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A Short Introduction
This campaign setting is based on the works of Robert E. Howard, creator of Conan the Barbarian, Kull
the Conqueror, and numerous other memorable characters of the mythical Hyborian Age and the
shrouded times of ancient past. Fans of Conan and other related stories will already be familiar with
much of this material. Those who aren't Conan fans will find it all very new, so following below is a
short and largely inadequate description of this campaign setting.
The Hyborian Age is a pseudo-historical low-fantasy world that partially resembles the ancient and preancient
history of our world. Many of the societies in Howard's mythos are based partly or entirely on
civilizations and non-civilized societies that have existed in the past. These cultures range in flavor and
technological level from the primitive (which I fully mean as a compliment, though Howard certainly did
not) to the Middle Eastern, the Classical to the Medieval.
Humans are the only playable race in Hyboria, although there are many fantastic and real-world
creatures to be found as well. There are no dwarves, elves, orcs, or halflings here. Magic is present, but it
is radically different than in most fantasy settings. It is greatly toned down, subtle, and infinitely more
powerful than in D&D and other common RPG systems. It fits perfectly with the magic system detailed
in the Saga Core Rulebook.
Another distinguishing feature of Howard's world is its deadliness and brutality. Hyboria is a kill or be
killed, conquer or submit kind of place. The average lifespan for most people is around 30 years; grey
hair is considered a sign of great strength, resilience, and wisdom, as death comes early to most.
One final thing players should be aware of is the crossover between Howard's world and Lovecraft's
Cthulhu mythos. The mythology of the Elder Gods and Great Old Ones occasionally made its way into
Hyboria, and I wholeheartedly endorse this admixture. The demon-gods of the Cthulhu mythos
compliment the demon-gods of Conan's world brilliantly, and campaigns in Hyboria are sure to
encounter some kind of insanity-inspiring, horrific being at some point. Players and Narrators should
familiarize themselves with this mythology if they are not already versed in it.
The vast majority of the material found in this campaign setting is taken from the excellent website:
http://hyboria.xoth.net/, a site devoted to the Hyborian Age as a campaign setting for the d20 System.
The site contains a horde of Hyborian material, although it is all written for D20 gaming. As such,
anything pertinent to system mechanics that is found in the following pages has been converted to the
Saga system.
My sincere thanks go to Thulsa and the other fine folks at hyboria.xoth.net for their dilligent work in
making this gritty, phenomenal world available to gamers worldwide.
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