During the time of Conan, when one thinks of ‘slaves’ the first thing that comes to mind is a nubile virgin, head bowed, beautiful face, well-formed body, submissive and perfectly helpless. Perhaps a muscular, broken tribal youth whose fate is to be stripped of all will and forced to push a mill wheel for the rest of his natural life. Maybe even a eunuch, ordered to guard a seraglio or carry a palanquin and destined to be beheaded by the first daring adventurer that crosses his path. However, not all slaves are of the helpless, unassuming and useless kind – in the Hyborian Age it is possible to own and buy every kind of human being, from the rather pitiful examples given above to a full-grown warrior or even a scholar. The following rules are intended to handle the acquisition of above-average slaves and henchmen.
Keep in mind that adding rules to hire or buy above average slaves may seriously imbalance your game, allowing every character to acquire Non-Player Character henchmen at a relatively low cost. Also, slaves with Player Character classes, being heroes in their own right, may detract from the spotlight and glory of their masters and, worse still, the rest of the party, if their owner lets his slaves do all the dangerous work. On the other hand, having slaves with abilities and training of their own can, if properly handled and strictly watched, enrich the game experience of everyone, both Players and Games Masters.
Hirelings Slaves
Hirelings & Slaves
Slave Shopping
The costs given for slaves in Conan the Roleplaying Game assume the slave to be a 1st level Commoner, with no other experience or training. If you desire to introduce slaves with more experience into your game, use the Slave Cost table instead of the one found in Conan the Roleplaying Game.
Slave Cost Item Commoner, male Commoner, female Noble, male Noble, female Scholar or Soldier Other classes
Cost* 10 sp per class level 30 sp per class level 150 sp + 50 sp per class level 200 sp + 100 sp per class level 40 sp per class level 30 sp per class level
* The cost for all slaves should be halved if the slave is particularly rebellious or unpleasant (such as a captured barbarian); by the same token, double the price of any slave that is especially hardworking and/or submissive. If beauty is a desirable trait for the buyer, a slaver may further double the price for an exceptionally attractive slave (Charisma 15 or more). To be able to sell the slave at a price given for a class other than commoner, the slaver must first be aware of the slave’s character class and then provide visible proof of it, particularly in the case of noble slaves. Otherwise, all slaves are worth no more than commoners. Slaves with more than one class have the combined cost of all their class levels.
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