Stone Age. From Paleolithic to Neolithic.
I've been homebrewing a Paleolithic setting for a while. It's set in the now extinct Berring land bridge, which historians refer to as Beringia. I was inspired by comment's by the coordinator of the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Center, who wished there was a TTRPG which could support students learning by roleplaying. My map is based upon the YBIC's recent map of the region (heavily influenced by new radar-sattelite surveys), but I'm creating it in the style of traditonal RPG hex maps. I'm writing it for BRP, but I've toyed with adapting it to SWADE and FATE/FAE. I'm aiming to also run it via VTT, so I'm limited in my rule system choices.
Why do I mention this...well TBH it's not to toot my horn, it's just that most of the Paleoloithic-themed settings I've read were Historical Fantasy, but I wanted a more historical approach. That presents a challenge for creating something that's actually fun for players to play in. Occupations are few and tech is very limited in this age, but there were no doubt different cultures influenced by environ, which forms a foundation for PCs in my setting.
The bestiary was impressive, with large dire wolves being a real thing and giant short-faced bears something to truly fear. While american lions and scimitar cats were ferocious felines. Not to mention massive mastadons, woolly rhinos and wolly mamoths, who might not have been so tolerant and comfortable with humans nearby. I'm blessed with the geography and climate of Beringia having been awesome - massive lakes and broad, snaking rivers, bounded east & west by perilous heights with impassible glaciers. With a temperate sea in the south and a frigid one in the north, and fertile plains with some monumental plateaus in between.
Still, despite natural conditions that are supportive of interesting roleplaying and forming a sort of narrative in itself, it's more limited for traditional RPGing than a historical fantasy setting. I'm had to be creative with narrative and some subsytems to up the fun factor. I've also made some compromises, such as allowing Shamans to optionally have ritual magic, albeit of a more limited, low-powered variety. I have an optional warrior occupation for one of my cultures, who are in competition for inhabitting a resource rich eco-niche, but I realize that's highly speculative at best. Regardless, my setting can be played more as historical fiction sans fantasy.
I'm part Native American, having ancestry from a Pacific NW 1st nation, so I'm trying to be respectful in my treatment of Beringia. The biggest challenge is the lack of information with what's known being dynamic, changing frequently as new studies and archaeological discoveries are made. Anyhow...as I've been brewing I've wondered if other folks who've attempted this historical age have encountered some of the same challenges. Perhaps it's partly why there isn't many TTRPG settings that are paleolithic themed?
So yes, I too want more paleolithic settings. But like my own, I'd like to see someone else's take on a more historical approach.
