Conan (DnD 4th Ed)

[Nurgle84]

As our current heroic tier campaign in coming to an end, I want to start a little experiment using one of my favorite backgrounds. You guessed: Hyperborea. As a base I want to use the DnD 4th edition, as we are familiar with the system instead of the more 3.5ish Conan RPG.

First step: Which classes are appropiate. After some thinking I came up with this

Fighter
Ranger
Rogue
Warlord
Barbarian
Warden (maybe, I am not sure if I can reflavor his powers)
Schamane (maybe, I am not sure if I can reflavor his powers)
Bard
Sorceror (only as multiclass, and only after working for a few levels)
Wizard (only as multiclass, and only after working for a few levels)
Warlock (only as multiclass, and only after working for a few levels)

Out: Paladin, Cleric, Avenger, Invoker, Druid, Swordmage

Comments?

 

[Bigassgeek]

I'm working on a Conan/Thongor/Lankhmar inspired campaign setting myself, and have been thinking about this very thing.

My goal is to make magic mysterious, dangerous, and scary, and to take it out of the PCs hands. At this point, I'm leaning toward limiting my players to Martial-sourced classes, plus the Barbarian.

I think your choice to eliminate the Divine classes is right on.

If you want to let your characters dabble in magic, but don't want them hurling bolts of magic energy around, you might want to disalow Arcane classses but let characters take the Ritual Caster feat.

Personally, I think the Bard feels too "magicky", but my Conan knowledge isn't too deep. Is there a character from the books you think the class models well?

 

[Nurgle84]

I am orienting myself at the Conan RPG 2ed. There are three classes which are very "bardy". The Scholar (basically a magic user and seeker of knowledge), the noble (social master) and the temptress (charmer). These are all nicely represented by the bard. The full magic users are only available by retraining and feats.

I thought this way (in this special order, but can be stopped at any point):

1. You need arcana skill training. (Bard has it, all others have to take a feat)
2. After a level up and in play learning, the skill training can be retrained to the appropiate multiclass feat.
3. Ritual caster has to be taken.
4. Encounter Swap
5. Skill Focus Arcana
6. Utility Swap
7. Ritual Master (the +2 to all rituals thing)
8. Daily Swap
9. Paragon Multiclass

The price isn´t as high as it looks like, as I will give bonus feats because of the lack of magic items. (And an enhancement Bonus by level)

 

[Khuxan]

I've thought on and off about a sword and sorcery 4E game. Here's what I'd suggest:

• Martial classes and the barbarian are fully availble.
• The arcane classes and the remaining primal classes are multiclass only.
• No magic items, or rare magic items without any enhancement bonuses. Take this into account using one of the dozens of house rules people have suggested.
• Races severely limited or only human.

And that's it. I'd leave everything else - the Ritual Caster feat, etc. - as is.

 

[Bigassgeek]

[*]No magic items, or rare magic items without any enhancement bonuses. Take this into account using one of the dozens of house rules people have suggested.
.

If you have any links to those threads, I'd love to see 'em.

 

[Bigassgeek]

1. You need arcana skill training. (Bard has it, all others have to take a feat)
2. After a level up and in play learning, the skill training can be retrained to the appropiate multiclass feat.
3. Ritual caster has to be taken.
4. Encounter Swap
5. Skill Focus Arcana
6. Utility Swap
7. Ritual Master (the +2 to all rituals thing)
8. Daily Swap
9. Paragon Multiclass

It seems a little complicated, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.

 

[Nurgle84]

If you have any links to those threads, I'd love to see 'em.

In principle you just have to substract the appropiate enhancement bonus for the Player level from the defenses and to hit of the monsters. Your players won´t see it and the only thing that is maybe a bit off, is the damage as every hit of the characters will deal up to 6 points less damage. So be bit generous there. If a Level 18 monster has 20 HP left, it would probably be defeated with magic weapons. So consider it defeated.

Like:

Level Substract from defenses and to hit
1-3 0
4-8 -1
9-14 -2
15-18 -3
19-23 -4
24-28 -5
29-30 -6

It seems a little complicated, but I don't see why it wouldn't work.

Yeah, but magic in a low magic environment should take a considerable investment. If you attack a normal soldier with obvious magic, he is going to run for the hills.

Btw. The Races I will use:

Races (no low-light vision, no dark vision):

Cimmerian: Goliaths

Himelian Tribesman: Elf (no fey origin, Speed 6, Free Feat: Toughness)

Hyborian (zivilisierte Menschen: Aquilonia, Brythunia, Corinthia, Khauran, Koth, Nemedia, Ophir, Bossonian, Gunderman, Argossean, Barachan, Tauran): Human

Hyperborian: Half-Orc

Hyrkanian or Turanian: Elf (no fey origin, Speed 6, Free Feat: Weapon Focus: Bows)

Khitai: Deva (no Immortal Origin, no Astral Majesty, Bonus Feat: Weapon Focus (Staff), Improved unarmed Strike or Skill Training (Arcana)

Nordheimer: Dwarf (Speed 6, no Encumbered Speed, no Dwarfen Weapon Proficiency, Weapon Focus: Heavy Blades)

Shemite: Half-Orc (no Swift Charge, Free Feat: Weapon proficiency: Greatbow)

Stygian: Tiefling (no Fire-resistance instead Poison-resistance of the same value)

Zamorian: Halfling (not small, not bold)

 

[Bigassgeek]

I dig reskinning the races, and have been working on the same thing for my world.

One thing I've been toying with is not having any race be standard Human by default, but letting anyone pick Human regardless of where they came from. That way, they could be a slightly less typical member of their home region. But, that could dilute the impact of having different races of humans if too many PCs decided to take that route.

 

[Nurgle84]

I also thought about this, but then I would have a problem for Aquilonia and similar lands. What Race should I use for them? That would be to many races for reskinning.

 

[Odysseus]

i'm in the process of running a 4E Conan adventure.
I used the races here which seemed to work. Then used feats and powers to give more regional flavour.
For classes, i used fighter, ranger, pirate(based on rogue) thief(similar to rogue), warlord & barbarian(the one from APG) and didn't use any arcane or divine classes.