Age of Conan D&D House Rules Page- 1 - Current House Rulebook Version: 7/7/2007c (Campaign 5) What is best in life? To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of their women. DUNGEONMASTER DISCUSSION GROUP Dungeons & Dragons Hyborian Campaign House Rules Page- 2 - Preface Nordheimr Campaign “This campaign takes you into an exciting new realm of Campaign Levels: 1-12 adventure-the world of Conan and the Hyborian Age! Created The lands of Nordheim are Norse in culture. It is a hardy land by author Robert E. Howard and others, the Hyborian Age worthy of warrior clans struggling under the constant threat of forms part of an imaginary prehistory of our Earth. It is a “neighborly” raids, giants, hideous snow apes and worse. world filled with ancient and terrible gods, palaces and tombs filled with treasures beyond all record, sorcerers studying History of the Nordheimr long-lost arts, demonic creatures from dimensions outside “Once, long, long ago, thy people inhabited a land far to the space, princesses in peril, and beasts from an earlier, more north. It was the land of the gods, where days were counted in barbaric age. weeks and nights would last a month or more but the Great It is a time when bravery, trickery, and magic decide Glaciers had not yet come. Our people were simply known as men’s fates and a steel sword can make the difference between Ice People then and lived in peace, hunting and fishing for life and death. For the daring, strong, and clever, there are their livelihood. Then the great Snow Apes came upon us from fortunes to find and lands to rule. But evil also reigns in dark the north, mad, hungry raging animals. Great was the battle kingdoms and magic-haunted citadels-evil that strikes horribly and when it was done the snow lay red for a year. Greatness grew from such an event, and we were never to be the same. and unseen” ~ David Cook, “CN2-Conan Unchained” Within a generation we were invaded yet again, this time The campaign year is 1276 A.A. (Aquilonian Age). by Hyborian warrior tribes to the south. Great men of war, they deemed us as gods in battle! We fought them too and in time overcame them. And from their survivors we heard tales. They were tales of strange lands to the south, of war and glory; they stirred our blood. We could not stay! Our people began the long trek south, where they met more Hyborians. At first their bright swords an axes drove us back in great slaughter, but in time we too learned to wield sword and axe. They came to call us the Nordheimr, and having none for ourselves we accepted the name. For a thousand years we warred with the Hybori, and we honor their heroes among our own. At last they were betrayed by their own kin, the Hyperboreans who fell upon them as we struck from the north yet again. The northern Hyborians were driven south, in turn driving their southern neighbors even farther, thus beginning the great southern migrations of the proud Hyborian people. We now sit on the remnants of their first empires. At that time the Nordheimr began to war amongst themselves. Two great clans grew strong to dominate the rest. The red-maned Vanir fought their way to the western ocean, slaying all before them to rule Vanaheim and it’s nearby seas. The Aesir command the lands of Asgard and use ice ships on the great glacier. Of all the Hybori peoples whose lands once bordered the lands of the Nordheim only Hyperborea remains. That country’s albino nobles have firmly resisted all Nordheim and Turanian onslaughts upon their huge stone citadels with sorcery and an evil view for the world. To the south are the descendents of Atlantis, who have warred with each other for 5,000 years. They are the Cimmerians and the savage Picts. Still in the glacier to the north remain our mysterious forefathers, the Ice Folk. Their ways of survival there are wondrous and they use strange Ice minerals that can be formed into weapons, armors and tools.” ~ References: Hyborian War and Frostburn Dungeons & Dragons Hyborian Campaign House Rules Page- 3 - CHARACTER CREATION Class: Due to the Riddle of the Steel , all PC’s must This campaign house rulebook has standards that vary begin their careers in a class that grants no spells or slightly from the Players Handbook to help create a magic abilities at first level. They are highlighted gray feeling for the Hyborian Age. Use them to make a below. Magical PC’s must again take a level in a non- th character that fits both the setting and the group. To magical class at least every 4 level thereafter (e.g. increase your depth of experience and background you Ranger1/Sorcerer3/Rogue1). Asterisk indicates class are invited to review any material necessary regarding may create known spell list from any spell list. the Hyborian Age and the Conan tales. CLASS Source Barbarian Ability Score Determination: Use the Barbarian, Totem UA Standard Point Buy system from the DMG p.169 (25 Bard points). Beguiler PHB2 Binder TOM Cleric No turn or command undead Race: Common races are highlighted gray. Crusader TOB Race Cultural Equivalent Dragon Shaman PHB2 Black Tribesman African Druid Cimmerian Strong Celtic hillmen Duskblade PHB2 Expert UA Hyborian Roman-European Favored Soul CD Hyrkanian/Turanian Mongol/Middle eastern Fighter Hyperborean Gaunt, tall, albino race Fighter, Thug UA Iranistani Persian Hexblade CW Khitan Oriental Knight PHB2 Neandertal Eiglophian Mtn Neandertal Monk Nordheimr – Aesir Blonde haired Norsemen Monk, variant UA Nordheimr – Iseir Norse Glacial People Ninja CAd, OA Nordheimr - Vanir Red-haired Norsemen Paladin No turn undead Psionic class CP, XPH Pict Savage woodland culture Ranger Shemite Sumerian Ranger, non-spell CW S’tarra Bloodline of snakeman Ranger, Urban UA Stygian Egyptian Rogue Venhyan Indian Rogue, W ilderness UA Venhyan, Himalayan Tibetan, Afghani Samurai CW, OA Zamoran Dark Baltic Scout CAd Shadowcaster TOM Sha’ir* Dragon #315 Alignment is not used except for determining cleric Shugenja* CD, OA turning/curing. Relevant spells affect “enemies” rather than an Spirit Shaman CD, OA alignment. Sohei CD, OA Sorcerer* Spellthief CAd Swashbuckler CW No level stacking feat Swordsage TOB Truenamer TOM Unearthed Arcana Variants (any except gestalt) Warblade TOB Warlock CA Warmage CA Wizard* Wizard, Specialist Wu Jen* CA, OA Skills: All skills are class skills . Feats do not require minimum ability scores. Magic item creation feat level requirements are bumped up 5 levels (except feats for potion and scroll). Natural spell , Sugliin Mastery , and Vow of Poverty are not allowed. Exotic weapon allows a full category of weapons (e.g. one-handed weapons, thrown exotic, etc.) Dungeons & Dragons Hyborian Campaign House Rules Page- 4 - LEVELING COMBAT (replaces PHB charts): Action Points (Modified Unearthed Arcana p.122-4). • Hit Points: Level 1= CON. 2-20= ½HD +1 + Con One point may be used per round to enhance d20 rolls by st (1+1human) rd th th th th th th th an additional 1d6 or to do ‘special actions.’ Once spent, • Feats: 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 8 , 9 , 12 , 15 , 18 nd th th th they are gone forever. Unspent action points are lost • Single ability score increase 2 , 4 , 8 , 12 • rd th th when a PC gains a new level. Recharge: PC’s always All ability scores gain one point at 3 , 7 , 11 have at least one action point per game night. Each lnew evel resets action points to full and begins X.P. FOR LOOT Characters in a community can again at 3 + ½ new character level (round up). get rid of excess gold to gain experience points. Typical ‘Special Actions’ include: Activate class ability, Boost actions include wenching, feasting, roughhousing, defense, Emulate feat, Extra attack, Game-Stop-for- gambling, smoking black lotus, drinking away the Conference, confirm a critical threat, role-playing demons, dabbling in the dark arts, wronging-rights, Advantage, Spell boost, Sacrifice-for-another-PC (1 point crafting useless trinkets, breaking magic items, sleeping per party member), Spell recall, Stabilize, Stunt, Divert with the enemy, using your profession-skill critical or normal hit to instead break weapon/shield (or -2 inappropriately, making bribes, training, making sacrifices AC damage), etc. to the temple, fixing damage to armor and weapons, replacing worn equipment, cleansing taint, abusing Brawl Unarmed attacks and weapons used for non- power, rebuilding/retraining, gaining fame, etc. lethal attacks do a minimum of d6 subdual damage. Three Effects of X.P. for Loot Fumbles on a Natural 1 1) Earn 1 x.p. for every 4 gp worth of items or coins This can only happen on your first attack (or player’s wasted. choice if additional 1’s are rolled). There are two options: 2) Heal 1 hp per 4 gp in addition to normal. 1) Either drop the weapon 2 squares out of reach in a 3) 1-in-d12 chance of ending up no x.p gained and in an random direction (d4) (or break a bowstring 1 full round to unpleasant situation (DM’s choice). One check for each re-string) or 500 gp exchanged. 2) Hit the enemy for a critical and the weapon (or bow) is destroyed MAGIC & SPELLS How To Die To reach –10 or more from attack All magic is Arcane Divine, psionic, bardic and all other damage, a character must fail a constitution check magic falls into the ARCANE category. No class may (DC12), otherwise remain at -9 and initiative is moved to cast spells in armor they are not inherently proficient with last.