulwizards include scarred faces, loss of ahand or foot, a stunted hand, loss of aneye, or the changing of a hand or foot tosomething else (like a bird's talon). Thedisfigurement is always noticeable(although the character can hide it) andpermanent. Players with this weaknessmust role play its consequences.

Distrusted (Weakness)When your character has this weakness, he

is noticeably unlikeable to others, nomatter how hard he tries to be friendly.He has studied magical arts, and hasabsorbed some of the dark secrets he hasread. These have affected his counte-nance, behavior, and emotions to makehim unnatural and different from otherpeople. When checking the reactions ofothers to him, he can never have peopleopen and friendly to him. They help him,but are suspicious, distrustful, or uncom-fortable around him. Try to discover waysto role play this unnatural difference inyour character's personality.

Endurance Loss (Weakness)Your character has researched the darkarts, and his spirit has been drained andweakened. The powerful forces your char-acter is trying to understand have sappedhis abilities. Your character immediatelyloses 2 points from every Endurance Tal-ent. Thereafter, it costs 3 Talent Points toincrease a talent rating by 1, and 10 pointsto acquire an Endurance Talent your char-acter does not have. Other Talent Pools areunaffected.

Fame (Talent)Talent Pool: PerceptionFame is the reputation your character hasearned. For an explanation of this talent,see Improvement and Goals (p. 22, rulebook).

Fear of Animals (Weakness)Your character has an unreasonable fear ofanimals, so much so that it affects hisbehavior. Characters with this weaknesscannot choose the Animal Handling orNatural Magic Talents. Any time yourcharacter must deal with animals, he mustmake a Resolution check against his WillTalent or General Endurance rating. If thecheck succeeds, the character is able tobehave normally. If the check fails, yourcharacter refuses to go near the creature.This penalty applies only to animals, notto monsters.

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Fear of Heights (Weakness)Your character has a strong fear of heights.He cannot select the Climbing Talent.Whenever he is confronted with a situa-tion where he is at a great height or mustclimb a significant height, he must make aResolution check against his Will Talent orGeneral Endurance rating. If the checksucceeds, he can proceed normally. If thecheck fails, he does not make the climb orrefuses to move any further. Others musthelp him.

Fear of Magic (Weakness)Your character has a superstitious fear ofmagic. He cannot choose to learn anymagical talent. He can only use a magicalitem if he makes a successful Resolutioncheck against his Will or General Endur-ance rating. Any time your character isconfronted by a magic-using NPC or mon-ster, he must make a Resolution check asexplained above. If the check is successful,he can act normally. If the check fails, heeither stands frozen in fear or flees (play-er's choice).

Fear of Water (Weakness)Your character has an unreasonable fear ofwater. He cannot choose the Swimming orSailing Talent. He never voluntarily enterswater or boards a boat unless he makes asuccessful Resolution check against hisWill or General Endurance Talent. He willonly take a journey by ship that lasts morethan one day if he is forced.

Foppish (Weakness)Your character is particularly concernedabout his dress and appearance, to thepoint of ridiculousness. He must alwayshave the best clothing and accessoriesavailable, even if this means sacrificingcomfort, sensibility, and his budget. He,obviously, tries to avoid having his clothesruined—perhaps standing out of particu-larly messy fights where he could normallyhelp. He tends to put on affected airs.This naturally makes him the center ofattention. When confronting NPCs hesuffers a -1 column shift on all Reactionchecks.

Gambler (Weakness)Your character has an extremely difficulttime resisting any game of chance. When-ever your character has a chance to takepart in a game of chance or a bet, hemakes a Resolution check against his Willor General Endurance. If successful, yourcharacter can resist the temptation. If not,he wants to take part. Of course, if yourcharacter wants to play, there is no need tomake the check. Once in a gamblinggame, your character must make anotherResolution check to quit gambling. Yourreferee can modify the check according tothe situation.

Obviously, your character will not stopin the middle of a fight to gamble, but hemight propose bets on the outcome.When role-playing your character, remem-ber that he will be willing to bet onalmost anything, except situations wherethe outcome is painfully obvious. Charac-ters with Gambling Weakness find it hardto save significant amounts of money.

Glutton (Weakness)Your character likes to eat excessively. He isgenerally seen with food in his hand or onhis person. He must make a Resolutioncheck against his Will or General Endur-ance to stop or resist the temptation toeat. Because he eats so much, he is fatterand heavier than most other characters.All his clothes and armor must be custommade.

Goldsmith (Talent)

Talent Pool: KnowledgeYour character is trained in the arts ofgoldsmithing and jewelry-making. On asuccessful Resolution check against hisGoldsmith rating he can estimate thevalue of gems and jewelry, identify metalsand gems, and make items of jewelry. Thelatter action requires the proper tools andtime.

Herbalism (Talent)Talent Pool: KnowledgeCharacters with this talent have studiedthe uses and applications of different

plants, particularly for the purpose ofmedicines. On a successful Resolutioncheck, your character can identify plants(both poisonous and edible), preparehealing salves (which add one point ofhealing per day), extract weak plant poi-sons, and brew teas that will numb pain,reduce fatigue, etc. All these are minorand do not cause instant or dramaticresults. In addition, characters who alsohave Medicine or Survival Talent receive a+2 column shift when using these skills.Herbalism is a required prerequisite forthe Alchemy and Natural Magic talents.

Hypnotism (Talent)Talent Pool: InsightHypnotism is a magical talent that yourcharacter can learn with minor practice. Itgives your character the ability to makecompelling suggestions to others.

To use this talent, your character musthave his subject in a comfortable, quiet,and dimly-lit situation. He must spend 10uninterrupted minutes working with hissubject. At the end of this time your char-acter makes a Resolution check, subtract-ing the victim's Will or GeneralEndurance rating from his Hypnotismrating to find the column. If the check issuccessful, the victim is hypnotized and isopen to suggestions. 'Your character cannow try to implant suggestions in themind of the other.

For each suggestion, the referee mustmake a Resolution check as describedabove. Suggestions must be simple—togive information, change an attitude, ordo a specific action. A suggestion cannotforce the victim to do something suicidalor deadly to his own person. Likewise, thesuggestion cannot be a complicated seriesof actions.

Typical suggestions are to reveal secrets,guide your character to a particular place,or to consider your character a friend. Allsuggestions wear off after 24 hours, atwhich time the victim returns to his nor-mal behavior with full knowledge of whathas been done to him (unless a suggestionhas been made that he forget all this).Hypnotism is a prerequisite to the MindControl Talent.

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Information (Talent)

Talent Pool: InsightPrerequisites: Arcane Languages, LoreA character with the magical InformationTalent is often considered a seer, fortune-teller, or prophet. He has the ability to seeevents in the distance and to foreseeevents, provided he learns the properspells. Only one month of study isrequired to learn this talent. However, thecharacter must take a magical weaknessand must become a priest of a particulargod. You can find a listing of the gods inthe World Book.

With the Information Talent, the char-acter can learn the following types ofspells:

SimpleClairvoyanceClairaudience

ModeratePredictionSpiritual Advice

DifficultProphecy

Clairvoyance: seeing distant events.Clairaudience: hearing distant events.Prediction: telling or describing eventsthat will happen in the near future.Prophecy: predicting events of great scopethat can happen in the near or distantfuture.Spiritual Advice: the actual calling uponyour character's god for guidance oradvice.

In all cases, the information gained iscryptic (a riddle) or incomplete. Further-more, no events are guaranteed to hap-pen; the actions of human agents arerequired to cause the event or, in somecases, prevent it.

Language (Talent)Talent Pool: KnowledgeYour character can speak, to some degree,the language chosen. He must choose aspecific language (see the World Book)

and have an opportunity to practice it. Arating of 1-10 indicates halting knowl-edge, 11-20, competency, and 21 orgreater, fluency. In cases where your char-acter might be misunderstood, use theLanguage rating to make a Resolutioncheck to determine how much the listenerunderstands.

Lockpicking (Talent)Talent Pool: KnowledgeYour character is trained in opening locks.With a tool (a bit of metal or wood), hecan attempt to open any lock by making asuccessful Resolution check against hisLockpicking rating.

Lore (Talent)Talent Pool: KnowledgeYour character has listened to stories andread about the ancient times of Hyboria.If questioned about the history of an item,place, person, or event, he has a chance toanswer correctly. To do so, he must make asuccessful Resolution check against hisLore rating.

Madness (Weakness)Your character, through his studies, hasseen awful secrets that have partiallyunhinged his mind. Each day there is a1 % cumulative chance that he is struck bytemporary insanity. Thus, after one week,the chance would be 7%. When the fitoccurs, he is affected for 1-10 hours. Dur-ing this time he is likely to do or say any-thing. You and your referee should worktogether to role play the madness. At theend of the seizure, the percentage chancereturns to 1% and begins again.

Magic Endurance (Talent)Talent Pool: Endurance

This is a measure of your character's abilityto resist magical attacks. See Magic (p.17, rule book) for an explanation of itsuse.

Magic Sense (Talent)Talent Pool: Insight

Your character has the innate ability tosense the presence of magic—in items,people, and creatures. A successful Resolu-tion check is required to use this talent.The sense never gives anything more thana feeling—it is not specific.

Medicine (Talent)Talent Pool: PerceptionYour character is trained in the arts ofhealing men and animals. He can bindwounds, prepare simple medicines, pre-vent infections, treat diseases, and splintbroken bones. On a successful Resolutioncheck he can double the rate of healing fora character or animal. Only one check isallowed per character until the wounds arehealed.

Minstrel (Talent)Talent Pool: PerceptionA skald, your character has practiced therespected arts of entertaining others. Hecan sing, recite epic poems, play musicalinstruments and perform other entertain-ments. As a minstrel, he is never out ofwork and can earn 1-2 silver pieces a dayby entertaining. If he also has Lore orMind Control Talent, he gains a +2 columnshift on all attempts to use these skills.Minstrels make good spies, since they arewelcome in nearly all places.

Mind Control (Talent)Talent Pool: InsightPrerequisites: Arcane Languages, Hypno-tism

Characters studied in Mind Control areknowledgeable with hypnosis, suggestion,illusion, and manipulation spells. Sixmonths of study is required to learn thistalent. However, your character must alsoselect a magical weakness. To use a MindControl spell, he must have eye contactwith the victim. Below is a list of the typesof spells your character can learn:

Simple____________________Paralyzing glareMomentary indecisionSound

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ModerateFearIllusionLong term suggestions

DifficultInstant hypnotismComplete hallucinationsMental slaves

An explanation of how to make Resolu-tion checks for this talent is found inMagic, (p . 17, rule book ).

Miserly (Weakness)Your character is a tightwad when it comesto money. He does not loan money toother characters and never buys anythingfor himself unless absolutely necessary. Heeats the cheapest possible meals, spends aslittle as possible on his own comforts, andhordes his riches. His object is to accumu-late money, not to spend it. If he acquiresa large amount of treasure, he is likely tobecome the target of many enterprisingthieves. You and your referee should worktogether to role play this weakness.

Movement (Talent)Talent Pool: ProwessMovement Talent, your character's agilityand grace, is explained in the Combat( p. 6 ) and Movement ( p. 12 ) sections ofthe rule book.

Natural Magic (Talent)Talent Pool: InsightPrerequisites: Animal Handling, AnimalSenses, Herbalism

Natural Magic is one of the oldest of themagical arts in the Hyborian World. It hasnever been written into books or scrolls, itsknowledge being passed from magician tomagician. Its few secret signs and symbolsare carved in hidden places. It is the magicof animals and the wild.

Your character must study for one year(teachers are not necessary) to learn thistalent. Unlike other magical talents, thisstudy must be done in the wild whereyour character can be in contact with wildanimals. Your character must also select a

magical weakness other than Animal Aver-sion. Finally, to learn moderate and diffi-cult spells, the character must become apriest of Jhebbal Sag (see the WorldBook). Once a character has learned theNatural Magic Talent, he can learn spellssimilar to the following:Simple __

Protection from animalsAnimal locationAnimal friendship

ModerateAnimal speechAnimal commanding

D i f f i c u l tMonster commandingSight through animals

Most NPC practitioners of Natural Magiclive in secluded woodlands or jungles.There they treat and care for the membersof their tribe and the animals who live inthe area.

Navigation (Talent)Talent Pool: KnowledgeYour character is familiar with the nightsky and has learned to find his directionby the stars. On any clear night, yourcharacter can try to navigate by making aResolution check against his Navigationrating. If successful, he can travel in thedesired direction. Failure means that hethinks he is traveling in the right direc-tion. However, the referee should ran-domly determine the true direction.

Night Blind (Weakness)Your character has very poor vision atnight. He cannot see the stars and cannotchoose the Navigation Talent. He suffers a-2 column shift on any activity thatinvolves sight when done at night.

Nocturnal (Weakness)By studying late hours and learning secretsbest only mentioned in the dark, yourcharacter has developed late owl habits. Atnight he does not sleep and is quite active.During the day he normally sleeps or, ifhe remains awake, is quite sleepy. Day-

light is hard on his eyes, causing a -2column shift on all activity that involvessight during the day.

Observation (Talent)Talent Pool: PerceptionGifted with keen eyesight and a quickmind, your character is good at noticingdetails and shadowing others. There arethree general uses of Observation Talent.First, use the talent whenever your charac-ter tries to see or remember a small orhard-to-see detail (the face of a fleeingthief). Second, use the talent to try to spotanyone following your character—if hefirst suspects that someone is followinghim. Third, use the talent when he tries tofollow other characters.

In the first case, make a Resolutioncheck using your character's Observationrating to find the column. When shadow-ing or being shadowed, the referee secretlycompares your Observation rating to theObservation or General Perception ratingof the other character to find the columnfor the Resolution check. When trying tospot someone following your character,your character's rating is subtracted fromthat of the other character. When follow-ing someone, the procedure is reversed.

Obsession (Weakness)The use of this weakness is explained inMagic ( p . 17, rule book ).

Personal Magnetism (Talent)Talent Pool: InsightPossessed of charm, dynamic energy,arresting appearance, or fierce emotion,your character is a leader, a commander.People automatically react to his presence,simply by the personal energy that sur-rounds him. He automatically gains a +2column shift when interacting with NPCs.

People do not have neutral or uncertainreactions about him—they either like,trust, and respect him or envy, hate, anddespise him. Therefore, all neutral reac-tions are shifted to the closest strong reac-tion on the Resolution Table. Characterswho have a positive reaction may not showit, instead holding him in secret admira-

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tion. Such characters can prove to beunexpected allies.

Characters who hate him may harborthe feeling for a long time, workingagainst him secretly. Their greatest desireis to see him brought low by their deeds.

Phobia (Weakness)Your character has an unreasonable fear ofsomething. The exact item or situation hefears is selected by you and your refereetogether. Some phobias include strangers,certain animals, darkness, open spaces,small spaces, sharp objects, men, orwomen. The phobia is extremely strong.Unless your character makes a red Resolu-tion check (using his Will or GeneralEndurance rating), he is unable to doanything but stand in fear or flee whenconfronted by his phobia.

Picking Pockets (Talent)Talent Pool: Perception

Trained in this thieving art, your charactercan cut purses and lift small items on asuccessful Resolution check. However, on aroll of 95-100, your character has beencaught in his attempt.

Poison Endurance (Talent)Talent Pool: EnduranceThis is a measure of your character's abilityto resist the effects of poison. See Dangersand Perils (p. 15, rule book ) for anexplanation of this talent.

Rash (Weakness)Your character prefers action to planning.In role playing your character, he has a hottemper and rushes into things withoutcarefully examining the situation. Yourcharacter can never use the Wait option incombat.

Reading/Writing (Talent)Talent Pool: KnowledgeYour character can read and write a partic-ular language. See the World Book for alist of languages. Whenever using thetalent, he must make a Resolution check

to see if he is successful.

Sailing (Talent)Talent Pool: KnowledgeYour character has been trained to manageships or boats in rough water or high seasby a making a successful Resolution check.

Stamina (Talent)Talent Pool: EnduranceStamina is a measure of how long yourcharacter can perform a strenuous or diffi-cult task (cither physical or mental) beforebadly fatiguing himself. See Movement(p . 12, rule book) for an explanation ofits use.

Strength (Talent)Talent Pool: ProwessStrength is a measure of the muscularpower of your character. Its uses areexplained in Combat ( p. 6, rule book).Your character can also easily lift 100pounds plus 10 pounds for every point ofStrength.

Summoning (Talent)Talent Pool: Perception

Prerequisites: Arcane Languages, Lore

Of all the magical arts, summoning is themost powerful and the most dangerous.The world of Hyboria is not the onlyworld in the universe. Furthermore, thereality that makes Hyboria is not the onlyreality that exists. There are other reali-ties—other dimensions—that exist at thesame time as the Hyborian world.Although many in Hyboria know or sus-pect the existence of these other dimen-sions, there are only a few who can contactthese dimensions, and even fewer whohave visited them and survived. The fewaccounts of such journeys that do exist arcfilled with horrifying descriptions of vileworlds. Most often the writers have beencalled insane. Yet these books are thesource of many arcane spells used in magi-cal talents.

Summoning is the study of the art of

opening gateways to the other worlds ofthe Hyborian universe and between theHyborian universe and the other dimen-sions. By opening a gateway, the wizardcan bring into the Hyborian world a deni-zen of that dimension. These creatures,often called demons, possess powers, bothphysical and mystical, that are far beyondthose of men. Once in our world, thewizard can try to force his will and wisheson the creature. If successful, the creatureis an unwilling servant of the wizard.

Summoning is the most difficult of allthe magical talents. Two years of study arerequired before your character can evenattempt to summon something. Thisstudy also requires your character to take amagical weakness. Thereafter, with eachspell your character learns, he must selecta magical weakness. It can be a differentweakness or the same as before (in whichcase the affect of the weakness isincreased).

A spell to summon a creature onlysummons that particular creature. Noother type can be obtained with the samespell. What the creature can do is limitedby its form. Thus, a spell could summon awinged demon. It could fight, retrieve anobject, guard a treasure, pull a chariot, orcarry the wizard on its back. It could notswim through the ocean or disguise itselfas a person.

When your character tries to learn aspell, the player must explain clearly tothe referee what things he would like thecreature to be able to do. The refereeshould decide how difficult it is to sum-mon the creature, hence the difficulty ofthe spell. The following list gives guide-lines for the referee to use in determiningthe difficulty of the spell.

Simple (Green*)

7

A creature that docs only one non-combat action: pulls a chariot, flies themagician through the air, delivers amessage, tracks a person, or locates anobject.

Moderate (Yellow*)A creature that fights for the wizard,does several different simple actions,steals an item, kidnaps a person, gives

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the wizard forgotten information,inspires terror in others, or guards aperson or object for a short time.

Difficult (Red*)A creature that fights for the wizardusing exceptional powers, guards aperson or object for a long time, unfail-ingly tracks and kills a person, teachesthe wizard a powerful spell, imperson-ates a specific person, possesses othermagical talents, advises and counsels thewizard, or imprisons a person.

* You must roll this color or lower for thesummoning to succeed.

Summoning spells are difficult to use.Your character cannot simply snap hisfingers and have the summoned creatureappear. Time is required to work the spell.Materials—magical powders prepared byan alchemist, exacting symbols drawn onthe floor, strange incenses that must beburned in bejeweled censers—are oftenneeded for the spell to work. Such spellsalso drain your character of power. Eachtime the character attempts a spell, heloses 1 point from his Damage rating. Thisloss is permanent and cannot be healed.

Once your character summons a crea-ture, he must still impose his will on it.He must bargain with the creature. Forsimple spells, it is enough to offer thecreature its freedom to return to itsdimension. However, for moderate anddifficult spells, the deal is not so easilymade. Your character must either threatenthe creature with instant destruction (veryhard to do) or offer it something it wants.The referee should treat the demon like anNPC. They arc not interested in money ortreasure, but sometimes accept a magicalitem. They usually want something per-sonal to your character—a hand, a service,or his loyalty to the demon's god. Theseprices eventually make your charactermuch different and much less human ascompared to other characters.

If your character attempts a summoningspell and fails, either nothing happens orhe has done something wrong. If the dieroll is 95-00, your character has made afundamental mistake in the spell. He hasallowed the demon to enter the world

uncontrolled. It immediately attacks yourcharacter, attempting to kill him or carryhim off to its own dimension. It does notstop until it is killed.

Each summoned creature is unique,hence it is not possible to give a listing ofdifferent creatures that your character cansummon. However, the referee should usethe examples of summoned creatures thatare found in the Monsters section of theWorld Book.

Survival (Talent)

Talent Pool: KnowledgeThis skill is divided into four differenttypes of terrains—desert, jungle, glacial,and forest/plains. When your characterselects this skill he must choose one ofthese types of terrain. Your character canlater (or at the same time) add the Sur-vival Talent for other types of terrain. Thetalent improves your character's chances ofliving in the harsh conditions of theselands. On a successful Resolution check(once a day), he can find water (even inthe desert), enough food for him to liveon (berries, roots, small game, grubs, andinsects), and shelter from the elements.Characters with survival skill do not haveto worry about running out of water andrations when traveling.

Swimming (Talent)

Talent Pool: ProwessThis is a measure of how well your charac-ter can swim. See Movement (p. 12, rulebook) for an explanation of how to usethis skill.

Taciturn (Weakness)Your character is the strong, silent type —to the point of ridiculousness. He cannotsay more than three words in a row. Henever offers information or sits down andhas a friendly chat with anyone. He issilent to the extreme.

Telepathy (Talent)Talent Pool: InsightTelepathy is a special talent, allowingmind communication between characters.

With Telepathy Talent, your character canattempt to send thoughts and readthoughts of others. Thoughts can only besent between characters who both have theTelepathy Talent. Your character mustmake a Resolution check for e v e r y messagethat is sent. Your character can alsoattempt to read the minds of others. Yourcharacter must stand still and concentratefor five minutes when trying this.

A Resolution check (with a red resultonly) enables him to read the mind ofanother. The thoughts picked up are usu-ally disorganized and unclear. Characterswith Telepathy Talent and Mind Controlhave a +1 column shift on any Resolutioncheck for Mind Control.

Tone Deaf (Weakness)Your character has no sense of pitch andcannot tell different musical tones apart.He tends to speak in a flat voice since hecannot readily tell different vocal pitches.He cannot choose the Minstrel Talent. Hehas a -2 column shift when making Reso-lution checks involving NPC reactions orthe use of the Mind Control Talent.

Tracking (Talent)Talent Pool: PerceptionYour character, knowledgeable in the waysof wild animals, is an accomplished wil-derness tracker. On a successful Resolutioncheck, he can follow the trail of any crea-ture or person through the wilds. How-ever, for every hour that the trail is old, hesuffers a -1 column shift on the table.Your referee can modify this for differentsituations—rain, a heavily used trail,blood, obvious signs that are left behind,etc.

Transmutation (Talent)Talent Pool: InsightPrerequisites: Arcane Languages, MagicSenseTransmutation is one of the great magicsof the Hyborian world, second only tosummoning. Transmutation is the an ofchanging the form or substance of some-thing. Hence, with this talent your charac-ter could change his form, make a statue

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come alive, change stone to glass, etc. Ittakes one year of study for your characterto learn transmutation. He must alsoselect a magical weakness. The followingate types of spells that your character canlearn.Simple

Change object to similar itemTemporary change of non-living form

ModerateChange your own formChange form of an animalPermanent change of non-living item

DifficultChange form of another personAnimate itemPermanent change of non-living item to

precious itemTransformation spells are very difficult anddraining. Each time your character tries touse a spell, he permanently loses onepoint from his Damage rating. Thesepoints cannot be regained by healing.

Trapping (Talent)

Talent Pool: KnowledgeYour character knows how to build trapsfor small game, how to best place and baitthem, and how to manage a trapline. Yourcharacter can make traps and snares thatwill catch any creature up to human-size.With the help of others, he can place andprepare pit traps for larger creatures, also.

Your character must make a successfulResolution check to successfully construct atrap or snare. He will not know if he issuccessful until the trap is sprung (if ever).Your character also has a chance of detect-ing similar traps and snares on a successfulResolution check. This applies to traps andsnares placed in the wilderness only.

Weakness to Drink (Weakness)Your character is particularly fond of alco-

holic drinks; more commonly he might becalled a drunkard. Any time your charac-ter is in a situation where he has theopportunity to drink, he must make aResolution check against his Will or Gen-eral Endurance Talent to resist. Once yourcharacter begins drinking, he must make asimilar Resolution check to stop once perdrink.

For each drink your character has, hemust make a Resolution check against hisStamina or General Endurance rating. Ifthe check succeeds, the character feels noill effects. If the check fails, all the charac-ter's ratings are temporarily reduced byone. When the character's Stamina orGeneral Endurance is reduced to zero, thecharacter passes out. A character's ratingsreturn to normal at the rate of 1 point foreach hour not spent drinking.

Weakness to Women /Men(Weakness)Your character has a particular fondnessfor men or women (your choice). When-ever offered the opportunity to dally withthe sex of his chosen weakness, he mustmake a Resolution check against his Willor General Endurance Talent to resist.Your character must also make a similarResolution check to resist requests or pleasof help from members of this sex. Whenrole playing this weakness, you shouldnote that it applies to members of yourown party as well as NPCs.

Weapon (Talent)Talent Pool: FightingYour character is trained in the use of aparticular weapon. See Combat (p. 6,rule book) for an explanation of the use ofthis skill.

Weather Sense (Talent)Talent Pool: Insight

Your character is a walking barometer. Ona successful Resolution check, he can pre-dict the weather for the next 24 hours.This includes precipitation, wind condi-tions, and wind direction. Normally hecan use this skill only once a day. How-ever, in cases where a change in weatherarises suddenly, your character can attemptanother check.

Will (Talent)Talent Pool: EnduranceWill is your character's ability to resisttemptations and outside pressures. Heuses it when he tries to overcome weak-nesses in his own personality. Whenever asituation arises that tests the moral fiber ofyour character, he can use a Resolutioncheck using his Will rating to determinethe outcome. However, you should notallow the use of this characteristic (in thismanner) to override your own role play-ing.

Wrestling (Talent)Talent Pool: FightingYour character is trained in the manly artof wrestling. See Combat (p. 6, rulebook) for an explanation of how to usethis skill.

Zingaran Fighting (Talent)Talent Pool: Fighting

Your character is trained in the Zingaranschool of fighting. This style of fightinginvolves two weapons at once, most com-monly a dirk and a light sword. It can beused with any two weapons held in yourcharacter's hands. See Combat (pp. 6, rulebook) for an explanation of how this skillis used.

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C O N A N ®

ROLE-PLAYING GAME:

CHARTS AND TABLES

RANDOM HIT LOCATION TABLE% Die Roll

01-1011-2021-4546-7071 8081-9091-100

Location HitLeft Leg

Right LegGut

ChestLeft Arm

Right ArmHead

COMBAT MODIFIERS CHARTSituation ModifierAttacker is:

Attacking character from behindBound or heldFallen or lower positionFighting with two weaponsFor every attacker over 2In Darkness, Blind

Defender is:Bound or heldFallen or lower positionLarger than a manMovingSmaller than a man

+1-4-2-3+1-6

+6+1+2-1-2

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EQUIPMENT LISTWeaponsItemARBALEST*BASTARD SWORDBROADSWORDCINEQUESDACLUBDIRKFALCHIONFLAILFRANCISCAGREAT AXEHALBARDHOLY WATER

SPRINKLERJAVELINKATARLANCE, JOUSTLANCE, LIGHTLONGBOWMACEMAN-CATCHERPIKERAPIERSABERSHORT BOWSLINGSPEARTIGER CLAW2-HD SWORDWAR HAMMER

Wpn Bonus

+ 10(+1)**

0+ 100+2+ 10+2+ 1

+1-1-1+3000

****0000-10-2+20

Int Bonus

0-10-10-1-2-20-2

+2/-3***

00+1

+4/-4 ***+3/-3 ***

00+2

+2/-3***+ 10000-2-30

Range Cost

50/120/2002SL1SL1SL

5BL2SL3SL

5/10/20 1 SL5SL1GL

3SL30/50/80 4BL

1GL2GL8GL

70/150/250 4GL5BL3GL1GL4GL5SL

50/110/200 2 GL50/100/150 3BL

10/25/40 2 SL3GL2GL6SL

* Requires 3 Combat Turns to load.** Use second number when using weapon with two hands.*** Use first number on first round of combat only.**** Does no damage. A successful hit traps victim in jaws of mancatcher.

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EQUIPMENT LIST

ArmorItemARM ARMORARMETBASINETBISHOP'S

MANTLEBREASTPLATEBRIGANDINECOIFJACKLEG ARMORHAUBERKMAIL SUITSHIELD

GreatStandardTarget

TASSETSHorse Armor

CHANFRONCRUPPER,

LEATHERCRUPPER,

PLATEPEYTRAL,

LEATHERPEYTRAL,

PLATE

Prot332

23211222

3213

31

3

1

3

Move Penalty110

42100224

4201

10

4

0

3

Cost5SL

3GL7SL

5GL3GLSSL2SL3SL5SL1 GL

10 GL

5GL1GL5BL6SL

10 GL5GL

20 GL

10 GL

25 GL

Area CoveredRA OR LA

HH

C,G,RA,LA,RL,LLC

C,GH

C,GRL,LL

C,G,RA,LAAll but head

***G

HRear hindquarters

Rear hindquarters

Chest

Chest

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

GL = GOLD LUNASL = SILVER LUNABL = BRONZE LUNAW = WEAKNESSPRO = PROWESSKNO = KNOWLEDGE

PER = PERCEPTIONIN = INSIGHTFIGHT = FIGHTINGRA = RIGHT ARMLA = LEFT ARMH = HEAD

C = CHESTG = GUTRL = RIGHT LEGLL = LEFT LEGEND = ENDURANCE

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SPECIFIC WOUND CHARTArea Hit Brawling

Unconscious; Orange or Red to saveStun 1 turn; any color to saveStun 2 turn; any color to saveNoneKnocked Down; any color to save

OtherHeadChestGutArmLeg

Death; Any color to saveUnconscious; Orange or Red to saveUnconscious; Red to saveUnusable: any color to saveUnusable; any color but green to save

JEWEL TABLEJewelAgateGarnetMother-of-PearlQuartzAmberChalcedonyCoralJetLapis LazuliMalachiteOnyxTurquoiseAquamarinePearlOpalSapphireTopazAmethystJadeRubyEmeraldDiamond

Value5BL1SL1SL2SL3SL4SL5SL5SL7SL7SL8SL1GL2GL10 GL15 GL30 GL30 GL50 GL75 GL100 GL200 GL300 GL

Note: The values of different gems and preciousstones may vary depending on the side of the stone,the quality of the cut, and the clarity of the stone.

PRINCIPAL HYBORIANLANGUAGES

AESIRARGOSSEANAQUILONIANCIMMERIANHYRKANTAN (TURAN)IRANISTANIKHITAINESEKOTHIANMERUVIANNEMEDIANPICTISHPUNTSHEMITESTYGIANVENDHYANZAMORANZINGARAN

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TALENT LISTTalent (Abbreviation)Accident prone (AC PR)Acrobatic (ACR)Alchemy (ALCH)Animal aversion (AN AV)Animal handling (AN HAN)Animal reflexes (AN REF)Animal senses (AN SEN)Arcane languages (ARC LANG)Blacksmith (BLACK)Brawling (BRAWL)Carpentry (CAR)Climbing (CLI)Color blind (CO BL)Damage (DAM)Danger sense (DAN SEN)Directional sense (DIR SEN)Disfigurement (DISFIG)Distrusted (DISTRUST)Endurance loss (EN LOSS)Fame (FAME)Fear of animals (FEAR/ AN)Fear of heights (FEAR/ HE)Fear of magic (FEAR/MAG)Fear of water (FEAR/ WAT)Foppish (FOP)Gambler (GAM)Glutton (GLUT)Goldsmith (GOLD)Herbalism (HERB)Hypnotism (HYPNO)Information (INFO)Language (LANG)Lockpicking (LOCK)Lore (LORE)Madness (MAD)Magic endurance (MAG)

Talent PoolWProKnoWPerProInKnoKnoFightKnoProWEndInInWWWPerWWWWWWWKnoKnoInInKno (choose language)KnoKnoWEnd

Talent (Abbreviation)Magic sense (MAG SEN)Medicine (MED)Minstel (MIN)Mind Control (MIND CON)Miserly (MIS)Movement (MOV)Natural Magic (NAT MAG)Navigation (NAV)Night blind (N BLI)Nocturnal (NOC)Observation (OBS)Obsession (OBESS)Personal magnetism (PER MAG)Phobia (PHO)Pickpocketing (PICK)Poison (POS)Rash (RASH)Reading/ writing (READ)Sailing (SAIL)Stamina (STA)Strength (STR)Summoning (SUMMON)Survival (SUR)Swimming (SWIM)Taciturn (TACIT)Telepathy (TELE)Tone Deaf (T DEAF)Tracking (TRACK)Transmutation (TRANS)Trapping (TRAP)Weakness to drink (DRINK)Weakness to women/men (WO/MEN)Weapon (Weapon name)Weather sense (WEA SEN)Will (WILL)Wrestling (WREST)Zingaran Fighting (ZING FHT)

Talent PoolInPerPerInWProInKnoWWPerWInWPerEndWKno (choose language)

KnoEndProKnoKnoProWInWPerInKnoWWFightInEndFightFight

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7O

14

XX

X2

OO

1

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MASTERREFERENCE SHEET

NPC REACTION RESULT TABLE

SITUATION WHITE GREENCOLOR

YELLOW ORANGE REDFRIENDLYNEUTRALHOSTILEDANGEROUS

AbruptIgnoresFightsRuns

NeutralAbruptRefusalRefusal

NeutralAnswersRefusalRefusal

HelpfulAnswersUnfriendlyReward/Bribes

GenerousHelpfulSuspiciousHelpful

NPC REACTION MODIFIERSPC is:

Asking common information + 6Helpful + 2Offering bribe + 1*Rude or hostile -2Behaving foolishly -2Threatening an innocent -4

NPC is:Trapped or helplessInjured (not by PC)Of higher Fame the PCInjured by PC

+ 4+ 1-3-1**

* + 1 per 10 GL or part thereof. The amount of bribe needed can vary with the importance of the NPC and the information desired.** - 1 per point of difference

RESULT SYNOPSIS TABLESITUATION COLOR (White is always failure)

GREEN YELLOW ORANGE REDComplexity of TaskLanguage UnderstoodCombat DamageCombat AdvantageBrawling DamageWrestling DamageRushing

( a White result meansShield BashKnock OutAimed MissileDefendingFalling DamageDamage Effect( if below 0 )Poison PotencySpell Complexity

Easy /SimpleShort Phrases1 Pt.1 Pt.0 Pts.0 Pts.Push Past

character falls down)__

_ _

___

-1Pt.1 Pt/ 10 ftUnconscious

-1Pt.Simple

ModerateSentences2 Pts.2 Pts.0 Pts.0 Pts.Push Past

___

___

___

-2 Pts.2 Pts /10ftUnconscious

-2 Pts.Moderate

HardProse3 Pts.3 Pts.1 Pt.0 Pts.Push Past

___

____

-3 Pts.3 Pts/ 10 ftUnconscious

-3 Pts.___

DifficultPoetry4 Pts. + Specific Wound4 Pts.2 Pts.1 Pt.Knock down

Knock downKnock outBullseye-4 Pts.4 Pts/ 10 ft + Specific WoundConscious

No damageDifficult

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COMBAT TURN SEQUENCE1. Is anyone caught off guard?

Do this on the first turn of a combat or whenever a new opponent entersfrom an unexpected direction.

2. What are you going to do?Each player states what action he will take — fight with a weapon, wres-tle, brawl, rush, bash, fight with two weapons, defend, move, cast aspell, or wait. Players also decide if they will attempt multiple actionsand state their aiming point.

3. Who goes first?Each player rolls 1d10, adding appropriate modifiers, to determine theorder of actions.

4. Action!Each player resolves his character's actions according to the rules, charac-ters who chose to wait check to see if they can act before their opponent.This step is repeated until all characters have performed their actions.

OPPONENTS FallsUnconscious

May AvoidAttacks* *

Enemies (common men)AnimalsFoes (heroes & villains)Monsters

Damage = 0Damage = 0Fails damage check*Fails damage check*

NONOYESYES

* Only needs to check once Damage falls to 0 or less.** As characters, may avoid attack with successful talent check.

COMBAT MODIFIERS CHARTSituation Modifier

Attacker is:Attacking from behindFor each attacker over 2Fallen or Lower PositionWounded half of DamageFighting with 2 WeaponsBound or HeldIn Darkness or Blind

Defender is:Bound or HeldBlinded or in DarkWounded half of DamageLarger than a manFallen or Lower PositionMovingSmaller than a ManObscured by fog or smokeAt medium rangeHidden by brush or drapesAt long range

Strength Bonus (Melee only)

+ 1 column+ 1 column- 2 columns- 3 columns- 3 columns- 4 columns- 6 columns

+ 6 columns+ 4 columns+ 3 columns+ 2 columns+1 column- 1 column- 2 columns- 2 columns- 3 columns- 4 columns- 6 columns+ 1 Pt/10 STR

DANGERS AND PERILSFALLING: To determine if damage is taken from a fall — subtract 10 feet

from the distance fallen and then roll on the Resolution Table. If greater than 30use the 30 column. A white result is no damage.

Damage from a Fall = Color Result Pts x Distance Fallen/10If a Specific Wound is indicated, roll on the Missile Random Hit Location.If a character falls onto a soft, yielding surface — such as snow, sand, water,

brush, et al, treat as if falling from 1/2 the height.FIRE: Use the rating of the Fire to determine if any damage is caused. Use the

Damage results for Combat plus the damage bonus indicated below.

DAMAGE NOTES:• Defending and Armor can reduce Damage from combat.• All Armor reduces Damage from fire by just 1 point.Keep a record in a blank spot on your character sheet of the current Damage Tal-ent of your character as damage is taken.

Temporary Damage losses do not reduce the Endurance General Score. Onlypermanent losses to Damage will reduce Endurance.

Specific Wounds: When checking to avoid Specific Wounds, roll against thecharacter's current Damage Talent.

MISSILE RANDOM HIT LOCATION TABLEDie Roll Location Hit Die Roll Location Hit

01- 10 Left Leg11-20 Right Leg21-45 Gut/Rear46- 70 Chest/Back

71- 8081- 9091-100

Left ArmRight ArmHead

Type of Fire Rating Damage

Candle or small LampTorch or LanternSmall Fire or Burning CurtainLarge Fire or Burning BeamBonfire or Burning BuildingVolcanic or Magical Fire

- 50

5 to 810 to 1415 to 2025 to 30

- 2- 1

0+ 1+ 2+ 3

DROWNING: To avoid taking damage from Drowning the player rolls hischaracter's Swimming or Prowess Talent. If the result is White the charactertakes 1 point of damage. The roll is modified by Armor worn and water rating.

Armor 2 x Move Mod. Rapids or ocean swells 15Whitewater or windy ocean 25

Still, Calm Water 0 Waterfall, whirlpool, or stormy 35Slow Stream, sewer or calm 5 Ocean Whirlpool/Maelstrom 40Strong current or icy water 10 Hurricane at Sea 50

POISON: Poison has three scores — a Venom rating, the Wound rating(number of points of damage caused) and Duration.

When a character is poisoned he must first make a resistance roll using eitherPoison Endurance or General Endurance and subtracting the Venom rating. Awhite result means the poison has full effect, while other colored results give anumber of damage points subtracted from the Wound rating.

If damage is caused, the character will take damage equal to the Wound rat-ing minus any resistance at the end of the Duration.

Typical poisons: Venom/Wound/DurationSpiderRattlesnake

6 / 5 / 6 hours10/ 8/2 hours

ViperCurare

13/15/1 hour15/20/ 5 minutes

ARMOR & WEAPONS DEFINITIONS:Brief definitions of these historic terms arc given below.

Arbalest — A heavy crossbowArmet — A helmet covering the entire headBasinet — An open-faced helmetBastard sword A sword inbetween the size of a broadsword and a two-handed sword. It

could be used one or two-handedBishop's Mantle — A cloak of mailBrigandine — A leather coat with sewn-in metal platesCinquesda — A short, broad-bladed swordCoif — A hood of mailFalchion — A large heavy-bladed swordFrancisca — A type of throwing axeGreaves — Leg guards that protect the front of the legHoly water sprinkler — A spiked maceJack — A padded leather coatKatar — A "punch dagger", held in the hand by forming a fistMan-catcher — Any of various types of polearms designed to catch but not hurtTassets — A skin of overlapping metal platesTiger Claw — A set of short blades that fit over the knucklesChanfron, Crupper, and Peytral are all parts of a horse's barding.

The Equipment list only shows the Protection and Cost for iron or steel armor. The follow-ing items are also available in bronze: Arm armor, Armet, Basinet, Breastplate, Leg Armor,and Tassets. Bronze armor has one less point of Protection than that listed and is half theprice listed.

Weapons of Desperation: Use these weapons for a weapon of desperation.

Small object thrown(mugs, platter)

Small blunt object- Sling- Club

Sharp itemFireLarge blunt object

- Dirk- Torch- HW Sprinkler

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TALENT/WEAKNESS LISTGeneral Talent PoolsPROWESS FIGHTING ENDURANCE KNOWLEDGE PERCEPTION INSIGHTAcrobaticAnimal ReflexesClimbingMOVEMENTStrengthSwimmingThrowing

BrawlingWeapon MasteryWrestlingZingaran Fighting

DAMAGEMagic EndurancePoison EnduranceStaminaWill

* For every weakness, a character gains 10 points to add to their talent.(M) Are only available to magic users when learning a magic talent.

Alchemy (M)Arcane LanguagesBlacksmithCarpentryGoldsmithHerbalismLanguageLoreNavigationPhysical LawsReading/WritingSailingSiegecraft / EngineeringSurvival (4 types)Trapping

Animal HandlingMedicineMinstrelObservationPicking PocketsSummoning (M)Tracking

Animal SensesDanger SenseDirectional SenseHypnotismInformation (M)Magic SenseMind Control (M)Natural Magic (M)Personal MagnetismTelepathyTransmutation/

TransformationWeather Sense

TALENT SELECTION STRATEGIES (Keep this high)Movement — This is the primary defense talent.Weapon Mastery — These are your primary combat talents.Damage — The number of points of damage a character can survive.

WEAKNESSAccident ProneAnimal Aversion (M)Color BlindDisfigurement (M)Distrusted (M)Endurance Loss (M)Fear of AnimalsFear of HeightsFear of MagicFear of WaterFoppishGambler

GluttonMadness (M)MiserlyNight BlindNocturnal (M)Obsession (M)PhobiaRashTaciturnTone DeafWeakness to DrinkWeakness to Women/Men

ACTION SUCCESSAny action attempted can be linked to a Talent or General Talent Pool.

When an action is attempted, the referee determines which talent or talentpool is used (eg. Strength to Move something; Endurance to Resist; etc.)

The referee then decides if the action of situation is (Difficulty, Hard,Moderate) or (Easy). This defines the result colors that mean success. Rollingthis color or lower means the action succeeded.

Turn to colored RESOLUTION TABLE.Roll Percentile Dice (1-100).The vertical column on the table represents the dice roll. Find your dice

roll. The horizontal row is the Talent/Differential row. Find your talent (lessany resistant talent of opponents that may apply).

Where the two cross on the chart is your result color. A white result isalways a failure.

ERRATA: Omitted TalentsPhysical Laws (Talent)Talent Pool: PerceptionPrerequisites: Arcane Languages, Navigation, Weather SenseThe magical art of manipulating the laws of the universe is power of thePhysical Laws Talent. It is one of the least fearful of all the magics, since thosewho practice it can actually be beneficial and helpful to the common people.Those who study Physical Laws gain the power to control basic effects ofnature for good or ill.SingleCreate fogInfluence weather 1 month awayModerate (Yellow)

Stimulate plant growthFavorable winds

Rapid plant or animal growthSummon weather

Blight an area

OPTIONAL SUCCESS RULE (Multiple Attacks, Wrestling, Rushing,Knock-outs, Aimed Missile Fire)

If the referee desires, he may want to give these actions a better chance tosucceed. To do this make the chance of succcess an orange and red result, notjust a red result. It is cautioned that you do not make these easier than anorange result.

MASTER FAME POINT AWARDS AND LOSESDefeating an opponent with higher General scoresVictorious commander of major battleActs of bravadoNotable savageryPer Talent rating of 20-29Per Talent rating of 30Notable acts of mercyTricking a major NPCDefeating:

AkivashaBeast of PictlandsBlack Men

+ 1 Children of Set+1 Crawler+1 Dragon+ 1 Gray Ape+ 1 Ollam-Onga+ 1 Slug, Giant

Strangling Demon+10 Swamp Beast

+ 5 Thog+ 2 Yakhmar

Obtaining any of the following magic items:Any Book of Skelos, Hand of Nergal, Heart of Ahriman, Heart ofTammuz, Serpent Ring of Set, Star of Korala, Tulwar of Amir Khurum

Losses:Act of notable cowardice -1Act of notable stupidity -1Being made to look foolish -1Betrayal of friends or underlings for gain -1Commander of the vanquished in a major battle -1Defeated by an opponent with lower General scores -1

+ 1+ 1+ 2+ 2+ 5+ 1+ 3+ 5+ 3+ 5+ 3+ 3+ 5

Eclipse the sunCreate freezing cold instantlyCause earthquakes

Cause tornadoesSummon comets or meteorsInstantly age an object or being

Siegecraft/Engineering (Talent)Talent Pool: KnowledgeYour character is trained in the art of constructing siege weapons and in theprocedures for assaulting fortifications. Under your character's guidance,troops can build siege weapons and deploy them. He can also supervisetunneling under the walls of fortifications. On a successful Resolution check,attempts to collapse walls by tunneling are successful.

Throwing TalentTalent Pool: Prowess

This talent works the same way as the Weapon Mastery talents.

Difficult (Red)

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REFEREE GUIDES

BE FAIR!USE COMMON SENSE

Give your players reasonable chancesof success. Don't create no win situa-tions. Work with your players to havea fun game. You are not trying to beatthe players. Give the NPCs the samechances the player characters get.

BE FLEXIBLE!USE YOUR JUDGEMENT

When an action is not covered by thegame, make logical decisions aboutwhat could really happen. If some-thing was left unexplained, it wasintended that the referee make thedecisions that will fit the type of gamehe wants to play.

KEEP IT FUN!GIVE CHARACTERS A CHANCE!

When a failed action could result in acharacter's death, give them a secondchance by making it a small failure.

A character who slips off a cliff,might catch hold of the cliff edgeallowing another Movement check tosee if he can pull himself up.

LISTEN WELL!

Listen to what your players want todo. Don't force a decision. Listen towhat your players think. It may giveyou ideas for the adventure and a wayto reward them for their deductions.

BE ENTERTAINING!USE DRAMATIC DESCRIPTIONS!

SCALE CONVERSION

If you are not playing the game using miniaturesand a gridded playing surface or the CONAN®Adventure Pack, this will help you convert fromsquares to another scale.

If you are using figures, but no griddedplaying surface, use a scale of—one inch = onesquare — 5 feet.

If you are not using figures, the refereedecides how far a target is and whether anopponent is adjacent or not.

MOVEMENTCOMBAT MOVEMENT TABLE

Check for falling once for each full 100 feet or fraction climbed; twice, if less than 100feet total.

If Fall — roll 1d10 and multiply times 10 feet to see how far character fell beforecatching self.

If a character falls onto a yielding, soft surface such as water, snow, brush, sand, etal, treat the fall as if only 1/2 the distance fallen.

Game Design ©1985, TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.©1985 CONAN Properties, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

CONAN and the distinctive likeness thereof are trademarks of CONAN Properties, Inc.

Clear — includes plains, steppes, meadows, and farmlands.Desert — includes tundra.Forest — includes jungles.River — these costs only apply to attempting to cross a river.

* Swim— The first number is the top speed during a combat turn. The second number is the distance swam in one minute ofprolonged swimming.

TRAVEL TABLE

Movement Points Required to Travel 1 Mile

CLIMBING MODIFIER TABLE WATER TRAVEL

Talent Score Crawl Walk Jog Sprint Swim*

-10 or less-9 to -8-7 to -5-4 to -3-2 to -01 to 34 to 67 to 1011 to 1314 to 1718 to 2122 to 2526 to 2930 or more

1 [10]2 [25]2 [25]2 [25]3 [35]3 [35]3 [35]3 [35]4 [50]4 [50]4 [50]5 [50]5 [50]5 [50]

5 [50]5 [50]5 [50]5 [50]5 [50]10 [100]10 [100]10 [100]10 [100]10 [100]10 [100]15 [150]15 [150]

10 [100]10 [100]15 [150]15 [150]20 [250]20 [250]20 [250]25 [300]25 [300]25 [300]30 [350]

_____

15 [150]20 [250]25 [300]30 [350]35 [400]40 [500]45 [550]45 [600]55 [650]60 [700]

—— [50][50]

10 [50]10 [50]15 [50]15 [100]20 [100]20 [100]20 [100]25 [100]25 [100]25 [150]30 [150]

AnimalTraveler MV Pts. Clear Mtn. Desert Forest River Walk/Sprint

ManHorseOxMule /PonyCamelElephant

Move20 MP10 MP20 MP20 MP15 MP

1/31/4

11/21/2

2

343254

214218

132232

+ 2+ 1+ 4+ 2+ 8+ 1

10/305/10

10/2010/3010/20

Sloping + 2 columnsRough + 1 columnGlacier or Ice - 1 columnSmooth Stone - 2 columnsOverhang - 3 columns

Canoe, Raft or Rowboat 10Riverboat 30/10*Merchant Galley 50Pirate or War Galley 65

Obstacle is ... Modification Transport Miles per Day

Page 61: Tsr - 7014 - Ad&d - Conan Rpg Boxed Set

THE WORLD OF HYBORIA

A Collection of the Hyborian Studies

of Professor Ervin H. Roberts

Page 62: Tsr - 7014 - Ad&d - Conan Rpg Boxed Set

Game Design: David CookEditor: Anne C. Gray, Mike Breault

Graphic Designer: Ruth HoyerIllustrator: Jeff Butler

Logo Designer: Jeff Easley

©1985 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION and the TSR logo are trademarks of TSR. Inc.

©1985 Conan Properties, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Conan and the distinctive likeness thereof are trademarks of Conan Properties. Inc.

Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House, Inc., and in Canada by Random House of Canada, Ltd.Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributers.

Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR UK Ltd.This adventure is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized

use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc.

PRINTED IN USA

TSR, Inc.PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION™

TSR, Inc.POB 756Lake Geneva,WI 53147

TSR UK Ltd.The Mill, Rathmore RoadCambridge CB14 ADUnited Kingdom

Page 63: Tsr - 7014 - Ad&d - Conan Rpg Boxed Set

C O N A N®

ROLE-PLAYING GAME

THE WORLD OF HYBORIA

COMPILEDBY

DAVID COOK

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Ervin H. Roberts, 2Robert E. Howard and Conan 2

The Lands of Hyboria 4Creatures 32Gods 41Personalities 43

Editor: Anne C. GrayGraphic Designer: Ruth Hoyer

Illustrator: Ruth HoyerCartographer: Diesel

©Game Design 1985 TSR. Inc All Rights Reserved.© I985 Conan Properties, Inc All Rights Reserved

Conan and the distinctive likeness thereof are trademarks of Conan Properties. Inc.PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION and the TSR logo are trademarks of TSR. Inc.Distributed to the book trade in the United States by Random House. Inc., and in Canada by RandomHouse of Canada, Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributers. Distributed in theUnited Kingdom by TSR UK Ltd.This module is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America Any reproduction orother unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express writ-ten permission of TSR, Inc.

TSR, Inc.POB 756Lake Geneva,WI 53147

TSR UK LtdThe Mill, Rathmore RoadCambridge CB14ADUnited Kingdom

INTRODUCTION 2

THE WORLD OF HYBORIA 4

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INTRODUCTIONProfessor Ervin Howard Roberts (1925-1956) has perhaps too long been neglectedby the academic community. Indeed,during his time he bore up under accusa-tions of overactive imagination, crackpottheorist, and fraud. It is fortunate for usthat the neglect he suffered at the handsof the scientific community did not pre-vent him from pursuing his lifelong stud-ies into the history and archeology of theHyborian Age.

Born in Council Bluffs. Iowa, Robertsfirst came in contact with the writings ofthe author Robert E. Howard when hisfamily moved to Mason City. There, onthe dusty back shelves of the publiclibrary, hidden by the librarian who con-sidered them lurid sensationalism, he readthe accounts of Conan and popularizedthem with his friends. This formed thebeginnings of his lifelong obsession withHyboria, its lands, its peoples, and itsartifacts.

However, it wasn't until 1945 thatRoberts brought his research into theacademic world. This was the year hewrote his first paper on Hyboria—"TheTopography of Mason City in the Age ofHyboria" (Center for Neo-Realistic Stud-ies, 1969). Thereafter followed a steadystream of monographs and papers—"TheInfluence of Hyborian Trade Routes onLater Ages," "Translations of Fragmentsfrom a Hyborian Tomb," "Evolution andExtinction: Hyborian Revisions," "Hybor-ian Military Strategy: Precursor of theModern Age?" and his classic "Archeolog-ical Treasures of the Trans-Siberian Rail-way: Suppressed Findings."

Unfortunately, despite Roberts' diligentand comprehensively documentedresearch, he was ignored by his fellows inarcheological circles. Those who did takenotice dismissed him as a hack and a nutcase. Unable to obtain government orprivate funding for his research, he sup-ported himself by working as a night clerkat the Good Rest Hotel of Webb, Iowa.Here he finally died in 1956.

While compiling this volume, the fortu-nate discovery was made of a bundle ofProfessor Roberts' notes. These notes,explaining and detailing many heretoforeunknown sources, were found stuffed

into a hole in the plaster at the clerk'sdesk where Roberts worked. Though sadlyweather-stained and chewed by rats, thesenotes form the bulk of this volume.

ROBERT ERVINHOWARD

and CONANPeaster, Texas was the birth place of

Robert Ervin Howard in 1906. In 1919,Dr. Isaac Howard settled his family inCross Plains. It was in Cross Plains thatHoward wrote his huge volume of fictionfor pulp magazines. He wrote sport,adventure, western, and Oriental adven-ture stories, but the stories which brought

him most fame were the Conan tales.He was small and frail as a boy and thus

received much harassment. As a result, heembarked upon a rigorous training pro-gram that built him into a powerful youngman by the time he entered Cross PlainsHigh School. He remained fit and muscu-lar his whole life.

In 1921, when Howard was 15 yearsold, he chose writing as a career. In 1924,he sold his first commercial story, "Spearand Fang" to Weird Tales magazine for$16.00, thus launching his literary career.Weird Tales remained his primary marketuntil his death from suicide in 1936.

Eighteen of Howard's Conan storieswere published during his lifetime. Sev-eral more, from complete manuscripts tofragments were found among his papersand subsequently edited and completedfor publication.

Howard's imaginary Hyborian Ageexisted about twelve thousand years ago—sometime between the sinking of Atlantisand the beginning of recorded history.

Conan was a gigantic barbarian fromthe northern land of Cimmeria. For sev-eral years he made a living in the kingdomof Zamora.

He then served as a mercenary soldier inTuran, and then in the Hyborian king-doms. He became a pirate along the coastsof Kush after fleeing Argos. He againbecame a mercenary in Shem and adjacentHyborian kingdoms.

After serving as a soldier in Koth andArgos, Conan went back to the sea. Whenhis ship sank, he returned to adventuringin the black countries.

He rose to command in the Aquilonianarmy and eventually became its ruler.Conan took a queen, Zenobia, who borehim a son, Conn. Finally:

"Conan of Aquiloniagave over the crownand throneof the mightiest kingdomof all the West,and ventured forthinto the Unknown,wherein he vanished for-everfrom the knowledge ofman."

—THE NEMEDIAN CHRONICLES

Ace Books has published the followingConan adventures:

1. Conan (with L. Sprague de Camp and LinCarter)

2. Conan the Freebooter (with de Camp)3. Conan of Cimmeria (with de Camp and

Carter)4. Conan the Wanderer (with de Camp and

Carter)5. Conan the Adventurer (with de Camp)6. Conan the Buccaneer (by de Camp and

Carter)7. Conan the Warrior8. Conan the Usurper (with de Camp)9. Conan the Conqueror

10. Conan the Avenger (by de Camp andBjorn Nyberg)

11. Conan of Aquilonia (by de Camp andCarter)

12. Conan of the Isles (by de Camp andCarter)

2

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THE MYSTERY OF HYBORIABefore presenting Professor Roberts'

notes, those uninformed readers deservean explanation on the nature of his sub-ject—Hyboria. What was this land that soconsumed Professor Roberts? Why have sofew ever heard of it? Why has the scien-tific community refused to recognize anyshred of its existence?

The first mention in contemporarytimes of Hyboria appears in the works ofthe writer R. E. Howard. In a series ofstories, he told the tales of the epic hero ofthat age, Conan. Most of the world lookedon these as stories and nothing more;ergo, the land of Hyboria was obviouslyfictional. However, for a few like ProfessorRoberts these stories only confirmed theirsuspicions. Delving deeper, these research-ers found fragments that convinced themof the existence of Hyboria.

However, the notion that a widespreadseries of cultures and civilizations existedbefore recorded history and managed todisappear without a trace cannot be recon-ciled with the established understandingof archeology. Many reputable and popu-lar men had their reputations made on thepopular understanding of archeology. Itwas these men who led the tide of scien-tific sentiment against the Hyborian theo-rists. Admittedly, the surviving artifacts ofHyboria were few. Taking advantage ofthis, detractors called each find intodoubt—charges of sensationalism andfakery were made. In the public's eye,these were enough to condemn anyHyborian finds.

So what was Hyboria? The most deve-loped theories have been expressed by R.E. Howard to explain his stories. Hyboriawas a land of great antiquity. It was aland, an entire continent, before the pha-roahs, before the times set by modernarcheologists.

Hyboria was a collection of kingdomsand wilderness that existed in an age afterthe great Cataclysm that submergedAtlantis and Lemuria. Centuries after theoceans changed their shores and moun-tains rose or fell, the survivors of theseempires slowly struggled to regain theirformer cultures. These people, after thou-sands of years, during which time hadchanged the face of the land, constituted

the builders of the Hyborian Age.The world of Hyboria was a rough and

growing land. Kingdoms like Aquilonia,Turan, and Nemedia grew and claimedsections of the continent. But there werestill vast tracts of unsettled wilderness.Creatures, now extinct or relegated tomyth, roamed the woods and swamps

The people were quite advanced insome sciences and still primitive in others.Greatest of all their achievements wastheir understanding of physical laws nowlong forgotten or ignored. These studiesformed the body of knowledge knowntoday as magic. At the same time, theirunderstanding of many of the modern,sciences was woefully dismal. Evidenceindicates that iron and steel working was arare skill, but their skill with stone andbronze was great. Writing existed, butprinting did not. It was a land of contra-dictions.

THE LANDS OFHYBORIA

The following section presents extractsfrom Professor Roberts' unpublished notesand translations of Hyborian documents.For the convenience of the reader, thismaterial has been organized according tothe country discussed and, where possible,the presentation about each country hasbeen standardized. This presentation is asfollows.

People: The first section covers any knownracial characteristics of the country'sinhabitants. This is to help the reader

discern the differences between peoples ofvarious lands, since the homeland of aperson is often used as a title or identify-ing tag. Thus, Conan is often named asConan the Cimmerian, which would helpa listener form a picture of his appearanceand behavior.

Geography: This section covers any detailsknown about the physical aspects of theland, including notable geographic fea-tures and climate conditions.

Flora and Fauna: Any notable informationconcerning the creatures found in the landis listed here. I have also included Profes-sor Roberts' unfinished paper "Creaturesof Hyboria" at the end of this booklet.

Society: This section covers any informa-tion that currently exists on the culture ofthe area discussed. This includes politicalsystems, predominant religions, and atti-tudes. Where possible, translations ofHyborian documents are presented forsource material.

Other: Professor Roberts work has uncov-ered a great deal of information that cov-ers a wide range of topics. If any applies tothe country in question and cannot beplaced in one of the previous categories, itis given here.

To help the reader understand the nat-ure of the Hyborian world and the rela-tionships of various lands to each other, amap of Hyboria has been prepared for useas a reference. While it is highly unlikelythat this map is complete, it does presentthe best information to date.

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AQUILONIA

PEOPLE: Aquilonians were tall, but under 6 feet in height. Those living in rural andwilderness areas were lean and rangy. Although the same was true of some city-dwellers, many were noticeably overweight. "See yet the fat merchants of Tarantiathat have taken the last of my coin"—Aquilonian lyric. The complexion of anAquilonian varied with the area he was from, "...then there assembled his war host.The wire-thewed tawny lions of the north (Gundermen) and the brown-skinned war-riors of the southern hills raised their spears..." —Fragment found in an Aquiloniantomb.

GEOGRAPHY: Most of the land in the central area was qently rolling farmland withsmall patches of light woods. To the north and south the land became rougher. Thearea to the border of Pictland became wilder and less settled. Otherwise, most ofthe kingdom was well-settled, with small farming villages scattered throughout.

FLORA AND FAUNA: The following is taken from a tax collector's instructions:

"The central lands are rich in crops. Be wary of the cunning of peasants to hidetheir wealth. Poitain is blessed with warm sun and quiet vineyards; take taxesthere in wine and fruit. Toward Pictland, the woodlands are rich in game. Here cancome the meats and woods to fill the coffers..."

SOCIETY: All accounts show that Aquilonia was at best a loose kingship. A strong kingcould enforce his will on all the various baronies and princedoms that formed thekingdom. A weak king promoted defiance and revolt. In such times, its neighbors—the Picts, Nemedians, Cimmerians, and Ophirians—were prone to make raids andforays. Renegades would cross the border into Cimmeria to recruit armies to marchagainst the king. The Gundermen and the settlers of Pictland were both notoriouslyindependent. For a good king, they were stalwart allies. For a weak king they werea galling thorn.

Aquilonia had organized trade and currency. The regular coin was a luna. Thecurrency was clearly strong, since the luna was used as a common coin throughoutthe continent. The country did not have a standing army, but a small force con-trolled by the king and levied troops from the various provinces. The army wasmainly mounted knights, with Gunderman spearmen and Bossonian archers form-ing the bulk of the foot.

The Black Dragons were elite Aquilonian troops under the Kings' command. TheBlack Legion were troops that comprised the king's personal bodyguard.

Religiously, the worship of Mitra was the semi-official state religion. Other tem-ples did exist, including secret ones for the worship of Asura, but these did notreceive favor or support of the crown. The Gundermen originally worshipped Bori,but after their association with the Aquilonians, adopted the teachings of Mitra.

5

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6

CITIES, TOWNS, AND PROVINCES

AMILIUS—A town and barony in northern Aquilonia.

ATTALUS—A province of southeast Aquilonia. It is the most advanced of all theAquilonian lands. It is governed by a baronial family with blood-claim to thethrone.

BOSSONIA—A semi-independent part of Aquilonia, noted for its archers. The peo-ple were good fighters, descendants of ancient Hybori and aboriginal stock.

CONAJOHARA—The region between the Thunder River and the Black River wherethe Aquilonians attempted to colonize. The area was about a 19-mile wedge intothe lands of the Picts. It was bordered by swamps on both the north and south. Itwas ruled by the Governor of Conajohara.

COUTHEN—A province, the location of which is uncertain.

COYAGA—A town oi Schohira, 10 miles beyond Ogaha Creek.

FORT TUSCELAN—Located on the east bank of the Black River, this was the fur-thest outpost of the Aquilonian Empire. It was burned to the ground by the Picts.The fort was a wooden stockade affair. Below it the river made a wide bend.

FORT KWANYARA—The southernmost outpost of Schohira, on Knife Creek.

FORT THANDARA—An outpost on Warhorse River in Thandara.

FREE PROVINCE OF THANDARA-A province on the border of Pictland. It dif-fered from other Aquilonian provinces in that it was not controlled by a noble. Thepeople were free settlers. The province was ruled by a governor, elected by theinhabitants. The choice was then approved by the king. The people did not receivetroops from the king, but formed their own companies of rangers to defend from thePicts. The center of the province was the original fortress built on Warhorse River.

GALPARAN—A town in Aquilonia on the banks of the River Shirki. It was a rivercrossing.

GORALIAN HILLS—A line of hills on the Gunderland side of the Shirka River.

CUMBERLAND—This semi-independent province was under Aquilonian rule. Thepeople were noted mercenaries. They were tawny-haired and gray-eyed. The reli-gion of Mitra was adopted in place of Bori. They did not keep slaves.

IMIRUS—A barony, the location of which is unknown.

KARABAN—An Aquilonian province. The exact location is unknown.

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KHOROTAS—A major trade river that ran through Aquilonia. It flows within a mileof the capital, Tarantia.

KING'S ALTAR—A high hill located at the mouth of the Valley of Lions. At the top1

of the hill was a sacrificial altar.

KORMON—A town of Schohira.

LITTLE WILDERNESS—A stretch of unsettled land between Thandara and Scho-hira or the Bossonian Marches.

LOR—A barony whose location is uncertain.

MANARA—An Aquilonian province. The location is uncertain.

NORTH CREEK—The northern border of Conajohara. The creek flowed into theBlack River, 9 miles above Fort Tuscelan. There were thick marshes to the north ofthe creek.

PELLIA—An Aquilonian province, ruled by a prince. It was prosperous and power-ful.

POITAIN—A province of south Aquilonia, it was ruled by an hereditary count. Theheraldry was that of a golden leopard. The people are brown-skinned. They havedark hair and brown eyes. The province was divided from the rest of Aquilonia bya low mountain range. The countryside was rolling and the weather warm year-round. Grapes and other warm weather fruits were a common crop.

RAMAN—A province of north Aquilonia. Its exact location is uncertain.

SCALP CREEK—A creek that flowed through Conajohara to either the ThunderRiver or the Black River. It was 5 miles from Fort Tuscelan.

SCHOHIRA—A province of Aquilonia, north of Thandara and south of Oriskonieand Conawaga.

SCHONDARA—A town of Schohira.

SHAMAR—An Aquilonian city at the Ophir border on the banks of the Tybor. Itwas at least five days ride from there to Tarantia.

SHIRKI RIVER—A river forming the border of Gunderland and Aquilonia. It wasswift and fast-flowing and cut through many rocky gorges.

SOUTH CREEK—A small creek that flowed into the Black River. It was 10 milessouth of Fort Tuscelan and formed the southern border of Conajohara. There werethick marshes to the south of the creek.

TANASUL—A town on the Shirki River. It was one of the major crossing pointsbetween Gunderland and Aquilonia.

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TARANTIA—The walled capital city of Aquilonia, lying on the Road of Kings (amajor trade road). In Tarantia was the Temple of Mitra, under which were hauntedcaverns. In these caverns lay the Heart of Ahriman. Also in the city were the IronTower, which was possibly a prison, the palace of the king, and a hidden temple toAsura. The Iron Tower was connected by secret passages to an old watchtower. TheKhorotas River ran within a mile of the city.

TAURAN, THE—A province of northeast Aquilonia, it was wooded and rugged, butstill mostly civilized.

THENITEA—A town of Schohira on Ogaha Creek.

THUNDER RIVER—The river that formed the major boundary of Aquilonia andPictland. Beyond it was the Black River and Pictland.

THUNE—An Aquilonian province of the south that was possibly a desert area.

TORH—A town of Conawaga, one of the Westermarck provinces.

VALLEY OF LIONS—A steep valley, located in the Goralian Hills.

VALLEY OF VALKIA—A cliff-walled valley, located in Aquilonia, just over the bor-der from Nemedia.

VELITRIUM—The Aquilonian town on the banks of the Thunder River. It was 19miles from Fort Tuscelan.

WARHORSE RIVER—A river running through Thandara

WESTERMARCK—The Aquilonian border of Pictland. It included the provinces ofSchohira, Conawaga, Oriskonie, and Thandara. Oriskoni, Conawaga, and Scho-hira were ruled by royal patent. There was also a judge appointed directly by theking in Conawaga to which a defendant could appeal. Conawaga was the largest,richest, and most settled province. Oriskonie was the least populated province andSchohira was the smallest.

ARGOS

PEOPLE: Little is known of the appearance of these people, however, judging from theirposition between Zingara, Southern Aquilonia, and Shem, they were most likelyvery Latin looking. As such, they were not particularly tall, had brown skin anddark hair and eyes.

GEOGRAPHY: Argos was known to have a pleasant, mediterranean-like climate.Rinaldo the Poet writes of "the warming that wafted on my sweet orange arbor."The Khorotas River ran through the heart of Argos and into the Western Ocean.Having descended out of the mountains of Poitain, the river was quite broad andslow-moving by this point. To the west, the border with Zingara was marked by alow line of thickly-wooded hills.

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FLORA AND FAUNA: It is likely that farmers grew bitter oranges, olives, and grapes.Argos may have been the source of Kyrossian wine or its rivals. The most notedfeature of Argos was its "ghoul-haunted forests" along the Zingaran border.

SOCIETY: From translated court records, it is evident that Argos had a strong central-ized government, with a feudal structure. Merchants and shipowners had to file forlicenses of trade. Several documents are court cases filed with judges, evidentlygiven their office by the king or local noble. These documents also refer to an orga-nized police system of constables and high constables. Particularly enlightening isa merchant's complaint to an unnamed count of the corruption of the local courts.There were several mentions of a long-standing feud between the Argosseans andthe Zingarans. Argosseans considered themselves the finest seafarers in the world,no doubt the source of friction between them and the Zingarans.

MESSANTIA: The capital of Argos. It was the major port on the coast. It formed thewestern end of the Road of Kings.

ASGARD

PEOPLE: Asgard was inhabited by a northern race, the Aesir. This was a race of tall,blond-haired men.

GEOGRAPHY: This land was separated from Hyboria proper by the Eiglophian Moun-tains. The country was generally cold. The mountain areas are permanently gla-ciated. At its northern reaches, the land is tundra.

FLORA AND FAUNA: The lowlands were covered with thick and swampy fir forests.Decorations on drinking horns indicate these were plenty with game includingmusk ox, moose, fox, bear, and reindeer.

SOCIETY: There is no capital or major city noted in Asgard. The people were huntersand fighters, having no agriculture. They were divided into tribes, each with aking. The Aesir were enemies of the Vanir and friendly to the Cimmerians.

BARACHA ISLANDS

PEOPLE: There were apparently no native peoples living in the Baranha Islands Thepopulation was composed of seafarers, primarily from Argos.

GEOGRAPHY: The islands formed a dense cluster and range in size from rocky shoalsto sizeable points of land. The waters were evidently treacherous (either withstrange currents or hidden reefs), making it a haven for pirates.

SOCIETY: The population of the Baracha Islands was composed of pirates, most ofwhom came from Argos. They lived by raiding ships along the Zingaran coast. Ref-erences to the rules of "The Brotherhood," as the pirates styled themselves, suggestthey were supported by Argos. In return, the Brotherhood did not raid Argosseanvessels. Nothing is known concerning the government or organization of thepirates.

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OTHER: The town Tortage was the only major base mentioned in any text. No detailshave been uncovered concerning this town. Tortage probably had a populationand social order much like 17th century pirate bases of the Caribbean.

BLACK KINGDOMS

The following translation is from a travel journal of Theremis of Ophir.

"...and to the South lie the secretive Black Kingdoms. Here there is no single kingor country, yet to call them savages is a disservice. Hidden throughout the thickjungles are many peoples, organized into tribes. Each tribe has its own customsand ways.

"On first landing on shores of this tropical land, I spent many days in Abombi,the largest trading point for the tribes of the interior. Of these tribes, the Bamulas Ispent several weeks with. They are a fierce and noble people. Their way of life cen-ters on their commerce of war, such that their rule is divided between a chieftainand a war chief. In all matters of domestic life, the chieftain gives law but whenraiding or at war with another tribe, the war chief commands. Noted among theirenemies are the Bakalah, a hideous people who live by the traffic of human lives.Of other tribes, there are undoubtably many, though my journeys only brought mein the briefest contact with one, the Jihiji.

"While traveling through this land, several times my bearers turned me backfrom certain trails, claiming they led to taboo—sites of evident evil and power. Intalking with the witchman of the Bamulas, he hinted at secrets and sources ofpower hidden in these places. The nature of these he would not divulge to me.They are the province of the witchmen only and are jealously guarded from allintruders.

BORDER KINGDOM

PEOPLE: This country was apparently a mixture of many races. Given its location, it islikely that many of Nemedian and Cimmerian extraction lived there. SeveralNemedian documents have been found referring to the Virunians of the north,while a Hyperborian rune stele mentions the southern exodus of the Virunians. It islikely that this was an off-branch of the Hyperborian people who settled the north-ern mountains of the Border Kingdom.

GEOGRAPHY: To the north, this land anchored itself in southern extension of theEiglophian Mountains. At the southeastern tip rested the low end of the mountainrange that divides Aquilonia and Nemedia. The "Epic of Lord Vanris" poeticallyrefers to marshes and bogs that covered much of the remaining land, however, thispoem has been shown inaccurate in several other instances, so it is not a trustwor-thy source.

While staying in their village, I saw several times when the witchman called onhis secrets. This was done mostly in a tongue foreign and unknown to the rest of thevillage. To my ears, it held much similar to the incantations of the accursed wizardsof Stygia. Common in these ceremonies was the use of the lotus-tree, which growsin profusion throughout the deeper parts of the forest."

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SOCIETY: The Nemedian Chronicles make only passing reference to this land and thenonly when speaking of Cimmerian raids. Given its location, the Border Kingdomwas likely tolerated by Nemedia as a buffer between it and Cimmeria.

There is no evidence of an organized government, so the land may have beensettled by ambitious and outcast nobles of Nemedia and Aquilonia. Its positionalso afforded it a northern trade route that could give a route for contraband andfreedom from the taxation of Nemedia. As such, the Border Kingdom would pro-vide a valuable pressure release for the structured societies of the south.

BRYTHUNIA

PEOPLE: Nothing is known of the men of this land, but records of slave transactionsshow that the women of Brythunia commanded high prices, as typified by this saledocument:

"Sold to Stygian prince—blonde Brythunian woman, 100 gold luna. Additionalcompensation for three guards slain by same property—10 gold luna."

Evidently, the women were commonly fair and blonde-haired and noted for theirspirit.

GEOGRAPHY: Brythunia was bordered by the eastern range of the Eiglophian Moun-tains on the north. From there, the land gradually changed from unsettled forests toopen plains. Toward Zamora, the land became drier and rolling.

SOCIETY: Since no capital or embassy to or from Brythunia is everlikely this was a confederation of nobles gathered together under the title ot Bry-thunia. The country is referred to as a distinct unit, so apparently there was somedegree of cooperation among the various noble factions. However, this was not suf-ficient for the Brythunians to resist later invasion by the Turanians.

CIMMERIA

PEOPLE: Cimmerians had a notorious reputation as formidable opponents, noted fortheir wild savagery and physical prowess. The people were usually dark-haired,gray- or blue-eyed, and tall, an average height of 6 feet. Their complexions werebrown from blood and the elements. As a rule, they seldom ventured far from theirhomeland.

GEOGRAPHY: Both the Nemedian Chronicles and the Aquilonian Song of Kings notethat Cimmeria was a gloomy and somber land. To the north, lesser ranges of theEiglophian Mountains reached down into the heart of the country. The rest of thecountry was a combination of forests and meadowland. References to Cimmeriaindicate the weather was typically rainy and fog-laden, except for winter whenheavy snows prevailed. Mineral deposits were found in the country, possibly ironore outcroppings in the lower mountains.

FLORA AND FAUNA: It is likely that game was plentiful but agriculture may havebeen difficult because of a lack of arable land. This conclusion is based on the factthat the Cimmerians never progressed much beyond a hunter-gatherer stage.

it is

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CORINTHIA

PEOPLE: Located in the heartland of Hyboria, Corinthia's people were a mixture ofseveral racial types—those of Zamora were most common.

GEOGRAPHY: It is assumed that the northern and western reaches were gently rollingarable land, but when moving to the eastern border, the land became more ruggedand mountainous.

SOCIETY: The only reference refers to "the city-leagues." This and the absence of anypapers from a Corinthian court indicates that like Brythunia, Corinthia was a col-lection of city-states or nobles's domains loosely lumped together under the titleCorinthia. Only one city, Hanumar, has been identified. Corinthia was more ori-ented to trade and craftsmen than agricultural export. To support this trade, theRoad of Kings passed through the country.

SOCIETY: The Cimmerians never developed a government. The land was divided intoa number of semi-nomadic tribes, most notably into north and south branches. Thenortherners were a mountain people, possibly hardier and fiercer than the southernlowland tribes. The people lived as hunter-gatherers with a mixture of skilledcrafts, particularly in blacksmithing and metal work. They did not make perma-nent settlements. As a people, they did not practice human sacrifice.

Since horses were rare, Cimmerians fought on foot. Their tactics were probablysimilar to those of the Gauls in the time of ancient Rome, except of greater ferocity.Young men were expected to be fit for raiding and war by approximately the ageof 15.

Apparently, devotion to Crom and a group of unidentified gods was a near uni-versal trait of the Cimmerians. Perhaps their living conditions explain their attach-ment to this gloomy god.

OTHER: The only known historical fact concerninq Cimmeria was the sacking of Vena-rium, a Gunderman/Aquilonian settlement in Cimmeria. This town was apparentlythe first and only attempt by the neighboring kingdoms to extend their rule overCimmeria. Some time after its establishment, Venarium was burned to the ground.The attack was so fierce that it earned special mention in the Song of Kings andforever discouraged the Aquilonians from conquering Cimmeria. Other than this,Cimmeria's contact with adjoining nations was limited to punitive expeditions sentin response to Cimmerian raids.

COLCHIAN MOUNTAINS

GEOGRAPHY: A range of mountains that round the eastern and southern shores of theVilayet Sea. The range was not noted as being particularly high and was crossableat many points.

FLORA AND FAUNA: The mountains were located between an area of steppes anddesert, so were sparse in plant and animal life. The poet Ziras tells of a creaturebrylukas, found in these mountains.

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DARFAR

The following is translated from Theremis of Ophir's journals:

"Near the Black Kingdoms is said to be a land called Darfar. There, claim myguides, the people are dark skinned as ebony and engage in rites similar to thedreaded priests of Pathenia. The people smear their heads with dung and mud. Allstoutly swear the people of Darfar eat the captives of war. A sure sign that a man isfrom Darfar is to look at his teeth. These will have been filed to sharp points..."

EIGLOPHIAN MOUNTAINS

PEOPLE: The following translation is from the runes of a Cimmerian sword blade:

"To the wielder is given this arm of iron,Seeking the eaters of menIn the snow-roofsAbove the sun."

This refers to a race of cannibalistic humanoids living in the high reaches of themountains.

GEOGRAPHY: The principal mountain range of northern Hyboria. It ran from the coastalmost to the Vilayet Sea. The range was high and constantly glaciated. Thepasses through this range were only open in the warmer parts of the year and eventhen could be subject to sudden snows. Several passes exist, but the only one men-tioned is Snow Devil Glacier or the River of Death Ice. This ran through theEiglophian Mountains between Asgard and the Border Kingdom.

FLORA AND FAUNA: Legend maintained that the ice worm lived in the highest gla-ciers of the mountains. There it would lure travelers to their death by its hypnoticmusic.

HIMELIAN MOUNTAINS

PEOPLE: This mountain range was populated by many different tribes, divided intotwo general racial types. The first was an offshoot of Hyrkanian or Vendhyan stock.These people were lean and average in height, with swarthy brown complexionsand dark, coarse hair. They were similar to the modern day Afghan.

The second were remnants of the pre-cataclysmic age. They were shorter, witholive complexions and dark, straight hair. They could be compared to a Tibetan.

GEOGRAPHY: This was an extremely high range of mountains that divided westernHyboria from eastern Hyboria. To the west lay the Vilayet Sea, to the east Vendhyaand Khitai. The mountains were surrounded by rugged foothills. The peaks werehigh and permanently ice-covered. There were several named passes used by trad-ers and travelers.

AMIR JEHUN PASS—This pass was the shortest route from Vdhya to the north,toward Hyrkania. It ran through Afghuli country.

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SHALIZAH PASS—The location of this pass is uncertain.

ZHAIBAR PASS—This pass was a knife-like gorge of a pass with sheer cliffs risingthousands of feet to either side. A road from Peshkhauri to Hyrkania ran throughthe pass.

Also located in the Himelians is Mount Yimsha, home of the Black Seers. (Completeinformation on this cult can be found in the section on Magic.) The foothills andlower mountain reaches of the Himelians were inhabited by many different tribes.Those listed below are recorded in taxation documents of Vendhya.

AFGHULISTAN—A hill village on the borders of Vendhya, it was the main villageof the Afghulis. The tribe was one of the most powerful of the area, since its name isused interchangably with that of the region.

DAGOZAI—A tribe of the Himelians.

GALZAI—A hill tribe of the Himelians.

IRAKZAI—A hill tribe of the Turanian/Vendhya area. They often cooperated withthe Vendhyans, causing them to be considered jackals and scum by the othertribes.

KIIURAKZAI—A tribe in the Ilimelians.

WAZULI—A tribe located near the Zhaibar Pass in the Himelians. It was appar-ently a confederation of villages and second only in power to the Afghulis.

The tax records mention several villages in connection with these tribes.

GHOR—A village in the Himelians, on the trail to Mt. Yimsha.

JUGRA, KHOJUR, and KHURUM— Villages of the Wazuli.

KHORBHUL—A town in the foothills somewhere between Vendhya and Turan.

HYPERBOREA

SOCIETY: The people of Hyperborea lived by slave raiding. The only known town isSigtona, a stronghold on the southern edge of the Eiglophian Mountains.

ILBAR MOUNTAINS

GEOGRAPHY: This was a low range of mountains north of Iranistan. The southern partof the range was commonly called Drujistan or "Land of Demons." A narrow defile,the Gorge of Ghosts, runs into the heart of Drujistan. This area was shunned bytravelers as haunted.

SOCIETY: The people of the Ilbar Mountains were subject to the ruler of Iranistan.Inscriptions in the tombs of several Iranistan kings indicate this allegiance wasmore in name than deed.

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OTHER: A translated fragment of the Books of Skelos describes the ancient city of Yani-dar the Ghoul-King. This city, Ura, was hidden somewhere in Drujistan on a pla-teau accessible only by a narrow trail. The fragment hints at evil rites performedby Yanidar to supplicate or summon a race of creatures referred to as ghouls.

The tomb inscriptions of Kobad Shah, king of Iranistan, describe another morerecent cult that occupied Drujistan—the Sons of Yezm. (See the section on Cults formore information on this group.) The king was struck down by members of thisgroup. What befell this cult is uncertain.

IRANISTAN

Although some inscriptions of royal tombs have been translated, none reveal any infor-mation that concerns this land. The king was titled Shah, and at least one was slain byYezmite assassins. Beyond this, it is only known that Iranistan claimed the Ilbars Moun-tains as part of its territory and that the capital was called Anshan.

ISLANDS OF PEARL

This was a group of islands south of Iranistan and Vendhya. It is not known whether thename had anything to do with the principal trade or resource of these islands.

KESHAN

PEOPLE: The population of this country was divided into two groups. The ruling castewas formed of mixed-blood people who claimed descent from the race that foundedthe kingdom of Alkmeenon. No trace has been found of this earlier people to sup-port the claim. The ruling caste was quite separate from the main black popula-tion.

GEOGRAPHY: Hyborian chroniclers often labeled this as one of the Black Kingdoms.It is assumed that the geographic and climate conditions were similar to these.Unlike the Black Kingdoms, however, evidence suggests the land was more hilly ormountainous.

SOCIETY: Excavations of a city site at Phar-ed-Mel indicate that Keshan was culturallybehind the lands of northern Hyboria. This city (which may be Keshia, capital ofKeshan) was composed of buildings made of mud, thatch, and bamboo. A fewstone buildings have been found in the central area of the city. These may havebeen the royal palace. Little can be said of the lifestyle of the inhabitants, sincemost artifacts have long since decayed. Several small statuettes, like the oneshown, have been found. These may have been associated with the cult of PrincessYelaya. Theremis describes Keshan as "a land distrustful of strangers, suspicious ofall as spies from Punt."

OTHER: According to the claims of Keshan nobility, the lost kingdom of Alkmeenonwas somewhere within the land of Keshan. This kingdom and all things associatedwith it were given religious cult status by the rulers. Two elements were of particu-lar importance—the oracle of Princess Yeleya and the Teeth of Gwahlur. Both were

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said to be located in the palace of Alkmeenon. Clues suggest it was hidden in abowl valley deep in the forests of Keehan.

The oracle of Princess Yeleya, last ruler of Alkmeenon, supposedly gave adviceto the priests on matters of state and religion. Because of the secrecy associatedwith this oracle, it is quite likely this was a device used by the priest caste to exer-cise control over the king and other nobles. The Teeth of Gwahlur were a number offabulous gemstones, cut or fashioned in the shape of teeth. Some accounts associ-ate them with an evil wizard named Gwahlur.

Apparently some calamity befell the priests and oracle of Yeleya in the lateryears of the kingdom. The layering of artifacts at the excavation site indicates asudden cessation of the worship of the oracle and an increase in items associatedwith the worship of Dagon and Derketo. One reconstructed fresco from the Templeof Dagon shows creatures identified as the "Servants of Bit-Yakin" devouring thepriests of the oracle amid the ruins of Alkmeenon. Above them is a representationof the Hand of Dagon.

KHAURAN

PEOPLE: The rulers were most likely a blend of various Hyborian characteristics. Sev-eral bronze statues show the common people to be more aboriginal, but not gro-tesque. They were shorter and stockier than nobles.

GEOGRAPHY: The kingdom was small, resting in the lower foothills of the KezankianMountains in the area where these mountains become the Kothian hills. To the westthe hills tapered off into the plains of eastern Koth. A large river flowed throughthe heart of the land, toward the west and north. This river provided water for irri-gation that supported the prosperous agriculture economy of the land.

SOCIETY: Court records show Khauran was an absolute monarchy. Unlike manyHyborian lands, the royal line was stable for hundreds of years and the nobility wasgenerally respected by the people. However, there were periods of despotic tyr-anny. During these times, the common people could do little, since they were notallowed to carry or possess weapons by law. These gloomy times did not upset theregular passing of kingship from generation to generation.

The court records propose a legend to explain away the periods of despotism.According to legend, the royal line was cursed. One girl born of the king andqueen every 100 years was marked by a blood-red crescent between her breasts,revealing her as a witch. The girl was always named Salome. This legend was pre-sented as an excuse for the evil rule of several queens.

KHORAJA

GEOGRAPHY: This little land was nestled on the borders of Kush. No geographic fea-ture separates it from Kush, but the southern border was a steep escarpment thatdivided it from Shem. A single gap, the pass of Shamla, provided the only accessto the eastern desert regions of Shem. North of the escarpment and the hills thatmarked it, the land was a fertile plain.

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SOCIETY: The government was a standard feudal nobility with king and nobles. Thekingdom was an important trading route between the eastern desert and the cen-tral kingdoms of Hyboria. It gained much of its revenue from taxation of caravansand travelers. Thus, it maintained a standing army to protect its borders andensure its revenues. References were made to the Zaheemi, a tribe charged withguarding Shamla Pass. Perhaps this tribe maintained a degree of freedom from theking in exchange for its services.

KHITAI

PEOPLE: The people of Khitai were of oriental stock—short with straight black hairand oriental features and complexion.

GEOGRAPHY: The land was apparently a combination of many different types of ter-rain, from high mountains to tropical or sub-tropical jungles. Khitai is mentioned asbeing the source of jade.

FLORA AND FAUNA: Western Hyborian writers populated the forests of Khitai with alltypes of fabulous plants and creatures. Given the unusual creatures found in Hybo-ria, it is difficult to say which might have been real and which were misinformationand fantasy. Of principal importance to the sorcerers of the age, however, were thevarious types of lotus that grew there, particularly the black and golden lotus.

SOCIETY: It is impossible to say what type of government Khitai had. To date, theRepublic of Red China has not allowed me or any other Hyborian scholar to con-duct excavations within its boundaries. Some writings suggest an organized cen-tral government for the entire region. Other documents suggest a highly dividedpolitical structure. Mention is made of an embassy from Turan to Paikang, capitalof Khitai.

KOSALA

Translated from the diaries of a Zamoran priest:

"This day Ungas returned from the east. He has brought me the secrets of the Tla-zitlans from that land called Kosala. With him came also a Kosalan from that capi-tal—Yota-Pong. He is a giant man, but of dull wit and elemental lusts. Ungas saysthis man was a functionary of the priests of Kosala, that it was his duty to stranglethe live sacrifices they offered to their god. His hands have great power. Tonight Iwill set him on Ungas, to test his skill. Should he succeed, I must make an offeringof thanks to Ungas's dead soul."

KOTH

PEOPLE: These people are likely to have a combination of Shemite, Zamoran, andOphirian characteristics.

GEOGRAPHY: The western part was meadowlands fading into drier land at the fareastern tip. In the area of Khoraja, the land became quite fertile and full of blue

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livers and lakes. These were formed by run-off from the hills that form the easternborders of Koth. The southern and south eastern border was a steep escarpment,apparently without gaps. This escarpment was marked by a line of hills. The onlysurviving fragment of the national epic "The Queen of Koth" tells of the following:

"Further Berek went across the burnt and grassless plain. Thrice river-crossed heled the host to meet his foe again upon those high-pitched mountain slopes ofsmoking flame and ash. There drew the lines of war to meet..."

Apparently, somewhere in the hilly or mountainous regions of Koth were still, activevolcanoes.

SOCIETY: The territory was under the control of a single king However, there are ref-erences in Ophirian and Argossean chronicles of the wars fought in Kush. It is notknown if these wars were internal revolts or invasions by outside forces.

In religious life, Ishtar was the dominant religion. Mitra was not worshipped, butother religions, possibly Set among them, were practiced by the people.

OTHER: The only known city of Koth was Khorshemish, the capital. It was called"Queen of the South." In it was the Scarlet Citadel, a wizard's stronghold. This maybe the site of the terrors described by the mad Aquilonian poet, Rinaldo, in hispoem "The Song of the Pit." According to the poem, running underneath the citywas a maze of tunnels built at least 3,000 years before the Hyborian age. The siteof Khorshemish has never been found.

KUSAN

PEOPLE: For lack of information, it is assumed that the Kusanis were similar in appear-ance to those of Khitai, its neighbor.

GEOGRAPHY: Geographic information is equally as vague as that of its neighbor, Khi-tai. It is safe to assume that it had a geography and climate similar to Khitai.

SOCIETY: It is unclear whether Kusan was an independent nation or a puppet state ofKhitai. Regardless of its political status, it did have an internal government. Theking was called the Son of Heaven and may have been treated as a deity incarnateby the people. Aside from this, there were two factions in the country—the WhitePeacock which favored communication with the west and the Golden Pheasantwhich did not.

It is clear that government authority did not extend over all of Kusan, since atleast one independent tribe lived in the hill country. This tribe, the Jagas, wasreported to be cannibalistic headhunters.

KUSH

PEOPLE: The Kushites were mixed and pure-blood blacks. Skin colors ranged fromlight brown to dark chocolate. The population had more mixed blood than otherareas of the Black Kingdoms, possibly because of its position on the coast and bor-der with Stygia.

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GEOGRAPHY: Theremis of Ophir records the following:

"Kush is a land different from all others of the Black Kingdoms. Where Darfar ishumid, Kush is dry. Where the Black Kingdoms sport thick forests filled with game,Kush is an open plain with sparse trees and tall grasses. Set even on its southernborder, separating it from its barbaric neighbor is a hot desert plain of hard rock,scrub, and sand, yet to the east is the great lake Zuad that keeps the men of Darfarat bay..."

FLORA AND FAUNA: Continuing Theremis's account:

"The plains are filled with all manner of antelope and deer. They wear horns ofmany different shapes and sizes. Upon these prey great cats called lions. Otherhunting cats abound here and these are capable of great speeds..."

SOCIETY: Again, according to Theremis:

"All people have a station and each lives according to the limits of his station.Greatest of these are the nobles, who live separate from all others. Second to themare the Commanders, men who by title or skill lead the regiments. Only here can aman from a lower station rise in position. Greatest of these is the Commander of theBlack Spearmen. He is the backbone of the Kushite army. Below these are thecraftsmen and the tradesmen. Beyond these are the several stations of commoners.Yet outside all this is the Witchfinder. He claims no station but commands therespect of all. He lives outside the city walls of the nobles, yet associates not withthe commoners and tradesmen. His word can defy royal edict, yet he can be slainfor his impudence."

MEROE—The capital of Kush. Aside from the palace, there was the Red Tower(with a prison), and an Outer City. In the Inner City, there were palaces, gardens,and a great central square. The towers and domes of the Inner city were coveredwith copper. This part of the city was reserved for the ruling class. There was atemple to Jullah in the Outer City. A river ran along the edge of the city.

TLAZITLANS—Several legends refer to a group of people who lived on Lake Zuad.The legends describe these people as having come from the far east. They weresaid to have great mystical power. They flourished at Lake Zuad for a time andthen mysteriously disappeared.

XUTHAL—Another legend tells of a city of sleepers located in the desert on thesouthern edge of Kush. There they dream of faraway lands and lure travelers totheir doom.

ZABHEI.A—A Kushite city on the coast, this may have been the major trading cityfor Kush.

LOULAN

It is uncertain if this land was real or legendary. If it existed, it was a high plateau inthe frozen wastes northeast of the Hyrkanian steppes. It was said to be the home of the

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snow apes. Certainly, all knowledge of this land was lost by the Hyborian age. On theother hand Loulan may have been nothing but a story mothers used to frighten theirchildren.

MERU

PEOPLE: The people of Meru are identical to the second group found in the Himelians.They, too, are short, stocky, with round faces, dark hair, and oriental features andcomplexion. Reports often made them out as bow-legged, although this is probablybecause they rode barrel-chested mountain ponies.

GEOGRAPHY: Meru was a hidden kingdom located in a valley at the heart of theTalakma Mountains. It was hemmed on all sides by peaks and could only beentered through high passes that were constantly patrolled. The valley was jungledand humid. At the valley's center was a huge inland freshwater sea called SumerTso.

FLORA AND FAUNA: The commander of the Turanian outpost near Secunderam fileda report (recently discovered and translated) in which he tells of the capture ofseveral half-starved and sun-burned men. These men told him of their time spent asprisoners in Meru. His report obviously discounts this as ravings, but he did fill sev-eral long dispatches with their statements. Using this, a previously translated doc-ument could be identified as part of these dispatches. Scholars previously thoughtthis document was a travelogue of the southern lands since it described creaturesthat lived there—tropical birds and rhinoceros. In actuality, these were the animalsthat supposedly lived in Meru.

SOCIETY: A Nepalese dig has provided information on the life in Meru. According tothe woodcarvings so far translated, there were seven cities on the shores of thesea—Shamballah, Throana, Thogara, Shondakor, Auzakia, Issedon, and Paliana.These were called the seven Sacred Cities. All were ruled by a rimpoche, or god-king, from the capital Shamballah. This city was called the City of Skulls. The Nep-alese dig has turned up a large number of skulls, apparently cemented together toform walls or towers. Regular galley sailings maintained a steady flow of tradefrom city to city. The cities were built and used by the Azweri, the settlers of Meru.

NAMELESS CONTINENT

This was somewhere beyond the Western Ocean. It is only mentioned as existing. Therewere numerous small islands around it.

NEMEDIA

PEOPLE: The Nemedians, in their own chronicles, and elsewhere, are described asbeing of moderate height, lean, and dark-haired, although those on the Brythuniaborder were often blonde. In many respects, they are similar in appearance toAquilonians.

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SOCIETY: Nemedia was the third of the great kingdoms of Hyboria. They were tradi-tional enemies of the Aquilonians. Unlike the Aquilonians, the Nemedians had ahighly centralized and effective government. Power was held by the king with theimplied consent of the powerful nobles. However, no noble possessed enough powerto usurp the king. The royal court seems to have been quite skilled at preventingany alliances against it. The Nemedian king had one advantage his Aquiloniancounterpart did not in the Adventurers. These men were a warrior-class who raisedand led troops, but without title or estate. They did not fit within the regular feudalstructure. They gave the Nemedian king an advantage because they were onlyaccountable to him. When not under his orders, they had freedom of movementwithin the kingdom. The king would be able to keep his power available to anypoint in his kingdom that needed it.

In addition, the land had a long tradition of scholarship. Much of the informationabout Nemedia and other lands of Hyboria comes from the organized efforts ofNemedian scholars in preparing the Nemedian Chronicles, a complete history ofthe time. Unfortunately only fragments of this epic work have survived.

OTHER: The following information has been condensed from the Chronicles and othersources.

BELVERUS—Capital of Nemedia. Under the palace were crypts that harkedback to a much earlier time. These may have been populated by all manner ofcreatures. The Fountain of Thrallos was one mile from the city. The Road ofKings passed by the city.

TOR—A barony of Nemedia, the exact location being uncertain.

NUMALIA—A city of southern Nemedia. It was apparently of some size. Kal-lian Publico's Temple, a museum and treasure house, was located there. Theaccounts of a murder here show the organized system of justice in Nemedia.There were police, who wore scarlet tunics, and an Inquisatorial Councilwhich heard evidence and assigned the verdict. The court cases of Numalialist such penalties as: housebreaking, 10 years hard labor; killing an artisan,servitude in the mines; killing a tradesman, hanging; killing a gentleman,burning. Debtors were enslaved and branded with a special brand.

OPHIR

No significant documents on Ophir have been found or translated. It is known the landwas ruled by a king and that a large battle was fought against Aquilonia on the Plain ofShamu, somewhere near the Aquilonian border.

PATHENIA

This is another possibly mystical or near-forgotten land. If it existed, it may have beennorth of Khitai. It was supposed to be the home of the priests of Erlik, an apparently evilgod. Their stronghold was said to be in the Black Mountains of Pathenia.

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PICTLAND

PEOPLE: Two races dwelt in the Pictish Wilderness—the Picts and the Ligureans. Ofthese, the Picts were the most numerous. Although Caucasian, the Picts were notconsidered "white men" by other people. They were short, dark, and very strong.Hyborian accounts colored them in the most unfavorable terms. The Ligureanswere an ancient race that dwelled in Pictland. They were not Picts and from timeto time were at war with them. Virtually nothing is said of this people, but it isimplied they had magical powers.

GEOGRAPHY: Pictland or the Pictish Wilderness covered a wide territory. However,virtually nothing is known about this area. The Picts never developed a writtenlanguage, so no Pict accounts survived (it any ever existed). Other accounts arescarce, undoubtably since the Picts tended to kill all strangers in their territory.Hyborian views of Pictland make it out to be nothing but untracked wilderness. Avellum map (reproduced below) by a Nemedian traveler shows the Pictish Wilder-ness as a great void.

FLORA AND FAUNA: The following is a translation of "The Ballad of Silver Knife":

And they came to his call,The panther and the fox,The wolf, the raven, and the crow

And the long-nosed oneAnd the great-toothed lionAnd the serpent with scales like the sun

And yet these great beastsWere the least of allWhen the land dragon did come

SOCIETY: The Picts were one of the least culturally advanced people of Hyboria. Theylived in loose confederations of clans, occasionally united under a strong leader.The sea-coast tribes were more primitive than the inland tribes. Tribes were namedafter a totem animal and included the eagle, wolf, hornbill, cormorant, hawk,raven, panther, alligator, otter, wildcat, and turtle. The Picts were noted for theirwarlike spirit and feared since they delighted in horrible tortures of their prisoners.The Picts and the Cimmerians were ancient blood enemies, so much so that theCimmerians would even work with the Aquilonians against the Picts.

OTHER: The following locations have been gleaned from various sources. All the loca-tions given are from the edges of Pictland.

GHOST SWAMP: A reedy swamp a half day's journey from Schohira. A Pict wizardlived in the swamp.

GWAWELA The nearest Pict village across the Black River.

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KORVELA BAY—A small bay on the coast of Pictland. It was named for theZingaran count who settled there.

LYNX CREEK—In Pictland, just across the border from Schohira.

TULLIAN CREEK—In Pictland, this lay between Lynx Crock and Ghost Swamp.

PUNT

Translated from the accounts of Theremis of Ophir:

"Beyond Keshan lies Punt or The Land of Golden Fire. Stricken by illness, I havelistened to the reports of others who claim to have traveled there. A Keshanshowed me small carvings of gold and ivory he said were made by the peoplethere. Gold was so plentiful that people lifted it out of the rivers in great bowls. Theivory statuette was their goddess, but whether it be Ishtar or Derketo, I cannot say.Another showed me a stone that glowed with green fire when touched. These, heswore, lit the houses of the people of Punt. Indeed, the light from the stone was notunsuitable for this purpose. He too said that they have the secret of drawing goldfrom the rivers, a secret they jealously guarded."

SHEM

PEOPLE: Controlling a land which stretched from the eastern deserts to the westernocean, the people of Shem were composed of many types. Living in the easterndeserts were various nomadic tribes, lean, weather-worn and hawk-nosed. Thesecompared favorably to the Arabs of our modern times. Further to the west, the peo-ple were more pastoral, yet held many characteristics in common with their easternbrothers. Common to all seems to have been some shared Semetic traits—the facialstructure and complexion. The women of western Shem were said to be as spiritedand fierce as the men.

GEOGRAPHY: According to various maps, the northern, southern, and western bordersof Shem were defined by geographical features. To the north, the Kothian escarp-ment divided Shem and Koth. In the south the Styx or Nilus River separated it fromStygia. The west was bounded by the Western Ocean. To the east, the borders areunclear, as Shem merges into the great deserts of the east. The majority of the landwas gently rolling plain, thick with grasses, but sparse of trees. As one traveled tothe east, this plain became drier and drier, until one entered the sand desert of theZuagirs. The low line of the Libnun Hills sprang up along the mouth of the Styx andfollowed its course for an indeterminate distance.

SOCIETY: Politically, Shem was nothing but a collection of city states which werelumped under the title Shem. Before and after the Hyborian age, Shem may havebeen a single unit, but at this time, it was broken into many independent areas.

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The people were divided into two groups, the city dwellers and the nomadic tribes-men. To the west these nomads were horsemen, roaming the unsettled plains thatseemed particularly common along the coast. In the east these nomads were desertraiders, riding both camels and horses. They lived by raiding and herding. In thearea between Shem and Turan, the principal tribe appears to have been theZuagir. Other tribes (or possibly sub-tribes of the Zuagir) were the Bakhauri and theCherkez.

All these tribes shared common systems of law and belief. Principal of these wasthe law that a maimed or wounded leader was outcast from his tribe. Conditions inShem also gave rise to a third small group, the Asshuri. Clearly, payrolls and regi-mental rosters show that these men were a type of mounted, mailed mercenary.They were used throughout Shem and the neighboring lands. From the descriptionsgiven, it is evident that the title Asshuri was more than just a name given to allwarriors of this type. Instead, the Asshuri constituted a separate and distinct classof people.

Information to date concerning the various city-states of Shem is sketchy. Below iswhat has been translated:

AKBITANA—It is not clear whether this was an actual city-state, or even if it waspart of Shem proper. Evidence suggests that it was on the edge of the eastern des-ert, probably near an outcropping of iron ore. The city was known for the produc-tion of high-quality steel, greatly valued for weapons since it was extremelyresilient and almost impossible to break in combat.

AKKHARIA—A southern city-state of Shem. This state was ruled by a king. Per-haps he was one of several contenders to a unifying throne. This competition for thecrown would explain the collapse of Shem as a nation.

ANAKIA—A city-state whose location is unknown.

ERUK—Another city-state of Shem. The location is unknown.

NIPPR—An unlocated city of Shem.

PELISHTIA—A southern city-state of Shem. Asgalun was its capital. The city waslocated on the banks of a river and part of the city was in ruins. A canal ranthrough the heart of the city. The inner city was a mighty fortress, most likelyreserved for the nobles. In it was the Square of Pteor, before the temple of Pteor;the Great East Palace with the Quarter of Officials, Golden Gates, Golden Hall,and Great Emerald Hall (which was said to house 3,000 servants); the Lesser WestPalace (a pleasure house); the Garden of Abibaa and the Square of Adonis. Someaccounts claimed that the wise men of Pelishtia could magically prolong their livestor hundreds of years.

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SABATEA—This city was referred to as "The Accursed" and evidently had an evilreputation. Several accounts refer to them as devil worshippers, but actual detailsare cloaked in mystery. Another document refers to the cult of the Golden Peacock,but does not give any details of this cult. Finally, the fragments of the scrolls of theBlack Ring claim that Sabatea was a center of this cult's activities.

SHUMIR—A city-state, it was supposed to be the birthplace of the god Bel.

SHUSHAN—Another city state that was called "imperial". Several scrolls note thebarbaric splendor of its women.

In addition to these cities, the following two sites are also mentioned:

OASIS OF APHAKA—An oasis in the deserts of Shem. There was a shrine to Setlocated there.

WELL OF ALTAKU—This was located just beyond the southern Khorajan border onthe road to Akbitana.

STYGIA

The best information on Stygia comes from the Black Circle Scrolls. These scrolls,although sadly damaged and fragmentary, describe the cult of the Black Circle, a groupof Stygian wizards bent on the domination of Stygia and the recovering of its past glor-ies. Translations of these scrolls are given below.

From the beginning passages of a liturgy:

Yea, once we were a great nation, and so again we shall be. Yea, once we were aproud people, and proud we still are. Tall we once stood over all the nations andall the peoples, and they knew our will...

...know you your people by their look. Know you the Black Circle by these signs.As strangers we came to the court, tall and made lean by our hardships. Our thewswere like iron, an iron that does not break. Sharp were our features, sharpened bydark arts. Burnt was our skin, seared in the fires of hells unknown. No man couldstand against us, and no man will.

A later fragment describes the land of Stygia:

Great we were and great we will be again when the arts of other lands have falleninto slumber. From the wasteland we came to the land of Stygia to live among thescented palms on the shores of the Styx. And the land was rich and filled with goodthings. Fair were the silks made for us, strong was the steel we beat into swords.We called the dark-skinned people to us and they heard. The dusky Bigharma andBorni heard us and name. The brown Mandinga and Ghanatas, who skulk in thedarkness, heard us and came. All these came from the south. And after these camethe dark-skinned Suba, from the kingdoms further south. So did our call go to thesouth. From the wastes of the east came the masked riders of the Tibu. They heardus and came. With these we built our land...

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This fragment is from a section that dealt with the history of Stygia:

...was raised Khemi, the Black, with its walls of ebon crystal, the temples to Setand the great towers. And there they learned at the side of the Children of Set, theserpent-ones who came before. And at their command Kheshatta, the Wizards' citywas raised where they studied and learned the arts of Set and his children. And theking commanded the people to build for him a home where the sweet grasses grewand the cool waters flowed. And the people built Luxor and he was pleased andlived there. But the priest and the wizards would not leave their cities and defiedthe king. Then the people built themselves cities away from the nobles—Sukhmetthat guarded over Darfar and Tombalku on the banks of the Jeluba...

The last fragment details the religion of the Stygians:

...And in all places shall the will of Set be known. Sacred are his children, thegreat serpents, and wise are his people, the serpent-folk. Revered are our dead,and so shall they be prepared by the priests. And their bodies will be saved andplaced in great houses to await the call of Set. These things the Black Circle willfollow and Set will teach us his hidden arts. And when the Black Circle calls, allfrom commoner unto king, will heed the call and obey.

OTHER: In addition to the translations of the Black Circle Scrolls, there are a fewreports from outsiders. One of these is a scroll from a Zingaran sea-captain to amerchant, defending his decision to scuttle the merchant's goods outside Khemi. Init he paints the Stygians as very secretive, haughty, and evil. One of the fewlicensed by the Stygians to enter the port of Khemi, the captain refused to risk hisposition by carrying contraband the merchant attempted to ship in.

The second document is a part of an alchemist's formula. The principal ingredi-ent was the pollen of the gray lotus found in the Swamps of the Dead of southernStygia.

Theremis of Ophir also describes a visit to Tombalku. After traveling one day'sjourney from the oasis of Kidessa, he arrived at Tombalku, which had long beforeslipped from Stygian rule. Here he found a city ruled by two kings. One king wasselected from the Aphaki, the mixed-blood founders of the city; the other king wasalways black. This came about because the blacks were the majority of the popula-tion, but the Aphaki still retained most of the power. He also tells of a story heheard while staying there about the city of Gazal. Supposedly, this city was built900 years before, but the people fell under some type of affliction. They suppos-edly never left nor had any desire or energy. For them, time stood still—they didnot age or advance in any way.

TALAKMA MOUNTAINS

GEOGRAPHY: This range was an offshoot of the Himelians that swung northward andformed part of the boundaries of Meru. Although the peaks were not as great asthose in the Himelians, the climate was more severe because of the higher latitude.

SOCIETY: There were no permanent inhabitants of these mountains (except the peopleof Meru as noted). However, the Kuigar, a nomadic tribe of the steppes, often sum-mered on the cool slopes. This tribe was ruled by the Great Khan.

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TURAN

PEOPLE: The Turanians, or Hyrkanians as they sometimes styled themselves, were rela-tive newcomers to the Hyborian continent. After the Cataclysm, their ancestorsdrifted out of the east and settled the area around the Vilayet Sea. The peopletoday, through intermarriage, combine both Semetic and Mongolian features. Theytend to be tall, straight-bodied, with dark to olive complexions and dark, straightor curly hair. Their faces are not as lean as others, however, neither are they round-faced like the people of the east. Their eyes are oriental, though less pronouncedthan people of Khitai and Kusan.

GEOGRAPHY: Turan was a rugged country, ill-suited to agriculture. It is centeredaround the shores of the Vilayet Sea, the largest freshwater body in Hyboria. South-ern Turan was a jumble of dry hills and mountains. This was flanked on either sideby steppes that gradually gave way to deserts and tundra. Most farming was con-centrated along several large river basins that drained into the Vilayet Sea.

SOCIETY: Turan was considered the second of the great Hyborian kingdoms, afterAquilonia. It was certainly the wealthiest, controlling as it did, the only trade routebetween the east and west. That it was second can be attributed to a certain lassi-tude of its rulers toward outside affairs and the corruption that seems to have rid-dled the court. Although ruled by a single king, he had to contend with manyrebellious and powerful nobles within his own empire. This, coupled with thehereditary pride of the people and their excellence at intrigue must have mademanagement of the kingdom difficult.

Two other groups, the Yuetshi and the Kozakl, also made their homes within theborders of Turan. The Yuetshi were the remnants of a previous race that livedaround the Vilayet Sea. In the Hyborian age, this group had shrunk in size andregressed culturally to the point where they became nothing more than a group ofprimitive farmers and fishermen located at the southern end of the Vilayet. Theyapparently posed no problems to the rule of the Turanians. More vexing for theTuranians were the Kozaki (which meant wastrel). This was an organized society ofoutlaws who lived by harrying the caravan trade of the Turanians. Several punitiveexpeditions were undertaken by the Turanians, and although many achieved tem-porary success, the Kozaki would survive by retreating into the untracked steppeswhile they rebuilt.

The Turanian army was primarily horse, well-suited to the open terrain it had tofight over. All soldiers were expected to be skilled horsemen and accomplishedwith the bow, one of the army's principal weapons. This was complemented by alarge navy that dominated the Vilayet Sea. Again, the purpose of these purple-sailed ships was to protect shipping from the raids of the Red Brotherhood, a loose-structured pirate society.

OTHER: The following places have been identified from various translations:

AGRAPUR—The capital of Turan. It was a major trading point, located on theVilayet Sea, at the mouth of the Ilbars River. The city was apparently of greatsize.

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AKIF—A city of Turan, its location is uncertain. Apparently it was of greatbeauty, since it was referred to as "Akif of the purple gardens."

FORT GHORI—An outpost of Turan. It was a common parley site betweenTuranian officials and Kozaki.

KHARAMUN—The name of the desert around Zamboula..

KHAWARIZM—A coastal city of Turan that functioned as a principal borderpost for the coast of the Vilayet Sea.

KHORUSUN—A port city of Turan that was also called Khurusun. It wasrenowned for its goldsmiths.

SECUNDERAM—A city of Turan, ruled by a governor. It was on the steppessomewhere near Vendhya.

SHAHPUR—A port city of Turan.

SULTANAPUR—A port city of Turan.

VALLEY OF AKRIM—The valley formed by the Akrim River. Branching off itwas the Gorge of Diva. The valley was hard to reach by overland travel andwas somewhat isolated. At the lower end of the valley was a small castle, therear of which was protected by a deep gorge cut by the Akrim River.

VEZEK—A Turanian outpost, near the Khauranian border. It was on the cara-van route and was where most caravans entering Turan paid toll.

YARALET—A major city of Turan, located on the banks of the Nezvaya River.It was black-walled. The city was ruled by a Khan or governor.

ZAMBOULA—The most southern of the Turanian outposts. In the city was theSword Makers Bazaar, the Horse Market, and the Temple of Hanuman (locatedon a great square). At night the city streets were prowled by cannibals whoworked as slaves by day.

VANAHEIM

PEOPLE: Vanaheim was inhabited by the Vanir. They were normally tall, blue-eyed,and red-haired.

GEOGRAPHY: Vanaheim was a land of cold, swampy pine forests. To the north, theterrain gradually became tundra.

SOCIETY: Little information exists on the Vanir. However, it is safe to assume that theirculture was similar to that of the Aesir. This would make them semi-nomadichunters. Land and weather conditions discouraged any attempts at agriculture.Although Vanaheim has a coast on the Western Ocean, there is no mention of theVanir ever taking to sea. They were notorious warriors and slavers. Referencesmake it clear that they were blood enemies of the Cimmerians and the Aesir.

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VENDHYA

PEOPLE: The inhabitants of Vendhya were called the Kshatriyas. Little is known aboutthem, but it appears from various paintings found that they were of moderateheight. Their complexions ranged from brown to olive and their hair was almostuniformly black. Their facial features were well-defined and of modest proportion.Although not overweight, the paintings do not show them as lean or hard-muscled.

GEOGRAPHY: Vendhya was noted for its richness and good agriculture. Most of theland was a broad flat plain, ringed in at the north by the Ghulistan Hills andbeyond them the Himelian Mountains. The Jhumda River runs through the center ofthe land. To the east and west are oceans, unexplored or uncharted in Hyboriantimes.

SOCIETY: Vendhya was apparently a semi-matriarchal society, since many of the prin-cipal episodes on record involve women in positions of some power. The govern-ment was a royal bureaucracy, ruled by a king. He was surrounded by advisors.The most powerful was the wazam. Several accounts deal with the adventures ofthe Devi or royal princess. It was not unusual for her to assume the title of queen onthe passing of the current king.

The capital of Vendhya is Ayodhya. Aside from the King's Palace, the onlynamed building was the Tower of Kites. This may have been a prison. The onlyother city recorded was Peshkauri. This was located on the edges of the GhulistanHills. It served to guard the road from Ayodhya to Secunderam of Turan.

The trading of pearls and sea products was also important. These they may haveobtained from then own people and from the Gwaderi, a fisher-folk of the oceansouth of Vendhya. The land was also known for its steel production. This steel wasgreatly valued for its lightness and durability. Armor made from this steel was con-sidered a rare and valuable commodity.

Religiously, little is known of the beliefs of the people. Of interest are the hermitsof Jelai. These men lived in an area of low hills in southern Vendhya. Here theygathered and learned many bits of hidden and forgotten lore. They may also havebeen oracles, giving advice to those who came with questions.

WADAL THE

This is mentioned once in Theremis of Ophir's journal. He referred to it as a black landfar to the south.

ZAMORA

PEOPLE: The Zamorans came from an ancient race that lived in the same area beforethe Cataclysm. They mingled and intermarried with the peoples of the surroundingnations. Zamorans had a combination of various characteristics —hair color thatranged from brown to dark, light brown to dusky complexion, and somewhatSemetic features. Their ancient blood showed by giving them what can best bedescribed as a sly, sneaky look. Unlike many other races, the Zamorans were over-weight.

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GEOGRAPHY: Zamora was nestled on the edge of the Kezankian Mountains. The landwas dry and rugged to the east, gradually sloping down to the Brythunian plains.Although dry, the land was still suitable for enough agriculture to support the pop-ulation. Toward the mountains, the land became extremely rugged and untamed.

SOCIETY: Texts dealing with Zamora discuss two points—that it was notorious for itsvices and its consuming religious fanaticism. Its vices were famous throughout allof western Hyboria. Each city had a portion (called the Maul) set aside for the useof criminal elements. Here, the thieves, slavers, and cut-throats ruled. The govern-ment made only a nominal effort to control these activities. Arenjun was known as"The City of Thieves," and the capital Shadizar was little better. This situation mayhave actually served Zamora well, channeling trade through the land that mightotherwise have gone south.

Secondly, the land was noted for its many temples, both open and hidden. Someof these were common to all Hyboria, but many were places of evil repute whereZamoran priests performed rituals to turn living men into zombies. The state recog-nized and supported the worship of Yezud the spider-god, although writers fromother nations had little good to say of this religion.

Politically, Zamora was an absolute despotism, where the word of the king waslaw. In practice, it is likely that he was in part controlled or advised by the priestsof Yezud, allowing them to retain their position in the land. Perhaps the city ofYezud was built in order to appease these powerful priests.

Because of its position, Zamora was often subject to the intrigue of its neighbors.Although part of Zamora, Arenjun was also claimed by Koth, which hoped toexploit Zamora's inability to extend its rule over the Kezanki tribe of the area. Like-wise, Turan had ambitions toward Zamora, again particularly in the area of Aren-jun. The Turanians hoped to gain control of the pass east of Arenjun. This wouldhave completed their dominance of the trade routes to the east.

The countryside of Zamora was filled with relics and ruins of the ancient past —places such as Larsha or the Temple to the Blood-Stained God. Given the evil repu-tation of the Zamoran ancestors, these ruins were treated with great fear andrespect.

ZEMBABWEI

This land was usually included with the Black Kingdoms in the writings of Hyborians.Theremis of Ophir notes that the people worshipped the gods Dagon and Derketo.

ZINGARA

PEOPLE: The Zingarans were a fiery-tempered people, similar in many ways to theirneighbors, the Argosseans. They are very Latin in appearance. They are slim, ofshort to moderate height, and dark-featured. Their facial features are finely-chis-eled. Unlike the Argosseans, they are much more volatile and hot-tempered.

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GEOGRAPHY: The following is from an unnamed Zingaran revenge ballad. It tells thestory of a count who sets out in pursuit of another noble who slighted him at theroyal court. The section below describes his travels through Zingara.

And from the courts of KordovaFled the vile fiend.By boat upon the river BlackAnd to the wild woodsOf the Picts he did fleeSeeking to outrun the wrathOf one who hated him.

And in the ghoulish woodsBy the banks of the AlimaneFar from the shaded olive grovesWas fought the duel so long delayed.Quick were...

SOCIETY: The Zingarans were a vain and quarrelsome people. Among them duelingand revenge were elevated to an art form. Schools of swordfighting were nobleinstitutions. Each school had its own masters and heroes. Indeed, the Zingaranstyle of fighting with two weapons was known and used throughout Hyboria. Manytraveled from distant lands to study under Zingaran masters.

This temperament carried over into the politics of the nation. Although a kingsupposedly ruled, each noble considered his domain his private business. Civil warand generation-long feuds were common. Many a Zingaran noble had to flee hishomeland after he had incurred the wrath of a more powerful house.

The northern border with Pictland presented an unusual situation in that theZingarans were perhaps the only nation to make an uneasy truce with these peo-ple. Both sides seemed to respect the border. Accounts tell of some fallen nobleswho went to Pictland and became renegade leaders in their struggles against othernations like Aquilonia.

At sea, the Zingarans hotly vied with the Argosseans for control of trade on theWestern Ocean. Like their neighbor, they considered themselves the premier sailorsof the world. To aid them in their struggle, the Zingarans licensed the Freebooters.These court-appointed captains acted under the permission of the king to freelyraid and pillage the coastal towns of Argos. Such Freebooters were little more thanpirates. Sailors of Zingara formed into the Fellowship. The Fellowship had its ownrough law. A man could challenge the captain tor command, resulting in a tight tothe death, provided he had the support of the rest of the crew.

The capital of Zingara was Kordova, the major port of the land. Other townsincluded Kova and Korzella, the latter also being the name and estate of aZingaran noble of apparent note.

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CREATURES

In my Hyborian studies, I have come across references to many creatures now extinct or dismissed aschildish myth by the real world. I am convinced of the existance of these creatures and believe them tohave been real foes of the inhabitants of Hyboria. The "scientists" will not accept these views, I know.Facts! That is what they demand and believe in. Little do they understand the intuitive understandingof one's field—the knowledge that what one says is truly real.

Consequently, I have devised a system to equate the abilities of these creatures into mathematicalformula. By doing so, I hope to be able to direct the energies of fellow researchers along a scientificpath. Thus armed with the figures and data so dearly loved by those skeptical scientists, we will con-vince them once and for all of the reality of the Hyborian world and its inhabitants.

AKIVASHA

PROWESS5

STR-35MOV-15

FIGHT3

DIRK-20BRAWL-15

END20

DAM-50MAG-50WILL-50POI-50

KNOW PER IN10 10 11

LORE-50 MIND CNTRL-30ARC-50 SUMMON-30

PER MAG-50

Akivasha was a beautiful female princess of ancient Stygia, who became a vampire-like creature liv-ing just outside of Khemi. Her abode was an ancient pyramid tomb. At night, she rose and stalked thecountryside for male victims. She attempted to use her mind control to command the victim to kiss her.With her kiss she would drain the life force from the victim.

BABOON DEMON OF SET

PROWESS8

STR-50MOV 30

FIGHT20

CLAW-50BITE-50WRES-50BRAWL-50

ENDSpecial

It was neither baboon nor hound but looked like both. This beast had great strength and yellow eyesthat seemed to draw the soul into some horrible fate. The body was black and the face was mummy-like. It was a flawless tracker, able to find its quarry no matter what the distance. It would be sum-moned by wizards to hunt down people or items, a task it would execute faithfully. The creature wasimmune to all normal weapons and attacks, although one could restrain it. It could only be slain by aspecially enchanted weapon. Once slain, it disappeared in a crumbling cloud of vapor and slime.

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BEAST OF THE PICTLANDS

PROWESS8

STR-30MOV-20ACR-20CLI-10

FIGHT7

CLAW-20WRES-30BRAWL-20

END6

DAM-20MAG-20STA-10POI-10

KNOW2

ALCH-20

PER2

MIN-20

IN4

TRANS-40

Wrestling and Brawling — +2 Damage

found on an island far in the western sea, these creatures stood head and shoulders taller than a man.Their skins were black and their hands ended in taloned claws. They were well-formed and strongerthan a man. They knew a type of Transmutation magic that reduced a man to a little statue.

BRYLUKAS

PROWESS4

STR-15MOV- 10CLl-15

FIGHT4

CLAW-20BITE- 10WRES- 10

END5

DAM-10POI-20MAG-20

These creatures were vaguely human in form. They were white, hairless, and lean, They had claws ontheir toes and fingers, Their faces were more animal than human—the eyes were large and staring,while the nose and ears were much like those of a bat. Their mouths were filled with small, sharpfangs. They were partially intelligent— more so than a beast but leas than a man, and had supernatu-ral powers that kept them alive for centuries. They lived in beehive-like colonies where they wouldslumber and wait for centuries until released. Because they were part demon, they could be summonedby skilled sorcerers.

Claws and Bite—+3 Damage

This creature was very much like its cousin, the saber-toothed tiger. However, it was the size of a largebear, Its fangs were huge and its body exuded strength. Yet for all its size, it was able to move quicklyand quietly through the forests. Its most unusual feature was that it glowed with a ghostly radiance.

BLACK MEN

PROWESS10

STR-30MOV-30AN.REF-40

FIGHT6

CLAWS-30BITE-30

END10

DAM-30POI-30STA-30MAG-10

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Claws-+4 Damage

This was a demon that could be summoned by a wizard. Its main use was as a flying steed to carry aperson for long distances. When flying, the Children of Jhil could move at twice the speed listed for itsMovement rating. The Children of Jhil looked like great bat-like buzzards.

CHILDREN OF SET

IN4MIND CON-30INFO-15

These were beings of a long-past age who slumbered in the vaults beneath Stygia. It is uncertain as towhat their actual appearance was like, but it was apparently a combination of man and snake. Theycould speak and had much knowledge of the ancient lore. If properly treated, they would teach thehuman followers of Set some of their secrets. They killed by constriction.

PROWESS2

STR-10MOV- 10

FIGHT2

WRES-10WEAP-10

END4

DAM-15POI-30

KNOW8

LORE-50ALC-30

PER5

MED-20SUMMON-30

CHAKEN

PROWESS7

STR-20MOV- 10CLI-20ACR-20

FIGHT4

WRES-20BRAWL-20

END4

DAM- 15POI-5STA-20

PER1

TRACK- 10

IN2

AN. SENSE-20

The chaken was an ape-like creature of the Pict forests. It looked like a gnarled and misshapen man,covered with matted and foul black hair. It was somewhat intelligent and could be commanded bythose who knew the language of animals. It was a good tracker. Pict shamans often used these crea-tures as assassins in the night.

CHILDREN OF JHIL

PROWESS7

STR-40MOV-30

FIGHT2

CLAWS-20

END5

DAM-30POI-10MAG- 15

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CRAWLER, THE

PROWESS3

STR-20MOV-10

FIGHT2

BITE-25

END5

DAM-30POI-10MAG-10

Bite — +2 Damage

The Crawler was a giant lizard snake creature of disgusting aspect and ferocity. It lurked in the dark-ness and shadows of ruins and abandoned cities. It was not quick and its approach could be detectedby the slithering noise it made. It normally preyed on lone travelers and helpless victims.

Bite-+8 DamageTail-+2 DamageArmor-7 points of protection to all but mouth and underbelly

This was actually a dragon-like creature of the southern jungles, something of a cross between a lizardand a stegosaurus. It was scaled and had a ridge of bony spikes down its back, ending in a spiked tail.It was huge, and its sheer stupidity made it tenacious and virtually impossible to kill. The scales areproof against most types of weapons.

Bite-+3 DamageCoils-+5 DamageVenom-30/10/1 minute

The Ghost Snake was a giant snake of Pictland- It was a constrictor and was deadly venomous, also.The Pict shamans were able to call it out of the forest for sacrificial rituals. Normally it lived deep inthe awampy woods.

DRAGON

PROWESS9

STR-70MOV 20

FIGHT3

BITE- 20TAIL-10

END20

DAM- 100POI-40STA-60

GHOST SNAKE

PROW7

STR-50MOV-25

FIGHT5

COILS -30BITE-20

END12

DAM-40POI-50STA-30

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GHOULS

PROWESS3

STR-10MOV-20

FIGHT2

CLAWS-I5BITE-10

END3

DAM-10POI-10MAG-10

Armor: 1 point of protection for the entire body

These may have been creatures born from a mixing of human blood with that of some long-lost race ofdemons. They were found throughout Hyboria, but were especially common in the forests of the Argos-sean/Zingaran border. In appearance, they were humanoid, with dog-like jaws, gray corpse-like skin,unblinking eyes, and clawed hands. Their skin was tough and rubbery, making them hard to hurt withweapons. They were not affected by daylight, but preferred to be active at night. They were more slyand cunning than an animal, but did not seem to have any degree of real intelligence.

GOLDEN SERPENTS

PROWESS2

STR-6MOV-20

FIGHT1

BITE-10

END1

DAM-5POI-10

IN1

HYPNO-10

These creatures were a type of prehistoric snake. They were called golden serpents because their eyesglowed with a hypnotic golden light.

When the snake is killed, the eyes lose their hypnotic powers. However, they still glow, making themvaluable for sale. Such eyes are sometimes used to light buildings and passages.

GRAY APE

PROWESS8

STR-30MOV-30CLI-20

FIGHT3

CLAWS-20WRES-10

END7

DAM-30POI-15STA-30

Claws and Wrestle—+1 Damage

The gray ape was a giant, man-eating ape, found in the forests on the eastern coast of the Vilayet Sea.It was voiceless. They normally lurked in the deepest woods. Gray apes possessed some intelligentcunning and were often captured and trained for use as guards for wizards and the like.

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MASTODON

PROWESS8

STR-60MOV-20

FIGHT2

TRAMPLE-20

END7

DAM-60POI-10

Trample +10 Damage Armor 1 point of protection over entire body

These ancient relatives of the elephant lived in the more open woodlands of Pictland.

OLLAM-ONGA

SERVANTS OF BIT-YAKIN

IN1

AN. SENSES-10

These were gray man like creatures of great strength and evil nature. They could be trained or con-trolled since they had a rudimentary intelligence. They came from the jungles far to the south wherethere were no men. They may have been a throwback to an ancient race.

PHOWESS5

STR-20MOV- 13CLI-20

FIGHT3

CLAWS-20BITE- 10

END1

DAM- 15

Venom - 15/20/5 minutes

The black Stygian scorpion was a deadly venomous creature, able to kill a man within minutes. Inappearance it was exactly like a normal scorpion, except that it grew up to a foot in length.

Armor: 1 point of protection to the entire body

This demonic creature was a gigantic, white beast. Its eyes glowed with unnatural fire. It had thepower to change shapes at will, although it always retained an unwholesome aspect. Its glowing eyesnever changed, thereby giving others a method of identifying it. There was a spell that will lock it intowhatever shape it was currently in. It could be slain by normal weapons. The ollam-onga was wor-shipped as a god in parts of Kush and Stygia.

SCORPION, BLACK

PROWESS5

STR-20MOV-20CLI-10

FIGHT2

CLAWS-20WEAPON-5

END5

DAM-20POI-10MAG-25

KNOW1

LORE- 10

PER2

TRACK- 20

IN5

TRANS-30MIND CON-25

PROWESS0

STR-2MOV-7

FIGHT0

STING-7

END0

DAM-2

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SLUG, GIANT

PROWESS8

STR-60MOV-20

FIGHT4

SPIT-25BITE-15

END16

DAM-100POI-60

Acid Spit - +15 DamageBite - +7 damage

Fifty feet long and more than six feet wide, this creature was an overgrown version of a giant slug.However, unlike a normal slug, it could spit extremely powerful acid with great accuracy. This spit hada range of 30 feet.

SPIDER

PROWESS5

STR-8MOV-20CLI-30

FIGHT2

BITE-10WEB-10

END4

DAM-5POI-40

Venom - 20/6/10 minutesBite - -2 Damage

There were spiders of various sizes in the Hyborian world, ranging from common spider size to thosethe size of a pig. Ordinary spiders were not significantly different from those of today, but the largesthave long since disappeared. These were quick, deadly, and poisonous. They could spin strands ofsticky web strong enough to catch and hold a creature the size of a man. These strands automaticallystuck to anything they hit. Using the numerical scale, these strands would have a rating of 20. AStrength Resolution Check could successfully break a strand.

STRANGLING DEMON

PROWESS7

STR-50MOV-20

FIGHT4

WREST-40

ENDSPECIAL

This creature could be summoned by sorcerers from some other dimension. It was a powerful demonthat could guard a specific item or place or hunt down a specific victim. The sorcerer had to name thetask he wished done. If it guarded a place or item, the strangling demon could not move more than 10feet from that spot. If it hunted a victim, it would ignore all other people, unless they prevented it fromreaching its victim.

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The strangling demon had two forms. The first was a shapeless mist that swirled about a place.Those with Animal or Danger Sense talent could tell the mist was evil or unwholesome. However, inthis form, the creature could not attack. When it did attack, it gradually assumed its other form—a tallblack humanoid creature with long arms and a demonic horned face. This was formed out of the solid-ifying mist, beginning with the hands and arms (that were usually at the victim's throat).

The strangling demon was exceptionally useful, according to various accounts, since it wasextremely difficult to get rid of. Authoritative writers state that it could only be killed by a combina-tion of silver and fire. All other attacks on it were useless. "When struck by silver and fire, it burst intovapor with a demonic howl and disappeared from the face of the earth." (Translation of an appren-tice's scroll.)

SWAMP BEAST

PROWESS8

STR-40MOV-20AN.REF-25

FIGHT3

CLAWS-30

ENDSPECIAL

KNOW5

ARCANELANG-30LORE-20

PER6

TRACK-30MINSTREL-30

IN4

AN.SENSE-20HYPNO-8NAT.MAG.-20

Claws - +2 Damage

This beast could only be summoned by a priest of Jhebbal Sag, since it was one of his children. Thecreature normally lived in a place called the Misty Lands, either another planet or dimension. Whensummoned, it remained in the world until it was either slain or released by the priest. It was an excel-lent tracker and could mimic voices with great skill.

The summoning of a swamp demon was a special process, more so than that for other summonedcreatures. When a swamp demon was summoned, its life was linked to that of the person who sum-moned it. If it is hurt, its master is hurt. If the master is hurt, it is hurt. If the demon died while in theHyborian world, the master instantly died the same way. If the master died, the demon was released toreturn to its own world.

In appearance, the swamp beast was particularly hideous. First, it glowed in the dark with a shim-mering, oily green light, a fire that gave off no heat. Secondly, it always borrowed some of the facialfeatures of its master, distorting them into demonic caricatures of its master. The body is scaled, butman-like, but the legs taper into those like a large ostrich. The arms ended in huge curved talons. Itcould speak any language perfectly, and the voice sounded almost human.

Thog was the name of a tentacled and slimy shadow creature that preyed on the dreamers of Xuthol. Itwas a huge, formless beast, covered with slime. Sprouting from its body were a mass of tentacles that itattacked with. Up to six tentacles could strike at a target at a given time. It was extremely strong,able to lash out at great speed. However, it did not move quickly, only being able to crawl at very slowspeeds.

THOGPROWESS

6STR-60MOV-5

FIGHT3

TENTACLE-30

END8

DAM-50MAG-30

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YAKHMAR

PROWESS4

STR-35MOV-5

FIGHT3

BITE-20COIL-10

END6

DAM-15COLD-50

IN1

HYPNO-13

A creature of the glaciers, the yakhmar was also called the remora or the ice worm. It lived in thehighest and coldest parts of the mountains and must have slithered down the slopes to feed. It waslong and worm-like, lacking any bones in its body. The body was covered with white fur and the eyeswere green, flashing orbs. The mouth was a sphincter lined with sharp teeth.

The yakhmar had two special powers that made it a fearsome opponent. The first is described inHyperborean poem:

...but fearest thou most of allwhen the ice worm sweetly callsand steals the spirits of bolder menupon the ...

The creature apparently could make a hypnotically musical sound to lure its victims within its reach.The second power was its ability to radiate intense cold in a 10-foot area around itself. This cold wasstrong enough to numb a man into unconsciousness in a short time.

YOTHGA

PROWESS0

STR-5

FIGHT0

END0

DAM-4

The yothga was a demonic type of plant, arriving in ages past from the planet Yag. Of all plants, thereis nothing that compares today to it. It was unusual in many ways. It seemed to have some type ofintelligence, or at least a malignant hate of all other things. It was able to grow in more than onedimension—its roots were in Hell (or some similar dimension) and yet the tops of the plant appeared inHyboria.

In appearance, the plant looked like a particularly lush type of orchid-vine. Its trunk and stems werethick and the leaves were fleshy. The blossoms, which were always present, were like large blood-redlips. Although rooted to the ground, the leaves could still sway about on the ends of their stems, sens-ing the presence of intruders.

Since the plant could not walk, it either had to lure its victims to it or be fed them by someone else.What exactly it ate in the Hyborian world is unclear, but somehow it seemed to thrive off the livingmind of its victim. Once a person had been kissed by a living blossom of the plant, he lost his will toresist it and his memories of anything that did or was occurring to him. His mind became a blank.Once the plant caught a victim, it gently coiled around him and kept him alive, feeding off unknownenergies only the victim could supply. The victim, in turn, was racked by unknown pains and agonies.These features made the plant a favorite torture of some of the most corrupt and evil wizards of Hybo-ria.

When the root stem was severed, the plant died quickly. In death it would release its victims. Oncereleased, the victim's own mind and memories would return within a matter of minutes.

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GODS

In addition to the gods listed below (about which little enough is known) several othergods are mentioned in the translations about which nothing is known. These gods (orgoddesses) were Badb, Macha, Mannanan, Morrigan, Nemain, and Yizil.

ADONIS: A Shemite god.

AJUJO: He was also called "The Dark One." He was a god of southern Stygia and theBlack Coast.

ANU: A god or goddess worshipped in Zamora.

ASHTORETH: A Shemite god or goddess.

ASURA: The god or goddess worshiped by the king of Vendhya. In the northern lands,this religion was persecuted by others. There, the temples were hidden and the ritualskept secret. Common belief had them as human sacrificers to some snake-god. Theywere particularly hated by the followers of Mitra. The dead followers of Asura were car-ried on specially painted pilgrim ships to some place far to the south. No one interferedwith these boats.

ATALI: A daughter of the god Ymir, she mocked those dying on the battlefields of thenorth, luring them to be slain by her brothers as sacrifices to their father.

BEL: The god of thieves. He is a Shemite god, born in ancient Shumir.

BORI: The god of the Gundermen before their conversion to Mitra. Most likely this godwas the great chief of the Hybori, altered by time.

BRAGI: A northern god of the Vanir or Aesir, associated with wolves.

CROM: The main god of the Cimmerians, he was a harsh and unhelpful god. He livedin a great mountain and breathed spirit into men at birth. He cared nothing for his fol-lowers, being likely to send doom and death to any who called upon him. His afterlifewas a land of ice, cloud, and mist. Crom is the only identified Cimmerian god.

DAGON: A god worshipped by the Zembabweians.

DERKETO: Goddess of Shem, Kush, and Stygia, she was called the "Queen of theDead." Her worship was associated with love or carnal rituals.

ERLIK: A Turanian god with an evil reputation, he was called the "Yellow God ofDeath." The priests shave their heads and the worshippers file their teeth.

FOUR BROTHERS OF THE NIGHT: Some type of wood spirit of Pictland.

GULLAH: A gorilla god of the Picts. He is also called "the Hairy One who lives on themoon."

HANUMAN: An ape-god who may have been a god of the people of Grondar. His tem-ples had a black altar holding his image, where he received human sacrifices.

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IBIS: A god or goddess who was an enemy of Set.

ISHTAR: A goddess worshipped by the Shemites. She was represented by an ivoryimage.

JHEBBAL SAG: An ancient god of all life. He was little known by the Hyborian age,but those men and animals who remembered him were joined by a common bond ofbrotherhood. They could "speak" to each other and the priests could control the ani-mals. The belief was universal throughout the Hyborian world. There was a mystic signof Jhebbal Sag that could be used as a simple magic to warn off those animals whoremembered him.

JHIL THE MERCILESS: A god or goddess who accepted human sacrifices. It was wor-shiped in southern Stygia.

JULLAH: A god worshipped by the commoners of Kush in opposition to Set, the officialgod of the ruling class.

MITRA: The one god of the Aquilonians. His followers did not perform animal or humansacrifices. The priests wore black robes.

NAMELESS OLD ONES: Gods from a pre-Hyborian time.

PTEOR: A bull-headed god of Shem. His appearance is noted as being monstrous andobscene.

SET: The evil snake-god associated with the Stygians. Their priests slay their victimsby leaving a black handprint on the chest of the victim, right at the heart. The sign ofSet was a scaled serpent, coiled, holding its tail in its mouth.

TARIM: A god or goddess of Turan.

YAJUR: A god of Kosala, whose human sacrifices were strangled.

YAMA: A god worshipped, through the god-king, by the people of Meru. He was com-monly called "The King of Demons."

YEZUD: An evil spider god, who was commonly worshipped in Zamora.

YMIR: A god of ice and snow, worshipped by the Vanir or Aseir. He had several chil-dren who lived in the snowy wastes, appearing to those about to die.

YOG: Known as "the Lord of the Empty Abodes," he was a desert god worshipped inZamboula. He received human sacrifices.

YUN: A god of Khitai.

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PERSONALITIES

The following names are those of people mentioned in various texts that have been translated. I haveincluded these as examples of some of the notables of the age. Again, for scientific purposes, I haveapplied my numeric rating system to each personality.

JELAL KHAN

KNO6

HYRKAN-30READ HYR-30LORE-8

PER4

ANIMALHAN-20

FAME-20MINST 5

IN2

PERSONALMAG-20

HYPNO-5

Weaknesses: WOMEN, FOPPISH, GAMBLER, DRINK, MADNESS

This man has been identified as a Turanian noble of Khawarizm. All accounts stress his depraved anddegenerate tastes, particularly his abuse of his female slaves and his flagrant use of dangerous drugs.One account records the giving of a female slave to Iris hands as punishment chosen by her formermaster.

NESTOR

PRO4

STR-17MOV- 18CLI-10

FIGHT7

BROADSWORD-25

SHORTBOW 15

PIKE-20BRAWL- 15

END5

DAM-20STA-15WILL- 15MAG -5

KNO4

AQUIL-25HYRKAN-18LORE-5

PER3

ANIMALHAN-15TRACK-10FAME 10

IN1

DANGERSENSE-10

Nestor was a Gunderman mercenary who traveled extensively. He held positions in the armies of manydifferent lands including a captain's rank in Zamora and Turan. He was a particularly skilled fighterand a formidable opponent. He was trustworthy and had a strong sense of duty to those he served.However, he was not above taking the opportunity to make a little gain for himself.

TAURUS OF NEMEDIA

PRO4

STR-15MOV-13CLI-20

FIGHT2

BROADSWORD-15

DIRK-10

END1

DAM-10STA-5

KNO3

LORE-5LOCK-25

PER6

PICK-20OBS-25FAME-20

IN0

Taurus of Nemedia was known as the "Prince of Thieves." His exploits, although unknown, were enoughto gain him fame throughout most of the middle section of Hyboria—Zamora, Nemedia, Turan, andBrythunia. He was a fat, unimposing fellow, a guise which worked well to his advantage. Actually, hisappearance hid the fact that he was strong and quick. He planned his thefts carefully and patiently,gathering as much information about his target as he possibly could.

PRO2

STR-10MOV-12

FIGHT3

LANCELIGHT-10SHORTBOW-10FALCHION 10

END4

DAM-10WILL-5STA-3MAG 10POI-20

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Weaknesses: ANIMAL AVERSION, DISTRUSTED, MADNESS, MISERLY, NOCTURNAL,OBSESSION-25, TACITURN

Thoth-Amon was perhaps the most powerful sorcerer of the Hyborian age. His ability to summon crea-tures and control and use others was unparalleled. He was a priest of Set and one of the rulers of theBlack Ring cult. He was able to summon demons to hunt and slay others, pull his chariot, fight andprotect him, and other acts. His goals included the acquisition of power and the domination of allother life.

THOTH-AMON

PRO2

STR-10MOV-7SWIM-5

FIGHT2

DIRK-15SABER-8

END8

DAM-20WILL-20MAG-25POI-15

KNO24

ARCANELANG-25STYGIAN-30AQUIL-25HERB-20ALCHEMY-25LORE-30READ STYG-30READ AQUIL-25SUMMONING-30

PER4

FAME-20MED-10OBS-15

IN10DANGER

SENSE-10HYPNO

INFO-25MAGIC

SENSE-10MIND

CON-15PERSONAL

MAG-10TELE-10TRANS-20

VALERIA OF THE RED BROTHERHOOD

PRO5

STR-15MOV-10ACR-15CLI-10

FIGHT4

BROADSWORD-20

SPEAR-10DIRK-10

END5

DAM-15STA-15WILL-20

KNO10

STYGIAN-10LOCK-10PICK-15SAIL-20NAV-20AQUIL-25

PER4FAME-20

ANIMALHAN-20

IN4PERSONAL

MAG-20DANGER

SNSE-10WEATHER

SNSE-10

Weaknesses: FEAR OF MAGIC

Valeria was a woman of Aquilonia who gained her fame as a pirate captain and adventurer. She wasself-confident, headstrong, and fiery tempered. She was beautiful-tall and feminine with long goldenhair. Her looks did not reveal, however, her lean supple strength or her fierce will. She wished to betreated as an equal to a man, but, given her looks, this seldom was the case.

YARA THE PRIEST

PRO1

STR-8MOV-10

FIGHT1

DIRK-10

END5

DAM-12WILL-20MAG-25

KNO9

ALCH-20HERB-20LORE-28SUMMON-24

PER3

FAME-25MED-10

IN2

MINDCON-20

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Weaknesses: DISTRUSTED, NOCTURNAL, OBSESSION-18

Yara, the priest, was a noted sorcerer of Shadizar. He lived by himself in the Tower of the Elephant andfrom there tried to control the government of Zamora. He was greatly feared by all the citizens ofZamora, including the king. The source of his power was a creature from the planet Yag that he keptimprisoned in the tower. When this was slain, Yara's power was finally broken.

CULTS AND MAGICAL ITEMS

BLACK RING: A group of horrible wizards who burned the pollen of the black lotus to revive theirnecromantic powers. Most thought they were legend, but documents show they were located in Stygiaand Sabatea. They were associated with the priests of Set. Many Black Seers belonged to that evil reli-gion.

BLACK SEERS OF MOUNT YIMSHA: A group of necromancers, not to be confused with the BlackRing. They lived in a citadel on Mount Yimsha in Ghulistan. The magic of the Black Seers was gov-erned by the stars. Important actions (such as assassinations) had to wait until the stars were in properalignment for the chosen action. The Seers also required some personal item of the victim (hair, finger-nails, etc.). The five most powerful Seers were members of the Black Circle. Four of these were calledLords of the Black Circle (acolytes) and one was the Master. The Master ruled the Lords of the BlackCircle. The Lords may have been demons from another realm. The Black Seers had priests secretlyplaced in the temples of Tarim in Turan.

The Black Seers were particularly skilled in hypnotism and mind control. The Lords and the Mastercould also perform transmutations at will. It is unclear what the goals of the Black Seers were, but it issafe to assume that it was magical conquest and power.

BLINDING DUST: This was a magical dust obtained from Stygian tombs. When thrown on the victim,it could create a temporary blindness that lasted from 1-10 hours.

BOOKS OF SKELOS: These ancient books were one of greatest sources of mystical lore. They werealways iron-bound and of great age. Written by the blind seer Vathelos, they tell or hint at manythings, including:

An island far in the western sea where monsters guarded carved crypts filled with gold.

A description of the Black Seers of Mount Yimsha and the type of magic they used.

The Hand of Nergal, how it was used and what it would do.

The prehistoric marsh monsters that once lived along the Vilayet Sea.

The Heart of Ahriman and incantations that were said when using it to restore life.

Undoubtably many other secrets could be learned from these volumes. However, using the books was arisk* There is no indication of the number of volumes that formed the set, the number of sets that mighthave existed, or the locations of these sets. For all their dangers, the books were highly valued by sor-cerers of all types.

DANCE OF THE CHANGING SERPENT: This was a Pict magical ritual that traded the souls of a manand a giant snake. It was a horrible punishment inflicted on prisoners. The end result was that theminds of the man and snake traded bodies.

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EPEMITREUS THE SAGE: Epemitreus was an ancient sage of Aquilonia, dead 1,500 years by thetime of the Hyborian age. His body was hidden in the black heart of Mount Golamira in a chamberdecorated with a phoenix. Even after his death he appeared from time to time to direct the course ofAquilonia through times of great peril. These appearances came in the form of dreams where he gaveadvice to the king or priest of Mitra. Epemitreus was a hated enemy of the followers of Set. Only thehighest priests of Mitra knew the location of his tomb.

FIRE DUST: A magical dust that produced a blinding flash of blue fire. It was a common trick of Styg-ian priests and was also called flame dust. When thrown into the air it blazed in a flash of blue-whitelight.

GLOBE OF YEZUD: A black, marble-sized sphere that changed into a deadly spider at the commandof the user. This spider was no more than an ordinary spider, but had a Venom rating of 30/30/1 sec-ond. The spider had a Bite rating of 5. The globes were not manufactured, but summoned from else-where by a mystic diagram drawn on a surface (like the ground).

GOLDEN ELIXIR: A golden wine-like drink that magically restored strength and vitality, even to onehorribly wounded. It was made by the dreamers of Xuthol.

HAND OF NERGAL: A gemstone, carved in the shape of a claw, that possessed the power of greatevil. It was described in the Book of Skelos. It gave two things—great power and a hideous death. It isunclear exactly what powers the hand possessed, but it apparently increased the magical abilities ofits user, it may also have had its own magical talents that could be used by its owner. It could only bedefeated by the Heart of Tammuz.

HEART OF AHRIMAN: A magical gemstone, that blazed with unholy fire. It was probably not of thisworld, but a piece of a fallen star. With the incantations found in the Book of Skelos, it could restorelife. It may have had other unknown powers.

HEART OF TAMMUZ: This was a golden bauble, in the shape of a heart, that possessed the force ofthe Power of Light. It was the only magical thing that could defeat the Hand of Nergal.

MIRROR OF THOUGHT: A magical device that could be made by a sorcerer with the InformationTalent (researched as a spell). By concentrating on it, he could form an image of his thoughts in theglass.

PIPES OF MADNESS: A set of magical pipes that induced hypnotic madness in all listeners whofailed a Magic Resistance check. The user was immune to its effects.

SERPENT RING OF SET: A magical ring that gave great power to the priest of Set who understoodits use.

STAR OF KORALA: A magical ring or gemstone which gave power over the opposite sex to those whounderstood its use.

TULWAR OF AMIR KHURUM: A magical weapon of great power, now lost in legend. Nothing isknown of its powers, but it was obviously something of great power and importance, valued by swords-men throughout Hyboria.

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RUINS AND LORE

The sites listed below are places of the Hyborian age or earlier that yet await discovery by the archeol-ogist's shovel. All information about them has come from documents found in other digs. Some of thesemay be real, but a caution must be made that many of these may have had no real existence in theHyborian world.

ACHERON: Quite likely to have existed, this was once an ancient, evil empire of the northern king-doms. It predated the Hyborian age by 3,000 years and almost no evidence of it remains. Accordingto the Chronicles of Nemedia, remnants of the race, by then degenerate, were found in the hills ofNemedia. Acheron apparently ruled all of Nemedia and Aquilonia and other kingdoms beyond.

ANDARRA: This land is only mentioned once, and then in connection with the dreamers of Xuthol. Itis quite possible that it is only a mythical dreamland.

GOLAMIRA: This mountain, the tomb of Epemitreus the Sage, was said to be in Aquilonia. The tombwas cut into the heart of the mountain and reached by a black stone stair, each step carved with animage of Set. The entrance was sealed and its location held as a secret trust of the high priests ofMitra.

GRONDAR: This was a pre-Cataclysmic land whose remnants were still found in Zamora. Its rule wasapparently quite evil.

KUTH: Named "of the Star Girdle," this land like Andarra may have only been a dream of the sleepersof Xuthol.

KUTHCHEMES: This city was an ancient ruin from the time of Acheron. Accounts place it southeast ofShem.

LARSHA: Called "The Accursed," these ancient ruins were said to be haunted. One story has the ruinsinhabited by a giant slug. The ruins were supposedly located close to Shadizar of Zamora, about oneday's march or less.

TOTHRA: Like Andarra and Kuth, this land may only have existed in the dreams of the sleepers ofXuthol.

XAPUR: Also known as "Xapur the Fortified." It was an island of ruins at the southern end of theVilayet Sea, about 2,000 yards from the marshy shore. The ruins were once the city of the Dagonians,an empire from before the Hyborian age The Yuetshi were, its slaves until they finally rebelled anddestroyed their masters. The Yuetshi regressed after that.

WELL OF SKELOS: A location in Hyboria, this place had a long reputation for evil and diabolicpowers. Some accounts place it in the passages beneath the Scarlet Citadel of Khorshemish. It is notknown what its powers or importance were, but it may have been a natural site that led to otherdimensions. Here sorcerers came to converse with the demons and creatures of the Outer Void.

ZUGITE: A degraded cult that worshiped a long-dead sorcerer. This cult came from an ancient racethat built Acheron* but had long since sunk back into savagery. The remains of this cult were locatedin the rugged hills of Nemedia.

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XUCHOTL: A jade city on the edge of the southern desert below Stygia. The city was laid out in agiant oval and was entirely enclosed by an unbroken wall. The city was built by the Tlazitlans, anancient race of people who migrated from Kosala to Lake Zuad and then to the site of Xuchotl. Once apowerful people, this group had long since degenerated and forgotten its heritage by the HyborianAge. However, several authoritative accounts have survived concerning the city.

The city was divided into quarters, three of which are known—the Tecuhltli, on the west; the Tolke-mec, in the south; and the Xotalanc, to the east. Each was apparently named for a tribal faction. Bythe Hyborian age, these factions had entered into a continual warfare within the city walls. In the cen-ter of the city was a no-man's land—The Halls of Silence. Running north and south through the centerof the city was the Great Hall, a broad covered street. Each faction fortified itself in its corner of thecity, sealing most of the doors on each level. Raiding parties were sent out from time to time. It is notknow w h a t happened to these people or their city.

ZARKHEBA: This river of the south ran to the Western Sea. The waters were deadly poisonous andfilled with many venomous creatures. For this obvious reason, the river was also called Death. Theriver wound its way through a thick tropical forest. Ocean-going ships could navigate a great distanceupstream without hazard. Somewhere on the upper reaches was an unnamed, ruined city of fabulouswealth.

MISCELLANEOUS

The remainder of these notes deal with various things that have been mentioned in the texts o f mytranslations. Most of these are only passing mentions and do not fit in the other categories above.Where possible, I have applied the numerical evaluation system.

APPLES OF DERKETA: A deadly poisonous fruit found in the jungles to the south. The blackish juicecaused death in seconds and the poison worked by both contact and ingestion. The fruit was given thisname by the Kushites. I have assigned it a Venom rating of 50/60/5 seconds.

FREE COMPANIES or FREE COMPANIONS: This was a general name for mercenaries, althoughmany were little more than outlaw bands.

LOTUS: There were several types of lotus plants, each with different properties.

Black: a powerful poison which in small doses acted as a hallucinatory drug. As poison: 25/20/1minute; As hallucinatory drug: 15 rating

Golden: The juice of this lotus was an automatic cure for madness.

Gray Lotus: This plant came from the Swamps of the Dead, somewhere beyond Khitai. The polleninduced homicidal madness and death. Venom rating: 25/5/10 minutes. In the time between theinhaling of the pollen and its onset, the victim would become insanely murderous, attempting tokill others or himself.

Purple Lotus: Found in the swamps of southern Stygia, the juice of this lotus could induce slum-ber or temporary paralysis. Sleeping drug: 10 rating; Paralysis: 15 rating. The paralysis wouldlast for 1-10 hours.

SHOKI: A plant whose leaves could be crushed to make ink.

TREE OF DEATH: A tree found in Khitai, from which staves could be cut that would deliver a poison-ous death to any victim touched. Venom rating: 20/20/3 minutes

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