(circa "The Jewels of Gwahlur")
Male Human
10th level Expert
Hit Dice: 10d6 (35 Hit Points)
Initiative: +2 (dex)
Speed: 30 ft
AC: 12 (+2 Dex)
Attacks: Masterwork Knobkerrie +9/+4 melee
Damage: Masterwork Knobkerrie 1d4 (1d6)
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5ft
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +10
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 16
Skills: Diplomacy +18, Bluff +18, Sense Motive +18, Perform (Drums, Dancing) +18, Heal +18, Profession (Priest) +16, Spot +16, Listen +16, Intimidate +16
Feats: Rhetoric, Ritualistic Action, Drum Dancer, Weapon Focus (Knobkerrie), Skill Focus (Healing)
Climate/Terrain: Keshan, Punt, Stygia
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: None
Alignment: Lawful Good
Advancement: by Character class
Zargheba
Muriela the Dancing Girl
Gwarunga the Priest
Thutmekri
Gorulga the Priest
The Servants of Bīt-Yakin
~Robert E. Howard, "Jewels of Gwahlur"
Gorulga, a Keshani priest, speaks with a naturally deep, resonance. He really believes in his gods and is incorruptible. Although he is a priest, there is no evidence that he is a spell-caster. Although standard D&D lore is that all priests are of the cleric class, this is not necessarily true. If, as GM, you want Gorulga to be a spell caster, make him a mystic, as seen on my Classes page.
Combat
Gorulga fights with a knobkerrie (whacking stick). It has a range increment of 10 ft, weighs 1 lb, and has a critical of x2. The Knobkerrie looks like a club, but is closer in function to brass knuckles. The head of Gorulga's weapon is made from the hardened root bulb of a sapling, and is carved into a rounded ball like a mace. The tail end of the haft is sharpened as well.
Gorulga grasps the head in his hand, and uses it for punching attacks (1d4 damage), while the haft is
allowed to trail along the forearm for use in parrying knife slashes. He sometimes reverses he grip on the weapon, grasping the head and jabbing with the pointed end of the haft (1d4 damage). Finally, he often uses the haft of the weapon as a grip, allowing him to swing it like a club (1d6 damage).
If Gorulga is fighting defensively, the knobkerrie adds an additional +1 to his AC.
As with all of the Black Kingdoms and their characters, I highly recommend the Nyambe rules.
This is considered a minor Conan adventure. Even Weird Tales assigned the story a secondary position in the issue wherein it appeared. The story lacks the precision of the later Conan stories, and some have wondered if it was written a lot earlier than it appeared, a story Weird Tales had held back for one reason or another.
In this story, Conan is again a thievish rogue and is after a cursed treasure. It is very formulaic - a fabulous treasure, a lost city with labyrinthine passages, lurking peril, and a scantily clad lovely who requires rescuing. However, the tale does move at a rapid pace. The story is entertaining, but is not Howard's fiery best.
