Samloyal23
Adventurer
I like a subtle, sneaky spell like this. It works more like magic in real world folklore than in a comic book or movie...
D&D General GM's Closet for the CONAN RPG
Spell Idea: From Conan The Invincible
Conan The Invincible is one of my favorite non-Howard Conan yarns. The sorcerer Amanar is the big bad guy in that novel. At the end of the book, we see him cast a spell....
That's one heck of a spell!
It's a combination of Hold Person and Charm Person (more like Domination). You can see the bit above where it says...
I read that as Karela bricking her Saving Throw against the spell!
The spell could be the same one that I've mentioned earlier--different versions of the same spell. They seem like the same spell. And, obviously, Amanar can adjust the spell to his tastes, either having the victim be fully aware or completely oblivious to when she is under the spell.
The spell is so powerful that I would either make it hard to throw, or make it a high level spell (or both).
I could definitely see a magical link, like some hair from the victim, used in the spell, originally. Then to activate it again (because, earlier in the book, Conan saw Karela under this spell, and she didn't know it when he spoke with her later), it would happen as described in the paragraph above.
I wonder...do you think the glowing runes that float in the air are visible by all...or just the victim?
Conan The Invincible is one of my favorite non-Howard Conan yarns. The sorcerer Amanar is the big bad guy in that novel. At the end of the book, we see him cast a spell....
That's one heck of a spell!
It's a combination of Hold Person and Charm Person (more like Domination). You can see the bit above where it says...
I read that as Karela bricking her Saving Throw against the spell!
The spell could be the same one that I've mentioned earlier--different versions of the same spell. They seem like the same spell. And, obviously, Amanar can adjust the spell to his tastes, either having the victim be fully aware or completely oblivious to when she is under the spell.
The spell is so powerful that I would either make it hard to throw, or make it a high level spell (or both).
I could definitely see a magical link, like some hair from the victim, used in the spell, originally. Then to activate it again (because, earlier in the book, Conan saw Karela under this spell, and she didn't know it when he spoke with her later), it would happen as described in the paragraph above.
I wonder...do you think the glowing runes that float in the air are visible by all...or just the victim?
The Port of Asgalun
Asgalun is usually considered to be Shem's largest port. Some argue that it is the only port of any size in all of Shem. Imagine my surprise when reading the old Marvel Comics series from the 1970's called Conan The Barbarian, I saw, in issue #72 - Vengeance in Asgalan, that the Marvel/Roy Thomas stance in that story is that Asgalan, although on the coast, does not have a deep water port.
Shem is shown with a rocky shore, and up on a high cliff, there is the walled city-state of Asgalan. The argument must be that overland trade is so strong that Asgalan refuses to partake of the riches from the sea.
Still, there must be ports in Shem somewhere as, at the beginning of the story, Conan/Belit hit a Shemmite ship and steal its cargo.
Asgalun is usually considered to be Shem's largest port. Some argue that it is the only port of any size in all of Shem. Imagine my surprise when reading the old Marvel Comics series from the 1970's called Conan The Barbarian, I saw, in issue #72 - Vengeance in Asgalan, that the Marvel/Roy Thomas stance in that story is that Asgalan, although on the coast, does not have a deep water port.
Shem is shown with a rocky shore, and up on a high cliff, there is the walled city-state of Asgalan. The argument must be that overland trade is so strong that Asgalan refuses to partake of the riches from the sea.
Still, there must be ports in Shem somewhere as, at the beginning of the story, Conan/Belit hit a Shemmite ship and steal its cargo.
Spell Idea: From Vengeance in Asgalun
Here's another spell that you can develop for your game. It's from issue #72 of the original Marvel Conan The Barbarian comic series (I read it in The Chronicles of Conan Volume 10).
A Stygian named Ptor-Nubis casts this spell on Belit. He is a sorcerer of the Black Ring. There is no verbal component, although the sorcerer must touch the target (touch attack). From the story, it is clear that the spell falls under the Hypnotism style of sorcery.
Ptor-Nubis merely lurches forward and lightly touches Belit's forehead. That specific attack should have a penalty for the target, and most probably a Finesse Attack is required. Avoiding any armor is also required.
Belit must have failed her saving throw because she beings to attack Conan.
Conan, in the comic, displays the Total Defense style of fighting from the core rulebook.
Belit comes out of it when Ptor-Nubis releases her.
So, it's a powerful spell--one that can make the target fight even his dearest ally.
It should also be noted that Belit acts sluggish from the spell. Maybe a penalty to DEX? Or, maybe use one of the conditions from page 224 of the core rulebook? Say, "Shaken", which provides a -2 penalty to attacks, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. Or maybe "Sickened", which provides a -2 penalty on attacks, weapon damage, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
It is a form of mind control and is more of a spell than it is straight Hypnotism, so it does require some Power Points--at least one.
Here's another spell that you can develop for your game. It's from issue #72 of the original Marvel Conan The Barbarian comic series (I read it in The Chronicles of Conan Volume 10).
A Stygian named Ptor-Nubis casts this spell on Belit. He is a sorcerer of the Black Ring. There is no verbal component, although the sorcerer must touch the target (touch attack). From the story, it is clear that the spell falls under the Hypnotism style of sorcery.
Ptor-Nubis merely lurches forward and lightly touches Belit's forehead. That specific attack should have a penalty for the target, and most probably a Finesse Attack is required. Avoiding any armor is also required.
Belit must have failed her saving throw because she beings to attack Conan.
Conan, in the comic, displays the Total Defense style of fighting from the core rulebook.
Belit comes out of it when Ptor-Nubis releases her.
So, it's a powerful spell--one that can make the target fight even his dearest ally.
It should also be noted that Belit acts sluggish from the spell. Maybe a penalty to DEX? Or, maybe use one of the conditions from page 224 of the core rulebook? Say, "Shaken", which provides a -2 penalty to attacks, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. Or maybe "Sickened", which provides a -2 penalty on attacks, weapon damage, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
It is a form of mind control and is more of a spell than it is straight Hypnotism, so it does require some Power Points--at least one.
Spell Idea: From The Shadows
It's not exactly clear how this spells works. From the climax of Conan The Invincible, it says...
This is for you to decided for your game, should you want to develop this spell for your campaign. Is it a teleport spell? Is it a concealment spell? Is it kinda both, in the form of a dimensional spell, where Imhep-Aton observes the world from another dimension and then steps into the real world?
That's for you to decide.
It's not exactly clear how this spells works. From the climax of Conan The Invincible, it says...
This is for you to decided for your game, should you want to develop this spell for your campaign. Is it a teleport spell? Is it a concealment spell? Is it kinda both, in the form of a dimensional spell, where Imhep-Aton observes the world from another dimension and then steps into the real world?
That's for you to decide.
ISSUE #73: WELL OF SKELOS
I've made it to this issue in the original Marvel run. Fantastic story.
In it, Conan, Belit, and her Black Corsairs find the Well of Skelos, and from its dark depths comes a monstrous thing from hell--a very Lovecraftian (also reminds me of a Moorecockian) demon that resembles, somewhat, a frog-thing.
The thing senses fear and feeds off of it--makes it stronger.
I started thinking about how to translate this into the game. Maybe give the demon +1 attack bonus per 10 hit points that it takes off its victim?
Or, maybe the thing gets vampiric hit points--justifying the getting stronger based on the target's fear?
Another way to do it would be to have the target roll a Fear check, and if failed, the difference failed on the roll provides the beast with a bonus? Maybe a modified Terror of the Unknown check, altered to accommodate higher character levels?
I've made it to this issue in the original Marvel run. Fantastic story.
In it, Conan, Belit, and her Black Corsairs find the Well of Skelos, and from its dark depths comes a monstrous thing from hell--a very Lovecraftian (also reminds me of a Moorecockian) demon that resembles, somewhat, a frog-thing.
The thing senses fear and feeds off of it--makes it stronger.
I started thinking about how to translate this into the game. Maybe give the demon +1 attack bonus per 10 hit points that it takes off its victim?
Or, maybe the thing gets vampiric hit points--justifying the getting stronger based on the target's fear?
Another way to do it would be to have the target roll a Fear check, and if failed, the difference failed on the roll provides the beast with a bonus? Maybe a modified Terror of the Unknown check, altered to accommodate higher character levels?
SHEMMISH ROOT
A root and powerful hallucinogen. Half a root will satisfy an entire room of noblemen. In large amounts, the root can have supernatural qualities.
When prepared, Shemmish Root is used for sacrificial rites. The source of this is the Dynamite Queen Sonja comic, volume 3, Coming of Age. The story is set in Pah-Disha, a Hyrkanian City State on the eastern shore of the Vilayet. The root is hard to grow in these lands.
In the story, a sorcerer uses a piece of raw root, placing a dead moth in his hand. After uttering words that men should never hear, the moth moves, glow faintly green, flaps its wings, and flies out of the sorcerer's palm.
When the root is being prepared, its scent has a long range, but a bit like pheromones, the scent is close to being undetectable. But, it will start to play on a person's senses. Red Sonja feels the air get thick, muggy, hard to breathe. Later, she gets woozy and has double vision. Not all characters are effected, so, if you use this idea in a game, you may want to include a Fort Save for the smell (and maybe even have different effects possible).
There is a scene that reminded me of the orgy scene in the 1982 Conan The Barbarian film. Lots of captive virgins are sprawled on the floor, barely able to stand, all of them blasted out of their minds. They smile, they giggle. They suck on their partners, female on female, and pleasure themselves in all sorts of manner.
The effect of the root.
In this cavern room, there is a large cauldron, stewing over a fire. A man stirs it with a paddle the size of a long boat oar. The root is in the cauldron, being prepared this way, and the man calls to another brute to bring more virgin blood.
The women don't resist. One is taken from the floor. She laughs as she is thrown on a slab, and she doesn't scream until the man raises a meat cleaver and cuts off her leg below the knee. Blood spurts. The man passes the leg, and it is held over the cauldron, draining blood down into the pot.
Instead of the amorous effect, Sonja is inflicted with blood lust due to the effect of the root. She has to be reminded of the mission of theft. She'd rather just fight. Obviously, she didn't make her save.
A root and powerful hallucinogen. Half a root will satisfy an entire room of noblemen. In large amounts, the root can have supernatural qualities.
When prepared, Shemmish Root is used for sacrificial rites. The source of this is the Dynamite Queen Sonja comic, volume 3, Coming of Age. The story is set in Pah-Disha, a Hyrkanian City State on the eastern shore of the Vilayet. The root is hard to grow in these lands.
In the story, a sorcerer uses a piece of raw root, placing a dead moth in his hand. After uttering words that men should never hear, the moth moves, glow faintly green, flaps its wings, and flies out of the sorcerer's palm.
When the root is being prepared, its scent has a long range, but a bit like pheromones, the scent is close to being undetectable. But, it will start to play on a person's senses. Red Sonja feels the air get thick, muggy, hard to breathe. Later, she gets woozy and has double vision. Not all characters are effected, so, if you use this idea in a game, you may want to include a Fort Save for the smell (and maybe even have different effects possible).
There is a scene that reminded me of the orgy scene in the 1982 Conan The Barbarian film. Lots of captive virgins are sprawled on the floor, barely able to stand, all of them blasted out of their minds. They smile, they giggle. They suck on their partners, female on female, and pleasure themselves in all sorts of manner.
The effect of the root.
In this cavern room, there is a large cauldron, stewing over a fire. A man stirs it with a paddle the size of a long boat oar. The root is in the cauldron, being prepared this way, and the man calls to another brute to bring more virgin blood.
The women don't resist. One is taken from the floor. She laughs as she is thrown on a slab, and she doesn't scream until the man raises a meat cleaver and cuts off her leg below the knee. Blood spurts. The man passes the leg, and it is held over the cauldron, draining blood down into the pot.
Instead of the amorous effect, Sonja is inflicted with blood lust due to the effect of the root. She has to be reminded of the mission of theft. She'd rather just fight. Obviously, she didn't make her save.
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