Conan the Barbarian NPC

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I've only read four Conan stories. There's a lot, and I didn't want to wait until I'd read them all. Conan is presented as an elite 20th-level slayer. (I had wanted to make him lower level, but in one story he casually killed a pair of frost giants.)

Conan; Level 20 Elite Skirmisher; XP 5,600
HP 372 (168)
AC 34; Fortitude 35, Reflex 32, Will 30
Initiative +17
Perception +17
Speed 6
Saving Throws: +2
Action Points 1

Traits
Uncanny Dodge: Enemies do not gain the normal +2 bonus to attack rolls against Conan when they have combat advantage against him.

Standard Actions
(mb) Cleaving Strike (martial, weapon) * At-Will. Attack: +25 vs AC. Hit: 3d8+15 damage, and an enemy adjacent to Conan takes 10 damage.
(m) Mobile Blade (martial, weapon) * At-Will. Attack: +25 vs AC. Hit: 3d8+15 damage, and Conan moves up to 4 squares.
(rb) Thrown Object * At-Will. Requirement: Conan must have an object to throw. Attack: Ranged 5; +25 vs AC. Hit: 3d8+15 damage.
Conan's Fury (martial, weapon) * At-Will. Effect: Conan makes two melee attacks.

Move Actions
Line Breaker (martial) * Recharge when first bloodied. Effect: Conan moves up to his speed. During this movement, Conan gains a +5 power bonus to all defenses against opportunity attacks.

Triggered Actions
Brutal Sweeping Blade (martial) * Recharge 5, 6, and when first bloodied. Trigger: Conan hits with a melee attack. Effect (Free Action): Conan can slide each adjacent enemy 1 square. The triggering attack deals 3d6 extra damage, and Conan pushes the target 3 square.
Brutal Throw * Recharge 5. Trigger: Conan hits with thrown object. Effect (Free Action): The triggering attack deals 3d6 extra damage.
Serpentine Blade (martial) * Recharge when first bloodied. Trigger: Conan misses with a melee attack. Effect (Free Action): The target grants combat advantage until the end of Conan's next turn or until Conan or one of his allies attack it.

Skills: Athletics +21, Endurance +17, Intimidate +17, Nature +16, Stealth +19

Strength 23 Dexterity 19 Wisdom 15
Constitution 18 Intelligence 14 Charisma 15

Equipment: chain mail, greatsword or other blade (Conan doesn't seem to have preferences for his weapons), dagger, stallion. Conan frequently has magic equipment, but often sells it for ... well, you know.

Explanations: I made him a skirmisher and gave him mobile battle styles based on the description of "The Phoenix on the Sword"'s battle scene. He has "Brutal Throw" from how he killed that poisonous spider in "Tower of the Ivory Elephant" (or some similar title).

I'm happy with his skills. He's displayed these in the stories I've read so far. He's not a "great thief" but he does have Stealth training, which lets him do things like sneak into a castle and kidnap a princess in "People of the Black Circle".

He used Uncanny Dodge several times in "Tower of the Ivory Elephant", which among other things let him survive an attack by a completely silent lion. I gave him Perception trained for pretty much the same reason. I think Conan was the Trope Codifier for Uncanny Dodge. In 3rd Edition, barbarians have Listen as a class skill, probably due to Conan's supernatural hearing.

I gave him Cleaving Strike based on a description from a reader who read the whole series. He uses 3.x, and gave Conan Great Cleave and Combat Reflexes. Pretty much every 4e creature/character gets the equivalent of 3.x's Combat Reflexes, so that left Great Cleave to change over. I simply gave him the fighter power.

I'm a little disappointed in his ability scores. They're about what a PC version of him would have, but a PC can only have two good scores.

Please comment, especially if you've read more stories.

 

[Tony Vargas]

NPCs are more easily statted out as 'monsters' than as PCs. You have a lot of flexibility. A 'fury' power that lets you make 2 of your basic attacks is not unusual for monsters, for instance. You don't have to worry about multi-classing or backgrounds or other optimization gambits to collect disparate class abilities or skills or anything. You just give the critter what it should have.

Conan, depending on when in the series you take your snapshot, and how much of the post-REH pastiche you include, could have quite a lot of abilities going. Ge's a barbarian, a thief, a pirate, a general, and a king (OK, usurper). Hard to do with one class. Easy enough to do with a 'monster' stat block. Depending on the point in his story arc you emulate, he could be a Brute, Skirmisher, or Soldier, with (Leader) thrown in towards the end.