GURPS Hyboria

Between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, and the years of the rise of the Sons of Aryas, there was an Age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars - Nemedia, Ophir, Brythunia, Hyperborea, Zamora with its dark-haired women and towers of spider-haunted mystery, Zingara with its chivalry, Koth that bordered on the pastoral lands of Shem, Stygia with its shadow-guarded tombs, Hyrkania whose riders wore steel and silk and gold. But the proudest kingdom of the world was Aquilonia, reigning supreme in the dreaming west.

Players create 150-point adventurers at the beginning of their career, seeking a life of adventure and fortune rather than that of a tradesman or farmer. Who can blame you? The kingdom of Aquilonia is a wealthy land, and the purses of merchants and other fools are fat with coin. You can smell roasted pig everywhere you go. There are cooks in Tarantia who rub a fat sow in honey before roasting her for an entire day in smoldering coals. You need coin to buy that and anything else that doesn't smell or taste like dung. It is said that a fool and his money are soon parted. Why should you be on the wrong end of that deal? And besides, who would toil in a rocky field when there are such wondrous lands to explore while fleeing the justiciar?

Campaign Background

Campaign name: GURPS Hyboria, a GURPS Back-to-Basics campaign

Starting year: 1310 A.A. - The year of the dragon, in the month of the griffin, during the first year of the reign of King Conan II of Aquilonia.

Genre: Fantasy

Realistic or cinematic? Grittematic™

General theme of campaign: Thieving, fighting, adventuring.

Are there multiple planes of existence? Yes, but don't worry about it.

Campaign World: Hyboria.

Campaign’s base city, nation, empire, or planet: Tarantia, capital of Aquilonia

Society/government type: Monarchy

Control Rating: CR4

Exceptions to general CR:

Tech level: TL3

Exceptions to general TL: Cimmeria and Hyperborea are TL2.

General mana level: Normal

Do areas of higher/lower mana exist? Yes.

Brief description of important neighboring powers, political/economic situation, etc.: After over twenty ears of reign, during which time Aquilonia has prospered and grown, King Conan I abdicated the throne in favor of his son Conn, known as Conan II. With the legendary warrior-king if Cimmeria having sailed for the western lands, what kind of king will the young prince become? Who cares? The kingdom is wealthy, purses are full, the wine flows freely and there are things to be done, places to be journeyed, and above all, stuff to steal.

Information for PCs

Starting point value allowed for PCs: 150

Disadvantage limit (including Quirks): -75

PC races allowed: Human

Age Limit: 16-21 years of age

Especially appropriate professions: Brewer, Carpenter, Farming, Fishing, Leatherworking, Mason, Merchant, Winemaker. (It's not required to have apprenticed a trade, but it will provide a source of income, which may sometimes be useful if having to travel quickly to other places in order to avoid law enforcement.)

Starting Wealth: Characters begin at Wealth -1 (Struggling), so starting wealth is 1/2 average, or $500.

Starting Wealth levels allowed: -1

Starting Status levels allowed: None above 0

Languages available (dialects in parenthesis):

Hyborian (Aquilonian, Argossean, the argot of the Border Kingdom, Corinthian, Nemedian and Ophirean).

Hyrkanian (Hyrkanian and Turanian)

Atlantean (Antillian, Cimmerian, Nordheimr and Pictish)

Shemitish (Kothic and Shemitish)

Brythunian

Zamoran

Zingaran

Sages and other learned types may wish to study ancient languages such as Acheronian, Atlantean, Lemurian, or Valusian, of which only written components remain.

For the purposes of gaming and roleplaying, the GM defines Hyborian as "common tongue," i.e. the common parlance throughout the central kingdoms.

Cultural Familiarities available: Each nation has a distinct culture of its own. Beginning characters are unlikely to be familiar with any culture other than that of their origin.

Advantages, Disadvantages, and Skills

Required advantages, disadvantages, and skills: Wealth -1 (Struggling) is required.

Especially appropriate Advantages: Combat Reflexes, Danger Sense

Especially appropriate Disadvantages: Callous, Chauvinistic, Code of Honor (Pirate's), Compulsive Behavior, Curious, Greed

Especially appropriate Skills: Climbing, Hiking, Merchant, Scrounging, Survival, Urban Survival

Disallowed advantages, disadvantages, and skills: Supernatural abilities other than Blessed (Heroic Feat) are not allowed in humans. Blessed may require identifying character with a particular Hyborian deity and/or Discipline of Faith.

Appropriate Patrons, Allies or Contacts: Allies will not be allowed. Patrons must be earned. Contacts are subject to GM approval. Enemies are discouraged as you will no doubt have them soon enough.

Special Abilities Allowed for PCs

Exotic/supernatural traits: Most supernatural abilities are not allowed in humans. Players are restricted from spending more than 20% (30 points) on supernatural abilities, and these are subject to GM approval. Exotic traits are not allowed.

Cinematic skills: Non-supernatural, non-exotic cinematic skills are allowed.

Are PC mages allowed? Yes, but not advised. Magicians are commonly regarded as evil or untrustworthy, no matter their true intent or purpose. (However, this feature can be a benefit if applied properly. Clerical magic rules apply. Contact the GM if you wish to build a magician.)

Are any of the spells from Chapter 5 off limits? Yes. Contact the GM if you wish to build a spellcaster or sage.

Are PC psis allowed? No.

Are any of the powers from Chapter 6 off limits? Yes. All of them.

Are PC gadgeteers allowed? Yes.

Are there special limits on gadgeteering? No.

Unusual Background cost(s) for these abilities: Trained magicians must take Unusual Background for 10 points.

Legal or social restrictions on these abilities: Magic is outlawed throughout most of the Aquilonian Kingdom.

Rulebooks and Resources

GURPS Basic Set 4th edition (required).

See also

GURPS Conan. Assuming it's still available, this PDF of the classic resource for 3rd edition GURPS is valuable but not necessary for players.

The Hyborian Age d20 Campaign Site . Good descriptions of Hyborian kingdoms. Obviously, ignore any gaming mechanics information.