Prehistoric Adventures?

mmadsen · May 9, 2002

The Primal Codex would be a good resource for a primative/jungle campaign, IMO. It's available over at RPGNow.com.

I just took a look at the page for The Primal Codex over at RPGNow.com. I'm not sure what to make of it. Anyone have any experience with it?

Here's its ad blurb:

The Primal Codex contains more than 120 pages of options and enhancements for adding a primitive, wilderness theme to any d20 game.

The Codex presents detailed information for over 40 poisons including death caps, hemlock and monkshood as well as rules for more than 40 diseases including rabies, cholera and tuberculosis. It also covers a list of 60+ new conditions including seizure, headache, muscle pain, and chills.

For players, the Primal Codex contains 5 new races like the grundengar, phrohiem, neanderthal and aborigine. There are also many new classes and prestige classes like the beast lord, the animal master and others in the Primal Codex. With the Codex you also gain details on several expanded skills such as Profession (herbalist), which includes a long list of new herbal concoctions.

The Codex also presents a large collection of magic items and spells too, including Blaze, Disable, Die hard, were-shape, staggering blows, and over 60 more!

Furthermore, the Codex outlines a long list of new equipment items including boomerangs, throwing arrows, and atlatls and it features a collection of more than 40 new monsters including the Wendigo!

Finally, the Codex covers several new options for enhanced campaigning including pain penalties, execution rules and even torture!

Take your game to the bleeding edge today with the Primal Codex!

Mordax_sighs · May 9, 2002

Dinosaur romps and hunting mammoths are fun, but what I've really wanted to explore lately is an Ice Age.

See, I live near where the Missoula Floods happened, and...oy. That captures the imagination. I can just see a campaign where the PCs try to summon up great, costly magicks to keep the ice in place for just another day or two.

(I sorta helped this jones a little by sending a group of PCs to Cania, but it just wasn't the same.)

Has anybody else ever tried that?

Tonguez · May 9, 2002

Re: Re: About above classes

mmadsen said:
I would say that the Paladin doesn't have to be a crusading knight on a white charger...but the rules do expect a magical mount -- and Polynesia doesn't have any riding animals, does it?

Edit: I missed the bit about megafauna riding animals. So the Paladin has a faithful whale?

Okay Paladin is perhaps a bit of a misnomer but the general idea is as follows

Tanguru (Paladin)
The Tanguru is the chosen vehicle of a Beast spirit (Shark, Crocodile, Boar, Giant Eagle, Tanifa Dinosaur, Smilodon etc -often the clan war god) who imbues their Champion with a part of their power. In return the Tanguru carries the Beast spirit into battle allowing it to feed on the mana of the defeated.

Detect Evil: as is
Divine Grace: as is
Lay on Hands: as is
Divine Health: as is
Aura of Courage: as is
Smite Evil: as is
Remove Disease: as is
Bonus Feat: Fighter (to replace Turning - no undead)
Rage (to replace Extra Turning)
Spells: as is
Beast Companion : : Upon or after reaching 5th level, a Tanguru can call an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal beast to serve him or her in her crusade
*The Beast might be ridden although the riding skill does not exist imc being replaced by a canoe-use skill (-as stated Polynesia has no riding animals available ergo no skill developed. The Beat Rider PrC gets Riding as a Class Ability)

GWolf said
In my opinion, Paladins shouldn't exist it just doesn't seem to fit. Bards, may or may not, depending on DM.

Paladins as above - the carrying of family and clan Shark-gods was an honoured position in many Polynesia cultures I reinterpreted this as Paladins so as to avoid the need to create an entirely new class.

Bards imho are essential - In a culture wihout writing knowledge is recorded and maintained through stories and songs. In such societies Poets and Orators have significant status. Knowledge is sacred and thus those with such knowledge gain special ability (ie bard spells)
In Tahiti the Karioi Bards rose to become a major power - they were religious functionaries as much as they were entertainers performing huge spectacles of song and theatre.

Experts I also allow Experts as a PC class (Artisans) giving them skill focus +3 and spell casting from 4-Level using a mix of Divine spells to do with crafting stuff (like Mending, Fabricate, Ironwood etc)

For players, the Primal Codex contains 5 new races like the grundengar, phrohiem, neanderthal and aborigine.

Aborigine are humans - why are they presented as a seperate race?

GWolf · May 9, 2002

Your Paladian Class

Nw, Iwould agree that the paladin you made fis quite alot better, but they would still be rare IMO.

Point Taken on Bards, but perhaps the class should change a little bit?

mmadsen · May 10, 2002

Re: Re: Re: About above classes

Tanguru (Paladin)
The Tanguru is the chosen vehicle of a Beast spirit (Shark, Crocodile, Boar, Giant Eagle, Tanifa Dinosaur, Smilodon etc -often the clan war god) who imbues their Champion with a part of their power. In return the Tanguru carries the Beast spirit into battle allowing it to feed on the mana of the defeated.

Bonus Feat: Fighter (to replace Turning - no undead)
Rage (to replace Extra Turning)
Spells: as is
Beast Companion : : Upon or after reaching 5th level, a Tanguru can call an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal beast to serve him or her in her crusade
*The Beast might be ridden although the riding skill does not exist imc being replaced by a canoe-use skill (-as stated Polynesia has no riding animals available ergo no skill developed. The Beat Rider PrC gets Riding as a Class Ability)

Ooh, I like that. Nice! I'm a sucker for Animal Companions though.

mmadsen · May 10, 2002

He introduces too much high fantasy for my taste but there are lots of good ideas in there.

I agree

I think the introduction of an ancient pre-human civilization (think Sleestaks from Land of the Lost), for instance, solves many of the problems with generating plot hooks. It also adds a nice Wierd Tales era twist to the setting.

I, of course, love Weird Tales, but for those who want a more D&D feel (leaning in the Tolkien tradition), a prehistoric campaign could be prehistoric only as far as the humans are concerned. After all, the elves are supposed to be an ancient culture by the time the humans ascend. Wouldn't it be interesting to play out that human ascent?

WSmith · May 10, 2002

I am looking forward to watching Dinotopia, this Sunday's evening movie on ABC.

ForceUser · May 11, 2002

Nice

Wow Tonguez, that's a cool setting. Very original

mmadsen · May 11, 2002

Re: Re: Re: About above classes

Aborigine are humans - why are they presented as a seperate race?

Who knows? For that matter, what is a grundengar or phrohiem?

mmadsen · May 12, 2002

The list of classes and equipment available would be pretty small, and instead of aspirations to become rich and powerful in a kingdom full of political intrigue, the PCs would be mostly trying to survive in the wild without a whole lot to look forward to in life.

Actually, I think a tribal setting would have all the political intrigue of a medieval court -- or a high school. There's no anonymity, social standing is very important, rumors spread, etc.