By these (5E) rules I axe!

The Player’s Guide to the World of Xoth for 5E contains character creation rules, including races and cultures, new classes, new equipment, new spells, and so on.

Here are some additional 5E house rules for my own campaigns:

Ability Scores

• A high Intelligence score gives bonus languages (and a low Intelligence score reduces the number of languages you know)
• You can choose to add your Intelligence bonus to Initiative instead of your Dexterity bonus

Feats

• The following feats are considered overpowered and therefore banned
  • Lucky
  • Sharpshooter
  • Great Weapon Master

Skills

• Wisdom (Perception) is used to detect creatures (only), and Intelligence (Investigation) is used to detect traps and secret doors
• See also 5E skills and how to use them for specific details on skill usage

Combat

• Flanking: This gives a +1 bonus to attack rolls against the flanked creature.
• Standing up from prone: You suffer disadvantage on attacks on the creature that pushed you down, if it is still within 5 feet of you, for the duration of your turn.
• Picking up weapon from ground after disarm: You suffer disadvantage on attacks on the creature that disarmed you, if it is still within 5 feet of you, for the duration of your turn.

Damage and Healing

• If you are knocked down to 0 hp and then get back to positive hp (through healing or by rolling a 20 on a death save), you gain a level of exhaustion.
• When you roll a natural 20 and score a critical hit, the first damage die deals maximum damage. Roll normally for additional damage dice.
• If you suffer a critical hit, you can use a reaction to turn it into a normal hit by sacrificing a (medium) shield or a (non-light) melee weapon. You must be holding the item when you are hit, and the item is destroyed.
• Options for using a healing potion:
  • Drink as a bonus action (roll normally for hit points restored)
  • Drink as an action (max result on all potion dice, ie a regular healing potion restores 10 hit points)
  • Administer to another creature as an action (roll normally for hit points restored)

Resting

• A long rest restores all Hit Dice (not just half your Hit Dice as per the standard rules).
• Some areas (a swamp filled with biting insects, a dungeon with roaming undead, etc) may not offer sufficient tranquility to provide any benefits of a long rest. In other words, a long rest requires a fairly friendly and safe environment, such as a fortress or a tavern or at a minimum a fortified camp. The GM decides on a case-by-case basis.

Magic

• See the “Sorcery” chapter in the Player’s Guide (link at the top of this blog post) Pfor details on changes to magic and spellcasting.
• Some additional house rules:
  • Levitate: An unwilling target is allowed a new saving throw each round.

By these rules I axe!

Worried DM in the front; scheming min/maxing players in the back...

These are the house rules in effect for my World of Xoth campaign.

The World

• Here is the map of the campaign world, use it to create a background for your character.

Rulebooks

• Pathfinder Core Rulebook: By default, everything from the Core Rulebook is allowed, with specific exceptions listed below.
• Advanced Player’s Guide (APG): Players must get explicit permission to use any material from the APG (but permission is very likely to be given, unless it “breaks the spirit” of the house rules below).

Ability Scores

• 20 point buy

Races

• Human only
• You must select a cultural archetype
• Special variant “races” (such as pygmies and others) allowed on a case-by-case basis. Note that as a general rule, the party can only include a single non-human (or special variant race) character

Classes

The following classes are allowed:

• Alchemist (APG)
• Aristocrat
• Barbarian
• Bard
• Cavalier (APG)
• Commoner
• Cultist (a variant of Oracle [APG])
• Druid*
• Expert
• Fighter
• Monk
• Ranger
• Rogue
• Warrior
• Witch**

Most of the alternative class features from the APG are also available, but ask for permission.

* The Druid’s class features are modified as follows:

• Wild Shape: The druid class does not gain the Wild Shape ability. The character gets a bonus feat per daily use of Wild Shape instead.

** The Witch’s class features are modified as follows:

• Healing hex:  “The healing hex can be used a number of times per day equal to 3 + the witch’s Intelligence modifier.”
• Slumber hex:  “This hex can affect a creature of any HD, but if the target has more HD or levels than the witch, he simply becomes drowsy (treat as staggered) instead of falling asleep. This effect can be removed by the same means as awakening a sleeping creature (ie. rousing the creature using a standard action, or dealing damage to the creature).“

Feats

• No item creation feats, except Brew Potion and Scribe Scroll

Skills

• No changes

Equipment

• Regional equipment (more on this later)
• Weapons and armor created by master-smiths get “quality” bonuses that are equivalent to enchantment bonuses in all respects. Such equipment is very rare and expensive.

Spells

• See the “Mysteries of Magic” post for details.

Magic Items

• True magic items are very rare, usually unique relics from older civilizations. The art of crafting magic items has been lost.

Character Improvement (Training)

• Characters can spend time and money on “training” to increase ability scores or gain permanent bonuses to saving throws, armor class. (This will be further explained in a separate post.)

Other Rules

• No alignment
• Players roll all the dice
• Hero Points from the APG (just the points; not the feats, spells and items)
• If an item/equipment is not on your character sheet, then you don’t have it. If the party has a list of shared treasure, the list must specify which party member carries each item; otherwise the party has lost the item.
• By group agreement (majority vote), the Coup de Grace action cannot be used (exception: NPCs can use it against each other).

The Sign of Xoth

“At another house, where people were stirring, he asked questions about the gods, and whether they danced often upon Lerion; but the farmer and his wife would only make the Elder Sign and tell him the way to Nir and Ulthar.”

— H. P. Lovecraft: The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath

Many spells and other rules are based on alignments, and they need some adjustment when the alignment system is not used.

Let’s start with Protection from Evil. In the World of Xoth, this common warding spell is called Protection from Witchcraft, and is also known as the Sign of Xoth.

The spell is identical to the description in the rulebook, except replace all instances of “evil creatures” with “magic-using creatures and supernatural creatures”. Note that any spellcaster is a “magic-using creature” under this definition. A “supernatural creature” is a creature that has one or more supernatural (Su) or spell-like (Sp) abilities.

Magic Circle against Evil is called Magic Circle against Witchcraft (or simply Magic Circle).

Cultural Archetypes

In a typical sword and sorcery campaign such as the World of Xoth, the traditional demihumans do not exist, and the majority of player characters and non-player characters are human. The following broad cultural archetypes can be used to distinguish between characters who would otherwise have the same racial abilities.

Savage

Savages include warriors from the frozen north and witch-doctors from the snake-infested jungles of the south. Savages tend to have a close connection with nature, but remain ignorant of many developments that more civilized people take for granted.

Savages have the following racial traits:

• +2 to Strength
• Sturdy: Permanent benefit as per the endure elements spell, and a +1 natural bonus to Armor Class.
• Feral: Savages gain a +2 racial bonus to Perception checks.
• Superstitious: Before attacking any supernatural or magic-using creature, the savage must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + half level or Hit Dice of creature) or suffer a -4 penalty to attack rolls against that creature until the end of the encounter. Exception: If the character has more levels in spellcasting classes than non-spellcasting classes, the character instead casts spells with a +1 bonus to effective caster level.

Nomadic

Nomads roam the empty wastes beyond the civilized cities; quick to strike and bound by no laws. Nomads live with their animals and usually ride into battle with them; they feel ill at ease without them.

Nomads have the following racial traits:

• +2 to Dexterity
• Proud: Iron Will as bonus feat.
• Unpredictable: The character gains a “wild card” feat. As a standard action, the character can select any feat for which he meets the prerequisites. The selected feat remains active for the rest of the day. After the character rests for eight hours, the wild card feat slot resets to empty.
• Bowlegged: Base land speed 20 ft.

Civilized

Savages and nomads eventually gather together to cultivate the land, build great cities, develop trade, and study medicine, mathematics and languages. In the civilized lands dwell noble knights, wise kings, and learned sages — as well as greedy merchants and cunning thieves.

Civilized people have the following racial traits:

• +2 to one ability score: Civilized characters get a +2 bonus to one ability score of their choice at creation to represent their versatile nature.
• Educated: One bonus feat at first level, and one extra skill point at each level.
• Frail: Civilized people have a -2 penalty to saving throws against poison and disease.

Enlightened

A few great civilizations rise above others and gain half-mythical status. Learned beyond normal men, people of enlightened cultures are builders of cyclopean pyramids and towers that pierce the skies. Their magnificent buildings can last forever, and likewise the flesh of the enlightened ones can withstand the passage of time like no other mortals.

Enlightened people have the following racial traits:

• +2 to Wisdom
• Uncanny: Once per day, the enlightened can re-roll any dice roll, but must keep the second result, regardless of the outcome. Also, enlightened characters who reach at least 2nd level before the normal human Middle Age (35 years) gain longevity and use the following age categories instead: Middle Age (100 years), Old (200 years), Venerable (300 years), Maximum Age (300 + 3d100 years).
• Expert Builder: Enlightened ones receive a +2 bonus on Perception checks to potentially notice unusual stonework, such as traps and hidden doors located in stone walls or floors. They receive a check to notice such features whenever they pass within 10 feet of them, whether or not they are actively looking.
• Conceited: Too confident in their own abilities, enlightened ones often underestimate their enemies. They suffer a -4 penalty to Initiative checks.

Decadent

Great civilizations reach their peak and eventually start to decline. Such fallen empires are ruled by jaded nobles, corrupt priests and wicked slave-traders. Demon-worship, human sacrifice and drug abuse is all too common in these cultures.

Decadent people have the following racial traits:

• +2 to Charisma
• Insidious: +2 bonus to Bluff, Knowledge and Stealth checks, and an additional +1d6 of sneak attack damage if the character has the sneak attack class ability.
• Arcane Adept: Add +1 to the DC of any saving throw when casting spells.
• Corrupt: -2 penalty to Will saving throws.

Degenerate

The last survivors of decadent civilizations start to feud over dwindling resources, or are driven away by stronger cultures. Fleeing into the wilderness, or deep underground beneath their ruins, they start to inbreed and devolve into something no longer entirely human. Degenerates may outwardly resemble savages, but they carry the evil taint of fallen empires.

Degenerates have the following racial traits:

• +2 to Constitution
• Nocturnal: Degenerates can see twice as far as normal humans in conditions of dim light.
• Ferocious: Once per day, when a degenerate is brought below 0 hit points but not killed, he can fight on for one more round as if disabled. At the end of his next turn, unless brought to above 0 hit points, he immediately falls unconscious and begins dying.
• Unwholesome: Degenerates always have a physical deformity or a mental illness, caused by inbreeding, that sets them apart from other humans. This unwholesomeness can never be fully concealed. Degenerates suffer a -4 penalty on Bluff and Diplomacy checks (except when interacting with other degenerates), and the initial reaction of other cultural archetypes will never be better than Unfriendly.

Cults of Xoth

“In the temple of the city of Morm, which lies between the desert and the sea, are two images of the god Amanon, a bronze image facing an iron image, across the fires and blood-stains of the alter-stone. When the gory sunset of the day of sacrifice is over and the writhing fires of the sacrifice are dead, and the moon smiles with a cold and marble smile on the blackened altar — then Amanon speaks to Amanon, with a voice of iron, and a voice of bronze…”

— Clark Ashton Smith: The Image of Bronze and the Image of Iron

Here follows a list of the religions and cults of the World of Xoth. Note that this post is called Cults of Xoth, not Gods of Xoth, for who can be certain that the gods really exist? The ecclesiastical members of a cult are called cultists.

Ahyada, the High God of Taraam

Ahyada is the bringer of truth and protection to the people of Taraam, and the patron of the royal house of Achad as well. He grants visions and omens to the king, which are interpreted by astrologer-priests and soothsayers. Amulets of Ahyada are said to be effective wards against demons.

Aklathu, the God of Twisted Fate

Figurines of this god, who has few temples and no priests, depict Akhlathu as a deformed dwarf, whose facial features even show a hint of retardation. Many Susrahnites swear “By Akhlathu’s Beard!” when in trouble. This is also a god of thieves and gamblers.

Al-Tawir, the Ancient One, the Sleeper Beneath the Sands

Some say that Al-Tawir dwells in the black gulfs between the stars, others that he sleeps in a sealed and forbidden tomb beneath the desert sand. Al-Tawir is one of the Old Gods. The nomads hear his voice in the howling of the desert winds, and they see his face in the rage of sandstorms. He is the emptyness of the desert, associated with getting lost, with thirst and hunger, with darkness, and with sandstorms.

Initiation Rite: Gouge out your own eyes, as a sign of respect to Al-Tawir, whose true form it is forbidden to behold.

Class Skills: A cultist of Al-Tawir adds Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int) and Survival (Wis) to his list of class skills.

Cult Spells: Unseen Servant (1st), Whispering Wind (2nd), Deeper Darkness (3rd), Crushing Despair (4th), Nightmare (5th), Find the Path (6th), Control Weather (7th), Whirlwind (8th), Antipathy (9th)

Cult Secrets: Air Barrier, Wind Sight, Dweller in Darkness, Guiding Star, Interstellar Void, Lore Keeper, Nature’s Whispers, Lifesense

Baal-Khardah, the Sun-God of Susrah

The lord of the sky, protector and judge of humankind, Baal-Khardah is a distant god, usually worshipped only by nobility. The common people tend to favor the more earthly passions of his mate, Belet-Lil. His lavish temples are filled with ram-headed statues, golden sun-discs, and sacred swords.

Belet-Lil, the Moon-Goddess of Susrah

Voluptous mate of Baal-Khardah, and earth-mother, Belet-Lil is a goddess of fertility, revelry, and beauty. She is very popular among the Susrahnites, not least due to the large numbers of temple prostitutes found in every city.

Initiation Rite: Offer your virginity to a member or patron of the cult.

Class Skills: A cultist of Belet-Lil adds Acrobatics (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha) and Knowledge (Local) (Int) to his list of class skills.

Cult Spells: Charm Person (1st), Delay Poison (2nd), Neutralize Poison (3rd), Restoration (4th), Dominate Person (5th), Antilife Shell (6th), Heal (7th), Sympathy (8th), Dominate Monster (9th)

Cult Secrets: Combat Healer, Mantle of Moonlight, Moonlight Bridge, Delay Affliction, Enhanced Cures, Healing Hands, Life Link, Safe Curing, Spirit Boost

Ia-Azutlatl, the Blood-God of Sunken Ptahaana

The true form of Ia-Azutlatl is unknown, but he is one of the Old Gods; some even claim that he is the greatest and oldest of those ancient ones. It is known that the blood-druids of now-sunken Ptahaana worshipped him with ceremonies of mass slaughter atop their stepped pyramids of green stone. Today, his name survives only in the rituals of primitive savages and mad hierarchs.

Jul-Juggah, the Devil-Bird of Azimba

The sweltering plains of Azimba are dotted with hundreds of monstrous statues of lizard-birds. Whether these grim effigies were crafted by an older civilization, or placed there more recently by the feather-cloaked shamans of Jul-Juggah, is not known.

Initiation Rite: Fetch an egg from a devil-bird’s nest in the mountains of Azimba.

Class Skills: A cultist of Jul-Juggah adds Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Perception (Wis) and Ride (Dex) to his list of class skills.

Cult Spells: Feather Fall (1st), Scare (2nd), Rage (3rd), Stoneskin (4th), Song of Discord (5th), Stone Tell (6th), Wind Walk (7th), Earthquake (8th), Soul Bind (9th)

Cult Secrets: Battlecry, Surprising Charge, War Sight, Armor of Bones, Bleeding Wounds, Bonded Mount (pteranodon), Natural Divination, Rock Throwing

The Living Flame, Nameless God of Zadj

The Zadjites worship a nameless elemental god, the Living Flame, above all other gods. The priests tend everburning fires in their marble temples. Fire is considered pure; both the dead and the unbelievers are cast into the flames to be purified. Fire also imbues metal with a spark of the divine; the priests of the Living Flame are skilled metal-workers and weaponsmiths.

Initiation Rite: Purify your body and soul by immolating yourself in the sacred temple fires of Iraab.

Class Skills: A cultist of the Living Flame adds Intimidate (Cha), Perform (Cha) and Sleight of Hand (Dex) to his list of class skills.

Cult Spells: Produce Flame (1st), Burning Hands (2nd), Quench (3rd), Greater Magic Weapon (4th), Wall of Fire (5th), Contagious Flame* (6th), Fire storm (7th), Incendiary Cloud (8th), Mage’s Disjunction (9th)

Cult Secrets: Iron Skin, Weapon Mastery, Burning Magic, Cinder Dance, Fire Breath, Firestorm, Gaze of Flames, Molten Skin

Maggash, the Brazen God of Zhaol

Abominable are the brass idols of Maggash, the fire-god of Zhaol, and even worse are the rites of the priesthood, which include the burning of infants as sacrifice. The priests of Zhaol accept no other god than their own, and worship of other gods is strictly forbidden and punishable by death.
Maggash is sometimes depicted as a bull, or a bull-headed humanoid.

Nhakhramat, the Six-Armed Woman

The ivory woman, said by some to be the mate of Yadar, is worshipped largely by Khazistanis who disapprove of Belet-Lil’s open sensuality, which is a source of conflict between the Khazistanis and the Susrahnites.

Nwanga Zhaal, the Lord of Beasts

Known and feared across the Jungle Kingdoms, this bloodthirsty god is master of the beasts that howl at the moon. His shamans are always served by flocks of bonded animals.

Othabbhon, the Guardian of the Gates

Depicted as a horse-headed humanoid clutching a bronze key, this mysterious god is a protector of homes and vaults, as well as the guardian of secret and hidden places.

Simatala, the Ape-God of Laksha

Turbaned priests strangle sacrificial victims on the white jade altars of this grim ape-god of the east, whose cult has even begun to spread to the west.

Yaathra Yok, the Wise One

This is an elephant-headed god of the east, revered for its great strength and wisdom. Temples of the cult contain rich treasures of ivory.

Initiation Rite: Solve the Sacred Riddle before your head is crushed underfoot by an elephant.

Class Skills: A cultist of Yaathra Yok adds Appraise (Int), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int) and Linguistics (Int) to his list of class skills.

Cult Spells: True Strike (1st), Calm Emotions (2nd), Explosive Runes (3rd), Locate Creature (4th), Telepathic Bond (5th), Legend Lore (6th), Vision (7th), Repel Metal or Stone (8th), Foresight (9th)

Cult Secrets: Iron Skin, Resiliency, Life Link, Lifesense, Arcane Archivist, Brain Drain, Focused Trance, Think On It

Yadar, the Lord of Death and Secrets

The mysterious high god of the Khazistanis, Yadar, is said to live in the desert and to collect the souls of every living man and woman when they give up their final breath.
Yadar is associated with scorpions and bats. Many carry charms and amulets in the image of Yadar, said to ward against disease and violent death.
Such worship is often personal and unorganized, since the locations of Yadar’s temples are generally kept secret and known only to the priests. The cult is suspected to have subterranean shrines in cities, and temples in desert ruins. The nomads stay well away from such ruins, since any who stray too close disappear without a trace.

Yammosh, the Sea-God of Ghazor

The greatest temple of this Susrahnite sea-god is located in the sinful port city of Ghazor, although sailors from many nations offer sacrifice to him before setting out on long ocean voyages.

Initiation Rite: Survive ritual drowning.

Class Skills: A cultist of Yammosh adds Escape Artist (Dex), Knowledge (Geography) (Int) and Swim (Str) to his list of class skills.

Cult Spells: Touch of the Sea* (1st), Fog Cloud (2nd), Water Breathing (3rd), Black Tentacles (4th), Suffocation* (5th), Control Water (6th), Control Weather (7th), Seamantle* (8th), World Wave* (9th)

Cult Secrets: Guiding Star, Star Chart, Lore Keeper, Friend to the Animals (aquatic creatures only), Speak with Animals (aquatic creatures only), Fluid Nature, Water Sight, Thunderburst

Yibboth, the Sacred Toad of Fakhuum

Despite having its cult-centre deep within the poisoned marshes of Fakhuum, whether Yibboth is part of the true Yar-Ammonite pantheon is uncertain; some claim he is one of the Old Gods. The priests of Yibboth are reputed to worship a golden “frog-thing”, along with mummified crocodiles and all manner of water lizards and giant toads.

Yot-Kamoth, the Spider-God of Lamu

The Lamurans bow before black idols of Yot-Kamoth, the monstrous eight-legged god worshipped for centuries in the mountain fastness of Lamra, the capital city. In truth, the priests of the spider-god are the royalty of Lamu, for they wield considerable influence and for a common man to resist their demands is a certain death sentence.

Zanthiss, the Great Serpent

The ancient demon-serpent of Yalotha, in some worlds known as Hassith-Kaa, is the father of various ophidian races and a master of sorcery. Zanthiss is currently believed to be confined to an extradimensional prison, or perhaps banished to a remote star, after the downfall of the serpent-empire of Yalotha.
However, cults of Zanthiss still lair in ancient temples, with pits filled with writhing serpents, giant slithering temple snakes, malachite altars stained with the blood of centuries of sacrifice, and demon-guarded vaults wherein lie hidden the lost papyri of jungle-lost Yalotha.

The Gods of Tharag Thule

Among the gods worshipped in the cold wastes of the north are the Moon-God, the Wolf-God, and the Skull-God.
The Moon-God is served only by female priestesses; old hags and crones are respected omen-readers and oracles among the Tharagians.
The Wolf-God is a god of strength, war, and bloodlust. Tribal chieftains are often also priests of the Wolf-God.
The Skull-God is the lord of the dead and the king of ghosts; this god has no priests or followers, but each village has a hut set up with a skull-adorned altar where he is placated with offerings.

The Beast-Gods of Yar-Ammon

The Yar-Ammonites worship an ancient pantheon of beast-headed man-gods, disturbing fragments of a lost age. These gods, said to have brought knowledge and wisdom to the first civilization of Yar-Ammon, are usually depicted as humanoids with the heads of hyenas, rams, goats, vultures, and other animals. The priests of Yar-Ammon often wear masks in imitation of their gods.

Hello World (of Xoth)

Here is a map of the of the World of Xoth, at least the part of the world that is known to the inhabitants of its central western landmass (click map to see full size):

The map can be downloaded here.

The mighty have fallen!

It’s been almost a decade since I launched hyboria.xoth.net, the roleplaying campaign website for Robert E. Howard’s Hyborian Age setting. The website still attracts thousands of unique visitors every month.

The Hyborian Age website was created because at the time, there was no officially supported role-playing game based on this setting. Then, in 2004, Mongoose Publishing released the Conan RPG. Over the years, they published a dozen sourcebooks for the Conan game.

Now, however, Mongoose has essentially ended the Conan line of products, due to licensing issues with the owner of the Conan intellectual properties.

So, until another major publishing company (Paizo, are you listening?!) picks up where Mongoose leaves off, it’s back to an existence powered only by fans like you and me for the Conan roleplaying game, and hyboria.xoth.net will continue to be the natural place to find game-related materials for the Hyborian Age setting.

That said, I also enjoy working on my own sword & sorcery campaign setting, called the World of Xoth (what else?!). A couple of years back, I set up Xoth.Net Publishing and released a 200-page book filled with background material and a big collection of adventures, called The Spider-God’s Bride and Other Tales of Sword and Sorcery. It’s available in print from Lulu, or as a PDF directly from me.

And in this age of social media and web 2.0, this blog will enable me to publish various snippets related to fantasy role-playing games and weird fiction in general, and sword and sorcery in particular.