Mythological Figures: Conan the Barbarian (5E)

WHAT IS BEST IN LIFE? Click here to find out! This week's Mythological Figure is one sure to generate a lot of discussion, as we delve into Conan the Barbabarian!

If by some strange chance you are not already familiar with this wildly popular character my first recommendation is to check out any of the Conan the Barbarian films (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger), but there’s also a Conan RPG from Modiphius and a relatively recent Conan video game. I’m not going to summarize his history -- as far as I’m able to tell there are at least 13 different public domain works featuring Conan.

If you read this column for the context this just isn’t your week but for the stat junkies, behold!

Design Notes: Conan here is one of the most hotly contested character builds for fantasy RPGs. It’s opinions, @$$#%^&$, and Conan builds out here: everybody has one. At one point or another I ran across a rationale I thought was pretty good and made a comment in my working document about it. If you are the person who posted this on Facebook or elsewhere on EN World or wherever it is I saw it, thank you:

“First thing - no more than 1 level of Barbarian class. Barbarians from Hyboria aren't D&D Barbarians. You just need it to reflect that he was formidabble even without any armour. So Barbarian 1 and no more. Second thing - Ranger 1. Conan was good tracker and knew how to take care of himself in the wilderness, his favoured enemies should be humans and human-abomination hybrids. Third - Rouge 3 with Thief Roguish Archetype. He spent a lot of time as ordinary thief. Rest should go to Fighter with Champion as Martial Archetype as Conan was more interested in crushing his enemies (and seeing them driven before him) as quickly and effectively as possible.”

For his Challenge Rating I erred on the side of caution and rounded up to 9 because he’s got a ton of features, can leap like a monster, and has incredible mobility (and if you are going to cry fowl about needing a higher Strength or Constitution, drop Mobility and increase one or the other by +2).

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Conan the Barbarian
Medium humanoid (human), neutral barbarian 1/ranger 1/rogue (thief) 3/fighter 11 (champion)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Natural Explorer: Mountains. When Conan makes an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to the forest, his proficiency bonus (+5) is doubled if he is using a skill that he’s proficient in. While traveling for an hour or more in his favored terrain, Conan gains the following benefits:

• Difficult terrain doesn’t slow his group’s travel.
• Conan’s group can’t become lost except by magical means.
• Even when he is engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), Conan remains alert to danger.
• If Conan is traveling alone, he can move stealthily at a normal pace.
• When he forages, Conan finds twice as much food as he normally would.
• While tracking other creatures, Conan also learns their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.

Rage (2/Long Rest). On his turn, Conan can enter a rage as a bonus action. His rage lasts for 1 minute, ending early if he is knocked unconscious or if his turn ends and he hasn’t either attacked a hostile creature since his last turn or taken damage since then. Conan can also end his rage on his turn as a bonus action. While raging, he gains the following benefits.

• Conan has advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
• When Conan makes a melee weapon attack using Strength, he deals 2 extra damage.
• Conan has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

Remarkable Athlete. Conan adds +2 to any Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution check he makes that doesn’t already use his proficiency bonus. In addition, when he makes a running long jump, the distance he can cover increases by 4 feet.

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

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

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

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ACTIONS

Multiattack. Conan attacks three times.

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

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

Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) piercing damage.

 

[Garthanos]

Yeah it could work but it would generally be some kind of "story mode" thing, possibly a high powered one use item or something like that, except in something like Epic Tier 4E (as you say) or similar high powered game. IMO it would be pretty rare to be a skill check alone, although one or more than one might be needed. Aragorn pretty clearly calls them to task for being Oathbreakers, which sounds Intimidate to me, and he did his research well to realize that he could do it.

Of course a BTB D&D Ranger would probably have Charisma as a dump stat and not actually be all that great at a skill like Intimidate.

I am recollecting the first scene of strider and saying no the guy has sosh chops I am not thinking he is BTB

On the other hand If I built a Warlord emulating Aragorn using good nature backgrounds Forest Warden and Themes like Noble, He most definitely would have some Charisma even if wisdom was competing for the points. (You can pretty much dump stat or pump almost anything you want aside from the classes Prime attribute)

Also yes sure more like a subquest with a skill challenge so that the troops
gathered can be more awesome

Furthermore, having as important a character as Aragorn in the party would be fairly unusual, although with the right group it could work. Most players aren't too happy being that level of third viola, though. Of course, we shouldn't forget that the real heroes are the little people---Frodo, Sam, Bilbo, and, Smeagol (at least on Tuesday, Thursday, and every other Saturday). All of Aragorn's might is but a side show to cover for the fact that the Ring is getting taken on a Hail Mary to the Crack of Doom.

Perhaps one huge skill challenge his "diversion" being worth at least a couple success (absolutely required to solve the problem though)

I started back in 1e having heros who were high councilors, justiciars and ambassadors of the Elven people, priestesses and their guards, and others who were reincarnations of gods of justice and one who was a Prince of Shadow and I think D&D Epic is the real of realization and fruition for those.

 

[Garthanos]

Definitely, although Denethor was among the near-Wise. But in OD&D and 1E that was not true. Only magic-users could... and high level rangers.

Point might be that characterizing that as Rangerish to a Tolkien fan is ahem? it wasn't supposed to be something special to Aragorn let alone the Rangers and its kind of a compliment to what I mentioned earlier about knowing beast languages it was at least somewhat "special" because many humans seem to be forgetting it in modern days but there were still families like the fellow Bards who retained the lore - ie among the heroics it seemed more of a choice and symbolic of that Bloodline thing again.

When I DMd 1e I made it a language option and in 4e I made Animal Tongues a martial practice where most of the effort was spent getting the animals to care enough to talk to you about what you wanted to talk about (because aside from your pets most don't) .

 

[Garthanos]

Does Aragorn count as Mythic?

 

[Jay Verkuilen]

I am recollecting the first scene of strider and saying no the guy has sosh chops I am not thinking he is BTB

Absolutely. Aragorn has high end social abilities. He's not much to look at but from the moment you meet him it's obvious he's got the Eye of the Tiger.

On the other hand If I built a Warlord emulating Aragorn using good nature backgrounds Forest Warden and Themes like Noble, He most definitely would have some Charisma even if wisdom was competing for the points. (You can pretty much dump stat or pump almost anything you want aside from the classes Prime attribute)

Sure, but Aragorn is also the ranger of the age---he's an absolutely amazing tracker, for instance. In many respects, he's just too broadly competent. IMO D&D has rarely been good at emulating a first rank hero like Aragorn. It does a much better job with second rank heroes such as Gimli, Legolas, or Boromir.

Perhaps one huge skill challenge his "diversion" being worth at least a couple success (absolutely required to solve the problem though)

The diversion is crafted by he and Gandalf as I recall. Aragorn realizes his army simply isn't big enough to defeat Sauron militarily, so he bluffs by acting like he's attacking, hoping Sauron thinks that he has the Ring, giving Frodo and Sam time to complete their quest.

I started back in 1e having heros who were high councilors, justiciars and ambassadors of the Elven people, priestesses and their guards, and others who were reincarnations of gods of justice and one who was a Prince of Shadow and I think D&D Epic is the real of realization and fruition for those.

D&D has tried epic type games before, such as in BECMI's upper tiers of play. They didn't call it tiers but Master and Immortal were pretty cosmic. It's also had Epic level in the 3E days and bits and pieces in 2E as well. I'm not really sure it's a great system for that kind of game, though. Your mileage may vary of course. I found Epic 4E mostly tedious but (as you know) I wasn't a big fan of 4E overall. I think I'd look to other game systems for something on the higher end scale.

 

[Jay Verkuilen]

Point might be that characterizing that as Rangerish to a Tolkien fan is ahem? it wasn't supposed to be something special to Aragorn let alone the Rangers

True, but the only reason the 1E ranger had that ability was because of Aragorn.

and its kind of a compliment to what I mentioned earlier about knowing beast languages it was at least somewhat "special" because many humans seem to be forgetting it in modern days but there were still families like the fellow Bards who retained the lore - ie among the heroics it seemed more of a choice and symbolic of that Bloodline thing again.

One of the general overall themes of Tolkien is the de-mythologizing of the world as it becomes ours. The First Age is highly magical, with titanic battles between armies of elves and the forces of Morgoth. The Second Age is still grand but less so. The Third Age even less so, with the realms of the Dunedain essentially falling about 1000 years before the War of the Ring, and the Dunedain increasingly intermingling with other bloodlines such as the Rohirrim. By the Fourth Age, the elves either depart Middle Earth or choose to become diminished. The dwarves clearly disappear at some point, as do various creatures of Morgoth. The last great dragon was Smaug and he got killed by Bard. Ents fall asleep and become trees. Even the hobbits disappear.

 

[Garthanos]

Sure, but Aragorn is also the ranger of the age---he's an absolutely amazing tracker, for instance. In many respects, he's just too broadly competent. IMO D&D has rarely been good at emulating a first rank hero like Aragorn. It does a much better job with second rank heroes such as Gimli, Legolas, or Boromir.

I am not convinced... at epic levels one can manage a fairly extraordinary rendering subject to the same problem creating all the characters Mike is having in 5e ie overly broad high attributes.

That background I mentioned really does give him access to the skills for his Rangerhood and its perhaps part of how skills allowed to be pretty awesome in that version that makes it less obvious.

There isn't anything in the game that says because you didnt pick ranger class you cannot have the trackers eye. long distance runner and learn animal tongues or marshal troops (epically) or eventually be a peerless tracker - these would be explicit abilities I would be giving this Aragorn (mostly via Martial practices some house ruled). But rather even without them or the houserulling -- if you get skilled enough they can effectively come indirectly. And there was many ways to get very skilled practices sort of pump it up a notch into reliably and predictably. Utility skill powers also help provide some fairly predictable chops.

 

[Garthanos]

T

One of the general overall themes of Tolkien is the de-mythologizing of the world as it becomes ours. The First Age is highly magical, with titanic battles between armies of elves and the forces of Morgoth. The Second Age is still grand but less so. The Third Age even less so, with the realms of the Dunedain essentially falling about 1000 years before the War of the Ring, and the Dunedain increasingly intermingling with other bloodlines such as the Rohirrim. By the Fourth Age, the elves either depart Middle Earth or choose to become diminished. The dwarves clearly disappear at some point, as do various creatures of Morgoth. The last great dragon was Smaug and he got killed by Bard. Ents fall asleep and become trees. Even the hobbits disappear.

Or become normal English country folk on the short side

The devolution of the future you might call it.

But basically his story with hobbits who are powerful because they are meek... pointing out that powerful types like Aragorn and the lot are less important ones it is the everyman who saves the day. Might actually work better in a game like Fate. Insert Aspects here.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

You know who else lived in a mythic past age, didn't cast spells, and got a D&D class based on him?

Conan!

 

[Jay Verkuilen]

Or become normal English country folk on the short side

The devolution of the future you might call it.

Devolution to the future?

But basically his story with hobbits who are powerful because they are meek... pointing out that powerful types like Aragorn and the lot are less important ones it is the everyman who saves the day. Might actually work better in a game like Fate. Insert Aspects here.

I wouldn't call Sam, Frodo, Merry, and Pippin, or hobbits in general, meek.

The hobbits are simple folk, but they're made of much sterner stuff (I think that's Tolkien's words) than they give themselves credit for. The hobbits 1000 years ago lived in the Vale of Anduin and as late as 500 years ago Smeagol's folk still did. That was not a safe place with the rise of Dol Guldur just across the Anduin. Rather than staying there, the ancestors of the Brandybucks led their people through the Misty Mountains into Eriador, which is a seriously ballsy move given that Eriador was in the tail end of the wars of the Angmar. As late as 100 years before Bilbo's time, they fight off a horde of orcs and wargs. Given leadership, they fight off the remnants of Saruman's army at the end of Return of the King and the Tooks never submit, instead mounting a vicious guerrilla campaign against them. The soft life the hobbits of Frodo's time enjoy is due to the fact that there's an active conspiracy to mount a watch around the Shire orchestrated by Gandalf and Elrond, who suspects that Bilbo had found a Ring of Power (if not the One Ring).

They are ordinary folk, though, and I think the stories are very much about the deeds of ordinary folk, something that Tolkien himself had experienced as a soldier in World War I. I agree that LotR is about the transition from the age of grand heroes like Elendil, Isildur, Gil-Galad, and so on, to the world of ordinary humanity.

 

[Jay Verkuilen]

I am not convinced... at epic levels one can manage a fairly extraordinary rendering subject to the same problem creating all the characters Mike is having in 5e ie overly broad high attributes.

I agree with some of the devices you talk about (e.g., Martial Practices) you could make a much more capable character. However, there's the other huge issue: You'd need to allow for really marked level discrepancies. One of the longstanding premises of the game is that the PCs are rough peers and are usually the experts in their particular niche. D&D doesn't handle marked level discrepancies well and neither do many players.

There isn't anything in the game that says because you didnt pick ranger class you cannot have the trackers eye. long distance runner and learn animal tongues or marshal troops (epically) or eventually be a peerless tracker - these would be explicit abilities I would be giving this Aragorn (mostly via Martial practices some house ruled). But rather even without them or the houserulling -- if you get skilled enough they can effectively come indirectly. And there was many ways to get very skilled practices sort of pump it up a notch into reliably and predictably. Utility skill powers also help provide some fairly predictable chops.

Yeah, I agree but IMO those are things that really hack at the general core premises of D&D, which pretty clearly shows its skirmish rules war-game roots. One could use the basic D&D engine for this kind of thing, but I don't really think it's a strength of the system.

As an example of a way to handle it, the last book published by White Wolf that went to FLGS market was Mirrors. It had a ton of interesting ideas in it. One was that you could build characters on a fixed set of build points. However, unspent points could translate into untapped potential or fortune. Thus a character like Aragorn would have pretty much spent all his points on backgrounds and skills. His abilities and destiny were pretty much set, come what may. Frodo, on the other hand, wouldn't have spent most of his points and thus has a lot of fortune on his side. Merry and Pippin spent their points on some fortune but also on untapped potential, developing warrior and leadership skills. All that said, playing either Frodo and Aragorn in a party would require some really serious player buy-in and player and GM chops, regardless of the system.