'Giants in the Earth' - TFT edition

[larsdangly]

I understand everyone's desire to have Conan be both the stronger than the strongest plausible character you will ever see and higher DX than the highest DX character you could readily make, and very smart. But the game is constrained by rules and the ~50-55 point being suggested by these posts can't reasonably exist under those rules. So, what I presented was someone who I think is functionally not that much weaker or slower or dumber than you are imagining, but is a character that could exist in the game. I also happen to think my version is closer to the person who appears in Howards' stories.

But, if you can wait another day till I get back to my house and game books, i'll post a 'cinematic' version of Conan, suitable for the comic books, using the Supers rules!

[Terquem]

I remember the "Giants in the Earth" articles - great job bringing it back like this.

Also, I can't imagine people disagreeing about the "abilities" of Conan the Barbarian - I mean, really, he's only human. Sure, he is an incredibly lucky human protected by "plot armor" but still, just human.

Oh, oh, do Zorro next.

[larsdangly]

At long last, the cinematic/cartoonish Conan, a'la 'Savage sword of Conan'. I've used the Supers rules from the Companion, but still assumed that Conan advanced after character creation in a way that was bound by the legacy edition experience rules. The main dilemma I encountered was in trying to figure out which two of the three most obvious 'enhancement' super powers I'd give him, from among Superstrength, Toughness and Reflexes. All are plausible traits for a cinematic Conan character, yet you can't pick all three within the rules as presented in the Companion. I settled on Superstrength and Reflexes, so this is a Conan who can be felled by a normal (if lucky) attack and has maximal offensive capabilities. That feels more right to me than a Conan who is very difficult to kill but more or less similar to other humans in offensive output.

ST 15 (30 for attacks and feats of strength due to x2 Superstrength)
DX 15 (two actions per turn; +4 in order of actions; adjDX 12 in chainmail)
IQ 10
MA 12 (6 in chainmail)

Talents: Brawling, Carousing, Sex Appeal, Running, Swimming, Climbing, Alertness, Horsemanship, Sword, Shield, Bow, Axe/Mace, Toughness II, Naturalist

Superpowers: Superstrength (x2); Reflexes (2 actions per turn; advanced two levels to also gain +4 to adjDX for determining order of actions only)

Three lesser wishes (purchased using XP)

Handicaps: Choleric; Over-sexed

Typical gear: Bastard sword, battle axe; chainmail ± small shield when expecting battle. Preferred weapon is battle axe used in one hand.

[David Bofinger]

Conan from the movies is a lot higher ST than Conan from the books, simply because they had Schwarzenegger to play him. The books talk about him being strong, but emphasise his speed more. I remember him wearing (at least in one story) "a light chain", which I would treat as equivalent to leather.

Also, Conan the king has some talents that Conan the young Cimmerian warrior doesn't.