D&D General GM's Closet for the CONAN RPG

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CERAS OUTPOST 30' TOWERS and OUTER WALLS


CERAS OUTPOST WALLS

These walls are made of granite blocks, averaging one foot thick and 20' high. Spikes, caltrops, broken glass set at base of walls on the outside, out to 5-10'. Hardness 8, HP 90, Break DC 35. Climb DC 15.

On the inside, the wall ramp is 15' above the ground, and there is a 5' battlement along the ramp. The battlement murder slits provide 9/10 cover to archers. Moveable wood ladders are sometimes used to access the wall ramp.





CERAS OUTPOST 30' TOWERS

The tower is also constructed of granite block, in three sections. The tower is 30' high and 20' in diameter.

The Ground Room is 15' high, where 5' in the ceiling is given to drawbridge or portcullis machinery. There is stone stairway that runs along the wall opening in the floor of the room above. Two trap doors in the ceiling use a pulley system to raise and lower supplies easily. A thick, iron-bound and barred door opens into the outpost.

The Ramp Room as twin, opposite doors opening onto the wall ramp. The room is 10' tall. There is a single trap door in the ceiling that allows access--via iron ladder attached to the wall--to the tower battlement.

The Tower Top has a 5' battlement. An arrow trough allows easy access to ammunition--this is set in the battlement apron. There is a movable pulley tripod that is used to bring up heavy supplies. This is folded and stored in the Ramp Room when not in use. Some towers have Billistae or Light Catapults. A small ground tent and blanket pallet is used when two guards share the Tower Top. One stands on duty while the other rests in the shade provided by the tent.

 

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CHARACTER CLASSES IN ARGOS



BARBARIANS

They are very rare in Argos, but there are pockets of lost communities in the kingdom. Hillmen of the Red Hills are classed as Barbarians. Some live on the islands off the coast of Argos. Most are mixed breeds with the Zingarans or the Shemites.

Gladiators are also classed as Barbarians, and they make up the highest population of the class in Argos.



BORDERERS

Another rare class (though not as rare as the Barbarians) are the Borderers. Many of them are multi-class. Many serve as soldiers or scouts on the borders of the kingdom. The class is also used for explorers.



NOBLES

These are a common class, though limited in number, in the feudal interior of Argos and in the coastal cities as well.



NOMADS

The lifestyle of a Nomad is rejected by almost all Argosseans. The Nomads that exist in the kingdom are usually foreigners.



SCHOLARS

Argos thrives with Scholars, especially in the coastal cities. They come from all walks of life, from the wealthy merchants to the slave teachers. Many are associated with the Church of Mitra.



SOLDIERS

Though Argos is shy on large armies, Soldier classed characters are seen almost everywhere, from city guards, to the kingdom's border guards called the Guardians, to those Soldiers that serve the noble lords of the interior. Mercenaries abound in the kingdom.



PIRATES

These characters are extremely common in the coastal cities, on the Great Western Ocean, and on the Barrachan Islands.



THIEF

A common character class except the most traditional style of thief. The Argossean culture despises those that steal the wealth of others. Thus, any traditional thieves in the kingdom are usually foreigners. And, if they are caught, they face harsh penalties.

Thieves in Argos tend to be kidnappers, fences, pirates or merchant men, smugglers and the like. By a wide margin, Thieves are more common to the coastal cities rather than interior Argos.



TEMPTRESS

Because of the way Argossean women are treated in society, a woman's typical route to power is through control of powerful men. Slave or noble, of the merchant class or a commoner, Temptresses thrive in the coastal cities of Argos.

 

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TAKING CARE OF ARMS & ARMOR



Some GMs may think this is a fussy rule, and those that feel that way should not feel compelled to use it. I've taken the rule from page 61 of the Argos and Zingara supplemental book. I like the rule in that it serves as a way to deplete PC's wealth. There isn't a lot of coin to go around, to begin with, in this game. GMs should keep found treasures to an extreme minimum as that's the way the Hyborian Age is portrayed in the stories. In this sense, the game's universe is akin to the Dark Ages. There are no piles of coin and gems waiting for the PCs to discover them as there are in many D&D adventures.

I also don't think this rule is fussy, either, in that it is only done once a game month. The rule will have PCs buying olive oil and whetstones for their swords, extra straps of leather and metal buckles for their armor, and the like.

Every character who has a proficiency is considered to know how to take care of the items covered by the proficiency. Simply have the character make a DC 10 INT check every month to fully maintain the character's gear.

Also, about once a month, charge the character (try to remember to do this while the character is in town or at a trading post) for the supplies needed to maintain the equipment.

If the character has an appropriate crafting skill, then use that at a DC 5.

No Fuss: And, this roll can be rendered moot by automatic success. That can be gained because of a character's bonus on the roll. Or, if the character Takes Ten on the throw. In this case, consider the weapons and armor taken care of normally and just charge the character for the items used on a monthly basis.

 

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ABBREVIATED PARTIAL ARMOR RULES




There is a partial armor system presented in the Barbaric supplements. But, there is also a simple, abbreviated system presented in the Argos & Zingara hardback. This is meant for gladiators, since they rarely use full sets of armor and usually have nothing covering their torsos. But, a GM can use this very simple system in the game as well.


ARMORED SLEEVES


If a character wears an armored sleeve, then give him +1 Parry AC and +1 Damage Reduction.

Note, in this pic, Conan is wearing an armored sleeve with no other armor. He receives +1 Parry AC, and +1 DR, but the DR 1 rating is meaningless for most weapons--since any weapon with AP 1 or higher will halve the DR rating, dropping fractions, to DR 0. But, the sleeve is useful against bare fisted attacks as well as those few weapons that do not have an Armor Piercing rating.


But, just wearing a helm with the sleeve will bring the character's total Damage Reduction up to DR 2, which makes the sleeve a lot more useful.






GLADIATOR HELMS


These helms are specifically made for the arena. They are usually decorative, and they are three times as thick, and three times as heavy, as standard military helms. They are not suited to long term use, in case any of your players get any ideas. If a player insists (not roleplaying, but trying to get the extra helmet bonus), then give him a fatigue check after 2-4 hours and every 2 hours after that. The heavy helm will make a character's neck sore, and he'll be considered fatigued for the rest of the day.


In the arena, these provide +2 DR if open faced or visor up and +3 DR if visor down.

OTHER BITS OF ARMOR


Other types of piecemeal armor (such as armored shin guards) do not have enough impact on the game's combat system to warrant a bonus. Use this stuff for show/roleplaying.

 

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