Eidos Interactive Age of Conan Hyborian Adventures User Manual

Important Health Warning About Playing Video Games

Photosensitive Seizures

A very small percentage of people may experience a seizure when exposed to certain visual images, including flashing lights or patterns that may appear in video games. Even people who have no history of seizures or epilepsy may have an undiagnosed condition that can cause these “photosensitive epileptic seizures” while watching video games.

These seizures may have a variety of symptoms, including lightheadedness, altered vision, eye or face twitching, jerking or shaking of arms or legs, disorientation, confusion, or momentary loss of awareness. Seizures may also cause loss of consciousness or convulsions that can lead to injury from falling down or striking nearby objects.

Immediately stop playing and consult a doctor if you experience any of these symptoms. Parents should watch for or ask their children about the above symptoms—children and teenagers are more likely than adults to experience these seizures. The risk of photosensitive epileptic seizures may be reduced by taking the following precautions: Sit farther from the screen; use a smaller screen; play in a well-lit room; and do not play when you are drowsy or fatigued.

If you or any of your relatives have a history of seizures or epilepsy, consult a doctor before playing.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

GAME SETUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Account Management . . . . . . . . . . . 4

If You Already Have a Funcom

Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Creating an Account . . . . . . . . . . 4

Canceling a Subscription . . . . . . 5

Starting the Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Patching Process . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Logging In to the Game . . . . . . . 5

Customer Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Please Note... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Family Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

BASIC GAMEPLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Selecting a Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Creating Your Character . . . . . . . . . . 7

Choosing Your Race . . . . . . . . . . 8

The Aquilonians, The Cimmerians, The Stygians

Choosing Your Class . . . . . . . . 10

Guardian, Conqueror, Dark Templar, Demonologist, Necromancer, Herald of Xotli, Bear Shaman, Priest of Mitra, Tempest of Set, Barbarian, Assassin, Ranger

Choosing Your Look . . . . . . . . . 16

Choosing Your Name . . . . . . . . 16

User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Navigation Buttons . . . . . . . . . 18

Shortcut Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Map and Mini-map . . . . . . . . . 18

Character Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Equipment and Inventory . . . . 19

Equipping/Unequipping items, Item information

Attributes and Skills . . . . . . . . 20

Attributes, Ratings and resistances, Skills

Spells, Combos and Abilities . . 21

Combo moves, Magical spells, Other abilities

Feat Specialization . . . . . . . . . . 22

Available feats, Unavailable feats

Quest Journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Quest information, Quest difficulty, Tracking quests, Sharing and canceling quests

Experience Points . . . . . . . . . . 24

Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Chat Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Using Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Adding Channels . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Social Emotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

GETTING STARTED . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Keyboard Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

In-game Tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Moving Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Using the Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Talking to NPCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Fighting Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Single Player/

Multiplayer Elements . . . . . . . . . . . 28

ADVANCED GAMEPLAY . . . . . . . 29

Game Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Questing and Leveling . . . . . . . . . . 29

Advancing in Levels . . . . . . . . . 29

Finding a Quest . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Quest Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Finishing a Quest . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Acquiring New Equipment . . . . . . . 30

Looting Enemies . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Hyborian Currency . . . . . . . . . 31

Buying and Selling . . . . . . . . . . 31

Trading with Other Players . . . 32

Using Tradeposts . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Buying from others, Selling to others

Equipment Types . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Weapons, Armor, Consumables, Other items

Item Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Combat System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Targeting Enemies . . . . . . . . . . 36

Evaluating Targets . . . . . . . . . . 36

Hit Directions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Shields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Melee Fighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Using Combos . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Ranged Fighting . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Using Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Summoning Pets . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Pet Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Death and Defeat . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Resurrection spots, Headstones

Mounted Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Obtaining a Mount . . . . . . . . . 42

Available Mounts . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Horse, Mammoth, Rhino

Riding into Battle . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Using your own weapon, Using your mount as a weapon

Disadvantages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Playing with Others . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Searching for Players . . . . . . . . 44

Player Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Group benefits, Forming a group

Player Guilds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Guild benefits, Forming a guild

Instances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Player vs. Player . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Quick mini-games, Siege battles

Exploring the World . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION . . . 48

Advanced Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Crafting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

City Building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Siege Battles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Hyborian Codex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Nations of Hyboria . . . . . . . . . . 49

Aquilonia, Cimmeria, Stygia

Cities of the World . . . . . . . . . . 51

Tarantia, Khemi, Conarch, Tortage

Notable Characters . . . . . . . . . 53

King Conan, Keaira, Kalanthes, Thoth-Amon and His Minions

Gods and Worship . . . . . . . . . . 54

Crom, Mitra, Set

KEYBOARD MAP . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

GAME SETTINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

CREDITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

LIMITED WARRANTY/

PRODUCT SUPPORT . . . . . . . . . 65

INTRODUCTION

Know, O Prince, that between the years when the oceans

drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities, and the rise of the Sons

of Aryas, there was an Age undreamed of, when shining

kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles

beneath the stars—Nemedia, Ophir, Brythunia, Hyperborea, Zamora with its dark-haired women and towers of spider-

haunted mystery, Zingara with its chivalry, Koth that bordered

the pastoral lands of Shem, Stygia with its shadow-guarded

tombs, Hyrkania—whose riders wore steel and silk and gold. But the proudest kingdom of the world was Aquilonia, reigning

supreme in the dreaming west. Hither came Conan the Cimmerian,

black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand—a thief, a reaver, a slayer,

with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth—to tread the jeweled

thrones of the earth under his sandaled feet.

— The Nemedian Chronicles

Over 70 years ago, author Robert E. Howard created Conan and the world

of Hyboria where he led a life of great adventure. Through the years since

then, countless works based on the world’s greatest fantasy hero have

emerged, from books to comics, from movies to video games. Hyboria has

grown to become a world of tremendous scale and unfathomable depth.

In Age of Conan

to live out a life of daring adventure, just as the mighty barbarian himself

did in Howard’s legendary tales. By building upon the foundations laid down

through all these years of great stories of Conan and his world, we have created an online version of Hyboria that you can experience on your own computer.

But beware, for death awaits the unaware. Hyboria is a world of conflict— between warriors, between guilds, and between entire nations. While demons rise from the darkest pits of hell, enemies are threatening to break down the walls of your own cities.

What will you do, where you will go? Your life will be riddled with such choices and YOU have to make the decisions!

: Hyborian Adventures you get the chance

GAME SETUP

Installation

1. Place the first Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures DVD into your disc drive to start the installation.

2. If AutoPlay is enabled on your computer, a window will appear automatically, offering you various choices. Click the Install button to continue the installation.

J If AutoPlay is not enabled on your computer, you need to run the installation

application manually. Click the Start button in Windows

Vista

and type D:\setup.exe. (If your disc drive is assigned to a letter other

than D, substitute the appropriate letter for your computer.)

3. An installer application will now start. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Account Management

In order to play Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, you need to have or create a game account with Funcom. A game account is your personal identification for the game servers.

IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A FUNCOM ACCOUNT

Please go to https://register.ageofconan.com and enter your Funcom account name and password. Your existing Funcom account information will appear whether or not you have a current subscription. Choose Add a Game Subscription and enter your Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures game key.

CREATING AN ACCOUNT

To create a Funcom game account, open your Internet browser and go to the Funcom website: https://register.ageofconan.com. Follow the on-screen instructions to work through the process. Make sure you write down your username and password, as you will need these details when logging in.

After your free trial period has expired (if you were eligible for a free trial period), you will be charged according to the subscription plan that you chose when creating your account. You will be charged unless you cancel this subscription before your free period has expired. You can change your subscription plan at any time.

XP or Windows

CANCELING A SUBSCRIPTION

You can cancel your subscription to the Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures game service at any time. You will not be able to access the game servers once you cancel your subscription and after your pre-paid game time has expired.

J PS! Even though we aim for your characters to be available to you if you decide

to subscribe later, Funcom can’t guarantee that characters on inactive accounts will be preserved.

To cancel your account, access your account page via the Funcom website: https://register.ageofconan.com. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your cancellation request.

Starting the Game

After you’ve installed the game and created a Funcom game account, run the game by double-clicking the Age of Conan icon on your desktop, or access it via the Windows start menu. If you are running Windows Vista the game via the Game Explorer found on your Windows Start menu.

PATCHING PROCESS

The first thing you see after starting the game is the patcher window. This allows your Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures game to be automatically updated when updates are available.

J When the patcher window appears,

any available patch automatically starts to download. This may take some time, depending on the size of the patch and the speed of your Internet connection. During the wait, you can take a look at the patch notes available in the patcher window. These detail any changes or additions made to the game.

J New data may sometimes be downloaded while you’re playing. If the game

appears to be taking some time to load between regions, this might be the reason.

After the patching process is complete, a Play button highlights. Click this button to continue.

LOGGING IN TO THE GAME

After completing the patching process, the first screen you arrive at is the Login screen. Supply the username and password for your Funcom game account, and click the Login button to continue into server selection and ultimately the game world.

, you can access

Customer Service

Funcom does not offer phone support for Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, but there are numerous ways to get assistance, both inside the game and from the official websites and forums.

J Should you run into any technical problems with Age of Conan: Hyborian

Adventures, you can contact Funcom Customer Support by using the contact form at https://register.funcom.com/support.

J There will be a customer service knowledge base for Age of Conan: Hyborian

Adventures, where all the most frequently asked questions are displayed (http://support.ageofconan.com).

J You can get aid on the official Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures forums,

where Funcom employees regularly report on any issues you may come across (http://forums.ageofconan.com).

J You can send an email to support@ageofconan.com (this is an automated mail

service and will not be read by humans). The reply will cover general aspects of getting started with the game, and where to get additional help.

J You can get in-game help. Type /petition in the chat window and press e. Follow

the on-screen instructions. Funcom will prioritize requests based upon urgency.

Please Note...

Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is a massively multiplayer online game— one that allows its developers to continuously update it, change it and add to it. Changes might have been made to the game in the period between documentation and the release of the game. Because of this, there may be inaccuracies between the gameplay and this documentation. If so, we apologize for the inconvenience.

Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is also a very deep and complex game with a multitude of different game mechanics. This documentation is meant to help new players get into the game, so, many of the game’s more advanced features are not covered in this manual. For the latest updated documentation, please visit

http://www.ageofconan.com.

Family Settings

Family Settings in Games for Windows – LIVE complement Windows Vista parental controls. Manage your child’s access and experience with easy and flexible tools. For more information, go to www.gamesforwindows.com/live/familysettings.

BASIC GAMEPLAY

Selecting a Server

Before doing anything else, you need to select the game server where you will create a character and start playing. If you are planning to play with your friends, ask them what game server they will be playing on.

J You will only see players who are on the same server you have selected.)

Different server types may be available:

J Player-versus-environment (PvE)—Standard game servers using the standard

gameplay rule sets.

J Player-versus-player (PvP)—Game servers with a looser approach to player-

versus-player combat. These servers offer more challenge and may not be suitable for new players.

J Role-playing (RP/PvP)—Similar to the other game servers while providing

a friendlier environment for playing in character.

The selection of servers available to you depends on what region of the world you bought your client in. For instance, North American clients cannot play on European game servers, and vice versa.

After choosing a server, choose an empty character slot and continue into character creation.

Creating Your Character

The story of your character’s life begins on a Stygian slave galley somewhere in the treacherous waters surrounding the Barachan Isles. Without any memory of who you are—or who you were—you now have the chance to start anew.

During character creation, you decide on your character’s physical appearance, what culture your character hails from, and what class your character will progress in throughout the game.

CHOOSING YOUR RACE

The implications of choosing a race for your character go beyond mere physical appearance. Your choice also determines what classes you can choose from. The following races are available:

THE AQUILONIANS

The Aquilonians are a people divided behind a front

of unity, and threatened behind a show of dominance.

Their kingdom, the so-called Flower of the West, is

the unrivaled jewel of Hyboria. It is a land of prosperous

cities, great wealth and enlightened culture, with a king-

sanctioned order of religious freedom where no faith

shall be oppressed. Yet for all the kingdom’s vaunted glories, and despite the actions of its popular monarch,

King Conan I, it is a land where culture clashes

and the chaos of unrest always threaten the populace.

Aquilonian fighters are disciplined and tough,

often more soldier than warrior. The people value martial

skill and admire any who stand against the nation’s

many enemies, especially the hated Picts. Aquilonians also value free-thinking and independence, so those

who can make a living from their own self-reliance often

gather respect. Sorcery is shunned as the pursuit of evil

men, but Mitran priests practice their own magic, and

earn great respect among the populace for their perceived

favor in the light of the true god’s grace.

THE CIMMERIANS

The Cimmerians are a barbarous people, with a culture so profoundly shaped by their harsh, dreary land that foreigners look askance at the tribes of the north and wonder if they ever sing any songs besides dismal dirges. The Cimmerians live hand to mouth in a hostile realm. It earns them the pity of other nations, but gives them a strength no training can teach. The Cimmerians believe that Crom gives them strength at birth— the strength they will need to meet the trials of life. After that, they’re on their own, as it should be.

The barbarians have little in the way of writing or book-learning; instead, they pass on their lore verbally in fireside tales or whispered legends.

They value martial prowess over their enemies, physical strength, and the ability to provide

for oneself above all else. While they have their seers and shamans, the supernatural holds terror, not wonder or tempting appeal, for most barbarians. They pride themselves on working through life

with strength, skill and cunning, never relying

on the arcane mysteries that blacken the souls of the men of other nations.

THE STYGIANS

Dominated by a ruthless theocracy dedicated to the worship of the serpent-god Set, the Stygians are masters of occult secrets and diabolic lore. Their scholarship is legendary, and their mastery of the magical arts is without equal in the known world.

Unlike the Hyborian kingdoms, the Stygians care little for what goes on beyond their borders. The Stygians are an ancient people, born of a culture more than 1500 years older than any of their neighboring kingdoms to the north.

Stygians, as a people, favor cunning, intelligence and agility over brute strength. Swords and axes are the hallmarks of a barbarian, not a civilized person. For this reason, most Stygians found outside the borders of their kingdom are typically scholars or seekers of knowledge. This quest for knowledge appears in many forms, whether through the practice of sorcery, the study of the body and the healing arts, or the stealthy practice of assassination or thievery. Each pursuit is equally valid in a Stygian’s eyes, because it requires intellect, education and discipline—qualities the Stygians

believe to be lacking in the “lesser” kingdoms of the age.

CHOOSING YOUR CLASS

The class you choose for your character determines his or her skills in combat, the ability to equip specific types of equipment, and what feats your character can acquire when leveling up. Classes are divided into four archetypes: the Soldier, the Rogue, the Priest and the Mage. After you choose your character’s race, the available class choices for that race will highlight in the character creation interface. The following classes are available:

GUARDIAN

J Archetype Soldier J Weapons One-handed edged swords, one-handed blunts,

polearms, crossbows, thrown weapons

J Armor Full plate, heavy armor, medium armor,

light armor, shield

Guardians are the most heavily armored and well-drilled soldiers in all of Hyboria. Capable of withstanding punishment like no other, they also have an array of deadly attacks that deal devastating damage. There is no more imposing sight in battle than a phalanx of Guardians

in full plate armor, bearing sword and shield or ranked behind

an impenetrable wall of pikes.

Guardians are the sturdiest of all the soldiers. Their strength lies in their ability to mitigate damage with their heavy armor and shield. They do not use magic, but focus on fighting with sword and shield or wielding pole arms capable of sweeping through ranks of enemies. In addition to their daunting defenses,

they are renowned for their devastating charges, capable of ripping through enemy lines

and slaughtering opponents.

CONQUEROR

J Archetype Soldier J Weapons One-handed blunts, two-handed blunts, one-

handed edged swords, two-hand edged swords, crossbows, thrown weapons, dual wielding

J Armor Heavy armor, medium armor, light armor

Conquerors are a sword-wielding fusion of heavy armor and battlefield command, rare individuals rising from the ranks of Aquilonian generals and barbarous Cimmerian war-leaders. The conquerors’martial might is almost unparalleled; they manipulate those fighting around them, inspiring allies, demoralizing foes and drawing strength from the fury of battle.

Conquerors are capable soldiers, and their ability to augment their allies with battle cries and inspirational auras, as well as cause disarray and degrade the fighting capability of the enemy, make them unmatched masters of the battleground. They wield formidable two-handed weapons, and can dual-wield for even more offensive power.

DARK TEMPLAR

J Archetype Soldier J Weapons One-handed edged swords, one-handed blunts,

crossbows, thrown weapons

J Armor Heavy armor, medium armor, light armor,

shields

Dark Templars combine heavy armor, martial prowess and bloodthirsty magic with an all-consuming desire for triumph. They are warriors who have sold their humanity for unholy might, the power to feed upon the life of their enemies, spells that can reflect enemy attacks, and unnatural powers of rejuvenation that have a darker, nightmarish twist.

Dark Templars wear heavy battle armor, have the lethal offensive capability of expert soldiers, and wield vile sorcery. Their spells can leech life to enable Dark Templars to heal themselves or their allies, conjure protective wards, and unleash occult energies against enemies around them. They can even sacrifice their own life-force to power their invocations.

DEMONOLOGIST

J Archetype Mage J Weapons Daggers, crossbows, thrown weapons J Armor Cloth armor, silk armor

Demonologists are the mightiest of Sorcerers, wielding the power of hell and earth, and capable of conjuring pillars of flame or titanic storms of electricity. So great is their occult knowledge that they can bargain a servant of hell—a guardian demon of warped beauty and terrible might—into doing their bidding.

Demonologists concentrate solely on sorcery. The potency of their spells is unmatched, as capable of eliminating a single enemy in a hellish inferno as destroying enemy lines with forks of lightning. They can sacrifice their own life-force in return for more occult power. They are most potent when they are devoting their spell energies solely to attack.

NECROMANCER

BEAR SHAMAN

J Archetype Mage J Weapons Daggers, crossbows, thrown weapons J Armor Cloth armor, silk armor

Necromancers summon and command the undead, and they are legion. Their ghoulish minions are capable of tearing men apart, and casting their own death magic. The rotting corpses of the dead follow wherever the necromancer leads.

The dark magic wielded by necromancers ranges from the unholy to pestilent corruption and the freezing touch of death. Through careful study, necromancers can develop the ability to call corpses from the earth to rise up and surround a foe, and even attain lichdom, turning themselves into terrifying, undead, horrible creatures.

HERALD OF XOTLI

J Archetype Mage J Weapons Two-handed edged swords, daggers,

crossbows, thrown weapons

J Armor Cloth armor, silk armor

Heralds of Xotli are hybrids of the mage and soldier archtypes. They wield alien spells and two-handed weapons, making them formidable enemies on the battlefield. This class is for players who want to master both brutal swordplay and spectacular sorcery.

The result of demonology that went beyond the realms of hell and earth and out into the cold empty wastes beyond the realm of existence, heralds now faithfully serve Xotli, a demon-god of the Elder Night—and an entity even the Atlanteans learned to fear.

J Archetype Priest J Weapons Two-handed blunts, bows, crossbows,

thrown weapons

J Armor Cloth armor, medium armor, light armor

The spirit of nature is strong in Cimmeria, and has begun to manifest itself among the barbarians of the north. Bear shamans can inherit aspects of the great bear, such as claws, savage strength, and adrenaline surges. They can use spirit totems that heal and counterattack enemy blows. They can also gain the power to heal and eventually resurrect fallen companions.

Bear shamans are able to equip the heaviest priest armor (medium), and are the sturdiest of all the priests. Capable of mighty attacks with their two-handed weapons and a complement of druidic enchantments, they are fearsome enemies in combat. In common with other priests, they also have many healing powers.

PRIEST OF MITRA

J Archetype Priest J Weapons One-handed edged swords, one-handed

blunts, daggers, crossbows, thrown weapons

J Armor Cloth armor, light armor, shields

Priests of Mitra wield divine power that can aid, heal and even bring the dead to life. Their god is one of justice, security and liberty —and their followers are ready to fight to ensure these freedoms and to battle against oppression, tyranny and villainy. Priests of Mitra have the strongest healing powers. They also have the ability to bombard the enemy with holy damage.

Priests of Mitra wear light armor and use martial weapons. Their powers to augment those around, heal wounds, and impair enemies make them indispensable to any party exploring Hyboria.

TEMPEST OF SET

ASSASSIN

J Archetype Priest J Weapons One-handed edged swords,

one-handed blunts, polearms, daggers, crossbows, thrown weapons

J Armor Cloth armor, light armor, shields

These priests wield the awesome destructive might of Set, the snake god of Stygia. This elder god, ancient when man was young, rewards his most faithful disciples with mighty powers— lightning strikes that can tear the tops from mountains or lay waste to entire regions.

These followers of Set are renowned for the obliteration and ruin that follow in their wake, but like other priests they have the power to heal en masse and restore life. As well as a variety of martial weapons, light armor and shields, they can also wield magical talismans in the form of ancient tomes and the hearts of slain monsters.

BARBARIAN

J Archetype Rogue J Weapons One-handed edged swords, one-handed blunts,

two-handed edged swords, two-handed blunts, bows, thrown weapons, dual-wielding

J Armor Cloth armor, light armor

Barbarians are one of the most dangerous and feared sights

on the battlefield. Their combat style focuses on strength,

aggression and relentless assault. Whether wielding

two-handed weapons that sweep through enemy lines,

or fighting with a weapon in each hand, when the opportunity

to deliver that devastating killing blow comes, they are ready.

Wounding barbarians enrages them, making them stronger

and deadlier in battle. Their varied array of powerful attacks can

knock enemies senseless, immobilize them, or make the very

ground shake around them.

Like other rogues, barbarians excel at sneaking and the arts

of ambushing.

J Archetype Rogue J Weapons Daggers, crossbows, dual-wielding J Armor Cloth armor, silk armor

Assassins are the most lethal killers in Hyboria. Those aspiring to the top of this profession face the deadliest regime of training, discipline and study, and the ones

who survive are executioners supreme. No other class

can deliver blows as deadly as an assassins’. Their arsenal

of lethal combos is complemented by their ability to slip past

enemies unseen.

Assassins can dual-wield daggers with lightning speed.

They can modify their attacks against specific targets,

such as unholy attacks against heavily armored foes,

or poison attacks versus mana users. Few can stand

against an assassin in combat.

RANGER

J Archetype Rogue J Weapons One-handed edged swords, one-handed blunts,

daggers, bows, crossbows, dual-wielding

J Armor Cloth armor, medium armor, light armor,

shields

Rangers are the finest marksmen of Hyboria, capable of stalking an enemy and delivering devastating shots with pinpoint accuracy. From the skilled woodsmen of the Bossonian Marches to the short-bow wielding horsemen of the Stygian desert, the Rangers’ skills with a bow set them apart from other warriors.

With an arsenal of specialist shots that can pin an enemy down, start bleeding wounds or pierce an enemy’s heart, they are difficult opponents. Knights fall to their fletched shafts, and all the magic in hell cannot save a Sorcerer with an arrow in his throat. They can fight in melee with swords and maces and wear medium armor, but their strengths lay with the bow.

CHOOSING YOUR LOOK

Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures allows you to customize your character’s physical appearance in detail. These choices are only cosmetic—they don’t affect gameplay. Take your time and shape your character, or hit the Random button. The choice is yours!

CHOOSING YOUR NAME

The last choice you have is finding a suitable name for your character. The only limit is your own imagination. Try to stay true to the spirit and setting of the game world. If your choice of name is rejected, it may be either because the name filter refused it, or because another player has taken that name. Try again till you find a suitable name.

With your name choice completed, you are finally ready to take your first steps into Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures!

User Interface

1 Main view Where the action takes place. Manipulate this view

by adjusting the camera.

2 Navigation buttons Clicking these buttons takes you to various character

overview windows. (

See page 18 for more information.)

3 Shortcut bar Use the shortcut bar to place combos, spells, items

and abilities for easy access. (

information.)

See page 18 for more

4 Chat panel All communications with other players are shown

in this chat window. (

See page 24 for more information.)

5 Mini-map Shows your immediate surroundings. Use the controls

next to the mini-map to zoom. (

information.)

See page 18 for more

6 Hit directions These directional arrows appear when you’re in combat,

allowing you to strike in different directions. (

for more information.)

See page 37

7 Your vitals Shows your name, level and vitals such as mana,

stamina and health. (

See page 20 for more information.)

8 Target vitals Shows the name, level, and vitals such as mana,

stamina and health of your target. Icons may also appear next to this, allowing for different types of interaction (such as trading) with your target.

9 Experience bar This progression bar shows how much experience you

need to reach the next level. (

information.)

See page 19 for more

10 Social buttons Click these buttons to access various Social windows,

such as the Player Search window. (

information.)

See page 44 for more

11 Active effects Any effects present on your character—magical or not—

are shown here.

for more information.)

(Hold your mouse over any of the icons

12 Quest tracker Shows the quest objectives for quests you’ve chosen

to track (from the Quest Journal). (

information.)

See page 24 for more

NAVIGATION BUTTONS

These buttons open the Character Overview windows:

1 Equipment and inventory 2 Attributes and skills 3 Spells, combos and abilities 4 Feat specialization 5 Quest journal

For in-depth information on these elements, see Character Overview on page 19.

SHORTCUT BAR

The shortcut bar at the bottom of the game screen provides a location where you can place various items and abilities for easy access. You can drag certain elements from the Equipment and Inventory window and the Abilities window down to the shortcut bar at any time.

Many of the slots in the shortcut bar have a corresponding keyboard key. Pressing that key on your keyboard executes the action linked to that slot. This allows you to quickly access items or abilities without having to go through the windows to find them. For example, if you put a potion in the slot marked 9, pressing the 9 key on your keyboard will result in your character attempting to consume that potion.

Press the SHIFT key and then 1 through 0 to access more shortcut bars.

MAP AND MINI-MAP

The mini-map appears in the top right corner of the screen. It shows your immediate surroundings. Use the controls next to the mini-map to zoom in and out. You can also access a bigger version of the map by pressing the Map key

Your mini-map may hold important information, such as the location of certain quest objectives, enemies and more.

Character Overview

EQUIPMENT AND INVENTORY

You can access the Equipment and Inventory window by using the navigation buttons at the top center of your screen The Equipment and Inventory window shows the items you have equipped, and the items you are storing in your backpack. Slots surrounding your character’s image in the Inventory window represent different locations on your character’s body where you can equip items.

Your inventory is divided into the following categories, which filter and sort different types of items:

J Bag—This is your backpack, holding the items you have that don’t belong

in either of the other two categories.

J Resources—Holds all the resources you’re carrying, such as those needed

when using crafts.

J Quest—Holds all the items you’re carrying that are related to quests,

such as things you need to deliver to certain non-player characters.

Equipping/unequipping items

To equip an item in your Inventory, double-click it or drag it from the Inventory to the appropriate equipment slot. To unequip an item, reverse the process. Doubleclick the equipment slot or drag the item back to your Inventory.

Item information

To see information about an item, such as what sort of effect it has, hold your mouse cursor over the item for a short time.

KALANTHES’

TIP

(see page 18).

Items backlit by an orange color cannot be

equipped by your character. You may be

missing a skill, feat or some other ability

that you need in order to equip it.

ATTRIBUTES AND SKILLS

Access the Character window by using the navigation buttons at the top center of the screen. This window provides information about your character’s attributes, resistances, skills and more.

Attributes

Your character has a set of base attributes that are automatically increased when you gain new levels. Attributes have a direct impact on your character’s abilities and powers.

Some of the most important attributes are:

J Strength—Rewards a damage bonus for melee attacks, and increases the attack

rating for certain weapons.

J Dexterity—Applies a bonus to your defense rating and increases the attack

rating for certain weapons.

J Constitution—Determines the amount of health and stamina your character has. J Intelligence—Determines the amount of mana your character has, and increases

magic rating for mages.

J Wisdom—Determines the amount of mana your character has, and increases

the magic rating for priests.

Ratings and resistances

These numbers affect your character’s powers in attacking, defending, use of magic and more. They are altered by your attributes and the equipment you use.

Skills

Depending on your character’s class, you either have a set of skills that are working in the background while you play, or that you must activate yourself by using various abilities. When you gain a level, you can also gain a set of points you can invest in these skills to improve them. You invest skill points through the Character window.

Some of the most important skills are:

J Perception—Determines how well you observe the environment around you.

Allows you to spot hidden enemies or even dangerous traps.

J Bandaging—Allows you to quickly heal outside combat. An enhanced skill heals

you faster.

J Renew mana—Similar to bandaging, but affects your mana pool. J Casting Concentration—Determines how prone you are to having your spell

canceled when you’re distracted.

J Hiding—Allows you to hide and become invisible to others. A higher skill makes

you more difficult to spot.

J Climbing—Determines the difficulty of objects (such as ladders) and slopes that

you can climb. You climb by using climbing spots in certain areas.

J Taunt—The higher your taunting skill, the greater your chance of attracting

enemy aggression.

The maximum number of points you can invest in a skill increases as you gain

new levels.

SPELLS, COMBOS AND ABILITIES

Access the Spells and Abilities window by using the navigation buttons at the top center of your screen. This window lists the special abilities your character has, including combo moves, spells and other abilities. Special abilities are sorted by the different tabs available in this window.

Combo moves

Your character can execute these special moves during combat, depending on the class you are playing. Combo moves must be dragged into the shortcut bar in order for you can use them.

Using combo moves consumes stamina. As you gain more levels, new combo moves become available, and appear in this window. What combos you can use depends on the weapon you have equipped. Combos not available for your currently equipped weapon will be grayed out.

Magical spells

If your character can master the awesome powers of Hyborian magic, acquired spells will be listed here. Spells are divided into different types, such as friendly spells and hostile spells.

Using spells consume mana. You can acquire spells by purchasing spell scrolls from vendors, or by finding them in the wild. Use a scroll to memorize the spell.

+ 24 hidden pages

Eidos Interactive Age of Conan Hyborian Adventures User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual