One more for tonight:
Learn about the animal kingdom
You inquire, explore or read about the animals in the area. For every 2 Gold spent, you make a note that you know animals in the land. Note for example “Border Kingdom: 2”. For every of those points, you may ask the GM to show you the stat block of the animal and the general behavior, favorite food etc. of the animal you just encountered. As long as it is a natural creature, the GM may not refuse. At the GM´s discretion.
Hmm, not sure about that, but why not include it? Use at your own risk:
Career
This relies heavily on the GM´s discretion and it should be made available from adventure to adventure. If the next adventure allows for a character to be something of impotance (a tribe leader, a first mate on a pirate ship, a leader of an army, the “chosen one” etc.) the GM should announce to the PCs that this carousing activity is available. The PC who is interested may pay 3-6 Gold (GM´s choice) to fill the role of something important to the story. Another PC may challenge him by paying more Gold. After the bidding, the PC who paid the largest amount of Gold will fill an important role in the next adventure. At the GM´s discretion, PCs who lost the bidding may pay their Gold they bid to get a position of importance that is lower than the position the winning PC got.
Example:
The GM has an adventure prepared where the PCs are part of a military unit (or a pirate ship, or a group of bandits etc). He announces that “Career” is available in the next adventure to his 4 PCs. PC 1 wants to spent 6 Gold, but is challenged by PC2, who bids 7 Gold and PC3, who bids 8 Gold, PC4 isn´t interested. PC 2 bids 9 Gold and wins. He will be the leader of the unit in the next adventure. The GM asks PC3 if he wants to pay his 8 Gold to be made lieutenant, he agrees. When the adventure starts, PC2 is the leader of the military unit and PC3 is first lieutenant when the adventure starts.
The GM announces to the 4 PCs that “Career” is available and that the PC paying the cost will be an important part of the adventure. Although the PCs complain that this is a bit vague, PC3 agrees and pays 6 Gold, the other ones don´t take that opportunity. At the start of the adventure, the drunken PCs wander through the allies, as a princess runs directly to PC3 and says, that she dreamed about him and that he is the only one who can save her…
This is inspired by the fact that Conan seems always to come up on top of every organization he joins. Only for GM´s that want to tell these kind of stories, use in a case-by-case basis!
How could I forget this?
Mingle
Normally, you cannot buy caste talents, but when you agree to use this carousing ability, you can learn one of them permanently once in the life of your character by spending 8 Gold. You mingle with another caste and identify or are at least interested with their way of life. You gain a Caste talent of your choice.
Wanna buy yourself out of slavery?
Improve Social Standing
While it is hard to escape the Social position you have in the caste societies you find in Conan, it is not impossible. You can buy yourself out of your family background by spending 15 gold – Renown. When you do this in a Carousing phase, you get social standing + 1.