The Age of COnan

Lords. There are no so-called “demihumans” in the Hyborian Age, and those
humanoids that exist are largely degenerate and de-evolved humans, or
gigantic carnivorous ape-things.
There is no great war between law and chaos driving all men forward. In a
Hyborian campaign everything exists in shades of gray. Certainly there are
powerful men of strong honor and values, and clearly there are black sorcerers
who seek only power and tyrannical dominance over others, but the clear
theme of the Hyborian Age are the twin ideas that each man’s fate is in his
own hands to decide, and that barbarism is the natural state of humankind,
destined always to overcome the enforced rules of civilization. It is a world
forged in the pulps of the 1920’s and 30’s, and a world that firmly established,
if not created whole cloth, the genre of swords and sorcery.
What You Need to Play
The following books and booklets are required for play
1. The Age of Conan (You have it in your hands!)
2. Dungeons & Dragons, Tactical Studies Rules, 1975-79
3. Chainmail, Guidon Games/Tactical Studies Rules, 1971-79
4. Supplement IV: Gods, Demi-Gods, & Heroes, Tactical Studies Rules,
1976-79
The following books and booklets are highly recommended for play
1. Supplement I: Greyhawk, Tactical Studies Rules, 1975-79
2. Supplement II: Blackmoor, Tactical Studies Rules, 1975-79
3. Supplement III: Eldritch Wizardry, Tactical Studies Rules, 1976-79
4. Swords & Spells, Tactical Studies Rules, 1976-79
5. The Strategic Review, Issues 1 through 6
6. Return to the Road of Kings, Mongoose Publishing, 2007*
7. Conan Role Playing Game, TSR, inc., 1985*
*These contain useful guides to the Hyborian Age—both would be redundant,
though each has its own take on the world and are interesting comparisons for
that alone. The latter has a beautiful poster map of the Hyborian Age world.
Also check Philotomy’s OD&D Musings (http://www.philotomy.com), a
website with many excellent suggestions for the philosophy of D&D play,
house rules and variant classes, and the Hyborian Age Campaign Site
(http://hyboria.xoth.net), which contains additional excellent maps, essays,
articles, and information on the Hyborian Age, most for d20 version, but still
useful for D&D play.
D&D, obviously, is needed for the core rules of play. Chainmail forms the
basis of the combat system for a Hyborian Age game, the reasons for which
are discussed later. Gods, Demi-Gods, & Heroes has a section with D&D stats
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