TEXT: Against the Thundering Horde 
  Alternate Rules for Wading into Battle in Conan the Roleplaying Game 
  By Berin Kinsman of UncleBear.com 
   
  It’s a staple of the sword-and-sorcery genre: characters will encounter situations where they’re 
  completely outnumbered. A war party of angry Picts sets an ambush, for instance, or a ship is 
  boarded by pirates. Possibly they’re attacked by a band of nomad raiders, or just have a 
  misunderstanding with a mob of angry commoners.  Characters in the Conan RPG will flex their 
  mighty thews and wade into battle against all odds. Well and good for players, but for the games 
  master all that bookkeeping can be a nightmare.  
   
  The following is an attempt at a simplified system to pit player characters against literally dozens 
  of foes at once. It is highly cinematic and should only be used when dramatically appropriate in a 
  campaign.  
   
  Creating the Horde 
  First, determine the class and character level of the horde. No horde should be above 10th level. 
  Use the information provided on the tables below: 
   
  Barbarian Horde 
   
   
   
  Commoner Horde 
  Horde 
  Level 
  Attack 
  Bonus* 
  DV 
  Morale 
  Save 
  1 
  +2 
  10 
  0 
  2 
  +3 
  11 
  0 
  3 
  +4 
  12 
  1 
  4 
  +5 
  13 
  1 
  5 
  +5 
  13 
  1 
  6 
  +6 
  14 
  2 
  7 
  +7 
  15 
  2 
  8 
  +8 
  16 
  2 
  9 
  +8 
  16 
  3 
  10 
  +9 
  17 
  3 
   
  Nomad Horde  
   
   
   
  Pirate Horde 
  Horde 
  Level 
  Attack 
  Bonus* 
  DV 
  Morale 
  Save 
  1 
  +2 
  10 
  0 
  2 
  +3 
  11 
  0 
  3 
  +3 
  11 
  1 
  4 
  +4 
  12 
  1 
  5 
  +4 
  12 
  1 
  6 
  +5 
  13 
  2 
  7 
  +5 
  13 
  2 
  8 
  +6 
  14 
  2 
  9 
  +6 
  14 
  3 
  10 
  +7 
  15 
  3 
   
  *Includes Flanking bonus. A horde does not get multiple attacks.  
   
   
  Horde 
  Level 
  Attack 
  Bonus* 
  DV 
  Morale 
  Save 
  1 
  +2 
  10 
  0 
  2 
  +3 
  11 
  0 
  3 
  +3 
  11 
  1 
  4 
  +4 
  12 
  1 
  5 
  +4 
  12 
  1 
  6 
  +5 
  13 
  2 
  7 
  +5 
  13 
  2 
  8 
  +6 
  14 
  2 
  9 
  +6 
  14 
  3 
  10 
  +7 
  15 
  3 
  Horde 
  Level 
  Attack 
  Bonus* 
  DV 
  Morale 
  Save 
  1 
  +2 
  10 
  0 
  2 
  +3 
  11 
  0 
  3 
  +4 
  11 
  1 
  4 
  +5 
  12 
  1 
  5 
  +5 
  12 
  1 
  6 
  +6 
  13 
  2 
  7 
  +7 
  13 
  2 
  8 
  +8 
  14 
  2 
  9 
  +8 
  14 
  3 
  10 
  +9 
  15 
  3 
  
  Next, decide how many people comprise the horde, in multiples of 10. As a general rule, the 
  higher the level the smaller the horde will be.   
   
  Finally, determine what weapons they are using and mark down the damage and armour 
  piercing ratings of each.  
   
  The thing to bear in mind about hordes is that their strength is in numbers. They’re faceless, 
  generic opponents who are unremarkable and pose no threat as individuals, and can be cut down 
  rather easily. You don’t have to stat them out beyond the information above.  
   
  Slaughtering the Horde 
  Each player rolls for attack and damage as normal. If the damage dealt by the player character is 
  less than the horde’s character level (the “Drop Threshold”) that member of the horde is still 
  standing. If the rolled damage is greater than the horde’s Drop Threshold, the games master 
  should make a tic mark on a sheet of paper. Each tic represents a member of the horde who has 
  fallen in battle. 
   
  For example, Gunnar is fighting a horde of 3rd level pirates. The Drop Threshold is 3. For each 
  attack he makes that does 3 or more points of damage, a pirate falls.  
   
  Characters with Cleave and Great Cleave have the potential to show off very impressively. 
   
  If the horde hasn’t routed (see below) by the time the GM has made tic marks equal to the 
  number of the horde, they’re all dead or incapacitated.  
   
  Routing the Horde 
  For each 10 members of the horde who fall (10 tics on the GM’s tracking sheet) make a Morale 
  Save vs. DC 10. Add a -1 circumstance modifier for ever 10 members of the horde still standing. If 
  the roll succeeds, the horde continues the attack. If the roll fails, the horde is routed. Any 
  members of the horde not currently engaged in combat will immediately run away, and those in 
  melee will disengage and run on their next action. 
   
  For example, Gunnar’s band of mercenaries is being overrun by 40 Shemite nomads. When 10 
  nomads have been killed the games master makes a moral check for them at -1. The roll succeeds, 
  so the nomads continue their attack. After 20 have been killed, another check is made at -2. They 
  fail this roll, and begin to fall back.  
   
  The Armoured Horde 
  If the games master wishes to make the horde tougher, add the DR of the armour they’re wearing 
  to the Drop Threshold. For example, a 2nd level horde wearing mail shirts (DR 5) would have a 
  Drop Threshold of 8; any attack that does 8 or more points of damage drops one member of the 
  horde.   
   
  Falling to the Horde 
  Only six members of a horde can attack a character in melee at a time. The games master should 
  consider each of these as a single opponent and make a single die roll to attack. If the roll hits, roll 
  6d of the appropriate type for the horde’s weapons for damage. The player can deduct from the 
  damage sustained.  
   
  For example, the games master rolls and hits Gunnar. The horde is using arming swords, so the 
  GM rolls 6d10, for a total of 35 points. Gunnar is wearing a leather jerkin with DR4, so he only 
  
  takes 11 points (35 minus 24).   
   
  For ranged combat, the games master should make one die roll for every 10 members of the 
  horde, and roll 10d if the appropriate type for damage. The player can deduct DRx10 from the 
  damage sustained.  
   
  For example, the games master rolls and hits Gunnar with a volley from the horde’s archers. The 
  GM rolls 10d6, for a total of 26 points. Gunnar is wearing a leather jerkin with DR4, but the 
  arrows have AP2, so he only gets DR2. Gunnar takes six points (26 minus 20).   
   
  As each member of the horde falls, another will takes his place so that each character will always 
  be facing the maximum number of opponents. If the numbers of the horde are depleted to a point 
  where characters are facing less than 6 opponents in melee or less than 10 in ranged combat, and 
  the horde miraculously hasn’t routed, simple decrease the number of damage dice to equal the 
  number of opponents.  
   
  Attacks of Opportunity 
  If the horde misses, a player character can utilize any appropriate attacks of opportunity against 
  any member of the horde directly threatening him.  
   
  Fate Points 
  Hordes do not get to use Fate Points. The games master should, however, consider that a 
  surviving member of a horde (or one left for dead) seeking revenge for the slaughter of his 
  fellows can make a worthy adversary, one worthy of being written up in full and given a name so 
  that he may return at a later date.  
   
  Legal 
  Conan the Roleplaying Game is ©2003 Conan Properties International LLC. CONAN®, CONAN 
  THE BARBARIAN® and related logos, characters, names and distinctive licenses thereof are 
  trademarks of Conan Properties International LLC unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. 
  Mongoose Publishing Ltd. Authorized User. 
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Conan RPGs/3rd Party/Berin Kinsman - Against the Thundering Horde.pdf