The ancient Sumerians had no connection with the western race. They were a mixed people, of Hyrkanian and Shemitish bloods, who were not taken with the conquerors in their retreat. Many tribes of Shem escaped that captivity, and from pure-blooded Shemites, or Shemites mixed with Hyborian or Nordic blood, were descended the Arabs, Israelites, and other straighter-featured Semites. The Canaanites, or Alpine Semites, traced their descent from Shemitish ancestors mixed with the Kushites settled among them by their Hyrkanian masters; the Elamites were a typical race of this type. The short, thick-limbed Etruscans, base of the Roman race, were descendants of a people of mixed Stygian, Hyrkanian and Pictish strains, and originally lived in the ancient kingdom of Koth. The Hyrkanians, retreating to the eastern shores of the continent, evolved into the tribes later known as Tatars, Huns, Mongols and Turks.

• Robert E. Howard

The Hyborian Age

Standard Human Types & Equipment

Cultural Troop Types

Patrols and Troops

Guards, Watchmen & Gaolers

Human Group Encounters

Amazons

Bandits & Brigands

Berserkers

Buccaneers & Pirates

Cavemen

Dervishes & Nomads

Girovago

Merchant Caravans

Pilgrims

Tribesmen

NPC Adventuring Parties

NPC Experience & Progression

NPC Motivations

Henchmen & Hirelings

Hermits

STANDARD HUMAN TYPES & EQUIPMENT

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all troops are equipped with a dagger in addition to any other weaponry.

CULTURAL TROOP TYPES

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Egyptians

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Assyrians

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Heroic Greeks / Atlanteans

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Greek Hoplites

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Persian Immortals

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Han Chinese

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Roman Legionaries

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Celts (Franks, Germans, Picts & Visigoths)

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Ostrogoths

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Alans, Huns, Tartars, Turks

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Byzantines

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Arthurian Britons & Carolingian Franks

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Vikings

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Mongols

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Japanese Samurai

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Aztecs / Lemurians

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PATROLS & TROOPS

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GUARDS, WATCHMEN & GAOLERS

HUMAN GROUP ENCOUNTERS

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AMAZONS (DD, p. XX)

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BANDITS & BRIGANDS (c.f. OSRIC)

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BERSERKERS (c.f. OSRIC)

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SEA TRANSPORT

BUCCANEERS & PIRATES (c.f. OSRIC)

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CAVEMEN (c.f. OSRIC)

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DERVISHES & NOMADS (c.f. OSRIC)

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GIROVAGO (DD, p. XX)

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MERCHANT CARAVANS (c.f. OSRIC)

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PILGRIMS (c.f. OSRIC)

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TRIBESMEN (c.f. OSRIC)

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NPC ADVENTURING PARTIES

NOTE: For further details on individual NPCs, the GM should select an appropriate entry from the Pre-Generated NPC Assortments by Class on pp. XXX - XXX.

NPC EXPERIENCE & PROGRESSION

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Directions: To determine when, or if, an NPC will advance or experience other significant events:

1. Determine how many years have passed since last encountered by the party. Look up the die roll frequency according to the NPC racial type, rounding down. (Ex: Jibb was an 18 year old human 1st -lvl Fighter when last encountered. He'll get 1 Event for every 4 years of elapsed game time. 5 years have passed, so Jibb is eligible for 2 Events and is now 23 years old.)

2. Using the column appropriate to the NPC's class, roll d00 on the Progression table once for each possible result. Resolve the results immediately before proceeding to the next Event. (Ex: Jibb is a Fighter so he has a 50% of surviving the next 2 years. The DM rolls a 36, so Jibb manages to keep himself alive. Another roll of 25 also means he survived without major injury. Next, the DM rolls for Advancement, a 02 followed by an 82. So, Jibb gains a single level to become a 2nd-lvl Fighter. A roll of 79 means he didn't manage to secure any treasure. Finally, a roll of 12 means he DID encounter some bad luck. Another roll on the Misfortune results table, a 13, means he lost his only magic item, a longsword +1. Tough luck! )

3. Don't forget to account for the effects of aging! (c.f. DD, p. XX).

Note: When planning a campaign, the enterprising DM may decide to generate several distinct eras in a favorite recurring nemesis' career. When encountered in the future, the NPC will have progressed along with the PCs and perhaps grown even more powerful.

Injury: If the avoid injury roll was unsuccessful, roll on this column to determine the nature of the injuries. Hit point losses are permanent. Other injuries are left up to the GM's discretion. If injury results in death, continue to roll for luck. If successful, the character is presumed to have been resurrected.

Advancement: If the advancement roll was successful, roll on this column to determine the number of levels, if any, the character has advanced.

Treasure: If the treasure roll was successful, roll on this column to determine the number of treasures, if any, the character has taken possession of. The GM should roll on the treasures table below to determine the exact nature of any found treasure(s).

Luck/Misfortune: These are either/or events. If one roll is successful, do not roll for the next. Good NPCs should roll for luck first. Evil NPCs roll for misfortune first. Unless otherwise stated in the table result, the GM should decide the specifics of the result by taking into account the NPC class and level.

NPC MOTIVATIONS

DIRECTIONS: The GM should generate one major and one secondary motivation, interpreting the results according to the NPC's alignment and profession and discarding any unsuitable results (e.g. An NPC Anti-Paladin motivated by a desire to defend justice.)

NPC DETAILS

The GM can use the following tables as necessary to generate additional details for individual NPCs. The GM is encouraged to use discretion and ignore or re-roll conflicting, nonsensical or inappropriate results. Results marked with an asterisk should be interpreted by the GM as desired.

HENCHMEN & HIRELINGS

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DIRECTIONS: The GM should either prepare a roster of available henchmen or use the Pre-Generated NPC Assortments on pp. XXX-XXX. The PC(s) will first want to interview suitable candidates. There are three general methods for finding henchmen as listed in the Job Searches table - word of mouth, posting an advertisement, hiring a crier, or contracting through a guild. Chances and costs of finding a candidate are cumulative with every time period indicated on the table. Once a candidate is found, the GM should consult the Settlement of Terms table to resolve whether or not the candidate accepts the party's offer. Adjustments to the chance of settlement are noted on the Situational Modifiers table.

HENCHMEN WEAPONS/ARMOUR

COMMON HIRELINGS

What follows is supplemental to, and should be read in conjunction with, OSRIC.

Recruiting Common Hirelings

Roll each week. If a recruitment attempt is successful, the number of potential hirelings found will be:

Determine alignment etc. for hirelings randomly, but the GM should weight the dice according to the prevailing area alignment, their racial type and social class, and the reputation of the prospective employer.

HERMITS

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DIRECTIONS: Hermits are recluses and loners that, in most cases, prefer solitude. The GM can use the following table to determine the nature of any hermits their players may encounter. Most hermits will be 0-level Normal Men. If not, the GM should either generate their class, level and abilities or choose an appropriate NPC from the NPC Assortments on pp. XXX-XXX.