What are the top 10 elements of a Conan adventure?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Other than the protagonist, what are the top 10 elements that make up an adventure or Conan story?

 

[loki44]

Some fist sized rubies and a hot wench as a reward in the end.

 

[Crothian]

Magic is evil and strength will win the day.

Always getting rich and spending it on ale and whores.

 

[Koewn]

Heh.

1) Evil magic
2) Some sort of monster or embodied god
2.5) Power hungry, evil, or just mad humans.
3) Treasure
4) An all or mostly naked woman or women
5) A culture not the barbarian's own
6) An exotic location
7) Sailing a road of blood and slaughter
8) All or mostly naked women.
9) Vengeance (not alway's Conan's)
10) Sometimes, a foe that cannot be defeated by sword and sinew.

 

[malladin]

Crushing your enemies, seeing them driven before you and, perhaps most importantly, hearing the lamentations of their women

Nigel

 

[Prince of Happiness]

Heh.

1) Evil magic
2) Some sort of monster or embodied god
2.5) Power hungry, evil, or just mad humans.
3) Treasure
4) An all or mostly naked woman or women
5) A culture not the barbarian's own
6) An exotic location
7) Sailing a road of blood and slaughter
8) All or mostly naked women.
9) Vengeance (not alway's Conan's)
10) Sometimes, a foe that cannot be defeated by sword and sinew.

I agree with almost all of it except for 4 and 7. which Howard would add on occassion to make a sale to Weird Tales. A few stories, he would have rather not added half-nekkid women, but no women, no sale.

Two important themes: Barbarism is humanity's natural state and civilization is doomed to failure.

 

[Koewn]

I agree with almost all of it except for 4 and 7. which Howard would add on occassion to make a sale to Weird Tales. A few stories, he would have rather not added half-nekkid women, but no women, no sale.

True. But, as a result it became a part of the genre, so. (and those were more tongue-in-cheek entries than anything else)

Two important themes: Barbarism is humanity's natural state and civilization is doomed to failure.

Yep. Imagine that whatever civilization you're adventuring in/through, it's always inching ever nearer a Roman-style collapse, from within or without.


Koewn

 

[GlassJaw]

I agree with almost all of it except for 4 and 7. which Howard would add on occassion to make a sale to Weird Tales. A few stories, he would have rather not added half-nekkid women, but no women, no sale.

I think his stories had less treasure and magic than they did scantily-clad beauties.

 

[Prince of Happiness]

True. But, as a result it became a part of the genre, so. (and those were more tongue-in-cheek entries than anything else)



Yep. Imagine that whatever civilization you're adventuring in/through, it's always inching ever nearer a Roman-style collapse, from within or without.


Koewn

Yup! And writers knowing their market.

Of course, option 2 to figuring out the top 10 elements to a Conan adventure is to ask a Texan what they would want to see.

 

[crazy_cat]

Huge amounts of violence being visited upon people with ridiculously sharp and oversized weapons, and lots and lots of treasure being looted, hoarded and then squandered invested on wine, women (or if you prefer, men) and song.

Oh yes, and Warrior Women (at least some, if not all, of whom should be wearing Chainmail Bikinis) are always a plus point.