TEXT: �
  ADDITIONAL 
  Rules for Fantastic Medieval Wargames 
  Campaigns Playable with Paper and Pencil 
  And Miniature Figures 
   
  SUPPLEMENT IX
  The Age of Conan 
  Secrets of Acheron 
  BY 
  JASON VEY             
                                           NOT Published by 
   
  TSR RULES 
   
     Price $0.00 
  
   
   
   
   
  The Age of Conan:  
  Secrets of 
  Acheron 
  A Black Grimoire for the Hyborian Age of Robert E. Howard 
  by Jason Vey 
   
  For use with 
   
   
   
   
  
  2 
   
   
   
   
  All references to Conan the barbarian, the writings of Robert E. Howard, and 
  the races, locales, cultures and other references to the Hyborian Age are the 
  sole property of Conan Properties, LLC and no challenge or claim to this 
  ownership is intended or implied by the contents of this booklet.  This is a not-
  for-profit fan work and is believed to reside within Fair Use.  
  Dungeons & Dragons and Chainmail are Registered Trademarks® of Wizards 
  of the Coast, Inc. No challenge or claim to the ownership of these trademarks 
  is intended or implied.  This is a not-for-profit fan work and is believed to 
  reside within Fair Use. 
  All artwork herein was culled from various websites around the Internet and is 
  used without permission.  No challenge or claim to the ownership of any of the 
  artwork used herein is intended or implied. 
   
  All original text and ideas copyright© 2009 by Jason Vey.  All Rights 
  Reserved.  This document may be freely distributed so long as it remains 
  complete, intact and unaltered, including the cover, title page, and this 
  copyright declaration page. 
   
   
  This work is respectfully dedicated to the memories of Robert E. Howard, E. 
  Gary Gygax, and Dave Arneson.  
   
   
  FIRST EDITION: November, 2009 
  REVISIONS: December 2009, September 2011 
  SECOND REVISION 
   
  
  3 
   
  Contents 
  Introduction ....................................................................................................... 5�
  Character Backgrounds ..................................................................................... 6�
  Fate Points ......................................................................................................... 7�
  Awarding Fate Points .................................................................................... 7�
  Using Fate Points .......................................................................................... 8�
  Heroic Feat ................................................................................................ 8�
  Mitigate Disaster ....................................................................................... 8�
  Lucky Break .............................................................................................. 8�
  That Was Too Close! ................................................................................ 9�
  Down But Not Out .................................................................................... 9�
  A Final Note .................................................................................................. 9�
  Amping Up Sorcerers ....................................................................................... 9�
  Corruption ................................................................................................... 10�
  Bonus Spells ................................................................................................ 10�
  Sacrifice ...................................................................................................... 11�
  Human Sacrifice ...................................................................................... 11�
  Animal Sacrifice ..................................................................................... 12�
  Why Spell Preparation? .............................................................................. 12�
  Sorcerers, Read Magic and Detect Magic ................................................... 13�
  Magical Healing – Or lack thereof ................................................................. 13�
  Enhanced Natural Healing .......................................................................... 14�
  The Power of Wine ..................................................................................... 14�
  Magic of the Hyborian Age ............................................................................ 14�
  Spell Categories .......................................................................................... 15�
  Specialized Sorcery ................................................................................. 15�
  Availability of Spells .................................................................................. 15�
  Battle Magic ................................................................................................ 15�
  Casting Battle Magic ............................................................................... 16�
  The Scale of Battle Magic ....................................................................... 16�
  Spell Lists by School ................................................................................... 17�
  Curses ...................................................................................................... 17�
  Divination ............................................................................................... 18�
  Domination ............................................................................................. 20�
  Elemental ................................................................................................ 21�
  Necromancy ............................................................................................ 22�
  Prestidigitation ........................................................................................ 25�
  Summoning ............................................................................................. 26�
  Travel ...................................................................................................... 28�
  Wards ...................................................................................................... 28�
  Spells Table by Level .................................................................................. 30�
  Level One ................................................................................................ 30�
  Level Two ............................................................................................... 30�
  Level Three ............................................................................................. 30�
  
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  Level Four ............................................................................................... 31�
  Level Five ............................................................................................... 31�
  Level Six ................................................................................................. 31�
  Level Seven ............................................................................................. 31�
  Level Eight .............................................................................................. 32�
  Level Nine ............................................................................................... 32�
  Tools of the Trade ........................................................................................... 33�
  Books of Arcane Lore ................................................................................. 33�
  Appearance of Magical Tomes ............................................................... 33�
  Contents of Magical Tomes .................................................................... 33�
  Specific Tomes of Magic ............................................................................ 33�
  The Books of Skelos ............................................................................... 33�
  The Book of Eibon .................................................................................. 34�
  The Scrolls of Pnom ................................................................................ 34�
  The Book of Iod ...................................................................................... 34�
  The Pnakotic Manuscript ........................................................................ 35�
  The Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan ....................................................... 35�
  Other Magic Artifacts ................................................................................. 35�
  The Nature of Magic Items ..................................................................... 35�
  Bane-Weapons ........................................................................................ 36�
  The Golden Wine of Xuthal .................................................................... 36�
  Golden Lotus Juice ................................................................................. 37�
  The Phoenix on the Sword ...................................................................... 37�
  Raiment of Bel ........................................................................................ 38�
  The Serpent Ring of Set .......................................................................... 38�
  The Heart of Ahriman ............................................................................. 39�
  Appendix: without OD&D .............................................................................. 41�
   
   
   
   
  
  5 
   
  Introduction 
  When I was a fighting-man, the kettle-drums they beat, 
  Under the caverned pyramids great Set coils asleep; 
  When the world was young and men were weak, and the fiends of the 
   
  �ight walked free; 
  I strove with Set by fire and steel and the juice of the upas-tree; 
  What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie? 
  -Robert E. Howard, “The Phoenix on the Sword” 
  Welcome to Age of Conan: Secrets of Acheron.  This book is a follow-up 
  to the first Age of Conan “hack” for the original edition of Dungeons & 
  Dragons.  It is commonly thought that the Hyborian Age of Robert E. Howard 
  is a “low fantasy” or “low magic” setting.  This is patently untrue.  Magic is 
  part and parcel of the Hyborian Age, and it is everywhere.  It just takes a very 
  different form than that in what might be called “vanilla” or “bog standard” 
  D&D games.  
  Magic in the Hyborian Age is alien, unnatural, and corrupting.  It can be 
  helpful, but is far more often harmful and inimical to human life.  It comes 
  from the Outer Dark, the home of the Nameless Old Ones who ruled the world 
  thousands of years ago, before even the sorcerer-kings of Acheron held sway 
  over the Hyborian peoples.  
  This book is largely about magic in the Hyborian Age.  In it you will find 
  new spells, new takes and tweaks on the sorcerer class, and information on 
  books of magic and artifacts, and even a few magic items to boot.  That being 
  said, there are a few options in here that will be of use to non-magical 
  characters as well, including Fate Points, Backgrounds, and the extended 
  healing rules. Like all rules in D&D, the new systems herein should be 
  considered 100% optional—the game belongs to you, not the rulebook. 
   
  
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  Character Backgrounds 
  Character backgrounds are nothing more than a bit of flavor to spice up 
  character creation and give a tiny bit of mechanical differentiation to 
  characters of the same class.  Using this optional rule, a fighter whose father 
  was a blacksmith has a different set of knowledge than one whose family grew 
  up amongst nobility and knights. 
  Use of backgrounds is quite simple: any time a character can justify the 
  use of a background in a given situation, the DM awards a bonus to relevant 
  checks.  This bonus is equivalent to +1 per three character levels, starting at 
  level one.  That is +1 at levels 1-3, +2 at levels 4-6, +3 at levels 7-9, etc. 
  Characters may choose one or two backgrounds at character creation to define 
  their character (either roll 1d6 with 1-3 granting one background and 4-6 
  granting two, or the DM can decide).  Suggested backgrounds appropriate for 
  player characters in a Hyborian Age setting are as follows: 
  � 
  Blacksmith 
  � 
  Bowyer 
  � 
  Cook 
  � 
  Farmer 
  � 
  Fisher 
  � 
  Forester 
  � 
  Husbandry 
  � 
  Jeweler 
  � 
  Leather Worker 
  � 
  Mason 
  � 
  Merchant 
  � 
  Miner 
  � 
  Navigator 
  � 
  Noble 
  � 
  Rat Catcher 
  � 
  Sailor 
  � 
  Shipwright 
  � 
  Tailor 
  � 
  Teamster 
  � 
  Thatcher 
  � 
  Woodworker 
  This list is far from extensive—players should be encouraged to come up 
  with their own, but the DM needs to take care not to allow a background to 
  give too much of an in-game advantage; in no situation should a background 
  give access to the class abilities of another character class, for example. These 
  
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  are intended to provide some flavor to characters, while imparting a tiny game 
  benefit on top. 
  Likewise, players should think outside the box when applying their 
  backgrounds to their character histories.  For example, just because a player 
  has “Noble” as a background does not necessarily mean that their character 
  grew up with a title and lands.  A servant in the court palace has quite a bit of 
  access to the nobility—plenty to know how the bureaucracy works, gain 
  knowledge of heraldry and etiquette, etc.  
  Fate Points 
  The Hyborian Age is an age of high adventure, wherein mighty-thewed 
  warriors perform great and heroic deeds (in the classical sense, not the “white 
  knight” sense) in their constant struggle between barbarism and civilization.  
  Throughout Howard’s tales, men perform feats that are sometimes 
  superhuman in nature.  By its core, D&D doesn’t include rules to reflect this—
  the rationalization for such is that all characters in D&D are above and beyond 
  the norm, so just by virtue of being adventurers they are performing great 
  deeds.  
  There’s certainly validity to this stance, but sometimes players like to 
  have something in place to let them really feel like their characters have gone 
  above and beyond, or even a means by which they can get out of a tight fix.  
  To that end, a DM who desires to do so can implement Fate Points into her 
  campaign. 
  Fate points are a character control/storytelling tool that have become very 
  popular in the last decade or so, and let characters perform over-the-top feats 
  of bravado, and mitigate the sheer randomness of the dice when things are just 
  going really bad.  They give the game an over-the-top, heroic and pulpy feel. 
  Like everything else in D&D, the implementation of Fate Points is neither 
  required nor assumed.  If the DM decides these are not for use in his game, 
  then they shall not be incorporated.  Just because they appear in this booklet 
  does not make them anything more than an option the DM can incorporate if 
  she so chooses.  
  Awarding Fate Points 
  Characters begin play with 3 Fate Points each.  Thereafter, at each level, 
  every character gains ½ level (round down) plus 1d6-1 Fate Points. If the DM 
  wishes to remove the random element, he is free of course to simply give out 
  ½ level plus 3 Fate Points each level.  
  In addition, the DM will grant Fate Points (in lieu of or in addition to 
  bonus experience points) as an in-game reward for ingenuity in play, 
  exceptional role-playing, doing something to contribute to the group’s 
  
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  enjoyment of the game, or for unfortunate (but unavoidable) turns of events in 
  game.  For example, who hasn’t run a pre-written module that has a section 
  essential to the module, but is unequivocally a railroad, and around which the 
  DM can find no good path?  In such a situation, the DM can apologize for the 
  railroad, and give Fate Points to characters as a sort of “payoff” for going 
  along with things.  
  Finally—and this is perhaps the most fun method of gaining Fate Points—
  players can declare unfortunate or even disastrous consequences to their own 
  characters to gain Fate Points, at the DM’s approval.  If a player who is out of 
  Fate Points (or even short on them) levels a mighty blow at a foe, for example, 
  he can declare, “By Mitra, my sword has shattered!” and if the DM approves, 
  gain a Fate Point for the loss.  There are few limits to the kinds of misfortunes 
  players can (and will) visit upon themselves if it means getting a few more 
  Fate Points.  DMs should encourage players to run wild with this method, 
  while keeping in mind that handing out too many Fate Points can drastically 
  change the nature of the game.  
  Using Fate Points 
  Characters spend one or more Fate Points to create minor in-game effects 
  that are either directly beneficial to them, or help to offset something that has 
  gone bad.  They work as follows: 
  Heroic Feat 
  Characters can spend 1 Fate Point to add an extra die to their roll, keeping 
  the normal amount (that is, if the character normally rolls 2d6 for an attack, 
  they roll 3d6 and keep the best 2d6). Heroic Feat can be used for damage, if 
  the player wishes. This use must be declared before the roll is made. 
  Mitigate Disaster 
  Characters can spend 1 Fate Point to reroll any die roll, but must keep the 
  re-roll result. 
  Lucky Break 
  One Fate Point also allows a PC to engage in "dramatic editing" to gain a 
  small plot twist of their choice (subject to DM approval).  For example, the 
  PCs are alone, in a pitched battle with charging Picts in an ancient boneyard.  
  The Bossonian archer runs out of arrows, and declares, “Good thing there’s a 
  quiver full of arrows on this skeleton, here!”  He spends a Fate Point, and the 
  DM allows him to recover a quiver of functional arrows from a desiccated 
  corpse nearby.  
  Alternately, things go wrong and the thief fails to pick a lock at a critical 
  moment, to escape a dungeon.  He spends a fate point to declare, “look what I 
  
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  found!  Someone dropped a key!”  The DM rules that since the door is the best 
  way out, this is appropriate—the thief finds a key. 
  Note that the DM shouldn’t force expenditure of Fate Points in a situation 
  where the suggestion is entirely logical to begin with.  If the PCs are defending 
  a keep and there are a lot of archers handy, for example, gaining extra arrows 
  should not require spending of a Fate Point.  
  That Was Too Close!   
  A character can spend two Fate Points to automatically make a saving 
  throw or negate one attack against them. 
  Down But Not Out 
  Finally, a character who reaches zero hit points or below can spend three 
  Fate Points to avoid death, instead being stabilized and "left for dead."  The 
  character can then return at a suitably dramatic point in the adventure or 
  campaign.  Characters may "borrow against the bank" for this usage, going 
  into a negative Fate Point total, if they do not have three Fate Points left, and 
  are not already at negatives.  This usage of Fate Points may only be used once 
  per character level.  
  A Final Note 
  Always remember that the gaining and use of Fate Points is always at the 
  discretion of the Dungeon Master. While the DM is encouraged not to be too 
  heavy-handed adjudicating their use (otherwise, why include them at all?), the 
  final say in whether a Fate Point may be spent at any given time, as with any 
  and all rules in D&D, always resides with the DM.  Remember, if the PCs 
  have Fate Points, so may their enemies, and the DM may just have a good 
  reason he wants that nimble thief to make it over the wall before you get a 
  chance to shoot him in the back! 
  Amping Up Sorcerers 
  Sorcerers in the Age of Conan rules for Dungeons & Dragons are doomed 
  to a slow slide into evil and darkness.  This is part and parcel of a grim 
  swords-and-sorcery setting.  Magic is inherently alien, inhuman, and 
  corrupting.  It’s also addictive—sorcerers who gain power want more.  
  Dungeons & Dragons is not a game wherein rules should be in place to 
  enforce an addiction to power; this is something that should simply be up to 
  the player to express (and the player should be expected to do so).  However, 
  sorcerers, albeit very powerful when they reach higher levels, have a much 
  more difficult time at low levels than do the other classes.  This section 
  provides optional methods for “amping up” your sorcerous characters at low 
  
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  levels to keep them in line with their more powerful companions, while 
  maintaining the power level as they increase. 
  Corruption 
  The easiest way to track how many failed saves a sorcerer has, is to 
  measure it in terms of levels of corruption.  Whenever a sorcerer fails a 
  corruption save, his level of corruption increases by one, and every five points 
  of corruption applies a penalty to all 
  future saves and ostensibly a slide in 
  aligment.  
  However, it is important to note 
  that no matter what alignment with 
  which a character begins play, the same 
  number of failed saves are required to 
  fall to the next level as would be 
  required if she began play as good.  
  Going from good to evil requires 15 
  failed saves—Five to go from good to 
  unaligned, Five more from unaligned to 
  balance, and Five more to go to evil.  If 
  a character begins play as unaligned, he 
  still requires ten failed saves to go from 
  unaligned to balance. 
  Why?  Just because a character 
  starts off with lower or different morals 
  from a human standpoint does not mean 
  he is corrupted by sorcery.  Characters 
  who start off as unaligned still have corruption zero.  They are just less likely 
  to note the effects sorcery is having upon them until they rack up more 
  corruption than a good character would. 
  As in the first Age of Conan booklet, sorcerers begin to show physical 
  (and metaphysical) effects of Corruption as they become more overwhelmed 
  by the sorcery.  For an excellent list of examples of Corruption effects, see 
  Mongoose Publishing’s Conan Roleplaying Game.  
  Bonus Spells 
  Sorcerers have very few options at level one—especially considering they 
  can’t wear any armor, and that precious one spell slot they have seems wasted 
  by the Shield spell (though they could cast this as a ritual, this takes ten 
  minutes and would have to be repeated every twenty minutes—two turns—to 
  maintain the effect).  If you wish to give more options to your sorcerers at low 
  levels, give bonus prepared spells for high intelligence scores.  A score of 15 
  grants a bonus first level spell.  A score of 16 grants two first level spells (not 
  
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  cumulative with the one from 15).  A score of 17 grants two first level and one 
  second level spell (not cumulative), and a score of 18 grants two first, one 
  second, and one third level spell (again, not cumulative).  These bonus spells 
  are gained as soon as the wizard can cast spells of the appropriate level (that is 
  to say, bonus second level spells are gained when the sorcerer reaches third 
  level, and bonus third level spells when the sorcerer reaches fifth).  This grants 
  more options early on, while preserving the number of higher level spells the 
  caster gains as she progresses. 
  Sacrifice 
  Sacrifice of victims is one way to boost the power of a sorcerer, but doing so is 
  dangerous as it carries a strong taint of corruption.  There are two types of 
  effective sacrifice—human and animal.  Animal is less corrupting, but also 
  less powerful.  Still, only the most vile and inhuman sorcerers engage in blood 
  sacrifice of human beings.  
  Human Sacrifice 
  Sorcerers can gain extra power from performing ritual sacrifices.  
  However, there is a price to be paid—sorcerers who engage in ritual sacrifice 
  are far more susceptible to corruption.  Every time a sorcerer casts a spell 
  using ritual sacrifice, he gains a bonus to spell casting (the exact bonus 
  dependent upon the length and complexity of the ritual), but suffers penalties 
  to all corruption saves for 24 hours following the sacrifice.  This is true of any 
  sacrifice, no matter how long a ritual the sorcerer performs. 
  These rituals take time; the sorcerer can gain some additional power from 
  quickly bleeding a victim out, but the drawbacks don’t equal the benefits.  In 
  general, if a sorcerer quickly kills a victim in the course of, say, a combat 
  round, he can gain +1 to his next casting roll, but suffers -3 to his corruption 
  saves for the next 24 hours.  
  For a ritual that takes 10 minutes, the sorcerer can gain either +3 to a 
  single casting roll, or +1 to all casting rolls for the next 12 hours, but suffers -3 
  to his corruption saves for the next 24 hours.  
  For a ritual that takes 30 minutes (and generally involves torture and slow 
  bleeding of the victim), the sorcerer gains +6 to a single casting roll, or +2 to 
  all casting rolls for the next 12 hours, but suffers -4 to all corruption saves for 
  the next 24 hours. 
  Finally, for a ritual that takes a full hour and involves severe torture and 
  all manner of other horrific and unnatural acts and elements, the sorcerer gains 
  +8 to a single casting roll, or +4 to all casting rolls for the next 12 hours, but 
  suffers -6 to all corruption saves for the next 24 hours. 
  
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  Animal Sacrifice 
  Animal sacrifice works much as human sacrifice, but all bonuses and 
  penalties are halved, rounded down (minimum of 1).  Thus, sacrificing a small 
  animal in combat grants +1 to the next casting roll but imparts a -1 penalty to 
  corruption saves for the next 24 hours.  The full hour ritual grants +4/+2 and 
  imparts -3 to corruption saves. 
  Why Spell Preparation? 
  One of the questions that arises when adapting the D&D magic system to 
  a Conan-esque sorcery system is, “why do sorcerers still have to prepare a set 
  number of spells, if casting is skill-based?”  It’s a valid question, and one that 
  does indeed have an answer beyond “game balance.” 
  In the Hyborian Age, magic is a 
  laborious and draining process.  
  There are NO spells that can be 
  simply slung like D&D’s Magic 
  Missile.  Even direct-damage spells 
  in the Hyborian Age are the result of 
  complex rituals.  Preparing spells is 
  what enables a caster to throw spells 
  quickly.  The wizard is not, as in a 
  Vancian system, studying spells and 
  committing them to memory each 
  morning.  Rather, he is performing 
  the elaborate rituals that enable the 
  spells to be cast, holding only the 
  final step in reserve.   
  In order to save time, sorcerers 
  will often combine the rituals for 
  their various spells—many spells 
  have common elements that are 
  shared amongst rituals, and 
  sorcerers tend to craft their own, 
  individualized rituals for spells.  
  This enables them to save time each day by performing all of their rituals 
  combined.  Indeed, the very act of combining the rituals for all their spells is 
  what enables the sorcerer to store within himself enough magical energy to 
  repeatedly cast the spells every day.  
  However, the act of sleeping drains away the energy used; the sorcerer’s 
  body “bleeds off” the magical energy within, as it is anathema to living 
  creatures and requires supreme force of will to hold it in check.  Never forget: 
  magic is an unnatural force of the Outer Dark that wants to be used.  This is 
  
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  why sorcerers don’t simply fail at casting spells; they fail to contain the 
  energy, which turns back upon them, causing them to suffer spell backlash as 
  outlined in The Age of Conan.   
  This is not to say sorcerers can simply avoid sleeping; as stated, holding 
  the magic energies within oneself is a draining and exhausting process unto 
  itself.  Not only does it require willpower, but fortitude as well, and by the end 
  of a typical adventuring day (or even a sedentary day in which the wizard has 
  had the need to prepare spells) a sorcerer is generally completely exhausted.  
  Many are wracked with nightmares from the alien energies they’ve held 
  imprisoned in their bodies, and tortured by the black images that invade their 
  subconscious.  This is why so many sorcerers turn to the various types of 
  Lotus drug, which enables them to turn these torturous images into ecstatic 
  visions of rapture and even enlightenment.   
  It’s just too bad the Lotus is so addictive.  
  In any case, this is why sorcerers must spend 30 minutes every morning 
  per 3 spell levels they must prepare.  Thus, if the sorcerer is preparing spells of 
  levels 1-3, he requires 30 minutes to perform his rituals.  If he is preparing 
  levels 4-6, he requires 1 hour, and if preparing spells of levels 7-9, 1.5 hours. 
  These time requirements are flat, not on a per-spell basis.  That is to say, if 
  a sorcerer is preparing three first-level spells, two second, and a third, he still 
  only requires a total of 30 minutes for preparation because all spells are levels 
  1-3. 
  Sorcerers, Read Magic and Detect Magic 
  Detect Magic should be removed from the spell list for Sorcerers in the 
  Age of Conan booklet.  This is because sorcerers are attuned to the energies of 
  the Outer Dark by their very nature, and do not need a spell to detect mystic 
  energies.  Any sorcerer who meets another sorcerer, a demon in human guise, 
  or other supernatural creature, will know immediately that the creature is 
  infused with magic energy (though he may not know exactly what kind of 
  energy—a demon in human guise looks the same as a sorcerer to this mystic 
  sense) and how powerful the subject is, in comparison to the viewing sorcerer 
  (i.e. “he is far more powerful than you / a bit more powerful / about the same 
  power / weaker”). Likewise when a wizard encounters a magical artifact of 
  any kind, he will sense the power within it. 
  Magical Healing – Or lack 
  thereof 
  Careful readers will note that there are no healing spells on the list.  While 
  cause light wounds and cause serious wounds exist, their curing counterparts 
  
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  do not.  This is in keeping with the flavor of the Hyborian Age.  The only truly 
  magical (apparently) healing Conan ever partakes of is in a single short story 
  (“Xuthal of the Dusk”) where he drinks a sweet, golden wine that rejuvenates 
  him.  While it is possible for the DM to make this wine available to player 
  characters, and that option is made available in the magic items section, 
  introducing healing magic into a Hyborian Age game severely alters the flavor 
  of play, rendering it very similar to a standard D&D game.  The main 
  differences between Age of Conan games and standard D&D games are the 
  alien, inhuman nature of magic, and the deadliness that comes from lack of 
  magical healing, and the fortitude of characters that allows them to come back 
  from grievous wounds rather quickly.  Still, if a group of players went to 
  Xuthal and came back with a sample of the wine for an alchemist to analyze 
  and re-create, they might find themselves quite wealthy, and this could lead to 
  an interesting adventure following in the footsteps of Conan himself.   
  Enhanced Natural Healing 
  Instead of magical healing, it is suggested that DMs simply enhance the 
  natural healing rules in the game.  Simply by resting overnight a character 
  recovers 3 hit points, plus his level, plus his constitution modifier (which can 
  be substantial if using the optional ability check system in The Age of Conan).  
  This is quite a huge bump from the 1 hit point recovery in the core rulebooks, 
  but it is suitable to a Hyborian Age game.  
  The Power of Wine 
  “Wine!” gasped the king from the couch where they had laid him. They 
  put a goblet to his bloody lips and he drank like a man half dead of thirst. 
  “Good!” he grunted, falling back. “Slaying is cursed dry work.” 
  --Robert E. Howard, “The Phoenix on the Sword” 
  Wine—standard, normal, everyday wine—is also a powerful restorative in 
  the Conan narratives.  It warms the blood and gets warriors and adventurers 
  back on their feet.  Whenever a character is wounded, he can drink a flagon of 
  wine, mead, or grog, and instantly recover 1d6 hit points per level of the 
  character, per flagon or flask drunk.  No character can benefit from this more 
  than once in a 24-hour period, and if a character drinks more than two flagons 
  (four for fighting-men), he may begin to suffer the effects of drunkenness, at 
  the DM’s discretion.  
  Magic of the Hyborian Age 
  In this section is included a complete spell list, with new spells fully 
  detailed.  In cases where spells have normal, greater, and master versions, the 
  caster must learn lesser versions before a greater version is possible, as all 
  
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  greater versions build upon the ritual of the lesser.  Thus, before a caster can 
  learn Mass Warding, he must know both Warding and Greater Warding.  The 
  same goes for Psychometry, Evil Eye, and all other normal, Greater, and 
  Master level spells. 
  Spell Categories 
  Spells are now divided into categories, or schools of magic.  While this 
  has little direct effect on game play, it is reflective of the way sorcerers in the 
  Hyborian Age view magic, and some sorcerers prefer to focus on one area of 
  magic over others.   
  Specialized Sorcery 
  As an optional rule, if a sorcerer wishes to focus on one area of magic, he 
  gains +1 to cast spells (and save from corruption) in spells of that school, but 
  must choose one other school (a restricted school) which he cannot cast at all.  
  The only exceptions to this is are Necromancy and Prestidigitation.   
  Specialized Necromancers gain +2 to cast necromantic spells, but do not 
  gain a bonus to save against corruption.  Necromancy may also never be taken 
  as a restricted (unavailable) school, as the magic of the Outer Dark always 
  calls to the sorcerer.  
  It is not possible to specialize in Prestidigitation—it is too general a field 
  of study.  However, choosing it as a restricted school increases the bonus in a 
  specialized school to +2, both for casting and saving against corruption.  
  Availability of Spells 
  In general, the spells on the default spell list in The Age of Conan are 
  available to most sorcerers in the Hyborian Age, though some may be more 
  jealously guarded than others.  At the DM’s option, as a sorcerer advances in 
  level, he may choose any spell from that list to add to his repertoire.  
  Alternately, he may concoct some sort of roll or random determination if the 
  spell is available to add to the sorcerer’s spell book, or if it must be researched 
  or purchased. 
  New spells in this section, however, represent ancient and lost knowledge, 
  and may only be found through extensive research or the finding of ancient 
  tomes.  This gives sorcerers a reason to adventure, to find new books of 
  ancient lore to add to their base of power.  
  Battle Magic 
  Sorcerers are perhaps the most feared of presences on a battlefield, and 
  rightly so, for they can wreak utter havoc with enemy forces, from 
  enshrouding them in impenetrable mists to summoning demons or poisoned 
  miasmas to destroy foes en masse.   
  
  16 
   
  Battle magic, it may surprise some, is not much different than standard 
  sorcery—the scale is entirely different and such spells take far longer to cast as 
  a result.  This section will explain how to wield magic in mass combat.   
  Casting Battle Magic 
  Every aspect of a battle spell is larger, from the area of effect to the 
  damage dealt, to the time it takes to cast the spell.  In effect, a battle-version of 
  a spell is a different spell than its man-scale version.  Because of this, battle 
  magic versions of spells must be prepared separately than the regular versions.  
  Thus, just because a sorcerer has Sleep prepared for the day doesn’t mean he 
  can use the battle version of the spell to drop a large unit of soldiers 
  unconscious. 
  At the DM’s option, a sorcerer may be required to learn how to use 
  battle magic, be it through learning specific battle magic spells, or being 
  trained to adapt his existing spells for mass combat situations.  This would 
  make tomes of battle magic a coveted resource. 
  Of course, like all spells, magic wielded on the battlefield can only be 
  cast upon targets within the sorcerer’s line of sight.  This is why many 
  sorcerers covet scrying items, such as crystal balls and magic mirrors, as such 
  items allow sorcerers to ensorcel armies from safely within a stronghold or 
  even miles away. 
  The act of casting a battle spell is identical to any other spell—the 
  sorcerer rolls 2d6 against the target number for the spell’s difficulty (level) and 
  either succeeds, fails, or suffers backlash.   
  The Scale of Battle Magic 
  In mass combat (resolved using Chainmail), spell damage is as listed in 
  the OD&D books, but is inflicted on a 1:20 scale (mass combat uses figures, 
  each figure representing twenty men).  Thus, if a battle mage kills three figures 
  with a cloudkill spell, he has in fact taken out sixty of his enemies’ troops.  If a 
  Hero or other specialized fantasy creature is currently attached to a unit that is 
  destroyed, then he, she, or it will only be killed if enough damage is rolled to 
  inflict a kill.  Otherwise, note the damage suffered on the character’s sheet or 
  monster’s statistics and move on (the same logic should apply when dealing 
  with heroes engaged in melee: rather than being killed if a hero suffers four 
  hits, for example, he will suffer 4d6 damage and if this kills him then he is 
  dead; otherwise, he continues on, though wounded).  The hero now acts alone 
  (given a figure representing 1:1 scale in this case only) unless he moves to 
  another unit and attaches himself there.   
  In man combat, one inch on the table top is equivalent to ten feet of 
  distance.  In mass combat, one inch is equivalent to ten yards.  In man combat, 
  a round is one minute.  In mass combat, time is measured in ten-minute turns, 
  
  17 
   
  including the time it takes to cast a spell.  This makes battle magic largely 
  impractical for personal (man scale) use—it requires ten to twenty minutes 
  (depending on the result of a casting roll) to complete a spell.  
  Spell ranges, areas of effect, and duration for standard D&D spells can 
  be found in the D&D supplement Swords & Spells, pp. 12-15.  For new spells 
  listed in this book, the range is always line of sight unless otherwise specified, 
  and duration if listed in minutes or rounds becomes turns, while if listed in 
  turns or hours remains as listed.  Spells with casting times already listed in 
  turns, hours, or tens of minutes remain as listed; otherwise the casting time is 
  one to two turns depending on the result of the casting check. 
  Battle magic is strengthened by sacrifices just as normal magic is, and 
  carries all the same associated dangers of corruption.  
  Spell Lists by School 
  Curses 
  Curses inflict karmic harm or retribution upon another, either through 
  penalties to actions, or through the inflicting of a supernatural disease or other 
  tangible effect. Spells already on the list that fall into this category are Prayer 
  (level three), Feeblemind (level five), and Magic Jar (level five) 
  Evil Eye (Complexity/Level 1) (Arcane Only) 
  This spell inflicts a single enemy with a penalty of -1 to all attack rolls, saving 
  throws, damage rolls, and morale checks for one hour. 
  Evil Eye, Greater (Complexity/Level 3) (Arcane Only) 
  As Evil Eye, above, but imparts -4 to attack rolls, saving throws, damage rolls, 
  and morale checks for one hour. 
  Breath of Yizil (Complexity/Level 5) (Clerical Only) 
  This spell is a death-curse, which can only be cast as a last resort by a sorcerer 
  who is below zero hit points and dying.  Even if he would normally be 
  unconscious, he can use this spell as a final act.  The spell imparts a penalty to 
  all attacks and checks (including saves and spellcasting checks) equal to the 
  number of hit points below zero the casting sorcerer is. It will combine with 
  any other curse and affects a single target of the sorcerer’s choosing, unless the 
  target makes a saving throw vs. Death.  The effect lasts for one month per 
  point of penalty inflicted.  One this spell is cast, the sorcerer who casts it dies 
  immediately and irrevocably, his soul likely cast into some unmentionable 
  Hell.  
  Evil Eye, Master (Complexity/Level 6) (Arcane Only) 
  As Evil Eye, but imparts 5 points of penalties divided among as many targets 
  as the caster desires (be it -5 to one target, -1 to five targets, -2 to one and -3 to 
  one, etc.) 
  
  18 
   
  Curse of the Werewolf (Complexity/Level 8)  
  This spell inflicts a single target 
  who fails their save against 
  Polymorph / Petrification with 
  the curse of Lycanthropy.  
  Worse, the victim is under the 
  thrall of the sorcerer, and over 
  the course of the next month 
  will gradually come to view the 
  sorcerer as his master, at first 
  obeying orders reluctantly, even 
  attempting to rebel, but 
  gradually coming around to 
  view his master with devotion 
  and/or fear (dependent upon 
  how the sorcerer treats him).  
  This spell cannot be cast or 
  prepared on the fly; it requires a 
  ritual lasting three days to cast, 
  must be cast during the full 
  moon, and the sorcerer must 
  have a small quantity of blood, 
  a fingernail or toenail, and a 
  lock of hair from the victim. 
  Divination 
  Divination spells reveal things, be it through granting special vision, the 
  ability to speak languages one does not already speak, or seeing / hearing 
  distant, future, or past events.  These are rare spells that are not inherently 
  corrupting, but neither are they non-corrupting.  Sorcerers saving against 
  corruption when using Divination magic are at an additional +2 to corruption 
  saves.  Likewise, casters who fail at a Divination spell do not suffer spell 
  backlash damage unless attempting to scry on another sorcerer.  Sorcerers 
  always get a saving throw against spells to sense when another is scrying upon 
  them, at which point they can attempt a standard counterspell (see Chainmail, 
  page 31) to cancel the effect and inflict spell backlash on the spying sorcerer. 
  Pre-existing divination spells include Detect Snares and Pits (level one), 
  Locate Animals (level one), Predict Weather (level one), Read Languages 
  (level one), Detect Evil (level two), Detect Invisible (level two), ESP (level 
  two), Find Traps (level two), Locate Object (level two), Locate Plants 
  (level two), Speak with Animals (level two), Clairvoyance (level three), 
  Clairaudience, (level three) Infravision (level three), Speak with Plants 
  (level four), Wizard Eye (level four), Commune (level five), Contact Higher 
  
  19 
   
  Plane (level five), Find the Path (level six), Legend Lore (level six, though 
  see below), Speak with Monsters (level six), and Word of Recall (level six). 
  Detect Magic and Read Magic should be removed from the spell list 
  altogether, as these are now a special ability of the Sorcerer. 
  It Is Written (Complexity/Level 1) 
  This spell cannot be cast on the fly/prepared.  It requires a 3-hour ritual to 
  work.  The caster performs a divination ritual, be it reading cards, casting 
  bones, or simply interpreting the star-signs in play, at the end of which he 
  gains (if the casting succeeds) +2 to a single die roll at some point in the next 
  week.  The DM will inform the sorcerer when the situation arises, before the 
  sorcerer makes the die roll.  The Caster cannot benefit from successive 
  simultaneous castings of It Is Written—he may only cast the spell again after 
  he uses his +2 bonus. 
  Psychometry (Complexity/Level 3) 
  By laying his hands on an object, the sorcerer gains insight into its history.  He 
  will see important events that have befallen the object in the past 24 hours, 
  though the visions may be chaotic, traumatic, and difficult to interpret.  
  Psychometry, Improved (Complexity/Level 4) 
  As Psychometry, above, but information is gained up to a week before the 
  object has been touched, and a sense of when the visions took place will be 
  imparted. 
  They Speak in Dreams 
  (Complexity/Level 4) 
  The subject immediately falls into 
  a deep slumber for twelve hours, 
  wherein he experiences visions 
  both beautiful and horrific, 
  torturous and pleasurable, and 
  entirely alien…but always 
  prophetic.  This spell may be cast 
  upon oneself or upon another, 
  though non-sorcerous types who 
  receive this spell must make a 
  saving throw against Death or 
  suffer 1d6 points of Wisdom 
  damage (which returns at 1 point 
  per day) from the horrific dreams.  
  The end result of the spell is that 
  the recipient will automatically 
  succeed on a single die roll 
  sometime within the next week, 
  and the player may choose the 
  
  20 
   
  situation in which the successful roll occurs (but must announce it before the 
  dice are cast; the spell cannot be used to negate the effects of a failed die roll).  
  No person can benefit from this spell more than once per month and it cannot 
  be combined with It Is Written, though it should be treated as a Greater 
  version of that spell for purposes of learning it. 
  Psychometry, Master (Complexity/Level 5) 
  As Psychometry, Improved, but grants visions up to a month past. 
  Legend Lore  
  If all three versions of Psychometry are known, Legend Lore can, in addition 
  to its normal effects (see Supplement I), allow a caster to perform 
  psychometry on an object years or even centuries into the past, at the DM’s 
  discretion. 
  Domination 
  Domination spells control the will, mind, and emotions of others.  
  Sorcerers who are masters of this school are feared indeed, as they tend to be 
  the true powers behind some of the most corrupt thrones in the Hyborian 
  world.  Spells already on the spell list that fit into this category are Charm 
  Person (level one), Sleep (level one), Hold Animal (level two), Hold Person 
  (level three), Suggestion (level three), Charm Monster (level four), 
  Confusion (level four), Fear (level four), Hold Monster (level five), Quest 
  (level five), Mass Charm (level eight), and Mind Blank (level eight) 
  Fascinate (Complexity/Level 1) 
  By making eye contact with a target and speaking soothingly, the sorcerer 
  attempts to entrance the target into focusing solely on the sorcerer.  So long as 
  the sorcerer concentrates, the target will remain intent upon the sorcerer, 
  unable to move or act in any fashion.  The target gets a saving throw vs. spells 
  to resist the effect, and the effect is cancelled if the target is attacked.  The 
  sorcerer must make eye contact at all times and may do nothing but move 
  while maintaining this spell.  Creatures of greater than 6 Hit Dice are not 
  affected by this spell.  
  Dominate (Complexity/Level 3) 
  The sorcerer can control the actions of any creature upon whom she has 
  already cast fascinate, providing the creature can understand her commands.  
  Once this spell is cast, Fascinate ends, replaced by the effects of this spell.  
  The creature gets an immediate saving throw vs. spells to resist, albeit at -2 as 
  it is already fascinated.  Likewise, additional saving throws are granted any 
  time the sorcerer orders the target to perform any action against its nature or 
  which places it into conflict, such as putting the subject in a position to harm 
  friends or harm oneself.  Common uses of this spell include removing 
  memories, putting subjects to sleep, or using unwitting targets as messengers 
  or on other errands.  This spell lasts only as long as the sorcerer maintains 
  concentration. 
  
  21 
   
  Enslave (Complexity/Level 7) 
  This spell turns a single victim 
  into a willing and devoted slave 
  for life, through sexual 
  seduction.  It cannot be cast on 
  the fly, requiring a 1 hour ritual 
  to perform.  The sorcerer must 
  have a magical link of some 
  sort to the target, be it a nail 
  clipping, lock of hair, or some 
  object intensely personal to the 
  victim.  Once the spell is cast, 
  the sorcerer must, within 24 
  hours, engage in consensual 
  sexual intercourse with the 
  victim, without the use of 
  magical enchantments (i.e. the 
  victim must be willing and in 
  full possession of their own 
  faculties), who will become a 
  completely devoted and passionate servant of the sorcerer.  The victim gets a 
  saving throw to determine the lengths to which he or she will go for their new 
  master; a failed save means the victim will follow any order without question, 
  even to murder or self-destructive acts, rationalizing anything they do as 
  necessary to their master’s well-being.  A successful save means that the 
  victim will obey the master out of deep love and respect, but will not perform 
  self-destructive acts or acts against their nature.  
  Elemental 
  Elemental spells deal directly with one or more of the four base 
  elements: earth, air, fire, and water.  Elemental magicians have a great deal of 
  control over their environment, from freshening spoiled food to rendering the 
  very ground asunder and calling forth lightning from the sky.  Spells on this 
  list include Purify Food  and Water (level one), Create Water (level two),  
  Heat Metal (level two),  Produce Flame (level two), Warp Wood (level 
  two),  Call Lightning (level three), Lightning Bolt (level three), Plant 
  Growth (level three), Water Breathing (level three), Control Temperature, 
  10’ Radius (level four), Transmute Rock to Mud (level five), Lower Water 
  (level six), Stone to Flesh (level six), Earthquake (level seven), Part Water 
  (level seven), Animate Rock (level seven), Transmute Metal to Wood (level 
  seven), Fire Storm (level eight), and Meteor Swarm (level nine) 
   
   
  
  22 
   
  Necromancy 
  The most vile form of sorcery (barring, perhaps, the summoning of 
  demons), Necromancy is the magical manipulation of the dead.  It calls 
  directly upon the energies of the 
  Outer Dark and performs feats of 
  magic so unnatural and antithetical to 
  existence that wizards using this 
  school of magic suffer -2 to all 
  Corruption saves.  Other 
  Necromancy spells already on the 
  spell list are Cause Light Wounds 
  (level one), Speak with Dead (level 
  three), Cause Serious Wounds 
  (level four), Animate Dead (level 
  five), Cause Disease (level five), 
  Cloudkill (level five), Death Spell 
  (level six), Power Word – Stun 
  (level seven),  Power Word – Blind 
  (level eight), and Power Word – 
  Kill (level nine). 
  Note also that saves against 
  necromantic magic are always 
  against death, not spells, which 
  means that even sorcerers have a 
  more difficult time saving against necromancy effects than against other 
  spells.  
  Grave Torment (Complexity/Level 1)  
  The sorcerer points a finger at a target and, uttering a dark incantation that 
  calls upon the black Ancient Ones of the Outer Dark, gives the victim a taste 
  of what it is like to die in agony.  If the victim fails a saving throw against 
  death, he is wracked with horrific pain as his entire body locks up in rigor 
  mortis, and he can take no action for 1d6 rounds.  In addition, he suffers 1d6 
  points of non-lethal damage per round from the spell.  If this damage causes 
  his hit points to reach zero, the victim is unconscious and the spell ends.  
  Victims get a new saving throw every round to immediately shake off further 
  effects of the spell, and temporary damage returns at a rate of 1d6 per hour.  
  Agonizing Doom (Complexity/Level 5) 
  Tendrils of black energy—the dark stuff of the Outer Dark—seep forth from 
  the sorcerer’s outstretched hands and entangle an opponent, draining his life 
  away in agonizing pain.  The victim is half-paralyzed, suffering -4 on all 
  attack rolls and moving at half his normal speed.  In addition, the tendrils drain 
  2d6 hit points per round until the victim dies.  The victim gets a saving throw 
  against death immediately, and every round thereafter to fight off the effects, 
  
  23 
   
  but each save after the first one suffers a cumulative -1 penalty as the black 
  energies of the Outer Dark gain their sway. 
  Vampiric Touch 
  (Complexity/Level 6) 
  The wizard touches his foe, 
  draining 4d6 hit points, which 
  are immediately transferred to 
  the sorcerer, healing any 
  damage he has previously 
  taken.  The sorcerer cannot 
  exceed his current base hit 
  points using this spell; 
  additional points are lost.  
  Your Heart is Mine! 
  (Complexity/Level 7) 
  This spell rips forth a victim’s 
  very heart from their chest, 
  drawing it to the sorcerer’s 
  hand via telekinetic force. If 
  the victim fails her saving 
  throw vs. death, her heart 
  bursts forth from her chest and 
  flies to the sorcerer’s hand, 
  killing her instantly.  The 
  sorcerer immediately takes the heart into himself (how this occurs varies from 
  sorcerer to sorcerer; some place the heart within their own breast, some see it 
  sizzle and burn to ash in their hand, others actually eat it); from that point on, 
  for 24 hours, the sorcerer gains +4 to all spell casting checks.  If the victim 
  makes her saving throw, she suffers 4 dice of damage and is stunned for 1d6 
  turns as she suffers (and recovers from) a mild heart attack, during which time 
  she can only move at half her base speed and cannot attack; thereafter she 
  suffers -2 to all die rolls for 24 hours.  
  Animate Dead, Greater (Complexity/Level 7) 
  As Animate Dead, but the wizard can also create ghouls, shadows, wights, or 
  wraiths—roll for the number of skeletons one would normally create; this 
  determines the hit dice worth of undead the sorcerer can create.  He may 
  divide these hit dice amongst the type of undead created as he desires.  Undead 
  created in this manner are subservient to the sorcerer. 
  Vampiric Touch, Greater (Complexity/Level 8) 
  This spell functions exactly as Vampiric Touch, but the sorcerer can transfer 
  the drained hit points to another person, to heal their wounds instead of his 
  own.  However, the subject must immediately make a saving throw vs. Death, 
  
  24 
   
  or gain 1d6 points of corruption exactly as though she were a sorcerer, unless 
  the subject is a fellow sorcerer, in which case she must make a standard 
  corruption save as though she cast the spell herself, or gain a point of 
  corruption.  
  Animate Dead, Master (Complexity/Level 9) 
  As Animate Dead, Greater, but the sorcerer can now split hit dice amongst all 
  types of undead, including Mummies and Vampires (but not liches).  Any 
  undead over 8 Hit Dice, however, get a saving throw against spells to retain 
  their own will and not be subservient to the caster.  Such canny undead may 
  decide to work with the sorcerer on their own, until the time comes for their 
  eventual betrayal.  This spell cannot be prepared in advance; it requires a ritual 
  lasting at least six hours to complete.  
  Awful Rite of the Sorcerer-Kings of Acheron (Complexity/Level 9) 
  This spell allows a sorcerer to live on beyond death as a creature called a lich, 
  placing his or her soul (or what’s left 
  of it by this time) into a separate 
  vessel, always a fist-sized gem, which 
  becomes a magical artifact.  So long 
  as this vessel is intact, the sorcerer 
  will always live on, though their 
  appearance will continue to degrade 
  as they grow ever more ancient, 
  appearing more and more gaunt, 
  desiccated, dry, and mummified as 
  the centuries pass.  Illusion magic is 
  often used to cover this unfortunate 
  side-effect.   
  To use this spell, the sorcerer 
  must have a minimum of fifteen 
  points of corruption and a fist-sized 
  gem in which to place his soul.  Upon 
  completion of the spell, the sorcerer 
  collapses, dead to all appearances and 
  examination.  The vessel in which his 
  soul is kept must then be placed upon 
  his chest and the ritual completed, 
  usually by a trusted assistant or 
  acolyte, at which point the lich 
  awakens.  Few liches keep their soul-
  vessel with them, as anyone who 
  gains access to the bauble can 
  exercise control over the lich, who will be terrified of death at the hands of the 
  one who holds its soul.  The lich, however, will always plot to get its soul-
  
  25 
   
  vessel back, and should it do so woe betide the one who sought to control such 
  an ancient evil. 
  A lich can only be 
  destroyed by one who holds 
  its soul-vessel.  Any other 
  attempts to destroy it will 
  result only in temporary 
  defeat; the lich will, if 
  killed, rise again (even if it 
  needs to re-form) within one 
  week.  If one who holds the 
  bauble kills the creature, 
  however, it will remain dead 
  unless a new resurrection 
  ritual is performed. 
  For more on soul-
  vessels, see the section on 
  magic and artifacts.  
  Prestidigitation 
  Prestidigitation spells 
  form the bulk of the effects 
  available to a sorcerer.  
  These are spells that affect 
  the physical world, by 
  creating something out of thin air or altering the physical properties of 
  something existing in some way. Illusion spells also fall into this category.  
  Spells on the list that fit into this category are Light (level one), 
  Ventriloquism (level one), Darkness 5’ Radius (level two), Invisibility 
  (level two), Knock (level two), Magic Mouth (level two), Mirror Image 
  (level two), Obscurement (level two), Phantasmal Forces (level two),  
  Silence 15’ Radius (level two), Strength (level two), Web (level two), 
  Polymorph Self (level four), Turn Sticks to Snakes (level four), Telekinesis 
  (level five), Animate Objects (level six), Projected Image (level six), Holy 
  Word (level seven), Phase Door (level seven), Polymorph Others (level 
  seven), Simulacrum (level seven), Clone (level eight), Polymorph Any 
  Object (level eight), Shape-Change (level nine), Wish (level nine). 
  Taint Mask (Complexity/Level 3) 
  The sorcerer can mask the effects of corruption; upon a successful casting, 
  other sorcerers will not sense any levels of corruption he possesses, unless 
  they succeed at a successful save vs. Death magic.  This spell lasts for one 
  hour per level of the caster. 
   
  
  26 
   
  Mundane Guise (Complexity/Level 4) 
  This spell masks the sorcerer’s magical nature entirely; sorcerers who fail a 
  Wands save will not sense the power within her and she will appear to all 
  mystical senses as a completely mundane human.  Note that any physical 
  effects of Corruption are not disguised by this spell.  The spell lasts for one 
  hour per level of the caster. 
  Taint Mask, Greater (Complexity/Level 5) 
  As Taint Mask, but the sorcerer can cast the spell upon others, or conceal the 
  physical effects of corruption upon himself.  
  Mundane Guise, Greater (Complexity/Level 6) 
  As Mundane Guise, but the sorcerer can cast it upon others.  
  Taint Mask, Master (Complexity/Level 8) 
  The sorcerer can project his own corruption onto others—he will sense to 
  other sorcerers as completely mundane, while another target of his choice will 
  appear to mystical senses as having the caster’s levels of corruption.  Thus, a 
  caster with six levels of corruption wishes to set up a ruler for a nasty fall.  
  When another sorcerer enters the court, the corrupted sorcerer casts this spell, 
  choosing to temporarily transfer (in an illusory sense) his corruption to the 
  king.  To the visiting magician, the Taint Masked sorcerer will sense as 
  completely uncorrupted, while the king will sense as having six levels of 
  corruption.  
  Summoning 
  Summoned creatures do not 
  appear out of thin air.  Rather, they 
  enter the scene from elsewhere—if in 
  the forest, they run out of the trees.  If 
  in a room, they enter through a door.  
  If in a wide open area, with no visible 
  features, they appear to step out from 
  behind the sorcerer.  When a 
  summoning spell ends, the summoned 
  creature does not vanish into thin air; 
  rather, it simply runs away, its normal 
  proclivities for self-preservation 
  kicking in.  Most creatures will not 
  attack the sorcerer who summoned 
  them without reason, excepting those 
  with higher than animal intelligence, 
  who have their own will and may 
  decide to turn on their former master 
  out of being insulted, rather than 
  
  27 
   
  simply leave.   
  In addition, at the DM’s option, exceptionally intelligent creatures such 
  as demons may immediately engage in a test of wills with the sorcerer to avoid 
  being bound by the spell; the creature must make a saving throw against 
  petrification/polymorph with a penalty equal to the difference between the 
  minimum result required for the sorcerer to cast the spell (delayed), and the 
  sorcerer’s actual casting roll (thus, if the sorcerer needed a 6 to cast a spell, 
  and rolled a 10, the creature would save at -4).  If the creature succeeds, it is 
  not bound and may act freely (and even leave, if it so chooses).  Some 
  creatures will immediately attack the sorcerer; others will offer a bargain.  
  Conjured creatures, on the other hand, appear out of thin air when 
  summoned, and vanish when the spell ends.  This is the key difference 
  between summoning and conjuration.  If a spell doesn’t include “Summon” in 
  the title, assume the creature is conjured. 
  Naturally, any spell with the word “Summon” in the title falls under this 
  category, as Monster Summoning I (level three), II (four), III (five), IV 
  (six), V (seven), VI (eight), and VII (nine).  Other spells included are Locate 
  Animals (level one), Insect Plague (level four), Conjure Elemental (level 
  five), Conjure Animals (level six), Invisible Stalker (level six), and Aerial 
  Servant (level seven). 
  Summon Vermin (Complexity/Level 1) 
  This spell summons a small swarm of spiders, scorpions, centipedes, or other 
  ghastly miniscule creatures (always arachnids, insects, or similar) to swarm 
  over the caster’s foes.  The spell summons 1d6 x 5 creatures per level of the 
  caster; these creatures distract and can even kill opponents.  Every five 
  creatures summoned imposes a -2 penalty to attack rolls by a single target.  
  Every ten creatures summoned counts as a 1 HD monster for purposes of 
  attacking.  Thus, up to 10 bugs is a 1 HD creature; 20 bugs is a 2 HD creature 
  or two 1 HD creatures (should the caster choose to split them amongst 
  multiple targets), etc.  The creatures have a poison attack; if they succeed in 
  damaging an opponent, the opponent suffers no physical damage, but must 
  make an immediate saving throw against poison or die.  The victim can 
  automatically kill 1d6 x 5 creatures every round by forgoing their normal 
  attack, by swatting, stomping, or otherwise smashing them.  The spell lasts for 
  1d6 rounds or until all summoned vermin are killed.  The caster may not re-
  cast this spell until it expires. 
  Vile Weapon (Complexity/Level 1) 
  The caster can pluck scorpions, snakes, and other such creatures off the ground 
  and use them as weapons.  The sorcerer is automatically proficient in using the 
  creature as a weapon; such creatures deal very little damage (1d3 as opposed 
  to the standard 1d6) and against creatures wearing any sort of armor the caster 
  suffers -2 to hit with the creature (using the “dagger” entry on the combat 
  
  28 
   
  tables), but if successful, the creature injects its poison into the opponent, 
  requiring the opponent to save vs. poison or suffer the effects of the toxin 
  (usually death).  The spell lasts for 1d6 rounds or until the spell which 
  summoned the creature expires, after which time the sorcerer may suffer an 
  attack from the held creature unless he drops it, kills it (automatic success) or 
  re-casts this spell.  
  Banishment (Complexity/Level 2) 
  This spell requires any devil, demon, or creature from the Outer Dark to make 
  an immediate saving throw against Petrification/Polymorph, or immediately be 
  banished to its shadowy realm of origin and trapped there for 1d6 x 10 months.  
  Following such banishments, the creature often seeks to return and exact 
  vengeance for having been banished.  This spell can only be used against 
  creatures of up to 4 HD. 
  Banishment, Greater (Complexity/Level 5) 
  As Banishment, above, but the difference between the sorcerer’s casting roll 
  and his required roll to activate the spell (Delayed result) becomes a penalty to 
  the demon’s saving throw.  Likewise, this spell can be used against creatures 
  of up to 6 HD and the duration is extended to 1d6 years. 
  Banishment, Master (Complexity/Level 8) 
  As Banishment, Greater, but can be used on any creature, no matter its Hit 
  Dice, and the duration is extended to 1d6 x 5 years. 
  Travel 
  Travel spells control the sorcerer’s means of getting from one place to 
  another, or the time it takes to get there, be it spiritually or physically.  These 
  sorcerers can enter the astral plane, walk through magical gateways to 
  transport from one place to another, and even levitate off the ground.  Spells in 
  this school include Levitate (level two), Haste (level three), Rope Trick 
  (level three), Slow (level three), Pass-Wall (level five), Astral Spell (level 
  seven), Wind Walk (level seven), Gate (level nine), Maze (level nine), and 
  Time Stop (level nine). 
  Wards 
  Put simply, wards are spells of protection.  Any spell that protects the 
  caster or a subject in some way falls into this category.  Spells already on the 
  list that should be included under Wards are Hold Portal (level one), 
  Protection from Evil/Good (level one), Shield (level one), Bless (level two), 
  Wizard Lock (level two), Dispel Magic (level three), Exploding Runes 
  (level three), Protection from Fire (level three), Protection from �ormal 
  Missiles (level three), Remove Curse (level three), �eutralize Poison (level 
  four), Protection from Lightning (level four), Anti-Animal Shell (level six), 
  Anti-Magic Shell (level six), Repulsion (level six), and Symbol (level eight) 
   
  
  29 
   
  Warding (Complexity/Level: 1) 
  This spell goes above and beyond the normal sorcerer’s ability to counter the 
  spell of another caster (see Chainmail, page 31, “Spells”).  This ability 
  surrounds the caster with a field of magical energy that cancels the ability of 
  other casters to affect the sorcerer with magic energies.  When the sorcerer 
  successfully casts this spell, her spell casting roll replaces the target number 
  for another sorcerer to affect her with spells.  Thus, if a sorcerer used warding 
  and rolled a 12, another sorcerer would need a 12 or better on their casting roll 
  for their spell to affect the warded sorcerer.  This spell will negate a number of 
  magic attacks equal to one half the sorcerer’s level before expiring (round 
  down, but with a minimum of 1).  The sorcerer may not use Warding to 
  protect others; it functions only on herself.  Note that if the attacking sorcerer 
  fails to affect the target, but would otherwise normally successfully cast the 
  spell, he does not suffer the effects of spell failure (losing access to the spell, 
  backlash, etc).  
  Greater Warding (Complexity/Level: 3) 
  This spell functions identically to Warding, but can be cast on others and not 
  just the sorcerer herself. 
  Master Warding (Complexity/Level: 6) 
  This spell functions similarly to Greater Warding, but the Sorcerer splits her 
  sorcery roll amongst multiple targets; instead of the roll replacing the target 
  number for another Sorcerer to affect the targets, the fraction of the roll 
  applied becomes a penalty to sorcerers casting spells against protected targets.  
  Protection can be split amongst as many targets as the sorcerer likes, but must 
  be divided evenly.  Thus, if a sorcerer rolls 12 on Master Warding and chooses 
  to protect six targets, each target gains 2 points of protection; any sorcerer 
  attempting to cast a spell at the target suffers -2 to their casting check. 
  Fractions are lost.  Thus, if the sorcerer above chooses to protect seven targets, 
  each target gains 1 point of protection; the remaining 5 points are lost, as there 
  are not enough to circulate a second time.  As with Greater Warding, 
  protection lasts for a number of spell attacks equal to half the caster’s level, 
  rounded down, minimum of 1.  
   
  
  30 
   
  Spells Table by Level 
  1Located in Supplement I: Greyhawk 
  2Located in Supplement III: Eldritch Wizardry 
  3Located in this work—only found in specialized ancient tomes (may not be 
  taken as a normal level-advancement spell) 
  All other spells found in D&D Volume One: Men and Magic 
  *Affects only a single target 
  **As Cure spells, but deals damage instead of curing 
  Level One 
  1. Cause Light Wounds** 
  2. Charm Person 
  3. Detect Snares & Pits2 
  4. Evil Eye3 
  5. Fascinate3 
  6. Grave Torment3 
  7. Hold Portal 
  8. It Is Written3 
  9. Light 
  10. Locate Animals2 
  11. Predict Weather2 
  12. Protection from Evil/Good 
  13. Purify Food & Water 
  14. Read Languages 
  15. Shield1 
  16. Sleep 
  17. Summon Vermin3 
  18. Vile Weapon3 
  19. Ventriloquism1 
  20. Warding3 
  Level Two 
  1. Banishment3 
  2. Bless1 (Clerical Only) 
  3. Create Water 
  4. Darkness 5’ Radius1 
  5. Detect Evil 
  6. Detect Invisible 
  7. E.S.P. 
  8. Find Traps 
  9. Heat Metal2 
  10. Hold Animal2 
  11. Invisibility 
  12. Knock 
  13. Levitate 
  14. Locate Object 
  15. Locate Plants2 
  16. Magic Mouth1 
  17. Mirror Image1 
  18. Obscurement2 
  19. Phantasmal Forces 
  20. Produce Flame2 
  21. Silence 15’ Radius  
  22. Speak with Animals 
  23. Strength1 
  24. Warp Wood2 
  25. Web1 
  26. Wizard Lock 
  Level Three 
  1. Call Lightning2 
  2. Clairaudience 
  3. Clairvoyance 
  4. Dispel Magic 
  5. Dominate3 
  6. Explosive Runes1 
  7. Evil Eye, Greater3 
  8. Haste 
  9. Hold Person 
  10. Infravision 
  11. Lightning Bolt* (Arcane 
  Only) 
  12. Monster Summoning I1 
  13. Plant Growth 
  14. Prayer (Clerical Only)1 
  15. Protection from Fire2 
  16. Protection from Normal 
  Missiles 
  
  31 
   
  17. Psychometry3 
  18. Remove Curse (Clerical 
  Only) 
  19. Rope Trick1 
  20. Slow 
  21. Speak with Dead 
  22. Suggestion1 
  23. Taint Mask3 
  24. Warding, Greater3 
  25. Water Breathing 
  Level Four 
  1. Cause Serious Wounds** 
  2. Charm Monster 
  3. Confusion 
  4. Control Temperature, 10’ 
  Radius2 
  5. Fear1 
  6. Insect Plague2 
  7. Monster Summoning II1 
  8. Mundane Guise3 
  9. Neutralize Poison 
  10. Polymorph Self 
  11. Protection from Lightning2 
  12. Psychometry, Improved3 
  13. Speak with Plants2 
  14. They Speak in Dreams3 
  15. Turn Sticks to Snakes 
  16. Wizard Eye 
  Level Five 
  1. Agonizing Doom3 
  2. Animate Dead 
  3. Banishment, Greater3 
  4. Breath of Yizil3 
  5. Cause Disease** 
  6. Cloudkill (Arcane Only) 
  7. Commune (Clerical Only) 
  8. Conjure Elemental (Arcane 
  Only) 
  9. Contact Higher Plane 
  (Clerical Only) 
  10. Feeblemind 
  11. Hold Monster 
  12. Magic Jar 
  13. Monster Summoning III1 
  14. Pass-Wall 
  15. Psychometry, Master3 
  16. Quest 
  17. Taint Mask, Greater3 
  18. Telekinesis 
  19. Transmute Rock-Mud 
  Level Six 
  1. Animate Objects1 
  2. Anti-Animal Shell2 
  3. Anti-magic Shell  
  4. Conjure Animals1 
  5. Death Spell 
  6. Evil Eye, Master3 
  7. Find the Path1 
  8. Invisible Stalker 
  9. Legend Lore1,3 
  10. Lower Water 
  11. Monster Summoning IV1 
  12. Mundane Guise, Greater3 
  13. Projected Image 
  14. Repulsion1 
  15. Speak with Monsters1 
  16. Stone to Flesh 
  17. Vampiric Touch3 
  18. Warding, Master3 
  19. Word of Recall1 
  Level Seven 
  1. Aerial Servant2 
  2. Animate Dead, Greater3 
  3. Astral Spell2 
  4. Earthquake2 
  5. Enslave3 
  6. Holy Word (Clerical Only)1 
  7. Monster Summoning V1 
  8. Phase Door1 (Arcane Only) 
  9. Polymorph Others1 
  10. Power Word – Stun 
  11. Simulacrum (Arcane Only)1 
  12. Wind Walk1 
  13. Part Water1 
  
  32 
   
  14. Animate Rock2 
  15. Transmute Metal to Wood2 
  16. Your Heart Is Mine!3 
  Level Eight 
  1. Banishment, Master3 
  2. Clone1 
  3. Curse of the Werewolf3 
  4. Fire Storm2 
  5. Mass Charm1 
  6. Mind Blank1 
  7. Monster Summoning VI1 
  8. Polymorph Any Object1 
  9. Power Word – Blind1 
  10. Symbol1  
  11. Taint Mask, Master3 
  12. Vampiric Touch, Greater3 
  Level Nine 
  1. Animate Dead, Master3 
  2. Awful Rite of the Sorcerer-
  King3 
  3. Gate1 
  4. Maze1 
  5. Meteor Swarm1 
  6. Monster Summoning VII1 
  7. Power Word-Kill1 
  8. Shape Change1 
  9. Time Stop1 
  10. Wish1
   
   
  
  33 
   
  Tools of the Trade 
  Books of Arcane Lore 
  Of greatest value to any sorcerer is a genuine, ancient tome of magic lore.  
  Scholars have pored through the tombs of Stygia and in the wilds of 
  Aquilonia, Nemedia, and Zingara for relics of the ancient days, of Acheron 
  and the ancient Stygian priest-kings.  Perhaps the most famous of these tomes, 
  and the one that survives in some form in the current era, is the Book of 
  Skelos, but there are others out there, if one has the fortitude to look… 
  Appearance of Magical Tomes 
  Books of magic are always written upon pages of thin leather formed from 
  the skin of creatures—preferably human skin, and inked in blood.  It is 
  believed that only such ghastly materials can hold the power of the arcane 
  writings inscribed upon them.  Normal paper, had it the detailed and powerful 
  instructions for magic rituals placed on its pages, would disintegrate, burst into 
  flame, or otherwise be consumed.  Some sorcerers use animal skin to page 
  their books and scrolls, but even 
  animal skins tend to decay after a few 
  decades, the secrets recorded within 
  lost forever.  This leaves the sorcerer 
  who endeavors to resist magic’s 
  corrupting influence in a difficult 
  position; only human skin and blood 
  will indefinitely hold magical secrets, 
  for whatever reason this may be.  
  Contents of Magical 
  Tomes 
  Every magical tome has an area 
  of focus, usually one or two schools in 
  which the author was expert.  
  Fragments found will contain 1d6 
  spells from each of the included 
  schools of magic (including those 
  commonly known).  A complete copy 
  would have all spells available from 
  any included schools. 
  Specific Tomes of Magic 
  The Books of Skelos 
  Skelos was an Acheronian sorcerer who wrote a seminal treatise on magic 
  and the mystic arts many thousands of years ago, long before the sinking of 
  Atlantis, when the Purple Empire of Acheron ruled the world with demonic 
  
  34 
   
  fire.  The Book of Skelos commonly found in varying forms in the libraries of 
  the world is far from complete; indeed, these copies are translations of 
  translations of translations going back a thousand years or more, and often 
  deliberately obfuscated to make deciphering their contents difficult. Every 
  sorcererous library worth its salt has a copy of this book, which contains every 
  spell commonly known…if the reader can decipher it.   
  However, there are out there, buried deep within Acheronian tombs, 
  copies of Skelos’ original scrolls.  None have been discovered for hundreds of 
  years, but if copies were discovered, they would contain spells never before 
  seen from all categories, such as those listed in this book.  Original copies of 
  the Scrolls of Skelos would be one of the greatest scholarly treasures one 
  could possibly find.  
  The Book of Eibon 
  Written by a Hyperborean sorcerer named Eibon thousands of years ago, 
  the Book of Eibon is a treastise on Curses and Domination, dealing with the 
  black and ancient demon-gods of that awful witch-cult. Written in the Ancient 
  Tongue of Hyperborea. 
  The Scrolls of Pnom 
  Another ancient Hyperborean tome written by Pnom, a sorcerer thought to 
  be a contemporary of Eibon, which focuses on Travel magic and Warding, and 
  containing a treatise on the Ancient Ones who hail from the Outer Dark. 
  Written in the Ancient Tongue of Hyperborea. 
  The Book of Iod 
  This ancient Stygian tome was written by the sorcerer Klut-Nah and is 
  said to be a black guide to the underworld and the realms beyond death, the 
  ultimate treatise on Necromancy and Summoning, second only to the Scrolls 
  of Skelos themselves. The book is written in the ancient alphabet of Stygia.  
  
  35 
   
  The Pnakotic Manuscript 
  A treatise on Divination and Travel, author unknown.  It is written in 
  strange pictographs of alien nature, and its secrets are difficult to unlock, at 
  best. 
  The Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan 
  These books were written by a Lemurian scholar named Hsan in the days 
  of Atlantis and Valusia, and are said to be hidden somewhere in Khitai.  They 
  contain the secrets of Divination, Travel, and Elemental Magic, and are 
  thought to be related to the Pnakotic Manuscripts.  It is said that only through 
  possessing all seven books can their secrets be unlocked—fragments do one 
  no good, except as a valuable curio. 
  Other Magic Artifacts 
  The Nature of Magic Items 
  There are no “common” magic items in the Hyborian Age.  Every item is 
  constructed with a specific purpose in mind; once it has fulfilled that purpose, 
  it generally becomes a valuable curiosity, but its magical power fades or the 
  magic, while still there, is useless, 
  as the purpose of the item has been 
  fulfilled.   
  At very least, the item will 
  function only for a specific 
  purpose for any given individual.  
  For example, Conan was lent a 
  girdle (the Golden Serpent Belt) by 
  a sorcerer in “The People of the 
  Black Circle,” which enabled him 
  to resist the spell-attacks of the 
  Black Seers.  Once it had done its 
  job, the girdle was of no further 
  use to Conan, since it had 
  performed the purpose for which 
  he needed it.  He could not keep it 
  to give him resistance against 
  magic for the rest of his career.  In 
  The Return of Conan, by Björn 
  Nyberg, Conan is loaned a magic 
  ring, the Ring of Rakhaman, which performs the same purpose as his earlier 
  girdle, plus allows him to defeat powerful monsters with his bare hands.  This 
  ring aids him several times in his quest to rescue his queen, Zenobia, but once 
  the queen is rescued, Conan knows he must return the ring to its previous 
  keeper; it will be of no further use to him.  
  
  36 
   
  Similarly, the Phoenix inscribed upon his sword by Epemitreus the Sage 
  granted Conan the ability to defeat a single demonic enemy; it did not make 
  his sword indestructible (indeed, the sword was broken when Conan ran the 
  monster through with it), nor give it a permanent enhancement bonus.  Magic 
  items are almost alive in that sense, as they know what they are for—
  specifically what they are for—and do not yield to the greed of their users. 
  The only exception to this rule is that of a soul-vessel or other magic item 
  which binds itself to the life force of a sorcerer, and these items always carry 
  terrible consequences.  For example, Thoth-Amon’s ring, The Serpent Ring of 
  Set, renders him a 20th-level Sorcerer whenever he wears it, but he is drained 
  of all spellcasting power when it is removed.  Whether Thoth-Amon’s ring 
  would have any effect upon a sorcerer who is not Thoth-Amon is entirely at 
  the discretion of the DM, but it is suggested that either the ring’s use be as 
  temporary as any other magic item in the Hyborian Age, or that the wearer 
  immediately gains 10 points of Corruption, permanently, and/or becomes a 
  devoted disciple of Set the Old Serpent.  
  Examples of specific items are listed below. 
  The Chest of Zorathus, the Star of Khorala, the Purple Lotus, 
  Orichalcum, Dragon Ships, the Golden Serpent Belt, Claw of �ergal, 
  Cobra Crown, Yara's Gem, Black Lotus, Dread Sceptre of Munthassem 
  Khan, Heart of Tammuz, Pictish Bag of Demons, Purple Lotus, Mirror of 
  Lazbekri, Ring of Rakhaman, and Yellow Lotus are all found in 
  Supplement IV, pp. 46-51 (the entire “Robert E. Howard’s Hyborea” [sic] 
  section is found on pp. 45-52). 
  Bane-Weapons 
  Bane-weapons are those weapons crafted to combat a specific foe.  Even 
  those weapons dedicated to slaying a type of creature—arrows that are the 
  bane of werewolves, for example—will only work against one specific 
  creature (the servant of Thoth-Amon’s ring, for example), the first creature 
  they attack, or against a specific subset (the lycanthropes that reside in the 
  ruins on the lost isle of Losotros, for example).  After their purpose is served, 
  their magic fades, and they are normal weapons.  Bane-weapons deal three 
  dice of damage on every hit against their specified foe, rather than one, and 
  always treat the foe’s AC as one less than it truly is (9 being the minimum).  
  The Golden Wine of Xuthal 
  “no man of Xuthal has visited it for three generations, much less made any 
  attempt to explore the fertile grasslands which the maps show lying another 
  day’s march beyond it. They are a fast-fading race, drowned in lotus dreams, 
  stimulating their waking hours by means of the golden wine which heals 
  wounds, prolongs life, and invigorates the most sated debauchee.” 
  --Robert E. Howard, “Xuthal of the Dusk” 
  
  37 
   
  This peculiar, sweet-tasting golden draught is found only in the 
  degenerate, dreaming city of Xuthal.  Drinking a goblet will, in 1d6 rounds, 
  heal all wounds, eliminate the effects of poison and disease, cure ability 
  damage or loss, and remove any fatigue.  In addition, it adds 3d6 years to the 
  life of the drinker by slowing the process of aging.  
  Golden Lotus Juice 
  Properly prepared, the juice of the golden lotus removes the effects of 
  fatigue and restores 1d6 points of ability drain or loss, as well as being a 
  universal antidote for poisons and drugs, including that of the other lotus 
  varieties.  It will remove paralysis or slumber caused by magical or drug / 
  poison effects, including the scratch from a ghoul, but will not cure other kinds 
  of diseases.  Still, preparing it is neither easy nor cheap, and thus it is a rare 
  commodity when found.  
  The Phoenix on the Sword 
  "Mitra guard us against the powers of darkness!" he gasped. "The king 
  has indeed talked with Epemitreus this night! There on the sword—it is the 
  secret sign none might make but him—the emblem of the immortal phoenix 
  which broods for ever over his tomb! A candle, quick! Look again at the spot 
  where the king said the goblin died!" 
  --Robert E. Howard, “The Phoenix on the Sword” 
  A special kind of bane-weapon, 
  the Phoenix on the Sword is granted by 
  the long-dead Epemitreus the Sage, 
  champion of light in Aquilonia and a 
  priest of Mitra who stood against the 
  evil cult of Set.  Epemitreus contacts 
  champions of his choosing in their 
  dreams, giving them advice and aid, 
  and sometimes, in times of true need, 
  will inscribe the mark of the Phoenix 
  on their blade.  A blade inscribed with 
  this mark will deal 24 points of 
  damage on a single stroke against the 
  enemy for whom it was intended 
  (always a demonic creature); on the next stroke it will deal 12 points of 
  damage, and on the third 6 points of damage.  Thereafter the magic fades and 
  the item is a normal weapon, save that it will still harm its chosen enemy even 
  if it can only be harmed by magic.  Epemitreus will grant this boon to a 
  champion but once in their lifetime at most, and the phoenix will forever 
  remain on the blade as a reminder of the wielder’s encounter with the ancient 
  sage. 
  
  38 
   
  Raiment of Bel 
  Bel is the Zamoran god of 
  thieves, and it is said this raiment was 
  crafted centuries ago by his most 
  devoted disciple, who intended to use 
  it to rob the very King of Zamora of 
  the crown jewels of that nation.  
  Unfortunately, the priest had done 
  something to lose Bel’s favor (his 
  exact crime is lost to the mists of time) 
  and in climbing the wall of the castle 
  lost a single glove from the raiment.  
  When the glove fell from his hand, the 
  raiment lost all its power and he was 
  left exposed on the outer wall of the 
  palace.  He was beheaded the 
  following day and buried wearing the 
  garb he wore in his ill-fated 
  misadventure.  Unfortunately, his tomb 
  was washed away in a great flood and 
  the body disappeared, the raiment with 
  it.  
  The raiment of Bel consists of a dusky-hued cloak, gloves, and boots, all 
  inscribed with the symbol of the god, and all pieces must be worn for the 
  raiment to work.  When worn by a favored of Bel, the raiment increases the 
  wearer’s thieving abilities by ten levels.  However, the phrase “there is no 
  honor amongst thieves” is untrue in Zamora, and Bel expects the raiment to be 
  lost again after a single job, that someone new might find it when needed in 
  the future.  Otherwise, great misfortune may befall the greedy thief who 
  chooses to keep the raiment for his own use… 
  The Serpent Ring of Set 
  He triumphantly lifted a ring of curious make. It was of a metal like 
  copper, and was made in the form of a scaled serpent, coiled in three loops, 
  with its tail in its mouth. Its eyes were 
  yellow gems which glittered balefully. 
  Thoth-amon cried out as if he had been 
  struck, and Dion wheeled and gaped, his 
  face suddenly bloodless. 
  --Robert E. Howard, “The Phoenix 
  on the Sword.” 
  This ring replaces the Ring of Thoth-
  Amon listed in Supplement IV.  The 
  
  39 
   
  Serpent Ring of Set, when worn by one who has the natural capacity for magic 
  (a Sorcerer), immediately grants the wearer ten levels of Sorcery, to a 
  maximum of 20th level of experience. In addition, the ring’s bearer can 
  summon and send forth to do his bidding, the Servant of the Ring, a powerful 
  Type VI demon with 12 Hit Dice which resembles a cross between a baboon 
  and a hound, with a passing resemblance in features to the ring’s wearer.   
  If worn by a bearer who is not already a sorcerer, the ring imparts third 
  level sorcery abilities immediately, with an appropriate complement of spells 
  (Necromancy only) at the DM’s discretion, and the character must advance as 
  a sorcerer from this point forward, but see the drawbacks, below. In all 
  respects save experience points, the character is treated as multi-class; that is 
  to say, a third-level fighting man who dons the ring sees his XP total adjusted 
  to that of a third-level sorcerer, but maintains the fighting ability of a third-
  level fighting man until his sorcerous abilities outstrip that. Likewise, his 
  saving throw and other applicable abilities and bonuses (if any) are 
  adjudicated using the better of his fighting man or sorcerer abilities.  
  The ring is not all beneficial; its bearer also suffers 10 points of 
  Corruption immediately (no save) and becomes a devoted disciple of Set.  
  Worse, the user’s soul becomes tied to it; former abilities are permanently 
  frozen at their pre-ring levels.  This means that the player should note the XP 
  tally his character had when the ring was gained; should the ring ever be lost, 
  the former owner loses all experience gained while wearing the ring, and can 
  never again gain experience as a sorcerer or learn spells without the ring. If the 
  ring was claimed by a non-sorcerous character with the intent of becoming a 
  sorcerer, and the ring is lost, the character loses all sorcery powers and spell 
  knowledge, being reverted thereafter to his previous class only.  The 
  corruption levels granted by the ring, however, remain even if the ring is lost. 
  Depending upon the era of the game, the Serpent Ring of Set will either 
  be in the possession of the great wizard Thoth-Amon, head of the Cult of Set, 
  or if after the events of the Ace paperback Conan of Aquilonia, will be lost. 
  The Heart of Ahriman 
  He leaned forward, and, without touching the thing with his hand, laid on 
  the breast of the mummy the blazing jewel. Then he drew back and watched 
  with fierce intensity, his lips moving in soundless invocation. 
  It was as if a globe of living fire nickered and burned on the dead, 
  withered bosom. And breath sucked in, hissing, through the clenched teeth of 
  the watchers. For as they watched, an awful transmutation became apparent. 
  The withered shape in the sarcophagus was expanding, was growing, 
  lengthening. The bandages burst and fell into brown dust. The shiveled limbs 
  swelled, straightened. Their dusky hue began to fade. 
  --Robert E. Howard, The Hour of the Dragon 
  
  40 
   
  This version of the Heart of Ahriman should replace that in Supplement 
  IV.  The Heart of Ahriman is a soul-vessel for the ancient Acheronian witch-
  king Xaltotun.  It is a fist-sized gem shaped like a heart, blood red in color, 
  which glows with orange fire when active.  When placed upon the breast of 
  Xaltotun’s corpse, or, in the case the 
  body is decayed or otherwise 
  destroyed, placed upon the remains, 
  and the proper incantation recited, it 
  will restore hideous, unnatural life to 
  its horrific owner.  It is utterly 
  indestructible.  Any who hold the 
  gem gain +5 to hit Xaltotun and 
  inflict maximum damage on any 
  successful strike against Xaltotun; 
  sorcerers who wield it gain ten levels 
  when facing Xaltotun in magical 
  contests, and Xaltotun suffers -8 to 
  save against their spells.  Xaltotun 
  speaks of a situation in which 
  barbarians stole his gem, enabling his enemies to poison him.  Whether this 
  was the result of a ritual performed by a barbarian shaman, a simple change in 
  possession, or a factor of the gem being moved too far from Xaltotun’s body 
  (resulting in common mortality) is left to the discretion of the DM.  
  Other soul-vessels may exist, which function identically to the Heart of 
  Ahriman but for other specific sorcerers. 
  
  41 
   
  Appendix: without OD&D 
  A number of folks have sent messages since the original posting of these 
  rules, lamenting the fact that they do not have the original D&D rules with 
  which to use them.  Fear not!  There are several options on the market that will 
  enable you to use these two supplements (and any that may follow in the 
  future) with little to no conversion work. 
  To the mind of the author, the best of these is Labyrinth Lord.  This clone 
  of Moldvay/Cook/Marsh’s B/X rules set will allow the use of Age of Conan 
  with few modifications, particularly if one also purchases the Original Edition 
  Characters booklet, which turns LL into a very faithful original D&D clone. 
  Last I knew, the author was offering free downloadable versions of LL with no 
  artwork.  
  Another option is my own Spellcraft & Swordplay game, which can even 
  be used in conjunction with Labyrinth Lord to provide the basic Chainmail-
  inspired combat rules. A free version of S&S is available that takes characters 
  to level three, but more importantly includes the full combat rules.  
  For those who don’t mind switching out their combat rules with the 
  traditional d20-based combat, options abound, from OSRIC (the Old School 
  Reference and Index Compilation,) a retro-clone of AD&D, to Swords & 
  Wizardry, a nostalgia game that seeks to emulate the feel of OD&D, to Castles 
  & Crusades by Troll Lord Games.  There are even a number of free D&D-
  style clones online that can be turned up with a bit of searching. 
  If something more along the lines of the original game is your schtick, the 
  original Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules are still quite easy to come by 
  at very reasonable prices at many used book stores or online retailers such as 
  ebay or Amazon. 
  It’s not in the scope of these rules to provide detailed conversions, but the 
  beauty of old-school play is how fast, loose, and open it is.  In general, simply 
  swap out the appropriate races and character classes with those contained 
  herein, switch out the magic system and spells, and you should be good to go! 
   
  
  42 
   
   
  Khitai Enchantress 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/Original D&D/Supplement 9 - Secrets of Acheron.pdf