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Robert E. Howard’s THE MERCENARY 200023 MUH050380 , the Printed in Latvia Printed 781912 SBN 978-1-912200-02-3 9 I corebook to use. to corebook Conan the Mercenary Writeups for Conan the Mercenary, Tsotha- the Mercenary, Conan for Writeups Prince Almaric, Princess Yasmela, lanti, Pelias, foes such as Khotan, and monstrous Thugra and Satha Statues, Mount, Iron the Nightmare the Old One. Command for mass battles! system An all-new and die in the live that troops the very of arms. profession world- by art and maps, produced Stunning artists. Conan renowned scholars, with leading Conan Developed it — savage, depicted as Howard this is war and glory! and heaped in both gore unforgiving,

■ ■ ■ ■ on the annals of history in blood. of history on the annals battle fi elds are yours to kill for, and to die on. and for, to kill yours elds are fi battle Robert E. Howard’s Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of

ARE OTHER HARVESTS TO BE REAPED WITH THE SWORD.” THE SWORD.” TO BE REAPED WITH ARE OTHER HARVESTS

I NEVER PLANTED WHEAT AND NEVER WILL, SO LONG AS THERE SO LONG AS THERE WHEAT AND NEVER WILL, I NEVER PLANTED “I’M A MERCENARY. I SELL MY SWORD TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER. THE HIGHEST BIDDER. I SELL MY SWORD TO “I’M A MERCENARY. Learn the ways of the mercenary — sieges, of the mercenary Learn the ways — and as defeats as well victories, battles… between. the time spent carousing A gazetteer covering locations in Conan’s in Conan’s locations covering A gazetteer and take to rulers attempt where world, armies are and mercenary maintain thrones, Inside erence. the diff make that the forces Shem, and Ophir, Koth, detailed guides to are Khoraja. New archetypes, talents, and equipment, talents, archetypes, New mercenary own your create to you allowing the skills and companies, with all characters enemies! your conquer needed to Join your dog-brothers and sword-sisters on the fi elds of battle, and take your pay in gold and glory!your pay and take elds of battle, on the fi sword-sisters and dog-brothers your Join alone, and the task is left to those sell-swords who trade blood for coin. In blood for coin. who trade to those sell-swords and the task is left alone, for war — gold is the wage for your blade. The jeweled thrones of the Earth tremble when mercenaries Earth tremble of the thrones blade. The jeweled for your — gold is the wage for war

Join legendary mercenary companies, support revolts, or fi ght for the throne. It matters not the motive It matters ght for the throne. or fi companies, support revolts, legendary mercenary Join banditry. In this age, the records of war and battle are mankind’s only testament, and names are written and names are testament, only mankind’s are and battle of war age, the records In this banditry. ■ ■ ■ mass against them, and citizens pray to their gods when those selfsame killers are out of work and turn to out of work their gods when those selfsame killers are to pray and citizens them, mass against The Hyborian Age is a time of incessant war. The armies of kings and queens cannot master the battlefi eld the battlefi armies of kings and queens cannot master The a time of incessant war. is Age The Hyborian This book requires the This book requires Sample file Sample Sample file Sample file Robert E. Howard’s

ADVENTURES IN AN AGE UNDREAMED OF

System Design Lead Graphic Design Benn Graybeaton, Nathan Dowdell Michal E. Cross & Jay Little Layout Line Development Thomas Shook Jason Durall & Chris Lites Additional Graphic Design Writing Dan Algstrand & Malcolm Wolter Chris Lites Produced by Approvals Chris Birch Patrice Louinet & Jeffrey Shanks Operations Manager Editing & Proofreading Garry Harper Sally Christenson, Jason Durall, Joshua Klug & Richard August Community Support Lloyd Gyan Cover Artwork Liam Sharpe Publishing Assistant Sam Webb Interior Artwork Gio Baroni, Jorge Barrero, Shen Fei, Michele Frigo, With Thanks to Nick Greenwood, Robert Jenkins, Diana Martinez, The Robert E. Howard Foundation, Andrë Meister, Christian Quinot, Martin Sobr, Professor John Kirowan, H.P. Lovecraft, Michael Syrigos & Ricardo German Ponce Torres Fred & Jay at Cabinet Entertainment

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Legal © 2018 Conan Properties International LLC (“CPI”). Conan, , Hyboria and related logos, characters, names, and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks or registered trademarks of CPI. All rights reserved. Robert E. Howard and related logos, characters, names, and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks or registered trademarks of Robert E. Howard Properties Inc. All rights reserved.

The 2d20 system and Modiphius Logos are copyright Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. 2015–2018. All 2d20 system text is copyright Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. Any unauthorised use of copyrighted material is illegal. Any trademarked names are used in a fictional manner; no infringement is intended. SampleThis is a work of fiction. Any similarity with actual people and events, past or present,file is purely coincidental and unintentional except for those people and events described in an historical context. 2nd Printing. Printed by Livonia Print, Ventspils iela 50, Riga, LV-1002, Latvia. TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction Chapter 4 CONAN THE MERCENARY ������ 2 ENCOUNTERS ������������������������54 The Sell-Sword’s Way ����������������������������������������������������� 2 Dog-Brothers and Sword-Sisters ��������������������������������� 54 Monstrous Foes and Horrors ��������������������������������������� 62 Chapter 1 Khorajans of Renown ��������������������������������������������������� 66 MERCENARY CHARACTERS ���� 5 Kothians of Renown ����������������������������������������������������� 73 Mercenary Homelands ��������������������������������������������������� 5 Mercenary Castes ����������������������������������������������������������� 6 Chapter 5 Mercenary Stories ����������������������������������������������������������� 7 HITHER CAME CONAN… ��������82 Mercenary Natures ��������������������������������������������������������� 9 Mercenary Archetypes ��������������������������������������������������� 9 Chapter 6 Mercenary Educations ������������������������������������������������� 13 THE MERCENARY WAY ��������85 War Stories ��������������������������������������������������������������������� 13 Camp Followers ������������������������������������������������������������� 85 Other Character Aspects ��������������������������������������������� 15 Renowned Mercenary Companies ����������������������������� 91 Mercenary Talents ��������������������������������������������������������� 15 Mercenary Companies ������������������������������������������������� 94 The Tools of War ����������������������������������������������������������� 17 Sieges ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 96 Akbitanan Steel ������������������������������������������������������������� 20 The Spoils of War ����������������������������������������������������������� 96 Carousing as a Mercenary ������������������������������������������� 98 Chapter 2 Mercenary Adventures ����������������������������������������������� 101 GAZETTEER ���������������������������� 22 Mercenary Campaigns ����������������������������������������������� 104 Khoraja ��������������������������������������������������������������������������� 22 Koth ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 28 Chapter 7 Ophir ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 34 BATTLES ������������������������������ 105 Shem ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 41 Running a Battle ��������������������������������������������������������� 105 Important Skills in Battles ����������������������������������������� 106 Chapter 3 A Round of Battle ��������������������������������������������������������� 106 EVENTS ��������������������������������� 48 Kingdom Events ������������������������������������������������������������ 48 Chapter 8 Natural Events ��������������������������������������������������������������� 50 MERCENARIES OF THE AGE �110 Unnatural Events ����������������������������������������������������������� 51 Freya the Red ��������������������������������������������������������������� 110 Magnus of Poitain �������������������������������������������������������� 111

Index ��������������������������������������������������������������������113 Sample file INTRODUCTION CONAN THE MERCENARY

Conan laughed and lifted the jug. “When you allow the elevation of a man, one can be sure that you’ll profit by his advancement. I’ve earned everything I’ve won, with my blood and sweat.”

— “A Witch Shall Be Born”

ell-swords, dog-brothers, mercenaries — these are but a few of the names given to those who are paid in coin THE SELL- Sto shed blood. From the time first development of the SWORD’S WAY sword and a form of trade, a sword-arm could be bought. Nemedian scholars say it is the second oldest profession. The life of the mercenary is heaped in gore and glory. In Indeed, the profession of arms is as necessary a part of your ears ring the stories of dog-brothers and sword-sisters society as the farmer, the blacksmith, and even the king who live and die by the sword… in return for coin. The — after all, what king rules without men to fight for him? bodies are heaped all around you, your sword is slippery In the Hyborian Age, standing armies are not the stan- in your hands, but its blade doesn’t stop swinging and the dard affair we know today. While some few kingdoms coin doesn’t stop piling up. such as Aquilonia employ full-time militaries, many more Conan the Mercenary offers new character options; kingdoms use conscription to raise armies when the cry of details on places like Koth, Shem, Ophir, and Khoraja; a war is heard. Filling out these pressed ranks, composed of host of mercenary companies; a mass combat system for boys shaking with fear, farmers thinking of their harvest, handling company-sized skirmishes; non-player encoun- and old men waiting for the end one way or another, are ters; and more. mercenaries. Professional soldiers, whose loyalty is to no crown or ideology but to the glint of coin and the bloodlust Chapter 1: Mercenary Characters in their hearts. It is to these men and women this book This section offers new castes, stories, archetypes, educa- directs itself — to their way of life, and into their resulting tions, and war stories to create mercenary player characters. adventures, that we now delve. It also covers new equipment, armor, and weaponry.

Chapter 2: Gazetteer SampleWhile mercenaries fight all over thefile known world, this book focuses on the fractious and ambitious kingdom of Koth, the opulent and rich Ophir, the loose city-states