D&D General GM's Closet for the CONAN RPG
PROFESSIONS
In my game, the players aren't playing typical adventurers. They're playing clansmen, all villagers in the same Cimmerian clan. And, as such, the characters must be warriors, of course. All Cimmerians are warriors. But, they also must scratch out a living among their peers. They've got to play their part among the other NPC villagers.
To this end, all the PCs in my game have professions. You may or may not have reasons to have professions in your game. But, from my point of view, this is what roleplaying is all about. I wanted this campaign to be a bit different form the standard mercenary existence of the usual rpg adventurer.
Some of my players have tried to marry their character's professions with skills that they can use in the game. One player plays a hunter, and as such, he keeps his Move Silently, Hide, and Survival skills maxed out. Another player plays a smith--a weapon smith. In game, this character, when he's around the forge and not adventuring, playing through one of my tales, can repair weapons that have been sundered or even make new ones for himself or the other PCs. He's also the one the party turns to if they need to evaluate the worth of any weapons that they find during the adventure. A third player plays a trapper, and thus he sometimes uses his Craft (Trapmaking) skill to set traps in an adventure situation.
If you play this way, using professions, the above marriage idea between the profession and the skills needed to adventure is a good one. Players won't feel like they are wasting precious skill points on skills that they will never use. But, if you (the GM) want to make other types of professions attractive to your players, then you have to make those more mundane professions important in the game somehow.
For example, consider a cook. No player will want to play a cook, unless that player was just satisfying a role playing requirement. Most likely, he'd consider any skill points placed into Profession (Cook) wasted. But, you, the GM, can make this an important profession in your game. The obvious way to do this is to use the profession as a source of wealth in the game. This is Conan, not D&D, so the adventures your characters go on should rarely be sources of extreme wealth for the players. And, if the PCs ever do find a fair some on their travels, there's always the High Living rule to consider (pg. 142 2E core rulebook). Remember, Conan rarely had a lot of wealth. He lived by his sword, usually with little to clothe his back or shelter his head. So, your cook, in the game, could get most of his wealth from the inn where he cooks.
Or, maybe this cook is a mercenary. Mercenary outfits will pay a premium for soldier who can also cook.
You can take this concept and apply it to the adventuring party. If the players are paying little attention to their food, then occassionally make them roll against disease. Those that fail the roll have scurvy. Don't hinder them too much. Just make them have Fatigue for a day or two, until they've eaten a good meal or two. Or, look at the diseases available in the Across The Thunder River sourcebook.
I'm not suggesting that you bog down the game with boring details like this. What I am suggesting is that you do a little bit to spice up the game, make the cook important to the players, by creating a more interesting world to live in and explore. If no player wants to be a cook, then don't force one of them to play the part. But, if you do have a player--who maybe does like to cook in real life--find ways to make that aspect of the character important to the game.
Be creative and adjust your game in a fun way. If the whip doesn't work for you (as with the disease checks), then try the carrot. Give the PCs a bonus as long as they're eating good, home cooked meals. For example, if you don't want to mess with a roll every time the characters camp, just allow the cook to Take 10 on a cooking task. If he meets whatever difficulty you establish, allow the PCs a floating +1 modifier to any dice throw for that game day. He player can have his character can have a +1 on a single attack, or a +1 on a single damage throw, or a +1 on a save or a skill check. Whatever. It's a floating circumstance bonus to reflect the character being well fed and healthy.
Do something like this, and all of a sudden, the cook is important to the group, as he would be in real life, and the player playing the cook doesn't feel like he's wasting skill points in his profession.
If this doesn't work for you, then come up with something that does--something that fits your game. Maybe you can use the profession as a part of the story of your game. Think outside of the box. For example, a character is the main cook among the adventuring group, and the PC group is a part of a larger group of bandits. Well, in camp, everybody comes to the cook, right? They're either getting something to eat or they are trading meat that has been hunted or having some other business. People talk about their business while they are eating with their companions. So....the cook has an excellent Gather Information skill. Not only does he cook, but he's the go-to person in the entire camp for specific information. The player keeps his profession (Cook) skill up as a means to another end--because through cooking is the character's chief source of information that he sells to interested parties.
That's just one idea. I'm sure you can come up with something customized to your game. Find out what kind of profession interests the players then show the players how that profession will be useful in the game--not just as a roleplaying point, but as a source of income (the character's main source of income) and probably for some other reason. With cooking, you might want to look at the Herbalism rules and adapt some of those items to the cook. Or, you might want to find a d20 cooking supplement for generic OGL games and use it
I suggest that you look at the Barbaric Treasures supplement. It's got some nice rule suggestions for using professions in the game such as Goldsmith, Gem Cutter, Taxidermist, Butcher, Furrier, and Tanner.
The other thing to do is decide which skills will be helpful in that profession besides the profession skill. As I said above, a hunter would use Move Silently, Hide, and Survival quite a bit. A shepherd might have a high Handle Animal skill, and he might make money from selling sheared fleece or wool. A fisherman might improve his Rope Use and Swimming skills. You might want to create new synergy bonuses between the character's profession and some important skills. For example, a character with Profession (Trader) with five or more ranks might get a synergy bonus of +2 on Appraise, Bluff, and Diplomacy.
Many crafting professions can support an adventuring party through the things that they make. A leatherworker could make a good set of boots, a leather vest, or maybe a custom sheath like the one Conan used in the 1982 Conan The Barbarian movie where he could easily adjust it to carry his sword across his torso or around, on his back, or at his waist. If a character in the party wants to hide a knife his his boot so that it cannot be seen, then the leatherworker among the adventurers is the man for the job. You may want to follow the guidelines for wear and tear on clothing in Tito's Trading Post as a drain on PC's wealth. Here, a weaver or a leatherworker could help off-set those costs.
My point here: You can add professions to your game and make them much more than just an aspect of roleplaying. There are various ways to make a character's profession as important to the player as it would be in real life. Not only can a profession be the main source of income for a character, but it can also be a role-played way of supporting skills the adventurer needs to survive his adventures.
A profession can directly support adventurers during their travels. The armorsmith can make the best shields for those in the party that wants them--there are rules for improving weapons, armor, and other gear via certain professions in the game books. The herbalist can make poisons for the tips of weapons or bandages with salves that will restore a few hit points. Or, maybe you decide that the adventurers are eating so well that every character is allowed a +2 synergy bonus, once per game day, due to the superior food that the cook makes (the cook being a player character).
Looking at professions this way, your players will welcome having their characters spend skill points in the profession, because they will see a mechanical benefit in the game. They won't consider the points spent on the profession a roleplaying waste.
Also, consider a PC profession as part of your next story line. For example, you have a PC that is a gemcutter*. If so, then maybe your next adventure centers around a sorcerer that seeks a master gemcutter to do some work on a special stone....you get the idea.
*For that matter, if you've got a PC gemcutter in your group, of course you are going to let the group find uncut stones and stones that can be recut for higher value--making the group more coin when they sell or trade the gems. Simply because of this, a gem cutter can be nice to have among a PC party.
If and how you implement professions is totally up to you, but hopefully this post will give you some ideas on using the professions in the game--and your players getting even more rounded characters than they had before.
In my game, the players aren't playing typical adventurers. They're playing clansmen, all villagers in the same Cimmerian clan. And, as such, the characters must be warriors, of course. All Cimmerians are warriors. But, they also must scratch out a living among their peers. They've got to play their part among the other NPC villagers.
To this end, all the PCs in my game have professions. You may or may not have reasons to have professions in your game. But, from my point of view, this is what roleplaying is all about. I wanted this campaign to be a bit different form the standard mercenary existence of the usual rpg adventurer.
Some of my players have tried to marry their character's professions with skills that they can use in the game. One player plays a hunter, and as such, he keeps his Move Silently, Hide, and Survival skills maxed out. Another player plays a smith--a weapon smith. In game, this character, when he's around the forge and not adventuring, playing through one of my tales, can repair weapons that have been sundered or even make new ones for himself or the other PCs. He's also the one the party turns to if they need to evaluate the worth of any weapons that they find during the adventure. A third player plays a trapper, and thus he sometimes uses his Craft (Trapmaking) skill to set traps in an adventure situation.
If you play this way, using professions, the above marriage idea between the profession and the skills needed to adventure is a good one. Players won't feel like they are wasting precious skill points on skills that they will never use. But, if you (the GM) want to make other types of professions attractive to your players, then you have to make those more mundane professions important in the game somehow.
For example, consider a cook. No player will want to play a cook, unless that player was just satisfying a role playing requirement. Most likely, he'd consider any skill points placed into Profession (Cook) wasted. But, you, the GM, can make this an important profession in your game. The obvious way to do this is to use the profession as a source of wealth in the game. This is Conan, not D&D, so the adventures your characters go on should rarely be sources of extreme wealth for the players. And, if the PCs ever do find a fair some on their travels, there's always the High Living rule to consider (pg. 142 2E core rulebook). Remember, Conan rarely had a lot of wealth. He lived by his sword, usually with little to clothe his back or shelter his head. So, your cook, in the game, could get most of his wealth from the inn where he cooks.
Or, maybe this cook is a mercenary. Mercenary outfits will pay a premium for soldier who can also cook.
You can take this concept and apply it to the adventuring party. If the players are paying little attention to their food, then occassionally make them roll against disease. Those that fail the roll have scurvy. Don't hinder them too much. Just make them have Fatigue for a day or two, until they've eaten a good meal or two. Or, look at the diseases available in the Across The Thunder River sourcebook.
I'm not suggesting that you bog down the game with boring details like this. What I am suggesting is that you do a little bit to spice up the game, make the cook important to the players, by creating a more interesting world to live in and explore. If no player wants to be a cook, then don't force one of them to play the part. But, if you do have a player--who maybe does like to cook in real life--find ways to make that aspect of the character important to the game.
Be creative and adjust your game in a fun way. If the whip doesn't work for you (as with the disease checks), then try the carrot. Give the PCs a bonus as long as they're eating good, home cooked meals. For example, if you don't want to mess with a roll every time the characters camp, just allow the cook to Take 10 on a cooking task. If he meets whatever difficulty you establish, allow the PCs a floating +1 modifier to any dice throw for that game day. He player can have his character can have a +1 on a single attack, or a +1 on a single damage throw, or a +1 on a save or a skill check. Whatever. It's a floating circumstance bonus to reflect the character being well fed and healthy.
Do something like this, and all of a sudden, the cook is important to the group, as he would be in real life, and the player playing the cook doesn't feel like he's wasting skill points in his profession.
If this doesn't work for you, then come up with something that does--something that fits your game. Maybe you can use the profession as a part of the story of your game. Think outside of the box. For example, a character is the main cook among the adventuring group, and the PC group is a part of a larger group of bandits. Well, in camp, everybody comes to the cook, right? They're either getting something to eat or they are trading meat that has been hunted or having some other business. People talk about their business while they are eating with their companions. So....the cook has an excellent Gather Information skill. Not only does he cook, but he's the go-to person in the entire camp for specific information. The player keeps his profession (Cook) skill up as a means to another end--because through cooking is the character's chief source of information that he sells to interested parties.
That's just one idea. I'm sure you can come up with something customized to your game. Find out what kind of profession interests the players then show the players how that profession will be useful in the game--not just as a roleplaying point, but as a source of income (the character's main source of income) and probably for some other reason. With cooking, you might want to look at the Herbalism rules and adapt some of those items to the cook. Or, you might want to find a d20 cooking supplement for generic OGL games and use it
I suggest that you look at the Barbaric Treasures supplement. It's got some nice rule suggestions for using professions in the game such as Goldsmith, Gem Cutter, Taxidermist, Butcher, Furrier, and Tanner.
The other thing to do is decide which skills will be helpful in that profession besides the profession skill. As I said above, a hunter would use Move Silently, Hide, and Survival quite a bit. A shepherd might have a high Handle Animal skill, and he might make money from selling sheared fleece or wool. A fisherman might improve his Rope Use and Swimming skills. You might want to create new synergy bonuses between the character's profession and some important skills. For example, a character with Profession (Trader) with five or more ranks might get a synergy bonus of +2 on Appraise, Bluff, and Diplomacy.
Many crafting professions can support an adventuring party through the things that they make. A leatherworker could make a good set of boots, a leather vest, or maybe a custom sheath like the one Conan used in the 1982 Conan The Barbarian movie where he could easily adjust it to carry his sword across his torso or around, on his back, or at his waist. If a character in the party wants to hide a knife his his boot so that it cannot be seen, then the leatherworker among the adventurers is the man for the job. You may want to follow the guidelines for wear and tear on clothing in Tito's Trading Post as a drain on PC's wealth. Here, a weaver or a leatherworker could help off-set those costs.
My point here: You can add professions to your game and make them much more than just an aspect of roleplaying. There are various ways to make a character's profession as important to the player as it would be in real life. Not only can a profession be the main source of income for a character, but it can also be a role-played way of supporting skills the adventurer needs to survive his adventures.
A profession can directly support adventurers during their travels. The armorsmith can make the best shields for those in the party that wants them--there are rules for improving weapons, armor, and other gear via certain professions in the game books. The herbalist can make poisons for the tips of weapons or bandages with salves that will restore a few hit points. Or, maybe you decide that the adventurers are eating so well that every character is allowed a +2 synergy bonus, once per game day, due to the superior food that the cook makes (the cook being a player character).
Looking at professions this way, your players will welcome having their characters spend skill points in the profession, because they will see a mechanical benefit in the game. They won't consider the points spent on the profession a roleplaying waste.
Also, consider a PC profession as part of your next story line. For example, you have a PC that is a gemcutter*. If so, then maybe your next adventure centers around a sorcerer that seeks a master gemcutter to do some work on a special stone....you get the idea.
*For that matter, if you've got a PC gemcutter in your group, of course you are going to let the group find uncut stones and stones that can be recut for higher value--making the group more coin when they sell or trade the gems. Simply because of this, a gem cutter can be nice to have among a PC party.
If and how you implement professions is totally up to you, but hopefully this post will give you some ideas on using the professions in the game--and your players getting even more rounded characters than they had before.
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MY UNARMED ATTACK RULE TWEAKS
Note that these rules are refined from what I posted up-thread.
10 POINTS TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT UNARMED ATTACKS
1. An Unarmed Attack is: d20 + Base Attack Bonus + STR modifier. Defenders can either Dodge or Parry incoming blows.
2. If you are unarmed, and you strike at an armed foe, then you provoke an Attack of Opportunity. You do not provoke an AoO when you strike at an unarmed foe.
3. Unarmed attacks do non-lethal damage. You can do lethal damage with an unarmed strike, but to do so, you must take a -4 attack penalty.
4. You can take two Unarmed Attacks, one with each arm, if you use a Full Round Action. This is considered a two-weapon attack. For the Barbarians, there is no penalty on either attack (unless fighting an armed foe).
5. Unarmed strikes do damge equal to: 1d3 + STR mod. Unarmed strikes with your off-hand do damage equal to: 1d3 + half STR mod.
6. You cannot penetrate armor with your bare hands, therefore damage from Unarmed strikes is always reduced by a foe's full armor DR rating.
7. Unarmed characters cannot take Attacks of Opportunity.
8. Unarmed attacks can be Finesse Attacks.
9. Unarmed attacks made while grappling are made with a -4 attack penalty.
10. There are Feats to enhance just about every aspect of this game. Unarmed attacks are no different.
MORE UNARMED ATTACK OPTIONS
The standard rule in the book is aimed at making punches. The Barbaric Warrior and Barbaric Treasures supplements provide alternative unarmed strikes. I have tweaked some of these just a tad.
Punch or Elbow - These are the unarmed strikes shown in the core rulebook. They do the usual unarmed strike damage. Elbow attacks made during a grapple have a -2 attack penalty instead of the usual -4 grapple attack penalty. Punch attacks made while grappling do use the standard -4 grapple attack penalty.
Kick or Knee - These unarmed strikes do 1d4 + STR mod damage, but they also cause the attacker to suffer a -1 penalty to his Defence until his next action the following round. The Kick cannot be used on a foe while grappleing with him. The Knee attack can be used on a grappled foe, and the standard grapple attack penalty is reduced to -2.
Backhand - After a successful punch or elbow attack, the character can make a second attack using the same hand but with a +1 attack bonus. Though, the character receives a -1 defense penalty until his next round action. The backhand allows for additional attacks, but a character cannot damage his foe with more attacks than the character is normally allowed.
Backhand as a Standard Action: Make the main hand attack, then attempt the backhand with the main hand. Character is -1 Defense for one round.
Backhand as a Full Action: If main hand hits, then backhand attempt is made. Character is -1 Defense for one round.
Backhand as a Full Action: If the main and hits, then the off-hand attack is made. If the off-hand hits, then the backhand can be attempted. Character is -1 Defense for one round.
Head Butt - This unarmed strike does 1d2 + STR mod damage and scores a critical hit on 19-20, with a x3 damage multiplier on the critical. If used while grappling, the Head Butt does not suffer the normal grapple -4 attack penalty. Critical Hits with the Head Butt, in addition to normal critical damage, cause the target to make a WILLPOWER save vs. a DC 10 + half the attackers base attack bonus + STR modifier. Failure means the target is dazed one round. A dazed character cannot act normally. He can take no actions but can still Dodge and Parry normally.
Head Butts with a helmet are made as a gauntlet unarmed attack: 1d6 + STR mod damage, critical on 20 with x2 damage, AP 1. The WILL save still applies on a critical. Foes wearing helmets benefit from full armor DR.
HAND WEAPONS TURN YOUR UNARMED ATTACK INTO AN ARMED ATTACK
If you wear gauntlets, you are considered armed, though you make your attack as if you were making a Punch. The same holds true for brass knuckles or exotic weapons like the bagh nakh or the katar. You can increase damage done by like strikes through upgrading armor. For example, if you add spikes to your elbow guards, you will do more damage than the standard elbow attack--and you will be considered "armed", doing lethal damage.
NONLETHAL DAMAGE
This is covered in the Combat chapter, but the basics are this: Nonlethal Damage is tracked separately from Lethal Damage. As your Hit Points go down from Lethal Damage, your starting point at zero nonlethal damage goes up as you take Nonlethal Damage. When your Nonlethal Damage equals your current Hit Points, you are staggered. Staggered means that you can only take one Standard Action or one Move Action in a round (not both, as you can normally). If your Nonlethal Damage exceeds your current hit points, then you are beaten unconscious. Nonlethal Damage heals much quicker than Lethal Damage.
DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE NONLETHAL DAMAGE! A character that has 8 hit points and 11 points of Nonlethal Damage is just as unconscious and at the mercy of his foes as a character that is dying at -3 Hit Points.
FUMBLES
I am using a House Rule to where, if you roll a natural 1 on your attack throw, you are subject to various special attacks by your foe. A chart is rolled upon. Sometimes, the result will give your foe a free unarmed attack against you during the combat. Your foe gets this unarmed attack without you getting the normal Attack of Opportunity against him. Basically, your "fumble" is that, during the combat, you opened yourself up to a punch in the face, an elbow to the chest, or maybe a knee to the groin.
SOMETIMES, NONLETHAL DAMAGE IS THE WAY TO GO! Let's say you got lucky during your foe's attack because he rolled a natural 1 that resulted in you getting a free unarmed attack on him that resulted in some serious Nonlethal Damage to the point where your foe has 12 HP left but has taken 11 points of Nonlethal Damage. In this situation, 2 more points of Nonlethal Damage will down your foe where as you have to apply 13 points of Lethal Damage to down him. In this case, it may be easier to win the fight with a quick punch, risking the usual Attack of Opportunity he will get, rather than going another two rounds of melee combat to kill him.
Note that these rules are refined from what I posted up-thread.
10 POINTS TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT UNARMED ATTACKS
1. An Unarmed Attack is: d20 + Base Attack Bonus + STR modifier. Defenders can either Dodge or Parry incoming blows.
2. If you are unarmed, and you strike at an armed foe, then you provoke an Attack of Opportunity. You do not provoke an AoO when you strike at an unarmed foe.
3. Unarmed attacks do non-lethal damage. You can do lethal damage with an unarmed strike, but to do so, you must take a -4 attack penalty.
4. You can take two Unarmed Attacks, one with each arm, if you use a Full Round Action. This is considered a two-weapon attack. For the Barbarians, there is no penalty on either attack (unless fighting an armed foe).
5. Unarmed strikes do damge equal to: 1d3 + STR mod. Unarmed strikes with your off-hand do damage equal to: 1d3 + half STR mod.
6. You cannot penetrate armor with your bare hands, therefore damage from Unarmed strikes is always reduced by a foe's full armor DR rating.
7. Unarmed characters cannot take Attacks of Opportunity.
8. Unarmed attacks can be Finesse Attacks.
9. Unarmed attacks made while grappling are made with a -4 attack penalty.
10. There are Feats to enhance just about every aspect of this game. Unarmed attacks are no different.
MORE UNARMED ATTACK OPTIONS
The standard rule in the book is aimed at making punches. The Barbaric Warrior and Barbaric Treasures supplements provide alternative unarmed strikes. I have tweaked some of these just a tad.
Punch or Elbow - These are the unarmed strikes shown in the core rulebook. They do the usual unarmed strike damage. Elbow attacks made during a grapple have a -2 attack penalty instead of the usual -4 grapple attack penalty. Punch attacks made while grappling do use the standard -4 grapple attack penalty.
Kick or Knee - These unarmed strikes do 1d4 + STR mod damage, but they also cause the attacker to suffer a -1 penalty to his Defence until his next action the following round. The Kick cannot be used on a foe while grappleing with him. The Knee attack can be used on a grappled foe, and the standard grapple attack penalty is reduced to -2.
Backhand - After a successful punch or elbow attack, the character can make a second attack using the same hand but with a +1 attack bonus. Though, the character receives a -1 defense penalty until his next round action. The backhand allows for additional attacks, but a character cannot damage his foe with more attacks than the character is normally allowed.
Backhand as a Standard Action: Make the main hand attack, then attempt the backhand with the main hand. Character is -1 Defense for one round.
Backhand as a Full Action: If main hand hits, then backhand attempt is made. Character is -1 Defense for one round.
Backhand as a Full Action: If the main and hits, then the off-hand attack is made. If the off-hand hits, then the backhand can be attempted. Character is -1 Defense for one round.
Head Butt - This unarmed strike does 1d2 + STR mod damage and scores a critical hit on 19-20, with a x3 damage multiplier on the critical. If used while grappling, the Head Butt does not suffer the normal grapple -4 attack penalty. Critical Hits with the Head Butt, in addition to normal critical damage, cause the target to make a WILLPOWER save vs. a DC 10 + half the attackers base attack bonus + STR modifier. Failure means the target is dazed one round. A dazed character cannot act normally. He can take no actions but can still Dodge and Parry normally.
Head Butts with a helmet are made as a gauntlet unarmed attack: 1d6 + STR mod damage, critical on 20 with x2 damage, AP 1. The WILL save still applies on a critical. Foes wearing helmets benefit from full armor DR.
HAND WEAPONS TURN YOUR UNARMED ATTACK INTO AN ARMED ATTACK
If you wear gauntlets, you are considered armed, though you make your attack as if you were making a Punch. The same holds true for brass knuckles or exotic weapons like the bagh nakh or the katar. You can increase damage done by like strikes through upgrading armor. For example, if you add spikes to your elbow guards, you will do more damage than the standard elbow attack--and you will be considered "armed", doing lethal damage.
NONLETHAL DAMAGE
This is covered in the Combat chapter, but the basics are this: Nonlethal Damage is tracked separately from Lethal Damage. As your Hit Points go down from Lethal Damage, your starting point at zero nonlethal damage goes up as you take Nonlethal Damage. When your Nonlethal Damage equals your current Hit Points, you are staggered. Staggered means that you can only take one Standard Action or one Move Action in a round (not both, as you can normally). If your Nonlethal Damage exceeds your current hit points, then you are beaten unconscious. Nonlethal Damage heals much quicker than Lethal Damage.
DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE NONLETHAL DAMAGE! A character that has 8 hit points and 11 points of Nonlethal Damage is just as unconscious and at the mercy of his foes as a character that is dying at -3 Hit Points.
FUMBLES
I am using a House Rule to where, if you roll a natural 1 on your attack throw, you are subject to various special attacks by your foe. A chart is rolled upon. Sometimes, the result will give your foe a free unarmed attack against you during the combat. Your foe gets this unarmed attack without you getting the normal Attack of Opportunity against him. Basically, your "fumble" is that, during the combat, you opened yourself up to a punch in the face, an elbow to the chest, or maybe a knee to the groin.
SOMETIMES, NONLETHAL DAMAGE IS THE WAY TO GO! Let's say you got lucky during your foe's attack because he rolled a natural 1 that resulted in you getting a free unarmed attack on him that resulted in some serious Nonlethal Damage to the point where your foe has 12 HP left but has taken 11 points of Nonlethal Damage. In this situation, 2 more points of Nonlethal Damage will down your foe where as you have to apply 13 points of Lethal Damage to down him. In this case, it may be easier to win the fight with a quick punch, risking the usual Attack of Opportunity he will get, rather than going another two rounds of melee combat to kill him.
FIVE AND DIME THE EYES AND EARS
When you read the Spot and Listen skills, you'll see a pesky penalty modifier of -1 per 10 foot distance to the target. I find that modifier unwieldy in a game. I dislike having to stop and count squares.
I've found that it is much easier to use a -5 modifier at 50 feet and a -10 modifier at 100 feet. These modifiers are not as granular, but they play better.
You might want to try them out. I call this my "Five and Dime" tweak.
For me, it's easier to guage that a guard might about around 40 foot away than it is to count out the exact squares at the moment I'm going to throw his listen check. 40 foot means I don't use a modifier. 50 foot or better, I use the -5 modifier, and I keep using that until 100 foot, where the -10 modifier pops up.
When you read the Spot and Listen skills, you'll see a pesky penalty modifier of -1 per 10 foot distance to the target. I find that modifier unwieldy in a game. I dislike having to stop and count squares.
I've found that it is much easier to use a -5 modifier at 50 feet and a -10 modifier at 100 feet. These modifiers are not as granular, but they play better.
You might want to try them out. I call this my "Five and Dime" tweak.
For me, it's easier to guage that a guard might about around 40 foot away than it is to count out the exact squares at the moment I'm going to throw his listen check. 40 foot means I don't use a modifier. 50 foot or better, I use the -5 modifier, and I keep using that until 100 foot, where the -10 modifier pops up.
NEW PLAYERS BACKGROUND
I've got two new players joining my Cimmerian campaign. They're playing brothers, Foilloch (Foil-lock) and Huogh (Huff), born within a year apart. I'm working them into the existing story, and below is the some background I sent them.
We're big roleplayers in my game. I disslike slap-bang-let's-go backgrounds. We like characters with a lot of depth. I want to imagine real people when we play--not game pieces.
Here's what I sent my new players to give them a starting point to grow their characters.
YOUR MOTHER, YOUR FATHER, AND YOUR SPEAR
Your mother? Her name is Nahn. She's a weaver--the best cloth maker the clan has seen. Other women will knit the basics for themselves and their families, but Nahn's stuff is superior. It lasts longer, looks better, holds a dye better, than the product of any other clansman. Weaving is a painstaking, time consuming process. Thus, there is a strong market among the clansmen for durable, well-made cloth. The few times Nahn has been with surplus, some of her wares have been traded outside the village, not only to the clansmen living in the outlying homesteads but also on the occasions when the Blue Fox make trade with other clans--which seems to be happening more and more of late.
This is how your mother has supported you your entire life. Though no person or family in the clan can be considered "wealthy", you've never not had a heavy blanket in the winter. Nahn has always traded enough to keep food in your belly. And, you've always had the finest kilts and tunics.
You remember little about your father. He died when you were quite young. What you know about him is what people have told you. He was called Deh (Day), and he was a Grath Far Hunter. Far Hunters make long journeys past the border of clan territory. They are scouts, bringing back with them not only the results of their hunt but information about herd migrations, news from other clans, and alerts of danger. The kind of men that become Far Hunters are typically solitary and taciturn but exceptional woodsmen who enjoy long periods alone in the wilderness. You've been told that your father was just such a man. When the Separation happened between the clans, Deh sided with the Foxmen. Some say he did this soley out of love--love for your mother.
It is a great love, people have said, that Deh had for Nahn. You've been told that your father loved your mother in the strongest, deepest way. He was a proud man, your father, and he could never quite accept that Nahn did not return the same type of love. Nahn cared for your father, yes. But, she never agreed to be his. Openly, she knew other men when Deh was away. There is no shame in this. It's the Cimmerian way. Nahn is an individual clansman, capable of living her own way, though when Deh was under her roof, she saw no other, out of respect for him.
You were young, and you were used to not seeing Deh for seasons at a time. For you, Deh left one morning before dawn, like he always did. It was a long time before you realized that he was never coming back.
Your father left you nothing but his spare equipment he kept in your mother's hut: a weapon and armor stand that held two hunting spears, some belts, and three or four smelly kill sacks. One morning you passed the stand and noticed both the spears were missing. Outside, you found your mother with Eanbotha. There were two other men your mother favored besides your father, Griffe, the shepherd, who died before you were born during the Separation, and Ean (EE-an, like "Ian").
Ean is a great warrior of the Separation. He helped to found the Blue Fox clan, and, indeed, Eanbotha is a Duncohr. His father is the smith that moved from the Grath village to establish your village, Seven Stones Ridge. His brother, Finn, is the clan Chieftain. And, Ean, himself, has become the War Chief for the Blue Foxmen.
At your approach, you saw your mother smile, but she said nothing. She deferred to Ean. You could always tell how much affection she had for the great War Chief, and sometimes you would wonder if she looked the same way when your father was around. You were so young, you can't remember.
Ean stood, gripping your father's spears, one in each hand. You looked at your brother as the giant of a man spoke, "Over here. C'mon. Today, you learn something."
Your mother watched as you followed Ean out in front of the hut to a space clear of trees or rock.
"You always, always carry more than one weapon," came the booming voice, and you saw Ean emphasize the weapons in each hand. "Always."
He hefted his right hand like he was testing the weapon's weight and balance, then, in a flash, he lifted the weapon over his shoulder, almost too high for you to see, and threw the spear with such force that you heard an audible crack when the spear pierced the bark of a nearby tree. "It can be a long distance weapon," he said, "With it, you can hunt and feed yourself, or you can use it for war. With a sword, you can only use it for war."
With the other spear, Ean gripped its shaft and held out his hand, letting you imagine the weapon if it was longer. "See the reach? With a long weapon, you can attack out to about ten paces. With good battlefield footwork, you can keep your foe from getting at you--not allowing him inside your guard."
The the warrior gripped the spear with both hands, tucked it close to his hip, and ran toward a tree. He held the tip low, the spear at an angle, and rammed it through the bark into the dense wood, sinking the point into the trunk by a finger length. He stepped back, the weapon sticking from the tree at the height of his knee. "With a good quality weapon, you can lodge your spear in the tree or a fence." Putting his foot over the spear point where it pierced the tree, Ean lifted himself almost three feet off the ground. "It will help you climb, jump, or see over obstacles."
After each lesson, the War Chief would look at you and your brother, pausing, making eye contact with you, searching your face to make sure that you understood his words. Cimmerians did not take war lightly. This was serious business. Quite serious.
When he tugged the spear from the tree, he calmly walked back towards you and your brother. He exaggerated his movements, leaning a lot of weight on the spear that he now used to support himself. "Your spear can be your walking stick. And, if you practice, I've known some spearmen so good that they use their spears to vault at their enemies, knocking the enemy down, gaining advantage earliest in combat, killing a prone foe before a single counter stroke is attempted. The same move I've seen by those practiced to hop over low obstacles."
Then the Cimmerian raised the spear high and shoved it into the ground in front of him. He then crouched and unraveled a strip of leather from his shin. Rising, he tied the leather to the spear's shaft. The spear stood in the ground before you, the leather strip dripping from it like a thin banner. "You can use your spear as a signal to warn your clansmen that may be following up behind you."
At this point, a sound broke from Huogh's mouth. It's the first thing either boy said since stepping out of the hut this morning. "Why not just tie the cloth onto a tree or bush?"
Eanbotha looked at Huogh sternly, without blinking, as if studying him. "Yes," yes, he said, finally smiling, "You can do that, too."
A laugh came from the edge of this training ground. It was your mother. When you looked, she smiled and quickly put her hand over her mouth as if to apologize for interrupting the training. But, you could see in her eyes that she was proud of you. There stood your mother, watching her boys learn the ways of men for the first time.
Ean gave her a look that would quash an further interruption then strode over to his previous seat to pick up his huge two-handed war sword. Calmly, he walked to the tree where he had thrown the first spear, then proceeded to demolish the side of the tree in just a few strokes. Bark and wood chips exploded from the tree with his every swing. When he was done, he stood back, and you could do nothing but imagine how a man would look after enduring that onslaught. The tree is much sturdier than a man.
"Cimmerians used to favor the spear," Ean said, holding up his great sword for you and your brother to see. "But, your clansmen now have the secret of steel." He paused and took more time to look at you, then your brother, without saying another word. Then, he said, "The sword...the SWORD is a man's weapon. And a spear? A spear is no match for a good yard of steel. First, you will master the spear. Then, we will move on to other weapons until you know...YOU KNOW...that you can obliterate your opponent with anything. A rock. A tree limb. A jagged edge of a clay pot. Or, even your bare hands."
"As for now," he continued, "You don't need to obliterate your opponent's body. You don't have the strength. Not yet. You only need to down him." Pulling the spear from the tree and holding it up for both you and your brother to see, he said,
"You can kill with only a single puncture."
"Part of being a man, " Ean continued, "is taking care of yourself, your family, and your clan. Obtaining a good quality weapon is one of the first challenges of manhood."
He took one spear and placed it in your hands. Then, he did the same with the other for your brother.
"Today, you've just conquered that first challenge."
You looked at your brother, who was already staring back at you, both of you standing there with your father's weapons in your hands.
"In a few years, you will run the Ras Croi and begin the clan's training to become warriors. But, today, you start training with me. When you see twelve years, you'll be more than ready to take on the challenges that the others will be facing for the first time. So, come closer, and let me show you...."
I've got two new players joining my Cimmerian campaign. They're playing brothers, Foilloch (Foil-lock) and Huogh (Huff), born within a year apart. I'm working them into the existing story, and below is the some background I sent them.
We're big roleplayers in my game. I disslike slap-bang-let's-go backgrounds. We like characters with a lot of depth. I want to imagine real people when we play--not game pieces.
Here's what I sent my new players to give them a starting point to grow their characters.
YOUR MOTHER, YOUR FATHER, AND YOUR SPEAR
Your mother? Her name is Nahn. She's a weaver--the best cloth maker the clan has seen. Other women will knit the basics for themselves and their families, but Nahn's stuff is superior. It lasts longer, looks better, holds a dye better, than the product of any other clansman. Weaving is a painstaking, time consuming process. Thus, there is a strong market among the clansmen for durable, well-made cloth. The few times Nahn has been with surplus, some of her wares have been traded outside the village, not only to the clansmen living in the outlying homesteads but also on the occasions when the Blue Fox make trade with other clans--which seems to be happening more and more of late.
This is how your mother has supported you your entire life. Though no person or family in the clan can be considered "wealthy", you've never not had a heavy blanket in the winter. Nahn has always traded enough to keep food in your belly. And, you've always had the finest kilts and tunics.
You remember little about your father. He died when you were quite young. What you know about him is what people have told you. He was called Deh (Day), and he was a Grath Far Hunter. Far Hunters make long journeys past the border of clan territory. They are scouts, bringing back with them not only the results of their hunt but information about herd migrations, news from other clans, and alerts of danger. The kind of men that become Far Hunters are typically solitary and taciturn but exceptional woodsmen who enjoy long periods alone in the wilderness. You've been told that your father was just such a man. When the Separation happened between the clans, Deh sided with the Foxmen. Some say he did this soley out of love--love for your mother.
It is a great love, people have said, that Deh had for Nahn. You've been told that your father loved your mother in the strongest, deepest way. He was a proud man, your father, and he could never quite accept that Nahn did not return the same type of love. Nahn cared for your father, yes. But, she never agreed to be his. Openly, she knew other men when Deh was away. There is no shame in this. It's the Cimmerian way. Nahn is an individual clansman, capable of living her own way, though when Deh was under her roof, she saw no other, out of respect for him.
You were young, and you were used to not seeing Deh for seasons at a time. For you, Deh left one morning before dawn, like he always did. It was a long time before you realized that he was never coming back.
Your father left you nothing but his spare equipment he kept in your mother's hut: a weapon and armor stand that held two hunting spears, some belts, and three or four smelly kill sacks. One morning you passed the stand and noticed both the spears were missing. Outside, you found your mother with Eanbotha. There were two other men your mother favored besides your father, Griffe, the shepherd, who died before you were born during the Separation, and Ean (EE-an, like "Ian").
Ean is a great warrior of the Separation. He helped to found the Blue Fox clan, and, indeed, Eanbotha is a Duncohr. His father is the smith that moved from the Grath village to establish your village, Seven Stones Ridge. His brother, Finn, is the clan Chieftain. And, Ean, himself, has become the War Chief for the Blue Foxmen.
At your approach, you saw your mother smile, but she said nothing. She deferred to Ean. You could always tell how much affection she had for the great War Chief, and sometimes you would wonder if she looked the same way when your father was around. You were so young, you can't remember.
Ean stood, gripping your father's spears, one in each hand. You looked at your brother as the giant of a man spoke, "Over here. C'mon. Today, you learn something."
Your mother watched as you followed Ean out in front of the hut to a space clear of trees or rock.
"You always, always carry more than one weapon," came the booming voice, and you saw Ean emphasize the weapons in each hand. "Always."
He hefted his right hand like he was testing the weapon's weight and balance, then, in a flash, he lifted the weapon over his shoulder, almost too high for you to see, and threw the spear with such force that you heard an audible crack when the spear pierced the bark of a nearby tree. "It can be a long distance weapon," he said, "With it, you can hunt and feed yourself, or you can use it for war. With a sword, you can only use it for war."
With the other spear, Ean gripped its shaft and held out his hand, letting you imagine the weapon if it was longer. "See the reach? With a long weapon, you can attack out to about ten paces. With good battlefield footwork, you can keep your foe from getting at you--not allowing him inside your guard."
The the warrior gripped the spear with both hands, tucked it close to his hip, and ran toward a tree. He held the tip low, the spear at an angle, and rammed it through the bark into the dense wood, sinking the point into the trunk by a finger length. He stepped back, the weapon sticking from the tree at the height of his knee. "With a good quality weapon, you can lodge your spear in the tree or a fence." Putting his foot over the spear point where it pierced the tree, Ean lifted himself almost three feet off the ground. "It will help you climb, jump, or see over obstacles."
After each lesson, the War Chief would look at you and your brother, pausing, making eye contact with you, searching your face to make sure that you understood his words. Cimmerians did not take war lightly. This was serious business. Quite serious.
When he tugged the spear from the tree, he calmly walked back towards you and your brother. He exaggerated his movements, leaning a lot of weight on the spear that he now used to support himself. "Your spear can be your walking stick. And, if you practice, I've known some spearmen so good that they use their spears to vault at their enemies, knocking the enemy down, gaining advantage earliest in combat, killing a prone foe before a single counter stroke is attempted. The same move I've seen by those practiced to hop over low obstacles."
Then the Cimmerian raised the spear high and shoved it into the ground in front of him. He then crouched and unraveled a strip of leather from his shin. Rising, he tied the leather to the spear's shaft. The spear stood in the ground before you, the leather strip dripping from it like a thin banner. "You can use your spear as a signal to warn your clansmen that may be following up behind you."
At this point, a sound broke from Huogh's mouth. It's the first thing either boy said since stepping out of the hut this morning. "Why not just tie the cloth onto a tree or bush?"
Eanbotha looked at Huogh sternly, without blinking, as if studying him. "Yes," yes, he said, finally smiling, "You can do that, too."
A laugh came from the edge of this training ground. It was your mother. When you looked, she smiled and quickly put her hand over her mouth as if to apologize for interrupting the training. But, you could see in her eyes that she was proud of you. There stood your mother, watching her boys learn the ways of men for the first time.
Ean gave her a look that would quash an further interruption then strode over to his previous seat to pick up his huge two-handed war sword. Calmly, he walked to the tree where he had thrown the first spear, then proceeded to demolish the side of the tree in just a few strokes. Bark and wood chips exploded from the tree with his every swing. When he was done, he stood back, and you could do nothing but imagine how a man would look after enduring that onslaught. The tree is much sturdier than a man.
"Cimmerians used to favor the spear," Ean said, holding up his great sword for you and your brother to see. "But, your clansmen now have the secret of steel." He paused and took more time to look at you, then your brother, without saying another word. Then, he said, "The sword...the SWORD is a man's weapon. And a spear? A spear is no match for a good yard of steel. First, you will master the spear. Then, we will move on to other weapons until you know...YOU KNOW...that you can obliterate your opponent with anything. A rock. A tree limb. A jagged edge of a clay pot. Or, even your bare hands."
"As for now," he continued, "You don't need to obliterate your opponent's body. You don't have the strength. Not yet. You only need to down him." Pulling the spear from the tree and holding it up for both you and your brother to see, he said,
"You can kill with only a single puncture."
"Part of being a man, " Ean continued, "is taking care of yourself, your family, and your clan. Obtaining a good quality weapon is one of the first challenges of manhood."
He took one spear and placed it in your hands. Then, he did the same with the other for your brother.
"Today, you've just conquered that first challenge."
You looked at your brother, who was already staring back at you, both of you standing there with your father's weapons in your hands.
"In a few years, you will run the Ras Croi and begin the clan's training to become warriors. But, today, you start training with me. When you see twelve years, you'll be more than ready to take on the challenges that the others will be facing for the first time. So, come closer, and let me show you...."
HYBORIAN TECHNOLOGY
What you see below are notes I've taken while reading L. Sprage de Camp's essay that originally appeared in Amra magazine and was republished with other articles in The Blade of Conan.
Mining and Metallurgy: The Hyborians know gold, silver, tin (bronze), copper, lead, and iron. Mercury can be implied. Brass, but not necessarily recognizing zinc. Ferrous metallurgy is well developed in hard iron and Akbitanan steel.
Gold and silver are used lavishly. Ores are probably extracted by mine slavery.
Leather Goods: Textiles are probably crude or expensive since so much leather is worn. Leather drinking jacks are used.
Textiles: Probably wool and possibly linen. Silk.
Glass & Vitreous Materials: The Hyborians have high technology with glass. Natural crystals are used as well.
Chemistry & Chemical Products: Beer, ale, wine. Sugar. Strong acids.
Cities & City Planning: Some cities have lighted streets at night. Rudimentary planning and zoning (Temple Districts).
There are also quite a few cities left over from former times: An entire city built like one vast house, and the cities built of a green, jade-like stone. Xapur is green but has separate builidings. Xachotl has interconnected buildings built of various colored stone. Xuthal is interconnected and green.
Monuments & Architecture: Architects know the arch and the dome. Extravagant use of marble, jet, and jade. Pyramids. Tall, cylindrical towers (150 foot).
Secret passages, sliding panels, trapdoors, and deadfalls often used.
Houses & Furniture: Solid furniture. Desks. Advanced key locks. Combination locks are known. Lighting by candles or oil lamps. Perfumes.
Xuthal and Xuchotl are lighted by radium gems and green-fire gems, which suggests a higher technology in the past (or maybe of unworldly origin).
Waterworks & Sewage: Large Hyborian cities have complete public sewers. Some private sewers as well.
Roads & Bridges: Well made stone roads. Graded dirt roads. Road maintenance probably happens often. Bridges, though, seem few and far between.
Fortification & Siegecraft: Castellated or battlemented walls is the standard. Molten lead poured on attackers. Porticullis.
Arms & Armor: Sword, mace, bill, dagger, spear, axe. The sword seems to be more common than the spear (or any other weapon).
Armor includes scale mail, ring mail, brigadine armor, chain mail, and steel plate armor. Complete, jointed suite of plate armor and knight cavalry available to the richest nations.
Defensive headgear includes: mail coif, horned helm, bronze crested helm, visored salade, basinet, burganet, and morion.
Machines & Siege Engines: Crossbow. Catapults. Ballista. Trebuchet.
Sophisticated mechanisms to operate trap doors, boobytraps, and deadfalls. Pipe organs. Natural lodestones.
Vehicles & Harness: Camel. Horse. Sturrup. Chariots.
Ships & Rigging: Galleys/Rowing + Sailing vessels. Some rowers free men, some slaves. Carracks. Galleons. Anchor chain. Topsail. Jib.
Miscellaneous Artifacts: Polished silver (or other metal) mirrors. Barrels. Candles. Coins. Water clocks. Parchment. Pen & ink.
Pure Science: Cosmology is advanced enough to realize that Earth is a planet. Optics advanced enough to make elaborate spytubes. Advanced gear technology.
Super hypnotism/mesmerism.
Superscience from the past: Tolkemec's electronic disintegrator, synethic food of the Xuthalians, luminous gems of Xuthal and Xachotl.
SUMMATION: "The Hyborian Age can be best compared to the great days of the Byzantine Empire with some features of armor and rigging from later medieval times." -- L. Sprage de Camp.
What you see below are notes I've taken while reading L. Sprage de Camp's essay that originally appeared in Amra magazine and was republished with other articles in The Blade of Conan.
Mining and Metallurgy: The Hyborians know gold, silver, tin (bronze), copper, lead, and iron. Mercury can be implied. Brass, but not necessarily recognizing zinc. Ferrous metallurgy is well developed in hard iron and Akbitanan steel.
Gold and silver are used lavishly. Ores are probably extracted by mine slavery.
Leather Goods: Textiles are probably crude or expensive since so much leather is worn. Leather drinking jacks are used.
Textiles: Probably wool and possibly linen. Silk.
Glass & Vitreous Materials: The Hyborians have high technology with glass. Natural crystals are used as well.
Chemistry & Chemical Products: Beer, ale, wine. Sugar. Strong acids.
Cities & City Planning: Some cities have lighted streets at night. Rudimentary planning and zoning (Temple Districts).
There are also quite a few cities left over from former times: An entire city built like one vast house, and the cities built of a green, jade-like stone. Xapur is green but has separate builidings. Xachotl has interconnected buildings built of various colored stone. Xuthal is interconnected and green.
Monuments & Architecture: Architects know the arch and the dome. Extravagant use of marble, jet, and jade. Pyramids. Tall, cylindrical towers (150 foot).
Secret passages, sliding panels, trapdoors, and deadfalls often used.
Houses & Furniture: Solid furniture. Desks. Advanced key locks. Combination locks are known. Lighting by candles or oil lamps. Perfumes.
Xuthal and Xuchotl are lighted by radium gems and green-fire gems, which suggests a higher technology in the past (or maybe of unworldly origin).
Waterworks & Sewage: Large Hyborian cities have complete public sewers. Some private sewers as well.
Roads & Bridges: Well made stone roads. Graded dirt roads. Road maintenance probably happens often. Bridges, though, seem few and far between.
Fortification & Siegecraft: Castellated or battlemented walls is the standard. Molten lead poured on attackers. Porticullis.
Arms & Armor: Sword, mace, bill, dagger, spear, axe. The sword seems to be more common than the spear (or any other weapon).
Armor includes scale mail, ring mail, brigadine armor, chain mail, and steel plate armor. Complete, jointed suite of plate armor and knight cavalry available to the richest nations.
Defensive headgear includes: mail coif, horned helm, bronze crested helm, visored salade, basinet, burganet, and morion.
Machines & Siege Engines: Crossbow. Catapults. Ballista. Trebuchet.
Sophisticated mechanisms to operate trap doors, boobytraps, and deadfalls. Pipe organs. Natural lodestones.
Vehicles & Harness: Camel. Horse. Sturrup. Chariots.
Ships & Rigging: Galleys/Rowing + Sailing vessels. Some rowers free men, some slaves. Carracks. Galleons. Anchor chain. Topsail. Jib.
Miscellaneous Artifacts: Polished silver (or other metal) mirrors. Barrels. Candles. Coins. Water clocks. Parchment. Pen & ink.
Pure Science: Cosmology is advanced enough to realize that Earth is a planet. Optics advanced enough to make elaborate spytubes. Advanced gear technology.
Super hypnotism/mesmerism.
Superscience from the past: Tolkemec's electronic disintegrator, synethic food of the Xuthalians, luminous gems of Xuthal and Xachotl.
SUMMATION: "The Hyborian Age can be best compared to the great days of the Byzantine Empire with some features of armor and rigging from later medieval times." -- L. Sprage de Camp.
-- THE GRATH --
The Grath are one of the largest and oldest Cimmerian clans. These people inhabit the Grath Vales, a series of steep, wooded valleys in the central foothills of the Eiglophian mountains. While most Cimmerian clans are centralized on one or a few towns, a unique feature of this clan is that it is composed of several small, insular settlements spread throughout the clan's territory. Each village is made up of one-to-two, almost never three, families. There are about twenty villages in all. One of the largest Grath settlements has only eight buildings.
The Grath are extremely progressive when compared to most other Cimmerian clans. They have embraced agriculture, graduating from the usual hunter/gatherer culture. Many of the Grath clansmen are farmers, mountain goat herders, or shepherds. The Grath are known for their cloth, a major item of trade with other Cimmerian clans and the Aesir of the Eiglophian north face.
Other popular professions among the Grath are stream fisherman, mountain hunter, and river miner. The Diamondrun River runs the length of Grath territory, branching into the many valleys that are the Grath Vales. This mountain river is the clan's primary source of water, food, and wealth. The miners steal quality iron-ore, and other minerals and precious metals and gems, from the crust of their mountain home. It is said that Crom uses the mountain beneath the Grath to store his wealth, and the Grath take what they can without his notice. When the mountain shakes, though, the Grath know that Crom is looking their way.
Grathmuir is the only three-family settlement on the Diamondrun, and there lived a weaponsmith, member of the Duncohr family. The Duncohrs have been weaponsmiths, it is said, since Crom gave man the Secret of Steel.
This Duncohr smith, carrying on the tradition of his father and his father before him, was Caelis' great-grandfather.
The Grath are one of the largest and oldest Cimmerian clans. These people inhabit the Grath Vales, a series of steep, wooded valleys in the central foothills of the Eiglophian mountains. While most Cimmerian clans are centralized on one or a few towns, a unique feature of this clan is that it is composed of several small, insular settlements spread throughout the clan's territory. Each village is made up of one-to-two, almost never three, families. There are about twenty villages in all. One of the largest Grath settlements has only eight buildings.
The Grath are extremely progressive when compared to most other Cimmerian clans. They have embraced agriculture, graduating from the usual hunter/gatherer culture. Many of the Grath clansmen are farmers, mountain goat herders, or shepherds. The Grath are known for their cloth, a major item of trade with other Cimmerian clans and the Aesir of the Eiglophian north face.
Other popular professions among the Grath are stream fisherman, mountain hunter, and river miner. The Diamondrun River runs the length of Grath territory, branching into the many valleys that are the Grath Vales. This mountain river is the clan's primary source of water, food, and wealth. The miners steal quality iron-ore, and other minerals and precious metals and gems, from the crust of their mountain home. It is said that Crom uses the mountain beneath the Grath to store his wealth, and the Grath take what they can without his notice. When the mountain shakes, though, the Grath know that Crom is looking their way.
Grathmuir is the only three-family settlement on the Diamondrun, and there lived a weaponsmith, member of the Duncohr family. The Duncohrs have been weaponsmiths, it is said, since Crom gave man the Secret of Steel.
This Duncohr smith, carrying on the tradition of his father and his father before him, was Caelis' great-grandfather.
-- AESIR BLOOD --
The only surviving son of that Grath mastersmith was Caelis' grandfather, Fionn, who was apprenticed to his father at the Duncohr family forge in Grathmuir. Fionn was wed to Maeoral, a Cimmerian girl from Grathwold, to strengthen the alliance between the two Grath villages. She gave Fionn four* sons (in order of birth):
Finn - Today, he is called Finn Elder. Caelis' father. Master Weaponsmith. Current chieftain of the Blue Fox clan.
Dael - Master Weaponsmith. Runs the Duncohr forge with Finn Elder.
Eanbotha - Finn Elder is the Foxman Chieftain, but Ean is the Skywarrior. Ean is the Blue Fox War Chief, ruling the clan just under Finn Elder.
Eregerth - Wayward youngest son, struck with wanderlust. Has traveled the world and just recently returned to his homeland.
Before their firstborn, Finn, became Caelis' father, he witnessed trouble in Maeoral's village of Grathwold. A Grath shepherd traded a few sheep to an Aesir family for a wife. The shepherd was ridiculed and shunned by some members of the greater clan outside of Grathwold who felt the mixing of Cimmerian and Aesir blood to be an impure act that dishonored the clan. Some say that the shepherd was eventually forced out of Grathwold. Others say that the shepherd left the clan of his own choosing in order to find another home for his family. In either case, the shepherd did not leave Grathwold until his Aesir wife had a child, a little girl they named Lyme.
Finn knew little of Lyme, but he felt honor bound to offer marriage to her. No one else would. He thought that bringing her into the Duncohr family would shield her from those who would call her "half-breed". His father, Fionn, was against the marriage. But, the shepherd agreed to the union, though, knowing his road away from the clan was uncertain and most likely dangerous.
Finn married Lyme, but the scorn and labels of clan dishonor did not cease.
The Aesir bloodline has passed from her mother to Lyme to her sons, Branoc and Caelis.
Branoc favors his father, Finn. But Caelis is light haired and light eyed--his Aesir heritage showing through.
*There is a fifth son, Cael. He is Dael's twin. But, his name is not spoken, and no one in the clan acknowledges his existence.
The only surviving son of that Grath mastersmith was Caelis' grandfather, Fionn, who was apprenticed to his father at the Duncohr family forge in Grathmuir. Fionn was wed to Maeoral, a Cimmerian girl from Grathwold, to strengthen the alliance between the two Grath villages. She gave Fionn four* sons (in order of birth):
Finn - Today, he is called Finn Elder. Caelis' father. Master Weaponsmith. Current chieftain of the Blue Fox clan.
Dael - Master Weaponsmith. Runs the Duncohr forge with Finn Elder.
Eanbotha - Finn Elder is the Foxman Chieftain, but Ean is the Skywarrior. Ean is the Blue Fox War Chief, ruling the clan just under Finn Elder.
Eregerth - Wayward youngest son, struck with wanderlust. Has traveled the world and just recently returned to his homeland.
Before their firstborn, Finn, became Caelis' father, he witnessed trouble in Maeoral's village of Grathwold. A Grath shepherd traded a few sheep to an Aesir family for a wife. The shepherd was ridiculed and shunned by some members of the greater clan outside of Grathwold who felt the mixing of Cimmerian and Aesir blood to be an impure act that dishonored the clan. Some say that the shepherd was eventually forced out of Grathwold. Others say that the shepherd left the clan of his own choosing in order to find another home for his family. In either case, the shepherd did not leave Grathwold until his Aesir wife had a child, a little girl they named Lyme.
Finn knew little of Lyme, but he felt honor bound to offer marriage to her. No one else would. He thought that bringing her into the Duncohr family would shield her from those who would call her "half-breed". His father, Fionn, was against the marriage. But, the shepherd agreed to the union, though, knowing his road away from the clan was uncertain and most likely dangerous.
Finn married Lyme, but the scorn and labels of clan dishonor did not cease.
The Aesir bloodline has passed from her mother to Lyme to her sons, Branoc and Caelis.
Branoc favors his father, Finn. But Caelis is light haired and light eyed--his Aesir heritage showing through.
*There is a fifth son, Cael. He is Dael's twin. But, his name is not spoken, and no one in the clan acknowledges his existence.
-- SEVEN STONES RIDGE --
Finn brought his new bride back to Grathmuir to live among his family, the Duncohrs. He was 24 years old, but Lyme had only seen 9 winters. On his honor, Finn did not know her as a woman, though, until she became one, at age 15. Her parents, the shepherd and his Aesir wife, left Grathwold eastbound, but they were never heard from again. That spring, when the snows thawed, the remains of a man and a woman were found to the east, savaged, dismembered and unrecognizable. Trackers found the prints of the horse-sized nordwolves, but it is thought that the giant wolves only fed on fresh dead bodies. Otherwise, the norders would have taken much of the meat back to their lair. The years passed, and this mystery was never solved nor were the bodies ever identified.
The taunting and abuse Finn faced from his clanmembers never subsided. Fionn had been against the marriage, but he stood by his son and the Duncohr family honor. That Fionn was a mastersmith needed by the clan as a whole kept the Duncohrs from the same fate faced by Lyme's family. There was talk that her parents were butchered by Grath once they left the safety of the clan's territory. With all that the Duncohr family received in the face of Finn's marriage to the half-Aesir, Fionn had noticed a change in the clan as a whole. His clansmen acted differently--less tolerant, more savage. Disputes between Grath villages were common and sometimes bloody. Honor had become twisted. Respect for the old ways seemed to be fading. As progressive as the clan had become, the Grath seemed to be moving backwards, as if the clan were destroying itself from within.
Fionn couldn't explain it. It was just something he knew, the reason for which could not be expressed--at least not logically. Some reasons were only deciphered by the hair that stood up at the nape of his neck. Something unnatural was afoot among his clansmen. He believed it. It was something that was inexplicable.
Each Grath village is dominated by one family. The second family is always weaker politically, known as the underfamily. Grathmuir is the only Grath village to serve as home to three Grath families, and the Duncohrs were the middle family--one of the two Grathmuir underfamilies. It is not uncommon for an underfamily to break away from its home village to start a new settlement where it can be dominate. Fionn claimed this right, and the Duncohrs followed the Diamondrun river south, out of the mountains, into the foothills of the Eiglophians. There, the Diamondrun cascades into a waterfall on a small plateau that overlooks the plains to the south. This place is known to all Grath and most other Cimmerians for it is also the place where the Seven Sacred Stones stand. These rune covered stones grow from the earth, planted in a time forgotten. They are a reminder of Crom's victory over the Titans. This plateau is known as Crom's Battleground, and it has been a traveling destination for centuries.
It is here that Fionn planted his tent, brought his forge, and relocated his family.
The Duncohrs would be the dominate family of the new Grath village called Seven Stones Ridge.
In relative short time, Fionn's forge grew from his homestead, to a few more family buildings, into what it is today. After the Separation, Seven Stones Ridge became the clanholme for the Blue Fox Clan.
Finn brought his new bride back to Grathmuir to live among his family, the Duncohrs. He was 24 years old, but Lyme had only seen 9 winters. On his honor, Finn did not know her as a woman, though, until she became one, at age 15. Her parents, the shepherd and his Aesir wife, left Grathwold eastbound, but they were never heard from again. That spring, when the snows thawed, the remains of a man and a woman were found to the east, savaged, dismembered and unrecognizable. Trackers found the prints of the horse-sized nordwolves, but it is thought that the giant wolves only fed on fresh dead bodies. Otherwise, the norders would have taken much of the meat back to their lair. The years passed, and this mystery was never solved nor were the bodies ever identified.
The taunting and abuse Finn faced from his clanmembers never subsided. Fionn had been against the marriage, but he stood by his son and the Duncohr family honor. That Fionn was a mastersmith needed by the clan as a whole kept the Duncohrs from the same fate faced by Lyme's family. There was talk that her parents were butchered by Grath once they left the safety of the clan's territory. With all that the Duncohr family received in the face of Finn's marriage to the half-Aesir, Fionn had noticed a change in the clan as a whole. His clansmen acted differently--less tolerant, more savage. Disputes between Grath villages were common and sometimes bloody. Honor had become twisted. Respect for the old ways seemed to be fading. As progressive as the clan had become, the Grath seemed to be moving backwards, as if the clan were destroying itself from within.
Fionn couldn't explain it. It was just something he knew, the reason for which could not be expressed--at least not logically. Some reasons were only deciphered by the hair that stood up at the nape of his neck. Something unnatural was afoot among his clansmen. He believed it. It was something that was inexplicable.
Each Grath village is dominated by one family. The second family is always weaker politically, known as the underfamily. Grathmuir is the only Grath village to serve as home to three Grath families, and the Duncohrs were the middle family--one of the two Grathmuir underfamilies. It is not uncommon for an underfamily to break away from its home village to start a new settlement where it can be dominate. Fionn claimed this right, and the Duncohrs followed the Diamondrun river south, out of the mountains, into the foothills of the Eiglophians. There, the Diamondrun cascades into a waterfall on a small plateau that overlooks the plains to the south. This place is known to all Grath and most other Cimmerians for it is also the place where the Seven Sacred Stones stand. These rune covered stones grow from the earth, planted in a time forgotten. They are a reminder of Crom's victory over the Titans. This plateau is known as Crom's Battleground, and it has been a traveling destination for centuries.
It is here that Fionn planted his tent, brought his forge, and relocated his family.
The Duncohrs would be the dominate family of the new Grath village called Seven Stones Ridge.
In relative short time, Fionn's forge grew from his homestead, to a few more family buildings, into what it is today. After the Separation, Seven Stones Ridge became the clanholme for the Blue Fox Clan.
-- THE SEPARATION --
A History of the Blue Fox Clan
The clans of Cimmeria are varied. Some are nomadic, and some are not. Some are near savages, disfiguring their bodies, enemy to all that they encounter, while other clans are more progressive, building villages and towns. The latter describes the Grath. As one of the 18 dominate Cimmerian clans, they hold the territory in north-central Cimmeria, from the valleys of the Eighlophian Mountains to the northern edge of the Hoath Plain.
One peculiarity of the Grath is that they don't congregate in one location. There is no single village designated as the clanholme. The Grath are spread out, across their territory. The landscape is dotted with one or two family villages. They act as a union of city-states (though none of the villages are large enough to be considered a "town"), but Grath loyalty is stronger to the Clan than to the immediate family. This holds the clan together. It makes them strong--their lands dense with population and protection.
Politically, the Grath act as a quasi-combination of feudal society and republic. A chief is elected by the councils of each Grath village. When that person can no longer perform in the position, he can step down or be challenged by another Clansman. But, it's not mortal combat that decides the outcome of the challenge as it was in the past. The Grath have grown sophisticated by using a democratic method, allowing the town elders (only--not the Clansmen) to vote for the new Chief. A simple majority wins. The Chief's village becomes the center of political activity for the Clan until a Chief from another village is selected, at which time politics follows the Chief to a new home.
Caelis' grandfather, Fionn, was head of the Duncohr family and ran the forge in the Grath village of Grathmuir. Fionn left this village and set out to find a location for a Duncohr-dominated village. The spot he chose is a mystical place. A circle of seven 40-45 foot, rune-covered stones marks the spot where Crom conquered a troop of seven Titans, in the time before time. Each stone is said to serve as a tombstone for each Titan. This place is referred to as the prachaun grul, in the local tongue. Here, the land is pockmarked with warrens of the Cimmerian blue fox. That is seen as a good omen.
Fionn Duncohr built his family's town on a ridge overlooking the prachaun grul. The place started as a cleared spot and two tents, one for Fionn and Maeoral, the other serving as a his smithy. But, Seven Stones Ridge grew, first into solid structures, then into a village, and finally into a town.
In truth, Seven Stones became the largest population center in the entire Clan, eventually home to almost half the Grath total population.
Nuadha (Na-whaa-tha) was the beautiful daughter of the Grath Chieftain, twenty years ago. She was very engaging, and she found her way into the hearts of the entire Clan. The Chief used his daughter as an ambassador. Nuadha would travel to the score of Grath villages, speaking with the town elders, completing Clan business at the bidding of her father. Yet, she did more. If she saw a village would not have enough meat for the upcoming winter, she would negotiate trade from a nearby village that could spare the food. Disputes were sometimes solved by her, though she had no real authority--her Clansmen finding it easier to use her word than wait for a decision from the Chief. There was talk that Nuadha would become the first female Grath Chieftain after her father aged.
Tragedy struck. Nuadha and her father went missing. They were never found. The Grath had lost their Chief and their probable next Chief. Speculation of all sorts were whispered throughout the villages. One of the strongest theories was that Nuadha had been abducted by the Nangh, a clan from the Hoath Plain. Their Chief had recently proposed an alliance between the Grath and the Nangh, suggesting that Nuadha become his wife to seal the agreement. But, he was refused. Another rumor said that Nuadha was captured by the vicious Nachta, the savage clan on Cimmeria's southwestern border. It was said that word of Nuadha's beauty had spread across the country, and the Nactha chief wanted her as a trophy.
There was even speculation that Nuadha's own father had killed her out of jealousy for her popularity among the Clan. But, this was quickly quelled, as the Chief was never found either.
The loss of Nuadha is a mystery that may never be solved. The event happened twenty years agon. But her loss had a grave effect on the clan, in an almost mysterious way. The clan began to digress. The Grath villages became fractious. People would carve a five leafed clover on their foreheads--the symbol that Nuadha used to mark her presence.
In Seven Stones, Nuadha was known by the name Xean (zean), which means "light" in the local tongue. A likeness of this symbol is nailed over the fireplace in the longhouse. Before each hunt, and before any war effort, each warrior touches Xean to gain her favor while in the wilderness away from home.
Not all Grath villages were affected equally by the loss of Nuadha and her father. But, the effect was long term and noticeable. Fionn Duncohr noticed it, and he feared that all he had built for his kin would be lost. Seven Stones had become a major trading center in the northern part of Cimmeria. It was the Duncohr family holding that he had dreamed about. News arrived one day that reported an entire Grath village had committed mass suicide. When they were found, it was seen that the villagers had stacked rocks in the village center to form a five leafed clover.
It was madness.
The Grath were falling apart. Trade with outsiders began to fade. Grath clansmen began to scar themselves to mark their suffering. And, finally, Grath began raiding other Grath villages.
It was then that Fionn decided to break away from the Grath. Seven Stones was prepared for war. It was ironic that Fionn's action--to leave the Grath and form a new clan--was the one action that helped solidify the fracturing Grath. For, all the Grath, those both insane and sane, felt that the Duncohrs were opening the door that would lead to the death of the entire Clan.
Clanwar broke out. The fighting was vicious. Fionn lost his wife, Maeoral, during the conflict. He's never forgiven his ex-brethren for that. They knew who she was.
The warriors of Seven Stones prevailed. During the fighting, the Grath began comparing the Stoners to the urro--the Cimmerian blue fox--saying how ruthless but intelligent in combat they can be. The Grath respected the Stoner tactics, as the town of Seven Stones Ridge should have been crushed by the combined warriors of the entire Grath Clan. "The luck of the urro," the Grath would say, and they began calling the Stoners the "Foxmen", referring to the blue fox.
The Duncohrs adopted the name for their new Clan that consisted mainly of Duncohr kinsmen, but those from other families as well.
Today, Seven Stones Ridge serves as the clanholme of the Blue Fox Clan. Fionn, now called Old Fionn, is aged many years. His son, Finn Elder, is Town Elder and Chieftain. Old Fionn's other son, Eanbotha, is War Chief. Today, the Blue Fox territory is shadowed by the remaining Grath, who continue to deteriorate.
Finn Elder is aging now, having seen 57 seasons. But, his three sons, Branoc, Caelis, and Thrallan, have just become warriors, to carry on the Duncohr name.
It took time, but Old Fionn accomplished what he set out to do.
The Blue Fox live. The Duncohrs live. And, prosperous times are ahead.
A History of the Blue Fox Clan
The clans of Cimmeria are varied. Some are nomadic, and some are not. Some are near savages, disfiguring their bodies, enemy to all that they encounter, while other clans are more progressive, building villages and towns. The latter describes the Grath. As one of the 18 dominate Cimmerian clans, they hold the territory in north-central Cimmeria, from the valleys of the Eighlophian Mountains to the northern edge of the Hoath Plain.
One peculiarity of the Grath is that they don't congregate in one location. There is no single village designated as the clanholme. The Grath are spread out, across their territory. The landscape is dotted with one or two family villages. They act as a union of city-states (though none of the villages are large enough to be considered a "town"), but Grath loyalty is stronger to the Clan than to the immediate family. This holds the clan together. It makes them strong--their lands dense with population and protection.
Politically, the Grath act as a quasi-combination of feudal society and republic. A chief is elected by the councils of each Grath village. When that person can no longer perform in the position, he can step down or be challenged by another Clansman. But, it's not mortal combat that decides the outcome of the challenge as it was in the past. The Grath have grown sophisticated by using a democratic method, allowing the town elders (only--not the Clansmen) to vote for the new Chief. A simple majority wins. The Chief's village becomes the center of political activity for the Clan until a Chief from another village is selected, at which time politics follows the Chief to a new home.
Caelis' grandfather, Fionn, was head of the Duncohr family and ran the forge in the Grath village of Grathmuir. Fionn left this village and set out to find a location for a Duncohr-dominated village. The spot he chose is a mystical place. A circle of seven 40-45 foot, rune-covered stones marks the spot where Crom conquered a troop of seven Titans, in the time before time. Each stone is said to serve as a tombstone for each Titan. This place is referred to as the prachaun grul, in the local tongue. Here, the land is pockmarked with warrens of the Cimmerian blue fox. That is seen as a good omen.
Fionn Duncohr built his family's town on a ridge overlooking the prachaun grul. The place started as a cleared spot and two tents, one for Fionn and Maeoral, the other serving as a his smithy. But, Seven Stones Ridge grew, first into solid structures, then into a village, and finally into a town.
In truth, Seven Stones became the largest population center in the entire Clan, eventually home to almost half the Grath total population.
Nuadha (Na-whaa-tha) was the beautiful daughter of the Grath Chieftain, twenty years ago. She was very engaging, and she found her way into the hearts of the entire Clan. The Chief used his daughter as an ambassador. Nuadha would travel to the score of Grath villages, speaking with the town elders, completing Clan business at the bidding of her father. Yet, she did more. If she saw a village would not have enough meat for the upcoming winter, she would negotiate trade from a nearby village that could spare the food. Disputes were sometimes solved by her, though she had no real authority--her Clansmen finding it easier to use her word than wait for a decision from the Chief. There was talk that Nuadha would become the first female Grath Chieftain after her father aged.
Tragedy struck. Nuadha and her father went missing. They were never found. The Grath had lost their Chief and their probable next Chief. Speculation of all sorts were whispered throughout the villages. One of the strongest theories was that Nuadha had been abducted by the Nangh, a clan from the Hoath Plain. Their Chief had recently proposed an alliance between the Grath and the Nangh, suggesting that Nuadha become his wife to seal the agreement. But, he was refused. Another rumor said that Nuadha was captured by the vicious Nachta, the savage clan on Cimmeria's southwestern border. It was said that word of Nuadha's beauty had spread across the country, and the Nactha chief wanted her as a trophy.
There was even speculation that Nuadha's own father had killed her out of jealousy for her popularity among the Clan. But, this was quickly quelled, as the Chief was never found either.
The loss of Nuadha is a mystery that may never be solved. The event happened twenty years agon. But her loss had a grave effect on the clan, in an almost mysterious way. The clan began to digress. The Grath villages became fractious. People would carve a five leafed clover on their foreheads--the symbol that Nuadha used to mark her presence.
In Seven Stones, Nuadha was known by the name Xean (zean), which means "light" in the local tongue. A likeness of this symbol is nailed over the fireplace in the longhouse. Before each hunt, and before any war effort, each warrior touches Xean to gain her favor while in the wilderness away from home.
Not all Grath villages were affected equally by the loss of Nuadha and her father. But, the effect was long term and noticeable. Fionn Duncohr noticed it, and he feared that all he had built for his kin would be lost. Seven Stones had become a major trading center in the northern part of Cimmeria. It was the Duncohr family holding that he had dreamed about. News arrived one day that reported an entire Grath village had committed mass suicide. When they were found, it was seen that the villagers had stacked rocks in the village center to form a five leafed clover.
It was madness.
The Grath were falling apart. Trade with outsiders began to fade. Grath clansmen began to scar themselves to mark their suffering. And, finally, Grath began raiding other Grath villages.
It was then that Fionn decided to break away from the Grath. Seven Stones was prepared for war. It was ironic that Fionn's action--to leave the Grath and form a new clan--was the one action that helped solidify the fracturing Grath. For, all the Grath, those both insane and sane, felt that the Duncohrs were opening the door that would lead to the death of the entire Clan.
Clanwar broke out. The fighting was vicious. Fionn lost his wife, Maeoral, during the conflict. He's never forgiven his ex-brethren for that. They knew who she was.
The warriors of Seven Stones prevailed. During the fighting, the Grath began comparing the Stoners to the urro--the Cimmerian blue fox--saying how ruthless but intelligent in combat they can be. The Grath respected the Stoner tactics, as the town of Seven Stones Ridge should have been crushed by the combined warriors of the entire Grath Clan. "The luck of the urro," the Grath would say, and they began calling the Stoners the "Foxmen", referring to the blue fox.
The Duncohrs adopted the name for their new Clan that consisted mainly of Duncohr kinsmen, but those from other families as well.
Today, Seven Stones Ridge serves as the clanholme of the Blue Fox Clan. Fionn, now called Old Fionn, is aged many years. His son, Finn Elder, is Town Elder and Chieftain. Old Fionn's other son, Eanbotha, is War Chief. Today, the Blue Fox territory is shadowed by the remaining Grath, who continue to deteriorate.
Finn Elder is aging now, having seen 57 seasons. But, his three sons, Branoc, Caelis, and Thrallan, have just become warriors, to carry on the Duncohr name.
It took time, but Old Fionn accomplished what he set out to do.
The Blue Fox live. The Duncohrs live. And, prosperous times are ahead.
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