Conan RPG - Across The Thunder River PDF

CONTENTS
Across the Thunder River
Contents
Credits 2
Introduction 3
At the Ends of Civilisation 4
Life on the Aquilonian Frontier 25
Salt of the Earth 50
Ligureans 70
The Picts 73
Tribes of Pictland 95
Tricks and Tools 117
Savage Magic 130
Bestiary 135
Prestige Classes 144
Gamesmastering 152
Defending the West 162
Index 190
License 192
Across the Thunder River is 2004 Conan Properties International LLC. CONAN, CONAN THE BARBARIAN
and related logos, character, names, and distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Conan Properties International
LLC unless otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Mongoose Publishing Ltd Authorized User. Conan The Roleplaying
Game is released under version 1.0 of the Open Game License. Reproduction of non-Open Game Content of this
work by any means without the written permission of the pulisher is expressly forbidden. See Page 192 for the
text of this license. With the exception of the character creation rules detailing the mechanics of assigning
dice roll results to abilities and the advancement of character levels, all game mechanics and statistics
(including the game mechanics of all feats, skills, classes, creatures, spells and the combat chapter) are
declared open content. Printed in China
1
Credits
The Chroniclers of Our Time
CREDITS
Author Playtesters
Vincent Darlage Morgan Nash, Chiara Mac Call, Hayden Nash, Adam
Taylor, Ian Over, Simon English, Rafael Dei Svaldi,
Guilherme Dei Svaldi, Gustavo Emmel, Leonel
Editor and Line Caldela, Andr Mendes Rotta, Harvey Barker, Wesley
Development R. Gassaway, Betty Gassaway, Danny Gordon, Raven
Gordon, Michael Dunmire, Vincent Darlage, Bob
Richard Neale
Probst, Chris Bradley, Craig Pekar, Jason Durall,
Mark Neo Howe, Mark Billanie, Mark Sizer,
Additional Layout Michael J Young, Alan Moore, Jamie Godfrey, Daniel
Ted Chang Scothorne, Daniel Haslam, Christy Ward, Jason
Ward, Jason Hohler, Kevin French, William Dvorak,
Jack Cox, Brent Strickland, Melissa Strickland, Adam
Cover Art Crossingham, Alex Aplin, Paul Evans, David Little,
Chris Quilliams Nick Lowson, Dougal McLachan, Mark Steedman,
Sam Vail, Alan Marson, Robert Hall, Trevor Kerslake,
Interior Artists Andr Chabot, Antonio Eleuteri, Emilia Eleuteri,
Anthea Dilly, Stephen Cook, Stacy Drum, Francesco Cascone, Claudio Mormile, Angelo
Mormile, Paul ONeal, Patrick ONeal, Chuy
Chris Quilliams, Chad Sergesketter, Ronald
Hernandez, Butch Mercado, DAngelo Ramos,
Smith, Ursula Vernon, Alejandro Villen & Forge Jay Hafner, Eric D. Schurger, Geissler G. Golding,
Studios (www.theforge.pl) Brian Fulford, Richard D. Cserep, Jason Waltrip,
James Williams, Scott Bradley.
Studio Manager
Ian Barstow Special Thanks
Theodore Bergquist & Fredrik Malmberg at
Production Director Conan Properties.
Alexander Fennell
Support
Proofreading Continuing support for Conan the Roleplaying
Jason Durall & Sarah Quinnell Game can be found at www.conan.com,
www.mongoosepublishing.com and in the pages
of Signs and Portents magazine.
2
Introduction
Introduction
Welcome to the Pictish Wilderness
When thinking refrain from reading the
of villains for the chapters about the Picts,
Hyborian Age, what Virgins wail and a babe is remaining safe and sound
comes to mind? For many, whining within the chapters of the
the rst ideas to come to Nailed like a fly on a gory lance; Westermarck. The fun
mind are the Stygians White on the skulls the stars are part of reading about or
and Acheronians: Thoth- shining, playing against the Picts
Amon in his loathesome Over them sweeps our demons dance is their dark mystery. Let
towers of ancient evils the Games Master reveal
Heritage of the world is ours, the world of the Picts for
where gruesome relics Gods of all evil grant us rule
of past ages lurk; Great their players, learning
See where they hang from the flaming
Xaltotun and his horrible about these savage people
towers,
dreams of Acheronian Woman and prelate, priest and fool. as they go.
resurrection. Are they
the worst the Hyborian Robert E. Howard, Empire: A Song for All This book will also be
Age has to offer? This Exiles useful for players who wish
book suggests that they to play a Pict in a standard
are not. There is a darker Conan game. A Pict in
and more sinister presence Zamora would be as out
in the world, a savage power prowling the edges of the of place as Conan and would make for an interesting
Hyborian landscape, unseen by most of the world. story. This book should provide enough background
Who are they? information to allow a player to portray an exciting and
believable Pict who is more than just a dull-witted and
They are the Picts. bloodthirsty savage.
Dark and mysterious, lurking in dim forests and dank Be prepared to enter one of the ultimate lost worlds
swamps, the Picts of the Hyborian Age are a primal of fantasy ction: the Pictish Wilderness. Be prepared
force that will ultimately unleash its collective rage to journey to the strange places where hidden tribes
against civilisation and bring the whole of Hyboria ourish, untouched by the gilt decadence of their
down in ames and savage devastation. more civilised neighbours. Be prepared to travel weird
valleys where mesmeric shamans rule uncontested by
This book is intended to give Games Masters the the painted men of a savage culture. Be prepared to
resources to bring these terrible adversaries to life and nd new skills and uses for older skills. Be prepared
break their misconception as idiotic savages who whoop for uncover their secrets and magic. The Picts have
and jump around a lot, inging arrows and tomahawks stalked in their wooded fortress long enough. They
at people. Picts are dangerous. For those who intend will emerge in blood and ame, and only a trail
to play characters in the wild Westermarck, take a word of corpses will mark their passing. Prepare to
of advice beware. The Picts are out there, and they unleash upon your campaign the darkest and
will hurt you if they nd you. Although this advice will most sinister villains of the Hyborian Age.
be largely ignored, perhaps it would be best if players
3
At the Ends of
Ends of Civilisation
Civilisation
The Westermarck and the Wilderness
naked savages that beat their drums and danced
to gruesome gods in the night. So it was only
The Westermarck: Located between natural that King Vilerus of Aquilonia would issue
the Bossonian Marches and the Pictish a patent granting rights to the lands west of the
Wilderness. Provinces: Thandara, Conawaga,
Bossonian Marches, calling the new province the
Oriskonie, Schohira. Political situation: Oriskonie,
Conawaga, and Schohira were ruled by royal patent. Westermarck.
Each was under the jurisdiction of a baron of the
western marches, which lie just east of the Bossonian These land rights were given to barons of the western
Marches. These barons were accountable only to the king of marches just to the east of the Bossonian Marches.
Aquilonia. Theoretically they owned the land, and received a These barons would own the land, receiving a certain
certain percentage of the gain. In return they supplied troops
percentage of the gain in return for supplying troops
to protect the frontier against the Picts, built fortresses and
towns, and appointed judges and other officials. Actually their to protect the new frontier against the Picts, and
power was not nearly so absolute as it seemed. There was a colonists to build fortresses and towns, colonising
sort of supreme court located in the largest town of Conawaga, the new land in the name of Aquilonia.
Scandaga, presided over by a judge appointed directly by the king
of Aquilonia, and it was a defendants privilege, under certain
Travelling by any means available, and leading
circumstances, to appeal to this court.
caravan trains of their belongings, goods and cattle,
Aquilonians moved into this new region. Scouts and
Robert E. Howard, Notes on Various Peoples of the traders rst ventured into the dark forests and dank
Hyborian Age swamps, to mark out territories and efs for their
barons. Missionaries of Mitra arrived to minister
to the colonists and convert the savages. Loggers
Restless Aquilonia, the pride of the
followed, cutting down the ancient timbers, clearing vast
West, the jewel of the Hyborian nations, was hungry
tracts of forest for the fortresses and cities, creating roads
for land. To the north lay Cimmeria, a land that had
and trails for the expected inux of settlers. Then came
earlier embarrassed the Aquilonians when the latter had
the prostitutes, brought in by entrepreneurial merchants
pushed into Cimmeria, establishing ill-fated Venarium,
to cash in on the lonely desires of the trappers and loggers,
but this foreboding and depressing land was deemed
soon after the small trading and logging villages were
unconquerable. To the east lay Nemedia and Ophir,
established, the families came to the Westermarck.
Hyborian nations with organised armies and the means to
purchase innumerable mercenaries. To the south, Argos
Migrating across hundreds of miles worth of marches,
and Zingara, with their glittering sea ports and beauteous
these pioneering Aquilonians travelled in great numbers
farmlands and vineyards. Their diplomats, however,
to the unknown West, guided by trappers and scouts, to
worked hard to establish treaties and prevent invasions
the new lands they would settle and work. Most of these
from the Aquilonian lion.
frontiersmen were not wealthy, neither were they destitute
serfs; buying the supplies and gear for such a long trek
Where should the Aquilonians turn for growth
was not cheap. They were hardy and desperate enough,
but toward the untamed Pictish Wilderness
however, to try and eke out a new life in a largely untamed
that rose to the west? The Picts were
wilderness region to better their own economic or political
unorganised, save for small clans,
situation.
and were nothing more than
4
5
Conawaga and Schohira. This trio of barons sold the
Frontier land in portions known as hides, a vague measurement
that varied between 60 and 120 acres, to commoners
Provinces
who agreed to work the land and pay taxes to the baron
During the reign of King Vilerus, Aquilonia was deemed presiding over the province as a whole. The barons, in
to require more land for its people and entered into an return promising military protection for these commoners
age of imperialism and conquest fuelled by a scarcity of as part of this feudal obligation. Many of the immigrants
resources. Most of the land in Aquilonia was owned by that owed into the colonial lands came from the Tauran;
the various barons and counts, and much of that was already well versed in the art of forestry and rustic living,
held in reserve for their private enjoyment. Between the many wanted a try at truly taming a wilderness and owning
private estates and hunting lands held by the nobility, the their own land.
people had little enough land to support their growing
populations. Conan believed that Aquilonia should Later, another province would be added by the
have ordered the large estates divided and sold off to the avaricious Aquilonians, Conajohara. Poorly defended
commoners. This, of course, would have inamed the by King Numedides, Vilerus successor, it was not long
nobles, many of whom were quite powerful, and an open before Conajohara was overrun and reclaimed by the
rebellion in Aquilonia could devastate the entire nation, Picts. Though from the ashes of the fallen province,
opening it up to conquest from Nemedia or Ophir. Thandara was formed, although this province would
Instead, King Vilerus decided on pure expansion. not be controlled by Aquilonian barons or dominated by
Aquilonian politics.
A war with Nemedia would have been costly for the
minimal; returns it would yield, so King Vilerus, displaying
early signs of the greed that would later doom Aquilonia, Oriskonie
looked instead to the north and to the west. Aquilonia The northernmost province, Oriskonie or Oriskawny,
rst sent colonists into Cimmeria and founded Venarium, as it is sometimes spelt, is ruled by a royal patent under
but it did not take long before the Cimmerians united, the jurisdiction of a baron of the western marches. It is
unexpected as that might have been, to drive out the the least populated of the three primary provinces of the
Aquilonians. The horric and violent massacre devastated Westermarck. For years the Aquilonians and Bossonians
Venarium, leaving it a charred ruin choked with the bodies coveted this beautiful land and its rich, fertile lands that
of slaughtered men, women and children. yield incredible quantities of food for the Picts. Blood,
sweat and fear lled the dark, forested valleys of Oriskonie
Brutally rebuffed in the north, King Vilerus turned as the Aquilonian soldiers forcibly decimated or relocated
Aquilonias greedy focus on the west, to the large tracts of the Oriskonie Picts. The ghting was especially hard for
fertile land on the other side of the Bossonian Marches. the Raven tribe, who lived in the Karihton Valley, the most
Mitran missionaries were sent into the Pictish Wilderness fertile area of this lush land.
to teach the Picts the peaceful and civilised ways of the
Hyborians, while traders ventured into their lands armed
with false treaties and Bossonian whisky. The Picts tended
to savagely brutalise the missionaries, but whisky and
disease began to weaken the Picts of that region. Armies We of Oriskonie, said he,
live far from the rest of the
marched westward and exterminated many of the smaller
Westermarck and care little
Pictish tribes living between the Bossonian Marches about the other provinces. Besides
and Thunder River, founding the lands known as the the general promised to make us rich
Westermarck. The Thunder River to the west served as a after we had delivered Schohira to the
natural border, as did the Bossonian Marchers to the east. Picts. What have we had from our
To the south, the Warhorse River was their limit and baron, or from the rest of you lordlings
for that matter, but robbery and abuse?
the north, the Eiglophian Mountains and Cimmeria
beyond.
L. Sprague de Camp, Moon of
Wary of the Bossonian lords, King Vilerus Blood
gave royal patents to three barons of
the western marches of Aquilonia
and divided the land into
three provinces: Oriskonie,
6
The tribal lands of the Bear, Owl and Mongoose Pict region are apt to band together in small movements to
clans lie closest to Oriskonie, although occasionally Picts implement changes in their region, something the current
of the Hawk, Wolf and Snake tribes are encountered in governor is well aware of. The settlers of Oriskonie do not
those regions. The Mongoose Picts are the scourge of trust the Aquilonian nobility, a class of people many of the
the Oriskonie settlers and are the least likely to parlay settlers wish stayed in the east.
with traders or missionaries, resentful as they are of the
settlers and as their tribes bore the brunt of the Aquilonian Oriskonie is heavily forested and hilly, especially in the
relocation after their success against the Raven clans. As the northern reaches, where the hills reach staggering heights
Mongoose clans were pushed out of Oriskonie, they were and its rivers, creeks and streams are plentiful. Overall, the
forced to ght the clans of the Turtle tribe for territory, land has a hauntingly beautiful majesty in its appearance.
re-igniting clan feuding that had lain dormant for years. Several sites sacred to the Picts can be found throughout
The Mongoose clans recall clearly that for hundreds of the land, such as the Howling Caverns, a frightening cave
years they alone inhabited the Oriskonie lands. Having system believed by the Mongoose Picts to be an opening
spent such a long time against the Bossonian Marches, to the lands of the dead.
the Mongoose tribesmen have become skilled marksmen
and archers, and although their bows are no match for the
Bossonians, their archery skills are nearly their equivalent.
Conawaga
Located between Oriskonie and Schohira, Conawaga is
Extremely small Pictish tribes, such as the Sonhatsi (Black
ruled by a royal patent under the jurisdiction of a baron
Duck) tribe, still live in Oriskonie in the least settled
of the western marches. One of the earliest settled regions
regions.
of the Westermarck, with a class of landed gentry, wealth
derived from logging and agriculture, Conawaga is the
During the civil war that saw the rise of King Conan,
largest, richest, and most densely populated province of
this province supported Conan by driving out the baron-
the Westermarck. Baron Brocas of Torh ruled Conawaga
appointed governor and savagely ghting those loyal to
during the Conans rebellion, and forced the province to
King Numedides. The baron and his governor brutally
support King Numedides.
abused their positions and their people, trying to wring
from the land every drop of prot that could be twisted
through industry and labour. After he usurped the throne,
Conan banished the old baron and rewarded Flavius, a In Conawaga the land-owners and
former military leader who fought Picts in Conajohara, Brocas are for Namedides, and
we have heard pitiful tales of their
the title. Lord Glyco, was appointed as the new governor,
treatment of the common people who
a popular leader with some noble blood and military favor Conan.
experience against Conajoharan Picts, he respects the
Picts and their potential power. As a result, Glyco heavily I nodded, not surprised. Conawaga was
recruits scouts from the Sonhatsi clan, although they have the largest, richest and most thickly settled
not always proven trustworthy, and from the Tauran. province in all the Westermarck, and it had
a comparatively large, and very powerful
His soldiers are trained to ght in a box formation, with
class of titled land-holders which we have
pikemen ringing a centre of archers. Other than the not in Thandara, and by the favor of Mitra,
scouts, the soldiers are required to wear armour in the never shall.
wilderness to give them an advantage over the numerically
superior Picts. Robert E. Howard, Wolves Beyond the
Border
Though not as primitive as Thandara, Oriskonie is still
an extremely pioneer province. Logging operations have
started, and the fur trade is an active industry. Farming One of the earliest settled regions, Conawagas original
is by far the most prolic industry in this fertile land crude frontier trappings, such as log houses and fur
and is promising to become the bread basket of the mattresses, have long since been replaced with
Westermarck. Settlements are small in general, especially the glossy trappings of civilisation: frame houses
in the north, but grow larger further south. The with glass widows; ornate woodwork; beautiful
Oriskonie land-owners prefer to be left alone and are not furniture; feather beds and other imported
terribly interested in the happenings of the south, except luxuries. The towns and cities of
in matters that might mean the difference between life Conawaga are prosperous, boasting
and death. However, the commoners and settlers of the general stores lled with goods,
7
blacksmiths, silversmiths, taverns, tanneries, sawmills, A player wishing to play a native noble probably should
gristmills and other industries. Wheat elds, dairy farms, base his character in Conawaga, for that would give him
towns and government have transformed this once wild more use out of his class abilities.
timberland into a prosperous and civilised province.

Scandaga
Conawaga is the only province where landed gentry have The capital of Conawaga is a prosperous city that is
settled in any substantial numbers and these nobles wield approaching the size of one found in the central provinces
a lot of power and wealth, much more than in any other of Aquilonia. Scandaga has a population of approximately
province of the Westermarck. These land-owners are not 3,500 Hyborians (not including transients and visitors)
fully supportive of King Conan due to their differing and is continually growing. It boasts frame homes and
views on expansion. The Aquilonian king does not a ne, albeit austere, temple to Mitra. Scandaga was
support further expansion into the Pictish Wilderness, originally a small logging village with a sawmill, trading
thus limiting the power and wealth of the nobles there; post, barber and a host of taverns and brothels. It has since
while the nobles would like to annex one or more of the grown into a bustling city that is slowly developing a truly
other provinces, or extend their power across the Thunder urban atmosphere. The daring municipality as a whole
River. These same nobles tend to mistreat the commoners resembles the home of a passionate hunter, decorated with
and settlers, overtaxing them and treating them like serfs trophies from shing, hunting and logging. The tightly
as they strive to reshape the frontier into an idealised packed city is surrounded by a high palisade, though the
vision of Aquilonia. They expend vast amounts of wealth, governor often petitions the baron for permission to build
gained from the logging of Conawagas extensive forests, a stone curtain wall in its place.
to import stone into the region with which to build manor
houses and castles such as those of central Aquilonian Scandaga is a lively city, lled with activity, fuelled by
nobles. various wealthy logging industries. Three sawmills are in
almost constant operation along the wide river and teams
Extensive and aggressive logging operations have largely of oxen, dragging massive logs from the distant wilderness
cleared the lands and have brought in vast amounts of or cut lumber from smaller logging villages, are a common
wealth for many entrepreneurs, from mill-owners, to sight on the wide, dirt roads leading into the city. Vast
exporters, to tavern and brothel operators and many others elds tilled and sown surround the city in a horseshoe
who have been able to take advantage of this industry. shape, tended by sturdy farmers, provide food to the city.
The Chief Factors of the region have secured treaties with The barons presence is largely limited to the tax collector
the Picts of the Hawk clans to continue a limited amount and the appointed governor of Scandaga, much as the
of logging across the Thunder River, a risky prospect at Judge of Scandaga is the Kings sole representative.
best, and no Pict will ever again allow a Hyborian into the
region formerly known as Conajohara. Even after all these
years, the Picts have a festering anger regarding that area Lord Arrigus
of land and will throw aside tribal rivalries in an instant to Barrabus, the
wage bloody wars if word of a Hyborian in Conajohara is
heard. Governor of
Scandaga
Conawaga is located close to the tribal lands of the Hawk Medium Humanoid Aquilonian Noble 13
and Raven clans, both of which are large tribes consisting Hit Dice: 10d8+10+6 (61 hp)
of several clans, though many other refugee clans also have Initiative: +4
homes here. A peace has been arranged with the Hawk Speed: 30 ft.
clans, but Raven tribesmen occasionally raid across the DV (Dodge): 14 (+4 base)
Thunder River to steal children, women and animals. DV (Parry): 18 (+2 Str, +6 base)
Though the people of Conawaga tend to treat the Picts Base Attack Bonus/Grapple: +9/+11
as unwashed savages who could easily be wiped from Attack: Broadsword +14 melee (1d10+2/19-20, x2/AP 5)
the Wilderness; most cannot conceive of the Picts or hunting bow +12 ranged (1d8/x2, AP 1*)
actually uniting against them. Full Attack: Broadsword +14/+9 melee (1d10+2/19-20,
x2/AP 5) or hunting bow +12/+7 ranged (1d8/x2, AP 1*)
Special Qualities: Title, Rank Hath its Privileges, Wealth,
Special Regional Feature +3, Do You Know Who I Am?, Social
Ability (Savoir-Faire, Smear Others), Enhanced Leadership, Lead
By Example +4, Weapon Familiarity, Background Skills (Search,
8
Listen, Sense Motive, Spot), Adaptability
(Search and Listen), +1 racial bonus to Fate
Points
Space/Reach: 5 ft. (1)/5 ft. (1) Adventure Hook
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +4, Will +10 An unscrupulous noble, wishing to gain
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 16, leverage over the governors decisions, or wishing
Wis 15, Cha 20 to supplant him altogether, employs a clan of Picts
Skills: Bluff +9, Diplomacy +23, new to the area to kidnap the governors daughter,
Gather Information +23, Intimidate Livia. The Picts attack the governor on the return
+23, Knowledge (local) +7, Knowledge trip from one of his trips to visit the baron, kidnapping
(nature) +7, Knowledge (nobility) +7, his daughter, but leaving the governor for dead. He
Listen +10, Ride +2, Search +21, Sense encounters the Player Characters as he drags himself away
Motive +23, Spot +20 from the carnage and entreats them to nd his daughter.
Feats: Alertness, Investigator, Knowledgeable, During their rescue attempt the players encounter
Leadershipb, Menacing Aura, Negotiator, members of this new and seemingly peaceable Pictish
Persuasive, Skill Focus (Sense Motive), Steely
tribe. They are unaware of the signicance of the girl they
Gaze b = bonus feat
are holding, but will not release her to anyone other than
Reputation: 28 (Villain) (+4 bonus to Bluff,
their employer. Should the Player Characters press an
Gather Information and Intimidate)
attack and rescue Livia or report their nding of the tribe
Fate Points: 4
to the governor who may make them ambassadors or he
Leadership: 18 (9th level Cohort; 100 1st
may ask them to guide his own ambassadors to this tribe.
level, 4 2nd level 2 3rd level and 1 4th level
followers)
Languages: Aquilonian, Bossonian,
Nemedian
The governor is extremely skilled at attery and slurs.
He is also a keen observer, and notes details
Possessions: Broadsword, hunting bow,
most miss as a matter of course. Nothing
noble clothing
is routine to this man and everything is
worthy of scrutiny. He loves nery; the
Lord Arrigus Barrabus, the governor
observant governor of Conawaga
of Conawaga, has the position of
lives in a mansion that
watching over the Baron of Torhs
could almost be called a
holdings in the Westermarck. He
palace. His second love
answers directly to the Baron,
is his daughter, Livia,
making occasional trips into the
who is, even at the age of
western marches of Aquilonia
fourteen, turning out to
just to the east of the Bossonian
be quite a diplomat.
Marches to make reports in
person. Generally, however, his
When Lord Arrigus
reports are written as letters and
Barrabus speaks with
delivered by military couriers. Lord
others, he watches
Barrabus, the second son of a noble
them intently, noting
family in Torh, grew up in the court
their clothing, the way
of Baron Brocas before the man was
they carry themselves, their
exiled by King Conan. When the new
accents, even while listening
baron took charge of the province of
with an equally keen ear.
Torh, Arrigus Barrabus was in a position, by
Many nd this intense
means of a friendship with the new baron, to
scrutiny quite unnerving
secure the governorship of Conawaga, a land
and even intimidating.
he had heard much about and thought more
about its exploitation.
9
He does not hold to the strictest of forms in his court the
way of life on the frontier precludes such pretences. Still,
he will not tolerate gross crassness; he expects to be treated
with respect, even by the most back-woods of characters.

He knows a fair amount about the Hawk tribes and has
even visited some of their villages as well as welcoming
more than a few chiefs into his own court to sign treaties.
He knows very little of the Ravens, however, and nds
their reluctance to entertain his envoys quite fascinating,
if inconvenient. He is missing the little nger from his
left hand; it was chopped off during a talk with a Pict tribe
that turned sour.
Lord Marsilius, the

Judge of Scandaga
Medium Humanoid Aquilonian Noble 12
Hit Dice: 10d8+4 (49 hp)
Initiative: +6
Speed: 30 ft.
DV (Dodge): 16 (+2 Dex, +4 base)
DV (Parry): 17 (+1 Str, +6 base)
Base Attack Bonus/Grapple: +9/+10
Attack: Hunting bow +14 ranged (1d8/x2, AP 1*)
Full Attack: Hunting bow +14/+9 ranged (1d8/x2, AP
1*)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. (1)/5 ft. (1)
Special Qualities: Title, Rank Hath its Privileges, Wealth,
Special Regional Feature +3, Do You Know Who I Am?,
Social Ability (Reputation, Smear Others), Enhanced The Judge of Scandaga presides over the supreme court
Leadership, Lead By Example +4, Weapon Familiarity, of the Westermarck. Marsilius was appointed to his
Background Skills (Profession, Diplomacy, Ride, Spot), position by the King of Aquilonia and answers directly
Adaptability (Profession and Knowledge (law)), +1 racial to his august personage, as such he is not accountable to
bonus to Fate Points the baron or to the governor. Prior to his assignment as
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +12 the judge of Scandaga, Marsilius was a solicitor in the
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha Kings Court at Tarantia, where, in addition to enforcing
20
Skills: Bluff +22, Diplomacy +22, Gather Information
+22, Intimidate +22, Knowledge (law) +9, Knowledge
(local) +10, Knowledge (nobility) +7, Profession (lawyer)
+13, Ride +4, Search +5, Sense Motive +19, Spot +4
Adventure
Feats: Investigator, Iron Will, Knowledgeable, Leadershipb, Hook
Mounted Archery, Mounted Combat, Negotiator, Someone in Tarantia has
Persuasive, Steely Gaze b = bonus feat become tired of paying Marsilius
Reputation: 19 (Talented) unceasing blackmail demands and
Fate Points: 4 has hired someone to kill the corrupt
Leadership: 17 (8th level Cohort; 85 1st level, 3 2nd judge. Player Characters might be
level and 1 3rd level followers) those hired to assassinate Marsilius
Languages: Aquilonian, Bossonian, Nemedian or be dispatched to watch over him.
He could prove to be a worthy friend,
especially as he has the ear of the king
Possessions: Robes, gavel, hunting
and is certainly given to bribery if
bow, noble clothing
approached discretely.
10
and circumventing the law (whichever
best served his or his clients ends), he
liked to hunt, especially from horseback.
When not needed in the supreme court Adventure Hook
or in the governors court, Marsilius likes The garrisons commander, along with many
to judge archery contests in Loggerton, of the soldiers of Scandaga are reassigned
one of Scandagas less reputable districts to a frontier fort, causing no little resentment
and, on occasion, even competes if the among the troops. Those not reassigned (including
competition looks worthy. He values the Player Characters) fall under the command
knowledge, regardless of whether or not of a new commander; possibly one of the Player
Characters themselves, or one promoted from the ranks
he acts upon it; he also likes to win. He
and draughted in from another of Aquilonias distant
nds honesty to be dull and much prefers
strongholds. An interesting challenge given that other
catching people in their lies and then ofcers resent following the orders of a non-noble
breaking them down in public, forcing commander. The reassigned troops are replaced by foreign
their confessions from them. He can troops of mercenaries (such as Kushites or Turanians),
be quite cruel at times, while at others leaving many to puzzle over the discussion. When several
extremely empathetic and helpful. He of the most indignant soldiers go missing, however, serious
knows many dark secrets about Scandaga questions begin to be asked; have Picts made it this far
and its population, as well as those of into Conawaga, have the soldiers deserted or has the new
notables in Tarantia and much of his commander begun enforcing an entirely different form of
wealth comes from blackmail and other discipline or perhaps the new troops are more than meets
pay-offs from them. He tends to dress the eye.
in dark blue or black robes of the richest
qualities. He is a heavy, barrel-chested
man with a square jaw and a powerful appearance. His Districts of Scandaga
eyes are a piercing green in colour, but red specks appear Although the districts of Scandaga are not strictly
in his eyes when he becomes angry. delineated, there are several discernible areas within the
city although where one ends and another begins is
Military Forces of Scandaga sometimes debatable. In addition to these districts, the
Scandaga maintains a platoon of 36 full-time soldiers led by city is supported by miles of outlying farms and orchards.
an 11th level noble (ranking ofcer, garrison commander) Scandagas cemetery is located outside the walls away from
who answers to the governor. Two 5th level nobles serve the river.
the ranking ofcer as lieutenants. Four 3rd level soldiers
serve as sergeants. Eight 2nd level soldiers hold specialised Loggerton (pop. 1,686)
positions around the post (healer, courier, orderly and Along the river lie the logging industries of Scandaga,
so on). The remaining 24 are 1st level soldiers, made up where loggers known as river pigs push the logs into
of a squad of Bossonian archers, a squad of Gunderland small river-bays for milling. Alongside the water-driven
pikemen and a squad of Aquilonian cavalry, with each mills are the taverns, bunk houses and prostitutes
squad consisting of eight soldiers and a sergeant. In shacks. Barbers, tattoo parlours, archery galleries and
addition to the regular soldiers, 175 mercenaries, largely general stores litter the shanty-town of Scandaga. Sleazy
borderers and infantry units, form the rest of the military employment agencies, known as slave shops, advertise
force to protect Scandaga in the case of an invasion. A available work (for high climbers, pulley riggers, spar
7th level Tauranian noble (ranking ofcer, captain) is in men, river pigs, cutters, buckers and the like) to new
charge of organising the mercenary units and is answerable arrivals. Although all logger towns have many of the same
to the governor. Of course, in the event of a major battle hangouts, those to be found in Scandaga are bigger and
fought on Scandagas doorsteps, troops from neighbouring wilder. Tenements bulging with out-of-work loggers,
forts will be dispatched if possible. Scandaga has not tanneries with their horrible stench, ghettos lled
been attacked by Picts in several decades, so most of with downcast foreigners, warehouses brimming
the provinces military is stationed on the frontier forts. with bales of fur and shanties crying with shame
Being assigned duty in Scandaga is considered a plush and degradation typify this district. This is
assignment. The soldiers live in the district of Scandaga by far the roughest part of Scandaga, as
called Soldiersfort. well as the most heavily populated.
11
It is also the most cosmopolitan area, as men of all nations
Zamorians, Zingarans, Brythunians, Nemedians,
Aquilonians, Shemites and even a few Kushites, many of
whom are better suited to other work but have fallen on Adventure
hard times are represented here. Each wanting to bury Hook
their past and simply work and live, many here are known As Scandaga grows more and more
by nicknames and aliases, for loggers are not an inquisitive civilised, the city leaders want the town to
bunch. resemble a central Aquilonian city rather than a
Zamorian one, and Loggerton is uncomfortably
Danylos Tavern: The most famous tavern in the whole of similar to Zamorian mauls in the minds of
the Westermarck, Danylos Tavern is a dazzling business Scandagan socialites. Someone has decided to
that caters to loggers, borderers and carousers of all kinds. clean up Loggerton, making it more law-abiding
Built by a down-and-out Zamorian who lost his left leg in and respectable; but who? Player Characters may
a logging accident, this tavern is designed to relieve a man be hired as sheriffs of some sort, charged with
of his tensions, his earnings and keep him coming back cleaning up the area, or they may nd themselves
again and again. on the receiving end of this impromptu urban
regeneration scheme.
From the outside, it looks like an interconnected shanty
village the size of a city block, but on the inside, it is nearly
palatial. With six exterior doors, Danylos Tavern is a
gargantuan establishment. A huge, rectangular bar, nearly Gather Information checks made inside this tavern receive
700 linear feet, is the centre of attention here, although a +2 circumstance bonus. Borderers and loggers all tend
the tavern is also home to a concert stage, dozens of to love tall tales, and often believe them, so Bluff checks
gaming tables, and rows of cosy, curtained alcoves where made here usually gain a +2 circumstance modier. This
women ply their supple wares. Food here is free, so long tavern is considered a haven for the common working man,
as a customer is buying alcohol and not causing problems. so nobles are not welcome, and any character identied as
Although the food is free, it is not skimped on; all of it is being a noble does not receive the circumstance bonuses,
sumptuous enough for a kings larder: juicy roasts; thick but instead receives a -2 circumstance modier to any
Gunderland-style sausages; bread of all kinds; Brythunian Charisma-based skill.
and Tauranian cheeses and burning-hot, homemade
condiments. Bossonian whisky is the house specialty, Eastend (pop. 240)
although Gunderland beers, Zingaran and Argossean Here is where the original Fort Scandaga was built.
rums, Shemite wines from Kyros and Ghaza, and many Here also is the mansion-like home of the governor of
others can be bought here. Conawaga. Landed patricians and nobles live in this
part of town, as does the judge of the supreme court.
Designed to meet the needs of the boisterous loggers and A portion of the original palisade of the rst fort still
borders, the bartenders and bouncers ignore most heated stands, separating Eastend from the rest of Scandaga.
arguments, so long as open brawls are avoided and those Bureaucrats can be seen at all hours of the day in their
inclined to ght are violently invited to take it outside by robes as they travel on unending errands and nobles with
the huge bouncers. These same sharp-eyed bouncers are their impressive retinues of slaves and courtiers lounge in
also hired by the Zamorian owner to watch for thieves the public buildings and courts. The frame buildings here
and kidnappers, for he wants his tavern to be renowned as are stately, with an eye for impressiveness.
a safe place, where a hard-working frontier man loses his
money by choice, not by theft. It is said that eventually Governors Mansion: This is the most lavish building in
everyone in the Westermarck passes through Danylos the whole of the Westermarck, approaching a castle in its
Tavern, and if a person spends enough time here, he splendour.
will hear of or meet anyone and everyone he knows.
A huge bulletin board is also provided for patrons The Supreme Court of the Westermarck: Although
to leave messages on though it might be a lucky located in Scandaga, the court exists for all the provinces
chance to nd any one particular message on west of Bossonia. This court, presided over by a judge
such a massive board. appointed by the king himself, arbitrates disputes between
settlers, and between settlers and landed gentry and
nobles. Claims for land are also led here.
12
well. The soldiers also have their own shrine to Mitra. See
Military Life on the Border, on page 47 for details on how
this district operates.
Adventure
Northend (pop. 913)
Hook Mostly trading posts, businesses and merchant homes,
An extremist scholar has taken up the Northend is loud and boisterous, but not as much as
residence in the Eastend and begins Loggerton and certainly not as dangerous. The Northend
dominating the political arena with a market is where much of the produce harvested by the
movement to drive all non-Aquilonian, outlying farmers is sold. Smiths Row in Northend is
or non-Mitran settlers from the province, home to ve of the best blacksmiths in Scandaga. These
starting with this district before clearing blacksmiths are not in direct competition with each other,
the entire region. Most disturbing is the as each concentrates on different products. One produces
number of followers attracted to his cause nails and building tools, while another produces farm
and the support given to it by the judge
of the Supreme Court. What has driven
the nobility of Scandaga into this frenzy of
religious social unrest? Adventure
Hook
Temple of Mitra: This is the largest temple in the A kind-hearted Northender decides
Westermarck to date. Stylishly unadorned, its simplistic that orphaned Pict children need homes
style is grandiose in its starkness. too, and starts taking in Pictish waifs
recovered from the destroyed villages left
Soldiersfort (pop. 373) by Conawagan soldiers. This creates a
This district of Scandaga houses the barracks of Scandagas lot of upset townsfolk, who believe him
soldiers. This district has its own mess hall, market, to be a renegade. The characters may
laundresses, gardens and blacksmiths, all for the use of be hired to protect the townsperson
the soldiers, mercenaries and their families. The fort and their orphans, or may be hired to
also employs healers, carpenters, armourers and a pair of murder them all, sending a clear message
bookkeepers. This area has a parade ground and stables as to others who would help the Picts.
implements, the third produces horseshoes

and harnesses, the fourth repairs or reworks
implements and tools and the fth works in
conjunction with a cartwright building the
Adventure iron xings for his wagons. Other businesses,
Hook such as services to nd land for newly arriving
With garrison numbers depleted by a bout settlers; solicitors; scribes; theatres; and higher-
of venereal infections which has taxed the posts priced brothels, bawdy-houses and pubs, can
healers to the limit, the garrison commander decides be found in the Northend, often on streets
to do away with the laundress system and make the that are indicative of their occupants; Sudsrow,
chore another of the soldiers duties. The laundresses for example is a short street of hard-working
who often do more than just the laundry to supplement laundresses. Music and laughter are free here
their meagre income of ve silver coins per month, are and more exotic diversions will surely deplete a
nonetheless aggrieved by the decision. To make matters careless man of his funds in a matter of time..
worse more and more soldiers are now travelling into Three small shrines to Mitra can be found
Loggerton to sow their wild oats, causing more than here.
a few problems there. The Player Characters could
be hired on as additional bouncers for the taverns and Lake District (pop. 283)
bordellos of Loggerton, or be dispatched to quell the There is a small lake on the west
vociferous laundry women as they protest through side of Scandaga, and part
Soldiersforts streets. of the town has sprung
up around the lake.
13
Forest
Scandaga
Farmland
Loggerton
Eastend
Northend
Temple of Mitra
Supreme
Court
Tall Tower
Lake District Governors

Mansion
Parade Ground
Soldiersfort
14
The most prominent feature of the Lake District is the
Tall Tower, possibly the tallest log tower ever built. The
wealthier merchants and settlers live here in frame houses
The baron of Schohira
overlooking the lake. A local borderer has put up a school declared for Conan, and
to teach woodcraft to newcomers. Two large shrines to marched to join his army,
Mitra, both rivals to the other on minor points of theology, but asked no levies of Schohira
are built here. where indeed every man was
needed to guard the frontier.
Robert E. Howard, Notes on

Adventure Various Peoples of the Hyborian
Age
Hook
The heated debate between the
two opposing Mitran shrines comes seem to be mere creeks, although most are rivers in their
to boiling point, with each openly own right.
promoting the cleansing of the other.
However, as strangers begin ocking Knife Creek: A fordable tributary of the Thunder River,
to the Tall Tower in the dead of night is the southern border of Schohira, separating it from
amid fervent and blasphemous chanting, the Little Wilderness, a dangerous tract of land between
even these two rivals may have to work Schohira and Thandara. It is a fairly sizeable creek, and
together to drive out the evil cult that would be called a full-edged river if it were located in
resides within. Shem or Hyrkania, but compared to the nearby Thunder
River, it would be unjust to label this slow-moving body
of water a river. Fort Kwanyara watches over its slimy
In addition to cities such as Scandaga, Conawaga also banks and is built near a ford across the creek. The overall
features several frontier forts. Some are more primitive shallowness of this wide creek makes it unsuitable for
than others, and most are not intended to be permanent navigation by anything much larger than a canoe.
and are abandoned almost as quickly as they are built,
depending on the militarys need. Most such forts are Ogaha Creek: Ogaha Creek cuts across Schohira,
similar to Fort Kwanyara in Schohira. separating Coyaga, which lies 10 miles south of the creek
itself. Like Knife Creek, this tributary connecting the
Thunder and Bossonian Rivers would be called a river in
Schohira a more arid part of the world, but here is deemed a mere
Schohira, the smallest province of the Westermarck, just creek. The village of Thenitea lies on its shores.
north of Thandara and the Little Wilderness, is ruled by
a royal patent under the jurisdiction of a baron of the Tullians Creek: Tullians Creek, a tributary of Thunder
western marches. This province also supported Conan River, forms a border with the Wildcat Picts via treaty.
during the civil war. Its provincial lord is Baron Thasperas The creek was named after a settler whose headless body
of Kormon who rides under Schohiras standard of the was found in it after he encountered a Pictish warparty.
spread-winged hawk.
Schohira is home to more than just woods, creeks and
Bordered to the south by Knife Creek and Oijgwha Creek rivers, approximately 10,000 men, women and children
to the north, the settlements of Schohira are scattered live and work there. In total, there are two towns and
throughout the wooded regions contained therein. Much 27 villages, only marginally less advanced than those in
of northern Schohira has been cleared, while farmers and Conawaga. Frame houses in the north are becoming
settlers have cleared the central regions, large stretches of more commonplace, and land-owners are becoming
lush forest still snake languidly between the farms and more powerful. Much of the best land in the north
villages. The primeval southwest regions of Schohira are and central regions is either already claimed or
heavily forested and have not been thickly settled yet, are under dispute. Villages in the north
although patrols from Fort Kwanyara and other frontier are larger than southern hamlets, and
forts strive to keep the Picts out of that dense woodland. many living in individual farm
Compared to the mighty Thunder and Bossonian Rivers settlements. There are probably
that gird the land on the east and west, the interior rivers
15
240 or so loggers, trappers and other roaming inhabitants, command of Dirk Stroms son, who takes charge of the
and very few of the population are nobles, however, several whole town when Jon Storms son is absent. Dirk Stroms
are wealthy factors and land-owners hoping to become son, also the commandant of Fort Kwanyara, is also
part of the new aristocracy. There are approximately 500 known to be stubborn and haughty, although more than
borderers working with the military to keep the peace capable. Two stentorian (lieutenants) 5th level nobles serve
between the settlers and the Picts of the Panther Tribe. Commander Dirk Stroms son, and they are in turn served
by four stern (sergeants) 3rd level soldiers, who oversee the
Coyaga: The wealthiest land-owners of Schohira dwell in remainder of the soldiers.
castles built of stone and wood in this provincial town lying
ten miles beyond Ogaha Creek. It has a population of 1,234
Hyborians living lives similar to that found in the marches
Jon Storms son, the
to the east of Bossonia, complete with serfs, knights and Governor of Schohira
nobles. There are a dozen soldiers permanently stationed Medium Humanoid Aquilonian Noble 12
here by the king of Aquilonia, although the various land- Hit Dice: 10d8+4 (49 hp)
owners have royal permission to garrison their own estates Initiative: +6
with their preferred Gundermen mercenaries, feeling they Speed: 30 ft.
make the best guards. Over 60 borderers use this town as DV (Dodge): 16 (+2 Dex, +4 base)
a base of operations as they patrol the region, helping the DV (Parry): 17 (+1 Str, +6 base)
soldiers maintain peace and order. The commander of Base Attack Bonus/Grapple: +9/+10
the Coyaga garrison is a disgraced noble who was given Attack: Broadsword +14 nesse melee (1d10+1/19-20,
this position by King Conan after his family petitioned x2/AP 4) or hunting bow +14 ranged (1d8/x2, AP 1*)
for him to be given a second chance. The ofcer is trying Full Attack: Broadsword +14/+9 nesse melee (1d10+1/
hard to regain honour so that he can eventually return to 19-20, x2/AP 4) or hunting bow +14/+9 ranged (1d8/x2,
duty with the Black Legion. During the Liberation of AP 1*)
Aquilonia, Coyaga was captured by Baron Brocas and used Special Qualities: Title, Rank Hath its Privileges, Wealth,
to wage war against Schohira. To this day, Coyagans and Special Regional Feature +3, Do You Know Who I Am?, Social
eastern Schohirans harbour a bitter resentment towards Ability (Family Ties; Ally), Enhanced Leadership, Lead By
those of Conawaga. Example +4, Weapon Familiarity, Background Skills (Move
Silently, Listen, Hide, Spot), Adaptability (Knowledge (Nature)
Schondara: Schondara is a handsome frontier town and Move Silently), +1 racial bonus to Fate Points
in south-western Schohira with a population of 1,100
Hyborians. The verdant forest comes within a half mile of
its neat houses of ne frame and squared and painted logs.
There is no ditch or palisade protecting this village despite
its proximity to the forests of the Picts, though a fort,
with a palisade and ditch, and larger than Fort Kwanyara,
is built on the outskirts of the village along with a large
house, amid gardens and orchards, called the Hall. It was
once owned by Lord Valerian, the richest land-owner in
western Schohira who was slain after it was discovered he
turned renegade and was in league with the Picts. The
haughty and stubborn governor of Schohira, Jon Storms
son (renamed Jon Markos son by L. Sprague de Camp),
resides here in a fortied manor house. There is no doubt
of his ability to rule here in the name of Baron Thasperas.
He is extremely intelligent and knowledgeable, and is
able to dispense justice fairly, though the gaol here is
naught but a small affair of logs with four cells.
The land around Schondara has been cleared,

and a few cavalry units can be found
here. There are about 50 soldiers
and borderers stationed at
the fort, under the
16
Space/Reach: 5 ft. (1)/5 ft. (1) and has found, near the Zingaran border, a lost city. He
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +13 has never had a chance to explore that city, indeed, he
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 20 barely returned from that expedition alive and has always
Skills: Bluff +10, Diplomacy +15, Gather Information regretted he did not take the opportunity to explore when
+15, Hide +14, Intimidate +7, Knowledge (geography) he had the chance.
+8, Knowledge (history) +5, Knowledge (local) +8,
Knowledge (nature) +10, Knowledge (nobility) +5, Listen Thenitea: This logging village on Ogaha Creek serves as a
+14, Move Silently +16, Ride +7, Sense Motive +7, Spot rallying point for the army of Schohira and has a population
+7, Survival +14 of about 856 permanent inhabitants, although nearly a
Feats: Alertness, Combat Expertise, Endurance, Iron Will, hundred transient loggers and trappers can be found in
Leadership b, Pict Slayer, Stealthy, Track b = bonus feat the village at any one time. The village has a saw mill
Reputation: 30 (Brave) (+4 bonus to Bluff and Intimidate) and several businesses geared toward loggers and trappers.
Fate Points: 4 There is a fort at the town for housing the military, and
Leadership: 17 (8th level Cohort; 85 1st level, 3 2nd level nearly 200 borderers are stationed here, although it is rare
and 1 3rd level followers) for all of them to be at the fort at the same time.
Languages: Aquilonian, Bossonian, Nemedian, Pict
Military Forces of Schohira
Possessions: Broadsword, hunting bow, noble clothing, Schohira has more military troops per square mile of border
borderer clothing than anywhere else in the Westermarck. In addition to the
armoured soldiers sent from Aquilonia to man the frontier
Jon Storms son is the baron-appointed governor of forts, another type of warrior is becoming renowned in the
Schohira and in charge of Schohiras military forces. region the ranger. Borderers in Schohira and Thandara
His father knew he would rule better if he understood are known as rangers. Rangers in Schohira form a separate
the terrain and the people he would govern, and so he branch of duty from the archers, pikemen and cavalry
grew up in Schohira and has become quite skilled in units most soldiers serve as. Armoured columns of troops
the art of woodcraft despite his status as a noble. He is work well enough against the Picts, but lone scouting
a tall, elegant appearing man with long curly hair and a requires a different sort of man, thus the rangers. Dressed
beard. His eyes reect his education, both formal and in in buckskins and not hampered by heavy weaponry, they
the wild, and betray his passion for his homeland. He is are trained to move quietly and live off the land. They
silent in the woods and a crafty diplomat in the courts. have commanding ofcers, and are based out of towns and
An accomplished Pict hunter, Jon Storms son is a master forts, but are largely on their own recognisance, tending
tactician and loyal to both the Baron and King Conan. to be more skilled and able to make decisions on their
He is a bit on the haughty side, however, convinced of his own than a common soldier, trained to obey orders and
superiority to others, although he is still well respected, as little else. The rangers rarely ask the business of travelling
he can usually back up his claims. During his travels in Hyborians, as their job is to look for Picts, but in times of
the Pictish Wilderness, he has been across the Black River, war or civil unrest they are also called upon to watch the
border for spies.
Adventure Schohira maintains peace treaties with the Hawk, Wildcat

and Turtle tribes and even conduct some trade with them.
Hook The aggressive Panther tribe, however, refuse to come to
Eager to seek out and explore the lost an accord, tending to kill Hyborian diplomats and factors
city he found so many years ago, Jon before ever speaking to them. Although any Pictish tribe
Storms son hires the Player Characters to is potentially dangerous, other than occasional raiding,
join him in his endeavour and accompany the three treaty-bound tribes tend to refrain from making
him on the dangerous journey. The war against Schohira. King Conan has bolstered the
excursion is the opportunity the family of number of soldiers in the region to help maintain
former Baron Brocas have been waiting the peace on both sides of the Thunder River.
for. Still harbouring resentment for Jons One of the most notable border forts that keeps
successful resistance against the loyalist an eye on the Picts is Fort Kwanyara.
baron they try to have him assassinated
even as he ventures into the lands of the
Picts.
17
Farmland
Main
Gate
Flooded
Ditch
Barracks
Officers
Quarters
Stables
Mess Hall
Fort Kwanyara Knife Creek
Fort Kwanyara Built of hewn logs and split boards, this frontier fort is
Fort Kwanyara is the southernmost outpost of Schohira, it a primitive square fortress originally built by the soldiers
lies just a few miles west of the town of Schondara, near that manned it. The fort is situated on level ground above
the banks of Knife Creek amid a web of paths lead from the ood plain of Knife Creek. The sharpened log palisade
the fort to outlying farms. The forest around it has is set up against the defending edge of a ditch that lls up
been cleared away for a few hundred yards in every with water when it rains. Runnels all around the defensive
direction and is often occupied by grazing the ditch not only feed the ditch itself, but divert water from
animals. The fort has easy access to water, the Knife Creek when it oods to keep the fort itself dry.
and more than enough timber for fuel,
construction and maintenance. Though the walled fort is spartan in its design, lacking
ornamentation and luxuries, inside the tall palisade,
barracks, ofcers quarters, privies, storehouses, wagon
18
sheds, stables, gardens, a mess hall and a parade ground he does not have the time to waste on eastern protocol.
comprise the home of the soldiers. While the ofcers However, in most day-to-day matters, the snobbish
quarters are small, yet comfortable private houses with military pattern is usually maintained at Fort Kwanyara,
two to four rooms each (depending on the ofcers rank), largely due to the stubbornness of the commandant.
the soldiers have to make do with a crowded, common
barracks, so poorly ventilated that it is stiingly warm The commandant of the fort is Dirk Stroms son, a
in the hot Pictish summers and bitterly cold during the haughty and stubborn leader who also commands the fort
winter. The sergeants live in small shacks built next to the at Schondara. Dirk has a brother named Hakon Stroms
barracks of their companies, and although little better than son. Both dress as borderers, despite their nobility, for
the barracks themselves, they at least they provide privacy. such dress is practical and necessary this close to the
The worst part about life at Fort Kwanyara are the snakes wilderness.
many of which are poisonous and have a propensity to
show up in some of the most unexpected places, including The military forces of Fort Kwanyara are divided into
boots, beneath bunks, and in storage chests. regulars and irregulars. The regulars, largely comprised of
Gundermen and Bossonians, are the Aquilonian soldiers
In addition to the military buildings for the troops, Fort led by noble ofcers. The number varies according to
Kwanyara sports a sutlers store. A sutler is a merchant that need, but is usually maintained at around 150 soldiers.
is specically licensed to operate within an Aquilonian The irregulars are borderer volunteers called rangers who
military establishment. This store stocks whisky, beer, come and go as they please, scouting and patrolling the
tobacco, needles, combs, soap, boots, moccasins, blankets wilderness. The rangers also escort and protect soldier
and other goods that the soldiers can buy on credit, with duty details that take the soldiers outside the palisade of
each soldiers balance due and payable when the pay chest the fort.
arrives (theoretically every two months, although an eight
month wait is not unheard of this far south). In addition
to the sutlers store, the fort also provides laundresses for
Thandara
Thandara is, according to Robert E. Howard, the most
the mens needs.
purely pioneer province of the Westermarck. Unlike
the other provinces, an eastern baron and an appointed
Throughout most of Aquilonia, the military pattern is
governor does not rule Thandara and its situation is as
almost universal ofcers, who are usually nobles, speak
unique as it is precarious.
to sergeants, who, in turn, speak to the soldiers. On
the frontier, such snobbery, while lamented by many
The province of Thandara is the most recently founded
nobles and knights as being ignobly ignored, cannot be
of the Westermarck provinces. Fort Thandara, once an
afforded most of the time. If a borderer comes in from
isolated outpost on Warhorse River, was the rst settlement
the wilderness with news of Picts in war paint on the way,
in Thandara and where many of the displaced settlers of
Conajohara settled after it fell. The fort was built and
manned by the Kings soldiers, who dutifully kept watch on
the Panther, Alligator and Otter Picts, when the region was
suddenly overrun by the displaced Conajoharan settlers.
Adventure The settlers decided to stay regardless of the wishes of the
soldiers, and hold onto their lands by force of arms. They
Hook did not ask for a royal patent and the King never gave
The Player Characters are hired as bounty
them one. In return for this seeming independence from
hunters to track down a notorious criminal
Aquilonias nobility, the King demanded only the right to
who has enlisted at Fort Kwanyara under
approve their choice of governor, who would serve as the
an assumed name to evade capture. The
forts military commander.
characters must work out a way into the fort to
capture their bounty. Meanwhile the criminal
Now its the people have to raise their own defensive
has become a renowned soldier or borderer and
troops and build their own forts, as the royal
looks set to escort the paymaster and his chests
troops were recalled and the Thandaran people
through Pict-infested forest.
formed companies called Rangers to serve
as their militia. During the civil war
that ultimately placed Conan on the
throne of Aquilonia, Thandara was
19
reign as each of the settlers must look to
themselves for their own defence. Thandara
has no powerful class of titled land-
The people of Conajohara scattered throughout

the Westermarck, in Schohira, Conawaga, or holders and all the settlers are pretty much
Oriskawny, but many of them went southward and commoners and borderers, a point of pride
settled near Fort Thandara, an isolated outpost on to the Thandarans, all of whom remember,
the Warhorse River, my family among them. There either from rst hand experience or from
they were later joined by other settlers for whom the stories, tales of Conajohara and Conans
older provinces were too thickly inhabited, and presently
role in ghting the Picts there. There is no
there grew up the district known as the Free Province of
Thandara, because it was not like the other provinces, royal logging, nor any frontier stores and settlers
grants to great lords east of the marches and settled by them, here must truly live off the land or risk a
but cut out of the wilderness by the pioneers themselves without journey to Schohira or into the Bossonian
aid of the Aquilonian nobility. We paid no taxes to any baron. Marches to nd a store.
Our governor was not appointed by any lord, but we elected him
ourselves, from our own people, and he was responsible only to
There are virtually no soldiers in Thandara,
the king. We manned and built our forts ourselves, and sustained
ourselves in war as in peace. And Mitra knows war was a another precarious element in Thandaran
constant state of affairs, for there was never peace between us society. Since the people there rule without
and our savage neighbors, the wild Panther, Alligator and Otter a royal patent and are not taxed, Tarantia
tribes of Picts. does not bother to send troops. The
Thandarans prefer this, however, as they
Robert E. Howard, Wolves Beyond the Border have more faith in companies created by
their own settlers. These military companies
are called Rangers, and are formed almost
one of the rst provinces to support the barbarian usurper. exclusively of borderers, trappers and
At each turning point in its history, Thandara has chosen hunters. The Rangers are an organised military unit
the less sure and, ultimately, the most powerful route. found in Thandara and, to a lesser extent, Schohira and
number around 700 men. Since Thandara has no treaties
Thandara is the southernmost province of the Westermarck with the Panther, Alligator and Otter tribes that live in the
and is separated from the other provinces by a stretch of swamps and forests nearby, and war is a constant threat in
deep forests and swamps known as the Little Wilderness, Thandara. The Rangers patrol not only their lands, but
a virtual microcosm that resembles the Pictish Wilderness those of the Picts, because knowledge of the Picts and their
as a whole. A road runs through it into the Bossonian doings is essential to survival in Thandara. The current
Marches and continues on into the central provinces, military commander of Thandara is Brant Dragos son and
but it is a long and tedious road and only the bravest of a council of captains serves as his advisors. The Rangers
borderers or the direst of needs sends people into the Little of Thandara spend much of their time ghting the Picts
Wilderness. In addition to the Little Wilderness, Thandara or defending the land from the Bossonians, who have
is also divided by the Warhorse River, which, at one time, invaded in the past to claim these lands as their own.
formed the southern boundary of the Westermarck. This
separation makes life in Thandara a little less secure,
because help is not easy to obtain. Now settlements and
farms litter both sides of the Warhorse, with the streams
and smaller creeks which feed the river providing water No troops were ever sent
for crops and orchards, and the river itself oods annually, to Thandara. They built
forts, or rather blockhouses, and
providing fertile soil to the land. However, this ooding manned them themselves, and formed
is dangerous, and often destroys structures built too near companies of military bodies called
the riverbanks. The river also provides a means of Rangers. They were incessantly at
travel for both settlers and Picts, who use it to gain war with the Picts.
quick access to the settlements.
Robert E. Howard, Notes on
There are no villages or towns in the whole Various Peoples of the Hyborian
of Thandara, but every cabin is built Age
like a tiny fort, complete with
ditches and palisades, until
late into Conans
20
Fort Thandara
Palisade
Main Gate
Keep
Stables
Settlers Homes
Garrison HQ
Ditch
Watchtower
The closest Pict tribes are the Panther, the Alligator Fort Thandara: This fort was the original settlement in
and the Otter. All three of these belligerent tribes are Thandara, and was originally simply an Aquilonian outpost
aggressive and warlike, and do not sign peace treaties with designed to watch the Picts. Maintained now by the
intruding Hyborians. Occasionally the south Hawks join Thandarans themselves, this is probably the strongest and
the Panther, Alligator and Otter tribes in their wars and most defensible fort on the frontier, for they do not depend
raids against Thandara. The rangers often scout their on Aquilonian funds to build and man it. The foresters of
lands, knowing full well that if a member of one of these Thandara maintain it and improve it using the land
three tribes catches them, their skulls will adorn the blood- around them, and do not ask the baron or the king
blackened altars of Pictish huts. permission to do so. This is the base of operations
for over 700 rangers, all commanded by Brant
Though the smallest province of the Westermarck, Dragos son, a borderer himself without
Thandara may well be the stoutest. noble blood, who pulled himself up
21
to the danger the creek represented. They had beaten
the Picts time and again, and unlike the Cimmerians,
the Picts were not a force to be reckoned with, merely a
Adventure
nuisance to be swept aside. The Picts, already resentful of

Hook the loss of the rest of the Westermarck, had no intention
The Player Characters are hired as of being swept any further; a line had been drawn and now
Rangers, or a band of mercenaries hired to it had been crossed. Once the settlers started streaming
help some Rangers, out to destroy Picts, or to in, and with the area quiet King Numedides did not see
defend settlers against the Picts. However, it the point in having so many soldiers in Conajohara, so
is a Bossonian barons troops that the Player most were recalled back to Aquilonia. However, across the
Characters end up ghting when he dispatches Black River, thousands upon thousands of Picts waited,
troops to bring the Thadarans and their land slowly being united by a charismatic shaman Zogar
under his control. Will the Picts nally seize Sag. Zogar Sag led the Picts across the river and drove
the initiative and push the Thandarans back up the underprotected Aquilonians back across the Thunder
into Schohira or into the Bossonian Marches River.
as the launch their own counterattacks, raids
and assaults, or will they unwittingly aid in the Mismanagement was only partially to blame for the doom
defeat of the greedy Bossonian baron. of Conajohara; geography also had a role. Conajohara is
bordered to the north by the aptly named North Creek,
and on the south by the equally imaginatively named South
by his bootstraps to command the most powerful frontier
Creek. The area between North and South creek is about
army in the Westermarck.
19 miles wide. The land north and south of Conajohara
is impassable marsh; Fort Tuscelan was built to protect
Conajohara its western border, its capital, Velitrium, was built along
Conajohara is the most infamous of the Westermarck the Thunder River. At the edges of the marshes, about
provinces, although no longer part of the Westermarck. nine miles away to the north of the main road, were the
Like Thandara, Conajohara was a gamble, an uncertain salt licks. Near Black River, just north of South Creek,
excursion in expansionism. Also, like Thandara, its sit a series of monoliths known as the Council Rocks,
history, geography, demographics and military strength where Hawk Picts of old gathered and held council, while
played a large part in what befell it, and in what is Massacre Meadow, a marshy place thick with grasses and
happening there now. brush but few trees, lies between South Creek and the
Council Rocks. This geography ultimately proved fatal
Conajohara was once a northern Westermarck province, for the province, as once the Picts came across the river
a narrow wedge thrust into the untamed wilderness by and destroyed Fort Tuscelan, the settlers had nowhere to
Aquilonian greed. Aquilonia had successfully settled
Conawaga, Oriskonie and Schohira and even built Fort
Thandara far to the south with an eye toward a further
settlement. Encouraged by their successes against the
Picts, Aquilonia decided to push forward the frontier.
Conan pointed to a creek which flowed
Trappers and a few loggers had already crossed the Thunder into Black River from the east, a few
River and knew some of the Pict tribes there. Using their hundred yards below them.
information, King Vilerus of Aquilonia decided on a strip
of land that seemed most defensible a piece of land Thats South Creek; its ten miles from its mouth
between two stretches of foul marsh bordered by creeks. to the fort. Its the southern boundary of Conajohara.
The new province slowly began to become settled, Marshes miles wide south of it. No danger of a raid
from across them. Nine miles above the fort North
Aquilonia then sent across its soldiers. With whisky Creek forms the other boundary. Marshes beyond
and force of arms, the soldiers hacked out the new that, too. Thats why an attack must come from the
province of Conajohara. The soldiers built Fort west, across Black River. Conajoharas just like a
Tuscelan and Valannus was named governor of spear, with a point nineteen miles wide, thrust into the
Conajohara. Valannus argued for two forts, Pictish wilderness.
one at each of the creeks, but Numedides
had ascended the throne during Robert E. Howard, Beyond the Black River
the establishment of the
province, and was blind
22
go except back toward the Thunder River and the swamps
to the north and the south had bottled them in.
Once dark-skinned men had
built their huts where that
Demographically, Conojohara was also weak, with only fort stood; yes, and their huts
one major settlement and one fort for all its settlers. Most had risen where now stood the
of whom dwelt east of Scalp Creek, a creek which runs fields and log cabins of fair-haired
north to south about ve miles east of the Black River. settlers, back beyond Velitrium, that
Velitrium only stood against the onslaught for as long as it raw, turbulent frontier town on the
did because it was as isolated as many of the settlers. banks of the Thunder River, to the
shores of that other river that bounds
the Bossonian Marches.
The single fort was undermanned and overextended, also
dooming Conajohara. When King Numedides recalled Robert E. Howard, Beyond the
most of the troops, he left behind a pitifully small force of Black River
300 pikemen, 400 archers and about 50 scouts to protect
all of Conajoharas 9,000 square miles of forest. Even with powerful border fort and a raucous logging town. It stands
Conan as one of the scouts, there were not enough soldiers in a state of constant fear, watching the Picts, conscious
to route the Picts. The only thing that saved Velitrium that they could use Conajohara as a staging ground for
was the death of Zogar Sag. Despite all of these elements, an attack into Conawaga. King Conan has bolstered
Conajohara fell; a hard lesson for Aquilonia. the troops stationed at Velitrium and is ever-responsive
to concerns of this most remote of frontiers. Although
Conajohara is now a realm of Picts. Hawk clans live and technically within the on the lands of Conawaga, it is a
hunt here freely, and they will not tolerate any Hyborian separate province and is not bound to the baron of Torh.
presence in the region. They will attack rst and never
bother with the questions. Stories of Zogar Sag and the The mighty Thunder River is used to oat logs down to
retaking of Conajohara are told in Pictish villages and Velitriums mills, and, once the logs are sawed and milled,
entire cycles of myth surround the tale as it is being retold exported back into Aquilonia. The town itself numbers
to new generations of Picts. The story of this legendary around 900 inhabitants, not including the outlying
shaman emboldens the Picts, encouraging them to believe villages and farms that support Velitrium. There are four
they too can conquer the Hyborians someday soon. main districts in Velitrium; the waterfront outside the
walls, Skidtown, Landeners and the fort.
Velitrium
Built on the shores of the Thunder River, Velitrium was Districts of Velitrium
once the capital of Conajohara and the staging point for The Waterfront: Outside the protective palisade of
the provinces colonisation, now it is little more than a Velitrium, the Waterfront is built, a shanty-town that
supports the logging industry. Two log mills and a grist
mill are powered by the Thunder River. Merchants,
laundresses, prostitutes, barbers, taverns and even a couple
of cheap, though unwholesome inns cater to the trappers
and loggers of the district. A long skid road, so called
Adventure because of the logs spaced evenly along it to help oxen pull
Hook logs along the road, runs into the forests to the north. This
The Player Characters are hired by a is a rough and noisy, brawling part of Velitrium, and even
powerful noble to nd the remains of a family though they are outside the walls, three towers have been
member slain in the massacre at Conajohara. built to watch the river and sound an alarm which will
While he seems intent on giving them a proper send the populace running for their lives into Skidtown.
burial, is there more to his motives than there
seems, and what other secrets and treasures Skidtown: So named because this was the original
do the ruins of Conajohara hold? Perhaps lost location of the loggers villages, and the skid road
heirlooms wait to be found, or have the Picts ran right through here. When Conajohara fell,
decided to gather and attack Velitrium itself? Velitrium extended its walls to encompass
this area, turning it almost overnight
into tenements for displaced settlers
and farmers. Now it functions as
23
a huge market and red light district. Tenements still exist moment and no matter where or when, the Picts are
for the poor and the unfortunate, although most of the constantly aware of their environment. They can mimic
settlers have long since moved elsewhere. Many off duty animal calls to attract prey within the range of their
soldiers nd their way here to spend their pay, and most weapons, make use of natural lighting and foliage to hide
of the businesses will extend credit to the soldiers, and to within a few feet of prey and this environment provides
soldiers only, of Velitrium. the materials they use to live homes, weapons, clothing
and food. Those Picts who live along the shores of the
Landeners: Home to landowners and the nobility alike, ocean, such as the Cormorant, Toucan, Shark and Sea
its streets are wider and its houses grander. It also houses Falcon tribes, are not seafarers venturing far out into the
the public buildings of Velitrium, including a house of wild, blue ocean though, they comb the beaches and net
records, where settlers can le land claims, and several sh close to the shore.
buildings housing Aquilonian ofcials here on the Kings
business, such as the tax collectors. The governor of Black River: The Black River is the frontier border of
Velitrium, however, does not live in Landeners; he lives in Aquilonia and the site of many battles with the savage
the fort, the fourth district of Velitrium. Picts. The river has a swift current, yet is deep and
wide, carrying a large volume of water. From the rivers
The Fort: Garrisoned by 1,000 cavalry units, 2,000 source somewhere in the mountains of the north, it ows
Gundermen pikemen, 4,000 Bossonian archers and 500 southward along the border of the Bossonian Marches,
scouts born and bred in the Westermarck or the Tauran. then along the frontier border of Westermarck, eventually
The land around Velitrium has been meticulously cleared sweeping west as it ows through Zingara on its course to
of trees, allowing room for elds and agriculture, but also the open sea. The Zingaran capital of Kordava sits at its
giving the cavalry the space required to ght if needed. mouth.
The cavalry is also used to carry messages inland to quickly
warn settlers and villages of oncoming Picts. Among the Ghost Swamp: Ghost Swamp is a place where the forest
cavalry are 300 armoured knights, who are given additional Picts parley. It lies to the south and west of Tulliens Creek
training in wilderness survival and tactics. The pikemen in the Westermarck of Aquilonia. The water is stagnant
and archers work in tandem to wreak havoc among Picts, and nasty in many places. It covers nearly 22 square miles
and the scouts ght guerrilla style, much as the Picts do, in and is dense with verdant forests of cyprus and tangled
the forests. The garrison also mans the walls of Velitrium, undergrowth. Alligators, snakes and other foul animals
which are heavily armed with ballistae and catapults. are common here. Black bears, panthers and otters can
also be found in this extensive wetland.
The Pictish Korvela Bay: Korvela Bay is a coastal colony established
Wilderness
by the exiled Count Valenso de Korzetta from Zingara. A
wooden fort-castle was built here by the Counts servants
The Pictish Wilderness is a verdant forest, an expanse of and destroyed nearly a year later by the Picts.
dire swamps and lushly vegetated woodland, hilly and
almost jungle-like in its vitality and fertility. Evergreen Thunder River: The Thunder River is another important
valleys and lush rivers typify the rich landscape of this river for Aquilonia and is a border against Pictland. It
untamed and raw timberland of unrestrained proportions. was named the Thunder River for the long stretches of
Great forests of spruce, cedar, oak, white and swamp white-water rapids that roar through northern Zingara
ash, willow, r and redwoods cover the rugged hills and and southern Bossonia. The hills and mountains through
dense valleys. Fertile springs of pure, fresh water are which the southern stretches of the river ow create the
without number throughout much of this alluvial land rapids and a perpetual fog throughout the immense
and a thick undergrowth of creepers, clambering vines, forests between the Thunder River and the western coast.
thorny thickets and closely packed shrubs make a nearly
impenetrable forest. Tree of Leaf and Bud: The Tree of Leaf and Bud grows
deep in the Pictish Wilderness, at the centre of a great
The land is vitally important to the Picts, essential grove sacred to Jhebbal Sag. The tree is reputed to have
as it is to their identity. They deal with the magical properties.
realities of their woodland realm every
24
Life on the
frontier life
Aquilonian Frontier
The people of Aquilonia bravely went forth
from their shining homeland into what amounted to a
foreign, uncivilised woodland to take up farming and How can I wear the harness of toil
homesteading. There were no big cities and there was And sweat at the daily round,
minimal, if any, government. Many left behind families, While in my soul forever
or at least familiarity to travel westward, not knowing what The drums of Pictdom sound?
they would nd or even exactly where they were headed.
Families could be sent for later, after these optimistic Robert E. Howard, The Drums of
pioneers had found a piece of land to settle. These early Pictdom
settlers were given promises of free lands, efs granted by
the barons, if they would move there, live there and work The Aquilonian frontiersmen likewise crudely assembled
there for a period of at least ve years. furnishings. Tables, chairs and beds, too heavy to bring
on the trip, were constructed along with the home. Moss
Upon arrival, the Aquilonian emigrants had to select from the trees was gathered and used to stuff mattresses
a site for their home, a task that became increasingly sewn together by the women, while pelts and hides served
problematic as more and more settlers ltered in. Even by as blankets.
the time of Beyond the Black River Conan noted that the
best land in Conajohara had already been taken. Once a Once the house was built, more land had to be cleared
site was chosen, the frontiersman would start felling the for farming and grazing. Wealthier settlers even built
oppressive forest to build his cabin, start clearing some barns, sheds and slave quarters, but most settled for split-
of the gloomy land for subsistence farming and start rail fences to pen in their livestock. The most basic of
building fences to restrain his livestock. This took weeks needs had to be constantly tended, needs that were often
of intensive, sweaty labour. The pioneering frontiersmen taken for granted in the eastern provinces. Clothing was a
of Aquilonia only had the most basic of tools. The home, frustrating problem, for cloth in the Westermarck is costly
usually 20 by 40 feet, had to be measured out. Logs had and hard to come by. Boots also wore out quickly and
to be cut to the proper length, split, then smoothed with were equally hard to replace. Soap, tea and medicines
an adze. The smooth sides of the split logs became the have to be manufactured from local materials and even
oors and interior walls. Rough log rafters supported the basic defence of the home is no longer the concern of
equally rough timber roofs. The houses were usually just a lord or baron; thus it was, and thus it remains. It is still
one storey, but often contained an attic where the family the duty of every man, woman and child who settles in the
slept. The roofs were built with extensions over the walls, Westermarck, whether from the older lands of Conawaga
allowing water from rain to fall away from the house, as or the newly reclaimed lands of Thandara, to learn some
well as providing protection from the sun, keeping the degree of self-sufciency, for there is little call for the
home from overheating in the summer. Fireplaces and specialised industries of Tarantia or Shamar in the
chimneys, used for cooking and heating, were constructed wilds of the frontier.
of sticks and a thick coating of dark clay. Windows often
were just sliding doors set in the wall, usually without Life on the frontier, although romanticised in
glass. Doors, rough planks hewn from the ominous the major cities of Aquilonia, has never been
trees, were hung on leather or wooden hinges. The hides an easy or cheerful life. Dank, half-lit
of animals were sometimes draped over the doors and homes made of crude materials do
windows during the winter to keep drafts to a minimum. not make for comfortable homes
25
for the hedonistic Aquilonians. The omnipresent danger even the slightest insight into their Aquilonian neighbours.
of attack or kidnapping by Pictish warbands makes even As more and more settlers arrived, taking up more land
sleep an uneasy prospect, and the Picts are not the only and cutting down the forests, displacing animals and small
danger; isolation, disease, vermin and beasts also take their Pictish tribes, the Picts became increasingly hostile.
toll on these hardy frontiersmen.
frontier life
When Aquilonia annexed Conajohara without so much

as a by your leave, the animosity of the Picts was inamed
Dangers to a point unimagined by the arrogant Aquilonians. Led
of Border
by a powerful Pictish shaman, several tribes were united
and a fearsome war was fought. Although the shaman was
Life in the killed, the Picts successfully pushed the Aquilonians out
of Conajohara.
Westermarck The Picts continued to ght a series of brutal wars
against the encroaching frontiersmen. The Conajoharans
Choosing a frontier life is not for the faint of heart. Savage established Thandara, yet another intrusion to enrage the
Picts, wasting diseases, maddening loneliness and brutal Picts. During the Aquilonian civil war, eight years after
beasts all lie waiting in the wild, lurking in the darkest the fall of Conajohara, the Picts began to unite again,
corners and the dimmest mists, ready to seize the unwary, this time with Aquilonian aid, and were stopped by a
the ill-prepared and the ignorant. Thandaran.
The gruesome border wars have not stopped. At any time

another savage war-chief or black-hearted shaman could
rise from the murky swamps and attempt unication
Well, a border-man doesnt expect to again. The time is always ripe
die in bed.
Robert E. Howard, Beyond the Black The Diseases

River While Picts are only one concern in this wilderness, disease
and illness are quite another. Inclement weather, insects
and miasma from surrounding bogs all carry the risk of
illness and disease. There are few doctors in the frontier
The Picts provinces because the distance between potential patients
The Picts are a constant source of dread and danger. makes working the area less than attractive to most skilled
Although some of the displaced tribes have been wiped healers. As a result, outbreaks of cholera, measles and
out or reduced to squalid cattle rustling or slavery, such is other maladies ravage the frontier in epidemics, and even
not the case for the vast majority of these savages who lurk border forts are plagued with poor diet and the resultant
on the fringes of the frontier. The sudden appearance of a epidemic outbreaks that malnutrition harbours.
group of Picts likely means a horrible and gruesome death
for at least one small group of colonists. The Picts steal
out of the dim forests to kidnap young children or kill lone
farmers and nding the resultant abandoned homesteads
is not uncommon for travellers along the frontier. They fear the black
plague with which he
Initial contacts with the Picts were not as violent as current threatened us the terrible
encounters tend to be. Much of Conawaga was purchased black death of the swamplands.
from the Picts and treaties were signed for Aquilonian When I see a sick soldier I
rights to Oriskonie and Schohira. Although never sweat with fear of seeing him
outright friendly toward the early settlers of these turn black and shrivel and die
wild regions, the Picts were curious about them before my eyes.
and it was not uncommon for a Pict to
appear at a cabin door of a trapper Robert E. Howard, Beyond the
or woodsman offering to trade Black River
pelts and savage trinkets for
26
Diseases
Disease Infection (DC) Incubation Damage
Bilious Fever Ingested (13) 1d4+1 days 1d3 Str
Black Vomit Injury (17)1 1 day 1d8 Con
frontier life
Blinding Sickness Ingested (16) 1d3 days 1d4 Str2
Blood Poisoning Injury (10) 1 day 1d3 Str
Black Plague Inhaled (16), Contact (18) 1d20+2 days 1d4 Dex, 1d6 Con
Bossonian Measles Contact (16) 1 day 1d4 Dex
Cackle Fever Inhaled (16) 1 day 1d6 Wis
Cholera Ingested (17) 1d4-1 days 1d4 Dex3
Diphtheria Inhaled (15), Contact (16) 1d4+1 days 1d4 Con
Filth Fever Injury (12) 1d3 days 1d3 Dex, 1d3 Con
Gangrene Injury (14) 1d4 days 1d6 Con
Malaria Injury (15) 1d4 weeks 1d4 Int, 1d4 Con
Measles Inhaled (12) 1 day 1d3 Str
Milk Sickness Ingested (16) 1 day 1d4 Con
Mindre Inhaled (12) 1 day 1d4 Int
Red Ache Injury (15) 1d3 days 1d6 Str
Shakes Contact (13) 1 day 1d8 Dex
Slimy Doom Contact (14) 1 day 1d4 Con4
Small Pox Contact (18) 12 days5 1d4 Dex, 1d3 Int, 1d2 Con2, 4
Spotted Fever Injury (17) 1d8+6 days 1d3 Con, fatigue
Sweating Sickness Injury (16), Contact (17) 1d4 days 1d8 Con
Tetanus Injury (14) 1d20+2 days 1d8 Dex8
Tuberculosis Contact (13) 7
1d6 weeks 1d4 Con4
Typhoid Fever Ingested (14) 1d3 weeks 1d2 Int, 1d4 Con
Vipers Dance Injury (12)6 1d4 days 1d10 Dex
Whooping Cough Contact (19) 1d4 days 1d2 Con
Yellow Fever Injury (14) 1d4+2 days 1d6 Dex
1
The victim must have taken damage from yellow fever to be at risk for this disease.
2
Each time the victim takes 2 or more damage from the disease, he must make another Fortitude save or be permanently blinded.
3
When damaged, the character must succeed on another saving throw or 1d4 points of temporary Constitution is lost in addition.
4
When damaged, the character must succeed on another saving throw or 1 point of damage is permanent drain instead.
5
There is very little variation in the incubation period. It is nearly always 12 days. Infection results in permanent scarring.
6
Occurs when character suffers injury to the brain (Intelligence damage).
7
Save DC increases by 1 per day of continued contact.
8
Recovery from Tetanus is prolonged. Characters heal 1 point of ability damage per week instead of 1 per day.
When a character is placed at risk of disease, whether from throws in a row indicate that he has fought off the disease
attack, magic, being around an infectious character, or in and is recovering, thus taking no more damage.
an infected area, he must make an immediate Fortitude
saving throw. If he succeeds, the disease has no effect his These Fortitude saving throws should be rolled
immune system has fought off the infection. If he fails, secretly so that the player does not know
he takes damage after an incubation period. Once per whether the disease has taken hold.
day afterward, he must make a successful Fortitude saving
throw to avoid repeated damage. Two successful saving
27
Disease Descriptions Pregnant characters who become infected must make a
Diseases have various symptoms and are spread via a Fortitude save (DC 20) or their baby will be stillborn.
number of means. The characteristics of several typical Cackle Fever: Symptoms include high fever, disorientation
diseases are summarised and dened on the Diseases Table and frequent bouts of hideous laughter. Also known as
on page 27. the Shrieks.
frontier life
Cholera: An acute and highly contagious infection.

Disease: Diseases whose names are printed in italics in the Victims suffer severe nausea, vomiting, spasms, chills and
table are supernatural in nature. Others are extraordinary. thirst. It is caught from drinking infected water.
A disease name in italics indicates a disease to which Picts Diphtheria: This contagious disease of the throat leaves
have no natural immunity and the infection DC for them victims hoarse and thirsty. In its early stages, diphtheria
to resist it is 2 higher than normal. may be mistaken for a severe sore throat. Other symptoms
Infection: The diseases method of delivery ingested, include a low-grade fever and swollen glands located in the
inhaled, via injury or contact. Keep in mind that some neck. Another symptom of diphtheria can be skin lesions
injury-borne diseases may be transmitted by as small an that may be painful, red and swollen.
injury as a eabite and that most airborne diseases can also Filth Fever: Spread by dire rats, those injured while in
be ingested (and vice versa). lthy surroundings might also catch it. Early symptoms
DC: The Difculty Class for the Fortitude saving throws resemble the initial stages of a cold or u, including fever,
to prevent infection (if the character has been infected), to muscular aches and pains, loss of appetite and nausea when
prevent each instance of repeated damage and to recover lying down. Later Symptoms, however, include bruising
from the disease. of the skin, sore eyes, nose bleeds and jaundice.
Incubation Period: The time before the diseases stated Gangrene: A disease that kills tissue surrounding a
damage begins to take effect. wound, resulting in either sweet- or foul-smelling pus
Damage: The ability damage the character takes after the discharge that eats away at the esh. Amputation can stop
diseasesincubation and each day afterward. the disease, although the amputating wound can then
become infected if not done cleanly.
Symptoms
Typical diseases include the following:
Bilious Fever: A raging fever brought on by a liver
disorder. Victims suffer fatigue, vomiting and
headache. When damaged, another saving throw
must be made or the character falls into a coma
and, when damaged again, dies.
Black Vomit: Vomiting old (black) blood due to
yellow fever. Black vomit is one of the most fatal
symptoms of yellow fever.
Blinding Sickness: Spread in tainted water. The
victims irises become swollen and cloudy reducing
their visual range by half.
Blood Poisoning: Bacterial infection from wounds.
Victims suffer high fever, chills and shivering,
rapid breathing, headaches, nausea, vomiting and
diarrhoea, low blood pressure and possible loss of
consciousness.
Black Plague: The victim develops the chills, a fever,
vomiting, diarrhoea, their extremities become grey
and lifeless before their skin turns black. They
shrivel and die right before peoples eyes.
Bossonian Measles: A highly contagious disease
characterised by a rash, swollen glands and,
especially in adults, joint pain. The rash
usually lasts 1d4 days and may be
accompanied by a low fever.
28
Malaria: A deadly disease, transmitted by mosquitoes, Vipers Dance: Causes convulsions, contortions and
that causes kidney failure, seizures, mental confusion, uncontrollable dancing.
coma and death. Whooping Cough: An extremely contagious disease
Measles: Victims, usually children, suffer fever, eye marked by severe coughing.
infections, sore throat, light sensitivity and headache. A Yellow Fever: A deadly virus that turns the skin yellow
frontier life
rash appears 1d4+6 days after the victim is rst exposed, from jaundice. Characterised by muscle pain, fever,
but it is contagious almost immediately. vomiting and shivers. Kidney functions deteriorate.
Milk Sickness: Also known as Puking Fever or Sloes. Often misdiagnosed as malaria or typhoid (Heal DC 25
This disease comes from the milk of cattle that have eaten to successfully diagnose and use Heal skill to help diseased
poisonous weeds. character). Transmitted via mosquitoes. May also cause
Mindre: The victim feels like their brain is burning black vomit.
causing stupor.
Red Ache: Skin turns red, bloated and is warm to the
touch.
Healing a Disease
Use of the Heal skill can help a diseased character. Every
Shakes: Causes involuntary twitches, tremors and ts.
time a diseased character makes a saving throw against
Slimy Doom: The victim turns into infectious goo from
disease effects, the healer makes a Heal check. The
the inside out. Can cause permanent ability drain.
diseased character can use the healers Heal check result in
Smallpox: Smallpox infection begins with high fever,
place of his saving throw if the Heal check result is higher.
head and body aches, and sometimes vomiting. A rash
The diseased character must be in the healers care and
follows that spreads and progresses to raised bumps and
must have spent the previous eight hours resting.
severe blisters. The blisters scab and fall off after about
three weeks, leaving a pitted scar.
Characters recover damage to ability scores at a rate of one
Spotted Fever: Also known as Typhus or War Fever, this
per day per ability damaged, and this rule applies even
disease is spread through eas from rodents and from lice
while a disease is in progress. That means that a character
and ticks. This disease is especially well known among
with a minor disease might be able to withstand it without
soldiers, causing stupor, and mortality nears 100% in
accumulating any damage.
epidemics. Victims suffer from fever, headache, chills and
general pains that are followed by a rash on their whole
body except for the face, palms and soles of the feet. Once Home Remedies
a person gets this disease they are immune to it forever The shortage of doctors and healers in the Westermarck,
more. especially in the younger regions, has brought about many
Sweating Sickness: The victim suffers sudden headaches, strange, yet effective methods of homeopathy among
muscle pain, fever, profuse sweating and laboured Hyborian pioneers. Settlers often wear foul-smelling
respiration. Those who catch it die soon afterward. poultices to get rid of air-borne contagious diseases, tie
This deadly disease, thus far encountered only in the roasted beef kidneys to their feet to reduce fever, put
Westermarck, has confounded Aquilonian scholars, who honey on cold sores, use heated bear fat to relieve aching
argue viruses, Pictish magic, demonic possession, lth and joints and muscles, put spider webs into open wounds to
ticks as the causes. facilitate healing, put mud on stings and insect bites and
Tetanus: Victims of any dirty wound, often caused by many others. While these treatments may seem odd to
arrows or spears, suffer stiffness of jaw, abdominal and those with the benets of more civilised healthcare, many
back muscles, the contraction of facial muscles, fast pulse, pioneers swear by them.
fever, sweating, painful muscle spasms near the wound
area, and will have difculty swallowing. Using a home remedy either adds a +1 circumstance bonus
Tuberculosis: Victims suffer prolonged cough, night or a -1 penalty to saving throws to recover or avoid a disease
sweats, unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, weakness, or infection, depending the beliefs of the sick person and
fever/chills, and occasionally cough up blood. This disease the knowledge of the healer. A healer must make a Heal
is also called consumption. check (DC 18) to provide the saving throw bonus.
Typhoid Fever: Brought on by eating contaminated food A failed check bestows the -1 penalty.
handled by a carrier, this life-threatening disease causes
sustained fever, severe headache, nausea, severe loss of
appetite, constipation or sometimes diarrhoea, and mental
dullness.
29
Wilderness or the Westermarck must make a daily saving
Isolation throw against insanity after the rst week of isolation (see
The solitude of the lonely Westermarck is devastating Corruption and Insanity in Conan the Roleplaying Game).
to some. Separated from greater Aquilonia by the wild The Will save DC is 10+ the number of days left alone in
Bossonian Marches, the sense of isolation felt by the the wilderness.
frontier life
brave frontiersmen alone in the Pictish woodlands is

complete. It gnaws at the residents, especially in those
newly colonised areas where newcomers have virtually The Beasts
no neighbours at all, save the savage Picts that haunt the The Westermarck and the Pictish Wilderness teem with
outskirts of their remote settlements. More than one wild animals and monsters. Both realms are thinly settled
frontier wife, left alone for days or weeks while her men and largely unexplored. Wolves, bears, mountain lions
were off hunting, farming or travelling to town, goes mad and panthers menace both people and their livestock.
from the everlasting silence, the gloom of the primeval Cougars and panthers steal pigs and chickens, and animals
forest and the oppressive fear of Pictish attacks. summoned by Pictish shamans prey upon the men,
women and children of the Westermarck. Snakes are also
an omnipresent concern and can be found coiled up in
all manner of places, hiding in homes and sheds and are a
With a sigh he drew up his broad constant danger.
belt. The everlasting silence and gloom of
the primitive forest was beginning to depress
him. Statistics for many of the wild beasts, both natural and
supernatural, of the Pictish Wilderness can be found in
Robert E. Howard, Beyond the Black Conan the Roleplaying Game, The Scrolls of Skelos and in
River the bestiary on page 135 of this book.
Depression is not uncommon among the frontiersmen,

Culture
nor is suicide. Women are scarce in the frontier, and
those that do live here are already married or are children.
along the
Women marry young in the Westermarck and few remain
single long after their father deems them of marriageable
Westermarck
Despite the dangers, people still ock to the Westermarck.
age. Some trappers and wilderness men take Pictish More daring Aquilonians settlers arrive every day in long
wives, although this is uncommon and most consider trains, willing to deal with Picts, illness, loneliness and
such men, especially those who choose to live with the wild animals. It takes a certain breed of Hyborian, hewn
Picts, as renegades. With all the hardships the settlers from the original barbaric Hyborian stock that struck out
must endure, eventually enough is enough; many return from the north to settle far away in the south, a breed that
home to Aquilonias central provinces, broken by disease, is strong and willing to persevere to undertake these tasks
ravaged by Picts and frustrated by the isolation that and chores. These hardy souls have a common bond and
prohibited aid. dwell in a common land in common circumstances, which
gives rise to a common culture distinct from that of greater
Isolation preys upon those who depend upon Reputation Aquilonia. Their culture prizes honour, self-sufciency,
for strength, such as nobles most voraciously. Until well pride and backbreaking industry.
established in a region, nobles suffer great losses in their
class abilities. Loyal to their race, the men of the Westermarck hold to
the civilised code of honour (see the Codes of Honour in
Some classes, however, benet from the isolation of the Conan the Roleplaying Game, page 135), in short, their word
Aquilonian frontier. Scholars nd time to conduct is their bond and so is their proffered allegiance. As shown
research without being bothered. The sheer in Wolves Beyond the Border, the worst insult that can be
haunting atmosphere of the region may even help given to a settler of the Westermarck is to claim they are no
an independent scholar to contact demons or longer honourable and patriotic, but instead has become
perform sacrices that might go unnoticed renegade. A renegade is a white man who has chosen the
elsewhere. wild Picts over his fellow race. Note that while the Picts,
Ligureans, Acheronians and even Stygian nobility are also
Characters who are not white, Aquilonians only consider a central Hyborian to be
native to the Pictish white. Thus, when a man is called renegade, he is said
30
to have disregarded this code of honour, something the
people of the Westermarck hold dear. Having sacriced so
many of the trappings of civilisation already, their sense of In Wolves Beyond the Border when
honour is one thing they intend to hold onto. Gault Hagars son accidentally insults
Storm Groms son. Storm demands
frontier life
This code of honour is more than a mere sentimental tie to the duel and Gault hastily tells Storm
an easier life and times, instead a settlers honour is essential where he can be found and when the duel
to their survival in this wild land. The code demands that can be fought. Even though the insult was not
intended, Gault did not apologise, so the duel
alliances and duties owed to other honourable persons
must be fought. Both are honourable men and
must be respected. Without this, co-operation and trust though Howard did not nish that aspect of
may well fall apart. the tale there can be no doubt that Gault met
Storm and either apologised or fought bravely.
Note that L. Sprague de Camp did nish

The importance of Howards rough draft and in this version of
honour, trust and co- the tale Storm bowed out of the duel having
operation is marvellously dropped the matter.
illustrated in both Beyond the
Black River and Wolves Beyond among the settlements. Of course, one might argue that
the Border, and although not a the settlers have nothing worth stealing, which is true in
Conan story, the same elements the sense of money, gems and jewellery, but the people of
also exist in R. E. Howards the Westermarck value clothing, steel and food more than
Black Canaan. trinkets, no matter how pretty yet there is still virtually no
theft. Interestingly, dishes were often considered a familys
most indispensable treasure. Few had ne dishes, as they
would break in transit, so tin trays and plates served most
When Picts attack, every borderer considers it his as their treasured dishes. Even with such crude treasures
obligation to warn the rest of his people. When warned, and valuables, most of the people in the Westermarck
the settlers do not waste the borderers time with questions give up their excess to those in need, in trade hopefully,
or doubt, instead he is rewarded with their instant trust. but often enough just to help out. Save in the homes
Any thoughts of trickery, foolishness or anything sinister of the Conawaga landowners, there are no misers in the
do not cross the mind and they react as if they had seen the Westermarck. The settlers have nothing to gain from such
Picts rsthand. Without this bond of honour, avoidable behaviour, thus there will be few, if any, members of the
deaths are inevitable. Likewise, if a settler needs help thief class to be found here as permanent dwellers.
raising a barn he has but to ask. Neighbours come from
miles around to help those in need and those who do not In terms of behaviour, there is perhaps one modication to
may nd themselves without aid when they need it. The the standard civilised code of honour found in the frontier:
code also demands that if seriously insulted, the insulted the settlers of the Westermarck will protect anyone weaker
party has the duty to demand a formal duel. than themselves, regardless of birth status. As noted
earlier, the people of the Westermarck pay little heed to
The essential nature of honour in this land means that ideas of nobility and status. Even Gault Hagars son, in
voluntarily neglecting, or worse turning away from ones Wolves Beyond the Border had no problem manhandling
code of honour means more than just losing the benets Lord Valerian to prove he was a renegade in league with
of following the code (saving throw bonuses, as noted in the Picts and many would later support King Conan over
Conan the Roleplaying Game, and role-playing bonuses, their own nobility, giving him their allegiance. In the
as noted above); voluntarily losing the code could mean game, a character can expect supplies and aid from
imprisonment and, potentially, death. The people of the any settler or fort, so long as he is frugal and does
Westermarck have no patience for traitors or thieves and not take advantage of the settler.
frontier justice is swift and sure.
In addition to the slightly modied
A part of respecting alliances with other honourable code of honour, most settlers of the
parties is the protection it grants settlers from thieves. Few Westermarck also hold an allegiance
of the cabins have locks, yet there is virtually no thievery to their newly settled land.
31
Although allegiances vary from province to province, most much to their distaste and they leave the industrious
settlers hold the following three allegiances: Aquilonia; culture far behind.
their province and lord; their Hyborian race as a whole.
Any Westermarcker who gives allegiance to any Pictish The Westermarck culture, honourable, self-sufcient,
nation is deemed dishonourable, renegade and subject proud and industrious, gives its people a common bond
frontier life
to the settlers rude justice. R. E. Howards draft of and trust. As more and more Aquilonians arrive to
Wolves Beyond the Border shows how important allegiance settle these primitive forests and back-woods hills, this
is to these people as most of the Westermarck declared culture provides unity, stability and protection for all
themselves as supporters of Conan during the civil war that who subscribe to it. They do not accept foolishness and
ended the reign of King Numedides. Conan had proven are extremely proud of their accomplishments. Through
his worth to the men and women of the Westermarck, the bold efforts of these settlers, frontiersmen, trappers,
and was no preening nobleman with blue blood more loggers and borderers, the region has become settled and
concerned with dallying with naked slave-girls than civilised, and, through necessity, their culture thrives and
dealing with real problems. Even though the borderlands succeeds.
could not spare troops for Conans war for the crown of
King Numedides, many sent troops anyway or offered
support via their swearing of allegiance. To their minds The Driving
Force of
Conan, despite his nationality, was one of their own, and
in the Westermarck that makes all the difference. This
belief and trust in themselves is the very source of their
self-sufciency and pride. Necessity
Just as adherence to a code of honour has proven
The settlers of the Westermarck have accomplished more necessary to the men and women of the Westermarck,
than most civilised people ever will. They have personally so does necessity drive nearly every aspect of life on the
built their own homes, cleared their own lands, made borderlands. Every aspect of their culture can be distilled
their own clothing, learned woodcraft and protected their down to necessity for survival. Necessity is the driving
families repeatedly against wild beasts and even wilder force behind all frontier choices, be it clothing, food,
Picts. They do not care where a man comes from or what housing or companionship.
his family heritage is so much as what the man himself
has done and how he carries himself. The men of the Clothing is a difcult problem for many of the Aquilonian
Westermarck suffer no fools among them, for foolishness frontiersmen. Cotton does not grow in the Pictish
and death travel hand-in-hand through their community. Wilderness, cloth is hard to get and the Aquilonians do
They have no patience for lords and ladies from eastern not want to go naked like the Picts. Clothing is a symbol
Aquilonia who insist on servants and obeisance. of civilisation and the civilised Aquilonians want to retain
that symbol, despite their rough surroundings. However,
Self-sufciency lends itself to a hard-working people, with all the hard labour performed by the settlers, clothing
a trait that is seen in abundance among the settlers in brought with them from the east does not last long. Boots
Aquilonias frontier and laziness is rare indeed among last only a few months, and other clothing can end up
the Westermarck folk. Settlers have to be hard-working, in tatters in a far shorter amount of time. Stores and
industrious folk or they will starve. The journey westward merchants are few and far between, so clothing must be
is arduous enough, the search for land, however, takes a replaced and replaced often.
potential settler through miles and miles of wet woodland,
steaming bogs, winding streams and bleak hills. Once a Due to the scarcity of shops, virtually all clothing worn by
suitable site is found it must be cleared, a home must be the Westermarck settlers is home-made. Even the choice of
built and livestock maintained, crops must be tended material is driven by necessity. Frontiersmen and women
to, and from sun-up to sundown chores are the very fashion garments from soft animal-hides: buckskin boots
nature of life on the frontier. Few can afford servants laced halfway to the knee; leather breeks; deerskin shirts
or slaves and must do it all themselves. Those of and jackets; fur or straw hats. Though buckskin clothing
a lazy nature, if they are not killed by the Picts is not without its own problems. The Westermarck is a
while resting unwisely next to an unexplored wet land, lled with rivers, creeks and swamps. Repeated
stream in the shade of a mossy oak, nd wettings and subsequent dryings eventually stiffen even
the day-long schedule of hard work buckskin and even well oiled skins will become brittle
and crack. Soldiers receive semi-regular shipments of
clothing and equipment from their patrons in the central
32
provinces of Aquilonia and some wealthier settlers trade built of local material. Fortunately, the Pictish Wilderness
with the Bossonians for linen or silk cloth from the central is heavily wooded, providing the necessary timber to build
provinces allowing them to dress in more traditional, just about anything a settler might want to erect. To build
Aquilonian fashions, though few are generally concerned a very simple home, often little more than a lean-to, a
about fashion. Most characters who live for any length of character needs to make a Craft (woodworking) check
frontier life
time on the frontier take a few ranks in Craft (clothing) or (DC 5), or a Profession (builder) check (DC 5). The
marry someone with such skills so they can make decent typical wooden palisade or log cabin requires a Craft
repairs on their clothing or make replacement clothes check (DC 10), or an appropriate Profession check (DC
using crude, local materials. Simple frontier clothes (Craft 8). Quality homes, either log cabins or frame houses
DC 5) wear out in a week of rough wear. Typical border with additional oors, rooms or glass windows, requires
clothing (Craft DC 10) wears out in a month of hard an appropriate Craft (DC 15) or appropriate Profession
wear. High-quality clothing (Craft DC 15) lasts nearly a check (DC 12). Complex or superior homes, such as
season (three months). Superior clothing (Craft DC 20) the beautiful frame houses found in Conawagas older
can last up to a year with only the most minor of repairs. settlements, requires an appropriate Craft (DC 20) or an
The Games Master may adjust Craft DCs depending on appropriate Profession check (DC 18). These log cabins
circumstances and materials at hand. require a lot of maintenance. The lower the quality of the
home, the more time must be spent in upkeep. These
Food is always a necessary concern for those on the structures take time to make into a home, and are often
Aquilonian frontier. Food generally is not produced built at a distance from neighbours, giving many of these
for sale. The frontier farming techniques and the homes an air of loneliness as they sit amid the tall trees of
impracticality of their methods precluded this. Most the wilderness.
farming is at the subsistence level and any excess is usually
stored for use in the cold months. The staples of the Compared to much of Aquilonia, the frontier is a lonely
Westermarck diet include vegetables, especially peas, place, so the company of other people is desired by the
fruits, eggs and breads. Flour is difcult to make at the secluded frontiersmen. Socialising is one enjoyment the
local level, so those that farm wheat travel to the older settlers of the Westermarck always nd time for, no matter
settlements in Conawaga with their produce, where great how busy. A borderer will hike for miles to play a game,
mills, powered by wind, water or horses, grind the grain attend a dance; visit and exchange gossip or even to just
into our, which the settlers bring back home. Meat is meet a Hyborian girl, for the frontier is also desperately
also popular, especially pork, rabbit and snake. Salted short of women. Some estimates put the ratio of women
meat is stored for the winter months or smoked as jerky to men at one woman for every ten men, and most of those
for portability on short excursions. Condiments consist of are settlers wives and are therefore unavailable. Many of
brown sugar, butter, salt, molasses and vinegar. For those the single women work as laundresses in the border forts,
serving in the Kings military garrisons, dietary staples resorting to prostitution on the side, while others work in
include beans, bacon, coffee, coarse bread, hardtack the pleasure houses found in the larger towns and cities
and occasional game. In order to prevent scurvy, most in the Westermarck, such as Conawaga. The incredible
military forts on the frontier grow their own gardens scarcity of Hyborian women on the frontier means many
to supplement these supplies with vegetables and fruit. young girls marry early. Many men, eager for permanent
Most settlers and soldiers are, at best, indifferent cooks, female companionship, would arrange with fathers to
preparing bland, tiresome meals. Characters with ranks marry their daughters, saving up dowry money needed
in Profession (cook), Craft (cooking) or something similar to seal the arrangement. Another choice for Hyborian
will nd themselves welcome wherever they go, provided men on the frontier is to trade with the Picts for a native
they are willing to prepare meals for their hosts in their woman, although this choice is often looked upon with
fortress-like homes. derision by other settlers.
Housing varies from province to province. In the most The scarcity of Hyborian women on the frontier
newly settled regions, such as Thandara, homes are built gave them a power few women realised in the rest
like fortresses, complete with ditches and palisades. Such of the Hyborian Age. Not only does a womans
defensive measures are important for protection against frontier life forge her into someone more direct,
animals and Picts. The home is also a powerful symbol of more independent and more self-reliant
civilisation to the Westermarck settler. However, homes in than women in the east, she has more
the Westermarck do not look like those found in the rest say in her life and more choices. A
of Aquilonia. Stone is too expensive to import and there woman of the Westermarck could
are no quarries in the Westermarck, so homes must be
33
be a settlers wife, a free-wheeling mercenary, a merchant,
a barber, a brewer, a reigning courtesan of the night or a The Value of
missionary for Mitra. A little bit of talent and a lot of Improvisation
courage could earn a woman quite a living in the towns Improvisation is key to adaptation when in a new
and cities. Men of the Westermarck spend much time environment and a borderers most important survival tool.
frontier life
bartering for, or earning money just to spend time with The settlers of the Westermarck learn to improvise out of
a woman, be it by listening to her sing, dancing with dire necessity. A borderer knows that it is not what things
her for a brief song, or to spend an hour with her alone. are that is important, but rather what they can become or
Rarer than silver or gold, a woman on the border is prized be used for. With a little thought and creativity, nearly
and free of many of the cultural shackles that bind other anything needed for survival can be built, created, found
Hyborian women giving them more freedom, and more or improvised. The borderer, whether trying to build a
danger, than she might otherwise have claimed elsewhere. home or to survive in the wilderness, needs to determine
what is really needed, inventory all available materials,
From companionship and housing to food and clothing, consider all alternatives, select the alternative that takes
necessity drives the choices of the borderers in the the least amount of time, energy and materials, before
Westermarck. The question asked by every borderer of proceeding from such a process. Materials such as soap
their choices is, Is this necessary for survival? The forces can be made from animal fats and lye, boiled carrots and
of necessity drive all aspects of life, including the need to sugar syrup can make jam and mashed onions with sugar
live off the land and nd innovative means to survive. makes a serviceable cough syrup.
Living off the Trees alone provide many materials of use to the
improvising minds of the frontiersmen. Aside from
Land providing building materials, dye can be extracted from
many tree barks. Black ash and hickory saplings, when cut
Trips to a market are difcult journeys, fraught with danger into six foot poles and soaked, can be formed into iron-
from malevolent Picts and aggressive beasts striking from hard barrel hoops that outlast metal. Even the stumps and
the dark places in the dank, foul swamps and oppressively roots of felled trees are useful. In the spring, oxen pull out
black forests. The closest trader might be as close as 30 the stumps of cut trees. The roots of a tree are difcult to
meandering miles, but are often even more remote for burn, but, when hauled into place side by side, make an
most of the back-woods settlers. To a Hyborian settler, incredibly effective, although unsightly, fence. Trees also
30 miles is an incredible distance to travel for shopping, provide the fuel for re, another successful ingredient to
considering that most Aquilonians never travel further survival in the Westermarck. Most borderers learn how
than 10 miles out from their village of origin. True, most to make a re quickly, regardless of the type of forest or
of these frontiersmen had travelled in excess of a hundred weather they are in. A Survival check (DC 5, modied by
miles to get to the frontier in the rst place, but leaving circumstances) is all that is necessary to make a re, and
ones family, livestock and farm without protection from most, if not all, borderers carry int, steel and tinder, often
the persistent dangers of the bleak wilderness for the in the form of charred cloth. In addition to wood, animal
necessary length of time such a journey would take is a fat, animal droppings, peat, coal and other materials can
frightening prospect. Conawaga is home to the best serve as fuel for the re. Improvisation will carry a borderer
stores, though they are expensive, with prices as high as ve far and other basic woodcraft skills, awareness, efciency
times what the items cost in central Aquilonia and more and the sheer desire to live, will give the borderer a more
rural stores, such as those commonly found in Schohira than fair chance at survival.
or Oriskonie, charge up to 10 times higher than normal.
Even if the risky journey is made, there is no guarantee that
any store would have whatever drove the frontiersman to Awareness,
travel those unsafe trails in stock, after all, every other
frontiersman also needs such goods, and supplies are
Efficiency and the
limited. With many goods rarely available and at Will to Live
prohibitive prices, most frontiersmen learn to Awareness of ones natural surroundings is a must if a
make do in the savage environment around borderer or settler is to live long in the wild. He must take
them, and thus the art of improvisation stock of his surroundings as anything and everything can
and basic woodcraft become prized be useful. As a result awareness is paramount in a survival
skills. situation, developing the ability to constantly observe and
plan on a subconscious level. The borderer determined
34
to survive learns the rhythm of the land around him, the then that character has done most of the work for the
pattern of animal noises and their movements. A master Picts or any other enemy. A frontiersman, whether man,
of the wilderness knows the smells of the area and pays woman or child is born with the will to survive and the
attention to details, what sounds are natural and when stubbornness to ght death with an unequalled fury.
those sounds are natural. The sound of a creature native to The Picts will attempt to quash this will, to increase
frontier life
the region at the wrong time of day or night spells trouble both fatalism and pessimism, after all, the hopeless are
and the borderer character should have ranks in Listen to doomed. The successful borderer will refuse to bow
reect this important aspect to woodcraft. A borderer will down to obstacles and fears, obstinately seeking for the
also learn the habits of the natives and animals of a region opportunity to succeed despite the odds. This will to live
because they have already adapted to their environment. provides the strength to endure and has carried Conan
To live off the land, a borderer needs to watch how the himself successfully through more than one harrowing
Picts and established settlers go about their daily routine. adventure. This point presents itself in the game in the
They probably have a reason to eat and sleep when they form of Fate points. Use those points to survive; do not
do and a reason as to why they go where they go that is go down without a ght.
important to their survival. Animal life in the area can
also give an attentive borderer clues on how to survive. The surviving frontiersman, whether a skilled borderer
By watching the animals, one can nd sources of water or a settling commoner, will improvise, be aware, avoid
and food. A borderer should always know where he is, as undue haste and value his life. Although these elements
getting lost in the Pictish wilderness is a recipe for disaster. are important to those living in the frontier settlements,
Attention to ones surroundings and remembering details they become essential to those who nd themselves cut off
will assist in wilderness orientation. A compass is simple from civilisation.
to make; a needle on a line, when rubbed against a small
piece of silk, will point north. Attention will bring about
efciency, another essential element to woodcraft.
Food and Water
If a borderer nds himself cut off from civilisation and
hunted by the Picts, the borderer will truly be living off the
An effective borderer or settler must move with efcient,
land. The rst order of survival is water. Blood or urine
deliberate care, taking no action that might be regretted
are not viable substitutes for water, as both will hasten
later. Everyone has some level of intelligence, which
dehydration and death. Dew can be collected off of plants,
needs to be used every moment. One careless action
which are plentiful in the Pictish Wilderness, as are streams
could mean instant death or capture by the Picts, or
and creeks. Water should be boiled, if at all possible, to
mauling by some wild animal. The frontiersman must
avoid contracting various illnesses and diseases, especially
use all of his mental and sensory skills constantly. Acting
near the swamps. If that is not possible, then the character
in haste is generally a counter-productive option and one
should drink the water anyway. Most diseases take a few
the Picts will take advantage of. Indeed, their tactics
days to develop anyway, which may afford the character
tend to promote such haste and Pictish drums promote
time to nd his way back to civilisation. Without water,
panic and fear, unreasoning states, which, if unrestrained,
the situation becomes grim. Again, a borderer should
will kill borderers and settlers. Failing a Fear check
not let fear impair his ability to think. Water is far more
in the wilderness is more than just an inconvenience
important to obtain than food.
it is deadly. Fear not only incites a severe lapse in clear
thinking, it also creates wasteful motion, which in turn
Food is, at best, a secondary concern, as a character can
wastes precious energy. If a frontiersman wastes energy,
survive for quite some time without food. The rst couple
then his endurance will suffer, which could nd him
of days will be the worst, as the psychological need for food
trapped by the Picts and without the vital power to engage
will nearly become overbearing. Again, if fear sets in, then
in an escape. A frightened person might not only bolt,
lapses in thinking will occur and the lost borderer could
but could run in circles, into trees, trip over roots and
poison himself if he panics over food. A calm borderer
into creeks. Iron willed frontiersmen, who can handle
will avoid any plants with shiny leaves, white sap,
fear with steadfast resolve, are more likely to survive an
tiny hairs, white or green berries and/or bell-shaped
encounter with an animal or Pict than those who fall
owers. Red berries are safer, but still should
prey to unreasoning panic. Efcient movement and due
be avoided if not recognised. Black or blue
diligence are essential to survival, as is the sheer desire to
coloured berries are likely to be safe, as are
survive.
aggregate berries, such as raspberries.
As far as fruit goes, a borderer will
The value of self-preservation cannot be understated. If
be safest with single fruit on a
a character gives up hope and loses the will to survive,
35
of the animals sought. Patience is also required, as
most animals are suspicious of anything new in their
territory. Only when they have grown used to the trap
will they blunder into it.
frontier life
A trap is typically dened by its location and triggering

conditions, how hard it is to spot before it goes off,
how much damage it deals and whether or not the
creatures receive a saving throw to mitigate its effects.
Traps that attack with arrows, sprung spears, and other
types of weaponry make normal attack rolls, with
a specic attack bonus dictated by the traps design.
Some common traps are the spring snare, which, when
placed on a path used by the animal, ings prey that
runs through the snare into the air; the baited snare,
which is similar to the spring snare, but uses bait instead
of location to bring the animal to it; and deadfalls, one
of the simplest traps to create, utilising either bait or
a trail to draw the prey, which then knocks down the
heavy rock poised above it. More advanced deadfalls
can be made with tripwires or even with spears instead
of rocks. One of the most dangerous traps is the
sprung spear trap, which is made using a springy shaft
on which one attached spears and a trip-wire.
For catching scavenger animals, baited pits with spears

stem, save those from plants with shiny leaves, which will often work. A hole is dug; bait laid at the bottom in a
be avoided. A Survival (DC 10) or a Knowledge (nature) noose. Spears or spikes line the pit, pointing down. The
check (DC 5), should be enough to determine the safety animal gets in, and cannot get out, and its struggling
of natural food. The techniques required to make this tightens the noose. Creatures who succeed on a Search
determination would be known to any borderer for this check (DC 20) detect a simple mechanical trap before it
determination. The rst rule is to make sure there is is triggered. A simple trap is a snare, a trap triggered by a
enough of the potential food around to make it worth tripwire, or a large trap such as a pit. A character with the
the effort. If there is, then rub a small bit of it on the Trap Sense class feature who succeeds a Search check (DC
inside of the wrist and wait a few minutes to see if there are 21 or higher) detects a well-hidden or complex mechanical
any adverse effects. If not, take a small bite and, without trap before it is triggered. Complex traps are denoted by
swallowing, chew it and see if there are no negative after- their triggering mechanisms and involve mechanisms
effects in the mouth. If all is well after that, eat a small linked to tree-branches, changes in weight, disturbances
amount. If the borderer is still well after eight hours, it is in the air, vibrations and other sorts of unusual triggers.
probably safe to eat the food. In addition to the plants,
the Pictish Wilderness is lled with game. Most of these traps can be made with a Craft (trapmaking)
skill check, although a Games Master may allow other
skills to apply to various traps (see Designing a Trap,
Trapping in the Wild below). All woodland traps have the following elements:
Small game animals can be difcult to hunt, as most are trigger, reset, Search DC, Disable Device DC, attack
experts at running and hiding, so trapping is usually the bonus (or saving throw or onset delay), and damage or
best way to procure such meals. Trapping has several effect.
advantages over hunting. Firstly, it is quieter than
hunting. Secondly, it allows the trapper time to do Trigger
other things, such as procure water, build shelter, A traps trigger determines how it is sprung. A trap in the
or hide from Picts in the meantime. wilderness has two basic trigger types: location and touch.
However, it does involve some skill, A location trigger springs a trap when the prey stands in
both in the construction of the or passes through a particular area. A touch trigger springs
trap and knowing the habits the trap when disturbed and is one of the simplest kinds
36
of trigger to construct. The trigger does not have to be at the bottom. A trap designer may put spikes, wild
physically attached to the part of the mechanism that deals creatures or a pool of water at the bottom. Spikes at
the damage. the bottom of a pit deal damage as daggers with a +10
attack bonus and a +1 bonus on damage for every 10
Reset feet of the fall (to a maximum bonus on damage of +5).
frontier life
A reset element is an optional set of conditions under If the pit has multiple spikes, a falling victim is attacked
which a trap becomes ready to trigger again. For some by 1d4 of them. This damage is in addition to any
wilderness traps, short of completely rebuilding the trap, damage from the fall itself. Monsters sometimes live in
there is no way to trigger it more than once. For others, pits. Any monster that can t into the pit might have
a simple repair maybe all that is needed to get the trap been placed there by the traps designer, or might simply
functioning again. For many, however, resetting the trap have fallen in and not been able to climb back out.
simply requires someone to move the parts back into place. Many old pits can be found accidentally in the Pictish
Repairing a mechanical trap requires a Craft (trapmaking) Wilderness, a remnant of Pictish or animal activity in
check against a DC equal to its construction DC. To the vicinity; alligators, for example, often dig pits in dry
calculate how long it takes to x a trap, use the same months to reach water.
calculations you would for building it, but use the cost of
the raw materials required for repair in place of the market In addition to pits, there are ranged attack traps,
price. Resetting a trap usually takes only a minute or so. although these are extremely uncommon in the
Games Masters should set the time and labour required wilderness. Ranged attack traps ing darts; arrows,
for a trap with a more difcult reset method. spears or the like at whomever activated the trap. The
builder sets the attack bonus. A ranged attack trap can
Search and Disable Device DC be congured to simulate the effect of a composite bow
The builder sets the Search and Disable Device DCs for with a high strength rating which provides the trap with
a mechanical trap in the wild, although the base DC for a bonus on damage equal to its Strength rating. More
both checks is 20. Raising or lowering either of these common than ranged attack traps are melee attack
DCs affects the traps construction DC. traps. Melee attack traps feature such obstacles as sharp
spears that spring from foliage and deadfalls. Once
Attack Bonus again, the builder sets the attack bonus. Armour can
A trap usually either makes an attack roll or forces a help defend against many of these traps, although a few
saving throw to avoid it. Occasionally a trap uses both melee attack traps, such as snares or nets, entrap the
of these options, or neither. A pit, which prey falls into prey, regardless of armour.
and takes damage, needs no attack roll, but a successful
Reex save (DC set by the builder) to avoid it. Other Damage or Effects
save-dependent mechanical traps also fall into this The damage effect of a trap is what happens to those
category. Pits in the Pictish Wilderness come in three who spring it. Usually this takes the form of damage,
basic varieties: uncovered, covered and chasms. Pits and but some traps have other effects. Falling into a pit
chasms can be defeated by judicious application of the deals 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet of depth.
Climb or Jump skill or various magical means. Ranged attack traps deal whatever damage their
ammunition normally would. If a trap is constructed
Uncovered pits serve mainly to discourage intruders with a high Strength rating, it has a corresponding
from going a certain way, although they can cause much bonus on damage. Melee attack traps deal the same
grief to those who stumble into them in the dark, and damage as the melee weapons they wield. In the case
can greatly complicate a melee taking place nearby. of a deadfall, the Games Master can assign any amount
Covered pits are much more dangerous. They can be of bludgeoning damage preferred, but remember that
detected with a Search check (DC 20), but only if the whoever resets the trap has to lift that stone back into
character is taking the time to carefully examine the area place. A melee attack trap can be constructed with
before walking across it. A character who fails to detect a built-in bonus on damage rolls, just as if the
a covered pit is still entitled to a Reex save (DC 20) trap itself had a high Strength score. Some traps
to avoid falling into it. However, if he was running or have miscellaneous features that produce special
moving recklessly at the time, he gets no saving throw effects, such as drowning for a water trap
and falls automatically. Trap coverings are usually as or ability damage for poison. Saving
simple as piled refuse (straw, leaves, sticks, garbage). Pit throws and damage depend on the
traps often have something nastier than just a hard oor poison or are set by the builder,
37
as appropriate. Some sample traps are given below. Sprung Spear Trap: Craft (trapmaking) (DC 20);
The craft DCs presume that only normal wilderness location trigger; manual reset; Attack +12 ranged
equipment is available. (1d8/x3, spear, AP 5); Search (DC 20); Disable Device
(DC 20). Note: 200 ft. max range, target determined
Sample Traps randomly from those in its path.
frontier life
Camouaged Pit Trap: Craft (trapmaking) (DC 25); Large Net Trap or Snare: Craft (trapmaking) (DC 20);
location trigger; manual reset; Reex save (DC 20) location trigger; manual reset; Touch Attack +5 melee;
avoids; 10 ft. deep (1d6, fall); Search (DC 24); Disable Search (DC 20); Disable Device (DC 25). Note:
Device (DC 20). Note: Some tribes of Picts commonly Characters in 10 ft. square are grappled by net (Str 18)
dump alligators into their pit traps. if they fail a Reex save (DC 14).
Camouaged Pit Trap: Craft (trapmaking) (DC
35). Note: It is difcult to dig a 20 feet deep pit in
the Pictish Wilderness with common tools carried by
Shelter and the
a borderer or settler. The possession of a shovel will Skills to Live
decrease the DC by 10; In many places, the pits will Probably more important than food is shelter. After
start to ll with water within 10 or 15 feet of depth, water is found and before food is sought, shelter must be
making further digging difcult or impossible.); obtained as exposure is a sure way to die in the wilderness.
location trigger; manual reset; Reex save (DC 20) Unless immediately harried by Picts, a competent borderer
avoids; 20 ft. deep (2d6, fall); multiple targets (rst will set up, make or nd temporary shelter. Weather can
target in each of two adjacent 5 ft. squares); Search (DC sap the endurance out of anyone so the borderer will want
24); Disable Device (DC 19). his shelter to be as dry as possible while being as far away
Spiked Pit Trap: Craft (trapmaking) (DC 37); location from natural hazards, such as animal trails. Such a shelter
trigger; automatic reset; Reex save (DC 20) avoids; is not intended to be a home of any sorts, just a place to
10 ft. deep (1d6, fall); multiple targets (rst target in retreat from the weather, hide and collect thoughts.
each of two adjacent 5 ft. squares); pit spikes (Attack
+10 melee, 1d4 spikes per target for 1d4+2 each, AP 8); If lost in the wilderness, planning is essential. If the
Search (DC 18); Disable Device (DC 15). borderer is carrying a tent, it should be placed at right
Camouaged Spiked Pit Trap: Craft (trapmaking) angles to the wind. If not, a simple lean-to with its back
(DC 25); location trigger; manual reset; Reex save to the wind, is usually easy to construct from deadwood
(DC 20) avoids; 10 ft. deep (1d6, fall); multiple targets and layered boughs. A Survival check (DC 12) should be
(rst target in each of two adjacent 5 ft. squares); pit sufcient to build basic shelter in the Pictish Wilderness.
spikes (Attack +10 melee, 1d4 spikes per target for A borderer will do only what is necessary, waste as little
1d4+2 each, AP 8); Search (DC 21); Disable Device energy as possible and plan for disasters and the potential
(DC 20). need to evacuate quickly, after all, he may have to run or
Well-Camouaged Pit Trap: Craft (trapmaking) (DC hide if found by the Picts, thus be forced to set up shelter
26); location trigger; repair reset; Reex save (DC 20) elsewhere.
avoids; 10 ft. deep (1d6, fall); Search (DC 27); Disable
Device (DC 20). Finding shelter and water will often not be enough for
Fusillade of Darts: Craft (trapmaking) (DC 20); survival in the brutal Pictish Wilderness. Settlers and
location trigger; manual reset; Attack +10 ranged borderers need skills to survive; Craft, Survival, Hide,
(1d4+1, dart, AP 2); multiple targets (res 1d4 darts at Move Silently, Listen and Spot are essential for a character
each target in two adjacent 5 ft. squares); Search (DC to live off the land. The improvisation or making of
14); Disable Device (DC 20). anything, such as clothing, shelter or simple traps, will
Poison Dart Trap: Craft (trapmaking) (DC 20) and require a Craft check. The Survival skill is necessary to
Poison Use; location trigger; manual reset; Attack predict weather, track animals or enemies, wilderness
+8 ranged (1d4 plus poison, dart, AP 2); poison orientation or foraging. Correct weather prediction
(bloodroot, Fortitude save (DC 12) resists, 0/1d4 can be difference between a successful mission and a
Con plus 1d3 Wis); Search (DC 20); Disable gruesome massacre by the Picts. Borderers, soldiers and
Device (DC 18). settlers usually will nd the Hide skill to be advantageous
Deadfall Trap: Craft (trapmaking) (DC if Picts are roaming nearby. Move Silently is essential for
18); location trigger; manual reset; hunting and evading Picts. Listen and Spot are important
Attack +10 melee (2d6, rock, AP for being aware of the surroundings, a key ingredient to
5); Search (DC 20); Disable survival in the wilderness.
Device (DC 22).
38
Barter Exchange Rates Table
Clothing
Item Equivalency Typical Cost Range
Belt 1 beaver pelt 1d8+2 sp
frontier life
Boots, Work 1 beaver pelt 1d8+2 sp
Boots, Moccasin 1 beaver pelt 1d4 sp
Breeks, Buckskin 5 beaver pelts 5d8+10 sp
Buckskin Hunting Shirt 6 beaver pelts 6d8+12 sp
Cloak 2 beaver pelts 1d8+2 sp
Feathered Pictish Head-dress 2 beaver pelts 2d8+3 sp
Hat, hood or bonnet 1 beaver pelt 1d8+2 sp
Leggings, fringed 3 beaver pelts 3d8+6 sp
Neck Cloth, cotton 2 per beaver pelt 1d4 sp
Neck Cloth, linen 4 per beaver pelt 1d2 sp
Shirt and Braes, or Shift 2 per beaver pelt 1d4 sp
Tunic 2 per beaver pelt 1d4 sp
Winter clothing x3 the above values x3 the above values
Adventuring Gear
Bedroll 2 per beaver pelt 1d4+1 sp
Candles, 10 1 beaver pelt 1d8+2 sp
Fishhook 4 per beaver pelt 1d2 sp
Flint and Steel 2 per beaver pelt 1d4 sp
Hammer (or other small tools) 1 beaver pelt 1d8+2 sp
Lantern, candle 1 beaver pelt 1d6 sp
Mirror, small steel 9 beaver pelts 10d10 sp
Rope, hemp (50 ft.) 2 beaver pelts 1d8+2 sp
Sewing Needle 2 per beaver pelt 1d4 sp
Soap 1 beaver pelt 1d8+2 sp
Spade or Shovel 1 beaver pelt 1d8+2 sp
Tent 3 beaver pelts 2d8+4 sp
Whetstone 2 per beaver pelt 1d2 sp
Trade Goods
Barrel 2 beaver pelts 2d8+4 sp
Bear skin 30 beaver pelts 20d8 sp
Bucket, Canvas 4 per beaver pelt 1d2 sp
Frontier life and life in the Pictish Wilderness allow only Trade and
the ttest and wisest to survive. Those that give in to
fear or carelessness will, save for the sheerest serendipity, Transactions
die. Thought and care are necessary for improvisation, As self-sufcient as most of these pioneering
attention, efciency and survival. All of these elements are Aquilonians are, those of the Westermarck still
driven by the grimmest of necessities. However, these are need some trade, for few are entirely able to
not the only aspects of border life that is necessity driven. produce everything needed on their own.
Unfortunately, imports from Aquilonia
are expensive, settlers do not have
much money and trade with the
39
Barter Exchange Rates Table (Contd.)
Trade Goods (Contd.)
Chest 3 beaver pelts 3d8+6 sp
frontier life
Costrel, leather 2 per beaver pelt 1d4+1 sp

Crafters tools 25 beaver pelts 20d8+40 sp
Drinking-jack, leather 4 per beaver pelt 1d2 sp
Healers kit 50 beaver pelts 50d8+100 sp
Jug, clay 1 beaver pelt 1d8 sp
Kit bag, canvas 1 beaver pelt 1d8+2 sp
Knife or Hatchet 2 per beaver pelt 1d2 sp
Pot, Iron 2 per beaver pelt 1d4+1 sp
Pouch, belt 2 per beaver pelt 1d4+1 sp
Sack 2 per beaver pelt 1d4 sp
Steel cap 40 beaver pelts +40d8+80 sp
Weapons (other than knife or 1 beaver pelt per sp for simple weapons. 1d8+2 sp per sp of normal cost for simple
hatchet) Three times that for martial weapons. weapons. Twice that for martial weapons.
Food, Drink, and Lodging
Ale
Gallon 4 beaver pelts 1d4+2 sp
Mug 1 per beaver pelt 1d2 sp
Banquet (per person) 5 beaver pelts 1d8+2 sp
Bread (three loaves) 1 beaver pelt 1d4 sp
Cheese (hunk of ) 2 per beaver pelt 1d3 sp
Inn Stay (relative qualities) (per day)
Good 3 beaver pelts 1d8 sp
Common 2 beaver pelts 1d6 sp
Poor 1 beaver pelt 1d4 sp
Meals (relative qualities) (per day)
Good 3 beaver pelts 1d8 sp
Common 2 beaver pelts 1d6 sp
Poor 1 beaver pelt 1d4 sp
Meat (chunk of ) 2 per beaver pelt 1d3 sp
Rations, trail (per day) 2 per beaver pelt 1d4 sp
Wine
Ghazan (gallon) 9 beaver pelts 1d10+4 sp
Kyros (mug) 2 per beaver pelt 1d4+1 sp
Picts is dangerous. Many stores are unlikely to carry The Aquilonian trading post contains such goods as
everything an adventurer might need, as they are blankets of varying quality, coarse woollen cloths, cotton,
geared more toward the needs of settlers and even linens, thread, lines, twine, common hardware, cutlery,
they cannot always nd everything needed in the kettles of brass and copper, tin goods, iron-work, hats,
basic trading post. Trade along the Westermarck boots, hose, beads, needles, awls, ribbon, jewellery and
frontier has a limited, yet expensive vermilion. In addition, arms and some light armour
selection, a barter economy and are carried. Tobacco, Aquilonian brandy, Kyrian or
specialised classes of tradesmen. Ghazan wine, Bossonian whisky, salt, tea, brown sugar,
our, spices, salted pork, dried meat and candles are also
common goods found at the post. Meat has to be salted
40
or dried for storage and dried meat is the most common to the details of the day-to-day chores and functions of
method due to the prohibitively high cost of salt. Corn the post. A sample Chief Factor and Head Trader can be
mush and pea soup is common fare for those staying at the found in Salt of the Earth on page 50.
post and eating out of its kitchens.
Specialised classes of tradesmen, a barter system and limited,
frontier life
Goods in a Westermarck general store can cost anywhere expensive goods exemplify trade in the Westermarck.
from ve to 10 times as much as the items would cost in Trade is essential to the economy of the provinces of the
the east. Other than the land-owners of Conawaga, few Westermarck. No matter how self-sufcient most of the
settlers had ready cash to spend, so bartering is the most pioneering Aquilonians are, few are entirely able to produce
common means of conducting transactions, therefore everything they need from the wild. Although most trade
bartering is common. is conducted between the merchants, the trappers, the
loggers, the soldiers and the settlers, some is conducted
Bartering is a difcult means of exchange requiring with the Picts. The Picts, however, are inconsistent in
a double coincidence of wants. Both parties have to their dealings with the Hyborians and apt to engage in
possess what the other party desires and must also be raiding and border wars instead of peaceful trading.
willing to part with that possession to obtain the other
good or service. The exchange rate varies from customer
to customer; a wealthy customer is expected to offer Travel
more than a poor settler, and trade rates with the Picts Roads and routes are found throughout the Westermarck,
vary considerably, depending on how threatened each common trails used by settlers and soldiers to get around.
party feels by the other. There are, however, many Picts Travel in the Westermarck is usually undertaken on foot or
willing to trade their fur pelts with Hyborians, especially by ox-drawn wagon as horses are at a disadvantage in this
for exotic feathers, foods, worked metal, weapons and land where the roads are often little more than rough trails
alcohol, particularly Bossonian whisky, though this ery through the wild. Many places can be reached through
brew has turned many proud Picts into unfortunate a variety of routes short, dangerous routes that cut
drunken beggars. Many Aquilonians take advantage of through wilderness, or long, safe routes that pass through
these pitiful natives and their subsequent willingness to settled regions. Weather plays an important role in travel,
trade nearly anything for more of the liquor. The Barter as long periods of rain will turn the trails into impassable
Exchange Rates Table details some common exchange quagmires and cause otherwise fordable rivers to become
rates in frontier trading posts, with beaver pelts being the formidable barriers against travel.
accepted measure of worth. To accommodate the settlers,
the Picts and negotiate trade, several types of tradesmen
have arisen on the frontier of Aquilonia. Even to the canniest woodsman,
speed and silence are opposed qualities; the
A typical trading post has several facilities available. more a man strives for one the less he can
Most have a small blacksmith shop, root cellars, gardens, achieve of the other.
smokehouses, clay baking ovens, stockades, bastions, a
small store and various quarters for the inhabitants. The Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de
head of the post, often called the Chief Factor, lives in Camp, Wolves Beyond the Border
the best home in the post. The Chief Factor is normally
a minor noble with little chance to inherit a fortune but
with a lot of ambition. The Chief Factor usually has an It is uncommon for settlers to travel a lot as to do so
agent or two located somewhere along the trade routes in means time away from families and work, often leaving
the more civilised kingdoms who arranges for caravans and homes relatively undefended against the multiple dangers
shipments to the trading post. The Chief Factor is also of the frontier. Soldiers travel more frequently, patrolling
expected to be a diplomat among the Picts in the region, the primary routes between settlements or escorting
arranging for the trade of fur or permission to trap in their caravans, large groups of settlers, visiting nobles or
lands. Working beneath the Chief Factor is the Head paymasters. Healers and physicians also are called
Trader, or Clerk, who lives in quarters adjoining the store. upon to travel, as most disease-stricken people in
The Clerk (or Clerks if the post is large enough) serves as the Westermarck are unable to make arduous
merchant, accountant, writer, warehouseman and general journeys. Trappers, loggers and borderers
manager for the post. While the Chief Factor worries
about the larger picture, the head trader and his clerks see
41
travel even more frequently, hunting for
game, potential logging sites or Picts.
When sneaking about in the Pictish

Wilderness, remember the rules of the Move
frontier life
Silently skill. You can move up to half your

speed at no penalty. If moving faster than
half your speed, but less than your full
speed, you take a -5 penalty. Moving at
full speed or more, up to a run, imposes a
-10 penalty. Running or charging inicts
a -20 penalty to movement. The Pictish
Wilderness is also dense woodland or thick
bog and most areas are considered noisy
or very noisy, with -2 and -5 penalties to
Move Silently checks respectively. Armour
further reduces a characters ability to Move
Silently.
Labour and
Professions
There are plenty of opportunities for hard
work and the acquisition of wealth in the
growing Westermarck frontier. The settlers
are not as self-sufcient as they might prefer
to believe, and there is always a way to make
money as a civilisation builds. Bold daring,
entrepreneurial thinking, improvisational
creativity and a bit of circumstantial whim
goes a long way in the lands west of the Marches. Pict-hunters, especially those that choose to trap around
Although the list of potential professions and occupations the hostile Alligator, Otter and Panther Picts. The Otter
is too vast to make an exhaustive list here, some typical tribe particularly dislike trappers, feeling the Aquilonians
business- and craftsmen found on the Aquilonian frontier are stealing their animals. Some sample trappers can be
include coopers, bartenders, cobblers, blacksmiths, found in Salt of the Earth on page 50. The trappers take
factors, traders, barmaids, bouncers, cooks, butchers, their furs and pelts into trading posts, letting the traders
merchants, performers, wainsmiths, farmers, herders, nd ways to get the pelts back to Aquilonia.
hunters and thousands of others. The Aquilonian frontier
has also given rise to some professions that warrant further The traders, in turn, employ voyageurs as canoe paddlers,
elaboration, such as trappers, voyageurs, loggers and the bundle carriers and labourers. Noted for their near
many roles served by women. legendary strength and endurance, voyageurs work at
least 14 hours per day, paddle 55 strokes per minute at
Trappers were among the rst frontiersmen that went into a minimum and carry two bundles in between lakes and
the Pictish Wilderness, seeking primarily beaver pelts, rivers, through rocks, mud and vile wilderness insects.
which are used to make popular hats in Aquilonia, A bundle is 90 lb. of either furs or trade goods. Every
Ophir and Nemedia. Most lone trappers are accepted half mile of portage between rivers, a voyageur puts down
by the Picts, although often viewed with suspicion, his two bundles, then runs back to get two more (and
because the trappers live off of and respect the eventually his canoe), then repeats the process until all
land. Many trappers have negotiated their his goods get to their destination. Voyageurs also carry
own peace with the Picts, and a few have noblemen in or out of their canoes so their clothing
even turned renegade and chosen does not get wet. They usually work in teams of three,
to live among the Picts. Many a bowsman, a steersman and a middle man. The middle
other trappers are notorious man is the least experienced and only earns half of what
42
the other two voyageurs earn. Voyageurs tend to be fond east often hold. Men love having the women around and
of games and singing. few women will remain unmarried for long (sometimes
regardless of age). Because of the high death rate among
The vast woodlands of the Pictish Wilderness have frontiersmen, many women in the Westermarck are
provided several Aquilonian opportunists with ideas of widows although most marry again fairly quickly.
frontier life
carving vast wealth from the logging of the great trees.
The loggers, primarily found in Conawaga and Schohira, Domestic women make up the largest portion of the
are men of undaunted courage and indefatigable spirit female population in the Westermarck; prostitutes make
and the many rivers and inexhaustible woodlands of the up the second largest portion, selling intimacy to a market
area are perfect for logging operations. Ox-drawn wagons of men sick of their own company. Most prostitutes work
haul the logs from the woods to the rivers, where they are out of taverns, especially in logging towns or settlements
oated or poled toward cities built around water-driven near the military forts, and some commanders of the forts
mills and wood-craftsmen. Loggers work in crews of allow prostitutes to live on the post, especially if they
about a dozen men, who are commanded by a boss logger can perform other chores as well, such as laundresses or
called the bull of the woods. The bull gathers the crew cooks. If not working for a tavern, many work out of
in the morning, decides which trees will be felled, how narrow shacks in the palisaded towns, though they nd
they should be felled and where the cuts should be made they can make even more money by selling beer and mead
for logging. Usually one man can tackle a tree, although to the men, letting them sit with them and pour out their
a few of the larger trees in the Pictish Wilderness require troubles. Many prostitutes who succeed, and do not
more teamwork. Crews consist of fellers, who chop the fall victim to disease, violence or other sordid accidents,
trees down with axes, and buckers, who cut the fallen trees become madams in bordellos, an occupation that not
into logs with saws. Bull whackers, almost as highly paid only requires some diplomacy and charm, but savvy and
as the boss loggers, drive the yokes of oxen to drag the logs ruthless business acumen.
away from the site and are in absolute charge of the animal
teams and their training. A bull whacker generally has Westermarck bordellos and bawdyhouses are expensive to
maximum ranks and Skill Focus in Handle Animal. Skid run, with madams paying the expenses, including but not
greasers, equipped with a pail of grease (often rendered limited to licenses, salaries for domestics, bouncers, bribes,
sh oil or animal fat) and a broom or swab, assist the bull musicians and repairs. Balancing shrewd public relations
whackers by lubricating the skids the logs are dragged and discreet propriety, madams have to set a tone for their
over (the skids themselves are prepared by the buckers). establishment, for it is the tone that determines the quality
River pigs are loggers that manhandle logs into streams of the patrons. The madam collects rent from her girls
and rivers so they can be oated toward a mill, where as well as half of their fees, offering security and loans to
bolt punchers work all day to jostle the logs out of the purchase imported clothing from Aquilonia, Nemedia or
water into the mills. Usually 10 to a dozen trees can be even Turan or Vendhya in exchange for the girls loyalty.
felled per day per logger, although some of the larger trees The madam has to supervise the kitchen, the girls and the
obviously take longer. Logging is dangerous work, where customers, setting her bouncers on any that become too
lives are lost to falling trees and raiding Picts. Zingarans rowdy. Although madams often become wealthy, most
have spread tales of 16-foot diameter, 350-foot tall trees nd the preservation of that wealth difcult to maintain
along the coastlines to the north, and many loggers dream due to the dangerous nature of the frontier. An epidemic
of reaching those trees. can wipe out a madams girls and ruin her establishments
name, while Picts often burn towns, leaving her, and
The vast majority of women on the frontier live a domestic everyone else in the town, with nothing.
life as the wives of settlers, soldiers and businessmen. Most
men of the frontier want a hardy, strong woman for a wife, Fortunately, there is more for women in the Westermarck
while fragile and dainty women should just stay east of than domestic life and prostitution. Unlike many
the Marches in their opinion. These powerful frontier Hyborian realms, women are afforded many potential
women perform a great many functions in a frontier opportunities, especially in Conawaga and Schohira.
settlement beyond cooking, mending and raising hordes These opportunities are borne on the shoulders of
of barefoot children. These women function as midwives, necessity. The dangers of frontier life end many
counsellors, leaders, historians, teachers, missionaries, marriages and widows must nd a way to
butchers, laundresses and keepers of civilisation. This survive. The people of Conawaga, who
last function is considered vital to the success of the respect self-sufciency and honour,
Westermarck settlements. The women keep the men from hold in high esteem any women
turning into barbarians, which is a fear the ignorant in the
43
who forge their own lives here. Many women amass small good food, and the pleasure palaces promising soft. Many
fortunes as laundresses, as a clean shirt is a true luxury in of the taverns in the fringe towns offer free food so long as
the Westermarck, operators of boarding houses, midwives, the patron keeps ordering alcohol, no matter whether it is
butchers, dressmakers and theatre matrons, managing thin Pictish beer, hearty Gunderland mead or Bossonian
dancers, singers and actresses. Many frontier women hold whisky. Many taverns boast dancing girls and other
frontier life
multiple jobs, for necessity makes versatility the key to entertainments to keep people buying their drinks.
survival and success.
More than just Bossonian whisky and Hyborian wenches
draw frontiersmen to town. The border towns also boast
Towns trading posts, barbers, blacksmiths, healers, coopers and
Cities and towns in the Westermarck are not pretentious. shoemakers among others. Silos for grain and rough
They are nothing like the towers and spires of the older mansions for the land-owners rise above the great palisades
cities found elsewhere in Hyboria. Frontier settlements that enclose the buildings and roads of the towns and cities
are informal, co-operative, tolerant and amazingly free, of the borderlands. Each city and town are different, with
affording anyone, man or woman, the privilege of doing different atmospheres; some are more unruly than others,
pretty much as they please. The Aquilonian frontier is a and some are so religious that a prostitute cannot be found
haven for non-conformists and rugged individualists. Both for miles around it. Try to describe any given town as you
male and female adventurers, wanderers and eccentrics would a character the players are meeting. Even a town
are attracted to these cities and towns, however, the more can be scarred, dark and silent or obnoxiously loud, joyous
settled a region becomes, the more standard Aquilonian and bulging with wealth and greed. A player may not
customs and conventions lter in and dominate. remember the name of a town, but he will never forget
that grim town where the buildings looked longingly
These frontier places are white-washed log-cabins with at travellers or the savage, lawless town where so many
small cottages clustered around the larger houses that buildings burned down each night from the brawling it
shelter the land-owners and aristocracy, such as there are was as if the sun never set there.
in these crude towns. The countryside is occupied by
the tenants of the land-owners and by small independent Individual Westermarck towns and cities, such as
farmers. Other townships are little more than shanty- Skandaga, Schondara and Velitrium, are covered in more
towns set up by camp-followers hoping to cash in on detail in Frontier Provinces, beginning on page 6.
loggers or other woodland industries. As calm and serene
as this sounds, towns in the Westermarck, especially along
the frontiers, are usually anything but that. Feudal
Frontier towns are loud, exciting, boisterous places where Obligations to
Aquilonia
a mans money vanishes as fast as a Pict in the woods, with
many frontiersmen spending a months worth of sweat
and labour in one day. Alcohol and women are the most The Westermarck is a province of Aquilonia, and, with
important pastimes to be found in the frontier regions; the exception of Thandara is under the control of several
all a freshly paid logger, trapper or soldier wants when of Aquilonias barons. As a province of Aquilonia, a
he reaches the noise and confusion of town is a place to feudal society in its prime, the various provinces of the
drink, brawl and wench. Many frontier towns and shanties Westermarck, including Thandara owe obligations to
spring up in the Westermarck with little pretence to be King Conan.
other than a location for the frontiersmen to guzzle booze,
embrace women and crack skulls in colossal debauches. King Vilerus, who began the colonisation of the
All the pent-up boredom and loneliness are unleashed in Westermarck, granted the ef-holders of the new provinces
a ferocious manner almost barbaric in its lawlessness. semi-independent status in regards to defending the
frontier. The next Aquilonian king, Numedides, followed
Entertainment of all sorts can be found in frontier and continued the growth of the Westermarck, using
towns: tattoo parlours promising works of art; the same policies as Vilerus. King Conan, who usurped
shooting galleries hosting archery contests; Numedides throne, opposes continued growth along the
games promoting betting and brawling; Pictish frontier. Still, the Westermarck provinces, along
Mitran missions selling religious with the Bossonian marches, are charged with defending
serenity; taverns providing the frontier and holding back any potential Pictish
Bossonian whisky and invasion into Aquilonia. In exchange for that duty, he
44
permits the barons to raise levies and send armies into the Of course, eventually the word of Mitra will reach the
provinces, continuing the semi-independent control the Picts, although it will not be an Aquilonian that brings
barons have long enjoyed in the Westermarck so long as it to them it will be a Nemedian scholar/priest, and
they maintain the peace with the Picts. his teachings will ultimately bring about the end of the
Hyborian Age in a series of brutal and bloody wars as the
frontier life
The barons install their own governors in the Westermarck Picts sweep over the West.
and demand taxation in some manner or other, just as
King Conan expects the same from the barons. Since
money is scarce in the frontier, most taxes are paid for in Warfare on the
Border
wheat and animal pelts. One bold frontiersman, with the
unlikely reputation for wrestling bears, once tried to pay
his taxes with the severed heads of the Picts he had killed
because he had neither wheat nor silver. One way or
another, taxes must be paid. It is easier for land-owners to
pay the required taxes than for others, making land owners Youve crossed the marches,
the most powerful segment of frontier society. burned a few villages,
exterminated a few clans and pushed
Owning land, however, is a fairly easy thing to do in the back the frontier to the Black River;
Westermarck. Mostly a person just had to claim it, swear but I doubt if youll even be able to hold
fealty and live there for a period of some years and many what youve conquered, and youll never
of these agreements are oral in nature, without a lot of push the frontier any further westward.
written documentation. Unfortunately, the transfer of Your idiotic king doesnt understand
power and land in this manner results in confusion, conditions here. He wont send you
spoliation and the seizing of land without title. enough reinforcements, and there are not
enough settlers to withstand the shock of
a concerted attack from across the river.
Religion on the
Robert E. Howard, Beyond the Black River
Frontier
Frontiersmen primarily worship Mitra, the universal god
of the Hyborians. The Aquilonians are fervent in their
devotion to Mitra and the Mitran priests completely Some Picts hold the peace and trade with the frontiersmen;
dominate religious life in the Westermarck despite King others are always engaged in a brutal war against the settlers.
Conans refusal to persecute foreign religions. Mitra is The settlers and the Aquilonian government have built
regarded as the one true god, standing in the universe forts and provided an armed militia to protect their new
with no pantheon or even a consort to support his cosmic homes. Sometimes, Aquilonia sends regiments into the
reign. He commands a heavenly host and a body of saints; Pictish wilderness to wipe out a particularly troublesome
Saints of heaven! is a common exclamation for surprise in tribe. Sometimes a borderer, driven by vengeance goes
Aquilonian lands. into that jungle-like vastness on his own. Although the
notion of venturing deep behind enemy lines, without
The religion of Mitra has a heaven and a hell, judging again support, supplies and hope of reinforcements or rescue is
from exclamations from Mitras followers, which implies a romantic and exciting, such tactics are not conducive to
concept of Judgement. His followers are suspicious and long-term survival. The Picts have villages and allies, all
intolerant of other cults, although certain cults raise their the supplies they need, and know the land. Conans run
ire more than others. In the Westermarck, the Mitran through the Pictish Wilderness in The Black Stranger is
religion abhors most of all the Pictish devils worshipped exceptional to say the least, though a borderers chance
by the forest savages. of survival is enhanced through some basic tactics,
sound weapon choices and appropriate knowledge.
Mitran missionaries are often sent into the heathen
wilderness to teach the screaming savages the gentle Basic tactics are essential to any successful
ways of Mitra. These missionaries are usually dealt with military campaign against the deadly
quite gruesomely if the animals and other dangers of the Picts. Unfortunately, these are not
wilderness do not kill the hapless, bare-footed fanatics always the tactics preferred by the
rst. perfumed nobles sitting among
45
their naked slave girls in the courts
of Aquilonia. Warfare in Hyborian
lands tends to follow a proscribed
method with centres of heavily
armoured knights and wings
frontier life
composed of lesser cavalry units

supported by infantrymen and
Bossonian archers. The wings
move in advance of the centre,
with archers unleashing their
stinging death and pikemen and
swordsmen moving in afterward.
Then lifting their aim, the archers
re into the rear ranks of the foe
so as to avoid killing their own
soldiers. Cavalry units, followed
by knights on their immense
horses move in to nish the
battle.
The densely wooded terrain of

the Pictish wilderness precludes
the use of this standard method,
however. Tactics along the Pictish
wilderness rely on deception
and ambushes, rather than mass
confrontation, with attackers
needing a place to attack from and
return to, while moving silently
and remaining under cover and
maintaining a line of retreat.
A border war party needs to operate from a base where from his base of operations, where supplies and
supplies and reinforcements are located. A borderer should reinforcements are located.
go into the wilderness, do his job, then leave. The longer
a borderer remains in hostile territory, the slimmer his The borderer needs to maintain a line of retreat. Even
chances of survival are. Having a base gives the borderer Conan doubted his chances of survival as he was chased
two powerful assets: storage and cover. The traditional through the Pictish Wilderness in The Black Stranger.
border base is the frontier fort storing supplies, arms and Cutting a borderer off from safety will be the rst tactic
reinforcements and providing total cover against attack. of any hunter, natural and supernatural, of the Pictish
Wilderness. When a predator hunts, it draws off the weak
If a borderer wants to survive in frontier warfare, he would and slow from the rest of the herd so it can be caught and
do well to look at the most competent survivalists out there the Picts are no exception. The borderer cut off from his
the animals. Virtually all animals use concealment as a base is like an animal cut off from his herd: vulnerable.
rst line of defence. The most important thing a patrolling This tactic is equally as effective when employed against
borderer can do is avoid detection by maximising his the hunters themselves.
Hide and Move Silently skills. The borderer learns
to disguise his scent using the environment around In addition to the basic tactics offered here, a borderer
him and animal droppings are often plentiful. The must choose his weapons wisely. Light weapons are the
borderer on the frontier, must do everything preferred weapons of the experienced borderer, and no
possible to avoid drawing attention true frontiersman will go into the Pictish wilderness
to himself, and not get cut off hampered by heavy arms and armour that may weigh him
down should he have to take ight from the Picts, and a
slow runner will die. Unlike the common joke that to
46
escape an animal one does not have to be faster than the Other essential skills are Listen, Move Silently, Hide and
animal, just faster than ones companion, the Picts will Survival. Listen allows a character to hear approaching
chase and hunt the entire party unceasingly. danger, something more important sometimes than
spotting danger; Move Silently and Hide allow a character
Weapons must also serve multiple needs, as a frontiersman to evade the Picts or ambush them. Survival is a skill
frontier life
cannot carry both tools and weapons and still expect to that simply should always have maximum ranks allocated
travel quickly and quietly. A wise choice combines the toward it, as avoiding natural hazards, foraging and living
tool and the weapon into one implement. A hatchet or off the land are essential to any campaign in the Pictish
axe is an excellent example of such a tool. This light and wilderness.
simple tool can be used as a hammer, a cutting implement,
a melee and a ranged weapon. Many men on the frontier Warfare on the border is a brutal, bloody affair characterised
are experts in the use of the hatchet simply because of by ambushes and guerrilla tactics. Standard Hyborian
its versatility. Knives have similar utility, making them battle tactics will fail here in the Pictish wilderness.
common among the people of the Westermarck. Bows of Basic survival tactics, wise weapon choices and a strong
any sort are a virtual necessity. If a border man can kill a selection of useful skills promotes success against the
Pict at range, then his chances of surviving the encounter Picts. Although Aquilonia sends garrisons of soldiers to
are greatly increased. The bow can be used in war and the frontier to protect the settlers and promote peace and
on the hunt and to make re, while bowstrings can be prosperity, it is the wise borderer who is more likely to
used in trapping and the bow shaft as a makeshift staff if live through a campaign against the Picts than the stalwart
necessary, further increasing its utility. Soldiers in frontier soldiers arriving from the interior. Untrained in guerrilla
service are usually issued a hatchet, dagger and an arming tactics, preferring more honourable and straightforward
sword. Frontier soldiers are also issued armour, largely tactics, soldiers simply do not have the necessary skills to
because Aquilonian generals do not appreciate the danger ensure survival in the untamed wilds. Regardless of their
this represents to their troops in the wilderness. Successful inefciency, soldiers continue to arrive, creating a visible
wilderness campaigns depend on having appropriate military presence along the frontier border, their lives
knowledge, something many of the interior generals are hard and those that survive soon learn to adapt and
ignore. incorporate the borderers sensibilities with their military
training and lifestyle.
Knowledge is one of the keys to surviving and making war
on the border. Every person on the frontier needs to gather
appropriate knowledge, which includes information about
Military Life on the
the land, the enemy and the skills necessary for survival. Border
Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nature) and Knowledge A typical fort begins its life as an encampment of tents
(geography) are invaluable in border warfare campaigns, set up by a company of a hundred or so soldiers and at
even if only a few ranks are taken. Knowledge (local) least one ofcer, though often as many as three, eventually
allows the character to know something about important transforming this temporary set-up into a collection of
personalities in the region and specic knowledge wooden buildings surrounded by a palisade and ditch.
concerning local Pict tribes. One does not want to mistake The whole fort is built of logs packed with mud, sand
a Pict in hunting paint for a Pict in war paint, or one could and lime. If the fort lasts long enough, some of the
inadvertently start an actual war. Knowledge (geography) structures, often starting with the ofcers buildings and
allows the character glean information from the land, trickling downward through the ranks, may be replaced
terrain, climate as well as general facts about the Picts. with more permanent frame structures. A fort usually
The last thing a borderer wants to do is inadvertently consists of ofcers quarters, barracks, laundress quarters,
wander into a Pictish settlement he is unaware of. mess halls, store houses, wagon-sheds, kitchens, stables,
guardhouses or jails, a parade ground and a trading post.
A frontier character should aim to get ve ranks in The military fort, deep in a hostile land, serves to guard
Knowledge (geography) to get the +2 synergy bonus the settlements and trading routes and to watch the
for Survival to avoid getting lost and avoiding natural restless Picts.
hazards. Knowledge (nature) provides the character with
information about the native animals and their habits. The Picts make fort living dangerous.
Five ranks in Knowledge (nature) gains the character Although they rarely risk a frontal
another +2 Survival bonus to all checks made in the assault against a manned fort, they
wilderness. Craft skills are important for building shelters often savagely ambush soldiers
and improvising implements while on the campaign trail.
47
sent outside the fort on various details, such as cutting paymasters and settlers to and from the fort. Guard
wood, hunting or guarding fort livestock grazing outside mount is called, an exacting Hyborian ritual where the
the palisade. Any soldier going out alone from the fort men assigned guard duty are assembled for inspection by
puts his life at serious risk. Although most of these are new the rst sergeant, then taken to the parade grounds for
recruits, though even old hands occasionally volunteer for inspection by the sergeant major, then turned over to the
frontier life
risky duty just to avoid the drudgery and monotony of the ofcer of the day for assignment (Perform (guard mount)
fort lifestyle. Despite the omnipresent danger the Picts (DC 10) to pass inspection. Failure indicates some sort
present, one often hears the soldiers wishing the Picts of punishing detail assignment). The best-turned-out
would attack en masse. man (determined by a Perform (guard mount) check) is
selected to be the ofcers orderly for the day while others
Living conditions in a Hyborian frontier fort are abysmal, are assigned their guard stations around the fort. Orderly
especially for the standard foot soldier. While Aquilonian of the day is a coveted position among the rank and le,
ofcers, usually minor nobles, are given three or four for it allows the soldier to lounge in the ofcers quarters
rooms to live in, a regular infantryman is crammed into when not carrying messages, hang around the kitchens
barracks that are small, poorly built, badly ventilated and and the hired girls there and otherwise exempts him from
generally over-crowded. Senior infantrymen have rst fatigue or guard duties that day. After lunch, soldiers on
choice of bunks, which usually places them near a window fatigue duty return to their chores, eventually returning
in the summer and near a stove in the winter. Sergeants in the evening for another hour of drills before retiring
and other low ranking ofcers are given private rooms off to bed. It is a monotonous life of drudgery, occasionally
the main barracks; since the lack of privacy is among the broken by violent Pict attacks.
worst of the hardships a frontier soldier endures, these
small rooms are considered a real luxury. This monotonous life, however, creates a sense of loyalty
among the soldiers. The permanence of the fort, its
The conditions of the wilderness, reeking with malaria routines, companies and ofcers reinforce that loyalty.
and alive with snakes, prey upon the fort itself, decaying Many of the frontier forts have now been in existence
the wood with damp and the barracks with mould and for many decades and the daily routine has been part
mildew. Some of the forts still have dirt oors that sprout of Aquilonian military life for generations. Soldiers
mushrooms and toadstools due to the dampness, most are likewise serve in the same company for their entire term
infested with rats, mice, insects and snakes, and epidemics of enlistment with even ofcers a relatively permanent
are commonplace in the worst frontier forts. xture, for soldiers rarely transferred from a frontier
post. These people serve together, drill together, work
Every week a character spends living in a military fort together, ght together and play together. Most Hyborian
imposes a save vs. disease (disease chosen by Games frontier soldiers have an allegiance to their company and
Master). Digestive diseases are the most common due to their fort (see Conan the Roleplaying Game for details
to the unsanitary conditions food is prepared in and on Allegiance). Soldiers with useful skills are prized by
wounded characters should roll daily for injury diseases. the various companies and can earn extra money. Most
The constant close proximity of disease and high frequency companies appoint their own tailor, their own barber and
of injuries often means that ofcers can only eld about their own cobblers, some companies even have their own
half of their forces at any one time. Many frontier forts blacksmith. Soldiers tend to be poor cooks, so any soldier
quickly become uninhabitable if they are not constantly with ranks in Craft (cooking) or Profession (cook) will
maintained though. Regardless of improvements or the nd themselves in a good position, often making slightly
lack of them, one thing does not change the routine of more money than a regular soldier, and exempted from
military life. dangerous duties such as wood gathering and difcult
chores such as water collection of the camp. Of course,
Soldiers are awakened early in the morning, given an the ofcers usually nd a way to appropriate the best
hour to eat and dress, followed by an hour of drills. cooks by pulling rank.
After that, the soldiers not assigned to guard duty
are assigned hours of fatigue duty, which consists Rank is important in a soldiers life, whether on the
of such tedious work duties as road or bridge frontier or not. Ofcers give orders and soldiers obey
building, woodcutting, water collection, them. In many Hyborian nations there is a wide gulf
garbage disposal, clean up details, between ofcers and soldiers that cannot be crossed save
garden cultivation, weeding and by promotion to rst sergeant. Only by the permission
escorting various recruits, of a rst sergeant may a soldier even address an ofcer
48
or knight. This is usually not the case in a frontier fort, Aquilonia sends out a paymaster every two months to
where the delicacies of civilisation are largely negated by each fortress or castle. Presuming that Picts or rebels
the necessities of survival. Most frontier commanders have not cut off the fort and that nothing has happened
will not waste time with rules of etiquette, especially to the paymaster, this might happen. More often than
when even one extra moments notice could spell the not, however, the paymasters arrive irregularly at best,
frontier life
difference between survival and annihilation. While most occasionally taking six to eight months to arrive. The
ofcers in the Aquilonian army are nobles, many soldiers arrival of a paymaster from Aquilonia is an occasion for
can achieve certain levels of rank. Rank can be earned joy in the fortress, because the men often run up huge
or bought. Earning the rank of sergeant, for example, tabs at the trading post in the fortress during the interval
might require the Leadership feat and 9 ranks of Perform between pay periods and money, when it does arrive, is
(guard mount), as well as the purchase of certain arms and quickly spent, much of it on notorious drinking binges
armour expected of an ofcer. Rank can also be earned and gambling.
through valour on the battleeld. Rank can be bought
as well, usually with inuence, wealth or recruits. For Entertainment among the border soldiers encompasses
example, a man who recruits 50 men might be made far more than just drinking and gambling. Practical
an ofcer in charge of those men. Leaders have to be jokes, singing, music and story-telling are also prominent
tough and be able to maintain order. Some keep order by diversions for the soldiers and those who can sing, tell
earning their mens respect, being tough but fair; others inspiring yarns or play an instrument are welcome
keep order with their sts, brawling on duty and off. Yet additions to any company. Men lounging in the parade
others keep order with staggeringly harsh punishments for elds in the evening around dancing res sing and on
even minor infractions. evenings just after the arrival of a paymaster, many soldiers
pool their money and hire local girls to dance for them
In general, military discipline is a brutal, arbitrary affair. around the res. Many soldiers also enjoy bartering and
Men can be ned up to a months pay for minor infractions, haggling for goods, either in the merchant stalls in the
such as sleeping through roll-call, or can spend a month fort or from local settlers or towns. Hunting for pleasure,
in the guardhouse or jail. Soldiers can be forced to march however, is discouraged as too dangerous, a fact much to
while carrying heavy weights, such as 40 pound logs, or the chagrin of the noble ofcers accustomed to the hunt
forced to run in circles around a marching company of as an honourable pastime. No matter what the chosen
soldiers. A recovered deserter may have to carry a heavy entertainment, the Aquilonian military tries to be ready at
ball or log that is chained to his leg for a set period of a moments notice to render aid to the region when called
time or be branded or tattooed. Striking an ofcer or upon.
sleeping on guard duty usually calls for the death penalty,
especially on the frontier where discipline and attention is The settlers of the Westermarck do not hesitate to call
vital to survival. Sometimes the brutal discipline imposed upon the Aquilonian military for aid and even the loss of
by some ofcers creates violent responses in the men so a cow or pig prompts a visit to the nearest military post
disciplined. Since most ofcers are immune to ofcial to insist upon a violent campaign to wipe out every Pict
discipline, the brutalised frontier men, when sorely in a given region. Troops are dispatched often to discover
pressed by a heavy-handed ofcer or knight, take matters the cow having just wandered off and not poached by the
into their own hands. Occasionally the body of a sergeant Picts at all. It is the militarys duty to protect the settlers,
might be found and it has been known to happen that a but this often puts the military in a precarious situation,
soldier, in the thick of battle, accidentally strikes down because, on the frontier, a mistake is a disaster, and a
his commanding ofcer in the confusing melee. One story disaster often leads to annihilation. To the Aquilonians,
tells of a man so brutalised by his commander that, during all Picts look alike. In retaliation for crimes, either real
a battle with the Picts, the soldier dropped his weapons, or imagined, both soldiers or settlers will kill any Pict
picked up a fallen Pict bow and arrow, quickly shot his they come across while investigating a crime, which, in
Aquilonian commander through the heart, regained his turn, inames the Pictish tribes, especially if the slain
own weapons and continued the ght. Unfortunately, Pict was not in war paint. Thus, while in pursuit
squalid living conditions, a monotonous and regimented of actually protecting the Aquilonian settlers, the
life, putting up with ranking ofcers and savage discipline soldiers often precipitated unintentional wars and
are not the only hardships a soldier has to face. assaults.
Infrequency of pay is another hardship the soldiers have

to endure while stationed on the frontier. In theory,
49
Salt of the Earth
Salt of the Earth
Characters of the Wilderness

Characters of the Westermarck are rank or two in Heal, while ranks in Survival are a must.
Hyborian and have Hyborian traits as detailed in Conan Some may have Profession skills such as logger, fur trader,
the Roleplaying Game. To create a character native to trapper, merchant or prostitute. If your frontier character
the Westermarck, a few guidelines should be followed, intends to ght the Picts in the wilderness, maximise Hide,
although there are always exceptions. Characters who Listen and Move Silently skills. Soldiers should also have
are not native to the Westermarck follow the character ranks in Perform (guard mount) to simulate the various
generation guidelines presented in Conan the Roleplaying marches, parades and inspections they are put through.
Game. The non-natives, like Balthus of the Tauran in
Beyond the Black River, are more of the settler than the The Westermarck character, even those not native to
woodsman type. The Westermarck natives are a breed of the land, should adhere to a civilised code of honour as
forest-men capable of meeting the Picts on equal terms, detailed in the Conan the Roleplaying Game. This code
especially those growing up along the Pictish border. is essential to their survival in this dark land they have
chosen to settle. Three Allegiances should also be chosen
As far as ability scores go, Wisdom should not be for each Westermarck character. Decide if the character
overlooked. The foolish tend to die young in the has a family or if the characters family has died, leaving
Westermarck. Skills are extremely important, so him alone in the woods. His family could have died as a
Intelligence should be appropriately nurtured. It is also result of Picts, illness, madness or wild animals, perhaps
important to be well-liked, but often just being white while the character was making a long journey to a trade
is enough in this back-woods land. This land is also store.
physically demanding, that a robust Constitution and
Strength is also important. Classes most appropriate to Westermarck natives are
borderer, noble (except in Thandara), scholar and soldier.
A Hyborian is adaptable and may choose two skills that As a land faced with a constant inux of settlers, virtually
are always treated as class skills, whatever his character any class can be found there, but natives of the region
class. These skills, for the Westermarck character, should should choose from the classes above.
be chosen from Craft, Hide, Listen, Move Silently or
Survival. He gains a +2 competence bonus to all checks As far as equipment goes, that character or his family will
with those two skills. A Hyborian may choose any four have made most of what the character owns. His starting
skills as Background Skills and, if the character is native budget will be lower than the average characters and
to the Westermarck, these should be chosen from the thus is the minimum from the ranges given in Conan the
aforementioned list. The character automatically gains Roleplaying Game. Few borderers will have armour because
two ranks in these skills. it makes too much noise, a circumstance that will kill
them if the Picts are on the war-path. Arm the character
When choosing skills, keep in mind the demands that with light weapons that perform multiple functions for
daily life would have on these characters before they began the wilderness, such as the hatchet, knife or bow.
their adventuring careers. Extremely self-sufcient, even
men have skills in cooking, sewing and other Craft
skills. These are people who have built their own Sample
homes and tilled their own ground, deant to the
last and insistent upon living their life on their Characters
own terms. Select several Craft skills to A Games Master is always in need of characters for the
reect this self-sufciency. Most also players to meet and deal with. The rst section contains
have some knowledge of home Aquilonian characters the players are likely to meet during
remedies, so should have a the course of their Across the Thunder River campaigns.
50
Sample Borderer
Medium Hyborian
Borderer 1st level 3rd level 5th level
Salt of the Earth

Hit Dice: 1d10+1 (11 hit points) 3d10+3 (24 hit points) 5d10+5 (37 hit points)
Initiative: +4 +5 +7
Speed: 30 ft.
DV (Dodge): 13 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge) 14 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge, +1 17 (+3 Dex, +2 dodge, +2 base)
base)
DV (Parry): 12 (+1 Str, +1 dodge) 13 (+1 Str, +1 dodge, +1 base) 15 (+1 Str, +2 dodge, +2 base)
BAB/Grapple: +1/+2 +3/+4 +5/+6
Attack: Axe +3 nesse melee (1d8+1/ Axe +5 nesse melee (1d8+1/ Axe +8 nesse melee (1d8+1/x3/2 AP)
x3/2 AP) x3/2 AP)
Full Attack: Axe +3 nesse melee (1d8+1/ Axe +5 nesse melee (1d8+1/ Axe +8 nesse melee (1d8+1/x3/2 AP)
x3/2 AP) and poniard +3 x3/2 AP) and poniard +5 and poniard +8 nesse melee (1d6/19-
nesse melee (1d6/19-20 nesse melee (1d6/19-20 x3/2 20 x3/2 AP); or hunting bow +6/+6
x3/2 AP); or hunting bow +3 AP); or hunting bow +3/+3 ranged (1d8/x2/ 1 AP)
ranged (1d8/x2/ 1 AP) ranged (1d8/x2/ 1 AP)
Special Attacks: None Combat style (archery) Combat style (archery), Improved
Combat Style (archery)
Special Qualities: Adaptability (Hide, Move Adaptability (Hide, Move Adaptability (Hide, Move Silently),
Silently), Weapon Familiarity, Silently), Weapon Familiarity, Weapon Familiarity, +1 racial bonus
+1 racial bonus to Fate Points, +1 racial bonus to Fate Points, to Fate Points, favoured terrain (forest)
favoured terrain (forest) +1 favoured terrain (forest) +1 +2 (reected in skills below)
(reected in skills below) (reected in skills below)
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +0 Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +1 Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +1
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 15, Con 13, Int Str 12, Dex 15, Con 13, Int Str 12, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 14, Wis
14, Wis 10, Cha 8 14, Wis 10, Cha 8 10, Cha 8
Skills: Craft (herbalism) +4, Craft Craft (herbalism) +4, Craft Craft (herbalism) +4, Craft
Reects favoured (trapmaking) +6, Gather (trapmaking) +6, Gather (trapmaking) +6, Gather Information
terrain bonuses Information +1, Hide Information +3, Hide +3, Hide +16, Jump +3, Knowledge
+11, Jump +3, Knowledge +12, Jump +3, Knowledge (geography) +10, Listen +10, Move
(geography) +6, Listen +7, (geography) +8, Listen +7, Silently +16, Search +4, Spot +8,
Move Silently +10, Search +3, Move Silently +12, Search +3, Survival +9
Spot +6, Survival +5 Spot +7, Survival +6
Feats: Alertness, Stealthy, Track Alertness, Combat Expertise, Alertness, Combat Expertise,
Endurance, Rapid Shot Endurance, Point Blank Shot, Rapid
(combat style), Stealthy, Track Shot (combat style), Shot on the Run
(Improved Combat Style), Stealthy,
Track
Reputation: 3 (Brave) 5 (Brave) 5 (Brave)
Code of Honour: Civilised
Advancement: By character class (probably borderer)
Possessions: Axe, poniard, hunting shirt, hunting bow, leggings, moccasins, 20 arrows, hatchet, knife, loin cloth
The second section details several generic Picts (samples

of specic Pictish tribesmen can be found in the Tribes of Aquilonians
Pictland section on page 95). Both sections have samples
of the prestige classes presented in Prestige Classes on page
Borderer
Borderers of the Westermarck often wear green
144. Adventure hooks follow each type of character to
hunting-shirts, a type of tunic ornamented
give an example of how these characters might be useful
with yellowed fringes and tassels,
in a campaign.
with colours intended to help with
concealment in the woods. The
Note: All feats marked with a b are bonus feats.
51
Sample Chief Factor
Medium Hyborian 1st level 5th level 10th level
Noble Entrepreneur Established Merchant Trading Tycoon
Salt of the Earth
Hit Dice: 1d8-1 (7 hit points) 5d8-5 (21 hit points) 10d8 (48 hit points)
Speed: 30 ft. 30 ft. 30 ft.
DV Dodge: 11 12 15
DV Parry: 10 12 16
BAB/Grapple: +0/+0 +3/+3 +7/+9
Attack: Broadsword +0 melee Broadsword +4 melee (1d10/19- Broadsword +9 melee (1d10/19-
(1d10/19-20 x2/ AP 3) or 20 x2/ AP 3) or hunting bow +5 20 x2/ AP 3) or hunting bow +11
hunting bow +1 ranged ranged (1d8/ x2/ AP 1) ranged (1d8/ x2/ AP 1)
(1d8/ x2/ AP 1)
Full Attack: Broadsword +0 melee Broadsword +4 melee (1d10/19- Broadsword +10/+5 melee
(1d10/19-20 x2/ AP 3) or 20 x2/ AP 3) or hunting bow +5 (1d10+1/19-20 x2/ AP 4) or
hunting bow +1 ranged ranged (1d8/ x2/ AP 1) hunting bow +11/+6 ranged (1d8/
(1d8/ x2/ AP 1) x2/ AP 1)
Special Qualities: Adaptability (Diplomacy, Adaptability (Diplomacy, Adaptability (Diplomacy,
Profession), Weapon Profession), Weapon Familiarity, Profession), Weapon Familiarity,
Familiarity, Title, Rank Title, Rank Hath Its Privileges, Title, Rank Hath Its Privileges,
Hath Its Privileges, Wealth. Wealth, special regional feature Wealth, special regional feature
+1, Social Ability (Etiquette), +2, Social Ability (Etiquette, Smear
Lead By Example +2. Others), Lead By Example +4,
Enhanced Leadership.
Space/Reach: 5 ft.(1)/5 ft.(1)
Saves: Fort -1, Ref +1, Will +3 Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +7 Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +11
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 12, Con 8, Int Str 10, Dex 12, Con 8, Int 16, Str 12, Dex 14, Con 10, Int 19, Wis
15, Wis 13, Cha 14 Wis 13, Cha 14 15, Cha 16
Skills: Appraise +6, Bluff +8, Appraise +10, Bluff +12, Appraise +16, Bluff +18, Diplomacy
Diplomacy +10, Gather Diplomacy +14, Gather +20, Disguise +6, Forgery +7,
Information +4, Intimidate Information +8, Intimidate +9, Gather Information +12, Intimidate
+8, Knowledge (local) +6, Knowledge (local) +7, Profession +13, Knowledge (local) +13,
Profession (merchant) +8, (merchant) +13, Ride +3, Search Profession (merchant) +22, Ride +4,
Ride +3, Sense Motive +7. +6, Sense Motive +11. Search +7, Sense Motive +17.
Feats: Negotiator, Persuasive. Investigator, Iron Will Deceitful, Investigator, Iron Will,
Negotiator, Persuasive. Leadership (bonus), Knowledgeable,
Negotiator, Persuasive, Skill Focus
(Profession).
Reputation: 4 (Talented) 8 (Talented) 14 (Talented)
Advancement: By character class (probably noble)
Westermarck borderer also wears buckskin leggings laced uprisings or moving war parties, burnt villages or destroyed
at the sides and gathered just above the knee with deer logger camps.
sinew. Although the townsfolk wear civilised boots, the
borderer prefers moccasins. A pouch, a quiver of arrows,
a knife and a hatchet complete the outt.
Chief Factor
The head of a frontier trading post, often called the chief
factor, lives in the best home on the post. The chief factor
Adventure Hooks: Borderers range the lands
is normally a minor noble with little chance to inherit
throughout the Westermarck and the Pictish
a fortune but with a lot of ambition toward power and
Wilderness, scouting the Picts, as well as
wealth. The chief factor usually has an agent or two located
more basic hunting and trapping.
somewhere along the trade routes in the more civilised
These borderers often bring
kingdoms who arrange for caravans and shipments to
news of Pictish gatherings,
the trading post. The chief factor is also expected to be a
52
Sample Forest Runner
Medium 5th level Borderer/ 1st level 5th level Borderer/ 5th level 5th level Borderer/ 10th level Forest
Hyborian Forest Runner Forest Runner Runner
Salt of the Earth

Hit Dice: 5d10+1d8+12 (48 hit points) 5d10+5d8+20 (74 hit points) 5d10+10d8+30 (107 hit points)
DV (Dodge): 17 (+3 Dex, +2 dodge, +2 base) 21 (+4 Dex, +2 dodge, +5 base) 26 (+5 Dex, +2 dodge, +9 base)
DV (Parry): 15 (+1 Str, +2 dodge, +2 base) 17 (+2 Str, +2 dodge, +3 base) 19 (+2 Str, +2 dodge, +5 base)
BAB/Grapple: +5/+6 +8/+10 +12/+14
Attack: Axe +8 nesse melee Axe +12 nesse melee Axe +12 nesse melee
(1d8+1/x3/AP 2) (1d8+2/x3/3 AP) (1d8+2/x3/3 AP)
Full Attack: Axe +8 nesse melee (1d8+1/ Axe +12/+7 nesse melee Axe +12/+7 nesse melee (1d8+1/x3/3
x3/2 AP) and poniard +8 (1d8+1/x3/3 AP) and poniard AP) and poniard +12 nesse melee
nesse melee (1d6/19-20 x3/2 +12 nesse melee (1d6/19-20 (1d6/19-20 x3/3 AP); or hunting bow
AP); or hunting bow +6/+6 x3/3 AP); or hunting bow +10/+5/+10 ranged (1d8/x2/ 1 AP)
ranged (1d8/x2/ 1 AP) +10/+5/+10 ranged (1d8/x2/
1 AP)
Special Attacks: Combat Style (archery), Combat Style (archery), Combat Style (archery), Improved
Improved Combat Style Improved Combat Style Combat Style (archery)
(archery) (archery)
Special Adaptability (Hide, Move Adaptability (Hide, Move Adaptability (Hide, Move Silently),
Qualities: Silently), Weapon Familiarity, Silently), Weapon Familiarity, Weapon Familiarity, +1 racial bonus to
+1 racial bonus to Fate Points, +1 racial bonus to Fate Points, Fate Points, favoured terrain (forest) +2
favoured terrain (forest) +2 favoured terrain (forest) +2 (reected in skills below), Woodland
(reected in skills below), (reected in skills below), Stride, Swift Tracker (full speed),
Woodland Stride Woodland Stride, Swift Tracker Camouage, Melt Away, Hide in Plain
(full speed) Sight
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 17, Con 14, Int Str 14, Dex 19, Con 15, Int 16, Str 15, Dex 21, Con 16, Int 17, Wis 13,
15, Wis 11, Cha 9 Wis 12, Cha 10 Cha 11
Skills: Balance +4, Climb +3, Balance +9, Climb +8, Balance +16, Climb +13, Craft
Reects favoured Craft (herbalism) +4, Craft Craft (herbalism) +5, Craft (herbalism) +5, Craft (trapmaking) +7,
terrain bonuses (trapmaking) +6, Gather (trapmaking) +7, Gather Gather Information +10, Hide +28,
Information +3, Hide Information +6, Hide Jump +12, Knowledge (geography) +12,
+17, Jump +6, Knowledge +22, Jump +7, Knowledge Listen +16, Move Silently +28, Search
(geography) +10, Listen +10, (geography) +12, Listen +11, +7, Spot +17, Survival +20, Tumble +18
Move Silently +17, Search +4, Move Silently +22, Search +7,
Spot +8, Survival +10, Tumble Spot +11, Survival +15, Tumble
+7 +12
Feats: Acrobatic, Enduranceb, Acrobatic, Combat Expertise, Acrobatic, Combat Expertise, Combat
Fleet-Footed, Point Blank Enduranceb, Eyes of the Catb, Reexes, Enduranceb, Eyes of the Catb,
Shot, Rapid Shot (Combat Fleet-Footed x2, Improved Trip, Fleet-Footed x3, Run, Point Blank Shot,
style), Run, Shot on the Run Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot Improved Trip, Improved Mobilityb,
(Improved Combat Style), (Combat style), Run, Shot on Precise Shot, Rapid Shot (Combat style),
Stealthy, Trackb the Run (Improved Combat Shot on the Run (Improved Combat
Style), Stealthy, Trackb Style), Stealthy, Trackb
Advancement: By character class (probably borderer)
Possessions: Axe, poniard, hunting shirt, hunting bow, leggings, moccasins, 20 arrows, hatchet, knife, loincloth
diplomat among the Picts in the region, arranging for the unsavoury factor might want to hijack another
trade of fur or permission to trap in their lands. traders supply train. Characters may be hired
as agents in foreign lands to secure needed
Adventure Hooks: As a wealthy merchant, the chief supplies and have them sent to the
factor is in a position to hire mercenaries and scouts. An Westermarck.
53
Sample Free Trapper
Medium Hyborian 1st level Borderer 1st level Commoner 6th level Commoner
Hit Dice: 1d10+1 (11 hit points) 1d4 (4 hit points) 6d4+6 (21 hit points)
Salt of the Earth
Initiative: +4 -1 +2
Speed: 30 ft.
DV (Dodge): 13 (+2 Dex, +1 dodge) 9 (-1 Dex) 13 (+3 base)
DV (Parry): 12 (+1 Str, +1 dodge) 10 13 (+3 base)
BAB/Grapple: +1/+2 +0/+0 +3/+3
Attack: Axe +3 nesse melee Hatchet +0 melee Hatchet +3 melee
(1d8+1/x3/2 AP) (1d6/x3/AP1) (1d6/x3/AP1)
Full Attack: Axe +3 nesse melee (1d8+1/ Hatchet +0 melee (1d6/x3/ Hatchet +3 melee (1d6/x3/AP1) and
x3/2 AP) and Poniard +3 AP1) and knife +0 melee knife +3 melee (1d4/x2/AP1); or
nesse melee (1d6/19-20 x3/2 (1d4/x2/AP1); or hunting hunting bow +3 ranged (1d8/x2/ 1
AP); or hunting bow +3 ranged bow +0 ranged (1d8/x2/ 1 AP)
(1d8/x2/ 1 AP) AP)
Special Qualities: Adaptability (Hide, Profession Adaptability (Profession Adaptability (Profession (trapper) and
(trapper)), Weapon Familiarity, (trapper) and Knowledge Knowledge (geography)), Weapon
+1 racial bonus to Fate Points, (geography)), Weapon Familiarity, +1 racial bonus to Fate
favoured terrain (forest) +1 Familiarity, +1 racial Points, Illiteracy, Background Skills
(reected in skills below) bonus to Fate Points, (Profession, Craft, Survival, Search)
Illiteracy, Background Skills
(Profession, Craft, Survival,
Search)
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +0 Fort +0, Ref -1, Will +1 Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +4
Skills: Craft (herbalism) +4, Craft Craft (trapmaking) +5, Craft (trapmaking) +13, Handle
Reects favoured (trapmaking) +6, Gather Handle Animal +1, Heal Animal +5, Heal +5, Hide +2,
terrain bonuses Information +1, Hide +9, Jump +4, Hide +1, Knowledge Knowledge (geography) +12,
+3, Knowledge (geography) +6, (geography) +7, Profession Profession (trapper) +15, Search +7,
Listen +7, Move Silently +8, (trapper) +7, Search +3, Spot Spot +8, Survival +6, Use Rope +6
Profession (trapper) +4, Search +3, Survival +5, Use Rope +1
+3, Spot +6, Survival +5
Feats: Alertness, Stealthy, Track Self-Sufciency, Track Self-Sufciency, Skill Focus (Craft),
Skill Focus (Profession)b, Skill Focus
(Search), Skill Focus (Spot) Track
Advancement: By character class (probably commoner or borderer)
Possessions: Hunting shirt, hunting bow, leggings, moccasins, 20 arrows, hatchet, knife, loincloth
Adventure Hooks: Forest Runners are a good means to

Forest Runner introduce an adventure, bringing word of any number of
Forest runners are the messengers and scouts of the potential calamities. They can report disasters, calamities
frontier, carrying news on feet that y as fast as some and horrors, bringing the adventurers to the scene. Forest
birds do on the wing. Although any borderer may runners can be killed or kidnapped, delaying news;
be referred to as a forest runner in a generic sense, the kidnapping could be a deliberate interception of
the true Forest Runner is a rare treasure along the knowledge, or just incidental.
Westermarck, a fast scout that knows the lay of
the land.
54
Sample Clerk
Medium Hyborian
Commoner 1st level 5th level 10th level
Salt of the Earth

Initiative: -1 +0 +3
Speed: 30 ft.
DV Dodge: 9 11 15
DV Parry: 10 12 16
BAB/Grapple: +0/+0 +2/+2 +5/+6
Attack: Hatchet +0 melee Hatchet +2 melee Hatchet +6 melee
(1d6/ x3 / AP 3) (1d6/ x3 / AP 3) (1d6+1/ x3 / AP 4)
Full Attack: Hatchet +0 melee Hatchet +2 melee Hatchet +6 melee
(1d6/ x3 / AP 3) (1d6/ x3 / AP 3) (1d6+1/ x3 / AP 4)
Special Qualities: Illiteracy, Adaptability Illiteracy, Adaptability (Appraise, Illiteracy, Adaptability (Decipher
(Decipher Script, Appraise), Decipher Script), Weapon Script, Appraise), Weapon
Weapon Familiarity, Familiarity, Background Familiarity, Background Skills
Background Skills (Diplomacy, Skills (Diplomacy, Gather (Diplomacy, Gather Information,
Gather Information, Bluff, Information, Bluff, Sense Bluff, Sense Motive), Skill Focus
Sense Motive). Motive), Skill Focus (Bluff ) (Bluff ), Skill Focus (Intimidate)
Saves: Fort +1, Ref -1, Will +3 Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +3 Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +6
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 8, Con 12, Int 15, Str 10, Dex 8, Con 12, Int 16, Str 12, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 18,
Wis 14, Cha 13 Wis 14, Cha 13 Wis 16, Cha 16
Skills: Appraise +8, Bluff +3, Appraise +15, Bluff +8, Appraise +21, Bluff +12, Decipher
Decipher Script +8, Diplomacy Decipher Script +11, Diplomacy Script +12, Diplomacy +11, Gather
+5, Gather Information +7, Gather Information +7, Information +11, Intimidate +6,
+3, Knowledge (local) +4, Knowledge (local) +7, Profession Knowledge (local) +10, Profession
Profession (merchant) +9, (merchant) +12, Sense Motive (merchant) +18, Sense Motive +7,
Sense Motive +6, Spot +6 +6, Search +5, Spot +6 Search +6, Spot +12
Feats: Negotiator, Skill Focus Diligent, Investigator, Diligent, Endurance, Investigator,
(Profession) Negotiator, Skill Focus Leadership, Negotiator, Sleep
(Profession) Mastery, Skill Focus (Profession)
Advancement: By character class (probably commoner)
higher levels, the head trader may have accumulated

Free Trapper enough wealth to buy favour from a noble, or perhaps
Animal trappers often appear to be identical to borderers. even to marry into a minor noble family and become
lesser nobility. Few, however, manage to accumulate that
Adventure Hooks: Trappers range the lands throughout much wealth.
the Westermarck and the Pictish Wilderness performing
basic hunting and trapping. Adventure Hooks: Clerks and traders are a source of
information for adventurers. They hear a lot from far
Clerk off lands and many also work as smugglers. A clerk
Working beneath the chief factor is the head trader, or could fall prey to a cult and start stealing funds or
clerk, who lives in quarters adjoining the store. The clerk providing equipment to that cult. A clerk might
(or clerks if the post is large enough) serves as merchant, be opposed to the chief factor he works under
accountant, writer, warehouser and general manager for on ethical or nancial grounds. Perhaps
the post. While the chief factor worries about the larger the clerk and the factor are both in
picture, the head trader and his clerks see to the details love with the same woman, and the
of the day-to-day chores and functions of the post. At
55
Sample Laundress
Medium Hyborian
Salt of the Earth
Speed: 30 ft.
DV Dodge: 10 12 16
DV Parry: 10 12 16
BAB/Grapple: +0/-1 +2/+2 +5/+6
Attack: Knife +0 nesse melee Knife +2 nesse melee Knife +6 nesse melee
(1d4-1/ x2 / AP 1) (1d4/ x2 / AP1) (1d4+1/ x2 / AP 2)
Full Attack: Knife +0 nesse melee Knife +2 nesse melee Knife +6 nesse melee
(1d4-1/ x2 / AP 1) (1d4/ x2 / AP 1) (1d4+1/ x2 / AP 2)
Special Qualities: Illiteracy, Adaptability Illiteracy, Adaptability Illiteracy, Adaptability (Profession
(Profession (laundress), (Profession (laundress), (laundress), Craft (cooking)), Weapon
Craft(cooking)), Weapon Craft(cooking)), Weapon Familiarity, Background Skills (Craft
Familiarity, Background Familiarity, Background Skills (cooking), Profession, Craft (seamstress),
Skills (Craft (cooking), (Craft (cooking), Profession, Heal), Skill Focus (Profession
Profession, Craft Craft (seamstress), Heal), Skill (prostitute)), Skill Focus (Bluff )
(seamstress), Heal) Focus (Profession (prostitute))
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +0, Will -1 Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +2 Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +7
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 10, Con 12, Int Str 11, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 8, Str 13, Dex 12, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 12,
8, Wis 9, Cha 13 Wis 9, Cha 14 Cha 16
Skills: Craft (cooking) +5, Craft Craft (cooking) +10, Craft Bluff +6, Craft (cooking) +10, Craft
(seamstress) +6, Heal +1, (seamstress) +8, Heal +4, (seamstress) +10, Diplomacy +5, Gather
Profession (laundress) +8, Profession (laundress) +12, Information +5, Heal +6, Listen +3,
Profession (prostitute) +1 Profession (prostitute) +4 Profession (laundress) +19, Profession
(prostitute) +11, Search +2, Sense
Motive +3, Spot +3
Feats: Skill Focus (laundress), Skill Skill Focus (cooking), Skill Alertness, Investigator, Negotiator, Skill
Focus (seamstress) Focus (Heal), Skill Focus Focus (cooking), Skill Focus (Heal),
(laundress), Skill Focus Skill Focus (laundress), Skill Focus
(seamstress) (seamstress)
Advancement: By character class
clerk seethes with jealousy because he lacks the factors frontier men will travel for miles to meet a woman.
wealth and inuence. Rivalries over these women are common conicts and
could be the source for an adventure. Imagine the conict
if a man makes overtures to a laundress, only to discover
Laundress later it is his long-lost daughter or niece. Kidnappings,
Laundresses are women who do laundry for the men of
thefts, jealousy and even just plain old poor judgment can
the Westermarck, many of whom would just wear the
occur around these ladies.
same clothes until they rot. Many single women work
as laundresses in the border forts, often practising
prostitution on the side. Many women even amass Logger
small fortunes as laundresses, a clean shirt is a true Loggers can be found in Conawaga and Schohira as these
luxury in the Westermarck. two provinces are more rmly established and better
protected against the Picts, although Oriskonie is starting
Adventure Hooks: As many laundresses to see the beginnings of a logging industry. The buckers are
are single women, that alone lower paid apprentice loggers with dangerous jobs. They
can create adventures in the cut fallen trees into logs. They have to watch for falling
Westermarck. Lonely timber, deal with underbrush, animals such as snakes, and
56
Sample Logger
Commoner Bucker Faller Bull
Salt of the Earth

Speed: 30 ft.
DV Dodge: 12 15 19
DV Parry: 11 13 17
BAB/Grapple: +0/+1 +2/+3 +5/+7
Attack: Hatchet +1 melee (1d6+1/ Axe +3 melee (1d8+1/x3/ AP Axe +7 melee (1d8+2/x3/ AP 3)
x3 / AP 3) or unarmed strike 2) or unarmed strike +5 nesse or unarmed strike +9 nesse melee
+3 nesse melee (1d4/x2) melee (1d6+1/x2) or axe +5 (1d6+2/x2) or axe +9 nesse melee
or hatchet +2 nesse melee nesse melee (1d8+1/x3/ AP 2) (1d8+2/x3/ AP 2)
(1d6+1/ x3 / AP 3)
Full Attack: Hatchet +1 melee (1d6+1/ Axe +3 melee (1d8+1/x3/ AP Axe +7 melee (1d8+2/x3/ AP 3)
x3 / AP 3) or unarmed strike 2) or unarmed strike +5 nesse or unarmed strike +9 nesse melee
+2 (1d6+1/x2) or hatchet +2 melee (1d6+1/x2) or axe +5 (1d6+2/x2) or axe +9 nesse melee
nesse melee (1d6+1/ x3 / AP nesse melee (1d8+1/x3/ AP 2) (1d8+2/x3/ AP 2)
3)
Special Qualities: Illiteracy, Adaptability (Balance, Illiteracy, Adaptability (Balance, Illiteracy, Adaptability (Balance,
Climb), Weapon Familiarity Climb), Skill Focus (Balance), Climb), Skill Focus (Profession),
Weapon Familiarity Skill Focus (Balance), Weapon
Familiarity
Skills: Balance +8, Climb +7, Balance +16, Climb +11, Balance +22, Climb +17, Craft
Craft (saw logs) +6, Jump Craft (fell tree) +6, Craft (saw (fell tree) +12, Craft (saw logs) +7,
+5, Knowledge (nature) +5, logs) +6, Jump +7, Knowledge Jump +13, Knowledge (nature) +6,
Profession (logger) +3, Spot +2, (nature) +5, Profession (logger) Profession (logger) +15, Spot +3,
Use Rope +3 +7, Spot +2, Tumble +4, Use Tumble +6, Use Rope +5
Rope +4
Feats: Brawl, Lightning Reexes Brawl, Carouser, Lightning Brawl, Carouser, Improved
Reexes, Martial Weapon Unarmed Strike, Lightning
Prociency (axe) Reexes, Martial Weapon
Prociency (axe)
with tree logs that snap and buck when sawed. The fallers tree they have yet found, a tree that had been there since
are more experienced loggers who use axes and saws to the Cataclysm according to Pictish lore, creating unrest
actually bring down the trees. The Bulls of the Forest along the border. Characters could be hired to negotiate
are the boss loggers and run the logger teams. Loggers in a treaty with the Picts in the region to allow a limited
general are a rowdy, bawdy bunch who like to brawl and amount of logging, or could be hired to eliminate a
carouse when off duty. tribe of Picts to make way for logging endeavours.
Adventure Hooks: Loggers can be encountered in taverns

and brothels, as well as in the woods. They can start brawls
Prostitute
Prostitutes in the Westermarck usually
involving the characters. Perhaps an entire logging crew
take the vocation out of choice,
has disappeared, creating rumours of Pictish activity. A
not circumstance. For them, it
falling tree could damage a Pictish holy site, causing a war.
is business, a means to secure a
Loggers have decided to bring down the tallest, mightiest
57
Sample Frontier Prostitute
Medium Hyborian 1st level Doxie 6th level Odalisque 10th level Madam
Commoner
Salt of the Earth
Hit Dice: 1d4 (4 hit points) 6d4+6 (22 hit points) 10d4+10 (36 hit points)
Speed: 30 ft.
DV Dodge: 10 13 16
DV Parry: 9 13 15
BAB/Grapple: +0/-1 +2/+2 +5/+5
(1d4-1/ x2 / AP 0) (1d4/ x2 / AP 0) (1d4/ x2 / AP 0)
(1d4-1/ x2 / AP 0) (1d4/ x2 / AP 0) (1d4/ x2 / AP 0)
Special Qualities: Illiteracy, Adaptability Illiteracy, Adaptability Illiteracy, Adaptability (Profession,
(Profession, Sense Motive), (Profession, Sense Motive), Sense Motive), Weapon Familiarity,
Weapon Familiarity, Weapon Familiarity, Background Skills (Bluff, Profession,
Background Skills (Bluff, Background Skills (Bluff, Perform, Diplomacy), Skill Focus
Profession, Perform, Profession, Perform, (Perform), Skill Focus (Profession
Diplomacy) Diplomacy), Skill Focus (madam))
(Perform)
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 12, Str 10, Dex 11, Con 12, Int Str 11, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 14, Wis
Wis 8, Cha 13 13, Wis 9, Cha 15 10, Cha 17
Skills: Bluff +3, Diplomacy +5, Bluff +8, Diplomacy +7, Bluff +11, Diplomacy +10,
Listen +3, Perform (dance) +3, Intimidate +4, Listen +5, Intimidate +5, Listen +6, Perform
Profession (prostitute) +10, Perform (dance) +9, Profession (dance) +11, Profession (madam) +9,
Sense Motive +5, Spot +3, Use (prostitute) +15, Sense Motive Profession (prostitute) +16, Sense
Rope +4 +10, Spot +5, Use Rope +4 Motive +15, Spot +6, Use Rope +5
Feats: Negotiator, Skill Focus Alertness, Iron Will, Alertness, Endurance, Great
(Profession (prostitute)) Negotiator, Persuasive, Skill Fortitude, Iron Will, Negotiator,
Focus (Profession (prostitute)). Persuasive, Skill Focus (Profession
(prostitute))
steady stream of coins in a land where wealth is hard to

come by. They work in taverns, brothels, inns and streets. Settler
Those who succeed at the business become madams, and Settlers are the common folk slowly populating the
own brothels and taverns of their own. Westermarck. Enterprising and hard-working, these hardy
souls are ready to conquer a new world with agriculture
Adventure Hooks: Prostitutes can be a source of all kinds and herding. They tend to be honourable, proud and self-
of adventures. Someone could be persecuting a prostitute, sufcient. A non-Pict player character can expect supplies
and she needs the intervention of the characters. Perhaps and aid from any settler or fort, so long as he does not take
a single prostitute is at the centre of a web of disease advantage of the settler.
plaguing the area. A popular prostitute could have
been abducted by Picts, or perhaps by a man obsessed Adventure Hooks: Settlers are the people the players will
with her. A prostitute, tired of hearing complaints be protecting from the Picts or attacking mercilessly if the
about mens wives, decides to kill some of the players are playing Picts. They are always in danger from
worst ones (to her mind), thus freeing the Picts, animals, disease and isolation, any one of which
men up to give her more business. could be a great origin of an adventure.
58
Sample Settler (female)
Medium Hyborian
Salt of the Earth

Hit Dice: 1d4 (4 hit points) 5d4 (14 hit points) 10d4+10 (36 hit points)
Speed: 30 ft.
DV Dodge: 10 12 16
DV Parry: 9 11 14
BAB/Grapple: +0/-1 +2/+1 +5/+5
(1d4-1/ x2 / AP 0) (1d4-1/ x2 / AP 0) (1d4/ x2 / AP 0)
(1d4-1/ x2 / AP 0) (1d4-1/ x2 / AP 0) (1d4/ x2 / AP 0)
Special Qualities: Illiteracy, Adaptability (Gather Illiteracy, Adaptability (Gather Illiteracy, Adaptability (Gather
Information, Heal), Weapon Information, Heal), Skill Focus Information, Heal), Skill Focus
Familiarity (Craft (sewing)), Weapon (Spot), Skill Focus (Craft (Sewing)),
Familiarity Weapon Familiarity
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 13, Str 8, Dex 10, Con 11, Int 14, Str 10, Dex 12, Con 13, Int 15, Wis
Wis 12, Cha 9 Wis 12, Cha 9 16, Cha 11
Skills: Craft (cook) +5, Craft (sewing) Craft (cook) +8, Craft (sewing) Craft (cook) +10, Craft (sewing)
+8, Gather Information +3, +13, Gather Information +15, Gather Information +9, Handle
Handle Animal +0, Heal +6, Handle Animal +3, Heal Animal +6, Heal +16, Knowledge
+7, Knowledge (local) +2, +12, Knowledge (local) +5, (local) +6, Knowledge (nature) +5,
Knowledge (nature) +2, Knowledge (nature) +4, Profession (farmer) +6, Profession
Profession (farmer) +3, Spot Profession (farmer) +4, Spot +4, (midwife) +5, Spot +11, Survival +6,
+3, Use Rope +1 Survival +3, Use Rope +1 Use Rope +4
Feats: Endurance, Skill Focus (Craft Endurance, Knowledgeable, Self- Alertness, Endurance, Great
(sewing)) Sufciency, Skill Focus (Craft Fortitude, Self-Sufciency,
(sewing)) Knowledgeable, Skill Focus (Craft
(sewing))
Reputation: 2 (Honest) 5 (Honest) 12 (Honest)
or through a knighthood for valorous conduct, it is virtually

Soldier impossible for the soldier to become an ofcer. Despite
Soldiers tend to behave in a civilised manner, despite a all the downsides to a soldiers life, most accord themselves
high rate of desertion due to the hard and perilous lifestyle bravely, even when faced with foes that outnumber them
they are forced to live. Physically tough but generally and ght with guerrilla tactics the soldiers themselves are
uneducated, they enjoy simple pleasures and have straight- not able to duplicate or repel effectively.
forward, albeit negative, attitudes about their poorly-paid
and thankless lot in life. Most have barely been trained, Adventure Hooks: Characters could be charged to nd
and few are strong horsemen or keen-eyed marksmen. deserted soldiers or to raise an army of conscripts.
Even fewer have any knowledge of living off the land. Frontier pay arrives once every two months and
Standard pay for a foot soldier is 16 silver coins per month, characters could be charged with protecting the
although most never see that money because they tend to paymaster or seeking missing pay chests.
be in constant debt to the fort sergeants and merchants.
No matter what level they achieve, the highest rank a
common soldier can attain is sergeant. Unless the soldier
can somehow attain the nobility, either through marriage
59
Sample Settler (male)
Medium Hyborian
Salt of the Earth
Speed: 30 ft.
DV Dodge: 10 12 16
DV Parry: 11 13 17
BAB/Grapple: +0/+1 +2/+3 +5/+7
Attack: Hatchet +1 melee (1d6+1/ x3 Hatchet +3 melee (1d6+1/ x3 Hatchet +7 melee (1d6+2/ x3 / AP
/ AP 3) / AP 3) 4)
Full Attack: Hatchet +1 melee (1d6+1/ x3 Hatchet +3 melee (1d6+1/ x3 Hatchet +7 melee (1d6+2/ x3 / AP
/ AP 3) / AP 3) 4)
Special Qualities: Illiteracy, Adaptability Illiteracy, Adaptability Illiteracy, Adaptability (Survival,
(Survival, Profession), Weapon (Survival, Profession), Skill Profession), Skill Focus (Profession),
Familiarity Focus (Profession), Weapon Skill Focus (Craft), Weapon
Familiarity Familiarity
Skills: Craft (woodworking) +2, Craft (woodworking) +3, Craft (woodworking) +9, Handle
Handle Animal +1, Knowledge Handle Animal +3, Heal Animal +6, Heal +7, Knowledge
(nature) +2, Profession (farmer) +3, Knowledge (geography) (geography) +6, Knowledge (local)
+5, Spot +0, Survival +2, Use +3, Knowledge (nature) +6, +5, Knowledge (nature) +9, Listen
Rope +1 Profession (farmer) +10, Spot +4, Profession (farmer) +13, Spot +6,
+1, Survival +5, Use Rope +2 Survival +8, Use Rope +4
Feats: Endurance, Iron Will Endurance, Iron Will, Alertness, Endurance, Great
Knowledgeable, Self- Fortitude, Iron Will, ,
Sufciency Knowledgeable, Self-Sufciency
Reputation: 2 (Honest) 5 (Honest) 11 (Honest)
half of what the other two voyageurs earn. Voyageurs tend

Voyageur to be fond of games and singing.
A voyageur is a frontier man who is employed by traders
as a canoe paddler, bundle carrier and labourer. Noted for Adventure Hooks: Characters can be hired to be part of a
their near-legendary strength and endurance, voyageurs three man voyageur team. A voyageur team could discover
work at least 14 hours per day, paddle 55 strokes per the site of a lost civilisation, bringing back rumours of
minute at a minimum and carry two bundles in between treasures and ghosts; only one of the trio are willing to lead
lakes and rivers, through rocks, mud and vile wilderness a party back to the site. A nobleman expecting a bundle
insects. A bundle of either furs or trade goods weighs and is curiously upset at a delay in arrival; characters are
90 pounds. Every half mile of portage between rivers, a hired to nd the voyageur party or their remains and bring
voyageur puts down his two bundles, then runs back to back the mysterious bundle.
get two more (and eventually his canoe), then repeats
the process until all his goods reach their destination.
Voyageurs also carry noblemen in or out of their
canoes so their clothing does not get wet. They
Pictish Warriors
usually work in teams of three, a bowsman, and Shamans
a steersman and a middleman. Pict Racial Qualities: Illiterate, +1 racial bonus to all
The middleman is the least Tumble and Jump checks, +2 circumstance bonus to all Hide,
experienced and only earns Listen, Move Silently, Survival and Spot checks in the forest.
60
Sample Soldier
Medium Hyborian 1st level 3rd level 6th level
Soldier Private Corporal Sergeant
Salt of the Earth

Speed: 20 ft.
DV (Dodge): 10 (+0 base, +0 Dex) 11 (+1 base, +0 Dex) 14 (+3 base, +1 Dex)
DV (Parry): 11 (+0 base, +1 Str) 14 (+2 base, +1 Str, +1 parry) 21 (+4 base, +2 Str, +1 parry, +4 shield
bonus, unless using pollaxe)
Damage Reduction: 6 (scale corselet and steel cap) 6 (scale corselet and steel cap) 7 (mail hauberk and steel cap)
BAB/Grapple: +1/+2 +3/+4 +6/+8
Attack: Pollaxe +3 melee Pollaxe +5 melee Pollaxe +9 melee (2d6+3/x3/AP 10)
(2d6+2/x3/AP 9) (2d6+2/x3/AP 9) or arming sword +8 (1d10+2/19-20
x2/AP 4)
Full Attack: Pollaxe +3 melee Pollaxe +5 melee Pollaxe +9/+4 melee (2d6+3/x3/AP10)
(2d6+2/x3/AP 9) (2d6+2/x3/AP 9) or arming sword +8/+3 (1d10+2/19-
20 x2/AP 4)
Special Attacks: Formation Combat (Heavy Formation Combat (Heavy Infantry)
Infantry)
Special Qualities: Adaptability (Listen, Perform Adaptability (Listen, Perform Adaptability (Listen, Perform (guard
(guard mount)), Weapon (guard mount)), Weapon mount)), Weapon Familiarity, +1 racial
Familiarity, +1 racial bonus Familiarity, +1 racial bonus bonus to Fate Points, Background
to Fate Points, Background to Fate Points, Background Skills (Knowledge (local)), Spot,
Skills (Knowledge (local)), Skills (Knowledge (local)), Listen, Intimidate)
Spot, Listen, Intimidate) Spot, Listen, Intimidate)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. (1) /5 ft. (1)
Skills: Climb +3, Intimidate +1, Climb +4, Intimidate +1, Bluff +1, Climb +5, Intimidate +6,
Knowledge (local) +2, Listen Knowledge (local) +2, Listen Knowledge (local) +2, Listen +4,
+3, Perform (guard mount) +3, Perform (guard mount) Perform (guard mount) +7, Search +7,
+5, Search +2, Spot +1 +7, Search +3, Spot +1 Spot +2
Feats: Endurance, Power Attack, Brawl, Endurance, Parry, Endurance, Brawl, Cleave, Improved
Weapon Focus (pollaxe) Power Attack, Weapon Focus Bull Rush, Improved Sunder, Parry,
(pollaxe) Persuasive, Power Attack, Weapon
Focus (pollaxe)
Reputation: +4 +6 +8
Advancement: By character class (probably soldier)
Adventure Hooks: A drummer in the dark may have lost

Drummer in the Dark one or both of his hands, either due to an accident, an
Although all Pict tribes have their drummers, few can alligator or a harsh punishment while a captive (either
boast a true drummer in the dark, a musician devoted with another Pict tribe or in a Westermarck fort); he
to the dark powers hidden in their powerful music, decides to get revenge or goes insane. A drummer
devoted to the spirits in their drums and all around them. in the dark has a secret pact with a demon, and he
These drummers enhance the peculiar performances and must never reveal his name, yet he must always
malevolent magic of the shamans, and a few, after rising as offer clues to what it is when asked. A drummer
high as they can in this class, begin taking levels in scholar in the dark is believed by the tribe to be
to become full-edged shamans in their own right. an oracle for some dark spirit, demon
61
Sample Voyageur
Commoner Middleman Bowsman Steersman
Salt of the Earth
Speed: 30 ft.
DV Dodge: 11 13 17
DV Parry: 12 15 19
BAB/Grapple: +0/+2 +2/+5 +5/+9
Attack: Hatchet +2 melee (1d6+2/ x3 Hatchet +5 melee (1d6+3/ x3 Hatchet +9 melee (1d6+4/x3 / AP 5)
/ AP 3) or unarmed strike +2 / AP 4) or unarmed strike +5 or unarmed strike +9 (1d6+4/x2)
(1d4/x2) (1d6+3/x2)
Full Attack: Hatchet +2 melee (1d6+2/ x3 Hatchet +5 melee (1d6+3/ Hatchet +9 melee (1d6+4/x3 / AP 5)
/ AP 3) or unarmed strike +2 x3 / AP 4) or unarmed strike or unarmed strike +9 (1d6+4/x2) or
(1d4/x2) +5 (1d6+3/x2) or hatchet/ hatchet/unarmed strike +7/+7
unarmed strike +3/+3
Special Qualities: Illiteracy, Adaptability Illiteracy, Adaptability Illiteracy, Adaptability
(Knowledge (local), Survival), (Knowledge (local), Survival), (Knowledge(local), Survival), Skill
Weapon Familiarity Skill Focus (Profession), Focus (Profession), Skill Focus
Weapon Familiarity (Ride), Weapon Familiarity
Skills: Knowledge (geography) Gather Information +0, Heal Gather Information +3, Heal
+3, Knowledge (local) +5, +1, Knowledge (geography) +4, Knowledge (geography) +4,
Knowledge (nature) +3, Listen +3, Knowledge (local) +7, Knowledge (local) +13, Knowledge
+2, Profession (voyageur) +4, Knowledge (nature) +4, Listen (nature) +8, Listen +6, Profession
Ride (canoe) +5, Swim +4, Spot +3, Profession (voyageur) +11, (voyageur) +12, Ride (canoe) +11,
+4, Survival +4 Ride (canoe) +7, Swim +5, Swim +6, Spot +7, Survival +15
Spot +4, Survival +5
Feats: Endurance, Run Brawl, Endurance, Great Brawl, Carouser, Endurance, Great
Fortitude, Run Fortitude, Improved Unarmed
Strike, Run, Self-sufciency
or god; he has decided to wage war against a fort, city or confers on a Pict an additional +1 to Reputation, on top
region of the Westermarck. of the bonus applied for advancing through levels in the
rst place.
Hunt Master Adventure Hooks: The Picts are hunting for a legendary
Hunting is an important part of a Picts life, and an
creature said to live in the Pictish Wilderness, but rarely
important part of his tribes existence. A Pictish tribe
seen, so a hunt master is summoned from another tribe.
will hunt and kill hundreds and possibly thousands
The diplomatic greeting of this hunt master and the gift-
of animals during a particular hunting season. The
giving ceremonies are a huge affair for this tribe of Picts,
hunt master is a Pict who has earned a hunting
making the Westermarck and uneasy with the shifting of
chieftainship and has practised his abilities to
forces and strange behaviours of the Pict tribe. A hunt
hunt prey to an almost supernatural level.
master has seen a book depicting elephants and other
Hunt masters are highly respected and
animals of Vendhya or the Black Kingdoms; he is leading
the position is greatly coveted
a party of Picts across the world to bring trophies of these
among the Picts. Taking
fantastic monsters back.
levels in this class
62
Sample Drummer in the Dark
Medium Pict 5th Barbarian/1st Drummer in 5th Barbarian/5th Drummer in 5th Barbarian/10th Drummer in the
Barbarian the Dark the Dark Dark
Salt of the Earth

Hit Dice: 5d10+1d8+6 (42 hit points) 5d10+5d8+20 (74 hit points) 5d10+5d8+20+10 (84 hit points)
Speed: 30 ft.
DV Dodge: 16 (+3 Dex, +3 base) 19 (+3 Dex, +6 base) 24 (+4 Dex, +10 base)
DV Parry: 11 (+1 base) 15 (+1 Str, +4 base) 19 (+1 Str, +8 base)
BAB/Grapple: +5/+5 +8/+9 +12/+13
Attack: Club +8 melee nesse (1d8/x2, Club +11 melee nesse Club +16 melee nesse (1d8+1/x2, AP
AP 1); or hunting bow +8 (1d8+1/x2, AP 2); or hunting 2); or hunting bow +16 (1d8/x2, AP
(1d8/x2, AP 1*) bow +11 (1d8/x2, AP 1*) 1*)
Full Attack: Club and primitive hatchet Club and primitive hatchet Club and primitive hatchet
+8/+8 melee nesse (1d8/x2, +11/+6/+11 melee nesse +16/+11/+6/+16 melee nesse (1d8+1/
AP 1, and 1d6/x2); or hunting (1d8+1/x2, AP 2, and 1d6/x2); x2, AP 2, and 1d6/x2); or hunting bow
bow +8 (1d8/x2, AP 1*) or hunting bow +11/+6 (1d8/ +16/+11/+6 (1d8/x2, AP 1*)
x2, AP 1*)
Special Attacks: +1 to attack and damage +1 to attack and damage +1 to attack and damage rolls when
rolls when attacking animals; rolls when attacking animals; attacking animals; Versatility (only
Versatility (only -2 penalty Versatility (only -2 penalty -2 penalty when using improvised
when using improvised when using improvised weapons), Crimson Mist
weapons), Crimson Mist weapons), Crimson Mist
Special Pict racial qualities, +2 to saves Pict racial qualities, +2 to saves Pict racial qualities,+2 to saves against
Qualities: against fear, Bite Sword, Trap against fear, Bite Sword, Trap fear, Bite Sword, Trap Sense +1,
Note: Sense +1, Uncanny Dodge Sense +1, Uncanny Dodge, Uncanny Dodge, Drum Mastery (not
Circumstance Drum Mastery (not at- at-footed, movement, alert, take 10),
bonuses gured footed, movement), Counter Counter-Drumming, Echoes in the
into skills below Drumming Forest, Drum Master
Skills: Craft (talking drum) +7, Bluff +4, Craft (talking drum) Bluff +4, Craft (talking drum) +13,
Gather Information +5, Jump +10, Gather Information +8, Gather Information +14, Jump +6,
+4, Hide +7, Intimidate +10, Jump +6, Hide +8, Intimidate Hide +8, Intimidate +21, Knowledge
Knowledge (nature) +5, Listen +15, Knowledge (nature) +6, (nature) +8, Listen +16, Move Silently
+6, Move Silently +7, Perform Listen +11, Move Silently +7, +7, Perform (talking drum) +26, Spot
(talking drum) +15, Spot +3, Perform (talking drum) +20, +11, Survival +4, Tumble +5
Survival +3, Tumble +5 Spot +6, Survival +4, Tumble
+5
Feats: Carried with the Windb, Drum Carried with the Windb, Drum Carried with the Windb, Drum Focus,
Focus, Drums of Fear, Drums Focus, Drums of Fear, Drums Drums of Fear, Drums of the Altar,
of the Altar, Drums of the of the Altar, Drums of the Drums of the Fire, Drums of the
Hunt, Enduranceb, Iron Will, Hunt, Drums of the Serpentb, Hunt, Drums of the Serpentb, Drums
Mobilityb, Trackb Drums of Valusia, Drums of of Valusia, Drums of War, Drums of
War, Enduranceb, Iron Will, Zogar Sagb, Enduranceb, Iron Will,
Mobilityb, Trackb Menacing Aurab, Mobilityb, Steely
Gaze, Trackb
Advancement: By character class (probably drummer in the dark)
Possessions: Club, hunting bow, 12 arrows, primitive hatchet, appropriate ornaments
63
Sample Hunt Master
Medium Pict 6th Barbarian / 1st Hunt 6th Barbarian / 4th Hunt
Barbarian Master Master 6th Barbarian / 10th Hunt Master
Salt of the Earth
Hit Dice: 6d10+1d8+14 (56 hit points) 6d10+4d8+20 (75 hit points) 6d10+4d8+30+24 (109 hit points)
Speed: 40 ft.
DV Parry: 13 (+1 Str, +2 base) 15 (+2 Str, +3 base) 17 (+2 Str, +5 base)
BAB/Grapple: +7/+8 +10/+12 +16/+18
Attack: Club +11 melee nesse (1d8+1/ Club +15 melee nesse (1d8+2/ Club +23 melee nesse (1d8+2/x2,
x2, AP 2); or hunting bow +11 x2, AP 2); or hunting bow +15 AP 2); or hunting bow +23 (1d8/19-
(1d8/x2, AP 1*) (1d8/x2, AP 1*) 20x2, AP 1*)
+11/+6/+11 melee nesse +15/+10/+15 melee nesse +23/+18/+13/+8/+23 melee nesse
(1d8+1/x2, AP 2, and 1d6/x2); (1d8+2/x2, AP 2, and 1d6/x2); (1d8+2/x2, AP 2, and 1d6/x2); or
or hunting bow +9/+4/+9 (1d8/ or hunting bow +13/+8/+13 hunting bow +21/+16/+11/+6/+21
x2, AP 1*) (1d8/x2, AP 1*) (1d8/19-20x2, AP 1*)
when using improvised when using improvised weapons), Crimson Mist.
weapons), Crimson Mist. weapons), Crimson Mist.
Special Qualities: Pict racial qualities,+2 to saves Pict racial qualities,+2 to saves Pict racial qualities, +2 to saves
Note: against fear, Bite Sword, Trap against fear, Bite Sword, Trap against fear, Bite Sword, Trap Sense
Circumstance Sense +1, Uncanny Dodge, Sense +1, Uncanny Dodge, +1, Uncanny Dodge, Wild Empathy,
bonuses gured Wild Empathy, Poison Use Wild Empathy, Poison Use, Poison Use, Woodland Stride, Swift
into skills below Woodland Stride, Swift Tracker Tracker (full-speed, run), Camouage,
(full-speed) Passing of the Panther, Hide in Plain
Sight
Skills: Climb +2, Craft (body paint) Climb +3, Craft (body paint) Climb +11, Craft (body paint) +10,
+5, Hide +16, Jump +3, +8, Hide +20, Jump +4, Hide +28, Jump +10, Knowledge
Knowledge (nature) +6, Listen Knowledge (nature) +7, Listen (geography) +6, Knowledge (nature)
+7, Move Silently +16, Spot +10, Move Silently +20, Spot +7, Listen +17, Move Silently +28,
+12, Survival +12, Tumble +8, +13, Survival +15, Tumble +9, Spot +20, Survival +20, Tumble +13,
Use Rope +5 Use Rope +6 Use Rope +8
Feats: Endurance, Fleet-Footed, Endurance, Fleet-Footed, Acrobatic, Endurance, Fleet-Footed,
Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Improved Initiative, Mobility, Improved Critical (hunting bow),
Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Improved Initiative, Improved Precise
Stealthy, Track Rapid Shot, Run, Stealthy, Shot, Mobility, Out of Thin Air,
Track Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid
Shot, Run, Stealthy, Track
Advancement: By character class (probably barbarian)
guidance to their tribes, and often become de facto tribal

Shaman leaders.
The Pictish tribes hold their shamen in great
regard, according them special living privileges The savage nature of Pictish magic has given these shamen
and excusing them from participation in the a fearful reputation amongst Aquilonian and other
mundane business of daily life. In return Hyborian settlers looking for a new life on the frontier.
shamen provide spiritual and magical These tales of blood sacrices are not understated, and
some of the nest woodsmen and borderers have ended
up as victims on a sacricial stake.
64
Sample Shaman
Medium Pict
Scholar 1st level 6th level 10th level
Salt of the Earth

Speed: 30 ft.
DV (Dodge): 12 (+0 base, +2 Dex) 14 (+2 base, +2 Dex) 16 (+3 base, +3 Dex)
DV (Parry): 9 (+0 base, -1 Str) 11 (+2 base, -1 Str) 13 (+3 base, +0 Str)
BAB/Grapple: +0/-1 +4/+3 +7/+7
Attack: Primitive Knife +2 nesse Primitive Knife +6 nesse (1d4- Primitive Knife +10 nesse (1d4/
(1d4-1/x2/AP 0) 1/x2/AP 0) x2/AP 0)
Full Attack: Primitive Knife +2 nesse Primitive Knife +6 nesse (1d4- Primitive Knife +10/+5 nesse
(1d4-1/x2/AP 0) 1/x2/AP 0) (1d4/x2/AP 0)
Special Attacks: Spells Spells Spells
Special Qualities: Pict racial qualities, new Pict racial qualities, new sorcery Pict racial qualities, new sorcery
sorcery style, scholar, style x3, scholar, background, style x4, scholar, background, base
background, base Power Points, base Power Points, Knowledge is Power Points, Knowledge is Power,
Knowledge is Power Power, +2 Power Points, advanced +3 Power Points, advanced spell x8,
spell x4, bonus spell, increased bonus spell x2, increased maximum
maximum Power Points (triple) Power Points (triple)
Skills: Bluff +6, Craft (alchemy) +5, Bluff +12, Concentration +1, Bluff +17, Concentration +8,
Includes all racial Heal +5, Hide +6, Intimidate Craft (alchemy) +6, Craft (body Craft (alchemy) +8, Craft (body
and circumstance +6, Jump +2, Knowledge paint) +7, Craft (Mask) +7, Heal paint) +9, Craft (Mask) +9, Heal
bonuses (arcana) +7, Knowledge +11, Hide +6, Intimidate +12, +15, Hide +7, Intimidate +17,
(geography) +7, Knowledge Jump +2, Knowledge (arcana) Jump +3, Knowledge (arcana)
(religion) +7, Listen +3, Move +13, Knowledge (geography) +8, +17, Knowledge (geography) +8,
Silently +4, Perform (ritual) Knowledge (religion) +13, Listen Knowledge (religion) +17, Listen
+9, Sense Motive +5, Spot +3, +4, Move Silently +4, Perform +4, Move Silently +5, Perform
Survival +3, Tumble +5 (ritual) +15, Sense Motive +11, (ritual) +20, Sense Motive +15,
Spot +4, Survival +4, Tumble +5 Spot +4, Survival +4, Tumble +6
Feats: Knowledgeable, Skill Focus Iron Willb, Knowledgeable, A Painted Black Skull, Bleed
(Perform) Priest, Ritual Sacrice, Skill Focus Dry, Iron Willb, Knowledgeable,
(Perform), Tortured Sacrice Priest, Ritual Sacrice, Skill Focus
(Perform), Tortured Sacrice
Magical Attack: +2 (+0 base, +2 Cha) +6 (+3 base, +3 Cha) +9 (+5 base, +4 Cha)
Power Points: 5 (10 maximum) 8 (24 maximum) 9 (28 maximum)
Styles Known: Nature Magic Nature Magic, Curses, Nature Magic, Curses,
Counterspells Counterspells, Divination
Spells Known: Summon beast Awful rite of the were-beast, greater Astrological prediction, awful rite of
ill-fortune, greater summon beast, the were-beast, dance of the changing
ill-fortune, lesser ill-fortune, rune serpent, greater ill-fortune, greater
of Jhebbal Sag, summon beast, summon beast, greater warding, ill-
warding fortune, lesser ill-fortune, psychometry,
put them into the swamp, rune of
Jhebbal Sag, summon beast, visions,
warding
Corruption: 0 2 4
Advancement: By character class (probably scholar)
65
Sample Generic Picts
Medium Pict 1st level 3rd level 5th level
Barbarian Warrior Sub-Chief Chief
Salt of the Earth
Speed: 30 ft.
DV Dodge: 13 (+3 Dex) 15 (+3 Dex, +2 base) 17 (+4 Dex, +3 base)
DV Parry: 11 (+1 Str) 12 (+1 Str, +1 base) 12 (+1 Str, +1 base)
BAB/Grapple: +1/+2 +3/+4 +5/+6
x2, AP 2); or hunting bow +4 x2, AP 2); or hunting bow +6 AP 2); or hunting bow +9 (1d8/x2,
(1d8/x2, AP 1*) (1d8/x2, AP 1*) AP 1*)
Full Attack: Club and primitive hatchet Club and primitive hatchet Club and primitive hatchet +9/+9
+4/+4 melee nesse (1d8+1/ +6/+6 melee nesse (1d8+1/x2, melee nesse (1d8+1/x2, AP 2, and
x2, AP 2, and 1d6/x2); or AP 2, and 1d6/x2); or hunting 1d6/x2); or hunting bow +7/+7
hunting bow +4 (1d8/x2, AP bow +4/+4 (1d8/x2, AP 1*) (1d8/x2, AP 1*)
1*)
weapons) weapons), Crimson Mist
Special Qualities: Pict racial qualities, +2 to saves Pict racial qualities, +2 to saves Pict racial qualities, +2 to saves
against fear against fear, Bite Sword, Trap against fear, Bite Sword, Trap Sense
Sense +1 +1, Uncanny Dodge
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +5, Will 1 Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +0 Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +0
Skills: Note: Hide +11, Jump +7, Listen +2, Hide +12, Jump +7, Listen +3, Hide +14, Jump +7, Listen +4,
Circumstance Move Silently +11, Spot +2, Move Silently +12, Spot +3, Move Silently +14, Spot +4,
bonuses gured into Survival +2, Tumble +6 Survival +4, Tumble +6 Survival +6, Tumble +7
skills
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Stealthy, Endurance, Point Blank Shot, Endurance, Mobility, Point Blank
Track Rapid Shot, Stealthy, Track Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot,
Stealthy, Track
When the Cataclysm struck, the Pictish Isles were thrust

Pict upward in a destructive convulsion which formed the
The Picts are a warlike race of barbarians, strong and mountains of a new continent, and the Picts were utterly
shadowy, the ercest of all the savage races of the Hyborian annihilated save for that one small colony.
Age, and, ultimately, its greatest foe. From the earliest
age, the Picts have haunted the world, rising and falling The mysterious Picts are a primitive people whose
with its fortunes, but ever enduring, waiting for their bloodthirsty culture engenders fear and loathing in those
time, their moment of glory, a moment that is not cultures who most often come into conict with them,
far off. including Vanir, Cimmeria, Zingara and Hyboria. This
sinister culture, however, is not well known or studied,
The Picts existed long before the and few outside of the Pict nations know their brutal
Cataclysm that wiped out the ways and cruel customs. Their unsavoury culture is one
Atlanteans and Lemurians. of stone-aged tribal living, powerful chiefs and inuential
speakers, tribal traditions and fearlessness.
66
Sample Generic Picts (Contd.)
Medium Pict 8th level 10th level 15th level
Barbarian War Chief Council Chief Elder Chief
Salt of the Earth

Hit Dice: 8d10+16 (67 hit points) 10d10+20 (79 hit points) 10d10+30+15 (104 hit points)
Speed: 30 ft.
DV Parry: 14 (+1 Str, +3 base) 14 (+1 Str, +3 base) 16 (+1 Str, +5 base)
DR: - 1/- 2/-
BAB/Grapple: +8/+9 +10/+12 +15/+17
Attack: Club +13 melee nesse Club +15 melee nesse Club +21 melee nesse (1d8+2/19-
(1d8+1/x2, AP 2); or hunting (1d8+2/x2, AP 3); or hunting 20 x2, AP 3); or hunting bow +21
bow +13 (1d8/x2, AP 1*) bow +15 (1d8/x2, AP 1*) (1d8/19-20 x2, AP 1*)
+13/+8/+13 melee nesse +15/+10/+15 melee nesse +21/+16/+11/+21 melee nesse
(1d8+1/x2, AP 2, and 1d6/x2); (1d8+2/x2, AP 3, and 1d6/x2); (1d8+2/19-20x2, AP 3, and
or hunting bow +11/+6/+11 or hunting bow +13/+8/+13 1d6/19-20 x2); or hunting bow
(1d8/x2, AP 1*) (1d8/x2, AP 1*) +19/+14/+9/+19 (1d8/19-20 x2,
AP 1*)
rolls when attacking animals; rolls when attacking animals; attacking animals; Versatility (no
Versatility (no penalty when Versatility (no penalty when penalty when using improvised
using improvised weapons), using improvised weapons), weapons and double threat range),
Crimson Mist Crimson Mist Crimson Mist, Greater Crimson
Mist
Special Qualities: Pict racial qualities, +2 to saves Pict racial qualities, +2 to saves Pict racial qualities, +2 to saves
against fear, Bite Sword, Trap against fear, Bite Sword, Trap against fear, Bite Sword, Trap Sense
Sense +2, Uncanny Dodge, Sense +3, Uncanny Dodge, +5, Uncanny Dodge, Improved
Improved Uncanny Dodge Improved Uncanny Dodge, Uncanny Dodge, DR 2/-
DR 1/-
Skills: Hide +18, Jump +7, Listen +5, Hide +20, Jump +8, Listen +6, Hide +24, Jump +12, Listen +12,
Move Silently +18, Spot +5, Move Silently +20, Spot +5, Move Silently +23, Spot +6, Survival
Survival +10, Tumble +8 Survival +12, Tumble +8 +18, Tumble +9
Feats: Diehard, Endurance, Mobility, Cleave, Diehard, Endurance, Cleave, Diehard, Endurance, Far
Point Blank Shot, Power Far Shot, Improved Mobility, Shot, Greater Mobility, Improved
Attack, Precise Shot, Rapid Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Mobility, Improved Precise Shot,
Shot, Stealthy, Track Power Attack, Precise Shot, Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Power
Rapid Shot, Stealthy, Track Attack, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot,
Stealthy, Track, Wicked Savagery
67
mercenaries. They felt they were too great a force for the
Galoric Picts to threaten but they never considered treachery from
within their own ranks. The Hyperboreans devised a plan
Salt of the Earth
to split the tribute gold with the Legionnaires and head to

And how come you to be counsellor to a Pict the sea to escape. Most of the legion remained loyal and a
chief? asked Conan. battle raged even as more and more of their comrades were
slain. The Hyperborean mercenaries made up the bulk
The luck of the gods was with me that day. I staggered of the survivors and so hauled the tribute away toward
into this village near death. They would have slain me.
the sea, however, their struggle with the XXI Legion had
But Ptaka was deathly ill. My learning as a surgeon
helped him to health and so I was spared. He believes drawn the attention of the Picts who ambushed and slew
that I am magic that he can only live as long as I am them all, taking the gold with them. A wounded Galoric
near. later stumbled into a Pictish village, where he managed to
restore the health of the Pictish king Ptaka, earning him a
Charles Dixon, The Lost Legion
place as the village shaman.
Medium Aquilonian Soldier 6th Galoric is dark-haired and muscular. He and his tribe
Hit Dice: 6d10+3d6+9 (57 hp) are the enemies of the Btoth tribe of Picts, who took the
Initiative: +1 (-1 Dex, +2 Reex save) tribute and melted it down, creating a golden throne.
Speed: 30 ft. Conan stole the throne, but later lost it in the Wilderness,
DV (Dodge): 12 (+3 level, -1 Dex) its location is now only known to Galoric. He is friendly
DV (Parry): 16 (+5 level, +1 Str) and will stop his tribe of Picts from harming white-skinned
DR: 5 (mail shirt) characters.
Base Attack Bonus/Grapple: +6/+7
Attack: Broadsword +7 melee Adventure Hook: Galoric could be convinced to lead the
Full Attack: Broadsword +7/+2 melee Player Characters to the golden throne or he might be an
Damage: Broadsword 1d10 / 19-20 x2 / AP 4 ally, able to supply guides or aid if the characters are lost in
Special Attacks: Formation Combat (Heavy Infantry) the Pictish Wilderness.
Special Qualities: Hyborian qualities, adaptability (heal,
bluff), weapon familiarity, background skills (heal, bluff,
sense motive, survival)
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +2, Will +4
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 9, Con 13, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 14
Skills: Bluff +13, Climb +5, Diplomacy +4, Heal +15,
Intimidate +4, Knowledge (geography) +12, Listen +4,
Perform (guard mount) +6, Profession (tribune) +8, Sense
Motive +10, Spot +4, Survival +13
Feats: Alertness, Combat Expertise, Endurance, Improved
Disarm, Improved Trip, Negotiator, Persuasive, Self-
Sufcient, Track
Reputation: 8 (Talented)
Allegiances: Chieftain Ptaka, King Conan
Possessions: Broadsword, feathered cape, mail shirt
Galoric is a former tribune of the Imperial Legions of

Aquilonia, assigned as a surgeon for the XXI Legion.
He is the only survivor of the legion; the others
were slaughtered to a man. The XXI was on
march toward the Pictish King Grntar
with golden tribute accompanied
by an army of Hyperborean
68
Spells Known: Animal Ally, Astrological Prediction, Awful
Zogar Sag Rite of the Werebeast, Bind Demon3, Children of the Night,
Control Magical Beast3, Control Monstrous Humanoid3,
Salt of the Earth

Crimson Portents2, Dance of the Changing Serpent, Dance of
A tense silence reigned as Zogar Sag turned the Skull2, Domination, Draw Forth the Soul, Dread Serpent,
toward the forest, raised on his tiptoes and sent Dream of Wisdom, Entrance, Greater Summon Beast, Greater
a weird inhuman call shuddering out into the night. Warding, Hypnotic Suggestion, Lesser Ill-Fortune, Mass
Somewhere, far out in the black forest, a deeper cry Hypnotic Suggestion, Master-Words and Signs, Put Them Into
answered him. Balthus shuddered. From the timbre of the Swamp2, Rune of Jhebbal Sag, Summon Beast, Summon
that cry he knew it never came from a human throat.
Demon, Summon Swarm2, Visions, Warding
He remembered what Valannus had said that Zogar
boasted that he could summon wild beasts to do his Corruption: 6
bidding. Reputation: 78 (Villain) (He may add a +8 bonus to his
Bluff, Intimidate and Gather Information checks)
Robert E. Howard, Beyond the Black River Leadership: 27 (13th level cohort; 600 1st level, 24 2nd level,
six 3rd level, three 4th level, one 5th level)
Medium Outsider Child of Jhebbal Sag (Pict Scholar 18) Code of Honour: None
Hit Dice: 10d6+20+10 (71 hp) Insanities: Minor: Phobia (enclosed spaces)
Initiative: +10 (+4 Dex, +6 Reex save) Allegiances: Picts, Jhebbal Sag, Obsession (vengeance)
Speed: 30 ft.
DV (Dodge): 20 (+6 level, +4 Dex) Possessions: Feathered headdress, bones, loincloth, primitive
DV (Parry): 17 (+6 level, +1 Str) club, primitive hatchet
DR: b
= Bonus feat.
Base Attack Bonus/Grapple: +13/+14 1
= Feat from The Scrolls of Skelos.
Attack: Primitive Club +17 melee nesse 2
= New spell from this book.
Full Attack: Primitive Club +17/+12/+7 or Primitive hatchet 3
= Spell from The Scrolls of Skelos.
+17/+12/+7 melee nesse
Damage: Primitive Club 1d8+1 / x2 / AP 1; Primitive hatchet Zogar Sag, son to a woman of Gwawela, is a child of Jhebbal
1d6 / x2 / AP 1 Sag who still visits his sacred groves at times. He is a wizard
Special Attacks: Spells, +1 circumstance bonus to attack and among the Picts and gathered at least sixteen tribes to attack
damage rolls when attacking animals Conajohara. He is a lean gure of middle height, almost
Special Qualities: Pict qualities, illiterate, scholar, background hidden in ostrich plumes set on a harness of leather and
(acolyte), base power points, knowledge is power, +5 power copper. From amidst the plumes one can see his hideous and
points, advanced spells x20, sorcery styles x6, maximum malevolent face.
power points (quadruple), bonus spells x2, low-light vision,
wild empathy He remembers Jhebbal Sag, and can speak to other animals
Space/Reach: 5 ft. (1)/5 ft. (1) that likewise remember. He likes to collect the heads of his
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +10, Will +16 enemies, sending his Swamp Devil most often to perform
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 17, Cha 25 this chore for him. He places the heads in his hut. Often
Skills: Bluff +28, Concentration +10, Craft (mask) +17, he has a creature guarding his hut. If one who remembers
Handle Animal +20, Heal +24, Hide +8, Intimidate +28, Jhebbal Sag is not available to serve as a guardian, he will
Jump +4, Knowledge (arcana) +23, Knowledge (geography) chain up a regular brute.
+15, Knowledge (nature) +23, Knowledge (religion) +10,
Move Silently +6, Perform (dance) +10, Perform (ritual) +31, He was recently incarcerated by the Aquilonians and put into
Ride +6, Sense Motive +24, Survival +11, Tumble +11 a cell, a dire insult among the Picts and one of Zogars phobias.
Feats: Iron Willb, Adept (Nature Magic), Animal Afnity, He became obsessed with destroying those who imprisoned
Child of Jhebbal Sag 1, Greater Control 1, Hexer, Leadership, him, ultimately letting his obsession stir up the Pictish tribes
Ritual Sacrice, Skill Focus (Perform: ritual), Stealthy, enough to conquer Conajohara. In combat, Zogar Sag
Tortured Sacrice generally summons animals out of the black swamps of
Magic Attack Bonus: +16 (+9 level, +7 Cha) Pictland to aid him. He also has, via enchantments
Base Power Points: 10 (40 maximum) (-2 base power points and sorceries unknown, linked himself with one of his
because of obsession) brothers, a Swamp Devil. The exact reasons behind
Sorcery Styles Known: Counterspells, Curses, Divination, the link with his half-brother are unknown, but
Hypnotism, Nature Magic, Summonings if either one takes any damage, the other
also takes the damage. They can
communicate via telepathy.
69
Ligureans
The White Druids of Pictland
Ligureans
simple one or two roomed affairs, with a hearth. They

often perch their rough homes in naturally fortied or
Between the warriors and the dancing inaccessible locations. The roughness of their homes and
shaman stood one who was no Pict. For villages serve a purpose for these savages as they are easy
he was tall as I, and his skin was light in to tear down and rebuild, a necessity for these masters
the play of the fire. But he was clad only in of guerrilla warfare. Ligureans enjoy strong drink and
doeskin loin-clout and moccasins, and his body was
manufacture their own mead, a potent fermented drink
painted, and there was a hawk-feather in his hair, so
I knew he must be Ligurean, one of these light-skinned made from honey.
savages who dwell in small clans in the great forest,
generally at war with the Picts, but sometimes at peace Names: Robert E. Howard did not provide any Ligurean
and allied with them. Their skins were as white as an names, though L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter
Aquilonians. The Picts are a white race too, in that provided the name of their most powerful druid, Diviatix.
they are not black nor brown nor yellow, but they are
Other names, such as gods and places, have a distinct Celtic
black-eyed and black-haired and dark of skin, and neither
they nor the Ligureans are spoken of as white by the air to them, so their names are likely going to take the
people of the Westermarck, who only designate thus a same style. Perhaps some names will also show a distinct
man of Hyborian blood. Pictish inuence due to sheer propinquity.
Robert E. Howard, Wolves Beyond the Border Religion: Robert E. Howard says nothing about the
religious nature of the Ligureans. Since the race do not
name themselves after animals as are the Picts, it stands
to reason that the Ligureans do not have totem spirits.
The Ligureans are a tribe of light-skinned According to Black Sphinx of Nebthu, by L. Sprague de
savages living in the Pictish Wilderness, but they are not Camp and Lin Carter, the Ligureans worship nature as a
Picts. They live in the northwest and are usually at war whole, with deities not unlike those of the Cimmerians in
with many of the surrounding Pictish tribes, though they name. Their nature deities, called the Lords of Creation,
occasionally manage short-term alliances with several are savage deities, and Nuadens Argatlam of the Silver
of them. No one knows who and what they are; some Hand, also known as the Lord of the Great Abyss, is but
scholars believe they are descended from Acheroneans one of them. The druids worship their dark gods and
who managed to become lost in the wilderness, either goddesses in great groves in the north-eastern reaches of
intentionally or otherwise, and descended down the Pictland. The largest and greatest of these groves is called
evolutionary ladder to a state of stone-age primitivism. Nuadwyddon.
Others believe they are a pocket group of Atlanteans
related to the Cimmerians. Perhaps they are the remnants Their wizard-priests are known as druids. Dressed in
of a surviving branch of Valusian. The truth is shrouded white, they travel with staves and carry golden sickles
in the dim mists of time. Their place names indicate they tucked into their belts as an emblem of their rank. Even
probably live near the Cimmerian end of the Pictish the greatest and most bloodthirsty of the Pict warchiefs
Wilderness. dare not to harm one of the druids and some say the
Picts fear the Ligurean druids. These druids appear to be
Culture: Regardless of their origins, the Ligureans impartial to the feuding, neither aiding nor hindering the
live as the Picts do, indistinguishable but for their violent feuds raging throughout the Pictish wilderness.
white skin. They live in scattered villages and However, they are not impartial to the activities of black
are a rough, strong and bold people. magic, particularly magic wrought by the priests of Set.
They live in caves and makeshift This attitude may stem from racial memories of Acheron
dwellings of wood, branches and their treatment of the Picts and the early Ligureans,
and animal skins, often or from actual oral traditions handed down through the
70
generations. Ligurean druids are also familiar with Mitran class, sorcery teaching, ability to move peacefully among
symbols and wards, knowledge that likely comes from Pictish and Ligurean tribes without fear of ambush or
centuries of warring with the Bossonians. unprovoked attack
Typical Punishments for Disloyal Priests: Sacricing
Racial Features: All of the following are racial features of the offending priest to the Lords of Creation, either on an
the Ligureans. altar, where he is stabbed to death or within a giant wicker
Ligureans
man, where he is burned alive.
+2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence. The Ligureans are
nimble, but they are generally poorly educated. The Acolyte Path of the Ligurean Druids
+2 racial bonus to all Craft (mundane) checks. Scholar Level Ligurean Druid spells learned
The Ligureans enjoy handiwork and excel in the 1 Summon beast
areas of craft and construction. +2 racial bonus to 2 Warding
Knowledge (nature). The teachings by their religious 3 Greater summon beast, rune of Jhebbal Sag
leaders emphasise a communion with nature. 4 Animal ally, astrological prediction
+1 circumstance bonus to attack and damage rolls 5 Visions
made when attacking a creature of the Animal type. 6 Children of the night
Like the Picts, the Ligureans are one of the few races 7 Dream of wisdom, greater warding
who manage to live entirely by hunting, without any 8 Ill-fortune, lesser ill-fortune
need to farm or herd animals. Note that if using a 9 Free choice
ranged weapon, the Ligurean only gains the damage 10 Free choice
bonus of the prey is within one range increment of
the weapon.
Illiterate. Ligureans begin play without the ability Diviatix, the
to read and write, unless they choose to spend 2 skill
points to gain it. White Druid of
Background Skills: Craft, Survival, Knowledge
Nuadwyddon
Medium Ligurean Scholar 20th level
(nature).
Hit Dice: 10d6+30+10 (81 hit points)
Initiative: +9 (+3 Dex, +6 Ref )
Favoured Class: Barbarian or Scholar.
Speed: 30 ft.
DV (dodge): 20 (+3 Dex, +7 base)
Prohibited Classes: Noble, Nomad, Pirate.
DV (parry): 18 (+1 Str, +7 base)
DR: 0
Automatic Languages: Pict, Talking Drum.
BAB/Grapple: +15/+16
Attack: Staff of Leaf and Bud +19 melee nesse (2d4+1/
Bonus Languages: Aquilonian, Cimmerian,
x2/AP 2)
Nordheimer.
Full Attack: Staff of Leaf and Bud +19/+14/+9 melee
nesse (2d4+1/x2/AP 2)
The Lords of Creation: Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
The Ligurean Pantheon Special Attacks: +1 to attack and damage rolls when
attacking animals; spells
The Ligureans worship the Lords of Creation, nature
Special Qualities: Illiterate; new sorcery style x6, scholar,
gods and goddesses not unlike the Cimmerian pantheon.
background (lay priest), base power points, knowledge
Nuadens Argatlam of the Silver Hand, Lord of the Great
is power, +5 power points, 5 bonus spells, increased
Abyss, is one of the Ligureans Lords of Creation, along
maximum power points (quintuple)
with Mother Danu. Jhebbal Sag is also treated as one of
the Lords of Creation.
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 16, Con 16, Int 16, Wis 24,
Cha 17
Requirements of Worship: Be a Ligurean.
Skills: Bluff +16, Concentration +16, Craft
Benets of Worship: Spells.
(herbalism) +16, Craft (Wickercraft) +13,
Requirements for Ordained Priesthood: Must know at
Diplomacy +5, Gather Information
least one sorcery style.
+24, Heal +30, Intimidate +18,
Benets of Ordained Priesthood: Standard, plus as
follows: Knowledge (nature) is a class skill regardless of
71
Knowledge (arcana) +27, Knowledge (religion) +24,
Knowledge (nature) +28, Knowledge (geography) +24, But Trocero knew why Conan had let
Knowledge (local) +9, Perform (ritual) +24, Perform (sing) Diviatix return to the West. Dekanawatha,
the high king or warlord of the savage Picts, had
+12, Sense Motive +25, Survival +18 fallen in battle. His successor, Sagoyaga, was full
Feats: Iron Will b, Magical Power Attack, Ritual Sacrice, of bloodthirsty ambition. He planned to league all the
Improved Sorcerous Sight, Demon Killer, Carouser, Adept Pictish tribes, and their neighbours the Ligureans as
Ligureans
well, for an invasion of the westernmost Aquilonian

(Divination), Adept (Nature Magic), Priest, Negotiator, provinces. Only the White Druid had enough influence
Persuasive in those wild parts to deter the Pictish chieftain from
Power Points: 16 (80 maximum) launching his attack while the king of Aquilonia was
busy elsewhere.
Sorcery Styles: Nature Magic, Counterspells, Hypnotism,
L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter, Red Moon of
Summonings, Divination, Curses, Cosmic Sorcery Zembabwei
Spells Known: Summon Beast1, Lesser Ill-fortune1,
Warding1, Entrance1, The Time is Right2, Master-Words and each other so they do not rise together and threaten the
Signs1, Astrological Prediction1, Greater Summon Beast1, west. He is apparently on good terms with Mitran priests,
Ill-fortune1, Animal Ally1, Crimson Portents3, Torment2, as he is allowed to enter their grandest temple and take
Summon Swarm3, Summon Demon1, Banish Outsider2, the Heart of Ahriman when the need arises. Conan trusts
Control Monstrous Humanoid2, Dance of the Skull3, him, but most Hyborians are distrustful at best. Ligureans
Hypnotic Suggestion1, Mass Hypnotic Suggestion1, Savage are not far removed from Picts in their minds. It is likely
Beast1, Dream of Wisdom1, Greater Warding1, Curse of that Diviatix also travels in Cimmeria, which is possibly
Yizil1,4, Domination1, Sorcerous News1, Greater Sorcerous why Conan accepts him so readily. The Ligurean lands are
News1, Rune of Jhebbal Sag1, Sorcerous Garden2, Summon to the north, near the misty hills of Cimmeria. Diviatix
Elemental1, Control Magical Beast2, Master Warding2, is powerful enough that Thoth-Amon readily recognises
Greater Ill-Fortune1 him in Black Sphinx of Nebthu. He wields a staff of leaf
Magical Attack: +13 (+10 base, +3 charisma) and bud. Diviatix is an ally of Conan and, inexplicably, of
Reputation: 43 (Talented) Aquilonia in general. His fondness for saving Aquilonia
Obsession: Alcohol may derive from his fondness for the Cimmerian king or
Reputation: 13 (Trickster) (He may add a +8 bonus to his for Hyborian alcohol.
Bluff, Intimidate and Gather Information checks)
Leadership:
Code of Honour: None Staff of Leaf and Bud
Allegiances: Ligurean Druids, Pictland, Aquilonia This magical item resembles a quarterstaff. It can be used
as a weapon, in which case it is treated as a quarterstaff but
Possessions: White robes, staff of leaf and bud with a +1 enhancement bonus on all attack rolls made with
it. In addition, it can be used to deliver spells that have
b
= bonus feat a range of touch. Used in this way, it activates the spell
1
= spell found in Conan the Roleplaying Game whenever it strikes an enemy, whether or not its regular
2
= spell found in The Scrolls of Skelos melee damage penetrates his armour. Furthermore, each
3
= spell found in Across the Thunder River type of staff reduces the Power Point cost of casting spells
4
= Any sorcerer who qualies for the Curse of Yizil gains from the appropriate Nature Magic sorcery style by one,
this. to a minimum of one. This applies both to the initial
spellcasting cost and to any maintenance cost required by
Diviatix is one of the most famous Ligurean druids. He is spells with a duration of Power Points.
from Nuadwyddon, a great grove in Pictland. Although
a drunkard, he is extremely wise and knowing. He is a The staff itself must be cut from a living silver birch tree,
harmless looking person, well past his middle years. He and must be crafted individually for the wielder if stolen
is bald, save for a few straggling wisps of thin white or otherwise acquired from the original wielder, it has no
hair. His eyes are a watery blue colour and his face effect.
is pale and wattled with loose wrinkles. His legs
are thin and scrawny. He dresses in white robes Manufacturing Costs: 90,000 sp; 9,000 XP; caster level
and is involved in the politics of the various 12th; spell required (basic spell from the Nature Magic
Pict tribes and actually works to keep sorcery style); a limb, at least, seven feet in length, hewn
the tribes sundered and ghting from a living silver birch tree.
72
The Picts
The Picts
Masters of the Savage Land
The Picts are a warlike race of barbarians, Pictish Wilderness. This stretch of untamed timberland
strong and shadowy, the ercest of all the savage races of extended from Cimmeria and Vanaheim in the north to
the Hyborian Age, and, ultimately, its greatest foe. The the Valley of Zingg in the south. To the west the Picts lived
conicts of this campaign setting set the stage for the along the shore of the Western Ocean, and their eastern
horrible conagrations of the future, foreshadowing the border was an unnamed river at the edge of the Bossonian
downfall of this legendary age. From the earliest age, the Marches, about 20 miles to the east of the Thunder River.
Picts have haunted the world, rising and falling with its For 500 years they dwelt among this lush vastness, trading
fortunes, but ever enduring, waiting for their time, their and raiding, and growing resentful of their eviction from
moment of glory, a moment that is not far off. lands that became a mythical promised land to them.
The Picts existed long before the Cataclysm that wiped But as Aquilonia became hungry for more land, the
out the Atlanteans and Lemurians. During that far off Picts were again forced westward, this time being pushed
age, the Picts dwelled among a chain of islands far out into beyond the Thunder River, while the land between the
the Western Ocean. The Picts of that era allied themselves Thunder and what had become the Black River became
with the civilised peoples of the age and began to acquire the Westermarck. The Picts were outraged. War councils
the trappings of a civilised culture themselves. A small were held, and still the Picts did nothing, waiting, lurking,
colony of Picts even left their traditional island homes hoping. The barons of Aquilonia in their gleaming
to live in the southern portion of Valusia. When the Hyborian cities, not satised with the strip of land between
Cataclysm struck, the Pictish Isles were thrust upward in Thunder and the Marches, pushed across the river, taking
a destructive convulsion which formed the mountains of the lands between the Thunder and the Black River. War
a new continent, and the Picts were utterly annihilated drums beat through the dark forest like a quickening pulse
save for that one small colony. and, led by a charismatic shaman, the Picts waged their
rst real war against the Hyborians, pushing the greedy
The Valusian colony of Picts were blasted back into the Aquilonia back to the Thunder.
stone age, becoming savage brutes living in caves and
making weapons of int and bone. They retained a dim Now, inspired by their victory, the Picts are hungry, and
recollection of their heritage as a single culture until the their hunger will only be slaked by the conquest of the
second cataclysm rumbled across the world, and in its Westermarck.
wake even that was lost. All that remained was the word,
Pict. Their ancient enemies, the Atlanteans, fared even The Picts of the Hyborian Age are a remarkable people,
worse than they, and regressed back into a bestial shadow with a dark and gruesome culture, barbaric tribal markings,
of their former selves. For thousands of years the Picts an unrivalled ability to live off the land, their own types of
slowly climbed out of their cultural quagmire of barely food, unique patterns of trade, a terrifying style of warfare,
articulate savagery and while they never advanced further an ability to travel quickly and a powerful religion based
than the Stone Age technologically, they formed a new around the darkest of gods, demons and spirits.
culture and identity west of the Shirki River.
The Picts rst dealings with outsiders were with the

Acheronians, who enslaved a few of their kind, but
otherwise had little contact with them. Then came the
Hyborians; from the north they pushed the Picts back
from the Shirki River and across the Bossonian Marches,
until they came to rest in what would become known as the
73
Without the complicated and articial societal segregation
Culture of the enforced in civilised societies, the Picts tend to pay more
attention to the reputation of a speaker. Those with great
Painted Devils reputations will become chiefs and leaders simply by virtue
The mysterious Picts are a primitive people whose of their notable deeds and actions. Boasting is one thing,
bloodthirsty culture engenders fear and loathing in those but reputation speaks truth in the minds of the Picts, a
The Picts
cultures who most often come into conict with them, high level of skill can make one useful to the clan or tribe,
including Vanir, Cimmeria, Zingara and Hyboria. This but a strong reputation is absolutely necessary if a Pict
sinister culture, however, is not well known or studied, wants to command the attention and actions of others.
and few outside of the Pict nations know their brutal
ways and cruel customs. Their unsavoury culture is one
of stone-aged tribal living, powerful chiefs and inuential Chiefs, Speakers and
speakers, tribal traditions and fearlessness. Village Government
The tribes are led by the chiefs, speakers and councils. A
Tribal Organisation chief among the Picts is not a dictator who rules the village,
The Picts have a Stone Age culture, one of the most primitive clan or tribe and there are many kinds of chiefs among the
of the Hyborian Age, although they have, through contact Picts, as a result a village likely will have several chiefs.
with Hyborian civilisations, learned to work copper and There are civil chiefs, achievement chiefs, hereditary chiefs
tin. The Picts are experts at utilising whatever is at hand and speakers.
to serve whatever needs they may have.
Civil Chiefs: Chosen for their age and wisdom, govern the
The Picts live in menacing tribes named after totem village by administering justice, organising celebrations,
animals. These tribes, while politically independent and receiving guests, allocating hunting and shing lands and
with their own distinct territories with gruesome traditions serving diplomatic functions. These chiefs could not
and rituals, are interconnected through marriage and their afford to be tyrannical or incompetent, for they would
own totemic tribal system. Identity within a tribe is deep- lose their followers, who would leave and join another
seated and complete; a Pict of the Hawk tribe has a distinct village. In addition to the chosen civil chiefs, there are
personality, which is completely different to that of a Pict ranks of achieved chiefs.
of the Alligator tribe, although the common settler may
see little difference. These tribes often believe they are Chiefs of Merit: Almost all Picts are born as commoners
descendants of the animal spirit from which they take in low-ranking families, but if they perform great deeds,
their name or that the totem animal assisted a common some will attain the status of chiefs by merit of their
ancestor in some way. The various tribes are subdivided achievements. Great warriors of renown may become a war
into clans, groups of related families, which rarely co- chief, speakers of incredible oratory skill may be granted
operate and are usually at war with one another. chief status, hunters who have distinguished themselves
may be named a hunting chief. Those chieftainships
To the Pict, family and kinship is key to the stability of the granted due to achievements are non-hereditary and
tribe, dening the individual Picts rights and obligations although the title dies with chief, earning a chieftainship
toward others. To be a cousin, a son, a daughter, a nephew, grants the Pict a +1 bonus to his Reputation score. Picts
a father or an elder denes distinct roles for the Pict. These may earn more than one chief title.
familial roles delineate how Picts act toward one another,
depending on relationship. Those few foreigners who Hereditary Chiefs: Those whose titles are passed down to
come to their villages for a length of time nd themselves them from maternal lines, have no voting power, though
adopted, given the name of brother or even cousin so they are given a small measure of additional respect due to
that are all are aware of their social position and how their heritage. A Pict with a hereditary title is granted a +1
to act accordingly toward them. Even objects such bonus to his Reputation if he does not later prove himself
as crops are given sibling status. In this manner, a fool. Hereditary chiefs control community property, are
everyone who lives in a village or settlement is expected to provide dogs and canoes to hunting or war
considered part of a body of relatives led by the parties, and are responsible for village reserves for times of
most respected and powerful members. bad weather.
Reputation plays an important Speakers: Chosen for their intelligence and diplomatic
part in Pictish society. skills by councils and chiefs to speak for them and
make announcements of their decisions. Speakers have
74
impressive memories and are walking archives of lore back to boyish behaviour are taken for another ritual, and
and history. The women of a village, as a collective, have few survive a second ordeal. This dire treatment is felt
a speaker as do the warriors. The speakers, along with to better prepare the Picts for their adult life and teach
the chiefs and the village elders, who also have a voice in them the discipline and courage necessary to hold the
government by virtue of their age, regardless of sex, meet tribe together.
in council to make decisions. This council is responsible
The Picts
for local policies and decisions. In addition to the various life-cycle rites, tradition and
council establish several other tribal laws. Murder,
The pattern of village government extends outward for example, is traditionally punishable by forcing the
toward the tribe as a whole, and great civil chiefs may be murderer to give gifts to the deceaseds family. If a woman
elected to govern more than one village in multi-village is murdered, most tribes have established that forty gifts,
gatherings when great events that will affect several villages each worth a beaver robe or more in value, is necessary. If a
are at hand. Powerful war-chiefs may gather warriors from man is murdered, then twenty or thirty gifts are necessary.
several villages to go on larger expeditions than a mere Village councils set most punishments for the various
village war-chief. Extremely powerful chiefs, such as the crimes based on tradition. As there are few taboos among
upper Wolf chiefs, who band together multiple tribes into the Picts only in the rarest and gravest of circumstances is
a semblance of coherent unity, often become Paramount a crime punishable by death.
Chief (presented in Prestige Classes on pg. 144). These
paramount chiefs rule over the other chiefs as a sort of Premarital and extramarital sex is not taboo among most
elected emperor, although they must still satisfy the tribes. During idle hours, men and women play with
people with their rule. Each of these more powerful, more each other in openly erotic ways, often darting from one
inuential paramount chiefs have equally powerful and grisly, skull-encrusted hut to another after dark to take
inuential councils and speakers to advise them in how to whatever pleasures they see t to take. So long as both are
keep the people satised. eligible for marriage no one is bothered. If a girl became
pregnant, she becomes the wife of the father. If she does
not know who the father was, she simply chooses the
Tribal Traditions and lover she likes best. If the pregnant girl is already married,
Traditional Roles then her husband is the father, regardless of the biological
Although the chiefs and councils make most decisions, truth. Powerful warriors and chiefs might watch over
many decisions have been handed down for centuries as their wives jealously, but lower-ranking men tend to be
traditions. Young women are eligible for marriage as soon less possessive, allowing their wives to consort with other
as they reach puberty, but men can only marry after they men, even treating such shameless behaviour as a courtesy
master the ability to hunt, sh and can prove they can to guests and friends. Most of these decadent liaisons take
provide for a family. Many of the tribes also require a war place with the husbands consent, as then he can also do
trophy to prove the valour of the young man before he can the same. However, this depraved behaviour does make
marry. Although the puberty ritual for a girl is not terribly proving paternity difcult, as such hereditary titles or a
demanding (involving being sequestered in a certain hut particular tribal privilege, are passed from the mother to
for a month while covered with a blanket, then given a her children.
special head-dress to show their eligibility for marriage),
the coming of age ritual for a young man is one of the Day to day life varies with the season, but a few constants
simple but bloodthirsty rituals inexplicable to civilised exist. In general, the Picts retire early, sleeping with
beings. Dancing and feasting precedes the rigorous a block of wood, a stone or a bundle of precious items
and potentially deadly initiation rite for the boys. The beneath their heads, pulling over dark bodies pelts for
women then mourn for the boys as the men take them covers and placing their feet toward the re. They greet
into the woods and symbolically sacrice them to the dark the dawn with a ritualised but frightening prayer of thanks
gods of the forest. For the next few months, the boys for another opportunity to hunt and slay.
are subjected to horric ordeals to test their endurance
and ability to withstand torture. They are also forced The Picts have strongly dened roles for both
to drink hallucinogenic herbal concoctions. These vile sexes. Men are expected to be hunters, warriors,
drinks practically drive the boys insane, deranging them builders, governors and diplomats. The forest
so badly they have to be kept in wooden cages. Afterward, is their domain. Women are expected
the surviving boys are returned to their village and their to do the drudge work, growing
families rejoice at their resurrection with another feast and crops and raising children. Save
more orgiastic dancing. Any who show signs of reverting
75
for governing, the village and the surrounding elds are The autumn season is the Picts primary hunting season.
the domain of the women. A senior matron, chosen for Hunting parties leave the villages after the harvest and
her reputation and charisma, leads the women in planting, take to the woods to hunt, living in temporary and mobile
cultivating and harvesting the food grown for the village camps. They do not return to the villages until the winter
in ritualised methods based on the principle of mutual aid. solstice, bringing with them smoked and dried meat they
The crops the women grow are considered sisters to them. brought down during the season. Individual hunters and
The Picts
The women also gather and bring in rewood, prepare hunting parties go out for short periods during the rest
meals and allocate food resources among the village so of the year, depending on the needs of the village. In
everyone eats. Outsiders see the women as living the lives midsummer, the Picts hunt eagles for their feathers, used
of drudges and slaves, but rarely comprehend that the for outts and the wings for religious dances. The Picts
labours of the women bring them credit and great honour kill the eagles by either throwing heavy stones, using bows
among the Picts, valued for their contribution. Anything and arrows or by tossing nets in the air.
a Pict woman produces is hers to dispose of and, if a couple
separate, these assets go with the woman. Virtually all
property, save a mans weapons and clothes, belong to the
Fears of the Fearless
Although seemingly fearless on the warpath or hunt, the
woman. The oldest woman in a Pictish hut is the head of
Picts do fear a few things. One of the objects of general
that hut and men who marry move to their new wifes hut.
fear among the fearsome Picts are snakes, although their
If a womans husband or kinsman is killed, she can demand
magic and mythology makes considerable use of snakes and
an enemy captive in compensation, even if that starts yet
snake imagery. Newts and salamanders are also associated
another war. Women are also valued as the maintainers
with black magic, while the snapping turtle is venerated
of society, for they raise the children. The women are
among them as a reection of Creation. Other entities
mindful not to coddle a child, but they are by no means
feared by the Picts are their own dark gods. So afraid of
negligent. Boys are encouraged to ght other children
their dark gods are they, the Picts rarely scold or punish
with mock weapons and girls are slowly introduced to
their pre-pubescent children, for such actions may anger
their own duties. As any culture not concerned with the
the spirit world who gave them children for protection
protection of their women and children is doomed to fail,
and raising, not beating. Still, children learn quickly to be
the Picts consider the continuity of their lifestyle and the
disciplined, disdaining loud behaviour, selshness or open
existence and persistence of their women to be one and
displays of anger. They learn these things through another
the same.
fear of the Picts; shame. To be shamed is the worst event
a Pict can endure. The fear of shame leads Picts to be
Although women strive to excel at agriculture, the men
seemingly fearless in groups none wishing to be seen as
strive to become renowned huntsmen and becoming a
less courageous than the others and it is the same fear of
skilled hunter is a prestigious role among the Picts, already
shame which keeps chiefs acting in the best interests of the
a race of accomplished woodsmen. Going into the woods
whole tribe.
to hunt is dangerous and the Picts respect bravery. From
age eight onward, a boy is free to wander off into the woods
to live off the land for days at a time, often in groups of
friends. When a boy kills his rst deer without assistance,
Warfare and
he is allowed to hunt with the men. Blood-feuds
The Picts revere war above all other forces in their
The Picts respect those who provide for the clan. The lives. The Picts declare war with loud and thumping
Picts bring down over 2,000 deer per year per village. ceremonies, but carry them out in grim silence. They
Regardless of the kills, the Picts show the utmost respect sing their hideous war songs in their dark villages to the
for the animals they hunt. The rst deer is sacriced to beat of frightening drums, but once they move out to
birds of prey, and Picts never throw animal bones to the actually wage war, they are composed and ghostlike in
dogs or place skinned carcasses on the ground. Every their movements and sounds. Even though Picts do not
aspect of their life is dominated by an awareness of have the barbaric code of honour offered in Conan the
their lush environment and every rite, ceremony Roleplaying Game, they do follow a loose set of guidelines
and superstition emphasises a respect for their lives concerning war. These guidelines dominate their
environment. ceremonies, their reasons for ghting, their weapons of
choice, their methods of ghting and the rewards of war.
76
At this point, the Feast of the Dogs begins,
a gruesome war feast terrible to behold. A
steaming kettle of thick broth and dog meat
symbolising the broth and esh of captives
that will later be partaken, is brought forth.
The ritualised feast transforms the Picts
The Picts
into raging, furious killers, all deriding
their enemies and comparing them to
dogs while the most distinguished warriors
receive the boiled heads of the dogs.
During the feast each Pict warrior gives a
personal recital as he strikes a post with his
war club, delineating his past feats of glory
and promises of future acts of bravery. After
the accomplished warriors speak, the untried
warriors, though they have no deeds to boast
of, are permitted to strike the post.
After the feast the drummers start beating

their massive war drums, beating a dreadful
tattoo of echoing thunder that promises death
or torture while the rest of the tribe dance
and sing, their body movements pantherishly
imitating the motions of combat. Offerings
of tobacco are made to the war spirits as the
ceremonies progress and the warriors strip
down to loin cloths and laboriously paint
their bodies with grotesque war insignia,
using different symbols to show who they
are warring against, a white skull indicates
war against the Aquilonians, for example. After
the war paint is applied, the Picts begin the journey from
the village to the woods. As the Picts move into the woods,
their entire mien alters, chanting and whooping is halted
Ceremonies of War and the Picts continue forward in grim silence, motivated
War is a mystical and preternatural element of Pictish life. and ready to kill or capture. Once the Picts enter the
From dreams and omens to the grim magic of war paint, wood their wives bring their war gear and provisions to
combat has a powerful spiritual symbolism for the Picts. the warriors.
Such power and symbolic magic is best engaged in ritual
and ceremony, so Picts announce war with loud ceremonies After the battle is over, the Picts return with their frightened
and rituals, banging on war drums and dancing with wild captives and gory trophies, and the war chief throws down
abandon. the drum he placed in the tree, signifying that war is over
for now. Feasting and dancing commence yet again,
War begins when a war chief, through his speaker, and the members of the tribe torture the prisoners. The
consults with the civil chiefs and others in the tribe, execution of the prisoners in the morning has its own
giving the reasons for any attack, from a raid to full- attendant rituals described on page 81. Women and
scale war. If agreed upon, the war chief, again through children prisoners are subjected to their own brutal
his speaker, hangs a war drum in a tree and sings for war, rituals of tribal adoption.
the community is then gathered together by the beat of
the powerful drum. Several other drummers also join in, Blood feuds are smaller wars not involving
tapping gently at rst until they hit a unied rhythm, then the whole tribe necessarily. If a Pict feels
beating the drums harder and harder, creating a resonating he has been wronged by another
pulse echoing through the darkness as the women of the tribe or village, he can throw his
tribe light a bonre.
77
axe into a tribal war post. The thudding sound will draw own. These weapons include the bow and arrow, the club
the attention of the village and he can proclaim his grief and the primitive hatchet.
and his intent, asking that any who wish glory in war to
follow him. At this point, another ceremonial war dance The bow of a Pict is made out of hardwood and is as tall as
will commence as the Picts female relatives prepare food its crafter, if not taller. Thick in the handle for a sure grip
for his journey. Those going on the blood feud raid will with tapered limbs for an easier draw, these bows are not
The Picts
then le out of the village in a single line to vanish into the the most powerful in the Hyborian age, but still remain
woods, hoping to bring back a captive. deadly. The bowstrings are made from animal sinew that
has been chewed and twisted. Nearly every Pict is taught
how to make arrows as a child, and most warriors decorate
Why Do the Picts the shafts with distinctive markings to identify the owner,
Feud and War? allowing the craftsman to retrieve them. The heads of the
Aquilonians are often mystied by the Picts as they rarely arrows are made out of int, quartz, obsidian, bone, antler
ght to possess land or property, instead some spiritual or or copper. Picts usually begin their ghts from a distance
emotional need serves as a motivation to dominate their by ring their bows to wound foes, then, after the Picts
foes. Dreams often presage a war, promising war-chiefs exhaust their ammunition, close in to ght with their
powerful victories and such dreams and visions are almost melee weapons.
always heeded and while dream-inspired wars make sense
to other Picts, Hyborians often see such wars as purely Picts ght with a war club in one hand and a primitive
unprovoked and inexplicable. Be it a matter of vengeance, hatchet with the other. These weapons tend to be little
hatred, prisoners or just a dream, the Picts will go to war, more than shafts of wood heavy round stones or chiselled
and to them, it all makes a sinister sort of sense, and the stone blades attached to them with sinew. Some tribes
entire gory affair is permeated with mysticism. decorate the war clubs to feature hideous faces on the
striking surfaces, while tribes that trade extensively with
War is such an intrinsic part of a Picts life that he cannot the Zingarans or Aquilonians often have more advanced
imagine living without it. If he were to actually make peace hatchets made of metal. Regardless of the material
with a foe, the Pict would instantly be on the lookout for used to make them, these weapons are used to kill or
another enemy to ght. They rarely ght for the utter stun opponents. The Picts are also skilled at hurling
annihilation of their enemies, striking them without their weapons with pin-point accuracy and some attain
causing irreparable harm. Their enemies and their wars unbelievable distances with such thrown weapons.
are necessary for their culture, and the eradication of a
foe is just as spiritually harmful as making a lasting peace. In addition to bows, clubs and hatchets, some notable
The coming of the Hyborians, however, is changing this Picts choose to use or carry spears and javelins, though
attitude slowly and inexorably, as the Aquilonians do not most of these weapons are carried only as a symbol of
ght the Picts to gain a few captives or take some gory power and distinction and not actually used. Only the
trophies of battle. The Hyborians ght for land; when most honoured of warriors use these distinctive and often
they march into a territory, they eliminate the indigenous highly decorative tools of war. Stabbing spears with broad
peoples if possible and the Picts are learning this hard lesson blades are the most common of these distinctive weapons.
with the Aquilonians. If they take a few scalps or kidnap a To be given a spear by a chief is a high honour among the
couple of children, the Aquilonians destroy entire villages Picts, garnering them a +1 bonus to Reputation. Making,
and clans in retribution. The Picts are starting to respond taking or using a spear when ones status does not warrant
in kind, and their savage weapons are up to the task. it is considered arrogant and foolish, and such Picts take a
-1 penalty to their Reputations.
The Weapons of the Many Picts have learned the value of using nets to bring
Picts down armoured opponents and their mounts, while Picts
The Picts have several weapons of choice, and these along the coast certainly use larger spears, or harpoons, to
vary little between the various tribes. Some Pict bring down the great whales that swim along the shores.
tribes have specialists to produce the various
weapons used by the tribe, but most Pict
warriors take pride in creating their
78
Silence is expected from Picts on the hunt. They are
How the Picts Fight notoriously quiet in their wooded realm and can move
The idea of ghting a tribe to utter extinction is an alien through a forest in almost total silence, not moving a
concept for most Picts. The wholesale slaughter of entire leaf on a tree or snapping a twig. Often, their prey are
villages by Aquilonian soldiers disgusts and angers the unaware that even a single Pict is near until a dozen
Picts, for if a Pictish tribe lays siege to one of the fortied warriors appear right next to them, already embroiled in
The Picts
villages of another tribe or clan, the attacking Picts will a savage, ruthless attack. Picts who do make noise on the
rarely set re to the palisade and huts with aming arrows. hunt are reprimanded severely and are humiliated, losing
The Picts instead try to lure defenders out of the palisade a point of Reputation. If a Pict breaks a twig or stick, he
using insults or trickery. If several defenders respond has to carry a broken branch for the rest of the foray as a
and are killed or captured by the attackers, they simply token of shame.
go home with their scalps and/or prisoners. However, if
stirred to a crimson frenzy by war chiefs and charismatic War parties usually consist of at least four warriors. Led
shamans, the Picts can and will burn Hyborian settlements by the chief of the war party, they travel in a diamond
in retribution for Aquilonian tactics, real or imagined. pattern, with the chief at the forward point. Each of the
members of a war party are designated by the sound of
the animal call they will make if the hunted prey is found.
That they had not picked up my Animal calls are used as signals in the wilderness because
trail was evidenced by their silence, for hand signals often cannot be seen in dense foliage or at
they never yell except when they believe night. Picts are so skilled at animal calls, it is extremely
only a short dash is ahead of them, and feel difcult to distinguish their mimicry from the real thing.
sure of their prey. All warrior Picts gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Bluff
checks when making animal calls.
Robert E. Howard, Wolves Beyond the
Border The Picts are unrivalled in their tracking skills. If they
fall upon a trail of an enemy, that enemys doom is almost
certain, regardless of their number. The Picts can track
The Pict method of ghting is one of guerrilla tactics. through moss, leaves, marshes and rocks, if one listens
Scouts are sent out rst to discover the location, numbers to the tales of the settlers and frontiersmen. Many
and capabilities of their enemies. These scouts report to Westermarck borderers do not even bother to conceal
the war party, which then meets in council to determine its their tracks in the wilderness, knowing the Picts rarely
next step. Although the Aquilonians believe the Picts attack make mistakes about tracks. A Pict can tell from the
thoughtlessly and without guile, they are quite mistaken. slightest or barest impression the tribe or race the track
The Picts weigh their chances of success carefully before pertains to. Once a Pict makes the decision to track down
engaging the enemy, disappearing into the wilderness quarry because of vengeance, they never quit unless the
if they feel those chances are not in their favour. If the quest becomes hopeless. Blood-trails are roads to honour
decision to attack is made, they move at once, wasting no and glory for the Picts and quick paths of doom for those
time. The scouts, who never lose their way, lead the war running desperately to escape.
party to the enemy. When they get close, they take to the
ground and approach the enemy in a skulking manner on Picts do not lose honour from eluding enemies, eeing
all fours, with their bows in their mouths. A lookout is hopeless ghts or using stealth and deception to escape
left behind who signals with animal sounds. Scouts also or score a trophy. Picts nd the Aquilonians last man
protect the war partys anks to prevent the war party standing approach as mystifying and unnerving as most
from being surprised. The war party usually waits, laying Hyborians nd the Picts hit-and-run tactics. A Pictish
at, until dawn, a time of day when men are sluggish, to village is too small to support standing armies or sustain
attack. When the signal to attack is given, the Picts stand huge losses of warriors. Their tactics and sense of war-
and re their bows as fast as they can, giving loud whoops. ethics necessitate their deceptive, stealthy tactics. A
If the attack throws the enemy into disarray, they rush in, war chief who loses too many warriors is quickly
taking the scalps of those they kill and dragging off those deposed and dishonoured. If a Pict or a group
they capture. They do not long remain in melee, their of Picts decide to abandon the ght, for
assault is lightning fast and withdrawn almost as rapidly whatever reason, they will turn their
to keep losses to a minimum. The idea is to surprise the backs on their former prey, put away
foe, then quickly make off with as many captives, scalps or their weapons and leave. Picts have
other trophies as possible.
79
been known to do this for the most obscure of reasons, Roleplaying Game. If a Pict does not do anything to change
ranging from an unwillingness to ght on sanctied his reputation over a period of time, he loses Reputation.
ground, a sudden vision by a war-chief or warrior, a recall Picts must constantly work to maintain or increase their
to another location or a hundred other reasons, many of standing in the tribe. An easy way to increase ones
which are never discovered. standing is to bring back trophies of war and a favourite
trophy of war is the taking of captives.
The Picts
Honour and Glory

Trophies taken in war are important to the Picts. Trophies
are anything that proves a deed of bravery and valour.
Prisoners
The Picts place a great amount of honour in the taking
Some tribes require four trophies of different sorts before of captives, and if a Pict captures a foe that is considered
a warrior can become a chief. Each trophy earns the Pict greater than he, he gains a +1 to his Reputation score.
a +1 to his Reputation score. Picts do not claim they have However pleasant the taking of captives is for the
performed an act of bravery unless there are witnesses or a captor, the experience of being captured by the Picts is
trophy to prove the valorous deed. These include scalps, a frightening array of potential adoption, almost certain
but are by no means limited to that grisly proof of valour torture and death on a tribal altar.
in combat.
Scalping is the most famous Pictish method of trophy

It was the Wolves who had captured
gathering. Scalping evolved from head hunting, and him, in a foray against the Aquilonian
most Pictish tribes still practise the old ways. A scalp is a settlements along Thunder River, and they
patch of skin about six inches in diameter from the crown had given him to the Eagles in return for a
of the skull, and while body appendages of any sort are captured Wolf chief. The Eaglemen had a red
score against the giant Cimmerian, and now it
acceptable as proof of slain enemies, the scalp is preferred. was redder still, for his escape had cost the life
It is the preferred trophy for two reasons. Firstly, a scalp of a noted war-chief.
can be preserved indenitely; secondly, to a Pict, the scalp
and the hair that grows there represents the living spirit of Robert E. Howard, The Black Stranger
a warrior. Scalped warriors must serve the Pict as a slave in
the afterlife, so a Pict who scalps many warriors will have
many servants after death. It is a grave insult for another The Gauntlet
warrior to touch the scalp lock of a Pict, and the loss of Prisoners are often taken from village to village en route to
their own scalp, even if the warrior survives, is considered the home village of the war chief to show off the victory
shameful. and its gains. At each village, the prisoners are forced to
run a gantlet of warriors pummelling them and hurling
Other trophies include snatching away a bow or sword insults and offal. Sometimes captives are bound to stakes
from a living, ghting foe; taking a prized possession of while the warriors eat at the villages, suffering beatings
a warrior; or simply touching a foe in battle with a bare and minor tortures. Eventually, however, the captives will
hand or stick without doing harm. It is deemed among be taken to the nal village, the home of the war chief in
the Picts that doing these things takes more daring than charge of their capture to be put through some of the most
merely running up and killing a foe. Even stealing weapons dreadful tortures imaginable.
from the side of a warrior who is asleep is considered a
valiant trophy of war.
Grim Tortures
Picts are particularly cruel to captives they choose not
Each tribe has its own methods of displaying these trophies.
to adopt, especially male captives. The Picts are also
Generally, a Pict who has performed a veried feat of
enormously adept at torture, instigating torture ceremonies
bravery is allowed to wear eagle feathers. The manner
that last for days. Picts consider it an evil omen if captives
in which the feather is notched, stained, or otherwise
do not weep and beg for mercy, so the torture of captives
altered indicates the particular war honour he has
is exceedingly grisly and unbearably unrelenting. Many
achieved. Further, a Pict is expected to tell of his
tribes start out the torture by shooting arrows or inging
glories; the tales told by warriors of their deeds
axes at the prisoners, hoping merely to make them inch.
serves as a method of keeping the tribe
After a fun, but mild start, the Picts get nasty, using lit
inspired as well as informed. Keep
brands to burn the unhappy wretches a little at a time.
in mind the rules of Reputation
It is not uncommon for Picts to tear out the ngernails
outlined in Conan the
of their victims and burn the sensitive ends of the ngers
80
Permanent Effects of Torture
Appendage Amputated Lasting Effect
Fingers severed -8 penalty to Climb, Craft, Disable Device, Escape Artist, Forgery, Open Lock, Sleight of Hand and
Use Rope skill checks and all attacks with that hand.
Hand severed -16 penalty to above. No attacks possible with severed stump without specially constructed weapons.
The Picts
Leg sliced open -2 penalty per leg to all Dexterity bonuses for DV (if any) and Balance, Climb, Jump, Move Silently
and Tumble skill checks.
Leg severed -8 penalty per leg to all Dexterity bonuses for DV (if any) and Balance, Climb, Jump, Move Silently
and Tumble skill checks.
Torso savaged -1 penalty to attacks and Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Jump, Move Silently, Ride, Swim or Tumble
skill checks. Character must make a Fort save (DC 13) or lose a point of Constitution permanently.
Teeth or Tongue destroyed -2 penalty to Charisma.
Eyes burned or torn out Blind.
afterwards. Captives receive deep cuts and brutal, scalding exceptionally brave or noteworthy, the young warriors of
burns all over their bodies. The frightful Picts scalp their the village would roast and eat his heart to obtain some of
victims, leaving them alive and pouring hot tree sap or his courage.
gum onto the crown of the head. They have been known
to pierce their victims arms near the wrists with sticks, Even these hideous tortures do not compare to the horrors
to pull out his sinews by grotesque tugs of war. Horric a shaman may inict if he decides to use the victim as a
amputations of limbs, tongues or ngers using int stones ritual sacrice to the Pictish gods.
are common. The breaking of bones and displacement
of joints are also commonplace tortures. They often cut
off the feet or burn the soles of their feet to keep captives
The Horror of the
from escaping. Both men and women participate in the Shamans
torture, laughing and making fun of the victims, always The shamans of the tribe also use captives as sacrices to
hoping to break them down. their depraved gods in atrocious ceremonies designed to
terrify and awe spectators. The shamans use the captives
If characters escape or are rescued after the torture has to prove their supernatural powers to the rest of the tribe,
commenced, the effects of the torture may have lasting especially if envoys or visitors from other tribes are present.
consequences for the character due to scars or missing Many will use captives to practice their unspeakable magic
limbs. The following permanent effects may apply to on, teaching their dreadful ways to their apprentices, both
various characters rescued after the tortures have begun. the apprentices and the rest of the tribe delight in these
Also wounds may become infected, leaving the character ghastly displays, expecting and hoping for nothing less.
susceptible to injury diseases (see table on page 27:
Diseases).
A Test of Resolve
Despite the cruel manner of treatment typically wrought
So skilled at torture are the Picts that the victims always
upon the unfortunate captives, other Picts expect it.
remain alive until dawn. Executions of prisoners always
Captive Picts know what is in store for them and almost
occur at dawn, for the Picts believe the sun should always
welcome the torture, considering it the greatest test of
be on hand to witness death.
a warriors resolve, endurance and bravery. Throwing a
Pict into a prison without torturing him is considered a
Execution at Dawn grave insult, for it insinuates that he is not brave or worthy
The execution is begun by leading the captive to a enough to be tortured. Some Pict captives sing on the
scaffold outside the village. The Picts blind the captive way to the torture blocks, determined to show their
with a burning brand, scalp him if that has not already dogged determination. If a captive withstands the
been done, then force the victim to eat some of his own tortures, he earns points in a sort of game the
esh. Then they either cut off his head or break it open Picts play, and can even earn the respect of the
with a club. Once the victim is dead, they open his Picts although that respect is unlikely to
body and distribute his internal organs to the children of save him from a grisly end. The only
the tribe. The children hang the entrails on sticks and hope a captive may have of long-
parade them through the village. If the prisoner had been term survival is if that captive is a
81
woman or child and many of them would be better off Picts do not sell themselves or each other into slavery.
if they would be tortured and killed. They are too individualist and proud to do anything of
the sort, however, they will trade captives. Pirates prey
upon Pictish shores to steal Pictish women and children
Women and Children for slaves to sell in other parts of the world. Picts also raid
Women and children who are taken prisoner by the Picts
into Zingara to steal tin from their mountains and grain
The Picts
are usually adopted by a clan to replace lost relatives. They

from their elds.
are dipped into a river as a shaman performs a ritual that
takes the Hyborian spirit from the child and instils in the
The Picts also trade among themselves, not so they can
child a Pictish spirit. Captive women and children are
attain goods they do not have, but to secure alliances and
often put to hard labour, carrying wood, tilling gardens
learn news. Trading is, therefore, a diplomatic affair of
and the like, all the while learning brutal lessons intended
mutual gift giving and skins, tobacco, dried meat, captives
to turn the child or woman into a Pict. Interestingly, the
and other goods are traded. If the gifts are accepted, then
Picts virtually never rape women, as savage as they are,
there is a shaky alliance and a temporary peace. If not,
they never violate the chastity of a woman against her will,
then the tribes become enemies and go to war.
although Aquilonian tales tell a different story. One of the
complaints the Picts have against the Aquilonian soldiers
are their willingness to capture and rape Pictish women. The Talking
Although not forced, many of the captive women later
become the wives of Pict warriors, raising Pict children.
Drums
The drum is holy to the Picts, for it represents the
Few Hyborian children who spend more than a few months beating hearts of the spirits that inhabit the world and
or years as a Pict ever really adapt back to a Hyborian the spirit realms.The dire drums used by the Picts for
mindset if recovered, with their wills broken, many run communicating over long distances are carved from logs
back into the wilderness at the rst opportunity. and covered with deer hide, laced and tightened with
wedges. The echoing drums make different sounds
Picts cruelly persecute their prisoners, torturing and testing that imitate speech depending on how they are struck.
each and every male for certainty, dooming the women Tapping it with the ngers produces a different sound to
and children captives to horrible enslavement until their slapping it with the palms, and striking it in the centre or
will breaks and they become virtual Picts themselves. the rim or the sides produces yet more different sounds.
Although most captives must endure these privations and A troupe of drummers in the dark play with one hand
torments with certainty, if fate is on a prisoners side, he and one stick, except for the lead drummer, the one with
may hope to nd himself the object of trade. the best Perform skill. The lead drummer plays a massive
bass drum with two thick sticks. He uses the aid another
Trade action to improve the overall playing.
The Picts do not view trade as the Hyborians or other
civilised peoples do, instead they consider it a test of But the throb of the war-drum had a
friendship and alliance. To the Picts, trade is a way of significance no forest-runner could ignore. It
honouring other people. Essentially the Picts view trade was a warning and a threat, a promise of doom for
those white-skinned invaders whose lonely cabins and
as an exchange of gifts, not as some sort of barter. This ax-marked clearings menaced the immemorial solitude
attitude does allow Zingaran and Hyborian traders to take of the wilderness. It meant fire and torture, flaming
advantage of Picts who do not understand civilised value arrows dropping like falling stars through the darkness,
systems for goods. and the red ax crunching through skulls of men and
women and children.
The coastal Picts and those tribes in the far south trade
with the Zingarans who ply their ships up and down Robert E. Howard, Wolves Beyond the Border
the Pictish coast, bargaining hides, copper ore, gold
dust, whales teeth and walrus tusks for weapons, All Picts are versed in Talking Drum as a language. They
ornaments and wine with the painted men of can understand the thundering beats echoing throughout
the wild. Among the ornaments the Picts their dense woodland. One discrete piece of information
seek are ostrich plumes. One thing can be communicated as a full round action. Certain feats
they do not trade are slaves; the and abilities can allow a properly trained drummer to use
82
the talking drum to inuence others, bolster allies and feathers placed near a small turtle-shell comb tied to the
evoke fear in his enemies. headband in the midst of the feathers. The Wildcats wear
three eagle feathers, with two of them upright and the
More information on Talking Drums and Talking Drum third tilted downward. Feathers stained scarlet indicate
feats can be found in Tricks and Tools on page 118. chieftainship. White heron feathers are considered a sign
of truce or peace and is respected by all Pict tribes for fear
The Picts
of offending the gods or spirits around them. More details
Clothing and on feathers and ornamentation can be found under each
Appearance
tribe in Chapter 8: Tribes of Pictland.
Clothing for a Pict is a simple affair. They favour buckskin, Picts in a war party wear distinctive paint on their bodies
usually dying it black, which is a colour symbolic of war for to give themselves supernatural strength and preternatural
them. The men generally wear a breech cloth and leggings, stealth, not to mention a healthy dose of luck. When going
although in cooler weather they also don long-sleeve hide to war with the Hyborians, they paint a white skull on
shirts. They also wear seamless moccasins, although the their chests. In addition to war paint, Picts use body paint
exact style and cut varies from tribe to tribe. The Picts for a variety of reasons, including hunting. Pictish paint
also wear body parts from slain foes and hunted animals, is difcult to remove, although it naturally fades in about
such as necklaces of teeth or cloaks made from their skins. four weeks. Getting the paint off faster than that takes
The dark Pictish women tend to wear buckskin dresses, serious scouring with sand or rock, taking (1d4+2)x10
skirts or loin-clouts, as well as soft moccasins, though minutes. The scouring deals 1 point of damage (avoided
some just wear a buckskin apron and body paint. All by making a Fort save (DC 15)). When going to war, Picts
Pictish clothing tends to be elaborately beaded and their usually dress only in a loin cloth, war paint, moccasins
moccasins provide a +2 bonus to Move Silently checks and carry only their weapons, a leather strap (for tying
because they allow a character to feel the ground beneath captives) and provisions.
them and avoid snapping sticks.
The Picts will use different styles of paint, depending on
what the Pict is up to. Hunting paint is common and if a
Pict not in war paint is killed, then that action is subject to
They were dark-skinned men of short retribution by the slain members tribe. It is extremely bad
stature, with thickly-muscled chests and
form to kill a Pict not in war paint and worse to mutilate
arms. They wore beaded buckskin loin-cloths,
and an eagles feather was thrust into each black his body. The Picts believe their bodies in the after-life
mane. They were painted in hideous designs and resemble their bodies at death if not killed in war, so if a
heavily armed. body is left for the vultures or mutilated, the Picts believe
the dead will suffer greatly in the afterlife. There is no
Robert E. Howard, The Black Stranger worse insult for a Pict or his tribe it is akin to telling
them that they will suffer eternal torment, and that they
deserved it. More information on body paint can be found
in Tricks and Tools on page 117.
Many tribes of Picts have the hair plucked from the entire
body of the warriors, save for the long pony tail called Picts, both male and female, also engage in the tattooing
the scalping tuft, which is left so that an enemy can have of the body. They use a sharpened bone to prick the
it should the warrior fall in battle, for the scalp is a true skin, then rub in soot to create the pattern. Some tribes,
trophy of victory. For some tribes, the taking of a scalp especially the Alligator, insert small stones into their skin
is more important than killing the foe. Trophies and to create a pattern of raised-skin scarring. Some tribes
ornaments indicating tribal afliations and ranking are cover their entire bodies in tattooing or ritual scarring.
often woven into a Picts hair.
Shamans decorate themselves in bear furs, many
The number and manner in which feathers are worn feathers, savage masks and grotesque costumes and
indicate the tribe. Most feathers are worn on a head gear. Ostrich feathers from Zingaran traders are a
band or tied directly to their hair. Hawkmen wear three preferred shamanic token of power. More on
upright hawk feathers. Cormorants wear two downward Pict shamans can be found on page 88,
cormorant feathers. Wolves wear a single eagle feather in Religion of the Picts.
an upright position. Eagles wear a single eagle feather in a
downward position. The Turtles wear three upright eagle
83
Travel Food from the
The Picts enjoy travelling. Most are landsmen and
their messengers, hunting parties and war parties cover Wild
remarkable distances in relatively short periods of time. The Picts have lived in their wilderness for a long time,
When travelling for trade or pleasure, wives almost always and they know how to live off of it. Food is rarely a
The Picts
accompany married men. The Picts are also famed problem for most Pict villages. Picts only eat when they
canoemen, crossing lakes and rivers with skills unequalled are hungry, not at certain times of day and there are a few
by any civilised boatmen. exceptions to that general rule; Picts also eat whenever a
traveller arrives at their lodge, when war is declared and
when hunters return from the forests. All able-bodied
By Land members of a village participate in the gathering of food,
When walking, the Picts often use ancient trails that run
since all members of the village partake of the food. The
parallel to rivers and lakes, connecting the various valleys
clearly dened gender specic roles of the Picts determines
and regions in a vast woodland network. Travellers and
who does what in regards to food; the men hunt, the
traders wear certain types of paint designs to designate
women forage, sow and harvest. The gathering of roots,
their intentions, especially when travelling through
nuts, berries and herbs are a large part of a Picts standard
neighbouring territories. Many wear white heron feathers
food supply.
or emblems to denote their peaceful intentions. Most
tribes treat these strangers with curious courtesy, seeking
Going into the wilderness is a dangerous business,
news and trade goods. Strangers are taken to nearby
however, much of a Picts food supply can be found in
villages and run through a gauntlet of villagers who shout
the wilderness; wild onions, mushrooms, gooseberries,
at them. It is considered impolite among the Picts to
strawberries, raspberries, whortleberries, cranberries,
ask questions of visitors before feeding them, so once the
blackberries and various nuts. Women are primarily the
traveller reaches the chief s hut, the stranger is treated to
foragers of the villages, and do not generally travel far in
a feast. Important business is usually deferred until the
search of these delights. The men, however, range much
next morning. Picts who do not show hospitality to
larger distances in their hunting.
strangers risk being regarded as an enemy and raided by
the strangers tribe.
Hunting is a favoured pastime among the Picts. Deer is
the primary source of meat for the Picts, while Bear and
Many Pict scouts carry bear or other animal claws attached
beaver are secondary sources. The deer is a sacred food of
to their feet to mask their travel. This raises the tracking
the Picts, and as such they will never shoot an arrow into
DC for followers by +2.
a deers head for fear of enraging evil spirits. The meat of
a deer is also believed to be imbued with magic, making
By Water the Picts forever strong. A skinned carcass will never be
Canoes are of two basic types: dug-out and birch-bark. left on the ground; instead it is placed in the crutch of a
The dug-out canoe is made from the logs of cypress, cedar tree if it needs to be left unattended. The rst deer taken
or elm trees and is a durable boat. The bark is often left in the hunting season is treated with special reverence and
on the underside of dug-out canoes so that they are easier is sacriced to the loathsome spirit of the forest. The Picts
to hide; as they look like logs when turned over. Many cut off the head close to the shoulders and carry the horned
are huge in size, capable of carrying 20 to 50 men, though head home where the shaman will have a bon-re kindled
are heavy and difcult to carry if needed. Usually if the and blazing, waiting for the returning hunters. The head
Picts think they will need to do a lot of portage, or walking is placed in the blaze with its face toward Aquilonia and
between creeks, streams and rivers, they will use a birch- the hunters and shaman circle the re while dancing,
bark canoe. The birch-bark canoes are lighter canoes that singing and making a great noise to awaken the spirits of
move like arrows across rivers. the forest. Once the head has been entirely consumed by
re, the meat of the buck can be safely consumed.
The Picts almost always decorate their canoes in
tribal colours and feral symbols representing The Picts hunt fowl with particular relish, especially
guiding spirits. wild turkey, geese and passenger pigeons. Eagles are also
hunted, though rarely for food. Birds are brought down
with slings, arrows or nets.
84
The most grisly of repasts for a Pict is human esh and
Picts often consume the bodies of captives. Indeed,
Living off the
the Picts have almost no culinary taboos; with but one
exception, they routinely consume anything that walks,
Land
From birth, a Pict is taught how to survive. Crying is
swims, crawls or ies. The only animal the Picts will not
not tolerated among the Picts, and if a child persists in
eat, regardless of tribe, is snake, an animal they associate
The Picts
crying after its needs are tended to, it is taken out into the
with evil spirits.
wilderness in its cradleboard and hung in a tree to cry itself
out and learn that crying will not help it. The reason for
While hunting or on the blood-trail of war and vendetta,
this seemingly cruel treatment is simple crying children
the Picts carry with them provisions. Although they are
can alert enemies and animals to a villages location. In
skilled hunters and have no difculty procuring food for
the wilderness, self-control is the rst step toward survival.
themselves while on the way to hostile territory, activities
From their rst steps a Pict is taught to walk with nature,
such as kindling res or chasing after game may attract
not disturbing it, gliding silently from footstep to footstep
undue attention. To prevent detection, the savage Picts
when hunting, learning to track in their game-rich
carry dry rations in the form of cornmeal, which is mixed
wilderness with exceptional skill. The young Pict is also
with cold water and eaten as gruel.
indoctrinated in the lore of his tribe, which is passed down
orally from the tribes elders.
The Picts also sh. Fish are an important food source for
the wild Picts, and is almost always included in ceremonial
feasts and trade. Fish is considered to have special healing Living Off the
properties as well as more mundane uses. Picts often use
nets, hooks or spears to catch their sh, depending on
Animals
Part of this lore teaches the Pict to live off the land and to
the tribe, and those Picts along the coast often eat whale,
use the land for everything the Pict needs. Every useful
shark, crab and lobster. Indeed, shing for the savage
creature and plant in the wilderness is known to the Picts,
coastal tribes is more important than hunting.
and they are taught to waste nothing. The brains of deer
are used to soften hides, their antlers make tools and
In addition to gathering, hunting and shing, the Picts
weapons, their hides are used for clothing, their hooves can
also cultivate crops. Around their villages grow such crops
be reduced down to glue, while its gut and sinew make ne
as beans, corn, tobacco, squash, sunowers and pumpkins.
cords and bowstrings. Other animals are useful too. The
All but the tobacco is tended by women, who treat the
bones of minks, mongooses, racoons and otters are used
crops as a member of the family. Tobacco is tended by the
as sewing needles. Beaver teeth make edges for tools and
men as part of their religious duty, for tobacco is a holy
weapons, animal bladders serve as sacks or cooking pots
crop for them.
and bird feathers are treasured trophies and decorations.
Some Pict tribes outlaw the killing of eagles, requiring
Because Picts believe the ghosts of the dead wander the
those seeking eagle feathers to nd non-lethal methods of
huts and longhouses at night, eating what remains of the
gathering them. Some brave Picts lie in a ditch, covered
evening meal, they will not eat any food that has been left
with leaves and debris, with bait on top. When the eagle
standing overnight. Such meals have become the food of
gathers the bait, one hand of the Pict grabs the dangerous
the dead and will poison anyone who eats of it.
bird and the other hand plucks the desired feathers.
The Picts share the food they have with the entire village.
Either they all eat, or they all starve. They do not hoard Living Off the Plants
food as individuals, although tribal chiefs may order some Animals are not the only useful thing in the wilderness
food to be stored for sieges or the winter. Feasting is also for the Picts. Plants and trees are also used extensively
part of war for the Picts. The war chief calls for the Feast among the Picts for a variety of uses. Hundreds of plants
of Dogs, dedicating the war to their dark gods and begging are known to the Picts for medicinal uses alone and
for the safe return of their brave warriors. In addition gargles are made from wild blackberry roots for sore
to eating dogs, killing and eating captives is believed to throats, unripe cranberries can be used to create a
appease the war gods, and, among some of the Picts, a poultice that will draw out venom from poisoned
feast of bear may please the grim gods who watch over arrows, cattails down makes excellent
the Picts. padding for a babys bedding or to dress
burn wounds, tea from dogwood
bark reduces fevers, tea from white
85
oak bark cures diarrhoea and salve from ginseng-like
berries helps to heal wounds. The trees and plants do not
just yield pharmaceuticals to the Picts.
In addition to medicinal uses, the plants of the vast Pictish

wilderness yields a variety of foods. The yellow pond lily
The Picts
yields a sweet but sticky root that can be boiled or roasted

for a tasty treat, walnuts ground with cornmeal and water
into a thin, sweet liquid is used as baby formula, while
hickory nuts, beechnuts, butternuts and chestnuts are
eaten raw or pounded into our for bread.
Plants are also a source of tools, transportation, shelter and

weapons. Hickory provides excellent wood for clubs and
tools. Balsam rs provide a gum that is used as sealant
and pine tree pitch makes fantastic fuel for torches. The
roots of red cedar trees serve as thick thread for stitching
together the roong and walls of their homes. Graceful
canoes are made of birch-bark. Some tribes carve dug-out
canoes from cypress, cedar or white elm trees. The elm tree
has multiple uses, for bark from the elm tree provides the
tiles for the long houses the western tribes use. The inner
bark from the white elm is used for shnets and medicine. further fortify their villages with wooden palisades. The
Alder and hazel trees are used to craft arrows, while the larger villages will have more than one palisade, built in
beech tree makes excellent wood for their hunting bows. an almost maze-like fashion. These palisades are built
of timbers lodged securely in the ground. The palisades
Villages vary from tribe to tribe in terms of shape and size, but are
usually rectangular or oval. They reach up to 20 feet in
A Pictish village can take up to two years to build, height. These walls have hardness 4 and 80 hp per 10-
depending on the size of the village, though tend to only foot section. Climbing over the wall requires a Climb skill
stay in one spot for a decade or so at most. As the soil for check (DC 20).
the horticulture becomes exhausted and other resources
in the area dwindle, the village is moved. It may take up In addition to the terrain, palisade and earthworks, most
to two years to move a village, so one is being built as Pict villages have a watch-tower, where a Pict watches over
another is being dismantled. The nal removal of a village the elds to run off animals and enemies. The watch-
is always overseen by a shaman and celebrated with the tower is little more than a platform raised about 20 to 30
Feast of the Dead, a dark religious ceremony dedicated to feet off the ground.
the memory of the dead.
The entrances (often a front and a back entrance) are but
All Pictish settlements should have defences, structures, three feet wide so they can be closed off easily with logs
human assets, leadership and loot. during sieges and attacks. The Picts often use earthworks,
such as ditches, moats, mounds and mud pits as further
Defences protection. Enemy scalps are placed on engraved poles
Pictish villages are generally defended by terrain features, above the front entrance as an intimidation tactic. The
a palisade, earthworks or all three. Terrain features poles are often carved in the image of human heads with
include building the village on high ground or an tortured faces or stylised skulls. The larger villages and
island surrounded by swamps. Rarely do the Picts towns are the most fortied and may include smaller,
build their villages against a major river bank, as unfortied hamlets as satellites. These satellite villagers
attack by animals, such as alligators are much will retreat behind the palisades of the larger village in a
easier in such locations. Usually they build time of war. Virtually all adult males in the village are
their villages a mile or two away from skilled hunters and accomplished warriors and though the
major waterways, using distance numbers depend on the size of the village, assume a quarter
as a defence. The Picts to a third of the village population are adult males.
86
walls and roofs are made from elm bark cut into rectangular
Structures slabs. Shallow pits run down the centre of the longhouses
The Picts live in caves and tree shelters, as well as mud- where three to ve hearth res can be built beneath holes
and-wattle huts collected in villages. Other tribes build in the ceiling. The holes also serve as skylights, allowing
powerful villages of longhouses built of wood. Their some light into the windowless structure. Posts are placed
homes are decorated with the grisly skulls of enemies. into the ground around the res to hang meat for cooking
The Picts
Depending on the size of the tribe, anywhere from 30 to or drying. Each family compartment, consisting of a low,
100 macabre longhouses or mud-and-wattle huts are held wide platform, partitioned at both ends and open toward
within the ramparts and palisades of a Pict village. the central aisle, also has several storage bins made of bark
where food and belongings are stored. The platforms are
Most eastern Picts dwell in bleak wattle-and-daub huts built about a foot off the ground and covered in mats that
with thatched roofs. Wattle are poles interwoven with serve as seats and beds. Above the platform runs a long
slender branches, twigs, stalks, or reeds. Daub is clay rack where gear and food can be stored. Between each
from the numerous rivers and streams criss-crossing their compartment in a longhouse are small stacks of rewood.
wooded realms. The stakes form the frame of the house,
and the cold daub is used to ll in cracks and create solid In addition to the homes, most villages include other
walls. The daub is then covered with pebbles and small structures as well, such as altar-huts, the council house
rocks to prevent too much softening in the rain. Once and a eld watchers hut. The altar-hut and the council
dry, these 10 to 12 foot per side huts are plastered on the house are decorated with grotesque spirit masks, skulls of
inside with other daub mixtures, often including dung, to captives and other macabre religious icons. The watchers
keep out pests. Chimneys are made of sticks and clay. The hut is a raised thatch hut where a sentinel watches over the
mud oors are usually as hard as cement and amazingly crops to kill or chase off pests and thieves.
smooth.
The thatched roofs of mud-and-wattle huts provide
The men build the houses and lay out the oor plans, concealment (20% miss chance) from ranged re and
for it is believed that women make the ground plans too does not prevent the use of re. The roofs of longhouses
small. However, women are responsible for thatching the provide total cover from arrow re. The roofs of a long
roof. The roofs are made of vegetable materials, mats and house have 4 hardness and 2 hit points per 5 ft. by 5 ft.
animal skins all woven together. Once the hut is built, section. Long-house roofs do not prevent the use of re
ornamentation of the house is the next step. Decoration, as a weapon.
usually utilising ghastly relics from captives, is a spiritual
matter among the Picts. The entrances, the doorways
to different areas of the hut and roof pinnacles are all- Human Assets
important areas for all-too-often macabre decoration. Inside the palisades the homes of the Picts can be found.
These psychologically signicant, but usually horric Each Pictish village is lled with Picts. Small villages
decorations often indicate changes in the lives of the and hamlets, often unfortied, have 20-80 Picts. Larger
people living in the huts there are grisly decorations for hamlets, which may or may not be fortied, have 81-400
births, initiations, marriages and deaths. Women often Picts living there. The larger the hamlet, the more likely it
engage in wall painting during the dry seasons after the is to be fortied. Typical fortied Pict villages have 401-
crops have been harvested and stored. The layers of paint 900 Picts living there. Some of the largest Pict villages,
serve to restore the walls, reinforcing them in some places, usually found within Wolf lands, have up to 2,000 Picts
such as the edges. living within their boundaries and anywhere from a quarter
to a third of this population are adult male warriors. The
Along the coasts, where sea storms would destroy a mud- women are usually commoners, but the men are almost all
and-wattle house, the tribes build long-houses. Built by barbarians, which is the favoured class for Picts.
the men of the village, these homes house several savage
families each, with the larger ones able to house up to 20 Within this population roughly 1 in 20 will qualify
families of ve or six Picts. On average, these houses are as beautiful, and may be of either gender.
80 feet long, although longhouses as long as 200 feet have
been recorded in the memoirs of Westermarck borderers
and Bossonian trappers. The frames of these longhouses
Leadership
The villages are led by a clan chief
are built of wood cut in the spring for exibility, sharpened chosen for his tness to rule. Village
into points, charred for strength, and driven into the ground councils choose and advise this
on both ends, bowing the wood into powerful arches. The
87
chief, always watching for weakness or inability to lead. and war are spiritual activities for the Picts. The building of
The small villages and hamlets are led by a 3rd to 5th level cities and the making of clothing are spiritual exercises and
civil chief while the larger hamlets are led by a 3rd to 6th minor ceremonial gestures accompany some of the most
level civil chief. A typical Pict village is led by a 4th to 7th routine of activities and deeds. There is no separation of
level civil chief. The exceptionally large villages are led by state and religion for the Pict, no such thing as secular and
Picts of up to 10th level. Usually other chiefs may be given spiritual divisions. Everything is part of everything else to
The Picts
temporary control in specialised situations for example, the Picts. Thus, religious activities are an important focus
a war-chief may be chosen in times of war, or a hunting for tribal life. Many of the dire festivals and appalling
chief during the hunting seasons. These specialised chiefs ceremonies held by the Picts focus around the cycles of
are usually within a level or two of the civil chief. These the growing and hunting seasons. Singing, dancing
are typical of course there are exceptional villages and and feasting, along with elaborate, savage ceremonies
towns where more powerful leaders have arisen. conducted by shamans, generate unity and co-operation
among the Picts. Like any religion, the dark beliefs of
Most fortied villages have a shaman. He generally has the Picts provide them with inner strength, purpose and
1d8+1 levels in scholar or combined scholar/barbarian a sense of belonging. Devilish rites for birth, marriage,
levels. The villages also have drummers, most of whom death, harvest, hunting, war and even unfullled wants
merely barbarians with ranks in Perform (Talking Drums). and desires are important to the tribes.
However, many of the larger villages have powerful
drummers with levels in the drummer in the dark prestige
class (see Prestige Classes).
Dark Rites of the Dim
Loot Forests
The Picts are renowned for their particularly bloodthirsty
Pictish villages generally do not have a lot of loot of
rites performed to sate unsavoury gods and horrible black
interest to the civilised races of the Hyborian Age. If you
spirits, though not all of their ceremonies are as gruesome
are using Conan the Roleplaying Game: Pirate Isles, and the
and gory as might be otherwise inferred. Some ceremonies
characters are intent on plundering a coastal village, or if
involve human sacrice, while others involve the sacrice
marauding soldiers are looting a village the following units
of animals such as dogs or deer. Some sample rituals are
of plunder (termed a cargo in Pirate Isles) are available:
outlined below. The Games Master is encouraged to
beer, dried sh, tobacco, grain, leather, regional goods,
create additional rites and ceremonies to suit his needs
feathers, primitive arms, pelts and slaves.
and campaign.
Religion of the The Feast of Souls

When a Pict dies the shaman calls for the Feast of Souls,
Picts an elaborate burial ritual. Burial customs vary from tribe
to tribe, but most either bury their dead with stakes or
an earthen mound to mark the site or place the corpse
in a bark cofn on a platform raised eight to 10 feet off
Who knows what gods are the ground. Everyone in the village prepares food for the
worshipped under the shadows of that deceaseds family and it is eaten by the tribe in a barbaric
heathen forest, or what devils crawl out feast as villagers give gifts either to the family or to the
of the black ooze of the swamps? corpse. This ceremony is to help the soul of the deceased
make a successful journey to the afterlife. The Picts,
Robert E. Howard, Beyond the Black however, differentiate the soul from the ghost, and the
River ghost of the deceased wanders the homes of the Picts until
the Feast of the Dead is performed every decade or so.
The Feast of the Dead

Thousands of years of prowling dark forests and When a village is moved to a new location after 10 or
reeking black swamps creates a rather sinister 12 years in a single location, the nal ritual performed
outlook on the gods and the spirit world. at the location of the old village is the Feast of the Dead.
Religion and dark spirituality infuse The women gather the bones of all the Picts who have
everything the Picts do. Hunting died, strip them of any remaining esh and wrap them
88
in beaver pelts. Meanwhile the men dig a common grave
into which the putrid remains are placed. The bundles of Sacred Places of
skeletons are placed on pallets of long poles and laid in the Sinister Signs and
communal pit. Gifts are exchanged, usually beaver robes,
and a general celebration is held as the ghosts of the dead Shadowy Portents
are relieved from haunting the location further. The world is alive and teeming with benevolent and
The Picts
malevolent spirits, many of whom resent the intrusions
of man into their damp woodland. Many of these spirits
The Onekwnhtara Ohlykara Ceremony
exist in greater concentrations or closer to this realm in
When the red planet rises in the eastern sky and stares
certain places of strange aspect. Each tribe has at least
balefully at the world, appalling dreams are sent forth
one holy site, sacred to their village and their shaman.
and in those dreams a girl is seen. Those receptive to the
Rarely, however, does more than one tribe share the same
dreams, usually one warrior in any given tribe, remember
sacred ground, and tribes rarely respect the hallowed sites
it in stark detail. The Pict to whom the girl is revealed is
of others. These sites might be places of great beauty or
recognised as a shaman, at least temporarily, if he is not
past tragedy. All of these grounds are tainted with power,
already one, called the Onekwnhtara. Led by this Pict, a
however. The Picts also believe that underwater monsters
war-party snatches a girl from a neighbouring tribe, a girl
and demons lurk in the rivers and lakes of the wilderness.
who matches the one revealed in the dream.
Graveyards are also holy ground. If a village catches on
re, the villagers rst protect the graveyard before tending
For three days after the capture, the girl is treated well,
to their own homes; if the graveyard is neglected, then the
with no torture or teasing while around her, the Picts
ghosts of the dead will grow hostile to the tribe.
perform preparatory rituals and ceremonies directed by
the Onekwnhtara, who is the only one who knows the
The Picts believe in the power of dreams and visions,
full rite as revealed in the dream. After midnight on the
both of which are considered portentous signs of things to
fourth day (or the dawn of the fourth day for some tribes),
come or things that have been hidden. Serious and fatal
the ceremony comes to a bloody and gory crescendo
maladies are often the result of thwarted wishes and desires
of cold murder and ghastly feasting. Accompanied by
and often when a Pict falls ill, the village tries to full
drumming, warriors enter the preparatory hut where the
an individuals desires as interpreted by the sick persons
girl has been kept. The girl, who has been kept ignorant
dreams. If the dream was of a girl in the village, then
of her fate, is brought out naked, painted half red and half
the warrior might be allowed to consort with her. If the
black. She is taken to the altar hut, where a scaffold of
dream was of the death of an enemy, a war-party might be
sorts has been built, ornamented by black and red skulls,
sent out to kill the foe. If the dream was of a possession,
feathers and scalps. The sacrice is tied spread-eagled with
then that possession would likely be handed over to the
her face to the red planet. The shaman chants as a chosen
Pict. The shaman usually interprets these dreams, and if
warrior, his face in a ritual mask, darts forward with a lit
he realises there is nothing that can be done he interprets
brand, threatening to touch the ames under her arms and
the dreams to be something unattainable.
on the genitals, but pulling back without actually hurting
the girl. As the drumming intensies, the shaman directs
Mystical power resides in every thing, in every action and
another warrior to spring forth and shoot a black and red
in every place. As a result every Pict must pay heed to the
arrow into the girls heart.
baleful spirits that infuse all things. To ensure a proper
understanding of the threatening environment around
The shaman steps forward and cuts her breast with a int
them a class of Pict evolved to speak to the dreadful spirits
knife and smears her blood on his face, without faltering
and to harness the mystical powers of all things, this Pict
in his chanting. He dances off as the entire tribe shoots
is the shaman.
arrows into the lifeless corpse, dancing and shouting.
Everyone in the tribe must shoot the corpse, including
children and infants. Mothers will re additional arrows Shamans, Masked
as a ritual stand-in for any infant children. A great feast
and celebration completes the rite to ensure the world is Devils in Feathered
safe from the evil dreams of the Old Ones that watch from Plumes
the stars. The shaman of a clan wields terrible magical
powers, often having more inuence
than the chiefs of the clan. The
89
shamans are the centre of the religious and ritual aspects This reliance on performance can be shown in the game
of the Picts. Picts understand good and evil as indications through the Performance (ritual) skill. Every 5 ranks of
of whether or not obligations to the malicious spirits are Performance (ritual) gives a +2 synergy bonus to Heal and
being met, and it is the shamans control this aspect of Survival checks.
life. They are mediums, acting as intermediaries between
this world and the dark spirit world. Fortunately for A Pictish shaman may make a Perform (ritual) check
The Picts
the Westermarck and the rest of the world, the various to play upon the deep superstitions of other Picts. The
tribal shamans spend most of their time battling spirits performance must be at least 10 minutes long, cannot
or each other rather than banding together and raiding be interrupted and only inuences Picts who watch the
the Hyborian kingdoms. Thus some of the earliest spells entire performance. At the end of the performance, the
they learn are curses, and they love practising such spells shaman may make a Perform (ritual) check opposed to
on rival tribes. the Picts Sense Motive checks. The shaman gains a +1
circumstance bonus to any magic attacks directed toward
The magic of the Pictish shaman is bloody and grim. audience members who fail this opposed check. If anyone
Their altars are crude affairs, charred with re and stained beats the shamans check by 5 or more, the shaman gains
with blood. Accompanied by thundering drums, the a -1 penalty to any magic attacks directed toward those
shaman dances grotesquely and the captives are sacriced Picts and they may attempt to deride the shamans feeble
to their dire gods and vile spirits, and this blood makes attempts to inuence them. If this happens, audience
their magic mighty. They torture and kill captives in these Picts may make a second Sense Motive check with a
gruesome ceremonies, which revolve around the hunt bonus equal to the number of Picts deriding the shamans
and the cycle of life, including births, rites of passage and performance. Repeat attempts may be made, but at a -4
deaths. Pictish shamans are wary of sharing their magic, for each successive try. These effects last until the next
and this even extends to teaching it to their own tribe or sunrise.
family. Acolyte shamans must be constantly on the alert
to prove their loyalty, or they are likely to nd themselves A shamans mask often represents the tribes totem animal
used as the next sacrice to the weird Pictish gods. or helper spirit and is used in rituals by the shamans,
turning the shaman from a mere man to a supernatural
Feathered Plumes and Grinning Scarlet Masks giant with ominous powers in the eyes of the tribe. By
Costume and performance are inextricably linked to donning this mask, a shaman calls upon the power of the
a shamans success. They may act like animals, dress as dark spirits infusing the world to aid in his rituals. In
animals and possibly even transform into animals. Pictish Wolves Beyond the Border, the shaman wore a scarlet mask
shamans favour feathers, bones and simple loin-clouts as that represented one of the forest-devils. Rules concerning
their garb, using war paint and other ceremonial colouring masks can be found in Tricks and Tools.
to show off their intent and call their spirits attention.
Feathers hold mystical signicance to the shaman and his By Means Of His Strange Knowledge and
followers. Masks are also commonly used to enhance the Ominous Power
mood or as a magical focus. The ability to change form to The easiest way to heal someone in a Conan adventure is
ght spirits is also crucial to the shaman, either in reality or to make a Heal check. The idea in Conan the Roleplaying
via his convincing performance, for he must be a trickster Game is that battles should be more descriptive than I
to outwit the harmful spirits that plague the Picts. rolled a 12 and hit for 5 points of damage! The same
idea should be applied to most of the mechanics of the
Drums are another vital part of the Pictish shaman ritual, game, including Heal checks. When a shaman makes a
and are holy to the Picts, who liken them to the heartbeats Heal check, he is guratively or literally battling the spirit
of the spirits. world!
With such emphasis on performance, for shaman Shamanic procedure is remarkably similar regardless of the
magic must be shown and displayed to the tribe individual situation calling for the shaman. The typical
despite the inner experience of it, Charisma is a pattern begins with a problem. Perhaps a person is ill,
vital characteristic for the successful shaman. the crops fail or the animals avoid the hunt. The Picts
They must hold the attention of the tribe believe there is a connection between human behaviour
and convince them they are powerful and the rest of the natural world, so these afictions
enough to command the spirits upon the community are probably the consequence of
that infuse their wild land. incorrect behaviour, such as breaking a taboo and/or
90
languages conveying the idea of curative power on the
part of the shaman, acted out in music, dancing, words
and gestures. The Pict shaman may breathe over the
patient to make him seen in the spiritual world so the
shaman may more easily nd the malevolent spirit.
The Picts
Once the spirit is found, the shaman must make a
decisive choice, struggling in a physical battle with
the spirits (he can add his base attack bonus to his Heal
check against the Heal DC or save DC in the case of
some diseases, poisons or madness), engage in cunning
debates (he can add a Knowledge score to his Heal check)
or solve it diplomatically, pleading supplication with the
spirit causing the problem (he can add his Diplomacy
score to his Heal check). If the shaman prevails he sends
the uncooperative spirits back into the void, dismissing
others, or even capturing these spirits in jars or pots. Some
spirits are simply forced to agree to a compromise (adding
an Intimidate score to the Heal check).
Alternatively, the healing process can be fully played out

by describing the ailment to the shaman character as a
monster or demon. Combat or diplomacy ensues as
normal, but the shamans Heal ranks modify the other
relevant rolls. If the shaman ghts a spirit, he adds his
insulting a spirit, or a curse has been put on the tribe by Heal ranks to his BAB instead of Str or Dex; if he engages
another, which also involves the spirits. If a Pict is evil, in a dialogue with the spirit, he can add his Heal ranks
not meeting the obligations of the spirit world and the to his Diplomacy or Intimidate check; if he casts spells at
ubiquitous environment, he may nd hunting sparse, for the spirit, he can add his Heal ranks to his magical attack
the dark spirits control the quantity and quality of game bonus. Any synergy bonuses for related skills also apply
animals. In any case, the spirit world is involved and must here. Once in the spirit world, the shaman, with a Perform
be healed along with the person or tribe. The shaman is (ritual) check of DC 10 + Animal HD, can change form
called into action and regardless of whether a soul has been into that of an animal, gaining that animals natural attack
abducted, a foreign spirit has entered a person or if the tribe forms. If the spirit does damage to the shaman, he takes
is impure, the shaman is the one best suited to cure the the damage in the real world and can die there. Engaging
ailment by virtue of initiation, repeated public approval of the spirit world is potentially deadly for the shaman.
his performances or because he has symbolically died and
been resurrected. Once the battle is done, the shaman then tells the tribe of
that which will appease the cruel spirits and cause them to
The mysterious shaman has several courses of action open end the problem. To not meet the responsibilities required
to him. Shamans are skilled in the use of herbal medicines by the spirits is a sign of disrespect, shredding the balance
and the use of plants for rituals and spellcasting. He is and harmony of the environment around them. The dim,
also skilled at summoning reliable helper spirits, defeating forested environment and the dark world of the spirits are
hostile spirits or symbolically dying and being reborn. one, bound together, the source of life for all, the source
By means of his strange knowledge and ominous power, of identity for the tribe and the source of strength for the
the shaman can journey across the shadowy cosmos, individual Pict.
extract menacing foreign spirits or cleanse threatening
impurities. If a Pict is healed of a sickness by a shaman, that
Pict usually is given a mask by one of the mask-
Intense rhythmic drumming and curious herbal teas carvers of the tribe, or he carves his own, and
induce a ritual trance, allowing the shamans soul to enter is expected to help the shamanic healing
the spirit world and nd the source of the problem at from that day forward. Thus, the
hand. All of this is acted out in physical and psychological shaman slowly creates a large group
91
for power rituals (see Conan the Roleplaying Game for rules oversee the cosmos. Jhebbal Sag, a pre-Cataclysmic god of
on Power Rituals). The Pict take a rank in a Perform skill darkness and primordial fear, is an ancient nature god that
upon gaining their next level so he can aid in the rituals. was once worshipped by all living things, man and animal
Although many take ranks in Perform (ritual), other alike. Both animals and man have largely forgotten him,
performances aid the shaman as well, such as drumming but a few still remember and those who do are considered
and dancing. family, for they are brothers. The Pict who serves Jhebbal
The Picts
Sag will treat other worshippers, animals and foreigners

Dreams and dream interpretation is also important to a as though they were literal brothers, for family and clan
shaman, for many believe illness springs from unfullled is important to the Pict. Jhebbal Sag has many children,
desires. Dreams can also identify witches who have cursed each a god over a certain type of animal.
the sick Pict. Still, healing is not their primary focus. In
the world of the Pict, catching game is far more important Another of the malevolent Pictish gods is Gullah, The
for the clan, so most of the shamans magic is used to Hairy One Who Lives in the Moon. He is a gorilla god
bring about prosperous hunts. Family and clan are still and the Picts consider the bull apes of their wilderness
at the heart of Pictish society and the shaman exists as a to be his totem animals. His altars are black with an
community servant, not as some private sorcerer delving eternal ame set upon it. To summon Gullah and begin
deep into his own personal needs and goals. A Pictish the process of destroying an enemy, the shaman paints a
shaman who fails to stave off death from disease and illness skull black and casts it into Gullahs re. Upon entering
may well be forced to sacrice his own life by his tribe. a trance, the shaman can then speak to the ghosts and
spirits. Gullah, as a moon deity, also serves as a guardian
of the spirit world. He mirrors the vices of humanity, for
The Mountains of the all of the animal kingdom his anthropoid appearance most
Dead and the Harsh mimics that of mans. He is also credited by the Picts as
the inventor of time and, as a moon god, has a fertility
Gods of the Picts aspect.
The Picts believe in a dark afterlife. After death, their souls
will enter the spirit world and haunt the black Mountains
Another son of Jhebbal Sag is Jhil the Raven, a bloodthirsty
of the Dead in the uplands of the Dark Land. At night,
trickster deity. His children are the ravens, crows and
the ghosts of fallen Picts are thought to walk among their
certain endish spirits, and he is likely the patron of the
villages, eating any food that is left out overnight. Picts
Raven clan of Picts. He commands dark spirits and is
who die violently are supposed to be violent in the afterlife
associated with mortality. Jhil taught the Picts how to
and even dealing with their corpses is said to be dangerous.
survive in the wilderness and how to honour Jhebbal
Picts who die in war paint are honoured in the afterlife.
Sag according to his myth cycle. Jhil has a insatiable
Generally, it is supposed by the Picts that their spirits take
craving for food, blood and sex. He is also a messenger
the form of their body at the moment of death, which is
for Jhebbal Sag and the spirit world. Endowed with the
why the mutilation of a Pict body is considered an insult
gift of prophecy, he has empowered mortals to use dice to
and part of the reason why Picts almost always mutilate
reveal his messages, giving man a method of augury. His
the corpses of their foes. Such mutilations hamper the
worship is a gory ceremony, for he demands that prisoners
spirit in the afterlife.
be ayed alive on his altar.
Spirits do not just live in the afterlife. According to the
The Picts worship the old gods who sleep in the outer
Picts, the spirits are everywhere, existing and co-existing
abysses but are not dead. With the help of sacrices and
with everything. The trees, animals and rocks all have
magic, these old gods sometimes awaken
spirits and by mollifying and worshipping these spirits, the
Picts feel they are at one with the universe. By breaking
taboos or dishonouring the spirits, they may bring
doom upon themselves or, even worse, their entire
Games and
tribe. Many of the gruesome ceremonies practised
by the Picts are not directed toward their own dire
Celebrations of
gods, but to placate the spirits. the Picts
The Picts do not just ght and hunt all day, every day. The
In addition to the spirits that infuse Picts enjoy celebrations and games, feasts and contests.
everything, Picts also have their Although all tribes have local variations and unique games,
own sinister nature gods that some common types are listed here.
92
Pict Names
Pictish names tend to be either Iroquois-style names or descriptive names like Hawk. Tribal names are also based on
the tribal animal totems, for example, the Wolf Clan.
The Picts
Akaratsi Ateronto Atiehwata Aweri
Ehsa Ennahson Erihkowa Iatehontawenriestahkhwa
Ikhsas Ikhseronnis Ikkerons Ikkwenies
Iontahkwenniaientahkwa Ioresen Kahonweia Kanatso
Kanenten Kaneron Kanonno Karihton
Karihton Karontaraken Katewentehtha Kenakore
Kenakore Kentake Kentiohkwaienton Kentiohkwanoron
Kerennhas Kheiatonties Kheiatotarhoks Kheienterhas
Khekwennires Kheteronnes Kienahs Kienteres
Kienterhas Kienterhas Kierits Kierits
Kiesas Niwatahtsheroten Ohikta Ohna
Ohnatsha Ohnenhsa Ohnhoskwarha Ohniasa
Ohniohkwa Ohnitsha Ohokwa Ohosera
Ohsa Ohsokwa Ohtsohkoton Okahrohsta
Okara Okwire Okwire Okwireshona
Okwitsha Onake Onaseta Onehta
Onekwenhsa Onekwenhtara Onekwenta Onennohkara
Onenta Onentakwenhtentshera Onentaonwe Onerahtasekowa
Onerahte Onerahtonta Onhwentsiakaionne Oniara
Onionsa Ononkwis Ononna Ononta
Ononwara Orhenionkwa Oronhkwena Ose
Osekowa Osora Ostien Othwensa
Otiohkwa Otokenha Otsinakwa Otskenrha
Otskwena Oweionkara Owira Raotitiohkwa
Ratiksaokona Ronnonkwe Sewahiowane Sewahiowaneonwe
Shahreon Skaniatarati Skanionhsa Sotar
Tarakwi Tehatiiahsontha Teiakiatonts Teiakoniatawneeks
Tekekhas Tekontinonniakwa Tiawenroten Tsiorahsa
Tsorahsa Wahta Wakenakerenhs Wakientas
skill. Knowing how to play this game (Knowledge (local)

Six Pits DC 20) can add a +2 bonus to Diplomacy or Gather
This game is played with a bowl of some sort (often Information checks among peaceful Picts.
wooden or just a tortoise shell) and six peach pits. One
side of each pit is charred black. The player raps the bowl Adventure Hooks: A powerful war chief loses a game of
sharply against the ground to make the pits jump. If ve six pits and must allow an ambitious lesser chief to break
or six pits turn up the same colour, that player scores and a treaty with the Aquilonians and steal some livestock,
may go again. If not, the opposing player has his chance. supplies or captives from across the Thunder River.
This game may be played between individual opponents
or between teams. Some Picts take this game very Characters track a young Aquilonian girl to a Pictish
seriously and many gamble on the outcomes. A few have encampment much too strong for the characters
even gambled away their freedom, becoming the slaves of to defeat in combat, so they engage in a game
other Picts. of six pits to try and win the girl back.
Characters can challenge Picts in this game as part of
diplomatic efforts to achieve some goal or to prove their
93
A massive war is brewing on the frontier and the characters Pictish shamans in their masks devote a ceremony to
discover it all hinged on a game of six pits. They also reciting the names of those babies born during the year.
discover the shaman leading the war won the game through The following day, the shamans and other members of
magic and duplicity. The characters need to prove the masked society within the tribe emerge from the shamans
fraud before the entire frontier goes up in ames. hut and proclaim the New Year. Once this announcement
is made, the festivities, intended to renew dreams among
The Picts
the tribe, can begin. The shamans and notable tribesmen

Snowsnakes move from hut to hut, dancing to ward off evil spirits and
In the winter Picts often play the sport of snowsnakes, a
renew the power of dreams for the huts occupants. The
game of strength and skill. When the snow is sufciently
shaman, during the course of the dancing, stirs the ashes
deep, the Picts, individually or in teams, prepare the eld
of each huts res to symbolise the scattering of the old
of battle. Dragging a smooth log lengthways through the
year and the kindling of the new year. A white dog is
snow repeatedly the Picts plough a trough about 1,500
ritually strangled during a solemn ceremony, daubed with
feet long. The log is dragged over and over the trough
red paint and hung from a pole. The second day of the
until it is about 18 inches deep and packed down into a
festival starts out again with the stirring of the ashes, this
smooth, icy surface. Once the eld is laid out, the Picts
time by the heads of the hut. The ceremony known as
gather their snowsnakes. A snowsnake is a exible stick,
the Great Riddle then begins. Those who had dreamed
usually made from hickory, maple or walnut, about ve
a portent during the year travel from hut to hut hinting
to nine feet in length. The sticks are tipped with lead or
at their dream in the form of riddles while listeners try to
other metal to give them sufcient weight. The sticks are
describe the dream. If a Pict accurately describes anothers
about an inch wide at the head and about a half inch wide
dream, that Pict is required to satisfy the desire inherent
at the tail. The sticks are often rubbed down with beeswax
in the dream, regardless of how strange or excessive the
or animal oils to reduce their friction. These sticks are
desire may be. It is considered an extremely bad omen not
then hurled so that they slide along the trough, undulating
to full the demands of a dream, for such dreams express
in a snake-like fashion, in an attempt to slide further than
the true desires of the soul, desires that if left unfullled
the opponents sticks. The game takes strong muscles,
will lead to misfortune or even catastrophe. On the
since the sticks must be hurled at speeds approaching
third day of the festival, the shaman continues his dream
that of a loosed arrow, as well as fantastic hand-eye co-
renewal dances as groups of youths, in the company of an
ordination to throw the stick so it lands in the trough just
old woman of the tribe, move through the village trading
right. The game takes concentration, as opponents often
dances and songs for gifts. If no gifts are offered, the
yell out cat-calls and distractions as the player runs up on
youths are allowed to steal whatever they can get. On the
the trough. If a player misses the trough or if his shaft
fourth day the shaman or the village chief announces the
hits at a bad angle, he will be the target of a long stream of
end of the dream-renewal dances and the tribe gathers in
good-natured abuse by those watching.
a central location as various groups in the tribe perform
their special dances. On the fth day the body of the
In game terms, the characters can throw the stick by
white dog is removed from the pole and burned so that
rolling their base attack bonus modied by both Strength
the animals spirit can personally convey the tribes thanks
and Dexterity modiers to hit a Defence Value of 15. If it
to the spirit world. The festival ends on the sixth day with
strikes true, the total is compared with the totals of other
several occult and religious dances, followed by the Rite of
throwers to see who went the farthest. Some enthusiasts
Personal Chants. The Rite of Personal Chants requires all
may place ranks in Perform (snowsnakes) which adds to
adult Pict males to sing their own song.
the roll.
Adventure Hooks: The Picts almost never attack anyone
Adventure Hooks: The Player Characters could be
during the time of the New Year Festival, which may be an
involved in some sort of quest for a sacred snowsnake of
opportune time for Aquilonians to attack.
some importance to some tribe. The characters may or
may not know exactly what a snowsnake is when the
Pictish Player Characters may perform this ceremony
quest begins.
on their own at the appropriate time, no matter where
they may be in the world. They may riddle the rest of
New Year the party and force them to satisfy the desires inherent in
their dreams should one of the Player Characters correctly
Celebration describe the dream hinted at. Of course, procuring the
On the last day of a year as
white dog may be an adventure all on its own.
reckoned by the Picts,
94
Tribes of Pictland
Tribes of Pictland
Wardens of the Totem Spirits
The Picts are a short but broad, swarthy- become generic. Each tribe should play differently, even
skinned folk and though they are a white-skinned race, though they share certain characteristics.
civilised folk never refer to them as such. Uniformly
belligerent and wild, they are not far removed from the Different clans emphasise different skills, although all Picts
natural setting in which they dwell and are resistant tend to master most of the useful hunting skills as best
toward the encroachment of civilisation. Do not make the they can. Those of the Turtle tribe emphasise endurance,
mistake, however, of believing that one Pict is much like crafts, traps and listening. The Alligator tribe emphasises
another; beyond a few commonalties, the Pictish culture hiding skills for their ambush tactics and many take ranks
is surprisingly varied. in Bluff. The Hawk and Eagle tribes tend to be fantastically
perceptive with more than a few ranks dedicated to the
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of clans living Spot skill. The Wildcat tribe are strongest at moving
in the Pictish Wilderness, both large and small, each of silently, sneaking up on their prey. The Wolf tribe attacks
which is aligned to a tribe named after a totem animals. in packs, often driving their victims over long distances
These totems are vitally important to the tribe and their while making sporadic attacks designed to exhaust their
constituent clans. Some such tribes are small, insignicant chosen foe, and specialise in tracking skills, such as Search
entities on the verge of extinction, while others have many and Survival. The Raven tribe concentrate on the Survival
clans. The Games Master is encouraged to develop his skill and pluck out the eyes of their captives to prevent
own unique tribes based on various animals that might their escape.
be found there. Some advice to Games Masters on the
creation of new tribes and a sample tribe can be found on On the same note, many Hyborians do generalise the
page 115. Both players and Games Masters should pick Picts, believing that one Pict is the same as another. Let
skills to complement the tribal totem, so that Picts do not players discover the unique characteristics of these tribes
as they encounter them. Borderers with some ranks in
Knowledge (local) may, with a DC 18 roll, know a few
facts about neighbouring Picts that the player does not
know from actual encounters. On the following pages
are some sample Pict tribes along with sample tribesmen
But the Picts are divided into small for quick use in a campaign. Particularly important Picts
clans, persisted Balthus. Theyll
should vary from the generic ones offered on the following
never unite. We can whip any single clan.
pages.
Or any three or four clans, admitted the
Alligator
slayer. But some day a man will rise and unite
thirty or forty clans, just as was done among the
Cimmerians, when the Gundermen tried to push Alligators are ferocious predators that inhabit the Pictish
the border northward, years ago. They tried Wilderness, engendering fear and caution in humans
to colonize the southern marches of Cimmeria:
and animals alike with their primeval and terrifying
destroyed a few small clans, built a fort-town,
Venarium youve heard the tale. appearance. The liver and entrails of an alligator
are often used by the tribes shamans to cast spells
Robert E. Howard, Beyond the Black leading to death, making the alligator a violent
River symbol of destruction. The alligator also
features in their myths as an ancestor
as well as a fertility spirit and Picts
95
Highly charismatic Alligator Picts often take the Striking
Cobra feat instead of one of their standard feats. Picts
with this feat are highly honoured, and gain a +2 bonus
Tribes of Pictland
to their Reputation scores. Feats such as Water Wise and

Greater Grapple (see pages 128 and 126 respectively) are
also common among the Alligator tribe.
In appearance, these Picts vary only slightly from the

standard. They le their teeth to points and wear alligator
teeth ornaments in their hair or as jewellery. Their heads
are shaved except for the scalping tuft, which is kept
long. Feathers are added to indicate tribal standing and
to represent war trophies. In addition to body paint,
the Alligator Picts ritually scar themselves or insert small
pebbles under their skin, creating permanent bumps all
over their bodies in patterns similar to that of the alligator.
Many carry reeds with them to use as breathing tubes
while hiding in the water. Great chiefs and shamans wear
the skins of alligators on ceremonial occasions, and some
few can fashion crude armour from alligator hide. Many
tribesmen carry the severed forelimbs of an alligator on
their wrists to help hide or disguise their tracks.
Bear
Bears are the totem animal for this Pictish tribe. These
Picts have a cultural belief that bear cubs are born without
form and are licked into shape by their mothers, creating
of the alligator tribe attempt to emulate their totem animal
order out of chaos. The creator bear also licked the Picts
throughout their lives.
into their forms. Going into battle wearing only bear
skins, but often emerging without harm, have given these
The Alligator tribe lives along the Thunder River near
Picts a Hyborian image of carnality and viciousness. To
Thandara in the marshes that cover the area. They are
the Picts, the bear grants physical strength and the ability
the southernmost Pictish tribe known to the Aquilonians,
to perform feats of daring.
consisting of several clans all bound under similar
traditions and a powerful identifying totem. The wild
Savage in the extreme, Bear Picts usually only use ranged
Alligators are savagely belligerent and violently unwilling
weapons to hunt, or to herd enemies into ambushes. To
to negotiate for peace with the Aquilonians. They have
the Bear, the mark of a brave warrior of skill and repute is
spitefully sworn a hateful war against their white foes.
the taking of another warriors scalp to be able to touch
the opponent in melee combat. The only proof of melee
Excellent swimmers, the Alligators tend to lie in wait in
combat is the scalp. Much as the bear uses a crushing hug in
rivers and pools, sometimes using a reed for air, until their
combat, so to do the Bear tribe. Picts taking the Crushing
prey approaches, where upon they leap out of the water and
Grip feat earn an automatic +2 to their reputation once it
attack. If possible, these ferocious Picts grapple their prey,
is displayed in combat, for such a daring feat earns the Pict
and wrestle it into the water to drown. Alligator Picts gain
much honour among his tribesmen.
honour by doing this, and gain an additional +1 bonus
to any other Reputation bonuses gained for defeating a
higher level foe if they were drowned without the use
of weapons. These Picts are also known to pounce
Cormorant
The totem animal of this savage coastal tribe is a large
out with their clubs and hatchets, striking as hard blackish bird with long neck and bill. It swims low in
and as fast as they can, hopefully rendering water and is often seen standing on rocks with outstretched
their prey unconscious before being wings. The cormorant is found all along the Pictish coast
dragged away. and occasionally hunting the inland rivers that empty into
the Western Ocean. These sea-birds are expert swimmers
96
Sample Alligator Picts
Medium Pict 1st level 5th level 10th level
Barbarian Warrior Chief Council Chief
Tribes of Pictland
Speed: 30 ft.
DR: - - 1/-
BAB/Grapple: +1/+2 +5/+6 +10/+12
(1d8/x2, AP 1*) (1d8/x2, AP 1*) AP 1*)
+4/+4 melee nesse (1d8+1/x2, +9/+9 melee nesse (1d8+1/x2, +15/+10/+15 melee nesse (1d8+2/x2,
AP 2, and 1d6/x3); or hunting AP 2, and 1d6/x3); or hunting AP 3, and 1d6+1/x3); or hunting bow
bow +4 (1d8/x2, AP 1*) bow +9 (1d8/x2, AP 1*) +15/+10 (1d8/x2, AP 1*)
rolls when attacking animals, rolls when attacking animals, attacking animals, Versatility (no
Versatility (only -2 penalty Versatility (only -2 penalty penalty when using improvised
Special Qualities: Illiterate; +2 circumstance Illiterate; +2 circumstance Illiterate; +2 circumstance bonus to
Note: bonus to Hide, Listen, Move bonus to Hide, Listen, Move Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Survival
Circumstance Silently, Survival and Spot Silently, Survival and Spot and Spot checks in temperate or
bonuses gured checks in temperate or warm checks in temperate or warm warm forest; +2 to saves against fear,
into skills below forest; +2 to saves against fear forest; +2 to saves against fear, Bite Sword, Trap Sense +3, Uncanny
Bite Sword, Trap Sense +1, Dodge, Improved Uncanny Dodge
Uncanny Dodge
Skills: Bluff +1, Hide +10, Jump +7, Bluff +3, Hide +12, Jump +7, Bluff +4, Hide +18, Jump +9,
Listen +3, Move Silently +10, Listen +5, Move Silently +12, Knowledge (geography) +2, Listen +7,
Spot +3, Survival +3, Swim +5, Spot +5, Survival +7, Swim Move Silently +18, Spot +6, Survival
Tumble +6 +10, Tumble +7 +13, Swim +16, Tumble +8
Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike, Endurance, Improved Grapple, Die Hard, Endurance, Improved
Stealthy, Track Improved Unarmed Strike, Grapple, Improved Mobility, Improved
Mobility, Stealthy, Teeth Unarmed Strike, Leadership, Mobility,
Gleaming, Track Stealthy, Teeth Gleaming, Track, Water
Wise
Environment: Pictish Wilderness (near Thandara)
Possessions: Club, hunting bow, 12 arrows, primitive hatchet and appropriate hair ornaments
and divers, however, they are extremely buoyant, so they Cormorant Picts dive in and swim where others would
need to swallow pebbles to make themselves heavy enough not think possible, in almost any environment in their
to stay under the water. This bird seems to have a knack for wilderness. This attitude makes these Picts some
adapting. The cormorant is a symbol of the supernatural of the most fearless and decisive of all the Picts.
for all coastal Picts, a harbinger of death and a symbol of Cormorant tribesmen wear two cormorant feathers
the unpredictable nature of man. in their hair, the position of these feathers indicates
their individual clan. Eagle feathers are also
As the tribes totem, the cormorant is believed to give these added to their hair to indicate triumphs
Picts a similar ability to accomplish, in unique ways, what and great deeds and are stained red
others can not seem to do. They believe they have the if the Pict has achieved the rank
ability to dive in to what others would hesitate about. The
97
Sample Bear Picts
Tribes of Pictland
DV Dodge: 12 (+2 Dex) 15 (+2 Dex, +3 Base) 22 (+5 Dex, +7 Base)
DV Parry: 12 (+2 Str) 14 (+3 Str, +1 Base) 14 (+1 Str, +3 Base)
DR: -
BAB/Grapple: +1/+3 +5/+8 +10/+12
Attack: Club +3 melee (1d8+2/x2, AP Club +9 melee nesse (1d8+1/ Club +15 melee nesse (1d8+2/x2,
3); or hunting bow +3 (1d8/x2, x2, AP 2); or hunting bow +9 AP 3); or hunting bow +15 (1d8/x2,
AP 1*) (1d8/x2, AP 1*) AP 1*)
+3/+3 melee (1d8+2/x2, AP +9/+9 melee nesse (1d8+1/x2, +15/+10/+15 melee nesse (1d8+2/x2,
3, and 1d6+1/x2); or hunting AP 2, and 1d6/x2); or hunting AP 3, and 1d6/x2); or hunting bow
when using improvised when using improvised weapons), crimson mist
weapons) weapons), crimson mist
Circumstance Silently, Survival and Spot Silently, Survival and Spot and Spot checks in temperate or warm
bonuses gured checks in temperate or warm checks in temperate or warm forest; +2 to saves against fear, bite
into skills below forest; +2 to saves against fear forest; +2 to saves against fear, sword, trap sense +3, uncanny dodge,
bite sword, trap sense +1, improved uncanny dodge, DR 1/-
uncanny dodge
Skills: Climb +6, Jump +8, Hide +9, Climb +11, Jump +9, Hide Bluff +4, Jump +9, Hide +18,
Listen +3, Move Silently +9, +12, Listen +5, Move Silently Knowledge (geography) +2, Listen +7,
Spot +3, Survival +4, Tumble +12, Spot +5, Survival +7, Move Silently +18, Spot +6, Survival
+5 Tumble +5 +13, Swim +16, Tumble +8
Feats: Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved
Stealthy, Track Improved Grapple, Stealthy, Grapple, Stealthy, Track, Endurance,
Track, Endurance, Mobility, Mobility, Die Hard, Water Wise,
Power Attack, Fighting Improved Mobility, Teeth Gleaming,
Madness Leadership
Environment: Pictish Wilderness
Advancement: By Character Class (probably barbarian)
and reputation of a chief. Cormorant warriors shave their The Cormorant clans sh more than they hunt, catching
heads except for the scalping tuft, which is kept long. whale, shark and other marine life for food and sustenance.
In addition to standard Pictish weapons, Cormorants also
Cormorant Picts are skilled swimmers and canoe-men use harpoons and nets. The harpoons are generally used
and are widely renowned for their skills on the water. for whaling. The Cormorants are especially skilled at
They almost always maximise their ranks in Swim using nets, and often use them to capture prisoners. Some
and Ride, which is used for the great dugout highly skilled Cormorant Picts actually train cormorants
canoes used by the tribe for shing and for shing by placing a bone or wood ring around the
whaling. necks of the birds to prevent them from swallowing their
98
Sample Cormorant Picts
Tribes of Pictland
Speed: 30 ft.
DR: - - 1/-
BAB/Grapple: +1/+3 +5/+7 +10/+14
(1d8/x2, AP 1*) (1d8/x2, AP 1*) AP 1*)
+4/+4 melee nesse (1d8+2/ +8/+8 melee nesse (1d8+2/ +14/+9/+14 melee nesse (1d8+4/x2,
x2, AP 3, and 1d6+1/x2); or x2, AP 3, and 1d6+1/x2); or AP 6, and 1d6+2/x3); or hunting bow
hunting bow +4 (1d8/x2, AP hunting bow +8 (1d8/x2, AP +14/+9 (1d8/x2, AP 1*)
1*) 1*)
Bite Sword, trap sense +1, Dodge, Improved Uncanny Dodge,
Uncanny Dodge DR 1/-
Skills: Climb +2, Hide +9, Jump +5, Climb +2, Hide +9, Jump +5, Climb +4, Handle Animal +2, Hide
Listen +2, Move Silently +9, Listen +2, Move Silently +9, +12, Jump +7, Listen +3, Move
Ride +5, Spot +4, Survival +4, Ride +9, Spot +8, Survival +8, Silently +12, Ride +11, Spot +11,
Swim +6, Tumble +6 Swim +10, Tumble +6 Survival +14, Swim +17, Tumble +7
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Track, Water Endurance, Fighting Madness, Cleave, Diehard, Endurance, Fighting
Wise Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Madness, Improved Mobility,
Power Attack, Track, Water Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Power
Wise Attack, Precise Shot, Track, Water
Wise, Wicked Savagery
Environment: Pictish Wilderness (west coast)
catch. Having a trained shing cormorant gives a Pict a

+2 Reputation.
Eagle
The totem animal for this savage tribe is a bird
renowned for its hunting skills and ability to y
These Picts are among the most savage of all the Pictish
at amazing heights. The eagle is gloried and
tribes, believing in giving full reign to the animal within.
honoured among almost all Pict tribes, and
They gain a +2 Reputation for taking the Wicked Savagery
the Eagle tribe reveres it most of all as a
feat and a +2 bonus to Reputation for taking the Fighting
Madness feat.
99
Sample Cormorant Picts
Tribes of Pictland
Speed: 30 ft.
DR: - - 1/-
BAB/Grapple: +1/+3 +5/+7 +10/+14
(1d8/x2, AP 1*) (1d8/x2, AP 1*) AP 1*)
1*) 1*)
Bite Sword, trap sense +1, Dodge, Improved Uncanny Dodge,
Skills: Climb +2, Hide +9, Jump +5, Climb +2, Hide +9, Jump +5, Climb +4, Handle Animal +2, Hide
Listen +2, Move Silently +9, Listen +2, Move Silently +9, +12, Jump +7, Listen +3, Move
Ride +5, Spot +4, Survival +4, Ride +9, Spot +8, Survival +8, Silently +12, Ride +11, Spot +11,
Swim +6, Tumble +6 Swim +10, Tumble +6 Survival +14, Swim +17, Tumble +7
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Track, Water Endurance, Fighting Madness, Cleave, Diehard, Endurance, Fighting
Wise Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Madness, Improved Mobility,
Power Attack, Track, Water Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Power
Wise Attack, Precise Shot, Track, Water
Wise, Wicked Savagery
Environment: Pictish Wilderness (west coast)
symbol of their aggressive power, dauntless courage, keen hair. It is not uncommon to nd an Eagle Pict with eagle
eyesight and tribal immortality. claws worn as ornaments. The Eagle clans live on the
eastern edges of Wolf territory, near the Westermarck
The Eagle tribe is among the most predatory tribes, provinces of Conawaga and Oriskonie.
their totem symbolising the warrior and the
hunter. They prize their hunters and great The ability to hunt swiftly and silently is emphasised by
marksmanship can earn an Eagle Pict this tribe. Arrows are symbolic of the eagle, so bringing
honour. Eagle Picts wear a single down foes with arrows is the rst wave of any attack by
eagle feather in their tightly an Eagle war-party. Ranged attack feats and the ability to
braided and unkempt move silently are the most respected abilities among the
100
Sample Eagle Picts
Tribes of Pictland
Speed: 30 ft.
DR: - - 1/-
BAB/Grapple: +1/+1 +5/+5 +10/+11
Attack: Club +4 melee nesse (1d8/x2, Club +9 melee nesse (1d8/x2, Club +15 melee nesse (1d8+1/x2, AP
AP 2); or hunting bow +4 AP 2); or hunting bow +9 3); or Bossonian longbow (+1) +15
(1d8/x2, AP 1*) (1d8/x2, AP 1*) (1d12+1/x32, AP 5*)
+4/+4 melee nesse (1d8/x2, +9/+9 melee nesse (1d8/x2, +15/+10/+15 melee nesse (1d8+1/
AP 2, and 1d6/x3); or hunting AP 2, and 1d6/x3); or hunting x2, AP 3, and 1d6/x3); or Bossonian
bow +4 (1d8/x2, AP 1*) bow +9 (1d8/x2, AP 1*) longbow (+1) +15/+10 (1d12+1/x3,
AP 5*)
Bite Sword, Trap Sense +1, Dodge, Improved Uncanny Dodge,
Skills: Hide +9, Jump +7, Listen +4, Hide +12, Jump +7, Listen +8, Hide +20, Jump +8, Listen +10, Move
Move Silently +9, Spot +5, Move Silently +12, Spot +12, Silently +20, Spot +18, Survival +12,
Survival +2, Tumble +5 Survival +6, Tumble +6 Tumble +7
Feats: Far Shot, Point Blank Shot, Alertness, Endurance, Far Shot, Alertness, Diehard, Endurance, Exotic
Track Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Weapon Prociency (Bossonian
Precise Shot, Track longbow), Far Shot, Improved
Mobility, Mobility, Point Blank Shot,
Precise Shot, Stealthy, Track
Environment: Pictish Wilderness (east of Wolf clan)
Possessions: Club, hunting bow, 12 arrows, primitive hatchet, appropriate hair ornaments
Eagles. Feats such as Far Shot and Stealthy earn the Pict a scores (+3 if the bow was stolen from the hands of a living
+1 modier to Reputation. Feats such as Improved Precise Bossonian).
Shot earn an Eagle Pict a +2 modier to Reputation. Speed
is also valued among the Eagle clans, and the Fleet-Footed
feat earns a Pict a +1 modier to Reputation each time Hawk
the feat is taken. High Spot ranks are also valued among The hawk is an inspiring bird for primitive and
a tribe that wishes to emulate the nature of their totem. civilised cultures alike. Fast and deadly, the
While the Hawk tribe likes to be fast with their arrows, hawk is a graceful predator, oating
the Eagle tribe prefers to be precise. Eagles who capture above the terrain, elegant and noble.
a Bossonian longbow gain a +2 modier to Reputation To the Hawk tribe, the hawk is a
101
Sample Hawk Picts
Tribes of Pictland
Speed: 30 ft.
DR: - - 1/-
BAB/Grapple: +1/+1 +5/+5 +10/+11
Attack: Club +4 melee nesse (1d8/x2, Club +9 melee nesse (1d8/x2, Club +15 melee nesse (1d8+1/x2,
AP 2); or hunting bow +4 AP 2); or hunting bow +9 AP 3); or hunting bow +15 (1d8/x2,
(1d8/x2, AP 1*) (1d8/x2, AP 1*) AP 1*)
+4/+4 melee nesse (1d8/x2, +9/+9 melee nesse (1d8/x2, +15/+10/+15 melee nesse (1d8+1/x2,
AP 2, and 1d6/x3); or hunting AP 2, and 1d6/x3); or hunting AP 3, and 1d6/x3); or hunting bow
bow +4 (1d8/x2, AP 1*) bow +7/+7 (1d8/x2, AP 1*) +13/+8/+13 (1d8/x2, AP 1*)
Bite Sword, Trap Sense +1, Dodge, Improved Uncanny Dodge
Uncanny Dodge
Skills: Jump +7, Hide +11, Listen +4, Jump +7, Hide +14, Listen +6, Jump +8, Hide +20, Listen +10, Move
Move Silently +11, Spot +5, Move Silently +14, Spot +10, Silently +20, Spot +18, Survival +12,
Survival +2, Tumble +5 Survival +6, Tumble +6 Tumble +7
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Stealthy, Endurance, Far Shot, Mobility, Alertness, Diehard, Endurance, Far
Track Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot, Improved Mobility, Mobility,
Stealthy, Track Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot Rapid
Shot, Stealthy, Track
Environment: Pictish Wilderness (near the Westermarck and the Wolf, Turtle and Wildcat tribes)
symbol of nobility and inspiration. The desire to y resides in particular manners to show the precise nature of the
deep in the souls and hearts of these Picts. The Hawk deed earning the feather.
tribe are among the most predatory of the clans, their
totem symbolising the warrior and the hunter, wisdom Wisdom is a primary virtue among the Hawk tribe, who
and action. Hawk tribesmen wear three upright hawk believe seeing is knowing, for them vision is equated with
feathers in a headband to show their allegiance to wisdom, so Hawk Picts tend to maximise their Spot ranks.
this tribe and other hawk feathers are added to Their motto is always wisdom in action. Their word for
their headbands, tied into their hair or weapons arrow is derived from the sound a hawk makes as it dives
to show various accomplishments. All of for its prey. These Picts also prize quickness in action as
these feathers are notched or stained well as stealth. Rapid Shot and Stealthy are common feats
among their number, as are other ranged weapon feats.
Feats such as Far Shot and Precise Shot give the Pict a +1
102
Sample Panther Picts
Tribes of Pictland
DV Parry: 10 (+0 Str) 11 (+0 Str, +1 base) 15 (+1 Str, +3 base, +1 Parry)
DR: - - 1/-
BAB/Grapple: +1/+1 +5/+5 +10/+11
AP 1); or hunting bow +3 (1d8/ AP 1); or hunting bow +8 AP 3); or hunting bow +14 (1d8/x2,
x2, AP 1*) (1d8/x2, AP 1*) AP 1*)
+3/+3 melee nesse (1d8/x2, +8/+8 melee nesse (1d8/x2, +14/+11/+14 melee nesse (1d8+1/x2,
into skills below forest; +2 to saves against fear, forest; +2 to saves against fear, low-light vision, Bite Sword, Trap
low-light vision low-light vision, Bite Sword, Sense +3, Uncanny Dodge, Improved
Trap Sense +1, Uncanny Uncanny Dodge, DR 1/-
Dodge
Skills: Craft (body paint) +2, Hide Craft (body paint) +5, Hide Craft (body paint) +7, Hide +15,
+8, Jump +3, Listen +2, Move +12, Jump +3, Listen +4, Move Jump +6, Listen +9, Move Silently
Silently +7, Spot +2, Survival Silently +12, Spot +4, Survival +15, Spot +6, Survival +6, Tumble +7
+2, Tumble +4 +4, Tumble +6
Feats: Eyes of the Cat, Fleet-Footed, Endurance, Eyes of the Cat, Diehard, Endurance, Eyes of the
Track Fleet-Footed x2, Mobility, Cat, Fighting Madness, Fleet-Footed
Stealthy, Track x2, Improved Initiative, Improved
Mobility, Mobility, Parry, Stealthy,
Track
Environment: Pictish Wilderness (near the Westermarck)
to their Reputation scores. Sniping is a common tactic for

these Picts, so feats like Out of Thin Air give the warrior a
Panther
The Panther tribe have chosen an aggressive and
+2 to his Reputation.
powerful totem animal, one that represents ferocity
and valour. The panther, a symbol of courage
The Hawk clans live near the Westermarck, to the south of
and personal leadership, is a swift and cunning
Conajohara. The Hawk tribe, also called Onayaga, have a
predator that hunts alone during the hours
generations-long blood-feud with the Ravens.
of dawn and dusk. Panther Picts are
fast and able to see in the dark. Like
103
Sample Otter Picts
Tribes of Pictland
Speed: 30 ft.
DR: - - 1/-
BAB/Grapple: +1/+2 +5/+6 +10/+12
(1d8/x2, AP 1*) (1d8/x2, AP 1*) AP 1*)
bow +4 (1d8/x2, AP 1*) bow +6/+6 (1d8/x2, AP 1*) +14/+9 (1d8/x2, AP 1*)
Skills: Climb +3, Craft (trapmaking) Climb +5, Craft (any mundane) Climb +9, Craft (any mundane) +8,
+5, Hide +7, Jump +4, Listen +5, Craft (trapmaking) +10, Craft (trapmaking) +15, Hide +14,
+5, Move Silently +7, Sense Hide +9, Jump +4, Listen +6, Jump +6, Listen +10, Move Silently
Motive +1, Spot +6, Swim +5, Move Silently +9, Sense Motive +14, Sense Motive +6, Spot +10,
Survival +6, Tumble +6 +3, Spot +7, Swim +9, Survival Swim +14, Survival +11, Tumble +7
+7, Tumble +6
Feats: Alertness, Point Blank Shot, Alertness, Endurance, Mobility, Alertness, Combat Expertise, Diehard,
Track Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Endurance, Far Shot, Improved
Rapid Shot, Track Disarm, Improved Mobility, Mobility,
Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid
Shot, Track
Environment: Pictish Wilderness (near the Westermarck)
their totem animal, Panther Picts do not like to chase extremely aggressive. Feats such as Fleet-Footed and Eyes
their prey for long distances; they prefer to stalk it of the Cat are mandatory requirements of Panther Picts,
silently, wound it with ranged weapons, then run while Mobility and Fighting Madness is also common
in fast and attack, making good use of their speed among powerful chiefs.
to unexpectedly close with their foes. The
Panther Picts believe their totem spirit Panther Picts shave their heads save for the scalp tuft,
provides them the ability to know which is left long. They wear panther teeth and claws in
the night and the powers of their hair and body ornamentation. They also wear three
the dark. Panther Picts are hawk feathers, with two of them downward and a single
104
one upward to indicate their tribal afliation. Many Otter Picts usually put ranks in skills such as Sense Motive,
carry cats paws with them, either as charms or in order Search, Listen and Craft. These skills they consider a
to disguise their tracks. Feats such as Improved Initiative blessing from the otter spirits watching over them. Great
Tribes of Pictland
and Lightning Reexes give the Panther Pict a +1 bonus craftsmen and builders are highly reputed among the
to Reputation, provided he is also Fleet-Footed and has Otter tribes, more so than in any other tribe. Any Otter
the Eyes of the Cat. Great chiefs wear clothing made out Pict with 10 ranks in any of the above four skills earns
of panther hide and some shamans make the hide into a a +1 bonus to their Reputation per skill. Many tribes
cloak, with the head of the panther as the cowl, attaching travel to Otter villages so their female shamans can bless
stag horns to it in order to represent power. They live or empower their weapons with their rituals.
near Thandara and have never been at peace with the
Aquilonians.
Raven
The raven taught the early Picts how to survive and is
Otter now considered a messenger or prophet from the spirit
Otters have acute senses of smell, hearing and sight. world. The raven is also noted for its ability to mock the
They live in the lakes, streams and marshes of the Pictish voices of other animals, including humans. The raven, a
Wilderness and are trapped for their furs. They have a child of the darksome deity Jhil, is associated heavily with
hair-raising scream that can be heard over a mile away. mortality and death, the tribe that chose the raven as its
These animals are the chosen totem for the Otter tribe, totem is likewise heavily associated with death.
who emphasise industry and perseverance among their
people. The Raven tribe is obsessed with food, blood, sex,
gambling and prophecy. They hoard food, and is the only
Otter Picts are excellent swimmers, often building their Pict tribe to raid other tribes for their food, destroying
villages within a hundred yards of rivers and lakes, as crops by forcibly harvesting it for the enemy tribe and
well as expert trappers, and build the best traps among taking it away, and over-hunting the land or
the Pictish tribes. Forays into Otter country will most the tribal hunting grounds of an enemy. In
certainly involve traps in the wild. Much of their torture addition to their obsession with making sure
technique is to let their prey think they are escaping, only their tribe has plenty of food, they are
to run through a gauntlet of traps. Interestingly, among also blood-thirsty to an unparalleled
the Otter tribe, women make up the majority of the level. All of the Picts are noted for
shamans. The Otter Picts are capable shermen, and their sadistic tortures and brutal
many prefer to be in a canoe or swimming than on ceremonies, but the Raven clan
foot. They often approach prey along a river, hide, has elevated the art of heartless
then unleash their arrows, hoping to wound or sadism to gory heights even by
weaken their prey before they rush in for the Pictish standards. They hang
kill. The Otter clans live near Thandara, people, sometimes with stones
and so far have never accepted any peace tied to stretch limbs and dislocate
treaties with the Aquilonians. bones slowly. They hang victims
in cages among the trees, with
Their acute senses give them near a noose around their necks to
premonitory powers and can almost force them to stand as birds and
smell deception. The Otter are a wild insects pick and pick and pick at
culture, and are noted for their thick them. They have been known to
body hair, which is never shaven. An hang their captives upside down,
Otter Pict with a particularly hairy then slowly start sawing them in
back is considered to be blessed half with a int saw, starting
by the tribal spirits. These Picts at their genitals. Because
maintain a full head of hair grown of the concentration
long. of blood rushing to
their head, these
105
Sample Raven Picts
Tribes of Pictland
Speed: 30 ft.
DR: - - 1/-
BAB/Grapple: +1/+3 +5/+7 +10/+13
(1d8/x2, AP 1*) (1d8/x2, AP 1*) AP 4*)
hunting bow +4 (1d8/x2, AP hunting bow +7/+7 (1d8/x2, +13/+8/+13 (1d8/x2, AP 4*)
3*) AP 3*)
Skills: Bluff +3, Hide +11, Intimidate Bluff +5, Hide +14, Intimidate Bluff +8, Hide +17, Intimidate +10,
Silently +11, Spot +1, Survival Silently +14, Spot +1, Survival +17, Spot +3, Survival +8, Tumble +8
+3, Tumble +6 +5, Tumble +6
Feats: Precise Shot, Stealthy, Track Endurance, Mobility, Power Cleave, Diehard, Endurance, Improved
Attack, Precise Shot, Rapid Mobility, Improved Overrun,
Shot, Stealthy, Track Mobility, Power Attack, Precise Shot,
Rapid Shot, Stealthy, Track, Wicked
Savagery
Environment: Pictish Wilderness (near Conawaga)
Reputation: 2 (Cruel ) 6 (Cruel) 12 (Cruel)
unfortunate victims remain conscious until the Picts reach matter of days, and total breakdowns of sanity in a week.
the mid-abdomen. Often they will saw off the feet and In addition to scalps, the Ravens are notorious head-
the calves rst, just to make the torture last longer. hunters, and often take grisly trophies from their foes,
Shamans often use magic to sustain the victims so such as hands and feet. A Pict who takes the hands or
the tortures can continue for long periods of time, feet of a foe, and leaves that foe alive (at least immediately
much longer than most other tribes carry alive, until he bleeds to death), gains honour among his
out their own savage tortures. The tribe. Blood is not the only interest of the Raven clan.
Ravens are also masters of sensory They are also sexually deviant in many of their bizarre,
deprivation, which brings orgiastic rituals. Most of their rituals involve either real or
about hallucinations in a symbolic sexual acts in their performance. Most of their
106
Sample Sea-Falcons
Tribes of Pictland
Speed: 30 ft.
DR: - - 1/-
BAB/Grapple: +1/+3 +5/+7 +10/+13
(1d8/x2, AP 1*) (1d8/x2, AP 1*) AP 1*)
1*) 1*)
Skills: Hide +9, Intimidate +3, Jump Hide +14, Intimidate +7, Jump Hide +22, Intimidate +11, Jump +6,
+5, Listen +4, Move Silently +5, Listen +6, Move Silently Listen +10, Move Silently +22, Spot
+9, Spot +4, Survival +4, +14, Spot +6, Survival +4, +7, Survival +10, Tumble +8
Tumble +6 Tumble +7
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Power Point Blank Shot, Power Cleave, Diehard, Endurance, Far Shot,
Attack, Track Attack, Cleave, Track, Fighting Madness, Improved Mobility,
Endurance, Mobility, Wicked Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Power
Savagery Attack, Track, Wicked Savagery
Environment: Pictish Wilderness (coast)
warriors even forgo the loincloth when on the warpath, to arbitrate gambling or gaming disputes. The dice also
travelling entirely in the nude. In addition to sexual acts, serve divinatory functions, and most Picts will consult
the Raven Picts spend much of their free time gambling their dice before embarking on any activity.
or attempting to divine the future using crude dice made
of bone or clay. When gambling, the Picts use prisoners These Picts wear the feathers of the raven in their
as stakes, allowing the winner to perform the next torture, hair. Warriors braid their hair into thin but long
or they may put themselves up as stakes, agreeing to serve locks, which are then heavily ornamented
in a slave-like manner for a specied period of time. The with black feathers. They tattoo
Raven Picts tend to be obsessive about their gambling themselves with raven designs and
games, of which there are many. Master gamblers and symbols, and their war paint is
gamers are granted status as chiefs, whose responsibility is
107
Sample Shark Picts
Tribes of Pictland
Speed: 30 ft.
DR: - - 1/-
BAB/Grapple: +1/+3 +5/+8 +10/+14
Attack: Shark-tooth club +4 melee Shark-tooth club +8 melee Shark-tooth club +14 melee (1d8+4/
nesse (1d8+2/x2, AP 4); or nesse (1d8+3/x2, AP 4); or x3, AP 5); or hunting bow +14 (1d8/
hunting bow +4 (1d8/x2, AP hunting bow +8 (1d8/x2, AP x2, AP 1*)
1*) 1*)
Full Attack: Shark-tooth club and primitive Shark-tooth club and primitive Shark-tooth club and primitive hatchet
hatchet +4/+4 melee nesse hatchet +8/+8 melee nesse +14/+9/+14 melee (1d8+4/x2, AP
(1d8+2/x2, AP 4, and 1d6+1/ (1d8+3/x2, AP 4, and 1d6+1/ 5, and 1d6+2/x3); or hunting bow
x3); or hunting bow +4 (1d8/ x3); or hunting bow +8 (1d8/ +14/+9 (1d8/x2, AP 1*)
x2, AP 1*) x2, AP 1*)
Skills: Bluff +0, Hide +9, Intimidate Bluff +2, Hide +10, Intimidate Bluff +3, Hide +12, Intimidate +11,
Silently +9, Sense Motive +2, Silently +10, Sense Motive +4, +12, Sense Motive +8, Spot +10,
Spot +2, Survival +3, Tumble Spot +5, Survival +6, Tumble Survival +11, Tumble +7.
+6. +6.
Feats: Cleave, Power Attack, Track. Cleave, Endurance, Mobility, Cleave, Culling the Weak, Diehard,
Power Attack, Track, Teeth Endurance, Fighting Madness,
Gleaming, Wicked Savagery. Improved Mobility, Leadership,
Mobility, Power Attack, Teeth
Gleaming, Track, Wicked Savagery.
Environment: Pictish Wilderness (coast)
Possessions: Shark-tooth club, hunting bow, 12 arrows, primitive hatchet, appropriate ornaments
often black as well. These dark devils of the forest to outwit or embarrass enemies. Because the raven imitates
take the trickster methods of their grim god to heart, the sounds of animals and men so well, the Raven clans
and often practice cruel pranks and appalling usually prides themselves on this ability, and take several
deceptions. Although the Pict tribes tend to ranks in Bluff. The Raven tribe hate the Hawk tribe with
accept white heron feathers as a token of an undying passion, and are always at war with them.
peace, the Ravens have been known
to abuse that particular custom
108
Sea-Falcon
The Sea-Falcon tribe, a coastal tribe of Picts, have chosen
Tribes of Pictland
a powerful raptor for their totem animal. These dark birds
are extremely well adapted to the hunt, using large, keen
eyes for viewing prey at great distances, sharp, powerful
claws to clutch and grasp their prey, and strong, sharp,
curved beaks to tear the esh of their food. The falcon is
noted for its fantastic speed, which is its primary weapon,
allowing it to strike other birds with such a severe hit that
the prey is killed on impact. As the bird falls, the falcon
wheels around to pluck it out of the sky with its talons,
giving it a quick strike with its beak to break its spine if it
is not dead already. The falcon has black feathers on its
head, with dark feathers around its beak. The rest of the
feathers are dark and bluish, and the tips of the wings are
sharply pointed.
Sea-Falcon Picts like to be fast and powerful. Power

Attack is a common feat for this savage, coastal tribe, and
Strength is a preferred attribute. Often the Sea Falcon
Pict will ght with his club two-handed for the extra
power than ght with two weapons. The coastal tribes are
reputed to be more savage than their inland cousins, and
this reputation is well-earned. The Sea-Falcons are a brutal
enemy, given to powerful rages akin to madness as they
ght. Sea-Falcon Picts gain a +2 Reputation for Wicked
Savagery and a +2 Reputation for Fighting Madness. Far
Shot earns a Pict a +1 Reputation.
Sea-Falcon Picts wear the feathers of the falcon in their

full head of hair. Two falcon feathers standing straight up
indicate their tribal afliation, and other falcon feathers
display their feats and trophies claimed, depending on
how the feathers are notched or coloured.
Shark
The shark is one of the most primordial, streamlined and
deadly predators of the natural world, embodying the and the ability to never be caught off guard. The strategy
fear of unknown dangers laying just out of sight. Drawn of Shark Picts is the same as the shark itself: to strike with
to blood and vertical postures, the shark is extremely one blow, then swim away for a short distance and let the
sensory, attuned to its habitat in such a way that it seems unfortunate victim bleed to death if it did not die in the
to materialise out of nowhere when it attacks. The shark initial attack. The Shark Pict rushes in, hits hard with
uses camouage to hide in the ocean and has a highly Power Attack and then hides and watches. They often
developed sense of smell. Their sleek body and powerful precede and follow each attack with arrow re. The great
tail are perfectly adapted to strike with such tremendous sharks of the Pictish coast never stop moving, and
strength that the rst bite is a deathblow. Their teeth the Shark Picts are the most nomadic of all the
are razor sharp, giving the shark several rows of efcient tribes, living in shelters that are quick to erect and
implements to lacerate and tear apart their prey. tear down as they move from hunting ground to
hunting ground.
A coastal tribe of gruesomely savage Picts have taken the
shark as its totem animal. The shark represents the hunter The ultimate test of manhood for a
and all aspects of survival, adaptability, remorselessness Shark Pict is to go out in a canoe
109
and catch a shark. The shark is summoned by means of a
carved piece of wood with a length of rope attached to it.
Turtle
To the Turtle tribe, the shell of the turtle encompasses the
The other end of the rope is tied into a noose. The Pict
Tribes of Pictland
universe. The turtle is enduring and patient, as are those

smacks the surface of the ocean repeatedly to summon the
of the Turtle tribe. The turtle is a symbol of tenaciousness
sharks while singing a ritual song. Once a shark appears,
and adaptability to the Turtle clans, who try to be
the Pict lassos it and drags it into the canoe and clubs it
persistent in their actions and desires as well as adaptable
to death. The Pict may let large sharks tire out by trying
to changing situations. Slow progress does not bother
to drag the buoyant piece of wood underwater before
the Turtle tribe, for with resolute determination they will
dragging it into the boat with him. Shark Picts survive
eventually succeed. In combat the Turtle Picts make good
by shing the ocean rather than hunting and growing,
snipers, preferring to take their time, aim and kill with one
although those actions still play an important role in their
shot as opposed to ring as fast as possible with high hopes
culture.
as many tribes do. The Turtle clans are also noted for their
poison use so they do not waste arrows, and are known
Shark Picts weave shark teeth into their hair and use shark
to smear their arrows in lth or diseased matter and use
teeth in many of their weapons, especially their war clubs
them to poison food and water supplies when attacking
(giving those weapons a +1 to its armour piercing rating).
fortications. Their noted patience works well in sieges.
They use shark teeth as arrowheads (although that does
The Turtle tribe is also reputed to be able to withstand
not increase their armour piercing). Feats that earn Shark
anything and are among the hardiest of the Picts.
Picts +2 Reputation bonuses are Teeth Gleaming, Wicked
Savagery, Primitive Instincts and Sense Weakness. Their
Turtle Picts wear three upright eagle feathers placed near a
shamans break from the traditional spell path and learn
turtle-shell comb tied to the headband in the midst of the
the powers of the sea, as presented in Conan the Roleplaying
feathers. Their jewellery is made of tortoiseshell, which
Game: Pirate Isles.
has an amazing lustre and translucency when polished.
The Turtle Picts are shorter than average, with crooked
Toucan legs and thick ankles. This deformity of their legs is caused
by passing so much of their time sitting or squatting upon
The toucan is a colourful bird with a multicoloured beak
and fabulously brilliant plumage that represents the harvest their calves and heels in their canoes. This position is
to the coastal Picts. Toucans eat fruit, and their colourful
bills are amazingly dexterous and adept. The primitive
Toucan tribe are likewise colourful, wearing a toucan
feather in their thick, black hair over their left ear. The
Toucan Picts spend more time on harvesting crops and
fruit than they do hunting, especially when compared
to other Picts. They once lived in a rich, southern
section of the Pictish Wilderness that was alive with
various fruits and berries, which the Toucans harvested
with their own gory celebrations and monstrous rites,
but were forced to move northward by the incursions
of other tribes. They still raise fruits and gather
berries, maintaining their traditional, bloody rites
and celebrations.
Sample Toucan Picts

Toucan Picts use the Generic Pict table found in Frontier
Characters on page 66.
110
Sample Turtle Picts
Tribes of Pictland
Speed: 30 ft.
DR: - - 1/-
BAB/Grapple: +1/+2 +5/+6 +10/+12
(1d8/x2, AP 1*) (1d8/x2, AP 1*) AP 3*)
weapons). weapons), Crimson Mist.
Skills: Hide +9, Jump +4, Knowledge Hide +12, Jump +4, Hide +18, Jump +5, Knowledge
(nature) +1, Listen +3, Move Knowledge (nature) +3, Listen (nature) +5, Listen +8, Move Silently
Silently +9, Spot +3, Survival +6, Move Silently +12, Spot +18, Spot +9, Survival +10, Tumble
+5, Tumble +6 +6, Survival +5, Tumble +6 +7
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Endurance, Mobility, Point Diehard, Endurance, Far Shot,
Track Blank Shot, Power Attack, Great Fortitude, Improved Mobility,
Precise Shot, Stealthy, Track Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Poison
Use, Power Attack, Precise Shot,
Stealthy, Track
taken even when on the shore for sitting. Women actually

increase the deformity by wearing tight swaths of buckskin
Wildcat
The Wildcat tribe are perfectly adapted killing engines,
around the ankles, preventing the circulation of blood and lithe and silent. They do not have the endurance
causing the muscles of the legs to swell. many of the other tribes have for long chases,
preferring to bring down their prey quickly, with a
The Turtle Picts live in a wet region close to the short burst of power and energy. They do tend
Westermarck, an area intersected by streams, lakes and to be more obstinate than other tribes,
rivers. They build powerful wattle-and-daub huts, making reecting a certain contrariness they
them into shells of a sort. see in the cats of the wild toward
111
Sample Wildcat Picts
Tribes of Pictland
Initiative: +5 +12 (+8 Ref, +4 Imp. Init.) +16 (+12 Ref, +4 Imp. Init.)
Speed: 30 ft.
DR: - - 1/-
BAB/Grapple: +1/+3 +5/+7 +10/+13
(1d8/x2, AP 3*) (1d8/x2, AP 3*) AP 4*)
3*) 1*)
Skills: Balance +5, Climb +4, Hide Balance +8, Climb +6, Hide Balance +12, Climb +9, Hide +19,
Silently +11, Sense Motive +5, Silently +14, Sense Motive +9, +19, Sense Motive +15, Spot +9,
Spot +3, Survival +5, Tumble Spot +5, Survival +5, Tumble Survival +9, Tumble +8
+6 +7
Feats: Eyes of the Cat, Stealthy, Track Culling the Weak, Endurance, Culling the Weak, Diehard,
Eyes of the Cat, Improved Endurance, Eyes of the Cat, Improved
Initiative, Mobility, Stealthy, Initiative, Improved Mobility,
Track Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Primitive
Instincts, Sense Weakness, Stealthy,
Track
acting against their instincts. They often attack from those lagging behind, making the strong waste strength
above, using lassos and arrows, so they usually take trying to defend others. Feats such as Culling the Weak,
some ranks in Balance so they do not fall out of Primitive Instincts and Sense Weakness give the Wildcat a
the trees. Ranks in Climb are important as +2 to Reputation.
well, so they can get into the trees. They
believe in attacking the weak rst, The Wildcats wear three eagle feathers, with two of them
concentrating their efforts on upright and the third tilted downward. The Wildcats
112
shave their heads save for the scalp tuft, which is kept long
and is decorated with the teeth and claws of the various The Hawks, Wildcats and Turtles listen
wildcats that live in the wilderness. when Valerian speaks, and he has even visited
Tribes of Pictland
the towns of the Wolf Picts and come away alive.
If that were true that were strange indeed, for all
Wolf men knew the ferocity of the great confederacy of allied
clans known as the Wolf tribe which dwelt in the west
The wolf is a erce predator of the wild, a pack hunter
beyond the hunting grounds of the three lesser tribes he
of careful cunning. To the Wolf tribe, the ferocious wolf had named. Mostly they held aloof from the frontier,
exemplies outwitting enemies, loyalty, spirit and the but the threat of their hatred was ever a menace along
ability to invisibly pass by dangers. the borders of Schohira.
Robert E. Howard, Wolves Beyond the Border
Like the wolves that are their totem, Wolf clans live as
a pack. The Wolf tribe is a vast alliance of many tribes. the Cimmerians, but usually refrain from attacking the
Five great tribes had a vision of working together as a border in force, worried such an action would bring about
pack of wolves, and so they came to an understanding a massive retaliation they would be unable to handle.
with each other, establishing ceremonies and conventions Although the Hawk, Wildcat and Turtle tribes provide a
to preserve their new unity. Every year, and on special buffer, if those lesser tribes were squashed and dominated,
occasions, the ve paramount chiefs of the ve great the Wolf tribe may have to battle a foe they know little
tribes of the Wolf totem come together to reafrm their about. The Wolf clans, however, will not hesitate to kill
accord with a mutual exchange of gifts and discuss issues small parties of Hyborians that might wander into their
of importance. This gathering is not used to declare war neck of the woods.
or make peace that is the right of the individual tribes
and villages. The Wolf tribe is a loose confederacy where The confederacy was founded by a Pictish shaman named
the ve different tribes control certain sections of their Dekanawidah, who was said to have been born of a virgin
considerable domain, watching out for each other. These woman over a hundred years ago. He was horried by the
tribes hate the Aquilonians almost as much as they hate escalating and cyclical nature of the constant blood feuds
in the region. Standing in the Great Grove of Jhebbal Sag,
he called upon the warring tribes to unite. The ve largest
tribes heard his wisdom and halted their blood feuds. The
Wolf tribe was born. It has grown larger and stronger over
the past century or more, slowly incorporating more
tribes as they advance and conquer. Their warriors are
among the best of all the Wilderness: brave, silent,
stoic and deadly in their wars against neighbouring
Picts, Cimmerians or Hyborians. They do not
engage in blood feuds among the tribes comprising
their confederacy. Each tribe is allowed to govern
itself, but larger issues involving the tribe as a
whole are decided at Ononjowa, the place of
Dekanawidahs vision. If the Wolves decide to go
to war as a whole, they scourge whatever tribe has
earned their wrath with dire and grisly results.
Wolf Picts wear a single eagle feather in an upright

position, to them, this single feather indicates unity
and brotherhood. It stands upright because
that represents the symbolic tree in Jhebbal
Sags grove used by Dekanawidah to illustrate
internal peace. They also weave wolf teeth
into their hair and ornamentation.
Wolf Picts emphasise stealth in
their attacks. Fighting by attrition
is another common tactic used
113
Sample Wolf Picts
Tribes of Pictland
DR: - - 1/-
BAB/Grapple: +1/+3 +5/+7 +10/+13
Attack: Club +4 melee nesse (1d8+2/ Club +9 melee nesse (1d8+2/ Club +15 melee nesse (1d8+3/x2, AP
x2, AP 2); or hunting bow +4 x2, AP 2); or hunting bow +9 3); or hunting bow +15 (1d8/x2, AP
(1d8/x2, AP 1*) (1d8/x2, AP 1*) 1*)
bow +4 (1d8+2/x2, AP 1*) bow +9 (1d8/x2, AP 1*) +15/+10 (1d8/x2, AP 1*)
Skills: Hide +9, Jump +5, Listen Hide +14, Jump +5, Listen Hide +22, Intimidate +1, Jump +6,
+4, Move Silently +9, Sense +6, Move Silently +14, Sense Listen +10, Move Silently +22, Sense
Motive +2, Spot +4, Survival Motive +4, Spot +6, Survival Motive +8, Spot +7, Survival +8,
+4, Tumble +6 +4, Tumble +7 Tumble +8
Feats: Point Blank Shot, Power Endurance, Fleet-Footed, Culling the Weak, Diehard, Endurance,
Attack, Track Improved Overrun, Mobility, Fleet-Footed, Improved Bull Rush,
Point Blank Shot, Power Improved Mobility, Improved Overrun,
Attack, Track Mobility, Point Blank Shot, Power
Attack, Track
by them, hitting the weakest rst and whittling down often driving their victims over long distances while
larger groups into smaller numbers their war-parties can making sporadic attacks designed to exhaust their chosen
handle. Feats such as Culling the Weak give a Wolf Pict foe. Wolf Picts gain +2 to Reputation if they gain the
a +1 to his Reputation score. The tribe also respects Improved Trip feat. They often bull rush victims through
ne oratory, and having ve ranks in Diplomacy a gauntlet, giving each one an attack of opportunity on the
earns the Wolf a +1 to his Reputation score. If victim. The ferocious clans of the Wolf tribe exact tribute
a Wolf chief uses Diplomacy to sway the from neighbouring tribes and often bring a considerable
Paramount Chiefs, he earns a +2 to his amount of warriors to bear upon the smaller clans. The
Reputation and may be accorded Wolf tribes have been known to capture and adopt entire
further honours. The Wolf villages of other tribes, eating them in a symbolic way and
tribe attacks in packs, swelling the ranks of their confederacy.
114
ghost snake. A tribe focused on a poisonous animal might
Creating Your use poison on their weapons. For our Mongoose tribe, the
shamanistic rituals will involve snakes: catching, handling
Own Pictish
Tribes of Pictland
and killing. Dexterity will be a high ability, and nesse
Tribes ghting the preferred method of combat. The Mongoose

tribes will favour speed and quick movements. Again,
While Robert E. Howard only mentioned a handful of there will be an emphasis on Dexterity. Jump and Tumble
Pictish tribes, he does imply that there are many more out will be preferred skills. Their coming-of-age rituals and
there. After all, the Pictish Wilderness is vast. Games games will likely feature elements of jumping, tumbling
Masters (or players wanting a distinctive Pict character of and speed. There will be an emphasis on initiative being
their own) are encouraged to develop their own Pictish high, striking before being struck. Also, warriors must
tribes. be brave in the face of a snake or other foes. These Picts
will slowly build an immunity to snake venom. A high
To do this, the Games Master or player must: Constitution ability will be important here, to give better
Fort saves. Perhaps later, the Great Fortitude feat can be
Choose a totem animal, note that animal's taken to gain the +2 bonus to Fortitude. Mongoose Picts
characteristics are also keen in mind, much more so than the average
Relate how the tribe strives to emulate those Pict. They will be noted for their intelligent tactics and
characteristics speed. Many of the feats that rely on intelligent tactics
Choose some favoured feats or tactics that bring and speed also require a high Intelligence. Picts are
special Pict warriors honour and reputation naturally at a disadvantage here, because of their -2 racial
Make up some sample characters to make encounters modier to Intelligence. The Mongoose Pict will put
easier to generate in the future. his second highest statistic into Intelligence to overcome
this modier, and place his third highest in Constitution.
The rst step toward creating a Pictish tribe is to choose a His highest statistic will be Dexterity. This should give
totem animal for that tribe. Picts are naturally spiritual, our Mongoose Picts a reasonable chance to emulate their
and they identify closely with their totem animal. Bears, totem animal.
owls and ghost snakes all are animals native to the region
that the Picts might encounter and respect. Insect, bird, The fourth step in the generation of unique Picts is to
whale, sh and mammal species number in the thousands choose some favoured feats that bring honour and prestige
in the wilds of the Pictish homeland and virtually any to individual Picts. Note the requirements for the feats.
of them would be suitable. Choose an animal you nd If a feat that would be perfect for a tribe requires ranks in
particularly inspiring. To begin the process of our sample Bluff, then be sure to give your tribe ranks in Bluff, even if
tribe, let's choose the mongoose. they may never qualify for the feat if the feat is honoured,
then tribal culture will foster in all of its members some of
After the totem animal is chosen, look at that animal's the requisites for the feat, not just in the individual Picts
traits, real or imagined, for it is these traits that a Pictish that will eventually qualify in other ways for it (such as
tribe will attempt to emulate. Bears and constrictor a high Base Attack Bonus or statistic). For our sample
snakes like to crush things, for example. Bears like to tribe feats such as Improved Initiative, Quick Draw and
stand up and roar, trying rst to frighten away foes with Lightning Reexes earn the Pict much honour among his
intimidation. What does your chosen animal do when tribesmen, garnering him a +1 increase in Reputation per
in a ght? A mongoose is a clever and lightning fast little feat. Highly charismatic Mongoose Picts who take the
mammal with an uncanny and deadly ability to survive in Striking Cobra and/or the Primitive Instincts feat earn a
the wild and an unmatched bravery when facing snakes. +2 increase in Reputation. Although in this sample, most
The little creature is noted for its ability to dodge snakes, feats can feasibly be earned, this should not always be the
its quick movements and its immunity to snake venom, case. Perhaps only the most elite of their warriors learn
taking up to eight times the normal dosage before dying. the honoured feats. Several of the Pict tribes shown
This information sets up the tone for the Pictish tribe. here do this.
The third step is to decide how the tribe of Picts with The nal step in the generation of a unique
this animal as its totem will strive for some of the same Pictish tribe is to actually generate some
characteristics. The Bear tribe might take unarmed standard members of the tribe. Use
combat and grappling feats, as might a tribe based on a
115
Sample Mongoose Picts
Tribes of Pictland
Speed: 30 ft.
DR: - - 1/-
BAB/Grapple: +1/+1 +5/+5 +10/+11
AP 2); or hunting bow +4 (1d8/ AP 2); or hunting bow +9 (1d8/ AP 3); or hunting bow +15 (1d8/x2,
x2, AP 1*) x2, AP 1*) AP 1*)
+4/+4 melee nesse (1d8/x2, +9/+9 melee nesse (1d8/x2, AP +15/+10/+15 melee nesse (1d8+1/
AP 2, and 1d6/x2); or hunting 2, and 1d6/x2); or hunting bow x2, AP 3, and 1d6/x2); or hunting
bow +4 (1d8/x2, AP 1*) +9 (1d8/x2, AP 1*) bow +15/+10 (1d8/x2, AP 1*)
Note: Circumstance bonus to Hide, Listen, Move bonus to Hide, Listen, Move Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Survival
bonuses gured Silently, Survival and Spot Silently, Survival and Spot and Spot checks in temperate or
into skills below checks in temperate or warm checks in temperate or warm warm forest; +2 to saves against fear,
forest; +2 to saves against fear forest; +2 to saves against fear, Bite Sword, Trap Sense +3, Uncanny
Skills: Bluff +5, Hide +9, Jump +7, Bluff +9, Hide +13, Intimidate Bluff +13, Hide +16, Intimidate
Listen +5, Move Silently +9, +5, Jump +9, Listen +5, Move +10, Jump +13, Knowledge (nature)
Spot +3, Survival +3, Tumble Silently +13, Spot +3, Survival +7, Listen +6, Move Silently +16,
+8 +3, Tumble +11 Spot +6, Survival +6, Tumble +14
Feats: Acrobatic, Improved Initiative, Acrobatic, Endurance, Great Acrobatic, Combat Expertise,
Track Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Diehard, Endurance, Great
Lightning Reexes, Mobility, Fortitude, Improved Initiative,
Track Improved Mobility, Lightning
Reexes, Mobility, Poison Use,
Striking Cobra, Track
either the standard array (13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8) or the so the elite array will be used for them. These Picts are
elite array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) of statistics for the given a 15 in Dexterity (which will racially modify to a
abilities, depending on whether this is to be a strong 17) and a 14 in Intelligence (which will modify to a 12).
tribe or a minor tribe. The Mongoose tribe will be Once several levels worth of tribesmen are created, then
more intelligent than the average Pict, and to be the work is done go forth and unleash your Picts on the
a powerful survivor in the Pictish Wilderness, Wilderness, and let Aquilonia beware!
116
Tricks and Tools
Tricks and Tools

Secrets of the Painted Men
The wild environs and ancient heritage of the
Picts have lead to several unique skills that the Picts alone
Craft (mask)
This skill allows you to carve exceedingly powerful images.
possess. Pictish tribes tend to favour one or the other,
Masks connect the Picts to the dread spirits that inhabit
though all Picts are familiar with each to some degree. All
their dark forests. These masks imitate human and animal
of these skills are considered class skills for all Picts and
forms and are unique for each wearer when anything
can be used untrained.
but a simple mask is crafted, the owner of the mask must
be involved in the ritual and his blood, spit or hair may
Craft (body paint) be required to attune the mask to his body. If worn by
The art of adorning the body with designs has been another, the mask is treated as a Simple Mask.
handed down from beyond memory - some attribute it to
rituals of the Serpent-People of Valusia - and it still plays These items are sacred to their owners and are not worn
an important role in their culture and relationships today. frivolously. While wearing a mask, a Pict tribesman
At their most mundane, these designs identify what tribe merges, albeit on a supercial level, with the spirit world
a Pict belongs to and whether he is hunting, warring and gains special powers over himself and the physical
or seeking a mate. Each Pict applies his own paint and world around him. Furthermore, higher quality masks
excelling in this craft is a point of pride. The traditional must be earned as the right to wear them is a sign of
painted signs can be accomplished with a simple check respect and power. Masks are commonly used in rituals,
(DC10). It takes an hour to prepare the paint and apply during the hunt and when making war, rituals in their
it. This time can be cut in half, albeit at a -10 penalty. own way. They are typically carved to represent the thing
More skilled artisans can produce awe or fear inspiring they wish to inuence, are adorned with feathers and have
designs: special properties:
Craft Craft
Body Paint DC Qualities Mask DC Qualities*
Mundane Body Paint 10 Identies tribe and Simple Mask 12 +1 Intimidate, -2 Spot
purpose Masterwork Mask 20 +2 Intimidate, +2 Disguise,
Mating Body Paint 15 +1 morale bonus to -2 Spot
Diplomacy plus +1 per 3 Hunting Mask 20 +2 Survival, +2 Hide vs.
points over 15 animals, +2 Handle Animal
Hunting Face 15 +1 morale bonus to Hide (animal type of Mask)
vs. animals plus +1 per 5 War Mask 25 +1 bonus to attack rolls, +1
points over 15 Fortitude saves, +1 DR, -2
War Face 20 +1 morale bonus to attack Spot
rolls plus +1 to Intimidate Shaman Mask 25 +2 Perform (ritual), -2 Spot
checks per 3 points over Totem Mask 30 +2 magic attack, +2 Perform
20 (ritual), -2 Spot
Totem Face 20 +1 morale bonus to * All bonuses are circumstance bonuses
Perform (ritual) plus +1
per 5 points over 20 Simple Mask: Many Picts might have one of these
that they carved themselves in or near their hut or
Special: Body paint is effective for no more than 12 hours cave they are placed to ward off ill spirits
less if vigorous exercise is engaged in. The bonuses and worn during their tribes many
conveyed by Craft (body paint) and Craft (mask) do not festivals.
stack.
117
Masterwork Mask: This is a ner version of the Simple Medium: A medium drum can be carried on a strap and
Mask only a skilled craftsman might undertake such a is played with a stick. A performer can move at half speed
thing. while playing it (or full speed with a -10 on his check) and
it has a range of 500 feet over any terrain.
Tricks and Tools
Hunting Mask: These are carved to represent the animals

that are the target of the hunt. A hunt master might wear Large: A large drum is set upon the ground and played
these and may have many different masks, wearing one with the hands. It can only be carried with great difculty
when stalking the deer and another when hunting the and cannot be played while being carried. The base range
panther. of the large talking drum is three miles in the forests,
War Masks: These terrifying masks show exaggeratedly mountains, over water or along rivers, but is only one mile
erce expressions of their owners. They function to set in open elds or hills.
loose the warrior spirit within the wearer. Chiefs and
honoured warriors might don these before going into Totem: The Totem Drum is a huge instrument that cannot
battle. In addition to their ritual qualities, they also serve easily be transported. It is of the nest workmanship and
as a helm providing some degree of protection. doubles the base range of the talking drum for any who use
it (from three miles to six miles). Other feats or abilities
Shaman Mask: As the leader of tribal rituals, most that allow a drummer to double his range do not further
shamans will have at least one mask. A Shaman Mask multiply this by two but adds to it in a fashion similar
represents the tribes totem animal and only a shaman may to multiplying critical ranges. Example: Two doublings
wear a mask of this type. By donning this mask, a shaman would give a 9 mile range, not 12.
calls upon the power of the animal spirits to aid in his
rituals. All Picts are familiar with the construction of the Talking
Drum but some can craft more powerful versions:
Totem Mask: Much like the Shaman Mask, this one is of
the greatest power and craftsmanship. Craft
Drum DC Qualities
For the benet of calculating cost and time, a simple mask Talking Drum 10 None
has a price of 200 sp and a masterwork mask has a price of Masterwork Drum 20 +2 circumstance bonus
600 sp. However, since the wood to make the raw materials Perform (Talking Drum)
and tools are readily available in the Pictish Wilderness, Totem Drum 30 +2 circumstance bonus
Perform (Talking Drum),
the only actual costs are for any special adornments added double effective range
(gold, silver, exotic feathers and the like)
A mask has a Hardness of 5 and 15 hp. Perform (Ritual)

In addition to the normal use for this skill, Pict shamans
Special: Possession of anothers mask allows you a Magical may add this additional use:
Link (see Conan the Roleplaying Game) to the owner and
gives a +1 insight bonus to any magic attacks made while Play on Superstitions: A Pictish shaman may make a Perform
using it against them. The bonuses conveyed by Craft (ritual) check to play upon the deep superstitions of other
(body paint) and Craft (mask) do not stack. Picts. The performance must be at least 10 minutes long,
cannot be interrupted and only inuences Picts who watch
the entire performance. At the end of the performance,
Craft (talking drum) the shaman may make a Perform (ritual) check opposed
Talking drums are usually carved out of ancient tree trunks to the Picts Sense Motive checks. The shaman gains a +1
stretched with animal hide or human skin. They can circumstance bonus to any magic attacks directed toward
vary in size but all require two hands to play. They are audience members who fail this opposed check. If anyone
revered instruments and are believed to be channels beats the shamans check by 5 or more, the shaman gains
through which the tree spirits communicate with the a -1 circumstance penalty to any magic attacks directed
mortal realms. toward those Picts and they may attempt to deride the
shamans feeble attempts to inuence them. If this
There are three sizes of talking drum; happens, audience Picts may make a second Sense Motive
medium, large and totem: check with a bonus equal to the number of Picts deriding
the shamans performance. Repeat attempts may be made,
118
but at a -4 for each successive try. These effects last until
the next sunrise. Feats
Body Paint Feats
Perform (Talking
Tricks and Tools

The act of marking the body with pigment is even more
ancient than the Picts themselves. Its the conscious act
Drum) of an individual who wishes to distinguish himself from
The talking drum is an ancient instrument used by tribal
others of his kind. In the complex social structure of the
cultures to communicate over long distances. All Picts are
Picts, it is as intrinsic a part of their society and denes,
versed in Talking Drum as a language; this allows them
not just their role in the tribe but their intentions and
to understand the pounding beats that echo throughout
desires.
their dense forestland as well as use a talking drum to
send messages of their own. The simplest of messages
can convey threats to rival clans, warn allies of danger,
call tribe members to arms, aid in locating game and A Pict with a shattered skull lay face-down
announce important events such as festivals, births and on the ground, his fingers spasmodically clawing at
the grass. Half a dozen others were swarming about
deaths. These mundane communications can be sent
Conan, swords and axes lifted. They had cast away
with a Perform (talking drum) check (DC10) anyone their bows, useless at such deadly close quarters. Their
who knows the language can succeed by taking 10. One lower jaws were painted white, contrasting vividly
discrete piece of information can be communicated as a with their dark faces, and the designs on their muscular
full round action (think of it in terms of one sentence breasts differed from any Balthus had ever seen.
per turn). It is common for many drummers to send the
same message using the Aid Another action to improve Robert E. Howard, Beyond the Black River
the drum masters checks and nothing lls a civilised
mans heart with terror like the throb of Picts drumming
in concert! All Picts mark their bodies in one way or another. Whether
hunting, warring, seeking a mate or engaging in a some
More procient drummers can improve their performance, gruesome sacricial rite, body paint is as natural to the
allowing them to send more information over greater Picts as breeches would be to the civilised man. While
distances. A drummer can add one mile to the total range all Picts know how to apply body paint for the mundane
of a large or totem drum for every three points by which social occasions, some have devoted themselves to their
he exceeds the actions DC. The range of the medium craft. Body paint feats are added to standard body paint
drum increases in 200-foot increments. This number is styles detailed in the Craft (body paint) skill. Adding
added after any multipliers are applied to the base range feats to the creation process increases the Craft DC by
and are not multiplied along with them. Furthermore, he an amount specied in the feats description and further
can include one additional sentence for every six points bonuses may be gained by an exceptional Craft check.
that he exceeds the actions DC. All Listen checks made Bonuses of the paint style and the feat added always stack.
within 30 feet of a drummer are at -5. Pict warriors always apply their own paint as a point of
pride. To have another do so, or even suggest it would be
Example: A master drummer using a Totem Drum (see considered a great insult.
Craft (talking drum)) who rolls a 25 for his check can send
three sentences 11 miles as a full round action. Example: If you wish to paint a Hunting Face (DC 15) and
add the feat Face of the Panther (DC +5), you must succeed
Using the Talking Drum requires full concentration. The at a Craft (body Paint) check (DC 20). To add the same feat
performer can take no other actions and provokes attacks to a War Face (DC 20) requires a check at DC 25.
of opportunity while playing except when playing the
medium drum, when he can walk at half speed while Drum Feats
playing. A drummer is unable to Move Silently while Drumming is an integral part of Pictish tribal life.
using this skill and though attempts to locate you by a The sound of their throbbing lls the western
Listen check are at a +20. forests as tribes send messages throughout their
land. To civilised men, the very sound of
Certain feats and abilities allow a properly trained drummer the drums is enough to make them
to use the talking drum to inuence others, bolster allies pause in their stride for they are
and evoke fear in his enemies. The feats will provide a reminded that somewhere in the
base DC for determining increased ranges.
119
Example: A War Mask (DC 25) can have Terrifying Visage
But the whisper of that ominous drum (DC +4) added for a total DC of 29.
stole through the night: thrum! thrum! thrum!,
a steady monotone that grunted and growled of Mask creation feats can only be added at the time of
Tricks and Tools
nameless secrets. I could not mistake the sound. Only creation and cannot be incorporated later. It is possible to
one drum in the world makes just that deep, menacing,
sullen thunder: a Pictish war-drum, in the hands of those
add more than one feat to a mask but the DC for doing
painted savages who haunted the Wilderness beyond the so is calculated thus: for each feat you wish to add past the
border of the Westermarck. rst, the DC modier is multiplied by the ordinal number
of the feat (i.e., x2 for the second, x3 for the third and so
Robert E. Howard, Wolves Beyond the on).
Border
Example: Adding Face of Jhil (DC +8), Mask of the Altar
dense forests dwell wild brutes praying to their accursed (DC +3) and Serpent Eyes (DC +3) to a Masterwork Mask
gods. (DC 20) results in a DC of 20 + 8 + (3x2) + (3x3) = 43.
The most common drumming is for the conveyance Imbuing a mask with a mask feat draws out some of the
of mundane information, warnings, challenges and owners own life force and stores it in the mask. The
greetings. However, the truly talented drummer is able person for whom the mask is crafted must pay XP totalling
to imbue his beats with greater power. These feats allow 20 times the Craft DC. One-third of the XP cost is paid
for a wide range of drumming effects. Most feats will at the start of the crafting process and is lost if the Craft
require a Perform (talking drum) check and many allow (mask) check fails. The remainder is paid on a successful
the feats power to improve with greater check results. check.
Unless otherwise specied, it takes a full round action to
invoke these feats, meaning that you can do nothing else,
not even move at half speed with a medium drum, while
Pict Feats
The ways of the Pict are foreign to civilised men, their
playing. You are considered at-footed while invoking ancient heritage and tribal existence have left them with
the powers of the drum; Spot and Listen checks are made traits that are unique to their forest dwelling culture. Only
at a -5. Extending your effective range works as normal those who are native Picts may choose a Pict feat. It is
using the base DC provided by the feat. You cannot take possible to learn their ways, however, and those who get to
10 to invoke these feats, check rolls are always required. know the Picts and are accepted into their clans may take
In order to Aid Another with a feat, all participants must the Mark of Brotherhood feat which grants an outsider
have the same drum feat. access to the Pictish culture and their feats.
Example: You attempt to use Drums of the Hunt (DC 20)
while playing a medium drum. You have 6 ranks + 3 (Drum A Painted Black Skull
Focus) and a Charisma modier of +2. Your die roll is 14
for a total of 25. You succeed and since you beat the DC by
(Sorcery, Pict)
You can mark your foes for their doom.
more than three, your allies get +2 Move Silently and +2
Prerequisites: Nature Magic sorcery style, Knowledge
Survival. Additionally, your effective range is increased from
(arcana) 11 ranks, must be Pictish.
500 to 700 feet (see Perform (Talking Drum)).
Benets: With a successful Perform (ritual) check (DC
25), you gain a +2 profane bonus to your magical attack
Mask Feats roll against a single individual plus +1 for every 5 points
To gain the benets of these mask creation feats, the masks by which you exceed 25 on your Perform check. The
being crafted must be of at least Masterwork (DC 20) ritual takes no less than an hour to perform and requires a
quality. The bonuses and penalties associated with Magical Link to the target.
specic mask types stack with the benets given by
these feats. Adding feats to the creation process
increase the Craft DC by the amount specied in
Aspect of Jhebbal
the feats description. Donning or removing a Sag (Mask, Pict)
mask is a standard action that requires This mask makes the power of curses come easier to you.
the use of both hands. Prerequisites: Mask Focus, Serpent Eyes, Craft (mask)
11 ranks, must know the spell lesser ill-fortune, must be
Pictish.
120
Benets: While wearing this mask, all spells of the Curses
style cost 1 less PP to cast and you gain a +1 enhancement Cling of Power
bonus to your magic attacks when casting them. The (Sorcery)
Craft DC to add this feat to a mask is increased by 8.
Tricks and Tools

Your excess Power Points drain more slowly.
Prerequisites: Knowledge (arcana) 9 ranks, must know at
Body Paint Focus least two sorcery styles.
Benet: When your power points are greater than your
(General, Pict) base power points, they revert to your base at a rate of 1
You are dedicated to the art of painting your body. power point every two hours.
Prerequisite: Must be Pictish, Charisma 13. Normal: Power points revert to your base at a rate of 1
Benet: You get a +3 on all Craft (body paint) checks. point every hour.
Carried with the Colour of Blood (Body

Wind (Drum, Pict) Paint, Pict)
The sound of your drums can travel vast distances. The gruesome markings on your face and body strike fear
Prerequisites: Drum Focus, Perform (talking drum) 9 into your foes.
ranks, must be Pictish, Str 13. Prerequisites: Body Paint Focus, Craft (body paint) 8
Benets: Your base drumming range is doubled. ranks, must be Pictish.
Normal: The base range of the talking drum is three miles Benets: Any foe that attacks you must succeed at a Will
in the forests, mountains, over water or along rivers but is save (DC 13 + your Charisma modier) or become shaken
only one mile in open elds or hills. for 1d4 rounds. A creature that successfully saves cannot
Special: Other feats or abilities that allow a drummer be affected again by this feat for 24 hours. The Craft DC
to double his range do not further multiply this by two to add this feat to a Body Paint style is increased by 7.
but adds to it in a fashion similar to multiplying critical
ranges. Two doublings, for example, would give a nine
mile range, not 12. Culling the Weak
(General)
You can identify the weakest member of a group.
Prerequisites: Sense Motive 7 ranks.
Benets: You can determine who the weakest member
of a group is with a successful Sense Motive check (DC
15). You gain a +1 insight bonus against this person with
regard to skill checks, saving throws and attack rolls.
Special: The term `weakest` has been left intentionally
ambiguous to allow the Games Master to make a
determination that ts the situation. In combat this might
mean the opponent with the lowest Hit Die but in a social
situation it might be someone with poor social skills or
someone easily swayed. When dealing with sorcery, it
could be the person with the worst Will save.
Drum Focus (General,

Pict)
You are dedicated to the art of drumming
Prerequisite: Must be Pictish, Charisma 13.
Benets: You get a +3 bonus on all Perform
(talking drum) checks. Also, the Perform (talking
drum) skill counts as Perform (ritual) when
performing under the instruction of a
shaman.
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Feat Prerequisites Description
A Painted Black Skull (Sorcery, Pict) Nature Magic Sorcery Style, Knowledge +2 bonus you Magic attack rolls against a
(arcana) 11 ranks, must be Pictish single target
Aspect of Jhebbal Sag (Mask, Pict) Mask Focus, Serpent Eyes, Craft (mask) Spells from the Curses sorcery style cost
Tricks and Tools
11 ranks, must know the spell lesser ill- one less Power Point to cast.
fortune, must be Pictish
Body Paint Focus (General, Pict) Must be Pictish, Charisma 13 +3 bonus to Craft (body paint) checks
Carried with the Wind (Drum, Pict) Drum Focus, Perform (talking drum) 9 Drumming range is doubled
ranks, must be Pictish, Strength 13
Cling of Power (Sorcery) Knowledge (arcana) 9 ranks, must know Excess Power Points drain at a rate of 1
at least two sorcery styles per two hours
Colour of Blood (Body Paint, Pict) Body Paint Focus, Craft (body paint) 8 Causes opponents to become shaken
ranks, must be Pictish
Culling the Weak (General) Sense Motive 7 ranks +1 bonus to skill checks, saving throws
and attack rolls against weaker opponents
Drum Focus (General, Pict) Must be Pictish, Charisma 13 +3 bonus to Perform (talking drums)
checks
Drums of Fear (Drum, Pict) Drum Focus, Perform (talking drum) 5 Causes opponents to become shaken
Drums of the Altar (Drum, Pict) Drum Focus, Perform (talking drum) 7 Grants +1 bonus to magic attack rolls of a
ranks, must be Pictish friendly shaman
Drums of the Dusk (Drum, Pict) Drum Focus, Drums of the Altar, Transfers Power Points to a friendly
Perform (talking drum) 11 ranks, shaman
Dabbler or must know at least one
sorcery style, must be Pictish
Drums of the Fire (Drum, Pict) Drum Focus, Drums of War, Perform Grants the Fighting Madness feat to allies
(talking drum) 15 ranks, must be
Pictish, Charisma 15
Drums of the Hunt (Drum, Pict) Drum Focus, Perform (talking drum) 5 Grants allies +1 bonus to Move Silently
ranks, must be Pictish and Spot checks
Drums of the Serpent (Drum, Pict) Drum Focus, Perform (talking drum) 5 Causes opponents to become fascinated
Drums of Valusia (Drum, Pict) Drum Focus, Drums of the Serpent, Commands fascinated creatures
Perform (talking drum) 11 ranks, must
be Pictish, Charisma 15
Drums of War (Drum, Pict) Drum Focus, Perform (talking drum) 5 Grants +1 bonus to saving throws vs.
ranks, must be Pictish mind-affecting spells, attack and damage
rolls
Drums of Zogar Sag (Drum, Pict) Drum Focus, Drums of Valusia, Drums Causes foes to be driven mad with terror
of Fear, Perform (talking drum) 15
ranks, must be Pictish, Charisma 17
Face of Gullah (Mask, Pict) Mask Focus, Terrifying Visage, Craft +4 bonus to all physical abilities, 6 to all
(mask) 9 ranks, must be Pictish mental abilities
Face of Jhil (Mask, Pict) Mask Focus, Craft (mask) 11 ranks, +2 bonus vs. Power Transfer
must know at least two sorcery styles,
must be Pictish
Face of the Panther (Body Paint, Pict) Body Paint Focus, Craft (body paint) 8 +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls and
ranks, must be Pictish Move Silently checks
you can cause your foes to become shaken. You may

Drums of Fear attempt to terrify creatures within range of your drumming
(Drum, Pict) with Hit Dice totalling your Perform check. Creatures
Your drumming has the power to terrify. with the lowest Hit Dice are affected rst. The Will save
Prerequisites: Drum Focus, Perform (talking to avoid this effect is 10 + your Charisma modier + 1 for
drum) 5 ranks, must be Pictish. every 3 points by which you exceed the DC of the Perform
Benet: With a successful Perform check. The effect lasts for as long as the creatures hear the
(talking drum) check (DC 15) drumming and for three rounds thereafter.
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Feat Prerequisites Description
Fires of the Ritual (Sorcery, Pict) Must know one sorcery style, Skill Focus +1 bonus magic attack rolls against
(Perform (ritual)), must be Pictish onlookers
Gather the Tribe (Drum, Pict) Drum Focus, must be Pictish +1 bonus to any one skill check
Tricks and Tools

Greater Feint (General) Improved Feint, base attack bonus 9+ You may feint against every foe you
threaten
Greater Grapple (General) Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Make an additional grapple action as a
Grapple, base attack bonus 9+, Dexterity free action
13+
Greater Uncanny Dodge (General) Improved Uncanny Dodge, Improved Opponents must make an initiative check
Initiative, Dexterity 19+ to ready actions against you
Improved Paint Focus (Body Paint, Pict) Body Paint Focus, must be Pictish Body paint lasts 24 hours, regardless of
level of activity
Into The Fray (General) Whirlwind Attack, base attack bonus Single melee attack against every
13+ opponent within reach, +2 bonus to
attack roll, 2 Defence Value
Mark of Brotherhood (General) Games Masters approval You have been accepted into a Pictish clan
and are treated as an equal
Mask Focus (General, Pict) Must be Pictish, Wisdom 13 +3 bonus to Craft (mask) checks
Out of Thin Air (General) Stealthy, base attack bonus +13 10 penalty to Hide checks after making
ranged attacks
Pict Slayer (General) You must have killed a Pict without any +2 bonus to Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive,
direct assistance, Knowledge (nature) 5 Spot and Survival checks vs. Picts. +2
ranks bonus on weapon damage and saving
throws against Picts
Pictish Blood (General) Games Masters approval, must be taken +2 bonus to Diplomacy and Sense Motive
at 1st level, must be non-Pictish checks vs. Picts. +1 bonus to Tumble and
Jump checks
Power of the Altar (Body Paint, Pict) Body Paint Focus, Craft (body paint) 5 Grants bonus to power rituals
Primitive Instincts (General) Improved Uncanny Dodge, Improved Gains a single standard or move action
Initiative, Sense Motive 12 ranks during a surprise round
Sense Weakness (General) Culling the Weak, Sense Motive 13 +2 bonus to skill checks, saving throws
ranks and attack and damage rolls
Serpent Eyes (Mask, Pict) Mask Focus, Craft (mask) 5 ranks, must Doubles the range of your Evil Eye
be Pictish
Teeth Gleaming (General, Pict) Must be Pictish 1d6 natural attack
Terrifying Visage (Mask, Pict) Mask Focus, Craft (mask) 7 ranks, must Intimidates and demoralises your
be Pictish opponents
Trouble in the Wind (General) Primitive Instincts, Improved Uncanny Sense imminent danger as it approaches
Dodge, Improved Initiative, Sense
Motive 17 ranks
Water Wise Endurance Survival check replaces Constitution check
to avoid drowning
Wicked Savagery (General, Pict) Power Attack, Cleave, must be Pictish Coup de grace fallen opponents as an
attack of opportunity
+1 for every ve points that you exceed a DC 23 on your

Drums of the Altar Perform check. You must have a Magical Link to the
(Drum, Pict) target shaman if you do not have line of sight to him.
You may assist shamanic rituals with your drumming.
Prerequisites: Drum Focus, Perform (talking drum) 7
ranks, must be Pictish.
Benet: With a successful Perform (talking drum) check
(DC 23), you may grant one shaman within range a +1
morale bonus to his magic attack rolls plus an additional
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you must have a Magical Link. For every three points by
Drums of the Dusk which you exceed the DC of the check, you may attempt
(Drum, Pict) to fascinate one additional creature. The Will save DC to
avoid this effect is equal to 10 + your Charisma modier
Tricks and Tools
You can transmit your magical energy to others through

the sound of your drum. + 1 for every 3 points by which you exceed 15 on your
Prerequisites: Drum Focus, Drums of the Altar, Perform Perform check. If a creatures saving throw succeeds, the
(talking drum) 11 ranks, Dabbler or must know at least drummer cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again
one sorcery style, must be Pictish. for 24 hours.
Benet: With a successful Perform (talking drum) check
(DC 30) you may transfer all or part of your Power Points Your drumming entrances a fascinated creature. The
(up to your total base Power Points) to a shaman within creature stands or sits quietly, taking no actions other
range. You must have a Magical Link to the target shaman than to pay attention to the drumbeats, for as long as the
if you do not have line of sight to him. effect lasts. The creature takes a 4 penalty on skill checks
made as reactions, such as Listen and Spot checks. Any
potential threat, such as a hostile creature approaching,
Drums of the Fire allows the fascinated creature a new saving throw against
(Drum, Pict) the fascinating effect. Any obvious threat, such as
Your drumming evokes the fury of the spirits among your someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell or aiming a
warriors. ranged weapon at the fascinated creature, automatically
Prerequisites: Drum Focus, Drums of War, Perform breaks the effect. A fascinated creatures ally may shake it
(talking drum) 15 ranks, must be Pictish, Charisma 15. free of the spell as a standard action.
Benets: With a successful Perform (talking drum) check
(DC 30), allies who are within range gain the Fighting Drums of Valusia
Madness feat while the drums play. You must play for at
least 10 minutes after which time your Perform check is (Drum, Pict)
made. If unsuccessful, you can try again after another 10 You can command fascinated creatures with your
minutes of drumming. drumming.
Prerequisites: Drum Focus, Drums of the Serpent, Perform
(talking drum) 11 ranks, must be Pictish, Charisma 15.
Drums of the Hunt Benet: With a successful Perform (talking drum) check
(Drum, Pict) (DC 25), you can command one or more already fascinated
Hunters benet from your rhythmic drumming. creatures. Each creature to be commanded must be within
Prerequisites: Drum Focus, Perform (talking drum) 5 range of your drum and must be fascinated by Drums of
ranks, must be Pictish. the Serpent. If you cannot see the targets, you must have
Benets: With a successful Perform (talking drum) check a Magical Link. For every three by whiuch you exceed the
(DC 20), all allies within range gain a +1 circumstance DC of the Perform check, you may attempt to command
bonus to their Move Silently checks and a +1 insight one additional creature.
bonus to their Spot checks. Additionally, they receive a
further +1 for every three points that you exceed the DC The Will save DC to avoid this effect is equal to 10 + your
of the Perform check. Charisma modier + 1 for every 3 points by which you
exceed 15 on your Perform check. Using this ability does
not break the drummers concentration on the fascinate
Drums of the effect, nor does it allow a second saving throw against the
Serpent (Drum, Pict) fascinate effect. If a creatures saving throw succeeds, the
Your playing has the power to hypnotise. drummer cannot attempt to command that creature again
Prerequisites: Drum Focus, Perform (talking drum) 5 for 24 hours. If the creatures saving throw fails, the creature
ranks, must be Pictish. is affected as if by the hypnotic suggestion spell (see Conan
Benet: With a successful Perform (talking drum) the Roleplaying Game). The target need not understand
check (DC 15), your drumming can cause one Talking Drum or Pictish. For purposes of duration, the
or more creatures to become fascinated. drummers scholar level is equal to the number of ranks
Each creature to be fascinated must he has in Perform (Talking Drum). Once the hypnotic
be within range of your drum. suggestion has been planted, the drummer may cease his
If you cannot see the targets, drumming.
124
full hour must succeed at a Will save or take 1 point of
Drums of War (Drum, Wisdom damage. The save DC is equal to 10 + your
Pict) Charisma modier + 1 for every three points by which you
exceed the DC of the Perform check. The Perform check
Tricks and Tools

Your drumming can inspire courage in your tribe.
Prerequisites: Drum Focus, Perform (talking drum) 5 and save must be repeated each hour. Anyone whose
ranks, must be Pictish. Wisdom is reduced to 0 by this effect is not unconscious
Benets: With a successful Perform (talking drum) check but is instead driven insane, attacking the nearest living
(DC 20), all allies who can hear your drumming receive a thing until he is slain or subdued.
+1 morale bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting
and fear effects and a +1 morale bonus on attack and Face of Gullah (Mask,
weapon damage rolls. Additionally, they receive a further
+1 for every ve points that you exceed the DC of the Pict)
Perform check. The effect lasts for as long as the ally hears The wearer of this mask takes on the countenance of an
the drumming and for three rounds thereafter. ape.
Prerequisites: Mask Focus, Terrifying Visage, Craft (mask)
9 ranks, must be Pictish.
Drums of Zogar Sag Benet: When donned, this mask gives the wearer
(Drum, Pict) a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength, Dexterity and
Your drumming can drive your foes mad with terror. Constitution and a 6 to Intelligence, Wisdom and
Prerequisites: Drum Focus, Drums of Valusia, Drums of Charisma. If this penalty at any point reduces a wearers
Fear, Perform (talking drum) 15 ranks, must be Pictish, ability score below 3 the wearer will break into a frenzy.
Charisma 17. Furthermore, each round during which the wearer is dealt
Benets: With a successful Perform (talking drum) check damage, there is a cumulative 10% chance that he will
(DC 15), all foes within range of your drumming for a break into a frenzy. A frenzied character cannot distinguish
between friend and foe and will attack the nearest living
thing until he is slain or subdued. The Craft DC to add
this feat to a mask is increased by 5.
Face of Jhil (Mask,

Pict)
This mask reduces the power that your dark
masters hold over you.
Prerequisites: Mask Focus, Craft (mask) 11
ranks, must know at least two sorcery styles,
must be Pictish
Benet: While wearing a mask crafted with
this feat, the manipulation effects of the Rule
of the Master are negated (see Conan the
Roleplaying Game). Furthermore, the wearer
gains a +2 insight bonus on his Will save to
avoid his masters Power Transfer. The Craft
DC to add this feat to a mask is increased by
8.
Normal: The master of any coven, sorcerous
society or even just an apprentice or two,
always gains a +2 circumstance bonus to
Bluff and Intimidate checks targeting
any of his thralls, and a +1 circumstance
bonus to magic attack rolls against
them.
125
foe that you threaten. You make a single check opposed
Face of the Panther by their individual Sense Motive rolls. Any target who
(Body Paint, Pict) fails is denied its dodge bonus to its Defence Value (if any)
for the next melee attack you make against it. This attack
Tricks and Tools
Your hunting prowess is exceptional.

Prerequisites: Body Paint Focus, Craft (body Paint) 8 must be made on or before your next turn.
ranks, must be Pictish. Normal: A feint in combat check is normally made against
Benet: You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to attack rolls, a single target.
damage and Move Silently checks versus Animals and
Monstrous Humanoids plus an additional +1 for every Greater Grapple
ve points that you exceed the Craft (body Paint) DC.
The Craft DC to add this feat to a Body Paint style is (General)
increased by 5. You are able to charge, grapple and make a further move.
Prerequisites: Dexterity 13+, Improved Unarmed Strike,
Improved Grapple, base attack bonus 9+.
Fires of the Ritual Benets: When attempting to start a grapple, if you
(Sorcery, Pict) successfully hold your opponent you deal damage to your
target as if with an unarmed strike (as usual) but may also
Your ritual performances grant you inuence over others.
take one additional grapple action as a free action. If the
Prerequisites: Must know one sorcery style, Skill Focus
second action requires a grapple check, they must succeed at
(Perform (ritual)), must be Pictish.
that as well.
Benets: When you use the Play on Superstitions feature
of the Perform (ritual) skill (pg. 118), you may choose to
This feat allows its user to charge, grapple and if successful,
make your Perform check against a DC 15 instead of an
make a further move (at half speed). A Pict could lie in
opposed check. Success grants a +1 circumstance bonus to
wait at the waters edge, charge 10 feet, grapple and then
any magic attacks directed toward any audience members
move 10 feet (20 feet remaining movement at half speed)
(including non-Picts). Failing by ve or more results in
back to the river. All movement would provoke attacks of
a -1 circumstance penalty to any magic attacks directed
opportunities as normal.
toward audience members.
Normal: The Play on Superstitions feature can only be used
against other Picts and is an opposed roll. Greater Uncanny
Dodge (General)
Gather the Tribe Your reexes are so nely tuned that opponents nd it
(Drum, Pict) difcult to successfully ready an action against you.
Prerequisites: Improved Uncanny Dodge, Improved
When the tribe speaks with one voice they marshal the
Initiative, Dexterity 19+.
strength of the forest.
Benets: If an opponent readies an action targeting you or
Prerequisites: Drum Focus, must be Pictish.
an action you take, he must succeed at an opposed initiative
Benets: With this feat, a drummer can aid anothers skill
check against you. If he fails, your action completes before
checks. With a successful Perform (talking drum) check
his readied action begins and he is considered at-footed
(DC 10), one tribe member gains a +1 morale bonus to
with regard to the action you take. You gain a +4 bonus on
any one skill check while the drums play. These bonuses
your opposed check (but not on normal initiative rolls).
stack with each other. This allows you to aid another
Normal: The readied action occurs just before the action
drummers use of a drumming feat even though you may
that triggers it. If the triggered action is part of another
not have that feat.
characters activities, you interrupt the other character.
Greater Feint Improved Paint Focus

(General) (Body Paint, Pict)
Your lightning quick movements cause your
Your paint mixtures are particularly durable
opponents to get in each others way.
Prerequisite: Body Paint Focus, must be Pictish.
Prerequisites: Improved Feint, base attack
Benet: Your body paint lasts for 24 hours even through
bonus 9+.
vigorous exercise and you can apply it in one-half hour
Benets: You may use the Feint in
without penalty.
Combat action against every
126
Prerequisites: Stealthy, base attack bonus +13.
Into The Fray Benets: You only take a -10 penalty to your Hide check
(General) following a sniping attempt.
Normal: If you have already successfully hidden at least
Tricks and Tools

Your unexpected charge leaves your opponents
defenceless. 10 feet from your target, you can make one ranged attack,
Prerequisites: Whirlwind Attack, base attack bonus 13+. then immediately hide again. You take a 20 penalty on
Benets: When you take the charge action, upon reaching your Hide check to conceal yourself after the shot.
your target location, you may make one melee attack at
your full base attack bonus against each opponent within Pict Slayer (General)
reach. You receive the normal +2 bonus on your attack Your hatred of Picts has made them your enemy of
roll and take a 2 penalty to your Defence Value that a choice.
charge provides until the start of your next turn. All rules Prerequisites: You must have killed a Pict without any
that normally apply to a charge also apply to the use of direct assistance, Knowledge (nature) or (geography) 5
this feat. ranks.
Benet: You gain a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense
But Hakon still doubted, in spite of Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when used against
all I had told him, believing Valerian had Picts. Likewise, you get a +2 bonus on weapon damage
but visited the Picts through friendliness as he and saving throw rolls against Picts.
often did. But I pointed out that no white man,
however friendly to the Picts, was ever allowed
to witness such a ceremony as the Dance of the
Pictish Blood
Snake; he would have to be a blood-member of the (General)
tribe. You are descended from the Picts and the savage passions
of the deep forest still beat within your breast.
Robert E. Howard, Wolves Beyond the Border Prerequisites: Games Masters approval, must be taken at
1st level, must be non-Pictish.
Benets: You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to all
Mark of Brotherhood Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks made toward Picts.
Additionally, you gain a +1 racial bonus to all Tumble and
(General) Jump checks.
You have been accepted into a Pictish clan and are treated
as an equal.
Prerequisite: Games Masters approval. Power of the Altar
Benets: You are considered Pictish not only in terms of
your social standing among the tribes but also with regard
(Body Paint, Pict)
Your power rituals become more potent.
to feats that are available to you.
Prerequisites: Body Paint Focus, Craft (body Paint) 11
Special: It is a rare occurrence when an outsider is
ranks, must be Pictish.
admitted as an equal into Pictish society. The player
Benet: All other participants in your power rituals gain
should have performed some great service for a tribe to
a morale bonus to their Perform (ritual) checks equal to
be called brother and not thrown on the altar and ayed
1 plus +1 for every four points that you exceed the Craft
alive to supplicate their dark gods!
(body Paint) DC. The Craft DC to add this feat to a Body
Paint style is increased by 7.
Mask Focus (General,
Pict) Primitive Instincts
You are dedicated to the production of superlative masks.
Prerequisite: Must be Pictish, Wisdom 13.
(General)
You can sense imminent danger and may react to
Benet: You get a +3 on all Craft (mask) checks.
it.
Prerequisites: Improved Uncanny Dodge,
Out of Thin Air Improved Initiative, Sense Motive 12
ranks.
(General)
You are an expert sniper.
127
Benets: You cannot be surprised. Any time an opponent
would have a surprise round in which to act, you may roll Trouble in the Wind
initiative and take one action (either a standard or a move (General)
action) in the same round on your initiative.
Tricks and Tools
Your ability to sense imminent danger has improved.

Normal: Combatants who are unaware at the start of Prerequisites: Primitive Instincts, Improved Uncanny
battle do not get to act in the surprise round. Dodge, Improved Initiative, Sense Motive 17 ranks.
Benets: You may warn your allies of an imminent threat
Sense Weakness before it happens, allowing them a chance to react. All
allies within 10 feet of you gain the benets of Primitive
(General) Instincts.
You can identify an individuals weaknesses.
Prerequisites: Culling the Weak, Sense Motive 13 ranks. Additionally, with a successful Sense Motive check (DC
Benets: By studying a target and doing nothing else for a 30), you can sense when a large force (100+ opponents)
full round, you can determine their weaknesses. You gain has amassed against you or against someone with whom
a +2 insight bonus against this target with regard to skill you have an Allegiance (see Conan the Roleplaying Game).
checks, saving throws, attack rolls and damage. Your premonition allows you one day to act prior to the
threat plus one half day for every ve points by which you
Serpent Eyes (Mask, exceed the DC of your Sense Motive check. Successful use
of this feat does not give you specic knowledge of your
Pict) foes or of the specic threat only that it exists.
Masks crafted with this feat cause your Evil Eye to be more
potent.
Prerequisites: Mask Focus, Craft (mask) 5 ranks, must
Water Wise (General)
You are at home underwater.
be Pictish.
Prerequisites: Endurance.
Benet: The range of your Evil Eye is doubled, from 30
Benet: You may make a Survival check instead of a
feet to 60 feet, while wearing a mask crafted with this feat.
Constitution check to avoid drowning. Additionally, you
The Craft DC to add this feat to a mask is increased by may swim at up to your speed (as a full-round action) or at
3. one-half your speed (as a move action) on a successful Swim
check.
Teeth Gleaming
(General, Pict) Wicked Savagery
Some Picts have the custom of sharpening their teeth. (General, Pict)
Prerequisites: Must be Pictish. You slaughter your opponents with great cruelty and
Benets: Your sharp teeth give you a natural attack that malice.
deals 1d6 piercing and slashing damage. Prerequisites: Power Attack, Cleave, must be Pictish.
Benet: When you drop an opponent in melee, you may
Terrifying Visage take the coup de grace action against the same foe as a free
action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. If
(Mask, Pict) successful, you have killed him in a ferociously gruesome
When you craft a mask using this feat, the wearer can fashion. For the remainder of combat when you attack
terrorise his foes. someone, they must make a Will save (DC 13 + your
Prerequisites: Mask Focus, Craft (mask) 7 ranks, must Charisma modier) or become shaken. A creature that
be Pictish. successfully saves cannot be affected again by your Wicked
Benet: The wearer can use this mask to make an Savagery for 24 hours.
Intimidate (Demoralise Opponents) check targeting
a number of opponents equal to 2 + his Charisma
modier (if positive) as a standard action. You only
make a single Intimidate check which is opposed
New Weapons
by each of your targets modied level checks Weapon Descriptions
(see Conan the Roleplaying Game). Blowpipe: A long, hollow tube is a favoured weapon
The Craft DC to add this feat to of the Picts, particularly those of the Turtle tribe who
a mask is increased by 4. often employ poisons. While the blowpipes needles deal
128
New Primitive Weapons
Armour Range Hit
Weapon Cost Damage Critical Piercing Increment Hardness Points Weight Type
Tricks and Tools

Exotic Melee Weapons
Net*F R 3 sp * * 0* 10 ft. 1 2 6 lb. Bludgeoning
Ranged Simple Weapons
Harpoon F 1 sp 1d6 x2 0* 10 ft. 1 1 1 lb. Bludgeoning
Harpoon R 3 sp 1d10 x3 0* 20 ft. 3 3 3 lb. Piercing
Exotic Ranged Weapons
Blowpipe F 1 sp 1d4 x2 1 15 ft. 1 1 lb. Piercing
Needle, 1 sp 1 1 lb.
Blowpipe (20)
* See the weapon description for special rules
F
Finesse weapon
R
Reach weapon
Bolas
Net
Blowpipe Needle
Blowpipe
Harpoon
relatively little damage to their target, they can deliver spell. An entangled creature can escape with an Escape
contact or injury poisons or diseases. Artist check (DC 20, a full-round action). The net has
5 hit points and can be burst with a Strength check (DC
Bola: Bolas can be used to make ranged trip attacks 25, also a full-round action). A net is useful only against
against opponents. The user of a set of bolas cannot be creatures within one size category of you.
tripped during his own trip attempt.
A net must be folded to be thrown effectively. The rst
Harpoon: Harpoons are used by the coastal tribes to time you throw your net in a ght, you make a normal
hunt large sea animals. A harpoon can be thrown. If you ranged touch attack roll. After the net is unfolded, you
use a ready action to set a harpoon against a charge, you take a 4 penalty on attack rolls with it. It takes two
deal double damage on a successful hit against a charging rounds for a procient user to fold a net and twice that
character. long for a non-procient one to do so.
Net: A net is used to entangle enemies. When you throw

a net, you make a ranged touch attack against your target.
Minimum Damage
If penalties, including damage reduction from armour,
A nets maximum range is 10 feet. If you hit, the target
reduce the damage of a successful attack to less than 1,
is entangled. An entangled creature takes a 2 penalty on
a hit still deals 1 point of damage. As an optional
attack rolls and a 4 penalty on Dexterity, can move at
rule, this damage can be subdual damage. Primitive
only half speed, and cannot charge or run. If you control
weapons still break if they strike ineffectively
the trailing rope by succeeding on an opposed Strength
against metal armoured characters, that is, if
check while holding it, the entangled creature can
the armours DR reduces the primitive
move only within the limits that the rope allows. If the
weapons damage to 0 before the
entangled creature attempts to cast a spell, it must make
minimum damage rule is applied.
a Concentration check (DC 15) or be unable to cast the
129
Savage Magic
Ghastly Sorcery
Ghastly Sorceries of the Picts

about the subject of his curse, waving his arms in weaving,
cryptic patterns. He then throws a skull next to the victim.
A female assistant, who is named the Bride of whatever
Listen, and Ill tell you a tale the spirit or god guides the shaman then performs a writhing,
Picts tell in their huts when the spinning, bestial dance and the skull dances with her,
fires burn low! Once, long ago, twelve
bounding and spinning like a living thing.
strange men came out of the sea, and found
a cave and heaped it with gold and jewels; but
a Pictish shaman made magic and the earth This spell counteracts attempts to ward or dispel a spell
shook, and smoke came out of the earth and and may, in some cases, stave off the rule of impermanence.
strangled them where they sat at wine. The Casting the dance of the skull adds a +4 to a sorcerers
smoke, which was the smoke of hells fire, was opposed magic attack roll if someone attempts to counter
confined within the cavern by the magic of the
a spell protected by the dance of the skull. The spell also
wizard. The tale was told from tribe to tribe,
and all the clans shun the accursed spot. increases the sorcerers magic attack roll by +4 on any
secondary saves a spell might allow (such as if the subject
Robert E. Howard, The Black Stranger of the awful rite of the were-beast or put them into the swamp
is given a command, or if someone partially saves against
the draw forth the soul spell).
Focus: Female assistant (to be the Bride) and a skull.

Counterspells
Counterspells are very much sought after by almost all
Pictish shamans, since a rival wizard can be even deadlier
than a sword-wielding Cimmerian to the typical sorcerer.
Part of the duties of Pictish shamans is to protect the
tribe from magical and spiritual enemies, so this style is
often learned early. Many scholars who do not otherwise
practice sorcery learn counterspells, just to have a weapon
of sufcient power to allow them to bring the ght to their
enemy sorcerers.
Dance of the Skull

PP Cost: 4 points
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 3 minutes
Range: Close
Effect: One or more curses already aficting a victim
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Prerequisites: Lesser ill-fortune, warding
Dancing to the growling and

rumbling of Pictish drums,
the shaman paces
130
Sorcery Style Spells Prerequisites
Counterspells Dance of the Skull Lesser ill-fortune1, warding1
Curses Put them into the Swamp Magic attack bonus +6 or higher, dance of the changing serpent1, must be a Pict
Ghastly Sorcery
Hypnotism Call of Damballah Enslave2
Crimson Portents Entrance1
Nature Magic Summon Swarm Knowledge (nature) 8 ranks, summon beast1
Summonings Bag of Demons* Master words and signs1, summon demon1, craft major magic item3
1. Spell from Conan the Roleplaying Game
2. Spell from The Scrolls of Skelos
3. Feat from The Scrolls of Skelos
* This spell can have severe repercussions on a campaign world and is subject to Runaway Magic (see page 188 of Conan the Roleplaying
Game).
Curses
Sorcerers are feared most not for the dark powers with
whom they trafc or the strange artefacts they create, but
for that which they can do to ordinary folk, cursing them
in a variety of cruel and horrid ways.
Any character who is under the effects of a curse that

does not have immediately obvious physical effects may
attempt a Knowledge (arcana) check (DC 10 + scholar
level of the sorcerer who cast the spell) to determine that
he is affected by a curse. If he succeeds by at least 20, he
can also determine the precise nature of the curse and the
name of the sorcerer who cast it.
Put Them into the

Swamp
PP Cost: 8
Components: V, S, M
Range: Evil Eye
Target: One creature
assuming the target fails his save and becomes a horrible
Duration: Instantaneous (see text)
monster. The magical energy released by this horric
Saving Throw: Will negates, and see below
transformation is at least as great as that released by killing
Prerequisites: Magic attack bonus +6 or higher, dance of
the target outright.
the changing serpent1, must be a Pict
Magic Attack Roll: Sets DC for targets saving throw
The creature altered in this way is at least partially under
This dire ritual permanently changes a human into a
the thrall of the sorcerer, and will attempt to remain within
soulless half-alligator monster called a servant in the swamp
500 feet of the sorcerer at all times. However, any time
(see page 141 for the template). The target may attempt
the sorcerer gives the target a direct order he must make a
a Will saving throw to completely negate the effects. The
magic attack roll against the targets Will save to compel
mental change is instantaneous, but the physical changes
him to obey. If the target succeeds in saving, he is
take hours to complete. If the sorcerer is killed before the
temporarily released from the sorcerers command
physical change is complete, the changes do not continue,
for 1d6 rounds, after which time he may attempt
nor do they regress. The casting of the spell involves sharp
another Will save. Success on this save means he
knives and small res, as well as incredible torture on the
is permanently released, though he is still a
victim.
repulsive monster; failure means he
is once more under the sorcerers
If the sorcerer has the Ritual Sacrice feat, he gains Power
thrall. At any time, the sorcerer
Points as though he had sacriced the target of the spell,
131
Call of Damballah
The transmutation to make him a mindless, PP Cost: 6+6
soulless semi-human dweller in the water was
Components: V, S or F
not complete, but his mind was gone. Some of the
Ghastly Sorcery
physical changes had been made His body was Casting Time: 1 hour, plus see below
rounded and elongated, his legs dwarfed; his feet were Range: Evil Eye and Magical Link
flattened and broadened, his fingers horribly long, and Target: One creature of the same species as the sorcerer
webbed. His neck was inches longer than it should be. Duration: Mortal
His features were not altered, but the expression was Saving Throw: Will negates
no more human than that of a great fish.
Prerequisites: Magic attack bonus +4 or higher, Cha 13,
domination, enslave, entrance, hypnotic suggestion, ranged
Robert E. Howard, Black Canaan
hypnotism.
Magical Attack Roll: Sets DC for targets saving throw
can elect to permanently release the creature from his
thrall, though again he cannot reverse the physical effects This spell is used to totally enslave a person and force
of the spell. them to come forward and be sacriced at the appropriate
time required by the caster. The spell is initially cast with
Most sorcerers thus use this spell to create guards or cause a one-hour ceremony incorporating a Magical Link to the
mischief, rather than in the hope of creating a legion of planned target. The sorcerer then has 24 hours in which
permanent servants; the risk of losing control is just too to nd the target and complete the spell.
great, and few abominations created by this spell will hold
back if they get a chance to attack their erstwhile master. The Power Point cost listed reects an expenditure of
However, for the sorcerer who rarely calls on his creations 6 PP to initially cast the ceremony, and a further 6 PP
to carry out a direct order, they can make a useful escort or to complete the spell when the sorcerer speaks with the
guard complement, perhaps for many years. target.
Material Components: Smoke-powders worth at least 50

sp, plus various rare essences and herbs to a value of 100
sp.
Focus: A raging green bonre at least 5 feet by 5 feet in

size.
Hypnotism
Hypnotism is extremely useful both as a direct means of
attack and for far more subtle purposes. Though it may
not be so quick as a hurled globe of demon-re, it can
still provide fairly rapid effects, and is signicantly more
versatile than mere aming destruction.
Hypnotism is not inherently sorcerous. Much hypnotism

is simply mesmerism, an ability to take advantage of
anothers superstitious fears and unconscious willingness
to be dominated. This type of hypnotism requires no
expenditure of Power Points, but simply takes time.
It is for this reason that some scholars regard
hypnotism as beneath themselves, considering
it to be no true sorcery. However, many of the
more advanced hypnotic spells do require sorcery,
when it comes to forcing a victim to do as
you say, or affecting him at distances
where mere mesmerism would be
quite unfeasible.
132
The end result of the call of Damballah spell is to produce
an effect very similar to that of the domination spell, he dagger flashed downward. A sharp cry
except that the duration is permanent and the target does broke in a gasp. The form on the rough altar
twitched convulsively and lay still. The jagged
Ghastly Sorcery
not gain a new saving throw each time he is given an flint edge sawed at the crimsoned breast, and thin
instruction. The sorcerer will need to give the target direct bony fingers, ghastly dyed, tore out the still twitching
instructions, as for domination, but call of Damballah may heart. Under matted white brows, sharp eyes gleamed
with a ferocious intensity.
not be used to cause the target to fall asleep or remove
memories, unlike domination. In addition, a target who Did Bran Mak Morn, king of the Picts, believe that
this white-bearded old butcher could foretell events by
has failed his initial Will saving throw automatically fails scanning a bleeding human heart?
any future Will saving throws against spells, spell-like
effects or supernatural effects cast or caused by the sorcerer. Robert E. Howard, Kings of the Night
The only ways for an affected character to become free are
for the sorcerer to voluntarily end the spell, or for it to do willingly), then each of them receives a +1 bonus to all
be ended by the Rule of Impermanence (see Conan the attack, damage and skill rolls when engaged in the event
Roleplaying Game). in question. If the shaman feels strongly against the event
in question, the can announce failure or a costly victory,
The actual name of the spell varies with each shaman. A and the members of the tribe who believe him receive a
shaman dedicated to Jhebbal Sag would call this spell call -1 penalty to all attack, damage and skill check rolls when
of Jhebbal Sag. engaging in the event. Often a prediction of failure will
lead to the abandonment of the engagement and has been
Focus: Magical link. known to upset the plans of many a would-be war-chief.
Crimson Portents Focus: Sacricial victim.

PP Cost: 1 point
Components: V, S, F
Nature Magic
Nature magic affects or summons plants and animals.
Range: Evil Eye
It is commonly found among Pictish
Effect: All Picts or Ligureans in a radius of 30 ft. +5 ft.
shamans, since it is relatively simple to learn
per scholar level
and highly effective in the wilderness or
Duration: Until the conclusion of the event foretold
rural environments favoured by such
Saving Throw: Will negates
scholars.
Prerequisites: Entrance
Magic Attack Roll: Sets DC for targets Will saves
Summon
This spell is used by the shamans of the
Picts as a form of self-fullling prophecy to
Swarm
PP Cost: 5+ points
meet the ends of the shaman. If a war-chief has
Components: V, S, F
decided to wage war against an enemy he may
Casting Time: 1 action
ask the shaman to predict success to hearten the
Range: 1 mile/scholar level
people. This is not a true divination, but a
Target: One animal swarm that can be
hypnotism, a means to take advantage of
found in the local environment
the Picts inherent superstitions.
Duration: 1 minute/scholar level, plus see
below
The shaman takes a captive and sacrices
Saving Throw: Will negates
him to the dark spirits (he may gain Power
Prerequisites: Knowledge (nature) 8
Points for this as normal), then cuts
ranks, summon beast
out the captives heart and glares at
Magic Attack Roll: Sets DC for
the throbbing mass to read the omens
targets Will save
within. If the shaman wants success,
that is what he announces when the
sacrice is dead, and if the Picts
believe him, by failing their
saving throw (which they can
133
This spell summons a swarm of the animal
subtype to serve the sorcerer. The PP cost is 5 Bag of Demons*
for a swarm of Small size or smaller animals, PP Cost: 2 per 100 demons (1 minimum)
Components: V, S, M
Ghastly Sorcery
and 10 for a herd of Medium-size animals.

Casting Time: 1 round
Summoned swarms are causes for horror
Range: See text
checks.
Targets: All demons within two square
miles
The sorcerer may specify the animal Duration: Until released from sack
swarm he wishes to summon. If that Saving Throw: Will negates
animal is not found within one mile, Magic Attack Roll: Sets DC for targets
he may specify an alternate animal saving throws
swarm, but this will take another Prerequisites: Master-words and signs
action and require a different focus or demonic pact, summon demon,
(see below). He may keep specifying craft major magic item
alternate animal swarms until he nds
one that is within a mile. The PP cost This devastating spell summons all
is always paid for the animal that is the demons in a given area of a specic
actually summoned, not necessarily the type, such as swamp-demons (see
rst choice of animal. The Scrolls of Skelos), and stuffs them
into a large sack. The upper limit is
The animal swarm will serve the around 500 demons. When released,
sorcerer without question, including they slay everything standing. Those
attacking his enemies. However, who lay down are not harmed.
summoned creatures may become Anytime a sorcerer casts this spell,
uncontrollable if they sustain damage. he must make a Corruption save or
At the end of any round during which gain one point of Corruption, as for
a summoned swarm is dealt damage, it demonic pact, however, he does not automatically fail this
must make a Will save (DC = 10 + damage sustained that save the rst time he casts bag of demons.
round). Failure indicates that the creatures pain overcomes
its desire to serve the sorcerer, and it ees away from the Material Component: A magical sack prepared before hand
damage-dealing source as rapidly as possible. by the scholar (see The Scrolls of Skelos for magic item
creation rules). The sack is destroyed when the demons
For some reason, any animal summoned by a Pictish are released.
scholar has a pale, almost ghostly appearance. This
has no particular game effect, but simply appears to
be a peculiarity of the Pictish style of sorcery.
At length the Wizard called them all
Focus: A small image or carving of the animal type together. From his hut he dragged out a huge
leathern sack with its mouth lashed tightly
to be summoned. This can be re-used on a later closed and several long leather thongs trailing from
occasion. it. And something distended the sack to its greatest
size, but we could not tell what this something was. It
could not be heavy, since the old sorcerer dragged the sack
Experience Point Cost: 25 XP (50 XP for a Medium- by himself, unaided. The sack was like a bladder blown
size creature horde) full of air and then tied to keep the air from escaping, but
on a vastly larger scale.
Summonings
What was in that sack? I asked.
The Wizard put all the demons of the swamp in it, he
Perhaps the gateway to the greatest magical power said. When the Picts rush the fort, they will thrust
is through summoning otherworldly entities to that long pole over the stockade. Then one of them will
do ones bidding. The following additional pull one of those trailing thongs, and the bag will open.
The swamp-demons will swarm out and slay every human
spell is available in the Summonings being they see who is on his feet.
sorcery style:
L. Sprague de Camp and Robert E. Howard,
Wolves Beyond the Border
134
Bestiary
Creatures of the Pictish Wilderness
Bestiary
Most animals will not be seen during the
middle of the day as many are nocturnal and/or hide but all was silent save for
as soon as they sense the presence of men. All sorts of the hum of gnats and the grunt
animals lurk in the dark places of the Pictish Wilderness; of a bull alligator from the direction
stag, deer, bear, beaver, sea and river otters, muskrats, of the swamp.
foxes, wolves, panthers, sabre-tooths, snakes, alligators,
swans, wild geese, ducks, pelicans, herons, gulls, eagles, L. Sprague de Camp, Wolves Beyond
vultures, hawks, ravens, magpies, woodpeckers, pheasants the Border
and much more. If it were not for the Picts and the
demons of the dark, the Pictish Wilderness would be a
hunter s paradise. cannot see them coming, before dragging their prey back
under the water to drown it. Though they eat sh, turtles
and small mammals, Pictish shamans often incite them
Alligator to become man-eaters and occasionally mistake small
Medium Animal children as their normal prey. Although the Picts know
Hit Dice: 3d8+9 (22 hp) better than to feed the alligators, some frontiersmen,
Initiative: +4 especially new arrivals do, which ultimately encourages
Speed: 25 ft. (4 squares), swim 30 ft., burrow 1 ft. the alligators to approach humans and expect food from
Defence Value: 13 (+1 Dex, +2 natural), touch 11, at- them. This usually has dire consequences when the human
footed 14 doesnt have the expected food. Note that alligators will
Damage Reduction: 5 (leathery hide) not usually attack or feed if the temperature drops below
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+6 23C (73F).
Attack: Bite +6 melee (1d8+6) or tail slap +6 melee
(1d12+6) Alligators live primarily in fresh-water swamps, marshes,
Full Attack: Bite +6 melee (1d8+6) or tail slap +6 melee creeks and rivers. They build burrows to lair in during
(1d12+6) dry periods. These deep alligator holes can be a valuable
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. source of water during a drought and many herdsmen
Special Attacks: Improved grab bring their animals to drink from these sources of water
Special Qualities: Hold breath, low-light vision when the usual creeks and wells dry up.
Abilities: Str 19, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 1, Wis 12, Cha 2 Alligators generally grow around 4 to 4.5 metres in
Skills: Hide +7*, Listen +4, Spot +4, Swim +12 length, but have been known to grow up to 6 metres
Feats: Alertness, Skill Focus (Hide) in remote regions. The upper jaw overlaps the teeth
Environment: Warm marshes and rivers in the lower jaw, so when the mouth is shut, the lower
Organisation: Solitary or colony (611) teeth cannot be seen. As alligators grow larger and
Advancement: 46 HD (Medium); 7-9 HD (Large); 8- gain more feats, Improved Initiative is a common feat
14 HD (Huge) to be taken, for their primary tactic is ambush.
Alligators are four-legged reptiles with wide, at heads and

rounded noses. Quite common in the Pictish Wilderness, Combat
the alligator is a well-respected hunter for few animals are Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability,
strong enough to win a ght with an alligator. They can an alligator must hit with its bite
see other animals without being seen while lurking in the attack. It can then attempt to
water, rocketing out of the water so fast that their prey start a grapple as a free action
135
without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it
wins the grapple check, the crocodile establishes a Combat
hold on the opponent with its mouth and drags it Eagles dive at prey, raking with their powerful talons.
into deeper water, attempting to pin it to the bottom.
Skills: Eagles have a +8 racial bonus on Spot checks.
Hold Breath (Ex): An alligator can hold its
Bestiary
breath for a number of rounds equal to 4 x its

Constitution score before it risks drowning.
Great Bear
Large Animal
Hit Dice: 12d8+51 (105 hp)
Skills: An alligator has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim
Initiative: +9
check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard.
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
It can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even
Defence Value: 17 (1 size, +1 Dex, +7 natural), touch
if distracted or endangered. It can use the run action
10, at-footed 16
while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. *An
Damage Reduction: 7
alligator gains a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks when in
Base Attack/Grapple: +9/+23
the water. Further, an alligator can lie in the water with
Attack: Claw +19 melee (2d4+10)
only its eyes and nostrils showing, gaining a +10 cover
Full Attack: 2 claws +19 melee (2d4+10) and bite +13
bonus on Hide checks.
melee (2d8+5)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft.
Eagle Special Attacks: Improved grab
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent
Small Animal
Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp) Saves: Fort +12, Ref +9, Will +9
Initiative: +4 Abilities: Str 31, Dex 13, Con 19, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares), y 80 ft. (average) Skills: Listen +10, Spot +10, Swim +13
Defence Value: 14 (+1 size, +2 Dex, +1 natural), touch Feats: Alertness, Endurance, Run, Toughness, Weapon
13, at-footed 12 Focus (claw)
Damage Reduction: 1 (feathers) Environment: Dense forests and tundra
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/4 Organisation: Solitary or pair
Attack: Talons +3 melee (1d4) Advancement: 1316 HD (Large); 1736 HD (Huge)
Full Attack: 2 talons +3 melee (1d4) and bite 2 melee
(1d4) The omnivorous great bear does not usually bother
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. creatures that try to avoid it, but will aggressively defend
Special Attacks: a kill or other source of food. It will not hesitate to rip
Special Qualities: Low-light vision apart anything that might contain something edible. A
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +2 typical great bear is 12 feet long and weighs as much as
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6 8,000 pounds.
Skills: Listen +2, Spot +14
Feats: Weapon Finesse Combat
Environment: Temperate mountains and forests A great bear attacks by tearing at opponents with its claws.
Advancement: 23 HD (Medium) It will not usually attack prey it thinks is dead, and Picts
often avoid unpleasant encounters with bears by playing
These birds of prey inhabit nearly every terrain and climate, dead. Be careful with this tactic, as the bear will often just
though they all prefer high, secluded nesting spots. Eagles move off to watch and see, and may charge if you get up
are extremely important to most Pictish tribes, and are while it is watching.
prized for their feathers and claws. A typical eagle
is about 3 feet long and has a wingspan of about 7 Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a great bear
feet. The statistics presented here can describe any must hit with a claw attack. It can then attempt to start
similar-sized, bird of prey. a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of
opportunity.
136
Dire Boar Combat
Large Animal A dire boar charges its opponent, trying to gore the target
Hit Dice: 7d8+21 (52 hp) with its tusks.
Initiative: +5
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares) Ferocity (Ex): A dire boar is such a tenacious combatant
Bestiary
Defence Value: 13 (1 size, +4 natural), touch 13, at- that it continues to ght without penalty, even while
footed 15 disabled or dying.
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+17
Attack: Gore +12 melee (1d8+12)
Full Attack: Gore +12 melee (1d8+12) Hawk
Space/Reach: 10 ft./5 ft. Tiny Animal
Special Attacks: Ferocity Hit Dice: 1d8 (4 hp)
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent Initiative: +3
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +8 Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares), y 60 ft. (average)
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 10, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 8 Defence Value: 17 (+2 size, +3 Dex, +2 natural), touch
Skills: Listen +8, Spot +8 15, at-footed 14
Feats: Alertness, Endurance, Iron Will Damage Reduction: 1 (feathers)
Environment: Pictish Wilderness Base Attack/Grapple: +0/10
Organisation: Solitary or herd (58) Attack: Talons +5 melee (1d42)
Advancement: 816 HD (Large); 1721 HD (Huge) Full Attack: Talons +5 melee (1d42)
Space/Reach: 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.
Dire boars are omnivorous and spend most of their time Special Attacks:
rooting around, much as ordinary pigs do. They viciously Special Qualities: Low-light vision
attack anything that approaches them, however. Dire Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +2
boars grow up to 12 feet long and weigh as much as 2,000 Abilities: Str 6, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6
pounds. Skills: Listen +2, Spot +14
Feats: Weapon Finesse
Environment: Temperate forests
Organisation: Solitary or pair
Advancement:
These birds of prey inhabit nearly every terrain and

climate. Hawks are extremely important to most
Pictish tribes, and are prized for their feathers and
claws. These creatures are similar to eagles but slightly
smaller: 1 to 2 feet long, with
wingspans of 6 feet or less.
The statistics presented
here can describe
any similar-
sized, bird of
prey.
137
swallowed creature takes 2d8+8 points of bludgeoning
Combat damage and 8 points of acid damage per round from the
Hawks combine both talons into a single attack. tyrannosauruss gizzard. A swallowed creature can cut its
way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to
Skills: Hawks have a +8 racial bonus on Spot checks. deal 25 points of damage to the gizzard (DC 10, DR 2).
Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole;
Bestiary
Otah the Lizard another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out. A
Huge tyrannosauruss gizzard can hold two Medium, eight
God Small, 32 Tiny or 128 Diminutive or smaller opponents.
Huge Animal (Tyrannosaurus)
Skills: A tyrannosaurus has a +2 racial bonus on Listen
Hit Dice: 18d8+93 (174 hp)
and Spot checks.
Initiative: +12 (+1 Dex, +11 Reex)
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
DV: 14 (2 size, +1 Dex, +5 natural) Lair of the Lizard God
DR: 5 Almost to the Western Ocean lies a city hidden in the
Base Attack/Grapple: +13/+30 Pictish Wilderness. The city lies within the lands claimed
Attack: Bite +20 melee (3d6+13) by the Ktonpha clans, a tribe of Picts who have no contact
Full Attack: Bite +20 melee (3d6+13) with the Picts who regularly harass the Aquilonians. The
Space/Reach: 15 ft. (3)/10 ft. (2) city is ancient beyond measure and reportedly holds a
Special Attacks: Improved grab, swallow whole great treasure. Legend claims the city once rested on the
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent ocean oor as the keystone of an underwater empire and
Saves: Fort +16, Ref +12, Will +8 that the walls of this city are choked with gemstones of
Abilities: Str 28, Dex 12, Con 21, Int 2, Wis 15, Cha 10 marvellous size. There exists a map written in no human
Skills: Hide 2, Listen +14, Spot +14 tongue. On the route to the city one must pass through
Feats: Alertness, Improved Natural Attack (bite), Run, a dank swamp and only the Picts know the safe paths
Toughness, Track through that swamp. The swamp and the city are ruled
Climate/Terrain: Pictish Wilderness and guarded by Otah, the Lizard God. The city itself is
Organisation: Solitary Cyclopean in size and there are no doorways at ground
Advancement: 1936 HD (Huge); 3754 HD level into the buildings, portals and high windows are the
(Gargantuan) only means of entrance. Inside are inhuman sarcophagi
and hoards of jewels and gemstones.
Otah is an ancient tyrannosaur worshipped as a god by the
Picts. Despite its enormous size and six ton weight, Otah
is a swift runner. Its head is nearly six feet long, and its Swarm
teeth are from three to six inches in length. It is slightly Swarms are dense masses of animals that would not be
more than 30 feet long from nose to tail. particularly dangerous in smaller groups, but can be
terrible foes when gathered in sufcient numbers. For
game purposes a swarm is dened as a single creature with
Combat a space of 10 feet gigantic hordes are actually composed
A tyrannosaurus pursues and eats just about anything it
of dozens of swarms in close proximity. A swarm has a
sees. Its tactics are simple charge in and bite.
single pool of Hit Dice and hit points, a single initiative
modier, a single speed and a single Defence Value. It also
Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a tyrannosaurus
makes saving throws as a single creature.
must hit an opponent of up to one size smaller with its
bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free
Many different creatures can mass as swarms and bat,
action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If
centipede, rat, spider and viper swarms are described here.
it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can
The swarms type varies with the nature of the component
try to swallow the foe the following round.
creature (most are animals or vermin), but all swarms have
the swarm subtype.
Swallow Whole (Ex): A tyrannosaurus can
try to swallow a grabbed opponent of
A swarm of Medium creatures consists of 12 non-ying
up to two sizes smaller by making a
creatures or 40 ying creatures. A swarm of Small
successful grapple check. The
creatures consists of 60 non-ying creatures or 200 ying
138
creatures. A swarm of Tiny creatures consists of 300 Special Qualities: Blindsense 20 ft., half damage from
non-ying creatures or 1,000 ying creatures. A swarm slashing and piercing, low-light vision, swarm traits
of Diminutive creatures consists of 1,500 non-ying Saves: Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +3
creatures or 5,000 ying creatures. A swarm of Fine Abilities: Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 4
creatures consists of 10,000 creatures, whether they are Skills: Listen +11, Spot +11
ying or not. Swarms of non-ying creatures include Feats: Alertness, Lightning Reexes
Bestiary
many more creatures than could normally t in a 10-foot Environment: Temperate deserts
square based on their normal space, because creatures in Organisation: Solitary, ight (24 swarms), or colony
a swarm are packed tightly together and generally crawl (1120 swarms)
over each other and their prey when moving or attacking. Advancement:
Larger swarms are represented by multiples of single
swarms. A large swarm is completely malleable, though it A bat swarm is nocturnal, and is never found aboveground
usually remains contiguous. in daylight.
Combat Combat
In order to attack, a single swarm moves into opponents A bat swarm seeks to surround and attack any warm-
spaces, which provokes an attack of opportunity. It can blooded prey it encounters. The swarm deals 1d6 points
occupy the same space as a creature of any size, since it of damage to any creature whose space it occupies at the
crawls all over its prey, but remains a creature with a 10- end of its move.
foot space. Swarms never make attacks of opportunity,
but they can provoke attacks of opportunity. Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its turn
with a swarm in its space must succeed on a Fortitude
Unlike other creatures with a 10-foot space, a swarm is (DC 11) save or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC
malleable. It can occupy any four contiguous squares, and is Constitution-based.
it can squeeze through any space large enough to contain
one of its component creatures. Wounding (Ex): Any living creature damaged by a bat
swarm continues to bleed, losing 1 hit point per round
Vulnerabilities of Swarms thereafter. Multiple wounds do not result in cumulative
Swarms are extremely difcult to ght with physical bleeding loss. A Heal check (DC 10) or the application of
attacks. However, they have a few special vulnerabilities, curative magic can stop the bleeding.
as follows:
Blindsense (Ex): A bat swarm notices and locates
A lit torch swung as an improvised weapon deals 1d3 creatures within 20 feet. Opponents still have total
points of damage per hit. concealment against the bat swarm (but swarm attacks
ignore concealment).
A lit lantern used as a thrown weapon, deals 1d4 points
of damage to all creatures in squares adjacent to where it Skills: A bat swarm has a +4 racial bonus on Listen and
breaks. Spot checks. These bonuses are lost if its blindsense is
negated.
Bat Swarm
Diminutive Animal (Swarm) Centipede Swarm
Hit Dice: 3d8 (13 hp) Diminutive Vermin (Swarm)
Initiative: +2 Hit Dice: 9d89 (31 hp)
Speed: 5 ft. (1 square), y 40 ft. (good) Initiative: +4
Defence Value: 16 (+4 size, +2 Dex), touch 14, at-footed Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft.
12 Defence Value: 18 (+4 size, +4 Dex), touch 18, at-
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/ footed 14
Attack: Swarm (1d6) Damage Reduction: -
Full Attack: Swarm (1d6) Base Attack/Grapple: +6/
Space/Reach: 10 ft./0 ft. Attack: Swarm (2d6 plus poison)
Special Attacks: Distraction, wounding
139
Full Attack: Swarm (2d6 plus poison) Saves: Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +2
Space/Reach: 10 ft./0 ft. Abilities: Str 2, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 2
Special Attacks: Distraction, poison Skills: Balance +10, Climb +10, Hide +14, Listen +6,
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., immune to weapon Spot +7, Swim +10
damage, swarm traits, tremorsense 30 ft., vermin traits Feats: Alertness, Weapon Finesse
Saves: Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +3 Environment: Any
Bestiary
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 19, Con 8, Int , Wis 10, Cha 2 Organisation: Solitary, pack (24 swarms), or infestation
Skills: Climb +12, Spot +4 (712 swarms)
Feats: Weapon Finesseb Advancement:
Environment: Underground
Organisation: Solitary, tangle (24 swarms), or colony
(712 swarms)
Combat
A rat swarm seeks to surround and attack any warm-
Advancement:
blooded prey it encounters. A swarm deals 1d6 points of
b
= bonus feat
damage to any creature whose space it occupies at the end
of its move.
Combat
A centipede swarm seeks to surround and attack any living Disease (Ex): Filth fever swarm attack, Fortitude (DC
prey it encounters. A swarm deals 2d6 points of damage 12), incubation period 1d3 days, damage 1d3 Dex and
to any creature whose space it occupies at the end of its 1d3 Con. The save DC is Constitution-based.
move.
Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its turn
Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its turn with a swarm in its square must succeed on a Fortitude
with a centipede swarm in its space must succeed on a save (DC 12) or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC
Fortitude save (DC 13) or be nauseated for 1 round. The is Constitution-based.
save DC is Constitution-based.
Skills: A rat swarm has a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Move
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude (DC 13), initial and Silently checks, and a +8 racial bonus on Balance, Climb,
secondary damage 1d4 Dex. The save DC is Constitution- and Swim checks. A rat swarm can always choose to take
based. 10 on all Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. A rat
swarm uses its Dexterity modier instead of its Strength
Skills: A centipede swarm has a +4 racial bonus on Spot modier for Climb and Swim checks. A rat swarm has
checks and a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks, and uses a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some
its Dexterity modier instead of its Strength modier for special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to
Climb checks. A centipede swarm has a +8 racial bonus take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered.
on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10 on a It can use the run action while swimming, provided it
Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. swims in a straight line.
Rat Swarm Spider Swarm

Tiny Animal (Swarm) Diminutive Vermin (Swarm)
Hit Dice: 4d8 (18 hp) Hit Dice: 2d8 (9 hp)
Initiative: +2 Initiative: +3
Speed: 15 ft. (3 squares), climb 15 ft. Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares), climb 20 ft.
Defence Value: 14 (+2 size, +2 Dex), touch 14, at-footed Defence Value: 17 (+4 size, +3 Dex), touch 17, at-footed
12 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/ Base Attack/Grapple: +1/
Attack: Swarm (1d6 plus disease) Attack: Swarm (1d6 plus poison)
Full Attack: Swarm (1d6 plus disease) Full Attack: Swarm (1d6 plus poison)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./0 ft. Space/Reach: 10 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Disease, distraction Special Attacks: Distraction, poison
Special Qualities: Half damage from Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., swarm traits,
slashing and piercing, low-light tremorsense 30 ft., vermin traits
vision, scent, swarm traits Saves: Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +0
Abilities: Str 1, Dex 17, Con 10, Int , Wis 10, Cha 2
140
Viper Swarm, Tiny Snakes Viper Swarm, Small Snakes Viper Swarm, Medium Snakes
Medium Animal Medium Animal Large Animal
Hit Dice: 4d8 (18 hp) 16d8 (72 hp) 32d8 (144 hp)
Initiative: +5 (+2 Dex, +3 Reex) +5 (+2 Dex, +3 Reex) +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Reex)
Speed: 15 ft., climb 15 ft., swim 15 ft. 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft. 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 20 ft.
DV: 15 (+2 size, +3 Dex) 14 (+1 size, +3 Dex) 14 (+3 Dex, +1 natural)
Bestiary
DR: 1 2 3
BAB/Grapple: +0/11 +0/6 +1/+0
Attacks: Swarm (1d4 plus poison) Swarm (1d6 and poison) Swarm (1d8 and poison)
Full Attack: Swarm (1d4 plus poison) Swarm (1d6 and poison) Swarm (1d8 and poison)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./0 ft. 10 ft./0 ft. 10 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison, distraction Poison, distraction Poison, distraction
Special Qualities: Scent, swarm traits Scent, swarm traits Scent, swarm traits
Abilities: Str 6, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 1, Wis Str 6, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 1, Str 8, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 1,
12, Cha 2 Wis 12, Cha 2 Wis 12, Cha 2
Skills: Balance +11, Climb +12, Hide Balance +11, Climb +12, Hide Balance +11, Climb +11, Hide
+18, Listen +8, Spot +8 +15, Listen +9, Spot +9 +12, Listen +9, Spot +9
Climate/Terrain: Temperate and warm land, Temperate and warm land, Temperate and warm land,
aquatic, and underground aquatic, and underground aquatic, and underground
Organisation: Solitary Solitary Solitary
Advancement:
Skills: Climb +11, Listen +4, Spot +4 Combat

Environment: Warm forests Poison (Ex): Bite, Fortitude save (DC 11 for all sizes); initial
Organisation: Solitary, tangle (24 swarms), or colony and secondary damage 1d6 temporary Constitution.
(712 swarms)
Advancement: Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its turn
with a swarm in its square must succeed on a Fortitude
Combat save (DC 12) or be nauseated for 1 round. The save DC
A spider swarm seeks to surround and attack any living is Constitution-based.
prey it encounters. A swarm deals 1d6 points of damage
to any creature whose space it occupies at the end of its Skills: Vipers receive a +4 racial bonus to Hide, Listen
move. and Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus to Balance checks.
They can use either their Strength or Dexterity modier
Distraction (Ex): Any living creature that begins its for Climb checks, whichever is better.
turn with a spider swarm in its space must succeed on a
Fortitude save (DC 11) or be nauseated for 1 round. The Servant in the
save DC is Constitution-based.
Swamp
Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude (DC 11), initial and Medium Aberration
secondary damage 1d3 Str. The save DC is Constitution- Hit Dice: HD equals the HD of the original victim less 1
based. HD (3 HD minimum). HD type will be d8.
Initiative: Variable. Calculate based on new ability
Skills: A spider swarm has a +4 racial bonus on Hide and scores.
Spot checks and a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks. It Speed: 25 ft. (5 squares), swim 30 ft., burrow 1 ft.
uses its Dexterity modier instead of its Strength modier Defence Value: Variable (+ Dex bonus, +2 natural,
for Climb checks. It can always choose to take 10 on a + base bonus for class levels)
Climb check, even if rushed or threatened. DR: 2 (leathery hide)
Base Attack: of HD
Attack: Bite melee (1d3 base)
Viper Swarm Full Attack: Bite melee (1d3 base)
A swarm of Pictish vipers is a mass of writhing, crawling Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
snakes. They can drop out of trees or form a nauseating Special Attacks: Improved grab
carpet to the oor of many a Pictish pit trap.
141
Special Qualities: Hold breath, low-light vision Features: An aberration has the following features:
Saves: See below d8 Hit Dice.
Abilities: See below Base attack bonus equal to 3/4 total Hit Dice (as
Skills: See below thief ).
Feats: See below Good Will saves.
Environment: Warm marshes and rivers Skill points equal to (2 + Int modier, minimum 1)
Bestiary
Organisation: Solitary or colony (611) per Hit Die, with quadruple skill points for the rst
Advancement: Hit Die.
A servant in the swamp is a horrible aberration created Traits: An aberration possesses the following traits (unless
by a sorcerer via the put them in the swamp spell (see page otherwise noted in a creatures entry):
131). They tend to remain near the sorcerer who created Darkvision out to 60 feet.
them, forming a protective guard. Immunity to all physical attack forms except for
silver and re.
The servant in the swamp has good Will saves, the Procient with its natural weapons. If generally
calculations for which are based on the creatures Hit humanoid in form, procient with all simple
Dice. weapons and any weapon it is described as using.
Procient with whatever type of armour (light,
If the victims Strength is greater than 19, then subtract medium or heavy) it is described as wearing, as
1d4 points from the victims Strength. If it is less than 19, well as all lighter types. Aberrations not indicated
then add 1d4. Likewise, compare the victims Dex to 12, as wearing armour are not procient with armour.
Con to 17, Int to 1, Wis to 12, and Cha to 2, subtracting Aberrations are procient with shields if they are
1d4 points if the victims score is higher, and adding 1d4 procient with any form of armour.
if it is lower. Aberrations eat, sleep and breathe.
Select new skills and feats for the changed victim, based on
its Hit Dice and the rules for the aberration type below.
Skill points will be spent on Hide and Swim. New feats
need not bear any resemblance to those of the original
creature. Generally, the rst feats chosen will be Alertness
and Skill Focus (Swim or Hide). Servants in the swamp
have a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some
special action or avoid a hazard. It can always choose to
take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered.
It can use the run action while swimming, provided it
swims in a straight line. A servant in the swamp also
gains a +4 racial bonus on Hide checks when in the water.
Further, a servant in the swamp can lie in the water with
only its eyes and nostrils showing, gaining a +10 cover
bonus on Hide checks.
Aberrations
Many sorcerers consider the pinnacle of their art to be the
creation of new life. Rarely is this life genuinely new
most sorcerers have to make do with recreating extinct
creatures (see the spell bones of life) or combining
earthly and demonic creatures into new forms.
An aberration has a bizarre anatomy, being

made from a combination of several
existing creatures, incorporating at
least some demonic portions.
142
Creating Aberrations 6. Pay 10 XP per hit point of the nished creature.
A sorcerer who captures or summons a number of different
creatures, for example a demon, a human and an octopus, Size: Identical to the largest size of the various creatures
can attempt to combine them together. This is an act of spliced together.
permanent sorcery and so requires the appropriate Craft Hit Dice: HD equals the HD of the core creature, less 1
Aberration feat (detailed in Conan the Roleplaying Game: HD for each additional creature added.
Bestiary
The Scrolls of Skelos). Type: The creatures type becomes Aberration.
Speed: As the core creature. If another one of the
Crafting aberrations also requires a masterwork alchemists creatures speeds was at least 10 feet higher or lower than
laboratory (see Conan the Roleplaying Game). This is the core creatures, there is a straight 30% chance that this
modied slightly to make it more useful for aberration creatures speed is used instead. If any of the creatures
creation. These modications and additions cost a further had an additional movement mode that the core creature
2,500 sp. did not have, there is a 50% chance that the new creature
gains this movement mode and the associated speed.
The process of aberration creation requires the following Defence Value: Decide this based on the new creatures
steps: HD and type.
Damage Reduction: Identical to that of the core creature,
1. Pay for various consumable materials to a total plus 2d4-5, for a minimum of 0.
value of 100 sp per HD of the various creatures Attacks: Retain all attacks of the core creature, with the
you plan to combine. same levels of damage (subject to any changes in Strength).
Recalculate attack rolls based on the creatures new Type.
2. Ensure all creatures to be combined are somehow If any creature spliced into the core creature had an attack
pacied or restrained. The process is painful, and mode the core creature did not, it has a straight 30%
it is extremely rare that any creature will wish chance of acquiring that attack mode.
to become part of an aberration. Often all the Special Attacks and Special Qualities: The creature
creatures are given lotus wine or a similar drug retains most of the Special Attacks and Special Qualities
to both deaden the pain and render resistance of the core creature, but loses either one Special Quality or
unlikely. Special Attack for each additional creature spliced into it,
as determined by the Games Master. It gains one random
3. Cut and recombine the creatures. This is a Special Attack or Special Quality from each creature
painstaking process, for the various creatures spliced into it.
involved must be kept alive if at all possible. The Saves: Work these out as usual for an aberration of the
process takes 1 day per total HD of the creatures new creatures hit dice and abilities.
involved. The sorcerer makes a Heal check (DC Abilities: Take the ability scores of the core creature as a
30 + number of creatures involved). If he fails, basis. For each of the other spliced-in creatures in turn,
one of the creatures has been dealt unacceptable go through each ability score and compare with that of
levels of damage, rendering it unusable in the the core creature. If the spliced-in creatures score in that
process (and probably dead). He must either start ability is higher than the core creatures, add +1d4 to the
again, with the loss of one-quarter of the materials new creatures score in that ability. If lower, subtract 1d4.
used, or continue the process in a modied form Skills and Feats: Select new skills and feats for the
which incorporates only the remaining creatures. new creature, based on its hit dice and the rules for the
Aberration type given above. These new skills and feats
4. Re-awaken the new aberration creature. This need not bear any resemblance to those of the original
takes a Knowledge (arcana) check at DC 30. creature; the new creature is just that, a new creature, with
Success allows the creature to be re-awakened. its own values and specialities.
Failure necessitates an unmodied 1d20 roll on
Table 3-1: Life Creation Failure.
5. Dene games statistics for the new creature. These

are based on whichever of the spliced-together
creatures had the highest initial HD. This creature
is now known as the core creature. Game statistics
are dened according to the process below.
143
Prestige Classes
Prestige Classes
Masters of the Wild

Prestige classes offer a new form
of multiclassing. Unlike the basic classes presented in
With fantastic bounds and prancings he
Conan the Roleplaying Game, characters must meet certain entered the ring and whirled before his bound
requirements before they can take their rst level of and silent captives. With another man it would
a prestige class. The rules for level advancement apply have seemed ridiculous a foolish savage prancing
to this system, meaning the rst step of advancement is meaninglessly in a whirl of feathers. But that ferocious
always choosing a class. If a character does not meet the face glaring out from the billowing mass gave the scene
requirements for a prestige class before that rst step, that a grim significance. No man with a face like that could
seem ridiculous or like anything except the devil he was.
character cannot take the rst level of that class.
Robert E. Howard, Beyond the Black Border
Definitions of Terms
Here are denitions of some terms used in this section.
Feats: Mobility, Improved Initiative, Combat Expertise,
Base Class: One of the standard eight classes.
Improved Feint.
Caster Level: Generally equal to the number of class levels
(see below) in a spellcasting class. Some prestige classes
add caster levels to an existing class. Class Skills
Character Level: The total level of the character, which is The Dancing Savages class skills (and the key ability for
the sum of all class levels held by that character. each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (herbalism) (Int), Craft
Class Level: The level of a character in a particular class. (any mundane) (Int), Craft (Body Paint) (Int), Craft
For a character with levels in only one class, class level and (Talking Drum) (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex),
character level are the same. Jump (Str), Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (local),
Feats: Feats the character must already posses to gain entry Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently
to the class. (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Speak Language
Skills: The minimum number of ranks within the specied (none), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Survival (Wis) and Use
skill the character must have to gain entry to the class. Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Intelligence modier.
Dancing Savage Class Features

The dancing savage is an especially savage Pict who has
honed his combat prowess into an art form of deadly Improved Uncanny Dodge: At 1st level, the dancing
precision. He feints and whirls through the air as he savage can no longer be anked, unless the attacker has
ghts, providing a constantly moving target akin to a at least four more thief or pirate levels than the target
small, armed whirlwind. has barbarian and dancing savage levels combined. The
Hit Die: d10. levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to
determine the minimum level a thief or pirate must be to
ank the character.
Requirements
To qualify to become a dancing savage, a character Sneak Attack: From 1st level onwards, at any time when
must full all the following criteria: the savage dancers target can neither dodge nor parry or
Race: Pict. when the dancer anks the target, the dancers attack deals
Base Attack Bonus: 6+. extra damage. The extra damage is +1d6 at 1st level and
Skills: Perform (Dance) 8 ranks. an additional 1d6 every three levels thereafter. Should the
dancing savage score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this
extra damage is not multiplied.
144
Dancing Savage
Base Base Base Magic
Attack Dodge Parry Attack Fort Ref Will
Prestige Classes
Level Bonus Bonus Bonus Bonus Save Save Save Special
1 +1 +0 +0 +0 +1 +1 +0 Improved Uncanny Dodge,
Sneak Attack +1d6
2 +2 +1 +0 +0 +2 +2 +0 Whirlwind Attack
3 +3 +2 +1 +0 +2 +2 +1 Improved Mobility
4 +4 +3 +1 +1 +3 +3 +1 Sneak Attack +2d6
5 +5 +3 +1 +1 +3 +3 +1
6 +6 +4 +2 +1 +4 +4 +2 Greater Uncanny Dodge
7 +7 +5 +2 +1 +4 +4 +2 Sneak Attack +3d6, Greater Feint
8 +8 +6 +3 +2 +5 +5 +2 Greater Mobility
9 +9 +6 +3 +2 +5 +5 +3 Dance of Death
10 +10 +7 +3 +2 +6 +6 +3 Sneak Attack +4d6
Ranged attacks can only count as sneak attacks if the target

is within 30 feet. The dancing savage cannot strike with Greater Uncanny Dodge: At 6th level, the dancing savage
deadly accuracy from beyond that range. gains the Greater Uncanny Dodge feat even if he does not
meet the prerequisites for it.
With a sap or an unarmed strike, the dancing savage can Greater Feint: At 7th level, the dancing savage gains the
make a sneak attack that deals subdual damage instead of Greater Feint feat even if he does not meet the prerequisites
normal damage. The dancer cannot use a weapon that for it.
deals normal damage to deal subdual damage in a sneak
attack, even with the usual -4 penalty, except in the case of Greater Mobility (Ex): From 8th level onwards the dancing
the Sneak Subdual class feature, for which see below. savage may move up to his speed as part of a full attack
action, rather than merely taking a ve-foot step. He
A dancer can only sneak attack a living creature with a may move and attack in any order, so he
discernible anatomy. Any creature that is immune to might for example move ve feet, attack
critical hits is also not vulnerable once, move 15 feet, attack twice more,
to sneak attacks. The pirate and then move again for the remaining
must be able to see the target 20 feet of his movement. Note that
well enough to pick out a vital greater mobility does not apply if the
spot and must be able to reach dancing savage is mounted or is wearing
a vital spot. The dancing savage heavy armour. This is an extraordinary
cannot sneak attack while striking ability.
a creature with concealment or
striking the limbs of a creature Dance of Death (Ex): When the dancing
whose vitals are beyond reach. savage uses a full attack action, he can
give up his regular attacks and instead
Whirlwind Attack: At 2nd level, the make one melee attack at his full base
dancing savage gains the Whirlwind attack bonus against each opponent
Attack feat even if he does not meet the within 10 feet. He does not provoke
prerequisites for it. attacks of opportunity for this
action.
Improved Mobility (Ex): From 3rd level onwards
the dancing savage never provokes attacks of When the dancing savage uses
opportunity, whatever he does, so long as he moves the Dance of Death ability, he
at least 10 feet during that combat round. If the also forfeits any bonus or extra
dancing savage somehow already has Improved attacks granted by other feats,
Mobility he instead gains Greater Mobility (see spells or abilities.
below). Note that improved mobility does not apply if
the dancing savage is mounted. This is an extraordinary
ability.
145
Drummer in the
But the throb of the war-drum had a
Dark significance no forest-runner could ignore. It
Prestige Classes
The drummer in the dark has taken the practise of Pictish was a warning and a threat, a promise of doom for
those white-skinned invaders whose lonely cabins and
drumming and honed it to terrifying uses. The sheer ax-marked clearings menaced the immemorial solitude
power of his drumming seems to be aided by the dark of the wilderness. It meant fire and torture, flaming
spirits of the wilderness. While in combat, the drummer arrows dropping like falling stars through the darkness,
and the red ax crunching through skulls of men and
may appear at a disadvantage, since he has devoted himself women and children.
to perfecting his art, but few adversaries would wish to
face one capable of calling so many to his aid. Drummers Robert E. Howard, Wolves Beyond the Border
in the dark are often found in the service of powerful
Pictish shamans or war chiefs to enhance their magic or
strategies. may take 10 on his Perform (Talking Drum) checks when
Hit Die: d8. performing Drum Feats even if circumstances might
otherwise prevent it.
Requirements Counter Drumming (Su): A drummer in the dark can

To qualify to become a drummer in the dark, a character use his drum to counter the effects of another drummers
must full all the following criteria: feats or magical effects that depend on sound. Each round
Race: Pict. of the counter drumming, the drummer makes a Perform
Skills: Perform (Talking Drum) 8 ranks, Craft (Talking (Talking Drum) check. Any creature within range of
Drum) 6 ranks, Knowledge (Nature) 4 ranks. the drumming (including the drummer himself ) that is
Feats: Drum Focus and at least one other Drum feat. affected by anothers drumming or sonic magical effect
Class Skills
The drummer in the darks class skills (and the key ability
for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (any
mundane) (Int), Craft (body paint) (Int), Craft (Talking
Drum) (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information
(Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str),
Knowledge (nature) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Perform
(Cha), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim
(Str), Tumble (Dex) and Use Rope (Dex).
Class Features
Carried with the Wind (Ex): At 1st level the drummer in
the dark gains the Carried with the Wind feat even if he
does not meet the prerequisites. If the character already
has this feat they may choose another Drum feat.
Drum Bonus Feat: At 2nd level and every four levels after,
the character may choose a Drum feat as a bonus feat.
Drum Mastery: At 3rd level the drummer is not

considered at-footed while using a Drum feat. At
5th level, he may move at half speed (or full speed
with a -10 penalty) while performing Drum feats.
At 7th level, he does not take a -5 to Spot and
Listen checks while performing Drum
feats. At 9th level, the drummer
146
The Drummer in the Dark
Prestige Classes
1 +0 +0 +0 +0 +0 +2 +2 Carried with the Wind
2 +1 +1 +0 +0 +0 +3 +3 Drum Bonus Feat
3 +2 +2 +1 +0 +1 +3 +3 Drum Mastery (not at-footed)
4 +3 +3 +1 +1 +1 +4 +4 Counter Drumming
5 +3 +3 +1 +1 +1 +4 +4 Drum Mastery (movement)
6 +4 +4 +2 +1 +2 +5 +5 Drum Bonus Feat
7 +5 +5 +2 +1 +2 +5 +5 Drum Mastery (alert)
8 +6 +6 +3 +2 +2 +6 +6 Echoes in the Forests
9 +6 +6 +3 +2 +3 +6 +6 Drum Mastery (take 10)
10 +7 +7 +3 +2 +3 +7 +7 Drum Master, Drum Bonus Feat
may use the counter drummers Perform check result in

place of its saving throw if, after the saving throw is rolled, Class Skills
the Perform check result proves to be higher. If a creature The forest runners class skills (and the key ability for
within range of the counter drumming is already under the each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (any
effect of a drumming feat or sonic magical effect, it gains mundane) (Int), Craft (herbalism) (Int), Escape Artist
another saving throw against the effect each round it hears (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex),
the counter drumming, but it must use the drummers Jump (Str), Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (local),
Perform check result for the save. Counter drumming has Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently
no effect against effects that do not allow saves. (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Speak Language
(none), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Survival (Wis) and
Echoes in the Forest (Su): The drummers drumming has Tumble (Dex).
taken on a deceptive quality that makes it more difcult Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Intelligence modier.
for others to locate him using Listen checks. Others no
longer gain a +20 to their Listen checks when trying to Class Features
locate him. Furthermore, the drummer may attempt to Woodland Stride (Ex): Starting at 1st level, a forest runner
Move Silently while drumming or performing a Drum may move through any sort of mundane undergrowth
feat. (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas and similar
terrain) at his normal speed and without taking damage or
Drum Master: The drummers drumming no longer suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars
provokes attacks of opportunity and he may move at and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically
full speed (or double move with a -10 penalty) while manipulated to impede motion still affect him.
performing Drum feats.
Fleet-Footed: At 2nd level and again at 7th level, the
Forest Runner forest runner gains the Fleet-Footed feat (see Conan the
Roleplaying Game). These bonus feats count toward the
Forest runners make excellent messengers and scouts. maximum limit of three times for the feat. If the character
Unique among the Westermarck borderers, they are has already selected this feat three times they gain no
extremely fast, and able to move through the various woods additional benet from this ability.
and forests of the Pictish Wilderness and the Westermarck
with relative ease, even outrunning pursuing Picts. Eyes of the Cat (Ex): At 3rd level, the forest runner gains
Hit Die: d8. the Eyes of the Cat feat (see Conan the Roleplaying Game)
even if he does not meet the prerequisites for it.
Requirements
To qualify to become a forest runner, a character must Swift Tracker: A Forest runner of at least 4th level
full all the following criteria: may move at his normal speed without penalty
Base Attack Bonus: 5+. while tracking. He may move at up to
Skills: Move Silently 8 ranks, Hide 8 ranks. twice normal speed while following
Feats: Fleet-Footed, Stealthy, Run. tracks and take only a -10 penalty,
147
Forest Runner
Prestige Classes

1 +0 +0 +0 +0 +1 +1 +0 Woodland Stride
2 +1 +1 +0 +0 +2 +2 +0 Fleet-Footed
3 +2 +2 +1 +0 +2 +2 +1 Eyes of the Cat
4 +3 +3 +1 +1 +3 +3 +1 Swift Tracker (full speed)
5 +3 +3 +1 +1 +3 +3 +1 Mobility
6 +4 +4 +2 +1 +4 +4 +2 Camouage
7 +5 +5 +2 +1 +4 +4 +2 Fleet-Footed, Melt Away
8 +6 +6 +3 +2 +5 +5 +2 Improved Mobility
9 +6 +6 +3 +2 +5 +5 +3 Hide in Plain Sight
10 +7 +7 +3 +2 +6 +6 +3 Swift Tracker (run)
natural terrain, even if the terrain does not normally grant

cover or concealment.
Melt Away (Ex): At 7th level, the forest runner may

take 10 on his Hide and Move Silently checks even if
circumstances would otherwise prevent it.
Improved Mobility (Ex): From 8th level onwards the forest

runner never provokes attacks of opportunity, whatever
he does, so long as he moves at least 10 feet during that
combat round. If the forest runner somehow already
has Improved Mobility (such as for already having had
Mobility from another source before reaching 5th level,
and so gaining Improved Mobility at 5th level instead of
Mobility) he instead gains Greater Mobility (see Conan
the Roleplaying Game). Note that Improved Mobility does
not apply if the forest runner is mounted.
Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): A forest runner of 9th level or

higher can use the Hide skill in any sort of natural terrain,
even while being observed.
rather than the usual 20. This is an extraordinary ability.
From 10th level, the Forest runner may track while moving
at up to his run speed without penalty. Hunt Master
Hunting is an important part of a Picts life, and an
Mobility: From 5th level onwards the forest runner gets important part of his tribes existence. A Pictish tribe
a +4 dodge bonus to Defence Value against attacks of will hunt and kill hundreds and possibly thousands of
opportunity caused when he moves out of or within a animals during a particular hunting season. The hunt
threatened area. If the forest runner already has Mobility master is a Pict who has earned a hunting chieftainship
from some other source (such as from already being a 5th and has practised his abilities to hunt prey to an almost
level nomad) he instead gains Improved Mobility (see supernatural level. Hunt masters are highly respected and
below). Note that Mobility does not apply if the forest the position is greatly coveted among the Picts. Taking
runner is mounted. This is an extraordinary ability. levels in this class confers on a Pict an additional +1 to
Reputation, on top of the bonus applied for advancing
Camouage (Ex): A forest runner of 6th level or through levels in the rst place.
higher can use the Hide skill in any sort of Hit Die: d8.
148
Hunt Master
Prestige Classes
1 +1 +0 +0 +0 +2 +2 +0 Wild Empathy, Poison Use
2 +2 +1 +0 +0 +3 +3 +0 Woodland Stride
3 +3 +2 +1 +0 +3 +3 +1 Swift Tracker (full speed)
4 +4 +3 +1 +1 +4 +4 +1
5 +5 +3 +1 +1 +4 +4 +1 Camouage
6 +6 +4 +2 +1 +5 +5 +2 Improved Precise Shot
7 +7 +5 +2 +1 +5 +5 +2 Passing of the Panther
8 +8 +6 +3 +2 +6 +6 +2 Out of Thin Air
9 +9 +6 +3 +2 +6 +6 +3 Hide In Plain Sight
10 +10 +7 +3 +2 +7 +7 +3 Swift Tracker (run)
his Charisma bonus to determine the Wild Empathy check

result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude
They had scanned the glade carefully of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
before showing themselves in the open, for
they moved out of the bushes without hesitation,
To use Wild Empathy, the hunt master and the animal
in close single file, treading as softly as leopards,
must be able to study each other, which means that they
and bending down to stare at the path. They were
must be within 30 feet of one another under normal
following the trail of the Cimmerian, but it was no
easy task even for these human bloodhounds.
visibility conditions. Generally, inuencing an animal in
this way takes one minute, but as with inuencing people,
Robert E. Howard, The Black Stranger it might take more or less time.
The hunt master can also use this ability to inuence a

magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but he
Requirements takes a 4 penalty on the check.
To qualify to become a hunt master, a character must full
all the following criteria: Poison Use: At 1st level, the hunt master gains the Poison
Race: Pict. Use feat (see Conan the Roleplaying Game) even if he does
Base Attack Bonus: 6+. not meet the prerequisites for it.
Skills: Spot 8 ranks, Knowledge (Nature) 4 ranks.
Feats: Stealthy, Track, Point Blank Shot, Endurance. Woodland Stride (Ex): Starting at 2nd level, a hunt
master may move through any sort of undergrowth (such
Class Skills as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar
terrain) at his normal speed and without taking damage or
The Hunt Masters class skills (and the key ability for each
skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (any mundane) (Int), Craft suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars,
(body paint) (Int), Craft (herbalism) (Int), Craft (talking and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically
drum) (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump manipulated to impede motion still affect him.
(Str), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (local)
(Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Swift Tracker: A hunt master of at least 2nd level may
Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), move at his normal speed without penalty while tracking.
Swim (Str), Survival (Wis) and Use Rope (Dex). He may move at up to twice normal speed while following
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Intelligence modier. tracks and take only a -10 penalty, rather than the usual -
20. This is an extraordinary ability. From 10th level,
the hunt master may track while moving at up to
Class Features his run speed without penalty.
Wild Empathy (Ex): A hunt master can improve the
attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Camouage (Ex): When wearing a
Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person. The Hunting Face (see Craft (body paint)),
hunt master rolls 1d20 and adds his hunt master level and a hunt master of 5th level or higher
149
Prestige Classes
can use the Hide skill in

any sort of natural terrain,
even if the terrain does
not normally grant cover or
concealment.
Improved Precise Shot: At 6th level, have gained the respect of entire tribes
the hunt master gains the Improved Precise or nations of Picts. This class is the closest thing
Shot feat even if he does not meet the to a noble or king that the Pictish Wilderness
prerequisites for it (see Conan the Roleplaying has to offer.
Game). Hit Die: d10.
Passing of the Panther (Ex): The hunt master may move Requirements
up to his full speed without taking penalties to his Hide To qualify to become a paramount chief, a character must
and Move Silently checks. full all the following criteria:
Race: Pict.
Out of Thin Air: At 8th level, the hunt master gains Skills: Diplomacy 9 ranks, Sense Motive 5 ranks,
the Out of Thin Air feat even if he does not meet the Intimidate 5 ranks.
prerequisites for it. Feats: Leadership.
Special: Must be given this title (prestige class) by the chiefs
Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): When wearing at least a and councils of the tribes. This class cannot be taken on
masterwork Hunting Face (DC 20) (see Craft (Body a whim it must be earned and granted. Those to whom
Paint)), a hunt master of 9th level or higher can use the this class is granted are given headdresses with deer antlers
Hide skill in any sort of natural terrain, even while being to symbolise their power, wisdom and leadership qualities.
observed. These headdresses also include all the feathers and tokens
earned by the warrior.
Paramount Chief
Class Skills
(Chief of Chiefs) The paramount chief s class skills (and the key ability
Virtually any Pict, by virtue of his prowess and bravery, for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (any
can become a chief of his clan. However, certain mundane) (Int), Craft (body paint) (Int), Craft (talking
individuals are more charismatic, more legendary drum) (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information
than these lesser chiefs, or even the chief of an (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump
entire tribe. These paramount chiefs are the (Str), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nobility) (Int),
overlords of multiple clans; chiefs who, Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense
by means of their great reputation, Motive (Wis), Speak Language (none) and Swim (Str).
150
Paramount Chief
Prestige Classes
1 +1 +0 +0 +0 +1 +1 +0 Blood Feud, Natural Leader
2 +2 +1 +1 +0 +2 +2 +0 Culling the Weak
3 +3 +2 +2 +0 +2 +2 +1 Negotiator
4 +4 +3 +3 +1 +3 +3 +1 Horde
5 +5 +3 +3 +1 +3 +3 +1 War of Nations
By intrigues and forays too

numerous and devious to enumerate,
Class Features
Gorm became chief of chiefs, the nearest Blood Feud: The paramount chief may declare that his
approach to a king the Picts had had in tribe is at war with another faction. He must state a reason
thousands of years. for the Blood Feud and conditions that must be met for
the feud to be ended. All members of the chief s tribe
Robert E. Howard, The Hyborian Age gain a +1 morale bonus to attacks, damage and checks
against this faction until the conditions are met. If the
conditions are met and the Blood Feud is successful, the
paramount chief gains a bonus to his Reputation equal to
3 + his chieftain level. The paramount chief may end the
feud prematurely. If he does so, all members of his tribe
have a -1 morale penalty to attacks, damage and checks
against the faction for one month and he loses 1 point of
Reputation for each month that the Blood Feud lasted.
The paramount chief may only declare one Blood Feud
at a time.
Natural Leader: The paramount chief may add his

paramount chief level to his Leadership score in addition
to his character level.
Culling the Weak: At 2nd level, the paramount chief gains

the Culling the Weak feat even if he does not meet the
prerequisites for it.
Negotiator: At 3rd level, the paramount chief gains the

Negotiator feat.
Horde: At 4th level, the paramount chief gains the Horde

feat even if he does not meet the prerequisites for it.
War of Nations: The paramount chief may use the

benets granted by the Blood Feud ability with any horde
he has assembled except that the benets are doubled, as
are the penalties.
151
Gamesmastering
Gamesmastering
Frontier Campaigning
Robert E. Howard, in writing his fantastic all play important roles when one ventures across the
yarns, has provided us such a wonderful setting to weave Thunder River.
our own weird tales and campaigns in. The Pictish
Wilderness, a dense woodland of extensive forests and
smelly swamps, is the perfect place for our campaigns of Setting
intense conicts for life and soul. The stretches of land The Pictish Wilderness is not just a bunch of pretty trees
on the other side of the river are lled with savage killers and babbling brooks. The wilderness of the Picts should
hunting with primitive weapons. Picts, animals and be fraught with suspense and horror all hiding in the
demons all lurk in the misty depths of the verdant forests. shadows of the lurking trees, waiting for a moment when
All you need to explore these vast wooded, frontier land ones guard is let down. Potential debilitating diseases
are some weird tales, a few rules, perhaps your own accompany every insect, snakes may lay beneath any
Pictish tribes, a starting scenario, a few adventure hooks, bush or laying lazily on the trees, their sinuous bodies
some lurking monsters and an imagination seeking indistinguishable from the numerous vines draping
expression. the limbs and gruesome traps threaten to be underfoot
with every step. When the skies grow dark and night
approaches, the wilderness truly comes to life, as the
Weird Tales animals become more active. Eerie sounds, unexplained
crashes and the strange, compulsive beating of a drum
from the in the distance echo and resound throughout the area.
There is dark magic afoot and the fear of the unknown
Frontier gives that magic wings.
Across the Thunder River depicts an exciting area of the
Hyborian world and depicting an equally exciting people. Use all ve senses to describe the area and make it more
There is always something to attain in the frontier, be tangible to inspire the atmosphere of the wilderness:
it freedom from noble oppression, honour in war or Characters could encounter strange cold breezes, salty
something more tangible, such as a lost treasure hidden winds, uneven bursts of wind, unexplained hot gusts of
in the dank trees and lthy swamps. There is always wind; characters could smell acid, animal faeces, carnage,
something important to be lost on the frontier, not rotting esh, rain, salt water, smoke; characters could
the least of which is ones life or the lives of loved ones. nd bones, broken arrows, human remains, old re ashes,
The destruction of a homestead, the slaying of kin, and scalps, primitive weapons, seaweed, torn moccasins, relics
the raiding of the natives provide plenty of motivation from far-away cultures; characters could hear unexplained
for characters to begin their heroic adventures, and the noises, such as bellowing, chanting, chattering, croaking,
frontier is never stagnant. Agendas, loyalties, allegiances crying, giggling, roaring, screaming or snorting. Keep
are all at play here, stretching the lives of those who in mind that none of these need to be explained to the
live here and pushing against the envelope of the status players, although a few might inspire an adventure idea
quo. One might expect danger to lurk in the shadows or two. Use these weird events to unsettle the players,
virtually anywhere, but on the frontier, danger looms bringing a sense of unfullled terror.
omnipresent, even in the most normal of settings and
right out in the open. This danger can be broken The terrain is not only frightening, but also hampering.
down into several elements, and these elements Characters cannot run or charge through undergrowth.
can then be incorporated by a Games Master In the deep wood, the characters will not even be able to
to spin their own weird tales of Hyborian take a ve-foot step without taking a move action, with
frontier life. Elements of setting, all the penalties such an action entails. Use the terrain
conict, back-story, character rules given in At the Edges of Civilisation to its fullest
and a touch of the weird
152
extent. Players should be worried about the terrain, possession, who then destroys the map, however, Conan
especially at rst. knows where the treasure is. So the story goes, reversal
after reversal. These moments of reversal are dramatic
Gamesmastering
and climactic in many stories, leaving both the players
Conflict and Plot and their characters to wonder what will happen next.
One of the main elements of any Conan story is
conict. Without conict to drive it, the story becomes
Discoveries are also important for a plot. A discovery
uninteresting. There is one basic conict: conict to
can be the nding of clues, an element about a characters
eliminate an opponent of some sort. This does not
past, a characters aws, a characters motivations or a
necessarily mean a Xaltotun-like foe (although it could).
potential complication. Discoveries advance the plot
Opponents could include the self or the party. For
and motivate the characters to go forward. In Beyond the
example, a partys own obsessions could be getting in the
Black River, Balthus learns about Zogar Sag from Conan,
way of a goal. An opponent could be a concept such
a discovery for Balthus. In Wolves Beyond the Border,
as poverty or nobility. An opponent could be rules and
the main character discovers a renegade Hyborian in a
regulations. An opponent could be a war between nations
Pictish village. If characters suffer a setback, allow them
that needs to be stopped, or a peace between nations
to discover something new as a motivation to continue.
that needs to be destroyed. An opponent could be an
obstacle that needs to be overcome, such as a handicap, a
A complication is simply something that stands between
mountain or the environment as a whole. An opponent
the characters and their goals, creating tension and
could be a natural disaster, or a god-forsaken curse. There
potential conict. Threshold guardians are obstacles the
should always be something to gain for the characters in
characters must overcome to really begin the story; their
an adventure, something to lose and a chance for both
purpose is to keep the characters in their rut or rooted into
to occur. The conict arising from having to make an
their past, preventing their growth. Guards who insist on
important sacrice of some sort in order to attain the
keeping characters in town because of past crimes are an
victory is an excellent opportunity for intense drama.
example. Natives who do not want their regional heroes
Maintaining tension is vital to the atmosphere, keeping
to leave, afraid doom will come to town if they do are
an attitude that at any time the tension will break into
another example of a threshold guardian. In The Tower
open hostility and gory bloodshed. In an Across the
of the Elephant, the Kothian who tries to talk Conan out
Thunder River campaign, there will be tensions between
of scaling Yaras tower serves as a threshold guardian.
the various provinces, and, of course, tensions with the
The characters efforts to resolve complications will often
Picts.
create other complications, which escalate the tension. If
things get slow, bring a complication or catastrophe into
Be careful not to lead the characters by the nose
the plot to raise the tension level. A catastrophe is simply
structure the plots so that events lead the characters
an intense complication or agent of reversal insuring
to make choices. Those choices will inevitably lead to
the plot does not move along too easily or smoothly. A
other events, which will also lead to other choices, and
catastrophe can be external, such as a hurricane or forest
so on. Some elements of good plotting include reversals,
re, or it can be totally internal, such as a blow to a
discoveries, complications, catastrophes and resolution.
characters sanity or emotional stability. If the characters
A reversal is what happens when characters go from good
need help to overcome an obstacle, introduce a helpful
fortune to bad luck, then back again, creating further
guide and the so-called magical talisman. In The Tower
conict and tension. Reversals should be results from
of the Elephant, Yag-Kosha lls this archetypal role, giving
their choices and actions as well as causes for their choices
Conan advice and, of course, the Heart of the Elephant.
and actions. Examples of reversals are evident in many
of Robert E. Howards stories. In The Black Stranger,
Of course, after all the catastrophes, complications,
Conan runs from the Picts, only to nd safe haven in
discoveries and reversals, the plot should offer a resolution
a strange rocky refuge the Picts would not go near. His
derived from the events in the story. Do not rely
fortunes went from bad to good. The Black Stranger
on coincidences or unforeseen new elements to
provides other moments of reversal, such as when Strom
conclude a plot, instead let the conclusion be
arrives, expecting to trade passage to Count Valenso for
a logical extension of story elements already
treasure. When a Zingaran ship arrives, wanting the same
presented by you or the players.
treasure, Strom is chased off, but when he later destroys
the Zingaran ship, he is given another opportunity to
bargain. Then the map vanishes, reappearing in Conans
153
Backstory
An important aspect to Robert E. Howards stories, as well
Gamesmastering
as most stories, is the element of history and backstory.

Even if the players never nd out the back story behind the
various characters, places and things in your adventures,
having some idea of the history behind these things can
only help to bring them to vibrant life. Of course, you
should never create more than you need to, but having
something to bring alive the more important characters
and places can create a necessary sense of verisimilitude.
A backstory can set up believable motivations, responses,
emotions and attitudes. Anything important in the story
should have a reason for being there and a history of
how and why it is there. Avoid the mundane if possible.
Draw back the veil of centuries and give your players a
glimpse of the visions and wonders that few dare to even
dream exist.
Characters
The most encountered characters of an Across the
Thunder River campaign are the Picts. Pay attention to
the character of the Picts. Picts are not as educated as the
average Nemedian noble, but they are not savage idiots Remember to make the game fun for the players, do not
either. They know their terrain and are quite cunning use the Picts as a means to brutalise the characters the
when enmeshed in that terrain. They know where their adventure should have a real risk of fatalities, but it does
hunting traps are, and will not hesitate to lead those not need to include the certainty of fatalities.
intent on pursuing them through a gauntlet of traps.
They may climb trees and use nooses to drop around Characters should also be vibrant and vital. Major
the necks of armoured foes to yank them off their feet or characters in the game should be described with their
mounts. They can bull rush foes into pits or alligator- history to start with. What does the character do? What
infested creeks or mud holes. Armour can be heard for has he done? Where has he been? Where is he now?
some distance by trained ears, so the Picts will not be How did he separate from the ordinary world to become
surprised by it when armour is encountered. They have an extraordinary person? What rituals has he undergone
been ghting Aquilonians and Bossonians for long, long and what obstacles has he overcome to become who he is
years and have developed tactics to account for armour. today? What did he bring back from his journeys? He
War-chiefs are loath to lose their men, so war parties tend could have brought back a new religion, new philosophies,
to be small and use guerrilla tactics to minimise losses. new knowledge, an ability to defend his people, a sacred
Killing a Pict should be a feat in and of itself. In the object or any number of things. Describe the character in
Howard stories, the skill Conan displays in slaying Picts physical terms. The racial characteristics given in Conan
is an impressive act to Balthus, and though he and his the Roleplaying Game are a good starting point, but do
dog killed at least seven with melee attacks, and several not be afraid to vary from those stereotypes. Important
more with ranged attacks, they were not the hordes characters should also have values and motivations
usually seen slain by Howards characters and it also cost described. What moved him to leave an ordinary life?
Balthus his life. Usually the Picts will not close unless Perhaps he has not undertaken that journey yet and longs
sure of the kill. Do not forget to accrue all the bonuses to be special. This is crucial to creating a realistic, vibrant
for surrounding someone. The bonuses for anking character. Giving a character values and motivations
stack with the bonuses garnered from surrounding also makes roleplaying the character easier, as well as
a foe. Always remember that the Picts are adjudicating a characters actions and reactions to various
masters of their environment and know stimuli provided by the player characters and other
the usefulness of generating terror in situations. How does a character interact with other
their foes before nally striking. characters? A character who is arrogant and rude will
154
gain different results than a character who is humble Pictish magic should be horric, especially in the eyes of
and polite. A character with something to hide will act civilised characters. Make the characters worried about
differently than someone who is up front and honest what the Picts are up to and what they are going to do
Gamesmastering
to a fault. Detailing how he speaks to others and how next, especially if they know the Picts have taken captives.
he treats others is another means of adding depth and Creating and sustaining a creepy atmosphere is essential
vitality to a character in the game. Another descriptor when gamesmastering Pictish sorcery. Like all magic
to add to the various characters in your game is one of in Conan the Roleplaying Game, it is driven by success,
player motivation. Why should your players characters marred by impermanence, heightened by obsession,
meet and speak to this character? What does he know dominated by masters and poisonous to the soul. Those
or have that could be useful to them? If there is no who witness Pictish magic should see all too clearly
reason for players to interact with the character, then the effects of that magic on the world around them,
they probably will not, nor will they remember or care changing them forever. Keep in mind how nightmares
about the character. All of these elements should come make you feel. Describe that feeling when you describe
into play with any of the important Picts or Westermarck magical effects. Keep it emotionally intense. That was
characters you create for your Across the Thunder River Howards strength in his best stories, he used words he
campaigns. found frightening and strong, do the same. Atmosphere
is not so much word choice as it is the creation of tension,
Not only are Picts dangerous, but they should remain wonder and fear. There is a brooding, dark, creepy side
enigmatic to the players. They are savage, but they have within each of us. Tap into that unsavoury shadow while
a complex culture beneath that savagery. Players should describing sorcery and its black implications in Across the
be given glimpses into the mundane lives of the Picts Thunder River. Express your soul, for in such expression
not the whole picture, but glimpses. Even the most is found true art.
savage of animals have moments of play and rest. Lions
lay peacefully in the shade as cubs play at their feet but
when it is time to make a kill, those same restful lions Adventure
Hooks
slaughter their prey with intense and awesome violence.
Picts are the same in many ways. They are wild animals
that look human, with the same seemingly dual nature. Adventures in the Pictish Wilderness and the Aquilonian
Remember sometimes less is more. The Picts can be frontier are not as limiting as one might, at rst glance,
frightening by their ubiquitous presence. Always, the think. Any sort of adventure that can take place elsewhere
echo of their drums are a reminder of the violence that can be adapted to this setting easily. Not every encounter
seethes on the other side of that wide river. Each rustle or adventure need feature the Picts; the Pictish threat can
of the brush should cause a player a bit of consternation be just an atmospheric backdrop or historical factor. Of
and their character a tinge of fear. course, part of the fun of this setting is ghting Picts; so
many adventures do feature Picts in various ways. The key
is variety. The old standby of putting the characters in the
A Brush with the woods and having Picts attack them can wear thin quickly.
Supernatural Hopefully some of these ideas listed below will spark some
Another important element to this campaign setting is imagination and variety in your campaigns.
the scary, weird and paranormal elements. All of Robert
E. Howards Conan stories have an imaginative touch In whatever kingdom or city the characters are
of the supernatural in them, an aspect of lurid horror. in, a curious old Pictish woman, far out of place,
Terror is a fantastic motivator for events and characters, approaches the character whose home is in the
inspiring explosive action, expressing certain moral truths Westermarck, telling him there is trouble there.
or increasing dramatic tension. For the Aquilonians, the Of course, that means the Picts are rising and the
dark, bleak forests are rife with terror and the anticipation character and his friends had better get there.
of grim Pictish magic is a frightening mental agony, but The woman melts into the crowd and cannot
real all the same. For the Picts, the invisible world is real be found for further information.
there are ghosts and spectres lurking just out of sight,
inuencing the world around them. Chaken, forest devils, The characters are part of a mercenary
swamp demons and other horrors lurk in the unknown force hired to guide the Aquilonian
depths of the forest, many of which do the bidding of the paymaster from fort to fort
ominous masked and painted Pict shamans. along the Westermarck,
155
protecting him, his retinue and his money bags Alternatively, this scholar could be putting together
from brigands and Picts. Suddenly, in the night, a menagerie of sorts and wants some Pictish wild-
drums start echoing across the nearby river life captured, especially the elusive Chaken.
Gamesmastering
The characters are in need of money and so have A scholar may want to document the shamanic rites
joined a mercenary unit to scout out the Picts or of the Picts for his own mystical researches into
they could try their hand at logging, only to become sorcery. He may hire characters to kidnap a shaman
embroiled in adventure. or to lead him to a tribe so that he may try to bribe
his way into their society.
Perhaps a notable character is retiring and the other
characters have come to help him get settled in An enterprising Aquilonian lord may decide that
his own property and have to run off squatters or eliminating the Picts is too hard, but resettling
Picts. them in a different area, using a type of reservation
system, would be much more economical.
A Pictish shaman arrives to solicit the surrender of a
Pictish relic or holy site. Fugitives from a small settlement implore the
adventurers for help against the Pictish tribe that
The characters encounter a young man on the run, just sacked their homes. Many people unfamiliar
being chased by a horde of Picts who are angry that with the Picts may not realise there are multiple
he dallied with a young Pict girl. He has been on tribes in the wilderness, and the characters may
the run for quite some time, but the Picts refuse to mistakenly slaughter the wrong Picts.
leave the blood-trail and intend to track him to the
ends of the Earth. A village seeks assistance so they can perform a pious
duty for Mitra that has been forbidden in the village
One of the characters has a prophetic dream wherein by a heathen governor.
a family member is killed or taken captive by Picts.
The character may want to recover the victim or Displaced settlers seek hospitality in a larger town,
seek vengeance against the Picts. but the town is afraid of a disease rampaging through
the countryside and will not let them in. Urgency is
The characters are implored by a distraught settler provided by oncoming Picts. The settlers might or
to nd her missing child. The child may be lost in might not have the disease.
the wilderness, drowned in the river, kidnapped by
Picts, run off with a friend or in any number of dire A group of renegades (Hyborians who side with the
or mundane situations. The settler does not know. Picts) have had a change of heart and seek to rejoin
their prior settlements but old animosities do not
The characters have heard of a lost treasure deep get laid to rest quickly.
in the Pictish Wilderness and must go into that
trackless land of death to seek it out. A powerful and charismatic land-owner from
Conawaga, infuriated by King Conan's refusal to
Characters on a sea voyage have their ship splintered extend the frontier, has decided Conawaga should
on the shores of Pictland. The characters must now be a separate kingdom (with the noble as king, of
decide to build a fort on the shore and hope for course).
an unlikely rescue or to plunge into certain death
and try to cross Pictland into some more civilised A Mitran priest, frustrated at the loss of loved ones
realm. at the hands of the Picts, has started promoting
scalping expeditions from the temple itself, paying a
A Nemedian scholar is putting together a Hyborian bounty on each Pictish scalp returned to him, which
bestiary and wants reports of sub-humanoids in he then displays in the temple as proof of Mitra's
the Pictish Wilderness conrmed. He is putting vengeance against demon-worshippers. In turn
together a safari into that wild land, heedless the Picts begin mounting scalping expeditions of
of the dangers, dismissing tales of the their own up and down the Thunder River, further
Picts as simply primitive men fuelling retaliation by the temple's posse.
running around naked and
fearful of civilised man.
156
In honour of a visiting noble, a celebratory masque A Pict has become smitten with an Aquilonian
ball is held in Scandaga an assassin is going to be woman she rebuffed or deceived the Pict in some
there and the characters have learned this, but they manner, and now that Pict has a vendetta against
Gamesmastering
do not know who the assassin is, and the target is ALL Aquilonian women and has engaged in personal
arriving at midnight guerrilla war of his own, slaying or kidnapping many
settlers wives and daughters.
Severe weather conditions not appropriate to the
season have destroyed crops up and down the An Aquilonian constable has decided to pay a
Thunder River, with such side effects as ooding, bounty on Pict scalps or heads, bringing in hordes
freezing, or mudslides. A shaman is at work to force of bounty hunters to the region, which is inaming
the settlers to abandon their waterlogged or frozen the Picts up and down the entire length of the
farms. Thunder River.
Highwaymen disguised as Picts have been robbing An Aquilonian is playing the natural hostilities of
trading caravans, outposts and settlements, hoping to the Picts against each other and is paying Pict tribes
blame the Picts and deect those sent to apprehend for the scalps and heads of enemy tribes.
them.
An Aquilonian criminal, pursued by the Black
Local unrest has gripped the land because of Dragons for treason, has made it across the Thunder
the appointment of an 'inappropriate' sheriff or River. The Black Dragons need experienced scouts
constable, such as a Pict, Cimmerian or other and Pict hunters to either ush out the criminal
barbarian or non-noble. The townsfolk want or lead them to the criminal. Similarly, someone
him hanged for being non-Hyborian, despite his eeing a posse of angry citizens of a settlement,
exemplary service. could hide out in the wilderness.
A royal visit is proclaimed and King Conan is A criminal could be exiled into the Pictish
on an inspection tour. Troops might be pulled Wilderness by the Aquilonians. However, he is not
into Scandaga from the outlying forts in order killed by the Picts. He manages to befriend one,
to put on an impressive display, thus weakening is adopted by their tribe, and now he has amassed
the border outposts. The Picts may also attempt enough reputation among them to lead a war party
an assassination or kidnapping. Perhaps a Pict against the Westermarck.
approaches the players hoping they have the clout
to arrange an audience with Conan so that he can Two young settlers have fallen in love, but, either
discuss Aquilonian outrages against the Picts. The due to station in life or other obstacles, are forbidden
players must overcome incredible odds to arrange to each other. Finally, in an act of desperation, they
this audience, and once it is arranged, innumerable ee into the wilderness and must be found lest they
mishaps threaten to keep the players and the hapless fall into the torturing hands of the Picts.
Pict from making the date.
A Pictish brave and a young Aquilonian girl have
The Picts could be attacking a Westermarck fallen in love, and meet derision on both sides of the
settlement in retaliation for some crime against river. The Pict decides to live among the settlers,
them. Perhaps a logger has taken a Pictish bride and his tribe have come out of the dark forest to
against her or the tribes will. Perhaps a tribal totem drag him and his lovely bride to the village for
animal was found slain or was witnessed to have brutal tortures and sacrice. The Aquilonians,
been mishandled or abused. The Picts could be annoyed that the girl chose a Pict, do not care, but
avenging a slain or kidnapped (rescued) child. The her mother pleads with the characters to rescue
same could work in reverse, with the Aquilonians her daughter.
seeking revenge against the Picts for similar crimes.
Entire adventure campaigns and cycles could
An Aquilonian noble has been bragging that he be written about the nal dissolution
defeated a notable Pict in combat and the Pict has and destruction of one of the
heard the braggadocio and has declared war on that major Pict tribes. A great war
Aquilonian. has happened, and one of
157
the tribes was utterly defeated, throwing the balance A beautiful settler's daughter is sought by many of
of power in the wilderness off. Refugees and lone the local loggers and settlers, but she is unsure of
rebels are causing problems on both sides of the river any of them. She has decided she will marry the
Gamesmastering
(especially if a rival tribe assisted the Aquilonians). one that brings her the most Pict scalps. One of the
suitors hires the players to help him head-hunt in
A tribe of coastal Picts were driven from their lands the Pictish Wilderness.
by other Picts, a demon, Cimmerians, Vanir or
Zingarans, and have taken to the sea in a captured The characters could be sent to look for a person
Zingaran ship to live a life of piracy and bloodshed. who must be found on pain of death. The characters
Not understanding the value of plunder, they merely must dive into the Pictish Wilderness or face the
attack other ships to prove their superiority, their wrath of the authorities.
spirituality and their bravery. The scalps of the slain
decorate the masts and bowsprits of their growing A scholar has a dream, a riddle, the solution to
collection of ships. which lies somewhere in the Pictish Wilderness,
perhaps even among a small, hard-to-nd, obscure
A family of settlers were decimated by the Picts, and tribe.
their hopes were dashed and robbed. Their children
gone, the father and mother have begun slipping Because a daughter hates her father, she has taken
across the forest to kill Picts, and leave their heads up with the Picts to insult her family, resulting in
in trees as an insult to the Picts. a border war between that family and that tribe of
Picts, a war that now threatens the stability of the
A favoured and honoured counsellor to the chiefs region.
has found that he has been forgotten, his deeds
too far gone in the past to matter anymore to the One brother is hated by his other brothers and
young war-chiefs rising in the Pictish nation and he mistreated. A demon whispers to him at night and
embarks on a daring raid to restore his reputation he uses the demon to help him slay his kin in brutal
and lifestyle. murders that are blamed on the Picts. If the brother
is nally held accountable, he insists a shaman
A powerful shaman nds himself wretched, forced him to do his bidding and the players are
dispossessed of his magic and spiritual guides. He hired to nd this shaman and bring back his head.
may even be a slave in the Westermarck or Zingara, Players could also be the ones doing the initial
or treated as a slave among his enemies, who decided investigations.
to treat him as a captive woman instead of torturing
him to death as they do brave warriors. Then he Two brothers have an intense rivalry, and this has
discovers the means to return to his former station. taken a gruesome turn as they are now competing
to see who can kill the most Picts this has created
A conspiracy is brewing in the Westermarck to use an unintentional border war as the Picts seek
the Picts to dispose of a political enemy. Perhaps vengeance.
King Conan himself is coming to the provinces
for an inspection tour, a royal visit of the largest A settler goes mad with loneliness or disease, and
magnitude. The conspiracy hopes to stay behind slays their family. The settler believes the Picts
the scenes and incite the Picts to attack King Conan did it and nothing will convince them otherwise.
and his retinue in hopes of the King's death. This may take the form of a murder mystery, where
the characters discover clues and come to the slow
A famous borderer whose name is slowly being realisation that the settler did it... and is mad.
forgotten decides for one last hurrah. He decides he
will cross the Pictish Wilderness on foot and return. A jealous lover slays his paramour and blames the
He is hiring his support crew of accomplished Pict Picts, resulting in a mob seeking frontier justice
ghters and other skilled adventurers ready for against some hunting Picts, resulting in a war with
the ultimate in adventurous expeditions. that tribe.
A young man is curious about the Picts and so he

talks his two younger brothers and a sister into
sneaking into the wilderness to spy on the Picts and
158
less wholesome cults a chance to get a rm footing
in the Westermarck.
Gamesmastering
A woman has traded her life for the life of her
husband, son or daughter, agreeing to become the
slave-wife of a Pict so that the loved one can go free.
The freed relative wants her returned and hires or
asks the players to recapture her. She however feels
bound to her word and her oath, and has not been
mistreated, so she will only go if forced.
A war has broken out between the followers of

Mitra and another cult along the frontier, or the
Mitran cult is facing a schism. This war or schism
is weakening the fabric of society and the Picts are
taking advantage of the situation to increase their
raids.
A sorcerer has taken residence in one of the villages

or towns and has caused a divisive rift in town. The
characters must choose sides, or are threatened to
be squashed between the two forces in town. The
Pictish threat may only be marginal in this setting.
A sorceress has taken residence in town and is

see what they are really like. They are caught. The
seducing all the men, which has the women up in
curious young man escapes, but his brothers are
arms. They may hire assassins or they may attempt
tortured to death (possibly in front of him) and his
to kill her themselves, resulting in a botched attempt
sister is adopted by the tribe. The young man must
with a tragic outcome or they might all be killed,
face the consequences of his actions and may lie or
enslaved or abandoned by the men and the sorceress.
ee in order to escape culpability.
The reverse could also happen if a sorcerer decides
to make an entire village's complement of women
A character discovers he has a sibling living among
into his harem.
the Picts. His mother or father had an adulterous
affair with a Pict and the child of that affair is a
A young Aquilonian girl has fallen in love with a
Pict. Perhaps he discovers this just as he is about
Pict, unaware the Pict is the slayer of a close member
to kill the Pict or just after. Perhaps he knows the
of her family (a brother, mother, father or sister).
existence of the sibling through an oracle, who has
demanded he slay the sibling to restore something
A child, long believed to have been killed by the
lost.
Picts, has been recovered or has reappeared in
society. She knows a horrible secret, though has
A noble who is trying to become politically powerful
forgotten her native tongue.
stages a public hanging or sacrice of a Pictish girl,
not knowing the girl is his daughter from a illicit
A settler, upon witnessing the slaying of his family
affair from years gone by.
and kin while powerless to prevent it goes mad, or
seeks out demons to enact vengeance, either
A man is determined to sacrice his life for the sake
against the slaying Picts or against those that
of his faith in Mitra, to prove that Mitra will protect
encouraged or caused the family to move to
him, to prove Mitra is real and active. He goes into
the Westermarck in the rst place.
the wilderness without arms or armour. Of course
he is slaughtered by the Picts, throwing the Temple
A soldier, upon killing a Pict, stole
of Mitra into turmoil as people start to distrust the
a mask. Not understanding
power and value of Mitran religion, giving other,
that it needs to be fed and
159
should never be left face up, the soldier is struck
with a vile illness. Because the mask is being left
face up, it whispers dark things in the night. He My name is Gault Hagars son. I was
Gamesmastering
tries to be rid of the mask, but it keeps returning, born in the province of Conajohara. But
even if destroyed. Horrible nightmares strike the when I was ten years of age, the Picts broke
soldier as he slowly dies. The players are asked to over Black River and stormed Fort Tuscelan
return the mask to the tribe. Perhaps the players and slew all within save one man, and drove all
could convince a tribal shaman to return with them the settlers of the province east of Thunder
to heal the soldier. River.
Robert E. Howard, Wolves Beyond the Border

A Timeline of
Events Events of Wolves
During most of Conans adventuring life, King Vilerus
ruled Aquilonia and it was his dreams of imperial conquest,
Beyond the Border
along with his desire to rule by might and fear that led occur
Vilerus to declare the Pictish lands between the Thunder Eight years after the events of Beyond the Black River
and Black Rivers to be a new Aquilonian province, the Aquilonia was embroiled in a bitter civil war, a war from
Westermarck. Believing the disjointed and discordant which Conan rose to wrest the Aquilonian throne from
Picts would never unite to stand against this colonisation the Hyborian scions that traditionally ruled. Conan
effort, he divided the new Pictish land up among some stormed Tarantia, strangled King Numedides on the steps
of his favoured vassals, and though shortly after doing so of Aquilonias throne and took the crown of the greatest of
he died, his nephew and successor, Numedides, continued the Hyborian kingdoms for himself.
where Vilerus left off, pushing even further.
Dekanawatha rises to power among the Wolf clan
Events of Beyond sometime after The
Hour of the Dragon.
the Black River During or after
the events of
occur Black Sphinx
Numedides continuation of his uncles expansion
of Nebthu,
of the Pictish frontier failed when the Picts allied
under the wizard Zogar Sag, for their grim assault
on Fort Tuscelan by the Picts left only one survivor.
Even though Conan, a mercenary at the time,
was able to lead Aquilonia into stopping the
Pictish invasion, the Aquilonians lost their
new province of Conajohara.
Events of The
Black Stranger
occur
After The Black Stranger, Conan embarks
on a pirate career, undertaking
adventures such as The Pool of the
Black One. It will be several years before
Conan liberates Aquilonia.
160
The world at that time presents some such picture: a vast Pictish empire, wild, rude and barbaric,
stretches from the coasts of Vanaheim in the north to the southern-most shores of Zingara. It
Gamesmastering
stretches east to include all Aquilonia except Gunderland, the northern-most province, which, as a
separate kingdom in the hills, survived the fall of the empire, and still maintains its independence. The
Pictish empire also includes Argos, Ophir, the western part of Koth, and the western-most lands of Shem.
Opposed to this barbaric empire is the empire of the Hyrkanians, of which the northern boundaries are the
ravaged lines of Hyperborea, and the southern, the deserts south of the lands of Shem. Zamora, Brythunia, the Border
Kingdom, Corinthia, most of Koth, and all the eastern lands of Shem are included in this empire. The borders of Cimmeria
are intact; neither Pict nor Hyrkanian has been able to subdue these warlike barbarians, Nemedia, dominated by the
sir mercenaries, resists all invasions. In the north Nordheim, Cimmeria and Nemedia separate the conquering
rates, but in the south, Koth has become a battle-ground where Picts and Hyrkanians war incessantly. Sometimes
the eastern warriors expel the barbarians from the kingdom entirely; again the plains and cities are in the hands of the
western invaders. In the far south, Stygia, shaken by the Hyrkanian invasion, is being encroached upon by the great black
kingdoms. And in the far north, the Nordic tribes are restless, warring continually with the Cimmerians, and sweeping
the Hyperborean frontiers.
Gorm was slain by Hialmar, a chief of the Nemedian sir. He was a very old man, nearly a hundred years old. In the
seventy-five years which had elapsed since he first heard the tale of empires from the lips of Arus a long time in the life
of a man, but a brief space in the tale of nations he had welded an empire from straying savage clans, he had overthrown
a civilization. He who had been born in a mud-walled, wattle-roofed hut, in his old age sat on golden thrones, and gnawed
joints of beef presented to him on golden dishes by naked slave-girls who were the daughters of kings. Conquest and the
acquiring of wealth altered not the Pict; out of the ruins of the crushed civilization no new culture arose phoenix-like. The
dark hands which shattered the artistic glories of the conquered never vied to copy them. Though he sat among the glittering
ruins of shattered palaces and clad his hard body in the silks of vanquished kings, the Pict remained the eternal barbarian,
ferocious, elemental, interested only in the naked primal principles of life, unchanging, unerring in his instincts which were
all for war and plunder, and in which arts and the cultured progress of humanity had no place.
Robert E. Howard, The Hyborian Age
Dekanawatha falls in battle and is succeeded by Sagoyaga. Wearing armour and steel swords, the Picts raged
The White Druid Diviatix begins his journey back to the against the Bossonians for several years. Unfortunately,
Ligureans as King Conan heads into Zembabwei. with Argos, Zingara, Ophir, Shem and Koth all under
its domination, and with Zamora having fallen to the
Hyrkanians, Aquilonia once again tried to add Nemedia to
Events of Red Moon its crown of Imperial subjects. Using Bossonian conscripts,
of Zembabwei and Aquilonia hurled its might against Nemedia. The Picts
took advantage of the absence of most of Bossonias forces
Shadows in the Skull and ravaged their homes. Hearing of these outrages, the
occur Bossonians rebelled and withdrew from Nemedia to defend
An indeterminate number of years later, Arus the their homeland, subsequently allowing Nemedia to defeat
Nemedian travelled into the Pictish Wilderness and told Aquilonia. Enraged by the betrayal of the Bossonians,
tales of the West to Gorm, a Pict chief. Over the course Aquilonia devastated Bossonia, crushing its inhabitants
of the following 75 years, the Picts learned Western ways with torch and sword and devastating their own frontiers.
of war by serving in Aquilonias mercenary armies before
conquering Aquilonia, Argos, Ophir, Zingara, Bossonia Gorm, an old man now, planned and directed another
and portions of Koth and Shem. After this time the Pictish invasion, one led by Picts who had served in
mighty Pictish empire held the world in its blood-stained Aquilonias military. Bossonia was in ruins and could not
grasp. halt the invasion. The Picts eradicated the remnants of the
Bossonians, then swarmed into Aquilonia. Without the
Arus meets Gorm, an unusually intelligent Pict chief and Bossonian archers, Aquilonia was doomed, unable to resist
teaches the Picts many things, such as the working of the hail of Pictish arrows. Over the next 15-20 years,
iron and the knowledge of the west. Over the next 25 Argos and Zingara also fell to the Picts, and soon
years, the Picts serve in Aquilonias mercenary armies and after Ophir was also overrun with the seemingly
learn the ways of the West, including armour-forging and inexhaustible supply of barbaric Picts.
sword-making. During this time, Gorm also manages to
unite all the Pictish tribes under him, becoming a chief
of chiefs and ultimately attacks the Bossonian frontiers
having already laid waste to the Westermarck.
161
Defending the West
Campaign
The Fall of the Westermarck

The debauched and arrogant West lies
sleeping, a decadent giant convinced its golden culture The time may come when theyll see the
will conquer all comers, never even dreaming barbarians barbarians swarming over the walls of the
could do what they themselves had done to Acheron Eastern cities!
three thousand years ago. In his essay, The Hyborian Age
A week before, Balthus would have laughed at any
(reprinted in Conan the Roleplaying Game), Robert E. such preposterous suggestion. Now he made no reply.
Howard tells us of the fate of Aquilonia, Nemedia and all He had seen the unconquerable ferocity of the men who
the nations of the world. The Picts will rise and conquer dwelt beyond the frontiers.
much of the Hyborian world. The essay is vague on the
actual date of this destruction. It says, Five hundred Robert E. Howard, Beyond the Black Borders
years later, the Hyborian civilisation was swept away.
Five hundred years later from when? Five hundred years
after the arrival of the Hyrkanians? Five hundred years
after Conan? Five hundred years after the annexation of
Overview
Naturally, the Westermarck and the nearby Pictish
Zingara, Argos and Ophir? The Games Master will have
Wilderness are the setting of this campaign. The Player
to decide. We also know that it took the Picts 75 years
Characters will nd themselves in the midst of a seemingly
from Gorms rst inspiration to reach the furthest extent
unstoppable war of aggression by the Picts. The darkest
of the Pictish Empire. This campaign can be used to run
of magic will be aimed at them and, if the Players fail, the
the beginnings of this Pictish conquest, or as a prelude
Westermarck will fall.
to that conquest, several hundred years before the actual
wars that bring down the Hyborian nations. That 75-
Sagoyaga has risen to power among the Wolf confederacy
year conquest is beyond the scope of this text; however,
as paramount chief. Aided materially by a shaman
The Hyborian Age hints that the Westermarck had already
named Machk and a horde of followers, Sagoyaga intends
fallen by the time Gorm began his conquest. That fall is
to spread death and destruction throughout Aquilonia.
the focus of this campaign. However, if a Games Master
Two of his war-chiefs, Djiionondo and Wanenaka are
wishes to play through the long conquest of Gorm and
spearheading the attacks, leading massive war parties in
his Picts, this scenario is easy to adapt. Either replace the
two directions. Wanenakas thrust will be rst with an
name Sagoyaga with Gorm, or play Sagoyaga as one of
attack in Schohira, designed to draw attention before
Gorms war leaders.
retreating and attacking elsewhere, drawing Aquilonian
forces further and further south. Then Djiionondo will
Although written with beginning or low-level characters
attack with the main bulk of the Wolf forces, augmented
in mind, Player Characters of nearly any desired level can
by Picts of the Hawk tribe.
play Defending the West. Merely adjust the numbers and
strength of the Picts used accordingly. The adventure is
Keep in mind that what is bad for Schohira is good
written with little to no boxed text as is usually found
for the Turtle and Wildcat tribes. They may take this
in modern adventure modules. The Games Master is
opportunity to launch their own attacks. Of course, the
encouraged to be extemporaneous in his delivery of
Turtle and Wildcat stand to suffer if the Wolf confederacy
this adventure to avoid a canned feeling. It needs
grows more powerful, so they may be persuaded to ght
to feel chaotic and immediate. The Games Master
against the Wolf tribes.
should describe the scenes as he sees it.
The rst thing the Players will discover is a massed
Pictish invasion. The characters will be given a potential
162
weapon, but they will
not know what it is or
what it does. They will The Curious Staff
discover a new war chief The staff stands as tall as a Hyperborean. It is pointed on one
has risen among the end, and the other end has a small branch with a leaf dangling from
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Picts. They will learn it. If the leaf is plucked off, another will have grown in its place within
that the war chief has 24 hours. The staff is carved with certain sigils and symbols near the top.
a shaman assisting him The centre length of the staff is carved with ominous raven designs, all
and that the shaman interlocking. There are no carvings along the bottom point of the staff.
has a female assistant. The staff is further decorated with dangling scalps and many eagle feathers.
Later still, they will Anyone sleeping within 20 feet of the staff will have unnerving nightmares
and/or potentially prophetic dreams. Anyone holding the staff while
hear rumours that the
making a Listen check (DC 20) will hear horrible whispering and moaning
war chief is a shaman
all around them, the sounds of the black spirit realms of the Picts. If a
himself. Eventually the
character intentionally tries to listen in on these unwholesome conversations,
Players will discover he gains some insight into the horrible forces aligned against humanity in
the war chief s shaman the Pictish Wilderness, and in the world itself, causing a Corruption save
resides in the Place of (Will DC 12).
the Thousand Black
Skulls and the Picts are
seeking the weapon they hold. The Players will discover The characters, together or singly, are in Schondara, a
how to use their weapon against the demonic allies of the frontier town of Schohira (see pg. 15). Perhaps they are
Picts. here for business. Perhaps they came to the Westermarck
to earn some coin by ghting the Picts. Perhaps they
Some of the complications that will be thrown at the are here visiting a Non-Player Character from a previous
Players include a Westermarck leader in charge of the session. Regardless, in the night, Wolf Picts have swarmed
search is a renegade in league with the Picts. Attacks in over the Thunder River and Knife Creek and into the
Schohira will draw forces from Thandara to aid them, frontier (see pg. 114 for sample Wolf Picts). The Picts
which may, in turn, invite attacks against Thandara from made their way through the verdant forest a mere half-
the highly belligerent Alligator, Otter and Panther tribes. mile away and made it into the town before the alarm was
These tribes are not overly concerned about the Wolves raised. Schondara does not have walls. The people count
and are less likely to ght against them than the Turtles on the Rangers to give the alarm before the Picts arrive
and Wildcats. Behind the scenes, Diviatix has roused the so they can escape to the nearby fort. Unfortunately this
Ligurean druids to combat Sagoyaga and his Wolves. alarm did not come. The Players are awakened by the rst
screams. They may not even have time to don armour.
You may want to instantly introduce them to the action
Adventure One by having Picts break in through the window or door.
War of the Wolf You may want to have them witness the carnage before
they are forced out of the building. Do what is necessary
Chapter one: The to maximise the sense of threat and imminent danger.
Call to Arms Make it apparent to the Players that Schondara cannot be

Wanenaka, a 6th level Wolf war-chief and a follower of saved. Picts have not only overrun the city, but the fort
Sagoyaga, is instructed to attack the frontier village of as well. Buildings are on re. Captives are being dragged
Schondara in Schohira (Wanenaka is given complete out of houses, and those who ght are cruelly slain. The
statistics on pg. 185). Wanenaka secures passage through city is in chaos. Throw Picts into the Player Characters
Wildcat lands and leads his forces across the Thunder paths for them to ght if an increased sense of
River. Wanenaka leads a diversionary force, but he danger is needed. Picts will not throw away their
wants to prove he can conquer these lands. His goal is lives needlessly. They will ght from range rst,
to become a Wolf paramount chief in the future and is using bows or throwing their hatchets and axes
determined to prove his skill as a war leader. Regardless to bring down foes for capture or scalping.
of his ambition, he will not take undue risks and will try One in ve Picts have a Bossonian
to minimise losses. longbow if this campaign is played
after the rise of King Conan.
163
One in 70 will have one if this campaign is played Captured Characters: If Player Characters are captured
during the reign of King Valerius or King Numedides. during this initial chapter, they are going to have to
Defeated Players will likely be captured (see below to see endure a horrible ordeal of torture as they are dragged
a few suggestions on how to handle a capture during the back to Wolf country. Captured male characters will
campaign). Picts will try to earn honour by knocking the be taken through intervening Wildcat villages and run
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Player Characters down and stealing their weapons. through brutal gauntlets. Once the characters are taken
to Wolf lands, they will be run through similar gauntlets
During the ight, an old Thandaran Ranger carrying a in outlying Wolf villages until they reach Osekowa, one of
curious staff will drop in front of the Player Characters. the largest Wolf communities (see pg. 177), whereupon
He may or may not know the Player Characters, but he the male characters will be tortured to death. Female
addresses them as Sir, regardless of their title or birth characters are adopted into the tribe and are only tortured
status. At this point he needs to get the strange staff to death if they resist. Despite being as savage and brutal
he holds out of the city, but he is dying. Desperate, he as they are, Picts do not rape; they are afraid they will
thrusts the staff at one of the Player Characters and tells anger the spirit world if they violate a womans chastity.
them to ensure the staff leaves the city and does not fall Other Player Characters may try to rescue the captured
into the hands of the Picts. He quickly assures them the character somewhere along the route, but they will be
fate of the entire Westermarck may rest with this staff. He hindered by the presence of so many Picts of various
tells them this is no mere raid, but the onset of a full-scale tribes and clans being roused and ready for a ght. Players
war. He starts to tell the Player Characters where they whose characters get captured may well need to roll up
need to take the staff when another arrow thuds into him new characters. These new characters can be introduced
and he dies before the information can be passed on. The as needed as the remaining Players travel about the
last thing he says is, Go north with it! Go north to If Westermarck. Perhaps the new character is eeing other
the Players do not take the staff, then a Pict will recognise Pictish invasions and sees safety in numbers.
it and take it with him to Wanenaka, who will see it taken
to Sagoyaga. Alternatively, the Games Master could use the opportunity
provided by a capture for the Player Character to discover
Players may even see Wanenaka, the war chief leading some new facet about the adventure, then work to escape
this assault, in the distance, ghting soldiers from the on his own to bring the news to the Westermarck. This
fort. Keep him at a distance from the Player Characters technique can be used to introduce side adventure
at this point. He may be too powerful for them, or he plots or to enhance the main plot. Symbolically, being
may be killed by them, especially if the characters gang captured and nding a way to escape, works well from a
up on him. Other soldiers are present in the city, half-
dressed in their armour, attempting to help. Some will be
directing the women and children out of the city, trying
to make a safe path for them. Others will be arming the
men and encouraging them to ght. If the soldiers see
the Player Characters attempting to ee, they will try to
force them to ght. Player characters not willing to ght
may be viewed as cowards or, worse, renegade traitors.
Other soldiers may want the Player Characters to escort
eeing women and children or to warn outlying farms.
There will be a lot of confusion on the parts of the various
soldiers, all of whom are now leaderless and having to
form their own strategies initiatives.
The soldiers serve as threshold guardians, designed

as an obstacle to keep the characters from truly
beginning their journey. If the characters bypass
this threat, they will never be the same again and
will never truly be able to return to their
former life again. Their journey has
begun.
164
story-telling standpoint. The characters are guratively in to steal it. He will not attack a group of characters, but
consumed by the monster and reborn with new strength is willing to attack a lone character unless he has a reason
and insight. Use capturing scenarios to enhance the to fear that characters prowess. If a character goes off
campaign whenever possible. by himself at any time, he will be attacked. Characters
may have to relieve themselves, scout ahead, fall behind
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or be distracted by a noise, and so wander off. Any time
Chapter two: a character encounters a Chakan for the rst time, he
Ominous Clues in the must make a Will save (DC 11) against terror. If he fails,
he is frightened for 3d6 rounds if of 3rd level or above,
Shadows of the or swoons if of 1st or 2nd level, (more rules on the Terror
Night of the Unknown can be found in Conan the Roleplaying
Pockets of Picts are running throughout the area. The Game).
Player Characters must either ght them or avoid them.
The forest is only a half-mile off, but that is the terrain The chakan is also leaving a trail intentionally. He blazes
of the Picts. Characters, avoiding the Picts who are trees with his claws and teeth so that a party of Picts can
ambushing and carrying off many of the north-bound follow at their leisure. Set the number of Picts following
eeing women and children, will have a hard time of it appropriatly for your campaign, but minimum size should
if they travel to the south or to the west. The clearest be four Picts led by a 3rd level follower of Sagoyaga. Larger
path is through the woods to the east, but they will have parties will be led by a more powerful Pict of up to 5th
to cross a dangerous creek, which may have alligators or level. Other than the leader of the party, the remainder of
Picts hiding in the darkness. The Games Master will have the Picts are not necessarily followers of Sagoyaga. Give
to improvise a little here to create appropriate threats, as clues to the Players that they are being followed in order
Player actions are hard to predict. Try to make the ight to increase the tension. It is a complication the Players
from Schondara as hair-raising as possible, lled with must either ignore or deal with immediately, although
close calls. Remember to make any appropriate speed that can be difcult. If the Player Characters leave the
modiers to Hide and Move Silently skill checks. river, remember to ask for occasional Survival checks (DC
15) for the party to avoid getting lost.
Chaken on the Trail: Machk and his assistant are tracking
Chakan
the curious staff given to the party. As the party moves
away from the war zone, start giving them clues hinting
at some black thing following them. What the party does Medium Monstrous Humanoid
not know is this: Machk has sent a chakan to nd the staff. Hit Dice: 3d8+3 (16 hp)
The chakan is not powerful enough to take on a party Initiative: +10 (+3 Dex, +3 Reex, +4 Improved
of characters under most circumstances, so it is merely Initiative)
tailing them. It has a Hide check of +8 normally and a Speed: 40 ft.
Move Silently check of +8. They tend to stay in heavy DV: 15 (+3 Dex, +2 natural)
undergrowth, giving them a further +5 on their Hide DR: 3 (natural)
checks. The chakan will usually stay out of sight while Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+5
tracking, or at least far enough away that the penalties Attack: Bite +6 melee nesse (1d6+3)
the party has for Listen checks in the wilderness (-2 per Full Attack: Bite +6 melee nesse (1d6+3) and claw +1
10 feet separating them from the chakan) outweighs the melee nesse (1d4+2) or bite +6 melee nesse (1d6+3)
Move Silently penalty caused by the undergrowth of the and by primitive weapon type
forest (-5). The chakan will hide in the canopy of the Space/Reach: 5 ft. (1)/5 ft. (1)
trees if necessary. Special Attacks:
Special Qualities: Darkvision (60 ft.), scent
If the chakan has a chance to steal the staff, then it will do Saves: Fort +2, Ref +6, Will +4
so, but only if the risk is minimal. The chakan may not be Abilities: Str 15, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 5, Wis 12,
that bright, but he is cunning, and he knows the difference Cha 4
between risky and not risky. The chakan is also incredibly Skills: Climb +11, Hide +8, Listen +6, Move
patient. He is not in a hurry. If the characters get careless Silently +8, Spot +6, Survival +6
with the staff (lay it against a tree as they sleep, leave it Feats: Track, Improved Initiative
with a lone character, leave it unattended), he will sneak
165
In form it was like a man,
gnarled and misshapen, covered
with thick hair. Its nails were long
and black, like the talons of a beast, and
Campaign
its chinless, low-browed head was like

that of an ape. The thing was a chakan,
one of those semi-human beings which
dwell deep within the forests.
Environment: Warm and temperate forest

Organisation: Solitary
Advancement: 4-6 HD (Medium)
Chakans are found throughout the deepest regions of

the Pictish Wilderness, far from civilisation. Here they
stalk small prey, typically bringing their quarry down by
grappling and biting or occasionally using improvised
weapons such as rocks.
Many Pictish shamans have learned the secrets of

training chakans for their own purposes. They are
used as assassins and sometimes as scouts. Chakans are
ideally suited to tracking and slaying individual human
victims, being naturally stealthy and having unusually
acute sense of smell. A trained chakan can follow a
victim much like a dog might, by taking its scent from
an item of clothing, but is far more cunning and subtle
than a dog and will wait till its quarry is alone and asleep
before striking.
The Undelivered Dispatches: The party will come
A typical chakan is a similar size to an adult human male, across a slain soldier. He is wearing a leather jerkin and
but broad, misshapen and thickly muscled. Though it the livery of a courier. He has been scalped and his bow
might only be 5 feet 6 inches to 6 feet in height, it will and arrows are also missing. His sword was bent and left
likely weigh in excess of 250 pounds. on the ground. Most of the dispatches he was carrying,
however, have already been taken back to Sagoyaga. One
dispatch and one letter remain, dropped by the retreating
Combat Picts.
Chakans usually stalk their prey individually, and are
willing to spend days or even weeks tracking a particular The characters, unless they succeed at Knowledge (local)
creature once they have decided to take it. A chakan that checks, may not know who any of the names below are. If
has been trained by a Pictish shaman is procient with all characters succeed at a Knowledge (local) (DC 12), then
simple weapons and will often be set to track a specic they know Sagoyaga is a war chief of rising importance in
individual. the Wolf lands. If they succeed at a DC 15, they know
Machk is Sagoyagas pet shaman. If they succeed at a
Skills: Chakans have a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks DC 18 they know Arisawe is a Pictish whore who leaks
and can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, information in exchange for whisky. If they succeed at a
even if rushed or threatened. Furthermore they DC 20 they know Diviatix is a Ligurean druid. If they
have a +4 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Move succeed at a DC 22, they know a few more facts about the
Silently, Spot and Survival checks. above characters (Games Masters discretion). If they fail,
then the names (and the importance of the missive that
166
Player Handout one: An Official Dispatch
Commander Dirk Stroms son,
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My orderly has learned from Arisawe that Sagoyaga of the Wolf is preparing for
war. Schondara is in immediate danger. This will not be a mere raid. The involvement of
thousands of Picts is the suggestion we have received. Rouse the rangers and get the people
inside the fort. Machk is supposedly brewing up some sort of magic but keep that to yourself.
Some of the men actually believe those barbarians can truly speak to spirits. Diviatix does not
appear to be among the Ligureans, but word has reached us through a Mitran priest that the
druid is returning. Expect reinforcements from Thenitea by the dawn of the second day.
This dispatch is official and sealed.
Odar Thorinns son, Commandant of Thenitea
Player Handout two: A Personal Letter
Sir Grim Brocks son of Aethelsward,
I regret to be the bearer of ill tidings. Your noble patron, Lady Coelia,
daughter of Dionysia, has fallen prey to the worst of fates. Convinced she could
stop the war lord Sagoyaga and Machk with a certain staff being brought to
her from the wilderness, our Lady, with a small armed escort, departed into
the Pictish wild lands to meet with the bearer of this supposed holy artefact.
I believe it was her intention, thereupon, to go to the Wolf village of Osekowa
to trade with Sagoyaga; the staff for the disbanding of his savage army. Her
escort was found slain in the most gruesome of methods. Decency forbids me from
describing the wholesale slaughter. Our lady was not found among the dead, so
she is presumed to either be captured or lost in the wilderness. A ransom is being
offered to the Picts for her return, and, of course, a reward posted for her
rescue. However, I do not hold out much hope. You have our sympathies
and our sorrows for your loss.
Sir Gasparus, son of Gaspar, Knight of the Barrie Grange
167
went undelivered) will have to be discovered later through the characters step off the trail into the clearing around
the course of events. the house, they can feel a scorching, blasting wind. Other
than a few vultures, all the animals in sight, including
Feel free to have wandering war parties of Picts encounter chickens, other vultures, ducks, dogs, rats, rabbits, cattle
the characters if the action starts to get slow, if the tension and a pair of draft horses, are dead. All the crops are
Campaign
starts to lessen, or even if the characters spend too long withered and destroyed. Sixteen people per day for the
in one spot reading the letters and dispatches. The Picts next 15 days will be struck with the plague. The Games
will start off encounters with ranged weapons (thrown Master is free to occasionally name a character to make a
or shot), then, if any characters are visibly wounded or Fort save (DC 17) or become aficted by the foul miasma
hurt, they will rush in, attack the wounded one and rush carried on the heated winds (see Conan the Roleplaying
out. Their intent is to slowly whittle down the party Game for the effects of the black plague spell).
and generate fear. One of the Picts may bull rush a
wounded character into the woods where the other Picts Inside the house, the settlers wife lays in bed, black and
wait. Again, use whatever number and levels of Picts shrivelled. She was pregnant when she died. Hanging
that will suit your needs for the story. Typical war parties from a rough rafter is a man. Beside himself with grief,
consist of four or ve warriors, but larger parties are out he strung up a noose and jumped off a table, hanging
there hunting Hyborians. You can even have the party himself. Even the owers in the toppled vase on the table
encounter a small war party leading a few captured women are withered and the hanged man sways in the blowing
and children along. The party might rescue them, but blasts of burning breezes.
would be forced to slow down to care for the victims, who
are likely to be in shock. Adding increasing numbers of Keep in mind that if the Players get careless in their
settlers and non-adventurers to the characters party could search, the chakan or a wandering war party may attack
be an interesting complication adding to the tenseness the characters or, at the very least, spot them. As the
of the situation. The chakan and other Picts may start characters continue, they should start seeing dead animals
picking off the stragglers one by one for added tension on the trail and other dead settlements. A plague is in the
and panic. Keep the action intense. Characters may see air, a miasmic horror. Continue to describe the heated
gusts of wind with the foul spell to the Players. Continue
with occasional Pict attacks and the nding of the remains
of Pict raids. If the Players lose the staff, hopefully they
They fear the black plague with which he will want to follow the Picts and retrieve it.
threatened us the terrible black death of the
swamplands. When I see a sick soldier I sweat The Ligurean: If the characters need additional
with fear of seeing him turn black and shrivel motivation to go trekking into the Pictish Wilderness
and die before my eyes. to bring the curious staff to Lady Coelia, daughter of
Dionysia and rescue her, then this encounter may help.
Robert E. Howard, Beyond the Black River This encounter also serves to introduce the characters to
the internal problems brewing within the depths of the
Pictish Wilderness.
Picts overrunning other settlements in the distance, or Elsewhere in the Westermarck: The plague spread by
may have to ght small parties of Picts trying to get into Machk has disrupted much of Schohira.
settlement homes.
Plague on the Westermarck: As the characters continue

Chapter three:
their journey, night should change into a brisk morning. Niyohontehsha of
They come to a farming settlement. They may see the
vultures circling overhead from a distance, they may
the Wildcats
The characters must now plunge into the depths of
not, depending on your need to present the scene.
the Pictish Wilderness, hot on the trail of Lady Coelia,
A small house with a connecting barn is present.
daughter of Dionysia. She has been brought to Wanenaka
Machk has summoned the terrible black
in the Wildcat village of Niyohontehsha.
death of the swamplands to the
region this very morning. Once
168
The Dreams: One or more of the Player Characters chiefs, their corpses preserved in a gruesome manner,
have a dream during a night, or a vision during the day. wherein the skins of the chiefs are removed and the
This vision shows a labyrinthine village in Pictland, but esh is cut from the bones. The skin is then treated and
not more than a few miles from the Thunder River. The replaced over the bones. A deerskin rug lays underneath
dream also shows a shaman, wild panthers and a beautiful the hut so the shaman may rest there and entreat with
Campaign
Aquilonian girl of noble birth. A shadowy gure hovers the departed spirits of the chiefs. Nearby is the village
near her, a white skull painted upon his powerful chest. graveyard, which is highly sacred ground to the Wildcat
The dream follows a fantastic chase through the forests by Picts. Another small hut on columns is raised outside the
screaming Picts ready for the kill and the whole dream is palisade so a Pict can watch over the elds surrounding
overcast by a sense of ominous dread. The dreamer also the village. 200 Picts call this village home, but only 68
knows the girl must be rescued. The character or characters of them are male warriors. The remainder are women
who dream of these things gains a +8 circumstance bonus and children. Currently, all but eight of the warriors are
to Knowledge (geography) skill checks in regards to the either hunting in the woods or are enjoying the carnage
location of the village and if checking for becoming lost in Schohira. However, Wanenaka and a party of 20 Wolf
if they decide to hunt for the village. The Games Master Picts are also in the village. A 7th level Wildcat civil chief
should use the dream to provide further motivation for and his 5th level speaker lead the village. The Wildcat
the characters if they are not already motivated to look shaman is a 6th level scholar. See pg. 86 for more details
for the girl. Hints of rewards and treasures mixed into on Pictish villages.
the dream may sufce. If characters ignore the dreams,
they progressively grow worse until nally the spirit world Lady Coelia, daughter of Dionysia, is kept in one of the
breaks into the dreams and starts whispering ghastly daub-and-wattle huts. She shows signs of the hardships
secrets of the cosmos to the character, forcing continual she has endured, but so far she has been physically
Corruption saves. Hopefully the characters will not unmolested. Wanenaka wants her for a wife, as well as
require that much motivation. for information on the staff Sagoyaga seeks. As fearsome
as shadowy Wanenaka is, he will not force her. He will
Across the Thunder River: The characters must now wait until she is formally adopted into the Wolf tribe,
get to the Thunder River near the border of the Little should Sagoyaga allow. If the Player Characters lost the
Wilderness and cross it into the Pictish Wilderness. staff at any time prior to this and did not regain it, then
Travelling through the Pictish Wilderness should be a Wanenaka has the staff in this village. The hut next to
harrowing affair. Bands of Picts, either hunting Wildcats Coelias holds seven Hyborian male captives, all of whom
or prowling Wolves are on the warpath and can be have been beaten severely in the savage gauntlet they were
encountered at any time, and Picts will almost certainly forced to run when they arrived at the village. These
know about the party of characters before the characters captives belong to the Wolves. If Wolf Picts previously
know about the Picts. Animals are normally encountered captured Player Characters, they may be here if the Games
at night, and most will ee when encountered. However, Master so desires.
there are numerous streams and small bogs throughout
the wilderness here, and alligators lurk in those streams, Tied to three of the ceremonial posts are three living
ready to lash out in a heartbeat and drag someone to a Aquilonian males. One is a soldier, one is a Schohiran
watery doom. As the characters approach Niyohontehsha, borderer and another is a settler. Two dead captives are
the sound of drums tells them something sinister is afoot. also tied to the posts, sacriced to give the Wildcat shaman
Now will be the perfect time to sneak into the village. maximum Power Points. If Wildcat Picts previously
captured Player Characters, they may also be here (at
Niyohontehsha: This village is a large, labyrinthine, the Games Masters discretion). Almost all the Picts are
fortied Wildcat Pict village (see pg. 112 for sample occupied with a ceremony involving these captives.
Wildcat Picts). Comprised of approximately 30 daub-
and-wattle huts with thatched roofs, it is surrounded by a As characters approach Niyohontehsha, they may
palisade and a ditch. In the centre of the village is a circle well be captured and tortured. Fortunately, there
of seven ceremonial posts carved into faces resembling are so few Picts actually in Niyohontehsha, they
veiled hooded women. A centre post is taller than the should be able to approach with relative ease.
others. This is an open place for ceremonial rituals. To They need to nd a way into the village,
one side of the village, a ceremonial hut is built on stout and once there, must nd out where
pillars. Within this hut are placed the bodies of slain Lady Coelia is. Niyohontehsha
169
Niyohontehsha
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Watchers Hut
Graveyard
Lady Coelia
held here
Ceremonial Hut
Ceremonial Posts
Ditch and Palisade
170
is a literal maze of huts and ceremonial areas. Women attack the Players outside the hut while the rst Player is
and children will raise an alarm if they are seen, however, attacked inside the hut (Games Masters discretion).
there are only 28 male Picts in the village, including
Wanenaka. All the Picts are gathered around the central
ceremonial area where they are singing and dancing. The Were-Panther,
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Panther Form
captives have seen better days, having spent much of the
day already being tortured, they are missing ngers, have
smashed teeth, severe lacerations and may even be missing Medium Humanoid (Human, Shapechanger)
eyes or other body parts. Hit Dice: 3d10+3 plus 3d8+12 (45 hp)
Initiative: +12 (+6 Dex, +6 Reexes)
The Ceremony: The Picts, wearing paint on their back Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares), climb 20 ft.
indicating where they are from, are all standing around Defence Value: 19 (+6 Dex, +2 natural, +1 dodge)
the ceremonial posts in the centre of the village. The Damage Reduction: 6
Picts, mostly women and children, are dancing and Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+9
singing, creating a Power Ritual (see Conan the Roleplaying Attack: Bite +11 melee nesse (1d8+4)
Game). A trio of male drummers are pounding away on Full Attack: Bite +11 melee nesse (1d8+4) and 2 claws
gorgeously crafted drums. The Wildcat shaman, whose +6 melee nesse (1d4+2)
enchantments go against the laws of nature, is dancing Special Attacks: Improved grab, pounce, rake 1d4+2
in front of the captives, making the strangest movements Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent, animal
a Hyborian has ever seen. The shaman is dressed in a empathy.
savage manner, replete with feathers from many birds Space/Reach: 5 ft. (1)/5 ft. (1)
and a gruesome shamans mask depicting a hideous forest Saves: Fort +10, Ref +12, Will +5
devil. The shaman has already cast lesser ill-fortune on Abilities: Str 18, Dex 23, Con 18, Int 14, Wis 12, Cha 8
the captives to make them more susceptible to his magic Skills: Balance +18*, Climb +16*, Craft (trapmaking) +8,
(to reduce their saves in game terms). The shaman is Heal +3, Hide +19*, Jump +16*, Knowledge (geography) +4,
Knowledge (local) +4, Knowledge (nature) +10, Listen +9,
beginning the casting of the awful rite of the were-beast on
Move Silently +21*, Search +3, Spot +9, Survival +8 (* includes
the poor captives.
racial bonus in total).
Feats: Alertness, Armoured Stealth, Enduranceb, Iron Willb,
This will be an opportune moment for the characters to
Pict Slayer, Rapid Shot (combat style), Stealthy, Trackb.
sneak into the village. If they are noisy or attempt to
disrupt the ceremony, then Wanenaka and the other 28 b
= bonus feats
males in the village will try to attack. It is doubtful they
will be able to charge or gather together because of all
This were-panther, the subject of the awful rite of the were-
the women, who will scatter and ee, as will the shaman.
beast, used to be a Thandaran Pict ghter. Although the
(He will ght from range, not toe-to-toe). The character
shaman rarely gives him a direct order, the were-panther
who dreamed of the woman knows the path to the hut in
just follows the shaman around.
which she is held. The door faces the ceremony area, but
most of the Picts are distracted and it is night. Have them
make the appropriate Move Silently and Hide checks to Combat
sneak into the hut. There is also a window in the hut Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a were-panther
that can be used more safely for ingress. There is a guard must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start
inside the hut with a +9 Listen check. a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of
opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a
Lady Coelias Prison-Hut: Inside the wattle-and-daub hold and can rake.
hut, the girl reposes on a mattress of animal pelts. The hut Pounce (Ex): If a were-panther charges a foe, it can make
is decorated with skulls and other grisly relics of former a full attack, including two rake attacks.
prisoners and the tortures that have taken place there in Rake (Ex): Attack bonus +9 melee, damage
the past. Also, there is a guard. One of the were-beasts 1d4+2.
created by the Wildcat shaman has been placed in here, a Skills: Were-Panthers have a +8 racial bonus on
grim were-panther. If the were-panther hears the Players Jump checks and a +4 racial bonus on Hide
outside the hut, it will ready an action to either bite or and Move Silently checks. Panthers
pounce. The chakan, if it has not already attacked, may have a +8 racial bonus on Balance
and Climb checks. A panther can
171
always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed The Picts have rampaged through Schohira. Thandara is
or threatened. being harried extensively by the Otter and Alligator tribes.
Conawaga has been under siege. Plagues are disrupting
The Escape: Once the characters rescue the Lady (and the settlers and evacuating the cities. Aquilonia has sent
regain the staff if they lost it earlier), they must make their in more troops, causing Nemedian opportunists to test
Campaign
way out of the Pictish Wilderness in a hurry. This is an Aquilonias strength. Aquilonia has posted a bounty for
excellent opportunity for a chase sequence or a last stand. Picts. One silver coin of the realm for each Pict head or
Players should be given a chance to ght Wanenaka, scalp brought in. Large bounties have been posted for
either in the city or out in the wilderness, although Sagoyaga (1,000 sp), Machk (500 sp) and Djiionondo
they may decline that opportunity if they wish. If the (200 sp). If Wanenaka is still alive, he also has a 200 sp
characters still have not fought the chakan, he may attack bounty. Bounty hunters from across the Hyborian world
them outside the village. On the return journey, if they have arrived to try their hand at capturing Sagoyaga and
take the same path they took to get there, then they will his followers. An Aquilonian knight, Sir Gasparus, son
encounter the war party that was following the trail left of Gaspar, has arrived with his troops and is asking for
by the chakan. If they make it back to safety, then she volunteers and scouts to bring in Picts (see pg. 186 for
will tell the characters what she knows about the staff and Gasparus statistics). The remaining settlers are relieved,
about Sagoyaga (see the entry on pg. 186 for Lady Coelia, believing Sir Gasparus, son of Gaspar to be a protector of
daughter of Dionysia for more details on what she knows the realm. Sir Gasparus later makes an ally out of a clan
or believes about the staff ). She will allow the Players of Otter Picts, and gains the aid of Arisawe Ohnanerita
to keep the staff if she thinks they can better protect it, (see pg. 187 for her statistics) as a scout. She has plans of
otherwise she keeps it. If the characters fail to make it her own, however.
back to safety with the girl and/or the staff, then Sagoyaga
is going to be that much more powerful later. Backstory: Lady Coelia has contacted the Player
Characters and told them she knows more about the
Resolution: Wanenaka is either dead or shamed, curious Staff of Dekanawidah and needs their help. The
presuming he did not win. The characters hopefully have staff needs to be taken to the great Ligurean grove of
a magical talisman (the staff ) that they can somehow use Nuadwyddon in order to be attuned and awakened. To
to ght Sagoyaga. Give the characters an appropriate that end, the characters are being led by Sir Gasparus and
amount of experience points, Reputation and, if desired, a his guide, a Pictish woman named Arisawe Ohnanerita.
Fate Point (see Conan the Roleplaying Game for denitions With the Players are Sir Gasparus retainers and squire, as
of those terms). well as Lady Coelia. Arisawe knows where the holy grove
of Nuadwyddon is located. Once deep in the Pictish
Between Adventures: The Games Master is encouraged Wilderness the adventure begins.
to create some of his own adventures between this one
and the next to further involve the Players in the wars Dawn Attack: The group has approached too closely to
and to create a sense of protectiveness about the region, Tsorahsa, the primary Wolf town of Djiionondo, one of
if possible. The Wildcat Picts follow up the Wolf attacks Sagoyagas most trusted followers and war-chiefs. During
with raids of their own, creating additional complications. the night, Djiionondo and a war party of Picts crept in
The Players could be sent to rival Pict tribes to see if they to the encampment of the characters. The Games Master
can engage them against the Wolves in much the same needs to determine the strength and number of the Picts
manner as the British and the French used American involved, although a minimum of six is recommended
Indians against each other during the French and Indian (one 6th level, two 3rd level and three 1st level). Djiionondo
War. can be excluded from the war party if he is too powerful
(sample Wolf Picts can be found on pg. 114). Start the
adventure with a surprise attack. Determine who in
Adventure Two the party is asleep and who was on guard or up early to
Descent Beneath prepare food or relieve themselves. Keep in mind all rules
regarding sleeping in armour. Sir Gasparus, son of Gaspar,
the Grove is unarmoured. The war party will have surrounded
This adventure opens about six or eight the encampment and will begin the attack with ranged
weeks after the end of the Adventure weapons. Equip any Picts higher than 3rd level with
One: War of the Wolf. The Bossonian longbows (assign a -2 to hit if the Picts do not
Westermarck is burning. have a prociency with the weapon). After the surprise
172
round, roll initiative. The Picts will continue their ranged 20 days if game trails are used, or about 40 days if they
attacks, moving if necessary, until they are out of arrows attempt to push through the trackless forests. If characters
or until they feel it is relatively safe to approach. Battle is insist on wearing armour that slows their movement to
an individual affair for the Picts, so individual Picts may 20 feet per round the journey will take about 10 days
rush in to steal something or hit someone before leaving longer and they will have more hostile encounters due to
Campaign
the eld again and resuming ranged re. noise. During this journey, Arisawe will get supplies for
the party from the various villages encountered en route.
Djiionondos objective will be to capture at least one The party will be utterly cut off from Hyborian supplies
person for torture and ceremonial reasons. His secondary and reinforcements. Playing out each and every day of
goal is to capture the staff. Sir Gasparus and Arisawe the journey could get old, so you could just describe the
will not be successfully attacked. Do not make that dense forests, the occasional village and perhaps a couple
fact obvious, and roll Sir Gasparus attacks secretly and of interesting encounters. If the game grows slow, then
announce misses. He will not try to harm his secret introduce an attack. Picts usually attack in the mornings
allies, although he will put up the appearance of a ght. while people are still asleep, but they will also wait until
Djiionondo will try to steal something from one of the they feel the party is distracted. Anyone wandering alone
Player Characters if possible, including but not limited into the woods may be a target. Have the characters
to, his weapon or scalp. If their objective is achieved, make at least one or two saving throws against the various
the Picts will withdraw to their village, where another 30 diseases brought on by strange insects native to the region.
warriors await. Djiionondo will order a retreat if one If characters are wounded in the Pictish Wilderness, they
of his warriors falls in battle. He will return later with a should also make saves against certain other illnesses (see
larger force, intent on capturing someone to replace the pg. 26 for diseases and associated saving throws). They will
fallen warrior(s) so he doesnt lose face with the tribe or pass through swamps and quagmires as well as forests and
Sagoyaga. If Djiionondo glimpses the staff but does not clearings. They may encounter sites of old villages, long
capture it, he will begin recalling Picts out of Oriskonie abandoned. As they pass into Ligurean territory in the
and begin following the party as they journey north to the north, they may encounter hostile Ligureans and neutral
lands of the Ligureans. Ligurean druids in their curious white robes. This is also
the opportunity for the Players get to know Lady Coelia,
Sir Gasparus is not interested in rescuing captives, Sir Gasparus and his Pictish guide. The knights cruel
including his own retainers. He incorrectly believes they and ambitious nature should be highlighted. Arisawe will
will be returned to him, although he will not mention likely try to lead the characters into debaucheries, so be
that. He is aware of his reputation for cruelty and will try aware of her corruptive nature if they indulge her. Arisawe
to pass off his callousness to the urgency of the mission. may talk quite a bit about Sagoyaga, and may even let slip
If the staff is captured, however, he may be forced to that he is a shaman in his own right.
attempt a rescue by the Players, in which case his betrayal
will happen sooner. He is being paid to bring the staff More Missives from the Westermarck: The characters
to Sagoyaga by the Picts and paid to take the staff to the should encounter a running Pict with a bundle and be
sacred grove by Lady Coelia. He would prefer to get the given the opportunity to slay him if possible. If the
staff to the Picts after he gets the characters to the grove characters choose not to slay the Pict, then have the Pict
to maximise his payment. drop the following missive from the bundle he is carrying.
If they slay him, the Pict is carrying a bundle of letters
Tsorahsa: If characters want or need to assault or stolen from a carrier in Oriskonie. The Pict is travelling
inltrate Djiionondos village, you can reuse the map to as fast as possible to Sagoyaga in the south. You can create
Niyohontehsha (pg. 170). The village is almost identical, letters to help motivate the party or remind them of their
but there are about 20-30 male Wolf warriors and three haste if necessary, such as letters to them from loved ones
times that number in women and children. Depending or friends in danger. The relevant dispatch here, however,
how fast the characters get there, the villagers, including is below:
the women and children, are either beating the captured
characters in a brutal gauntlet or are engaged in torturing The Sacred Grove: Eventually the characters
the characters. should reach Nuadwyddon, the sacred grove
of the Ligurean druids. This grove is
The Journey: After the ght, Sir Gasparus will urge the base of Diviatixs power, but the
the party on toward Nuadwyddon, a sacred grove near White Druid is elsewhere, trying
Cimmeria. The journey to Nuadwyddon will take about his own methods of stopping
173
Player Handout three: An Official Dispatch
Lord Arrigus Barrabus, Governor,

Campaign
Oriskonie is suffering greatly from attacks by the Bear, Owl and Snake tribes, who are
being pushed into our rightful lands by those of the Wolf tribe. Our beloved King is unable to send
more troops at this time because of incursions by Nemedia, who are treacherously taking advantage
of Aquilonias dire emergencies in the Westermarck. I have even heard rumours that the King
is not even in Tarantia; he may be to the south of some fabled land called Zembabwei with a large
force of arms we desperately need. Trocero and Pallantides are reputed to be with him. I heard this
rumour from a correspondent of mine who claims to have seen Diviatix, sodden with wine, at the great
Mitraeum in Tarantia. Regardless, the black heathen, Sagoyaga, must be dealt with; however,
he is proving difficult to find. If he is assassinated, then the tribes will again fall apart. Plagues,
such as those that devastated Schohira and your own lands, have begun to hit us here. We have
heard nothing of the fate of Thandara. We are also being overrun by Bossonians, who, in the guise
of helping us fight Picts, have been helping themselves to our settlers, rations and lands. We are
sending troops into the Karihton Valley to bolster it against Raven reprisals. I ask for any advice
or news.
Lord Glyco, Governor of Oriskonie
Player Handout Four: Bad News
Commander Styr Dagnys son,

We have been hard beset by Wildcats. After the beating our fort took from the Wolves we
did not have enough men to maintain the fort. We have abandoned the frontier and are marching with
due haste toward the Bossonian Marches. We intend to join forces with Baron Borgar at his castle
to defend the Bossonian border. The Westermarck is lost. We must defend Bossonia and Greater
Aquilonia. Toward that end, you need to retreat your Rangers toward Borgar Castle. The battle you are
waging is fruitless, especially with the King in absentia from his throne. I pray he returns in time.
Volund Odds son, Commandant of Fort Ohnerohkwa
174
to one of the characters if one does not already possess it
and tell them what she knows. They will need to move
Ligurean Druids: Medium the great altar and descend beneath it with the staff. She
Humanoids, 4th level scholars; HD does not know exactly what will happen beneath the
3d6+3; 14 hp (average); Init +3 (+3 Ref ); earth, but something there is supposedly able to activate
Campaign
Spd 30 ft.; DV 11 (+1 base); BAB/Grapple the staff. Sir Gasparus will not go, nor will any of the
+3/+3; Atk Hatchet +3 melee (1d4); Special retainers, but Lady Coelia will if necessary. The druids,
Attacks: Spells; Special Qualities: scholar,
acolyte background, base Power Points (7 base, 14
if they have been dealt with fairly and diplomatically
maximum), Knowledge is Power; Fort +2, Ref +1, may help, allowing them to move the altar stone from
Will +6; Str 10, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 14, where it has sat for millennia. If not, they will not aid the
Cha 14 characters. The altar is extremely heavy, but with enough
Skills and Feats: Bluff +13, Concentration +10, time, the characters should be able to move it, revealing
Craft (herbalism) +15, Heal +14, Intimidate +16, the entrance to the Heart of Nuadwyddon.
Knowledge (arcana) +15, Knowledge (geography)
+9, Knowledge (nature) +17, Knowledge (religion) Once the altar is moved, the entrance is seen to be a small
+9, Perform (ritual) +14, Sense Motive +9, Survival
hole in the ground, barely large enough for a person
+7; Knowledgeable, Persuasive, Ritual Sacrice.
Spells Known: Astrological prediction, greater to squeeze into. Armour will prevent a character from
summon beast, rune of Jhebbal Sag, summon beast, moving into the hole or the tunnel at the bottom. The
visions, warding. damp earth beneath the altar crawls with worms and
insects. Once a person squeezes through, there is a 15-foot
drop to the damp oor of the hole (make Jump checks to
Sagoyagas growing war (see the short story Red Moon
avoid or reduce damage). Things crawl in the earth here,
of Zembabwei by L. Sprague de Camp). The approach
and torches or lanterns refuse to stay lit. At the bottom
to the Sacred Grove is dangerous and mysterious. The
of the pit, the characters can discern a dank burrow in
trees grow thick here and seem to be alive and hostile.
the darkness. The characters must progress in the damp
As the undergrowth gets denser and thornier, a group of
and cramped space in the dark. The burrow is little more
Ligurean druids will encounter the party and insist they
than a low tunnel that twists and winds like the bowels
stop. The druids are loathe to allow anyone to see their
of a great creature of earth. The characters may only pass
Sacred Grove, but appropriate Diplomacy or Intimidate
through it on hands and knees. Describe the feel of the
checks may alter their viewpoint. The characters may kill
worms and insects they feel in the moist mould of the
them if they wish to risk combat. If the characters show
earth, and those insects and worms either dropping on
the druids the staff, they get a +5 circumstance modier
them from above or knocked off by their passing.
to their Diplomacy or Intimidate checks.
The small tunnel, after nearly 10 or 15 minutes of
The grove of Nuadwyddon radiates natural power. It
crawling, widens and enlarges, although the only way this
is a dense grove of mighty redwood trees that tower to
is known is through the sense of touch. All is dark and
unbelievable heights. A mist seems to perpetually hang
blind here. Then the Players see a multitude of feral eyes
in the air and the land is hilly. Any nature spells cast
glowing dimly in the dark. They have found the Children
here cost 1 Power Point less than usual (1 Power Point
of the Night.
minimum, however). The grove is a rich verdure, clothed
in primeval forests. Stone monoliths rise out of the green
Feral Eyes Glowing Dimly in the Dark: A tribe of Little
abundance, seeming to poke mystically out of the fogs
People, called the Children of the Night by the Picts, live
and mists, lurking in the dark shadows of the mighty
down in the bowels of the earth among the worms and
woods. Deep in the grim depths of this green labyrinth
roots. Over a 120 of them surround the Player Characters,
of moss-covered monoliths and vine-laden tree trunks lies
hissing in their horrible, sibilant language. Characters
a circle of giant stones raised by hands unknown deep in
who have never encountered a Child of the Night
the shrouded past when legendary gures, long forgotten,
before now must make a Terror save (Will save
ruled these lands.
DC 11). The Children of the Night are hostile,
although a successful Diplomacy or Intimidate
In the centre of this awesome structure of mammoth
check may alter their mood; showing
monoliths is a stone altar, grim with the ancient
them the Staff of Dekanawidah gives
bloodstains of sacrices killed during the gruesome rites
the characters a +5 circumstance
of the Ligurean druids. Lady Coelia will give the staff
bonus to either check.
175
Children of the Night: Small Humanoid, 1st level barbarians; HD 1d10+1; 7
hp (average); Init +3 (+1 Dex, +2 Ref ); Spd 30 ft.; DV 12 (+1 size, +1 Dex); DR
Campaign
1; BAB/Grapple +1/3; Atk Club +2 melee (1d8) or javelin +3 ranged (1d8); Special
Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., Fearless, Track, Versatility (-2 penalty); Fort +3, Ref +3, Will
1; Str 11, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 6
Skills and Feats: Hide +7, Listen +2, Move Silently +7, Ride +4, Spot +2, Survival +2; Alertness,
Stealthy.
Organisation: Tribe (40400 plus 100% non-combatants plus one 3rd level sergeant per 20 adults,
one or two lieutenants of 4th or 5th level, one leader of 6th to 8th level)
The Children of the Night have feral eyes that glow in the dark. They are a stocky race with broad
heads that appear large for their short and scrawny bodies. Their faces are broad and square with at
noses, thin mouths and pointed ears. Their skin is scaly, yellow and mottled like a serpent. Although
some tribes wear the skins of animals, most wear the skins of serpents as loincloths. Their alien
language is akin to the sound of reptiles. Although some tribes use captured bows, most use primitive
weapons such as knives and cudgels. They are human, but are often referred to as vermin or reptiles
by upper world folk, for these Little People live in the darkness beneath the world, driven there by the
Picts and Ligureans who conquered their lands in the forests.
If an attack is avoided, or if any characters are captured, a weapon capable of killing a scholar or demon. The
they will be ushered through the darkness to another sacrice can be a pact, a soul or even the gift of Fate. If
soggy chamber. All that can be seen are the dancing the characters accept the latter, the end can pronounce
pinpoints of the Childrens feral, glowing eyes. The smell a long ceremony in which every character to whom the
of damp earth and mould is everywhere. Worms and staff will be attuned will have their existing Fate points
insects are underfoot, in their hair and nearly everywhere siphoned off and given to the thing. Of course, that is
else. Something horrible seems to draw them here. merely the game effect the characters themselves will
simply be told that Fate will now be in their hands, and
The characters hear a voice, but not with their ears the Fate will have no mercy on them. The idea here is that
voice sounds within their head, echoing through their unless the Player Characters ght for the staff, they must
very soul. It says, So my staff comes home after all these sacrice something important to them. The Games
long aeons Master is encouraged to come up with his own ideas
of what must be sacriced the characters can accept
The Lord of the Worms: The characters can hear the a horrible curse on themselves and their family, or may
rustling of the horrible thing that spoke within their have to perform an unwholesome quest of a questionable
minds. The Children of the Night begin hissing a ethical nature for the character. Giving up treasure, a
repulsive chant, a litany of horric worship for their transient belonging at best in the Conan game, is not
misbegotten king. The grotesque bulk swaying in front of sufcient. Another alternative is for the Players to ght
them, barely glimpsed in the darkness as it passes in front the demon-lord and his minions. In exchange for his life,
of the feral eyes of its worshippers, causes an immediate for he is bound here, the demon-lord will attune the staff
Terror check in those who behold it for the rst time to the characters.
(Will save DC 18) and a Corruption check for any
who deal peaceably with it. The Haunted Staff of Dekanawidah: Once the staff is
attuned to a character, it takes on the following attributes:
In exchange for a sacrice of some sort, the A character holding this staff can cancel any spell cast by
Lord of the Worms, the living remnant Sagoyaga as a free action, at the cost of 1 PP or 1 hp
of Dekanawidah of old, will attune damage (characters choice). If the staff is touched to
the staff to one or more of the Sagoyaga, he is immediately paralysed (no saving throw)
characters, turning it into for 2d6 rounds, or until the staff is removed from contact
176
with him, whichever happens later. If the pointed end may want to simply narrate the harrowing experiences and
of the staff is used to attack Sagoyaga directly it does give them some well-deserved rest before they set off for
full damage automatically for a staff, with an additional Osekowa. Give the characters experience points as typical
damage bonus of +1d6. Sagoyagas Damage Reduction for your campaigns. Award an appropriate amount of
has no effect against the attuned Staff of Dekanawidah. Reputation. Do not give the characters additional Fate
Campaign
When confronting Sagoyaga, the staff writhes and moves Points yet if they sacriced Fate Points to empower their
like a living thing, giving the character holding it a +5 staff. Otherwise, give the characters a Fate Point for their
circumstance bonus to his Parry Defence Value. efforts thus far.
Betrayal: While the characters were beneath the earth, During the time travelled by the characters, the Games
Sir Gasparus has been busy. Taking the three druids who Master needs to determine how far the Picts have advanced
remained by surprise, he and Arisawe killed them and against the Westermarck. Assume they are dealt some
await the return of the Player Characters. If Lady Coelia defeats in addition to winning some successes. Schohira
was left behind, she is either dead or unconscious (Games has probably fallen. Conawaga is close, although Velitrium
Masters discretion). A war party led by Djiionondo (if he (now cut off from supplies and reinforcements) and
still lives) waits outside the grove for Sir Gasparus. They Skandaga still stand. Oriskonie, not as highly populated
have a treasure chest with them. When the characters as Schohira and Conawaga, is mostly overrun, but it is
crawl back through the dark tunnels, he will lower a rope possible a few of the larger settlements have not fallen yet.
to them (the pit is virtually impossible to climb out of Thandara is so isolated from the other settlements that its
because of the crumbly earth) if they will send up the staff fate is completely unknown, although a few Bossonians
rst. If the characters send up the staff, then Sir Gasparus may have heard rumours or perhaps fought there rst
and Arisawe will block up the tunnel with the altar, which hand.
they have tilted up with levers made of tree branches for
that express purpose. If the characters send up a character
with the staff, Sir Gasparus will seem helpful and help Adventure three:
that character up, then will attack him. If the character
is defeated, he and Arisawe will close up the pit. Arisawe
The Haunted Staff
will help by casting spells if necessary. If the characters of Dekanawidah
suspect something and refuse to send up the staff until This adventure begins outside of Osekowa, the savage
last, then he will continue the masquerade of friendliness home of Sagoyaga. The Westermarck has enjoyed a
until all the characters are up and out. He will then lead brief respite as Sagoyaga gathers his followers. Before
them out of the Sacred Grove into the waiting hands of you begin this adventure, you may want to prepare a few
Djiionondos war party. servants in the swamp (see pg. 131) appropriate to the
level of character challenge needed, although a sample is
Either way, the war party will nd and attack the party provided.
when they leave the Grove. The size and composition of
the war party depends on the size and power of the group Osekowa: This Wolf village is large, labyrinthine and
of Player Characters. Choose an appropriate challenge fortied. To the north and west lie dank swamps. There
for the party, but no Pict should be more powerful than is no wall here. The swamp itself is considered ample
Djiionondo. Djiionondos objective here is to steal the protection. To the south-west lie the elds of Osekowa.
staff or pay Sir Gasparus for it. The character holding it There is a palisade here. Comprised of approximately
will be the primary target of the Picts. Attacks will begin 40 long-houses, each able to house up to 20 families of
at range, as individual Picts strike in for war trophies and ve or six persons, Osekowa is built in the manner of
honour. Then the Picts will rush the party. the savage coastal tribes. On average, these houses are
80 feet long. In addition to the long houses, Osekowa
If the characters survive the fray, they must then travel to includes an altar-hut, made of daub-and-wattle, a
Osekowa, the home of Sagoyaga in order to bring an end council longhouse and a eld-watchers hut. The
to the war and that is the subject of the next adventure. altar-hut and the council house are decorated
The characters may want to return to the Westermarck with grotesque spirit masks, skulls of captives
for supplies or rest. It will take them several days or weeks and other macabre religious icons. The
to go back through the Pictish Wilderness, with the same watchers hut is a raised thatch hut
trials and nightmares as the original journey, whether they where a sentinel watches over the
go to Osekowa or the Westermarck. The Games Master crops to kill or chase off pests and
177
Osekowa
Campaign
Altar Hut
Ceremonial Posts
Swamp
Council Hut
Watchers Swamp
Hut E
N
S
W
178
thieves. In the centre of the village is a circle of seven should at least equal the party in number, but may be as
ceremonial posts carved into faces resembling veiled large as three times the party size. Find out who is aware
hooded women. A centre post is taller than the others. of the hiding servants (they are hiding in the water, giving
This is an open place for ceremonial rituals. To one side them a +24 Hide check overall if you are using the sample
of the village, a ceremonial hut is built on stout pillars, servants below), then, if there is a surprise round, run
Campaign
used for the same black purpose as the one described for that. Have characters who have never met a servant in
Niyohontehsha. Nearby is the village graveyard, which the swamp roll a Terror check, then roll for initiative. The
is highly sacred ground to the Wolves. 400 Picts call this servants will try to drag characters down into the swamp
village home, but only 100 of them are male warriors. to drown them.
The remainder are women and children. Currently, all
but a dozen of the warriors are on the war-path with Servants in the swamp are typically silent predators, but
Sagoyaga, who has already gathered his 4,000 followers the party may make noise and, of course, the splashing
and is moving toward Velitrium. Osekowa is surrounded around may alert Machk (and/or Arisawe if she survived
by unfortied hamlets, but most of them lie to the the previous encounters). Make the appropriate Listen
south-east. The outlying hamlets are likewise emptied checks with a 4 circumstance modier, as he is currently
of most of the warriors. Machk is still within, however, engaged in meditation in the altar hut. If he becomes
talking with the spirits and preparing the spirit world for alerted, his animal ally (detailed on pg. 184) will go
Sagoyagas conquest. If Arisawe still lives, she will also be out rst to help. Machk (and/or Arisawe) will begin
here. If characters lost the staff after it was attuned, it will summoning ghostly white alligators to assist the servants.
be here with Machk, although he will not use it. He will He will not issue direct orders to his servants, afraid they
be guarding it so it cannot be used against Sagoyaga. will rebel.
Approaching Osekowa: The simplest way to approach If the servants in the swamp and any other obstacles are
Osekowa is through the swamp, which lies on the most defeated, the characters may enter the village virtually
direct route from Nuadwyddon. Player Characters will unopposed. Most of the men are gone and the women
reach the village just shortly before dawn. Once again, will be hiding if they are aware of the ghting. Machk,
start the adventure off directly with combat. The swamp if he was not involved in the prior combat, may still be
is protected by a small army of servants in the swamp (see unaware of the approach of the characters. Machk is a
pg. 131; see below for sample servants), who are mostly powerful opponent. Fortunately for the Players, Sagoyaga
captive Picts from neighbouring tribes, but a few may be did not consider an attack this deep in Pictland, so his
Hyborians. If any of the Player Characters were captured shaman cohort is almost defenceless. Machks wolf ally,
and not rescued during the course of this campaign, feel if he was not involved in the prior combat, will become
free to use one or more of them as the base creature. They aware of the characters at this time and will attack. The
remaining 12 warriors in the village will also attempt to
defend their village.
Servants in the Swamp: Medium
Aberration, 4th level barbarian base; The altar hut is a disgusting daub-and-wattle hut
HD 3d8+9; 22 hp (average); Init +2 (+1 decorated with skulls and other ghastly relics of past
Dex, +1 Ref ); Spd 25 ft. (5 squares), swim sacrices and rituals. Within, Machk may be meditating
30 ft. (6 squares); DV 15 (+1 Dex, +2 natural, (if he is unaware of the party). Also in the hut are all
+2 base); DR 2; BAB/Grapple +2/+5; Atk Bite kinds of feathers, including white heron feathers, which
+5 melee (1d3+3); Special Attacks: Improved can be used by the Players to approach other Pict villages
Grab; Special Qualities: Hold breath, low-light in peace. Depending on the stealth of the Players, they
vision; Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +3; Str 16, Dex 12, may be able to sneak up on Machk as he meditates and
Con 16, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 2
Skills and Feats: Hide +14*, Listen +2, Spot +2,
speaks with the spirit world. Lying in front of Machk
Swim +17; Alertness, Skill Focus (Hide). is a tortured Ligurean, one of the druids. Machk
Servants in the swamp can always choose to take 10 intends to sacrice him at dawn.
on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered.
It can use the run action while swimming, provided Machk and the nearly dead Ligurean druid
it swims in a straight line. *A servant in the swamp know Sagoyaga is headed toward Velitrium
can lie in the water with only its eyes and nostrils with nearly 4,000 warriors, a large
showing, gaining a +10 cover bonus on Hide enough force to overwhelm that
checks.
famous frontier city. Characters
179
should be able to nd out this information. When before they nd out which one Sagoyaga is in. When
Machk is defeated, they should have the hint they need Sagoyaga is killed, the magic of the staff, before it becomes
to be racing through the wilderness to warn Velitrium, inert, somehow alerts all of his followers of the war-chief s
Scandaga or stop Sagoyaga before he reaches the border. fall. The Pictish invasion will dwindle and fall off.
If the characters managed to rescue the druid, he is
Campaign
thankful and gives the Player Character the information, Option Two: Velitrium: Characters may go directly to
plus one other boon; he summons a ghostly white stag Velitrium. The stag will depart, and the characters will
to lead the characters safely through the wilderness. The see that Velitrium is already under siege. They will have to
druid is unable to accompany the party. If the Games sneak through small war camps of 8-10 Picts each to reach
Master wishes, the druid can die after he expends his last the frontier city. Once there, the military commander will
bit of energy to cast the spell. listen intently to the characters, beg them to join in the
assistance, or, perhaps, to go to Scandaga and bring back
The Race Through the Forest: Crossing the Pictish reinforcements. Unfortunately there will not be enough
Wilderness in haste while following the stag should be a time for reinforcements to ght their way to Velitrium.
breathless experience. Describe the leaping over or dashing The frontier city is completely cut off from such succour.
through creeks and shallow rivers, the lash of branches If the characters stay the scale of the battle will be huge,
and brambles against them, and the near-deserted villages possibly calling for the use the mass combat system
they pass. Sagoyaga has gathered up the warriors of all (available free from www.mongoosepublishing.com) to
the villages he comes across to bolster his own followers. resolve the conict. Likely, Velitrium will fall for this will
Alligators and other animals of the forest watch, but do be an Alamo-like situation. However, try to present the
not attack. Somehow the druids (or Diviatix himself ) has characters an opportunity to engage Sagoyaga in combat,
communicated to the forest animals some command not for the war-chief is likely to lead the attacks, not sit in
to hinder the party. The Players probably will never know the background and watch like a civilised general. When
why or how they crossed the wilderness in such relative
safety. Crossing the Black River will be the most difcult
thing, but the stag will lead them to some abandoned
canoes or the characters can try to swim the wide river.
In the upcoming ghts, if the characters have the staff

attuned to them, they have an advantage over Sagoyaga,
who is likely to be far more powerful than the Player
Characters. Do not forget, if the staff is touched to
Sagoyaga, he is immediately paralysed (no saving throw)
for 2d6 rounds, or until the staff is removed from contact
with him, whichever happens later. If the pointed end
of the staff is used to attack Sagoyaga directly it does
full damage automatically for a staff, with an additional
damage bonus of +1d6.
Option One: Sagoyagas War Camps: Characters can

confront Sagoyaga in one of his war camps if the Games
Master and/or Players wish, although that may well be a
death sentence for the Players. But if it stops Sagoyaga and
ends the war against the Westermarck, even that may not
be a price too high to pay. If this is the case, Sagoyaga
does not sit amid thousands of Picts. The Picts are
strung out over many, many miles in the spear of
land once known as Conajohara, with several war
camps dividing up the army. Sagoyaga will
possibly have 20 or 30 warriors in his
personal camp, but outlying camps
may stop the characters long
180
Sagoyaga is killed, the magic of the staff, before it becomes and perhaps leading to new adventures for the heroes of
inert, somehow alerts all of his followers of the war-chief s the Westermarck. Nemedia will certainly watch over the
fall. The Pictish invasion will dwindle and fall off. situation to see how they can benet. They may even send
envoys to the Pictish nation in an attempt to unify them
Option Three: Scandaga: The characters may ee again. If the characters failed to save the Westermarck,
Campaign
Velitrium, either in search of reinforcements or to escape then the battles will continue in the Bossonian Marches,
the almost hopeless attack. The characters may simply where the stone castles and archers will put up a stronger
decide to go to Scandaga rst, giving up on any chance resistance. The Games Master may want to assume the
of saving Velitrium. The characters will need to cross the Bossonians can stop the advance, or he may want to run
Thunder River in a similar manner as they did the Black adventures there, giving Player Characters a chance to
River earlier. The stag will not venture across the Thunder have a hand in the events.
River. In Scandaga, the characters will have time to help
the city bolster its defences, building additional ramparts
and palisades, or other impediments to attack. When Characters Used
in the Campaign
the attacks come, after Velitrium has been overrun and
razed, present the characters an opportunity to engage
Sagoyaga in combat, for the war-chief is likely to lead
the attacks, not sit in the background and watch like a Setting
civilised general. When Sagoyaga is killed, the magic of Sagoyaga, Paramount
the staff, before it becomes inert, somehow alerts all of his Chief of the Wolf Clan,
followers of the war-chief s fall. The Pictish invasion will
dwindle and fall off. Warlord of the Picts
Medium Pict Barbarian 6th /Scholar 9th /Paramount Chief
Resolution: Once Sagoyaga is dead, the staff becomes 5th
inert. If all the Players who are attuned to the staff die, Hit Dice: 6d10+4d6+5 (scholar) +15 (paramount chief )
then the staff becomes effectively inert and someone else +10 (Con) (77 hit points)
will have to undertake the quest to attune the staff if they Initiative: +14 (+3 Dex, +11 Ref )
want a special weapon to ght Sagoyaga. Honour and Speed: 30 ft.
reputation will be heaped upon the Player Characters if DV (dodge): 23 (+10 base, +3 Dex)
they manage to kill Sagoyaga. If they do not, the war will DV (parry): 19 (+5 base, +4 Str)
continue and the characters, if any survive, will perhaps DR: 1 (war mask)
have opportunities to stop him elsewhere. If the characters BAB/Grapple: +17/+21
succeed, reward them with an appropriate amount of Attack: Club +21 melee (1d8+4/x2/AP 5) or Bossonian
Reputation points, give them a Fate Point and assign an longbow +18 ranged (1d12+4/x3/AP 9)
amount of experience points appropriate. The characters Full Attack: Club and hatchet +21/+16/+11/+6/+21
may be given land, efs, titles or military commands. If melee (1d8+4/x2/AP 5 and 1d6+2/x3/AP 3) or Bossonian
any characters fell in battle, there will be monuments longbow +18/+13/+8/+3 ranged (1d12+4/x3/AP 9)
raised in their names at the place they fell. Streets and Special Attacks: +1 to attack and damage rolls when
cities may be named after them. Certainly children will attacking animals, Versatility (only -2 penalty when using
be named after them for years to come. King Conan improvised weapons), Crimson Mist, spells.
himself may even knight them once he returns from the Special Qualities: Literate; +2 circumstance bonus to
Fires of the South. Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Survival and Spot checks in
temperate or warm forest; +2 to saves against fear, Bite
Sword, Trap Sense +2, Uncanny Dodge, Blood Feud,
Long-Term Natural Leader, new sorcery style x4, scholar, background
(lay priest), base Power Points, Knowledge Is Power,
Campaigning +2 Power Point, 2 bonus spells, increased maximum
The after-effects of this campaign will likely be felt for a Power Points (triple).
long time in the Hyborian world. King Conan, once he Space/Reach: 5 ft. /5 ft.
returns from the Fires of the South, must decide if retaking Saves: Fort +12, Ref +14, Will +15
lost land is worth the effort and expenditure of lives and Abilities: Str 18, Dex 17, Con 12, Int
money. Aquilonias vassal nations at this time may nd 16, Wis 18, Cha 20
reasons to break away, occupying King Conans attention
181
Skills: (Note: Includes circumstance bonuses.) Bluff Westermarck. He is well known among the Wolf Picts
+20, Concentration +10, Craft (alchemy) +9, Craft for his incredible bravery. In his youth, upon seeing the
(body paint) +11, Craft (herbalism) +9, Craft (mask) +7, power of Bossonian archers rst hand, he rushed a nest of
Diplomacy +21, Disguise +2, Handle Animal +10, Hide them and wrestled one of their longbows from the living
+16, Intimidate +25, Jump +10, Knowledge (arcana) hands of an archer, as well as a quiver of arrows. Although
Campaign
+15, Knowledge (geography) +6, Knowledge (local) +9, non-procient in its use, his barbaric versatility allows him
Knowledge (nature) +15, Listen +6, Move Silently +16, to use the weapon with only slightly diminished accuracy.
Perform (ritual) +23, Sense Motive +20, Spot +6, Survival His followers often raid into the Bossonian Marches or
+10, Tumble +6. into the Westermarck for more arrows and bows. All of
Feats: Combat Expertise, Culling the Weakb, Die Hard his chiefs (Picts of 3rd level or higher) are expected to steal
b
, Endurance b, Horde b, Improved Bull Rush, Improved a longbow from a Bossonian before they reach 5th level.
Overrun, Improved Trip, Iron Will b, Leadership, Mobility
b
, Negotiator b, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Priest, Sagoyaga is a powerful-looking Pict. In typical Wolf
Ritual Sacrice, Stealthy, Trackb. fashion, he wears a single eagle feather in an upright
Power Points: 10 (30 maximum) position. He also weaves wolf teeth into his shaggy
Sorcery Styles: Nature Magic, Curses, Counterspells, hair and uses wolf teeth as ornamentation, especially
Hypnotism on his weapons. He wears stag antlers in a head-dress
Spells Known: Animal ally1, crimson portents3, dance of to symbolise his power as a paramount chief. Fantastic
the changing serpent1, dance of the skull3, entrance1, greater ostrich plumes, eagle feathers stained red, and wolf teeth
summon beast1, ill-fortune1, lesser ill-fortune1, put them into further decorate his head-dress.
the swamp3, summon beast 1, summon swarm3, torment2,
warding1. Already having earned honour and
Magical Attack: +11 (+6 base, +5 Charisma) reputation among his Wolf clan for
Reputation: 46 (Brave; +6 bonus to Bluff his bravery against the Bossonians,
and Intimidate, -3 to Disguise, included he became a war-chief for his clan.
already in skills above) He led his clan to ght alongside
Corruption: 3 (Disturbed) Zogar Sag against Conajohara.
Insanity: Delusion (minor); Voices Sagoyaga continued to gain honour
(major) and reputation for his feats against the
Leadership: 33/38 (+20 character level, Aquilonians. Later, when his wife and
+5 natural leader, +5 Cha bonus, +2 children were slain by Westermarck
great renown, +1 spellcasting / +1 priest soldiers trying to nd him, he swore
feat, +4 paramount chief ) to the spirits to ght forever against
Cohort/Followers: 16th level cohort; the Hyborians if they would but aid
4,000 1st level followers; 160 2nd level him. The spirits answered him in fevered
followers; 40 3rd level followers; 10 4th dreams and he took the mantle of shaman.
level followers; four 5th level followers; Over several years he continued to serve a
two 6th level followers dual role as war chief and shaman, leading
b
= bonus feat his growing clan to further victories against
1
= spell found in Conan the Roleplaying other tribes and against the Hyborians. To
Game the Picts, Sagoyaga seemed invincible. The
2
= spell found in The Scrolls of Skelos animals came at his beck and call, and many
3
= spell found in Across the Thunder River foes were sacriced to his loathsome spirits.
He captured a forest runner with a pouch full
Sagoyaga, successor to the paramount of military dispatches and learned to read
chief Dekanawatha, is full of them from a Hyborian woman his clan
bloodthirsty ambitions. He plans had adopted a few years previously. His
to unite and lead all the Pictish prestige grew to the point that he was asked
tribes, and their neighbours to serve as a paramount chief over several
the Ligureans as well, for Wolf clans. He served the paramount
an invasion of the chief Dekanawatha as a paramount
war chief for years. He advanced
182
Dekanawathas dreams of a Pictish empire, as the ranks of fortresses, regardless of the losses for his side. He has not
the Wolf confederacy swelled. When Dekanawatha was yet come to that point, however.
slain, the remaining paramount chiefs and advisors agreed
that Sagoyaga should lead them. Sagoyaga knows much about Aquilonian life and military
movements from stolen dispatches, a common target for
Campaign
When performing duties as a shaman, Sagoyaga wears a his raids. He has buried several chests full of Aquilonian
self-crafted shamans mask. In combat, he wears a war silver from raids against travelling paymasters. He knows
mask he crafted himself (see pg. 117 for details on crafted the locations of these treasure troves.
masks). He often summons a wolf ally to help him as he
leads his war parties against his enemies. When attacking,
he often directs his war party to concentrate on the weakest
Machk, Shaman to
member of his opponents party, ghting in a guerrilla the Paramount Chief
manner. He will often dart in to take a trophy of some
sort before all of his foes are slain. Nearly all of his ghts
of the Wolf Clan
Medium Pict Scholar 16th
are initiated at range when possible. He is renowned for
Hit Dice: 10d6+6 (43 hit points)
not losing many warriors in his raids. Often he will circle
around a foe until they are between him and the rest of his
Speed: 30 ft.
party. Then he bull rushes the weakest member through a
gauntlet of his best warriors, tripping the character at the
DV (parry): 17 (+1 Str, +6 base)
end if possible. He does not ght with primitive weapons.
DR: 0
He ghts with steel weapons stolen from the Aquilonians.
BAB/Grapple: +12/+11
He prefers war clubs, maces, axes and hatchets, however.
Attack: Club +11 melee (1d8+1/x2/AP 2) or hunting
bow +13 ranged (1d8/x2/AP 2)
Sagoyaga is fearlessly loyal to his Wolf clan, and has
Full Attack: Club +11/+6/+1 melee (1d8+1/x2/AP 2) or
dedicated his life to enriching and enlarging the Wolf
hunting bow +13/+8/+3 ranged (1d8/x2/AP 2)
confederacy. He will hurl his mighty forces ruthlessly
Special Attacks: +1 to attack and damage rolls when
against the Aquilonians, hating them with an unquenched
attacking animals; spells.
passion, but will never send his armies on an obviously
Special Qualities: Illiterate; +2 circumstance bonus to
foolish attack. He prides himself on keeping his losses
Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Survival and Spot checks in
to a minimum while maximising enemy losses. He has
temperate or warm forest; new sorcery style x6, scholar,
no problem with killing one or two Aquilonians in a
background (lay priest), base Power Points, Knowledge
surprise attack, then retreating before his own war party
is Power, +4 Power Points, 4 bonus spells, increased
is endangered. He will lead his foes on a merry chase
maximum Power Points (quadruple).
through the forest, leading them into pre-planned traps
Space/Reach: 5 ft. (1)/ 5 ft. (1)
and ambushes. He still hates the Hyborians for the deaths
of his children and rst wife. He has a second wife named
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 20, Wis 17, Cha
Kerisite and has a young daughter named Kawinon.
16
Skills: (Note: Includes circumstance bonuses.) Bluff +22,
Sagoyaga is quiet most times, preferring to listen and
Craft (alchemy) +10, Craft (herbalism) +24, Craft (mask)
learn than to speak constantly. When he does speak, it is
+14, Handle Animal +11, Heal +22, Hide +7, Intimidate
with wisdom and intelligence that his words are formed.
+22, Jump +4, Knowledge (arcana) +24, Knowledge
His leadership and wisdom has earned him a literal
(geography) +24, Knowledge (nature) +24, Listen +6,
horde of followers. Among them are his two generals,
Move Silently +10, Perform (ritual) +22, Sense Motive
Djiionondo and Wanenaka, both of whom are detailed
+22, Spot +5, Survival +5, Tumble +6.
below. His speaker is a 5th level follower named Atonwa,
Feats: A Painted Black Skull, Bleed Dry, Hexer, Iron
also detailed below. Over 4,000 Picts are at his beck and
Willb, Priest, Ritual Sacrice, Tortured Sacrice.
call. Despite his successes, he is uneasy. His Corruption
Power Points: 11 (44 maximum)
has begun to disturb his psyche. Haunted by nightmares
Sorcery Styles: Nature Magic, Curses,
and plagued by voices, he ounders under the delusion
Counterspells, Hypnotism, Summonings,
that he is immortal. He has begun to question the value
Necromancy.
of preserving Pictish life, and is toying with the idea of
inging his forces in full-frontal assaults on Aquilonian
183
Ohkwaho, Machks Wolf Ally
Medium Animal; HD 12d8+24; hp 78 hp; Init: +12 (+5 Dex, +7 Ref ); Spd 50 ft.;
Campaign
DV 21 (+5 Dex, +1 natural, +5 base); DR 7; BAB/Grapple+1+2; Atk Bite +13 melee

(1d8+4); Special Attacks: Trip, Multiattack; Special Qualities: Scent, low-light vision, link,
evasion, devotion, tricks; Fort +9, Ref +12, Will +8 (+4 bonus vs. enchantment spells and
effects); Str 18, Dex 20, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills and Feats: Hide +7, Listen +12, Move Silently +8, Spot +11, Survival +5; Alertness, Skill
Focus (Survival), Stealthy.
Ohkwaho is nearly as famous as his shaman master. He serves as a companion and ally of Machk. He
has grey and white fur, including three white socks (white hair on the feet). One ear is clipped from a
sword wound incurred during a ght with the Aquilonians. He knows several tricks, including Attack,
Come, Defend, Track, Seek and Guard (see the Handle Animal skill in Conan the Roleplaying Game
for details on these tricks). Ohkwaho will protect and defend Machk with his life and can rarely be
found far from the shaman. Machk believes Ohkwaho is a totem spirit manifested in the esh and the
Wolf clans feel protective of this special animal. Ohkwaho is friendly toward those Machk is friendly
toward and is overtly hostile to all others. The animal knows how to track Machk, and if grievously
wounded, Ohkwaho will try to nd his master. Observant Players might be able to make use of this
knowledge and tendency.
Spells Known: Animal ally1, banish outsider2, black plague1, although he is developing a slight pot-belly. He is known
crimson portents3, control monstrous humanoid2, curse of for his ability to interpret dreams and battle spirits and
Yizil1,4, dance of the changing serpent1, dance of the skull3, demons. He is also known for his ability to summon
doom of the doll2, entrance1, greater black plague1, greater plagues out of the swamp and send them against enemies.
summon beast1, greater warding1, hypnotic suggestion1, ill- He has crafted two masks for himself: a shamans mask
fortune1, lesser ill-fortune1, mass hypnotic suggestion1, master- and a wolf-like totem mask. He learned how to put his
words and signs1, put them into the swamp3, raise corpse1, enemies into the swamp from an Alligator shaman, but he
savage beast1, summon beast1, summon demon1, summon seeks to learn the awful rite of the were-beast that is spoken
swarm3, torment2, warding1. of in the spirit realms, although thus far eluded him.
Magical Attack: +11 (+8 base, +3 Charisma)
Reputation: 20 (Talented) Machk hates the Cormorant Picts with an undying passion
Corruption: 5 (Detached) for capturing and torturing him in the past. He managed
Insanity: Delusion (minor); Phobia (minor); to effect an escape, but his body still aches whenever the
Hallucination (major) weather changes. He also hates the Hyborians for killing
b
= bonus feat and deling his sister, an event that did not actually occur.
1
= spell found in Conan the Roleplaying Game His magical studies have deranged his mind slightly, and
2
= spell found in The Scrolls of Skelos he believes he had a young sister in his youth, although
3
= spell found in Across the Thunder River no one remembers his parents as having more than one
4
= Any sorcerer who qualies for the curse of Yizil gets it. child before they died in an Eagle raid. His mind has also
developed a curious phobia of horses; in recurring dreams,
Machk is Sagoyagas cohort. He is a well-respected horses constantly trample him. He is now terried of
tribal shaman whose wisdom has counselled many of horses and will avoid them. Machk also suffers from
the Wolf paramount chiefs. He has been assisting hallucinations. He sees spirits everywhere rock spirits,
Sagoyaga, however, since Sagoyagas family was tree spirits, dead spirits, water spirits. The presence of
killed by the Aquilonians. He has a wolf named the spirit world distracts him constantly, so he suffers a
Ohkwaho for an animal ally (detailed -2 penalty to all attack rolls, whether ranged or melee
below). Machk is a fairly lean Pict, (already calculated into the above statistics).
184
Machk is detached from humanity in many ways. He
prefers dealing with animals and the spirit world. Humans
and human motivations are not of interest to him, save
as a means to manipulate others. He will only appear
interested in other people and their problems if he feels
Campaign
he can gain something important from them (including
reputation) or use them for some ulterior purpose. He
knows much about his master, Sagoyaga, as well as the
wilderness around them.
Wanenaka, Follower
of Sagoyaga, War
Chief of the Wolf
Clan
Medium Pict 6th level Barbarian
Speed: 40 ft.
DV Dodge: 18 (+4 Dex, +4 Base)
DV Parry: 14 (+2 Str, +2 Base)
DR: -
BAB/Grapple: +6/+8
Attack: Club +10 melee nesse (1d8+2/x2, AP 2) or Bossonian Wanenaka is a follower of Sagoyaga and is a war chief of
longbow (+2) +8 (1d12+2/x3/AP 7*) the Wolf clan. From youth he seemed destined to be a war
Full Attack: Club and hatchet +10/+5/+10 melee nesse leader. He excelled in games as a child, usually winning
(1d8+2/x2, AP 3, and 1d6/x3/AP 2) or Bossonian longbow (+2) most ghts through a better application of strategy than
+8/+3 (1d12+2/x3/ AP 7*) his playmates. If he lost, he gured out why he lost
Special Attacks: +1 to attack and damage rolls when attacking and did not make the same mistake twice. He stole his
animals, Versatility (only -2 penalty when using improvised Bossonian longbow from a Westermarck Ranger who had
weapons), Crimson Mist. been separated from the rest of his group. Wanenaka later
Special Qualities: Illiterate; +2 circumstance bonus to Hide, returned to scalp the Ranger with the mans own hatchet.
Listen, Move Silently, Survival and Spot checks in temperate or His wife is pregnant with his rst child. Wanenaka is
warm forest; +2 to saves against fear, Bite Sword, Trap Sense +2, taller than the average Pict and has a crooked nose from
Uncanny Dodge. a childhood injury. He is lean, with a wolsh look. A
Space/Reach: 5 ft. (1)/5 ft. (1) fantastic sprinter, he can close distances between himself
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +9, Will +2 and prey quickly. Using his Improved Overrun feat, he
Abilities: Str 15, Dex 19, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha 14 tries to knock over opponents so he or the Picts behind
Skills: (Note: Includes circumstance bonuses.) Craft (body him can slaughter them. He often uses the Leaping
paint) +6, Hide +15, Intimidate +7, Jump +5, Listen +6, Move Charge combat manoeuvre (see Conan the Roleplaying
Silently +15, Sense Motive +4, Spot +7, Survival +5, Tumble
Game). His goal is to become a paramount chief and
+7.
is determined to prove his worth in combat and the
Feats: Cleave, Diehardb, Enduranceb, Fleet-Footed, Improved
Overrun, Mobilityb, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Trackb. leadership of others. He tends to be taciturn and solemn
Reputation: 21 (Brave) unless involved in a Pictish ritual. He does enjoy relating
Possessions: Club, Bossonian longbow (only -2 to tales of his prowess. He is known among the Picts
hit because of Versatility), 12 arrows, steel hatchet, as an honest warrior, brave and sure. He knows
appropriate hair ornaments, scary looking warpaint (on Sagoyagas plans for destroying the Westermarck,
a Craft check (DC 20) he gains +1 bonus to attack rolls but is unlikely to reveal much of that knowledge
plus +1 to Intimidate checks per 3 points over 20). to non-Picts. Even torture will not loosen
b
= bonus feat his tongue, as he expects to be tortured
if captured and will sing bold songs
185
of deance and bravery while tortured. He does talk a lot shoulders, and down a supple back. She has bright hazel
when drunk, however. eyes and full, soft lips. She usually wears a choker around
her long neck. She was trained from an early age in the
arts of diplomacy and intimidation so she would be able
Lady Coelia, Daughter to run the household and ef of whatever nobleman gains
of Dionysia
Campaign
her hand in marriage in a couple of years. She has a cohort

Medium Aquilonian 6th level Noble and several followers, all of whom amount to nannies,
Hit Dice: 6d8 (30 hit points) servants and daughters of local noble families who are her
Initiative: +3 (+1 Dex, +2 Ref ) friends. She left them all behind in Aquilonia when she
Speed: 30 ft. ed to the Westermarck. A dreamer, she is not content
DV Dodge: 13 (+1 Dex, +2 Base) to be a noblemans wife in some minor Aquilonian ef.
DV Parry: 12 (-1 Str, +3 Base) She longs to become a princess, a wife to the Prince of
DR: - Aquilonia, or, if not that, then to at least serve King Conan
BAB/Grapple: +4/+3 in some diplomatic manner, perhaps by marrying one of
Attack: Unarmed strike +5 nesse melee (1d4-1/x2) his advisors. She has studied the Picts at length and longs
or dagger +5 nesse melee (1d4-1/19-20 x2/ AP 0) or to meet the great Sagoyaga. She met a Pict once, a female
Hunting Bow +7 ranged (1d8/x2/ AP 0) slave. The old Pict woman said Coelia was destined for
Full Attack: Unarmed strike +5 nesse melee (1d4-1/x2) a great fate. She also told her about Dekanawidah and
or dagger +5 nesse melee (1d4-1/19-20 x2/ AP 0) or his staff. From the tales of that ancient Wolf speaker she
Hunting Bow +7 ranged (1d8/x2/ AP 0) knows the staff can be a weapon used against demons
Special Attacks: +2 bonus to attack rolls with broadsword, and sorcery, but she has only the vaguest clues when the
hunting bow, heavy lance and war spear. Players rst meet her as to how to properly attune the
Special Qualities: Adaptability (Diplomacy, Intimidate); weapon. By the time of the second adventure, she has
background skills (Craft (embroidery), Diplomacy, Bluff, the answers for the attuning and the use of the weapon.
Sense Motive), Weapon Familiarity (greatsword), +1 racial She is strong willed and does not like to take orders from
bonus to Fate Points; Title; Rank Hath Its Privileges; anyone she considers her inferior, but she is not stupid.
Wealth; Social Ability (Comeliness); Lead By Example +2, Survival rst, indignation comes second.
Enhanced Leadership.
Sir Gasparus, Son of
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha Gaspar, Knight of
17
Skills: Bluff +14, Craft (embroidery) +10, Diplomacy
the Barrie Grange
Medium Aquilonian 6th level Noble
+16, Gather Information +12, Intimidate +16, Knowledge
(arcana) +6, Knowledge (local) +6, Knowledge (nobility)
Initiative: +6 (+0 Dex, +2 Ref, +4 Imp. Init.)
+3, Sense Motive +13.
Speed: 25 ft.
Feats: Iron Will, Leadershipb, Negotiator, Persuasive,
DV Dodge (melee): 12 (+0 Dex, +2 base)
Steely Gaze.
DV Dodge (ranged): 16 vs. ranged (+0 Dex, +2 base, +4
Reputation: 19 (Brave)
shield bonus)
DV Parry: 20 (+3 Str, +3 base, +4 shield bonus)
Leadership: 12/14 (4th level cohort, 50 1st level followers,
DR: 10 (mail shirt and breastplate, great helm)
two 2nd level followers, one 3rd level follower)
BAB/Grapple: +4/+7
Possessions: None when found. Normally she wears
Attack: Broadsword +9 melee (1d10+3/19-20 x2/ AP 6)
Aquilonian gowns and a small dagger.
or heavy lance +9 melee (1d10+3/x2/AP 5) or hunting
b
= bonus feat
Full Attack: Broadsword +9 melee (1d10+3/19-20 x2/
Lady Coelia is a young Aquilonian minor noble,
AP 6) or heavy lance +9 melee (1d10+3/x2/AP 5) or
the daughter of a favoured relative to the Duke
hunting bow +6 ranged (1d8/x2/AP 5)
of Manara. Since her childhood she has been
Special Attacks: +2 bonus to attack rolls with broadsword,
fascinated by tales of the Picts. She is
hunting bow, heavy lance and war spear.
extremely beautiful, with lustrous
Special Qualities: Adaptability (Ride, Intimidate);
hair that falls in waves past
background skills (Ride, Intimidate, Handle Animal,
a warm face, over soft
186
Sense Motive), Weapon Familiarity (greatsword), +1 raise enough money to buy a suit of Aquilonian plate
racial bonus to Fate Points; Title; Rank Hath Its Privileges; armour. Although the armour he seeks is not available
Wealth; Social Ability (Comeliness); Lead By Example +2, in the Westermarck, the chance to make money is. He
Enhanced Leadership. is currently working as a bounty hunter, which he feels is
Space/Reach: 5 ft. (1)/5 ft. (1) beneath himself. He wants to serve in a knightly cavalry
Campaign
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +4 and earn a ef of his own. He wants to be known as a brave
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 11, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 9, Cha and stalwart man, but has only made himself known as a
14 cruel master (which has hurt his Leadership score). He
Skills: Bluff +5, Diplomacy +6, Gather Information +6, is hoping to change that in the Westermarck by ghting
Handle Animal +11, Intimidate +13, Knowledge (local) the Picts. He is little known in the Westermarck, so they
+4, Knowledge (nobility) +5, Ride +11, Sense Motive mistakenly see him as a hero on a grand horse. He was
+7 (Note: Some skills will suffer a -11 armour check involved in a Pictish raid of a supply caravan, and although
penalty). he was helping the caravan defend themselves, he noticed
Feats: Improved Initiative, Leadershipb, Mounted the Picts stole the cash box. He had heard of several
Combat, Power Attack, Ride-by Attack, Spirited Charge. such raids, which set his mind to work. He managed to
Reputation: 21 (Cruel) justify helping the Picts against the Westermarck so that
Leadership: 8/7 (4th level cohort (squire); ve 1st level he could get some of the stolen treasures Sagoyaga must
followers (retainers)) be stockpiling. He used every excuse he could think of to
Possessions: Mail shirt, breastplate, great helm, large play up the evils of expansionism and the Westermarck in
shield, slave girl, knights belt, riding boots, whetstone, his mind to justify his treason. He knows where Sagoyaga
Hyborian warhorse, riding saddle, broadsword, heavy and most of his ranking chiefs can be found.
lance, hunting bow, 20 arrows.
= bonus feat
Arisawe Ohnanerita,
b
Sir Gasparus is a minor noble of Aquilonia whose Witch of the Otter

inheritance was spent by his father and older brothers.
He is wearing hand-me-down armour and wants to
Swamps
Medium Pict Scholar 9th level
Speed: 30 ft.
DV (parry): 12 (-1 Str, +3 base)
DR: 0
BAB/Grapple: +6/+5
Attack: Club +8 melee nesse (1d8-1/x2/AP 0) or hunting
Full Attack: Club +8/+3 melee nesse (1d8-1/x2/AP 0)
or hunting bow +8/+3 ranged (1d8/x2/AP 0)
Special Attacks: +1 to attack and damage rolls when
attacking animals; spells
Special Qualities: Illiterate; +2 circumstance bonus to
Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Survival and Spot checks in
temperate or warm forest; new sorcery style x4, scholar,
background (lay priest), base Power Points, Knowledge
is Power, +2 Power Points, 2 bonus spells, increased
maximum Power Points (triple).
Abilities: Str 9, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 13, Wis
14, Cha 17
Skills: (Note: Includes circumstance
bonuses.) Craft (body paint) +5,
187
Craft (herbalism) +6, Heal +11, Hide +6, Intimidate loincloth adorned with beads and feathers. She also
+9, Jump +1, Knowledge (arcana) +13, Knowledge wears a pair of otter-skin moccasins, likewise adorned
(geography) +7, Knowledge (nature) +13, Knowledge with beaded patterns. She often paints her body in paints
(religion) +7, Listen +4, Move Silently +10, Perform designed to allure others. She is a skilled swimmer and
(ritual) +15, Spot +4, Sense Motive +8, Survival +4, Swim can often be found swimming in the pools around her
Campaign
+11, Tumble +4. lonesome hut. She treats the Swim skill as a class skill by
Feats: Carouser, Debaucher, Endurance, Iron Willb, using her skill points from her Intelligence on Swim. She
Ritual Sacrice. does not live inside any one particular Otter village, but
Power Points: 6 (18 maximum) (-2 penalty applied for if she knows a threat is coming, she will abandon her hut
being obsessed; see below) to go within a fortied Pict village. Her debaucheries are
Sorcery Styles: Nature Magic, Curses, Counterspells, legendary among the tribesmen. The Otter village closest
Hypnotism to her home is so familiar with her ways that most of
Spells Known: Call of Damballah3, curse of Yizil1, 4, dance that clan is already corrupt and/or suffering from minor
of the changing serpent1, domination1, enslave2, entrance1, insanities. She is currently troubled with nightmares, and
greater warding1, hypnotic suggestion1, lesser ill-fortune1, has developed a phobia of rabbits. She is also obsessed
ranged hypnotism1, summon beast1, summon swarm3, with having children, but, although she does not know it,
torment2, Warding1. she is infertile. Machk has promised that he can give her
Magical Attack: +7 (+4 base, +3 Charisma) a child if she can bring him the staff he seeks. Her usual
Reputation: 20 (Talented) method of attack is to appear in front of a lone character
Corruption: 3 and enslave him for sexual reasons in her futile quest for
Insanity: Phobia (minor) pregnancy. She will try to do this to whomever holds the
Possessions: Club, hunting bow, 12 arrows, primitive staff Machk seeks so she can steal it. She knows Sagoyagas
hatchet, appropriate hair ornaments, mating body paint plans and she knows about the curious staff sought by
(see pg. 117). Machk. She will sell her body and/or any information she
b
= bonus feat has for strong alcohol, particularly Bossonian whisky.
1
= spell found in Conan the Roleplaying Game
= spell found in The Scrolls of Skelos Djiionondo, Follower of
2
3
= spell found in Across the Thunder River
4
= Any sorcerer who qualies for the curse of Yizil gets it. Sagoyaga, War Chief of
the Wolf Clan
Arisawe Ohnanerita is an ally to Machk, as well as an Medium Pict 6th level Barbarian
occasional lover. She is interested in learning how to Hit Dice: 6d10+6 (43 hit points)
summon plagues out of the swamps, and he has agreed Initiative: +8 (+3 Dex, +5 Ref )
to teach her some day. She argues that she is ready and Speed: 30 ft.
he insists she is not, which is technically true; in game DV Dodge: 17 (+3 Dex, +4 base)
terms she needs to be 14th level to be able to meet the DV Parry: 15 (+3 Str, +2 base)
prerequisites for black plague. She was born a member DR: 1 (war mask)
of the Alligator tribe, but she was stolen as a young child BAB/Grapple: +6/+9
during an Otter raid and adopted into the Otter clan. Attack: Club +9 melee nesse (1d8+2/x2, AP 3) or
Adopted by the female shaman of that particular clan, Bossonian longbow (+3) +9 (1d12+3/x3/AP 8*) (Note:
she was taught the ways of magic and spirits. Her tribe he gains an additional +1 to all attacks when he wears his
traded often with the Hyborians, especially for Bossonian war mask)
whisky. Brought up in the ways of debauchery by her new Full Attack: Club and axe +9/+4/+9 melee nesse (1d8+3/
family and tribe, she often crept across the border to trade x2, AP 3, and 1d8+1/x3/AP 2) or Bossonian longbow (+3)
her body for alcohol. She is an extremely beautiful Pict +9/+4 (1d12+3/x3/ AP 8*) (Note: he gains an additional
by any standard. Her hair is a black mass of tresses +1 to all attacks when he wears his war mask)
long enough to reach her knees when she combs it Special Attacks: +1 to attack and damage rolls when
straight. Her enigmatic smile is accorded to be the attacking animals, Versatility (only -2 penalty when using
most beautiful in all of Pictland by the tribes improvised weapons), Crimson Mist.
and clans she comes into contact with. Special Qualities: (Note: Circumstance bonuses gured
When she deigns to wear anything into skills below) Illiterate; +2 circumstance bonus to
at all, she wears an otter pelt Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Survival and Spot checks in
188
temperate or warm forest; +2 to saves against fear, Bite DV (dodge): 21 (+3 Dex, +4 base, +4 natural)
Sword, Trap Sense +2, Uncanny Dodge. DV (parry): 24 (+6 Str, +4 base, +4 natural)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. (1)/5 ft. (1) DR: 5 (rubbery hide)
Saves: Fort +6 (+7 when war mask worn), Ref +8, Will BAB/Grapple: +15/+21
+2 Attack: Bite +21 (1d4+6)
Campaign
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 13, Wis 11, Cha Full Attack: Bite +21 (1d4+6)
15 Special Attacks: Spells
Skills: Craft (body paint) +6, Craft (mask) +6, Diplomacy Special Qualities: Blindsight, new sorcery style x5,
+5, Hide +12, Intimidate +5, Jump +6, Listen +4, Move scholar, background (lay priest), base Power Points,
Silently +12, Sense Motive +4, Spot +7, Survival +5, Knowledge is Power, +3 Power Points, 3 bonus spells,
Tumble +6. increased maximum Power Points (quadruple).
Feats: Combat Expertise, Diehardb, Enduranceb, Exotic Space/Reach: 15 ft. (3)/5 ft. (1)
Weapon Prociency (Bossonian longbow), Improved Saves: Fort +9, Ref +12, Will +18
Trip, Mobilityb, Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Trackb. Abilities: Str 23, Dex 17, Con 11, Int 20, Wis 17, Cha
Reputation: 24 (Brave) 16
Possessions: Club, Bossonian longbow, 12 arrows, steel Skills: Bluff +19, Concentration +16, Craft (alchemy)
axe, appropriate hair ornaments, scary looking warpaint +21, Craft (herbalism) +14, Diplomacy +19, Gather
(on a Craft check DC 20 he gains +1 bonus to attack rolls Information +19, Intimidate +19, Knowledge (arcane)
plus +1 to Intimidate checks per 3 points over 20), wolf +21, Knowledge (geography) +21, Knowledge (nature)
war mask (+1 bonus to attack rolls, +1 Fortitude saves, +1 +21, Knowledge (religion) +21, Listen +19, Move Silently
DR, -2 Spot when worn). +19, Perform (ritual) +19, Search +21, Sense Motive
b
= bonus feat +19.
Feats: Endurance, Iron Willb, Menacing Aura, Power
Djiionondo is one of Sagoyagas loyal followers and a Attack, Ritual Sacrice, Sleep Mastery, Steely Gaze,
war-chief of a Wolf clan. He is average height for a Pict Tortured Sacrice.
and, when at war, wears a savage mask carved from wood Power Points: 10 (40 maximum)
that looks wolf-like, although with a twisted nose. Slower Spells Known: Animal ally1, children of the night1,
than most Wolf Picts, he was ridiculed often as a youth. demonic pact1, domination1, draw forth the soul1, dread
He has made up for it with his savage ferocity and intense serpent 1, eternal youth2, gelid bones1, greater ill-fortune1,
bravery. Few ridicule him now, and he is an honoured greater summon beast1, hypnotic suggestion1, ill-fortune1,
war-chief. He is becoming a noted speaker as well at the lesser ill-fortune1, mass hypnotic suggestion1, entrance1,
council res. His diplomatic skills are something he is sorcerous garden1, summon beast1, witchs vigour2.
working hard to improve, and if he levels up, the Games Magical Attack: +9 (+6 base, +3 Charisma)
Master is encouraged to spend skill points from his Corruption: 25 (Corrupted)
Intelligence bonus on Diplomacy. Djiionondo is actively b
= bonus feat
seeking a certain staff for his warlord and is charged with 1
= spell found in Conan the Roleplaying Game
attacking the province of Conawaga after Schohira has 2
= spell found in The Scrolls of Skelos
fallen. He has a great respect for the elders of the Pictish
nation and is actually impatient to grow old and wise Dekanawidah nally cast enough spells for his body,
himself. To that end, he is motivated to seek out new corrupted by the taint of his own black sorcery, to become
experiences and opportunities. He is heavily concerned stretched and worm-like. When the universe retaliated
with his reputation and is continually seeking means to against his foul ways and a rift was opened into Hell. His
increase his standing, especially in the eyes of Sagoyaga. soul gone, Dekanawidahs corrupted body was inhabited
He does not much care for Wanenaka, who he sees as a by a demon. The demon has access to Dekanawidahs
rival, while he is frightened and awed by Machk. memories, which makes the Lord of the Worms an
interesting amalgamation of demon and Pict. The
demon is not even sure anymore whose memories
The Lord of the are whose. He regards the tribe of Children of the
Worms Night he rules as mere playthings as he gathers
Medium Outsider (Demon) Scholar 13th level the power to escape his prison beneath the
Hit Dice: 6d8+13d6 (72 hit points) earth and overrun the Ligureans who
Initiative: +12 (+3 Dex, +9 Ref ) entrapped him.
Speed: 5 ft.
189
Colour of Blood 121
Index Conajohara 22
F
Face of Gullah 125
Conawaga 7
Face of Jhil 125
A Scandaga 8
Face of the Panther 126
Aberrations 142 Military Forces of Scandaga 11
Fears of the Fearless 76
Acolyte Path of the Ligurean Conict and Plot 153
Feudal Obligations 44
Index
Druids 71 Cormorant Tribe 96

Fires of the Ritual 126
Alligator 135 Coyaga 16
Food and Water 35
Alligator Tribe 95 Craft (body paint) 117
Food from the Wild 84
Arisawe Ohnanerita 187 Craft (mask) 117
Forest Runner 54, 147
Arrigus Barrabus, Lord 8 Craft (talking drum) 118
Fort Kwanyara 18
Aspect of Jhebbal Sag 120 Creating Aberrations 143
Fort Thandara 21
Awareness, Efciency and the Will Creating Your Own Pictish Tribes
Free Trapper 55
to Live 34 115
A Brush with the Supernatural Crimson Portents 133
155 Culling the Weak 121 G
A Painted Black Skull 120 Culture along the Westermarck 30 Galoric 68
Culture of the Painted Devils 74 Games and Celebrations of the
Picts 92
B
Backstory 154 D Gather the Tribe 126
Gauntlet, The 80
Bag of Demons 134 Dance of the Skull 130
Ghost Swamp 24
Barter Exchange Rates 39 Dancing Savage 144
Gods of the Picts 92
Bat Swarm 139 Dangers of Border Life 26
Greater Feint 126
Bear Tribe 96 Dark Rites of the Dim Forests 88
Greater Grapple 126
Beasts 30 Defences 86
Greater Uncanny Dodge 126
Black River 24 Dire Boar 137
Great Bear 136
Blowpipe 128 Diseases 26
Grim Tortures 80
Body Paint Feats 119 Healing a Disease 29
Body Paint Focus 121 Diviatix 71
Bola 129 Djiionondo 188 H
Borderer 51 Driving Force of Necessity, The Harpoon 129
32 Hawk 137
Drummer in the Dark 61, 146 Hawk Tribe 101
C Drums of Fear 122 Honour and Glory 80
Call of Damballah 132 Drums of the Altar 123 Horror of the Shamans 81
Carried with the Wind 121 Drums of the Dusk 124 How the Picts Fight 79
Centipede Swarm 139 Drums of the Fire 124 Human Assets 87
Ceremonies of War 77 Drums of the Hunt 124 Hunt Master 62, 148
Chakan 165 Drums of the Serpent 124
Characters 154 Drums of Valusia 124
Chiefs, Speakers and Village Drums of War 125
I
Government 74 Improved Paint Focus 126
Drums of Zogar Sag 125
Chief Factor 52 Into The Fray 127
Drum Feats 119
Clerk 55 Isolation 30
Drum Focus 121
Cling of Power 121
Clothing and Appearance
E J
83 Jon Storms son 16
Eagle 136
Eagle Tribe 99
Eastend 12 K
Execution at Dawn 81 Korvela Bay 24
190
Picts, The 26 Thandara 19
L Pict Feats 120 Thenitea 17
Labour and Professions 42
Pict Names 93 Thunder River 24
Lady Coelia 186
Pict Slayer 127 Timeline of Events 160
Lair of the Lizard God 138
Power of the Altar 127 Toucan Tribe 110
Lake District 13
Primitive Instincts 127 Towns 44
Landeners 24
Index
Prisoners 80 Trade 82
Laundress 56
Prostitute 57 Trade and Transactions 39
Leadership 87
Put Them into the Swamp 131 Trapping in the Wild 36
Ligurean Pantheon 71
Travel 41, 84
Living Off the Animals 85
Living off the Land 34, 85 R Tree of Leaf and Bud 24
Tribal Organisation 74
Living Off the Plants 85 Rat Swarm 140
Tribal Traditions and Traditional
Logger 56 Raven Tribe 105
Roles 75
Loggerton 11 Religion of the Picts 88
Trouble in the Wind 128
Loot 88 Religion on the Frontier 45
Turtle Tribe 110
Lords of Creation, The 71
Lord of the Worms, The 189 S V
Sacred Places 89
Value of Improvisation, The 34
M Sagoyaga 181
Velitrium 23
Machk 183 Sample Traps 38
The Fort 24
Mark of Brotherhood 127 Schohira 15
Villages 86
Marsilius, Lord 10 Military Forces of Schohira 17
Viper Swarm 141
Mask Feats 120 Schondara 16
Voyageur 60
Mask Focus 127 Sea-Falcon Tribe 109
Military Life on the Border 47 Sense Weakness 128
Minimum Damage 129 Serpent Eyes 128 W
Servant in the Swamp 141 Wanenaka 185
Setting 152 Warfare and Blood-feuds 76
N Settler 58 Warfare on the Border 45
Net 129
Shaman 64, 89 Waterfront, The 23
New Year Celebration 94
Shark Tribe 109 Water Wise 128
Northend 13
Shelter and the Skills to Live 38 Weapons of the Picts 78
Sir Gasparus 186 Weird Tales from the Frontier 152
O Six Pits 93 Were-Panther, Panther Form 171
Ohkwaho 184 Skidtown 23 Wicked Savagery 128
Oriskonie 6 Snowsnakes 94 Wildcat Tribe 111
Otah the Lizard God 138 Soldier 59 Wolf Confederacy 113
Otter Tribe 105 Soldiersfort 13 Women and Children 82
Out of Thin Air 127 Spider Swarm 140
Staff of Leaf and Bud 72
Structures 87
Z
P Summon Swarm 133
Zogar Sag 69
Panther Tribe 103
Swarm 138
Paramount Chief 150
Perform (Ritual) 118
Perform (Talking Drum) 119 T
Permanent Effects of Torture 81 Talking Drums 82
Pict 66 Teeth Gleaming 128
Pictish Blood 127 Terrifying Visage 128
Pictish Wilderness, The 24 Test of Resolve 81
191
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Conan RPG - Across The Thunder River PDF

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What groups are mentioned as potential villains in the Hyborian Age?

What groups are mentioned as potential villains in the Hyborian Age?

What is described as a darker and more sinister presence in the world compared to other villains?

What is described as a darker and more sinister presence in the world compared to other villains?

CONTENTS

Across the Thunder River

timberland into a prosperous and civilised province.

with respect, even by the most back-woods of characters.

Lord Marsilius, the

implements, the third produces horseshoes

Lake District Governors

Robert E. Howard, Notes on

The land around Schondara has been cleared,

Adventure Schohira maintains peace treaties with the Hawk, Wildcat

Fort Kwanyara Knife Creek

The people of Conajohara scattered throughout

nuisance to be swept aside. The Picts, already resentful of

The Pictish Korvela Bay: Korvela Bay is a coastal colony established

When Aquilonia annexed Conajohara without so much

The gruesome border wars have not stopped. At any time

Robert E. Howard, Beyond the Black The Diseases

Cholera: An acute and highly contagious infection.

brave frontiersmen alone in the Pictish woodlands is

Depression is not uncommon among the frontiersmen,

Note that L. Sprague de Camp did nish

A trap is typically dened by its location and triggering

For catching scavenger animals, baited pits with spears

Costrel, leather 2 per beaver pelt 1d4+1 sp

When sneaking about in the Pictish

Silently skill. You can move up to half your

composed of lesser cavalry units

The densely wooded terrain of

Infrequency of pay is another hardship the soldiers have

Characters of the Wilderness

Salt of the Earth

The second section details several generic Picts (samples

Salt of the Earth

Adventure Hooks: Forest Runners are a good means to

Salt of the Earth

higher levels, the head trader may have accumulated

Salt of the Earth

Adventure Hooks: Loggers can be encountered in taverns

steady stream of coins in a land where wealth is hard to

Salt of the Earth

or through a knighthood for valorous conduct, it is virtually

half of what the other two voyageurs earn. Voyageurs tend

Salt of the Earth

Adventure Hooks: A drummer in the dark may have lost

Salt of the Earth

guidance to their tribes, and often become de facto tribal

Salt of the Earth

When the Cataclysm struck, the Pictish Isles were thrust

Salt of the Earth

to split the tribute gold with the Legionnaires and head to

Possessions: Broadsword, feathered cape, mail shirt

Galoric is a former tribune of the Imperial Legions of

Salt of the Earth

simple one or two roomed affairs, with a hearth. They

well, for an invasion of the westernmost Aquilonian