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.

[TABLE="class: grid, width: 475"]
[TR]
[TD]

STR​

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[TD]

DEX​

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[TD]

CON​

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INT​

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[TD]

WIS​

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[TD]

CHA​

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18 (+4)​

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[TD]

14 (+2)​

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14 (+2)​

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12 (+1)​

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13 (+1)​

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10 (+0)​

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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.

 

[Mike Myler]

It does seem much stronger than say Eagle totem 3. Dash as a bonus action while Raging and Disadvantage on enemies opportunity attacks against you.

If The Hunt isn't a duration of an hour and reduced no it's not that much stronger. If I can expend 1 use of rage to gain the ability for an hour as opposed to a minute, one side of the scale is dipping I reckon.

 

[Satyrn]

Just for fun, a first draft of a "properly Conan" barbarian subclass...

[sblock]Path of the Survivor
In the wild, barbarians must be pragmatic and adaptable, or else be food for the carrion beasts. The most self-reliant of barbarians are sometimes said to follow the path of the survivor---although they themselves would likely scoff at labeling it a "path". In their eyes, theirs is the natural state of mortal races, and all other pursuits are civilized eccentricities. But those who would dismiss them as ignorant savages should beware, for every once in an age, these barbarians come to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth beneath their sandaled feet.

Primal Hunt
Starting when you choose this path at 3rd level, you can connect with your primal instincts not only to unleash your rage, but also to reach a state of beastlike awareness and reflexes. Some barbarians call this state "the hunt." As a bonus action, if you are not already hunting or raging, you can expend a use of your rage to begin the hunt.

While on the hunt, you gain the following benefits if you aren't wearing heavy armor:

- You have advantage on Dexterity and Wisdom checks.

- Your jump distance is doubled.

- You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured.

- You can take the Dash, Dodge, or Hide action as a bonus action on your turn.

The hunt lasts for up to 1 hour. It ends early if you attack a creature or take damage. When it ends, you can use your reaction to enter a rage without expending another use of the feature. If you do, the first hit you score against a surprised creature during the rage is a critical hit.

When you gain this feature, you also gain an additional use of rage.

Survival Skills
Also at 3rd level, choose two of the following skills: Nature, Perception, Stealth, or Survival. You become proficient in the chosen skills.

Stronger than Steel
By 6th level, you have learned to rely only on your own strength, and to treat your gear as expendable. When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can strike with such force that you shatter the weapon. Roll two additional weapon damage dice (four if the attack is a critical hit) and add them to the damage.

You can also defend yourself with enough vigor to outmatch your own armor. When you are hit by an attack, you can shatter your armor or shield to turn the attack into a miss. If you would still take half damage or other reduced effect, you instead take no damage or effect.

Once you have shattered a weapon with this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest (and, of course, re-armed yourself). You can likewise shatter only one suit of armor or shield before a long rest.

Enchanted items are normally too resilient to be broken by mortal strength. However, the DM may allow you to shatter a magic weapon or suit of armor for some appropriate---and spectacular---special effect.

Barbaric Prowess
Your many talents have been honed through constant exercise. Starting at 6th level, whenever you add your proficiency bonus to an ability check, increase that bonus by half.

Cornered Beast
As the situation grows more desperate, your will to survive only grows fiercer. Starting at 10th level, If you currently have half your hit point maximum or less, add half your proficiency bonus to all saving throws, or increase your proficiency bonus by half if you are already adding it to the save. If you have 1 hit point or less, instead add your whole proficiency bonus, or double your proficiency bonus if you are already adding it.

You benefit from this feature even if you are unconscious, and can add its bonus to death saving throws.

Survival of the Fittest
By 14th level, you have proven yourself a match for all that the harsh world could throw at you---it has only made you stronger. When you suffer a critical hit from a hostile creature, or avert such a critical hit with your Stronger than Steel feature, your hit point maximum increases by 1. This increase is cumulative, up to a maximum of your Constitution bonus x half your level.

If you die, you lose all hit points from this feature. They are otherwise permanent.[/sblock]

I love Stronger than Steel for its flavor.

Cornered Beast would work much the same and be far less wordy if you just said grants a +2 bonus to saves (+4 at 1 hp). But it'd be even more fun if it let you add 1d4 instead (2d4 at 1 hp).

 

[BookBarbarian]

I love Stronger than Steel for its flavor.

Yeah I like that one too. It reminds me of an Ability for Adventures in Middle-Earth for the Foehammer path for the Slayer (Barbarian) class:

Splintered Spears & Shattered Shields
Starting at 14th level, you may choose to channel all of
your fury into a single, devastating, blow. You can choose
one of the following options:
• Automatically score a critical hit in melee combat
with any melee weapon other than your fist. After
determining damage, your weapon is utterly broken
in the attack and cannot be used again. (Some
ancient, often magical, arms cannot be broken, but
can be damaged enough to require repair after being
used in this fashion.) Creatures immune to critical hits
still take the full damage from this attack.
• Automatically destroy an opponent’s shield in place
of an attack, splitting it asunder, or crumpling it under
a heavy blow. Some shields, often wrought by Durin’s
folk long ago, cannot be broken this way, in which
case the opponent suffers damage as if they had been
successfully struck.
Once you have used this ability, you cannot use it again
until you have had a long rest.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

There's a feat for that and Cunning Action is wicked powerful as it is. Dude who regularly GMs my group just banned the Dash part of it in or ToA game because he's tired of rogue super-mobility.

Just don't let bonus action dash stack with regular action dash. Cunning Action lets rogues multitask, it doesn't turn them into the Flash.

When I design, I ignore feats. Or, to be more accurate, I steal from them with abandon. A player shouldn't need to take a feat to complete the effect that their class or subclass is going for. That'd smell like a feat tax even before getting to the feats-are-optional issue.

 

[Mike Myler]

Just don't let bonus action dash stack with regular action dash. Cunning Action lets rogues multitask, it doesn't turn them into the Flash.

When I design, I ignore feats. Or, to be more accurate, I steal from them with abandon. A player shouldn't need to take a feat to complete the effect that their class or subclass is going for. That'd smell like a feat tax even before getting to the feats-are-optional issue.

Yo it's Mick's game he can make us do as he likes and I'll show up anyway. It is designed to be making characters that quick though.

Watered down I'd be an angry rogue, and if that archetype also had part of a feat tucked inside (a juicy part at that) I'd request to rebuild my character as a barbarian. It's just too good.

 

[Pauln6]

Just don't let bonus action dash stack with regular action dash. Cunning Action lets rogues multitask, it doesn't turn them into the Flash.

When I design, I ignore feats. Or, to be more accurate, I steal from them with abandon. A player shouldn't need to take a feat to complete the effect that their class or subclass is going for. That'd smell like a feat tax even before getting to the feats-are-optional issue.

One alternative I've seen is to let everyone use bonus action to sprint when using action to dash. Cunning action is still really versatile. Otherwise, yeah, I don't let them triple move.

 

[Guest 6801328]

I think it captures the feel of Conan, though I still prefer the idea of him being a multiclass Barbarian/Rogue/Fighter because I think that matches the fiction due to how many times Conan switches careers. It's one time where the fiction and game mechanics actually match up. But for a single class take it does hit the points fairly well, though as another post noted it is probably a bit OP in spots at least for a PC.

I still think you're making a category error conflating "class" with "career". Just because somebody steals for a living doesn't make them a rogue. Just because somebody fights for a living doesn't make them a fighter. Just because somebody comes from a barbaric culture doesn't make them a barbarian. And vice versa on all of those things.

I agree that the equivalence of these concepts was historically a design intention, but in 5e I think it's pretty clear that the designers are trying to break that connection. Classes really define a collection of thematic abilities. A wilderness survivalist doesn't have to be a ranger, for example. A primitive, savage fighter doesn't have to be a barbarian. Etc. Unless you want them to.

If Conan had spent a year busking with a lute in a seedy Argossian tavern that wouldn't mean he had Bard levels. Just that he had proficiency in Perform, and/or the Entertainer background (except for the problem that his adventuring career probably began before that happened.)

 

[TheCosmicKid]

Watered down I'd be an angry rogue, and if that archetype also had part of a feat tucked inside (a juicy part at that) I'd request to rebuild my character as a barbarian. It's just too good.

Request to rebuild your character as a wood elf. Then you still get rogue stuff.

 

[Jay Verkuilen]

I still think you're making a category error conflating "class" with "career". Just because somebody steals for a living doesn't make them a rogue. Just because somebody fights for a living doesn't make them a fighter. Just because somebody comes from a barbaric culture doesn't make them a barbarian. And vice versa on all of those things.

And I guess I think the "he absoultely must be single classed!" crowd are simply missing the character. I agree that not all "barbarian culture" characters need to be barbarian class and everyone who steals for a living needs to be a rogue, but so what? What's the win to limiting a Conan build to one class? He's had a lot of different training and experiences, and explicitly sought those out and studied the craft carefully. That feels like multiclass to me, which allows getting his core competencies without making any really notable variations from the the rules except for a few small switches here and there.

 

[dave2008]

And I guess I think the "he absoultely must be single classed!" crowd are simply missing the character. I agree that not all "barbarian culture" characters need to be barbarian class and everyone who steals for a living needs to be a rogue, but so what? What's the win to limiting a Conan build to one class? He's had a lot of different training and experiences, and explicitly sought those out and studied the craft carefully. That feels like multiclass to me, which allows getting his core competencies without making any really notable variations from the the rules except for a few small switches here and there.

Personally I would use whatever method best reflects the character and I can't get rage and action surge without multiclassing, so for me: Conan has to at least multiclass fighter/barbarian