GURPS: THE WYRMSLAYER Solo Adventure in Robert E. How ie ca ; ’ SW erate JACKSON weeGURPS THE WYRMSLAYER Solo Adventure in Robert E. Howard’s Hyborian Age By W.G. Armintrout Edited by Creede Lambard Cover art by Val Lakey Lindahn and Ron Interior art by Charlie Wiedman GURPS System Design by Steve Jackson Ken Trobaugh, Managing Editor Loyd Blankenship, Assistant Managing Editor Layout and Typography by Monica Stephens and Creede Lambard Production by Charlie Wiedman and Carl Manz Dedicated to Darby Levenhagen, who truly understands barbarians Playtesters: Robert N. Gilson, Dana Holm, Steve Jensen, Curtis M. Scott, William D. Seurer, Brett Slocum and the SJG-BBS Illuminati The Original Story About Robert E. Howard ‘About the Author Mounted Combat Healing ‘Animal Combat Falling Repeat Games - About GURPS UWE ERE RNARE dion CONAN THE WYRMSLAYER .. Introduction . : APPENDIX . Character Points 22000 Designing Heroes 2 [NPCS and Creatures Ta Tiga of Virunia| 27 Beastmen a 28 ‘Snow Bear 28 Wolverine | : 28 Tee Wyrm 28 Combat Maps 5 129 Tee Caverns Map 30 Heimdal 31 Conan of Cimmeria 32 GURPS and the all-secing pyramid are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Conan the Wyrmslayer is copyright © 1989 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated {All Conan characters are copyrighted by Conan Properties, Inc. Conaat® and Hyborian Age™ are trademarks of Conan Properties, Inc, and afe used under license. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. 12345678910 ISBN 1.55634-152-0 STEVE JACKSON GAMESThe Original Story ‘This adventure is based on “Lair ofthe Tce Worm,” a story writen by L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carer. It appears in the book Conan of Cimmeria. If you haven't read the story, play this adventure first — that wll preserve the surprises. The continuing adventures of Conan are detailed in several other Steve Jackson Games solo adventures, including Conan Beyond Thunder River and Conan and the Queen of the Black Coast. Complete rules for adventuring in Robert E. How- ard’s Hyborian Age are provided in the GURPS Conan worldbook. About Robert E. Howard Robert Ervin Howard was bora in Peaster, Texas in 1906 and died in Cross Plains, Texas 30 years ater. He completed high school and had a few hours of non- credit business college courses, but most ‘of his education came through omaivorous reading. "From his late teens he supported hi self principally a a freelance writer. In his brief, he wrote stories for almost all the pulp-magazine genres, creating heroes Such as Kull of Auantis and Puritan adven- turer Solomon Kane. But his greatest suc- cess came through Weird Tales maguzine, ‘which published his stores chronicling the Hyborian Age adventures of Conan of Cimmeria More than 50 years afer his death, Howard's Conan stories not only remain in print, but are continued and elaborated on. by a'new generation of writers. Adapta- tions of his work have appeared as novels, short stories, comics, movies and adven. ture games. About the Author W.G. Armintrout is a native Califor- nian who has been working professionally in the game industry for more than a decade. He now lives in Austin, Texas, Where he divides his time between free” lance writing assignments and Jovials, his ‘editing company. His previous work for Steve Jackson Games includes a Car Wars adventure (Mean Streets), 2 GURPS Space/Horror adventure (Fight 13), and three GURFS solo adventures: Beyond Thunder River for Conan, Up Harzburk:! for Horseclans, and For Love of Mother-Not, a Pip-and- Flinx Humans adventure. Instructions INSTRUCTIONS Conan the Wyrmslayer is the latest in a series of GURPS solo adventures. The player character you control — Conan, Heimdul, or a hero of your own design — will adventure in the fabulous Hyborian Age, a time of flashing swords, horrific monsters, and riches beyond measure. This book will serve as the Game Master. AAs you move through this adventure, you will make various choices. Each choice will send you to a different numbered paragraph, which will give you more information, more instructions, and possibly call for more decisions. Sometimes you will have to make attribute or skill rolls, to determine whether or not your character performs as you would like him to. Perform these rolls according to normal GURPS rules, applying any modifiers called for. ‘The object is, of course, to survive and complete the adventure. If you don’t succeed the first time . .. try again Good luck — may your blade never dull and your steed never falter! Getting Started ‘You will need a pencil, scratch paper, three six-sided dice, and the GURPS Basie Set. You will also need a character. A record sheet for Conan, the hero of the story this adventure is based on, can be found on p. 32. If you would rather play someone else, a record sheet for Heimdul — another hero from northern. Hyboria — is provided on p. 31. You may also design your own character; ‘guidelines for this are given on p. 27 in the appendix. How To Play ‘The adventure is divided into numbered paragraphs. Do not read them in order — they will make no sense at all. Rather, read the “Introduction” first, then turn to the paragraph to which it directs you. Read that paragraph, decide your course of action from that point, and then turn to the paragraph that your current paragraph directs you to. And so on. Most paragraphs offer you at least two choices, and sometimes several. ‘Sometimes a roll against one of your skills or attributes, or the outcome of a battle, will determine which paragraph you will turn to next. Plot Words Conan the Wyrmslayer can be different every time you play. To make sure that you stay on the same storyline for an entire run through the adventure, you may be asked to write down one or more Plot Words. From time to time, there will be instructions for characters who have certain of these special words — if ‘you have a Plot Word, be sure to follow the instructions which apply to it. -2-—Defaults For your convenience, when a default skill roll is given in the adventure, the penalties for the original roll are already calculated in. If the regular roll is at a -2 penalty, for instance, and the default is given as DX at -4, the -4 already ludes the -2 penalty to the original roll. Mounted Combat A brief summary of the mounted combat rules is in order: If your horse is hit, it may Dodge, but cannot Parry or Block. Any time a rider is hit in combat, or if he uses a shield to Block a blow, he ‘must succeed at a Riding roll in order to stay on his horse. There is a -1 penalty for every 4 full points of basic damage received from this blow (before subtract- ing DR due to armor), and a further -4 penalty if the rider is stunned, Riding rolls must also be made if the horse is hit, with the penalty to the roll equaling the damage (if any) done to the mount. If the roll fails, the rider falls and the animal spooks. (Stunned animals do not spook, however.) Ifa horse takes more than Vs of its hit points in one blow, it must succeed on a roll vs. DX, of fall. If it takes more than half of its basic HT in one blow, the horse is stunned; it must succeed ata basic HT roll or fall. Ifa horse falls, it must succeed on a DX roll at +1 to avoid breaking a leg. Healing ‘After any battle or encounter, the character may attempt to recover hit points lost in that action. Any conscious character, or one with a conscious partner, regains 1 HT due to bandaging. In addition, success at a First Aid roll (defaults to Physician, 1Q-5, Veterinary-5, or Physiology-5) heals 1d-3 hit points (one inimum). On a critical success, the victim regains 3 HT (no roll re- quired); on a critical failure, the victim loses 2 additional hit points and bandag- ing has no effect on this wound. Animal Combat The rules for animal combat are given on p. B140-141. It is possible for an animal to All-Out Attack. Unlike humans, animals can All-Out Attack in close ‘combat; they may choose either to make two attacks against their foe, or to make a single attack at +4 to their skill. They may not choose to feint and attack, or to make a single attack doing +2 damage. Falling When damage for falling is given in the adventure, it has already been adjusted for distance and the type of material fallen upon. Cloth or leather protects against a fall with its normal DR. Metal armor has half its normal DR (round down) against a fall. Shields don’t help. ‘The effects of falling are further described on p. B131 Repeat Games Afier you've played Wyrmslayer several times, feel free to select your Plot Words or to choose your path, rather than always following the dictates of the dice. Explore all of the possibilities. Eventually, you'll know the plot well enough to run this adventure for your friends. You can let them read the adventure (or read it to them), helping them with the game mechanics, or you can run this as a game-mastered adventure (for any number of player characters). —3-— About GURPS: ‘Steve Jackson Games is commited to full support of the GURPS system. Our address is SI Games, Box 18957, Austin, TX 78760. Please include a ‘self-ad- dressed, stamped envelope (SASE) any lime you write us! Resources now avail able include: Roleplayer. This bimonthly newsleter includes new rules, new races, beasts, in- formation on upcoming releases, scenario ideas and more. Ask your game retailer, or write for subscription information ‘New supplements and adventures. We're always working on new material, and we'll be happy to let you know what's available. A current catalog is avalable for an SASE. Errata. Everyone makes mistakes, in- cluding us — but we do our best to fix our errors. Up-to-date errata sheets for all GURPS releases, including this book, are always available from $J Games; be sure tw include an SASE with your roquest. Q&A. We do our best to answer any ‘game question accompanied by an SASE. Gamer input. We value your com ments. We will consider them, not only for new products, but also when we update this book on later printings! ‘BBS. For those of you who have home computers, SJ Games operates a BBS with discussion areas for several games, includ- ing GURPS. Much of he playtest feedback {or new products comes from the BBS. I's ‘up 24 hours per day at 512-447-4449, at 300, 1200 or 2400 baud. Give us a alll Page References Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for the GURPS Basic Set, ‘Third Edition. Any page reference that begins with a B refers to the GURPS Basie Set — e.g., p. B1O2 means p. 102 of the GURPS Basie Set, Third Edition. InstructionsINTRODUCTION The slopes of the Eiglophian Mountains stride from east to west across the world, a mighty wal of snow and ice sundering the frozen northlands — Vanaheim, Hyperborea and Asgard — from the warmer kingdoms to the south. Inthe depth of win most of the passes are blocked. With the coming of spring, however, they open, affording barbarians ofthe north a route by ‘which to raid the civilized south, The lure of adventure, and a growing boredom with the simple village life ofthe northlands, have led you to Snow Devil Pass. This is the shortest route south from Asgard, andthe quick- Conan the Wyrmslayer est to open in the spring thaws, but itis ill spoken of. Its named for Snow Devil Glacier, also known as the River of Death Ice, which flows alongside and across the pass on the southern side. ‘The Aisir speak of the pass with dread, and tell of whole parties which have vanished without a trace. You impatiently dismiss these rumors — the disappearances were likely the result of inexperienced mountaineers blundering into the depths of a crevasse. You see no reason for grown warriors to refer to this place with shudders, dark hints and sidelong glances. Ifyou are Conan, turn to 115, (Conan’s characteris described ‘on p. 32.) Ifyou are Heimdul, or if you create your own player charac- ter, turn to 1. (Heeimdul is a ready-to-piay character who can be used instead of Conan, if you wish. His character sheet is given ‘on p. 31.)Before you left the northlands, your fellow warriors pre- seated you with gifts to show their gratitude for your aid during the long winter. Hanging by a thong from your saddle is anew axe of fine Asgard stel, fashioned witha skill rarely seen elsewhere. Atop your head sits.a homed stel helm, secured with 2 leather chin strap — another token oftheir esteem, By these two possessions, you will long remember the deep northern winter and the proud, barbaric peoples of Vanaheim and Asgard. ‘The weapon isan axe of fine quality (sce p. B74 — swing +3 cutting damage, $500, 4Ibs.), while the horned Asgardian helm has PD 3, DR 4, $150, 10 ibs. If they are not already listed on your character sheet, add them now. Tum to 271. You’ ve lost your bearings — you'll have to peek again. But first, make a basic HT roil. If you succeed, turn to 236. If you fail, turn to 207. For now, however, more immediate problems face you. Night is falling and the wind is rising. You will have litle chance of surviving through the night on the surface of the slacier. Snow Devil Pass may yet claim two more victims. If you try to descend the mountain in the dark, turn to 149. If you look for shelter, turn t0 231, It will be cold, in the depths of whatever lair the strange ‘wyrm dwells. You pack the glowing coals from the fire {nto your steel Asgardian helm, resolving to carry it with you as. protection against the bitter cold. Your Plot Word is DEVASTATOR. Turn to 123. You rest for an hour, Erase your Fatigue points. Turn to 269. ga rebuffs your advances. You would never force an un- willing girl, even if it's for her own good — so turn to 159. ‘You struggle to keep moving, but your grievous injuries eventually take their toll. Gasping, flailing at the ice, you collapse... Turn to 194, If you decide to return the way you came, tum to the paragraph matching the ID number of the chamber box you came here from, Otherwise, you may try to climb the rock (turn to 43) or to shove it aside (turn to 155). Your horse shudders and falls. Make another Riding roll, this time at -2. If you succeed, turn to 209. IF you fail, you are unhorsed — turn to 121. 1 At last you reach the outer air. Plumes of steam waft froma score of crevasses and caverns on either side as you, slipping and skidding, run down the slope. With a crashing roar, the glacier quivers and explodes, hurl- ing glassy fragments the size of wagons into the air. A crater of broken ice, rapidly filling with water, is soon hidden by a vast cloud of vapor. Make a DX roll, at -5, to avoid losing your footing as the shock wave reaches you. Ifyou fail and fal, turn to 247. Ifyou succeed, turn to 147. 1 On the Ice Caverns Map, change the ID number for this chamber to 175. Do what healing you can at this time (see p. 3). ‘Tum t0 267. 1 If your Plot Word is FAREWELL, turn immediately 10.259. Otherwise: If your horse is dead, turn to 167. If your horse has a broken leg, turn to 240. If your horse is unconscious, turn to 186. In any other case, turn to 250. 1 This is not according to nature. In so brief a time, a warm body does not freeze solid, let alone become encased in glitering ice! Make an Occultism roll. The default is to 1Q, at 6. Apply a +2 bonus if you have the Plor Words TONGUE or WARNED. If you have both, you have a +4 bonus, If you succecd, turn to 132. If you fail, tum to 77. 1 ‘You plummet into the chasm and fall for a long, long time. Your adventure is over. 1 5 Roll one die, to resolve whether there is an exit from the caver at this point If the die roll is odd, turn to 84, If the roll is even, turn t0 34, 1 ‘You stumble back into the ice crack and the comfort- ing gloom. Turn to the paragraph matching the ID ‘number of the chamber you entered this one from. Conan the WyrmslayerThe Beastmen _____ Weapons skit! (damage) Dead or Move! “Spear* WarClubHafied—_Thrown ‘Thrown Lost Lost Uncon- Demor- # ST DX IQ HT Dodge (imp) (cr) Axe (cut) Spear (imp) Axe (cut) Spear? Axe? scious? alized? 1 BM 9 Ww Ss = 12@d+1) 122d) 9(1d+3) 9(2d) - a a a 2 13 13 10 10 S$ 15(1d+3) M@d+!) M@d 10043) Red O O OQ a 31012 9 9 4 IMld+l) 191d42) 1+) d+ Nad+) O OD O O 4 10 14 9 10 5 12(ld+1) 16(1d42) I6Id+}) d+) d+) «=O oO OO 5S 13:13 12 10 S$ 12(ld+3) 14@d+1) 142d) 1N(1d +3) 112d) a a o a 6 12 15 6 10 6 14(Id+2) 14(1d+4) 14(1d+3) 14(1d+2) 14(1d+3) a a o a 7 13 13 10 10 5 12(Id+3) 16Qd+1) 162d 143) RE) O GO O a 8 14 13: 9 10) S 12(1d+3) 12@d+2) 122d+1) 12(1d+3) 12d+1) a a o o 9 13:13 9 IL 6 12(ld+3) 14@d+1) 142d) 1N(1d+3) 1d) a a o o 10 13 13 9 13 6 12(1d+3) IS@d+1) 15@d)2d+3) A) dO MW 13:13: 6 10) 5S 12(1d+3) 14@2d+1) 142d) 10(1d +3) ——10(2d) a o a o 2 1313 9 10 5 12(1d+3) BRd+) Bed d+) RE O O O O 13° 13:12 9 8 S 13(Id+3) 13@d+1) 13@d) N(ld+3) 112d) a o a a 14 13:12: 9 10 S 10(1d+3) 13@d+1) 13@d) — M(1d+3) 12d) a o a a i 12 8 9 S — 130d+4) 131d+3) 120642) ad43) «= =O OO O *-1 to-hit if using it with only one hand 1 ‘There are about a dozen of the beastmen, armed with crude wooden clubs and stone-headed spears and axes. They are short-bodied, thick-limbed creatures, wrapped in {attered, mangy furs. Small, bloodshot eyes glare out from under beetling brows and sloping forcheads. Thick lips draw back to reveal large yellow teeth. Ifyou have not been to this paragraph before: Roll 1d-+9 to find out how many foemen you face. Starting at the bottom of the table, cross out any excess beastmen until the number on the table corresponds with the size of the group you must fight. Roll once for each crossed-off weapon box on the table above (if there are any). On a roll of 1 or 2, that character has regained his weapon — erase the cross-out. If you did damage in your last attack, apply that result against ‘one ofthe top three unwounded (but conscious) characters on the table (your choice). Your foes have a DR of 3, due to Toughness and their mangy furs. Now, resolve the attacks of the beastmen against you. Attacks which “miss” you by exactly J, hit your mount instead. You ‘must make a Riding roll if any aftac hits you or your mount — see p. 3 fora review ofthe mounted combat rules. Only the top three beastmen from the table who were un- wounded a the start ofthis round may atack you in close com- bat, Each attacks using the weapon at which his skil is greatest, if several are equally great, use the rightmost of the top-scoring ‘weapons. There is a~3 penalty to their attacks, due to your speed and position. None ofthese will throw their weapons. ‘The other beastmen might throw their weapons at you. Roll ‘one di foreach. Ifthe roll is odd, that character throws some- thing at you: a spear, ifhe sill has one; or his axe. There is a~7 penalty due to your speed, range and “ scores on the table include’ all Acc bonuses. Characters who don't have a spear or axe do not do anything at this time. Aer a character throws his weapon, check off the box on the table to indicate that he no longer has that weapon. Conan the Wyrmslayer If you are unconscious, turn immediately to 105. If your horse spooks, turn to 145, If you fall from the saddle, turn to 121. If your horse falls, turn t09. If your horse is stunned, turn to 113. If none of the above apply, turn to 25. 1 If you enter this cavern, tum to 198, If you return the way you came, tur tothe paragraph matching the ID number of the chamber box you came here from. 1 You snatch out the axe — whose helve is charred, ‘smoking and flaming where it enters the fiercely glowing axe head. A quick cast sends it looping toward the wyrm's cavernous maw. Make a Throwing roll, to see if you are on target. There is no time to aim. The roll defaults to DX at -4. (Axe Throwing skill is of no use, since this is not a balanced throwing axe.) If you succeed, and your Plor Word is VALIANT, tum to 2m. If you succeed, and you do not have the Plot Word VAL~ IANT, tum to 83. If you fail, tur to 138. 2 It will be a comfortless night — your horse carried your food, as well. If Tiga is conscious, turn to 152. If not, turn to 159. 2 With a wail of terror, a beastman staggers to his feet and flees, limping. In an instant, the others join him in a panic-stricken flight across the glacier. You cautiously ‘watch the figures dwindle out of sight, to make sure they aren’t circling for another attack, ‘Tum to 67.22 ‘Make an 1Q roll, as you formulate your plan. If you have the Plor Word KNOWING, apply a +3 bonus. If you succeed, and if you have the Plor Word KNOWING, tum to 40. If you succeed but don’t have the Plot Word KNOWING, tum to4. Ifyou fail, tur to 123. 23 If you leave this glacier and make your way south, tum t0 244, If you rest in your cave, then return after the wyrm once ‘more, turn to 5. If you immediately reenter the cavers, tum to 78 (if you exited through the main entrance), orto the ID number matching the exit you used. 2 Entering a grotto, you sce that running water was once a torrent here, but the cool breeze from below has frozen the stream. The floor of this gently sloping passage is slickly smooth, leading upward. Ifyou wish to tum back, return to the paragraph matching the ID number of the chamber from which you came, Otherwise, turn to 234. 2 Ifyou did not injure a conscious beastman this round, tum immediatly to 168. Tf all ofthe beastmen are dead, turn immediately to 131 Otherwise, make an 1Q roll for each beastman who is not already demoralized. If your Plot Word is TERRIBLE, apply a =I penalty to each rol. (Without losing your place here, turn back to 17 to refer to the beastmen stats. For each who fails his 1Q roll, check off the matching “Demoralized?” box.) Demor- alized beastmen will not attack. Tf all of the conscious beastmen are demoralized, turn imme- diately 021. If you have Overconfidence or Impulsiveness, tum immedi- ately 10233, Otherwise, tum to 169. —7— 2 Fortunately, you are not pursued. Do what healing you can at this time (see p. 3). If your effective HT is 0 or less, turn 07. Tf not, turn to 164. 2 Make an 1Q roll. If you succeed, tur to 127. If you fail, you barely take astride when . 2 ‘The strange music winds around your mind, until you are as helpless as a netted bird. Your heart flutters against your ribs. You can neither move nor speak, even to use your ready weapons. Like one walking ina dream, you move toward the great orbs that bum their deadly spell into you, The ice wyrm takes its pleasure with your flesh You are dead, and your adventure is over. 2 Now that you’ ve made it across the pool, the shock of immersion inthe ice-cold water catches up with you. Tf you have the Plor Words THUNDEROUS or DEVAS- TATOR, erase them. Make’a basic HT roll, at 5 If you succeed, turn to 170. If you fail, tum to 270, 3 ‘You grunt your sympathy. It is a hard tale, but life in the bleak northlands is grim. You have often heard similar stories, ‘Make a reaction roll for Ilga, to see what she thinks of you. If you did not flee from the beastmen, give yourself a +3 bonus. If your Plot Word is FAREWELL, apply a -2 penalty. If you have the Plot Words TONGUE or TERRIBLE, give yourself a +2 bonus for each. Also apply any modifiers which apply due to your own charisma, personality, and so on. If the result is “Good” or better, turn to 195, If not, tum to 3, 3 You wake suddenly. Some eerie premonition — some ‘warning from your hyperacute senses — sends its cur- rent quivering along the tendrils of your nerves. Like a wary jungle cat, you come instantly from deep, dreamless slumber to full wakefulness, You lie without moving, every sense searching the air around you. You have the Piot Word VIGOR. Turn to 232. tum to 109, 32 ‘You have lost your bearings — you must press on to the far side of this chamber. Return to 236, and do not select this option again. 3 ‘One of the beastmen shouts and pulls at his neighbor's arm, In seconds, they all tum to meet your approach. The only way to deal with so many enemies afoot is to keep ‘moving, riding in to attack and then getting clear before they can surround you. Your unarmored horse is your weakness. ‘You drive down on the nearest beastmen, crashing among them like a thunderbolt Make a weapon skill roll, at 2 due to your charge. (f you attack with your polearm, make a Lance roll — this defaults to Spear at -5 if your Riding skills 12 or higher; italso defaults to DXat 8.) If you succeed, roll your damage and make a note of it When you are done, turn to 17. Conan the Wyrmslayer34 ‘This cavern is connected to the adjacent chamber in the same direction as the Connection Box. Draw a line. from this chamber to that chamber on the Ice Caverns Map, passing through the Connection Box. If you wish to take this exit, tum to the paragraph matching. its ID number or, if it has no number, tum to 253. If not, tur to'188, 3 You suddenly realize that the girl is in the grip of stark terror, This isn’t normal fear such as she felt for the beastmen, but a deep superstitious dread somehow connected ‘with this mountain. ‘When you try io question her, she can only make vague ‘gestures and whisper a strange word: “‘Yakhmar! Yakhmar!”” Her lovely face is pale and drawn. Tum to 93. 36 You enter the opening. The light of the sun glances ‘and flashes from the translucent ice walls on either side, breaking up into rainbow patterns and polychrome gleams. I's as if you are walking by some magical means through the solid substance of a colossal gem. ‘You are now in the chamber marked “START” on the Ice Caverns Map. If you don’t know what the Jee Caverns Map is, or if you ‘want to have it explained to you once more, turn to 215. Otherwise, turn to 267. 3 Ifyou heave the fire-bearing helm atthe monster, tum 1055. (If you haven’t thrown the Asgard axe already, itis inside the helm and will be thrown at the same time.) Ifyou throw the heated axe, turn to 119, Ifyou flee, turn 10 92. 38 You hold on, and are able to climb back out to the surface, Remove the polearm from your record sheet, and turn to 129, 3 The cold is horrible, colder than human beings were meant to stand. ‘Make basic HT rolls for yourself, the girl, and your horse (if you have one with you). The animal has a-5 penalty, due to not having sufficient protective clothing. (The thick winter clothing you and the girl wear provides +5 bonus, but itis offset by the “5 penalty for the temperature.) On a failed roll, the victim suffers 14-2 points of Fatigue. (Anyone whose ST falls below 4 takes these points as actual damage, reducing their HT.) You must abandon any who die. If your horse dies, you gain the Plor Word REGRET. If liga's effective ST is 2 or less, you must carry her, and ‘must immediately look for shelter. While carrying her, there is 2-2 penalty to your Survival roll. Ifshe dies, you gain the Plor Word BURDEN. If your effective HT is 0 or less, you lose consciousness — tum 0 112. Ifyou now descend the mountain, turn to 149 (if you haven’t ‘tied this before) orto 222 (if you are continuing a descent). Ifyou now seek shelter, tum to 231 (if you haven't tried this before) or 85 (if you are continuing a search), 4 cold! ‘You pack the glowing coals from the fire into your steel Asgardian helm, then plunge the head of your axe deep within. Conan the Wyrmslayer ‘A grim smile plays over your lips. Perhaps you can tum the ice wyrm’s power against itself. Heat, versus sir tse ‘You loop the chin strap and a rein from your horse, to keep it all together. ‘Your Plot Word is THUNDEROUS. If you have the Plot Word DEVASTATOR, erase it. Tur to 123. 4 1 Even at this distance, you discem the warm, fresh- ccheeked oval of a gitl’s face, and her mane of glossy brown hair escaping from under a white hood. She’s a real beauty. Turn to 65. 4 Make an 1Q roll If you succeed, turn to 102. If you fail, turn to 199. 4 You eye the sheer wall of this great piece of veined ice, then begin working your way up, forcing your fingers into its cracks and fractures. ‘Make a Climbing roll, at -1. Your Encumbrance level is a penalty to the roll. Ifyou succeed, you are past the obstacle — tun immediately (0267. Ifyou fal, you fall — take 34-6 crushing damage, and turn to, 8 Roll one di FE Fi ctattscis, os cute Comeon xan cot ge shane ote cou ig at ones che Bo imo ae —8—4 ‘Make an IQ roll. If you have Absolute Direction, give yourself a +4 bom Ifyou succeed, turn to 191. Ifyou fail, tara to 118 4 A soft sound fills the passage, filling the air like the rush of the wind, though you feel no breeze. The noise grows, and the ice starts to gently tremble. Something is coming. ‘Then before you in the gloom open two cold green eyes, ‘which stare into the roots of your soul, The luminous orbs cast gelid, submarine light. By their faint, fungoid phosphoresence, you see a great ‘wyrm. Coil on undulating col, its immense, boneless length is covered witha silken nap of thick white fur. Its mouth is merely a jawless, circular opening. Above the mouth, two eyes gleam tof a smooth, rounded ee!-lke head. If you have the Plor Word THUNDEROUS, tum immedi- ately 10 37. Ifyou have the Plot Word DEVASTATOR, tum immediately to 150, Ifyou attack the wyrm, turn to 202 If you flee, turn to 92. 4 Entering a new grotto, you see that water from the ‘melting ice was once a torrent here, but that a cool breeze from below has refrozen the stream. The floor of this gently sloping passage is slickly smooth, leading downward. Ifyou wish to turn back, return to the paragraph matching the ID number of the chamber from which you came. Otherwise, turn to 234, 4 ‘The dawning sun ascends above the eastern peaks of the Eiglophians, making the snow fields sparkle like pavements of crushed diamonds. It feels great to be alive, and to ‘know that you've survived a night descent of Snow Devil Pass. If you fave the Plor Word FAREWELL and the Plot Word BURDEN, tur to 99. If you have the Plot Word FAREWELL, but not the Plor Word BURDEN, turn to 229. In any other case, turn to 110. 4 ‘You thud into the ice, Make an Acrobatics roll at -2, to land properly. It defaults to DX at -8. Ifyou succeed, you take no damage. Other- wise, you sufer 24-8 points of damage. ‘More carefully this time, you mount your steed and ride into battle. Tum to 182. 5 If you have Overconfidence or Impulsiveness, tum immediately t0 266. Ifyou have a Sense of Duty that would apply to Iiga, take the Plot Word BURDEN — then turn to 104. Otherwise, turn to 68. 5 1 You go out once more into the biting wind. Black bread from your saddle bag, washed down with bitter Asgardian beer from a goatskin bottle, will make a tough but sustaining repast. If your Plot Word is REGRET, turn immediately to 181. Otherwi If liga is conscious, turn to 152. If not, turn to 159. —9— 5 If you are exploring, and your destination is an un- ‘marked Connection Box, turn to 15. If your destination’s Chamber Box has an ID mumber, tum to the paragraph matching that number. If your destination’s Chamber Box has no ID number, tun to 283, 5 If you wish to take a running start on the treacherous ice, turn t0 235. If you try a standing jump, turn to 157. 54 ‘Your spring carries you to safety. Now discerning the hidden crack, you circle around it and rejoin your mount, then proceed onward. Tur to 129. 5 Holding the end of the reins in one hand, you whirl the whole mass over your head, round and round, as if it were a sling. The rush of air fans the faintly glowing coals, to red, then to yellow, and finally to white. A stench of burning helmet padding rises. Make a Sling roll, to lob the heated helm down the wyrm’s gorge. The roll defaults to DX at -6, You may also subs ‘Throwing roll. If you succeed, turn to 211. If you fail, rum to 138, 5 You plunge into the icy water. Make a Swimming roll, at +3. It defaults to ST at 5, or DX at -4. Your Encumbrance level is a penalty to the roll. If you succeed at the roll, turn to 82. If you fail, tun to 218. ‘You hastily dismount and slap your mount on the flank, sending it galloping to safety some yards away. 5 Tun to 113, 5 Her dialect is one you've never heard before — a form. of Hyperborean, mixed with other words whose source you don’t recognize. It's very hard to gather her meaning As she calms, you draw her story out of her in spurts of words. Her name is Iga, and she is from Hyperborea. Two days before, she and her new husband left Sigtona and set out to cross the pass above Snow Devil Glacier. They were ambushed. Her hnusband’s last command, before he fell with his skull cleft by a flint axe, was for Iga to ride like the wind to escape. Before she was out of sight ofthe beastmen, her horse stum- blod over a cliff. Jumping clear, liga fled on foot. The hairy ones, however, saw the fall and came after her. At last they ringed her round . . . and then you arrived. Tum t0 30. Conan the Wyrmslayer5 Outside on the snow, the wind has died. A gibbous ‘moon hangs low above the western peaks, castin wan glow of pale gold across the snow fields that will soon be lit by the morning sun. Your keen eyes rake the snow. Make a Tracking roll, at +2. It defaults to 1Q or Naturalist, both at 3. If you succeed, tum t0 86. If you fail, turn to 214, 6 Ifyou have the Plot Words THUNDEROUS or DEV- ASTATOR, tum to 173. If you have fought the wyrm but do not have the Plor Words THUNDEROUS or DEVASTATOR, turn to 208. Otherwise, turn to 98. 6 Make an IQ roll, to see if you can find your way back. If you succeed, turn to 16. If you fail, turn to 32. 6 You follow a long, round bore through the center of, the glacier, a passage that is level and straight. The ice floor is layered with packed snow, reducing your chances of slipping or stumbling. You move swiftly through this portion of the glacial cavern. Turn to 267. 6 Soon you have a roaring fire going in the little cave, thawing the two of you after your ordeal on the slacier. Your pleasure is short-lived, however. The heat melts the nearby ice, flooding your shelter. You are forced back into the frigid night, this time in wet clothing, ‘Apply an extra -10 modifier to the coming HT roll for you and Iiga, reflecting your now-soaked winter clothing. Your Plot Word is QUENCH. Tum 10 39. 6 Holding the end of the reins in one hand, you whirl the helm over your head, round and round, as if you were whirling a sling. The rush of air fans the faintly glowing coals to red, then to yellow, and finally to white. A stench of buring helmet padding rises. Your Plot Word is VALIANT. Tur to 138, Conan the Wyrmslayer 65 If you decide to intervene in this fight, even though the delay may strand you on the glacier after nightfall, tum to 161. If you mind your own business, turn to 225. 6 A low, ominous growl welcomes you here . Set up the combat, using Combat Map B from the appendix. Place a Snow Bear at “B.”” ‘Make a Stealth roll, The defaults are to DX and 1Q, both at -5. Ifyou fail, place your character at ‘C.”” Ifyou succeed at the roll, you may place your character a number of hexes away from “C* equal to the amount you make your roll by. ‘Begin the battle, No character may Ieave the confines of the ‘Combat Map. ‘Snow Bear Tactics. The Snow Bear will remain on all fours, making biting attacks, until it takes more than 5 hits of damage in the same round and fails an 1Q roll. Under those circumstan- ces, the bear loses its temper, stands upright, and attempts to ‘bear-hug.” Stats for the bear are given on p. 28 in the appen- i If you wish to flee and are adjacent to an exit, turn to 26, If the Snow Bear is dead or unconscious, turn to 245, If you fall unconscious or die in battle, the bear dismembers. you — your adventure is over. 6 Do what healing you can at this time (see p. 3). If your effective HT is 0 or less, turn to 176. Ifnot, turn to 12. 6 ‘You have your own rough code of honor. You like to keep your word, and to fulfil obligations undertaken willingly. While you know that you're no stainless, chivalrous hero, you treat women with a curt sort of kindness, without the flowery refinements of so-called civilized men. You feel shame that Tiga was slain while under your protection. If you decide to get revenge on the beast, turn t0 104, If you decline, turn to 244, 6 You peer into the darkness, but cannot discem any previously unsuspected passageways leading away from this cavern If you wish to return the way you came, turn to the paragraph matching the ID number of the chamber box you came here from. Ifyou know of an exit from this cavern, and wish to inch your way toward it along the rim of this icy funnel, turn to 171. If you wish to explore this cave for unknown exits, turn 10, 255, 7 Make an 1Q roll. If you succeed, tur to 198 If you fail the roll, turn to 18, 7 You scream — and your voice reverberates beyond the chamber, until it rebounds somewhere in the darkened deep and comes back to you again. ‘You collect the Plot Word DOMINATOR. Turn to 212, 7 Make a Quick Contest of Moves, pitting yours a the wolverine. (See p. 28 in the appendix for its stats.) If you win, the animal falls behind — tur to 26. itcatches up with you. Return to 230, and set up the battle once more. —10—7 ‘You drive down on the nearest beastman, who is bliss fully unaware of the menace until far too late. AS he spins around, eyes bulging from his skull, your weapon crushes through bone and hairy flesh. He screams and goes down. This one’s dead. Tum to 17, but don't worry about damage — just cross off one of the top three beastmen on the table. 7 ‘As your steel strikes home, you feel the horrible chill of the wyrm travel along the haft of your weapon . Score your damage against the wyrm. Its information is pro vided on p. 28 of the appendix. Then make a basic HT roll. If you succeed, turn to 256. If you fail, turn to 192. 7 It was a mistake to come into this place. Circling care- fully, you try to head back the way you came. If you have Absolute Direction, turn to 16. If not, tum to 61. 7 ‘The girl isin the grip of stark terror. This isn’t normal fear such as she feels for the beastmen, but a deep superstitious dread somehow connected with this mountain. ‘When you try to question her, she can do nothing but whisper astrange word: ‘*Yakhmar! Yakhmar!”" Her lovely face takes on ‘pale, drawn look. ‘You have the Plot Word WARNED. If you stil wish to search for shelter, turn to 85. If you descend the mountain instead, tum to 149 (if you haven't tried this before) or to 222 (if you are continuing a descent), 77 If you have the Plor Word WILLING, tun to 141 Otherwise, turn to 50. 78 You stand before the mouth of an ice cave which ns into the flank of a small glacicr, tributary to the ‘Snow Devil. From your elevation, you can look back down the slope to where this minor glacier curves to join the main one, like the affluent of a river. Ifyou enter this opening, turn to 36. Ifyou turn back, turn to 60. —u— 7 ‘You find a hollow beneath an overhang of rock on the side of the glacier, where the ice has melted away enough to let you squeeze in. With your backs to the granite surface of the cliff, deeply scored and striated by the rubbing of the glacier, you and Tlga have room to stretch out. In front of the hollow rises the flank of the glacier — clear, translucent ice, fissured by cavernous crevasses and tunnels. Although the chill Of the ice strikes through to your bones, you are much warmer that you would be on the surface. If your Plot Word is REGRET, turn immediately to 197. If your Plor Word is FAREWELL, turn to 254. Otherwise, tun to 268. 3 ‘The passage ends — blocked by a chunk of ice as big asa horse, solidly wedged into this fissure. There are ‘only two ways around it: scaling it, or jarring it loose to fall farther down the crevasse, If you climb it, turn to 43, If you push it aside, tum to 155. Ifyou decide to turn back, turn to the paragraph matching the ID number of the chamber box you came here from. BL seresies gay 300 erm 0 BQW voces tet sion 02 3 The redly-glowing axe strikes the wyrm, causing a jet ronan eae wks thine Pea ond VALIANT om your ie sensiontn If the wyrm is unconscious, you kill it. Turn to 174. Otherwise, turn to 138. Conan the Wyrmslayer8 No connection exists. On the Ice Caveras Map, you ‘may cross out the Connection Box with a large "“X,”” ‘or you may shade in the unshaded region around and including that box. ‘Tum to 188, 3 Careful of hazards, you and Ilga look for a place of safety in which to spend the night. Make a Survival (Mountains) roll, at -5. It defaults to other Survival skills or Naturalist at -8, of to 1Q at -10. (You may use Iiga’s skill — her stats are given on p. 27.) Tf you succeed, turn to 79, Otherwise, you have not yet found protection, and the winds are penetratingly cold, Turn to 39. 3 ‘You turn rigid. Something recently emerged from a gap in the ice a few strides from the overhang. It was ‘huge, long, soft and sinuous, and moved without feet. Its writh- ing track is clearly visible in the curving path its belly crushed in the soft whiteness, like some monstrous worm of the snows. Your wilderness-sharpened eyes casily read the path. It leads, curving around hillocks of snow and outjutting ledges of rock, up the hillside away from the glacier — up, toward the wi swept peaks. If you have the Plot Word FAREWELL, turn to 223. Otherwise, turn to 260. 3 ‘The odor belongs to some kind of bear. With the scent this strong, the predator's den must be near here. Un- less you want to take on an angry animal opponent, it would be 2 good idea to tum around and try another path. On the other hand, the bear might not be home. Tum to 144, ‘Your feet slip out from under you. Sliding head firs Turn to 14. 3 You open your mouth, and utter your weird and ter~ rible war cry. The hairy beastmen hear you. Your Plot Word is TERRIBLE. Tum to 33. 9 ‘Make an 1Q roll, to navigate through this cave safely. Tf you succeed, turn 0 252, Ifyou fail, tum to 2 9 There is no sensation in your feet. Walking on them is like having wooden legs. You stumble on the ice. Reduce your Speed (and Move) by 1, due to your frostbitten, feet. This penalty is cumulative with previous penalties. ‘Turn to 267. 9 ‘Slamming your fists against your cars to prevent the ‘wyrm's strange song from penetrating your thoughts, you flee through the warren of the ice cavers. The great beast, perhaps sluggish from its recent feast, or confused at having been challenged in the frozen depths of its nest by a puny man thing, does not follow. Tum to 267, 93 Weary and cold, the two of you curl up together beneath your bearskin cloak, Her neamess sug- gests another way to improve Ilga’s spirits. Ifyou wish to physically ‘cheer her up,”” turn to 136, If not, tum to 159, Conan the Wyrmslayer 94 “Crom damn me for a meddling fool!” you grow! to yourself. Horses are scarce and costly in the north~ lands. Now yours is missing, all because you impulsively inter- vened in a quarrel among the mountain folk that was none of ‘your affair. If you are Conan, turn to 122. I no, tur to 250. 95 Make an 1Q roll, at -3. If you have the Plo Word WILLING, there is an additional -3 penalty. If you succeed, turn to 68, If you fail, turn to 104, 9 Make an IQ roll, at -S. If you have Survival (Moun- tains) or Climbing skills, you may substitute a skill roll for this 1Q roll, Ifyou fail, you haven't thought of anything creative — return t0 234, and don’t return to this paragraph, If you succeed, turn to 162. 9 ‘The light has been growing stronger for some time, until this tunnel scems almost as well lit as the sur” face. Curious, you strike the ice overhead — and it cracks, admitting the unhindered rays of the sun. You've discovered (or ‘created) another exit from this warren of icy passageways. ‘On the Ice Caverns Map, write the word “exit” room's chamber box. If you wish to leave the caverns, turn to 60. If you would rather continue your exploration, tun to 267. 9 3 Ifyou have fought the wyrm, tur to 130, Otherwise, tum t0 23, this 9 Battered and weary, you limp toward the south. Un less you can get a horse, you'll be walking all the way. But you go with a high heart — in the golden south, a strong mai with courage and luck can win gold, wine, and soft, full-breasted wome Congratulations — your adventure is over! To discover your reward in character points, see p. 27. —2-1 0 ‘You fall into empty space, a journey that is sud- den but brief... Make an Acrobatics rol, to see if you land properly. This defaults to DX at -6. If you succeed, you take no damage. Other- wise, you receive 34-9 points of crushing damage. Ifyou fall unconscious, tum inemediately to 194. Ifyou die, your adventure is over. Otherwise, turn (0 45 if you are blind, or to 237 if not. You turn and run. LOD e282, son ve wmsise sor shakes the glacier. The draft of interstellar cold no longer watts through the tunnels. Instead, a blinding, swirling fog of steam chokes the air. Ice cracks thunderously al around you. Iti as if, with the wyem in its death throes, the slacer itself is determined todie, ‘Stumbling, slipping and falling on the slick, uneven surface of the ice, banging into one side wall of the tunnel and then another, you race for the outside world, Tum io 156. 1 0 ‘Some sixth sense — the legendary hearing of the barbarian, perhaps — tips you off to spin around and meet the assault ofa small, fierce animal falling from above. Attacks on the diving animal before it hits are at a-3 penalty; ithasa +3 to its defense ros. Turn to 172, 1 0 ‘Your experience tells you that it will be nearly impossible to descend this pass safely in the darkness. Looking for shelter is a much better idea. If you insist on making the descent, tun to 222. If you sock shelter, turn to 231 (if you haven't tried this before) or 85 (if you are continuing a search). 1 0: ‘You grind your powerful tecth and bite your lips {n rage, determined to wipe out this stain on your code of honor, even if it costs your life. You grimly resolve to track the beast to its lair and slay it Ifyou hunt it down while its trail is still fresh, turn to 269. Ifyou return to the cave and prepare first, turn to 178. 1 0 ‘The beastmen have a feast tonight. Your carcass is enough to feed the tribe, so they spare the gir — she is sold into slavery instead. She is always grateful for the warrior who gave his life for hers. Your adventure i over. 1 0 ‘The only way forward is a narrow crack which sradualy ascends. You follow it, finding casy purchase on the rough, encroaching sheets of ice. As the light grows steadily brighter, you wonder if this is an exit to the surface, ‘The dazale grows to brilliance. Shielding your eyes with an ‘praised arm, you glance toward the chamber ths passage leads to. A room like a cathedral is beyond, with a soaring, thin ice roof far above through which the sunlight shines unobscured. ‘That luminance reflects from the ice crystals on the floor and walls, magnified and rebounding again and again until the gleam is blinding. If you wish to continue, shielding your eyes but peeking ‘occasionally, turn to 148. If you wish to move into this chamber with closed eyes, feeling your way, turn to 179. If you wish to retreat to the chamber from which you came, return to the paragraph matching that chamber's ID number. —B— 10 You cannot exit here — the passage is a dead end, You must return to the battle. Ifyou are fighting a bear, turn to 66. If your enemy is a wolverine, tur to 230. 108 Make an IQ roll. If you have the Plot Word QUENCH, this rolls at +6 Ityou succeed, tum wo 210 Ifyou fal, rum to 63, 1 09 ‘A sharp cracking noise draws your attention. In the stillness of this chamber, your entrance dis turbs the fragile ice formations — dozens of ice projectiles fall toward you. Make a Dodge roll. For every point by which you fail the roll, you are hit by a projectile (doing 1d impaling damage). Tryou decide to turn back, turn to the paragraph matching the ID number of the chamber box you came here from. If you continue, but more quietly, turn to 160. If you are unconscious, turn to 194. Ifyou die, your adventure is over. 1 1 Battered and weary, you limp toward the south, leading your horse which bears Tiga. But you 20 with a high heart — in the golden south, a strong man with courage and a pretty girl by his side can win plenty of gold and wine! Congratulations — your adventure is over! To discover your, reward in character points, see p. 27. Conan the Wyrmslayer1 1 1 ‘There is no way to make this swim and keep your helm full of coals dry. Ifyou decide to swim anyway, turn to 56, If you now return the way you came, turn to the paragraph the ID number of the chamber box you came here from. 1 1 ‘Your frozen bodies are found by travelers in the summer, who build a rude caim of stones t0 sark your final resting place. Your adventure is over. 1 1 Ill-tempered and undisciplined, the beastmen charge toward you without any semblance of a formation. This gives you the chance to use their haste against them, Set up the combat, using Combat Map A from the appendix. Place your character at ““C.” If you are riding a horse, place it beneath you; if you are dismounted and your horse is present, it is at “H”; if your Plot Word is FAREWELL, ignore “*H.”” Refer to paragraph 17 for the number of surviving beastmen and their stats. Roll two dice for each, and place them at the corresponding ‘“B#”” on the map. (That is, if you roll a *7"" for abeastman, place him at “B7”” on the map.) Ifthe hex i already |, place the beastman in an adjacent open hex. Erase any ‘cross-outs from the Demoralization Boxes — seeing you on foot has given your foes a morale boost. ‘When you have the battle set up, turn to 273. 1 1 Your bearskin cloak still holds some of the warmth from her body. She could not have left ‘your side more than an hour ago. Danger, still in the air, scrabbles with tenuous fingers at the ‘edges of your nerves. Tum io 59. 1 1 ‘You are eager to descend this pass into the foot- hills of the Border Kingdoms. A previous ill- fated adventure with a band of sir on a raid into Vanaheim brought you only hard knocks and no profit. It also left you with, the haunting memory of Atali, the Frost Giant’s daughter who nearly lured you to a frozen death. ‘You' ve had all you want of the bleak northlands. You burn to ‘get back to the hot lands of the south, to taste again the joys of silken raiment, golden wine, fine victuals and soft feminine flesh, Tum to 1. 11 ty! Ifyou insist on this foolish course of action, turn to 258. Otherwise, retreat to 234 and choose again. ‘You scream — and your voice echoes throughout 112s y ees csc ts etn ih out Ps Won BOMINATOR Tun 10 1 1 3 Roll one dic. Ona roll of 1 103, tum to 56. Ona roll of 4 or 5, tur to 100. Ona roll of 6, turn to 14, Walking down this infinitely treacherous pas- sageway is something only a Brythunian would Conan the Wyrmslayer 1 1 If you yank the axe from the helm and immedi- ately throw it, tun to 19. If you first whirl the helm, creating a breeze which fans the ‘coals and increases the heat of the axe, then yank out the axe and throw it, tu to 64. 1 2 Roll 2d and multiply the result by 35. This is the weight you need to shove the ice block into the chasm. (If you have been to this paragraph before, roll again — ‘your last impact has changed the position of the block.) If you took a running start, you take 14-2 crushing damage from the impact. If you succeed at dislodging the block, turn to 228. If you fail, tur to 8, 1 2 1 Make an Acrobatics roll at 2, to land properly. Your Encumbrance is a penalty to the roll. The roll defaults to DX at -8. If you succeed, you take no damage. Otherwise, you suffer 24-8 points of damage. If your horse does not have a broken leg, it runs off (even if it had been stunned) — and you gain the Plot Word FARE WELL. If it has a broken leg, it lies where it falls, and will be dead by the end of this combat. ‘Turn to 113, 1 2 ‘You rode this steed all the way from far Zamora, ‘You stabled and fed it and pampered it through the long winter. You left it safely behind in Asgard when you went raiding into Vanahcim, knowing that in the deep snow and treacherous ice it wouldn’t be worth much. You counted on the faithful beast to get you back to the warm south. Now you'll have to walk . Tur t0 250. 1 2 You bundle together your belongings, taking those which you think you will need, and leaving the others behind in the cave. ‘Mark changes in your equipment on your character sheet, and be sure to refigure your Encumbrance. ‘Then, when you are ready, you venture out again onto the slacier. Tum t0 269, 1 2 It’s clear that she’s worrying about yakhmar again, whatever that might be. You try to dis- cover the meaning of the word, but she can only make vague gestures. Tum to 93. 1 2 Be Roll 14+9 to discover the width of the chasm in Ifyou jumped far enough to reach the other side, turn to 267. Ifyou didn’t, turn to 14, Roll one die, 126 iis If it is odd, turn to 227. 1 2 Eyeing the lethal projectiles suspended above, you decide to enter this cavem very quietly, doing all you can to avoid making noise. ‘Tum to 160. ‘an even number, tum to 66, —14—1 2 With a crashing roar, the glacier quivers and ex- plodes, hurling glassy fragments the size of ‘wagons into the ait. A crater of broken ice, rapidly filling with water, is soon hidden by a vast cloud of vapor. Take 3d points of crushing damage. This is applied to your whole body, not to a specific part. The blow-through rule (p. B109) does not apply. Armor does not protect against this con- cussive damage. Ifyou survive, tum to 147. If you die, your adventure is over. DO P30 22 nt of te pat, the glacier swings away to your left. The path descends the glacier, then continues down a broad slope, broken by boulders and hutamocks, lightly covered with spring snow. ‘Then a scream of terror makes you whip your head around. A bowshot behind and to your left, where the glacier levels off before beginning its final descent, about a dozen shagey, hulk- ing creatures ring a white-furred figure. ‘Make a Vision roll, at -3 due to distance and glare. Apply bonuses for Alertness or Acute Vision, if you have them. If you succeed, turn to 41. Ifyou fail, turn to 217. ‘There seems to be no way in which you can defeat the terrible wyrm of the snows. Dejected, 13 but relieved of your burden of guilt over Tiga by having made your best effort to obtain vengeance, you leave this place. If you have the Plot Word BURDEN, erase it. Tum 1099, 1 3 1 You survey the bloodied field of ice, and the bodies of the slain, In moments, your panting ‘breath slows and the red mist of batle fury fades from your eyes. ‘Tum to 67. You grant a coarse expletive. You know now, 132 res ree aie a Ss —15— legend told around the fire in your boyhood — about the dread monster of the snows, the grim remora, the vampiric wyrm whose name is an almost forgotten whisper of horror in the northlands. ‘The higher animals radiate heat. Below them in the scale of being are reptiles and fish, whose temperatures are that oftheir surroundings. But the remora, the wyrm of the ice lands, radiates cold, tis impossible to grapple the creature with naked hands. The very touch of the wyrm means frozen death, Even your steel is of limited usefulness — the extreme cold might make it brittle, (or run up the haft and freeze your hand or arm. Since no man in generations has reported seeing such a crea- ture, you had supposed the last of wyrms to be long dead. You have the Plot Word KNOWING. Tum to 77. 1 3 Roll a Quick Contest of Skills — your Vision versus an enemy Stealth score of 15. You have a 4 penalty to your roll, unless you have Night Vision. If you win the Contest, tum to 102. If you fail and have Danger Sense, tum to 42. In any other case, turn t0 199, 1 34 ‘You stifle a curse as sharp ice edges cut into your : shins, Flailing your arms, you try to avoid fall- ing ‘Make a DX roll, at a-4 penalty for being blindfolded. If you succeed, you stay erect — turn t0 236. Ifyou fail, tum to 264. 1 3 You misstep, and slide into the depths . . Make a Will roll If you fail, tur to 117. Otherwise, turn to 100. 1 3 Make a Sex Appeal roll. The default is to basic HT at3. Ifyou have any of the Plor Words listed below, give yourself the appropriate bonus or penalty. All these are cumulative. Plot Word Bonus or penalty MAGNIFICENT +2 FRIGID +3 WARNED “1 QUENCH 3 If you make your Sex Appeal roll, turn to 239. If you fail, rum to 6, 1 37 Roll one die. Ona roll of 1 10 5, tum 10 33, Otherwise, turn to 185. 13. The ice wyrm raises its blunt head. Its circular mouth slowly opens, revealing a ring of small, inward-pointed teeth, You hear a faint piping sound, a thin, ululating thread of music that winds around your mind. Its weird, tilling, mind-binding song rises about you, pouring over you in lulling, overpowering, narcotic waves. Dooooooa0 ‘Make a Will roll to resist this magic. For every box above which is checked off, apply a -2 penalty. If you succeed, check off one of the boxes above, and then tum to 183. If you fail, tur to 28. Conan the Wyrmslayer1 3: Before you plunge into the black waters, you think to test the temperature. The water is cold Death-threateningly cold. Ttalso occurs to you to abandon some of your heavier equip- ment here, before trying to swim this pond. If you have the Plor Words THUNDEROUS or DEVAS- TATOR, tum immediately to 111. Ifyou decide to swim anyway, tur to 56, If you now return the way you came, tur to the paragraph matching the ID number of the chamber box you came here from. 1 4 Her dialect is one you' ve never heard before — a form of Hyperborcan, mixed with Nemedian ‘words and others whose source you don't recognize. It's hard to gather her meaning. ‘As she calms, you draw her story out of her in spurt of words. She is Iga ofthe Virunian people, a branch ofthe Hyper- boreans who live inthe Border Kingdoms. Her folk live in per- petual war with the hairy cannibals who dwell in caves among the Eiglophian peaks. “Two days before, she explains, she set out witha small party of Virunians to cross the pass above Snow Devil Glacier. They planned to journey several days" ride northeast to Sigtona, the nearest of the Hyperborean strongholds, where they hoped to trade among their kinsmen atthe spring fair. Iga’s uncle also was to sock a husband for her. But they were ambushed. Her uncle's last command, before he fell with his skull cleft by a flint axe, was for Tiga to ride like the wind for home. ‘She was almost out of sight of the beastmen when her horse fell ona patch of ice and broke a leg. Thrown clear, bruised, she fled on foot. The hairy ones, however, saw the fall and came after her. For hour, it seemed, she ran from them, but at lat they ringed her round... and then you arrived. Your Plot Word is TONGUE. Turn to 30. 1 4 You have failed in your own eyes. In accepting your love last night, Ilga placed herself under your protection — but when she needed your strength, you slum- ‘ered like some besotted beast. ‘You have the Plot Word BURDEN. If you decide to get revenge on the beast, turn to 104. Ifyou decline, tum 1095, 1 4 Crom! If only you'd thought to bring spiked ‘mountain boots or rope with you . The slippery, rippling ice surface is nearly impossible to negotiate. You try to make holds in the ice by kicking a it with ‘your boots, butte hard ice efuses to dent. Using the wall of the passage as a brake, you inch along at a snail's pace, inadvertent- ly sliding a yard or more at every miscalculation. Make a Climbing roll, at -4 due to the treacherous nature of this place. This defaults to DX or ST, both at -9. If you succeed, you survive this chamber — turn to 267. If you fail, tum to 258, 1 4 ‘The cold penetrates your thick winter clothing. Peeling off your gloves and blowing on your hhands does little good — the skin remains bluish-gray You have a -1 penalty to DX, duc to your increasingly frost- bitten hands. This penalty is cumulative with previous penalties. ‘Tum 10267. Conan the Wyrmslayer 1 4 Ifyou wish to continue along this route, turn to 184, Ifyou return the way you came, turn to the paragraph match ing the ID number of the chamber box you came here from. 1 4 Make a DX roll, to avoid being thrown, If you succeed, turn 10 25. If you fail, turn to 121. 1 46 Roll one die for each unmarked Connection Box adjacent to your current chamber box. If the die roll is odd, no connection exists at this point. You may cross out the Connection Box witha large ‘*X,”” or you may shade in the unshaded region around and including that box. No connection can ever be made through a crossed-out Connection Box. If the die roll is even, your chamber is connected to the adjacent chamber in the same direction as the Connection Box. Drawa line from your chamber to that chamber, passing through the Connection Box. No other connection will ever exist through this Connection Box. ‘Turn to 224 when you are ready. 1 4 Half-stunned, you drag yourself out from under the mass of broken ice. Above, a tremendous cloud of vapor and glittering ice crystals whirls upward from the site of the ice wyrm's cavern, now a black crater. Tum 10 99. 1 4 8 You take a brief glance at this cavern, and feel the light sear your eyes. Then you step forward, trying to keep in your mind the image of this chamber. If you have Absolute Direction, turn to 252. Otherwise, turn to 90. 1 4 Make a Survival (Mountains) roll. It defaults to other Survival skills or Naturalist at -3, or to 1Q at -5, Ifyou have Common Sense, give yourself a +1 bonus. If you succeed, turn to 103. Otherwise, turn to 222, 1 50 Ifyou attack the wyrm, turn to 202, If you heave your fire-bearing helm at the mon- ster, turn 10 55. Ifyou flee, turn to 92. 1 5 Bridges of thin snow often mask deep glacial crevasses, The white powder bencath you ‘groans, and you feel yourself falling . Make a DX roll at -4, to throw yourself clear of this collaps- ing snow bridge. (If you have Jumping skill, you may substitute a skill roll instead.) If you succeed, turn to 54, Otherwise, turn to 248. 1 5 In the darkness of your mountain shelter, you notice that Tlga seems withdrawn. If your Plot Word is WARNED, turn immediately to 124, Otherwise, make an 1Q roll. If you succeed, turn to 35. If you fail, turn to 166. —16—1 5 Roll a Quick Contest of Moves — yours and the ‘girl's (use the lower score; her Move is 4) versus the highest score of the remaining beastmen. (If your horse is alive and you do not have the Plor Word FAREWELL, use its ‘Move score instead.) gaooa If you win or ti, cross off one of the boxes above. If all of the boxes are already crossed off, you escape — turn to 67. If you lose, erase the mark from one of the boxes above. If there are no marks to erase, the beastmen catch up with y turn to 241. Continue rolling Quick Contests of Moves until either you escape or the beastmen catch up to you. 1 5 ‘The ice passage you now follow is wide and lev- cl, unlike the narrow cracks and fractured strata elsewhere inthis hollowed glacier. Once — whether months ag0 or centuries, you cannot tell — water poured in a torrent through this pathway, bearing away protruding formations and leaving a sheath of thick, milky-white ice everywhere. ‘Then you find out what became of those flooding waters. The passage opens into an echoing, gloomy caver, whose floor slopes away like a funnel to a dark and unseen end. Make a Vision roll, at ~5 due to darkness (unless you have Night Vision), to see whether this cavern has any exits which ‘you do not know about. If you succeed, tur to 203. Otherwise, turn to 69. -—7— 1 55 ‘The chunk of ice blocks the passage you want to. travel, but also hangs over a much deeper chasm. If you can manage to dislodge it from its current position, it ‘would topple into the abyss — clearing your path. ‘The weight you can knock over is equal to your ST multiplied by 25. You may increase this by using “‘extra effort” (sce p. B89), or may double it with a running start. ‘When you have figured how much weight you dislodge in your atterap, turn to 120. 1 5 If this is your first visit to this paragraph, ex- amine the ce Caverns Map (on p. 30), and count how many chamber boxes lie between your current chamber box and the nearest known exit, using the shortest path known. In clude the box containing the exit (or the START box), but do not count the box you are in now. If your Plot Word is LINGER, add 1d more boxes to this total. Cross out boxes below, until the ‘number of unmarked boxes equals the length of your exit path, If you do not know a path leading from where you are to an ex do not cross out any of the boxes. Ooo00o00000000000000 Ooo0go0o0000000000000 Roll one dic, and subtract the result from your current Move, score (including Running bonuses). Cross off this number of boxes above. Ifaall of the boxes are now crossed out, turn to 10, If not, tur to 238. 1 5 ‘The distance you jump in feet is equal to your ST minus 3. If you had a running start, double the result. If you have Jumping skill, you may substitute your skill level for ST in the formula given above. If you want to, you may make an “extra effort.”” Make a roll against ST or DX. The penalty to the roll depends on the extra distance you wish to jump — multiply the extra distance (in feet) by 3. If the roll is successful, you travel the desired extra dis- tance. If you fail, you jump your normal distance. In either case, the effort costs you 1 point of Fatigue. ‘When you are ready, turn to 125. 1 5 Her language is one you've never heard before it sounds like a northern tongue, but you rec- ognize only a few of the words. You gather that her name is Iga, and that she is the only survivor of a party ambushed by the beastmen. Chased by the hairy cannibals, she ran until they ringed her round .. . and then you arrived. You grunt your sympathy. It is a hard tale, but life in the bleak northlands is grim, You have often heard similar stories. Turn to 3. 1 59 You sleep through the night. Make an IQ roll, at -5. Apply any bonuses or penalties you have for Aleriness or hearing. If you have the Plor Word WILLING, you suffer a -4 penalty If you succeed, turn to 31 If you fail, turn to 196. 16 alty to the roll. If you succeed, turn to 243. Otherwise, turn to 261. Make a Stealth roll, to sce how silently you cross this chamber. Your Encumbrance level is a pen- Conan the Wyrmslayer1 6 ‘You throw off your cloak and vault into the sad- dle (using your polearm, if you still have it) Gathering up the reins, you drive your spurs into the horse's ribs. Make a Riding rol, at +5. This defaults to A at +2, or DX at no penalty. If you succeed, tum to 182. If you fail, tn t0 257. ‘An idea forms . . 1G 2 irises: wen, you ste te ke Sisto hb ag aa iMod St is Spey any teed eer yor yor seca ott sot og fo bison, Wut epee he Cnr Mp and a ers umber aap ano 16 ‘Tum to 45. 1 6 ‘Compare the Combat Map with the chamber box on the Ice Caverns Map where you have just fought. Match the Combat Map exits with the Connection Boxes for the battle’s chamber. If the exit leads to a chamber with an ID number, turn to the ‘paragraph matching that number. Handling You're blind! You'll be lucky to escape this cave alive, let alone get vengeance on the remora, Conan the Wyrmslayer Ifthe Connection Box is crossed out, or if there is no Connee- tion Box in this direction, tur to 107. If the Connection Box is unmarked, tur to 4, 1 6 Before you in the gloom open two cold green eyes which stare into the roots of your soul. The Juminous orbs cast a submerged sort of light, almost as ifthe iMluminance flickers across leagues of wate to reach you. By their faint, fungoid phosphoresence, you see thatthe cav- ‘em ends in a round well, which is the wyrm’s nest. Coil on ‘undulating coll its immense length is curled in the hollow. The ‘boneless form is covered with a silken nap of thick white fur. Is mouth is merely a jawless, circular opening, now puckered and closed. Above the mouth, the two eyes gleam out of a smooth, rounded, featureless, el-like head. If you have the Plor Word THUNDEROUS, tum immedi- ately to 37. Ifyou have the Plot Word DEVASTATOR, turn immediately 10150. Ifyou attack the wyrm, turn to 202, Ifyou flee, tum 10 92. 1 6 You realize that she’s still mad because you hit her earlier. Crom! Doesn't she realize that what you did was necessary to bring her back to her senses? Tum t0 93. 1 67 “Crom damn me for a meddling fool!" you growl to yourself, Horses are scarce and costly in the northlands. Now it lays dead, all because you impulsively intervened in a quarrel among the mountain folk that was none of your affair. ‘Your Plot Word is REGRET. If you are Conan, turn to 122, Ifnot, turn to 250. 16 now stand. Tum to 223. ‘A dark shape on the ice field catches your atten- ‘tion, A curving path leads from it to where you If you ride away in order to charge again, tum to 137. in close combat with the beastmen, tum to 113. If you cravenly flee this fight, turn to 201. 1 7 The rippled floor of marbled ice descends in ir- regular steps toward the depths. Stepping around the dark hole is easy enough, but one false step could send you sliding toward the abyss... . and there are no hand or foot holds tosave you. Without losing your place on this page, consult the foe Cav ‘ers Map on p. 30. Select the exit which you are trying to reach, and starting atthe Connection Box through which you reached this chamber, count all of the Connection Boxes along the short- cst route — both crossed-out and uncrossed-out boxes — until you reach the one leading to your desired destination. Include ‘your destination, but not the box from which you start. Make a DX roll, at-3 due tothe treacherous ice, for each box slong your path. If you fail any roll, turn to 135. If you are blind, tum to 45. If you aren’t, turn to 267. —18—Otherwise, you reach your intended goal. If its chamber box has an ID number, turn to the paragraph matching that number. If not, turn t0 253. 1 7 ‘The animal leaps down on you from a ledge high overhead. If it succeeds on a DX roll, it lands on you. If you aren't surprised, you may avoid the diving animal ‘with a successful Dodge roll, If the animal crashes into you, it does 4-12 points of crushing damage to you (and takes damage qual to the amount you suffer, minus 8 hits). If you manage to Dodge, or if the beast misses you in the fist place, it takes 4-16 points of crushing damage when it strikes the floor. ‘Tum to 230, 1 73 If you still have the helm full of coals, turn im- ‘mediately 23. If you have fought the wyrm, turn to 130, Otherwise, turn to 23. 1 74 You're never quite sure afterward how you find your way back to the surface. Everything is a blur, Tum 1099. 1 7 A frigid wind blows through this cavern, as cold as if it originated in the great void between the worlds. You raise the collar of your bearskin cloak to protect your face from the numbing cold that pours past you. Tt makes Your eyeballs ache and forces to you take short, shallow breaths Wirgge enae,. este i a —19— to keep your lungs from frosting. Crystals of ice form a delicate ‘mask on your face, shattering with each movement, then quickly reforming, ‘Make a basic HT roll, to withstand this bitter cold. If you have the Plot Words THUNDEROUS or DEVASTATOR, you have a +2 bonus. If you succeed, turn immediately to 267. Otherwise, roll one die. Ona roll of 1 to 4, tum to 91. Ona roll of 5 or 6, turn to 143. 1 7 You try gamely to make your descent down the glacier, but it is too much for your battered body. Even the sight of beastmen following you cannot keep ‘your knees from buckling . ‘You lose consciousness, Tum to 105. 1 7 The deastmen may hear your approach soon enough — while snow miuffles your horse’s hooves, the jingle of your mail and the creak of your harness might tip them off. Make a Hearing roll for your enemies. Their score is 5, including a penalty for distraction. Roll 12 times. If any roll is successful, one of the beastmen hears you — turn 1033, Tf al of the rols fail, turn to 73, 1 7 If you have Overconfidence or Impulsiveness, ‘make an 1Q roll. If you fail, you must hunt the creature down instantly — turn to 269. Otherwise, you return to the cave to consider a plan, If you have the Plot Word FRIGID, tum to 242. If not, turn to 22, 1 7 To protect against permanent blindness, you firmly close your eyes, wrapping your scarf tight- ly around your head. Secure from that danger, you gingerly feel your path through this cavern. Ifyou have Absolute Direction, rum immediately to 252, Otherwise, make an 1Q roll If you succeed, turn to 221. If you fail, tum to 134, 1 83 Crawling on all fours through a low-ceilinged passage, you emerge in a large cavern whose ceiling disappears out of sight above. The dimmest of light fil- ters down from the outside world through the ice, leaving the bottom of the chamber in darkness but illuminating the higher portions in an emerald hue. It gives an eerie impression, If you have Danger Sense, turn to 70, If not, tur to 18. 1 8 Finding the stiffening body of your mount in the darkness, you hack off several thick slabs of meat, Back in the cave, you roast these on the ends of sharpened sticks. If Tiga is conscious, tum to 152. If not, tum to 159. 18 Make a Tactics roll, This defaults to Strategy or 1Q, both at-6. If you succeed, tum to 265. If you fail, tum 10 89. Conan the Wyrmslayer1 83 If your Plot Word is VALIANT, turn imm ately to 19. If you have the Plor Word THUNDEROUS but don’t have the Plot Word VALIANT, tum immediately to 37. Ifyou have the Plor Word DEVASTATOR, turn immediately 0 150, Ifyou attack the wyrm, turn to 202, Ifyou flee, turn to 92. 1 3 The passage leads into a small ice cave. The stench, a combination of urine, rotting flesh, and some other animal smell, is overpowering. Peering within, you see a pile of broken and splintered bones, some with flesh still clinging to them, and a small pool fed by trickles of water from melting ice elsewhere in the glacier. If you now retum the way you came, turn to the paragraph matching the ID number of the chamber box you came here from. ‘Otherwise, turn to 126. 1 85 AAs you ride clear, suddenly there's a beastman ‘directly in front of you. Your mount’s hooves Jash into him, and he goes down. ‘The beastman takes 1d+3 crushing damage. Without losing ‘your place here, turn to the beastman chart at 17 and mark the hits from the conscious opponent closest to the bottom of the chart. ‘Now make a Riding rol, at -2, to stayin the saddle. If you succeed, tum t0 33. Otherwise, tum to 121 Conan the Wyrmslayer 1 86 This horse is severely injured, and a glacier in the high mountains is no place forthe ill, Even if you could rouse the animal, it couldn’t walk far, and there's not likely to be shelter near enough to protect it from the lethal cold. Night isn't far off. If you decide to put the animal out of its misery, turn t0 240, Otherwise, turn to 250. Make an 1Q roll. 1B Zio ee mous Otherwise, turn to 59. 1 88 If you wish to inch your way toward a known ‘cavem exit, moving along the rim ofthis cavern, tum to 171. Tf the chamber box for this cavern has any more unmarked Connection Boxes, and you wish to continue exploring, turn to 258. 18 10 or greater. If you succeed, turn to 116, IF you fail, turn to 258. 1 9 ‘Make a DX roll, to avoid following the block on its vertical descent. If you succeed, turn to 11. If you fail, eur to 14. 1 9 ‘Stepping cautiously and groping for handholds, you inch toward where you remember the exit being. Check off one of the boxes below to mark your progress. oDoooad Make an 1Q roll. This roll is at +6 if you have either Climbing or Survival (Mountains) skill at If all ofthe boxes have been checked off, you have made it cout ofthe ice cave — turn to 99. Otherwise, you're not done here yet — turn to 45. 1 9 The extreme cold freezes your hand — give yourself a -2 penalty to DX for the remainder of this adventure. This is cumulative with other penalties previous- ly received. Tur to 256. 1 9 Fora long time, the sounds follow you down the ‘mountain: the girl's shricks, the dull whacks of heavy blows, then the gruesome noises of a cannibal feast . Your adventure is over. You receive no character poinis for this performance. 1 94 Motionless in the frigid cave, you freeze to death. Your adventure is over. 1 95 “You fight . . . like a god,"” Tiga says, eyeing you admiringly. “I thought... . you Ymir, come to save liga.” ‘The person she is comparing you with is the war god of the northlands. You get the feeling that this beautiful northern girl likes you Your Plot Word is MAGNIFICENT. Turn to 3. —20—‘your closed eyes, wakening you, Yawning and it takes a moment for you to recall your circun stances. Crom, but you've slept deep and well! However, something is wrong . ‘You have the Plot Word TIMBER. Tur to 232. 1 9 ‘You go back out into the open to recover some of the gear and supplies tied to your saddle, as well as your bearskin cloak. From the rocky slope above the glacier’s edge, you gather a double armful of twigs, leaves and wood. ‘With flint and steel, you coax a fire into life. Tum to 108. ‘This cavern is very striking, but you sense no 198s en.28 ‘Tum to 267. 1 9 A small but fierce animal leaps out of the dark- ness at you, catching you entirely by surprise. ‘You may take no action on the first tum of this combat, not ‘even to defend yourself. Turn to 172. 20 ‘You plummet to the bottom of the chasm, where ‘you impact with lethal force. Your corpse is froz~ ‘en within the river of ice. In a century or so, it will thaw and be washed to the sea. Your adventure is over. 20 1 If you abandon the girl, turn to 81. Ifyou take her with you, turn to 153, 20 icy depths. ‘Make a weapons skill roll, Ifyou succeed, roll your damage, and turn to 74, If you fail, tum to 138. 2 0 3 Roll one die for each unmarked Connection Box adjacent to your current chamber box, to resolve ‘whether this cavern has exits other than the one(s) you know of. Ifthe de rll is odd, no connection existsat this point. On the ee Caverns Map, you may cross out the Connection Box with a large %X,"” or you may shade in the unshaded region around and including that box. If the die roll is even, this caver is connected tothe adjacent chamber in the same ditection as the Connection Box. Draw a Tine between the two chambers onthe Jee Caverns Map, passing through the Connection Box. Tf this cavern has no exits, oF if you decide to return the way you came, turn tothe paragraph matching the ID number ofthe chamber box you came here from. If you wish to inch your way toward a known cavern exit, moving along the rim of this cavern, turn to 171. 20 Your horse trots into sight and rejoins you — if you have the Plot Word FAREWELL, erase it. ‘Tum to 250, 20 ‘You think to examine the corpse closely. With a grunt of surprise, you find that it is frozen solid, and sheathed in hard ice. Ifyou have the Plot Word VIGOR, tur to 13. Otherwise, turn to 77. You charge forward with a roar, eager to blood ‘your steel with the ichor of this monster from the —2-— 20 ‘The passage you are traveling along begins to ascend. AS it does so, a smell becomes evident, and continues to strengthen — a musky, fetid odor. ‘Make a Naturalist roll, o identify the scent. If you have Area Knowledge (Eiglophian Mountains), give yourself a +3 bonus. ‘The roll defaults to 1Q-6, or (in this case only) to Tracking at -4, If you succeed, twin to 87. Otherwise, turn to 144. 207 ‘The brilliance is damaging your eyes. You feel them itching and aching, and wish you could claw them out or immerse them in ice water. ‘You suffer 1 point of Fatigue, and have a -2 penalty to future Vision rolls. The penalty is cumulative with other Vision penal- ties you may already have received. If your effective Vision — your IQ, modified by Acute Vision, Alertness, Bad Sight or any Vision penalties accumu- lated — is less than 2, turn to 163, Otherwise, turn to 236. 20 tum to 40. If not, turn to 130. 20 ‘You must leap clear of the saddle, before the horse hits the ground . . . or else you'll be crushed beneath its bulk. ‘Make a Riding roll, at a penalty equal to your Encumbrance. If you succeed, tur to 121. If you fail, the animal falls on you. The damage is 24-8 crushing for the fll, plus 1d+ 1 crushing for being rolled on. As you drag yourself clear, tum to 113. 2 1 ‘You dare not let your fire grow too large, lest it melt the nearby glacier walls and flood your ref- uge. It gives more ofthe ilusion of warmth than true heat. ‘The orange gleams ofthe fire shine deeply into the fissures and tunnels that run back into the body of the glacier, until their ‘windings and branchings are lost in the dim distance. A faint gurgle of running water comes to your ears, punctuated now and then by the creak and crack of slowly moving ice. If your Plot Word is FAREWELL, turn to 20, Otherwise, turn to 51 If you tum and run before seeing the effects of 211 ies If you remain to watch, turn to 220. 2 1 Dizzy and disoriented, you have no idea of where you are when at ast your journey comes to an end. The slideway has not deposited you at high velocity into a bottomless chasm, but mercifully levels off somewhere distantly removed from your previous cavern. To find where you now are on the Ice Caverns Map, roll two dice, one ata time. The first roll is your new row number, and the socond is your column number (a roll of “6” for the column counts as a ‘'3”). ‘You have no idea how to retrace the path you've just taken from your previous chamber to this one. If the indicated chamber box has an ID number, tum to the paragraph matching that number Tf it has no number yet, turn to 253. You return to your shelter of last night. If you still have your axe and Aspardian helm, Conan the Wyrmslayer2 1 Sm the girl won't calm down, you cuff her lightly, Afterward, she keeps her fears to herself. Tum to 85. Make a Vision roll. If you fail, tum to 251, ise, tur to 168, ‘The Ice Caverns Map (on p. 30) will help you keep track of where you are during your explora- of the glacial caverns. ‘The map is made up of large and small boxes. Each large box isa chamber box, and represents a cavern within the glacier. The large boxes arc surrounded by up to eight smaller Connection Boxes, at cach side and comer. These are used to note whether a chamber connects to the other chamber in the same ‘Tum to 146. 2 1 6 You pass into an odd part of the caverns, The ait thangs still as if it hasn’t been disturbed for mil- lennia. Fragile-appearing structures of ice crystal grow in great profusion from every surface, making pleasing sounds as they crunch beneath your boots. Rounding a bend, you find yourself on the approaches of a long cavern, Hanging from the crest, sparkling in the diffused light leaking down through the ice from the world above, are Inundreds of spear-sharp ice stalactites. Ifyou enter this cavern, turn t0 27. If you decide to turn back, turn to the paragraph matching the ID number of the chamber box you came here from. 2 1 At this distance, it's impossible to make out more than a pale face obscured by a mane of brown hair, You think it’s a girl, Tum to 65. 2 1 8 Ice water pours down your throat. You suffer 1 point of Fatigue. Ifyou are unconscious, you drown, Your adventure is over Otherwise, retun to 56, 2 1 9 Roll one die. Ona roll of 1 to 4, return t0 224. Otherwise, turn to 46, 2 2 0 ‘The white-hot projectile flies through the tooth- ringed mouth. As it descends down the immense gullet, the wyrm shudders, then begins to writhe in titantic ‘spasms. Steam sprays out from the beast, a dense and frozen mist that layers you with ice and cloaks the chamber in impenetrable fog. Your last view of the wyrm is of it shaking itself all along its great length, knocking huge sections of ice tumbling from above as it lashes out with its head and tail. A hiss becomes a roar and then a scream, as the frigid interior of the monster and the heat you've given it react against each other. ‘You've got to get out of here... Your Plot Word is LINGER. Tum to 101 2 2 ‘You have made it partway across this treacherous ‘chamber — congratulations! ‘You may check off one of the boxes below. goa If.all of the boxes have been checked off, tu Otherwise, you’re not done here yet — tur Conan the Wyrmslayer 22 Asa howling wind drives dense clouds of snow {nto your mouth and nostrils, you and the girl struggle to find your way down the mountain. ‘Make a Survival (Mountains) roll, at -S. It defaults to other ‘Survival skills or Naturalis at -8, or fo 1Q at -10. (You may use Tga’s skill — her stats are given on p. 27.) oo000000 If you succeed, cross off one of the boxes above. If you fail, ‘you are no closer to your destination, fall of the boxes are crossed out, you've made the descent (and survived!) — tur to 48. Otherwise, tur t0 39. 2 23 As you follow the path, you pass a bulky, black ‘mound loosely covered with wind-blown snow. Itis your horse. There is little left of the carcass but a few bones. ‘The track passes close by the remains. Tur to 260. 22 ‘You may now travel within the ice caverns. If you have the Plot Word DOMINATOR, turn immediately to 219. If you move to an adjacent chamber of the caverns, and if that chamber has an identification number written in it, tum to the paragraph matching that 1D number. If you wish to move to an adjacent chamber of the cave, and if that chamber does not have an identification number, turn to 253 If you are adjacent to the ‘“Start™* chamber and wish to leave the caverns, tur t0 60. If you have been to every chamber you can reach, turn to 46. 2 2 5 Ifyou have Impulsiveness, Overconfidence, or a Sense of Duty which you have reason to believe applies to this victim, make an 1Q roll. (Ifyou have more than ‘one of these, make a roll for each.) If you have Common Sense, yourself a +2 bonus to each of these 1Q rolls Ifyou fail any 1Q roll, you ride into battle — tur to 161. Otherwise, you ride away, abandoning the girl. Turn to 193. —2-—22 ‘Your horse will be dead by moming. Turn to 197. 22 ‘Younote that a wide crack in one wall ofthe cave admits sunlight — an ext tothe surface. On the Jee Caverns Map, write the word “ room's chamber box. If you wish to leave the caverns, turn to 60. If you would rather continue your exploration, turn to 267. 22 Battered and weary, you and Ilga limp toward the south, But you go with a high heart — in the golden south, a strong man with courage and a pretty girl by his side can win plenty of gold and wine! Congratulations — your adventure is over! To discover your reward in character points, see p. 27. 23 Set up the combat, using Combat Map C from p. 29 in the appendix. Place the wolverine at ““W"" Youare at “C.”” ‘Begin the battle. No character may leave the confines of the ‘Combat Map. Wolverine Tactics. The animal is Berserk (see p. B31), does not make Aimed attacks, and uses the All-Out Attack option every tum. Use the Hit Location table (0 determine where it bites, adding +2 to the roll. The wolverine cannot be stunned, and injuries cause no penalties to its attack rolls. A berserk wolverine will remain alive and madly attacking, if it doesn’t fail any basic HT rolls (at +4), until its effective HT reaches tats for the wolverine are given on p. 28 in the appendix. If you desire to flee and are adjacent to an exit, tum to 72. If the wolverine is dead or unconscious, turn to 11. If the wolverine reaches an effective HT of -25, turn to 262 for further instructions. If you die in battle or fall unconscious, the wolverine disem- bowels and eats you — your adventure is over. 2 3 Iga seems reluctant to join in your search for shelter. She tugs away from you, crying out an unfamiliar word, ‘Make an 1Q roll. If you succeed, turn to 76. Ifyou fail, tum to 213. 2 3 The it is gone — but her few belongings re . With a deep growl, you heave to your feet and hastily don you clothing and weapoas, Ifyou have the Plot Word TIMBER, turn to 59. If not, tur to 187. 233 Make an 1Q roll. Ifyou succeed, turn to 169, Ifyou don’t, tur to 249. 2 34 If you step carefully along this corridor, staying ‘erect and ready for trouble, tur to 189. Ifyou get down on all fours and crawl, turn to 142 If you try something creative, turn to 96. 2 3 You move back several yards from the edge, carefully noting the opening on the fr side of the chasm where you intend to land. Then you charge down the ‘tunnel, gathering momentum for the leap into space. in this If you took a running start, turn to 190. If you didn’t, turn to 11. —2B— ‘Make a DX roll, to avoid slipping on the ice. If you succeed, tun to 157. If you fail, turn to 88. 23 you now try moving while binfolded, tum to If you use faa eyes to help you, despite the blinding glare, tur to 148. If you decide to return to the chamber from which you came, tum io 75. 2 3 ‘Climbing back out of the hole isn’t difficult. It's only ten feet deep, just enough to keep the bot- tom from your view before. Water from melting ice apparently paddled here long enough to freeze into a solid plug. The chal- lenge now is to cross the stoping floor and reach an exit without sliding back down, Make a DX roll, at -4. Ifyou fail, turn to 100. If you succeed, you reach your desired exit — turn to 52. Roll one die. ‘Otherwise, tum to 156. (You may discard one item of equip- ment or clothing at this time, if you wish to lower your en- ccumbrance and thus increase your Move.) 23 Your first tentative caresses find Ilga not at all unwilling, nor is she new to this game. An hour later, you roll over and sleep like a dead man, Your Plot Word is WILLING. Turn to 159. 240 You do what has to be done. Turn to 167. 24 1 “rer...” A pursuing beastman lunges for- ward, trying t0 part your scalp with his stone- edged weapon. You shove the gil to safety behind you, then tum to face the enemies you can't outrun, Set up the combat, using Combat Map A from p. 29. Place your character at “C.""IFyou are riding a horse, place it beneath — ignore location ““H."” The girl i off the map. Without losing your place here, refer to 17 forthe number of surviving beastmea and their stats. Make an 1Q roll foreach demoralized character. Ifthe roll is successful, erase the check-off from the demoralization box — ‘your flight has cheered your foe. Characters which remain de- ‘moralized did not follow you, and are out of this fight — check off their “dead or unconscious” box. Place the beastman with the highest Move at “B2."" (IF two ‘or more tie, choose the one topmost on the chart.) Roll one die for each ofthe rest, starting atthe top ofthe table (or rolling in Move score order, if you wish to be more realistic), adding +1 for each character already placed on the map, and place him at the corresponding ‘“B#.” (Example: You roll a3 forthe second beastman, Place him at “BS.") Treat all rolls greater than 12 as 2. Roll adie for any beastman who still has a spear. On a roll of 1 10 4, he discarded his spear during the chase — check off his, spear box. ‘When you have the battle setup, tum to 273 24 ‘You ransack the horse's corpse on the journey back, scavenging your gear. Shortly, you havea small fire going in your cave. Tum 1022. Conan the Wyrmslayer243 ‘You make it across the cavern to an exit, Turn to 267. 24 You trudge south, burdened by the guilt of knowing that you haven’t done all you could to avenge Ilga’s death. Tum 10 99. 24 You've escaped this time . . . but when you return, how do you know whether another bear — an angered mate, for instanice — might not be waiting for you? Do what healing you can at this time (see p. 3). Ifyour effective HT is 0 or less, turn to 7. If not, turn to 227. 24 ‘The crack you are following is tall and thin. A flooring of ice chunks wedged in the narrowing crevasse forms a surface you can walk on, but itis discontinuous — at times, you press forward by placing your feet against one wall, your back against the other, and inch ahead. You must be in the very bowels of the glacier. Eventually, your crack connects with another fracture of the ice. Where the two meet, a large, jagged-roofed cavern has formed. A pool of still water blocks your further progress. A quick probe with a weapon reveals that the pool is too deep 10 ‘wade across. Unless you can swim, you're going nowhere. If you now return the way you came, turn to the paragraph matching the ID number of the chamber box you came here from. Otherwise, you're going swimming. Make an 1Q roll. If you have Survival (Mountains) skill, you may substitute a skill roll for this 1Q roll. If you succeed, turn to 139. Ifyou fal, turn to 56. 24 You tumble, roll, stide and fetch up on the edge of the ice flow — take 1d points of crushing damage. Treat the damage as from a fall (see. 3). Ifyou die, your adventure is over. Otherwise, turn to 147. 24. The “‘solid”” ground beneath your feet vanishes, leaving you pondering the green and blue depths ‘ofa deep crevasse leading to the very heart of the glacier. In one of your hands is a pole weapon; in the other hand is the rope Teading back to your steed and its saddle. Discarding the pole- ‘arm — and payiag no attention to its fall down the chasm — you hhang onto the rope, which breaks your fall and slams you violently into the crevasse wall. Make a ST roll, to see if you retain your grip on impact. Apply modifiers for Strong or Weak Will, if any. Ifyou fail, tum immediately to 200. Otherwise, turn t0 38, 24 close quarters. Make a second 1Q roll Ifyou succeed, turn to 113. Ifyou fail, tum to 57. 2 50 You turn toward the girl for whom you fought. She is afew feet away, staring at you wide-cyed. “Are you all right, lass?”” you grunt. “Did the brutes hurt you? Have no fear — I'm not a foe.”” You tell her your name. ‘The excitement of battle overcomes you. Instead of riding away, you stay to finish your fight at Conan the Wyrmslayer Her reply comes in a strange tongue. Make a Hyperborean language roll, at -1. Apply any bonuses for Language Talent, a +1 bonus if you have studied Linguis- tics, and a +2 bonus if you speak Nemedian. Tf you do not speak Hyperborean, roll against your Gesture skill. Tt defaults to Sign Language at no penalty, or to 1Q at -4.. If you succeed at a Hyperborean language roll, turn to 140. If you fail at a Gesture roll, turn to 158. Inall other cases, turn to 58. 25 1 This is acomplete mystery. Iga has disappeared, and there's no sign of what has become of her! ‘There is nothing to do but to continue your journey. Turn t0 99. You successfully navigate your way through this 282 inmse Return to 267. 2 5 ‘Asyou penetrate deeper into the glacier, the dark- ness congeals around you. Still, you doggedly set ‘one foot before the other, plodding onward. Roll one die. Add the row number of the chamber box — listed on the right side of the Ice Caverns Map — to the number rolled. Count down the unmarked boxes below, starting with the left column, until you count a number equal to the result. Cross that box out, Write the identification number listed after it inthe blank chamber box you are exploring. For example: You are on the third row, and roll a 5. Since 3 + 5 =8, you must count down 8 unmarked boxes below. —4—a @ Oo 15 o @ oe a a O 1s OG 106 D206 O22 D 246 a 1s OD 263 ae D 1s O 14 oe ao” B 133 O 1s DB 80 © 180 B 216 If your result is larger than the number of boxes remaining, or if all of the boxes have been crossed out, tum t0 165. ‘Otherwise, when you are ready, turn to the paragraph match- ing the new chamber’s identification number. ‘The loss of your mount isa double disaster — the oe eee ey nla ae fom ne motte alow be icy ke you as Eerie Se esa te Seo poaane ponap wae tebe Make a Survival (Mountains) roll. For this time only, it de~ faults to other Survival skills at no penalty, to Naturalist at -3, owes yee m0 18 Tes Big cdalgh viara he Year Plot Word is FRIGID. Turn to 51. 2 5 ‘The rippled floor of marbled ice descends in regular stops toward the depths. Stepping around the dark hole is easy enough, but one false step could send you sliding toward the abyss ... and there are no hand or foot holds, to save you. ‘Without losing your place on this page, consult the Loe Cav ‘ems Map on p. 30. Start with the Connection Box which you were last at (if you have just arrived, this is the box through which you reached this chamber). Moving clockwise or coun- terclockwise, count Connection Boxes until you reach the first ‘unmarked box in the direction you wish to circle. Make a DX roll for each Connection Box along this path, including your destination (but not including the one from which ‘you stated). If you fail any roll, turn to 135. Otherwise, you reach your intended goal — turn to 15. 25 ‘The incredible cold makes weapons brittle . Roll one die. Ifyour weapon is ‘cheap"” quality, subtract I from the roll; if it is **fine,"* add 1. ‘Ona roll of 1 or2, your weapon shaters and is destroyed. If you do not already have the Plot Word KNOWING, you do now. If the wyrm dies, tur to 174. If the wyrm is unconscious, you kill it. Turn to 174, Otherwise, turn to 138. 2 5 ‘The horse rears, startled by your haste. Make a DX roll to stay in the saddle. If you succeed, turn to 182. If you fail, turn to 49. 2 5) ‘Your foot slips, and you sprawl sideways into the center of the slideway, scrabbling frantically to stop. On the slick ice, you pick up speed at a frightening pace. ‘The breeze stirred by your passage becomes a whispering moan as you skid uncontrollably through the darkness. —25— ‘The passage twists as it descends, sending you racing along the banked but still slick tunnel like a newly bitten morsel down something’s eager gullet. You recognize nothing about your surroundings — you've stumbled into some previously uisus- pected passage. The floor seems to drop away beneath you as the ‘gradient stoepens to nearly perpendicular. ‘Make a Will roll. If you fail, tun to 71. Otherwise, turn to 212. 25 Wary of causing an avalanche, you softly clap your hands together. ““To me, now!" you call. Make an Animal Handling roll at -3, to attract your horse, If you succeed, turn to 204. If not, turn 10 94, 26 ‘You come upon the girl — or what is left of her. Her head is gone, and with it most of the flesh of hier upper body, so that the white bones gleam like ivory in the ddim light, The protruding bones have been cleaned, as if the flesh has been sucked from them or rasped off by some many- toothed tongue. Make a Fright Check (see p. B93). If you fail, consult the table on p. B94 to discover the effects When you've finished, make an 1Q roll. Ifyou succeed, turn to 205. Otherwise, turn t0 77. 2]™G A i crricerasew stories tno QGQ re rercinectaneant ti. a fa strength predator, but a pitiful, starving animal, Retum t0 230 26 This ancient glacier is a honeycomb of passages, never intended for man, Some are huge fractures, towering hundreds of fet in height but only a few yards across. Others have been carved by water, with ice-slick surfaces and ‘gentle curving paths. ‘You reach the junction between two such passages. The for- mer water channel you've been following is sheared into two by a small rift. The crack is o deep that you cannot see bottom. To rake things worse, the slick ice here makes footing precarious. Unless you want to try a leap, there seems to be no way past this point, If you now return the way you came, turn to the paragraph matching the ID number of the chamber box you came here from. Otherwise, tum 10 53. 264 With a heart-felt curse, you tumble over the knee hhigh rampart and take a hard fall on scattered crystals of ice. The brittle structures burst apart as you impact against them, with a mixture of musical tinkles and loud pops. Bits of ice spray harmlessly against your exposed skin. ‘Take 1d-3 crushing damage from this tumble. Armor protects ‘you as it would from an ordinary fal (sce p. 3). Ifyou are unconscious, turn to 194, Ifyou die, your adventure is over. Otherwise, turn to 236, 265 You open your mouth to utter your war cry . then realize thatthe yell will warn the hairy beast- men of your approach. It might be wiser to surprise them. If you still want to give a war cry, turn to 89. If you approach silently, turn to 177, Conan the Wyrmslayer266 Make an 1Q roll, at-3. Ifyou have the Plot Word WILLING, there isan additional -3 penalty. Ifyou succeed, tur to 68, Ifyou fail, you have the Plot Word BURDEN — turn to 104. 2 6 Ifyou are unconscious, or if your effective HT is, O or less, turn immediately t0 7. If your current chamber box has adjacent, unmarked Connec- tion Boxes, turn to 146. Otherwise, turn to 224. 2 6: ‘There is no way to get your mount into this shel- ter, and you've little hope of finding a more suit- able place. Yet if you leave your mount out in the open, it will surely freeze to death. If you descend the mountain instead, tum to 149 (if you hhaven’t tried before) or to 222 (if you are continuing a descent). Ifyou stay here, turn to 226. 269 Make a Tracking roll at +4, to see if you can find the trail of the great wyrm. Due to the con- stantly blowing snow which obscures the trai, there is an extra “2 penalty for every box below which is checked off. oooaa If you succeed, cross out one of these boxes, and turn to 78. If you fail, tu 10 251. 27 You suffer 14-2 points of Fatigue. Ifyou are unconscious, turn 10 194, Otherwise, turn to 170, 27 1 Having breasted the mountain slopes, you rein in at the top of the pass. A fantastic scene is spread out before you. “The sky is a dome of crimson and gold, just beginning to darken with the purple of oncoming evening. The fiery splendor ofthe dying day paints the white cress ofthe mountains with a deceptively warm-looking radiance. The titanic glacier, shad- ‘owed in deep lavender except where the setting sun picks out sparkles in gold, winds lke an icy serpent from the high peaks. Kurves in front ofthe pass, then turns away to dwindle inthe foothills and bocome a flowing stream of water. Rocky slopes rising from the ice river's flanks are dotted witha thin scattering of gnarled, stunted tres. ‘As you descend the pass, you pick your way cautiously past the margin of the glacier, trying to avoid avalanches from the higher slopes as well asthe glacier’s hidden crevasses. When the path meanders across the surface of the glacier {tself,you go gingerly, leading your horse, thrust ing the point of your polearm into the snow wherever you suspect it might mask a crevasse. I is important {o get down from this mountain before night falls and the temperature plum- mets, Make a Survi- val (Mountains) roll, at 4 because the ice is so treacherous. It defaults to ‘other Survival skills or Nat- uralist at -7, or to 1Q at 9. If you succeed, turn to 129, Tf you fai, tn to 151. Conan the Wyrmslayer 2 7 2 ‘The sounds are hypnotic — the warm winds from above whistling through the millions of hairline cracks in the heavily fissured ice, the rhythmic sounds as rivu- lets of water seek their way through the fractured substance of the glacier, and the organlike tones of the weakening ice as it cereaks and groans around you. If you are entering this chamiber from a chamber whose row ‘number is the same or less than this chamber’s row number, turn 1047. Otherwise, turn t0 24. Begin the fight. QT BS rie Ein, say texan nor tan 3 hhexes from you will first close to within 3 hexes, aim (one tum) and then throw his spear (if he has one). After this, he will close to melee distance and use his Hafted Axe (or, if an axe is lost, his War Club). The beastmen prefer to attack you, rather than your mount. Their spears have a reach of 1. ‘Morale. At the end of any round in which you injure a con- scious beastman, make an 1Q roll for each conscious beastman ‘who is not already demoralized. They receive a +2 bonus (they lust after their white-furred victim, and aren't so scared of you ‘now that you are dismounted). If your Plot Word is TERRIBLE, there is a -1 penalty to their rolis. (Without losing your place here, turn back to 17 to refer tothe beastmen stats. For each who fails his 1Q roll, check off the matching Demoralization box.) Demoralized beastmen can make no attacks, and move away from you at half their Move until 10 hexes distant. ‘Saving Your Horse. If your horse is living and can move, and, if you are adjacent to any of its hexes during any portion of your tum, you may slap it, This causes your animal to run off the map along the shortest route, avoiding living beastmen when pos- sible. Retreat. The beastmen will not leave the map. You may leave the map only by taking the ‘“flee”” option below. fall of the beastmen are dead, turn to 131. If al of the conscious beastmen are demoralized, turn to 21. If you decide to flee, and if you have a clear path to the edge Cf the combat map, tum to 201. If you are unconscious, turn to 105. Ifyou die, your adventure is over.APPENDIX Character Points Surviving this adventure is worth 4 character points, with the following bonuses and penalties: Ifthe wyrm dies or the glacier explodes, give yourself 2 more character points. If you never encounter the wyrm, you receive 3 fewer points If liga is alive, give yourself 1 exira point. If your horse is dead and you have Animal Empathy, deduct 1 character point, Loose Ends If you have DX or Move penalties due to frostbite: Make a basic HT roll, at +2. If you fail, you suffer a permanent -1 penalty to the affected Move or DX score. ‘Ifyou are blind: If you succeed ata basic HT rol, the blind- ness is only temporary (you can see again in Sd-HT days). Oth- cerwise, the condition is permanent — add the new Disadvantage to your character sheet, but do not take any extra character points for it. Ifyou have other Vision penalties: They wear off naturally, at the rate of 1 point of penalty removed per day. ‘Ifyou have the Plot Word BURDEN: Ilga’s death, and your reluctance to avenge her loss, haunt you for some time to come. Give yourself a new Quirk which reflects this burden of guilt, Designing Heroes ‘This adventure, meant for the mighty Conan, is more than a match for most 100-point characters. Therefore, the player may spend 200 or more ts for his player character. ‘Special note: This adven- ture assumes that the player's characteris male. Background: The hero of this adventure is leaving As- gard after a winter of combat and raiding. He should most likely be a Barbarian from As- gard, Cimmeria or Vana- heim: Equipment: Regardless of who the player character is, he must have the following equipment: a cavalry horse; a polearm (a light lance or a spear, used to probe for hid den snow bridges); winter clothes (including a bearskin cloak); personal basics (in- cluding fire-starting gear); and traveler's rations for a week. Missile weapons are not recommended, as this ad~ venture is not written to allow for their use in all situations. Some Suggested Advan- tages: Absolute Direction, any Acute sense, Aleriness, ‘Animal Empathy, Combat Reflexes, Danger Sense, Language ‘Talent, Luck, Strong Will Some Suggested Disadvantages: impulsiveness, Overcon- fidence, Sense of Duty (to all women), Sense of Duty (to com- rades), Social Stigma (barbarian), Stubbornness. Some Suggested Skills: Actobatics, Animal Handling, Climbing, Gesture, Lance, Languages (Hyperborean or Nord= hieimr), Occultism, Riding, Running, Stealth, Survival (Moun- tains), Swimming, Throwing, Tracking, plus al ofthe Combat! ‘Weapon Skills NPCs and Creatures Iga of Virunia 16years old, brown hair, blue eyes, daughter of Hyperborean settlers in the Border Kingdoms. ST9; DX 1; 1Q 12; HT 8. Basic Speed 5; Move 4, Dodge 4; no Parry. Advantages: Acute Vision (+2); Appearance (Beautiful +2/ +4); Charisma (+1); Common Sense; Intuition; Status (+1, daughter of influential Virunian family); Wealth (Comfortable). Disadvantages: Gullibility; Impulsiveness; Jealousy. Quirks: Attracted to strangers; Speaks with thick accent; Dislikes the sight of blood. Skills: Area Knowledge (Vinunia)-11; Dancing-11; Detect Lies-11; Fast-Talk-I]; Naturalist-11; Riding-13; Sex Appeal- 10; Singing-12, ‘Languages: Virunian (a Hyperborean dialect)-12. ‘Armor: Thick cloak of white fur (PD 1, DR 1). ‘Weapons: None. AppendixBeastmen -65 points The beastmen who live in the Eiglophian Mountains are short-bodied, thick-limbed creatures, wrapped in tattered, ‘mangy furs, Small, bloodshot eyes glare out from under beetling brows and sloping forcheads; thick lips draw back to reveal large yellow teeth, The primitives prey on travelers through the mountain passes, and are cannibals. They are also known as ‘the moun- {ain men” and ‘the hairy ones.”” For more information on primi GM is advised to read GURPS Ice Age. ‘Advantages and Disadvantages: Beastmen have +2 to ST and -1 to 1Q. They have the Toughness (DR 2) advantage, and the following disadvantages: Appearance (Ugly, -2 reaction), literacy, Odious Personal Habit (Cannibalism, -3 reaction), Poverty (Dead Broke), Primitive (TLO in a TL3 society), Social Stigma (Barbarian, -3 reaction). ‘A typical beastman might have any or all of the following skills: Axe/Mace, Area Knowledge (Eiglophian Mountains), Armoury/TLO, Beastman Language, Brawling, Climbing, Cooking, Dancing, Knife, Spear, Survival (Mountains), Theol- ogy (Beastman Rituals), Throwing, Tracking, Traps/TLO. cultures like these, the Snow Bear ST:32 Speed/Dodge: 7/6 Size: 34 DX: 12 PD/DR: 12 Weigh Damage: 242 crf Origin HT: 15/35 Reach: C,1 Habitat: Arctic, Mountain ‘The fearsome snow bear resembles the modern polar bear, differing in being slightly larger, more aggressive, and in being territorial rather than nomadic. The coat is white with a bluish tinge, made up of long guard hairs and dense underfur. In the open, their white fur blends in with the snow (roll at-4 to see). The hairy soles of their paws allow the bears to move rapidly on ice. Walking on all fours, snow bears are 3-hex crea~ tures; standing on rear legs to fight, they occupy only 1 hex. ‘The bears strike with their claws in combat, doing crushing damage. They may also bite, doing the same amount of cutting damage. Snow bears “‘bear hug" when angered: grappling in close combat, then biting. Wolverine ST:11 Speed/Dodge: 8/6 Size: DX:12— PD/DR: 1/2 ‘Weight: 50 Ibs. 1 Damage: 1d-2 cut Origin: Real HT: 11 Reach: C Habitat: Arctic, Mountain ‘The wolverine is one of the fiercest animals in nature. The largest member of the weasel family, it resembles a cross be- tween a weasel and a bear. It measures four feet long (plus another foot of tail), and stands 18 inches tall atthe shoulder. ‘The strongest mammal of its size, itcan drive mountain lions and bears from their kills, Wolverines follow a cycle of four hours waking, four hours resting, and do so continually. They are very sly (Craftiness-12).. Tee Wyrm ST: 50-60 SP/Dodge: 4/0 Size: 7-10 DX:14— PD/DR: 1/2 Weight: 300-800 Ibs. 1Q:2 Damage: 3d-1 imp# Habitat HT: 15/30-40 Reac 1-3 ‘Also known as Yakhmar or Remora, this ‘worm of the snows’ is falsely believed extinct in Hyboria. It looks like a 40° ‘giant worm or land-eel with two luminous green eyes and a Appendix Key to Combat Maps 1 Hex = 1 Yard = owe SEB Combat Map A ‘The fissure is one foot wide, and requires a DX roll from anyone entering the hex — those who fail, stumble and fallin that hex. Encumbrance level isa penalty to this roll. (Horses are exempt from this roll.) Fortunately, the fissure is too small for anyone to fall down. Consider each ice block to be as tall as itis wide, meas uring the width at the widest point. These vertical blocks are impossible to “stand on,”” and can be traversed only ‘with a successful Climbing roll. ‘The snow drift costs double movement to cross. Any character moving more than half his Move in a tum must succeed at a DX roll for every drift hex, or fall down, ‘Characters standing in the drift are 1 foot higher than those (on the glacier proper. Combat Map B ‘The poo! is shallow. It costs double movement to cross, and anyone standing in it is 1 foot lower than those not in it. Standing on the pile of bones gives a height advantage — the northernmost hexes are 2 feet in clevation, while the south hex is 4 feet. However, characters must succeed at a DX roll for every tur they spend in a bone pile hex, to avoid slipping and falling. Those who fall slide down the pile, ending up in the nearest non-pile hex to the north, unless something blocks their slide. lamprey-like mouth of sharp inward-pointing teeth. It lives alone, as each remora requires a large hunting range to survive, and reproduces parthenogenetically. ‘The remora emits an ceri piping sound which acts asa Sleep spell (at no Fatigue cost) on all who hear it. The spell can be resisted by 1 rolls (one per minute), and it takes atleast one ‘minute for the piping to take effect. Once the creature has approached its vietim, it has two at- tacks. The first isa bite, doing 340-1 impaling damage. This can be defended against normally (Dodge, Parry, etc.), so long as the victim is not asleep. ‘The second attack is radiated cold which does 1d-4 damage per tur to all within 3 hexes of the worm. This damage cannot be defended against, but armor protects toa total of its DR ‘The remora takes normal damage from weapons, bat it takes double damage from heat and fire. Cold attacks’such as Ice Spheres (p. B160) do no damage to remora. —28—Combat Map B eat —29— Appendix‘Column 2 Column 3 Appendix —30—HEIMDUL $1.17 (100 points) 110 (0 point) Speed: 6.5 DX 15 (60 points) HT 11 (10 points) Move: 5 Dodge: Parry: 7 Block: 5 Damage: Thrust 1d-+2; Swing 3d-1; Light lance 2d-+2 imp on foot, 5d+2 imp mounted; Ave 34+ cut; Large knife 34-3 cut, 1d+2 imp Advantages: ‘Absolute Direction (5 points) ‘Acute Hearing +2 (4 points) ‘Animal Empathy (5 points) Danger Sense (15 points) Luck (15 points) Strong Will +3 (12 points) Disadvantages: Berserk (-15 point Code of Honor: sir (-5 points) Gigantism (-10 points) Overeonfidence (-10 points) Social Stigma: Barbarian (-1S points) Skills: ‘Animal Handling-14 (12 points); Area Knowledge (Asgard)- 11.@ points); Axc/Mace-16 (4 points); Axe Throwing-16 2 points); Bard-10 2 points); Brawling-14 (V2 point); Carousing- 10 (1 point); Climbing-15 (2 points); Jumping-I7 (4 points); Knife-11 (default); Lance-15 (1 point); Riding-12 2 points); Sex Appeal-8 (default); Shield-16 (2 points); Spear-16 (4 points); Stealth-14 (I point); Survival (Mountains)-14 (10 points); Swimming-14 (V2 point); Tracking-11 (4 points); Two- Handed Axe/Mace-16 (4 points) Languag Hyperborean-10 (1 point); Nordheimr-10 (native) Quirks: ‘Talks to himself (-1 point) Fascinated by axes (-1 point) Dislikes staying in one place (-1 point) Hates to turn down a dare (-1 point) ‘Awkward with attractive women (-I point) Equipment: Light lance, $50, 5 Ibs. ‘Throwing axe (carried on horse), $60, 4 Ibs. Fine axe (carried on horse), $500, 4 Ibs. Large knife, $40, 1 Ib. Bearskin cloak (PD 1, DR 2), $200, 15 Ibs. Chainmail hauberk (PD 3(1), DR 4@)), $230, 25 tbs. Homed Esir helm (PD 3, DR 4), $150, 10 Ibs. ‘Winter pants (PD 0, DR 1), $5, 12 Ib. Heavy leather boots (PD 2, DR 2), $80, 3 Ibs. ‘Small shield (PD 2), $40, 8 Ibs. Scarf, $5, weight negligible Horse (see below), $7,000 Saddle and harness, $150, 20 Ibs. Personal basis (carried on horse), $5, weight negligible Traveler's rations (1 week — carried on horse), $28, 7 Ibs. —31— Heimdul is a young sir warrior socking adventure, From the time he was eight, he traveled with parties raiding into Brythunia and Vanaheim, For a time he served as a soldier in Aquilonia, but soon tired of military discipline and the frequent need to stay in one place for long periods of time. Heimdul now Jeadsa solitary life, traveling the northern wastes, hiring himself ‘out as a mercenary and still raiding nearby kingdoms with other sir. His towering frame, intimidating expression and loyalty {ohis employer of the moment make him a valuable commodity. Despite his formidable appearance, Heimdul is normally a quiet, reserved person, In fact, he might even be called shy. While he enjoys the company of women, he is inclined to be awkward in their presence — especialy if they're pretty and take an interest in him, This doesn’t slow him down in battle, but ‘does make for some embarrassing moments when the combat is Heimdul’s horse has ST 40, DX 9, 1Q 4 and HT 15, with a Move of 12 and Dodge of 6. ‘Note: Heimdul is a weaker character than Conan, but then, he's younger — and he's only built on 225 points. AppendixCONAN OF ST 16 (80 points) DX 15 (60 points) 1Q 13 (30 points) HT 14 (45 points) Move: 8 (bonus for Running) Dodge: 8 Parry: 9 Block: 8 (active defenses +1 for Combat Reflexes) Damage: Thrust 1d+1; Swing 2d-+2; Light lance 1d-+4 imp ‘on foot, Sd-+1 mounted; Axe 34-+1 cut; Large knife 1d-+1 cut, 1d'imp Advantages: ‘Absolute Direction (S points) Alertness +3 (15 points) Charisma +1 (5 points) Combat Reflexes (15 points) Danger Sense (15 points) High Pain Threshold (10 points) Immunity to Disease (10 points) Literacy (10 points) Luck (15 points) ‘Night Vision (10 points) Peripheral Vision (15 points) Rapid Healing (S points) Strong Will +5 (20 points) Toughness DR 1 (10 points) Disadvantages: Bad Temper (-10 points) Impulsiveness (-10 points) Overconfidence (-10 points) Phobia: Magic (manaphobia) — mild (-10 points) Sense of Duty: To all women (-10 points) Sense of Duty: To comrades (-10 points) Social Stigma: Barbarian (-15 points) ‘Stubbornness (5 points) ‘Truthfulness (-5 points) Skills: ‘Area Knowledge (Cimmeria)-13 (1 point), (the East)-12 (V2 point), (Turan)-13 (1 point), (Zamora)-12'(Vs point); Axe! Mace-15 (2 points); Blacksmith/TL3-13 ( points); Bow-15 (4 points); Brawling-16 (2 points); Broadsword-16 (4 points); ‘Carousing-13 (I point); Climbing-16 (4 points); Crossbow-14 (Yr point); Fast-Draw (Arrow)-I4 (V2 point), (Sword)-15 (1 point); First Aid/TL3-13 (1 point); Fishing-12 (V2 point); Gam- bling-12 (1 point); Jumping-16 2 points); Knife-15 (1 point); Leadership-13 (2 points); Riding-16 (4 points); Running-15 (4 points); Shield-16 (2 points); Spear-17 (8 points); Stealth-17 (8 points); Streetwise-13 (2 points); Survival (Mountains)-16 (8 points), (Plains)-12 (1 point); Swimming-15 (1 point); Tactics- 14 (6 points); Throwing-16 (8 points); Tracking-12 (1 point); ‘Two-Handed Sword-15 (2 points) Languages: ‘Cimmerian-13 (0 points); Hyrkanian-11 (V2 point); Hyper- borean-I1 (V2 point); Khitan-11 (V2 point); Nordheimr-11 (V2 point); Shemitish-11 (V2 point); Turanian-I (V2 point); Zamor- an-11 (V2 point) Appendix Quirks: ‘Says what he thinks (-1 point) Dislikes being called a liar (1 point) Flirts with women he thinks are available (1 point) Likes to travel (1 point) Always speaks with a Cimmerian accent (-1 point) Equipment: Light lance, $50, 5 Ibs. Broadsword (worn at hip), $500, 3 Ibs. Fine axe (carried on horse), $500, 4 Ibs. ‘Small knife, $30, V3 Ib Bearskin cloak (PD 1, DR 2), $200, 15 Ibs. Chainmail hauberk (PD 3(1), DR 4@), $230, 25 Ibs. Horned sir helm (PD 3, DR 4), $150, 10 Ibs. ‘Winter pants (PD 0, DR 1), $5, V2 Ib Heavy leather boots (PD 2, DR'2), $80, 3 Ibs Scarf, $5, weight negligible Horse (see below), $7,000 Saddle and hamess, $150, 20 Ibs. Personal basics (catried on horse), $5, weight negligible ‘Traveler’s rations (1 week — carried on horse), $28, 7 Ibs. ‘Conan is a barbarian from a land very near where this adven- ture takes place — Cimmeria, south of the Eiglophian Moun- tains and west of the Border Kingdom. He's only 23 — “youth” — at this time, but he’s already a 375-point character! Captured by the Hyperboreans and placed in a slave pen, ‘young Conan escaped to the south, living for a time as a thie before enlisting asa mercenary in the army of Turan. He traveled as far afield as Khitai and Meru before having to desert (amid rumors of an unruly episode involving an officer’s mistress). Tiring of magic and civilization, Conan returned to Cimmeria, However, his “‘retirement’” didn’t last long. Soon he was north in Asgard, raiding Vanaheim along with the sir. As this adventure begins, spring has come, and Conan has decided to return to the southlands. ‘Conan's horse was payment for a service rendered in Zam- ‘ora, Ithas ST 40, DX 9, IQ4 and HT 15, with a Move of 12 and a Dodge of 6. —32—speak of Snow Devil Pass with dread — and with good reason. Whole parties have vanished there without a trace. Can the mighty Conan master the bitter cold, the savage beastmen — and the other horrors that lie beyond? Live the adventure of the glorious Hyborian Age in this solo adventure for GURPS, the Generic RolePlaying System. Based on the story “Lai Ice Worm,” featuring Robert E. Howard's legendary barbarian, Conan of Cimmeria, it can be played many times without repeating the same adventure. You can relive the adventures of the mighty Conan, or you can send a hero of your own design on the road to fame and glory. Inside this book, you'll find: + GURPS statisties for Conan at age 23. + Rules for designing your own hero for this adventure. + All the necessary maps and tables. + Game statistics of the people and animals your character will meet. Note: You need only the GURPS Basic Set in order to play this adventure. If you enjoy this adventure, look for GURPS Conan, the complete guide to Conan and the Hyborian Age. Written by W. G. Armintrout Edited by Creede Lambard Cover art by Val Lakey Lindahn and Ron Lindahn Illustrated by Charlie Wiedman Sieve WASKSON GAMES