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CHARACTER
CLASSES
Literacy
All
characters with the exception of the Wizard and Cleric (and
Aristocrat NPC class) begin illiterate, just like the Barbarian
in standard D&D. They must buy the ability to read
languages just like the Barbarian, separate from just being able
to speak those languages. They only need to buy Literacy
once, and it applies to all languages they can speak. The Cost
for Literacy is outlined below, depending on class:
Class:
Barbarian
(4 skill points)
Bard (1 skill point)
Druid (2 skill
points)
Fighter (2 skill points)
Monk (2 skill
points)
Ranger (4 skill points)
Rogue (2 skill
points)
Sorcerer (2 skill points)
Starting
Languages: All characters begin with their native language
(see Languages, under Skills). They also get to choose another
free language from an area near their homeland. Characters get
one additional free language for each point of Intelligence
bonus they have (per the rules). Non-Human tongues that are
permissable to take with GM approval are: Celestial, Infernal,
Ignan, Auran, Aquan, Terran, Draconic and Giant.
Notes
on Classes:
Barbarian: No changes necessary in a Hyborian
Age campaign. Examples include Conan himself. Appropriate
kingdoms: Cimmeria, Æsgard, Vanaheim, the Turanian
Steppes, Himelian Mountains (Afghulistan), Kush, Zembabwe, and
the Black Kingdoms, as well as the Pictish Wilderness.
Bard:
Most singers, poets, and tale-tellers in the Hyborian
kingdoms are Experts (per DMG), with ranks in Perform and
Knowledge and do not cast spells. Some rare few of ability
and talent are looked upon with favor by a patron diety and
blessed with special affection and gifts. Bard spells are
considered Divine, not Arcane. Bards do not get access to
domains, or undead turning ability or any other properties
related to Clerics. Bards are always exceptional characters with
exceptional stories and are very, very rare. It is likely that
the player is the only living bard in his area of the
world.
Cleric: While many spellcasting priests in
Conan's world were actually Sorcerors, some others are Clerics,
or both. Sometimes, to the lay person, the line is
indistinguishable, particulary among the evil gods, like
Set.
Druid: Druids are rare, and are not likely to
be found near large populations of people. Druids are
often found among the more primitive and savage peoples of the
Thurian Continent, while Clerics are found among the more
civilized. Mistrust and misconceptions between the two are
common, and many druids can be expected to not be very welcome
in lands outside their own. Druids can change the scimitar
proficiency for any other weapon the GM feels is appropriate for
the culture he came from.
Fighter: No changes
necessary in a Hyborian Age campaign. This is the most
common PC class for a Hyborian Age campaign.
Monk:
No changes necessary in a Hyborian Age campaign. Most monks will
come from the Eastern kingdoms such as Khitai and Vendhya.
Many of the wizardly orders practice martial combats. The
Conan of Marvel Comics often ran into monks, so it is easy to
imagine these characters in a Hyborian Age campaign.
Paladin:
Inappropriate to a Hyborian Age campaign. Paladin was just
another word for knight in Conan's world. The spell
casting ability and spell like powers of the D&D paladin
render this class inappropriate to the setting.
Ranger:
Rangers exist in the world in some numbers, but they are
modified from the PHB – see further down the page for the
revised Ranger class.
Rogue: No changes necessary
in a Hyborian Age campaign. This would also be a common PC
class in the Hyborian Age. Examples include Shevatas the
Thief from "Black Colossus". There are rogues in
every major kingdom of the age as civilization tends to breed
rogues.
Sorcerer: Sorcerors gain their powers
through a compact with some extradimensional entity (most often
an evil one) in exchange for power. They do not need to have
much of an understanding of magic and do not need to engage in
the spell-capturing process of Wizards, though they must rest in
order to regain the energy necessary to channel arcane energies
from their Master. All sorcerors have a mark on their body which
symbolizes their compact, often a tatoo or scar. Many sorcerors
act as priests, particularly for darker gods like Set. Most
people do not trust sorcerors and can't distinguish the
difference between them and Wizards. There is no net change in
the class, however.
Wizard: Wizards gain their
power on their own terms – that is, they do not rely
directly upon an extradimensional entity to give them spell
capabilities, but instead through discipline, learning and hard
study they delve into the Outre Secrets that lie in The Outside,
the nebulous and alien place that surrounds and fills in the
places between the Planes of Existance. Magic is innately alien
and hostile to mankind, so a Wizard dabbles with potential
insanity and danger. To gain spells, a Wizard learns to enter a
trance where he sends his mind out into The Outside to capture
the complex energies and mind-warping formulae which comprise
spells, and stores them in his mind, for later use. Once
unleashed, he loses the spell, and must again go into The
Outside to attain it again. There is no net game effect or
change in the class, however.
The Ranger (Hyborian
version):
Modified from the 3E Player's Handbook as
follows:
- 1d10 HD
- Has Fighter BAB progression
-
Has favored saves in Fortitude and Reflexes
- Gains 4 skill
points per level (+INT)
- Class Skills remain unchanged
-
Does not gain the Virtual Feats of (Ambidextrous and Two -Weapon
Fighting)
- Do not gain spells at higher levels
- Do not
gain Favored Enemy per the rules
- Gains Track as a free
feat
- Gain either new Favored Land, Favored Enemy or Favored
Beast Feat (choice) at 1st level and every second
level afterwards (2nd, 4th, 6th,
etc).
- Gain a new Ranger Feat (below) at 1st
level and every four levels afterward (4th, 8th,
12th, etc).
Ranger
Feats: Alertness, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, Skill
Focus (Wild Lore, Animal Empathy, Animal Handling, Intuit
Direction, Swim, Climb, Jump, Hide, Move Quietly, Spot, Search,
Listen, Knowledge Nature, Profession Herbalist, Profession
Animal Trainer, Rope Use, Craft (Bowyer), Craft (Fletcher),
Craft (Carpenter), Craft (Leatherworker)), Run, Toughness,
Dwarve's Toughness, Giant's Toughness, Dragon's Toughness, Point
Blank Shot, Shot on the Run, Precise Shot, Mounted Combat.
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