Conan: Tales of the Red Brotherhood

Conan: Tales of the Red Brotherhood Rulebook

Table of Contents

Game Board Rules

Board diagrams for the Galley (deck and hold) and the Chebek (deck and hold) appear in the booklet and are not reproduced here.

Moving from the Deck to the Ship's Hold (or Vice Versa)

A Hero, Ally, or Overlord unit may move from a deck stairway to a hold stairway or vice versa. The two areas are considered adjacent to each other. It costs 1 movement point to move up or down one stairway to another.

Deck and Hold Stairs

If one area of the stairs (deck or hold) is occupied, a Melee Attack action can be made from the other area of the stairs. It is also possible to make a Ranged Attack targeting someone in an adjacent stairwell area. Heroes, Allies, and Overlord's characters do not receive an Elevation bonus for Ranged Attacks from stairs.

Poop Deck

Heroes, Allies, and Overlord's characters receive an Elevation bonus of [yellow Elevation icon] for Ranged Attacks. Heroes, Allies, and Overlord's characters do not receive an Elevation bonus for Ranged Attacks, IF their target is on the Forecastle or Poop deck.

Transcriber's note: the Elevation bonus value is printed as a graphic icon in the booklet and is not present in the text layer; it is left as the icon's description here.

Forecastle (Galley)

Leap from a Forecastle or Poop Deck to the Main Deck

A character leaping from a Forecastle or a Poop deck onto the bridge rolls [2 red dice] for falling damage, with no possible defense, and [1 red die] for Heroes, Allies, or Overlord characters with the Leap skill. Forecastles and Poop decks can only be accessed by their stairways. You cannot use the Climb skill to enter the Forecastle or Poop deck from the Main deck.

Transcriber's note: the booklet prints "onto the bridge" in this paragraph, as written; the heading names the Main deck.

Gangplank (x3)

The Gangplank is considered an area. Entering or exiting the Gangplank costs 1 movement point.

Colored Border Areas

Two areas separated by a colored border are adjacent to each other. This colored border allows movement and enables lines of sight to pass between the two areas. When two adjacent areas are separated by a colored border, they always have a line of sight to each other.

Example from the booklet (Zones 1, 2 and 3): Shevatas wants to perform a Ranged Attack on the pirates. He can target the pirate adjacent to his area (pirate A) but cannot target the pirate in the next area (pirate B). If the player wishes to perform a Ranged Attack action against pirate B, he will have to perform a Movement action to be within range (in this example, move into Zone 2).

The Mutiny

After opting not to attend a night-time rendezvous which he suspected of being an ambush, and fleeing the Baracha Island city of Tortage, Conan finds himself enlisted in the infamous Captain Zaporavo's crew. Throughout several weeks aboard the Wastrel, vessel of the former Zingaran grandee turned renegade and freebooter, the Cimmerian's personality, military prowess, and seamanship have made him very popular with the crew. He has gained influence and is viewed as the true leader of the ship. While Zaporavo has underestimated this Northern barbarian, he remains nonetheless wary of the man he now views as a rival who must be taken out. Shortly after the easy capture of a peaceful merchant ship flying the Kingdom of Argos's flag, the Zingaran captain decides to shackle the surviving crewmembers of the defeated vessel in order to sell them for profit on the Turanian slave markets. The mistreatment and torture inflicted repeatedly upon the poor Argosean sailors under the approving gaze of Zaporavo, ever draped in his fierce and dark vanity, finally wrests a reaction from Conan. With the help of some sympathetic freebooters, the Cimmerian sparks off a mutiny in order to free the slaves and settle his score with Zaporavo, whom he rightly suspects of having provoked him.

Winning the game

The Heroes win IF they kill Zaporavo and free at least 4 slaves, OR free 6 slaves before the end of turn 7.
The Overlord wins the game IF Zaporavo has been killed and fewer than 4 slaves have been freed before the end of turn 7, OR if Zaporavo is alive and fewer than 6 slaves have been freed, before the end of turn 7.

The game starts with the Heroes' turn.

Suggested Heroes (3): Conan the Pirate (Atlantean Axe, Leather Armor), with 3 Pirate archers; Shevatas (Parrying Dagger, Crossbow); Hadratus (Kris and 3 spells: Bori's Rage, Pestilential Swarm and Mitra's Healing).

After setup, each Hero moves 4 gems from their Reserve zone to their Fatigue zone.

The Overlord starts with 8 gems in their Reserve zone and 4 in their Fatigue zone, and places the Recovery token showing a Recovery Value of X, where X equals 4 in the Book of Skelos.

Reinforcement: 3 Reinforcement points.

Overlord unit row, left to right (printed on the booklet page): Pirates; Pirate archers; Zaporavo (the figure "7" is printed beneath this card); Pirates; Ballista pirates; a raven illustration card (no unit name printed); Zaporavo; Pirates.

Special Rules

Slaves: The numbered tokens 1 represent the slaves. During setup, the Overlord chooses where to deploy the tokens (numbered 1 through 11) number side down, as shown on the setup diagram.

When a Hero enters an area occupied by a slave token, flip the token face up. If the number is odd, it represents a slave. If the number is even, there are no slaves in that location. Remove the token from the board.

Free Slaves: A Hero can free slaves within a slave token area. To do so, they must perform a complex Manipulation with a difficulty of 2 (4 if shackled). If a Hero has the Tools equipment card, they use a complex Manipulation with a difficulty of 1. If a Hero has the Key equipment card, they use a simple Manipulation. The Lock-picking skill can be used as usual.

Shackling: An Overlord character in a hidden slave token area (number side down) can replace an Attack action with shackling. In this case, the slave token is turned over to reveal the numbered side. The base difficulty required to Free Slaves for this token becomes a difficulty of 4.

Guardian of the Keys: Captain Zaporavo has the key to free the slaves. Once he's killed, the Key equipment card falls to the ground. A Hero can pick it up using a simple Manipulation.

Chests: 3 Chest tokens are placed as shown on the setup diagram. The asset deck contains: Life Potion, Anchor, and Tools.

Theft on the High Seas

The Tigress scours the seas and the coastal villages tremble. Preposterous legends tell of how the sea witch found a companion, a man of iron whose wrath rivals that of a wounded lion. When survivors of the plundered Stygian ships pronounce the names of Bêlit and Conan, they cast curses. However, the Tigress continues to roam the seas, devastating the southern coasts, but does not hesitate to venture further north, even beyond the lands of Shem. There, unaware of the terrible, lurking threat, a ship flying the royal banner of Aquilonia sails toward the Khorotas River, its destination the province of Poitain. The vessel's precious cargo, originally from the kingdom of Kush, surely explains the one thing that separates it from all others who sail within these waters: A large garrison of Bossonian soldiers equipped to counter any act of piracy and to scuttle the ship in case of failure. The sun is just rising when the lookout gives a shout of warning. A long deadly shape approaches from the starboard side: A serpentine, tapering galley with a raised deck extending from bow to stern. Forty oars on each side propel it quickly through the water. At the very top of the mast floats a long scarlet pennant, ominous emblem of the queen of fire, steel, and carnage... along with her terrible Cimmerian lover.

Winning the game

The Heroes win IF they steal 5 Treasures and stow them in the two rowboats on the Main Deck before the end of turn 8.
The Overlord wins IF the Heroes have stolen fewer than 5 Treasures before the end of turn 8, OR the Overlord scuttles 5 hull sections (see special rules) before the end of Turn 7.

The game starts with the Heroes' turn.

Suggested Heroes (3): Conan the Pirate (Atlantean Axe, Leather Armor), with 3 Pirates (blue tile); Bêlit (Ornamental Spear, Tribal Shield), with 3 Bêlit Guards; N'Yaga (Tribal Mace and 2 spells: Borne by the Wind and Yog's Hunger).

After setup, each Hero moves 4 gems from their Reserve zone to their Fatigue zone.

The Overlord starts with 8 gems in their Reserve zone and 4 in their Fatigue zone, and places the Recovery token showing a Recovery Value of X, where X equals 4 in the Book of Skelos.

Overlord unit row, left to right (printed on the booklet page): Bossonian Guards; Bossonian Guards; Bossonian Archers; Captain (the figure "6" is printed beneath this card); a raven illustration card (no unit name printed); Bossonian Guards; Ballista pirates; Captain.

When the Event tile is activated, the Overlord carries out the events in the following sequence:

Reinforcements: 3 Reinforcement points.
Violent roll: A strong wind causes the ship to pitch. Choose and lay down a Hero miniature or an Ally in that area. The next time the Hero activates, they stand up but lose their base movement points. If an Ally is activated, the Ally loses their base movement points.

Special Rules

Treasures: Treasure tokens represent the riches being transported on the vessel. Heroes add up the Treasure tokens they've acquired at the end of the game.

Retrieve a Treasure: A Hero or Ally in an area with a Treasure token may retrieve a treasure. Heroes carry out a simple Manipulation. Allies lose their Attack action. The player picks up the token and places it under their miniature's base. This token moves with the miniature. Treasure tokens may be dropped, but they may not be thrown or caught. A Hero or Ally may only pick up one Treasure token at a time.

Steal a Treasure: A Hero or Ally in possession of a Treasure token in an area with a rowboat (shown on the game board) OR in an adjacent area if the area with the Treasure token is occupied, successfully steals the treasure and puts it in the rowboat. Remove this token from the game board and place it next to the Hero's sheet.

Scuttle the Ship's Hull: An Overlord unit already in an area with a hull-section token may help scuttle the ship by spending its movement AND Attack actions to damage a section of the hull. Once a section of the hull has been damaged, flip the token so the number side is facing up to indicate the hull has been damaged. If 5 hull sections have been damaged when the Overlord finishes a turn, the game ends at the end of turn 7.

The Curse of the Deep (Part 1)

Xaltotun has awakened. He who was the High Priest of the Set religion of Python in the ancient Kingdom of Acheron has come back to life. In the three thousand years since the fall of Acheron, his destiny has inexorably linked to an extraordinary jewel which some claim is the veritable heart of a god, while others believe it to be a star fallen from the sky: The Heart of Ahriman. Exiled to Stygia, then mummified through the evil arts of the priests of Set, Xaltotun hid the heart in a haunted cave before his death and built a small temple above it. Three times the temple was rebuilt, growing ever bigger and more sumptuous, though its original purpose was forgotten. Mankind lost all knowledge of the hidden symbol, and only the sacred books and arcane works retained its memory. However, no secret lasts forever. The heart was finally stolen by bold thieves; a band of pirates, followers of the code of the Red Brotherhood and led by a Cimmerian warrior as fearsome as he was fearless. But today these scoundrels will pay the price of their daring, the price of blood, for Xaltotun cannot let such an insult go unpunished. After recruiting a crew and a band of fierce Pictish mercenaries, the former High Priest of Set has taken off in pursuit of the desecrators and intends to recover his precious artifact, no matter the cost.

Winning the game

The Heroes win if the Overlord has dredged 4 or more unit tiles before the end of turn 8.
The Overlord wins IF fewer than 4 unit tiles have been dredged before the end of turn 8.

The game starts with the Heroes' turn.

Suggested Heroes (3): Xaltotun (Stygian Cloak, Kriss, and 2 spells: Summon Demon and Changing Destiny), with 2 Pirate archers (black tile); Gorm (Spiked Mace, Spiked Shield), with 2 Pictish hunters (blue tile); Nameless horror.

After setup, each Hero moves 5 gems from their Reserve zone to their Fatigue zone.

The Overlord starts with 10 gems in their Reserve zone and 3 in their Fatigue zone, and places the Recovery token showing a Recovery Value of 5 in the Book of Skelos.

When the Event tile is activated, the Overlord carries out these events in the following sequence:

Reinforcements: 4 Reinforcement points.
Sea Legs: The crewmembers, who know their boat inside out, can predict even the slightest shift in the deck. The Overlord chooses a tile. Each of the tile's characters can move unimpeded by hindering, and are not affected by skills that affect movement until the end of the turn.

Overlord unit row, left to right (printed on the booklet page): Pirates; Ballista pirates; Bêlit's Guards; Conan the Pirate (the figure "8" is printed beneath this card); a raven illustration card (no unit name printed); Pirates; Pirate archers; N'Yaga (the figure "6" is printed beneath this card). N'Yaga has 2 spells: Yog's Hunger and Energy Drain.

Special Rules

Kill Them All: When an Overlord tile becomes a dead tile, it can no longer use Reinforcement points.

Dredging the River: As soon as a tile is dead, the Overlord must immediately dredge the river.

Servant of Ahriman: When Xaltotun uses his Summon Demon spell, he calls a Servant of Ahriman, who has 1 life point.

The Curse of the Deep (Part 2)

Xaltotun exults. He has located the Heart of Ahriman and the almighty power of its dark sorcery. Driven mad over nearly three thousand years during which his soul was held behind the gates of hell, he now has only one ambition: to resurrect the black and ancient empire, during which he stacked heads to the glory of Set, to build pyramids in Python's great square, while the kings returned from the West with their booty and prisoners. In order to set his dark plans into motion and initiate the resurrection of Acheron, the former High Priest sails into the open sea to perform an unholy ceremony designed to summon the most fearsome perils from the deep. Abyssal Allies destined to form the foundation of an army that will enable him to overthrow all opposition from the Hyborian Kingdoms. Blinded by his desire for power and literally hypnotized by the jewel's supernatural brilliance, Xaltotun was, however, over-confident. He clearly underestimated the Cimmerian who stole the Heart and his desire for revenge, his desire to take back what he considers to be his, driven also by the greed of his lover, the stubborn and cruel pirate captain, Bêlit. As Xaltotun begins his ritual, his ship is boarded by vengeful pirates, out for blood.

Winning the game

The Heroes win IF - Xaltotun is killed and the ritual is thwarted by aquiring (sic) at least 4 ritual tokens before the end of turn 8.
The Overlord wins IF 3 or more ritual tokens remain on the game board at the end of turn 8. The ritual begins, nothing can stop it.

The game starts with the Heroes' turn.

Suggested Heroes (3): Conan the Pirate (Leather Armor, Atlantean Axe), with 2 Pirate archers; Bêlit (Ornamental Spear, Tribal Shield), with 2 Bêlit Guards; N'Yaga (Yuetshi-knife and 2 spells: Mitra's Healing and Mind Control).

After setup, each Hero moves 4 gems from their Reserve zone to their Fatigue zone.

The Overlord starts with 8 gems in their Reserve zone and 4 in their Fatigue zone, and places the Recovery token showing a Recovery Value of X, where X equals 4 in the Book of Skelos.

When the Event tile is activated, the Overlord carries out these events in the following sequence:

Reinforcements: 3 Reinforcement points.
Loss of bearings: Disoriented by the ritual, the Heroes are overcome by strange visions. Each Hero receives one less gem in their next stance phase.

Overlord unit row, left to right (printed on the booklet page): Ghouls; Xaltotun; Pirates; Servant of Ahriman (the figure "3" is printed beneath this card); Ghouls; a raven illustration card (no unit name printed); Xaltotun (the figure "6" is printed beneath this card); Pirates. Xaltotun has 2 spells: Borne by the Wind and Yog's Hunger.

Special Rules

Coming from all directions: The Deep Ones tile is placed next to the Book of Skelos. These miniatures are placed as shown on the map and are under the control of the Overlord. No more than 4 Deep Ones may be in play at any one time. Book of Skelos Benefits cannot be applied to this tile. After the turn marker's progress phase and just before the activation phase, do the following in this order:

Place a Deep One miniature in a Reinforcement zone (if you have any in reserve).
Carry out a full Deep One activation. This does not count as one of the two possible activations during the Overlord's turn.

Poison Skill: The Deep Ones unit tile has the Poison skill. Its effect is as follows: Smells that are foreign to this world disturb the senses. A Hero, Ally, or Overlord character may not re-roll in a Deep Ones area.

Ritual: Generic tokens represent locations where artifacts are used to fuel the ritual. Heroes who have acquired tokens add them up at the end of the game.

Preventing a ritual: A Hero or Ally in an area with a Ritual token may attempt to prevent the ritual. To do so, they perform a complex Manipulation with a difficulty of 2. If successful, the token is removed from the board and placed next to the Hero's sheet.