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Moonglum

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I spent an hour today re-reading some 70's issues of Savage Sword of Conan, and it got me pondering the iconic figure as a character in various games. There is no wrong answer here, but it is actually a surprisingly tricky thing to get right - mid career Conan had remarkable physical gifts, but also finely honed skills that made him an accomplished thief, expert swordsman, survivalist and more. And, he doesn't make much sense in a system that doesn't provide exciting, bloody, cinematic combat. Not too many games capture all this well.

Here he is in my current favorite, mid-career (pre kingship) Conan, in Legacy Edition 'In The Labyrinth'. It is a bit of a stretch because the experience point costs for stat totals over 40 get very high, but the version below is just possible (and much less would feel wrong):

ST 18
DX 15
IQ 12
Talents: Brawling, Sword, Axe/Mace, Shield, Bow, Running, Horsemanship, Swimming, Sex Appeal, Toughness II, Acute Hearing, Alertness, Climbing, Acrobatics, Silent Movement, Tactics, Sword Expertise, Woodsman, Expert Naturalist, Stealth
Weapons: Bastard sword

This would take roughly 275k XP to reach a character like this, meaning a couple thousand 'sessions' of adventure. Hard to imagine how that could be possible without adventuring daily from youth to middle age, but it's hard to see how you'd stat him much lower, and almost all of the XP costs come from those high stats.
 
Sounds fun, but I don't think I know Conan well enough, not really having read much. Perhaps if I see him statted up on some other systems I know pretty well (D&D, BRP, Savage Worlds), I'd be able to use those as a guide and stat him up for Fate.
 
In Dragon magazine #36 (April 1980) Gary Gygax statted up Conan for AD&D. He provided 8 different statblocks by age from 15 to 70 with stat & level increases and then decreases in the last couple iterations. He also gave him a ton of ad-hoc special abilities (bonuses to saving throws, faster natural healing, bonus to surprise, bonus to climbing and jumping, higher move rate, innate detect magic ability, ability to hit creatures normally only hit by magic weapons, etc.) that in retrospect look very much like a first draft of the barbarian class that appeared a couple years later (issue #63 - July 1982) and was eventually published in Unearthed Arcana. The choices made for that class make a lot more sense when you realize that they’re based specifically on Gary’s modeling of Conan.

TSR also published a couple of Conan-branded AD&D modules in 1984 - the ones with movie stills of Arnold Schwarzenegger on the covers. His stats there are completely different than Gary’s write up - IIRC they just treat him as a standard fighter with some dual-class thief levels.
 
Moonglum said:
Hard to imagine how that could be possible without adventuring daily from youth to middle age . . .
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To be fair, that pretty much sounds like Conan's life to me.

Anyway, back when FATE split into Fate Core And Fate Accelerated Edition*, I read a neat blog post on Station53 that used the Conan stories to illustrate how advancement in a Fate game works.

*Five years? Where does the time go . . .
 
Well, huh, I guess I'll do a spitball at an RMSS Conan.

Conan the Adventurer

Level 10 Hillman Rogue (Barbarians are in School of Hard Knocks but Conan's a thief and a fighter)

Ag 95 / 95 (+7)
Co 99 / 99 (+9)
Me 80 / 90 (+3)
Re 70 / 85 (+1)
SD 60 / 75 (0 + 2 racial)
Em 55 / 65 (0)
In 90 / 90 (+5)
Pr 85 / 92 (+3)
Qu 99 / 99 (+9)
St 98 / 98 (+9)

I'll note that Conan does meet human individuals who are stronger, faster than himself but none are as all round capable.
Category Rank (Rank Bonus + Stat Bonus) = Total Bonus
Skill Rank (Rank Bonus + Category Bonus) = Total Bonus
Armour*Light 6 (12 + 23) = 35
Leather 6 (18 + 35) = 53
Armour*Medium 12 (24 + 25) =49
Chain 12 (49 + 36) = 85
Armour *Heavy 18 (36 +36) = 72
Plate 18 (72 + 54) = 126
Athletic*Brawn 20 (30 + 25) = 55
Power Blow 20 (55 + 50) = 100
Power Lifting 20 (55 + 50) = 100
Athletic*Endurance 10 (20 + 25) = 45
Marathon 10 (30 + 45) = 75
Swimming 10 (30 + 45) = 75
Athletic*Gymnastic 20 (30 + 23) = 53
Climbing 20 (50 + 53) = 103
Awareness*Perceptions - (0 + 17) = 17
Alertness 20 (20 + 17) = 37
Detect Ambush 20 (20 + 17) = 37
Awareness*Searching 20 (30 + 11) = 41
Observation 20 (50 + 41) = 91
Tracking 20 (50 + 41) = 91
Awareness*Senses 10 (20 + 17) = 37
Hearing 10 (30 + 37) = 67
Sight 10 (30 + 37) = 67
Situational Awareness Combat 10 (30 + 37) = 67
Smell 10 (30 + 37) = 67
Body Development - (0 + 20 + 10 spl) = 30
Body Development 20 (130 + 30) 160
Combat Maneuvers - (0 + 18) = 18 I think this is Ag + Qu + SD but I'm not sure
Mounted Combat 10 (50 +18) = 68
Reverse Stroke 10 (50+18) = 68
Two Sword Combat 20 (80 + 18) = 98
Influence 5 (10 + 6) = 16 I think this is Pr + Pr + Em
Duping 5 (15 + 16) = 31
Leadership 10 (30 + 16) = 46
Martial Arts*Strikes 20 (30 + 25) =55
Boxing 20 (50 + 55) =105
Martial Arts*Sweeps 20 (30 + 23) = 53
Wrestling 20 (50 + 53) = 103
Outdoor*Animal 10 (20 + 14) = 34 Ag + Em + Pr or In I can't remember
Ride Horses 10 (30 + 34) = 64
Outdoor*Environmental 10 (20 + 9) = 29 In + Re + Me I believe
Survival (Hill Country) 10 (30 + 29) =59
Subterfuge*Attack 5 (10 + 14) = 24
Ambush 5 (15 +24) = 39
Silent Kill 5 (15 + 24) = 39
Subterfuge*Stealth 20 (30 + 21) =51
Hiding 20 (50 +51) = 101
Stalking 20 (50 +51) = 101
Subterfuge*Mechanics (huh...what are those)
Weapon*1h Edged 20 (30 + 25) = 55
Broadsword 20 (50 + 55) = 105
Dagger 20 (50 + 55) = 105
Hand Axe 10 (30 + 55) = 85
Scimitar 10 (30 + 55) = 85
Weapon*Pole Arm 10 (20 + 25) =45
Spear 10 (30 + 45) 75
Weapon*2 Handed 15 (25 + 25) = 50
Battle Axe 15 (25 + 25) = 50
Great Sword 15 (25 + 25) =50
Weapon*Missile 10 (20 + 23) = 43
Short Bow 10 (30 +43) =73
Weapon*Thrown 20 (30 +23) =53
Dagger 20 (50 + 53) = 103
Spear 10 (30 + 53) = 83
Sword 5 (15 + 53) = 68

So, one thing I can't really remember is the profession bonuses for Rogues. +15 to the Weapon group anyhow. They have bonuses to armour, influence, and subterfuge skills. A good non-magic sword gives a +10 but Conan goes through swords. Movie Conan would have lower mental stats and blacksmith skill. I assumed maximum development of 2 ranks per level on core skills and one on less important ones. I didn't use development points or packages but the build would probably need some training packages, Burglar and Adventurer at the very least.
 
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CONAN The BARBARIAN

CALLING - Adventurer CULTURE - Cimmerian STATURE - Brawny

FIGHTING - Amazing
AGILITY - Legendary
STRENGTH - Excellent
DURABILITY - Uncanny
WITS - Legendary
REASON - Typical
WILLPOWER - Fantastic

STAMINA - 110
PSYCHE - 58

TRAITS
ATHLETICS - CHIVALRY - FEARLESS - LEADER - MARTIAL ARTS (METAL) - MERCENARY - OUTLAW
PIRATE - SKULDUGGERY - SURVIVAL! - SWORDSMAN - THIEF - WYTCHUNTER
 
Back in the 90s I read an AD&D 2e stat up on both him and Hercules. It determined that Conan had a Strength of 25 (Based on his feats of strength in the stories) but Hercules always had exactly 1 more strength than what was required to get something done (Or his opponent). The example they used was from the Hercules series ala Kevin Sorbo... Hercules can tangle with a god, exchanging blows and lift whole mountains if necessary, but he still struggles to haul a sack or potatoes into the house, or a garden stone across the yard.

I always found that interesting since 25 was stat max (Storm giant/Dragon strength) so if Conan had Max Strength already, how could Hercules have 26 when fighting him?

Sorry for the tangent.
 
Faylar said:
I always found that interesting since 25 was stat max (Storm giant/Dragon strength) so if Conan had Max Strength already, how could Hercules have 26 when fighting him?

Sorry for the tangent.
Click to expand...

An exception for every rule!
 
T. Foster said:
...
TSR also published a couple of Conan-branded AD&D modules in 1984 - the ones with movie stills of Arnold Schwarzenegger on the covers. His stats there are completely different than Gary’s write up - IIRC they just treat him as a standard fighter with some dual-class thief levels.
Click to expand...

I had those modules (still do -- somewhere). I kind of liked them and would be tempted to run an AD&D mini-campaign using them someday. They included special rules for magic, healing, etc., to reflect the setting (no clerics!).

One thing that annoyed me about the stats for Conan in those modules was that he did not have 18 [100] strength (I think it was 18 [90] or something like that). My teenage self thought: "C'mon TSR: If any character in the history of fiction has 18 [100] strength it's bloody CONAN!"
 
The Savage Sword Conan, REH's Conan and Milius' Conan are all different in a number of ways. I feel like REH's Conan has a much greater emphasis on his DEX rather than his STR (although that would still be high). His INT and probably his WIS would also be significantly higher than his comic and especially his movie variation.
 
Endless Flight said:
REH Conan would have a Dex of 18 or more I would think. He could move blindingly fast - panther-ish, I think it was referred to as.
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Yes the reference to Conan 'as lithe/silent as a panther' is used by REH so often I find it endearing.
 
That's the challenge with the new ITL: He needs to have an INT of at least 10-11 or you miss many of his obvious talents; his DX should be extraordinary (at least 15; you could argue up to 17 or 18); his ST is iconic; but the total can't reasonably be much over 40. So, basically you are going to come up with something not quite right. Yet the game is perfect for the setting, so there's that...
 
Akrasia said:
One thing that annoyed me about the stats for Conan in those modules was that he did not have 18 [100] strength (I think it was 18 [90] or something like that). My teenage self thought: "C'mon TSR: If any character in the history of fiction has 18 [100] strength it's bloody CONAN!"
Click to expand...

Except Conan does occasionally run into someone stronger and even faster than himself.
 
Conan, per GURPS 2nd/3rd edition rules. At age 27, during the Queen of the Black Coast time period:


Conan ("Amra the Lion")
ST 17
DX 15
IQ 13
HT 15

Speed 7.5
Move 9
Dodge 8
Parry 10
Block 9

Advantages
Absolute Direction
Alertness +3
Charisma +2
Combat Reflexes
Danger Sense
High Pain Threshold
Immunity to Disease
Literacy
Luck
Night Vision
Peripheral Vision
Rapid Healing
Strong Will +5
Toughness DRI

Disadvantages
Bad Temper
Enemy: ship captains of Hyborian coastal nations
Fanaticism: Love for Belit
Impulsiveness
Phobia: Magic (mild)
Reputation: Pirate
Sense of Duty: to Belit
Sense of Duty: to all women
Sense of Duty: to comrades
Social Stigma: barbarian
Stubbornness
Truthfulness
Wealth: struggling

Skills
Area Knowledge (Black Coast) 13, (Black Kingdoms) 12, Cimmeria 13, the East 12, Turan 13, Zamoria 13
Axe/Mace 15
Blacksmith: TL3 13
Boating 14
Bow 17
Brawling 16
Broadsword 18
Carousing 15
Climbing 16
Crossbow 16
Fast Draw: arrow 16, sword 17
First Aid 14
Fishing 12
Gambling 14
Jumping 16
Knife 18
Leadership 17
Riding 16
Running 18
Seamanship 15
Shield 16
Spear 17
Stealth 18
Streetwise 14
Survival: jungle 14, mountain 16, plains 16
Swimming 15
Tactics 15
Throwing 16
Tracking 16
Two-Handed Sword 17
...
etcetcetc...


GURPS isn't my favorite system, but I had GURPS Conan nearby on the bookshelf. I have no idea how I'd stat Conan with Elric!/Stormbringer rules. Don't really have the inclination to try it.
 
Well, it's not my favorite system, but IMO, the Barbarians of Lemuria rules for beginning PC generation make a pretty good stab at an age 18ish, "Tower of the Elephant"-level Conan:

Attributes: strength 3, agility 1, mind 0, appeal 0
Combat: initiative 2, melee 2, ranged 0, defense 0 [At this point, the unseasoned Conan acts on pure reflexes and "strike first, strike hard, no mercy": a foe dropped in one shot can't swing back.]
Careers: barbarian 3, blacksmith 0, mercenary 0, thief 1
Boons: Born Athlete, Marked by the Gods, Mountain Born, Sneaky [Yeah, his Boon/Flaw total is not strictly RAW, but it's freakin' Conan. For pure RAW, drop Mountain Born and Country Bumpkin. I'd say drop Can't Lie instead, but both "Queen of the Black Coast" and "The God in the Bowl" explicitly call out how bad Conan was at deceit.]
Flaws: Can't Lie, Country Bumpkin, Distrust of Sorcery
Derived: Lifeblood 13, Hero Points 6

Yeah, mind and appeal 0. "But Conan was smart! But Conan was a leader of men! But Conan hooked up with half the women in Hyboria!" Yes... later on, after he got Advancement Points, which he did aplenty. But in the beginning, his raw potential was often stymied by his lack of experience. The first scene of "The Tower of the Elephant" is Conan essentially failing an appeal roll. He got the information he needed, true, but got made fun of in front of the entire Zamoran tavern and would have walked away humiliated if his tormentor hadn't pushed the fight. Later on, he tried to sneak up on Taurus of Nemedia and... got caught. Then he noticed Yara's lions... at the last instant (Hero Point expenditure to reroll a failed Priority Roll). Marked by the Gods gives young Conan the Hero Points he needs to make up for the rolls he sometimes, yes, fails.

That said, what Conan is good at, he's already very good at. Between Born Athlete, Mountain Born, and barbarian 3, he can scale any wall or cliff. While his thief career is a mere 1, he has the Sneaky Boon ("moves like a panther") and, again, Born Athlete. Agility 1 might seem a little low, but... yet again, Born Athlete and Sneaky let him excel in his core competencies; his high initiative (and generous Hero Point expenditure) lets him avoid ambushes and traps; and Conan is noted for his many scars, which means at least some of his opponents tagged him before they fell to his blade. He relies on bursts of explosive speed and reflexes, nor sheer Cirque du Soleil acrobatic prowess. And as far as appeal goes, I'd let Conan add his barbarian career to his appeal when making social Task Rolls based on raw primal alpha-dog dominance, including getting with those grateful damsels he just saved. (It's noteworthy that mid-career Conan is better at leading barbarians, pirates, and similar types than at leading civilized troops, who sometimes balk at his command.)

By contrast, King Conan might look like this:
Attributes: strength 5, agility 3, mind 1, appeal 3
Combat: initiative 4, melee 4, ranged 2, defense 3 [While he got good at the Turanian longbow, it is canonically noted that there are better archers despite his Hero Point-boosted showing in "Queen of the Black Coast."]
Careers: barbarian 4, blacksmith 0, hunter 2, mercenary 3, noble 0, pirate 2, scholar 0, soldier 3, thief 2
Boons:* Alert, Born Athlete, Dueling Style (Cimmerian Savagery),** Hard to Kill, King of Aquilonia (Friends in High Places), Marked by the Gods, Mountain Born, Night Sight, Quick Recovery, Sneaky, Trusted Companion (from Honor+Intrigue: Zenobia, his wife, who helped him in affairs of state and was kind of a badass with a bow)
Flaws: Can't Lie, Distrust of Sorcery, Hunted (revolutionaries, assassins, etc.) ("But now I am a great king, the people hound my track/With poison in my wine-cup, and daggers at my back")
Derived: Lifeblood 17, Hero Points 6

* In a game using the Everywhen Resolve rules, King Conan would probably have Hard to Shake as well.

** From H+I. Basic Benefit as Old Style, Final Secret as Highland Style, and with the following maneuvers: Beat, Bladework, Brawling, Choke/Crush, Moulinet.
 
I feel like GURPS Conan is the best published game version of the setting, though I'm not a fan of the super elaborate stat blocks and bazillion fiddly modifiers and rules that characterize GURPS - when I'm playing Hyborian adventures, I prefer a system that bounces along at a higher clip.
 
frankly, I don't have enough Conan knowledge to feel like i can stat him up accurately. In Mythras, he'd probably have
  • 15+ in STR, SIZ, DEX, and CON. Particularly SIZ would be in the 15-17 range, based on some reading.
    • This gives him base combat skills of at least 30%, even without trying,
    • near maximum hit points
    • a damage modifier that is 1d4 or 1d6 (if he has 18 in STR and SIZ). I tend to think of him at 1d4, and not quite as tall as some, but nearly as strong.
    • DEX I'm going to put minimum 17, because lions get a 17 and tigers get a 19, and he's compared directly to tigers
  • probably 13+ in INT, POW, and CHA.
  • We are probably looking at 90+ in fighting skills and resistances (brawn, evade, willpower, endurance)
  • He'd probably have more than half a dozen languages at 40-50+
  • his skill in command and tactics is 90+ as well, and his stealth is at least a 70.
  • He's incorporated his unarmed fighting into his combat style, and has added many weapons over the years to it.
  • Athletics is at least 70 as well, maybe 90+
 
Here's a more 'human scale' version of the Legacy Edition ITL Conan, choked back to something that could be achieved in real play within in a couple of years:

ST 16
DX 15
IQ 11
Talents: Brawling, Sword, Axe/Mace, Shield, Bow, Running, Horsemanship, Swimming, Sex Appeal, Toughness II, Acute Hearing, Alertness, Climbing, Acrobatics, Silent Movement, Tactics, Sword Expertise, Woodsman
Weapons: Bastard sword

Not really that different from what I posted above, but this is the mid-career Conan you could actually grow from a seed as a player.
 
Endless Flight said:
REH Conan would have a Dex of 18 or more I would think. He could move blindingly fast - panther-ish, I think it was referred to as.
Click to expand...
Yes. And equally high Endurance, or equivalent stat. But he has met bigger, stronger men in the stories, and if/when he fought them, he won by being faster or outlasting them, not by suddenly becoming stronger.

King Ghidorah said:
Well, it's not my favorite system, but IMO, the Barbarians of Lemuria rules for beginning PC generation make a pretty good stab at an age 18ish, "Tower of the Elephant"-level Conan:

Attributes: strength 3, agility 1, mind 0, appeal 0
Combat: initiative 2, melee 2, ranged 0, defense 0 [At this point, the unseasoned Conan acts on pure reflexes and "strike first, strike hard, no mercy": a foe dropped in one shot can't swing back.]
Careers: barbarian 3, blacksmith 0, mercenary 0, thief 1
Boons: Born Athlete, Marked by the Gods, Mountain Born, Sneaky [Yeah, his Boon/Flaw total is not strictly RAW, but it's freakin' Conan. For pure RAW, drop Mountain Born and Country Bumpkin. I'd say drop Can't Lie instead, but both "Queen of the Black Coast" and "The God in the Bowl" explicitly call out how bad Conan was at deceit.]
Flaws: Can't Lie, Country Bumpkin, Distrust of Sorcery
Derived: Lifeblood 13, Hero Points 6

Yeah, mind and appeal 0. "But Conan was smart! But Conan was a leader of men! But Conan hooked up with half the women in Hyboria!" Yes... later on, after he got Advancement Points, which he did aplenty. But in the beginning, his raw potential was often stymied by his lack of experience. The first scene of "The Tower of the Elephant" is Conan essentially failing an appeal roll. He got the information he needed, true, but got made fun of in front of the entire Zamoran tavern and would have walked away humiliated if his tormentor hadn't pushed the fight. Later on, he tried to sneak up on Taurus of Nemedia and... got caught. Then he noticed Yara's lions... at the last instant (Hero Point expenditure to reroll a failed Priority Roll). Marked by the Gods gives young Conan the Hero Points he needs to make up for the rolls he sometimes, yes, fails.

That said, what Conan is good at, he's already very good at. Between Born Athlete, Mountain Born, and barbarian 3, he can scale any wall or cliff. While his thief career is a mere 1, he has the Sneaky Boon ("moves like a panther") and, again, Born Athlete. Agility 1 might seem a little low, but... yet again, Born Athlete and Sneaky let him excel in his core competencies; his high initiative (and generous Hero Point expenditure) lets him avoid ambushes and traps; and Conan is noted for his many scars, which means at least some of his opponents tagged him before they fell to his blade. He relies on bursts of explosive speed and reflexes, nor sheer Cirque du Soleil acrobatic prowess. And as far as appeal goes, I'd let Conan add his barbarian career to his appeal when making social Task Rolls based on raw primal alpha-dog dominance, including getting with those grateful damsels he just saved. (It's noteworthy that mid-career Conan is better at leading barbarians, pirates, and similar types than at leading civilized troops, who sometimes balk at his command.)

By contrast, King Conan might look like this:
Attributes: strength 5, agility 3, mind 1, appeal 3
Combat: initiative 4, melee 4, ranged 2, defense 3 [While he got good at the Turanian longbow, it is canonically noted that there are better archers despite his Hero Point-boosted showing in "Queen of the Black Coast."]
Careers: barbarian 4, blacksmith 0, hunter 2, mercenary 3, noble 0, pirate 2, scholar 0, soldier 3, thief 2
Boons:* Alert, Born Athlete, Dueling Style (Cimmerian Savagery),** Hard to Kill, King of Aquilonia (Friends in High Places), Marked by the Gods, Mountain Born, Night Sight, Quick Recovery, Sneaky, Trusted Companion (from Honor+Intrigue: Zenobia, his wife, who helped him in affairs of state and was kind of a badass with a bow)
Flaws: Can't Lie, Distrust of Sorcery, Hunted (revolutionaries, assassins, etc.) ("But now I am a great king, the people hound my track/With poison in my wine-cup, and daggers at my back")
Derived: Lifeblood 17, Hero Points 6

* In a game using the Everywhen Resolve rules, King Conan would probably have Hard to Shake as well.

** From H+I. Basic Benefit as Old Style, Final Secret as Highland Style, and with the following maneuvers: Beat, Bladework, Brawling, Choke/Crush, Moulinet.
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I'd put his starting points at Str 2, Agi 2, but on the rest, I agree with this:smile:!
 
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Moonglum said:
I feel like GURPS Conan is the best published game version of the setting, though I'm not a fan of the super elaborate stat blocks and bazillion fiddly modifiers and rules that characterize GURPS - when I'm playing Hyborian adventures, I prefer a system that bounces along at a higher clip.
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To this day I regret not getting a somewhat worn old copy of GURPS Conan that lingered in a bookstore at a mall I used to visit... ah well. When the time came to run a Conan game with SW, Mongoose's Road of Kings served me well.
 
I'm a big Conan geek and REH fan, although never really got into the comics. REH is under rated, I find he is as good or better a writer and story teller than many others of the time.

As to Conan I would agree with those who put his agility at an equal footing to his strength, maybe even being his top stat. He his frequently described as cat like, or panther like and while extremely strong, that is generally in regard to "soft" civilized men. Other barbarian types tend to be in the same general strength class as him. His strength is added to through his tremendous endurance / determination.


While stated out historic and fictional characters are kind of fun, I've never really put much stock in them. I don't find RPGs translate well to literal interpretations of books, comics, movies. They work fine for playing in the world of, but usually fail if you try to closely follow plot point to plot point of a specific story.



I'd love to get into a good Conan or Hyborian age clone game. My preference would be some flavor of BRP (I'm not too picky when it comes to BRP siblings) as I think S&S is where that game really shines. HERO, TFT or GURPS (in that order I think) would work well too (GURPS has gotten a bit to fiddly for me of late, I'm really wanting to dig into TFT when my hard copies arrive).

I'd even go for a game using Mongoose Conan or ACKS. Unfortunately the system for the current Conan game doesn't at all appeal to me based on reading some play examples. Too lite and free form for my tastes although I am interested in them as source material.

I really do need to check out Barbarians of Lumuria though, my dislike of lite games has resulted in my not even giving a look, which is probably a mistake. I mean I might not like it, but better to know that than just think it and potentially miss out on something fun. It is aimed squarely at playing Conan after all. The stat block above certainly looks functional. Stand by for a sell me on thread. :smile:



The Butcher said:
To this day I regret not getting a somewhat worn old copy of GURPS Conan that lingered in a bookstore at a mall I used to visit... ah well. When the time came to run a Conan game with SW, Mongoose's Road of Kings served me well.
Click to expand...

Surprisingly it isn't all that expensive, all the other quality Conan games must have brought the prices down. For a time they were quite expensive. Lately I've see them turn up on eBay for $30-40. As with most of their books GURPS Conan is quite well done, but Mongoose also did a good job. If you were playing GURPS it would be worthwhile, but I don't think you are missing out on much as a general resource, although the stated out Conan's are worth a look for ideas.

I am glad that Gurps Conan came out during my hard core buy anything that says GURPS on it phase.
 
I think the comics, covers by Frazetta and especially the film have given people the idea of a tremendously strong and muscle bound Conan but REH’s Conan is more wiry than huge.
 
I did solo series using Scarlet Heroes a couple years ago. This was my 12th level version of Conan:

Max HP: 78 AC 2 (scale, breastplate +1, helm) AC 7 otherwise

STR 19 INT 13 WIS 17 DEX 16 CON 18 CHA 16

+1 Two-handed Sword (+17) 1d10 (+5)
Dagger (+16) 1d4 (+4)

Fray Die: 1d8

Traits (16 total pts)
Son of Cimmeria +2 (barbarian culture, cold survival, blacksmith)
Slave of Brutheim +2 (endurance, perseverance)
Thief of Zamora +2 (climbing, raiding)
Soldier of Turan +3 (footman’s culture, training, discipline, jungle survival)
Corsair of the Black Coast +4 (sailing, pirate culture, sea survival)
General of Aqualonia +3 (tactics, leadership)

The full account of the play-through is HERE
 
Conan the Barbarian
Medium humanoid (human), neutral barbarian 1/ranger 1/rogue (thief) 3/fighter 11 (champion)

Armor Class 14 (hide)
Hit Points 118 (1d12+12d10+3d8+32)
Speed 40 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
18 (+4) 14 (+2) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 10 (+0)

Saving Throws Str +9, Con +7
Skills Athletics +14, Intimidation +5, Sleight of Hand +7, Stealth +12, Survival +6; disguise kit +5, thieves’ tools +5
Senses passive Perception 11
Languages Common, Thieves’ Cant
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)

Background: Guttersnipe - Urban Knowledge. Conan and his allies (while outside of combat) move at double their normal speed when traveling between two locations in the same city.

Action Surge (1/Short Rest). Once on his turn, Conan can take an additional action on top of his regular action and a possible bonus action.

Cunning Action (1/Turn). Conan can take a bonus action to take the Dash, Disengage, Hide or Use Object action, Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check, or to use thieves’ tools to disarm a trap or open a lock.

Favored Enemy. Conan has advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track humans and human-abomination hybrids, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them.

Feat: Mobile. Conan can Dash through difficult terrain without requiring additional movement. Whenever he makes an attack against a creature, he doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks from that creature until the end of his turn.

Feat: Power Attack. When Conan makes his first melee weapon attack in a turn, he can choose to take a -5 penalty to his melee weapon attack rolls in exchange for a +10 bonus to melee weapon damage. In addition, Conan can use a bonus action to make one melee weapon attack after he uses a melee weapon to reduce a creature to 0 hit points or scores a critical hit with it. Conan can only use this feature on his turn.

Fighting Style: Great Weapon Fighting. When Conan rolls a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack he makes with a melee weapon that he is wielding with two hands, he can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for Conan to gain this benefit.

Indomitable (1/Long Rest). Conan can reroll a saving throw that he fails but must use the new roll.

Natural Explorer: Mountains. When Conan makes an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to the forest, his proficiency bonus (+5) is doubled if he is using a skill that he’s proficient in. While traveling for an hour or more in his favored terrain, Conan gains the following benefits:
  • Difficult terrain doesn’t slow his group’s travel.
  • Conan’s group can’t become lost except by magical means.
  • Even when he is engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), Conan remains alert to danger.
  • If Conan is traveling alone, he can move stealthily at a normal pace.
  • When he forages, Conan finds twice as much food as he normally would.
  • While tracking other creatures, Conan also learns their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.
Rage (2/Long Rest). On his turn, Conan can enter a rage as a bonus action. His rage lasts for 1 minute, ending early if he is knocked unconscious or if his turn ends and he hasn’t either attacked a hostile creature since his last turn or taken damage since then. Conan can also end his rage on his turn as a bonus action. While raging, he gains the following benefits.
  • Conan has advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
  • When Conan makes a melee weapon attack using Strength, he deals 2 extra damage.
  • Conan has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
Remarkable Athlete. Conan adds +2 to any Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution check he makes that doesn’t already use his proficiency bonus. In addition, when he makes a running long jump, the distance he can cover increases by 4 feet.

Second-Story Work. Climbing does not cost Conan extra movement. When he makes a running jump, the distance he covers increases by 2 feet (with Remarkable Athlete, 6 feet).

Second Wind (1/Short Rest). On his turn, Conan can use a bonus action to regain 1d10+11 hit points.

Sneak Attack (1/Turn). Conan deals an extra 7 (2d6) damage when he hits a target with a weapon attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the target is within 5 feet of an ally of Conan that isn’t incapacitated and Conan doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. Conan attacks three times.

Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) slashing damage.

Dagger (4). Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4+4) piercing damage.

Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) piercing damage.
 
Those last two entries are both great, but it is kind of amazing what a picture they paint of the change in the hobby over the last 40 years! Two basically equivalent Conan's - one that would fit on a single typed line and another that you'd be lucky to fit on a page!
 
My Conan is a RAW player character build (and probably wouldn't fit on a single page unless the font was small or the type was crazy tight). You can almost certainly make an NPC statblock of him that isn't as lengthy, but if you're like "man I want to *play* as Conan in D&D 5e" ^^^ is one way that'll look. I'm not going to link the thread it spawned because it is an unholy 280+ comments--there is a ton of disagreement over whether or not it's a solid depiction. :p
 
Conan’s mental attributes are not high enough in that build, for one thing. You couldn’t point buy his stats. They would have to be rolled.

I’m thinking by 16th level they would be something like Dex 19, Str 18, Con 19, Int 14, Wis 17, Cha 16.
 
RAW in 5th edition using a point-buy system and starting with the standard 27 points that is mathematically not possible at this level. At the very most you could squeeze 4 points of attributes yet (six if you popped him up to 19th level).
 
I've done Conan as a Barbarians of Lemuria starting character (link, based on "Tower of the Elephant") and as a Supers! BLUE starting character (link, based on What If? #43) and as a Jaws of Seven Serpents starting character (link, based on my BoL version).

"Tower of the Elephant" Conan is actually my test character for an RPG system. If I can make him as a starting character, then it's a thumbs-up for the rules set in question. If I can't, time to move on ...
 
FWIW my Conan is totally RAW using MegaTraveller (in order to get the extra "Special Duty" skill eligibility - using Supplement 4 he'd only have 8 skill rolls, which didn't feel like enough) - you just have to accept that he started out with CCC physical stats :smile:
 
I don't agree that Conan need to be given exceptionally high INT, WIS or CHA scores. He is portrayed as having a forceful personality and a lot will power, but there is nothing particularly tricky or insightful about him. And in most stories people's first impressions of him are not that great - they often take one look at him and figure he's a dumb ass, or a hot head, or a bumpkin. So, while he does score a lot with the ladies, it is hard to justify a really high CHA score. I also think he can be left without lock picking or pick pocketing skills. He lived as a thief but I don't recall him ever doing either of these things.
 
Moonglum said:
I don't agree that Conan need to be given exceptionally high INT, WIS or CHA scores. He is portrayed as having a forceful personality and a lot will power, but there is nothing particularly tricky or insightful about him. And in most stories people's first impressions of him are not that great - they often take one look at him and figure he's a dumb ass, or a hot head, or a bumpkin. So, while he does score a lot with the ladies, it is hard to justify a really high CHA score. I also think he can be left without lock picking or pick pocketing skills. He lived as a thief but I don't recall him ever doing either of these things.
Click to expand...

this is one thing I like about doing it up the Mythras way (or really any skill based system) - you don't need high stats to reflect some of this. Conan could have relatively normal intelligence, but a lot of skill points in willpower, influence, languages, etc.
 
I interpret Conan as having above average -- but not 'amazing' -- intelligence and wisdom scores (around 13-14 in AD&D/D&D terms).

As for Charisma, he does end up King of Aquilonia... If ability scores can improve over time, I'd say 'young' Conan has a 13 Charisma, but ends up with ~16 by the time he becomes King (with ~14-15 when he leads bands of pirates and brigands earlier in his career).
 
He’s not book smart but he has a good head on his shoulders and I think his wisdom is pretty high. He knows not to go into certain situations that others might because they didn’t have their wits about them.
 
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