ro) The Worldaf Robert E, Howard’s Barbarian Hero BY CurTIs M. ScortT With AN In@RobducTION By L. Sprague DE CampGURPS By Curtis M. Scott Introduction by L. Sprague de Camp Edited by Michael Hurst Cover by Kirk Reinert Interior Art by Butch Burcham Additional Art by Dan Carroll, Larry Dixon, Norman Doering, C. Bradford Gorby, Denis Loubet, George “‘Speed’” Webber and Charli GURPS System Design by Steve Jackson Ken Trobaugh, Managing Editor; Charlie Wiedman, Art Director Page Design and Typography by Melinda Spray and Drew Camard Production and Maps by Linda Ervin, Carl Manz, Charlie Wiedman Proofreading by Ingrid Kunze Playtesters: Russell Jones, Stephen Posey, Pat Vermiere and the $JG-BBS Illuminati Wiedman GURPS is rgistered trademark of Stove Jcksor Games Incorpomied. GURPS Conan is copyright © 1989 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporate, All Conan characters are copyrigh by Conan Properties, Inc. Coman® tad Hyborian Age™ aretndemarks of Conan Properties, Inc and ae used nde cease All igh resirved. Printed inthe U.S.A. ISBN 1-55634-148-2 12345678910 STEVE JACKSON GAMESCONTENTS INTRODUCTION: CONAN THE MIGHTY . ..... 3 “About Curls MScods-.. “About L, Sprague de Care, Map of Byboria 1, CONAN'S WORLD: THE TRO RIAN A AGE BibographicalBnres ‘The Catclyem ‘The Khar Acari th iar on San The Calendar = ‘The Rise of he Hyborian |” ‘Conan and the Cobubir Mtoe ‘The Coming of the Hyrkasiens ‘The Hytorien Word. "The Hyborian Nations «| Tecmology Suche ‘The Khari Empires ‘The Khari Sucee tor States ‘The Tribal Peoples, The Iu Mage. as 2. HYBORIAN CHARACTERS [Now Neabureans 0... oa sn td ing : ‘Jobe Table : Equipment and Pris | Powers ofthe Lotus ‘Other Poisons 3. HYBORIAN BESTIARY «| a 4, HYBORIAN RELIGION . - How Religion Works CCleical Magic rein ‘The “Based” Advantage Gots and Pandeons ‘Mitre ‘Set and the Stygian Panioon Erland te Living Tarn ‘The Shemish Panthoon ‘The Vendy Pantheon ‘The Animal Gods» Nature Worehippore. ‘God of the Nori, Ans Woe, Denon Wey Orne Godt Map of the Hyborian World 5. LANDS OF THE, HYBORIAN AGE Aaa ‘geile 221212 PSEReeeeseseees seeeueweeeoeeeBereuees Koala Koh: Et ath adic pons” ‘ Mera Nomedia | Nordheim’ | Ptish Wilderness” Stem we Soin: Taran 6. THE CONAN CAMPAIGN | Running Hyboin Canpuign = Plagne Can <1 HYBORIAN MAGIC 2... Tis Nass of Magne born Ae “aging Magic oie Horan Age. ‘Lampton Pred pgs Se tybeun Pie ‘Top Sten Mast Combat Tern Sequence, Biter ‘hoop uty Troop Types ‘Troop Quilty snd Mora Graig Toop Oly. Detriing anmanes sper ale Magic Determining Magic Power. Using Magic the Hotei Raising Troops - Paying and Matnaining Toop Caasrophe ee Consequences Pier Characare ‘Survival Rol z Formations and Ranks Glory Roll i Sintegy Modifiers =? Relaive To0p Sirength ee Bevaton und Dsfensive Position ‘Special Troop Superiority». ‘Special Cieumsances Loot, Use of Pltemen, Moraie 222.222.0200) Bate Plas Resolving the Comes of Siaiegy” Morale Medien, Row an Disaer Second Survival Rol = ‘Quick and Dirty Masi Combat APPENDICES .... . Bibioarnhy «|. Coma the This «= Conan, Captais of Turan = ‘Ameathe Lion. ‘Conan the Keaak Conan, King 0 Aquilonia ‘The Women in Conan Lite Frinds and Eoomios INDEX .INTRODUCTION: CONAN THE MIGHTY Robert Ervin Howard (1906-36), a gifted but ill-starred Texas writer of the 1920s and °30s, created the Hyborian Age, a fantastic fictional setting to rank with Baum’s Oz, Carroll’s Wonderland and Burroughs’ Barsoom. In Howard's Conan stories, before recorded history, “‘ . . . shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars — Nemedia, Ophir, Brythunia, Hyperborea, Zamora with its dark-haired women and towers of spider-haunted mystery, Zingara with its chivalry, Koth that bordered on the pastoral lands of Shem, Stygia with its shadow-guarded tombs, Hyrkania whose. riders wore steel and silk and gold... .” Conan, the greatest Hyborian hero, was born in the barbaric northern land of Cimmeria. After an adventurous life as a thief, pirate and mercenary, he literally crowned his career. He became King of Aquilonia, the richest and most powerful nation in the West Howard proposed that this age had glittered between the sinking of Atlantis, around 18,000 B.C., and the dawn of known history. A catastrophe wiped out Allantis and Lemuria, whose survivors reverted to savagery. In time these Peoples built new civilizations. By 15,000 B.C., the powerful empires of Acheron and Stygia, rife with sinister sorceries, had arisen in the western part of the main continent. Northern barbarians, the Hyborians, overran Acheron. On its ruins, the conquerors raised Howard's ““shining kingdoms.”” Another natural catastrophe later ended the Hyborian Age, whose history survives only in fragmentary form in myths and legends. Howard assured his readers that this was pure fiction, not serious theory of human prehistory. About GURPS Steve Jackson Games is committed to fall suppert of the GURPS system. Out address is SJ Games, Box 18957, Austin, TX 78760. Please include a seif-ad- rested, stamped envelope (SASE) any lime you write ust Resources now avail able include: Roleplayer. This bimonthly newslever includes new rules, new races, hess, i- formation on upcoming releases, scenario ideacand more. Ask your game retailer, oF \wrte for subseription information, New supplements and adventures: We're always working on new material, and we'll be happy to et you now what's available. A current catalog is avaiable for 1m SASE, Errata. Everyone makes mistakes, in- cluding ts — but we do eur best to fx our errors. Up-to-date errata sheets for all GURPS releases, including this book, are always available from SJ Games; be sure ‘o include an SASE with your request. Q8A. We do our best to antwer aay {game question accompanied by an SASE, Gamer input, We value your com meats. 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. Mach ofthe playiest feedback for new products comes from the BBS. I's up 24 hours per day at $12-447-4449, at 300, 1200 oF 2400 baud. Give us ac: Page References Rules and statisics in this book are specifically for the GURPS Basie Set, ‘Third Edilon. Any page reference wat begins with a Brefers to he GURPS Basie Set ~ e.g, p. B102 means p. 102 of the GURPS Basic Set, Third Editon. ‘Aa M page reference means a page in GURPS Magic: BY references are to GURPS Bestiary; SW references are to GURPS Swashbucklers. About Curtis M. Scott Curtis M. Scot is a software engineer ‘with a wife, Mary, and son, Pillip, when he surfaces from the Hyborian Age. He has been a roleplaying guner since 1976 GURPS Conan is his second major work for Steve Jackson Games; he is also the author of GURPS Hamanx. Conan The MightyAbout L. Sprague de Camp L. Sprague de Camp is a major figure in madera American faniasy and science fiction. He begin publishing in the Golden ‘itlen science fiction, fantasy, historical fiction and non-fiction (including biographies of H, P. Lovecraft and Robert B. Howarg) Map of Hyboria On pp. 36-37 is a map of the world of Hyboria. This map is based, first and {forement, onthe sketches drawn by Robert E. Howard himself. Before the frst Conan sory was published, he obviously tad. clear idea of the “lay of the land’ over much of Hyboria Other areas, however, were let vague (perhaps purposely) by Howard, and i has fallen to his stadents to fill them ia. For those aeas, the present maps are based on variety of sources, bat mest Of all ow Une text descriptions inthe tales themselves, [Got The Mighty Robert Howard, alas, achieved no Conanian triumph. Howard lived mest of his life in Cross Plains, a town of 1,500 in central Texas. This was as un- Propitious a setting for a writing career as could be found. Save for a couple of helpfil English teachers in high school, he was entirely self-taught. Howard resolved upon a writing career while still a boy and plunged into it a soon as he finished high school. His first sale came in 1924 to the magazine Weird Tales which, of the many publications he contributed to, remained his best single outlet. By 1928, he had mastered his craft and thereafter sold regularly to the pulp magazines. He sold boxing stories, detective stories, horror stories, tales of historical and oriental adventure, Westerns, science fiction, fantasy and verse, He earned around $2,000 a year from his writing, which by the standards ofthe 1930s was quite a fair living — though the townsfolk wondered when he was going to give up writing silly stories and settle down to a proper job in a local shop or in the oilfields, A great natural storyteller, Howard developed a distinctive prose style, using such poetic elements as rhythm, alliteration and personification. In the late 1920s, he specialized in boxing stories, in the early °30s in fantasy, and in the middle "30s in Westerns, although he wrote stories of all these types throughout his career. Howard began the Conan st s, upon which his posthumous revival is based, in 1932. Conan is an idealization of what Howard thought he would like tohave been: a footloose, lawless, hell-raising, irresponsible adventurer devoted to wine, women and violence, But, save for a big, powerful physique, a hot temper, and a chivalrous attitude toward women, Howard and Conan had noth- ing in common. Howard was shy, sersitive, upright, law-abiding, courteous, compassionate, reclusive, introverted, bookish and {though he denied it) intel- Jectual. He did not attribute such qualities to Conan, Howard suffered from isolation, minimal worldly experience, limited travel outside of Texas and a lack of access to bi; -city and university libraries. An even greater handicap was bis family situation. Howard was excessively attached to his mother, who encouraged his sla devotion. As a boy he resolved not to outlive her. In June 1936, after a long iliness, his mother lay unconscious, dying of tuberculosis. Howard, aged thirty, with a growing circle of admirers, an adequate if not lavish income, and a Promising career before him, shot himself. In his lifetime, Robert Howard sold over 160 stories and left 100-odd un. finished or unsold. For 20 years after his death, his Conan tales remained the private enthusiasm of a small circle of connoisseurs, In the 1950s, an obscure Publisher began publishing the Conan stories in small hard-cover editions; but it ‘was their appearance in a unified paperback series, beginning in 1966, that set in motion Conan’s current Popularity. Indeed, this paperback series, together with the simultaneous paperback Publication of J.R.R. Tolkien's three-volume The Lord of the Rings, touched off today's enormous revival of fantasy. The present writer, who was maialy Tesponsible for the paperback Conans, also with the help of collaborators, added ‘humerous stories to the saga, following Howard's original plan, style and spirit as closely as possible. For over a decade, Conan Properties, Inc., has controlled all Tights to the BSiant barbarian and divides the profits from the use of the character among the Howard heirs and the living writers. Conan has appeared in countless collections and anthologies, comic books and motion pictures — although, ironically, Howard’s literary rights were given no value at all in appraising his estate. Conan Properties chooses experienced contemporary writers to continue the adventures of the mighty barbarian. — L. Sprague de Camp —4—CONAN’S WORLD: THE HYBORIAN AGE History and Prehistory The Hyborian Age developed from earlier cultures. Preceding civilizations have shaped its nations and peoples unmistakably. However, its history is half legend, the truth lost in the darkness that stretches from mankind’s beginnings. The Serpent People Before mankind, there were the reptilian serpent people, spanned the jungles of the pre-human Tharian continent. Theirs was a world of dincsaurs, ancient demons and sorcery beyond that now known to men. Their empires ruled over slave races, some human, some less so. Their own pursuits were unfathomable to the “lesser” races, whose empiresBibliographical Entries As ofthis witing there are 73 Conan swries by Howard aad his Cominers. In the bibliography (pp. 111-115) the stories of the saga are listed in chronological onder. For reference in the text of this book, each story has been given a three ete code: following ix an alphabetical Tsing ofthese cades cross-referenced with the Ue and the chronological aunter of the story (Roman numerals are an thology. The ibliography gives a brief pot oun ofeach story. BBR — “Beyond the Black River" (60) BCO — “Black Colessus” (38) BSN. — “Black Sphinx of Nebihu"* (70) BIE — “Black Tears” (44) AQ — Conan of quilonia (1X) CAS — Conan and the Sorcerer (5) ‘CAV — Conan the Avenger (Vill) CBU — Conan the Buccaneer (56) CCH — Conan ihe Champion (17) CCO ~ Conan ihe Conqueror (67) CDE = Conan ihe Destroyer (8) CDF ~ Conan ihe Defenier (29) CFE — Conan the Fearless (12) CMA — Conan the Magnificent (9) CMR — Conan dhe Marauder (51) COC — Conan of Ciraneria (11) COL — Conan ofthe Isles (73) COM — “The Curse of the Monolith” (22) CON — Conan () COS — “The City of Skulls" (20) COT — “The Caste of Terror” (35) CRA — Conan the Raider (46) CRE — Conan the Renegade (40) ERK — Conan: The Road of Kings G0) CSG — Conan and the Spider God 24) SS. — Conan: The Sword of Skelot (7) CTA — Conan the Adventurer (V) CTD ~ Conan the Defian (3) CTF — Conan the Freebovcer (tt) CT — Conan the Invincible (10) CTL — Conan the Liveraior (64) CTM — Conan the Mercenary (6) CTR — Conas the Rebel (33) CTS — Conan the Swordeman (X) CIT — Conan the Triumphant (31) CTU — Conan she Usurper (VIN) CTV — Conan the Victorious (16) CTW — Conan the Wanderer (IV) CUN — Conan the Unconquered (18) CYA — Conan the Velorous (26) CYL — Conan the Valiant (23) CWA — Conan the Warrior (V1) ‘onan the Warlord (14) “The Devil ia Iron” (48) DOT — “Drums of Tombalku" (53) POD _— “The Frost Giant's Daughter" “The God in the Bow!" (13) ‘The Gem in the Tower” (54) HOD —“'The Hall ofthe Dead” (11) Cominued on next page. \ The Hyborian Age Only on the continent of Mayapan did bestial humans survive unmolested, slowly learning the use of flint knives and fire-hardened spears and making the mystic transition from beast to man, ‘The Rise of Humankind Although human progress was slow, retarded both by the climate and the occasional raids ofthe serpent men, it was inexorable. Over time, the humans of Mayapan spread eastward to Atlantis and the Pictish Isles, and westward to the Lemurian Isles. These first explorers and settlers brought their primitive beliefs, and spread them across the world. Knowledge of the gods, demons and sorcery was mankind's birthright, discovered through dangerous experimentation and oc- casionally ripped ftom the oppressing serpent men Even in these early days, not all magic was benign. Among the cruelest abusers were the Khari, who ruled a large empire in central Mayapan, The details of their evil are not recorded, but outraged victims hurled them from ‘Mayapan into the uncharted ocean to the west, never to return. (On Mayapan, the human empires fell, rose, and fell again, leaving the island colonies barbaric, isolated and ignorant of their origins. AS they rose again, they spread outward, this time to the sea The Age of Atlantis Atlantis stood on a great island chain in the Western Ocean between the ‘Thurian continent and the Antillian Islands. Atlantis was the most powerful nation in the world, with magic far beyond that of the Hyborian Age. Her only rivals were Lemuria, halfa world away, and the Seven Kingdoms on the Thurian, continent Atlantis was ruled by religious factions who worshiped demonic beings from the Elder Night. One such faction was the cult of Xotli, Lord of Terror. They sacrificed thousands of slaves captured from more primitive portions of the world to their dark deity. Even today, remnants of the Atlantean cults survive in remote regions around the world. aBefore the Cataclysm (see below), the Atlanteans established a large settle- ent on the western shore of the Thurian continent. The settlement exploited the ‘materials which Atlantis lacked, and sent lumber, agricultural products and Wes to sacrifice on the altars of Atlantis’ ever-hungering gods. ‘The Atlantean government ensured that the settlement was dependent upon Slaves and peasants were shipped to the colonies by the thousands, but ‘one with the knowledge of smelting ore or creating machines was permitted jenigrate. Atlantean troops protected the colony from attack by hostile natives d also acted as an armed guard on the settlement’s population. Pictish Isles Not all the Mayapanic colonies developed into advanced societies. One ive yet forceful group was the Picts, who settled an archipelago between e Atlantean islands and the Thurian continent. The Picts were a warlike ople, with powerful sorceries and a fanatical belief in their destiny as world conquerors. The other cultures ofthe period avoided the Picts, but they could not vent them from spreading to the Thurian continent. Lemurians ‘Another island empire, Lemuria, was eastof the Thurian continent. Lemuria loped powerful sorcery and a thriving culture, much as Atlantis had. It flered, however, from an inability to further colonize. The Lemurians had lost and could only visit the nearby Thurian continent. Unfortunately, the Thurian coast was already occupied. The Khari, ancient txiles from Mayepan, had found a home on the eastern shores of the continent. Khari were an insular people and had little use for commerce. Thus, the ins were forced to travel slowly around the continental coast until they ere able to reach the Atlantean seas. Thurian Continent The Thurian continent was the home of several different peoples. First and lost were the native kingdoms: Kamelia, Valusia, Verulia, Grondar, Thule Commoria. These kingdoms shared a common heritage and language, and obably arose from a single people. The Atlanteans had a colony on the shores of the Western Ocean; the Picts aso maintained a small enclave. The entire region, however, was surrounded by nexplored jungles and wastelands, and just to the south brooded mankind’s “ancient enemies, the serpent people. Foremost of the leaders of these Thurian kingdoms was King Kull of jalsia, with whom Conan was sometimes compared. King Kull drove the “Serpent people back from their domination of the southern human kingdoms, and efforts of his armies (and those of his contemporaries) set much of the stage or the ater Hyborian Age. The Cataclysm Four millennia before the time of Conan, seismic upheavals sank Atlantis ‘beneath the Western Ocean, never to rise again. ‘The Cataclysm was not as sudden as portrayed in later legends. There had "been rumblings for centuries before the final great paroxysm, but as has always ‘beenthe way with man, these warnings were ignored. Some scholars believe that ‘the gods struck Atlantis down for its worship of the demons of the Elder Night, ‘but no one really knows what caused the Cataclysm. ‘The Cataclysm also threw up new mountains in western Thuria, devastating —7T— Bibliographical Entries (continued) HON — “The Hand of Nergal” (19) HOS — “Hawks Over Stem" (37) JOG — ‘Hewels of Gwablur” (58) LIW — “The Lair ofthe Ice Worm" (28) “Legions of die Dead” (1) {000 of Blood" (61) “The Feople of the Black Circl”” ‘The Pool ofthe Black One" (55) “The People ofthe Summit” (31) “The Phoenix on the Sword” (68) “Queen of the Black Coast” (32) “Rogues in the House” (15) RMZ — ‘Red Moon of Zembubwei” (71) RNA — ‘Red Nails” (57) ROE — ‘The Road of the Bugles"*(42) 'SHD — “Shadows in the Dark” (39) “The Snout in the Dark" (36) Shadows in the Moonlight” (41) “Shadows ia the Skul!” (72) “Shadows in Zamboula” (45) “The Star of Khorala" (47) “The Bloodstained God" (25) “The Flame Kail” (49) “The Thing inthe Crypt (2) “The Ivory Goddess" (59) “The Tower of the Elephant” (4) "The Return of Conan’* (68) “The Searlet Citadel” (66) ‘The Slithering Shadow" (52) Treasure of Trani Witch of the Mists” ‘The Vale of Lost Women’ WBB — “Wolves Beyond the Border (63) WSB — “A Witch Shall be Born (43) The Hyborian AgeThe Calendar ‘The Hyborian calendar is cyclic. Bach year s named, and every eight years the ‘ear names repeat, Years are named as f- lows: 1) Year ofthe Lion 2) Year of the Sun 3) Year of the Wolf ‘Year ofthe Spider 5) Year of the Serpent 6) Year of the Eagle 7) Year ofthe Dragon 8) Year of te Horse ‘Tee of the eight years have 13 lunar ‘months; the other five years have 12 lunar ‘months, Each year begins on the fistful moon after the summer solstice. Days within cach month are numbered. The months are named as follows: 1) Month of the Griffin 2)Month of Fire 3) The Golden Month 4) Month of he Maiden '5) Month of he Scorpion 6) Month of he Bear 7) Month of he Sa0w Ape 8) Month ofthe Fish 9) Month ofthe Rat 10) Month of the Sparrow 11) Month ofthe Hawk 12) Month ofthe Ram. 13) Month ofthe Dragon (*) (#) This month only oceurs in the years of the Lion, the Spider and the Dragon Foreasicr dain, years in this book are numbered from the year Aquilonia was founded. Conan was bora in 1248 A.A (Aguilonian Age): the Year of he Lion. the continental civilizations, Strange beasts and savages, previously isolated from the Atlanteans by natural barriers, began to attack in force. Forced to ‘manage without the metals of Atlantis, the continental Atlanteans were thrown back to wood and flint. Even worse, the Picts, whose colonies in western Valusia had only been slightly shaken, invaded the Atlantean territories. The war was sanguinary. The Picts outnumbered the Atlanteans, but the settlers still had powerful weaponry Five hundred years later, the two cultures had all but vanished, becoming ‘a nation of savages — the Picts — carrying on continual warfare with tribes of Savages — the Atlanteans.”* (““The Hyborian Age,”” by Robert E. Howard.) ‘The Lemurian Isles also sank, and many Lemurians fled to the Thurian ‘continent. ‘The Khari (who had been comparatively untouched by the Cataclysm) enslaved the refugees. Over the centuries, all vestiges of the Lemurian culure ‘were crushed, transforming the survivors into near-beasts. Those who dared rise against their masters were sacrificed to the Khari demon-gods; most preferred a quiet life of slavery to eternal torment. The Khari For 1,500 years, the Lemurians toiled for the Khari in brutish slavery. But eventually the Khari declined, as all civilizations do. Approximately 2,500 years before Conan, the Lemurians rose up and destroyed them. Those few Khari who survived fled west, eventually founding the kingdom of Stygia (p. 80). ‘The slaves quickly fell to bickering over the remains of Khari civilization, but without their masters, they were left to puzzle over their artifacts and try to unravel their mysteries. Acheron, Hyperborea the Elder and Stygia ‘The Khari were forgotten, but not gone. They traveled west, stopping for a time by the shores of the Vilayet Sea before bursting on the primitive West and ing it for their own. ‘The Khari found the West without a civilization, The Picts and Atlanteans hhad battled themselves into mutual near-extinction and stone-age technology. The serpent people, who tad once been mankind's greatest foe, had faded into their jungles, Ieaving only a rerunant of their former glory in human-inhabited lands. Only in a few areas, such as the Valley of Zing and the tribal lands of the Zhemri, did any human-ruled civiliz- ation remain. In this power vacuum, the Khari established their leadership. ‘The Khari kingdoms are known by every child of the West. They are the nightmare reaims of the children’s stories. Acheron dominated the north, covering much of modem Nemedia and Corinthia. Ruled from purple-towered Python, Acheron was the most cos- mopolitan of the Khari kingdoms. Al- though the Acheroneans were cruel masters, they encouraged the primitive peoples to come and join their kingdom, and thereby become part of their new slave races.Hyperborea the Elder ruled the ceatral portion of the West, covering modern Koth, Ophir and Shem. It was the weakest of the three nations and the magically poorest land, but it was protected from Pictish and Atlantean raids by the bul- wwark of Acheron. Old Stygia, dark and brooding, was the most powerful of the three Khari nations. Where Acheron and Hyperborea the Elder had to create their own social order, Old Stygia conquered a civilization ona par with its own, That previous kingdom had been ruled by the now-fellen serpent men, and only a few members ‘ofthat decaying race remained to hold the reins of power. ‘The Khari first offered to serve the serpent men, then betrayed them, and have ruled this last bastion of pre-humankind ever since. The Rise of the Hyborians For over half a milleanium, the Khari ruled undisputed. Their fall came by the wandering of a simple tribal people, whose warlike nature, conquering aspirations and unstoppable numbers were the downfall of the Khari empires. These people were the Hyborians. ‘The Hyborians were a light-skinned, northern tribal people who were forced out of the North by competition with other tribes in the region. Initially, those few pathetic souls who crossed the Graskaal Mountains into Acheron were treated as just another slave race, forced to work for the Khari masters. To Hyborian eyes, however, the comparatively meager sustenance of a slave wasa feast beyond imagination. Word quickly spread through the north that more was thrown away each day in Acheron than could ever be found on the icy plains. The Hyborians came by the thousands. What had begun as a trickle soon became a migration, as word spread of the plenty to be found in the Khari kingdoms. When the Hybori became too populous, Acheron tried to seal its northern border, using troops to drive the Hyborians back to their icy homes. In the face of armed men, the tide of refugees Soon became an army. ‘After a millennium of warfare, the Hyborians had obliterated Acheron and Hyperborea the Elder. Some small remnant of the spirit of that latter Tand remained in the icy north, in the form of the Witchmen of modern Hyperborea. —9— Conan and the Cthulhu Mythos Robert E. Howard frequently cor- responded with H. P. Lovecraft, originator of the “Cthulhu Mythos,"* and the two ‘writers were often published in the same magazines, especially Weird Taler Howard even wrote some Cuulhoid tales (ost notably "The Thing on the Root” and “The Black Stone’) with Lovecraft’s encouragement. Although the Conan stories were cer luinly not imate of Lovecran, Howard drew background from Lovecraftian sour. es, and the Conaa stories tie in to Howard's own Cibulhoid stories. Thus, in 4 sense, the Conan cycle iself isa part of the Cthulhu Mythos! In the days of Conan, the Lovecraftian dor beings were Hise ‘more active than they are today, but their worshippers were more open. Yor Sodhoth was yeucraed as the cannibal god Yog (se p. 35). The toad: god Tsathoggua had a temple on the "Nameless Isle. Dagoth is mentioned in the second Conan movie. There are many other references, hidden like gargoyles within the architecture of the Conan saga. ‘The “Demons of the Outer Dark,” from the evil night between the star, o°- cesionally appeared ia Conan tiles. How ever, Howard's view of the depts of space ‘yas not as nightmarish as Lovecraft's; he “elephant-god”” Yag-Kosta, also a long- lived visitor from space, was a creature of ood. ‘The complete Cthulhu Mythos is not within the scope of this work. Por those wo wish to add a horror element to their Conan campaign, the Call of Cohulha game, from Chiosium, is recommended for extensive, well retearcted information about the Mythos. The Hyborian AgeTechnology In Conan’s time, most of whe Hyborian Age is Tech Level (TL) 3 — very like medieval Europe. Some areas, such at Cimmeria and the Black Kingdoms, are ‘TL2 or lowes. Remnants of the old Adan: tean and Kiar civilizations even provide bits and pieces of higher technology. Weaponry: Cunpowder is unksown, ‘The finest hand weapons are mate of steel, the best ranged weapens are the Hyrkanian ‘composite recurve bows. The trained Hyborian knight in fll plate armor is the ulimate fighting machine. Travel: Those who can afford it ride animals; the others walk. The horse collar 4s unknown, but stirups and horseshoes ‘are commos. Most cargo is hauled by ox cart or wagon. Camels are common in desert areas. Ships are poweredby oars or sails. Most sailors chart courses by lead: line and log; most navigation is by land sarks, bird-light and seaman's instact. Medicine: Most surgeries are per formed by “barbers” who pull teeth, Femove wans, and perform amputations ‘Anesthesia and the germ theory of disease ‘ae unknown. Herbalists purvey various mixtures “guaranteed” to cure any ill Magical healing is the most effective medicine, bat it is very rare Communications: Horse couriers are wed by the military end goverament ser ‘ees; others must trust their missives to merchant caravans. Some spy services (Goably those of Turan and Zamora) use Mained birds to deliver messages. Most eople are illiterate and hire scribes to ‘wre and read for them. Hyborian. Age Only Stygia was able to stop the tide of Hyborian warriors through the use of magics so potent as to nearly bring on another Cataclysm. The land of Stygia still bears the scars of that struggle, but the Hyborians were stopped. ‘The Coming of the Hyrkanians The Hyborians have ruled the West for 1,500 years. Only within the last few centuries has any foe come which might have a hope of challeng- ing these resourceful conquerors. This foe is the Hyrkanians. ‘The Hyrkanians are the descen- dants of the Lemurians who rebelled against the Khari over 2,000 years ago. While most of the slave races chose to remain in the Khari ““yomeland"* and scavenge from the remnants of that civilization, the Hyrkanians chose to wander west and tule the huge, empty steppe. ‘Two centuries ago, the first Hyrkanian warriors rounded the southern tip of the Vilayet Sea. They conquered the hill tribes of that region and founded the empire of Turan. Now they have advanced to the very edge of Hyborian civiliza- tion, bringing new kinds of warfare ang a belief in their own conquering destiny as strong as that of the Hyborians, This is the world of Conan The Hyborian World The Hyborian Age is 12,000 years before the modern era. In general, it resembles places and times from more recent history, due to parallel develop- ‘ment and the necessities of a medieval technology. In some ways, however, it is quite different, thanks 10 its unique history and the influence of sorcery. Customs vary wildly across the lands of the Hyborian Age. Many of the individual traits which distinguish the nations are described in the Lands of the Hyborian Age entry for each nation. However, the nations can be divided into several “families"” which share common origins. ‘The Hyborian Nations ‘The Hyborian nations were created by the Hybori invasion which began 1,500 years before Conan. These northern peoples viewed themselves as a new ‘wave, purging the worid of the corruption of their predecessors. Something of that attitude of “manifest destiny”? remains in their Hybori-centric world view, and in their constant encroachment into neighboring territories. Aquilonia, Argos, the Border Kingdom, Corinthia, Nemedia and Ophir all are part of the Hyborian hegemony, and Koth is at least heavily influenced by her Hyborian neighbors. ‘The Hyborian rations resemble most closely the Europe of the Middle Ages. ‘The larger nations, such as Nemedia and Aquilonia, have developed a feudal system any vassal of Edward Ill would be comfortable with. In some aspects (particularly in warfare and philosophy) they have more sophistication, and the —10—set-piece battles of the Hyborians are just as Sir John Hawkwood might have fought them. The Khari Empires ‘Most of the true Khari ate dead now, but the lands they settled continue their culture and dominate much of the central West. Stygia is the greatest of the Khari empires, but Brythunia and Koth owe much to their Khari heritage. ‘The Khari have no direct analog in Earth’s history. However, Stygia can be viewed as a decadent Egypt, with overtones of other classical “evil empires,”” and some of this taint shows in the other Khari kingdoms. ‘The Khari Successor States ‘The Khari successor peoples dominate the East. Khitai and Hyrkania (as well as the recently created empire of Turan) are all Khari successor nations. Khitai, Hyrkania and Turan represent “the unknown East.”” The Coran tales are told from an essentially Hyborian perspective (even though Conan is Cimmerian) and to a Hyborian, these lands are filled with mystery. Vague Tumors are known of these kingdoms (just as rumors filtered back to Europe about the Orient after the Crusades), but half of what is heard is a lie and the other half is not always believed. The Tribal Peoples The tribal peoples comprise a number of groups with some common traits. Each has spread to cover a limited region, with little drift or expansion. Most of these peoples are relatively young, certainly no older than the Hybori. The Northern Barbarians ‘These include Cimmerians, Hyperboreans (which, while Hyborian in origin, did not share in the Hyborian expansion) and Nordheimr. All of these peoples are TL2, and are well known for their strength and tenacity. The Black Kingdoms ‘These include Darfar, Keshan, Kush, Punt and Zembabwei. They are all Iron-Age cultures, varying from city builders to pastoralists to hunter- gatherers. The Vilayet Tribes ‘This group includes hundreds of tiny tribes, each with its own traditional lands, and with hundreds of years of feuding history. These tribes live in Iranis- fan and Ghulistan, and make up most of the citizenry of Turan. (The ruling ‘classes in Turan are Hyrkanian.) The Picts ‘The Picts are perpetual barbarians. Their only use for civilization is as a provider of better weapons. In Conan’s time, they are confined to a strip of land in the uttermost west of the Thurian continent. ‘The Iranistani The troubled Kingdom of Iranistan is flanked by powerful and dangerous neighbors: Turan, Vendhya, Stygia and the Black Kingdoms. ‘The Shemites ‘The city-states of Shem are established on the great expanse of plain west of Turan. United, they would be a formidable enemy to the great powers. Usually, they would rather fight each other than strangers. = Mb? "fe 7I | | | used as player characters, but they are rare. I ‘bonuses and penalties affect the final attribute level, not the point cost. For instance, a degenerate man has a -2 "penalty on 1Q. That means that if he pays 0 points for 1Q, he gets an 8 {ie., 10 from the Basic Attributes ‘able on p. B13 minus his penalty of " 2), Ife pays 10 points for 1Q, he gets ‘an 11 (from the table) minus 2, for a Atal of 9. ‘Nonhumans can have “‘natural"” disadvantages. These do not count against the limit of 40 points for a haracter. To the nonhuman, these ate normal traits. Where not described otherwise, assume that other races are function- Ally identical to humans. New Nonhumans ‘There are four non-human types described in the Conan saga — degenerate men, satyrs, sexpent men and S'tarra. Of these, the fist two can be Degenerate Men -25 points ‘The descendants of the pre-Cataclysmic peoples have not all thrived. Some have fallen further and further ftom their once-lofty civilizations, until they are barely recognizable as men. Degenerate men can be found in remote regions throughout the Hyborian world. ‘These bestial half-men live in caves or thrown-together shelters in stone-age communities, or in small nomadic groups. Their language (such as it is) consists of grunts indicating the presence of food, alerts of danger and expression of hunger and other bodily needs. Degenerate men are considered near-animals by the Hyborians, although particularly clever individuals, if properly trained, are ascapable of human behavior as any Hyborian. They have only minimal mastery of such higher arts as the use of fire and tools. Degenerate men are squat and bestial looking, with dark, matted hair, prog rathous jaws, and long, spindly limbs. They are typically 3"”-4"" shorter than ‘most Hyborians, but they are stocky so their weight is normal for their ST. ‘Advantages and Disadvantages: Degenerate men are 1Q -2., ST +2, and HT +1. They have the Primitive disadvantage and are TLO. Friends and Enemies: All true men (including the “‘primitive”’ Picts, Cim- ‘merians, and Kushites) detest degenerate men (-3 on Reaction rolls). Primarily out of fear and confusion, the degenerate men return the feeling. Satyrs Satyrs are 4” tall humanoids with thin, fawn! 0 points » light-brown fur and small eer-like tails. Their legs are covered with thick, wooly fur. Their pointed, eer-like ears are set forward on their heads above their faces. From a distance their ears look like horns. They spend their lives in the deep forests of the West, particularly in Aquilonia and Nemedia. Satyr origins are a mystery. They may have been created by an Acheronean Sorcerer who magically combined human essence with that of a deer. In support =—B= Creating New Nonhuman Races The only nonhuman races created by Howard were the serpent men and the egeneraie men. Later authors added the satyrs and S'tara. But tke Hyborian world is wide and much remains to be dis- covered. ‘There is a point value for the “advantage” or “disadvantage” of being ‘nontuman. To compute this for anew kind ‘of nonhuman, startby edlculating the value of the species’ attribute modifiers. Use the Costto & human (see p. B13). For instance, +1 on any attribute is worth 10; a +3 is worth 30; a +4 is worh 45, ani so on. Negative modifiers, of course, have nega- tive cost. ‘Advantages and disadvantages have their normal point cost from the GURPS: Basic Set, Reaction bonuses or penalties can be lgnored unicss they apply to humans (as the dominant species). In tht case, each point of reaction bonus is worth +5 char- acter points, and each point of penalty is ‘wor 5. Otter attributes which affect reaction (e.g. Appearance) are treated the same way. ‘A nonhuman ype may have otter strong or weak points that don't have a ireet comparison in the Character Crea tion section. GMs shouid simply allov a reasonabie “cost (or these, Hyborian CharactersHyborian Characters ke Of this theory, various texts (and corain evil sorcerers) recommend sacrificing satyrs to gain magical power (MOB). 1 The satyrs are a secretive people, and many deny their existence, Neverthe: Jess, legends of the woodlands of Aquilonia and Nemedia warn of straying too far into the satyr forests, as satyr magic can drive intruders mad, Satyrs appear in only one story: Conan the Liberator. Advantages and Disadvantages: Satyrs have ST -2, DX +1 and HT +1, They have the advantages of Acute Hearing +2, Magery 1 and Night Vision, and the disadvantages of Bad Sight and Primitive (TL1), Satyrs can cast Fear spells (p. B164) with an innate skill of 15 by playing their bone pipes. Deaf characters, or those who plug their ears with wax, ate unaffected. Multiple satyrs can combine their energy to increase the area of the Fear spell. Friends and Enemies: Satyrs are unknown to most humans. Those few who have encountered them are slightly distrustful (-1 on Reaction rolls). The satyrs know humans well, and do not trust them at all (3 on Reaction rolls), Serpent Men 35 points ‘The serpent men ruled the world long before the advent of man. Their empires ranged from the Uttermost South to the River Styx. and from the Western Ocean to the Lemurian Sea. Serpent men are humanoid, although their slender limbs and scaled bodies are casily distinguished from those of humans. Their most unusual feature, however, is their head, which is wedge-shaped like a snake’s, with lidless, upiled eyes, fanged jaws and flickering forked tongue. Advantages and Disadvantages: Serpent men have 1Q +1 and HTT +1. They have the advantages of Acute Taste and Smell +3, Double-Jointed, Magery 1, Peripheral Vision, and Toughness (DR 1). They also have the disadvantages of Ugly (Qo humans) and Hard of Hearing. ‘Serpent men can bite for cutting damage; use the bite damage chart in the sidebar on p. B140. They can also use weapons like a human, However, they cannot bite and attack with weapons during the same turn Serpent men also have the natural ability to project a human disguise; in a full magic campaign (see p. 95), treat this as an Illusion Disguise spell (p. M46) ‘with an innate skill of 15. Friends and Fnemies: Serpent men are viewed with superstitious fear and leathing by most humans (-4 on Reaction rolls). Priests of Set revere the serpent men, and give them a +4 on Reaction rolls. Conversely, serpent men consider hhumans to be a lower form of life (-4 on Reaction rolls). S'tarra 10 points ‘The S'tarra are arother serpentine race, related to the serpent men. They may be degenerate serpent men, or they may be a servitor race. Whatever their origins, they now hide in caves in the Kezankian mountains, all but unknown to the human civilizations which surround them. The S'tarra appear in only one story: Conan the Invincible. Advantages and Disadvantages: S'tarra have ST +3, 1Q -2, and DX -1. ‘They have the advantages of Acute Taste and Smell +2, Double-Jointed, Peripheral Vision, and Toughness (DR 2). They also have the disadvantages of Uply (to humans) and Hard of Hearing. S'tarra can bite like serpent men (see above). They do not have the magical ability to project a disguise. Friends and Enemies: S"tarra are viewed as equivalent to serpemt men (-4 on Reaction rolls). Even priests of Set have little use for these more bestial crea- tures. However, the S’tarra view humans with the same disdain as do their superior cousins (-4 on Reaction rolls). —14—Advantages, Disadvantages and Skills This section develops the character creation information al- ready presented in the GURPS Basic Sei, with notes on special Application to the Hyborian Age. Advantages Ally Group varies Some Hyborian characters have a loyal group of followers, ‘tachoof whom is weaker than the PC, but who collectively Form aspport group for the character. For an example of this, sce ‘Suba warriors in the character descriptions (p. 125). Ally Groups are composed of 50-point characters designed ty the player (with GM approval). These characters are created just like PCs. NPC allies can have disadvantages totaling no more than 40 points, or one disadvantage of any value. The player (or the GM) can give the individual members of the group distinctive personality traits, of course, but each mem her of the group is treated identically for game-rule purpose. If ‘you have a group of identical people, plus a more powerful Sidekick, handle the sidekick separately Frequency of appearance of Ally Groups isnot the same as for allies. They arc expected to be with their leader. ‘Appears almost alltime (roll of 15 or less) listed cost Appears fairly often (roll of 9 or less: half cost (round up); Appears rarely (roll of 6 or less) quarter cost (round uy), Each member of an Ally Group must pay the points to have their PC asa Patron, with the same Frequency of Appearance as the PC has for the Ally Group. For a 200-point cinematic mode PC, this will cost 5 points. The members ofthe Ally Group can alo owe the PC a Duty (or feel a Sease of Duty), and will share {nthe PC’s Enemies. These count agains’ the 40-point limit. In order to have an Ally Group, the character must have spent at least as many characier points on Status, Charisma, Leadership or an appropriate reputation as on the Ally Group. ‘Thus, a Status 3 character (who spent 15 points on Status) may have an Ally Group of up 10 20 people (see table below). These points can be combined, A character with Status +1, Charisma +1 and Leadership at IQ +2 could also have an Ally Group of up t020, ‘A PC should receive no character points for any session in which he betrays, atacks or unnecessarily endangers a member of the Ally Group. If the betrayal is panicularly severe or blatant, the whole group may desert! If one of the group dies through no negligence of the PC, another member with the same abilities can be gotten from the ‘home base."” Thus, for example, when Bélit returns 10 the Souther Isles, those Suba warriors who were slain in her raid- ing are replaced by new warriors. However, since they're Suba ‘warriors, she cannot get new group members in Asgalun! If a Iajority of the allies inthe group die before replenishment, or if their deaths were caused by a cavalier ‘sword fodder" attitude, the recruits may stop showing up as word gets around (GM's discretion), ‘To determine the character point cost foran Ally Group, sce the following table: Number of Members Character Point Cost 24 3 5-10 10 11-20 15 21-50 20 ‘51-100 30 100-200* 40 * over 200, + 10 per additional 100 (round up) ‘Remember that this character group is composed of allies, not slaves. They're loyal, not stupid. They are also loyal to each other. Til treatment of one of them affects the loyalty of all of them. They can be just as obstinate and difficult to deal with as any single more powerful ally — if not more so! Legal Enforcement Powers 10 or 15 points Nearly all police forces in the Hyborian Age act not oly 28 ‘an agency for capturing criminals, but aso as an informal court, and instrument of punishment. A guardsman who captures a thief may just hest him rather than bringing him in for tris). Most countries have a network of agents reporting to an unofficial member of the goverment, the spymaster. His agents have great power and effective legal immunity, but death is the usual penalty for a blown cover. Lightning Calculator 5 points See Mathematical Abiity, p. 16. ‘Literacy 10 points The Hyborian Age is a TL3 setting, with some countries having an even lower TL. In all cases, Literacy is an advantage costing 10 points; no character receives Literacy for free. Hyborian CharactersEven characters with Literacy cannot read quickly. Since there is no printing press (or standardized spelling), the reader ‘mustadjust himself to the handwriting, grammar and spelling of the author of the document. Asarule, a GURPS Conan character with Literacy can read a number of words per minute equal to twice his 1Q. Thus, an average character can read 20 words per minute, whilea genius QO 16) can read 32 words per minute. A character can purchase Speed Reading (see Skills, below) to improve this rate. Really crabbed and difficult manuscripts can force even slower reading times (GM's discretion). Mathematical Ability 10 poins ‘The people of the Hyborian Age have no concept of higher ‘mathematics: trigonometry, irrational numbers, or even nega- tive numbers are unknown to them. Even if a Hyborian character isa lightning calculator, he will not be able to use these mathe- ‘matical techniques. Patrons varies ‘There are many possible patrons available in the Hyborian ‘Age. PCs can serve the spymaster of a country (15 points — or 1010), a powerful noble (LO pois), a mage (20 points), a major priest (20 points), or a military or mercenary commander (1S points). If patrons are used, GMs should pay special attention the Drawbacks of Patrons én p. B25, Psionies varies Psi powers are not at all common in the Hyborian Age, No psionic advantage or skill should be taken by GURPS Conan characters without consultation with the GM. Status varies Status hicrarchies for the Hyborian Age are given in Chap- ter 5, Lands of the Hyborian Age. Wealth varies Standard starting wealth for GURPS Conan characters is $1,000. The GM may allow PCsup to Wealthy to spend all their money on personal “‘adventuring” gear; itis $5,000 on a horse, Very Wealthy or Filthy Rich may only spend 20% of their starting wealth on items to be used directly in the campaign; 80% must be tied up in a home, furniture, clothing, etc, Of course, this wealth may also form the down payment on a ship, should a mercantile (or pirate) campaign be of interest. Disadvantages ae Alcoholism -15 points Alcohol is legal nearly everywhere in the Hyborian lands. ‘The only exceptions have been when various rulers have gone ‘mad or been sorcerously influenced; such rash acts have been known to bring on rebellions! Note that distillation is unknown in the Hyborian Age, s» sufferers from this disadvantage will have to make do with beer and wine, Bad Sight -25 points Bad Sights not correctable in the Hyborian Age. Code of Honor -5 to -15 points ‘There are many Codes of Honor in the Hyborian Age. * Code of Honor of the Nemedian Knights. Never break ‘your word; always fight fairly and never take undue advantage (of an enemy; never abandon your lord or your sllis; if captured in battle, always pay your ransom; never ignore an insult 10 yourself, toa lady oF to the Dragon Throne. -15 points. * Mercenaries’ Code of Honor. Once hired, stay boug! never leave a comrade in the hands of the enemy; never desert the standard, -10 points, * Kozaki Code of Honor. Always aveng> a betrayal, no ‘atter what the cost all Kozaki are brothers, and brothers should be protected and avenged. -5 points. * Code of Honor of the Red Brotherhood. Never abandon the ship; follow the captain, or fight him fairly for the job. -5 points, * Code of Honor of the White Square. Never harm any living creature; never use magic to dominate or rule; never tell le secrets of the Order to any outside the Order. -15 points, Epilepsy ~30 points ‘The scers of the Hyborian lands are not epileptic. Epilepsy is believed to be a form of demonic possession by the peoples oF the Hyborian Age, so an epileptic vision is unlikely to be believed. Hyborian Characters he Phobias varies Given the technological level and magical involvement of the Hyborian Age, the following phobias have specific costs: ‘Machinery (technophobia): -5/-10, ‘Magic (manaphobia): -10/-20. ‘Sharp Things (aichmwophobia): -15/-20. ‘Number 13 (triskadekaphobia): Lucky and unlucky mm- bers vary with nationality. Hyborians consider 13 unlucky, and believe the numbers 6 and 30 to be very lucky. Stygians dislike the numbers 3 and 7, but rejoice in S and 25. Turanians and Hiyrkanians like things to come in fours (4, 8, 44, etc.), and. consider 3 and 11 unlucky. The Khitans consider 9 and 27 to be very lucky, but think 7 is unlucky. Characters taking. tris- adckaphobia should in fact fear the unlucky numbers from their culture. Whatever the number, this phobia still has a point value of -5/-10, ‘Split Personality Subjects with this disadvantage may find others believing them possessed, and may be the target of some rather unpleasant exorcisms! -10-15 points —~16—Ss Archaeology see p. BSD Characters may specialize in one or more of the historical rations (see The Hyborian Age, pp. 5-9). divi Armoury/TL see p. BS3 Characters may specialize in one or more of the following fil ‘Armor, Bows and Arrows, Hand Weapons (knives, swords, maces, ete}, Siege Engines ‘This skill defaults to Blacksmith/TL-3 for Hand Weapons and Armor, Woodworking-3 for Bows and Arrows and Car pentry-3 for Siege Engines. Engineer see p. B60 Characters may specialize in one or more of the following fields: Primitive machines: catapults, etc. (prerequi Mining (prerequisite: Geology). Vehicles (prerequisite: Mectanic/Wagons). ‘Traps (prerequisite: Traps). Clockwork (prerequisite: Mechanic) Fortifications (no prerequisite). Bridges and Buildings (no prerequisie). Ships (prerequisite: Shipbuilding). Mechanic). History seep. B6L ‘The character may specialize in one of the followi Pre-Human Cultures, Atlantis, Pre-Cataclysmic Tharia, ‘The Cataclysm, The Eastem Khari Empire, The Western Khari Empires, Early Hyborian History, Modem Hyborian History. Other specialties can be developed by focusing on one country (either ancient or modern), such as the history of Acheron, Aquilonia, Turan, Vendhya or Khitai. Hypnotism see p. B56 Hypnotism is commonly practiced in the Hyborian Age, ‘specially by the sorcerers of the East. It is viewed as a magical skill (even though it uscs no magic, per se). Successful use of the Mind-Sending spell (p. M26) is +2 to Hypnotism, Hypnotism is best performed by strong-willed people. ‘Thus, Strong Will and Weak Will are appliedas modifiers 10 the Hypaotism roll, Two levels of Strong Will add +2 w the caster's skill with Hypnotism; two levels of Weak Will arc -2, In addition to those abilities described in the GURPS Basie ‘Set, a hypnotist can cause @ hypnotized subject to forget things. Thisis treated as a specialized form of post-hypnotic suggestion; the hypnotist musthave the subject hypnotized, and then succocd with a stcond Hypnotism roll. The subject gets a roll vs, 10 every day to restore the memory, minus the number of dayssince the hypnotism. Thus, after 1Q days, there is no chance of remembering. If the hypnotist’s roll was a critical success, the subject must also make a critical success to remctaber! Magic See Hyborian Magic, pp. 95-100, Mathematies see p. BOI See Mathematical Ability, p. 16. Mechanic see p. BS4 “Mechanics can specialize in one or more of the following: ‘Wagons Clockwork and small gadgets Siege equipment Craft machines (looms, potter's wheels, ete.) Mills (wind and water) Traps Research see p. B62 Hyborian libraries are repositories of hooks and. scrolls, usually without any significant organization, Even the most scrupulous librarian will have classified his scrolls (probably) by language first, and by subject second — he can't take the time to read all of them to find out what they're about. There are nether indexes nor tables of contents and nothing is filed in alphabetical order. Thus, for the Hyborian Age, Research is « Meatal/Hard skill. BS —————— SS Hyperborean Baion (Physical/Hard) No default ‘The Hyperboreans teach a combat skill using 2 speci ‘baton. These batons have two solid platinum spheres, one at tach end of a central bar of wood. (For those without Hyper- Sorean Baton skill, these hatons can be considered identical to those described on p. B206.) The Hyperborcans can strike with these batons against the nerve centers ia the human body 10 paralyze limbs without causing any permanent damage. To simulate the care required to use these batons, they must always be used to strike at a specific hit location (p. 8203). The tatons do swing damage for armor penetration purposes only. If the blow hits the target and the force penetrates the armor, it does a0 permanent damage, but the location is “crippled” (p. 8127) for Id hours. Thereafter, the location retums to normal (although other injuries are not cured). ‘The effectiveness of Batons depends on understanding the osition and effects of various nerve ceaters. Therefore, charac ‘ters must learn this skill separately for cach kind of creature, or ‘default to any other Hyperborean Baton-6. Thus, for example, a wit character with Hyperborean Baton skill for use on humans is -6 {o attack a satyr, unless be has a separate Baton skill for saiyrs. Hyperborean Baton skill is extremely rare even in Hyper- orea. Knowledge of the skill is usually limited to Witchmen in service to Loubi. It requires a 10-point Unusual Background for other Hyperboreans and a 20-point Unusual Background for non-Hyperborcans. Speed Reading (Mental/Average) No default This skill is the skill of improving your reading speed by study and practice. GURPS Conan characters read very slowly (when compared to moder people); add your Speed Reading skill level to your 1Q, doubling the total to determine the number of words you read per minute, You must be Literate to get Speed Reading skill. Inappropriate Skills The following skills are inappropriate to the Hyborian Age: Astrogation, Battlesuit, Beam Weapons, Bicycling, Hyborian CharactersBiochemistry, Black Powder Weapons, Computer Operation, Computer Programming, Demolition, Driving, Ecology’ Electronics, Electronics Operation, Force Shield, Force Sword. Forensics, Free Fall, Genetics, Guns, Motorcycle, Nuclear Physics, Parachuting, Photography, Piloting, Powerboat, ‘Scuba, Skiing, Spcod-Load, Telegraphy and Vace Suit, Languages Many languages are spoken in the Hyborian Age. Each nation has at least one major language and there are ‘many local dialects, ‘The modern languages can be divided into several families, The Hyborian family: Aquilonian, Argossean, the argot of, the Border Kingdom, Corinthian, Nemedian and Ophirean. ‘The Hyrkanian family: Hyrkanian and Turanian. ‘The Khari family: Hyperborean, Khitan and Stygian. The Black Kingdoms family: Amazonian, Darfari, Keshani, Kushite, Puntian and Zembabwan, The Adamean family: Antillian, Cimmerian, Nordheimr and Pictish, The Shemitish family: Kothic and Shemitish, The Vendhyan family: Kosalan, Meruvian and Vendhyan, ‘The Vilayct family: Ghulistani and Iranisiani. ‘The remainder (Brythunian, Zamoran and Zingaran) arcun- related to any other tongues, For details on the difficulty and defaults ‘appropriate to each modern language see the entry in Chapter 5, Lands of the Hyborian Age for the country in which itis spoken, There are also cenain ancient tongues which, while in general no longer spoken, have many manuscripts remaining ‘untranslated, and one modem language which is totally non- human, Acheronean Mental/Average ‘This Khari-family tongue was spoken by the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Acheron, which extended over modern Nemedia, Brythunia, Corinthia and Ophir. Tt used the Khari ‘writing systems, Ancient Khari Mental/Average ‘The founding language of the Khari family was spoken by the Khari refugees when they fled what is now Khitai and in vaded the West, It is guttural, with many fricative (x, d) sounds Itis written with two scripts, One is idcographic, used to in- scribe monuments and formal documents; the other is al- phabetic, used for less formal writings Ancient Stygian Mental/Hard ‘This Khari-family tongue is a mixture of ancient Khari with the tribal tongues of the ancient Stygians, Its monumental form 4s identical to Ancient Khari, but another, less formal written form uses a modification of the Valusian alphabet (see below). Atlantean ‘Mental/Average Atlantean was the tongue of the inhabitants of the now. fallen isle of Atlantis. It was used by the Atlantean colonists in the days before the Cataclysm, although some cultures (such as the Cimmerians) now speak a greatly modified form. I's script is wholly idcographic. Lemurian Mental/ Hard Lemurian was the tongue of the islanders of eastern Lemuria, It is a sing-song tonal language, with an alphabetic script modified by tonal diacriticals, Tongue of the Degenerate Men Mental/Easy ‘The degenerate men communicate ina monosyllabic system of grunts and howls which can only barely be considered a language. If s human wished to lear it, it would be Men {al/Easy, but it is only suitable to convey such fundamentals as the existence of food and water. Tongue of the Satyrs Mental/Very Hard ‘This is the tongue of the satyrs of the Giant's Notch area of, ‘the Brocellian Forest in Aquilonia. Itsounds “like the cawing of crows,"* and has no written form. Tongue of the Serpent Men Mental/Very Hard ‘This isthe tongue of the non-human serpent men of ancient Stygia. When spoken, it has a flat, nasal sound with many ‘Silants. It is difficult for a human to speak the language, since serpent-man mouth structure is decidedly inhuman. ‘The writen form of the tongue is made up of patterns of squiggly lines, The ‘number of lines and the steepness of the squiggles convey both literal meaning and emotional overtones. Humans, who do not have the same pattem sense as serpent men, find it difficult to read (-5 on Language roll). Valusian Mental/Hard ‘This western tongue was the primary language of the pre- ‘Cataclysmic empires of the Thurian continent. Valusian uses the ‘Same consonants as the Tongue of the Serpent Mea, but mixes ‘with them a rich set of vowels and vowel diphthongs (oi, ui, te.). [tis written with an alphabetic script. Jobs, Status, and Cost of Diving In civilized areas, PCs may find jobs to provide income while they are not in play. Of course, not every job is available ‘inevery part of the world — there is litle call for a ship captain Hyborian Characters in Brythunia! Jobs can help cover the PC’s cost of living, as required by his Status. The Jobs Table istsa number of jobs; the GM may add others, Some have skill of experience prerequisites (Gefault values don’t count here; the character must have at least ‘a half-point invested in the skill). ‘Cost of Living ‘Status doesn’t always correspond to a specific standard of living, but it does give the best general indicator. Therefore, ‘monthly cost of living is determined by the PC’s status. Use the table on p. BI91 Note that living below your status level may reduce your status! Roll vs. 1Q each month; a failure means status drops by 1. The point value of your character drops if your status drops, —18—Job (Prerequisites), Income Poor Jobs Farm laborer (ST 9+), $150 Servant (no attributs below 7), $200 Sireet beggar* (none), $150 Street vendor* (nove), $200 Thiet* (4 Thief skills at 13+, or2 at 16+), $300 Struggling Jobs Apprentice (Craft skill 10+), $100 (no living expenses) Bandit (Survival 11++, one Weapon skill 11+), $300 Cook (Cooking 12+), $25 X skill Gambier* (Streetwise, Gambling, Fast-Talk), $40 x 1Q Jongleur* (traveling entertainer), (Bard or Musical skill at 14+), $400 Laborer (ST 10+), $250 Noble's servant (Savoir-Faire 13+, Status -1 or higher), $300 Porter* (ST 12+), $300 Sailor (Seamanship 10+), $250-+ room and board Shepherd/drover (Animal Handling 12+), $250 Store clerk (Merchant 10+), $350 ‘Tenant farmer* (Agronomy 12+, ST 10-+), $300 ‘Traveling artisan* (Craft skill 11'+), $350 Average Jobs Artisan (Craft skill 14 +), $35 % skill Castle guardsman (Weapon skill levels totaling 40+, Savoir-Faire 12+), $600 ity guard (Weapon skills levels totaling 40+), $500 Fiee farmer* (Agronomy 12+, ST 10+, some land), $500 Large ‘animal trainer (Animal Handling 14-+, Vet 12+), $40 x lower skill Mercenary soldier (Weapon skill levels totaling 40+, Survival 12+, appropriate equipment), $750 Scribe or minor bureaucrat (Literacy: DX 12+ or Administration 12+), $300 Shopkeeper* (Merchant 12+), $30 > skill Slaver* (Merchant 10+, Diplomacy 10+), $700 Smugeler* (Merchant 10+. Streetwise 12+, Shiphandiing 11+), $600 Soldier (Weapon skill levels totaling 40+, Survival 12+), $550 ‘Traveling merchant (Merchant 12+, Diplomacy 12+), $35 x skill Comfortable Jobs Alchemist* (Alchemy 14+), $40 x skill Healer* (Physician 14+), $40 x skill ‘Master artisan (Craft skill 20-+), $30 x skill ‘Master merchant (Merchant 16+), $30 skill Mercenary leader* (as military officer (see below), plus Savoir-Paire at 14-+ but no rank), $20 x total of above skill levels Military officer (Weapon skill levels totaling 60+; appropriate equipment; Strategy at 14+, Rank 3 0 5), $15 X total of above skill levels Priest (Theology 12%, Clerical Investment), $800 Wealthy Jobs ‘Administrator or bureavcrat (Administration 14+), $200 x skill igh church official (1Q 12+, Theology 14+, Diplomacy 14+), $3,000 Member of noble family (None; Diplomacy and Poisons are handy), $1,000 Ruling noble (Diplomacy, status 3+), $3,000 ‘A — The character is arrested for a crime, butis freed after 1d-2 weeks. X— The character is run out of town, ‘D— The character loses his noble title. LJ — The character loses his job. (C— Make a HT rol. If you fail, one Limb (pick randomly) is crippled. —19— PR2 Best PR Best PR PR PR Best PR 1942 PR3 LiL LILY, whipped, 24 “isd vid 3d, A/6d, jailed 2alad of LI 34/3, jailed Ld 3d, X/lose hand L124, rotten egos Ly2d, Ly Ltd, Lo 14, Lid, Ly 2di3d 1d, La, 13 oti, ii Lr u 24, -2il3d, -3i 2i)-2i, 2d Ly-2i, LI 30-81 21, 3d/3i, Sd, LI 3d/Sd, LI “witEquipment and Prices Much of the medicval equipment described in the GURPS Basie Set (pp. B206-207, 210, and 212) is appropriate for the Hyborian Age. Glass Weapons and Armor ‘Weapons of specially-hardened glass can be found on the islands of Antllia, where metal is scarce. These weapons are fragile; it takes 2 hits of damage to break a dagger, 3 10 break a knife oF shortsword, 4 to break a broadsword, and 5 to break a larger sword, For parrying, glass weapons are treated as cheap. Glass weapons are very sharp. Glass cutting ot impaling weapons do +1 damage (before any multipliers) if they penetrate armor. Only scale and plate armorsarc available in glass. Due w its slick surface, glass armor deflects blows better; add 1 to the PD of the armor. However, any blow exceeding the DR of the amor by 2or more shatters the armor, making it useless, Hyperborean Batons Hyperborean Batons are described on p. 17. They are e: tremely precise in manufacture, balance and weight, and require a large quantity of platinum. They cott $800, and weigh 312 Ibs. The Dragon's Feet ‘The thieves of Zamora use Dragon's Feet. These are large, metal claws which can be tightened or loosened by manipulating 4 lever. Two Dragon’s Feet are worn on the climber's feet; (WO more are used as mobile handholds. Dragon's Feet require Climbing skill. Eight hours of familiarity give +1 to skill; 24 hours gives +; 100 hours gives +3. A beginning character who purchases Dragon's Feet and has ‘any points in Climbing is assumed to be fully familiar wth thom, A climber can use the Feet to create handholds and footholds on a vertical stone wall. However, manipulating the levers on the Dragon’s Feet is time-consuming. A climber can ‘expect t0 gain only about 1 foot every ten seconds, on average. Possession of Dragon's Feet is a prims facie case for burglary in every society of the Hyborian Age. Penalties range ‘rom death 1 a share ofthe loot cepending on the honesty of the local authorities. They weigh 5 Ibs. aad cost $200. Powers of the Lotus ‘The lotus plant is the most imporiant single source of drugs and poisons in the Hyborian world. The Hyborian lotus is a Jungle vine, with large blossoms (up to one foot across). It is found in most of the tropical jungle and swamp areas of the Thurian continent. The Purple Lotus Swamp of Stygia and the Jungles of southern Khitai are sources for the deadliest blooms, Many different drugs and poisons are produced from the lotus. One “dose” of lotus drig is enough to affect one person, {except where vapors or powders are concemed, Then, one dose is enough to affect a 7-hex arca (usually I hex and the 6 sur- rounding ones). Breathing any of the vapor will cause the specified effect; to hold your breath successfully, make a HT roll, or a HT-3 roll if the vapor was unexpected. Most will linger for 10 seconds indoors, or a second or so outdoors im a breeze. The several dfferent-colored species of lotus have different effects. It should also be noted that different parts of the lotus ‘can be used in many different ways, and different preparations of the same lotus will have different effects. Some of the com. ‘moner possibilities include: Hyborian Characters ee ‘The flowers can be eaten, or their aroma inhaled, The dried flowers can be burned, ground and inhaled, or ‘cooked. Stecped in alcohol they make & "tineture.”” The roots can be eaten raw, of dried and prepared in any way the dried flowers can be used. The sap collected from the stems can be dried and pow: dered, or mixed with alcohol, or applied to the skin, or drunk, The polien of the flowers can be collected, though this is dangerous! Any type of pollen that has interesting effects will affect anyone collecting it unless precautions are taken, An extra roll on Botany or Poisons must be made; failure means the col~ lector got the equivalent of a dose of pollen himself. Buying Lotus Most lotus is difficult to acquire even where it grows, The aarcotic funes make lotus gathering a job for specialists. Inthe more civilized Hyborian lands, lotus is rare and expensive, The Prices given below assume that one is dealing with a fairly ethi- ‘al dealer in a large city. Locating such a dealer requires a Streetwise or Arca Knowledge roll. The GM should require penalties (up to -10) for less cosmopolitan places. To locate lotus in the wild, one must be in a lotus-growing area (GM's decision). A roll against Botany, Naturalist or Poisons (with a penalty based on rarity in the area) is necessary. IF the lotus is not to be used fresh, a roll on Botany, Chemistry, ‘or (For deadly varistics) Poisons is necessary for processing, &. failed roll ruins the raw materials; a critical failure means the Person doing the processing, and everyone else in the room, suffers the effect ofthe desired product. In Vendhya, the narcotic red and pink lotus are common and ‘asy to find; in faci, im rural areas, even the poorest people may tave lotus twining over the house. Lows addiction is fairly common in those areas, and very common among outlanders ‘who spend much time there! Types of Lotus Black lotus. Black lotus is found in Khitai, Stygia and the Black Kingdoms, The stalks are green with prominent leaves; the blossoms are a foot across and chon black, with a faint but distinctive perfume, ‘The perfume is narcotic; it acts as an incapaci ling gas (see . BI32). Anyone within ten yards of a cluster of lotus blooms ‘must make a HT-+ Will oll once per minute, otal unconscious 1 to the roll for each yard closer). An unconscious victim ‘makes a HT roll every 15 minutes to regain consciousness. Blos- soms lose their narcotic perfume one hour after plucking, ‘The juice of the black lotus is a quick and deadly poison. It works whether ingested or injected into the bloodstream. ‘The —20—vitim must make a HT-3 roll or he will go into a violent tetanic, seimure and die in 2d seconds. A successful rol still results in a violent seizure that incapacitates the victim for 2d hours (Id on «critical success), Black lotus juice is dark yellow in color and has a sweet taste. Cost is $100 per dose. ‘A powder can be precipitated from this juice. It is a respiratory poison with the same effects as the juice. The powder isyellow-green and very fine, Cost is $500 per dose. Or, for one week ayear, the polien ofthe black lows may be gathered; ithas ‘exactly the same effect asthe juice. ‘An antidote for black lotus poison is available but rare; when available it costs $300 per dose. Taken as a prophylactic not more than three hours before the poisoning it prevents any damage. Administered after the poisoning, it provents death and ‘esduces the incapacitating seizure to 1d minutes. ‘Gray lotus. Gray lotus is found in the Swannps of the Dead in the extreme east of Khitai. The dust precipitated from its sap induces a berserk state (sce p. B31) in anyone who breathes it, ulessa Will-5 roll is made to resist. The victim hasST +2 while the fit continues, but, unlike a normal berserk rage, be can make absolutely no distinction between friend and foe. IF he is alone he will attack inanimate objects and attempt to destroy them. The fit lasts until he is dead, unconscious or 2d minutes after he stops breathing the powder. The powder is light gray and is odorless and tasteless. Cost of this poison is $1,000 per dose. The antidote for it works as does that for black lotus; it costs $500 per dose ‘The fresh root of the gray lotus can be chewed to induce a more “normal” berserk state (S2e p. B31), in which the berserker ‘asa chance to recover his senses after his foes are defeated. The berserker also has a +2 t0 ST while the berserk state continues! This root does not travel well, usually lasting only a week after i iscut (though sometimes plant can be kept alive longer in a pot). Cost is $600 per dose witen available at all. Pink lotus. Pink lotus is found in tropical Vendhya. The ‘dor of the fresh blossom is an aphrodisiac. It gives a temporary Lecherousness disadvantage (see p. B34) to anyone who inhales, ‘Anyone who already has Lecherousness adds -3 t0 his Will penalty, There is no antidote. The blossoms retain their effect for one hour after they have been separated from the living plant The effect lasts for 1d hours after exposure. ’A paste made from pink lotus is an effective pain-killer on ‘open wounds, but it has an intoxicating side effect. The user temporarily is healed of all non-crippling wounds, but hc is, impulsive, overconfident and unreasonably happy until the ef- fect wears off in 10d minutes. Cost of this past is $200 per dose. similar pain-killing effect, without the side effect. is gained by raking a tincture of the leaves; this costs $300 per dose. Purple lous. The true purple lotus is found only in the Purple Lotus Swamp of Stygia. True purple lotus sells at ten times the price of other lotus. The fresh blossom, or the juice ‘squeezed from the blossom, is the most powerful and fastest- acting narcoticknown, It completely paralyzes the body instant- ly, unless a HT-S roll is made; the paralysis lasts for 3d hours ‘The mind remains completely conscious even though the body is helpless. Ifthe HTS roll is successful, DX is at ~3 for 3d hours. ‘The juice can he ingested or injected there is no known antidote. “The juice is 2 clear fluid and remains transparent when died itis odorless and tasteless. Wizards and mystics use the dug to free the mind from the body's demands; criminals have several other ingenious uses. A single dose (the juice from one ‘entire flower) costs $1,000. Fed lotus. Red lotus is one of the commoner varieties. Itis found in all the tropical parts of the continent. It is widely used as an intoxicant by smoking and chewing, It induces a sense of —21— ‘euphoria and seems to slow the passage of time. Red lotus is highly addictive (sce Addiction, p. B30) but legal almost everywhere, Itis difficult to find any where nomh of the Himelias ($50/dose), but common ($10/dose) south of the mountains, Purplish varities of red lotus are frequentiy sold as purple lotus (Gee above) and some unwary users don’t know the difference. Yellow lorws. This is another very valuable type. The pollen (of the yellow totus induces a trance of great value to mages. It lasts 1d hours and gives +2 t0 1Q and Will while the trance continues. The mage remains conscious of his physical sur- oundings and can react to them, However, if he moves or speaks aloud, he will break the trance! He will then be at 2 to both 1Q and Will for whatever time would have remained to his trance. One dose of the pollen casts $1,200. ‘A tea brewed from the dried blossom is an aid to concentra- tion: +1 to TQ for 10d minutes. It costs $150 per dose. New Lotus Potions Following the examples above, the GM may ereate a com- plete ‘“herbary”” of lotus drugs and potions in order to surprise the players with new effects. Howard and his successors in- vented new types of lous (or lotus effect) at need. The effect of the root of the black lotus, or the sap of the orange los, is yet, to be discovered! Masters of the Lotus ‘The GM may permit PCs to experiment with whatever raw Jotus they can find, to discover new effects; of course, this can be risky! They can even compound their own lotus formulas by using the Alchemy rules (p. M37). Substitue the appropriate skill (Physician, Chemistry or Poisons) for Alchemy skill, For items that require mamifactare, assume that the raw materials cost half the value of the finished product. The time required to ‘make the potion accounts for the other half of the value, at $25 per diy. Example: The raw juice of the black lotus is a natural poison ($100/dose). It can be used to make a potent powder ($500/dose). Half of the cost of a dose of powder is for the raw materials (in this case, $250 worth of juice). The other $250 pays for the maker's time at $25 per day — 90 it takes 10 days to make the powder out ofthe juice, Players may also experiment with lotus tocreate new drugs, using the nilesfor creating magic spells (p. M13). Eventhe most trivial new formula would require at least four weeks to re~ search, and a successful roll against the approriaic skill at ~5, plus a raw material cost set by the GM. More potent formulas ‘would take much longer! Other Poisons Apples of Derketo ‘These poisonous fruits grow in the jungles of the Black Kingdoms. They have thin skins and a reddish juice. Ingesting the juice causes 1d damage immediately and Id more in each tur that a successful HT roll isnot made, Three successful HT rolls, or one critical success, will stop any further damage. Even getting the juice on the hands is dangerous; it does 1d damage per mimute to exposed skin until it is rinsed off Upas Wine ‘This translucent, reddish liguid is made from the fruit of the upas tree, also known as the Apples of Derketo (soe above). The Juice is extracted from the fruit and allowed to setile out impur- ities. The result looks, smells and tastes like an unusually clear red wine, but docs 1d damage per dose (swallow) unless a roll vs. HT-3 is made. Each dose requires a separate roll. $200/dose. Hyborian CharactersHYBORIAN BESTIARY Key to Animal Statistics ‘ST, DX, 10, HT. HT will often have two numbers separated by a slash e.g., 15/35) ‘The first number is the “health” you roll against, the second number is “hit points."" SST and “hitpoints” are often given asa range. DX, IQ, and “health” are givens single ‘numbers; they may vary by a point or so in either direction for any species. ‘SpeediDodge (or SP/Dodge). Except in the case of loaded draft animals, Speed also ‘equals Move. Some creatures will have more than one Speed — flying and on the ‘ground, for example. The listed Speed in this case is for the most common situation, ©. flying for birds. Speed for ether situations is given in the text. Dodge (an animal's only active defensz) is % DX or ¥4 Move, whichever is better, up to 2 maximum of 10. PD/DR. PD and DR, if any, are from the creature's hide or armor. They usually won't vary much within a particular species.Damage. Listed damage is that for the creature's mostcom- ‘mon form of attack; damage for other forms of attack is given in the text description. Listed damage is for an average member of the species; stronger animals may do more. Abbreviations: imp = impaling, cut = cutting, cr = crushing. Reach. Most creatures attack by “close combat”” — a grap ple or slam, followed by an attempt to crush the foe or rip it 10 pieces. C = clos: combat; 1, 2, etc. = reach in hexes; R = ranged aitack, sec description for detail. ‘Size. The animal’s size in hexes. Small creatures take up less thana hex; several can ft in the same hex. Large animals occupy 2 ormore hexes; see p. B137. Weight. The creature’s weight, usually a range, in pounds or tons. Habitat, Where the creature is commonly found; the primary habitat is listed first. Habitats are abbreviated as fol- ows: Am Arctic J = Jungle P = Plains D= Desert M=Mounlain $= Swamp F = Forest ‘Sub = Subterrancan FW = Fresh-Water Aquatic SW = Salt-Water Aquatiz Note: D = any dry area, including scrub woodlands F = any temperate forest J. = any tropical forest P = any grasslands, including prairie (largely flat land), steppes (rolling hill) and savannas (dotted with tres) ‘An asterisk (+) means that the abil ‘way — s0¢ the text for dewails. ” means that the heading does not apply, sign means that there are exceptions 0 the number given — see the text for details. Previously Published Creatures ‘All of the normal animals described in the GURPS Basic Set (pp. B140-144) exist in the Hyborian Age. In particular, apes, lions, pythons and wolves all appear in Conan stories. ‘Animals from the GURPS Bestiary can also be found in the wildemesses of the Thurian continent, Any real or Ice Age animal can easily be inserted into the Hyborian Age, and many ‘mythical creatures also appear. Dinosaurs still survive in remote areas, Game stats and descriptions for some Bestiary creatures ‘which appear in the saga are reproduced below. or attack is special in some AS we Dinosaurs Allosaurus ST: 75-100 ‘SP/Doidge: 7/7 Size: 12+ ‘SP/Dodge: 7/7 DX: 14 PD/DR: 2/2 Weight: 1-2 tons PD/DR: 1/1 10:3 Damage: 4d imp# Habitats: J, P Damage: ‘HT: 14/40-50 Reach: C, 1 HT: 14/10-25 Reach: C, 1-7 ‘Allosaurus is possibly the ultimate carnivore. It looks like a smaller (15 feet tall) and faster Tyrannosaurus with larger forelimbs, Allosaurs can bite in close combat or at I-hex reach for 4d impaling damage, or claw in close combat for 1d cutting damage (their arms are relatively weak). They are called “dragons” in the Black Kingdoms. Giant Crocodile ST; 48-58 SP/Dodge: 8/64 Size: 14-17 DX: 13 PD/DR: 3/4# Weight: 1-2 tons 19: Damage: 24-2 cut Habitats: FW, S HT: 13/24-30 Reach: C# Giant crocodiles resemble their medem cousins, except for {hci large size (up to 50° long). They are found on the Antillian Islands, where the priests of Xotli keep them as “dragons.”” Giant crocodiles can bite for 34-2 cutting damage. They can also whip from side to side with their tails. This attack has a Reach of 3 and does 2d cnishing damage. Hyborian Creatures Carnivorous Ape ‘ST: 20-24 ‘SP/Dodge: 7/7 ‘Size: 1-2 DX: 13 Weight: 200-600 Ibs. Habitats: M, J ‘These huge creatures bear only scant resemblance to the ‘more tranquil primates of the modem age. They are huge car- nivores covered with shaggy brown or white fur and equippod with shurp tecth and claws. ae. Plesiossurs are air-breathing swimming carnivores which feed primarily on fish. However, they have no qualms about a quick snack of stilor, and are thus @ hazard to ships sailing far from the coasts. Plesiosaurs attack by biting for 1d+1 impaling

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