In the Hyborian Age of Conan, a dragon's hoard is not just a pile of gold; it is a graveyard of lost civilizations, the plunder of fallen empires, and the grim trophies of a beast that may have lived since the days of Atlantis.
Treasures in this era are heavy on ivory, jade, bronze, and blood-stained silk, rather than the high-magic items found in standard high fantasy. This blog post picks up from A D100 Barbarian Sword & Sorcery encounter table & The Witch Prophet NPC for Castles & Crusades
D100: Dragon Hoard of the Hyborian Age
| d100 | Item Description |
| 01-05 | The Serpent's Share: 10,000+ loose silver and copper coins from an empire that fell before the Cataclysm. |
| 06-10 | Stygian Relics: 3-6 massive urns containing the mummified organs of priest-kings, sealed with black lotus resin. |
| 11-15 | The Vanquished Legion: A heap of 50+ dented Aquilonian breastplates and broken broadswords. |
| 16-20 | Zamorian Silk: A stack of rotting but still beautiful tapestries depicting the "Tower of the Elephant." |
| 21-23 | The Heart of the Jungle: A solid emerald the size of a human skull, uncut and glowing with a faint, sickly light. |
| 24-26 | Khitan Jade: A life-sized statue of a warrior made of pure green jade, remarkably heavy (400+ lbs). |
| 27-30 | Cimmerian Iron: A massive, unadorned two-handed sword that feels strangely cold to the touch and never rusts. |
| 31-33 | Lotus Dust: A small golden casket containing a pound of concentrated Black Lotus powder (highly toxic/hallucinogenic). |
| 34-36 | The Hyrkanian Bow: A recurve bow reinforced with dragon bone, capable of piercing plate armor at 200 paces. |
| 37-40 | Pictish Fetishes: A collection of 100 human skulls, bleached white and engraved with primitive, unsettling runes. |
| 41-43 | Vendhyan Spices: Twelve heavy iron crates containing saffron and rare spices now worth more than their weight in gold. |
| 44-46 | The Sorcerer's Mirror: A bronze mirror that shows the viewer not their face, but the way they will eventually die. |
| 47-50 | Shemite Gold: 500 heavy gold "Lunas," each stamped with the face of a forgotten king. |
| 51-53 | Atlantis' Ghost: A shard of "Orichalcum" (a red-tinted metal) that hums when near a source of sorcery. |
| 54-56 | The Kushite Crown: A heavy gold circlet set with "Green Fire" stones (rare tourmalines). |
| 57-60 | Ancient Map: A tattered skin scroll showing the location of the "City of Brass" in the Eastern Desert. |
| 61-63 | Thurian Plates: Seven silver plates engraved with the history of King Kull’s reign. |
| 64-66 | Dragon's Teeth: A pouch containing 12 dragon teeth; if sown in blood-soaked earth, they grow into skeletal warriors. |
| 67-70 | Ivory Throne: A massive chair carved from the tusks of a mammoth, stained with dried blood. |
| 71-73 | Cursed Idol: A statue of a spider-god made of obsidian. Anyone touching it feels an intense urge to kill their companions. |
| 74-76 | Hyperborean Robes: Shimmering white silk robes that are immune to fire but make the wearer's skin turn pale and cold. |
| 77-80 | The Sea Hawk's Booty: A chest filled with Barachan pirate coins and a compass that always points toward the nearest blood. |
| 81-83 | Serpent-Folk Blade: A curved dagger made of a green, glass-like substance. It ignores non-magical armor. |
| 84-86 | Acheronian Tome: A book bound in human skin containing the secrets of Necromancy (requires a high Sanity check). |
| 87-90 | Slave Collars: 20 heavy iron collars set with small rubies that can be tightened by a command word. |
| 91-93 | The Phoenix Amulet: A brass amulet that allows the wearer to survive a fatal blow once, then crumbles to ash. |
| 94-96 | Wine of Xuthal: Three sealed amphorae of golden wine that heals all wounds but causes permanent addiction. |
| 97-99 | Meteorite Ore: A 50lb lump of "Star-Metal," unrefined but capable of being forged into the deadliest weapons known. |
| 100 | The Eye of the Dragon: A massive, pulsating ruby that contains the soul of the dragon’s last victim. |
Key Themes for Conan-era Treasure:
The Weight of History: Most items should be from "Dead Empires" (Acheron, Atlantis, Lemuria).
Corruption: Gold is often "cursed" or "blood-stained," reflecting the greed it inspires.
Purity of Material: Value comes from the raw material (gold, ivory, gems) rather than complex magical enchantments.
In the Hyborian Age, a "Cimmerian Dragon" (or "Hill-Dragon") is less a magical being and more a primordial, prehistoric horror—a relic of a world that was old before the first man walked. They haunt the jagged, mist-shrouded peaks and shadowed valleys of Cimmeria, preying on mammoth, elk, and the occasional raiding party.
Below is a detailed lair and a SIEGE Engine stat block for use in Castles & Crusades.
The Lair: The Maw of Ben Morgh
High in the Eiglophian Mountains, where the wind screams like a banshee, lies a cave entrance flanked by two massive "teeth" of jagged granite.
Environmental Hazard: The Bone-Sleet. The entrance is littered with the frozen, splintered bones of centuries of prey. Moving at more than half speed requires a CL 2 Dexterity check to avoid slipping and taking $1d6$ damage on the jagged remains.
The Black Sulfur Vents: The dragon’s presence has cracked the earth, releasing volcanic gases. Every 3 turns spent in the inner sanctum requires a CL 4 Constitution check or the character suffers a $-2$ penalty to all rolls due to nausea.
Tactical Feature: The Echo Chamber. The lair is shaped like a natural amphitheater. The dragon’s roar deals an additional $1d10$ sonic damage (Save for half) to anyone within 60 feet due to the reverberating acoustics.
Cimmerian Hill-Dragon (Lesser Ancient)
This is a "Primeval Dragon," more beast than sorcerer, emphasizing physical brutality and terrifying presence over spellcasting.
VICTORY POINTS: 6,800
| Attribute | Statistic |
| Hit Dice | 12d12 (82 HP) |
| Armor Class | 22 |
| Move | 40 ft., Fly 80 ft. |
| Attacks | Bite (2d10), 2 Claws (1d8), Tail (1d12) |
| Special | Breath Weapon, Frightful Presence, Darkvision 120' |
| Saves | Physical (P) |
| Alignment | Neutral Evil |
| Intelligence | Exceptional (but animalistic/cruel) |
Special Abilities
Breath Weapon (3/day): A blast of superheated, sulfurous soot in a 50' cone. Damage is equal to current HP (Save for half). Victims who fail the save are also Blinded for $1d4$ rounds.
Frightful Presence: When the dragon roars or charges, all enemies within 60' must make a CL 12 Charisma check. Failure means the victim is Shaken (-2 to all rolls) for $1d6$ rounds. Cimmerians and Barbarians receive a +4 bonus to this check.
Primeval Hide: The dragon’s scales are like iron plate. Non-magical weapons made of bronze or soft iron suffer a -1 penalty to damage rolls against it.
Combat Tactics in the Lair
The Drop: The dragon clings to the ceiling in the pitch black (CL 10 Wisdom/Perception to spot). It begins combat by dropping onto the most armored foe, using its weight to Pin them (Str vs Str check).
The Thrash: If surrounded, it uses its Tail attack against all targets in a 15' arc behind it.
The Feast: It prefers to grab a single target in its jaws and fly to a high, inaccessible ledge to feed while the rest of the party scrambles to climb the slick, bone-covered walls.
In the rugged hills of Cimmeria, the presence of a Great Wyrm does not just mean missing livestock; it is a slow-creeping rot that alters the land and its people. For the dour, superstitious Cimmerians, a dragon is a "worm of the abyss"—a physical manifestation of the world's cruelty.
Here are the Dragon-Scourge regional effects centered around the Maw of Ben Morgh, extending in a 10-mile radius.
1. The Silence of the Wilds
The natural world goes quiet in a display of primal fear.
Effect: No birds sing, and game animals (deer, elk, boar) have fled the region.
Mechanical Impact: All Survival checks to forage or hunt are made at a CL 5 penalty. Rangers and Druids feel a constant sense of "wrongness," as if the earth itself is holding its breath.
2. The Blight of Sulfur and Ash
The dragon’s volcanic breath and toxic musk seep into the water table.
Effect: Local streams turn brackish and smell of rotten eggs. Crops (though meager in Cimmeria) wither, and the hardy mountain pines turn a sickly, charred black.
Mechanical Impact: Any character drinking unpurified local water must make a CL 3 Constitution check or suffer $1$ point of Strength damage (recovered after 1 day of clean water) due to "the Grey Gut" cramps.
3. Blood-Madness of the Strays
Not all animals flee; some are driven into a predatory frenzy by the dragon’s psychic "weight."
Effect: Domesticated hounds and mountain goats become hyper-aggressive.
Mechanical Impact: Random encounters with natural beasts are always hostile. These beasts gain the Berserk trait: they receive a +2 bonus to hit but a -2 penalty to AC, and they will fight to the death.
4. The Shadow of Crom
Cimmerians are already a gloomy folk, but the dragon’s presence deepens their fatalism into a catatonic despair or a murderous rage.
Effect: Villages within the Scourge-zone stop trading and hunker down. They become extremely hostile to "outlanders" whom they blame for bringing the curse.
Mechanical Impact: All Charisma-based checks (Influence, Persuade) with local Cimmerian NPCs are made at a CL 6 penalty. There is a 25% chance that any village encounter begins with the clan warriors attempting to "sacrifice" the party to the dragon to appease it.
5. Echoes of the Cataclysm
The dragon is a living relic of the Pre-Cataclysmic age. Its presence thins the veil between the present and the ancient past.
Effect: Near the lair, travelers see "ghost-lights"—shimmering images of ancient spires or battles between Serpent-men and the first humans.
Mechanical Impact: When resting within 2 miles of the lair, spellcasters must make a CL 4 Wisdom check. If they fail, they recover no spells, their dreams haunted by the screaming memories of a dying world.
In the bleak traditions of Cimmeria, when a threat becomes too great to ignore, a Chieftain does not call for heroes—he calls for men willing to die well.
Gorm of the Broken Axe
Chieftain of the Wolf Clan
Gorm is a man of iron and scars, his hair a shock of premature white against skin tanned like old leather. He carries the "Broken Axe," a massive head of black Cimmerian iron lashed to a shaft of rowan wood. He knows his warband is insufficient. He knows the dragon is a god of the old world. But he also knows that to die in bed is a shame that even Crom would spit upon.
C&C Stats (SIEGE Engine)
Class: Barbarian (Level 9)
Alignment: Neutral (with a heavy lean toward the grim honor of Cimmeria)
Attributes:
STR: 18 (+3) (P)
DEX: 14 (+1)
CON: 17 (+2) (P)
INT: 10 (+0)
WIS: 13 (+1) (P)
CHA: 15 (+1)
Combat:
HP: 78
AC: 15 (Studded leather, Dex, and sheer grit)
Attack: +12/+7 (The Broken Axe: $1d12+5$ damage)
Special: Combat Sense (Surprised only on a 1), Primal Roar (+2 to hit for allies for 3 rounds).
The Doomed Warband: "The Ash-Walkers"
Gorm’s warband consists of 14 warriors. These are not young men seeking glory; they are the fathers and grandfathers of the Wolf Clan who have seen their children die to the Dragon-Scourge and have nothing left but their hate.
Equipment: Round shields, furs, rusted iron spears, and "The Dragon-Oil"—a foul-smelling concoction they believe (incorrectly) will protect their skin from fire.
Morale: They do not check morale for fear. They check morale to see if they descend into a Berserker Rage (if they fail a Wisdom save, they lose the ability to retreat or use tactics, gaining +2 damage and -4 AC).
Roleplaying Gorm
"The worm has taken my sons. It has soured the milk of our goats and turned the wind to poison. I do not ask you to kill it—no man kills a mountain. I ask only that when it swallows us, it finds our steel bitter in its throat."
The Conflict: Gorm views the player characters with suspicion. If they are "civilized" (wearing plate mail or carrying scrolls), he treats them with open contempt. If they are fellow barbarians, he offers them a place in the "Death-Circle" (the front line).
The Hook: Gorm has a piece of Star-Metal (from the hoard table) embedded in his shield. He claims it was "shat out by the stars" and is the only thing the dragon fears. He will trade it or the location of a secret "back-vent" into the lair only if the party proves their strength in a wrestling match or a drinking contest of fermented mare's milk.
Current Status: The Last Stand
When the party encounters Gorm, he is at the base of Ben Morgh, painting his face with grey ash.
If the PCs join him: He uses his warriors as fodder to distract the dragon, allowing the PCs to get into position.
If the PCs wait: They will find the charred remains of the Wolf Clan at the cave entrance $1d4$ hours later—Gorm’s "Broken Axe" melted into a puddle of slag, marking the dragon’s current location.
The entrance to the Maw of Ben Morgh is a natural killing ground—though it is unclear who is being killed until the fire starts breathing. Gorm has chosen this spot because the narrow "V" shape of the canyon prevents the dragon from using its full flight speed, forcing it to land or hover low.
Tactical Map: The Throat of the Grey God
1. The Jagged Scree (The Approach)
The ground slopes upward at a 30-degree angle, covered in loose shale and frozen mud.
Tactical Property: Moving uphill costs double movement.
Mechanical Hazard: Any "Dash" or "Charge" action requires a CL 2 Dexterity check. Failure results in sliding 10 feet back and falling prone.
2. The "Tooth" Pillars (The Ambush Points)
Two massive granite spires, 40 feet tall, flank the cave mouth.
Gorm's Plan: He has stationed two archers atop each pillar. They have heavy coils of rope tipped with iron harpoons.
The Maneuver: If the dragon flies low, they will fire the harpoons. It requires a combined Strength check (CL 12) from the four archers to ground the beast for $1d4$ rounds.
3. The Ash-Pit (Area Effect)
In the center of the "V" canyon, Gorm has dug a shallow pit filled with damp wood, animal fat, and green pine needles.
The Trigger: When the dragon is within 30 feet, the warriors ignite it.
Effect: A thick cloud of Heavily Obscuring Smoke fills a 40-foot radius. This grants the warriors Concealment (50% miss chance) against the dragon's physical attacks, though it does not stop the Breath Weapon.
4. The Shield-Wall (The "Anvil")
Gorm and 6 of his veteran Ash-Walkers stand here, 20 feet in front of the cave mouth.
The Formation: They are "Braced." This grants them a +4 bonus to saves against being knocked prone or pushed.
The Bait: Their goal is to hold the dragon's attention while the PCs or the remaining 4 "Flankers" move into the Blind Spots.
5. The Blind Spots (The "Hammer")
Deep shadows along the canyon walls provide Total Cover from the dragon’s line of sight if it is facing the cave mouth.
Opportunity: Characters starting their turn here can make a CL 5 Move Silently check to get behind the dragon, granting them a +2 "Backstab" style bonus to hit on their next turn.
Visual Reference for the Referee
________________________________________________
/ [ CAVE MOUTH ] \
/ (4) (4) (4) \
/ SHIELD SHIELD SHIELD \
/ WALL WALL WALL \
/ \
/ [2] PILLAR (3) [2] PILLAR \
| (Archers/Ropes) ASH-PIT (Archers/Ropes) |
\ /
\ (5) BLIND SPOT (5) BLIND SPOT /
\_________________ _______________________/
\ (1) /
\ SCREE /
\ /
[ENTRY]
The "Dragon's Response" (Scripted Events)
Turn 1: The Dragon clings to the cliffside above the cave, using its Frightful Presence. Gorm roars back, negating the "Shaken" condition for any PC within 10 feet of him.
Turn 3: The Dragon uses its Breath Weapon down the canyon. Gorm’s warriors will use their shields to protect the PCs, taking the full damage themselves to keep the "heroes" alive.
Turn 5: If the Dragon is below 50% HP, it attempts to grab Gorm and fly up to the Pillars to drop him. This is the PCs' best chance to strike while it is distracted.
The "Dragon-Sign" Table
Roll 1d6 when the party enters a new hex within the Scourge-zone:
d6 Event 1 The Rain of Ash: A light soot falls for $1d4$ hours, reducing visibility to 30 feet. 2 The Charred Totem: The party finds a Cimmerian scout "cooked" inside his own bronze armor, left as a warning. 3 Tremor: A localized earthquake caused by the dragon shifting in its deep lair (CL 2 Dex check or fall prone). 4 The Wyrm's Shadow: The dragon flies high above the clouds. No attack, but everyone must check vs. Frightful Presence. 5 The Hollow Village: An abandoned settlement where the inhabitants were all eaten or fled, leaving behind only hungry, feral dogs. 6 Foul Winds: The smell of sulfur becomes overpowering. All Constitution checks against the "Black Sulfur Vents" (from the lair description) begin now.
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