D&D General GM's Closet for the CONAN RPG
- Thread starter Water Bob
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THE HEART OF TAMMUZ
If you've read the story by Lin Carter, based on Howard's fragment, called THE HAND OF NERGAL, then you'll be familiar with this powerful item of sorcery: THE HEART OF TAMMUZ.
In the story, the heart is actually described as a piece of amber shaped like a heart, that glows with a light from inside the stone. All of the heart shaped pictures that I looked at on the net were way too feminine for what I was looking to use in my game. Tammuz is also worshiped as Adonis. I wanted something that fit the genre, and I finally found this:
Even though it's a round stone, I think that fits the look I'm looking for in the game quite nicely.
You may see a different rendition of this in the comic adaptations of the Howard/Carter story, as well.
If you've read the story by Lin Carter, based on Howard's fragment, called THE HAND OF NERGAL, then you'll be familiar with this powerful item of sorcery: THE HEART OF TAMMUZ.
In the story, the heart is actually described as a piece of amber shaped like a heart, that glows with a light from inside the stone. All of the heart shaped pictures that I looked at on the net were way too feminine for what I was looking to use in my game. Tammuz is also worshiped as Adonis. I wanted something that fit the genre, and I finally found this:
Even though it's a round stone, I think that fits the look I'm looking for in the game quite nicely.
You may see a different rendition of this in the comic adaptations of the Howard/Carter story, as well.
SILVER COINS OF THE MEADOW CITIES
Shem is not a kingdom in the traditional sense. It is a collection of cities states in the west, and a rolling, rocky desert in the west dominated by nomads and criss-crossed with caravan routes. The cities of the west are collectively known as the Meadow Cities, which is a reference to terrain in that part of Shem where more water and vegetation dot the land.
The assuri mercenaries are from this part of Shem, and each city state seemingly has its own dedicated god from the Shemitish pantheon.
As a whole, Shem does not mint its own coins. But, in order to support trade (which is extremely important to the economy in Shem), a silver coin of a specific weight (and almost all are of the same thickness and shape) is minted in low quantities by several of the larger city states in the Meadow Lands.
This coin, no matter where it is minted, is referred to as a drachma. Shemite drachma.
The coins typically depict the god of the city state where it was minted.
Shem is not a kingdom in the traditional sense. It is a collection of cities states in the west, and a rolling, rocky desert in the west dominated by nomads and criss-crossed with caravan routes. The cities of the west are collectively known as the Meadow Cities, which is a reference to terrain in that part of Shem where more water and vegetation dot the land.
The assuri mercenaries are from this part of Shem, and each city state seemingly has its own dedicated god from the Shemitish pantheon.
As a whole, Shem does not mint its own coins. But, in order to support trade (which is extremely important to the economy in Shem), a silver coin of a specific weight (and almost all are of the same thickness and shape) is minted in low quantities by several of the larger city states in the Meadow Lands.
This coin, no matter where it is minted, is referred to as a drachma. Shemite drachma.
The coins typically depict the god of the city state where it was minted.
KINGMAKER!
An adventure path for Pathfinder was published some years ago that set the players up in a sandbox wilderness area. The players are free to go anywhere they want. There is no over-all plot or story arc, though there are some interesting stories to discover. The PCs are given a charter to explore the area and eventually settle parts of it.
When I first saw this, I purchased it. I thought it would be an excellent base to use, transplanted to the Pictish Wilderness. The PCs would get their charter from Aquilonia, of course, and the PCs would try to explore and tame the lands of the Picts.
I still haven't converted the adventure path for play during the Hyborian Age, but I mention it here in case you like the idea and want to run with it. There are lots of pics and maps about Kingmaker on the net. There's a free Player's Guide that can be downloaded from Paizo. And, I understand that the adventure path is being turned into a computer roleplaying game.
From a Conan point of view, the players could become Aquilonian barons, granted a section of land annexed by that kingdom, through this adventure. Two books that would be extremely helpful to you are ACROSS THUNDER RIVER, the Conan RPG sourcebook that covers the Aquilonian border and Pictish Frontier, and AQUILONIA - FLOWER OF THE WEST.
Robert E. Howard wrote a few pages centered on Aquilonia in an essay he titled NOTES ON VARIOUS PEOPLES OF THE HYBORIAN AGE. You may be able to find this on the net. I read it in my copy of THE COMPLETE CHRONICLES OF CONAN by Robert E. Howard. It is also included among other published collections of Conan tales.
An adventure path for Pathfinder was published some years ago that set the players up in a sandbox wilderness area. The players are free to go anywhere they want. There is no over-all plot or story arc, though there are some interesting stories to discover. The PCs are given a charter to explore the area and eventually settle parts of it.
When I first saw this, I purchased it. I thought it would be an excellent base to use, transplanted to the Pictish Wilderness. The PCs would get their charter from Aquilonia, of course, and the PCs would try to explore and tame the lands of the Picts.
I still haven't converted the adventure path for play during the Hyborian Age, but I mention it here in case you like the idea and want to run with it. There are lots of pics and maps about Kingmaker on the net. There's a free Player's Guide that can be downloaded from Paizo. And, I understand that the adventure path is being turned into a computer roleplaying game.
From a Conan point of view, the players could become Aquilonian barons, granted a section of land annexed by that kingdom, through this adventure. Two books that would be extremely helpful to you are ACROSS THUNDER RIVER, the Conan RPG sourcebook that covers the Aquilonian border and Pictish Frontier, and AQUILONIA - FLOWER OF THE WEST.
Robert E. Howard wrote a few pages centered on Aquilonia in an essay he titled NOTES ON VARIOUS PEOPLES OF THE HYBORIAN AGE. You may be able to find this on the net. I read it in my copy of THE COMPLETE CHRONICLES OF CONAN by Robert E. Howard. It is also included among other published collections of Conan tales.
HAGGLE!
Sometimes, in a market, it is fun to roleplay out the encounters with merchants. I encourage that type of play. But, there are other times when you just want to dice and encounter and keep the game moving. When to do this is up to the GM. It is he who is trusted with keeping his finger on the pulse of the game, monitoring the ebb and flow, always keeping the game interesting.
If you want to dice haggling real quick, then just use the Diplomacy skill, for what is Diplomacy but a negotiation? Have both sides of the barter roll the skill. If the merchant wins, then the difference between the skill rolls is considered the agreed upon increase in price.
For example, if the PC rolls 17, and the NPC merchant rolls 23. Then the agreed upon price is 6% higher than the item's base price.
NOTE 1: To make things easy, just round to 5%. Every 5 points rolled above the PC's haggle roll means +5% to the base price. That will give you a decent window (4 points above or below) to agree upon a price that is exactly equal to the base price. In the example, a merchant roll of 17-21 would mean that the base price is agreed upon. If the merchant's roll is 22-26, that means +5% on to of base. 27-31 would be +10%, and so on. It's just easier to add or subtract 5 or 10 percent rather than having to figure 7% of this and 9% of that.
NOTE 2: The base price is not necessarily the price shown in the equipment list. Remember, those prices are for base models. If you want Merchant Quality or Noble Quality, then increase the base price accordingly.
NOTE 3: Some areas of the Hyborian Age will have wider swings. Instead of 5-10-15-20 percent, and so on, think in 10-20-30-40-50 percent categories.
If the PC wins the Diplomacy toss, the the math is the same, except the price swing goes in the PC's favor. You will figure discount below base price.
ROLEPLAYING
You can also use this quick dicing method even if you are roleplaying the encounter. Have the player make his roll. Then, you roll for the merchant. The result is something you should use in your roleplaying of the merchant. If the PC wins, then let that influence your roleplay in that you will play the encounter, allowing the PC to get the better hand. And, the differences in the tosses will tell you where to guide the final price.
If the merchant wins the toss, then use the roll in the opposite fashion. Roleplay the merchant as a hard negotiator, and try to end the bargaining close to the price indicated by the dice roll.
Sometimes, in a market, it is fun to roleplay out the encounters with merchants. I encourage that type of play. But, there are other times when you just want to dice and encounter and keep the game moving. When to do this is up to the GM. It is he who is trusted with keeping his finger on the pulse of the game, monitoring the ebb and flow, always keeping the game interesting.
If you want to dice haggling real quick, then just use the Diplomacy skill, for what is Diplomacy but a negotiation? Have both sides of the barter roll the skill. If the merchant wins, then the difference between the skill rolls is considered the agreed upon increase in price.
For example, if the PC rolls 17, and the NPC merchant rolls 23. Then the agreed upon price is 6% higher than the item's base price.
NOTE 1: To make things easy, just round to 5%. Every 5 points rolled above the PC's haggle roll means +5% to the base price. That will give you a decent window (4 points above or below) to agree upon a price that is exactly equal to the base price. In the example, a merchant roll of 17-21 would mean that the base price is agreed upon. If the merchant's roll is 22-26, that means +5% on to of base. 27-31 would be +10%, and so on. It's just easier to add or subtract 5 or 10 percent rather than having to figure 7% of this and 9% of that.
NOTE 2: The base price is not necessarily the price shown in the equipment list. Remember, those prices are for base models. If you want Merchant Quality or Noble Quality, then increase the base price accordingly.
NOTE 3: Some areas of the Hyborian Age will have wider swings. Instead of 5-10-15-20 percent, and so on, think in 10-20-30-40-50 percent categories.
If the PC wins the Diplomacy toss, the the math is the same, except the price swing goes in the PC's favor. You will figure discount below base price.
ROLEPLAYING
You can also use this quick dicing method even if you are roleplaying the encounter. Have the player make his roll. Then, you roll for the merchant. The result is something you should use in your roleplaying of the merchant. If the PC wins, then let that influence your roleplay in that you will play the encounter, allowing the PC to get the better hand. And, the differences in the tosses will tell you where to guide the final price.
If the merchant wins the toss, then use the roll in the opposite fashion. Roleplay the merchant as a hard negotiator, and try to end the bargaining close to the price indicated by the dice roll.
ARGOSSEAN BASE DWELLING
This is a description of a basic dwelling in Argos. As with all other items, more expensive, better furnished abodes are available to those who can afford them.
Walls are typically made of unbaked brick or adobe. Where wood is less expensive, wood will be used. The floor is covered by wood or by cheap cut stone and mortar. The roof is almost always wood braced tiles. Flat roofs are made like floors, with wood and brick.
Most often, the apartments are designed with at least two large windows, one on each side of the room. Shops usually are seen at the street level with apartments above them. The windows allow air circulation to blow through the home. Some of these windows use barred wood shutters. In the poorest of homes, the widow can only be closed by pulling a cloth curtain across the window. Safety measures in this case include tying the curtain closed and attaching small bells to the curtain that will alert the dwellers of a thief moving or cutting the curtain in order to gain entry. During wind storms, the city quarter will sing with the sound of these bells.
Sometimes, there is a communal hallway linking apartments, with a single, heavy wood door (bolted) opening to the elements, and lesser wood doors used to enter the apartments off the hallway.
Rooms have no rugs. Walls are bare. Though, there may be a wooden shelf here or there. A wooden table is common. Apartments can be single-room affairs, or there may be adjoining rooms. Doors are not used. Instead, a tapestry is used to separate rooms.
Chamber pots of baked clay are not items of the house. They are owned by the guild. They are put outside the home, and the guild will pick them up, leaving another, clean pot.
Beds are typically piles of straw (with cloth atop that) or cloth, on the ground. There is usually at least one oil lamp, but oil is expensive, so it is only used when necessary.
Often, sections of the home are dedicated to a profession--a work table with tools or a spinning wheel in the corner. Finished goods are taken to the bazaar to be sold.
A brass or iron brazier stands on the floor for cooking. Above it is a wooden vent. Usually, this takes up one wall. There's a bin to hold charcoal. A cabinet holds dry meat, cheese, warm milk, fruit, and maybe bread. There may be a grain cupboard and a large water satchel or barrel. And, a flat table used to prepare foods. Clay is used for most small containers and plates. Utensils are iron or wood.
There may be a community cold locker, underground, where blocks of ice are used in an insulated room to keep items cold. There may or may not be a charge to use the cold room.
This is a description of a basic dwelling in Argos. As with all other items, more expensive, better furnished abodes are available to those who can afford them.
Walls are typically made of unbaked brick or adobe. Where wood is less expensive, wood will be used. The floor is covered by wood or by cheap cut stone and mortar. The roof is almost always wood braced tiles. Flat roofs are made like floors, with wood and brick.
Most often, the apartments are designed with at least two large windows, one on each side of the room. Shops usually are seen at the street level with apartments above them. The windows allow air circulation to blow through the home. Some of these windows use barred wood shutters. In the poorest of homes, the widow can only be closed by pulling a cloth curtain across the window. Safety measures in this case include tying the curtain closed and attaching small bells to the curtain that will alert the dwellers of a thief moving or cutting the curtain in order to gain entry. During wind storms, the city quarter will sing with the sound of these bells.
Sometimes, there is a communal hallway linking apartments, with a single, heavy wood door (bolted) opening to the elements, and lesser wood doors used to enter the apartments off the hallway.
Rooms have no rugs. Walls are bare. Though, there may be a wooden shelf here or there. A wooden table is common. Apartments can be single-room affairs, or there may be adjoining rooms. Doors are not used. Instead, a tapestry is used to separate rooms.
Chamber pots of baked clay are not items of the house. They are owned by the guild. They are put outside the home, and the guild will pick them up, leaving another, clean pot.
Beds are typically piles of straw (with cloth atop that) or cloth, on the ground. There is usually at least one oil lamp, but oil is expensive, so it is only used when necessary.
Often, sections of the home are dedicated to a profession--a work table with tools or a spinning wheel in the corner. Finished goods are taken to the bazaar to be sold.
A brass or iron brazier stands on the floor for cooking. Above it is a wooden vent. Usually, this takes up one wall. There's a bin to hold charcoal. A cabinet holds dry meat, cheese, warm milk, fruit, and maybe bread. There may be a grain cupboard and a large water satchel or barrel. And, a flat table used to prepare foods. Clay is used for most small containers and plates. Utensils are iron or wood.
There may be a community cold locker, underground, where blocks of ice are used in an insulated room to keep items cold. There may or may not be a charge to use the cold room.
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