Tuesday, February 3, 2026

His Terrible Swift Sword (GLOG Class: Barbarian)


Guercino

The woodsman sighed and stared at his calloused hand, worn from contact with ax-haft and sword-hilt. Conan reached his long arm for the wine-jug. The forester stared at him, comparing him with the men about them, the men who had died along the lost river, comparing him with those other wild men over that river. Conan did not seem aware of his gaze.

"Barbarism is the natural state of mankind," the borderer said, still staring somberly at the Cimmerian. "Civilization is unnatural. It is a whim of circumstance. And barbarism must always ultimately triumph."
Beyond The Black River [63]

BARBARIAN

Skill: 1. Equestrianism, 2. Lovemaking, 3. Outdoorsman, 4. Seafaring.

Starting Items: A pot of body oil, a flask of kumis or millet beer, a pouch of dried horse meat, battered chain maille (medium) and your choice of: an ancient xiphos looted from a tomb (medium) and an enameled shield; a blood-soaked bronze tabar (heavy); or a shamshir (medium) and an oxhorn recurve bow with two dozen barbed arrows (medium, 100' range). You also carry a single Trophy.

You are the foreigner, the outsider, the musclebound lunatic covered in tattoos and blood. The feral man who lives free on the steppes, hills or deep forests, untamed by Nephilim and their "civilisation". You feast your friends and flay your foes and, trusting no one, never weep when you are betrayed.  

+1 to hit and damage per template

A: Body Of Iron, +2 HP
B: Bare Chest, Fell Harvest, +2 HRTS
C: Overeager, +2 HP
D: Philosopher King, +2 SAVE

As a Barbarian, you have proficiency with all weapons and armour. You also have the ability to sunder shields to negate all damage from an incoming attack. Magical shields can also be sundered, reducing their bonus by -1 each time, to absorb spell effects or magical attacks.

BODY OF IRON
Whenever you are wearing no armour, your MOVE and melee bonuses to hit and damage are doubled. Generally this means you've at least got your biceps and abs exposed (and preferably well-oiled).

BARE CHEST
You can doff any item of equipment, including suits of armour or even your entire inventory, within a single round. This is highly impressive to your lovers and terrifying to cowardly enemies, who must test morale to see you strip naked and charge at them.

FELL HARVEST
Your attacks cleave, meaning if you kill a creature you can transfer any remaining damage onto an adjacent target (so long as the original attack roll could have also struck them). This ability can trigger multiple times in a single turn, allowing you to slice through entire hordes of enemies.

OVEREAGER
You can suffer d6 damage to reattempt a failed roll. You suffer the damage before rerolling. If you're reduced to 0 HP you knock yourself out in an embarrassing, yet mildly impressive fashion.

PHILOSOPHER KING
You are immune to mind altering affects such as fear, sleep or charm. Despite your uncivilized origins (or perhaps because of them), you could become a remarkably effective leader, even in peacetime.

TROPHIES (d12)

  1. Chalk. Pouch of chalk taken from the cliffs of a forgotten island. If rubbed onto your hands, you acquire preternatural grip strength, gaining +2 MOVE when grappling, resisting disarms or climbing for an hour. Contains enough for five uses. 1 slot.
  2. Rope. 100' of sturdy hempen rope, tarred for water resistance. Smells of the sea. 2 slots.
  3. Jabbershark Oil. A flask of terrifically potent oil. If used to fuel lanterns, burns twice as long and twice as bright. If thrown, creates a 10' square of raging fire for a turn. 1 slot.
  4. Woad. A pot of bright blue dye. If ritually painted onto your naked body, Body Of Iron also doubles your SKLL or SAVE when resisting magic. Last for an hour. 1 slot.
  5. Blowpipe. A narrow reed tube packed with rare soporifics. When blown mightily, releases a 10' cloud of narcotic smog that instantly knocks out anything with 4 HD or less for a turn.
  6. Flying Sword. An ivory hilted medium sword stained in the blood of a slain lich. Strikes unerringly if thrown at an enemy within 30'. Doesn't return to your hand afterwards.
  7. Moss Covered Arrowhead. An ancient copper arrowhead on a rawhide necklace, rendered bright viridian by corrosion. If reaffixed to an arrow, can be shot as a single-use +3 projectile that deals double damage to extraterrestrial threats. This includes Nephilim.
  8. Warhorse. A black-coated destrier that once belonged to an Nephil's armiger, until it bucked him off and stomped him into paste. The armoured monster recognised you as a more worthy master (3 HDAC as chain, 10 morale, +3 to hit, trample 1d6/1d6).
  9. Serpent Skull. The severed head of a Naga priestess. When held, you're unaffected by venom and poison. They can enter your bloodstream, you just take no damage. If it the toxin was deadly, you'll still die the second you release the skull. Better get healing first. 1 slot.
  10. Lion Pelt. The hide of a truly massive cat, mane and all. When worn slung over your shoulder you count as wearing light armour, but still benefit from Body Of Iron.
  11. Heart of the Elephant. A fist-sized orb of red glass stolen from an ancient temple. If anointed in 6 HP of blood and placed nearby a sleeping creature, they must SAVE or be dragged inside of it. Only powerful magic or shattering the orb can release them. 1/3 a slot.
  12. Red Nail. A long iron nail stained red with blood. Radiates hatred and violence. If hammered into a corpse they immediately reanimate as an Orcnea. The undead beast is not under your control.

Frank Frazetta

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